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Official NBA Playoffs Thread (Predictions Welcome!)

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The only glaring hole the lakers have: their bench. Beyond Lamar Odom, the Lakers bench is pure trash. Sasha Vujacic, Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar? You gotta be kidding me. The key to Boston beating the Lakers is their strong bench play.
 
Prediction: Lakers in 6

Matchups:
Garnett, Perkins, Big Baby, Wallace v Gasol, Bynum, Odom
Advantage: Lakers. Garnett is simply breaking down. After a good series against the Cavs, he's reaggravated the knee and had very limited effectiveness. Perkins is on thin ice because he is one technical foul away from missing a game. When Perkins gets the ball in the post, the offense basically stops for 5 seconds. Big Baby hustles and played with energy and determination, but he has a penchant for trying to play inside against taller players, and with his relative lack of height and poor elevation his shot is easily blocked. Wallace is hampered by injury, and is too old to effectively guard Gasol. Bynum will be limited by his balky knee, and is playing on guts. Gasol is stronger and a bit bulkier than 2 years ago and is playing great. As long as he doesn't get rattled, his height, quickness and superb passing make him a very tough matchup for the Celtics. Odom can post up Big Baby, and take Garnett off the dribble. Odom is enormously talented and can excel at every aspect of the game.

Pierce v Artest
Advantage: even. Pierce is even slower now than he was 2 years ago. Artest is stronger and can body him, and Pierce won't be able to bump him and then fade for the jumper. This series is the apex of Artest's purpose with the Lakers. The downside is that Artest could kill his own team by launching ill-advised shots (see Houston, 2009).

Rondo, R. Allen, T. Allen v Kobe, Fisher, Farmar, Brown

Advantage: Lakers. Kobe is Kobe - nothing else needs to be said. Boston needs to set a lot of screens for Ray and make Kobe chase him around - Kobe hates this and is vulnerable here, to the point where I could see Fisher take this cover. Rondo has a speed, jumping, athletic advantage over Fisher, but Fisher is a clutch shooter, physical, and a dirty enough player than he could take Rondo out of his element a little. I would bet that Fisher is the guy LA will use to try to get a technical foul on Perkins. T. Allen is a tenacious defender who sometimes hurts Boston of offense. Farmar is pesky and can get going from 3, but can be exploited by the Celtics backcourt at any time. Shannon Brown is a great athlete and explosive, but needs to be used in small doses or else he'll be abused by Boston. A wildcard here is Nate Robinson for the Celtics - he could provide a huge lift, or be a total no-factor.

Intangibles
Advantage: Celtics. Kobe & Gasol are on a quest for redemption. In 2008, Boston intimidated them both physically and emotionally, and Kobe & Pau want revenge. The edge, though, goes to Boston because they are a sterling example of the whole being greater than the sum of it's parts. They are a team that functions as an organism.

Coaching
Even. Phil Jackson's job right now is to keep the machinery humming, and make sure that potentially volatile situations don't blow up. Doc Rivers is a field general, providing inspiration and in-game adjustments.

If KG can't play well, if Perkins gets a T and loses a game to suspension... LA in 5. If Fisher can't hit big shots, if Artest plays stupid and KG can duplicate his 18/10 line per game against Cleveland, LA in 7.
 
Omg, the jr. high bus just dropped the kids off.

A couple of you need to do the others here a favor get back on the bus and ride away.
 
cheezy321 said:
18. Paul Pierce is one dramatic acting foul away from getting a label that he'll never be able to escape. He can't have another wheelchair moment. Ever. Or else … he might get a another letter than the "C" for captain sewn onto his jersey.

Translation: Paul Pierce is a pussy. I'll never forget his 'wheelchair moment'
Click to expand...

Kinda like how you're a pussy, always whining about it?
 
cheezy321 said:
Im not the only one to notice this, obviously.
Click to expand...

Scoop Jackson... lifelong Boston hater. 😀

Not saying Pierce doesn't ham it up, Emmitt Smith style, but he did subsequently have that knee operated on.

If you hate pussies, you must despise Pau Gasol. Touch him and he acts like a truck just leveled him.

More importantly, WTF with the double-T's already? And HTH is Joey Crawford officiating? :thumbsdown:
 
1st Half Thoughts

Game start - Old reliable company men refs who call a crapload of weak and suspect fouls.

I'm going for Boston but man is Pierce a great actor. On a related note, I'm so sick of all the actors on both sides. Pierce whips his head back on every drive to the basket no matter what and all the yelling and flailing by Gasol and Bryant gets them so many undeserved free throws. Why can't there be a diving foul like in futbol.

Anyway, back to Pierce - He immediately tried to instigate Artest. On the replay, it was his arm going under Artest and pulling him down. Stupid double technical call as usual. Good job by Artest for not escalating the situation. Bad call by JVG calling it a takedown by Artest.

LoL at Vujacic blindsiding Allen, what a pest that douche is. Was that supposed to be payback or something?

The Celtics missing their role players is apparent but the game is close and I like how they are playing. The Lakers may have a great closer in Bryant but a close game at the end favors the Celtics in this underdog situation.

Tony Allen is playing terrrrrribly and Bryant very well as expected. I want to see more from Rondo though.

I can't really remember what else I wanted to write here from the first half....
 
Flipped Gazelle said:
Prediction: Lakers in 6

Matchups:
Garnett, Perkins, Big Baby, Wallace v Gasol, Bynum, Odom
Advantage: Lakers. Garnett is simply breaking down. After a good series against the Cavs, he's reaggravated the knee and had very limited effectiveness. Perkins is on thin ice because he is one technical foul away from missing a game. When Perkins gets the ball in the post, the offense basically stops for 5 seconds. Big Baby hustles and played with energy and determination, but he has a penchant for trying to play inside against taller players, and with his relative lack of height and poor elevation his shot is easily blocked. Wallace is hampered by injury, and is too old to effectively guard Gasol. Bynum will be limited by his balky knee, and is playing on guts. Gasol is stronger and a bit bulkier than 2 years ago and is playing great. As long as he doesn't get rattled, his height, quickness and superb passing make him a very tough matchup for the Celtics. Odom can post up Big Baby, and take Garnett off the dribble. Odom is enormously talented and can excel at every aspect of the game.

Pierce v Artest
Advantage: even. Pierce is even slower now than he was 2 years ago. Artest is stronger and can body him, and Pierce won't be able to bump him and then fade for the jumper. This series is the apex of Artest's purpose with the Lakers. The downside is that Artest could kill his own team by launching ill-advised shots (see Houston, 2009).

Rondo, R. Allen, T. Allen v Kobe, Fisher, Farmar, Brown

Advantage: Lakers. Kobe is Kobe - nothing else needs to be said. Boston needs to set a lot of screens for Ray and make Kobe chase him around - Kobe hates this and is vulnerable here, to the point where I could see Fisher take this cover. Rondo has a speed, jumping, athletic advantage over Fisher, but Fisher is a clutch shooter, physical, and a dirty enough player than he could take Rondo out of his element a little. I would bet that Fisher is the guy LA will use to try to get a technical foul on Perkins. T. Allen is a tenacious defender who sometimes hurts Boston of offense. Farmar is pesky and can get going from 3, but can be exploited by the Celtics backcourt at any time. Shannon Brown is a great athlete and explosive, but needs to be used in small doses or else he'll be abused by Boston. A wildcard here is Nate Robinson for the Celtics - he could provide a huge lift, or be a total no-factor.

Intangibles
Advantage: Celtics. Kobe & Gasol are on a quest for redemption. In 2008, Boston intimidated them both physically and emotionally, and Kobe & Pau want revenge. The edge, though, goes to Boston because they are a sterling example of the whole being greater than the sum of it's parts. They are a team that functions as an organism.

Coaching
Even. Phil Jackson's job right now is to keep the machinery humming, and make sure that potentially volatile situations don't blow up. Doc Rivers is a field general, providing inspiration and in-game adjustments.

If KG can't play well, if Perkins gets a T and loses a game to suspension... LA in 5. If Fisher can't hit big shots, if Artest plays stupid and KG can duplicate his 18/10 line per game against Cleveland, LA in 7.
Click to expand...

Nice analysis and I agree on almost everything.

Odom is inconsistent and lets not count Wallace out completely, he is a great post defender even in his current state. Gasol is still weak but coupled with Bynum and a slowed Garnett, he will hurt the Celtics.
 
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