A LEGEND IS BORN II

great article i'm really loving Tyson here keep it up

My former teammate is really tearing it up!

congrads on the sweep and great article as usual

Really nice article about Ty. I think he has developed into a star during the playoffs. Your writing is A+

Yeah Tyson really deserved a series like this. Nice article.

one word....amazing

Nice story. Loved part 2 & the link to the battle of the rookies game & the story on Chara and other legendary rookies.

Nice article, good read.

again great writting

great article i'm really loving Tyson here keep it up

My former teammate is really tearing it up!

congrads on the sweep and great article as usual

Really nice article about Ty. I think he has developed into a star during the playoffs. Your writing is A+

Yeah Tyson really deserved a series like this. Nice article.

one word....amazing

Nice story. Loved part 2 & the link to the battle of the rookies game & the story on Chara and other legendary rookies.

Thanks bros! I am really happy you are all supporting my rookie. But what about the love for Durant???

Thanks bros! I am really happy you are all supporting my rookie. But what about the love for Durant???

You painted him as an arrogant fool, so I can't see anybody showing any love for him anytime soon

Thanks bros! I am really happy you are all supporting my rookie. But what about the love for Durant???

You painted him as an arrogant fool, so I can't see anybody showing any love for him anytime soon

Touche X, touche.

I haven't read back very much (not beyond the play-off's) so I haven't bonded with one or the other.
But I have to say that I find the arrogant fool-comment intriguing. And I give him credit for leading his team through the post-season while being injured.

Thanks bros! I am really happy you are all supporting my rookie. But what about the love for Durant???

You painted him as an arrogant fool, so I can't see anybody showing any love for him anytime soon

Touche X, touche.

i agree with The X!!

I haven't read back very much (not beyond the play-off's) so I haven't bonded with one or the other.
But I have to say that I find the arrogant fool-comment intriguing. And I give him credit for leading his team through the post-season while being injured.

Read it from the start, I promise you it is worth the read.

I hope others can second me on that.

i second it!

I haven't read back very much (not beyond the play-off's) so I haven't bonded with one or the other.
But I have to say that I find the arrogant fool-comment intriguing. And I give him credit for leading his team through the post-season while being injured.

Read it from the start, I promise you it is worth the read.

I hope others can second me on that.

of course, this is a must read

Second Round Wrap-Up
A quick review of the rest of the Second Round

Denver Nuggets v Portland Trailblazers

The Nuggets would win Game 5 in Denver, 109-100, behind 33 points and 8 rebounds from Carmelo Anthony. Andrew Watson had 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists while Chauncey Billups had 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists. The Nuggets’ run would end in Portland in Game 6 though, as the Nuggets fell 104-98 to the Blazers. Brandon Roy and Steve Nash combined for 47 points and 16 assists. Carmelo Anthony had 26 points and 8 rebounds in the losing effort, Andrew Watson had 15.

The upset is a major blow for the Nuggets who looked like strong contenders for the NBA title and go home as Portland advances to play against the other surprise team of the postseason, the Seattle Stealth.

Detroit Pistons v Boston Celtics

A 31 point haul from Rip Hamilton saved the Pistons for another game. Their 115-81 win against the Celtics staved off elimination. Rasheed Wallace added 20 points in the Game 5 win. Boston finished the job in Game 6 with a 103-93 win. Rasheed Wallace had just 6 points and Rip Hamilton scored 18 on 6 for 15 shooting. “We really missed having AI out on the floor,” Hamilton later admitted. Six Celtics scored in double figures in the series clinching win.

Boston advances to their second Eastern Conference Finals in three seasons and is aiming to win it all. Kevin Garnett stated that with their main rivals from the East (Detroit) and the West (New Orleans) eliminated, there is a chance that they could win their second title in three seasons.

Atlanta Hawks v Miami Heat

Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat wasted no more time as they dropped the Atlanta Hawks out of the playoffs with a 95-94 win in Game 5. Wade had 21 points and 8 assist while Michael Beasley was once again impressive with 20 points. Joe Johnson had 21 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists in a losing effort and was ably supported by Josh Smith’s 18 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks, and Ben Gordon’s 17 points from off the bench.

Go Heat!

omg, Portland defeated the Nuggets?? 0.0
what's with The X's statline? near triple double performance in the playoffs from a rookie...how on earth did Chara steal the ROY honors away from him lol

omg, Portland defeated the Nuggets?? 0.0
what's with The X's statline? near triple double performance in the playoffs from a rookie...how on earth did Chara steal the ROY honors away from him lol

Looks like I saved my best for the playoffs....Chara easily had best numbers in regular season....who knows what he would've done in the playoffs, although Sacramento were about 20-25 wins away from that anyways ....unfortunately Billups was pretty much garbage most of the post-season & not enough strong play from the bench....it was all Melo & I....sucks to let a golden opportunity slip through our fingers....

in the end, I'm predicting a Heat championship....

omg, Portland defeated the Nuggets?? 0.0
what's with The X's statline? near triple double performance in the playoffs from a rookie...how on earth did Chara steal the ROY honors away from him lol

Looks like I saved my best for the playoffs....Chara easily had best numbers in regular season....who knows what he would've done in the playoffs, although Sacramento were about 20-25 wins away from that anyways ....unfortunately Billups was pretty much garbage most of the post-season & not enough strong play from the bench....it was all Melo & I....sucks to let a golden opportunity slip through our fingers....

in the end, I'm predicting a Heat championship....

The X proved himself to be the second best rookie in the Draft by far. Most consistent player and on a winning team. A contending team.

However, give respect to Chara as the Kings were winning in the second half of the season and if they won the same percentage of games during December, January... they could have made it into the playoffs.

Also, I was a bit surprised with the Nuggets losing. I was looking forward to playing them as we are 3-1 against them. Looks like I'm going to play another talented team though in the Blazers. Maybe the fairytale run still continues though?

I'm feeling a Boston Celtics championship... I have this uncanny feeling that the winner of it all will hail from the Eastern Conference.

NBA Playoffs: Conference Finals
NBA Conference Finals: Previews At-A-Glance

ESPN.com’s Woody looks at the Western and Eastern Conference Finals as only four teams remain on the road to contest the Larry O’Brien trophy. Click on the links to read more about the series you are interested in.

Western Conference Finals

5. Seattle Stealth (50-32) vs 6. Portland Trailblazers (48-34)

Both teams are surprises to still be alive in the playoffs. Seattle were seen as too young and not talented enough but have come through by defeating the experienced and bigger LA Lakers and sweeping the defending NBA champions New Orleans Hornets. When Kevin Durant became injured, many thought the team would have no chance but rookie Reshawn Tyson stepped up to fill Durant’s shoes and David Lee showed many why he was handed a contract. The veteran leadership of Jason Kidd and the coaching of George Karl has this team overachieving at the moment.

Portland signed All-Stars Carlos Boozer and Steve Nash but were a clear example of diminishing returns as their star studded lineup did not click all season long and still don’t appear to be playing as one cohesive unit. The team slugged their way through a first round encounter against the Houston Rockets before downing the Denver Nuggets; who were favorites to win the NBA title. It’s clear that this team has the talent to win it all; with a former MVP as a PG, a big frontline with shot blockers and scorers, and a talented array of wing players. As Nash stated, “It’s just a matter of getting everyone on the same page. If we can all play at a high level, we should be very tough to beat.”

The Seattle Stealth are going to have a tough time against the Portland Trailblazers, who look like a different team in the playoffs. The Stealth struggled against the Lakers because of Gasol and Bynum and one would hardly call those two ‘tough’. Portland has Boozer, Oden, and Aldridge; Seattle may be in trouble. Seattle does have home court advantage but Portland has won two series without it and although Seattle did well during the regular season against the Blazers; all of that doesn’t matter because both teams start at 0-0.

These two teams should prove to provide an interesting matchup and Seattle are hoping that their leading scorer Kevin Durant returns to full strength soon.

Read More…

Eastern Conference Finals

3. Miami Heat (49-33) vs 4. Boston Celtics (47-35)

The Boston Celtics are looking to make their second NBA Finals appearance in three seasons as Dwyane Wade chases a chance to win a second championship. The Heat are one of the weakest teams out there in the competition and it is a testament to the ability of Wade that they are contesting in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Boston is still riding on the back of their big three; Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. Rajon Rondo is erratic at best and no one else on the Celtics’ roster could be labeled as dependable and consistent. Garnett has made it no secret that he wants to win a second title and there seems to be no reason why they can’t. With the elimination of Detroit, Denver, and New Orleans, the Celtics come out as new favorites to win it all.

The Celtics are the better team while Miami has the best player and it remains to be seen whether Wade can push his squad over the top. Miami, after all, were here last season and lost in 6 games against the Pistons. However, Miami was a much better side with Ben Gordon and Shawn Marion still playing for them.

A win for Boston is crucial as there are rumors that Ray Allen is unhappy with the organization. Many believe that if the Celtics win the title this season, Allen would be more inclined to finish his career there.

It’s hard to see Boston losing this one despite Miami holding home court advantage. Two facts in Boston’s favor are that they won away against the best team in the East during the last round and the Heat lost to the Pistons last year despite having home court advantage. As Garnett said, “Home court does not matter. It’s how we play on the day that does.”

Read More…

NBA Playoff Predictions
Get Your Tips In, Earn Points, Your Virtual Player Reaps The Benefits

Get your tips in guys for each playoff series and earn points that you will be able to use on your virtual player in this Association! Please participate even if your player has not appeared in this Association because it will be worthwhile. All rewards will be announced at the completion of the Postseason.

How This Works?

The playoff matchups will be posted in a series-by-series playoff preview. You will then be given some time to post your predicted outcome of each series. Don’t forget to choose the winner and amount of games won by each team.

Scores will be accumulated and posted prior to the commencement of the next round.

What Implications Does It Have For You?

All the points accumulated, no matter if you finish first or last, will be able to be used on your virtual player. How that will happen will be explained at the completion of the postseason.

And if you do not have a virtual player part of this association, don’t forget that there are still spots available for additional rookies in future Draft Classes!

Scoring System

General Scoring

If you pick the winner of the series - +10 Point
If the winner has a worse record than their opponent - +5 Points
If you correctly pick the amount of games won by each team - +5 Points

Bonus Predictions

Before the first round begins, pick:

The teams contesting the NBA Finals
The eventual champion
Pick the Finals MVP

If this happens, you will receive 10 points for each correct guess but you lose 5 points for every incorrect guess. Therefore, you can potentially earn 40 points but can also lose 20.

Other

If you come first in the competition - +50 Points
If you come second in the competition - +25 Points
If you come third in the competition - +10 Points

Now that you are aware of this competition, please start positing your predictions!

An example of how to vote will be posted below this post.

How To Make Your Predictions
An Example Of How To Submit Your Predictions For the Second Round

Note that this is for the Third Round only. Please follow this template! Thank you.

Third Round Predictions

Stealth beat Blazers 4-1

Celtics beat Heat 4-2

Leaderboard: Current Position. (Previous Position) Name | Points | Tiebreaker*

1. (1) ratrac | 120 | 10
2. (4) Martti. | 115 | 9
3. (6) C-77 | 110 | 8
4. (7) lamrock | 100 | 9
4. (3) The X | 100 | 9
5. (4) homicide1550 | 100 | 8
6. (5) thierryhenry50 | 95 | 8
6. (5) puttincomputers | 95 | 8
7. (6) nba_baller | 95 | 7
8. (2) Valor | 90 | 7
9. (4) KlemenPipic | 85 | 7
9. (8) mark. | 85 | 7
10. (9) StupidBoy | 80 | 6
11. (8) newc | 70 | 6
12. (-) hova | 35 | 2
13. (-) kasier_kobe | 30 | 2

* Tiebreaker – If two or more people have the same amount of points, the tiebreaker is decided by how many series you correctly picked.

Third Round Predictions

Stealth beat Blazers 4-2

Heat beat Celtics 4-3

Good luck!

Seattle in 7
Boston in 6

Hopefully the Stealth can sneak into the playoffs!