First Round Predictions

[Brave Sir Rubin]

EAST

Pistons (1) vs Magic (8)
Nets (2) vs Bucks (7)
Pacers (3) vs Celtics (6)
Sixers (4) vs Hornets (5)

WEST

Spurs (1) vs Suns (8)
Kings (2) vs Jazz (7)
Mavericks (3) vs Blazers (6)
Timberwolves (4) vs Lakers (5)

Pistons 1 Magic 4
Nets 4 Bucks 1
Pacers 4 Celts 3
Sixers 4 Hornets 0

Spurs 4 Suns 3
Kings 4 Jazz 0
Mavs 4 Blazers 2
Wolves 0 Lackers 4

ya...some sweeeeps...

[Matt]

EAST

Pistons (1) vs Magic (8)
Nets (2) vs Bucks (7)
Pacers (3) vs Celtics (6)
Sixers (4) vs Hornets (5)

WEST

Spurs (1) vs Suns (8)
Kings (2) vs Jazz (7)
Mavericks (3) vs Blazers (6)
Timberwolves (4) vs Lakers (5)

Pistons- this series is a toss up, these teams are always neck and neck so ranking makes no difference, homecourt just might.........stop T-Mac (say 25-28ppg) and Pistons win
Nets- I can't see the Bucks winning with their frontcourt
Celtics- This is a bold choice.....in the end though if Pierce and Walker play SMART i can't see them losing
Sixers- after a 55pt performance who the hell can stop AI

Spurs- disregard the regular season, Spurs will probably win but Phoenix will put up a fight
Kings- Kings will win this one 4-1 or something like that but the games will be close, no domination for Kings but a series win
Blazers- OK, this time they aren't playing the Lakers so it's time to step up, shutdown Nowitzki and you have a v good chance, Dallas don't play D so that can be exploited
Lakers- sorry, T-Wolvs homecourt means nothing, they'll probly go down 4-1

[Andrew]

So far, the only prediction that was mentioned that cannot come true is the Spurs sweeping the Suns. Every other scenario is still possible (can I change my prediction to say Spurs over Suns 4-1, with Phoenix taking Game 1 96-95? ).

[Boyk]

well i tipped the suns 4-3 over the spurs. and im gonna change it
suns in 6

[Matt]

i think Spurs will win simply because Duncan is too hot to handle

however, Suns are capable of winning this series..........they have a better supporting cast than the Spurs do but it all comes down to stopping Duncan and executing their own stuff

[.]

btw David Robinson could sit out 2 games because of an injury and Kevin Willis is suspended 1 game

[Clinton]

What's wrong with Robinson? Everytime he gets in the playoffs he goes and injures himself. If the Suns ever had a chance to win the series, it's now.

[scubilete]

Maybe he's scared of getting to the next round to face the Lakers,

[Andrew]

Can't blame him. The Lakers swept the Spurs in 2001, winning by an average of 22 ppg or thereabouts.

[Boyk]

What's wrong with Robinson? Everytime he gets in the playoffs he goes and injures himself. If the Suns ever had a chance to win the series, it's now.

he took a charge and twisted his knee, u could see iton the replay.
thats what happens when ya bones a 37yrs old and has to support 250lbs and is 7'2.
lol

talking about charges, i have seen the most flops so far during this suns-spurs series, since vlade divacs effort for an oscar award
damn sook vlade is!

[shadowgrin]

EAST
Pistons-Magic
Pistons in 6, If the series goes beyond a game 5 a worn out T-mac may not have enough strength to continue his scoring binge, provided that Ben Wallace is healthy for Detroit...

Nets-Bucks
Nets in 5, As much as I want to see the Nets lose I just can't imagine the Bucks' talent winning an upset over the Nets.

Pacers-Celtics
Pacers in 7, If Zeke motivates his players right they can contain Pierce with Artest and Antoine is only happy jacking 3 from nowhere which 'sometimes' helps his teamates, but the Celts still doesn't have an inside presence, that's where Jermaine and Brad comes in and the Pacers also have good shooters of their own to counteract the Celts 3-point barrage.

Sixers-Hornets
76ers in 6, a biased opinion i guess...

EAST FINAL - Nets vs. 76ers/Pistons

WEST
Spurs-Suns
Spurs in 6, the Suns can't rely on their outside shot for the whole series and Amare isn't in the same caliber yet as that big monkey, Tim Duncan.

Kings-Jazz
Kings in 5, the Jazz will win 1 game just to maintain respect but winning over the Queens is just impossible for the aging Jazz.

Mavs-Blazers
Mavs in 6, yes the Blazers are good with Pip on the point but they still have go-to players that are a bunch nutcases that will wither during crunch time.

Wolves-Lakers
Lakers in 6, that is if KG goes berserk and plays good against his match-up with Mark 'Mad Dog' Madsen and Wally starts some serious scoring. If KG and Wally don't play well they'll disappear in 4.

WEST FINAL - Kings vs. Lakers(again)

[Steve04]

Pistons (1) < Magic (8)
Nets (2) > Bucks (7)
Pacers (3) > Celtics (6)
Sixers (4) >Hornets (5)

WEST

Spurs (1) >Suns (8)
Kings (2) >Jazz (7)
Mavericks (3) >Blazers (6)
Timberwolves (4) <Lakers (5)

The Lakers may not win the Title due to overconfidence Andrew, but they are not going to lose to anyone but the Kings, the T'Wolves just do not have the exp. to beat the Lakers, and the Spurs will choke once again in the 2nd round. the Kings are the only team I see them losing to.

Also the Bulls were pretty cocky when they played so why was it that no one hated them like the Lakers?

I think Parity is boring by the way, give me one dominant team to root for or against, and the TV ratings will go up every year to see if some one will beat them.

[Steve04]

EAST
Pistons-Magic
Pistons in 6, If the series goes beyond a game 5 a worn out T-mac may not have enough strength to continue his scoring binge, provided that Ben Wallace is healthy for Detroit...

If T-Mac has been scoring like that all year why would he get tired now?

[shadowgrin]

EAST
Pistons-Magic
Pistons in 6, If the series goes beyond a game 5 a worn out T-mac may not have enough strength to continue his scoring binge, provided that Ben Wallace is healthy for Detroit...

If T-Mac has been scoring like that all year why would he get tired now?

it's the playoffs, the defense gets more rougher and tougher(especially when against Detroit) and a long series breeds a dangerous famialiarity among the two opposing teams style of play. Playing against Detroit on one night and playing against the Bulls on the next night during the regular season is a lot a different from playing against the leading defensive team in the league for possibly 7 games and most of T-Mac's support players are not that good or are still young to thrive in a crucial situation like the playoffs. Want an example, Jordan's Bulls against the Badboys, they contained Jordan and Pippen was still a young player then. If you look at it T-mac doesn't even have a decent 'sidekick' like Pippen to help him.

[Steve04]

True, but I think T-Mac will get his points, the way to beat a team like the Magic is not to contain their Superstar, but to contain the Role players.

As Bill Russell said, Once you go into a game thinking you have to stop a certain player you have already lost it.

A player like McGrady is going to get his points, but the key to Detroit winning the series is if they can stop the Magic Role players.

As for Containing Jordan and the Bulls....

Just like the Kings the Bulls were a Scottie Pippen Migrane away from going to the Finals, so I do not know about Contained since the series streched to 7 games, the way you put it it would seem Detroit won easily.


If the Pistons contained the Bulls then the Lakers contained the Kings last year.

[shadowgrin]

the way you put it it would seem Detroit won easily

my bad, I used the word 'contained' too loosely. It was not my intention to imply Detroit won easily but that the Pistons made Jordan's on-court life a living hell during the series...

If the Pistons contained the Bulls then the Lakers contained the Kings last year

Everybody knows the Lakers got lucky with tht clutch 3 from Horry, too many FTs awarded to the Lakers in game 6 and David Stern conspiring to...whoops almost blew the whistle on that one...

I think T-Mac will get his points

I think so too but as the series goes on Detroit will eventually make T-Mac 'bleed' for every point which will eventually wear out T-mac but he'll still get his 40+pts. though he'll just be to tired to do such things as playing defense and rebounding...

the key to Detroit winning the series is if they can stop the Magic Role players

If the series goes beyond a game 5

most of T-Mac's support players are not that good or are still young to thrive in a crucial situation like the playoffs

...If the series won't exceed a game 5, Magic wins it...

[Andrew]

Also the Bulls were pretty cocky when they played so why was it that no one hated them like the Lakers?

People did hate the Bulls. I remember after their poor start in 1997/98 (well, poor by the previous two season's standards) people were writing letters to basketball magazines more or less rejoicing what they felt was the Bulls' demise.

Also, I wouldn't say the Bulls were cocky like the Lakers - they were supremely confident, but they didn't make remarks that disrespected their opponents as certain Lakers do.

[Steve04]

But was Pippen not injured at the start of that 97-98 season? so I guess all those naysayers were overlooking that

Everybody knows the Laker's got lucky with tht clutch 3 from Horry, too many FTs awarded to the Lakers in game 6 and David Stern conspiring to...whoops almost blew the whistle on that one...

lol, but the fact remains the Kings choked in game 7 where they had a chance to win in regulation and OT when they had their foot on the Lakers throats they took it off by missing all the free throws, game 6 was poorly officiated but the Refs turned right back around and gave the Kings the majority of FT's in game 7....

How do you say it?
"Atleast the referee's were being consistent

[Andrew]

Yeah, Pip was injured, but that didn't really concern non-Bulls fans.

[GloveGuy]

game 6 was poorly officiated but the Refs turned right back around and gave the Kings the majority of FT's in game 7....

Had game 6 not been so poorly officiated, then a game 7 wouldn't have been necessary.

[Steve04]

Had game 6 not been so poorly officiated, then a game 7 wouldn't have been necessary.

And had the Kings made FT's to stop a desperate Lakers team seconds away from elimination they would be the world champions right now.
Champs only become champs when they stop whining to the Ref's and continue to play, when the Kings learn this they will realise that it is up to them not the Ref's to get a Title, poor officiating or no, it took the Lakers a couple of years of getting hammered by San Antonio and Kobe complaining to realise that it just does not do the job, you have to!

The only reason the Kings might win this year is because they are just now starting to do the opposite of all their fans and lakers haters....

THEY HAVE STOPPED COMPLAINING!

All I have seen you people do is whine and whine, get over it, the Lakers got lucky and the Kings blew it in game 7 which they should have won in reg. and OT!

So get over it already because by the way you people are acting its still game 1 of the Finals last year not a new playoffs where the Kings have a chance to prove they are for real.

[Andrew]

I'm neither a Kings fan nor a Laker hater, but what irritates me is the way Shaq constantly disrespects the Kings, and says they never were never a threat, etc. Bold words, considering the Lakers didn't exactly walk all over the Kings in last year's playoffs - though Shaq seems to tell a different story.

I remember Shaq criticised the Kings after one of the fans wrote an offensive message on his game ball, and Phil Jackson commented that the Kings complaining about calls in a late season matchup was not behaviour fitting title contenders. But apparently, mocking the Chinese language, mocking Michael Olowokandi's name, calling an opponent the "Queens", disrespecting opponents and acting like you haven't lost a single game the final three seasons is behaviour fitting title contenders who also happen to be defending champions.

I just wish the Lakers would show a little more class and sportsmanship, and be a little less hypocritical.

[Steve04]

Shaq has always run his mouth and does not know when to shut up...ever.

As for Phil Jackson he has always played these Mind games(even in Chicago) and he was just as bad, but you probally will deny this since he was the Bulls coach and your a Bulls fan.
How is Shaq who does most of the insulting the entire Lakers squad?


I think losing in the first round is the best thing that can happen to them this year because then they will be motivated to work out in the offseason, and the Front Office will get some talent around Shaq and Kobe.

[air gordon]

I think losing in the first round is the best thing that can happen to them this year because then they will be motivated to work out in the offseason, and the Front Office will get some talent around Shaq and Kobe.

ha i'd like to see that happen. there really isn't much talent outside of those 2. horry and fox will be icing their bodies and taking viagra this summer. those guys are way past their primes. fisher is way too inconsistent and doesn't look the same since his injuries. wasn't this supposed to be d george's breakout year?? madsen and rush are decent. the rest of the roster isn't even worth mentioning.

how are the lakers going to get good players to surround the big 2 if the rest of the roster doesn't have any good trade value??

Kupchek(sp?) should get executive of the year next year if the lakers somehow make the finals.

did anyone else hear about big country bryant is thinking of opting out of his contract year??

[Steve04]

There is their Mid-Level exception, and there have been dumb trades before

As for Bryant, all I have to say is this

These are just juicy rumors! the same with Pippen getting traded every year because he was unhappy, goto Memphis? HA their supporting cast is just as bad as McGrady in Orlando, it would be worse there since he has no Shaq...just Mike Miller? not to mention he gets more money in LA...