NBA 2005

[Mr Tree]

it's the turn of the year, one month til the All-Star game, so why not start my NBA thread for this year :bound:

if the trend of previous years is anything to follow, i'll be talking to myself til about June, where SBB will show up and wind me up about the Lakers mad1: ), and no-one else will care... maybe they will if i post some betting tips, eh?

anyway, basketball is definitely the most gangsta sport - channel 5 have started showing coverage and very impressive it is too, despite the clueless Mark Webster presenting... one live game a week, plus a round-up of all the other action.

highlights of this season so far include Fight Night, where 3 Indiana players were suspended for 15 games, 30 games and the rest of the season respectively for brawling with the crowd away to defending champs Detroit. Tracy McGrady's amazing 13 points in 35 seconds performance was one of the great game-ending performances ever seen (his Houston team were losing by 11 with 35 secs to go ). Other outstanding individual performances include 50+ performances by Allen Iverson (in 2 consecutive games), Dirk Nowitzki, Amare Stoudemire and... Damon Stoudamire (we'll ignore him cos a/ he's rubbish and b/ they lost the game anyway lol). LeBron James has just become the youngest player ever to record a "triple-double", in which a player gets double figure stats in three categories (normally points/rebounds/assists) in one game...

anyway, for the all-star game it looks certain that the starters will be:

WEST
Yao Ming (Houston Rockets) - otherwise known in England as "the guy from the Apple Mac ads...
Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers)
Tracy McGrady (Houston Rockets)

EAST
Shaquille O'Neal (Miami Heat)
Grant Hill (Orlando Magic) - playing his first full season in 4 years after horrendous injury problems, a pleasure to have him back
Vince Carter (New Jersey Nets) - a fan favourite who isn't in the same class as the others
Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers)
LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)

for the NBA's full All-Star round up check out here http://www.nba.com/news/allstar_050120.html

and for a good discussion on the merits of All-Star starters and bench players, check out here http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/john_hollinger/01/18/all.star/index.html

for the moment, the only money i'd put on would be for the title would be for San Antonio or Miami... it's still quite early in the season to call tho.

anyone who isn't interested - i didn't ask you to read it :thumbs:

 

[Santa Barbara Bee]

Re: Nba 2005

if the trend of previous years is anything to follow, i'll be talking to myself til about June, where SBB will show up and wind me up about the Lakers mad1: ), and no-one else will care... maybe they will if i post some betting tips, eh?

Me wind you up, Dan?!? Never! Besides, I have no ammo this year - the Lakers are a carbon copy of the Clippers - enough said. I agree 100% that it's the Spurs and the Heat all the way this year, with San Antone the pick simply because Shaq won't be able to take on the burden of carrying the Heat against Duncan and Co. through 5-7 games. All that weight he's been carrying over the past 4 years has taken its toll, even though he's shed 40 pounds over the summer break. Also, the East simply isn't as good as the West right now and although the Heat can beat up on underweight teams week in, week out, the elite of the West are another story.

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

my tongue was firmly planted in-cheek SBB

i'm surprised the Lakers are doing as well as they are, cos i thought a one-man team revolving around Kobe would expose him (as with McGrady at Orlando last year, and Iverson at Philly for the last 6-7 years )

the only reason i'd say a bet on Miami is worthwhile is that someone from the East has got to contest the finals, and Miami look the best shot (if Artest were to come back for Indiana, i'd think they had a chance to, but if they won a title without one of the league's best defensive player, it'd be incredible and it's just not gonna happen ) - then, once it gets to the finals, who knows? i'd take the Spurs vs anyone in a 7-game series, but if Duncan went down injured or something... :shrug:

more updates to follow when work aren't looking

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

the all-star teams have been announced now, here they are: (* means players who are starting, # means players who are making their all-star debuts)

EAST
#Gilbert Arenas (Washington)
*Vince Carter (New Jersey)
*Grant Hill (Orlando)
Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Cleveland)
*Allen Iverson (Philadelphia)
*#LeBron James (Cleveland)
#Antawn Jamison (Washington)
Jermaine O’Neal (Indiana)
*Shaquille O’Neal (Miami)
Paul Pierce (Boston)
#Dwyane Wade (Miami)
Ben Wallace (Detroit)

WEST
Ray Allen (Seattle)
*Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers)
*Tim Duncan (San Antonio)
*Kevin Garnett (Minnesota)
#Manu Ginobili (San Antonio)
#Rashard Lewis (Seattle)
Shawn Marion (Phoenix)
*Tracy McGrady (Houston)
Steve Nash (Phoenix)
Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)
#Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix)
*Yao Ming (Houston)

should be good! The game is on Feb 20th... full article here : http://www.nba.com/allstar2005/allstar_game/reserves_050208.html

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

wow, mid-march already eh? the NBA is hotting up as the final push for the playoffs mounts, so here is my quick re-cap - hopefully i've not missed any big recent stories

Eastern Conference
(1x) Miami 51 16 10-0
(2) Detroit 40 23 6-4
(3) Boston 36 29 9-1
(4) Washington 35 27 5-5
(5) Cleveland 34 28 3-7
(6) Chicago 32 30 4-6
(7) Indiana 32 31 5-5
(8) Philadelphia 31 33 5-5
Orlando 31 33 3-7
New Jersey 29 36 6-4
Toronto 27 37 5-5
New York 26 36 6-4
Milwaukee 26 37 4-6
Charlotte 12 50 1-9
Atlanta 11 53 1-9

Those numbers show Wins, Losses, and the team's record in the last 10 games (Won-Lost).

The only serious teams here are Detroit and Miami. Boston are on a great run after a sneaky late trade where they signed former star (and All-Star) Antoine Walker, swapping him for Gary Payton with Atlanta - Payton however refused to play for Atlanta, who released him, and he went back and signed for Boston. to be honest, i'm confused as to how they got away with that! They do have 3 legitimate stars in Payton, Walker and Paul Pierce, but they're not good enough to challenge i don't think...

Elsewhere i can see New Jersey forcing their way in, in Jason Kidd and Vince Carter they have 2 of the best in the league, tho the rest of the team is lacking (they would be contenders in the East, i feel, if Richard Jefferson hadn't been injured, but he is out for the season...) - they will probably capitalise on Chicago's young squad of overachievers (including London-rasied rookie Luol Deng) blowing up, Philadelphia continuing to struggle to integrate new signing Chris Webber into the team, or Indiana falling apart now that Jermaine O'Neal is out for the season...

4th and 5th seeds Washington and Cleveland have done well, and clearly deserve their rankings, but i can't see them doing Miami/Detroit in a series. So the smart money is on Miami and Detroit...

WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) San Antonio 49 15 7-3
(2) Phoenix 48 15 7-3
(3) Seattle 43 20 5-5
(4) Dallas 42 22 5-5
(5) Houston 39 25 7-3
(6) Sacramento 40 26 5-5
(7) Memphis 37 27 7-3
(8) Denver 33 30 9-1
Minnesota 33 33 6-4
L.A. Lakers 32 32 4-6
L.A. Clippers 29 35 6-4
Portland 23 40 1-9
Golden State 21 44 5-5
Utah 20 44 3-7
New Orleans 14 49 3-7

the west has been a lot stronger for the past few years, and i believe it's shown again this year (tho the balance is shifting slowly), as Minnesota and the Lakers (lol) would easily make it in the east - minnesota have been a strange shadow of last year's team, while the lakers are a one-man band and he's been believing his own hype for too long, imho... (Kobe Bryant, if ya don't know...) - i would back the surging Denver Nuggets to hold on to 8th there...

meanwhile, San Antonio are struggling a little at the mo with their star Tim Duncan injured, but he should be back soon and they are a class team, it's hard to see past them - maybe Dallas or Houston will give them a run for their money (houston had a bad start but have been great since). Phoenix and Seattle are generally regarded as surprise teams and, while it's fair play to them for doing so well, such teams generally don't do as well in the playoffs - neither team has much experience there. Sacramento have fallen apart since the terrible trade to remove Chris Webber from the team, and Memphis are a good solid team but again lack playoff experience.

All in all, i can't really see past San Antonio vs Miami, still

 

[nocoat]

Re: Nba 2005

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

anyone who isn't interested - i didn't ask you to read it :thumbs:

put your house on San Antonio, nocoat

 

[SQUELCH]

Re: Nba 2005

Grant Hill!

Not really a basketball name. Tell him to change it.....................

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

Vince Carter (New Jersey Nets) - a fan favourite who isn't in the same class as the others

by the way, i (and most other basketball pundits) take this back - Vince has been Vincredible (see what i did there) since he went to New Jersey...

 

[Santa Barbara Bee]

Re: Nba 2005

Excellent summary, Dan. It's Spurs vs. Heat all the way for me, with hopefully Mr. Duncan shutting Shaq's big mouth once and for all. However, injuries can happen at any time so if you're a betting man I'd be careful. Latest news - because the Lakers and Clippers have become the same team and both play at the same arena they have now officially merged to become the LA Staplers.

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

with hopefully Mr. Duncan shutting Shaq's big mouth once and for all.

coincidentally, Shaq's Miami beat Kobe's Lakers last night in their second meeting since Shaq was (stupidly) traded away - the first meeting, i read, got the highest TV ratings of any regular-season game for 7 years

i'm sure SBB's statement is not meant bitterly tho

 

[Santa Barbara Bee]

Re: Nba 2005

i'm sure SBB's statement is not meant bitterly tho [/QUOTE]

Oh, absolutely not.

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

a few of the week's developments :

Dallas coach Don Nelson resigned, although i think assistant Avery Johnson is regarded as a promising prospect, and has run the team before when Nelson was ill...

Orlando and Cleveland both fired their coaches, both of which i can agree with - Cleveland are there by default really, they have a good team but seem a bit of a mess, and clearly someone needs to sort them out. they lost over the weekend to Toronto despite 56 points from LeBron...

Detroit coach Larry Brown is out for the season - i think it was hip surgery, i forget now... i think one of the assistants is in charge. but i think this is bad bad news for the Pistons, Larry is a bit of a legend...

and Sacramento have lost their starting center Brad Miller for the forseeable future, he has broken his leg - he is a key part of the team, although they seem alright without him so far......

 

[Santa Barbara Bee]

Re: Nba 2005

...and the Spurs' Tim Duncan is out for the rest of the regular season with a badly sprained ankle.

 

[The Joker]

Re: Nba 2005

...and the Spurs' Tim Duncan is out for the rest of the regular season with a badly sprained ankle.

I don't follow the NBA but I did see this injury on Sky Sports (well you've got to watch something when on the treadmill in the gym. ). Looked very nasty and he must be lucky not to have broken it.

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

how's it going SBB?

what a momentous day for the world, the Lakers are officially unable to make the playoffs (and to add insult to injury, the Clips won last night and the Lakers are now ELEVENTH in the conference rofl hopefully that'll be the last we hear of "superstar" kobe bryant, who i always maintained was as good as any 2-guard in the league... )

for a discussion on the awards for the season, check out this page : http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2005-04-04-duprees-awards_x.htm
shaq for MVP - who else is there really? Nash, Iverson, Duncan etc are all great players but not as irreplacable as Shaq (just ask the Lakers lol (sorry!))

hopefully tomorrow i'll do a full update, but just you remember who said the Chicago Bulls young squad would blow up (the playoff standings have changed a little but contain the same teams as above, with New Jersey and possibly Orlando still challenging in the east, and only minnesota left in the west...)

 

[Santa Barbara Bee]

Re: Nba 2005

Hi Dan:
Basketball??? What's that? I'm...er...a baseball fan now (go Dodgers!). Actually, the Lakers' demise doesn't surprise me given that they are made up of journeyman players. My biggest beef isn't so much that they traded Shaq - who Jerry Buss wanted out of LA because of the previous year's contract squabbles -than that they got so little talent for him. They should have at least received a bona fide all-star at the level of Tim Duncan. The timing was what did them in - they wanted to get rid of him ASAP and to wait another year would have been suicide as he was out of contract. They should have traded him in 2003. Oh well, time for the other teams to have fun while the Lakers spend the next decade rebuilding. As long as the Celtics don't win anything I'll be happy.

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

Time for an update, but first the standings :

Eastern Conference
(1x) Miami 56 21 5-5
(2x) Detroit 51 27 9-1
(3x) Boston 43 35 5-5
(4x) Chicago 44 34 7-3
(5x) Indiana 43 35 8-2
(6x) Washington 43 35 5-5
(7) Cleveland 40 37 5-5
(8) Philadelphia 39 38 6-4
New Jersey 38 40 6-4
Orlando 35 43 3-7
Toronto 32 46 4-6
New York 30 47 1-9
Milwaukee 29 49 2-8
Charlotte 17 61 2-8
Atlanta 12 66 1-9

WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1x) Phoenix 59 19 8-2
(2x) San Antonio 58 21 7-3
(3x) Seattle 50 28 2-8
(4x) Dallas 54 24 9-1
(5x) Sacramento 48 30 7-3
(6x) Houston 48 31 6-4
(7x) Denver 47 31 9-1
(8) Memphis 44 34 5-5
Minnesota 41 37 7-3
L.A. Clippers 35 43 4-6
L.A. Lakers 34 44 2-8
Golden State 31 48 7-3
Portland 25 52 2-8
Utah 25 53 4-6
New Orleans 18 60 3-7

it seems like i have to write a paragraph every time just to explain what the crap all that means - the columns show Wins, Losses and Record In Last 10 Games (Win-Loss). I like the last column, gives a good indication of form - e.g Seattle are slumping badly at just the wrong time, while Denver will certainly be giving San Antonio a few nightmares at present!

the number in brackets is the playoff seeding, with an "x" meaning that they have definitely qualified. with only 4 or 5 games left for most in the 82-game NBA season, most places are definitely decided - New Jersey lost a huge game last night at Indiana and hopefully Philly and Cleveland will hang on, meanwhile Memphis should be able to hold on to 8th in the west despite a strong finish from Minnesota.

the OTHER thing to explain is that Seattle and Boston are 3rd because they're winning their respective divisions - if they were to meet Dallas/Chicago respectively, i believe Dallas/Chicago would get homecourt advantage because they've won more games. Weird system, which is actually leading to team WANTING to finish 6th as opposed to 4th or 5th!

So if the playoffs started today it would be :

EAST
Miami vs Philadelphia
Detroit vs Cleveland
Boston vs Washington
Chicago vs Indiana

WEST
Phoenix vs Memphis
San Antonio vs Denver
Seattle vs Houston
Dallas vs Sacramento

but i'm holding fire on predictions, 1) because some may notice there have already been some terrible ones on this thread and 2) it's still very tight and could change a lot!

in good news for San Antonio, and bad news for the rest of the West, Tim Duncan is back, and should be playing by next week - so Miami vs San Antonio still looks the most likely final. But it's all about to get interesting - watch this space!!

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

:bound: it's playoff time :bound:

i can't be arsed to put the tables up - the "news" is that New Jersey came up on the rails and pipped Cleveland to the post for the playoffs! Disaster for Cleveland, especially as only a few weeks ago they looked settled in 5th place. They have the biggest star to emerge in years, a kind of Wayne Rooney to the game of basketball, in Lebron James, and have let him down again - i wonder if he'll start thinking that there are better places for him to ply his trade?

Anyway, beginning on Saturday, these are the first round match-ups

EAST
(1) Miami Heat vs (8) New Jersey Nets
(2) Detroit Pistons vs (7) Philadelphia 76ers
(3) Boston Celtics vs (6) Indiana Pacers
(4) Chicago Bulls vs (5) Washington Wizards

Miami will have to be cautious with New Jersey, who've finished strong and have 2 legitamate stars in Carter and Kidd. Detroit have finished well and should coast past the 6ers - despite Philadelphia having the league's best player (in my view ) they haven't really surrounded him with much. Indiana have finished well and i think Jermaine O'Neal has returned for them, so they will have a chance of shocking Boston. Chicago's homecourt advantage will cancel out Washington's slight advantage in experience - this could be a very interesting series, but Chicago have suffered injury-wise in recent weeks and this could catch up with them. My tips then would be Miami, Detroit, Indiana and Washington.

WEST
(1) Phoenix Suns vs (8) Memphis Grizzlies
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs (7) Denver Nuggets
(3) Seattle Supersonics vs (6) Sacramento Kings
(4) Dallas Mavericks vs (5) Houston Rockets

Memphis are a handy team, Phoenix will need to do well to beat them. San Antonio will be dreading the match-up with Denver - i don't have stats to hand but they probably had the best 2nd half of the season in the league. Seattle have limped home and will have to hope they can rediscover their form if they're gonna beat Sacramento, who are experienced playoff campaigners. Dallas-Houston, as in the 4-5 match-up in the east, should be very entertaining, especially with some nice Texan rivalry! My tips, none of which i say very securely(!), are Phoenix, San An, Sacramento and Dallas.

Shaping up to be a very entertaining playoffs, so stay tuned

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

good article here : http://www.nba.com/playoffs2005/storylines_050420.html - written by people who actually know something

including news i wasn't aware of, such as - Richard Jefferson (a one-time all-star if i remember right? well, a good little player anyway) might well return for New Jersey, having missed most of the season with ligament damage in his wrist. If Shaq is still feeling a bit dodgy (he missed some games late on with a bad thigh) and Jefferson plays, this series could be quite tight.

also, Denver won 25 of 29 games after the All-Star game

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

EAST
(1) Miami Heat 4-0 (8) New Jersey Nets
(2) Detroit Pistons 4-1 (7) Philadelphia 76ers
(3) Boston Celtics 2-3 (6) Indiana Pacers
(4) Chicago Bulls 2-3 (5) Washington Wizards

WEST
(1) Phoenix Suns 4-0 (8) Memphis Grizzlies
(2) San Antonio Spurs 4-1 (7) Denver Nuggets
(3) Seattle Supersonics 4-1 (6) Sacramento Kings
(4) Dallas Mavericks 3-2 (5) Houston Rockets

been too busy to watch any of it so far, so no comment from me Dallas and Indiana can win their series tonight, Washington can on Friday... if not, down to a Game 7 decider

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

unfortunately, current employment and housing worries have meant i haven't had time to cast my eye over the NBA quite as well as i'd have liked - which is a shame as it has been very open this year, and the two conference finals we now have before us promise to be very exciting and tight... but first, a recap

EAST
(1) Miami Heat 4-0 (8) New Jersey Nets
(2) Detroit Pistons 4-1 (7) Philadelphia 76ers
(3) Boston Celtics 3-4 (6) Indiana Pacers
(4) Chicago Bulls 2-4 (5) Washington Wizards[/b]

WEST
(1) Phoenix Suns 4-0 (8) Memphis Grizzlies
(2) San Antonio Spurs 4-1 (7) Denver Nuggets
(3) Seattle Supersonics 4-1 (6) Sacramento Kings
(4) Dallas Mavericks 4-3 (5) Houston Rockets

2nd round:

EAST
(1) Miami Heat 4-0 (5) Washington Wizards
(2) Detroit Pistons 4-2 (6) Indiana Pacers

Miami were lucky again to face a team who were "happy to be there" - Shaq was rested for the last two but they still coasted through

Detroit went 2-1 down to Indiana but then stepped it up, and the live match on channel 5 last week showed Detroit at their best, as they allowed Indiana only 11 points in the 3rd quarter and decided the game with a 30-4 burst

WEST
(1) Phoenix Suns 4-2 (4) Dallas Mavericks
(2) San Antonio Spurs 4-2 (3) Seattle Supersonics

The phoenix-dallas series must've been great to watch, with lots of points and running basketball - newly-crowned MVP Steve Nash scored 48 points in game 4 and Phoenix lost so he returned to the distributing role he's best at, and closed the series out

San Antonio, like Miami, haven't quite showed it yet and were lucky that Seattle suffered a couple of injuries, although i think they would still have had enough to beat them...

So the finals are

Miami Heat vs Detroit Pistons

and Phoenix Suns vs San Antonio Spurs

they started Sunday with both home teams losing their advantage straight away - San Antonio's 121-114 victory showing that while they can be defensive giants, they can also run it with the best of them. I haven't seen what happened last night (cos i wanna watch the video later!) but it will be interesting to see Phoenix's response...

meanwhile, Detroit look like they're getting it together more than Miami, and Shaq will have to turn up for the rest of this series - a bit of a worry with the niggling groin injury he's still suffering...

i know this is all a bit but someone's gotta be interested :suspect:

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

:sulk: my video of Game 2 between Phoenix and San Antonio ran out with 1 minute to go :mad1:

ANYWAY... it currently stands:

WEST Phoenix Suns 0-2 San Antonio Spurs - next game Saturday night @ San Antonio

EAST Miami Heat 1-1 Detroit Pistons - next game Sunday night @ Detroit

San Antonio are a nightmare opponent for Phoenix - a well-rounded team who are solid in defence and potentially explosive going forward. Frenchman Tony Parker and Argentinian all-star Manu Ginobili are taking a lot of the weight off Tim Duncan, and all three got over 20 points on Tuesday. Phoenix just can't get everyone contributing, and that's hurting them...

meanwhile Detroit managed to catch Dwayne Wade on an off-night in Game 1, but he came back with 40 in Game 2 to level the series. it seems that the series may hinge on Detroit's ability to look after him, which is hella impressive for a guy in his 2nd year in the NBA

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

Miami went 3-2 up last night, but star guard Dwyane Wade went off injured late in the game and is a doubt for Saturday's Game 6

San Antonio polished Phoenix off 4-1 so are sitting waiting for their finals opponents

Those paying attention at the back might notice i predicted these 2 finalists over 4 months ago (that should get Detroit back into it )

 

[nocoat]

Re: Nba 2005

How much did you win for backing it?

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

Those paying attention at the back might notice i predicted these 2 finalists over 4 months ago (that should get Detroit back into it )

:homer: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/us_sport/4616199.stm

Game 1 on Thursday...

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

i eventually took the hint

...but go to www.nba.com for video highlights of Robert Horry's stunning 4th quarter and OT performance which has put the Spurs 1 game from glory, with 2 games (both in San Antonio) to go...

 

[Santa Barbara Bee]

Re: Nba 2005

Briliant, brilliant, brilliant! Another major screw-up by the Lakers in letting him go!

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

detroit force game 7!!

check out sky thursday night to watch it - i'm tempted to take friday morning off

 

[nocoat]

Re: Nba 2005

ave the whole day off

 

[Mr Tree]

Re: Nba 2005

if it weren't my flatmate's birthday, and he hadn't been refused the day off by his c*** boss, i would - but i feel rather cheeky taking the whole day off while he works his birthday

mind you, he'll get over it... :shrug: :bound:

 

[Heston Bee]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...cB?slug=ap-all-starsaturday&prov=ap&type=lgns

As half time entertainment at Griffin Park we should try and get Gazza Bee to jump over Mr Tree according to the fashion below:

 

[nocoat]

It appears I was wrong about Basketball, sorry Tree

It is the greatest sport ever. On Monday evening it was on Setanta, Orlando Vs Cleveland I think. I was bored so I put a bet on total points in the game at 190 for 70p a point. Couldn't work out why the market was not moving while watching the game and then realised I was on "Game 4" which turned out to be played at around 01:30 BST today. Didn't have any pleasure from the bet but it made up at 240 for a nice £32 profit ..

Any more BBall tips thanking you please?

 

[Mr Tree]

lol nice one

but i don't have time to investigate for ya, sorry... i'll have a look tomorrow

 

[maddogging]

I rekindled my liking for basketball while out there on holiday. Infact it has even made me invest in Setanta to watch the Play-Offs.

Orlando have Superman Dwight Howard facing off against one of the best players I have ever seen in LeBron James, seriously this guy is mustard, just a different level, and no wonder he was voted MVP this season. Over on the West Side we have the Lakers up against the Denver Nuggets, loved watching the games in LA when you see Jack Nicholson sitting courtside and getting up gesticulating at the officials at decisions he doesn't agree with. Kobe Bryant is their main man and is averaging over 40 points in the play-offs this season, Denver look a strong outfit though.

Can't believe how much more physical the game is now, flagrant fouls being handed out nearly every game. It really is a cracking watch, end to end.

Would like to see a LA Lakers v Orlando final, with the Magic winning.

 

[Mr Tree]

"GPG in basketball fan shock" lol

where's Santa Barbara Bee

looking back, it's remarkable how intelligent i am (as you all have little interest in basketball, take my word for it - i was right on most things )

HOWEVER, i said "Kobe's as good as any 2-guard" - i think i can take that back. i still don't like him as a person, but you have to respect his work. this season is crucial for him - if he doesn't win this year, the Lakers aren't likely to get much better, and the competition is improving, and he's getting "old" (30, but there's a great crop of new young stars). he won 3 titles, but as the 2nd option - Shaq was the star on those teams. so he needs to show he can lead a team to a title.

he's had a massive obstacle to that goal taken away, in the form of LeBron's Cleveland team being dismantled by Orlando. LeBron has been fantastic, but sorely let down by his teammates.

maddogging (and others) - the nba website is sensational. every day they have a 2 or 3 minute clip of the highlights of yesterday's game... and at the moment, every other day there is a 30-minute show called "Inside the NBA", which is a bit like Match of the Day, but more fun
Charles Barkley (an old star you might have heard of) picked Orlando to beat Cleveland 2 weeks ago and was literally laughed at. Credit where it's due, what a great call

 

[Mr Tree]

bla bla bla... nocoat, can you link me to some typical bets? i don't gamble enough... the only time i remember looking, i remember being shocked at how little the bookies here seemed to know. why i never took advantage of my "superior knowledge", god only knows

 

[Hampton Hill Bee]

"GPG in basketball fan shock" lol

Another one here.

I wouldn't totally discount the Cavaliers just yet. They need someone else to give LeBron some help. They have to stop the give it to LeBron and get out of his way offence, he can't win every game by himself (athough he keeps getting close!) and he really needs Mo Williams to step up and show what he can do.

Dwight has been a beast for the Magic and their three point shooting is killing the Cavs. I'd really love to see the Cavs force a game 7, but the way they are playing won't get it done. They need to move the ball more.

Magic in 6. :sad:

 

[Mr Tree]

you're right, but i think they needed to win Game 4 to have a chance... that really was a "must-win", and they didn't, and now every game is a "must-win" - ipso facto, they can't get it done
so, LeBron to New York is looking a bit inevitable...

 

[Mr Tree]

maddogging (and others) - the nba website is sensational. every day they have a 2 or 3 minute clip of the highlights of yesterday's game... and at the moment, every other day there is a 30-minute show called "Inside the NBA", which is a bit like Match of the Day, but more fun

latest episode (from after gm4 of the Cavs-Magic series) - http://www.nba.com/video/channels/tnt_overtime/2009/05/26/nba_20090526_inside.nba/

 

[maddogging]

"GPG in basketball fan shock" lol

where's Santa Barbara Bee

looking back, it's remarkable how intelligent i am (as you all have little interest in basketball, take my word for it - i was right on most things )

HOWEVER, i said "Kobe's as good as any 2-guard" - i think i can take that back. i still don't like him as a person, but you have to respect his work. this season is crucial for him - if he doesn't win this year, the Lakers aren't likely to get much better, and the competition is improving, and he's getting "old" (30, but there's a great crop of new young stars). he won 3 titles, but as the 2nd option - Shaq was the star on those teams. so he needs to show he can lead a team to a title.

he's had a massive obstacle to that goal taken away, in the form of LeBron's Cleveland team being dismantled by Orlando. LeBron has been fantastic, but sorely let down by his teammates.

maddogging (and others) - the nba website is sensational. every day they have a 2 or 3 minute clip of the highlights of yesterday's game... and at the moment, every other day there is a 30-minute show called "Inside the NBA", which is a bit like Match of the Day, but more fun
Charles Barkley (an old star you might have heard of) picked Orlando to beat Cleveland 2 weeks ago and was literally laughed at. Credit where it's due, what a great call

3-2 magic, the Cavaliers are going to have to end an awful run of results at the Amway Arena to make the Finals though.

Watching Kobe, LeBron and the likes of Nowitzki and Paul Pierce in the play-offs, the standard of play these guys produce is quite amazing. As you say, Kobe needs some back up, and LeBron needs his main man Mo Williams to keep him firing.

Barkley is superb, when over in Orlando in April he is part of the panel on the TNT network and their half-time and full-time analysis show is marvellous stuff, Barkley really tells it as it is. Funny you say Barkley predicted Magic to beat the Cavs, as in the Semi's he was backing the Celtics to beat Orlando, saying Magic just weren't good enough. I have been all over the nba.com watching loads of highlights since, great stuff.

Got my tickets for the Bulls v Utah Jazz at the O2 in October also

 

[Mr Tree]

i went to the O2 a couple of years back for Celtics-Timberwolves, two teams who funnily enough swapped half their rosters with each other a few days before the game. it was one of the first games of Garnett, Pierce and Allen. Ray Allen's shot is a thing of beauty

Bulls-Jazz should be good too - Rose and Williams, nice. myself and a couple of friends are going to the European Championships in September to see Team GB's first ever appearance (previously they'd played as seperate English/Welsh/Scottish national teams)... Chicago's Luol Deng leads the team, so it's a concern that he's missed most of the last few months
GB are in a group with Slovenia, Serbia and Spain - probably the 2nd best team in the world. Looking forward to seeing Gasol, Fernandez, Calderon, plus new kid Ricky Rubio

the NBA's certainly recovered from post-Jordan era problems - the new crop of players is great - the top 5 in MVP voting this year was:
LeBron (24)
Kobe (old man old man...)
Dwyane Wade (26)
Dwight Howard (23)
Chris Paul (24)

when you consider that Howard led the league in rebounds AND blocks... and Paul led the league in assists AND steals... both rare feats... and yet that was only good enough to get them 4th and 5th... that's a strong sign for the league! and Carmelo Anthony is breaking through in these playoffs too. good times

 

[nocoat]

Denver/LA Lakers

Total Points 207 - 211
1st Quarter Pts 51.5 - 53.5
Supremacy Plus: Denver/LA Lakers 6 - 9
Total 3-Point Field Goals 13.5 - 14.5
??

 

[Mr Tree]

tonight is Game 6, in Denver - they have to win, but it could be tense

Total points so far this series: 208, 209, 200, 221, 197. doesn't look a great bet...
1st quarters so far: 54, 54, 54, 41, 50. so again, doesn't look the safest...
what is Supremacy? winning margin? so far the margins have been 2, 1, 6, 19 and 9... but might be worth taking the bet (see the last two games)
total 3pt: 19, 13, 11, 16, 10 - again, not the best...

 

[maddogging]

i went to the O2 a couple of years back for Celtics-Timberwolves, two teams who funnily enough swapped half their rosters with each other a few days before the game. it was one of the first games of Garnett, Pierce and Allen. Ray Allen's shot is a thing of beauty

Bulls-Jazz should be good too - Rose and Williams, nice. myself and a couple of friends are going to the European Championships in September to see Team GB's first ever appearance (previously they'd played as seperate English/Welsh/Scottish national teams)... Chicago's Luol Deng leads the team, so it's a concern that he's missed most of the last few months
GB are in a group with Slovenia, Serbia and Spain - probably the 2nd best team in the world. Looking forward to seeing Gasol, Fernandez, Calderon, plus new kid Ricky Rubio

the NBA's certainly recovered from post-Jordan era problems - the new crop of players is great - the top 5 in MVP voting this year was:
LeBron (24)
Kobe (old man old man...)
Dwyane Wade (26)
Dwight Howard (23)
Chris Paul (24)

when you consider that Howard led the league in rebounds AND blocks... and Paul led the league in assists AND steals... both rare feats... and yet that was only good enough to get them 4th and 5th... that's a strong sign for the league! and Carmelo Anthony is breaking through in these playoffs too. good times

managed to catch the last few games of the Celtics v Bulls Play-offs, and then obviously most of the Celtics v Magic, you have to say Boston, with Garnett in their team, would probably be playing the Cavs now. Those Celts v Bulls games were unbelievable, three overtimes in one of them, and as you say, Ray Allen seemed to be involved all the time, although Rondo and big baby Glen Davis did some damage.

Those Euro Champs sound quite good, I remember first time around when I was into it, and the Bulls masterclass of Jordan, Pippin, Rodman etc, you would laugh at any other nation producing players, but the likes of Gasol and Calderon look good.

Just hoping Sky fancies investing in the NBA Finals

 

[Mr Tree]

sky's coverage was very lackadaisical the last time they did it, unfortunately... channel 5 did a good job, but i gather it's on setanta now... there's also "League Pass Broadband", which seems a good deal (unfortunately my naff connection means i'm not tempted to invest)... check the nba website for details

 

[maddogging]

sky's coverage was very lackadaisical the last time they did it, unfortunately... channel 5 did a good job, but i gather it's on setanta now... there's also "League Pass Broadband", which seems a good deal (unfortunately my naff connection means i'm not tempted to invest)... check the nba website for details

couldn't bare to watch it on my laptop, need the big screen viewing. Setanta will no doubt have the finals, just a shame they aren't showing all the play off games it seems. Gutted about Sky, usually they do everything so well

 

[Mr Tree]

looooong article about the deplorable state of basketball refereeing here, if you're interested: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090528&sportCat=nba

 

[Mr Tree]

Denver/LA Lakers

Total Points 207 - 211
1st Quarter Pts 51.5 - 53.5
Supremacy Plus: Denver/LA Lakers 6 - 9
Total 3-Point Field Goals 13.5 - 14.5
??

tonight is Game 6, in Denver - they have to win, but it could be tense

Total points so far this series: 208, 209, 200, 221, 197. doesn't look a great bet...
1st quarters so far: 54, 54, 54, 41, 50. so again, doesn't look the safest...
what is Supremacy? winning margin? so far the margins have been 2, 1, 6, 19 and 9... but might be worth taking the bet (see the last two games)
total 3pt: 19, 13, 11, 16, 10 - again, not the best...

fyi:
total points last night: 211
1st quarter: 45
winning margin: 27
total 3pt: 17

so you'd have been quids in if you followed my advice (if i understood the thing correctly )