Playoff predictions

[Shakes]

Diddy1122 wrote:

The Suns best lineup is Amare, Hill, Dudley, Richardson, & Nash. There's no way that that lineup can compete with the size & length of the Lakers best lineup. Their only hope is to run like hell. If that doesn't happen, it's Lakers back to the Finals, which I'm sure it will be anyway. Should be a fun series though.

I've heard this a bit but I'm not sure I agree. Bynum and Gasol have been hitting a high percentage but are averaging only 8 and 12.7 shots respectively. How much damage can they do if they don't even get more than 20 shots a game between them?

If I'm the Suns I play small and hope that Kobe's (and to a lesser extent Artest's) ego keeps them wanting their shots. The worst thing the Suns can do is try to match up with Gasol & Bynum. They can't match up whoever they put out there, so why not play to your strengths and see how Gasol likes spending 40 minutes chasing Hill & Dudley around the three point line? People forget that mismatches work both ways, if the Lakers play two bigs one of them has to try to guard a 40+% three point shooter.

 

[Diddy1122]

Shakes wrote:

Diddy1122 wrote:

The Suns best lineup is Amare, Hill, Dudley, Richardson, & Nash. There's no way that that lineup can compete with the size & length of the Lakers best lineup. Their only hope is to run like hell. If that doesn't happen, it's Lakers back to the Finals, which I'm sure it will be anyway. Should be a fun series though.

I've heard this a bit but I'm not sure I agree. Bynum and Gasol have been hitting a high percentage but are averaging only 8 and 12.7 shots respectively. How much damage can they do if they don't even get more than 20 shots a game between them?

If I'm the Suns I play small and hope that Kobe's (and to a lesser extent Artest's) ego keeps them wanting their shots. The worst thing the Suns can do is try to match up with Gasol & Bynum. They can't match up whoever they put out there, so why not play to your strengths and see how Gasol likes spending 40 minutes chasing Hill & Dudley around the three point line? People forget that mismatches work both ways, if the Lakers play two bigs one of them has to try to guard a 40+% three point shooter.

Sure mismatches work both ways but the Lakers can match a small lineup by the Suns by throwing Brown or Farmar in the game while shifting Gasol or Odom to C & Artest to PF. The Suns have no one to match up when the Lakers go big & that poses a problem. I'm sure they learned from the Thunder series & will look to exploit those match ups earlier on.

Lakers in 6.

 

[Shakes]

I'm struggling to work out if the Magic are really good or Atlanta are bad. Dwight Howard is insane, 82 points on 31 shots for the series, on top of killing the Hawks with his defense.

I really would rather see a Magic/Suns finals than Cavs/Lakers.

 

[Diddy1122]

Shakes wrote:

I'm struggling to work out if the Magic are really good or Atlanta are bad. Dwight Howard is insane, 82 points on 31 shots for the series, on top of killing the Hawks with his defense.

I really would rather see a Magic/Suns finals than Cavs/Lakers.

There is something going on in that Hawk locker room. As Chuck said on Inside the NBA last night, no team should ever lose by 20+ points every game, there's just too much talent out there. And I agree. There's no excuse for a #3 seed to lose 3 games in a row by a combined 29pts.

I don't think the Hawks are that great. They have some great talent but their offensive scheme is worse than the Bulls was this year. If you shut the team down in transition, which the Magic have done, they resort to 1-on-1 in the half court & are usually 1 & done. There's no plays being run at all the majority of the time. Needless to say, that shouldn't result in blowouts every single game. The Magic ARE really good, good enough to beat the Cavs again if the Cavs make it past Boston, but there's something amiss in Atlanta.

 

[Shakes]

The Hawks had the same problem last year though, when they lost in the playoffs they got blown out. One thing I liked about the Bulls teams the last couple of years is even though they didn't have great talent they've fought hard and not given up and at least made a game of it most playoff games. The Hakws have won more games but as soon as they start losing they pretty much just give up.

In light of our coach search it's interesting how much the Nuggets & the Hawks struggled in the playoffs. We absolutely need to find someone who will run a solid system and not just encourage 5 guys going one on one.

 

[RC_Skinny22]

Kind of funny that the Lakers scored 111 points three times in a row.

 

[Shakes]

Bullseye wrote:

Kind of funny that the Lakers scored 111 points three times in a row.

Not so funny if you're a Jazz fan. :laugh:

 

[Shakes]

Well so much for the Celtics being done, now they beat the Magic in Orlando. I so hope they don't make it to the finals, or worse win another championship. Give the Magic and the Suns a go, Boston has enough!

 

[Shakes]

Ugh what horrible play to finish the game by the Magic, first Carter misses both free throws, then Reddick dribbles the ball nearly to half court (wasting 4 of the 7 seconds left) before calling a timeout. Looking very much like a Lakers vs Celtics finals, yuck.

 

[clonetrooper264]

Shakes wrote:

Ugh what horrible play to finish the game by the Magic, first Carter misses both free throws, then Reddick dribbles the ball nearly to half court (wasting 4 of the 7 seconds left) before calling a timeout. Looking very much like a Lakers vs Celtics finals, yuck.

Read a yahoo thing about Carter's missed free throws. Guy said that Carter was a choker in the clutch. Now my memory may be skewed by highlight videos, but wasn't he brought in to be clutch? I've seen so many clips of game winners and such made by him. From my memory, VC is pretty darn clutch.

 

[Shakes]

Suns can't really catch a break, they did the right thing and dare Artest to beat them early ... and for once he hits his shots. Amare really needs to step up if the Suns are to have any hope at all, he went for about 50 minutes on the floor without a defensive rebound during a stretch of games 1 & 2, and his defense in general has been lazy.

Amare is so frustrating to watch, I know I've been back and forth about half a dozen times in the "I'd be OK signing him", "I'm not OK signing him" camps but he can be so good at times and then just coast for extended stretches too. Hopefully we get LeBron so we don't have to make the decision.

 

[Diddy1122]

Shakes wrote:

Amare is so frustrating to watch, I know I've been back and forth about half a dozen times in the "I'd be OK signing him", "I'm not OK signing him" camps but he can be so good at times and then just coast for extended stretches too. Hopefully we get LeBron so we don't have to make the decision.

And that is why I didn't want & still don't want Amare in a Bulls uni. It's completely obvious & has been for months now that his all-star level play has only been to secure a bigger payday. When he gets his money, & he will, he'll resort to the same old "I play hard when I feel like it" Amare.

 

[houheffna]

I can't believe how bad Orlando looks against Boston...I think I want Boston's defensive coordinator in Chicago...lol

I look really stupid now picking Orlando over anybody else in the East.

Orlando vs. Dallas was my picks...damn

Amare was a Stig recommendation, put him in the same class as Lebron, Wade and Bosh in free agency...I put him in the same class as Boozer and Johnson, good players who don't deserve the max.

 

[Shakes]

Orlando was awesome to end the regular season and for the first two rounds, I don't think anyone would have expected them to be swept.

 

[TheStig]

houheffna wrote:

I can't believe how bad Orlando looks against Boston...I think I want Boston's defensive coordinator in Chicago...lol

I look really stupid now picking Orlando over anybody else in the East.

Orlando vs. Dallas was my picks...damn

Amare was a Stig recommendation, put him in the same class as Lebron, Wade and Bosh in free agency...I put him in the same class as Boozer and Johnson, good players who don't deserve the max.

I agree, Orlando has fallen apart at the seems. I would have never imagined them getting swept after sweeping the first two rounds and killing the hawks. What a disappointment. I thought the Celtics were underestimated going into the playoffs but would have never picked them as favorites over the cavs and magic.

He looked that way to end the year but he has been a let down in the playoffs. Stat usaully steps it up, I can understand being overmatched against the lakers but he wasn't all that impressive in the first two rounds. I'd be a bit weary offering him the max now, though he had a very nice second half of the year.

 

[Shakes]

Wow, I think someone put Lindsey Hunter in a Channing Frye suit for this series.

 

[Shakes]

Is it too late to be back on the Amare bandwagon? :laugh:

 

[RC_Skinny22]

Does anybody watch tonights game between the Lakers and the Suns?

Kobe is making the difference again. Unbelievable what kind of shots he´s hitting!

That´s why he still is the best player in this league!

 

[Shakes]

I like the way the Suns never gave up (someone should send the video to the Hawks and Cavs players), but Kobe just hit too many tough shots. Amare couldn't do the same at the other end, he just didn't handle the double teams they sent at him. The Lakers exploited him well I thought, he averages only one assist a game, so he can't really hurt you for doubling him. And of course with Artest actually hitting shots this game the Suns were always going to struggle.

I wonder what the Suns do from here. Do they keep Amare? If I was Kerr and I'd decided that Amare was too risky to pay the max to, I'd see if I could work out a sign and trade for David Lee. Lee would fit well with them I think, he's a good passer and a much more consistent rebounder. He's no Amare, but if he comes at 60% of the price, that's pretty huge for a team that's budget conscious.

 

[houheffna]

Hate to gloat but uh....30 points in 10 of last 11 playoff games. Heckuva run there for the falling out of the top 10 Kobe Bryant...don't you think? Not to sure Mr. Wade could do what Kobe did...Duncan either. I love rubbin' it in...