NBA Playoffs thread & a poll

[Kodos]

I didn't watch any regular season games, but will probably watch some of the playoffs depending on the matchups.

[corbes]

I love posting before the poll is ready.

I'll vote: Did.

[corbes]

The whole game, from beginning to end?

[Kodos]

Yeah, only a full game should count. Flipping over for a couple minutes doesn't count.

[corbes]

Hmm... I guess No, then.

[Franklinnoble]

I only watched a few games, but that's because the stupid Kings somehow can't get a local television deal.

[Radii]

Prediction: will be the shortest "discuss the playoffs here" thread ever, despite the fact that the NBA playoffs last almost as long as the NHL playoffs.

[JAG]

Does 'I'll read an article or two about it' count?

[ice4277]

I will watch the Pistons, but that's it; I could care less about the rest of the league.

[The Afoci]

Twolves win it all this year. And by it all, I mean at least 1 game in the playoffs.

[spleen1015]

I watched a few of the big matchups with the Pacers. For some reason, my interest in the NBA has be up the last few weeks. I will be tuning into the playoffs to see if there's anything special.

[Schmidty]

I have NBA League Pass, and I watched every single Detroit Pistons game this season. If there's nothing else on, I'll watch another game involving non-Pistons. I plan on watching or taping as many NBA Playoff games as I can. Since I have Tivo, that probably means all of them.

Basketball is king.

[Butter]

I watched a few Cavs games this year, and will watch the important NBA games. I'm hoping Memphis or Dallas can do something.

[Suicane75]

The NBA has really lost me when it comes to playoff scheduling and their TV package. First round series will now run 17 days, the opening weekend of the playoffs have 1 National network game, games are scattered all over the place on TNT, ESPN, ABC, NBA TV. To me they've really gone backwards as far as attracting the casual fan. I'll find the important games because I care enough but they've really created a clusterfuck as far as the schedule is concerned.

[Franklinnoble]

Well, the Kings are falling apart at the seams. I'd be shocked if they're able to beat Dallas in round one.

[cmp]

I'll be watching each and every Piston game in the playoffs. And will probably watch a few other games too.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Basketball sucks. But if I wasn't living in Europe, I'd watch the Pistons. Good to see 'em doing well.

[Daimyo]

I'll try to watch all the Pacer games as long as they don't conflict with other things. Probably try to speed-watch a couple Yao and 'Melo games with TiVo as well.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Nope. Hell, I can't remember the last time I watched an entire NBA game from start to finish. I'm not sure, but I might have to stretch all the way back to the late 80's to find one.

[MylesKnight]

GO MAGIC!!!!


......In the LOTTERY!!

[Neuqua]

Thanks to FOFC, I'm just hoping that the Lakers or Pistons do not win the Finals.

Other than that, I'm just rooting for fun basketball.

[BishopMVP]

I went to a Celtics game against the Heat a few days ago. They're both in the playoffs, but I'm still not sure if that counts as an NBA game, especially since Pierce wasn't playing. Other than that, I'd have to go back to last year's Celtics in the playoffs for a game I watched start to finish.

And as for predictions, you heard it here first. Celtics beat the T'Wolves in 5 games. ;)

[Schmidty]

Thanks to FOFC, I'm just hoping that the Lakers or Pistons do not win the Finals.

Other than that, I'm just rooting for fun basketball.

As if I didn't have enough reasons to hate you.

[BreizhManu]

I didn't watch any game but that's because I can't

[BishopMVP]

In the East, Detroit plays boring basketball, the Nets are full of players I hate, and all the other teams outside Indiana suck. So I hope whoever wins the Indy/Boston series gets to the finals.

In the West, SA plays boring basketball, Houston, Denver and Memphis aren't ready. Minnesota and the winner of Dallas/Sac would both be fine, but my biggest hope is for the Lakers to be dismantled, so if they win that's fine by me. Then next year when Kobe leaves hopefully Shaq gets pissed off and puts up 40 a game.

[Schmidty]

In the East, Detroit plays boring basketball....

Wipe the drool from your keyboard, and then let me know if you watched more than 2 Piston games this year.....

[BishopMVP]

Wipe the drool from your keyboard, and then let me know if you watched more than 2 Piston games this year.....I find defensive, low-scoring basketball with a lot of isolation boring. They're a good team, but one with a style I don't want to watch.

[lcjjdnh]

I've watched a lot of Knicks and Nets basketball over the season as well as a other games on ESPN and TNT and I'll probably watch most of the playoffs too. Not sure who to root for in the Nets/Knicks series as I have been a fan of both for years. This year my dad got Nets season tickets for his company which means full playoff package, so hopefully he'll be able to throw some my way.

[Schmidty]

I find defensive, low-scoring basketball with a lot of isolation boring. They're a good team, but one with a style I don't want to watch.

Ok. Sorry if I was rude, but I'm irrational when it comes to the Pistons and to Michigan State.......

[Neuqua]

..... or cats

[tucker342]

I watched a couple of Lakers games during the regular season... I plan to watch a fair amount of playoff games.

[Kodos]

Having watched a few games now, here are my wonderful thoughts on what I've seen.

I like the Houston uniforms. They look sharp! Now if they can get a point guard who can pass the ball well, they'll be in good shape. I love Yao Ming. Classy player.

The Kings/Mavericks series is fun to watch.

I know, not exactly deep analysis. But I've enjoyed watching both the LA and Sacramento series so far. Maybe the NBA is good as a playoffs only league.

[Franklinnoble]

I honestly don't think any team is good enough to beat San Antonio in a seven game series in the West - or the NBA, for that matter. Yawn.

[cmp]

I find defensive, low-scoring basketball with a lot of isolation boring. They're a good team, but one with a style I don't want to watch.

Did ya happen to catch the Detroit game Sunday? If ya did I think your opinion may have changed a bit. They scored plenty, 108, and their swarming defense is quite fun to watch actually.

[Samdari]

Does it count if I watched one team regularly, but ignored the league as a whole?

[Eaglesfan27]

I've watched only a VERY few games from beginning to end, but many games for the last few minutes this regular season. As far as the Playoffs go, I'm paying particular attention to the Rockets - Lakers series for the first round (I know they don't play each other one-on-one but Shaq vs Yao is interesting) and just skimming the other games. I'll very likely watch both conference finals and the NBA finals for the whole games. In earlier rounds, it will depend upon if I find the matchups interesting.

[miami_fan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2004/news/story?id=1787142

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Injured Knicks forward Tim Thomas ripped Nets forward Kenyon Martin as a phony tough guy and criticized his teammates, too, for failing to respond to the flagrant foul that sidelined him.


Thomas will not play in Game 3 Thursday night, when New Jersey will try to take a 3-0 lead over New York, but if he makes it back for Game 4, a confrontation is all but guaranteed.


"My goal is just to get back out there on the court before this series is over so I can go hit somebody. That's it. That's all I'm looking forward to," Thomas said Wednesday. "What's been done to me is going to be done to them. It's very simple."


Thomas' statements were his first public comments since he was fouled by Jason Collins in Game 1 while going up for a dunk. Thomas took a hard fall, bruising his back, hip and ankle.


Thomas said he has not yet seen a videotape of the foul, but he considered it dirty, with Collins never attempting to go for the ball as the Nets' center has claimed.


Thomas said he was more angry with Collins than with his teammates -- but only because the rest of the Knicks still have a chance to retaliate.


"When I was laying on the floor I was expecting somebody to do something, to push, to shove, anybody. But it never happened," Thomas said. "In that situation you have to respond. You have to, that's the bottom line.


"For it to go down that way and for nobody to really respond, I'm just waiting for somebody to do something."


The Knicks were more physical in Game 2 than they were in Game 1, yet it was the Nets who continued to commit the hardest fouls. Richard Jefferson clobbered Stephon Marbury on a breakaway, and Kenyon Martin responded to an elbow from Dikembe Mutombo with a vicious swipe and shove that earned him a technical foul.


Thomas saved his most caustic comments for Martin, repeatedly calling him "fugazy" -- a slang term for fake used in the mafia movie "Donnie Brasco."


"Just knowing his character, he's a fugazy guy. I read a comment that Jason Richardson said nobody wants to mess with a pit bull, but I've never seen a pit bull who picks and chooses who he wants to bite," Thomas said.


"He's fugazy as far as the whole tough guy role. You get techs and you get fines and that makes you tough? Because your game is wild and crazy, that makes you tough? When a scuffle breaks out, you have 13 guys that can protect you. When it's you and someone else, what happens then?


"Somebody call Don King and hook it up for us.''


Martin was not available to respond to Thomas' comments, which were made after the Nets had finished practice.


New Jersey has defeated New York in five of their six meetings this season, the only loss coming March 19 at Madison Square Garden, the site of Game 3, on a night when Jason Kidd was injured.


Kidd's only appearance at the Garden this season came Jan. 4 when he had 35 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds in a 95-85 victory.


"In the enemy's building, it's always hostile on the road. We understand that," Kidd said. "I think the Garden brings the best out of everybody in the sense all the great games that have been played there, the history alone. It ranks up there with the Forum, the old Boston Garden. The big thing is the history when you walk into that building. You can feel the electricity."


Thanks to Thomas' comments, they'll probably feel the tension, too.

[SunDancer]

The Mavs-Kings are an old-school, high-scoring series, fun to watch. The Maloof family and Cuban are two of the best owners in sports, and I like to see on win the title.

[miami_fan]

The Mavs-Kings are an old-school, high-scoring series, fun to watch. The Maloof family and Cuban are two of the best owners in sports, and I like to see on win the title.

It has been fun to watch but the criticism both teams get for not playing enough is getting a little aggravating.

[Kodos]

And Round One goes to the Spurs. :)

[Neuqua]

The Nets vs. Pistons matchup imo is going to be a lot of fun to watch.

[Neuqua]

After that first half, I apologize to anyone who sat through that boring excuse for basketball because of my suggestion.

[miami_fan]

After that first half, I apologize to anyone who sat through that boring excuse for basketball because of my suggestion.

Was it good defense or just terrible offense?

I thought it was the latter.