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Old 04-15-2010, 01:47 AM   #1
stevew
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Yay, It's the 2010 NBA Playoffs thread!

God, the last week or so of LeBron-less Cavs has been painful. Mike Brown is going to look a lot like Tony Dungy if they come out flat in the playoffs after taking basically 2 weeks off.

Matchups, meh. Won't watch any of the Western Conference games. Hopefully the Cavs can dispatch the Bulls in like 5 games. About time that the Robertcats made the playoffs. I bet the Magic sweep them, though.

And did anyone see the insane article about Zach Randolph wanting an extension~@! the other day? LOL, I know he had a good season, but Zach is the defined type of guy that shouldn't make a dollar more than the MLE. There's a good chance he'll start airballing 3's again once he gets some more guaranteed dollars in his account.

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Chris Tomasson
Senior NBA Writer
DENVER -- After Monday's shootaround at the Pepsi Center, Memphis forward Zach Randolph yelled to teammate Marc Gasol, "What'd your brother get?''

Randolph might not know the exact details of the three-year, $57 million extension Gasol's brother, Lakers big man Pau Gasol, signed last December that runs through the 2013-14 season. But Randolph does believe he's worthy of getting a similar extension.

"Definitely,'' Randolph said.

Randolph said in an interview with FanHouse before Monday's game at Denver he wants to sign an extension this summer, and has told Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley his desire to remain with the Grizzlies beyond when his contract expires in 2011. He brought up the link to Pau Gasol.

"Me and Pau Gasol got signed to the same deal when he was in Memphis and I was in Portland,'' said Randolph, whose contract actually is slightly less, with Randolph making $16 million this season and $17.33 million next season and the Lakers star earning $16.45 million and $17.82 million in those seasons. "We got the same contract, and it got extended. ... I hope (to get the extension done this summer). I'd definitely like to get it done.''

Randolph, averaging 20.9 points and 11.8 rebounds and coming off his first All-Star appearance in February, is hoping he won't have to test the free-agent market in 2011.

"I like it here,'' Randolph said of Memphis. "I told the owner I want to be here. If they're going to let me be open and be a free agent or they're going to extend me or lock me in, I'd rather take a lock in.''

Although the Grizzlies perhaps first must turn their attention to restricted free agents Rudy Gay and Ronnie Brewer, Heisley said he plans to have extension talks this summer with Randolph.

"Quite frankly, Zach obviously has been a player that really has made the difference for us this year,'' Heisley said by phone. "Obviously, we want to keep him through the rest of his career. We've got some things with the players that we have to sign, like Rudy Gay and some other players, but hopefully we can work on an extension (with Randolph). I am going to talk to him.''

Heisley declined to say whether Randolph could command an extension similar to Pau Gasol's.

As for Gay and Brewer, Heisley is determined to sign both this summer. He reiterated plans to match any offer sheet that might be put down on Gay.

"We're going to do everything we can to keep him,'' Heisley said. "Everybody is writing this (junk) about how we're going to lose Rudy. But how are we going to lose him (due to the Grizzlies being able to match any offer)? I like Rudy. He's a special player. He's not a franchise player, but, if he keeps improving, I'm sure he will become one.''

Brewer could end up being an interesting negotiation for the Grizzlies. Heisley admits it's tough to get a read on Brewer, who was acquired Feb. 18 from Utah but suffered a partially torn hamstring the next day and ended up playing in just four Grizzlies games.

"No question, we want to re-sign him,'' Heisley said. "We didn't give up that asset (a first-round draft choice) to not. ... It's very difficult (due to Brewer's injury). It is very tough for a guy when he's in his contract year and he gets hurt. ... But it wasn't his fault. ... We gave up a first-round draft choice and we're in the same position as if we wouldn't (have made the deal).''

So let the negotiations begin July 1. When it comes to Randolph getting a deal similar to Pau Gasol's, Heiley might not want to talk with Marc Gasol.

"That's not my job. If it were my job, everybody would get maxed out,'' he joked when asked if Randolph should get an extension similar to his brother's.


Last edited by stevew : 06-06-2010 at 11:34 PM.
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Old 04-15-2010, 01:58 AM   #2
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Tonight Orlando set the record for most three pointers made by a team during the regular season with 841. Dwight Howard became the first player to lead the league in field goal percentage, rebounding, and blocked shots in the same season. Longballs and Dwight's inside dominance will hopefully take them all the way back to the Finals.

Somebody out West beat the Lakers please.
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Old 04-15-2010, 01:58 AM   #3
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The Celtics were 27-27 after a 23-5 start. What a boring, disappointing season it's been for them. I'd love to see some kind of last stand from this group, at least a pulse, after they sleepwalked through the season.

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Old 04-15-2010, 02:15 AM   #4
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The Celtics were 27-27 after a 23-5 start. What a boring, disappointing season it's been for them. I'd love to see some kind of last stand from this group, at least a pulse, after they sleepwalked through the season.
Sorry, but think they are done. Saw them last night and it was sort of sad. Guys looked tired and not very interested.
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Old 04-15-2010, 02:17 AM   #5
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I'm pumped about the Bulls making the playoffs. Good experience for Rose and a chance to see Lebron two more times live in person. Only negative is watching all the fairweather Cavs fans at the United Center.
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Old 04-15-2010, 04:15 AM   #6
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I'm still a very casual NBA fan at best, but after enjoying the playoffs so much last year I did pay a lot more attention to the regular season this year and am really stoked for the playoffs. Perhaps having my "local" team in Charlotte in the playoffs will bring me all the way back.

Looking forward to seeing Denver as I've semi-adopted them because of Lawson, and I'd love to see OKC give the Lakers a run(though I don't expect it).
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Old 04-15-2010, 04:35 AM   #7
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All 8 teams in the West did end up winning 50 games btw

What is also unbelievable, that in the last 15 minutes alone iīve see propably half a dozen websites posting quite extensive Playoff Previews anylysing the freaking wrong matchups... Is it that difficult to look up the official order instead of trying (emphasized) to figure it out on yout own ?
Talk about wasting your time ...

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Originally Posted by stevew View Post

Matchups, meh. Won't watch any of the Western Conference games.


Your loss

My guesses :

Cleveland - Chicago (4 games)
Orlando - Charlotte (5 games)
Atlanta - Milwaukee (5 games)
Boston - Miami (7 games)

i donīt know, but i think that Miami is just the kind of team the Celtics can still beat ...

LA - Oklahoma (6/7 games)
Dallas - San Antonio (6 games)
Phoenix - Portland (6 games)
Denver - Utah (7 games) but really, this can go either way


All 4 matchups in the West sound intriguing, although the Suns-Portland series only if Roy can play at a somewhat quality level with that injury (partially torn meniscus). Oh, and to cap off their injury-plagued season Aldridge misses the last game being in the hospital with a virus (but supposedly will play on the weekend), go figure.

On the whole i think both teams might be glad to play each other, Phoenix because Portland hasnīt much of an inside game to hurt them and Portland because Phoenix isnīt as good as Dallas in their eyes.
Imo Roy shouldnīt even play, wonīt help them if the toughs it up only to go 5-18 or sth because he doesnīt get any lift. Might be true itīs an injury you canīt aggrevate, but having had that same injury i canīt believe even with top-notch medical care he can be anywhere close to the player he is without the injury ...

Spurs sit Manu and Duncan but not Hill (who had injured his ankle a couple days ealier against the Lakers) who turns the ankle again ...

Mavs-Spurs sure meet each other a ton. Plus Phoenix might await either of them and thatīs not new either.
Lots of great games/series between those 3 teams in the last 5 years.

Lakers arenīt a shoe-in to advance out of the first round, much less to come out West. Reintegrating Bynum for the Playoffs failed before and this year their bench hasnīt stepped up at all and they are truly limping into the postseason.

Will be highly interesting to see Sefolosha/Bryant and Durant/Artest . Thabo needs to hit a few shots though to stay on the floor and not let the Lakers ignore him and force the Thunder to play a more offensive minded player.
Gasol should have a huge series against the smallish OKC front line (heīs one of the few real big/long guys not bothered much by athletic 4s jumping around and Krstic just canīt handle him) and i see him averaging sth like 22/15.

I hope either the Mavs or the Suns come out West.

Last edited by whomario : 04-15-2010 at 05:38 AM.
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Old 04-15-2010, 10:58 AM   #8
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I think the West will be by far the more exciting outcomes overall. But I think this can be a really great playoffs.
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Old 04-15-2010, 11:00 AM   #9
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East -

Cavs in 4 - bye bye Del Negro
Magic in 4 - Nice season Larry, but you have no answers for these guys.
Hawks in 5 - No Bogut, no chance.
Celtics in 7 - I agree whomario, I think the Celtics can take them.

West

Lakers in 6 - Lakers are not playing well, OKC will test them
Suns in 5 - Roy or no Roy, the Suns are playing lights out basketball
Spurs in 6 - They are the better team, period.
Nuggets in 5

I know everyone has the Nuggets series going 7 because the Nuggets have played like garbage. If the Nuggets had been matched up against the Suns, I'd have said Suns in 4. (and no, I'm not joking)

But Utah matches up horribly against the Nuggets. Consider this:

The Nuggets beat Utah in Utah without Carmelo Anthony or Chauncey Billups.

They played Utah in SLC again a few weeks later and again were without Chauncey and Melo. To add a difficulty factor, the Nuggets were on the second night of a back to back (playing the Lakers the previous night in LA). The Jazz were healthy and had three days off prior to the game. The Jazz led by 6 with 2:30 to play before they put the Nuggets away.

The two games Melo played against them? He averaged 33 points on 52% shooting (and that was with a healthy AK guarding him)

Maybe the Nuggets are going to simply cave, it could happen. But this is the perfect matchup for them. A beat up Jazz team who has never been able to match their athleticism. I don't think this series is a toss up and I don't think it goes 6, much less 7 games.
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Old 04-15-2010, 11:01 AM   #10
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Predicting the rest of the playoffs:

Cavs over Celtics
Magic over Hawks

Magic over Cavs

Lakers over Nuggets
Suns over Spurs

Suns over Lakers

Magic over Suns
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Old 04-15-2010, 11:13 AM   #11
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Very nervous about the OKC series. I'm not expecting a series win, of course, but everyone seems to think the Thunder will give the Lakers a run for their money. I do too, but boy, it would be a terrible end to an otherwise magical season if OKC gets swept.

I'm going to try my best to get tickets for Game 4. Hoping it won't be the last game of the series.
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Old 04-15-2010, 11:53 AM   #12
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It'll be interesting to see how the Cavs manage to not win the championship and still keep Mike Brown next season.
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Old 04-15-2010, 11:56 AM   #13
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The Thunder need to focus on defense though. The Lakers are not a good offensive team, thatīs where you can get them.
Normally youīd say to attack a struggling and/or older team by pushing the pace, with the Lakers you have to slow it down and force them to work for their shots which some often arenīt willing to do (Artest, Kobe at times) and others just arenīt able to execute at times (their whole bench) and Kobe allways walks that thin line between needless chucking on the one hand and stupidly deferring way too much in other situations.

Iīm pretty sure that the one guy that will make the difference in the series is going to be Gasol and not Bryant.

Offensively lot will depend on how Durant reacts when a team really keys in on him and caters their defensive gameplan towards him. That just doesnīt happen that drastically in the regular season as it does in the Playoffs.
And obviously guys like Sefolosha and Krstic will need to hit the open shot, both are important defensively (Krstic isnīt a great defender, but as said Gasol has his way with athletic 4s and while he doesnīt play bad against bigger guys it canīt hurt to have a 7 footer being there when he starts to play volleyball under the basket)
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Old 04-15-2010, 12:06 PM   #14
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I don't follow the NBA much during the year but tend to get into it more for the playoffs. My completely uninformed shot at predictions:

Cavs over Bulls in 5
Magic over Bobcats in 4
Hawks over Bucks in 5
Heat over Celtics in 6

Lakers over Thunder in 5
Spurs over Mavs in 6
Suns over Blazers in 5
Nuggets over Jazz in 7

Cavs over Heat in 5
Magic over Hawks in 6

Lakers over Nuggets in 7
Suns over Spurs in 7

Cavs over Magic in 7
Suns over Lakers in 6

Cavs over Suns in 5

edit: Looks like I'm pretty close in line with Troy

Last edited by Logan : 04-15-2010 at 12:07 PM.
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Old 04-15-2010, 12:39 PM   #15
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My predictions:

Cavs over Bulls in 5
Magic over Bobcats in 4
Hawks over Bucks in 5
Heat over Celtics in 6

I just think the Celtics are done. They're a shell of what they were. Still a very good team, but they're going to have issues with the younger teams out there.The Hawks-Bucks series would have been a lot more interesting with Bogut. The other two series seem clear to me at this point.

Lakers over Thunder in 7
Mavs over Spurs in 7
Suns over Blazers in 5
Nuggets over Jazz in 7

As you can see, I think the first round of the West is going to be pretty crazy. The Thunder are catching the Lakers at the right time, injuries-wise. I think Durant is too long for Artest and Kobe is too Kobe for Sefalosha. Artest might succeed trying to rough up Durant out of his game, but that's it. Sefalosha is going to be a forgotten speedbump by Kobe on the way to mucho scoring. The Lakers get a test, but the Thunder are just too young right now. Spurs seem the popular upset pick, so I'm going "against the grain". I think the Mavs are actually pretty good, and they'll win a very tough series. Suns over Blazers, no surprise. I think the Nuggets will also nut up and get it done, but that one's going to be very tough as well. The Nuggets are a bit battered right now, and I think it's going to be pride and veteran moxie that gets them through.

Cavs over Heat in 4
Magic over Hawks in 5

Heat will consider it "mission accomplished" after taking out Boston, and the Cavs will sweep them out. The Magic will play in some close games with the Hawks, but still end up with a relatively easy series win.

Lakers over Nuggets in 6
Suns over Mavs in 6

The Lakers will start to healthier and more serious around the Denver series. It will be closer than over in 6 appears, with every game tight. But I think the Lakers will get it done here. The Suns-Mavs should be a fun one. I see lot of weights and counter-weights to these two teams. In the end, I think it comes down to PG, and Nash is better than Kidd at this point, so Suns move on.

Magic over Cavs in 6

End of a very frustrating season for LeBron. Howard is still going to get his, even with Shaq around. LeBron will be fantastic and Shaq will be functional, but the Cavs are going to need Williams and Jamison to contribute, too, to beat the Magic's firepower, and I don't have confidence those two will be ready enough to make the difference.

Lakers over Suns in 7

This should be a fun one. Nash is going to abuse the Lakers. But I think Odom and Gasol are going to bother Stoudemire, and Artest and Kobe are a strong defensive match for Richardson and Hill. Lopez is going to be cursed at by Lakers fans, because he's going to annoy. It's going to be the will of Kobe versus the will of Nash. The only guy I have seen who can match Kobe's will is the owner of the Bobcats now, so Kobe wills the Lakers into the Finals.

Magic over Lakers in 6

Too many matchup issues, IMO, for the Lakers. Bynum is a no-show in the playoffs until he actually does show up, IMO. That means Gasol and Odom trying to man up to Superman, and that's hard. Nelson is going to be running by the Lakers guartds--the Lakers backcourt D has been burned by quick, smaller guards repeatedly this season. Kobe and Artest will bother Lewis and Carter, but that's not going to win the series. They really need to stop Howard and Nelson, but they're either too small or too big to guard either one. The Magic will bring a strong bench into the series and that will be the difference more often than not.

FWIW, I foresee Phil Jackson playing a very tight rotation. He's going to cut down on bench limits and ask his starters to will themselves to keep up the effort out there.
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Old 04-15-2010, 03:07 PM   #16
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I can't see the suns winning more then two games vs the Lakers if they match up.
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Old 04-16-2010, 12:48 AM   #17
jbergey22
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NBA Playoffs is always predictable

Cavs sweep the Bulls
Magic over Bobcats in 5
Hawks over Bucks in 5
Celtics over Heat in 6

Lakers over Thunder in 5
Spurs over Mavs in 6
Suns over Blazers in 5
Nuggets over Jazz in 7

Cavs over Celtics in 5
Magic over Hawks in 7

Lakers over Nuggets in 7
Spurs over Suns in 6

Cavs over Magic in 6
Lakers over Spurs in 5

Cavs over Lakers in 5

Last edited by jbergey22 : 04-16-2010 at 12:49 AM.
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Old 04-16-2010, 01:14 AM   #18
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I don't think Stern misses a chance at a Kobe-Lebron finals with both still in their primes.

I do think the Bobcats are a little better than some of you are giving credit for. I see that series going 6 or 7 games.
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Old 04-16-2010, 02:37 AM   #19
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Basketball Prospectus did a nice article on success of playoff teams.

Teams that are very lopsided like the Suns(1st in o eff, 25th in def eff) don't live up to expectations in the playoffs.

Teams that are balanced tend to achieve or over achieve in the playoffs. That list consists of

Spurs, Mavs, Jazz, Magic, Lakers, and Cavs

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/...articleid=1048

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Old 04-16-2010, 03:16 AM   #20
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The Lakers / Thunder should be intriguing. Durant will get his points, but the Thunder will definitely feel their lack of any inside presence whatsoever. Gasol and Odom will tip the scale towards the Lakers.
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Old 04-16-2010, 04:55 AM   #21
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According the hoopdata they are 18th in def Eff (and 11th in opposition TS% and eFG% )

Anyhow, i actually agree that the Suns wouldnīt win more than 2 games against the Lakers (and arenīt favoured against the Mavs, Spurs propably the same), especially if Bynum is healthy they just arenīt a good matchup even with Lopez healthy (and right now it doesnīt look like heīll be back, missing the first round at least and with back injuries you allmost allways need way longer than hoped ...) with their frontline.
The one thing going for the Suns wouldnīt be Nash imo but the bench that is definitely better than the Lakers bench.

Iīm not saying they will win it and honestly, with how close the West is, would "just" the 2nd round really be underachieving ? Because they ended up finishing 1 single win better than the 5th seed ?

Definitely expect them to beat Portland, from then on out it would be 50/50 series against Dallas/Spurs and then 40/60 or 30/70 against the Lakers.

So while i agree that they likely wonīt win it all thatīs nothing you can expect really anyway. I just hope they do it as iīm a huge, huge fan of Nash.


Injury updates :

-Brandon Roy will undergo surgery today and is out for the Playoffs. Wise move, imo.
The POs this year are a bonus, not more or less. Next year is their big "have to do well" year.

-As said, Robin Lopez out for the first round at least.

-Andrew Bynum had an extensive workout yesterday and will practice with the team today, will play but no one knows how many minutes he will play.

- Shaq apparently is ready to play and will start immediately.

- Bothe Kirilenko and Boozer are supposed to play


Oh, and btw : Could we lay off the conspiracy theories, for now at least ? Seriously, if the Lakers and Cavs reach the finals thereīs a 99% chance itīs been fair and square, itīs not like they were winning 45 games and sneaking into the playoffs ...

Last edited by whomario : 04-16-2010 at 05:14 AM.
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Old 04-16-2010, 06:06 AM   #22
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Oh, and btw : Could we lay off the conspiracy theories, for now at least ? Seriously, if the Lakers and Cavs reach the finals thereīs a 99% chance itīs been fair and square, itīs not like they were winning 45 games and sneaking into the playoffs ...

Seriously, though I am sure people will mention it anyway.
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Old 04-16-2010, 08:10 AM   #23
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Living in Cleveland you get use to disappointment when it comes to our local teams. For the past 3 years we've thought we had the team to finally get a championship for this city. If the 2009/2010 Cavs team comes up short again I'm giving up all hope that I'll ever see a championship team

And yes - I do think if the Cavs at least don't make it to the finals - Mike Brown will be canned (if James is okay with that of course).
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Old 04-16-2010, 08:21 AM   #24
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If Lebron wants Mike Brown as the coach next year, he's the coach. That's if they make the Finals or get knocked out in the First Round.
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Old 04-16-2010, 08:31 AM   #25
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If Lebron wants Mike Brown as the coach next year, he's the coach. That's if they make the Finals or get knocked out in the First Round.

Of course this is true only if James stays in Cleveland - which I'm about 90% sure he will.
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Old 04-16-2010, 10:41 AM   #26
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Originally Posted by whomario View Post
According the hoopdata they are 18th in def Eff (and 11th in opposition TS% and eFG% )


That article was written towards the end of March so things could have changed. Going from 25th to 18th in that short of a span still seems like quite the jump though. They must have different methods of figuring out their efficiency ratings.
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Old 04-16-2010, 11:35 AM   #27
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Just got my tickets for Game 3 against the Lakers! Really shitty seats, but I'm still pretty pumped.
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Old 04-16-2010, 12:01 PM   #28
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Just got my tickets for Game 3 against the Lakers! Really shitty seats, but I'm still pretty pumped.

Yep, my brother just called to say he got us tickets for Game 4. Like you, we'll probably be watching the scoreboard because we can't see the floor.
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Old 04-16-2010, 12:10 PM   #29
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When can Durant leave OKC and go to a real market?
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Old 04-16-2010, 12:15 PM   #30
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AmenDola-

I mean, it's obvious that any good player wants to go play for the Knicks or Lakers.
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Old 04-16-2010, 12:23 PM   #31
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When can Durant leave OKC and go to a real market?

Durant appears to like it here. But of course, the answer to your question depends on whether he signs an extension or opts for the 5th year so he can be a UFA after that year.
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Old 04-16-2010, 12:48 PM   #32
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Durant appears to like it here. But of course, the answer to your question depends on whether he signs an extension or opts for the 5th year so he can be a UFA after that year.


Very, very rarely does a player who can get a max second contract not take it. The risk of playing the final year of your rookie deal without a long term deal to fall back on is huge. Bron, Wade, Melo, Bosh. . . all of them signed extensions to their rookie deals with their current teams. The talk of leaving is the second contract.

An example:

Wade made a little over 12 million dollars on his rookie deal. Add about 4.5 to that if he'd played the 5th year under the qualifying offer. That's 16.5 total. Now, he has a Livingston type injury, he's not likely to ever get a large contract.

Instead? He inks the extension after year 4. The extension includes a player option. He makes over 42 million dollars in the next three seasons. If he gets a serious injury, he opts in to his deal and gets 17 more. If he doesn't, he opts out and gets his second big contract.

Durant will sign a second contract in OKC. He'd have to desperately want out not to do it. So the answer to the question above: He's at least 5 years from changing markets. Unless something disastrous happens in OKC, he' s more likely 6 years away from signing a second contract and hitting the open market.
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Old 04-16-2010, 01:37 PM   #33
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I also think that Durant may take the five year deal instead of the three because of the possibility of a less-advantageous CBA.
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Old 04-16-2010, 02:48 PM   #34
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FYI - Utah announced AK47 is now out for two weeks. They also say Boozer is a game time decision for Saturday.

If their two week time frame for AK is accurate, he isn't playing until game 6 at the earliest.

Denver doesn't win this series and move to round two to face the Lakers, I'll be surprised.
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Old 04-16-2010, 04:17 PM   #35
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Yeah, agree with that. While Kirilenko isnīt the shut-down man-to-man defender he was hyped up to be years ago, he is still pretty good and has that innate ability to guard a guy and still be an active team defender. Plus his replacements are CJ Miles and Kyle Korver, so thatīs not good news on the subject of guarding Anthony
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Old 04-17-2010, 01:31 AM   #36
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My picks for the 1st round:

Cavs over Bulls in 5 - Lebron is too focused and I think he's going to take it out on the Bulls. This could easily be a sweep, but I'll give my Bulls a win with a hot shooting night in Game 3 or 4.

Magic over Bobcats in 7 - Very tempted to take Charlotte in this series as I think they are really underated. The best defensive team in the league with perhaps the best defensive player. Brown is also a much better coach. But Howard is too strong inside and Orlando's home court will prevail.

Hawks over Bucks in 6 - Sucks that Bogut got hurt because they'd be looking at a 5 seed and winnable series against Boston. Skiles is the best coach in the game and the Bucks pick up their two home games before bowing out.

Boston over Miami in 7 - The Celtics are just not that good and the Heat are getting hot at the right time. But Wade will wear out having to carry that team for a series. I do think Pierce, Allen, and KG will find a second gear here like a lot of veteran playoff teams do. While Milwaukee is the best matchup for the Celtics in round one, I think they lucked out a bit in Miami. I think Charlotte and Chicago beats them in a series.

Lakers over Thunder in 6 - This will be a ton of fun but the Lakers just have too many weapons. I don't buy the Lakers late season struggles as anything more than a team that is bored and waiting for the playoffs.

Mavs over Spurs in 7 - Spurs are not as bad as some people are saying. They had a bad finish to the season because they had an insanely hard schedule. But Mavs are a better team and will prevail.

Suns over Blazers in 4 - Only sweep I see and that's because Roy is out. I just think Phoenix is clicking way too much right now and will steamroll.

Jazz over Nuggets in 6 - Toughest series to predict due to all the injuries. I think Utah is insanely hard to win at and I'm not sure if we're going to see a fully healthy Kenyon Martin who is really valuable.

Last edited by RainMaker : 04-17-2010 at 01:32 AM.
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Old 04-17-2010, 01:35 AM   #37
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Betting wise, I've got the following:

Cleveland to win Eastern Conference - 1/2
Dallas to win Western Conference - 6/1

Love the Dallas line and think they are extremely dangerous. Utah at 10/1 has me tempted as well.
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Old 04-17-2010, 01:52 AM   #38
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Guess I just don't see the love for Utah.

With a chance to win the division against the limping Nuggets down the stretch, they were crushed in LA, beat OKC on a call the NBA admitted was wrong, were crushed by Houston, (so far, Boozer has been healthy for all of these games), then they beat NO and GS before getting destroyed on their home floor by the Suns.

This is the team that's going to smack the Nuggets, Lakers and then the Mavs or Suns. . . all on the road? Umm no. I'd list the Lakers, Mavericks, Suns, and Spurs to all have much higher Finals chances than they do. I'd put them at best even with the Nuggets (considering I don't think they'll win that series) That makes them above the Blazers and Thunder.

You couldn't give me Utah at 40-1.

(You're welcome Utah fans, the reverse jinx is now in play)
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Old 04-17-2010, 02:07 AM   #39
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Now that Jamal Crawford has made the playoffs, which player holds the longest playoff drought at 9 seasons?
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Old 04-17-2010, 03:15 AM   #40
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Guess I just don't see the love for Utah.

With a chance to win the division against the limping Nuggets down the stretch, they were crushed in LA, beat OKC on a call the NBA admitted was wrong, were crushed by Houston, (so far, Boozer has been healthy for all of these games), then they beat NO and GS before getting destroyed on their home floor by the Suns.

This is the team that's going to smack the Nuggets, Lakers and then the Mavs or Suns. . . all on the road? Umm no. I'd list the Lakers, Mavericks, Suns, and Spurs to all have much higher Finals chances than they do. I'd put them at best even with the Nuggets (considering I don't think they'll win that series) That makes them above the Blazers and Thunder.

You couldn't give me Utah at 40-1.

(You're welcome Utah fans, the reverse jinx is now in play)
Suns don't have Lopez which just hurts that team in so many ways. Spurs had a tough schedule but still didn't look all that great. I take them above both in a heartbeat especially when you consider how good their home court is.

Doesn't mean I think they'll make the Finals, just that 10-1 is a good buy.
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Old 04-17-2010, 03:48 AM   #41
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But they are an average road team and will not have a single home series.

As for how good their home court is, they finished in a tie for third most home wins in the conference. Denver and the Lakers had more, the Suns had just as many. Note that they'll face two of those three teams ahead of them in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

I understand you are simply saying at 10-1 you think they are a good buy. I'm saying I don't think they'd be a good buy at 40-1. Hell, I don't think they get out of round one without home court.

I do agree with you that Lopez could be a huge loss, especially against the Lakers. (I don't see him as being that big of a deal against the Spurs or Mavs who I think the Suns can simply outscore)

If Utah makes it through Denver and the Lakers, I'll tip my hat to them and maybe even predict a finals trip for them. I just can't see that happening. I've thought of the odds I'd need to bet on them going to the conference finals. . . it'd be near 30 to 40 to 1 before I'd even consider.

That's what makes this time of the year fun though, huh?
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Old 04-17-2010, 08:25 AM   #42
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I mean, it's obvious that any good player wants to go play for the Knicks

The Knicks have good players?

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Old 04-17-2010, 10:34 PM   #43
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Man.. the celtics looks OLD in the first 2.5 quarters, and looked like the Celtics OF old (the Championship run). Some great defense being played.
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Old 04-17-2010, 10:42 PM   #44
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So.. will any celtics or heat be suspended for that little scrum?
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Old 04-17-2010, 10:48 PM   #45
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KG just got himself suspended for at least a couple. What a dumbass.
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Old 04-17-2010, 10:48 PM   #46
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KG just got himself suspended for at least a couple. What a dumbass.

That has to be at least a 2 game suspension, IMO.
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Old 04-17-2010, 10:50 PM   #47
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KG just got himself suspended for at least a couple. What a dumbass.
Doubt it. Rondo had a couble bad flagrants and threw a guy into the scoretable last year and got nothing.
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Old 04-17-2010, 11:03 PM   #48
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Doubt it. Rondo had a couble bad flagrants and threw a guy into the scoretable last year and got nothing.

Was going to say the same thing.
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Old 04-17-2010, 11:31 PM   #49
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Not seeing all the love for the Mavs. They were 10th in offensive efficiency and 12th in defensive efficiency.

Their pythagreon w/l was 49-33. Simply said they over performed their record by 6 games this year.

2009-10 Dallas Mavericks Roster and Statistics | Basketball-Reference.com

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Old 04-17-2010, 11:37 PM   #50
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I have Spurs to win the series +165 and Spurs to win in 6 at +425.
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