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"NBA Finals"

I know there's a few NBA fans around here so thought i'd do a playoff final thread where we can talk about the finals or just the beautiful game of basketball itself.

So we have the mighty, unbeatable, super talented Los Angeles Lakers vs the...... ahem ...... Detroit Pistons.

The quartet of Kobe, big diesel, the glove and the mailman vs the defensive powerhouse of Ben Wallace and the jailbait of Rasheed Wallace with Richie Hamilton starting to show up when it matters at the final dance.

On paper the Lakers should walk this series easy and with the first 2 games in LA if we win both of those than that should happen. Detroit will probably be looking to snatch a win in those games to take back to Detroit for the 3 home game stretch, which if they manage to win one of the first two games could make the series a little more tricky for the Lakers then it should be.

Of course the west could just smash the east as they've done for many years now, which i of course will hope happens :-D

Best of 7 series, race to 4

I saw bits of the game inbetween baseball innings and the Lakers just didn't have that spark, in my opinion. As I said, I didn't see much of it.

How many games does the final have?

Giving the result away here so don't read on if you haven't seen the game yet






Let me change my statement, give Shaq the ball and we've won basically............as long as someone bloody else helps out with the scoring as well. Shaq carried that team on his massive back last night and he had to seeing as the rest of the team was obviously somewhere else as they weren't bloody anywhere near Staples at 6pm on a Los Angeles evening.

A much better display is needed from the rest of the team and more of the same from Shaq who seemed to be the only one actually wanting to win the trophy out there. It's made this series a hell of alot harder then it should have been. Whether the court case is finally weighing on Kobe's mind or not he's got to get that out his head and start playing like we know he's capable of.

Far too many turnovers and if we had done that against the T-Wolves then we wouldn't be here, far better use and control of the ball is required for the rest of the series

The Zen Master Phil Jackson better start smacking his players around and get them in shape as Shaq as good as he is can't defeat a whole team

Clazon wrote:
> i would say it's very dependent on whether shaq and kobe can link like
> we know they can, or whether they shrivel away and don't even take a
> shot (like against some team this year). the other factor is about
> how wallace and co restrict passes close to the basket and force them
> to go for 3's.

Yea against the T-Wolves when after the first 2 games of giving the ball to Shaq and him stomping all over them for some reason they decided to stop doing it for a couple of games, which were the ones we lost. Give the ball to Shaq (which i know Kobe hates doing but ah well) and we've won the game, simple as, especially seeing as now he's fit unlike how he was the last time we got to the finals.


> i predict the first four to go:
>
> lakers
> tie
> detroit
> lakers
>
> the tie's a bit of a gamble but, hey, it's just what i want to see
> happen.


A very big gamble seeing as there's no ties in playoff games :-D This isn't footie, there has to be a winner (one of the many reasons why i like the american sports)

i would say it's very dependent on whether shaq and kobe can link like we know they can, or whether they shrivel away and don't even take a shot (like against some team this year). the other factor is about how wallace and co restrict passes close to the basket and force them to go for 3's. i think it might just be a good idea, as long as detroit are pumped, to take the fouls away from home and disrupt lakers' rhythm. lakers are fragile when their games off and can be cut open on counter attacks quite well.

i predict the first four to go:

lakers
tie
detroit
lakers

the tie's a bit of a gamble but, hey, it's just what i want to see happen.

Like i said if the Pistons can win 1 of the 2 games at the start of the series in LA then they'll have a very good chance seeing as they've then got the 3 game home stand.

However if the Lakers take both the opening games then at 2-0 down that's going to be far too much, in my opinion, for the Pistons to overcome.

The matchup to look out for is Wallace and Shaq, if Wallace can keep big diesel contained then Detroit will have a huge advantage, however at only 6'9 that's easier said then done for Ben Wallace who'll be guarding the 7'1, 330 pound monster.

I think this is a series that could go either way. If Detroit can defend in the way they have done this season, and shut out the Lakers, then Kobe and crew could be in a lot of trouble. However, the Lakers' attacking power and style could prove far too much for the Pistons defense, which might crumble away. It's going to be interesting. I think whoever gets the opening victory has the best chance of winning overall.

I will probably look for the repeat Monday Evening, should not be too hard to miss the result unitl I have watched it :)

tomorrow at the very viewer friendly time of 2 in the morning on sky sports. Looks like it's going to be a recording jobbie for me. Then i can pop on the lakers site in the morning and see if i actually want to watch it depending on the result :-D

It should be a classic series, when is game one, tonight or tommorrow?