I like how we finished the regular season, with a nice team orientated win. The big guys (Kwame, Bynum and Turiaf) had solid games and hopefully will be able to carry that over to the Suns series. Farmar looks settled in the starting role and hopefully that will continue because Smush is actually regressing, i wouldnt mind if Phil sat him for the playoffs.
Well, well, well guess I was the shwami this season. I guess I could say I told you so and all that crap but no one wants to hear that nor do I need to bring up a previous old post where I stated this, no need, why bother quite frankly, I know I said it and that's all that matters.
So anyway, it's the Warriors and the Mavs in the 1st round of the playoffs should prove to be quite an exciting matchup. Good old Nellie going up against his old team pitting his tried and true Nellie ball style of play up against Avery's new revamped staunch defensive minded team.
The young bright promising pupil vs the wise old sensei, who will prevail? Should prove to be quite interesting. As well as other real good 1st round matchups. Ahh the playoffs! it's finally here! can't wait for Sat!
But of course the real story is, the Warriors in the playoffs! Who could have predicted that? 😉
Oh and just in case anybody cares I finished in 1st place in both my fantasy leagues! Yey! Hoooray me!!! 💃
I wrote this on another forum.
All season long I have waited for this. Since the 7th game of the first round last year I have eagerly waited to face this team once again in the playoffs. I have gotten my wishes and I am pretty sure this is what Phil and the rest of the Lakers and the Lakers organization as well as the fans wanted. We are finally here. Smush is not starting and we are back to full health. There hasn't been a day in the season when we have been this healthy. Bynum's play has picked up, Phil is playing him more and maybe he will realize that there isn't a player on the Suns roster that can stop him. Same with Kwame, and the sooner they both realize this, the better. Feed these monsters the ball down low and watch them tear Phoenix apart from inside. Slow the game down, stop the Suns from getting open shots, stay home on the shooters and just don't let Nash pick us apart.
Here is my prediction for this series.
Game 1 - @ Phoenix. I think the Lakers have more momentum coming into the playoffs than the Suns so I am giving this game to them. I don't think Kobe will let them lose, not this time, this time it will be different. We will win game 1. Kobe is going to have 30+ points and 8+ assist and the Lakers will win by 8. Close game throughout.
Game 2 - @ Phoenix. For some reason I think the Lakers will think they can relax. This is a huge mistake as the Suns will take advantage of their laid backness. Suns will have a lead of around 8 points throughout the game. The Lakers will make a surge behind Kobe Bryant in the 4th quarter but it will not be enough as the Suns will make huge three pointers to put it away. Suns win game 2.
Game 3 - @ Home. Much like in game 1 the Lakers will be focused, but they wil not have the momentum. But this doesn't matter because we are now on our home court. The Lakers will lead throughout the game, hold the Suns to 20 points in both the 1st and the 4th quarter. Lakers win game 3 and lead the series 2-1. Kobe Bryant has a huge game posting 40 points. Lakers win by 12.
Game 4 - @ Home. Different from coming off a win in game 1, we will stay focused on the task at hand. We have the blueprint to beating this team, now it is all about execution. I think Phil will remember once when we were up 3-1 on this team and let it slip away. He wants another 3-1 series lead and he will get it. Lakers win by 4. Lamar Odom comes very close to getting a triple double and Kobe gets his usual 35 points.
Game 5 @ Phoenix. Much like last year in game 5 the Lakers will be blown out. It is really hard to say a thing like that but sometimes it baffles me how this team gets so unfocused so fast. Suns take an early lead and only give it back in the third when the Lakers take a 1 point lead. But then quickly recovers and never gives the lead back. Suns win game 5 and the series is now 3-2 Lakers.
Game 6 @ Home. This is the game that the Lakers rejoice. This is the moment where all Laker fans like me can jump up and get in the face of all those doubters and all those haters and all those nut huggers. It will be clear throughout the game who will be the winner. Kobe has the biggest game of the series and the supporting cast plays defense and makes plays. 47 points for Kobe and a 11 point win for the Lakers. Lakers win 106-95 and the Staples Center will be going off like crazy. I know because I will be at that game. Do you really think I would miss this moment or watch it on TV? I want to be able to almost reach out and touch the tears streaming down Steve Nash's face. I want to look at Raja Bell's face, quickly stick my finger out and have the laugh of my life time. Goodbye Suns, you had a good regular season like you always do but this time, we win.
Side note: Steve nash gets posterized in game 3 and 4.
There are a lot of Lakers fans on this forum but there is a few Suns fans and a Nash nuthuggers. The debates always go on for pages, huge as post from everyone and it usually ends up being like 20 pages long. I am eagerly waiting to give them shit when we win, they probably feel the same way.
Yea, good luck with that.
Originally posted by RZA
Well, well, well guess I was the shwami this season. I guess I could say I told you so and all that crap but no one wants to hear that nor do I need to bring up a previous old post where I stated this, no need, why bother quite frankly, I know I said it and that's all that matters.So anyway, it's the Warriors and the Mavs in the 1st round of the playoffs should prove to be quite an exciting matchup. Good old Nellie going up against his old team pitting his tried and true Nellie ball style of play up against Avery's new revamped staunch defensive minded team.
The young bright promising pupil vs the wise old sensei, who will prevail? Should prove to be quite interesting. As well as other real good 1st round matchups. Ahh the playoffs! it's finally here! can't wait for Sat!
But of course the real story is, the Warriors in the playoffs! Who could have predicted that? 😉
Oh and just in case anybody cares I finished in 1st place in both my fantasy leagues! Yey! Hoooray me!!! 💃
1. The Schwami sucks balls.
2. I have no idea what the hell you are talking about, but I'm guessing you predicted the Warriors would make the playoffs and there was an arguement, if thats the case, good call on your part.
My playoff predictions:
West (round 1):
(1) Dallas vs (8) Warriors
Dallas wins in 5 or 6
(2) Suns vs (7) Lakers
Suns win in 6
(3) Spurs vs (6) Nuggets
Spurs win in 5
(4) Jazz vs (5) Rockets
Rockets win in 7
East (round 1):
(1) Pistons vs (8) Magic
Pistons win in 4 or 5
(2) Cavs vs (7) Wizards
Cavs in 4
(3) Raptors vs (6) Nets
Really could go either way, but I'm going with Raptors in 6 or 7
(4) Heat vs (5) Chicago
I'm going with Heat in 7
Round 2:
West:
(1) Dallas vs (5) Rockets
Dallas in 5 or 6
(2) Suns vs (3) Spurs
Spurs in 6 or 7
East:
(1) Pistons vs (4) Heat
Pistons in 6
(2) Cavs vs (3) Raptors
Cavs in 5 or 6
Conference Finals
West: (1) Dallas vs (3) Spurs
Dallas in 6 or 7 (but at this point I won't really care as long as Suns are out)
East: (1) Pistons vs (2) Cavs
Pistons in 6 or 7
NBA Finals:
Dallas vs Pistons
Dallas in 6 or 7
The Mavs will be tested no doubt but defense will win out in the end. This Mavs team has it and the small ball Nellie team doesn't. This new Nellie team reminds me a lot of the old Mavs team from days past back when they had the big three and Nick the quick, ahhh...what a fun team that was to watch. They went pretty far but in the end they got stopped by a good defensive team.
The X-factor for the Warriors in this series is going to be how good Beidrins plays. If he can give them good minutes in both blocks and boards, then I could see them taking 2 games, not likely 3 tho.
The X-factor for the Mavs is always Devin Harris. When he's on and hitting his open jump shots the Mavs are a virtualy unstoppable offensive juggernaut. And what about the rest of the matchups you ask..hmmm...well there are some interesting ones in deed...
East
Raptors vs Nets - Storyline - Air Canada going up against his old team. The X-factor here will be both teams center play. Bargani vs Moore. Which ever team can get the best center play will most likely win the series. Look for Bosh to have a field day inside but the 'Big 3' are back and healthy and in the end their combined playoff experience might prove too much for this young Rap team.
Heat vs Bulls - A rematch of last year only this time the Bulls have got Big Ben. But he's not the X-factor, Deng is. As Deng goes, so go the bulls. He's the only slasher type scorer on that Bulls team that can take it to the hole and break his man down. His play will be critical for the Bulls to advance far in these playoffs. For the Heat it's D-Wade. This will be the time to prove that he's really healthy and if he is, it might be a long series for the Bulls.
Pistons vs Magic - Storyline - Grant Hill going up against his old team and of course he will be the X-factor if they are to win. His experience and leadership will have to play a big role if his young teammates are to upset the heavily favored Pistons. The X-factor for the Pistons is Webber. He can smell the chance for a ring once again and if he can give them good quality minutes all throughout the playoffs, the Pistons might be pretty hard to stop.
Cavs vs Wizards - Another rematch from last year only this time unfortunately the Wizards are missing their superstars. Frankly I don't see this one being much of a series at all. Look for LeBron to shine as this time he will be the only one on stage.
West
Suns vs Lakers - Yet another rematch from last year and an exciting one at that. The only major difference this year, Amare is back and with a vengeance. Look for a heavy dose of good ole' fashioned pick and roll ball orchestrated by the mistro himself Stevie Nash. X-factor will be Barbosa, his good minutes will keep the Mistro rested and when he's clicking on all cylinders the Suns are a full high octane blast scoring team. The X-factor for the Lakers will be their point guard play. Much like last season this has once again proven to be their achilles heal. If they can get some solid minutes from this position, especially defensively, then they will have a shot of making it a series.
Spurs vs Nuggets - Storyline - Iverson in the playoffs once again only this time he will actually have some help. The X-factor for them will be J.R. Smith, Blake or whoever plays in that 2 position. Look for Duncan to have monster games inside as Denver will have no answer. The x-factor for the Spurs will be Parker, once again as he goes so do the Spurs, when he's on and he's got his jumper going the Spurs are pretty unstoppable and let's not forget that bench loaded with cold blooded big shot makers like Findog and big shot Bob.
Jazz vs Rockets - Not much of a storyline here, just 2 playoff hungry teams looking to win. This could prove to be the most evenly matched and hard fought of all the series with the possible exception of the Heat vs Bulls series. Aside for who will have the best center play the X-factor for both teams will be at the 3 spot. For the Jazz it's the smokin Ak 47 who has been any thing but that all season. If the Jazz are to advance in these playoffs he will have to start firing on all cylinders now or never. For the Rockets it's T-Mac as his back goes, so do the Rockets chances of advancing. A healthy T-Mac could prove to be too much of an X-factor for the Jazz.
Stoudemire really isn't a problem for us, he is averaging 13 points in the 4 games we have played them this season.
Tell me how you feel about the Suns after you read this...
In addition to scouring video for any added advantage against the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers might also want to sit back and read a good book.
Longtime Sports Illustrated reporter Jack McCallum spent last season with the Suns, documenting the inner workings of the high-scoring curiosity piece in a 312-page account that could provide a wealth of bulletin-board material for the Lakers, who begin another first-round series with the Suns on Sunday.
An all-access look at one of the league's top teams, ":07 Seconds or Less" devotes more than 100 pages to last year's playoff series between the Suns and Lakers, eventually won by the Suns in seven games. The book, named after the Suns' mantra to fire up a shot before seven seconds tick off the shot clock, includes several scenes in which Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson and the Lakers in general are panned by the Suns.
"As the Suns see it, the Lakers trek along the low road," McCallum wrote. "Bryant is arrogant. [Kwame] Brown is just a big body with nothing behind it. Smush Parker was a Sun for a couple of weeks [in 2004-05] and no one rued his departure. Lamar Odom is just too damn big and long. Luke Walton seems like a nice guy … but he laid out [Tim] Thomas in Game 3 and triggered a miserable chain of events [for the Suns]. Sasha Vujacic is an all-universe whiner with an unpronounceable surname. Plus, Phil Jackson sits on a throne."
The Lakers are aware of the book, which was released last fall, and perused copies of it long before the Suns became their playoff opponent.
Some of the things they have likely noted:
• The Suns, while watching video of their Game 1 victory, poked fun at the Lakers' defense.
"This is when we're at our best, when we're changing ends on the fly," Coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They have no answer for it. Kwame is awful. Odom's a very average defender. Vujacic can't guard anybody. And Bryant in the open floor takes chances that aren't good."
• Suns owner Robert Sarver had issues with some millionaire courtside fans at Staples Center. He thought Norm Pattiz was getting into the face of Thomas during Game 3 and told the Westwood One Radio Network founder before Game 4, "You ever touch one of my players again, you'll have me to deal with."
Sarver was also mad that actor-director Penny Marshall was near the Suns' huddle before Game 3, talking to some of the Suns' players.
"This L.A. [expletive] has got to stop," Sarver said afterward. "This is war. I hate those guys."
• While Suns coaches watched video of Game 3, Jackson wandered into the frame with his painful side-to-side walk.
"Look!" one of the coaches blurted out. "It's the Penguin!"
• After the Lakers took a 3-1 series lead, D'Antoni wondered aloud why so many people were lauding Bryant's share-the-ball approach.
"They're talking about Kobe and how great it is that he's playing with the team," D'Antoni said. "Well, isn't that what you're supposed to do? Now he's the savior because he's playing that way? He's no god. He does what he's supposed to be doing, which is what we learned in kindergarten. Share the ball and play."
• An unidentified member of the Lakers left a scouting report of the Suns at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel after Game 5 in Phoenix. It quickly ended up in the hands of Suns coaches, much to the Lakers' dismay.
A part that wasn't in the book: Jackson called a hotel official and wondered how the document ended up in the Suns' possession. He was informed that all trash from hotel rooms is typically shredded. The hotel official said he would get back to Jackson after investigating the matter further. To this day, Jackson still hasn't heard back from the official, a team source said.
More recently, the Suns haven't exactly downplayed their thoughts of the Lakers, beginning with forward Amare Stoudemire's statement last week that "I think we would take care of them pretty quick" if the teams met in the first round.
Bryant said the Lakers would "put [Stoudemire's] clairvoyancy to the test," and other Lakers weren't so sure the series would be done so quickly.
"That's his opinion," Walton said. "If he thinks it's going to go four, good for him. They've proven they're a great team. We're the ones that are going to have to play great basketball if we want to win. They've played great basketball all year and they've got home-court advantage, but I don't think it's going to be a four-game series."
Bryant was asked if the Suns (61-21) might be a tad overconfident in viewing the Lakers (42-40).
"I'm sure they are," he said. "Their team's won like, what, 60-something games, whatever it is. I'm sure they're confident. I'm sure they believe it's going to be a quick series. It's our job to try and prove them wrong."
The Lakers will try to do what they did last season and pound the ball inside to their big men, although the presence of Stoudemire will make things more difficult. He missed almost all of last season, including the playoff series against the Lakers, because of knee problems, but has averaged 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds this season.
"We're going to try to slow it down," Walton said. "That's no secret. Now we've got Kwame back. That's big for us. Ronny [Turiaf] has been playing great. [Andrew] Bynum is starting to play well again.
"We've got to focus on getting the ball inside all game long and not just for a little bit and then start settling for jumpers. If you settle for a jumper against Phoenix and if you don't make it, it's like a turnover, where they're off to the races."