2009 NBA Conference Finals Thread

[Lake Louise]

Hopefully Denver wins tonight.

 

[The Young One]

Dahntay jones got screwed over by the refs so bad its sickening.

 

[elcheato]

And the Nuggets tie it at 1-1. Kobe could not get a chance at the final shot.

 

[The Young One]

"But even though it's hard for me to be objective, because I brought Kobe to Los Angeles, I do think LeBron has surpassed Kobe as a player."

And denver is getting game 2 tomorrow. Chauncey will show up.

Didnt I call it? Melo is growing on me everyday. His in and out stutter step move is so sick. Fisher is horrible. Farmar and brown need all his minutes.

 

[MapleLeaf]

a nuggets-magic finals series wouldn't draw the ratings as a cavs-lakers, but it would be an amazing and so fun to watch

 

[elcheato]

Why have the Magic all the sudden won the ECF? Just wondering... They won the game on a ridiculous shot when everyone on the Cavs but LeBron struggled and everyone is all the sudden saying how the Cavs no longer stand a chance.

 

[MapleLeaf]

i never said they have won.

I'm actually rooting for them to win it all because I love Delonte.

I'm just saying a Denver-Orlando series would be really fun to watch considering their two styles going at it

 

[V23]

"But even though it's hard for me to be objective, because I brought Kobe to Los Angeles, I do think LeBron has surpassed Kobe as a player."

And denver is getting game 2 tomorrow. Chauncey will show up.

TYO called it.


Good game, this is one hell of a series.

 

[The Young One]

TBH i would rather let kobe shoot a contested 3 than let fisher shoot it seriously. Officiating wasnt great on both sides but who is shocked by that honestly.

 

[Whisper]

As a fan... I'd be crushed if the Lakers lose this series while at the same time wouldn't be surprised. This is ridiculous, "so much talent" yet so <Censored>ing LAZY. They have T-Mac syndrome right now, relying more on talent then putting in the effort, no <Censored>ing fire to keep them going, Kobe has to do everything wtf is wrong with these guys?!?!

Fisher, RETIRE NOW. He can't do this anymore. Brown and Farmar SHOULD take all of his minutes. Vujacic sucks ass. GaSOFT is a <Censored>ing <Censored> ass <Censored>. Bynum... started off well.. WTF HAPPENED?! Ariza & Kobe, the only ones that showed up both games. This is not good at all going into Denver. Smith wasn't even 100%!! How do you let Kleiza burn you the entire game.. KLEiZA.


Oh well, if it's not a "Kobe vs Lebron" finals... I wouldn't be disappointed at all with a Melo vs LeBron finals because Melo really is a different player now. After this year, and as next season goes on I wouldn't be surprised to start putting Melo into the conversation of one of the best players in the league next to Bryant, Wade, and James. He always was my favorite player out of that historical draft class in '03.

Seeing Melo go at it with James like he is now with Kobe would be real fun to watch like it is now.



And as it goes for the current series, it seems that whoever wins the battle between Kobe/Melo will be the ones to pull out. Kobe won the scoring battle, Lakers won by two. Melo won the scoring battle, Nuggets win by three. As disappointed as I am as a Lakers fan. It has been fun to watch so far as a basketball fan.

 

[The Young One]

Lolz at laker nation turning on fish and sasha and pau.

 

[Whisper]

I never liked Sasha. Fisher's old I was seeing this as the season dwindled down, he can't keep up anymore, but I'm not giving on Pau. Pau can take either Nene, or Martin, he just doesn't. He looks too much into getting everyone else involved. He needs to be the Gasol in Memphis, the Gasol of last year... what he's doing now is deferring too much. He needs to understand, HE is the second option. Not Bynum, not Odom, not Ariza, definitely not <Censored>ing Fisher. He needs to realize his roll because when he's on a roll the team is too.

 

[Whisper]

Also am I the only one that thinks that LeBron is what T-Mac could have been? T-Mac had the size, the strength, the natural talent, but he never had the fire, or the work ethic that LeBron James or Kobe Bryant possesses.

That's the main difference as I see it between James and Bryant.

With James we really are just witnesses because how many of us are 6'8 with that combination of size and strength? James is one hell of a physical specimen, his game can't be emulated, none of us can jump, or just bully people like he can. While Kobe is fundamentally sound. He can do everything, and anything on the basketball court, but that's something you work at, his athleticism is nowhere near it's used to be so that's what puts him in that conversation because he's worked so hard at everything else.

Kobe is the master of everything that can be done in basketball, and down the road that's what James will have to be once his athleticism begins to deteriorate, and I have no doubts that will happen as he really fine-tunes and completely polishes his game. James is already a scary figure, he has the drive, and athleticism, but once he gets passed the bullying his way to the basket, and really fine-tunes his form, jumper(mid-range game specifically), and foot-work he's going to be so much more beastly than he already is.


And when I think about it... T-Mac could have been what James is and will be... if he had that fire and determination... sadly it just wasn't there. I'm not blaming injuries either because Kobe has dodged a lot of that by knowing how to take care of his body. Every time I see an interview of T-Mac outside of the court he's just a kick back guy which is cool, but when I see one of Kobe, outside of his family, and basketball endeavors the guy works extremely hard in the weight room, or doing something about his flexibility.

T-Mac, T-Mac, T-Mac... had some great years... but he could have been so much more.

 

[The Young One]

T-mac had it all. But he wasnt as strong and wasnt such a specimen like lebron. Bron is 6'9 and like 260 with 4.6 speed and a 44 inch vert. T-Mac is about 6'8 but he has always been around that 210 weight.

Me and mexi have discussed this before that VC and T-Mac are more naturally talented than kobe. But they dont have the drive and heart of a kobe bryant. Kobe will go down as the 2nd best sg arguably number 1 on some lists. I just have a feeling bearing injury that lebron could be the best ever. Like charles said we have never seen a player like lebron before in the league. As a nba fan i feel honored to be able to watch some of these guys i will be telling my kids about in the future. Like Bron,Kobe,wade,cp3 and melo and td and etc.

 

[Whisper]

Oh definitely. Gifts wise, VC, and TMac, along with some other guys in the league have so much more abilities that Kobe even did when he was younger. They just didn't, or don't have "it" that drive, that killer instinct, and it's disappointing to know that.

It's also disappointing to know that there were guys that had it, but went down to some huge, and major injuries like Grant Hill. He was LeBron James V 1.0 back in his heyday. He was 6'8, big, a physical specimen, and more importantly had the game to go along with it. His ankle-injuries definitely set him back HUMONGOUSLY.

I just shudder to think what the league COULD have been if guys like VC, and T-Mac had the drive, and if guys like Grant Hill, or Brian Grant didn't get injured. If only man.. if only.

 

[V23]

Oh definitely. Gifts wise, VC, and TMac, along with some other guys in the league have so much more abilities that Kobe even did when he was younger. They just didn't, or don't have "it" that drive, that killer instinct, and it's disappointing to know that.

It's also disappointing to know that there were guys that had it, but went down to some huge, and major injuries like Grant Hill. He was LeBron James V 1.0 back in his heyday. He was 6'8, big, a physical specimen, and more importantly had the game to go along with it. His knee-injury definitely set him back HUMONGOUSLY.

I just shudder to think what the league COULD have been if guys like VC, and T-Mac had the drive, and if guys like Grant Hill, or Brian Grant didn't get injured. If only man.. if only.

You'd have some of the best basketball since the 60's and 70's. Back when you had guys like Big O, Wilt, the young Kareem, Bill Russell, and to a lesser extent Bill Walton. The statlines would be ridiculous.

 

[Mexi]

Carmelo is trouble.

He plays what Robert Horry calls "Bully Ball"

Dude has never played D a day in his life, but man he's improved so much. I got to give him credit. He's guarding Kobe and going off offensively. Kudos.

1-1, cool

 

[Mexi]

Why have the Magic all the sudden won the ECF? Just wondering... They won the game on a ridiculous shot when everyone on the Cavs but LeBron struggled and everyone is all the sudden saying how the Cavs no longer stand a chance.

lol
Lakers are the underdogs to Denver too

 

[Whisper]

Man the league would be crazy. If you add in those guys along with the guys of today almost every team would have a star player.

Right now top three are undoubtedly James, Bryant, and Wade.

But there is so much more talent now than in say the '90s. Melo, Roy, Granger, Durant, DH12, Nowitzki, Cp3, D.Williams, T.Duncan, Ginobili, Bosh, Stoudemire, A.Jefferson, Harris, Rose, Pierce, R.Allen, Garnett, both AIs, Artest, Yao, and a lot of other guys that are/can be considered big names.

Hill, B.Grant, Arenas, J.Oneal, Brand, B.Davis etc. if they didn't get injured the league now would be INSANE.

and another name to add onto the list of not having the heart, or the attitude, is a guy on my fav' team, Lamar Odom. He was supposed to be the next Scottie Pippen, but he doesn't have "it" either.

Oh what could have been... I don't even know why I'm thinking about this now. My mind is stuck on basketball, but I just don't wanna think about tonight's loss I guess lol

 

[Lake Louise]

Glad Nuggets won. Melo with another 30+ point game. (39 Game 1, 34 Game 2), and this time they won, instead of making some costly mistakes to lose it. Not only did they win, but won in L.A.

Now, it`s time for Orlando to go up 2-0, and Nuggets get the 2-1 lead in Game 3.