Laker Hate And The P-Word

Da Realist:

just like when i feel the first nip in the air that signafies the beginning of college football season, spring means we are nearing the end of the boring regular season and preparing for playoff basketball.

it is 75 and sunny outside and i kept having flashbacks of my dad making me mow the yard KNOWING the bulls were playing the cavs in the first round on tbs. (i turned my mom's tv on the game and lifted the window so i could stop and "peek" in to catch the score until i finished the yard)

or watching game 5 of the lakers/suns in 1993 at our annual mother's day family reunion in mississippi. (the lakers choked the series and the game)

or watching magic johnson heave the ball up the court to run out the clock in game 6 against portland and then going to the gym later that night and doing the same thing that night (even though there was no clock)

or the night kilgore erupted when rex chapman hit that off balance 3pointer to tie the game against the sonics at around midnight. (they even let us stay in there until the game ended!)

playoff basketball. will you be watching?

Gangsta D:

I'm gonna table your Lakers comment until April 1st, when I will respond in kind:)

Of course I'll be watching. How much I watch depends on a certain team's performance, but I digress. If Miami keeps winning, I'll keep watching, and sending bad juju their way. Hopefully, it'll work eventually. On that note, has anyone made a big deal about how great the Heat are playing without Wade as opposed to how they were under .500 with him? Just curious.

I think the Mavs are a lock, unless the Spurs somehow beat the Suns and Duncan decides to avg 30/20 in the WCF.

The East? Who knows? I'd say Detroit, but then again Flip Saunders is the coach. I wouldn't be shocked if it was Washington. Gil gets hot and averages 40 a game for a series or two. Hey, it's possible. Toronto may be the real sleeper, even though they lost Bargnani. Chris Bosh is ridiculous.

Da Realist:

my comment was about 1993. surely even you can admit they choked up 2 games to none and up in the 4th of game 5. even you.

you think the mavs are a lock? i'm not sure. it will be intriguing how they handle the "favorite" tag. the spurs might just be the team that goes in and steals game 5 or something. i wouldn't put that past the suns either at this point.

having dwyane unavailable may be a hidden blessing for miami. they're playing together nicely and shaq has come up big because he feels needed. they will get out of the east. can't see detroit going that far and no one else will even challenge when things count. of course, this depends on having wade back HEALTHY. if he's gimpy, then detroit might just steal a spot in the finals.

warnings:

gilbert arenas will not lead washington to the finals. they rely mostly on iso's and i expect teams to cut that sh*t out in the playoffs.

don't believe the houston rockets hype. yao is still soft and mcgrady still hasn't been out of the first round. they'll be a tough out, but they won't be a factor in the playoffs.

i don't expect the lakers to get to the finals but they still have kobe and phil jackson. they will make anyone that plays them earn 4 wins. y'all should do what we wouldn't -- give that man a lifetime contract to coach until he retires. he and that coaching staff is that good.

we'll see just how good lebron is this year. this his 4th year right? most great superstars show some playoff promise by this point. no more meek losses. we should see some kind of killer instinct that will foretell things to come in the next few years.

Gangsta D:

I will temporarily lift my Lakers embargo.

An 8th seed CAN'T choke. They played out of their minds and completely over their heads those first two games. Phoenix was a MUCH better team. They went to the Finals remember? Therefore, I can't say the Lakers choked because they weren't supposed to even get that close.

I think the Mavs are a lock as long as Dirk doesn't gag-I mean get "nervous" in crunch time. They're battle tested. Avery is a good coach. They play defense and can dominate offensively from three positions on the floor.

With Chauncey hurt and Flip as the coach, don't know about the Pistons. Chauncey could always come back healthy and do his thing.

Now is the time for Bron to live up to the hype. he's got to get them DEEP in the playoffs this year. Otherwise, he starts looking more and more like 'Nique. No disrespect. Nique was a great player, but he couldn't get the hawks past the celtics.

Waldini:

The lakers didnt choke in '93 the refs gave them that series :-)

I'm with realist on the Mavs. Dirk has too much Mailman in him right now for me to believe he's ready to take them to the promised land (score a bunch of pts in the first 3 qtrs, then fade in the 4th). Until he proves me wrong, I think the West is up for grabs btw the Suns, Mavs, and Spurs.

I am shocked by what Miami is doing without Wade. I have ZERO confidence in Flip as pressure coach but the East right now only has two teams that I think can make the East Finals. And I just mentioned both of them :-). Yea I know everyone is hoping Bron turns it up exponentially and goes off in the playoffs but right now who else on that team scares you

In the West, I think Utah's inexperience will do them in by the 2nd round but yo that team is straight slept on. They got a frontline from hell (Okur, Booze, AK-47, although he's playing down this yr), great PG play and some nice veterans. Their biggest hole is the SG position and that will prbly stop them from really advancing

Da Realist:

half the chokes in history has involved the "underdog" choking. up 2 games to none with 2 games on your home floor? c'mon... can you say "rose-colored glasses"?

Gangsta D:

They were an 8 seed! The reason they were an 8 seed is because they weren't very good. New York choked that year. Seattle choked the next year. Sedale Threat was the leader of that team. Yes, THE Sedale Threat. Obviously, we should've swept the Suns.

Da Realist:

ok, ok.. calm down. wouldn't colin cowherd call you myopic right about now? i see that STILL pains you. :-)

anyway, here's the sun's perspective