Playoff

[Thracozaag]

Quote:

(Thracozaag @ June 08 2005,12:32) Ugliest Finals ever was NY/Houston, btw; that was darn near unwatchable. koji
Word. Â This final promises to be a sleeper too, though. Â While Parker and Ginobelli are fun to watch, Tim Duncan must be the most boring awesome player ever. Â And the Pistons are nothing if *not* explosive, Rasheed aside, and then only in spurts. Â I think that a Suns vs. Heat Final would've been a lot more fun to watch. Â But give props to Detroit and San Antonio. Â They earned their berths fair and square.
No doubt NBA and ABC exec's are tearing their hair out not having a Suns/Heat ratings bonanza. koji

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Ugliest Finals ever was NY/Houston, btw; that was darn near unwatchable.

A competitive, seven-game series with two Top-50-alltime players (Ewing and Olajuwon)?  I think that Spurs-Knicks and Lakers-Nets were a lot worse, just to name two.

 

[Thracozaag]

Quote:

(Thracozaag @ June 08 2005,15:32) Ugliest Finals ever was NY/Houston, btw; that was darn near unwatchable.
A competitive, seven-game series with two Top-50-alltime players (Ewing and Olajuwon)? Â I think that Spurs-Knicks and Lakers-Nets were a lot worse, just to name two.
Watching Starks go 0-five million in the 4th quarter was not my idea of enjoyable bball watching (and I'm not even a Knicks fan) koji

 

[bachbeet]

Being a Lakers fan, I've got to say I enjoyed each of their Finals series in the three-peat. And, I thought last year's Finals was terrible. LB totally outcoached the "genius" PJ. Having said that, my favorite era was the Showtime Era. And, the NBA really needs to return to that type of ball. Fast. (Pun intended).

 

[mrgoblueguy]

Who are you taking in the Finals? I like Detroit in 6 or 7 games. Tim Duncan is one of the best to play the game but does not have Robinson now to help him protect the paint and detroit should be able to exploit that. Ben Wallace will have an easier time against a smaller and physical Duncan. Billups and Hamilton are a batter backcourt and should score a lot this series. I think all the games will be close, but I have to pick the defending champs.

 

[Eric]

Who are you taking in the Finals? I like Detroit in 6 or 7 games. Tim Duncan is one of the best to play the game but does not have Robinson now to help him protect the paint and detroit should be able to exploit that. Ben Wallace will have an easier time against a smaller and physical Duncan. Billups and Hamilton are a batter backcourt and should score a lot this series. I think all the games will be close, but I have to pick the defending champs.

I have yet to put my foot in my mouth yet in this thread. I am still betting on Detroit, but I think it will take 7 games.

There may not be alot of fancy slashing, the series rests more on the coaches than the players. The matchups are important, I'm looking forward to watching the series. I think it will be one of the best in recent years.

Eric

 

[ernest]

Where can we listen to the matches on a web radio?

 

[Eric]

Still curious about the popularity of NBA outside USA, I assume since Ernest is unsure where to watch/listen to the game it can't be too popular outside of US, at least in France.

Eric

 

[ernest]

Still curious about the popularity of NBA outside USA, I assume since Ernest is unsure where to watch/listen to the game it can't be too popular outside of US, at least in France.

Eric

Basketball is not popular in France but you can see some match on the cable.

On the French tv you have nor French basketball nor NBA.

Only if France competes in the european or world championship.

So WHERE could i listen to playoff? I follow them on yahoo so it would be better with the sound.

 

[Roy]

Still curious about the popularity of NBA outside USA, I assume since Ernest is unsure where to watch/listen to the game it can't be too popular outside of US, at least in France.

Eric

I have never seen a NBA (or any Basketball game for that matter) on television here, nor in Austria or Switzerland.

 

[jmswentworth]

It comes on channel 4 once in a while. I don't think many people watch it.

 

[dah328]

So WHERE could i listen to playoff? I follow them on yahoo so it would be better with the sound.

The NBA is super anal about both radio and TV broadcast rights.  If you can't find it locally or on cable, it's pretty unlikely you'll be able to find an internet feed of it.

dan

 

[Eric]

After watching the Pistons V. Spurs last night, I'd like to retract my previous statment of the Pistons taking it in 7. I now think they will win 4 of the next 5 to take the series in 6. I would like you all to try and count how many steps Tony Parker takes on the average drive, if you can even count that high. I usually am able to count at least 4. The refs are gonna start calling the games more square for the rest of the series, look for the Pistons to take it. Eric

 

[LA Guy]

I would like you all to try and count how many steps Tony Parker takes on the average drive, if you can even count that high. I usually am able to count at least 4.

My theory is that the refs are basing their calls on how tall a guy is. Parker is (relatively) short, so he gets 4+ steps on a drive before a travelling call. Ginobelli gets the requisite 3. Shaq gets 2. Yao Ming is not allowed to move more than 1, sometime 1/2, if they are making the calls closely. Boykin, on the other hand, can pretty much run with the ball from half court all the way to the basket. Maybe a token dribble is needed. Go little guys.

I think that it will be much more difficult for the Pistons to defeat the Spurs than it was to defeat my Lakers last year. The Lakers were a great team plagued by injury and lack of discipline or any kind of moral fortitude. They had a tough Western C. finals, and in the Finals, already drained, once they started losing, it was all over.

On the other hand, the Spurs are notoriously disciplined, a better team then they were last year, with Tim Duncan anchoring the team (albeit in a very boring fashion) and with the energy players (Parker and Ginobelli) having matured considerably. I would say that this Spurs team is better than the 2003 Kings, and more inspired. They would've beat the Lakers on their way to a threepeat. I think Detroit needs to play the remaining games without *any* mistakes and that San Antonio makes many, in order for Detroit to take this one.

I would say San Antonio in 6, or 5 if Detroit drops the next game.

 

[Eric]

I felt good after the first game that Detroit could take the Spurs with a few adjustments, and if McDeyess could hit a jumper or two. He played much better Game 2 but the rest of the Pistons left their game somewhere else.

Hamilton is forcing every shot he takes, Bowen is Ding him up something nice. Rip is getting pretty mad because he is not getting any calls whatsoever, while Ginobli gets to the line is you look at him wrong. The Pistons definetly have reason to complain, the Spurs have been getting the DEFINITE edge in the calls.

Rasheed is great when he faces up and goes to the hoop, but he simply refuses to do so and settles for a fading jumper after going nowhere trying to back down either Duncan or Mohammad. Larry Brown has got to be going crazy watchig him play because you know the whole coaching staff has told Sheed to face up. Same goes for McDeyess, who seems to have no game with his back to the basket and also shoots a ton of fading jumpers.

Prince never had a great offensive game, so no suprise that he is struggling. His handle is weak, his shot is weak and he is too small to bang with either Mohammad or Duncan, but he should get low and post Ginobli and Barry more often.

Overall, I'm impressed with the Spurs play, I think the would have won Game 1 & 2 without the help from the refs, but it makes me sick to watch games called so rediculously one way. If the Spurs keep their team together and Pop stays (don't see him leaving anytime soon) the Spurs are gonna be the next NBA dynasty, but with a lockout on the horizon they may not get a chance, they have terrible timing with lockouts, lol.

I have no idea what to expect from the Pistons the rest of this series and the way the refs are calling it I'm not even gonna bother watching it anyway.

Eric