NBA Finals discussion

[Original Rookie]

Lakers are up 2-0 after the close game last night. It seems like Orlando needed that one to have a chance. I expect the Lakers to take at least one in Orlando and then would just need one at home in Game 6 or 7.

[MJAlltheWay24]

It stinks a little that the best series of this playoffs was in the first round. Anyone agree?

[LRCW]

It stinks a little that the best series of this playoffs was in the first round. Anyone agree?

 

 

Wasn't the Boston/Orlando series in the 2nd round? Are you saying this series is over?

[5wide]

It stinks a little that the best series of this playoffs was in the first round. Anyone agree?

 

No. Did anybody actually expect to see another series match what Boston and Chicago delivered? That series was incredibly competitive.

[PurplePride92]

Wasn't the Boston/Orlando series in the 2nd round? Are you saying this series is over?

 

I am. I don't care if Orlando wins the next 2 games, Lakers in 6. Orlando's 3 best players had good games and they lost. Kobe had a bad game, Pau didn't show up until the 4th quarter. Poor effort by the Lakers, IMO, and they still won.

[LRCW]

No. Did anybody actually expect to see another series match what Boston and Chicago delivered? That series was incredibly competitive.

 

 

You're right. The Boston/Chicago series is the one I was thinking of that had all over the OT games.

[CatsCatsCats]

I am. I don't care if Orlando wins the next 2 games, Lakers in 6. Orlando's 3 best players had good games and they lost. Kobe had a bad game, Pau didn't show up until the 4th quarter. Poor effort by the Lakers, IMO, and they still won.

 

Offensively Howard didn't have a good game, thanks to some good Laker defense and poor ball movement by Orlando. Lewis played well, and Turk played a good half.

[5wide]

Orlando blew their chance to make this series interesting last night. That was a great opportunity to steal a game in LA.

 

The Lakers probably won't play any worse than they did last night. Kobe didn't seem like he was into the game and he looked tired. His energy level was poor, IMO.

 

The problem is that Orlando didn't play any better. They turned the ball over way too much. They missed 5 straight FT's, I believe, at one point in the fourth. If not for Rashard Lewis, LA would have had them down 15-20 points probably and that was a bad half of basketball by the Lakers.

 

Courtney Lee is getting criticized for the missed layup with 0.6 left, but that was a difficult shot, IMO. He was going full speed, he caught the ball a little low, he was under the backboard with his momentum carrying him further in that direction, so he had to reach under the board and try to bank it in...knowing he had to do it really fast to beat the horn. The shot he should have made was the runner with about 10 seconds to play...

 

I didn't know Hedo Turkoglu was a defensive stopper. The block on Kobe at the end of regulation was a great play. And, he made a few other decent plays on Kobe. Should we start calling him "the glove"?

 

16 minutes, 5 points, 2 blocks, 1 rebound, 5 fouls...that's more like the stat line I was expecting from Andrew Bynum this series. I suspect we'll see more of that in Orlando.

 

I like the way some are complaining about a non-goaltending call on Gasol at the end of regulation. Seriously, is touching the rim on a shot that barely drew iron as bad as coming through the bottom of the cylinder to block a dunk? The goaltends, or lack of, are a wash. Please.

 

I don't fault Van Gundy for playing Jameer Nelson in this series, but I think he's botched the whole deal. He should have used him to a lesser degree...10-12 minutes a game maybe. I think he's got the team out of sync and he's hurt Rafer Alston a little.

 

I think it's very hard to win a finals series if you don't split the first two on the road. It puts you in a position where you have to win 4 of 5 against what is often a better team...additionally, you have to win 3 straight to hold serve at home, and it's hard to beat a good team 3 straight anywhere...and, if you don't win your home games, you have to win the last two on the road to win the series.

 

That said, it still wouldn't surprise me to see Orlando win the next two and make this thing interesting again. I definitely expect them to win Game 3 to keep the series alive.

 

The Lakers really need to put the hammer down and take one of those next two, so the Magic don't get rejuvinated.

 

I just hope the basketball is better the rest of the series. Last night was painful for me to watch.

[Original Rookie]

Good post 5. Hedu made a great recovery, but got blown by on the final play of the game. If it weren't for Lewis and Howard coming over, Hedu wouldn't have had a chance to recover. Poor defense and a great recovery by him. Kobe should have thrown it up to Gasol who had Courtney Lee rotate over on him.

[UKMustangFan]

Lee missed basically 2 layups in the final 10 seconds, both of which would have won the game. Sorry, but if you're in the NBA and can't make layups, you don't deserve to see the floor. He should be right there sitting next to Van Gundy the rest of the way. He's been terrible all postseason.

[Original Rookie]

Lee missed basically 2 layups in the final 10 seconds, both of which would have won the game. Sorry, but if you're in the NBA and can't make layups, you don't deserve to see the floor. He should be right there sitting next to Van Gundy the rest of the way. He's been terrible all postseason.

 

Lee played well in the Cleveland series I thought. Didn't watch them much before that, but he has been far from terrible all post-season. The shot at the end of regulation was not a "layup." It was a tough play to make.

[5wide]

Lee played well in the Cleveland series I thought. Didn't watch them much before that, but he has been far from terrible all post-season. The shot at the end of regulation was not a "layup." It was a tough play to make.

 

:thumb:

 

He should have hit the runner from about 3-4 feet with 10 seconds to play. That was an easier shot, IMO.

 

It's gotta be frustrating for Orlando to play that bad on a night when the Lakers did the same. That game was a wash. Both teams were bad, IMO and it could have gone either way.

[DragonFire]

:thumb:

 

He should have hit the runner from about 3-4 feet with 10 seconds to play. That was an easier shot, IMO.

 

It's gotta be frustrating for Orlando to play that bad on a night when the Lakers did the same. That game was a wash. Both teams were bad, IMO and it could have gone either way.

That's my sentiments exactly. I'm much more upset about him missing a shot wide open in the lane than I am a shot he caught on a lob with .6 to shoot while he was heading out of bounds full speed. Is it a shot he could have hit? Yes, he could've. You can even make the argument he should've. But an easy layup, it wasn't.

 

And UKMustang, that's the second time you've said all postseason on his play being bad. Before this series, I thought his play had been quite solid.

[5wide]

^Some people will (and are) definitely saying he should have made it.

 

I disagree. I'm with you in that he could have.

 

In hindsight, I wonder if he'd have attempted to shoot it straight in instead of trying to use the glass. I'm pretty sure his momentum is what caused the shot to come off the board so hard and barely hit the rim.

 

My guess is that a lot of player would have missed that exact same shot in that situation...and the majority of guys who are of Courtney Lee's caliber or rookies.

 

Although they got a good look for an inbound play with 0.6 seconds, I still find it curious that SVG opted to call a play for Courtney Lee. Obviously, the Lakers aren't going to allow a lob to Dwight Howard, so that's out other than a decoy to draw some coverage and attention.

 

As many big shots as Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis have made this post-season, I can't believe one of those two guys didn't get the ball. Both guys are 6'10...with 0.6 they had time to catch and shoot. I think they could have got a look for one of them.

 

A few more comments...

 

I thought the officiating at the beginning of the game was way too touchy.

 

Rashard Lewis was too passive late in the game.

 

And, as a Lakers fan, I hope JJ averages 27 minutes for the remainder of this series.

 

Seriously, SVG has done a great job this post-season, but that "master of panic" label is looking about right through 2 finals games. His playing time, rotations and combinations have me a little perplexed to be honest.

[malachicrunch]

^Some people will (and are) definitely saying he should have made it.

 

I disagree. I'm with you in that he could have.

 

In hindsight, I wonder if he'd have attempted to shoot it straight in instead of trying to use the glass. I'm pretty sure his momentum is what caused the shot to come off the board so hard and barely hit the rim.

 

My guess is that a lot of player would have missed that exact same shot in that situation...and the majority of guys who are of Courtney Lee's caliber or rookies.

 

Although they got a good look for an inbound play with 0.6 seconds, I still find it curious that SVG opted to call a play for Courtney Lee. Obviously, the Lakers aren't going to allow a lob to Dwight Howard, so that's out other than a decoy to draw some coverage and attention.

 

As many big shots as Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis have made this post-season, I can't believe one of those two guys didn't get the ball. Both guys are 6'10...with 0.6 they had time to catch and shoot. I think they could have got a look for one of them.

A few more comments...

 

I thought the officiating at the beginning of the game was way too touchy.

 

Rashard Lewis was too passive late in the game.

 

And, as a Lakers fan, I hope JJ averages 27 minutes for the remainder of this series.

 

Seriously, SVG has done a great job this post-season, but that "master of panic" label is looking about right through 2 finals games. His playing time, rotations and combinations have me a little perplexed to be honest.

 

Turkoglu was the inbounder and I think Lewis set the pick for Lee. You don't get a much better look than that with .6 left. He should have made it.