I do know the Lakers should be the favorite. None of that 1a, 1b co-favorite stuff......

Gasol will decide the Finals. If he hasn't gotten tougher than two years ago the Lakers can't win. If he has they have an excellent shot of winning. The Celtics are capable of neutralizing Bynum and Odom. It's going to be a heck of a series, I think the Celtics are the team that LA fans should not want to play, because they are capable of beating them in a half court setting, something most teams just don't have the size to do. I'll give my prediction before the Finals start, but I'm starting to come around to the Celtics I think.

aThere just doesn't seem to be anything the Suns can do. LA kills them in the half-court and runs them off the floor when they run.

As a Laker fan, I want the Celtics. Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Lakers are going to sweep the Suns.

The Suns score when they go small but can't stop LA. They play better defense when they go big but can't score. LA is just much, much better than them.

I may be in the minority or possibly the only person who feels this way, but I think Pau Gasol is the best post player in the NBA right now. Give me all the crap about Howard but he's only good defensively and even when he has a good offensive game he doesn't dominate the game with it. Gasol is the best scorer on the block in the NBA to me, and he has to be the best passer. He's plays good defense, blocks shots and rebounds. Kobe's great, but I think Gasol is almost as good right now. Crazy, I know.

If this Gasol shows up, Perkins will foul out, Rasheed will get some technicals and KG's knees may fall off. Highly skilled with both hands. This Gasol plays with a swag. He didn't have a swag in 08. I hope they win game 3 to kill any hopes the Suns may have.

8 straight wins for the Lakers.

I may be in the minority or possibly the only person who feels this way, but I think Pau Gasol is the best post player in the NBA right now. Give me all the crap about Howard but he's only good defensively and even when he has a good offensive game he doesn't dominate the game with it. Gasol is the best scorer on the block in the NBA to me, and he has to be the best passer. He's plays good defense, blocks shots and rebounds. Kobe's great, but I think Gasol is almost as good right now. Crazy, I know.

 

Was thinking today that I made a mistake in taking Howard as my center in my thread on choosing your NBA team. Should have went with Gasol.

Amare could be so much better than he is. Like I said Fools Gold.

Amare could be so much better than he is. Like I said Fools Gold.

 

I agree. WAY TOO SOFT and might be one of the most overrated top tier players in the NBA. 6 quarters and only 4 rebounds from a post player with his athletic ability.

True. I think I'll trade Amare off of my team for Gasol. Amare has been disappointing but at the same time he is playing the Lakers.

The Suns don't even try to guard you. How many layups did the Lakers have down the stretch last night. Their defense is horrible! At the same time the Lakers are rolling. It will make for a great finals if we get the Celtics and Lakers. The Celtics can do something, though, that no one the Lakers have played in the playoffs can do. They can guard you! At the same time the Lakers size is amazing, but the Lakers have no answer for Rondo. If they were to put Kobe Bryant on him Derek Fisher would have to guard Ray Allen. It will make for a great finals if these 2 teams meet!

The Suns don't even try to guard you. How many layups did the Lakers have down the stretch last night. Their defense is horrible! At the same time the Lakers are rolling. It will make for a great finals if we get the Celtics and Lakers. The Celtics can do something, though, that no one the Lakers have played in the playoffs can do. They can guard you! At the same time the Lakers size is amazing, but the Lakers have no answer for Rondo. If they were to put Kobe Bryant on him Derek Fisher would have to guard Ray Allen. It will make for a great finals if these 2 teams meet!

 

I think we're going to see a different game from the Lakers. I think, and this is just me talking, but I think the reason Kobe has played so well the last 6 games is because he doesn't have to defend leaving him to save himself for the offensive end. You don't have to respect Grant Hill or Wes Matthews, neither guy is going to beat you. The next series he'll have to guard Rondo or Pierce IMO, because they won't want him chasing Ray Allen off screen after screen. Fisher had better bring some offense because he's going to get torched by someone, be it Allen or Rondo. I would honestly go Kobe on Pierce, Artest on Rondo, and Fisher on Allen, just because I think Rondo would really be a load for Kobe to chase around while trying to naviage through the Celtics defense at the other end.

 

I think the Lakers' size is where they butter their bread. They have gotten rebound after rebound on the offensive end all playoffs long, but the Celtics aren't going to give them that. KG will push Gasol a little further from the basket, and I think Perkins is more than capable of stopping/slowing down Bynum. Odom is the wildcard, but something tells me that Big Baby will be a tough matchup for him.

 

Also, passing is a key part of the Lakers success, I think Boston has shown that their defense really congest passing lanes. Orlando has not been able to swing the ball the way they usually like to. Gasol and Kobe get players alot of easy shots, the only problem is the Celtics give up very few opportunities for open looks. I think that series will have to go to 7, it's one of the best matchups in the finals I can remember, at least in my opinion. Of course all this is based on both teams taking care of business the rest of the conference finals....