Track the NBA Playoffs (Conference Finals)

[PurplePride92]

I like Artest on Rondo and would love to see Pierce and Kobe go head to head.

 

The fans deserve a hard fought 7 game series in the Finals after the playoffs this year. It seems like teams have given up and are packing it in because they can't match the resolve of the Lakers, Celtics, Suns, Magic. Utah, San Anonio and Atlanta all won over 50 games and get swept? Dallas losing in round 1(well that happens alot but you catch my drift). Playoffs were way more exciting last year. Even if the Lakers and Celtics win game 3 by a point, with a game 3 win the Suns and Magic will get swept as they will be smart enough to know it's summertime even if they win game 4. Kind of anticlimatic this year after last year's playoffs.

[Log Mountain Boy]

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....

 

Yeah the last time the 2 teams met in the finals to me there was no doubt Boston was the better team. This time around the matchup is pretty even.

[5wide]

LA's biggest strength IMO is their depth inside. No one defends the post or around the basket as well as Boston. It's going to be a great series. However, I do think there is a great possibility the Lakers "Bigs" could get pushed around again. Boston is the only team capable of doing that, but I see no reason why they won't be able to try.

 

I agree. Boston has four bigs (KG, Perkins, Wallace and Davis) that they can throw out there. And, they're defensive minded, so they're one of the few teams that can seriously challenge LA. That's why I noted the perimeter matchups. The presence of Artest gives LA something they did not have last time around and I think it could be a big factor.

 

I also think LA's bigs have "toughened" up since 2008. I believe they learned a lot from what Boston did to them. A guy like Gasol is never going to be a rugged post player, but he's improved in that area.

 

The Lakers will be able to match up better on the perimeter, and their post players will perform better against Boston's interior defense, IMO. The Lakers are a better team than two years ago and Boston isn't, IMO. The series should be far more competitive than last time.

[5wide]

A Laker team that started Vladimir Radmonovich and Sasha Vujacic got minutes then also. It'd be wrong to compare a Laker team without Ariza and Artest to the Laker team that got trounced by the Celtics in 08. In the same breath it'd be wrong to assume this Boston team whose best player is Rondo is the same Boston team that won it all in 08. That Laker team also hadn't won a championship. With rings comes the experience of knowing how to win it. That is huge also. A matchup of the last two champs would be the best thing for the NBA.

 

 

To act like you know the Celtics will win isn't true. You believe in your team, but you don't know. Just like I don't know the Lakers will win but I believe they will. Time will tell.

 

Don't forget a healthy Andrew Bynum. He should help the Lakers inside. The presence of Bynum and Artest, give LA more freedom in how they use Lamar Odom. Last time, Odom was forced to play inside to counter Boston's interior. He can play inside, but his game is not geared to play there exclusively. The Lakers are a better team with better personnel than last time. They know what they'll be up against when facing Boston and I expect them to be prepared for it.

[5wide]

I'd match up by position if I were LA...at least initially. I think the best matchup defensively for Artest is Paul Pierce. Artest struggles most against guys with quickness, and quickness is not Pierce's game. Ideally, you'd like for Kobe to get to rest on defense, but that's not in the cards this series. So, chasing Ray Allen it is, with Fisher laying off of Rondo and daring him to shoot or trying to funnel him into the Lakers size.

 

I'm not worried about Boston's inside game taking over. I understand they offer more resistance than anyone LA has played to date, but I'll be shocked if they manhandle the Lakers inside like last time.

 

If they play, and it sure looks like they will, I think the Lakers will win in 6.

[CatsCatsCats]

I'd match up by position if I were LA...at least initially. I think the best matchup defensively for Artest is Paul Pierce. Artest struggles most against guys with quickness, and quickness is not Pierce's game. Ideally, you'd like for Kobe to get to rest on defense, but that's not in the cards this series. So, chasing Ray Allen it is, with Fisher laying off of Rondo and daring him to shoot or trying to funnel him into the Lakers size.

 

I'm not worried about Boston's inside game taking over. I understand they offer more resistance than anyone LA has played to date, but I'll be shocked if they manhandle the Lakers inside like last time.

 

If they play, and it sure looks like they will, I think the Lakers will win in 6.

 

If Kobe has to guard Ray Allen all night for every game of the series I don't think LA can win. Kobe has played better with rest the entire post season, so I think going through 40 screens a night would be rough on him.

[CatsCatsCats]

Also, I think Boston is a better team now then when they won the 'Ship in 2008. I know that's crazy but KG, Ray Allen and Pierce seem healthy and rested and ready to go, and look like themselves. Rondo, Perkins, T. Allen, and Big Baby are infinitely better than they were in '08, and Rasheed Wallace is better than PJ Brown was. I also think Doc Rivers is a much better coach now.

[5wide]

Also, I think Boston is a better team now then when they won the 'Ship in 2008. I know that's crazy but KG, Ray Allen and Pierce seem healthy and rested and ready to go, and look like themselves. Rondo, Perkins, T. Allen, and Big Baby are infinitely better than they were in '08, and Rasheed Wallace is better than PJ Brown was. I also think Doc Rivers is a much better coach now.

 

I don't think they are, but I could be wrong. I don't think KG and Pierce are playing at their 2008 level. Rasheed Wallace is a big key, IMO. If he shows up and gives them what they expected when they signed him, Boston is much harder to beat. He draws bigs out of the paint with his shooting and provides strong interior defense.

[5wide]

If Kobe has to guard Ray Allen all night for every game of the series I don't think LA can win. Kobe has played better with rest the entire post season, so I think going through 40 screens a night would be rough on him.

 

I wouldn't put him on Allen the whole game. But, I'd start him there in an attempt to keep Allen from heating up early. Switching he and Fisher on Rondo and Allen seems like a solid strategy. Rondo's lack of a consistent jump shot would allow Kobe to play off of him and not chase him too much. I like Artest on Pierce though. I think putting him on one of the C's guards would mean giving up your best matchups on the defensive end. In a series that will likely be decided by defense, I don't like that idea.

 

I understand conserving energy is a concern for Kobe, but I don't think you can do it at the expense of your best matchups on the defensive end. There is no rest to be had for Kobe in this series. The 1, 2, and 3 positions all present problems of different kinds. It's not like he can just lay back and rest against any of them. I don't see it as a big problem for the Lakers though. Kobe can deal with it. He wore down in the last series because he had to carry the load offensively in addition to playing on the defensive end. I expect he'll get more help from his teammates on the offensive end this time around.

[bcd00]

Anybody else not like the long layoffs in between games? I understand the extra day for travel but to have 3 days off is a little much. I know they are trying to push these series' to when the Finals are scheduled to start but it appears they will have time off anyway with the way it looks like 2 sweeps in progress.

[5wide]

Anybody else not like the long layoffs in between games? I understand the extra day for travel but to have 3 days off is a little much. I know they are trying to push these series' to when the Finals are scheduled to start but it appears they will have time off anyway with the way it looks like 2 sweeps in progress.

 

I hate it. I hate the scheduling of the NBA playoffs.

[HOMELESS CAMEL]

I said it in the second round thread, Lakers win Game 1 big and win Game 2 in a closer game. It was tied after 3 quarters lol

 

Anyhoo, I do think the Suns win Game 3 or 4 and the Lakers close it out in 5

[bugatti]

Anybody else not like the long layoffs in between games? I understand the extra day for travel but to have 3 days off is a little much. I know they are trying to push these series' to when the Finals are scheduled to start but it appears they will have time off anyway with the way it looks like 2 sweeps in progress.

 

I hate it. I hate the scheduling of the NBA playoffs.

I hate the scheduling as well. With TV scheduling and advertisers, I am not sure what a good solution is though.

[CatsCatsCats]

I wouldn't put him on Allen the whole game. But, I'd start him there in an attempt to keep Allen from heating up early. Switching he and Fisher on Rondo and Allen seems like a solid strategy. Rondo's lack of a consistent jump shot would allow Kobe to play off of him and not chase him too much. I like Artest on Pierce though. I think putting him on one of the C's guards would mean giving up your best matchups on the defensive end. In a series that will likely be decided by defense, I don't like that idea.

 

I understand conserving energy is a concern for Kobe, but I don't think you can do it at the expense of your best matchups on the defensive end. There is no rest to be had for Kobe in this series. The 1, 2, and 3 positions all present problems of different kinds. It's not like he can just lay back and rest against any of them. I don't see it as a big problem for the Lakers though. Kobe can deal with it. He wore down in the last series because he had to carry the load offensively in addition to playing on the defensive end. I expect he'll get more help from his teammates on the offensive end this time around.

 

I just think that he's better served playing back off of Rondo than he is chasing Allen. Kobe has more help, but Gasol is the only other player on the team that can create their own shot enough to dominate a series IMO. I think Bynum and Odom will lose a lot of their production in the Finals, so the Lakers are going to need 26 to 30 a game from Kobe to win.

[Log Mountain Boy]

If the Lakers and Celtics face each other it could come down to how Rasheed Wallace plays. If he knocks down some 3s and rebounds and plays defense that would be huge for the Celtics.