EASTERN CONFERENCE:
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs.
(8) Detroit Pistons
(2) Boston Celtics vs.
(7) Chicago Bulls
(3) Orlando Magic vs.
(6) Philadelphia Sixers
(4) Atlanta Hawks vs.
(5) Miami Heat
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs.
(8) Utah Jazz
(2) Denver Nuggets vs.
(7) New Orleans Hornets
(3) San Antonio Spurs vs.
(6) Dallas Mavericks
(4) Portland Trailblazers vs.
(5) Houston Rockets
Full Version: 2009 NBA Playoffs
QUOTE(WSU Cougars @ Apr 16 2009, 01:39 AM) 
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs.
(8) Detroit Pistons
(2) Boston Celtics vs.
(7) Chicago Bulls
(3) Orlando Magic vs.
(6) Philadelphia Sixers
(4) Atlanta Hawks vs.
(5) Miami Heat
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs.
(8) Utah Jazz
(2) Denver Nuggets vs.
(7) New Orleans Hornets
(3) San Antonio Spurs vs.
(6) Dallas Mavericks
(4) Portland Trailblazers vs.
(5) Houston Rockets
My playoff pics in red.
Cleveland over Detroit
Boston over Chicago
Orlando over Philadelphia
Atlanta over Miami
Cleveland over Atlanta
Orlando over Boston
Cleveland over Orlando
Lakers over Jazz
Nuggets over Hornets
Spurs over Mavericks
Rockets over Trailblazers
Lakers over Rockets
Spurs over Nuggets
Lakers over Spurs
Los Angeles Lakers over Cleveland Cavaliers
Lebron get the season MVP, but Kobe gets the ring.
The Cavs path to the finals got a whole lot easier with the news that Kevin Garnett may miss the entire postseason.
QUOTE(smokey16 @ Apr 16 2009, 08:07 AM)
Cleveland over Detroit
Boston over Chicago
Orlando over Philadelphia
Atlanta over Miami
Cleveland over Atlanta
Orlando over Boston
Cleveland over Orlando
Lakers over Jazz
Nuggets over Hornets
Spurs over Mavericks
Rockets over Trailblazers
Lakers over Rockets
Spurs over Nuggets
Lakers over Spurs
Los Angeles Lakers over Cleveland Cavaliers
Lebron get the season MVP, but Kobe gets the ring.[/color]
As usual, I agree with most of your picks. But... I'll take Dwayne Wade (the rest of the team doesn't matter)over Atlanta, but still losing to Cleveland. Also, I sure hope you are right about Rockets over Portland but I fear the Trailblazers will win. Then the Lakers will have all sorts of fits, since they'll probably lose all 3 games in Portland.
And to go out on a limb a bit, I'd pick Denver over San Antonio. Nene somehow knows how to guard Duncan (especially with bad knees). Anthony is still somewhat of a knucklehead, but I think SA will really miss Ginobli. Parker will torch Chauncey Billups, but it won't be enough.
And, for more pessimism, I'd pick Cleveland over the Lakers. LA "should" win if Odom played up to potential (he played amazingly for the first several games after Bynum went down), but I don't see that ever happening. The Laker's bench, contrary to undeserved reputation, sucks.
I was going to mention that actor Eric Millegan made his first-round predictions on his latest "NBA Trash Talk" on YouTube, but Jim and Cyd beat me to the punch in their latest podcast.
Sucks my Trailblazers lost yesterday big time to Houston at home...it sucked but I'm glad the Bulls beat Boston in GAME 1
A lot of home teams losing the first game in the playoffs: Orlando lost to Philly, Boston lost to Chicago, Portland lost to Houston and San Antonio lost to Dallas.
Stupid Sixers! I'm going to the game Friday -- I want one of these t-shirts, not some plain old white shirt! The lesson here is, if you want to steal a trademark, just do it -- don't announce your plans in advance! 
Well, that was an impressive outing by the Lakers. Bynum picks up 5 fouls in 7 minutes, Kobe shoots 5 for 24 and Gasol misses 6 out of 10 free throws. The last one is actually what boggles my mind. The Lakers somehow only lost by 2, so Pau threw it away at the free throw line.
As for the Eastern Conference, on the other hand, they might as well just cancel the rest of the games now and put Cleveland in the finals. Boston is too injured. And Orlando has revealed themselves to be the frauds I always thought they were. I was saying that back in October, and though although I sure was wrong about the regular season, they are making me look good now.
So the West was supposed to be a cakewalk for the Lakers (more like a mud-walk; I wouldn't be surprised if they don't win the conference), and the East was supposed to have all these great match-ups. Fizzle.
So the West was supposed to be a cakewalk for the Lakers (more like a mud-walk; I wouldn't be surprised if they don't win the conference), and the East was supposed to have all these great match-ups. Fizzle.
QUOTE(Joe in Philly @ Apr 22 2009, 10:35 PM)
Stupid Sixers! I'm going to the game Friday -- I want one of these t-shirts, not some plain old white shirt! The lesson here is, if you want to steal a trademark, just do it -- don't announce your plans in advance!
Well, they didn't need the kryptonite t-shirts...though they barely won after rolling to a 17-point lead during the 3rd quarter. The crowd was loud -- more into it than I'd expected. But it was over 3,000 short of a sellout.
QUOTE(LarryC @ Apr 25 2009, 12:15 AM)
And Orlando has revealed themselves to be the frauds I always thought they were. I was saying that back in October, and though although I sure was wrong about the regular season, they are making me look good now.
Remember, last year the Sixers won the first game at Detroit, then won by 20 in game 3 at home. In game 4 they had a 45-31 lead in the second quarter and from that point were outscored 62-39, and went on to lose the last two by 17 and 23 points, respectively. So I'm not sure you should count out Orlando. With Elton Brand out for the year the Sixers are, except for this year's draft pick and a couple of bench players (and the coach), the very same team as last year.
Joe, I agree. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Orlando still wins the series, but then I expect them to lose to the wounded Celtics. And if somehow they make it past that infirmary ward, Cleveland will suffocate them.
Big double OT victory (121-118) for the Bulls to tie the series 2-2.
While at the Sixers game the other night I noted the Cleveland-Detroit score that was updating. 53-53 after three quarters??? What kind of ugly-ass game was that?
QUOTE(Joe in Philly @ Apr 26 2009, 10:02 PM)
While at the Sixers game the other night I noted the Cleveland-Detroit score that was updating. 53-53 after three quarters??? What kind of ugly-ass game was that?
It was a game in which the Cleveland Cavaliers won handily.
QUOTE(jay original @ Apr 27 2009, 04:39 AM)
It was a game in which the Cleveland Cavaliers won handily.
Well, they eventually woke up, I suppose.
QUOTE(canmark @ Apr 26 2009, 01:35 PM)
Big double OT victory (121-118) for the Bulls to tie the series 2-2.
But if Ben Gordon's hamstring continues to be a problem, the series is over. I'm sure Boston won't have much sympathy for their opponent's injuries.
Jeez, the Nuggets are very quietly looking pretty amazing. they knocked off the Hornets by 58 points in New Orleans last night. I doubt they can beat the Lakers but I guess you never now.
While I'm bummed about the Spurs as it looks like the Tim Duncan era is finally coming to a close, what a great run it's been. Not sure how they're set up with free agent money and cap space but I hope they cna regroup and give Duncan one more shot at a ring next season.
While I'm bummed about the Spurs as it looks like the Tim Duncan era is finally coming to a close, what a great run it's been. Not sure how they're set up with free agent money and cap space but I hope they cna regroup and give Duncan one more shot at a ring next season.
Tough OT loss for the Bulls tonight. Celtics now up 3-2. This has been such a close series--with 3 OTs in the last 2 games--who'd a thunk? Good last play by the Bulls. Should have been a flagrant on Rondo smacking Brad Miller in the chops. Miller was too shaken (you could see his hands shaking) to shoot the free throws. Poor guy. He looked like he wanted to cry.
Yeah, the Celtics got away with murder on that one. A fine Boston tradition. I'm old enough to remember the infamous Kevin McHale "clothesline" throwdown of Kurt Rambis, which idiot Celtics fans (e.g., Bill Simmons) still celebrate. If Ron Artest did something like that, he'd be suspended for half a season. (By the way, apparently the reason it looked like Miller was crying was from the fumes of some substance they used to close up the wounds in his mouth.)
George -- even though I'm a Lakers' fan, I'm sad to see the Spurs out in the first round. I guess it was predictable, with no Ginobli and a semi-hobbled Duncan, but it just doesn't seem right somehow.
George -- even though I'm a Lakers' fan, I'm sad to see the Spurs out in the first round. I guess it was predictable, with no Ginobli and a semi-hobbled Duncan, but it just doesn't seem right somehow.
Larry...yeah it was bound to happen sooner or later. Even with Ginobli I didn't seem the Spurs doing anything more than going down meekly to the Lakers in the conference finals. I know they don't have any cap space to play with until 2010 when manu's contract is up. Maybe they can tank next year and get the #1 pick again like they did to land Duncan! 
Unbelievable game. 128-127 triple OT win for the Bulls to force a game 7 in Boston. Ray Allen scores 51 points in 57 minutes (incl. 9-18 from 3). Pierce, Perkins and Davis all foul out before the end of the game. Ben Gorden fouls out and scores only 12 points for the Bulls (who get 35 points from John Salmons). Derrick Rose plays a game-high 59 minutes and makes a game-saving block of Rondo (who has 19 assists and 0 turnovers in 57 minutes), although he misses 2 free throws at the end of the game. Hinrich and Rondo get into a scuffle earlier in the game. I think there have been 7 overtime periods in the 6 games. Game 7 is Saturday... time?
This has been an absolutely classic series. It so strange how the Celtics-Bulls and Heat-Hawks are both such close series but in the latter there hasn't been a single close game while in the former all the games go down to the wire.
I wonder how Tracy McGrady is feeling today? The Rockets win a first round series for the first time in forever and he's riding the pine. And on that smae night, his former team that he could never get out of the first round also advances! He's a hall of Fame talent but I wonder if the favt that the Rockets are better WITHOUT him will keep him out?
I wonder how Tracy McGrady is feeling today? The Rockets win a first round series for the first time in forever and he's riding the pine. And on that smae night, his former team that he could never get out of the first round also advances! He's a hall of Fame talent but I wonder if the favt that the Rockets are better WITHOUT him will keep him out?
And then there was this mess. 
Joe, nice write-up. Yeah, the Sixers were pathetic, although I have to give Rashard Lewis and the rest of Dwight Howard's seven dwarves credit -- I didn't think they had it in them. Marcin Gortat is the league's best kept secret!
The sad thing about the Celtics/Bulls series is that the winner will be utterly exhausted and will be squashed in the next round.
Tracy McGrady is one of the mysteries of the NBA. I think one advantage Houston has without him is that they can just throw it in to Yao and not have to worry about Tracy's ego. They're better defensively without him too. Still, Houston's offense now lives or dies on whether Artest is making his crazy shots. But I think they'll be tougher for the Lakers than people are saying.
The sad thing about the Celtics/Bulls series is that the winner will be utterly exhausted and will be squashed in the next round.
Tracy McGrady is one of the mysteries of the NBA. I think one advantage Houston has without him is that they can just throw it in to Yao and not have to worry about Tracy's ego. They're better defensively without him too. Still, Houston's offense now lives or dies on whether Artest is making his crazy shots. But I think they'll be tougher for the Lakers than people are saying.
Larry,
Is that Jon Barry? Did he say that Houston wanted to see the Lakers? Is he going to suit up again (given what an essential piece of that team he was)?
I guess Houston is tired of losing to Utah, but I think they could have beaten them this year.
I guess Houston is tired of losing to Utah, but I think they could have beaten them this year.
QUOTE(LarryC @ May 2 2009, 11:57 AM)
Is that Jon Barry? Did he say that Houston wanted to see the Lakers? Is he going to suit up again (given what an essential piece of that team he was)?
I guess Houston is tired of losing to Utah, but I think they could have beaten them this year.
No, that's Gortat. Perhaps, he is the league best keep secret!
Ah. I was thinking he was representing Houston in that cartoon. Looked kind of young for Jon Barry, but there is a resemblance.
QUOTE(LarryC @ May 3 2009, 12:04 PM)
Ah. I was thinking he was representing Houston in that cartoon. Looked kind of young for Jon Barry, but there is a resemblance.
In person, they don't look much alike, but in that picture, they kinda do.
Well, in any event, maybe Houston should be thanking the seeding system for delivering them the Lakers. LA cannot guard Yao. I think Houston is the worst possible matchup for the Lakers in the Western Conference.
Have to admit I haven't been paying much attention to the playoffs this year - other than a couple games of the amazing Bulls - Celtics series - and obviously I'm not alone north of the border. We always hear stories of the lousy ratings the NHL gets down there - but I think the NBA would kill for ratings like the NHL is getting for the playoffs on US television once they look at some recent ratings for the NBA playoff games up here in Canada. The ratings are SO BAD they border on unbelievable.
This past Tuesday while CBC and TSN were combining for over 2.5 million viewers for NHL playoff games that night (even though 5 of 6 Canadian based teams are eliminated) - The Score could only get 17,000 viewers ACROSS ALL OF CANADA for a Cavs game with supposedly the marquee player in the NBA these days Lebron James. Another game on TSN2 that night only attracted 9,000 viewers across the entire country. Ouch!
This past Tuesday while CBC and TSN were combining for over 2.5 million viewers for NHL playoff games that night (even though 5 of 6 Canadian based teams are eliminated) - The Score could only get 17,000 viewers ACROSS ALL OF CANADA for a Cavs game with supposedly the marquee player in the NBA these days Lebron James. Another game on TSN2 that night only attracted 9,000 viewers across the entire country. Ouch!
Rockets are off to a nice start in Game 4 vs LAL
I'm not sure I understand how the Lakers could possibly lose to a Rockets team that played without McGrady and Yao and had Artest shoot 25% from the floor. I know it's one game and anybody can beat anybody but for a team that was supposed to be a lock to winj the West today's result was certainly curious. I'm not sure on how all the matchups work out but the Nuggets have to be a bit more confident and the inevitability of the Kobe-Lebron showdown is quite as inevitable as it was.
I think they can just give Cleveland the championship trophy now. The rest is a sideshow. Sad to say, but the Lakers are the same team they were last year -- maddeningly inconsistent and beatable by physical play. This year they are hitting and elbowing back, but it's not helping their play much.
Not surprisingly, the Lakers laid the smack down tonight. Still, if they keep playing cat and mouse like this, they may be in for a nasty surprise in the next round against Denver.
I thought Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers) had some interesting ideas on the draft lottery in this exchange with Bill Simmons posted on ESPN.com.
QUOTE
I think, for example, that the idea of ranking draft picks in reverse order of finish -- as much as it sounds "fair" -- does untold damage to the game. You simply cannot have a system that rewards anyone, ever, for losing. Economists worry about this all the time, when they talk about "moral hazard." Moral hazard is the idea that if you insure someone against risk, you will make risky behavior more likely. So if you always bail out the banks when they take absurd risks and do stupid things, they are going to keep on taking absurd risks and doing stupid things. Bailouts create moral hazard. Moral hazard is also why your health insurance has a co-pay. If your insurer paid for everything, the theory goes, it would encourage you to go to the doctor when you really don't need to. No economist in his right mind would ever endorse the football and basketball drafts the way they are structured now. They are a moral hazard in spades. If you give me a lottery pick for being an atrocious GM, where's my incentive not to be an atrocious GM?
I think the only way around the problem is to put every team in the lottery. Every team's name gets put in a hat, and you get assigned your draft position by chance. Does that, theoretically, make it harder for weaker teams to improve their chances against stronger teams? I don't think so. First of all, the principal engine of parity in the modern era is the salary cap, not the draft. And in any case, if the reverse-order draft is such a great leveler, then why are the same teams at the bottom of both the NFL and NBA year after year? The current system perpetuates the myth that access to top picks is the primary determinant of competitiveness in pro sports, and that's simply not true. Success is a function of the quality of the organization.
I think the only way around the problem is to put every team in the lottery. Every team's name gets put in a hat, and you get assigned your draft position by chance. Does that, theoretically, make it harder for weaker teams to improve their chances against stronger teams? I don't think so. First of all, the principal engine of parity in the modern era is the salary cap, not the draft. And in any case, if the reverse-order draft is such a great leveler, then why are the same teams at the bottom of both the NFL and NBA year after year? The current system perpetuates the myth that access to top picks is the primary determinant of competitiveness in pro sports, and that's simply not true. Success is a function of the quality of the organization.
Yeah, people say that all the time, but their alternative proposals are always worse than the current system. His statement that bad teams stay bad despite the lottery is flat out wrong. Look at Orlando -- would they be anywhere near the playoffs without the #1 pick that brought them Dwight Howard? Cleveland??? No #1 = no LBJ = continued mediocrity (or worse). Because of the #1 pick, they're big favorites to win the championship. OKC will be a good team soon because of their 3 high picks.
The only tweaking that might make sense is to give less weight in the lottery for being last (I can't remember the percentages, but I don't think there's that much of a difference between last and 3rd to last team's odds even now).
The only tweaking that might make sense is to give less weight in the lottery for being last (I can't remember the percentages, but I don't think there's that much of a difference between last and 3rd to last team's odds even now).
QUOTE(LarryC @ May 12 2009, 10:26 PM)
Not surprisingly, the Lakers laid the smack down tonight. Still, if they keep playing cat and mouse like this, they may be in for a nasty surprise in the next round against Denver.
The rollercoaster ride w/ the Lakers has been working my last nerve. Talk about a Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde team! IF the Lakers win Sunday then, yes, Denver is gonna give them a rude awakening. The Lakers can win, but it will probably go down to 7 games if both teams meet.
The encouraging thing about the matchup with Denver (assuming the Lakers will be the ones actually doing the matching up) is that while Chauncey Billups has been amazing in the playoffs, he's not the speedy, slashing, penetrating type of PG that the Lakers have never been able to guard. So at least there won't be an Aaron Brooks saga -- an average-at-best player who the Lakers elevate to All Star level by Derek Fisher's (etc.) complete inability to stay in front of him.
I don't really mean to bash Fisher -- he's 34, so it's understandable -- but he could never guard that sort of player...even back when the Lakers were winning their 3 championships in a row.
Also, there's hope that Ariza will be able to contain Melo somewhat. So, on paper, I think it's a good matchup for LA. But mentally, I'm not sure there are any good matchups for them at this point. Nene will probably destroy Bynum. Gasol needs to find his inner thug, so that Jerry Buss doesn't have to confront K-Mart's mother.
I don't really mean to bash Fisher -- he's 34, so it's understandable -- but he could never guard that sort of player...even back when the Lakers were winning their 3 championships in a row.
Also, there's hope that Ariza will be able to contain Melo somewhat. So, on paper, I think it's a good matchup for LA. But mentally, I'm not sure there are any good matchups for them at this point. Nene will probably destroy Bynum. Gasol needs to find his inner thug, so that Jerry Buss doesn't have to confront K-Mart's mother.
Yeah, as I'm sure you know most pundits have written off the Lakers if they make it to the WCF. We'll see...
A writer from the LA Times agrees w/ my Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde analogy of the Lakers. 
Not that it takes a brain surgeon to come to such conclusion, however.
Not that it takes a brain surgeon to come to such conclusion, however.
Yup.
Well, Gasol did find his inner thug, putting up huge numbers. Now we'll see what he can do against that thug Kenyon Martin. The Lakers really should win this. Denver has been playing out of its mind, but with Melo, K-Mart and George Karl, it's always just a minute away from losing its mind.
Well, Gasol did find his inner thug, putting up huge numbers. Now we'll see what he can do against that thug Kenyon Martin. The Lakers really should win this. Denver has been playing out of its mind, but with Melo, K-Mart and George Karl, it's always just a minute away from losing its mind.
QUOTE(LarryC @ May 18 2009, 02:35 PM)
...Well, Gasol did find his inner thug, putting up huge numbers...
A'ight!
With the drawn out nature of the increased number of playoff games the winners may be determined as much by the average age of the players on the court as the skill of the players.
Maybe it's blowing in the wind but I think the idea of fewer games over the same length of season would bring higher quality and more viewers to the sport.
This is entertainment, and international. Make the games more interesting by allowing for international invitational exhibition games during the regular season.
Most of the fans are on a couch in front of a flat-screen rather than the bleachers.
It's not just a labor issue but a profit one as well, I suspect.
I think the NBA should take the risk. They'll make money either way. But the long-term health of the sport may depend on that of the players.
It shouldn't take players collapsing or doing hand-to-hand combat to finally get the commisioner to act. The guy, and it has always been a guy, needs to take some initiative for the sake of the most graceful sport.
Maybe it's blowing in the wind but I think the idea of fewer games over the same length of season would bring higher quality and more viewers to the sport.
This is entertainment, and international. Make the games more interesting by allowing for international invitational exhibition games during the regular season.
Most of the fans are on a couch in front of a flat-screen rather than the bleachers.
It's not just a labor issue but a profit one as well, I suspect.
I think the NBA should take the risk. They'll make money either way. But the long-term health of the sport may depend on that of the players.
It shouldn't take players collapsing or doing hand-to-hand combat to finally get the commisioner to act. The guy, and it has always been a guy, needs to take some initiative for the sake of the most graceful sport.
Interesting predictions on the Lakers-Nuggets series.
Gotta love this quote:
Gotta love this quote:
QUOTE
Prediction time! This might be the best time to tell you all that I once lost consciousness when I was kicked in the head by a horse as a kid in Conifer, Colorado.
Nuggets in 6.
Nuggets in 6.
QUOTE(sportinlife @ May 19 2009, 08:39 AM)
Maybe it's blowing in the wind but I think the idea of fewer games over the same length of season would bring higher quality and more viewers to the sport.
This is entertainment, and international. Make the games more interesting by allowing for international invitational exhibition games during the regular season.
Most of the fans are on a couch in front of a flat-screen rather than the bleachers.
It's not just a labor issue but a profit one as well, I suspect.
It's definitely a profit issue. Fewer games = fewer dollars. It's an issue in all four sports. Fewer games would definitely make for a higher-quality product but it won't happen any time soon.
Well, I guess I have to take back all the nasty things I've been saying about Orlando. It was one thing to barely beat the exhausted and injured Celtics, but to beat LeBron and his 49 points at Cleveland is very impressive. Still, I'll be surprised if they win more than one more game.
I was impressed by them, too, considering that they were down early in the game w/ the home team crowd exuberantly loud. Kudos to the Magic!
If heart attacks were measured on a Richter scale like earthquakes, David Stern's and ABC/ESPN's will score a 9.9 if it ends up being an Orlando-Denver final.
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