How many games do you think it will take for the Detroit Pistons or Los Angeles Lakers to win the NBA Finals?

Can't believe two other people picked the Pistons in 7. I think the longer they hang in, the better their chances. Lakers could easily sweep them if they get hot and don't get big egos. But then they wouldn't be the Lakers we love would they? wink

Hey...I picked Pistons in 7...WTF...why not...it won't happen, but one can dream!

[ June 03, 2004, 08:01 PM: Message edited by: pacerpride ]

There are 8 Piston votes and 7 Laker votes. I'm surprised.

I evened it up--Lakers in 6. I posted in the Finals thread that the Lakers will lose one game due to internal ego problems and that the Pistons will outplay them in one other game.

~Adam

Detroit in 6. It can't be Detroit in 7 cuz the home team wins 98% of the time.

I'd love to see Detroit win, but will be surprised if they win none or more than two. Their only hope is that LA gets frustrated by Detroit's D and starts pressing/losing a little confidence. They still have enough talent and savvy to overcome that I fear.

to those who think Detroit'll win the series.... ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDIN ME????? Do you guys follow the NBA?..... at all?.....

I voted for Lakers (despite the fact I can't stand the Lakers) in 4. But there's a chance, the Lakers will get so bored playing such lesser competition they might fall asleep and lose one game.

Games 1,2,6,7 are in LA. Games 3,4,5 are in Detroit. So unless you mean that the home team wins game sevens 98% of the time, you'll need Detroit in 5.

Joe, I meant game 7's ! almost always won by the home team.

Exactly... I hate the Lakers, too. But, I just don't see the Pistons with even a chance against them. This is not like the Stanley Cup Finals where the two teams are so even it is scary. I said Lakers in 5 because I figured that there would be one game when Shaq, Kobe, and the rest all have their periods at the same time.

I LOVE THE LAKERS!!! I believe they will win in 5! GO LAKERS!!! AI YI YII!!! To all you haters "Have a nice day"

I guess this will be the Finals thread.

But hardly anyone will read it since so many think L.A. will waltz right through, like they did in the regular season - ooops they didn't do that in the reg season.

Yawn, two more hours b/4 the game starts. Every freakin games starts at 9 pm est (i don't know why they print 8:30 in the media)

Actually, the current poll results are 12-10 Lakers. So there are a lot of people thinking Detroit could win. If there isn't discussion of the series it's more because of lack of interest in the NBA.

The problem is, the NBA sucks. The quality of play is lousy. The poor shooting, the lack of fundamentals, etc. lead to these horrendous 68-64 final scores.

Maybe it's the size and athleticism of the players that's to blame. How about widening the court ten feet? Put two baskets at each end? Maybe just make them play with their legs and not their arms so it doesn't become a bitch-brawl wrestle fest to see who can out dirty the other?

Pistons?...No offense?...

Hmmmm..maybe we have a series?.....

Nice win for the Pistons! They kept Kobe away from the basket mostly and he was using a lot of energy on closing down Rip, who stunk. The rest of the Lakers didn't exist. Maybe we'll have another Golden State stunner! The Pistons may not be mature/experienced enough to win the first game at home.

Gee maybe people will realize those horrible 60 point-game 'bad-basketball' was Detroit's good defense at work ?

I better not read that it was just Lakers not playing good, they looked like they were trying to me. I guess the East isn't so Least after all.

Next game we'll see whether this one was just Kobe's little gift to his hometown friend Rip or whether he just has to figure out how to play against a bigger stronger Rip than the one he played against in high school.

That matchup will be key if the Pistons three big guys don't eventually cave in to the Shaq-attack.

Wearing down the Lakers with D is the key. Duro.

So much for the Lakers sweep.


As for the calibre of play... while some of the shooting is not what you'd like, the level of defence in the NBA is far higher than it was in the old days. They've been showing a lot of the old playoff series on TV recently, and the game in the 70's (when 130-125 scores were common) was so wide open, with quick shots, uncontested layups.

Now, quick shots are frowned upon... instead teams go to a half-court offense, run down the clock... then get stuck putting up a desperation shot with 2 ticks left.

The various rounds of the NBA finals have actually showcased a lot of stellar defense... from Tayshaun Prince's block of Reggie Miller's layup; the work Ron Artest and Latrell Spreewell; the intimidation of Shaq and Ben Wallace.

If you want to see high-flying offence, watch the And 1 Mix Tape tour (street ball)... the NBA has become a defensive game.

It was Prince who was giving Kobe a tough time on D while Kobe was doing the same to Hamilton. I have no problem with highly contested shots and passing lanes- the little shoves and cheap shots they give each other to gain advantage diminish the game imo, but that's been part of the game for years.

wow I guess I have to eat a little crow.

whether the quality of play was poor or not, the pistons beat the lakers. and actually I'm glad. I'm NOT a lakers fan.

GO GP!

The Pistons need to answer next game. Walton did enough to make the difference. Realistically, the Pistons have to be real happy with how well they performed here, but losing a game they should have won may mess with their heads more.

Lakers lost to a Larry Brown coached team in the 1st game a few years ago! Guess what they came back and won 4-in-a-row! Will it happen again? Time will tell! But don't bet $ against MY LAKERS!

Wow: Two games at home - one loss, and the other took a prayer and OT. They're just rolling over that lousy Detroit team !

Wow, Detroit is completely dominating Game 3. As I write they have a 20 point lead in the 4th qtr and Kobe has only 7 points.

Will the Pistons win in 5? They have the next 2 games at home. I don't think so, but wow, I'm surprised.

I'm impressed! I knew the top teams in the east were better than in recent years, but didn't think they had closed the gap. The Lakers aren't out of it, but things sure aren't looking good- I hope that continues to be the case. Indiana wins it all next year!

No, next year Cleveland gets Kobe and he helps LeBron and Boozer to a title and the East final of Cleveland/Detroit is the real Finals.

The West is dead, long live the East. Maybe Malone and GP could piggyback onto an East team and try for a title !

I think it's a fluke. The other Western teams either beat themselves up or just choked. And if other teams adapt to the Pistons' style, as speculated upon here by Randy Boyd, the quality of the sport is going to be even more unwatchable than it is now for someone like me, not a big basketball fan.

Am amused by the commentators who had proclaimed Kobe Bryant greater than Michael Jordan following game two suddenly jumping off that bandwagon in the wake of game three, in which Bryabt managed to score 1 point in the first half. They could get whiplash changing direction that fast!

~Adam

I am really surprised at how well the Pistons defense has stifled the Lakers. Larry Brown teams have always been defensive oriented but allowing the Lakers only 75 and 68 points in two games is impressive. I originally picked the Lakers to win but if they drop game 4 they are toast.

If the Lakers play any worse, they might as well put Clippers jersey on.

I can't wait for these playoffs to get over. If I hear "Let's get it started" one more time .......

What?? You don't like the moment Al Michaels looks at his watch in that ad? Cracks me up every time...

~Adam

I kind of like the song. But the ads are annoying nonetheless.

The Pistons are up 3-1! As much as I dislike the way Larry Brown left Philadelphia and then lied about the amount of power he had over player personnel while here, I dislike the Lakers more. So, go Pistons! wink

I agree better to go with the lesser of two evils.

Way to go Pistons! Rasheed was hot- he's not someone I admire, but is a big part of why they are here. I don't mind the defensive struggles- still way more scoring than most sports. But,I loved the run and gun of the old ABA,too- watching Julius bring a championship to the Nets when I should have been studying in college - watching Spurs games was always a treat- put that ball up!

I agree with ya and I hope the Pistons can win it on Tuesday. They have been strong the last few years in the East. And I think it's about time someone from the Eastern Conference won a title. The west has had its fair share of NBA titles.

Throughout the regular season, I have been waiting for the Lakers to play team basketball, rather than the modified version of one-on-one Kobe and Shaq seem to prefer (probably as a way to show dominance over the other superstar.) It hasn't happened and the Pistons--who play team ball--have exploited it. A lot of the responsibility has to be placed at Phil Jackson's well-shod feet; it is the coach's duty to meld disparate personalities into a team & he failed at that.

~Adam

This upset could be very good for the NBA. I really hope it happens. I'd be very nervous if the Lakers won the next game - remember, that's all they have to do, win one of three in Detroit - because no matter how crappy they've played, they're still the Lakers. The Pistons NEED to win this in five.

But still, as charasmatic as Kobe & Shaq are, let's face it: there's something anti-climactic about Shaq's dominance, given his immense stature, and Kobe has this rape charge hanging over him. Other than Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons are pretty much a bunch of choir boys, and they excel as much out of desire as out of talent.

To me, the MVP so far is Tayshaun Prince. Not for "shutting down" Kobe Bryant. Rather, his freakishly long arms have led to a ridiculous number of tips on offensive rebounds that have led to second-chance points for the Pistons. Other things that have impressed me:

- Derek Fisher has played nice defense on Chauncey Billups. CB has been much more likely to light up Kobe & Payton, it seems to me.

- Rip Hamilton moves as well without the basketball as any player in the NBA today.

- I really do think that the Lakers have gotten f**ked on a number of the fouls being called. I've seen a number of ticky-tack calls going against the Lakers, while it just seems odd that some clear shooting fouls haven't been whistled.

- The Pistons may not have any "transcendent stars" or future hall of famers, but they're no fluke. Every player in their starting 5 is a potential all star. Ben & Sheed are both 2-time all stars, and Ben is one of the top 2-3 defensive players in the league. Hamilton & Chauncey are the best offensive backcourt in the league. Tayshaun Prince is a perfect role player, who goes after loose balls, can shoot from the outside, and, well, you can't shoot over him.

So props to George Washington HS grad Chauncey Billups (go Patriots!). He hasn't played perfectly, he's thrown the ball away too many times, he's not the best passer we've ever seen, he's missed some open shots that make me shed a tear. But he's been the most consistent player in these finals and could soon find himself alongside such players as Shaq, Duncan, MJ, Hakeem, Magic & Bird as NBA Finals MVP. I'd say dropping a 35 spot on LAL, including a three to win at the final buzzer, should just about do the trick.

The Lakers will be whistled for more fouls than the Pistons as long as Slava Medvedinko and Luke Walton continue to play measureable minutes. Low-to-mid-level Caucasian players are easy targets for NBA referees when it comes to calling fouls. This is not a racist statement, just fact.

COMPLETE AND TOTAL DOMINATION by the Pistons.

Where's all the posters that said L.A. would laugh there way thru this thing -

Will I see any wannabee's at the Mall tomorrow with Laker gear on ??

CONGRATS DETROIT !!!!!!!!!!!

Ditto on the Congrats to the Pistons who accomplished the unthinkable taking the Lakers 4-1 and really could have been a sweep. The Lakers looked the worst I have ever seen them in a final game.

Now Larry Brown has completed his resume with a championship.

YEAH BABY!!!

Go Pistons! My HOME team that I picked in 6 (thought game 6 was at home)- Just played better team b-ball than the Lakers.

I think the Lakers have been classy the whole Finals so I will not dis them at all- their comments have been nothing but complementary to the Pistons play.

I feel bad for Malone- I wish Stockton and he could have won for themselves....I thought Coach Brown giving Malone a hug before the game was very caring....

I was right -- it was a 5-game series. Now if I could only get the winner right.

Oh, thank GOD!

I forgot the game was on last night--and even if I had remembered, I probably wouldn't have watched it, as I feel that I am a jinx to the teams I like.

Nyah, Karl! So you thought you could get a ring if you ditched the Jazz and went to the fLakers...

There was a fair amount of whining about the officiating that I found quite amusing since usually the Lakers have been the ones getting more favorable calls. Besides, they deserve to be dissed. They didn't play like a team. And from what I've read, once the Pistons took the lead last night, that mighty collection of superstars and all-stars just flat-out QUIT. Gave up. Died like a bunch of stinking dogs.

After game 4, on ESPN2 Stephen A. Smith said he made his travel arrangements to return home after game 5, because he knew the Lakers wouldn't win because they have no character. The prediction came true, obviously. So farewell to the dynasty and good riddance.

To be fair, most of the whining about fouls has come from Shaq--a world-class whiner who finds something to go off about every time the Lakers lose a game & one of the team broadcasters (and former Laker) Mychal Thompson. The rest of the team--even Kobe Bryant (who usually whines almost as much as Shaq, but this time, didn't seem to care; perhaps he decided he would be gone from the team soon enough and at some level wanted them to lose so he wouldn't be asked why he left a championship team all next season)was gracious in defeat, though he didn't buy anyone a multi-million dollar bracelet to apologize for his poor play.

Even though the season has ended, "All My Laker Children" (or "As the Lakers Turn") continues with questions about whether Phil Jackson will return, which players will still be on the roster, and whether Kobe Bryant issued an ultimatum to the Laker brass--either Jackson goes or he does; this town ain't big enough for the both of them.

~Adam

If Kobe becomes available would you sign him? When getting the ball to Shaq became clearly the best hope to get a win, he just kept taking bad shots. Is there any reason to think he'd be less selfish on another team? Not to mention, there is a chance that he could be going to jail. It may be a slight chance, but would you be willing to take that risk if you were an owner?