The Official Playoffs Thread

europa · Post #161 » by **europa** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:07 pm

LeBron doing everything but selling concessions and drinks in this one.

And he might do that in the second half since he'll probably be resting in the fourth quarter.

Newz · Post #162 » by **Newz** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:10 pm

What time does the next game start?

This is going to be a blow off.

Newz · Post #163 » by **Newz** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:11 pm

Wow... I didn't even realize how good LeBron's line was. 22/6/4 on 80% shooting?

Ouch.

europa · Post #164 » by **europa** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:11 pm

LukePliska wrote:What time does the next game start?

This is going to be a blow off.

7 pm Mavs-Spurs

I love the Spurs but I think they're toast in the playoffs without Ginobli. I think they still have enough to beat the Mavs but I don't see them going much further.

Newz · Post #165 » by **Newz** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:13 pm

europa wrote:
LukePliska wrote:What time does the next game start?

This is going to be a blow off.

7 pm Mavs-Spurs

I love the Spurs but I think they're toast in the playoffs without Ginobli. I think they still have enough to beat the Mavs but I don't see them going much further.

I agree... Though they do have Tim Duncan, which always gives you a chance.

I think they'll probably beat the Mavs, but I wouldn't be surprised if they lost.

That sucks the next game starts four hours from now.

power4wardjinx · Post #166 » by **power4wardjinx** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:17 pm

europa wrote:
LukePliska wrote:That's what I said too... I think that the Billups for Iverson swap was one of the biggest blunders in NBA history.

Iverson is a cancer and not only was he a cancer for this team, but he was old and way past his prime. Billups propelled the Nuggets to a new level and they will be a very good team for another 3-4 years while he is still very effective.

There is not a player available in free agency next year that will make them a contender again. Unless they have the cap space next offseason and get Wade or LeBron then that trade was a massive failure for them.

I agree. I thought Dumars panicked and traded the wrong guy and brought in the absolute worst guy (though admittedly that deal was about AI's expiring moreso than AI the player). And as the season has played out, if he kept Billups and tweaked somewhere else perhaps the Pistons are looking at a shot at the Finals again. I know the Cavs are the favorites but the Celtics have no shot now and the Magic may not be ready. That would've left Detroit and when you get into a 7-game series with the Finals on the line, anything can happen.

Maybe if Billups was the only guy on the floor in Detroit. Last year they couldn't keep up with Boston, no way they were going to keep up the Cavs or Magic this year standing pat and tweaking. Dumars saw that they couldn't win the East, and decided to move on. Iverson gave them a wild card ...( too bad they decided not to play it). Shrewd move by Dumars.

Newz · Post #167 » by **Newz** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:20 pm

power4wardjinx wrote: Shrewd move by Dumars.

Yeah, what a shrewd move... He moved a great player to clear up cap space so that he could sign a guy who is not as good as him... And in the process he took a team that would have been a top three seed in the East who could compete with any team and turned them into an 8 seed that is going to get swept right out of the playoffs.

Wow, what an amazing job he did.

europa · Post #168 » by **europa** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:21 pm

The Pistons were the second-best team in the East last season. They lost only three games in the first two rounds of the playoffs. As this season has turned out, I think the worst spot they'd be in would've been third behind Cleveland and Orlando with second very possible. If they were the No. 2 seed and got to the conference finals they would've been the underdog but again anything can happen in a seven-game series.

I think Dumars traded the wrong guy. And I think he pulled the plug on a contending team one year too soon. Now you can argue it's better to do that than it is to do it one year too late which is what happened to the old Celtics team. But whether Dumars made the right call will be determined in the next few years.

Newz · Post #169 » by **Newz** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:28 pm

LeBron wasting no time.

Ayt · Post #170 » by **Ayt** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:28 pm

It all comes down to what other moves Dumars can make the next two years. He has a ton of flexibility. Its kind of pointless to judge it now since they haven't reached the point where the trade becomes beneficial.

Newz · Post #171 » by **Newz** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:34 pm

I really like JVG as an announcer...

But I just hate Mark Jackson. Could you find any more reasons to bring up Kobe and then talk about how great he is? I think he has a bigger man crush on Kobe than Madden had on Favre.

power4wardjinx · Post #172 » by **power4wardjinx** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:35 pm

LukePliska wrote:
power4wardjinx wrote: Shrewd move by Dumars.

Yeah, what a shrewd move... He moved a great player to clear up cap space so that he could sign a guy who is not as good as him... And in the process he took a team that would have been a top three seed in the East who could compete with any team and turned them into an 8 seed that is going to get swept right out of the playoffs.

Wow, what an amazing job he did.

Sheed would be the source of a lot of what's happening in Detroit. And once Cleveland got better at the TD last season, he had to do something. Chauncey didn't look good in the playoffs last season at all ... he looked old, slow and ineffectual. They were fortunate Orlando didn't step up on them. Remember, that was the same crew who couldn't beat Lebron in 07, and now had fallen behind the Celtics too and saw the Magic as a team that was threatening to surpass them.

There's a big difference between winning 50 in the West and actually having a shot at the conference finals in the east, which Denver wouldn't have a good shot at either.

Ayt · Post #173 » by **Ayt** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:37 pm

I miss Mo's jumper.

europa · Post #174 » by **europa** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:37 pm

Billups has looked pretty good this season.

europa · Post #175 » by **europa** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:41 pm

"Your job as a GM is not to assemble talent. It's to build a team."

Preach it Jeff Van Gundy.

Newz · Post #176 » by **Newz** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:44 pm

Mo is a little off today with his jumper.

power4wardjinx · Post #177 » by **power4wardjinx** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:45 pm

europa wrote:The Pistons were the second-best team in the East last season. They lost only three games in the first two rounds of the playoffs. As this season has turned out, I think the worst spot they'd be in would've been third behind Cleveland and Orlando with second very possible. If they were the No. 2 seed and got to the conference finals they would've been the underdog but again anything can happen in a seven-game series.

I think Dumars traded the wrong guy. And I think he pulled the plug on a contending team one year too soon. Now you can argue it's better to do that than it is to do it one year too late which is what happened to the old Celtics team. But whether Dumars made the right call will be determined in the next few years.

Your looking at this through the hindsight lens of the KG injury?? How 'bout you look at Dumars' real problem at the end of last season -- unable to beat the Celtics, three more years of KG and Pierce in Boston, two more with Ray, KG and Pierce, plus what he saw happening in Cleveland and Orlando.

Essentially you're saying they could've finished third in the east, ousted in the conference semis if they had held onto Billups and KG not played in the playoffs. What? I think Dumars wants to get back to the nBA finals someday, and rightly judged that BILLUPS wasn't going to get him there. Sheed, on the other hand ... was the difference in winning the finals 2004, and he knows how difficult it is to find a big man with Sheed's abilities to change a game.

europa · Post #178 » by **europa** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:45 pm

LukePliska wrote:Mo is a little off today with his jumper.

He's not playing well. But the Pistons aren't very good and LeBron is kinda good so it doesn't matter.

europa · Post #179 » by **europa** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:46 pm

power4wardjinx wrote:
europa wrote:The Pistons were the second-best team in the East last season. They lost only three games in the first two rounds of the playoffs. As this season has turned out, I think the worst spot they'd be in would've been third behind Cleveland and Orlando with second very possible. If they were the No. 2 seed and got to the conference finals they would've been the underdog but again anything can happen in a seven-game series.

I think Dumars traded the wrong guy. And I think he pulled the plug on a contending team one year too soon. Now you can argue it's better to do that than it is to do it one year too late which is what happened to the old Celtics team. But whether Dumars made the right call will be determined in the next few years.

Your looking at this through the hindsight lens of the KG injury?? How 'bout you look at Dumars' real problem at the end of last season -- unable to beat the Celtics, three more years of KG and Pierce in Boston, two more with Ray, KG and Pierce, plus what he saw happening in Cleveland and Orlando.

Essentially you're saying they could've finished third in the east, ousted in the conference semis if they had held onto Billups and KG not played in the playoffs. What? I think Dumars wants to get back to the nBA finals someday, and rightly judged that dumars wasn't going to get him there. Sheed, on the other hand ... was the difference in winning the finals 2004, and he knows how difficult it is to find a big man with Sheed's abilities to change a game.

I thought the Pistons could've been a Top 3-4 team this season before the year began. Given what transpired during the season, I think that prediction would've come true. I understand why Dumars made the trade. I simply believe he may have acted prematurely and if he wanted to create cap room, I would've traded Rip or Sheed before trading Billups.

power4wardjinx · Post #180 » by **power4wardjinx** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:52 pm

Rip yes, Sheed no. Plus you had Stuckey. The Pistons went on an 8-2 run when Rip was out and Iverson was playing with the young guys. Sheed missed a couple of htose games too, as did McDyess. Stuckey looked pretty good in the playoffs last season, while chauncey was obviously showing his age. They're talking about it right now on the broadcast - move on and move forward ... they're talking about the importance of having the cap space, getting the right guys etc.

If you don't make moves like the one Dumars made, you end up missing the opportunity and stuck - kinda like the Bucks with Michael Redd. That writings been on the wall for a while (you had to know that was coming).