Who do you want to see succeed in the playoffs?

[Walt Cronkite]

I got the idea for this thread when Rich implied that maybe we're waiting to see if Sam Mitchell gets fired, but I'd like to see it expand beyond that. I think this thread can be addressed from the perspective of the Bobcat fan in general, but since we're a diverse group feel free to discuss why you want to see any team do well.

As a Bobcat fan, I'm rooting for our division-mates, Washington, Orlando and to a lesser extent Atlanta.

Personally, Im a Gil fan, so I'd like to see him play well and I followed the Wiz for a while anyway before our team became more competitive.

Out West I'm most excited about the Suns/Spurs series, but like to watch NOK and Utah as well. For no logical reason I found myself having difficulty watching Denver and LA play.

[amcoolio]

Don't really care for me. On one hand, I'd like to see the Hornets go far, but then that quickly changes when I remember their owner and the smug, arrogant fans over at HornetsReport.com.

I guess the Sixers, because we would be in their spot if we had Cheeks instead of Vincent.

[SteveMorrison15]

I'm from Orlando.

[fatlever]

FIRST ROUND EAST

boston v atlanta - it would be cool to see such a massive upset, but at the same time, i want the celts to stick around to make sure detroit or the cavs do not make it to the finals. TIE

washington v cavs - big time for the WIZARDS.

toronto v orlando - dwight already has enough hype. TORONTO

philly v detroit - big time PHILLY

BEYOND FIRST ROUND EAST

i'll be rooting for wizards over everyone, then raptors. But i'd still like to see the celtics stick around to compete against the west. I'll root for anyone playing against the cavs or pistons. if the play each other i wont watch, but will root for the pistons.


FIRST ROUND WEST (much toucher to choose)

LA v Denver - i hate phil jackson, but i also hate jr smith and kenyon martin. i dont enjoy watching the nuggets play. they are too selfish and too much iso. i'll root for the lakers to make it past the nuggets but no further. if phil jackson was not on the lakers i could really get behind this team. i love gasol and i respect kobe. i also enjoy watching odom and many of the other role playeres. LAKERS

new orleans v dallas - if the actual players that played for the hornets played for any other team, not formerly from charlotte, i'd root for the hornets in a landslide. i used to root for dallas, but i dont like kidd.... but my hate for shinn is greaters. DALLAS.

utah v rockets - JAZZ

phoenix v san antonio - i was a suns fan until steve kerr soiled the franchise and traded for shaq. i cant root for shaq to ride the coat tails of nash and amare. plus amare is a punk. i also hate bruce bowen. but.... ginobili is one of my 3 favorite players in the league. SPURS.

BEYOND FIRST ROUND WEST

no idea. i really dont have anyone in the west playoffs that i like unconditionally. they all have baggage to me.

FINALS

i'll root for the east over anyone in the west if its the celtics, wizards, sixers, raptors. i'll root for any west team over the pistons or cavs.


why does it have to be so hard to be a fan? it would be so much easier if both the bobcats and warriors made the playoffs.

[chabber]

Oooh fun.

East:

Magic over Raptors. I don't care for either team much but I like Howard and Hedo.

76ers over Pistons. I'm tired of the Pistons and watching them. Any young blood pulling an upset would be great.

Wizards all the way. As great is Lebron is the team is boring as hell to watch.

Celts Hawks. I think the Celts will walk into the finals. Not even Detroit if they make it will put up much of a fight. The Celtics D is too good and the Pistons will get mentally flustered or blow up sometime along the way.

West:

Lakers have always been my second team so I'm pulling like hell for a Celtics Lakers matchup in the finals. Plus their just fun to watch. Smart team, great ball movement. Odom, Gasol, Kobe. Good stuff.

Hornets. As much as I like Dirk, Paul has become one of my favs. I'll be pulling for them all the way until they matchup with the Lakers. Who knows being that I still hold a place in my heart for the Hornets I'm not sure what I'd feel if they met.

Suns vs. Spurs, man the fact that one of these teams has to go in the first round is just wrong. If I had to choose one though it'd be the Suns. I just hate to see Nash keep losing to the Spurs in the playoffs.

Rockets Jazz I got nothing..... Deron is entertaining at least so the Jazz.

So yeah in the end i'm down with everyones dream matchup of the Lakers Celtics even though I think the Celtics will probably wrap this whole thing up no matter who they face.

[Rich4114]

Haha, i guess it's more about which teams I want to lose. I don't want Cleveland, Utah, Detroit, Boston, Orlando, Toronto, or San Antonio to win. I guess in the East I'd most root for the Wizards since Orlando annoys me and Atlanta doesn't deserve to be there.

In the West, I gotta root for the Hornets. That might be a better team than the LJ/Zo teams so it should be interesting. It's certainly better coached. I sort of hope Houston wins their series because I don't like Utah even being in the NBA and most of their players bother me (like Okur and Boozer). I'm so sick of the damn Spurs winning and Dallas, well I hate the Cowboys therefore I wish the same wrath on their fans that the Giants put on them a few months back .

Overall I'd like to see a NO vs Denver WC finals and Washington vs Philly? I can't say I care all that much overall, but I'd be satisfied with those 4 teams.

[chrbal]

Boston VS Atlanta- Boston. It would suck if the best team in the NBA lost to the worst team in the playoffs.

Detroit VS Philly- Detroit. They're my Pistons. It would be nice if they gave the same effort every night, but oh well.

Orlando VS Toronto- Orlando. Toronto was a fad last year, and Mitchell will probably be axed for a better head coach.

Clevland VS Washington- Would be nice to see Lebron get knocked out in the 1st round, but it'll probably be Cleveland winning.

Lakers VS Denver- Lakers. I'd love to see Denver win this series, but I don't think it'll happen.

Now the hardest to call one for me

New Orleans VS Dallas- I'd like to see New Orleans lose just because of their management. But I'd like to see Dallas lose just because of the Kidd fiasco, and the fact that I'd like to see Avery coach the Bobcats next year. So, draw?

San Antonio VS Phoenix- Spurs. What can I say, I want the Pistons to beat the Spurs in the Finals.

Utah VS Houston- I really couldn't care less about this one. But I'll say Houston, just because Detroit always seems to have problems with Utah.

So then Pistons VS Celtics and Spurs VS Lakers, and then Pistons over the Spurs in another ratings blunder NBA finals.

[W_HAMILTON]

I'm probably hoping Detroit or Cleveland comes out of the East, and San Antonio or New Orleans to come out of the West.

I don't especially want to see anyone win, but those are some teams I'm indifferent to. It would be nice for the Hornets to go far, since that would be some great debate fodder when I get into it with idiot Panther fans.

I hope Orlando and Atlanta get stomped. I hope Washington gives us an entertaining series (even though they're not right now), but eventually gets stomped in Game 7 as well. I don't want our division rivals to do well.

I hope McGrady continues to lose in the 1st round, because that's funny to me.

[Paydro70]

Mostly I want underdogs to win... meaning my "ideal" finals would probably be something like Nuggets v. Hawks, or maybe the Raptors.

Among teams that have a chance, I would like to see the Celtics win because of KG, the Hornets win because of CP3, or Houston to win because of TMac.

To be honest I'm not that emotionally invested... I don't really want to see Kobe or Duncan win another title, and I don't like Detroit. But outside of that I'm just hoping for good drama.

[DaBassSource]

Celtics
Cavs
Pistons
Magic

Celtic vs Magic

Lakers
Rockets
Spurs
Hornets

Lakers vs Hornets

Finals

Celtics vs Lakers.......

LakeShow wins.....


This is what I would like to see....most entertaining to me....
I don't want to see a dogg final....and have to hear all the people that don't like the NBA talk about how bad the product is...and that no one cares...Give me the best teams with the most star power possible...

[BigSlam]

I hope McGrady continues to lose in the 1st round, because that's funny to me.

You are a cold, cold man!!

[Paydro70]

The AP article leads off with saying that McGrady "disappeared in the fourth quarter" again... what an awful job, he had an incredible game. The TNT announcers were all upset about it.

[SteveMorrison15]

I'm going to the Toronto game tonight.

Live! From Orlando ! ! !

[floppymoose]

Anyone but the Jazz. But they are probably going at least to the WCF again.

(Poor TMac. Two games and he's already completely psyched himself out in crunch time.)

[fatlever]

so is it now fair to say that the shaq and kidd trades have failed for the suns and mavs? this makes me happy.

and i'm with ham... i am enjoying watching tmac lose again in the first round.

[chrbal]

Its funny to me that the 2nd best inseason collection of moves in the West (and possibly overall) were made by the Spurs. Getting Damon Stoudmire, Kurt Thomas, and getting back Brent Barry.

But I don't blame Kidd for Dallas. I blame Dallas for Dallas.

The Mavs bench isn't all that great. Theirs energy guy-Bass, bad shooting wing- Stackhouse, and ummm....

They lack a bench that has experience with each other. Other then Bass' 79 games played, no other bench guy made it to 60 games played. They brought 4 guys in late in the season.

The Mavs and the Suns bench is why I think its so crucial to build a strong bench. You don't necessarily need a "Ricky Pierce" or a "sane Dennis Rodman", but you need a stable and talented bench.

[SteveMorrison15]

at the Raptors game, Brezec pulled his pants down to his shins and just stood there while Rasho hurried to pull them back up.

i swear Primoz wants a punch in the face. He's so annoying.

[SteveMorrison15]

But does anyone else think that DeShawn Stevenson getting tickets for Soulja Boy is the funniest thing in the playoffs?

[Walt Cronkite]

Wow to both of those!

[Paydro70]

How do you not blame Kidd for being completely inept at guarding Chris Paul? Things would be very different with Harris... that trade very much hampered their chances at beating NO, SAS, and probably Utah as well. Phoenix probably didn't change much, but they still lose to the Spurs.