Am I a homer...

[SpeedyG]

He'll come back as Antoine Wrong, or Christian Dryer

[enetric]

I dont think we compare to the Celtics at all...and I think KG was BETTER this year than the last couple of years as that he was relatively healthy. I did NOT think he took a big decline although I expected him to. Not sure how much you are basing your opinion solely on the playoffs...which is never a good move. The guy that wasnt right late this year was Rondo. His season just get kept tailing off. And not having Shaq and Nenad who had both helped tremendously was an issue. Had they been healthy? I think they would have won it all this year.

I see K-Mart being an emotional leader like the way KG handled his role. Both were one of the best post defenders in the league. The C's also had a lot of point guard play with Rondo which is the same with JKidd. C's main Style of defense is also for forcing turnovers which is the same for the Nets. Difference is the wings are the C's are a lot more skilled but we were faster and more athletic. I think the C's had a slightly better wing players but KIdd/K-Mart combo is better than Rondo/KG which is why I think we could win. I have to disagree with KG playing better, I thought he played way too passive this postseason and he wasn't being that leader like he was before, like the way he gets his team going. BTW i'm just basing all my opinions on just the playoff's for both teams. I guess if you add in Krstic and Shaq I would change my opinion. However, I still think we have a good chance.

Please dont ever compare Kmart to KG. There is NO comparison. I understand your attempt to create a "similar style of what each team does well". But those two wing players? Pierce and Allen? They are HOF players you sre comparing to Kerry Kittles and your choice of KVH or RJ depending on the year. Its a LAUGHABLE comparison. Kidd was better than Rondo then. Absolutely. But the difference everywhere else was monumental.

And thank you for admitting you were basing it solely on your playoff observarions. KG really did have a very solid season...better than his last couple. No...he is no longer in his prime....but played well. And as I said...had their two centers been on the floor...big difference for them. They were on cruise control after the all star break. They are declining..but their game smarts and their overall talent much better. Our team was Kidd. He made everyone better. Litterally..made them better. Boston doesnt have that issue. They really ARE that talented a group. And if they were healthy...I think they beat Dallas. Honestly...Rondo to me was the big dissapoitment. He just faded. Even when he has good stat games...he does things that makes me scratch my head.

Crazy, you can ABSOLUTELY blame Byron for that loss. First, the Luscious Harris thing. This was one of the things I HATED the most about Byron...his set rotations. Doesn't matter what was happening in the game. When its your time to go out, you go out. Think back to that game. You know what was happening before Byron put in Lou?

KERRY KITTLES WAS ON FIRE!!!! Kittles was red hot, and in that rare occurrence, actually confident in taking and making his shot. Byron should have kept him in. Instead, he sits him out, Lou gets destroyed by Manu, KK comes back and is ice cold after sitting on the bench.

As far as Dikembe, again, I disagree. Yes, Dikembe wasn't the most fleet footed guy out there, and in a sense, he did slow us down. But it didn't matter. Why? Because the Spurs ALREADY slowed us down. They made an adjustment to leak out on defense early to prevent our break, and let TD dominate us in the paint...which he did against Twin. With them geting back on defense and us not securing rebounds as well compared to other teams, we were basically forced to play half-court most of that series.

I agree with you, with the terrible rotations Byron made. However, that really wasn't the difference maker on why we lost. The Spurs just put us out of sync because they didn't let us score in the paint at all. I remember in game 6 the Twin Towers got like 20 blocks combine just by themselves. Even if you add in Dikembe defense wasn't really the problem. Tim Duncan and David Robinson would've still had there share of points. The problem was the half-court offense and team depth. That Spurs team was dominant. If they would've went in the finals this year I bet they would've won. Look at their players..

Parker
Jackson
Bowen
Duncan
Robinson
Manu

I dont think you remember that game. We had the lead IN THE 4th. You could see the rotation issue happening BEFORE it happened. Byron absolutely screwed up...and we saw Manu get the best of Lu before that game. KK had it going. Got him rest at the wrong point. For those of us at the time in tune with the regular sub pattern...we were screaming about it before it happend. When we blew the lead and saw key situations unfolding...it was a disaster.

I absolutlely believe that was the beginning of the end for Byron. It was BAD coaching. Now...I am not saying we were as good as the Spurs. I am saying...we were getting it done. We were minutes from a game 7...and you CAN blame Byron for blowing that game.

[crazykidd2k6]

Well that's exactly the point I was talking about. Our team had problems scoring in the half-court...so our red-hot SG, who was giving us outside shooting...was taken out. Poof! There goes our half-court offense.

And again, you're missing the point. Since we couldn't score in the half-court, the way to score is on turnovers and fast breaks, as well as securing rebounds off their miss. Dikembe is better in all of those aspects (forcing turnovers, be it steals or blocks) and rebounding. This is also a veteran Mutombo who has had more playoff experience than Twin.

And I don't agree that it was a dominant team. Parker wasn't the Parker we know yet. In fact, TP was relatively quiet in that series. It was Claxton who hurt us, as well as Jax and Manu (who again, still not playing at his peak).

I don't think remember what game your talking about... If your talking about game 6 I remember we got our asses beat by like 20 points. TD almost got a quadruple double, and both TD and Robinson got like 20 blocks. In game 5, from what I remember, Steve Kerr came in out of nowhere and shot lights out.

As for Dikembe... All I remember from him was that I thought he was terrible. I remember being so excited acquiring him on the off-season, but then I saw him play and I thought he was terrible. I just remember thinking he was done.

That Spurs team is a dominant team. David Robinson still played like an all-star even though he saw limited minutes, TD was in his all time best, Bruce Bowen was considered the best perimeter defender, Tony Parker was already a good player he just didn't have his tear drop yet which is why his FG% is just ridiculous now for a PG. That team was amazing. Only reason why they didn't went back to back because of the loss of David Robinson.

Please dont ever compare Kmart to KG. There is NO comparison. I understand your attempt to create a "similar style of what each team does well". But those two wing players? Pierce and Allen? They are HOF players you sre comparing to Kerry Kittles and your choice of KVH or RJ depending on the year. Its a LAUGHABLE comparison. Kidd was better than Rondo then. Absolutely. But the difference everywhere else was monumental.

And thank you for admitting you were basing it solely on your playoff observarions. KG really did have a very solid season...better than his last couple. No...he is no longer in his prime....but played well. And as I said...had their two centers been on the floor...big difference for them. They were on cruise control after the all star break. They are declining..but their game smarts and their overall talent much better. Our team was Kidd. He made everyone better. Litterally..made them better. Boston doesnt have that issue. They really ARE that talented a group. And if they were healthy...I think they beat Dallas. Honestly...Rondo to me was the big dissapoitment. He just faded. Even when he has good stat games...he does things that makes me scratch my head.

I dont think you remember that game. We had the lead IN THE 4th. You could see the rotation issue happening BEFORE it happened. Byron absolutely screwed up...and we saw Manu get the best of Lu before that game. KK had it going. Got him rest at the wrong point. For those of us at the time in tune with the regular sub pattern...we were screaming about it before it happend. When we blew the lead and saw key situations unfolding...it was a disaster.

I absolutlely believe that was the beginning of the end for Byron. It was BAD coaching. Now...I am not saying we were as good as the Spurs. I am saying...we were getting it done. We were minutes from a game 7...and you CAN blame Byron for blowing that game.

I think your downplaying K-Mart. I'm not saying K-Mart had the same career as KG but looking at KG's playoff's performance and looking at K-Mart back in 2003, it's very comparable.

As for Rondo I think he is a pretty overrated as a playmaker. His game is based too much of his lack of shooting skill. Team's sag's off of him because he can't shoot but the fact is that gives him that advantage to create plays because he has a longer chance to think since he has so much breathing room.

I don't know which game your talking about game 5 or game 6 (see my first reply). However, if you look at the things Byron did. You guys gotta realize he always had that terrible rotation all throughout the season and postseason and the fact is he got us to the finals with that style when we aren't as talented as the next team.

[enetric]

YOu obviously do NOT recall that game.

And I am sorry...Kmart was never Kevin Garnett...but I do think you ar trying to makr your argument on a bad series for KG based on a great one for Kmart. SO in this bozarre vaccuum you are trying to create...OK. Player wise? Team wise...which is what I thought we were talking about. No...we would not have beaten this Celtics team at full strength doing their thing...and I believe if we saw that team in these playoffs the team I saw the last 2 months of the season...they would be NBA champs right now.