Polling Your NBA Finals Predictions
NBA June 4th. 2009, 12:30pm
Back in October, we picked the Lakers to win it all, so we’ll stick with that and take Los Angeles over Orlando in six.
Orlando’s strengths just don’t overwhelm the Lakers: They can single Superman with agile 7-footers Gasol or Bynum; unlike Boston and Cleveland, the Lakers match up well with Hedo and Rashard Lewis (Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom).
Toss in Kobe, a strong bench, and Phil Jackson, and you’ve got a mismatch on all fronts. Oh, and Jameer Nelson is now doubtful for the series.
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June 4th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
magic in 6.
June 4th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Orlando in 5
Finals MVP: Dwight Howard
June 4th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Magic in 5. Steal game 1, lose game 2, sweep in Orlando.
June 4th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Magic in 6, Finals MVP: TMJOT
June 4th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Kobe leaps into the Top 10.
LAL in 6.
June 4th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
so we’ll stick with that and take Los Angeles over Orlando in six.
+1
/dammit
June 4th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Anyone else not like the 2-3-2 finals format? I understand travel is typically longer than in the first 3 rounds but there’s also a bit more time off.
June 4th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Anyone else not like the 2-3-2 finals format? I understand travel is typically longer than in the first 3 rounds but there’s also a bit more time off.
It also gives the underdog a chance to clinch at home if they split the first two on the road.
June 4th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
No “who gives a fat rat’s ass” choice? What gives?
June 4th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
No Lakers in 7 option?
June 4th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
orlando in 6.
June 4th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Orlando already has a majority of the votes?
How many times is Irish allowed to vote?!?!?!
June 4th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
The Magic have decided to hold out point guard Jameer Nelson for tonight’s opening game of the NBA Finals against the Lakers, sources tell the Sentinel, and the chances of him playing at any point of the series is slim.
so much for that eh
new Dwight vs Dwight commercial to air tonight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw0UxIzOghI&feature=player_embedded
June 4th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Oh, sorry; that comment should have gone in this post…
/Tirico’d
June 4th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
From the media coverage, you would think it was the Lakers playing themselves. These are the same people that were saying the Lakers didn’t have that “killer” instinct and would lose to the Nuggets.
Magic in 6.
June 4th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
2-3-2 format blows, and using traveling time is a stupid excuse, they make it sound like they’re going from easy 1-3 hour flights to journeys to Saudi Arabia. The format should be the same throughout, one way or the other.
June 4th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
How many times is Irish allowed to vote?!?!?!
People are finally realizing the Magic are good
June 4th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Magic in 7. Duh-wight 4 MVPuppet
June 4th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Lakers in 6. They will do what CLE should have done and guard the three and make Howard go for 50 a night, which he won’t/can’t do. Odom can hang with Shard and there is no one that can guard Kobe. They also have some bigs that can and will foul Howard all series long. Plus, no one from the Magic have played in a series this pressure packed.
June 4th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I think the team with the better record should have a distinct advantage, but the other team doesn’t deserve to be in an 0-2 hole they can’t get out of either.
1-1-2-2-1. The better record team could sweep at home, or get the 7th game
June 4th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Toss in Kobe, a strong bench
the “bench mob” is strong?
June 4th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Lakers in six too.
Worried about game one. Know the whole 43-0 in series when winning game one for Jackson’s teams. Really need that win tonight.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Majick in 6.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
which he won’t/can’t do
really? why not?
June 4th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
I’d like that format a lot.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Magic in 7.But they gotta win tonight.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
@Irish – I won’t say he can’t go for 50 a night. But, do you really want him to?
June 4th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Because I am pretty sure that no one in the history of the NBA finals has averaged 50 a night. Certainly no one in the last 30 years anyway.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
my fault. you were talking about averaging
June 4th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
No Lakers in 7 option?
Yeah, where’s THAT option?
I think it’s a close series that goes seven games. But, when in doubt, take the most talented, motivated player on the floor and that’s Kobe. I think he’s good enough to win 2 games of this series by himself.
My question is: with Gasol and Bynum too busy dealing with Dwight Howard, who else is stepping up for the Lakers? Ariza? Fisher? The Candyman?
Side prediction: Who wins Game 1?
June 4th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
lakers in 5…ends the lebron-kobe debate once and for all.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Irish- jameer out for game 1.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Where’s my Magic in 5 option?
So… are the Kobe-lov’n TBL Email Trashers around yet?
June 4th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Lakers in 7
Lebron has 10+ years left.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Magic in 6
June 4th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
I don’t think Jameer is that crucial of a piece. If the Magic are depending on him to win, they have some things to worry about.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
the debate is already over…nobody is in lebron’s class individually as a bball player.
kobe has the better team with fewer matchup problems…don’t be a fool.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Lebron has 10+ years left
Kobe has been in the league 10+ years
June 4th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
i know a very wise man who said things along the same lines a few days ago.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Irish- jameer out for game 1.
thanks. saw that. You can’t blame Jameer on wanting to play in the NBA finals. He has been trying to play since the playoffs started. It would have been nice, but Rafer is doing a great job of running the team
June 4th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
and it is all about being an individual in a team game…
June 4th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Johnny Damon just hit a pop fly to right field and it was a home run. When it takes 15 seconds to land in the first row of seats in right, its really just a pop fly.
This stadium is absurd.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
when you’re comparing INDIVIDUAL player vs. INDIVIDUAL player, teammates don’t come into the equation.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I personally thought he was an idiot.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Can’t believe I’m going to another Sox game. $8 for a day-game ticket in reasonable seats.
Gordon Beckham debuts today.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
did i say anything about his teammates? maybe i was talking about him as a teammate. an important quality.
/devils advocate
//lebron > kobe
June 4th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Plus, no one from the Magic have played in a series this pressure packed
Same thing was said about the ECFinals
June 4th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
It’s pretty funny how “matchups” has all of a sudden become the go-to buzzword for the LeBron backers.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
The debate between Kobe and LBJ is so lame. If anyone in the world was a GM, they would take LBJ right now. Yes, Kobe is a better closer, but one player is 30 and one is 24…not a difficult decision. As for who will be a better player overall, if championships are the barometer Kobe will most likely win out for no other reason than (should he win this year’s title), it is damn hard to win a championship, let alone 4, so the odds are stacked against LBJ. However, much like Elway being a better QB than Montana, championships are not the end-all, be-all in determining who is better. Also, stats will be very hard to judge if you are going to be totally honest (I know, who am I kidding). LeBron plays in a system (and will play for at least one more year) where everything is predicated on him. Kobe plays in a triangle system that is run through different players more often, thus taking away some touches that he would get if he were in Cle’s offensive system. Of course none of this will be listend to and LBJ fans will rip Kobe and kobe fans will talk about the lack of titles for as long as each side can talk.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
As I posted before, Lakers in 6.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
ugh another nba post?1?!?!1one!question mark?!!
/send off scathing email to tbl
//because this is the only blog in the world
June 4th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Probably not the best approach to take when either trying to put Lebron down or prop Kobe up.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
What exactly is the debate about? Whether Lebron, right now, is a better player than Kobe? I would say yes, but it’s at least somewhat debatable. Whether Lebron right now is better than Kobe in his prime? Again, I’d probably say yes, but there’s more of a debate there. So, OK, good for Lebron, he’s the best player in the NBA at the moment.
But say Lebron blows out his knee and never plays again. If you were making a list of greatest NBA players of all time, would any sane person put Lebron over Kobe? No. I do think eventually Lebron will be ahead of Kobe on that hypothetical list. But he has to actually, you know, accomplish stuff before that happens. And to me the place on that list is much more important than whether Lebron is better than Kobe right now.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Magic in 5. Tougher team, both physically and mentally. Hope they dont get tight and start missing shots that theyve been making for the past month.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
True, but it is still a valid concern.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
i was just rattling spencers cage. it’s fun.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
The conference finals aren’t the NBA finals…there is a big difference.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
no shit
June 4th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Unless of course you lose the finals.
There is no second place. there is a champion and everybody else
June 4th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
June 4th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Derek Fisher has struggled mightily in the postseason. Rafer is going to blow by him all series
June 4th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Lakers in 5.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Lakers in 6. Kobe wants to win it at home.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
“I don’t always win NBA championships, but when I do, I always shake hands at the end”
New Dos Equis commercial to replace “I’m goin’ to DisneyWorld” at end of Finals featuring either Kobe or D-Ho.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Dontrelle just got pulled in the 3rd inning after giving up 4 walks and a hit batter, including 2 bases loaded walks. Tigers lead 3-2. D-train had not given up a hit.
Magic in 6 (hoping).
June 4th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
That is a dirty, filthy lie. Opinion or not.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
speaking of disney and the nba finals…
June 4th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Chelsea – What makes this worse is that they’re now losing to the Red Sux and all of those yuppy poser fans are cheering.
To be fair, Train was getting squeezed sometimes. Obviously Leyland thought so because he got tossed.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Andrew Bynum had 9 fouls in 45 minutes(2 games)against the Magic this year. Phil better bring DJ Mbenga in to bang with Dwight
June 4th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Lakers in 6.
MVP: Kobe
Vujacic and Alston will get into an altercation
Bynum will have at least 2 double doubles
June 4th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
NDub – this series did not setup well for the Tigers. When Porcello got beat in the opener, I feared a sweep and it isn’t looking good.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
4.5 fouls and 22.5 minutes isn’t all that bad for Bynum. He could basically play 25 minutes (which is more than his average).
June 4th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
All of a sudden Bynum is going to produce double doubles? 0 so far in the playoffs
June 4th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Dwight Howard: 17 double doubles in 18 playoff games. Bynum wishes he could produce like that
June 4th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
31 “experts” think Orlando has no chance? How many times is Willie Simmons voting?
June 4th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
He was non-existent against Nene/KMart, Dwight gonna eat him alive.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
irish – 99% of all the talking heads said the Pistons had no chance of winning against the vaunted Lakers team in 2004 either. They laughed at the Eastern Conference and laughed at the Pistons with their “cute” win in Game 1. All that matters is what happens on the court. I hope D Howard gets the last laugh this time and I hope Phil quits again after he gets his ass handed to him…again.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Ah, let me guess, Lebron Lover and one of those many quiet fair-weather Nuggets fans out of nowhere when few of us if any not living in Denver have ever met one? The Lakers hatred with so many posts like that on this site is baffling. Maybe Celtics fan? What gives?
June 4th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
@chelsea- 100% of the talking heads said the Magic had no chance against Cleveland. People have been doubting the Magic all year
June 4th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
I hope LA fans aren’t expecting Bynum to do anything other than foul Howard. If has one double-double I may shit my pants. Odom, on the other hand, should have at least 2.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
As any regular gambler will tell you, the “people” are usually wrong. In our country, despite having a “free” media, it seems that the voice of most of the “people” comes out of New York and Washington media as “national” news. Thank goodness for the internet.
Those who bet Orlando in Vegas made major bank from what I hear, just like those who bet Barca (London media weighed in heavily with Man U here of course; many dumbass English are still incredulous how they lost so badly too) and those like me who took Arizona with the points in the Super Bowl.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Be interesting to see who guards who when Bynum and Gasol are both on the floor. Almost seems like a waste to put Dwight on Bynum. Maybe put Dwight on Pau and hope Rashard can keep Bynum from getting too deep.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I got the Lakers in 6. Gonna be a really good series though.