Ballin’: Rockets’ Streak Over at 22
NBA March 19th. 2008, 9:12am
Awesome night in the NBA. Some of these games deserve their own post. The Shaq video at the bottom is awesome.
Boston 94, Houston 74: On a night you’d expect the Celtics – still without Ray Allen – to collapse in the second half, it was the Rockets who lacked liftoff after the break, and Boston pulled away to end Houston’s 22-game winning streak. Leon Powe added 21 off the bench for Boston. Will be interesting to see where the Rockets go from here: their next three are on the road against New Orleans, Golden State and Phoenix. Streak this, indeed.
Los Angeles Lakers 102, Dallas 100: Who coined the phrase, ‘it’s the NBA, everybody makes a run?’ The Lakers led by 25 midway through the third quarter (Dallas fans were ready to pin another loss on Jessica Simpson, who had a front-row seat with Tony Romo – before Dirk and JT started bombing … and then Dirk’s three at the buzzer bricked and the Lakers knotted the Rockets for first in the West. The sick, not-facing-the-basket layup by Kobe is at the 3:25 mark in this video.
Phoenix 111, Portland 98: Anyone else fear for the life of Joel Przybilla? Thought he was going to get Ostertagged. Przy mixed it up with Shaq a couple times last night – here’s video of one of them – and it looked like the Blazers’ strategy was to just piss the big guy off. Didn’t work. He had 16 points and 15 rebounds and the Suns rolled.
Detroit 136, Denver 120: Why the Nuggets will probably miss the playoffs – the Pistons shot 60 percent from the field and 60 percent from three and George Karl’s boys – who had a chance to gain ground on Golden State, which lost – were run out of the gym.
Sacramento 122, Golden State 105: The Kings shot 58 percent, Kelvin Martin scored 34 points, and Anthony Johnson, Mikki Moore and Brad Miller all registered double-doubles in the rout (which a blogger attended!). The Warriors can’t be losing this game, though – not with key road games against the Spurs and Rockets upcoming.
137 Responses to “Ballin’: Rockets’ Streak Over at 22”
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March 19th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Was something to have happened in that video?
Shaq, drawing attention to himself as always.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:15 am
reggie theus has been doing a helluva job in Sac-town. considering the joke everyone thought he’d be, i think he’s pretty solid.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:15 am
The block, the no-look pass, the trash talk … fan of Shaq here.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Rockets are not going anywhere.
Everyone said we were dead when we were 13-16. We didn’t die.
Everyone said we were dead when we were 24-10 and in 10th place. We didn’t die.
Everyone said we were dead when Yao went down. We won another 10 in a row. We didn’t die.
Go Rockets.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:18 am
i wonder if Romo is even tagging that yet. She made the boy band douche wait until they were married. i dont think he has gotten past the biscuits yet
i loved those Celtics jerseys last night. those were sharp
almost a fight at the start as well.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:18 am
I was lead to believe that one loss in the West pretty much puts you out of the playoff picture.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:22 am
I think the one thing that was missing from the Ballin’ posts, and all posts in general, is reference to Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson. Thank God that has been resolved.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Suns or rolling baby. Lookout.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I have the same Led Zeppelin t-shirt that Romo is wearing. He’s my boy, but I’m not sure how that makes me feel.
Wade’s probably wondering where that happy-go-lucky Shaq was a couple months ago.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Grunge are you the only rockets fan on this board?
March 19th, 2008 at 9:23 am
irish, there is no way Romo would put up with her this long without hitting it. Not someone like him who has been involved with so many hot blondes.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Also, I am shocked…SHOCKED…that the Bulls/Nets did not get a recap.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Rockets are not going anywhere.
Everyone said we were dead when we were 13-16. We didn’t die.
Everyone said we were dead when we were 24-10 and in 10th place. We didn’t die.
Everyone said we were dead when Yao went down. We won another 10 in a row. We won’t die until the first round.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Quick Tony, name four Led Zeppelin songs, and I’ll spot you “Stairway to Heaven.”
Still waiting…
March 19th, 2008 at 9:28 am
I wish Shaq had just knocked Przy out. I have hated that dude since he was in HS.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Remember when TBL said the Rockets aren’t going to make the playoffs?
Go Rockets
March 19th, 2008 at 9:30 am
pkiguy…how can you hate the pryzbilla gorilla?
March 19th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I’m guessing Hakeem is also a fan of the rockets. Call it a hunch. Now the question is, over their next few games, how far out of first do they fall? I’m saying fourth or fifth by Monday.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:31 am
@Hakeem: That’s great and all, but when they were in 10th, how confident were you that they’d make it?
March 19th, 2008 at 9:31 am
by the way, the Celtics are really, really good.
Can’t believe our Streak ended to Simmons’ team. Ugh.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Celts fly high…no lie…and you know this… Ballin!!! Celtics are gangstas!!! 22-4 versus West….
March 19th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Nick, (I’m not Hakeem, but…) when we were in 10th (in December/January) I wrote we’d make the playoffs. In fact, my blog co-writer predicted the Streak. Really. I even said we’re winnning 50 games and making the playoffs the day Yao went down.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:34 am
lol @ walfredo. thats the theme song for this post
March 19th, 2008 at 9:35 am
The Nuggets remind me of Texas Tech football. They put up 76 points on Baylor, but Texas still puts a 50 spot on them and kick their ass in the big games.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Rondo wanted to tag Skip at the beginning of the game
March 19th, 2008 at 9:37 am
What’s with Detroit scoring 134? That team is dangerous, I’m telling you.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Did you see that look back that Rafer pulled on Sam Cassel after he stole the ball and drove it all the way back for a layup. Bout five feet from the basket he gave Sam this arrogant sonofabitch look. I hate Rafer.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Not to belabor the whole “supporting cast” argument, but I’m not sure how people act like Kobe’s been surrounding by all-stars. I’m watching that game last night, and it’s Vladmad, Saha, Fisher playing major minutes alongside Kobe. All three of those guys don’t play any defense, and can’t do anything but shoot three pointers. Pretty one-dimensional if you ask me. Not to mention Laker fans trust Lamar Odom as much as Eliot Spitzer.
And how about Jason Kidd… only 9 points 3 assists and 7 rebounds short of a triple double.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Watching that Suns/Blazers game last night was awesome to see Shaq get pissed off. After that no look outlet pass he turned to Przybilla and started screaming “You should not have woke me up” high entertainment for sure
March 19th, 2008 at 9:41 am
@Cursed: While the last line of your post was funny, it’s hard to bag on a guy who’s getting old and can’t perform as well as he once could.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Doesn’t Kidd lead all current players in triple doubles (more than triple the next closest guy)?
March 19th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Shaq was tanking in Miami. Pat Riley
March 19th, 2008 at 9:43 am
After tomorrow’s game against the Spurs (loss), the Bulls play the Pacers, Hawks (twice), the 76ers, and the Bucks and will go 4 for 5, including two wins over the Hawks. Then they sneak in the playoffs as the 8th seed and bounce the Celtics!
/dreaming
March 19th, 2008 at 9:43 am
“In my 11 years in the NBA, that’s the best defense I’ve ever seen,” Tracy McGrady said afterward.
Sorry Houston fans, but I have no idea how they get out of first round w/ Rafer Alston as their #2. I love Scola’s game though.
South American ballers > European ballers
March 19th, 2008 at 9:43 am
My only big problem with Jason Kidd is that throughout his entire career he never worked hard enough on improving his jumpshot
March 19th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Oh I love Kidd, always have. Just interesting to see things not working out at all (Nick P predicted Dallas to win it all. I on the other hand, don’t made predictions b/c I’m gutless). Dallas hasn’t beaten a team over .500 since getting Kid. Too bad they’re not in the East, they could make it to the finals not beating teams over .500!
March 19th, 2008 at 9:45 am
So how long is the Rockets losing streak going to be? I say at least 4 games
March 19th, 2008 at 9:45 am
@cursed, Lakers suck and yesterday was another proof. This is was the same type of game that happened in NY against the Knicks in January. I don’t know what’s more remarkable, getting a 25 point lead in the middle of the 3rd without Bynum and Gasol against a 100% Mavs, or then letting them close the gap and take a possible game winning shot.
When will they start playing defense? I’m a Laker fan but i still don’t get why people think this team is a championship contender. And forget Bynum is not going to be a factor in the Playoffs because the timetable to return is the middle of the 1st round…
Right now i’m seeing the Suns gaining a little edge…
March 19th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Lakers defense is horrendous at this point. Teams are really using D-Fish against them. Damn scouting reports! They are one of the league’s worst against the pick and roll.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Is Germany in the South America?
March 19th, 2008 at 9:47 am
The supporting cast argument is that with Gasol and/or Bynum, the Lakers are world beaters. Without them, they wouldn’t be in the playoffs.
I don’t understand anyone’s beef with Lamar Odom. He’s productive as hell; not sure the fans trusting him as any bearing on his actual on-court performance.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:48 am
I still like Dallas. Depends on matchups. I reserve judgment until I see health of all teams involved going into the playoffs. The Spurs looked to be the pick 2 weeks ago (and I said as much), but they’ve aged about 2 years since then.
Who knows? Flip a coin.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:49 am
@cursed, the Lakers defense turned horrendous since the Bynum injury. I hate Kwame as much as the next guy, but he at least was a good defender (better than Odom and Gasol combined for sure)…
I still don’t get why Phil play Gasol, Odom and Vlad at the same time. Why Luke Walton is on the bench?
March 19th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Cursed, I picked Dallas to come out of the West, not win it all.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Nick P, you don’t watch a lot of Lakers game do you? If you watched it, you would know why Lamar Odom is not well liked by any Laker fan. He’s a mental turnover waiting to happen, a terrible shot a terrible pass, you name it and Lamar will do it in the worse possible situation…
Of course that doesn’t appear on the stats, so that’s not worth it because stats tell all the story, i still don’t know why i waste time watching games, when watching the gamecast on yahoo tells me all story…
March 19th, 2008 at 9:52 am
The Lakers have the most talent and depth on the their roster in the entire league….when healthy. Which has been their problem the past 3 years. They are the most injury prone team in the league.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:52 am
D-Fish is solid but I’m really surprised Farmar isn’t getting more minutes. I like Lamar Odom he is very productive he’s a glue guy. They need another guy who can defend on the perimeter unless Kobe’s gonna try and pull a MJ and guard the other teams point gaurd in the playoffs.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:52 am
lamar odom = much more talented drew gooden.
got the skills but has nothing going on upstairs.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:52 am
i still think Utah is coming out of the West. I like Jerry Sloan as a coach and i think Deron Williams is one of the most disrespected players in the game. The guy gets no publicity when he is the better PG over Chris Paul
March 19th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Nick P, Bynum’s performance was a little inflated this season. Yes, he was shooting a ridiciulous perentage, but people were making it seem like he was unstoppable. He can’t score from outside of four feet, and still has to work on his post positioning. Nice young player who has a huge ceiling…but this year, he wasn’t the dominant force people act like he was.
Odom is pound for pound as talented as anyone. Problem is, he just doesn’t play like he’s focued. In the last 5 minutes of a game, you just don’t want him with the ball. He charges, he fumbles the ball, he shoots three pointers. And he can’t shoot free throws. Hence the trust issues.
His $14.5 million expiring contract is going to be really, really interesting next season.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Spencer, terrific comparison
March 19th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Deron Williams : Chris Paul :: Yao Ming : Dwight Howard
March 19th, 2008 at 9:53 am
the west is a massive clusterfuck at this point.
and when things become a clusterfuck…the spurs usually come out of it.
im sticking with dallas, might as well.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:55 am
YYSA, yes, the Lakers have been plagued by injuris. Remember Chris Mihm, he would be a really nice role player in the triangle – good shot blocker as well.
They could really use Ariza on defense right now.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:57 am
C’mon Irish. Deron Williams is a great PG, ne of the best in the league.
Chris Paul, however, is a once-in-a-generation talent.
It’s laughable to compare him to Deron Williams.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:57 am
@cursed, anybody that watched the Lakers-Mavs game on ABC a couple of weeks ago, knew that Lamar Odom would miss that FT’s that would clinched the game in the last seconds. Even JVG said the same thing, talking about Kobe getting the offensive rebound…
Everybody that really watch the Lakers for a 20-30 games a season, knows that Lamar Odom is a mental turnover waiting to happen.
I think the Lakers miss Ariza’s defense more than people give credit for…
March 19th, 2008 at 9:58 am
YYSA, yes the Lakers are injury prone but what’s more strange is that last year was Kwame, Odom, Vlad and Walton injured.
This year is Bynum, Gasol and Ariza…
March 19th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Bad Luck I guess
March 19th, 2008 at 9:59 am
@nick- yeah you think. i dont know, i like Williams. Trust me i think Chris Paul is a stud, but i like Williams more. To each is own.
i bet Utah goes further than New Orleans though in the playoffs
March 19th, 2008 at 10:00 am
So is, or is not, Lamar Odom productive?
When he makes a basket, is that not 1-1 in FG’s w/ (most likely) 2 points? When he gets 1 rebound, is that not a rebound? When he kicks it off his feet out of bounds, is the not measured by “1 TO?” When he misses an ugly runner, is that not measured by 0-1 in FG’s w/ 0 points?
Somebody help me?
Go Cavs, FUCK D E T
March 19th, 2008 at 10:00 am
CH40S – I’m talking style of play. I like Ginobli, Scola, Nene (when healthy) because they grind and play physical and can get nasty. Dirk loses rebounds to point guards in clutch moments. I prefer my team w/ mostly Americans, a Euro to shoot threes, and a South American to kick the crap out of someone. Hence…
South American ballaz > Euro ballaz
March 19th, 2008 at 10:02 am
RD: It depends if prior to missing said field goal whether or not the fans “knew he’d miss it.” Same with free throws.
If it’s a player that they don’t expect to miss (maybe like Kobe), then those misses are worth less because, “wow he missed – - – dude’s so clutch! I can’t believe it, fer serial!!!”
March 19th, 2008 at 10:03 am
@walfredo, i agree with you and add Nocioni to that mix. He’s as physical player as anyone in the NBA right now.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Canadian Baller>All other foreigner ballers
March 19th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Nick P, serious question that will hopefully lead to enlightenment. Why do you think their is such a giant divide between CP3 and Deron? If I used the stats that you tend to place more importance on, it seems they’re both producing similarily.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:03 am
RD…he’s definitely productive, but could be so much more. what the stats dont show are his tendancy to miss FT’s in the 4th quarter or not roll on a pick and roll leaving 3 guys on Kobe. or lazily jogging down the court on a fast break, then getting beat back down the court on defense.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:05 am
@cursed: Then we’re not looking at the same stats.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:05 am
I’m still wondering why people insist in watching games and scout players. Why don’t they just see the boxscores, these peoples are fools. Fools i tell you!
March 19th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Well you know what RD and Nick P…we’ll see how much the basketball people (who do this for a living) value Lamar and his stats next year. He’s got a $14.5 million expiring contract next year. I’ll bet my $20,000 a year salary that he won’t be a laker next season.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:07 am
@cursed, i bet people in the NBA undervalue of Lamar Odom is not based on statistics evidences. They are fools that need to take a course to know how to run basketball operations!
March 19th, 2008 at 10:08 am
One time on the 1st possession of a game I saw LeBron dunk a ball, then in the box score it showed up as 0-1, with 2 turnovers. That’s why I bought league pass, because official scorers are so damned bad, not because da L is, like, super entertaining.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:08 am
@cursed: I never said he wasn’t overpaid, although everyone is overpaid (Wally is getting $13M). I said he was productive on the court, and the fans’ trust or lack of trust had no bearing on that.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:09 am
there’s also ego involved. retard or not, odom has ridiculous talent and great size, and egos get involved. teams want to harness the talent, and think they’ll be different from the clips, heat, lakers, etc.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:10 am
wally Z gets 13 mill a year, oh my. My favorite player only makes 6 mill a year
March 19th, 2008 at 10:10 am
YYSA – Probably right at this point. Oh Canada!!
Odom – I remember watching him in the Olympics a few years back thinking how great and skilled he was. But he can’t seem to put it together. he’s a good #4 or 5. Not a top 3 on Championship team. Unless 1 and 2 are Kobe and Shaq.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Lionel Simmons > Drew Gooden
March 19th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Nick P, I wasn’t commenting on his being overpaid. Heck, I’m overpaid. (Does my job even know how much porn I look at on their computers?). I’m just saying I don’t think the Lakers organization would hesitate to make a move, and his contract actually makes that move a lot, lot easier.
and what stats were you talking about with CP3? I was honestly trying to see where you were coming from on that topic.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:11 am
I’ll bet my $0.00 per year salary that he makes at least at least $13 Million this year because basketball people asked him to play basketball for them.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Lionel Richie > Lionel Simmons
March 19th, 2008 at 10:12 am
yucko the clown > bozo the clown
March 19th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Oh yeah, and Darius Miles is a poor man’s Lamar Odom.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Homey D. Clown > All other Clowns
March 19th, 2008 at 10:13 am
http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&p1=willide01&y1=2008&p2=paulch01&y2=2008
He’s a little worse shooter from the field than Deron, although still excellent.
He’s a much better FT shooter, assists more, turns it over much less. Kills Deron on net possessions.
As much as Deron’s size is extolled as being a great benefit over CP3, why doesn’t he rebound more? And don’t say Boozer is stealing boards from him, because CP3 plays alongside arguably the best rebounder in the game today.
If you really need me to spell that out for you, I question your ability to read.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:14 am
here is yucko the clown if you have never seen him. very funny
http://youtube.com/watch?v=66R6yb0ehCI
March 19th, 2008 at 10:15 am
yes, i forgot about Homey D Clown. man i loved his homeless guy act, that was hilarious
March 19th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Nick P, the assists, rebounds, shooting percentage aren’t statistically significant. So yeah, I think you do need to spell it out more. They’re both great point guards running the show on great teams.
If Deron Williams is running the Hornets, they’d have about the same amount of wins…and vice versa
March 19th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Great Homey D Clown reference.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:16 am
plus Odom, despite his production, isnt a good fit in their offense. and it’s not wise to spend a lotta dough on a guy whos the 4th option behind Kobe, Pau and Bynum.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:17 am
In head to head matchups isnt Deron Williams like 7-1 vs CP3?
March 19th, 2008 at 10:17 am
In one game, it may not be significant. Over the course of a season, it is quite significant, although I do love your use of a non-provable hypoethical to back up your assertion. Excellent!
March 19th, 2008 at 10:18 am
What is more funny is that over their career’s Gooden has a better stats than Lamar Odom. Supporting cast argument anyone?
March 19th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Nick P… you just used a provable hypothetical that didn’t support your argument at all, such as points/rebounds/assists/shooting percentage. None of which really bolstered your argument.
I’ll take the unprovable method any day of the week in that case!
March 19th, 2008 at 10:21 am
CH405..careful now…you’re getting into a very touchy territory. Next thing you’re going to tell me is that Zydrunas had roughly the same points/rebounds/blocks as phenom Jabbar-like Bynum!!
March 19th, 2008 at 10:22 am
I can’t prove that he has generated more rebounds, assists, points, better FT%, fewer turnovers, and many more steals? Really?
March 19th, 2008 at 10:22 am
baseball stats >>> basketball stats.
amare’s numbers dwarf tim duncan’s but who would you rather have?
March 19th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Lionel Hutz > Lionel Richie
March 19th, 2008 at 10:25 am
ballin post > any other posts on TBL
March 19th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Thank you Spencer. Whos ready for tonight’s draft? we should ask TBL to give us an open post to talk smack later on.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Agreed, Spencer–basketball stats aren’t quite as reliable as baseball stats, at least in my opinion.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Nick P, you do realize the difference in points/assists/rebounds is so insignificant between CP3 and D-Will that any claim using that miscroscopic difference as a rational argument, is well, irrational.
Coming on now, you’re acting like one is averaging 30 ppg on 55% shooting while the other is doing 15 ppg on 30%.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:27 am
@spence: But they don’t. Duncan is a better rebounder-distributor, turns it over less, and is less foul prone. Especially if you apply a pace factor to Amare’s inflated numbers. Go per possession and Duncan trumps Amare, as we should expect.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:28 am
im ready for the draft. i got my bong out, will go to starbucks…yall are done.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:28 am
@cursed: It’s not like I’m saying Deron is chop liver. He’s great. However, Chris Paul is the best in a long time. He’ll end up being Jordan to Deron’s Reggie Miller.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Deron is Clyde Drexler would be a better analogy. Reggie is a bit overrated.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Nick P…i’ll give you that.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:31 am
The Deron/CP3 debate is pointless at this point. Its like the Nash/Kidd debate. Lets just be thankful that we get to watch these young guys the next decade….and by thankful I mean pissed that they are not on my team.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:31 am
lol, cmon now nick.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:31 am
See Nick, I think the’re both exceptional (and scary young). So that’s why I don’t understand how you’re saying one will be an all-time great and one won’t.
Love CP3’s defense though. I will say that much. And yes, Deron should average more boards per game, but I’d have to watch more of their games to see if Sloan leaks back on defense – some coaches don’t want their pg’s getting offensive boards because they sacrifice transition baskets.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Let’s focus people!! Odom wouldn’t even get off the Celtics bench right now! And CP and Deron would be #3 behind Rondo and Cassell. The Championship’s coming thru Boston!!
Seriously, I’d take CP OR Deron any day of the week. This is almost as annoying as the daily Lebron v. Kobe argument. And Odom = Gooden = K-Mart = Battier = PJ Brown = AC Green = Harvey (not Horace) Grant. Blah…
March 19th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Darius Miles is a joke.
Amare’s physical skill > Duncan
Duncan overall player > Amare
March 19th, 2008 at 10:33 am
walfredo- what did you think about GLen Taylors comments on KG ?
March 19th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Walfredo is right. The Suns will be clinching game 5 in Boston.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:37 am
im still not sold on boston at all. not saying the cavs are better, but don’t see boston doing shit in the playoffs.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Rumor L.A Lakers and Clippers want Agent Zero
March 19th, 2008 at 10:38 am
boston is good spencer, so is Detroit. And so is Orlando
the east is wide open still as to who will win the conference
March 19th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Irish – Sour grapes. Not much logic in questioning KG’s drive or desire. He should be talking about how McHale has tanked an entire decade.
YYSA – I’ll be happy if C’s are in Finals. I question if Shaq can hold up throughout an entire playoff run, but Suns are playing real well.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:41 am
boston is good, but detroit is better and a terrible matchup for the celts. orlando is solid because no east team can really defend Hedo or Rashard on the wings, if they shoot 3’s well for a series, they can be dangerous.
if LBJ goes all superhero again, the cavs have a shot.
toronto has a shot too.
the playoffs are gonna be awesome.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:44 am
spencer096, the Raptors don’t have the pieces to contend against the Celtics or the Pistons. If they get out of the 1st round this year i would be surprised.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:47 am
id be shocked too, especially because theyre probably going up against the cavs, and id probably kill myself if it came to that.
but you never know, if toronto plays lights out and hits everything, their uptempo pace could hurt the celts or pistons…long shot, but possible.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:47 am
The Raptors still aren’t there yet but they definitely have some upside. Bryan Colangelo is a hell of a GM. Wouldnt be surprised if he shops TJ Ford and keeps Calderon to get some more size and help for Bosh.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Only east team w/ a shot vs. C’s are the LeBrons, and LeBron has to play his best he’s ever played. Detroit is good, but has lapses and hasn’t shown the hunger in a few years. They don’t win a Game 7 in Boston, if it even gets to that.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Anyone notice that Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes are playing better all-around games since heading to Chicago? (Going by STATS!)
It just seems to me that the Cavalier offense, designed completely around LeBron’s talents, seems to work pretty well for LeBron, and none of his teammates. Can LeBron play off the ball ever? Would the Cavs be terrible if they weren’t using LeBron to drive and kick on EVERY possession?
I say all this, yet I love Mike Brown.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Larry Hughes for the Cavs — 37% shooter (this season)
Larry Hughes post-trade — 41% shooter
Larry Hughes — still really horrible.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:02 am
CC you are right Cavs have no real offense. Whenever I watch them its just LeBron getting the ball at the top of the key and shooters spread out and big men crash the board.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:04 am
What i wonder about Larry Hughes is why he manages to get almost 2 more assists per game in Chicago (and less turnovers) than in Cleveland, when in Chicago he doesn’t play with the God himself.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:05 am
I wonder this because i learned here that stats tell all story….
March 19th, 2008 at 11:07 am
PRYOR TO tOSU…
take back everything I said about the derelict.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Off Topic: International Incident Brewing?
Red Sox players unanimously voted Wednesday to skip their final spring training game and not board their plane to Japan in a dispute over coaches not receiving a travel stipend.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Thad Matta gets another 5 star!!! Oh wait…well, maybe.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Anyone see this college basketball game get rick rolled?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EeuEMeg8eQE
March 19th, 2008 at 11:14 am
by what basis are the pistons better than the celtics this year? the celtics are the best team in the nba. after last night’s game, they are now 14-2 in the 2nd game of back to back games. usually that is a throw away game for most teams.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:15 am
I don’t think there’s any way the Pistons are better, but “that’s why they play the games.”
The Celtics bench has been much better than advertised.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Cursed, I’m TV-less. Is he playing hoops too?
March 19th, 2008 at 11:16 am
CH4OS – Sox fight the power!!!! Goes back to yesterday’s post about athletes speaking out!!
March 19th, 2008 at 11:46 am
He keeps saying he wants to. We’ll see. I think he’s a 4-star on the b’ball court.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
LeBron has to average 16 assists per game to make his teammates better. How could Larry Hughes miss all those 19 footers when he was with the Cavs, the other teams best 2 defenders were all over him!!!!
March 19th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
shaqs a bitch. everyone on here who thinks he is sooo tough should be reminded that he got his ass kicked by a over the hill charles barkley. shaq is mostly fat. and if you were playing ball and somoene kept throwing a elbow in your neck when they wanted to post up you would get kinda upset too. why does everyone think shag is soooo bad? is it because he is black? and pryz is white? wow talk about a stereotype. all of the sudden if your black your tougher than everyone.