These guys are for real
As Gary Payton would say, the Cavaliers are flowing. They are in a world by themselves right now. Life is good and waking up in the morning is sunny even when it is raining. Athletes live for this feeling, they crave for it and the LeBron-led Cavs are living the dream at the moment. They have eight straight playoff wins by double figures, leading to first and second round sweeps – which have put the them in elite company among great teams like the Lakers, Celtics and Sixers of past seasons.
But the question remains… Can they continue to dominate and win their first NBA championship? I think they have all the major ingredients, but I will put my support, beliefs and emotions aside for the sake of my article… And probably bring out the emotions of Cavalier fans.
I can make the statement that no team has performed with the machine-like structure of the Cavaliers in putting away Detroit and Atlanta, but I can also say Detroit had a down year and was in total disarray coming into the postseason. I can add that the Atlanta Hawks were a banged up team, especially after Game 2 when Joe Johnson suffered a severe ankle sprain.
I then can check myself and say they dominated both teams and put them away quickly like a great team would under those circumstances, so you can’t fault them for who they play and the breaks they have gotten. Why? Because they earned it with the best record in the league and a 39-2 record at home.
You see, that’s what great sports fans do… They second guess and try to justify why an individual or team is so good.
What we should do is not try to find reasons to say a team is overrated, but research and figure out why a team has played so well.
So I will just come out and say it. And then tell you why I feel this way.
My take: The Cavaliers are indeed the best team in the playoffs and will win their first title. Here’s why…
They have the best all-around player in the game in Lebron James. I wrote an article a few years ago talking about his inability to shoot the ball from the perimeter and that it would keep him from becoming quite possibly the greatest player ever. Well, he answered that argument because he has become a very good shooter with endless range, thus making him virtually un guardable anywhere on the court. Also, he has become the game’s best leader. Do you see how his teammates jump up and down with excitement every time he shows them something special. That tells me they genuinely adore him and that is huge in professional sports.
Danny Ferry has surrounded him with catch-and-shoot players. I wrote an open letter article to Ferry also a few years ago telling him to stop trying to put clones like Larry Hughes around LeBron and go get him some shooters. Well, he has so many good shooters now (like Mo Williams, Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak) that Sasha Pavlovic and Daniel Gibson, two mainstays from the Finals run a few years ago, struggle to get prime time minutes.
They are extremely physical, which allows head coach Mike Brown to play two ways if he wants. He can go small and speed up the game or he can go big with Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao, Joe Smith or Ben Wallace. This allows Brown to be prepared for a small Celtic team or a big Orlando frontline in the conference finals, and then adjusting to the size of a Laker big frontline or the ultra-physical Denver Nuggets.
Versatility is the key and that is why the Cavaliers have proven all year that they are the team to beat. Boston Celtic fans might ask, if Kevin Garnett was still in the lineup would I be making this statement? I would say yes without hesitation. Why? I think the Celtics are out of gas and I felt this way before Garnett got injured.
The Lakers have beaten the Cavaliers twice this season and should have the mental edge, but I believe that is fool’s gold. If you remember, the Cavaliers beat San Antonio twice a few years ago and got swept in the Finals against them. The Cavaliers have the bodies to fight Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol and the Cavaliers I believe have a better advantage in the role-player department, especially off the bench.
In my opinion, the Denver Nuggets present the toughest challenge to the Cavaliers because they are the most physical team left in the playoffs and they can score. The challenge for them is… Can they emotionally stabilize themselves in a series against the Lakers? I say they will not and that will cost them a perfect opportunity to pull a major upset.
Let’s hail to the King. He has made us pause on how good it was back when Magic, Bird and Michael made us stand up and cheer, but we can’t anoint him yet because he has not accomplished the ultimate prize like those three did.
Anyway, I am not betting against him this year!
Michael Bennett Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 4:54 pm
Eddie - Of course, I love the article and share your same thoughts.
LeBron is the NBA’s best. And, I’m glad people are starting to realize this. It’s a shame they didn’t realize it earlier, because he still was the best in the game for the last couple of years, he just didn’t have the supporting cast to win a ring.
But, it looks as though, this year, he will have his shot at his first NBA title. I don’t see them losing a game in the Eastern Playoffs, either. They’ve got home court wrapped up, and although they’ve shown that on the road they can falter for stretches of five minutes or so, they always pick up the pace and put teams away.
And, Mo Williams really hasn’t been playing that great yet. Even Big Z has been quiet. Look for these two to really step it up in the Conference Finals and Finals. Then, the Cavs are unstoppable.
LeBron cleaned up his long/mid-range shooting and defense. When he shoots over 80% from the FT line, and has one championship, look for THE BEST EVER talk to begin.
know it all Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 5:22 pm
Excellently wrote article….I understand how you have come to your conclusion but it is under false pretenses. Lebron is not the best player in the league. He is the most utilized, if him and kobe switched teams kobe’s numbers would resemble if not surpass lbj. Kobe was killed for years for doing too much and not depending on his teammates. But not that he does that and his numbers obviously would decrease he is dethroned by everyone! Lebron scores more because he has to. He has more assist because he is double more.The lakers do not have offensive liabilities like wallace and anderson v. So teams are more cautious to help off the lakers so hence less assist. The cavs are not more talented, but i admit they have way better chemistry. But the lakers three peat team wasnt exactly the image of brotherhood and look what they accomplished. The lakers will win the championship this year and kobe is the best in the league. But neither will ever surpass mj.
Brian Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 5:53 pm
Has Lebron been whistled for a foul, yet?
Craig Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 6:56 pm
Well as a Laker fan this good news.. Some premature doubt rolling around. It’s too early to say who will win the title. Things can change so quickly in the playoffs. We dont know how the Cavs will respond when they are tested. So keep ya pants on and wait for the finals.
And about Lebron being the best. I completely disagree, in my opinion Lebron is the 3rd best player in league behind Kobe & D Wade. I feel ppl fall in love wit Lebron’s unhuman like athleticism. I mean the man is a beast. But his game is not complete yet. I still havent seen his so called improved on ball defense, free throws still need improvement and he has yet to develop a post game. Kobe can do things on the floor that Lebron can only dream of. But @ the end of the day they both are great and its pretty stupid to compare them b cuz they play in 2 different systems. I agree wit the last guy, Lebron is the most utilized player in the game, which is why he leads his team in damn near every category. Jus pay attention to the assists in the box score of the Lakers & Cavs. Lebron gets more assists than Kobe, this is a fact. But look @ the team distribution. B cuz Kobe plays in the triangle offense everyone gets assists, so the numbers are pretty evenly distributed. The Cavs on the other hand give the ball to Lebron 90% of time and allow him to use his beast like skills to make plays. I mean i cant knock him, its working but I’m jus saying look @ all the factors before u start throwing out wild assumptions.
vincent Herring Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 7:12 pm
People get over it. Kobe is a very good player. LeBron James is by far the best player in the NBA… on the planet. It is not even close. After the retirement of MJ, I thought we would not see that type of gift for 20-30 years, I was wrong. LeBron really is the King!
I love Kobe and he is great, but LeBron is in a league by himself.
eddie Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 7:18 pm
Craig
you just said you can’t argue about how good Lebron is and then you say i am throwing out wild assumptions. No, what i did was state what i felt and how i thought the season will end.
Now if a man was not here all year and did not watch any NBA Basketball and i showed him the standings and what has transpired until this point. what team do you think he would look at and say wow?
so dont give me that wild assumption stuff. its my prediction and i am staying with it. We will see soon enough if i was right or wrong, but as of now you can’t dispute a thing i just said.
Krynn77 Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 8:58 pm
I beleive Craig is a too much a Laker fan to comment like that about LeBron and the Cavs. Indeed Wade and Kobe have their advantages over LeBron but despite his limitations your top two also have theirs to which makes your analysis flawed. Its not just the stats or athletisism that has made fans in owe of LEbron but also the intangibles he brings that has made the team better. Yeah Lebron pretty much touches the ball 90% of the time but has worked great for them so far….. Just think back how the Lakers fared when Kobe did that and try to compare Kobe to Lebron again. Then again if the Cavs go out to become champs nuff said Bub!! Not much of a Lebron or Cavs fan but I agree with Eddie on this one
vegasvic Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 9:04 pm
the future is an illusion. kobe is better than lebron. he already has 3 titles. yeah lebron might be better than kobe one day but like i said the future is just an illusion. he could injure himself tomorrow. until that day comes kobe is better!!! if kobe was on lebron’s team he’ll probaly throw up the same numbers. in the 4th quarter i’d rather have kobe on my team and that’s when it counts the most. plus kobe knows he is better but do you think lebron thinks he’s better than kobe?
Marcusslade Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 9:22 pm
I disagree with everyone. I’m a Suns fan, so hold no bias toward either Lebron or Kobe. They are both very unique talents. But the fact remains is that they both need a good supporting cast. Kobe got nowhere when Shaq left and didn’t trust enough in Lamar and other players to get the job done. Last season, with a stronger Eastern conference, Lebron also was unable to get the prize.
Yes, Lebron has the physical tools to be unstoppable (at least until the refs in the NBA work out what a travel call is). You can’t use his body/physique against him; it’s what makes Lebron so good. Just as you can’t use Kobe’s lithe body against him; he’s just so quick with that ball.
Both of these players get double teamed consistently, so I would expect their assist numbers to be as high as they are - Kobe’s slightly less because he can’t outmuscle everyone the way Lebron can.
Wade is by far the best player the NBA has at the moment. He literally turned his team around single handedly. Night in and night out he’s asked to not only be “the man”, but to pretty much be the entire team. Yet nobody calls him selfish. Nobody on the Heat seems to accuse him of hogging the ball, or being out for himself. Wade is able to put a team on his back and lead them to success. Look at the turnaround from last year, when he was playing injured. And he does it all against two or three players every night. He has great rebounding numbers for a guard. 100+ blocks this season for a guy under 6′4, wow! Second in the league in steals. Leads the league in scoring. This is your MVP and probably even defensive player too.
Kobe and Lebron are great, yes, but they are also media favourites. Wade is underappreciated by everyone in my opinion. If he had half the supporting cast of the other two, he’d be Eastern Conference Finals, at least.
Craig Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 9:26 pm
Ok look @ the team Kobe had those 3 yrs after Shaq and before Gasol. where r those players now? He had Kwame Brown & Smush Parker in his backcourt. nuff said. But Eddie ur right I cant dispute what u said b cuz as it looks the Cavs are the better team right now. But right now doesnt matter, they have to continue, like i said, lets see how they respond when they are tested. You dont win Championships in the after finishing round two.
Its crazy how ppl say Lebron is better than Kobe but yet Lebron James himself knows Kobe is the top dog. Lebron is great but personally im not into Crownin any player before they accomplish anything. Zero rings as of now so……. SHOW ME!! And I may a Laker fan but i try to be as objective as possible. At the end of the day all this talk is cheap. I jus want Mr. Eddie Johnson to speak up if he ends up being wrong. Dont write up an article if ur write if ur not willing to write one in the event that ur wrong. If the Cavs pull it off, much love to them.
ray Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 11:20 pm
Eddie,
Good, much-awaited piece. I’ve been eager to get your take on the playoffs to this point. Have to agree with your conclusion about the Cavs, with the health-issue being the ultimate wild card. At this juncture, in large measure due to having earned so much rest, the Cavs seem the freshest and healthiest, but that can always change in an instant.
I also share your opinion on Lebron, who’s something like 40% from distance since the all-star break, and 55% from the field in the play-offs. Talk of improvement!
But when you factor in his improvement on the defensive end, coupled with his unprecedented - at least in my memory - leadership skills and persona, and I’ll even go Michael Bennett on the “best in the world” type accolades. I’ve just not seen any player possess so many tangibles and intangibles in the same package.
And then add to that his physical giftedness, and remind oneself that dude is only 24 and will probably yet get better, and it blows the mind what he might become.
The next few weeks, and then the next several years, should be real interesting.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 11:43 pm
if you just wanna look at how teams fare in the playoff so far. Even though Cavs is undefeated, Denver is BY FAR the best playoff team in the NBA. They trashed Hornets, and Hornets is by far better than Detroit, and they just cleaned out Mavs, and Mavs is by far better than Hawks. Lakers do slack off from time to time, but did you see how they rebound back? Everyone is entitled to his own prediction, I say Lakers all the way because they have the best starting lineup in the remaining playoff teams and their bench can play a complete different game from the starting lineup. It’s hard to play against big starting lineup of lakers then switch gear to play against speedy second units.
bryan p Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 12:10 am
You cannot possibly think that Kobe is a better player than Lebron James at this point. It is ridiculous to do so. Kobe is a selfish individual who people respect because of his game and that is about it. If you look closely, almost every play Kobe tries to demand the ball and actually seems pretty mad about when he does not receive it at any given situation. I read somewhere else that Kobe is not so much liked by his team mates, that he is mouthy and cocky. Lebron on the other hand has his whole bench stand up for any play he does or his team mates do throughout the entire game which speaks a lot on leadership and respect of the whole Cavaliers team. He will always give the ball the open man. He also always looks for the open man and looks to get his team mates open. Kobe always looks to jack up a fadeaway from anywhere even in the toughest situations. For some reason he also kind of shrugs whenever his team mates miss an open or important shot.
I will say this, the Cavaliers do need a real post player. Ilgauskas is not much of a post player and neither is Varajeo, they both seem really clumsy in the post. Ilgauskas likes the mid range shots Lebron gives him and is an excellent shooter. While Varajeo just looks to clean up a mess and once in a while he’ll attempt a sluggish post move or wild attempt to take it to the hole. His mid range game needs work, but he’s your perfect garbage man, one of the best in the league and every team needs one it is a fact.
When Shaq left Kobe, the Lakers just tried and did not get far. Kobe cried to Phil and that’s why they ended up getting Gasol. Even with the spaniard in the front court the Lakers have no other real go to man than Kobe. Gasol cannot win you a game and the Rockets showed everyone that it’s true. Battier and Artest shut down Kobe for a couple nights and Lakers ended up losing. But, as we all know real well, you cannot shut down Kobe Bryant every night, he is technically unguardable. Shane Battier said the best when he said that you can only irrate and try to make Kobe’s job a lot tougher.
Lebron James is surrounded by guys that take over games in bunches such as Mo Wiilliams and a player like Delonte West who is capable of scoring 20+ every night. How many times have we seen Mo Williams hit a bunch of treys in a row when the game mattered? Or seen Delonte West take over with BronBron on the bench? Countless times.
I will tell you this, I would not be surprised if the Cavaliers swept everyone this whole playoffs. If they somehow do end up losing a game, it will only fuel them to come out much stronger for the next. They are unstoppable.
Off topic and might be early, but Eddie I’m really interested if you could write an article on the upcoming rookies and their so far comparison to NBA players in the league. I saw a lot of mock drafts have Demar Derozan with the NBA Comparison of Vince Carter? He does not anywhere near have the ball handling ability of Vince Carter nor the shooting ability and court awareness. Just wondering because I saw a bunch of ridiculous comparison’s like that. If you could do an article on your personal comparisons from what you saw this NCAA season for a couple of claimed to be future star players, I’d read it for sure.
Thanks a bunch
Big J Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 12:35 am
I AGREE the Cavs looks like the team to beat, they are very poised and focus King James is off the Charts with not only his game but his leadership and maturity. I’m pulling for my Celtics and they will battle but for us to have a chance we need all hands on deck and we can’t do that now and yes we will beat Orlando!
Kobe Bryant Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 1:16 am
Lebron is this year’s MVP, he deserves it. Only 24, and he’s got a bright future. At 24 he’s more mature than I was even though I had 3 rings by then, but let’s get one thing understood…
I may be closing in on 31 years of age, and youngin’s like Lebron and Dwyane Wade are amazing, but I’m taking home the NBA title this year, and there ain’t a damn thing the Nuggets, the Magic, the Celtics, or the Cavs can do about it.
That ring is mine. Do not try to stop me.
Kostas Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 5:24 am
vegasvic Said,
May 13, 2009 @ 9:04 pm:
in the 4th quarter i’d rather have kobe on my team and that’s when it counts the most. plus kobe knows he is better but do you think lebron thinks he’s better than kobe?
LeBron is not needed as much in the 4th quarter because most games are over by then. Not to mention that he is leading his team to the finals at the age of 24 . Kobe at the age of 24 was nothing compared to LeBron …
I like your articles Eddie, even though you have played for Olympiakos
bjt68 Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 5:39 am
Delonte West is the biggest key to the Cavs because he is such a force at both ends of the floor. Eddie, I’ve lived in Cleveland since the day I was born, 31 years, and there has never been a team this good in all 3 sports. This team has the undescribable edges…like the the team togetherness, defense (especially in the second half), and their defensive rotations are near perfect. Besides the great shooters, the biggest difference with the Cavs this year is that they KNOW how to put teams away. Having 4 games in Cleveland is very tough on the other teams, I just don’t see a team winning game 7 at the Q. I’ve been to a lot of games, watched every one, and this is the top team in the NBA right now.
bjt68 Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 5:40 am
In my last post, when I say a team never being this good in all 3 sports, I mean professionally in Cleveland in the last 30+ years.
Kostas Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 7:33 am
@Kobe Bryant : LOL !!!!!! (my precioussssss)
Sterling Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 7:42 am
I have to disagree with something that Know it all said. If Kobe and Lebron switched teams, Kobe’s numbers indeed would be better but the difference would be Lebron would start another Dynasty with that LA team and everyone would love playing together. Kobe would average 40 points a game, nobody would like playing together and they wouldnt make it past the 2nd round nor would they have had the best record in the league. Leadership is a quality that you cant replace in any sport, its what makes people like KG and Lebron so amazing and its probably the only reason Lebron is a better and more valuble player than Kobe has ever been. Not taking anything away from the great # 24 though, I still think that because of 2 hall of fame players and a hall of fame coach, the Lakers win a championship this year; but after that everyone can pack it up, Lebron will dominate the next 6 seasons!
Novio Magus Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 8:30 am
Eddie,
I dont agree with you that the 2 Laker victories were fool’s gold. The Lakers won because they were bigger than the Cavs. With Gasol, Odom and Bynum they prevented James from getting to the hole and turned him into a jump shooter.
Sure, his jumper has improved but he was guarded by Bryant and Ariza in those games and that defense, combined with the length of the Lakers frontcourt is won of the reasons they will get done if they face the Lakers.
The other reason(s) being Kobe (no Cav can guard him and dont even think about mentioning James) and the fact that Odom, Gasol and Bynum are a too big offensive threat for the Cavs to deal with.
If they would face the Nuggets, that wouold be a great series where I would give the Nuggets the edge based on Chauncy.
Craig Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 8:38 am
I know we’re talking Lakers & Cavs right now but why the hell does D Wade continue to get overlooked. It’s like someone wins a ring wit Shaq (Kobe & D Wade) and sum ppl wanna act is tho it doesn’t count. Give D Wade his, the man is a beast and in my opinion a more complete player than Lebron James.
Jasper Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 8:53 am
LeBron vs. Kobe vs. DWade, is this the trend for any response of an article written about one or the other’s team. Not once did Eddie mention Kobe or Wade in his piece. Anyone with bball knowledge can make a strong argument for their guy and it becomes a waste of time at the end of the day to do so. As an avid Laker and huge Kobe fan - I agree with Eddie. The Cavs are convincing even me…I just trust my Lake Show can get past Denver to have the greatest finals ever.
Porky Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 8:53 am
First, Eddie you had a nice long vacation, eh? With respect to who the East Champ will play it will be the Nuggets, not the Fakers. Nuggets will either face the Cavs or the reigning champs, the Celts. Cavs did not face a good team all playoffs. Yes, they are very good but there is one team that can beat them: the Celts. Go ahead and dismiss them like everyone did last year. And dont rule out Mr. Garnett returning in that series. It aint over, Eddie. But your 6 weeks vacation apparently is.
Porky
sam Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 9:39 am
for sure, wade does not get the credit he deserves, as media based as the mvp race was lebron probably should have won it last year too. though wade with a decent team is always going to do better than lebron/kobe with a decent team as hes unselfish whilst scoring 30+ and missing 5 three’s lol. speaking of which i bet next season his clip from beyond the arch improves dramtically. go denver!!
eddie Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 10:11 am
Guys every time a write an article you go back to comparing Kobe and Lebron. They are both great players. STOP trying to figure out who is better. They are both un real. i am talking about teams. Wade is fishing we have no reason to talk about him.
Stephan Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 10:14 am
Despite the fact that he is a really really good player and unstoppable, I somehow dislike the Hype the NBA creates on Lebrons back. It’s a commercial enterprise, I know, they lack a true icon like MJ years ago, I know, but no matter which page you open, there is always LBJ right now. That’s a bit annoying.
Anyway, I think Cavs will easily walk to the playoffs. Another thing is how they’ll react if they loose their first game. Against a very competitive Lakers squad they could lose one game badly, like 20 points. Then it will show how much of championship they have in their minds. If they can bounce back.
I won’t comment LBJ / Kobe cause someone said “they are 2 great players which play in 2 different systems.” That said, I think we all know they are both great. Period. But HONESTLY, whoever says D-Wade is great really really should reconsider his thoughts and take a closer look at the shots he’s taking, or was taking. Pumping the fist after you LUCKILY hit a 3 pointer against a defender with your teammates wide open won’t make you a great player at all.
I bow my hat that everything Eddie critizised in the past has been done better by the Cavs owners and managers. You should get money for that
The one question I’ve got, I still see no real great improvement to Lebrons shooting mechanic, they only thing is that he is hitting. He still swings his arms across his body when going up for the shot, in no way a comparison to someone like Ray Allen in terms of shooting mechanics.
So, let’s all hope that Mo Williams won’t get hurt and then they’ll get their rings.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 10:15 am
The Cavs haven’t lost in the 2009 Playoffs. They might not lose a single game. Might. I think this next series will be tough, but I can’t see them ever losing a game at the Q. If that’s true, then LeBron will get his first ring.
I think one of the most interesting ideas that some of you brought up is that LeBron leadership quality. Eddie, you brought it up, too.
His teammates love playing on his team. Shooters love getting those perfect passes from him. The post guys love that he wants to run the offense through them. He’s not faking it - he’s a legitimate brilliant leader. One of the best glues the game has ever seen…
I’m not going to get into who’s better, LeBron, Kobe or DWade - I think you all know who I know is the best. They are all amazing athletes who made all-NBA 1st Team (LeBron was unanimous). They’re all great and I’d love to have any one of them playing for my team, the Bulls. I’d prefer one over the others, but I’d be one happy camper if I got any of them.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 10:22 am
Wade is fishing… HAHAHAHA! Good one, Eddie.
If the Cavs DO lose a game, look for them to come back with an unmatched intensity. Look what happened at the end of the regular season… they lost two games in a row, and the pre-game antics went away and they got down to business.
I think another interesting idea that Eddie mentioned is that “They are extremely physical, which allows head coach Mike Brown to play two ways if he wants.” To add to that…
The Cavs/Mike Brown has made in-game adjustments better than any team in the Playoffs so far. That’s commendable. And, if they keep that up, they won’t lose. That’s one the major differences between the regular season and the Playoffs - teams must reshuffle their style and execution MID-game to win the series. In the reg. season, you can let it go and look at tape. But, Mike Brown, with the help of the best assistant coaches in basketball, have truly always bounced back when the going gets tough. Very notable. What do you think, Eddie?
Bagman Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 10:48 am
Lebron is the best player in the league not Kobe. Kobe doesnt make his player better but Lebron does. Also if you put Lebron on the lakers and Kobe on the cavs.. the lebron led lakers would EASILY sweep the Kobe led CAVS 4-0. Kobe has better players around him so if lakers win over cavs it won’t be because Kobe is better than Lebron but that Kobe has better players around him
Bagman Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 10:53 am
Doesnt defense win titles? Cavs are only giving up 78.1 ppg through 8 games… people are forgetting the cavs a PLAYOFF team more than they are a regular season team. When we meet the lakers in the finals people are going to see we are not the same team as we were in the regular season.
LeBron's kinfolk Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 11:12 am
LeBron and Kobe are by far the 2 best. If you say D Wade, you really don’t know basketball. Everyone says D Wade has nothing. They added Beasley, Chalmers, JO, Moon, and still got Haslem. They werent terrible last year. Injuries piled up and they tanked, come on now. Its similar to the Spurs in 98 with the admiral. How could the best player in the NBA lose by double digits in four of seven games to the Hawks.
LeBron and Kobe are close, but Kobe needs an attitude adjustment. He might be close to as good as a player, but not a teammate. When things go south so does Kobe. Kobe is a better jump shooter, but that will cause his team to lose games cause he falls in love with it at times. Ala 4 for like 25 during a game in round 1. LeBron will bulldoze the lane when things arent going right.
Both are great though Wade is not even close. Hell I’ll post up that little guy. Wade is a wanna be Kobe!!1
frank B Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 11:53 am
Eddie,
Way to go out on a limb and predict that Cleveland is going to win it all after having the best regular season record and having swept their first two opponents.
The playoffs are all about matchups. Detroit sucks and Atlanta was playing with less than healthy stars but Cleveland earned those matchups by having a fantastic regular season. Boston or Orlando is going to give Cleveland a lot more problems than either one of those teams.
Can Boston beat Cleveland without Garnett? The answer is yes if Perkins can make it through the series without hurting his shoulder. Why? Because they have been successful this year and last at making Lebron a jumpshooter and facilitator and closing down the paint. Lebron has shot pretty well from outside so far in the playoffs, but in my opinion this is because he has basically gotten anywhere on the court that he has wanted to. There is nothing better for Lebron’s confidence than going into the lane and slamming a couple home.
The Celts do a good job of closing off the driving lanes and we’ll see how all the “shooters” that Cleveland has will respond.
Orlando seems too soft to beat Cleveland to me. If Dwight Howard gets in foul trouble, who do they have that can defend the paint? Against Orlando, Lebron will get to the rim and basically control the game on offense and defensively the Cavs are superior to Orlando.
Denver is hot right now, but once again, look at the matchups. Dallas has a 50 year old point guard that can’t shoot and a 7 foot center/forward that puts up good numbers but can’t defend his shadow. Chauncey Billups never gets mentioned with Lebron, Kobe or Dwyane Wade, but he might be the most valuable player in the league that is never mentioned for the award.
However, when push comes to shove, Denver is an offensive minded team and that will play directly into the Laker’s strengths when they meet in the next round.
If the Lakers meet Cleveland in the finals, it is going to be a tough series but basically Kobe and Lebron will neutralize each other so it will come down to the rest of the team.
The Lakers have more size and better scorers than Cleveland and of course Cleveland is better defensively overall. I just don’t see Varjao, Wallace, and Ilgauskas outplaying Gasol, Bynum, and Odom up front. West, Gibson, and Williams are going to be tough for Fisher, Farmar and Vujucic to handle but in a half court brawl kind of series I think that the Lakers size up front will prevail.
We’ll see if my crystal ball is better than yours Eddie!
Jake Kauffman Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 12:05 pm
I would like to say LeBron is the best player since Jordan but not better than Jordan yet. Kobe does not have the leadership skills to be considered the best. What Dwayne did this year was great but I’m from Cleveland and LeBron was doing that for years except his teams advanced in the playoffs. And when it comes to fourth quarters I’d would rather have a player who can put teams away before the closing minutes of the 4th. Last second shots only mean the team was under performing for 3 1/2 quarters. The Cavs could easily go undefeated in the East but will have to play at least 6 games to win the O’Brien.
Jake Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 12:08 pm
Ok ok ok Kobe lovers and Laker fans!!! I’ll give it to ya the Lakers have had their moment in the sun. Now sit back and revel in the fact that the Cavs and LeBron are going to dominate the NBA for about the next ten years!!!! LMAO!!!! You Laker fans crack me up! You all are holding onto your Kobe is “still” the best player argument. It’s rather sorry on your behalf really. Anyone with an eye for NBA basketball knows what LeBron has become is way better then Kobe is and Kobe and his fans don’t like it or want to believe it, to be blunt. Some Kobe fan posted on here that he hasn’t seen LBJs on the ball SD yet!!???? Excuse me but are you even watching the Cavs this season AT ALL!!!! Thats all he’s done ALL year!! When they’ve played a team and one opposing team player got a hot hand. Guess who would come out of a time out and be matched up D wise one on one???? LeBron would be!!! So just shut up Laker fans your Kobe run is over and The Chosen One is here to take over!!!! Deal with it!!!
Cordell Taylor Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 12:15 pm
Excellent article Eddie,
You are going to make Herb very happy with this article lol He is a huge Lebron-ite fan.
I have to admit that Lebron has taken over the No 1 spot as far as best player, he is basically unguardable because he is so gifted physically, he is the fastest, strongest and most athletic player in the league. He is basically Bo Jackson in basketball shorts. He is the evolution of Magic Johnson with extraordinary athletic ability. In additon, everyone around him loves him and respects him, he never acts bigger than the show….although he IS the show. The Olympic experience and time with Kobe helped Lebron see what he needed to elevate his game: the attention to defense, three point shooting, mid range game. Kobe may have to kick himself for helping Lebron expand his repertoire.
I am not so sure the Lakers will make the Finals, their meltdown with the Rockets has me thinking they may fall victim to the surging Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers have the same problem they had last year, they are not TOUGH, their toughest players are guards, thats not a good thing. Gasol, Odom and Bynum are skilled but they are not bangers. Championships require a tough mental and physical make up.
The Cavs are like last year’s Celtic, they have the best defense in the NBA and they have multiple bangers (Big Zeke, Big Ben, Varajeo, J Smith). Plus, they have tougher, better and younger guards than the Lakers. Winning the championship comes down to who has the most heart and the Lakers fall short with their meltdowns. I love Kobe and the Lakers but they cant win with their soft “Bigs”.
ray Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
Got to agree with Novio regarding he two regular season Laker wins over the Cavs, as it looked to me that the difference was the bigs, more than it was anything Kobe or Lebron did.
But I think the present difference is that all the Cavs bigs are at the moment healthy and, frankly, just playing better AND Joe Smith has been added, giving the Cavs savvy and competence in a playoff environment. At least in the 2nd of their games this year, rookie J. J. Hickson played some horrible minutes, Ben Wallace was out, the Cavs’ best perimeter defender Delonte West was out, and his replacement, Sasha Pavlovic, if you remember, sprained his ankle badly at the end of the 1st quarter and was lost.
So with defensive liabilities amongst the bigs, and the two best defensive guards out, Lebron had to spend more time defending Kobe, whereas if West and Pavlovic had been in he would have switched to give help on - even taken over on - Lamar Odom, who torched the undermanned (Sczerbiak), inexperienced (Hickson) front line. Lamar had what Phil said was possibly his best game ever as a Laker, something like 28 and 15. He might go off again like that in a future game, but I suspect most Laker fans aren’t betting their checks on it.
So the structural Cavs deficiency in terms of the match up with the Lakers seemed to me more about the bigs, and the domino effect it had on the rotation. Not that the Lakers were enjoying perfect health either (Kobe flu, Bynum out), but at least in game two it seemed to have a greater effect on the Cavs. And the late acquisition of Joe Smith has been the difference, since guys like Hickson will generally not see the floor.
So unless the
Crabwalker Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 12:56 pm
LBJ’s good but he hasnt gotten a ring yet, so until he does that, Kobe n Wade would always be a small notch above em. Besides, Lebron’s overrated. Overrated when he came in the league. Wade led his obscure Miami team to the playoffs his rookie year, while lebron cudnt even carry his team in his rookie year to the playoffs. OVERRATED.
Only reason why LBJ won MVP this season was coz Kobe’s won it before last year & Wade’s supporting cast was just horrid. Kobe & Wade are more well rounded offensively & defensively. Look at Kobe being a defensive stopper at the Olympics. Wade was amazing there as well & on top of that Wade’s a freaking guard that blocks.
LBJ has 2 things going for him. Hes just big n fast but not as skillful as the other two & hes got his greatest offensive weapon, ‘THE CRABWALK”. How cool is a b-ball move named after seafood? Apparently, the NBA find it cool enough to warrant legalizing it.
If theres anyone thats better than all the 3, it should be Tim Duncan. Hes damn boring but he gets the job done. Nuff said.
vegasvic Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 1:33 pm
look there’s no need to argue about who is better. lebron knows kobe is better!!! that’s it, how are we going to argue about who’s better if lebron himself knows kobe is the man period!!!!!!! this argument is a waste of time.
Mike Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 1:39 pm
The Lakers have the edge over the Cavs at this point because
- in addition to the Laekrs having unbelievably great players when the team is fully healthy — and the ability to to ‘turn it on’ when the game really matters (just like the Shaq/Kobe and Kareem/Magic Laker teams),
- Phil also out-coached Brown in both games, in terms of how they contained Lebron, making him mostly a non-factor in both contests.
If Brown can figure a way to strategically counter what the Lakers did in the regular season to LeBron, it will be a competitive series. If not, it will be a hard fought, but clear Laker win.
Chris Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 2:49 pm
Eddie,
I love your articles!! I am always looking forward to new ones as they are on point and always a good read. But ow come you can´t take any criticism? Every time soeone disagrees with you,you seem to be privately offended. There is no perfect human being and criticism is a gift not an offence!
Best, Chris
eddie Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 4:17 pm
Chris Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 2:49 pm
Eddie,
I love your articles!! I am always looking forward to new ones as they are on point and always a good read. But ow come you can´t take any criticism? Every time soeone disagrees with you,you seem to be privately offended. There is no perfect human being and criticism is a gift not an offence!
Best, Chris
Chris — i never get mad. dont mistake my responses for being mad. you must be new to my blog. i love to argue thats why i write the articles my man.
vegasvic Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 4:34 pm
yo eddie what’s up dogg!!!
i know you played with hakeem. i always wanted to know who do you think is better. hakeem in his prime or shaq in his prime?
Apostolos Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 5:06 pm
Hi Eddie. Greetings from a Greek fan. Thanks for the beautiful basketball you played in Greece.
Would you advise current players to go and play in Greece?
Was it an interesting learning experience?
All the best, and thanks for your insight.
eddie Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 6:00 pm
APPLES AND ORANGES. They both are great
REAL Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 7:35 pm
those two wins by the lakers over the cavs is not fool’s gold, they both had a playoff
intensity feel, both teams wanted to show who was the #1 powerhouse
it was hardly the same with the spurs versus the cavs
the cavs had an unbelievable undefeated home record, that the lakers violated, after for the second time going snapping a significant boston game winning streak
and i think kobe showed down the stretch, with the new and improved, defense of lebron james on him, why he’s still the best closer in the league
those games were hardly fool’s gold ed
know it all Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 7:37 pm
To the cav supporters,
Seriously, minus mo williams and bron they have no real offensive players. Lakers have kobe,pau, odom, shannon(yes I said it, he may not shoot alot but check his percentage and he create his own shots at times), shasa even though he is off this year he still is a huge threat, fisher and those same players with exception of pau are also good defenders. Lakers are a way better TEAM than the cavs. You guys need to stop sniffing lbj’s pregame powder!
Red Man Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 7:47 pm
For the sake of full disclosure I am not a Lakers fan nor a Cavs fan. I am a Suns fan. Imagine if Lebron was on the Lakers, they trully would be like the “Showtime Lakers” of the 80’s with Lebron playing the part of Magic but more athletic. Lebron is the most rounded player in the game, and without a doubt I would rather build my team around him as he has more to offer then Kobe, plus the intangibles such as fostering good chemistry. How say you?
kb24 Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 8:59 pm
wow, they are a lot of kobe haters out there…
did you get pumped up by this article alone?
damn, its easier to write than to do right?
It’s too early to say that the Cavs are going home with the crown…
Don’t just sleep away and push the Lakers out of the story…
Also, Magic and Celtics are going to 7!
when either of the team faces the Cavs it will be a new world for them, Cavs don’t even play a physical play other than Lebron!
so put your words where your mouth is, think before you say people!
Everything its possible, hey its NBA for Christ sake!
kayne Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 9:10 pm
mom, i need my pancake. these people are monsters… or aliens??? shut the TV now and turn it back on June 24th and let’s see who will get the RING ( though it’d be funny if LAKERS will ). Go CAVS!
CFatz Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 9:23 pm
Well all is going to plan
1) game five the Celtics did their part and won the game for the home crowd
2) game six the Magic did their part and won the game for the home crowd
3) now it’s time for the referees to step up in game seven and win the game for the Celtics
Sorry, but it’s always been evident to me that it wasn’t the pixies in the Boston garden that changed the game, it was the zebras. It seems to be an unwritten law that only the home team can win a game seven in Boston.
CF
:0)
kiddin me Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 9:28 pm
so since some of you are saying kobe is better then lebron because he has 3 rings i guess that makes kobe half the player robert horry is
CFatz Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 9:49 pm
I think Michael Bennett is trying to say in behalf of the Cavs:
Fo’ Fo’ Fo’
just a little Moses Malone to break up the monotony
CF
:0)
Kobe Bryant Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 6:21 am
I’m going home for the summer. My teammates suck, TRADE ME!
Bigmac Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 6:24 am
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 2009 NBA CHAMPIONS..
space Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 8:28 am
the cavs are great, yes. but the next matchup is going to be serious for them. in facing either the celtics or the magic, the cavs and lebron will lose at least two games if not the series. there was no one to matchup against lebron on the hawks, especially with marvin being injured. the hawks were wounded the entire series. they did not really compete in that series, but are not too far away from being a serious contender.
despite their regular season record, big z having to face dwight howard night in and night out eventually becomes a problem. and the endless trips to the basket for lebron become that much tougher with rashard in front of him and howard right behind. there are potential matchup problems across the board in that series. pietrus would definitely be the x-factor if they beat the celt’s.
the celtics are champs and won’t go down without a fight. the key to anyone’s run is finally getting exposed and the next team feeding off that weakness. once the cavs lose a few games in the eastern conference finals. i bet the west champ is going to exploit that. nuff said.
bjt68 Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 9:00 am
The Cavs KNOW how to finish teams in the 4th quarter. Their overall defense, especially in the second half, is why the Cavs are playing so well. I can’t stress enough on how important Delonte West is to this team. I’ve watch every Cavs game this year and he’s the X-factor in the Cavs winning it all. His ability to lock down the opponents top defender, handle the ball on the offensive side when needed, he’s a consistent shooter that can create his own shot, and his ability to slash, get to the rim, and finish is very key. If Delonte continues to play like he has, and everyone else does their thing, the Cavs WILL win the title, period! Right now the Cavs are finally completely healthy and Joes Smith is very comfortable with his role. I’m not saying it’s impossible to beat the Cavs, but it’s going to be VERY difficult to knock them off….and LeBron wants a title more than anything.
Thanks Eddie for the great articles. Mid-June I’ll be at the parade in Cleveland, on Euclid Ave…see ya all there!
bjt68 Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 9:06 am
The problem with most NBA fans is that they want to compare individual players and not teams to determine who is the best team. There’s a reason the Spurs won 4 titles from 1999 to 2007. They played team defense, everyone knew their role, and they didn’t try to overdue what each person had to give to the team…they stayed within their game. The Cavs are very similar to those Spurs teams, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but the Cavs athleticism is what makes them THAT much more dangerous.
Keith Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 10:22 am
I’ve been saying these things about the Cavaliers since November, it’s nice that everyone else finally opened their eyes.
I’ll repeate my main points yet again. Cavs have:
(1) Best Defensive Team
(2) Best Offensive Player
(3) Best Team Chemistry
(4) Home Court Advantage and nearly unbeatable at home
There are several other points (great depth, ability to play different styles, confidence, etc.), but those right there pretty much sum it up. Who is going to beat these guys 4 out of 7 games?
Oh, and we can end the Kobe/LeBron debate, as LeBron led his team to more wins and was better in every individual statistical category:
PPG
LEBRON 28.4
KOBE 26.8
RPG
LEBRON 7.6
KOBE 5.2
APG
LEBRON 7.2
KOBE 4.9
SPG
LEBRON 1.7
KOBE 1.5
BPG
LEBRON 1.1
KOBE 0.5
2-PT FG%
LEBRON 53.5%
KOBE 49.6%
3-PT FG%
LEBRON 34.4%
KOBE 35.1%
FT%
LEBRON 78.0%
KOBE 85.6%
WINS
LEBRON 66
KOBE 65
MVP
LEBRON 1
KOBE 2
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
LEBRON 2
KOBE 7
so what exactly are we arguing about here? I think if you go to 82games.com you’ll also see that LeBron has better clutch stats. But forget numbers for a minute - anyone who has watched each team paly 40-50 times this year can clearly see that LeBron is a notch above RIGHT NOW. This has nothing to do with careers, although I do beleive that LeBron will eventually be regarded as the greatest player of all time when all is said and done. Barring injury, he will be in the top 10 all -time in points and assists, and maybe steals, which is ludicrous, and he will almost certainly win multiple championships. Once he wins the rings, there will be no doubt really. His stats are ahead of guys like Kobe and MJ at this point in his career, and he’s done more with less help playoff-wise. Think about it. The only superstars to win young played with MULTIPLE HOF’ers and all-stars: Bird with McHale, Parish, DJ, etc., Magic with Kareem, Worthy, Byron Scott, Tim Duncan with David Robinson, etc. Even when Shaq was young, remember that Penny was first-team all-NBA. What LeBron has been able to accomplish simply by surrounding him with competent solid professionals is astounding. 66 wins? Only 12 teams in history have won 66 games (the magical 80% mark), and all but the Cavs has multiple HOF’ers. MJ is the greatest player of all-time right now, but even he didn’t win in the playoffs until he got Pippen (one of the most underrated stars, if that’s possible). Only after the Cavaliers win the championship this year will people suddenly realize what an astounding season he has had. Truly a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 11:05 am
Keith - I agree that LeBron is better, but you must fix some of your stats/facts.
Both Kobe and LeBron have one MVP each. Kobe doesn’t have two.
And, Neither player was the DPOY. LeBron made the All-Defense 1st team this year for the first time, and Kobe has been on the 1st and 2nd team All-Defense a lot (I don’t know the exact number).
But, I agree with Eddie. Why does this always become WHO’S A BETTER PLAYER, KOBE OR LEBRON? I know, I know… I sometimes add fuel to that fire. But, let’s talk about reasons why the Cavs are great, the Lakers are struggling with the Rockets, the emerging Nuggets, and Game 7 of the Celtics/Magic series.
Opinions from fans on who’s best gets annoying after reading the same BS a million times…
frank B Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 12:17 pm
Eddie,
On a different subject…..I am 49 years old and grew up in the Philadelphia area. I know you used to play for Kansas City way back when, I can remember your sweet shooting touch with them and the Suns. You are a legitimate baller which is why even though I don’t agree with some of your opinions I do respect them and it is great that you interact with the fans on this site.
Where you on the floor when Darryl Dawkins tore down the backboard in KC that night? Somewhere in my memory bank it seems like you were out there. You would have been a rookie I think, but it might have happened the year before you got there.
Chocolate Thunder from Lovetron, Darryl Dawkins. He had a sweet shooting touch and could jump out of the gym. After he tore down two backboards they started using the rims that have the springs on them.
Maybe you have already in other blogs, but ater the playoffs are over, us oldtimers wouldn’t mind reading your ruminations on Darryl, Dr. J, Larry Bird, Bernard King, Akeem the Dream and others that you had the chance to play against or with. How does Lebron compare to Dr. J and Larry Bird? How do you think Kobe would have done against Jordan in his prime? Has money ruined the love of the game for today’s athlete?
Looking forward to reading more of your blogs.
CBI Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 12:17 pm
Please, Kobe got his rings the same way Steve Kerr got his, riding domeone elses coat tails. Without Shaq, Kobe would have ZERO, 0, NONE rings
frank B Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 3:51 pm
CBI,
Wake up and realize that basketball is a team game. Don’t buy into the NBA hype that it was all Shaq and Kobe.
When David Stern came in he decided to shift the marketing from teams to individuals. Hence “Larry Bird versus Magic” instead of “Boston versus Los Angeles”.
Don’t forget Derick Fisher, Robert Horry,Horace Grant, Ron Harper, AC Green, Glen Rice, Rick Fox, Phil Jackson, and even Samaki Walker. Kobe wouldn’t have won any rings without them as well.
If the Cavaliers win, the NBA will make it all about Lebron because that’s what sells. Remember how the Cavs have been bounced out of the playoffs in a rude fashion for what, every year Lebron has been in the league? Was this his fault? Of course not. The best TEAM wins.
JayK Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 8:51 pm
michael bennet - a team is not struggling when they have won 3 games against the west’s best
Michael Bennett Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 10:36 pm
Wait, frank B… you’re telling us that TEAMs win games, not individuals? No…
Until you said something, I never ever thought of it that way.
Keith Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 10:38 pm
{NOTE: IF this shows up twice, feel free to delete one - my computer hiccupped so I’m not sure if it went through}
Michael Bennett - those numbers show where they finished in the voting this year, not how many they have won. I ALWAYS check my facts (unlike many people who post). I was just showing that LeBron ranked higher in this year’s voting in the awards categories, as well as dominating nearly every statistical category.
I agree that the argument over who is better is silly - that was my point. I was presenting facts that could not be argued with so we could end that part of the discussion. I also made several comments about the Cavaliers and why they should be the favoirte, the same points I have been making and expanding upon for several months. Please respond to these items instead of making a condescending remark about my post. I enjjoyed reading your other posts, so I hope you will follow up with something good! I only included the Kobe vs. Lebron section in response to the many other posts who bring it up. I didn’t want to read about it anymore - we should be concentrating on the teams. And I especially don’t want to read about Dwyane Wade - seriously? Did you watch the Miami/Atlanta series? wade looked like 2005 Kobe reincarnated, after Shaq left. Dribble out the clock a lot, try to score against three guys, take impossible shots, ignore open teammates, etc. watching those games made me ill, jsut so much bad basketball. Wade did have a great year (his box-score stuffing stats were unreal) but when I watched heat games I saw stretches of bad along with stretches of great, and I saw a guy trying to hard to dominate at times - and is he making his teammates better? Neither Kobe or Wade has won without Shaq. That’s why it’s so important for Kobe to win this year - it would put him at a whole new level historically.
Anyway…
The Cavaliers are playing at the highest possible level right now, and really have been totally clicking 100% since the joe Smith pickup (not that they weren’t damn good already). The only team even approaching their level of play and focus in the post-season has been the Nuggets.
So i also agree with Eddie’s premise on the article (the Cavs are indeed for real and will be difficult to beat) - my main point was : isn’t this a little late? It shouldn’t have taken the Cavaliers sweeping these series for people to notice how good they are, and it’s not exactly a big revelation to be writing this article now. Anyone that really understands and watches basketball should have figured it out before Christmas. Of course it’s different for me than a regular national columnist - while I watch a lot of NBA basketball, having grown up in Cleveland means I pay extra speciial attention to the Cavaliers and what’s going on with them. So I noticed the leap they made from “very good” to “special” in November, and they haven’t looked back. {Note - I’m sure Eddie has believed in the Cavs all year too, and just happens to be accentuating it now in the article - maybe they’ve exceeded what even he thought possible. I know he has a vast wealth of basketball knowledge, and I enjoy reading his pieces, which is why I comment on the board. Thanks Eddie! - I hope you can user your status as an NBA Insider to give us some really revealing features, things the average fan may not have access to.} A lot of these people who are down on the Cavs haven’t really watched them play much. I dare anyone to watch them for 5-6 games and not fall in love with the way they play. THey even rotate on defense in the 4th quarter when they are up 20 and the scrubs are in. They never let up, it’s unreal…
I live in Atlanta and I bought my ticket to game 4 before the series started and I told my friend “it will be good to see the elimination game”. I knew they were going to sweep the Hawks, who were just horribly overmatched. I think they will win the ECF in 5 (bound to lose a game at some point, right?), and they will win the Finals in 6. So I guess I agree with your earlier posts, and I also think that yes, that LeBron will eventually be regarded as the greatest player ever (like 15 years from now when it’s all over).
Think how difficult it will be for any team from the West to beat the Cavs. The Finals are 2-3-2 format. The Cavs aren’t going to lose 3 in a row, so that means the road team is losing one at home, which means they have to win 2 in Cleveland to a Cavs team that really only lost one game there all year (we can ignore the final game of the year since the Cavs ostensibly rested their top 7 players). That alone is improbable, and when you factor in Cleveland’s suffocating team defense, outside shooting, chemistry, and the brilliance of Lebron James, it’s almost improbable. After this is all over, everyone will become a bunch of revisionist historians, just like how everyone has forgotten that before 1991 no one thought Michael Jordan would ever win a championship. They said he couldnt’ make his teammates better like Magic and Bird and that a scoring champ couldn’t win the title blah blah blah… and then as soon as the Bulls won, there was a giant Jordan suck-off contest that went on for the next 8 years. Which is cool, because MJ was awesome and deserved every accolade. But back in 1988 people should have realized “hey, this guy is winning multple titals eventually”. Just once, I’d like to see the so-called “experts” in the media actually project and figure things out BEFORE they happen. I think Bill Simmons is the only one I read all year that picked Cleveland at the beginning of the year, realizing it was a 60-win team before everyone else. I picked them for 58 myself - 66 was unbelievable considering the time missed by West, Wallace, and Ilgauskus due to injury and the fact that Williams, West, Wallace, and Szczerbiak were still fairly new to the team and playing prominent roles.
I’m actually highly annoyed that Garnett is out because I wanted the cavaliers to ebat the Celtics without Garnett. Now Boston fans will ahve a bunch of excuses about Garnett being out, when really they can’t beat Cleveland in a 7-game series either way. They barely survived last year, and Clevleand is much better while Boston is worse. They’re actually playing Stephon Marbury, for Christ’s sake. As soon as they signed Marbury, I called my friend and said “well that clinches the East for Cleveland, if there were any doubts remaining.”
Laker fans are also deranged with some of their statements - the Cavaliers team has more playoff experience than the Lakers for one. LeBron, Varejao, Ilgauskas, Pavlovic and Gibson were all on the team that made the Finals run two years ago, and the cavs have really gone deep each of the past 3 seasons. Ben Wallace has a ring and much experience with the Pistons. Szczerbiak made the playoffs every year in Minnesota and one year they were in the conference finals. And Williams and West, the two guys without much playoff experience, they don’t seem to be too nervous, do they? Meanwhile, besides Kobe and Fisher, everyone on the Lakers has had one run - last year’s. The Lakers really don’t seem focused right now and they aren’t a lockdown on defense team. They rely too much on Kobe’s offensive heroics to bail them out, and he’s not consistently great anymore because he relies on the jumper more often than going to the hole and has to take a lot of difficult shots. The Lakers are also hurting at point guard - BAD. Think about the fact that they are giving Shannon Brown minutes - Shannon Brown couldn’t even make the Cavs rotation! They discarded him. And they haven’t made a lot of personnel mistakes with regards to getting rid of guys in the Lebron era (I won’t count the Boozer debacle - they wanted to keep him and just screwed it up). When Odom and Gasol are clicking together, they represent the biggets problem for the Cavs, but they aren’t clicking often enough to alter a 7-game series. Odom is all over the place. I don’t know what to make of him anymore; he baffles me.
I hope everyone is enjoying these AWESOME playoffs - lots of good theater so far. We”ve seen some teams just fall apart to the point where they are considering rebuilding or majorly retooling anyway (New Orleans, Atlanta). We’ve seen star player regain some of their rep (Dirk, Yao). We’ve seen big shots at the buzzer, great defensive plays, and the debuts of up and comers who will be around for years to come.
I LOVE THIS GAME!
~ Keith
pepe Said,
May 15, 2009 @ 11:48 pm
i’m really disappointed with these guys keep bragging that Kobe is better than Lebron coz he already got 3 rings. with those years that kobe had his 3 rings is he the main man? now tell me? coz i can’t seem to understand why you’re keep boasting about his 3 rings. I tell you this Kobe is just lucky because he had SHAQ deal with that. after SHAQ leaves tell me what Kobe did accomplish? can you guys explain further? I agree that Kobe is a great player but Lebron is still way above Kobe. And Lebron is a best in the league right now. And also a great player can make his teammates better and his team elevate to the next level. And to the guy who said that if Lebron and Kobe switch teams that Kobe could resemble or surpass Lebron is a joke. Why? Because he is a ballhog period!
shab Said,
May 16, 2009 @ 9:32 am
Kobe’s game is much nicer (looking), but lebron’s is def. more effective. Most importantly; his team imo stinks as compared to kobe. Other than Mo, the whole cavs starting lineup would be back up/role players on the lakers. And this BS about kobe playing in the triangle makes his numbers slip - he had that opportunity b4 phil came back. sure he scored more; like that season he exploded for 35ppg, but he was hoisting up 30 shots a game. he doesn’t rebound like lebron; he def. can’t pass like lebron; and lebron has already closed the defensive gap between them so much that some might argue that lebron is already a better defender hence finishing 2nd in dpoy. I can only imagine lebron having one other viable option on his team that can command a double team…Even if the cavs don’t win the title this yr (i personally think the lakers have too many offensive weapons); it won’t be long b4 lebron and bosh team up in 2010 and win 5 or 6…
Frank B Said,
May 16, 2009 @ 12:05 pm
Michael Bennett,
Sarcasm is the lowest form of humour.
Your man love of Lebron is off the charts.
You know, he’s not the only guy that ever played basketball well. I actually like him as a player and person, but you act like he is supernatural or something.
aldstar Said,
May 16, 2009 @ 1:16 pm
i common cut it out already, this year, lebron became the best player in the nba, but the story remains the same as it was with kobe, no one, will ever be better then jordan!
and even though the cavs are playing greast ball, i still tihnk lakers will become the champs, it’ll probably take them 6-7 games to defeat denver, and probably 7 to defeat the cavs, but the lakers will be the champs
aldstar Said,
May 16, 2009 @ 1:22 pm
also what i cant understand is that people talk like kobe didnt do sh*t to win those three rings, without kobe, shaq wouldnt have 3 rings with the lakers, its the same as jordan man he wouldnt have had 6 ringsd without pippen
kobe was almost mvp back in the days with shaq as his teammate
and everybody can say what they want, but lebron is probably gonna have like 4 mvps when he retires, but that wouldnt make him a way better player then kobe cause kobe played against the likes of tim duncan, kevin garnett, allen iverson and ofcourse shaq as his teammate, so it was much harder for kobe to win mvp’s back then, meanwhile lebron hasnt have that much competition
B-Ball Knowledge Said,
May 16, 2009 @ 2:10 pm
I’m with Frank B….. I wouldn’t mind reading some old-school stories about the NBA in the 80’s and 90’s.
I mean Eddie, you played with “Coach Fuller” (aka Reggie Theus), Otis Thorpe, Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, Hakeem (who somehow doesn’t get enough props in my opinion…even though he stole money from my Raptors!).
Man you played with…CHARLES BARKLEY!!!! Knew Isiah before he was “Isiah”.
For the sake of educating lots of the younger b-ball fans, and those that are jonesing for NBA treats from the glory days, I’d love to read some off-court stories. Maybe even some inside on the way some of those guys approached the game.
Obviously the crazier anecdotes can’t show up in print, but I find the NBA of yesterday gets spoken about only when someone wants to reference Michael or Magic or Larry.
What about Xavier McDaniel?
What about Larry Johnson?
What about Fat Lever and his triple double skills? (you ever notice Rafer Alston looks EXACTLY like him)
What about playing the Nuggets of the early to mid-80’s?
How did the players feel about Michael Jordan when he first burst on the scene? (did you guys view him similarly to the way people viewed Kobe a couple years back?)
Anyway….. try and make that one happen (or just write a tell-all book or something).
Onto your views of the Cavs. It’s spot on. I’m a Laker fan, and will be no matter what, but the way the Cavs have been performing how could you not see them as the clear cut favourites?
Their defence is not sufficating like the Celts were last year, but it’s just as good overall because they have such length in the frontcout.
Their overall team chemistry is on display even before the ball is tipped. How many other teams could fool around and take mock team photos, then jump out to a 25-10 lead before you could call your second timeout? That’s kinda scary to be honest. My Lakers are the complete opposite right now. They lack intensity and they’re playing tight…. that’s a recipe for disaster.
Kobe’s looks like he’d rather punch someone on the Laker bench, as opposed to encouraging them.
The Nuggets have the tools to get to the finals, but like you said, they could unravel at any moment. Derrick Fisher or Shane Battier would have a field day pissing those guys off.
The Celts are running on fumes (definitely they have a champions heart).
The Magic are still a player and a half away (that half could be you Pietrus!)
The Rockets won’t make it to the finals even if they beat the Lakers tomorrow. It just doesn’t seem realistic.
Keith Said,
May 16, 2009 @ 4:29 pm
To say that LeBron won’t have much competition to win compared to Kobe is a ridiculous statement. First of all - the fact that he just won his first this year despite the numbers he’s been putting up for 5 years and the Cavs ascension to the top of the East just shows how tough it is. Let’s make a list of the guys LeBron has to compete with for this award:
old guard (and all former winners):
Kobe Bryant
Tim Duncan
Dirk Nowitzki
Kevin Garnett
Steve Nash
guys hitting prime time:
Dwyane Wade
Dwight Howard
Chris Paul
Brandon Roy
Carmelo Anthony
Tony Parker
Yao Ming
Deron Williams
Amare Stoudemire
Gilbert Arenas
Chris Bosh
guys coming up behind whose teams aren’t quite there yet:
Kevin Durant
Al Jefferson
Derrick Rose
OJ Mayo
I’m sure I am forgetting a couple…but bottom line - it’s no cakewalk to win MVP. I mean, Shaq only has one. That’s hard to beleive really…
If you think that none of these guys has a chance to beat him for some of the future MVP’s, then he must really be that good because there are some serious Hall-of-Fame candidates on the list.
pvs Said,
May 16, 2009 @ 6:45 pm
kobe vs lebron? two words… “81 points” . then…three rings..one MVP. I rest my case.
JorCam Said,
May 17, 2009 @ 5:22 pm
I’m a Cleveland fan….just watched Kobe with the likes of Odom and Gasol dismantle the Rockets. Previous to that, win with Shaq, as did DWade.
Before the arrival of Mo (who was a cast-off) we NEVER have had any ammo to work with. Period. Heck, with the exception of Z (whose 33) the whole team is an array of nobody’s. You think these guy’s are getting better? No…LB is putting them in a position to succeed. I WISH we had a true big man or power forward like Amare or Bosh. Then we can make apple to apple comparisons with Kobe and DWade.
We all saw what DWade was able to do this year with a weaker cast (Nothing). Chris Paul? LOL. LB took a cast of misfits to the Finals two years ago.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 17, 2009 @ 10:10 pm
I don’t understand why people kept stressing about how good Cleveland is at home and fail to mention how good Lakers is on the road. Lakers is the best road team, and second best home team and is the only team yet to really beat cleveland at home. People also kept talking about Cleveland is bound to win championship this year ‘cuz they have the best record this year. Come on, yes, they do have the best record, which is ONE win more than the lakers. Is that really THAT HUGE? no, the gap isn’t that huge and the fact that Lakers swept them out is significant. Yes, LeBron is hungry and is the best player this year, but all things aside, I do believe Lakers have more depth. It comes down to mentally whether or not Lakers are ready. They have mental lapse here and there as we can see from the Houston series. But if they’re determined, then you see how they just dominate over the opponents. From Utah to Houston, there are numerous games where Lakers took the lead to over 20 points and then started to relax and let the opponent cut into the lead. I think it’s a coach’s job to keep the players mentally focus. If Lakers can stay focus then it’s really hard to beat them 4 times in 7 tries. People kept talking about how it’s tough to beat Cleveland 4 times in 7 tries, hey, it’s not a walk in the park against the Lakers either. Bynum is finally slowly getting into game shape and that’s really going to be a factor on the Denver series. LeBron is the best player right now in the NBA, I’m not denying that. However, I do believe Lakers is deeper and more talented than the Cleveland team. All in all, it’ll turn out to be a great series for both western & eastern conferernce finals.
Michael Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 1:41 am
Nice article Eddie, here is a little test for all of these non-believers that Lebron is the best player in the league. Which player out of Kobe, Lebron & Wade can do the most on the court while being double-teamed?
Easily Lebron, that is why he is surrounded with jump-shooters. One man can’t guard him and most of the time two can’t do it either. Kobe & Wade can both be contained by one man and slowed considerably by two.
I’m going for the upset with Denver over the Lakers. They are just too tough and their top eight, minus Carter, can drop BIG numbers on any given night. They also can each man up and defend their own guy without help.
Bynum isn’t leaving his feet yet and Gasol is too soft and weak to fight with Nene, Martin and Melo up front. Billups will dominate Fisher and Farmar. Odom is still feeling his injury and doesn’t win any of the match-ups, especially if he comes off the bench and matches up with Anderson who is defending above the rim and is just as tall as Odom and moves better right now.
Jackson was badly out-coached by Adelman and Karl is next up and hungry. Jackson seems tired and not very enthusiastic. He has lost that “Zen Master” edge he used to have over opposing coaches.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 2:16 am
I have to disagree with you Michael, Kobe and Wade both can NOT be contained by one man. You ask any NBA critic/analyst, and they’ll tell you they both cannot be contained by one man. Are you telling me that Kobe scoring 81 points is a fluke? You don’t think the oppositing team was trying to guard him with all the players out there? You don’t think Kobe by himself outscored Dallas (was that Kobe 62 pts vs dallas team 61 pts) through 3 quarters is a fluke if he can easily be contained by one guy? I know LeBron is virtually unguardable because of how strong this guy is but to say that Kobe and Wade can both be contained by single coverage is exaggeration.
You mentioned that Nuggets top 8 can all drop big number any given night? What kind of number are you looking at? I don’t think nene or Kmart are really that much of a scoring threat. The only scoring threats are Melo, Chauncey and JR. I don’t know where you’re coming from when saying their top 8 are all capable of dropping big numbers. If that’s the case, Lakers would have even more weapons to have big nights. On top of that Lakers would kill Nuggets in rebounds. With Bynum, Odom and Gasol in there Lakers would benefit from the size. they’ll really miss the presence of Camby.
Your argument of chauncey killing Lakers on the back court might or might not be valid. If Deron Williams cannot consistently have good night against Lakers, then I don’t see how Chauncey is a better player than Deron Williams is. Carmelo will be a tough cover, but Ariza is an excellent defender so it’ll be an interesting challenge for Ariza. As for the Nuggets, they don’t really have anyone to guard Kobe. Maybe Kmart, but that means someone else would have to guard Bynum or Gasol or Odom, and their length will just overwhelm the Nuggets squad.
There is a reason why Lakers beat Nuggets 3 out of 4 times in the regular season and 10 out of 11 times in two seasons including last year playoffs. Don’t forget this, Denver is barely .500 (21-20) on the road this year, Lakers is the best road team in the NBA and second best home team. Denver will really have to work hard to win in LA.
Gin Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 7:13 am
Fool’s gold! The Cavs look good beating Detroit and Atlanta, two teams that really did not put up a fight, especially, Detroit. If Orlando play defense for two games of this series, they could beat Cleveland.
Cleveland is a team with three scorers (James, Williams, West), make Cleveland play their bench and they will not win. Wally and Gibson are the only two other players that bring offense from the bench and both are jump shooters; so their shots will have to be falling to make a difference and one (Wally) don’t play good defense. Mean while, the Lakers are a team to be very careful with; this team will win the Finals.
Keith Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 10:56 am
First of all - the endless Kobe vs. LeBron debate keep rearing it’s ugly head. The argument “kobe - 81 points, 3 rings, 1 MVP” is flawed - Kobe has played 7 more years than LeBron and has had a Hall of Fame teammate in Shaq! (one of the 5 best centers ever, regardless in what order u put Shaq, Kareem, Wilt, Russell, and Hakeem). The point of the discussion is “NOW” not “CAREER” - right now at this point in time LBJ is a little better, but they’re both great and we should enjoy them both. The career discussion can be had after LeBron has had 15 years to play and accumulate things. This is all conjecture anyway really. No two players are on equal ground, so all comparisons are somewhat flawed. I mean, go back to draft day 1982 and have the Lakers take Dominique Wilkens instead of James Worthy. You think those 2 uys don’t have different careers in that scenario?!!!
Also, part of the reason that Detroit and Atlanta “did not put up a fight” was that Cleveland beat them into submission. I went to game 4 of the Cavs/Hawks - the Hawks were trying, believe me, they were just thoroughly overmatched. Cleveland was totally off on the offensive end that night except for Delonte West, and they still won by 10 in the end. Cleveland wouldn’t have let a Houston team without their 2 best players win 2 games. By the way - the Cavaliers went 27-14 on the road, so even if they played no home games, it’s still a 54 win team.
Oh…just for fun, let’s look at the 2006-2007 LAKERS (who went 42-40):
Kobe 31.6 / 5.7 / 5.4
Lamar Odom
Andrew Bynum
Luke Walton
Sasha Vujacic
Jordan Farmar
Maurice Evans
Ronny Turiaf
Vladimir Radmanovic
Kwame Brown
Smush Parker
Brian Cook
So it’s basically the same team as now minuns Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza - and they won 42 games. The year before that, with Kobe, Odom, and Caron Butler they won only 34 games.
Now the 2006-2007 Cavs (50-32):
LeBron 27.3 / 6.7 / 6.0
Anderson Varejao
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Sasha Pavlovic
Daniel Gibson
Larry Hughes
Drew Gooden
Donyell Marshall
Damon Jones
Eric Snow
Ira Newble
David Wesley
NOW - which team is better on paper? Even if you say it’s a wash on paper, Cleveland won 10 more games with this squad, AND made it to the Finals.
So it seems to me that Pau is the key to the Lakers moving up to the next level. Last year, before trading for Pau, the Lakers were 30-16, then after Pau arrived, they were 27-9; however they were 5-4 when Pau was hurt, so really with Gasol they were 22-5! So that’s 22-5 with Pau and 35-20 without Pau…hmmm…this year they went 64-17 with Pau, so that’s 86-22 in two years with Pau Gasol aboard (.796 win pct)
Extrapolate that to Kobe with Shaq or Pau vs. Kobe w/o Shaq or Pau:
Kobe 948 games played 86 games missed
Lakers are
625-323 (.659) when Kobe plays
53-33 (.616) when Kobe doesn’t play
however, split it this way:
335-124 (.730) when Kobe and Shaq played together
86-22 (.796) when Kobe and Pau play together
204-177 (.535) when Kobe plays without either Shaq or Pau
53-33 (.616) when Kobe doesn’t play
hmmmm
frank B Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 11:20 am
Keith,
It is amazing that you can write that many words but not make any sense.
Are you telling me that Zydrunas Ilgauskas is not better than Kwame Brown, Larry Hughes/David Wesley are both not better than Smush Parker, Drew Gooden is worse than Luke Walton (nobody is worse than Luke Walton), or that Lamar Odom dominates over Drew Gooden and Donyell Marshall?
Your dreaming. Your logic doesn’t work.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 2:13 pm
Keith, Cavs made it to the finals that year because east was weak. For the past 10 years we all know that west is far more superior than the east. This is one year where East gets respectable because they have Cavs, Celtics and Magic. However, all in all, west is still a more competitive conference than the east.
Michael Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 3:12 pm
That is fine adklajdsfj Said, it is only an opinion but next time when you want to analyze someone, try and stay within the spirit of the vocabulary they are using.
I used “contained” instead of stopping and within the context of “who can do more when double-teamed” for a reason.
How do you stop the Lakers? You make Kobe a scorer and he takes his teammates out of the game for you. Also while he does all of the scoring, he does nothing else, unlike Lebron who can still rebound, assist, & defend. So your rebuttal does nothing to refute my point.
BTW, where in my post did I say containment would be done “easily”?
Shane Battier just contained Kobe all by his lonesome just last week.
As far as Nene and Martin not being scorers, where did I say that they were?
Martin is only a 14 point per game career scorer but has dropped 35 before and 26 recently.
Nene averaged 14 this season and has dropped 28 twice before.
35 and 28 I consider a big night. Now here is a little critical thinking exercise for you. I wasn’t comparing them to Kobe’s 81. Last series they could have left Chuck Hayes unguarded and he wouldn’t have scored but maybe two points.
My point is the Lakers will get burned if they leave a man open for a double-team, all of Denver’s starters are capable scorers. They don’t have role players other than Dahntay Jones who is a much better scorer than Chuck Hayes.
Are you even watching the Lakers? BYNUM ISN’T JUMPING OR LEAVING THE FLOOR! Odom is playing with a bad back! Denver is not Houston without centers. Nene is 6′-11″ and stronger than Bynum and Gasol combined. Martin will push Odom and Gasol out of the lane and is 6′10″. Ariza CANNOT keep Melo off the boards.
Denver grabbed 42 boards per game while the Lakers 44. Two rebounds per game is NOT getting killed. If the Lakers are so long up front, then why did the Nuggets block 6 shots per game to the Lakers 5? They both get about 8 steals per game.
When Deron Williams earns his 1st finals ring and MVP then you can mention him in the same sentence as Chauncey.
So Ariza can guard Melo while defensive specialist Dahntay Jones, 6′6″ & 210# can’t? Or the equally athletic and big J.R. Smith? Nobody can guard Kobe, just make him work hard and keep him “contained”, making him a scorer.
You are obviously a Laker homer and cannot be objective. My team is the Suns and was simply making an unbiased observation based off of 40 years of basketball knowledge.
P Lewis James Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 3:43 pm
Not so fast Cav and Laker fans you both have conference finals that you could lose if you are not at the top of your game! The Cavs could lose the opening game if they are rusty from being off for what seems like forever. The Lakers are worn down from their series with the Rockets. The Orlando team presents a unique set of matchup problems for the Cavs. The Denver Nuggets will give the the Lakers all they want. On paper the Lakers and the Cavs should prevail but that is why they play the games!
Keith Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 3:59 pm
Most of my items posted in my various posts, including Kobe’s winning percentages with and without his big guys (which you chose not to comment on), are facts, so they make as much as sense as they can, if you understand them. Not sure what else to say…
I’m tired of hearing how a team ‘made it to the Finals because the conference is weak’ - you still have to win all of those playoff series and there are a lot of so-called superstars that have trouble even getting into the second round. Cleveland still had to beat a seasoned Detroit team on the road that year, as well as a Nets team with two Hall-of-Fame caliber players in Jason kidd and Vince Carter and a Wizards team with 3 All-Stars (Arenas, Butler, and Jamison - so still have 2 All-Stars even without Arenas playing much one year). Meanwhile, I can exhaust myself listing guys who have played in the East for years with very limited, if any, playoff success: Tracy McGrady, Michael Redd, Stephon Marbury, Chris Bosh, Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, Emeka Okafor, Andrew Bogut, Joe Johnson, Ben Gordon, Danny Granger, Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, etc. - if the East is so easy to win, why don’t any of these guys get past round 1 on a regular basis, much less win the conference?!!! Let’s give Cleveland credit for beating who was in front of them, and fairly convingingly. None of those series even went 7 games. Cleveland eventually beat the #1 seed (Detroit). You think those Lakers would have gone thru the East and made it to the Finals that year? And it’s not like the Spurs had the toughest draw that year - Phoenix got decimated during their series by suspensions (remember Stoudemire and Diaw?) and injuries (Nash sat out key moments at end of game 1 because of bleeding, and #1 seed Dallas got knocked out by Golden State. It wasn’t exactly the 95 Rockets rolling thru four 57+-win teams (4 best teams in NBA that year). Things happen in the playoffs - for example, Boston missing Garnett this year, Golden State losing Rick Barry in ‘76. BUt you still have to take advantage and win those series. Lakers lost Kareem in 1980 Finals and won aynway, because of Magic’s ridiculous Game 6.
AND
James and the Cavaliers went 26-4 this year against the “more competitive West” and “only” went 40-12 against the East. The West had a bunch of bottom feeder this year (Sacramento, OKC, Golden State, etc.) so the top half of the conference had inflated records.
There is no doubt that Lamar Odom is a far superior player to Drew Gooden - Gooden has not even been able to keep his starting job consistently on various teams. His best skill is offensive rebounding. Odom was the centerpiece of the Shaq trade!
oh, and Donyell Marshall? seriously? We’re talking about old broken down Donyell Marshall who could only shoot spot-up 3’s, remember? Not young Donyell Marshall, who was a disppointment anyway.
Let me explain something to you about the backcourt for the 2006-2007 Cavaliers. It may have been the worst collection of bricklayers ever assembled for an NBA team, much less one with a winning record. Here are the shooting percentages for this illustrious group:
Larry Hughes (god he was just AWFUL for the Cavaliers - did not fit in at all)
40.0% FG%
42.0% 2-pt FG%
33.3% 3-pt FG%
43.9% eff. FG%
67.6% FT%
Eric Snow
41.7% FG%
42.2% 2-pt FG%
00.0% 3-pt FG% (that’s right - Snow made 45 starts at PG and played 1929 minutes and did not make a SINGLE 3-pt shot all year)
41.7% eff. FG%
63.7% FT%
Sasha Pavlovic
45.3% FG%
47.4% 2-pt FG%
40.5% 3-pt FG%
51.4% eff. FG%
78.7% FT%
Damon Jones
38.6% FG%
38.7% 2-pt FG%
38.5% 3-pt FG%
51.1% eff. FG%
68.2% FT%
David Wesley
29.3% FG%
35.1% 2-pt FG%
23.7% 3-pt FG%
35.3% eff. FG%
71.4% FT%
So that’s 5 players who combined for 7584 minutes played and yet couldn’t shoot. Ilgauskas is a very good center, but Lamar Odom is the third best player listed (after LeBron and Kobe, Ilgauskas would be 4th). Odom is averaging approx. 15pts., 9 reb., and 4 ast., 1blk, 1stl for his career and has twice avergaed a double-double. Right now in rebounds per game, he’s the 10th leading active ranked player, and the 9 guys ahead of him are all big guys like Howard, Duncan, Shaq. etc.
Oh, Drew Gooden must be good, huh? Is that why the injury-depleted Spurs played him a whole 71 minutes in this year’s slaughter at the hands of the Mavericks? Is that why Memphis, Orlando, Cleveland, and Chicago all got better after they traded him away?
By the way, LeBron won 42 games his second year with Jeff McInnis, Ira Newble, Tractor Traylor, Eric Snow, and Lucious Harris combining to play 8782 minutes(!). I don’t care what conference you are in - that’s impressive. And by the way, the Cavs did not make the playoffs that year even with a winning record (lost tiebreaker to Nets), so it’s not like the conference was a walk in the park to get through
I agree that Smush Parker is terrible though…
(As a aside - learn english. “You’re” means “You are”. “Your” implies possession. Most of us learned this in the 3rd grade.)
I agree with your earlier post that basketball is a team game. LeBron is the best team leader. He is allowing his teammates to blossom, so guys like Maurice Williams, Delonte West, and Anderson Varejao can become killers in the ways that they are best. The Cavaliers are more than the sum of their individual pieces. The team finds the positive in each player - Ben Wallace can’t score - so what? he’s great on defense and brings intensity. Wally is a step slow after ten years - so what? he’s valuable as a versatile offensive role player and still has a strong competitive drive. That they are getting the most out of every player is a tribute to the basketball genius of LeBron James.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 4:12 pm
Eddie - Please install a new word maximum.
Keith Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 5:13 pm
What’s wrong with a long post as long as it’s about basketball and the topic at hand? If you don’t want to read it, then skip over it! I’m just responding to comments made in reply to my posts. If I broke a long post into a bunch of small posts it would still be the same thing, wouldn’t it? Sorry if my taking time to include facts to back up my statements is bothersome.
(You ought to be more annoyed at people who obviously troll on the board, no?)
I think that Lakers/Nuggets and Cleveland/whoever will both be hard-fought interesting series - looking forward to it!
Keith Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 5:20 pm
question for Eddie:
You started in years 2-4, and pretty much led your team in scoring those years, and then you were entering your prime - and then that’s when you started to become a “6th man”. Were you on board with that decision at the time? It just seems odd to me that a team who really hasn’t been that successful and didn’t really have adequate repalcements to start could justify putting you on the bench. I understood it when you were in Phoenix, but did not realize until I looked it up that you started less than 40% of your games the final 2 years in Sacramento - were you a part of that decision? Or did they just tell you that’s how it was?
Also, please write an article reminding people how great Kevin Johnson was. He always seems to get lost in historical discussions of point guards. You played with him firsthand, so I’m sure you have more of an insider take on this. I mean, here’s a guy that averaged over 20 pts and 12 assists and shot over 50% fromt he field in 1988-89 and did not even make the All-Star team! So I guess it’s not that surprising that national recognition is not as forthcoming years later.
Thanks, and hoop on!
Keith
Michael Bennett Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 7:14 pm
Keith - I agree with a lot of what you say. In fact, I’ve been on here for a couple of years saying similar statements. But, unlike you, I’m concise.
You can say ALL OF THAT ^ without the book. Like this:
Cavs will beat the Magic in 5 games.
Lakers will beat Denver in 6 games.
LeBron is the best player in the world. Kobe is a couple of hairs behind him.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 7:41 pm
Keith, I never deny the fact that Lebron is an awesome player. I was simply stating the fact that eastern conference was weaker the year that they went on to the finals. and as I’ve mentioned this year, east is getting more respectable because of the big 3 out East. However, if you simply just wanna look at the records and show me how well Cleveland is against the west this year, that’s fine. But it’s not simple as black and white, if you have to play lakers 4 times in a season, Spurs 4 times in a season, Dallas, New Orlean, Denver, Utah, Houston, day in and day out I do not believe Cleveland will have the same record as they have right now, again, this is my opinion, you’re welcome to disagree. If you want to say that any of the top 8 nuggets player is capable of big night, then you can simply apply the same concept for the Lakers. It’s never just about the superstar players, it’s also the role players around the star players. If you think that Lebron is so good ‘cuz they went onto the finals that year, then Iverson is probably a step ahead of Lebron then. Iverson was in a team with ZERO all-star but him, who did he have again when he went to the finals? He had Snow, McKie, Jumaine Jones, can you even remember who he had? At least LeBron got big-Z who’s a legitimate all-star center. All in all, I’m not arguing on LeBron’s greatness, and I do believe when everything’s said and done, he’ll probably be remembered as the best player ever played the game (barring any career-ending injuries).
Seriously, you really would pick Chauncey over Deron Williams at this stage? On top of that Shane Battier didn’t really contain Kobe, there are a few games he did a good job, but there are also a few where Kobe was just unstoppable. You cannot simply say that Chauncey is better because he’s got Finals MVP and a ring, he was playing. If that’s the case, Paul Pierce should be up there as well, better than Kobe since Kobe never won finals MVP before. and if # of rings count, then Robert Horry is better than Michael Jordan. Seriously, Deron Williams is much better than Chauncey at this stage of career. There’s a reason why Deron Williams is getting max contract, and Chauncey will never get that kind of money. He does bring good leadership and good defense to the Denver team, but I don’t buy into the idea of Chauncey being better just ‘cuz he’s got the Finals MVP & won a ring. How many years have Chauncey played and how many years have Deron played? Who knows.. maybe if Deron played as many years as Chauncey, he might get a ring or two.
Michael Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 10:02 pm
From Said:
“Seriously, you really would pick Chauncey over Deron Williams at this stage? On top of that Shane Battier didn’t really contain Kobe, there are a few games he did a good job, but there are also a few where Kobe was just unstoppable. You cannot simply say that Chauncey is better because he’s got Finals MVP and a ring, he was playing. If that’s the case, Paul Pierce should be up there as well, better than Kobe since Kobe never won finals MVP before. and if # of rings count, then Robert Horry is better than Michael Jordan. Seriously, Deron Williams is much better than Chauncey at this stage of career. There’s a reason why Deron Williams is getting max contract, and Chauncey will never get that kind of money.”
Your logic is flawed and irrelevant to your rebuttals and is the whole point of my responses.
Just because player “A” (Williams) did poorly against the Lakers does not mean that player “B” will also fair poorly against the same team. It is a classic illogical fallacy.
Billups is in his prime and has led a good team to the ECF the previous 6(?) times, the finals and earned a finals MVP. He is only 32 and still in his prime. So yes, Billups is the logical choice to take a high-strung team like the Nuggets all the way. There isn’t even an argument here, NONE, based off of what Billups has ALREADY accomplished for the Nuggets. There is NOTHING to indicate that Williams could exceed or even remotely match what Billups has already shown what he does for the Nuggets.
What does Williams making more money have to do with this argument? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Rashard Lewis makes more money then a lot of people including teammate Hedo Turkgolu. Hedo is the better player and runs the Magic as a “point forward” while still scoring and rebounding. Who won game 7 for them, Lewis or Hedo? Hedo hands down , no argument.
Your fascination with the definition of “containment” and Kobe being an 81 point per game scorer only supports my point of view. “Containment” is getting the player to play the style of game that YOUR coach wants. Battier did exactly that. Yes Kobe scored but nobody plays defense more perfectly on Kobe then Battier. Kobe becoming a scorer, working very hard, expelling energy taking contested & difficult shots, & keeping him out of rhythm. It is the least of the evils that you want from Kobe. In Kobe’s specific case, that is containing him, he is doing what you want. Battier also plays him straight up, minimizing double teams and leaving other Lakers open for jumpers and cuts to the basket. MINIMIZING, not eliminating.
Give it up already.
Craig Bailey Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 10:44 pm
Honestly nobody should be callin an individuals opinion biased b cuz in reality we are all biased. Even in Freshman Law classes, Professors will set up an incident, let’s say someone runs in the room and slaps the professor then runs out. Every student then has to describe what they saw. I gurantee u that there would be about 20 different versions of wat happened.
With the said, most of u aren’t even presenting both sides, if u think Denver will beat the Lakers u state the advantaged the Nuggets over the Lakers but u don’t state the multitude of advantages the Lakers have over them. And same thing wit Cleveland & Orlando. And please stop bringin up wat happened yrs ago. I never hear anyone talk more about the team that lost in the finals 2 years after the fact like sum of u talk about the Cavs. Smh. And to correct 1 of u, the Wizards were without Agent Zero & Antwan Jamison, not jus Gilbert, so make sure u get ur facts straight.
Michael Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 10:55 pm
Said says:
“There’s a reason why Deron Williams is getting max contract, and Chauncey will never get that kind of money.”
This is the most ridiculous statement ever posted here as support for who is the better player.
So NBA players are NEVER over-paid or under-paid? Here is another critical thinking exercise for you Said. Why would different players be paid inappropriate salaries, not being commensurate with their respective abilites?
Lets compare Billups and Williams.
Billups was traded his rookie season by Boston to Toronto, then to Denver, and finally with the Magic where he never a game due to injury. That is his rookie contract. How does that warrant any type of money? Was it Billups fault due to a lack of talent? No.
Conversely Williams was drafted by a team that would start him and be coached by Jerry Sloan, the same coach who only coached the NBA’s best point guard in the history of the league. Williams has an opportunity to develop into one of the best point guards in the league. Why would Utah might be “forced” into a max contract besides Williams talent? Players do not like living in Utah, especially black players. It is what it is.
Now when Billups finally signed on with Detroit after five years in the league and his break-out season with the Wolves, he cannot demand the same type of money yet.
Now after proving himself, he finally gets his big payday. It isn’t a max contract, by why? Billups is on a contending team that won a ring and has top players around him; Hamilton, Prince, Wallace (Rasheed & Ben), & McDyess. It cost money to keep a good team together & Billups knew he would have to take less to resign with Detroit, which he did.
Detroit traded Ben Wallace the previous season because they couldn’t afford him. Billups didn’t want to lose any more teammates and took less because he was a PROVEN winner, taking success over money.
Williams demanding a max contract means Utah cannot afford Okur, Boozer AND Millsap. Utah will lose Boozer. Williams rather have his money then a ring.
Advantage Billups. So Williams might be more talented but who do you want, the proven winner or the guy who hasn’t accomplished a thing with a very talented Utah team?
So how does money play ANY part of who is the better player? Do you even follow the NBA or did you just recently jump on the Lakers bandwagon after the Gasol trade?
BTW, Billips signed a five year-$60 million deal, not exactly a poor contract. It cost Utah $20 million more to retain Williams at a cost to a less talented Utah team in the future.
So according to your flawed logic, Williams is $20 million dollars better than Billups but yet Billups has the ring and MVP. Hmmmmmm…..
Michael Said,
May 18, 2009 @ 11:15 pm
Rajon Rondo is on a $5-$6 million dollar contract and is Boston’s starter and plays 40 minutes per game. He is backed up by Marbury who earns almost $20 million of a max contract. He plays about 12 minutes per game.
How can that be? Marbury must be the better player because he has a max contract. But yet he backs-up a 2nd year player who has already won a title while he has never led a team anywhere.
I’m afraid to listening to your rationale for that within the context of your previous declaration that the max contract player is the better player because he has a max contract.
Good luck getting yourself out of that one Said.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 12:18 am
I’m simply stating the fact that Deron Williams is a better player than Chauncey Billup and it’ll be ridiculous to think that Chauncey is in his prime. Rajon is playing superb basketball right now, but he’s on his rookie contract, which is never a max contract, so.. we can keep that to rest. I love how you guys can be so biased towards your opinion, like how chauncey would be unstoppable and how melo cannot be contained, and how KMart & Nene were so physical and how Jones will lock Kobe up. Sure thing, if everything runs in perfect world, then all those things would happen. What about Kobe scores 50 on Denver, Gasol gets 25/12, Bynum getting 15/15 and odom getting 15/12 while Fish gets 10, Ariza gets 15? Its easy to say denver can do this and that, what about Lakers can do as much.. if not more. Is Denver so good that’s why they lost to lakers 10 out of the last 11 times? Is Denver so good so they’re 11 games behind Lakers on the records? Chauncey is a proven winner, and you saying Deron is not? You ask any nba critic ’bout the best point guards in the NBA, first two names that pop out will be CP3 and DWilliams, that’s the reality, and that’s the hard fact.
As far as max contract player is the best… I do agree there are players who are overpaid, and I do not believe any NBA coach or owner would think Deron Williams is overpaid. If you said that yes, Finley, Jermaine O’Neal, Kidd were overpaid, they will tell you right now yes they are, but for DWilliams at this stage, nobody would say he’s overpaid. I’m bringing up the max contract player argument because Keith obviously would like to use “one finals MVP + one ring” argument for Chauncey. Just ‘cuz he has one ring and one finals mvp does that means he’s the BEST PG in the NBA, if that’s the case, then Tony Parker should be the best PG in the NBA ‘cuz he has 3 rings with one finals MVP? and base on that same concept Paul Pierce would be the BEST SF in the NBA. Keith, your argument is as laughable when bringing up the finals MVP + one ring argument. Think twice, your argument isn’t valid. Oh and yeah, Tony Parker is a proven winner as well so that officially makes Parker the best PG in the league period.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 12:20 am
and Michael, don’t just take one paragraph out and smear my logics here. If given a choice, I would take Deron williams over Chauncey Billup at this stage of their career. Would you agree? or would you not?
adklajdsfj Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 12:21 am
and yes Michael, when Rajon’s contract is due, he’s going to get big reward. He’s on his rookie contract, so.. don’t even go there.
Michael Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 2:16 am
“I’m simply stating the fact that Deron Williams is a better player than Chauncey Billup and it’ll be ridiculous to think that Chauncey is in his prime.”
That isn’t what you were saying at all. Weak , very weak.
“and yes Michael, when Rajon’s contract is due, he’s going to get big reward. He’s on his rookie contract, so.. don’t even go there.”
Wow! Just as bad as I anticipated. Now you are saying that Rondo is already a worthy of a max contract! The point is that if their wasn’t a contract limiting rookie pay, Rondo WOULD STILL NOT HAVE A MAX CONTRACT TODAY!
Again weak, very weak.
Prim age for basketball players is anywhere in their mid-twenty’s to 32 years of age. Billups is 32.
Nash won MVP’s at ages 31 & 32, in his PRIME.
If Billups is doing so well with Denver, why would you take Williams? If you were building a new team without veterans then you take Williams but Denver NEEDS Billups leadership to be successful. Nuggets wouldn’t respond to Williams the way they do to Billups.
I won’t even waste my time responding to the rest of your mess. Your game is very weak. Bye-bye!
adklajdsfj Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 2:59 am
Michael, did I ever say that Rondo will get max contract? please find the line where I said he’s going to get max contract. I simply stated that he’ll get rewarded, 8, 9, 10M a year I’d say is what he’s going to get. and “weak” is all you can say? NICE COUNTER! No, 32 years of age is NOT prime in the NBA just cuz Nash won it that year does NOT mean that’s his prime. Are you telling me that Shaq at 32 is at his prime? Duncan at 32 is at his prime? Are you also telling me Jason Kidd at 32 is at his prime. Gimme a break, 32 is NOT prime for majority of the NBA players. Yes there are exceptions, but most of the NBA players do not prime at 32. Find me all the players who peak at 32, and I will easily find you more players who declines at 32. Either way, you fail to answer my question, if you were to pick, you would take Deron Williams or Chauncey? With today’s economy, if both of them are on the market right now, Deron will still score max contract, and I highly doubt Chauncey will get a max contract out there. Deron is one of the top 2 PG in the NBA period, only CP3 is worth mentioning in terms of best PG talk. Again, do not smear what I said with your own imagination. I never said that Rondo is going to get max contract, I said he’s going to get big reward, he’s going to get around 6 years roughly 50 to 60M. If Denver were to have Deron Williams, they’d have better record than what they have right now, if Utah replaces Deron with Chauncey, they will not make it to the playoffs. and sure, don’t waste your time responding anymore ‘cuz your counter arguments are non-existent at best.
Michael Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 8:05 am
Oh come on already, are you really this slow?
Your argument is that a player earning a max contract is guaranteed to be a better player then one who isn’t. Have you forgotten? GO BACK AND READ YOUR POSTS!
Of course a player will start to decline in his thirties but that doen’t change the FACT that the majority of basketball people will define the prime age for basketball players as a range from 26-32 years of age. You said that it is ridiculous to think that these players are in their prime at age 32. 32 is the last year of their prime. Yes, Shaq, Kidd, Billups, Nash were all in their prime at age 32.
“Smear me with your imagination?” Is English your third or fourth language? Because you definitely have comprehension issues.
Eddie step in and explain to Said that he took a horrible beating trying to support his own ridiculous points and didn’t have the balls to stand by what he posted. Thanks.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 8:07 am
You’re crazy if you think Deron Williams would be a better recipe for success in Denver. Chauncey Billups was the spark of that team, and he’s proving to also be the glue.
I love Deron Williams, but you can’t project his greatness in the Denver lineup. What I do know is that Denver is sitting pretty as the hottest team in the Playoffs right now, in large part due to Chauncey Billups’ talent and leadership.
He’s a proven winner and he’s leading the Nuggets deep into the Playoffs. Deron Williams is fishing.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 10:10 am
It looks like Jerry West agrees with the idea that LeBron is better than Kobe:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4178437
One more SMART person saying it…
Michael Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 10:17 am
Don’t waste your time Michael B., he doesn’t stand by his own postings and changes what he thinks he said every time you prove him wrong. It is like arguing with a child who takes the short yellow bus to school.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 11:18 am
ha Michael, why don’t you stand by your comment of not wasting your time posting anymore? Just ‘cuz Utah is out doesn’t mean Chauncey is better than Deron Williams. Ask any GM right now, they’ll gladly pick Deron Williams over Chauncey Billups at this point of their career, and no, 32 is not at the final stage of their prime, it’s PAST their prime and it applies to majority of the NBA players. Like I’ve indicated, there will be exceptions, but the general concensus is that at 32, an NBA player already past their prime. So.. stop your nonsense, I think both Michael were just too stubborn to open up their mind. Once you have your mind set on your own personal opinion, you do not open it up. By the way, like I said, this year, LeBron James is the best player, I never deny that. So.. read the article carefully. and no, I did not say max contract player will always be better than non-max player. Here you go again Michael, taking something out of the context and turning it into your own words. I’m standing by my opinion firm, it’s you who took my words out of context. Chauncey will never get a max contract, Deron did, and AT THIS STAGE of their career, Deron is a better player, and yes, I do believe if you put Deron in Denver, Denver will fare better right now. oh oh oh, Denver is so great so they lost to the Lakers 10 out of last 11 meetings.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 11:23 am
oh, by the way, you shouldn’t even bring Chauncey into discussion. Wait ’til he has an Olympic Gold Medal then we’ll talk.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 12:02 pm
What does an Olympic gold medal have to do with the NBA? NOTHING.
Right now, Chauncey Billups is better than Deron Williams. It’s that simple. He’s a better shooter, a better leader and better defender. And, he took his team to the Western Conference Finals… maybe the Finals.
How many NBA Championships does Deron Williams have? How many Finals MVPs does Deron Williams have? Deron Williams might be better one day, but RIGHT NOW, Chauncey Billups is THE best point guard in the League.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 12:35 pm
I brought it up because you guys kept bringing up the fact that Deron doesn’t have Finals MVP or a ring, but that’s in the past, why bother bringing up? Chauncey couldn’t even get selected to the Olympic team, how can he be the best PG in the NBA? You guys kept bringing the argument of Chauncey had Finals MVP and a ring, THAT’S IN THE PAST, he’s 32 RIGHT NOW! Wait ’til he gets an Olympic gold medal then we talk. Best proof that Deron is better PG than Chauncey, if both Deron & Chauncey were open for trades for Iverson, Denver would of taken Deron over Chauncey without blinking their eyes.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 12:38 pm
oh, how is Chauncey better shooter than Deron when Chauncey is not even shooting 42% from the field in regular season why Deron is getting 47%? Unless you’re talking about just the FT shooting, and obviously Deron nets LOT more assists than Chauncey.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 8:40 pm
I thought we weren’t supposed to bring up the past (you wrote “how is Chauncey better shooter than Deron when Chauncey is not even shooting 42% from the field in regular season why Deron is getting 47%”)
RIGHT NOW, in the PRESENT, Chauncey Billups is shooting 49% FG, an astounding 54% from behind the arc and a superhuman 96% from the charity stripe.
And, RIGHT NOW, like we said earlier, Deron Williams is fishing. Oh, and in this year’s 1st round series (loss) against the Lakers, he shot 41% FG, 36% 3PT and 83% FT.
Chauncey is averaging 7.3 APG in the Playoffs with an amazing 1.7 TOPG while Deron Williams averaged 10.8 APG (respectable, nice - okay) but he racked up 4.2 TOPG. Chauncey is at 4.3 AST/TO while Deron is at 2.57 AST/TO.
Really, aldkjaksfajf, you’ve lost the argument. Chauncey Billups is better right now… mostly because he’s still playing and DWilliams is fishin’.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 9:46 pm
what an impressive comparison right there? was Chauncey playing against the mighty Lakers? oh oh oh, no, he wasn’t. Deron is better player at this stage of career period. If the fact that Deron is out right now makes Chauncey the best PG, then I guess top 4 PG in the NBA right now would be Fish, Alston, Mo Williams and Chauncey. What a lousy logic! seriously, why would I lose in the argument when you can’t even tell me that at this stage most GMs will take Chauncey over Deron Williams. You put Chauncey in the Utah team where their second best player Boozer was out for 47 games and Utah will not make it to the playoff, period. Oh, if you’re so good with stats, I cannot recall any stat being reliable if it’s only been like 10 games in the playoff.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 19, 2009 @ 10:53 pm
as of NOW, Chauncey is shooting 5/13 from field, whopping 2/7 from 3, 6/9 from FT line, I think according to your logic, Deron just took the lead as the best PG in the game.. he does have 8 assist and only 1 turnover and hit a few big shots though I’ll give him that.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 20, 2009 @ 7:52 am
During the game last night, ESPN put up a stat. It showed that Chauncey Billups played in 7 straight Conference Finals.
Do you think that’s a coincidence?
Winning matters in the NBA.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 20, 2009 @ 9:27 am
By the way… It’s great that Blake Griffin gets to live in Los Angeles for a year or so, which is an experience I highly recommend for everyone.
But, man… if the Clippers aren’t the worst team to get that #1 pick… What a waste! Now, they’ll have Camby, Kaman, Randolph AND Griffin. That organization is such a nightmare.
LA… cool. LA Clippers… not so much.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 20, 2009 @ 3:23 pm
I’m not saying Chauncey is not a good player, I’m simply stating that I believe at this stage Deron is a better player than Chauncey. Yes, it’s amazing he made it to 7 straight conference finals, however at the same time you have to think that Detroit was one of the better team in the weak Eastern Conference. Horry won 7 rings with 3 different teams, that doesn’t make him the best forward in the NBA. Anyways, everyone’s entitle to his/her personal opinion.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 20, 2009 @ 4:21 pm
You’re not really comparing Chauncey Billups to Robert Horry, are you? Robert Horry was a fantastic ROLE player that contenders sought to fill a ROLE. Chauncey Billups is the PG/leader of his team, offensively and defensively.
And, for the last time, everyone must get over the “East is weak” B.S. If you ever bring up that, it proves to me that you are a shotgun - you shoot crap out there and hope something hits.
Real NBA minds know that the East isn’t weaker, that Chauncey is better and that LeBron James is the best.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 21, 2009 @ 4:22 pm
“real nba minds” know that East has been the weaker conference for the past 10 years or so. This year, East is gaining more respect, but after all, west is still more competitive. It’s not BS, it’s pure fact, you just gotta accept it. I never claim LeBron is not the best, I said at this stage Deron is better than Chauncey. Let’s see what Chauncey can do against the Lakers and we’ll see.
Don’t forget, before Chauncey’s arrival, Denver had 50 wins, after Chauncey’s arrival, they had 54… 4 more wins…. is it really that huge? On top of that, Deron had to play without their leading scorer and rebounder of Boozer for more than 50% of the regular season. Utah lost 6 more games than Denver, if Booze was healthy the whole time I would expect Utah to have better record than Denver, not to mention that Utah had all kinds of other injuries to all their star players throughout the season and had to play Lakers with a 50% Okur (it’s critical because Utah needed big body against Lakers).
Michael Bennett Said,
May 22, 2009 @ 7:51 am
You keep bringing up how Utah/Deron Williams had to play without Boozer (who sucks)…
Carmelo Anthony sat 16 games this year. And, Denver still had the second best record in the West.
aldkjaksfajf… you’re really not smart. You’re obviously a big fan of Deron Williams and have time invested in that position, but you’re 100% wrong.
Chauncey Billups just proved last night what Michael and I are talking about. Right now, he’s playing like the champion that he is. He’s playing with a veteran savvy (like Mike Breen said last night) that is really unmatched at the point guard position.
Give him his respect and admit that you’re wrong.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 22, 2009 @ 12:38 pm
I did give him his respect, and I’m not wrong, Carmelo sat out 16 games, Boozer sat out 45… talk to me when Carmelo sits out 45 games and Denver still has the same record. Not to mention that Kirilenko, Milsap, Okur all took their time out on injuries as well. I’m actually speaking from neutral perspective. Chauncey proved last night on what? He proved that facing the mighty Lakers, he’s shooting 38.5% from field, 28.6% from 3s, and WHOPPING 66.7% from FT. I believe Deron was doing much better than that on the first two games against the Lakers. Give it up already Michael Bennett, if Deron was given a full healthy team to play for the whole season, Utah will have better record than Denver. I do give Chauncey respect, I’m saying he’s good, but at this stage, Deron is simply better. You cannot ask someone to admit he’s wrong if YOU yourself cannot get your facts straight. Admit it, just ‘cuz Denver is still in the playoff hunt doesn’t make him the best in the game. Simply put, most GMs will put CP3 on top for best PG in the game, and Deron will come in second. That’s the hard reality, you just have to learn to accept the fact.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 22, 2009 @ 12:41 pm
oh, by the way, base on your statement of “boozer sucks” that officially makes Utah a pretty crappy team with no stars. With a MUCH crappier Utah team, Deron was still able to have a respectable record (only 6 games behind Denver), I’d say Deron is pretty darn good. Stop contradicting yourself and learn to accept the truth.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 22, 2009 @ 1:04 pm
You and the other GMs that you’re friends with can have Deron Williams. Enjoy your boat while fishing.
I’ll take Chauncey Billups and have a shot at a ring every year.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 22, 2009 @ 1:52 pm
too bad he’ll never have more rings than Tony Parker in his career.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 22, 2009 @ 2:27 pm
What does that have to do with anything? Tony Parker is better than Deron Williams, too.
I’ll take a champion (Billups) any day over a 20/10 guy who’ll never win a ring.
And it just so happens that the guy I prefer (winner) is still playing in the Playoffs and the guy you prefer (loser) is fishin’.
The world needs ditch diggers too…
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 22, 2009 @ 3:32 pm
then it simply comes down to difference in opinion, so.. stop telling people to “admit they’re wrong” in the first place because it simply is difference in opinion. If you’ll take a champion over a 20/10 guy, then that means you should take Fisher over Chauncey and at this stage, I’ll definitely take Dwight Howard over Chauncey as well.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 22, 2009 @ 4:11 pm
Stop trying to change the subject. The 20/10 guy who’ll never win a ring who I’m referring to is Deron Williams.
You’d know that if your brain wasn’t so clouded by the blind love you have for him.
Chauncey Billups is better than Deron Williams. You think otherwise, which is wrong.
Admit you’re wrong, aldkjaksfajf. Admit it. Be a real man and admit that you’re dead wrong.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 22, 2009 @ 5:41 pm
haha, no, i’m not wrong, there are so many players who never win a ring but they’re arguably some of the best players in the game, Stockton, Malone, Ewing, Barkley.. you name it. Tough luck Bennett, Deron is better than Chauncey, just ‘cuz he’s got a ring doesn’t mean jack crap. On the ring count, he’s trailing behind Parker, on the salary count, he’s trailing behind a lot more other PGs out there, on the stats count, he’s far off the chart. Tough luck buddy, he ain’t better than Deron.
Oh man, i love this, i love how ppl get so stubborn with their biased opinion. Absolutely loving this.
and by the way, you do not know if Deron will ever win a ring, where was Chauncey when he was couple years in the league…… that’s right, NOWHERE…..he only found success when he went to Detroit. Oh that’s right, Chauncey was soOOoooOOOO good, best in business that’s why Denver got a WHOPPING 4 extra wins this year.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 22, 2009 @ 5:43 pm
Just admit that you’re wrong, aldkjaksfajf.
Everyone on here knows that you’re wrong.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 22, 2009 @ 11:01 pm
awesome, just awesome Bennett
David Said,
May 23, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
If I can interject: the extra 4 wins that Denver won during the regular season can’t be attributed to one player and don’t mean anything. The fact that Denver got out of the first round for the first time in a hundred years does mean something…and that is due to Billups. He gave them the veteran leadership, defensive mentality, toughness…that Denver has been sorely missing. Who cares about his stats? Stats don’t win games — last minute shots can (eg Le Bron last night).
It’s rare MB, but I really agree with you. Chauncey really matters. Deron is nowhere near that play off savvy.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 23, 2009 @ 2:38 pm
Thank you, David. I don’t remember what we usually disagree about, but I’m guessing it’s the LeBron vs. Kobe argument…
Which is a lot closer than the Chauncey Billups vs. Deron Williams debate.
Chauncey Billups is amazing. He’s a guy that can propel his team to that next level, hit big shots, not make stupid mistakes and set the tone defensively.
He does all the things that make players very good, not just good. Deron Williams is good. Chauncey Billups is very good.
David Said,
May 23, 2009 @ 2:49 pm
No argument here on Lebron vs Kobe…we used to get into it about the Spurs….wait til next year!! lol
adklajdsfj Said,
May 23, 2009 @ 10:57 pm
it’s all good David, I just believe that if you put Deron with Denver squad or give Deron with full healthy squad, he’ll fare better than the first round exit. So.. the argument of Deron is out and Chauncey is still in really makes no sense to me. If Denver had to play Lakers in the first round, they prob won’t get out of the first round, with or without Chauncey. He’s a proven winner, I never deny that but like I said, everyone’s entitled to his opinion.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 24, 2009 @ 8:58 am
So, you just admitted you’re wrong. Thank you.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 25, 2009 @ 1:00 am
I’m sorry Bennet, you’re wrong. A person cannot be the best PG in the game if he’s shooting whopping 37% from field! by the way, how many games this season have you seen Deron play? Oh, and again, bring the debate on again when Chauncey wins an Olympic gold medal. I’ll welcome the debate anytime AFTER he’s proven himself a winner at the WORLD level.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 25, 2009 @ 4:03 am
excuse me, I don’t see it Bennett, where’s the olympic gold medal again?
Michael Bennett Said,
May 25, 2009 @ 8:03 am
You keep on bringing up the Olympics… Deron Williams was the worst player on the Olympic team. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony were the reasons they won gold. Not Deron Williams. So congrats. You’ve managed to let us all know that you realize he was the worst player on the team.
You wrote: “He’s a proven winner…” about Chauncey Billups. There’s your proof. YOU wrote it. Being a “proven winner” is a good thing.
And, those who just bring up stats (you) are making up for their little knowledge otherwise. Your argument is clinging to stats (which never tells us Deron Williams’ stats, just Chauncey’s AND overlooks intangibles like leadership, defensive presence and overall veteran savvy) and that he won a gold medal (as the single worst player on the team).
By choosing to this, you’re proving to everyone that you’re wrong… like I said.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 25, 2009 @ 2:38 pm
Bennet, where’s the gold medal again? Chauncey couldn’t even make it to the world level, sorry, but maybe he can try again in 2012, and NO, he’s NOT the worst player on that team, did you forget ’bout Tayshaun, did you forget ’bout how bad Booze was in Olympics? Obviously, you don’t watch the game much. In Olympics, they picked CP3, Deron and Kidd as their PG, NOT CHAUNCEY, why? ‘cuz he’s not good enough. When simply talking ’bout best PG in the NBA right now, most people would say CP3, follow by Deron, Chauncey is NOT in the discussion. Sorry Bennett, once again, you were wrong again. Like I said, you can try to bring the argument again in 2012 IF… and ONLY IF Chauncey got selected to Olympics team. Good luck on that one Bennett!
Michael Bennett Said,
May 25, 2009 @ 8:32 pm
Why wasn’t Garnett selected to the USA team? Hmm… Is it because he’s a worse player than the guys on the team? Absolutely not. Chauncey was in the same category as Garnett. Both tremendous talents who were not part of the Olympic team.
And, what sane individual uses the Olympics as proof of who’s the better player in the NBA?
The NBA is what we’re talking about here. And, Chauncey Billups is better than Deron Williams. No gold medal will change that.
Again, aldkjaksfajf, you prove yourself wrong time and time again. Well done!
adklajdsfj Said,
May 25, 2009 @ 10:34 pm
no, KG refused to play in the olympic squad, they wanted him in there, so.. again, get your facts straight. Olympic squad never considered Billups. and are you telling me that KG was never a winner before last year? and he’s only proven until he won the ring last year? KG still is the best in the game ever even if he never won the ring.
I bring up Olympic gold medal ‘cuz you like to bring up Chauncey with the ring, BIG DEAL. Like I said, any SANE NBA fan/critic will easily say CP3 is the best PG in the NBA right now, NOT CHAUNCEY.
again Bennett, please eat up your own words and admit that you’re just stubborn because all of your counter arguments are weak.
Chauncey will never win an olympic gold medal and he’ll never be inducted to hall of fame, end of the story. Like I said, Bennett, try again in 2012, if Chauncey is lucky, “maybe” he’ll be good enough to be mentioned in the Olympic squad.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 26, 2009 @ 8:27 am
Weak argument = choosing to discuss Olympic team when talking about the NBA.
Chris Paul is the best PG in the League. And, look what Chauncey Billups just did to him in Round 1 head-to-head matchup, stat guy:
C. Billups
22.6 ppg, 7.4 apg, .655 3P%
C. Paul
16.6 ppg, 10.4 apg, .411 FG%
That has nothing to do with veteran know-how and on-court savvy… He just completely manhandled the best PG in the world in route to a 5-game series win.
Last night, in a huge Game 4 win over the mighty Lakers, Chanucey had 24 points to lead his Nuggets.
The argument is WHO IS A BETTER NBA PLAYER… Not, who would GMs take next year in some hypothetical fantasy draft (that will NEVER happen) and not who YOU would take in your little brain’s conception. WHO IS A BETTER NBA PLAYER?
Chauncey Billups.
Let me guess…
adklajdsfj will come back and say: “But, Chauncey never won a gold medal… blah, blah, blah… gold medal… Olympics… every GM in the league… duh, doy, ugh…”
Thank you, adklajdsfj. Again, WRONG.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 26, 2009 @ 7:05 pm
where’s the gold medal?………………………………… that’s what I thought!
you wanna do stats? sure, Chauncey is shooting 39% from the field whopping 29% from 3 pointer, Deron did much better than that against the Lakers in 4 games. It’s not Deron’s fault that his team is not good enough to compete especially that Utah was extremely undersized.
yes, the argument is who is better NBA player, CP3 & Deron both are better player than Chauncey at this stage of their career.
Base on the criterias that you’re giving out (ring with finals MVP), Tony Parker would be better player than Chauncey, base on stats, Deron or CP3 both will be better than Chauncey as well, base on Olympic gold medal count, Chauncey is still behind. base on salary, Chauncey is still not there, base on future hall of fame consideration, Chauncey still wont’ be mentioned. There’s no way in hell that Chauncey is the best PG in the NBA period.
again, please eat up your words and admit you’re just stubborn, I’ve just gave u 5 ways to compare the best PGs in the NBA, and Chauncey is NOT on the top on any of those.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 26, 2009 @ 9:04 pm
The argument was never who the best PG in the NBA was…
See, aldkjaksfajf, because you’re obviously slow and have trouble learning and accepting fact, I have to spell it out for you.
The argument is WHO IS A BETTER NBA PLAYER, DERON OR CHAUNCEY?
And, the fact is that Chauncey is better.
All of what you wrote has nothing to do with the argument at hand. I know you don’t have someone to (literally) hold your hand through this, so you’re confused.
But, just try and stay focused. And, stick to the argument… Oh, yeah. You lost the argument LONG AGO…
Thank you again, aldkjaksfajf. Your hole is deep and there’s no way you’ll dig yourself out of it.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 27, 2009 @ 1:33 am
show me the gold medal Bennett you contradict yourself too much and you’re too stubborn to admit it. Here’s the original point that I brought up
“Your argument of chauncey killing Lakers on the back court might or might not be valid. If Deron Williams cannot consistently have good night against Lakers, then I don’t see how Chauncey is a better player than Deron Williams is. Carmelo will be a tough cover, but Ariza is an excellent defender so it’ll be an interesting challenge for Ariza. As for the Nuggets, they don’t really have anyone to guard Kobe.”
and I was right, Chauncey did NOT kill the Lakers. chauncey is unable to put up consistent production night in & night out. THERE! why don’t you READ how this whole debate started in the first place before you try to be stubborn about your biased opinion. Oh.. by the way, you might wanna read the first comment in this article, it was from YOU, and wow, look what happened, you didn’t think Cleveland would lose a game in the playoffs, why don’t I paste here what you wrote down
“But, it looks as though, this year, he will have his shot at his first NBA title. I don’t see them losing a game in the Eastern Playoffs, either. They’ve got home court wrapped up, and although they’ve shown that on the road they can falter for stretches of five minutes or so, they always pick up the pace and put teams away.”
if it wasn’t that MIRACLE shot that Lebron put up (great great shot though), they’d be FISHING NOW!
you might wanna re-read your BIASED opinion again and eat up your own words. you were too stubborn to accept different opinion, that’s just how it is. and again, show me the olympic gold medal then we’ll talk who’s better.
Are you gonna eat up your words about Cleveland NOT losing any game in the eastern playoff? or you just gonna try to make up more excuses?
that’s what i thought!
Michael Bennett Said,
May 28, 2009 @ 11:48 am
Keep on changing the subject and proving more so that you’re wrong. Thanks for the ammo.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 28, 2009 @ 12:43 pm
you’re very welcome, I’m just trying to prove to you that you were just stubborn. By the way, have Cleveland lost a game in Eastern Conference playoff yet? I couldn’t remember….
Michael Bennett Said,
May 28, 2009 @ 10:39 pm
Since you obviously need reminding (again), the issue was WHO IS A BETTER PLAYER, DERON WILLIAMS OR CHAUNCEY BILLUPS?
The correct answer is Chauncey Billups.
You are wrong. I am right. Deal with it.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 29, 2009 @ 5:00 pm
Deron Williams is better, hands down. Chauncey is struggling to put up consistent numbers in the playoffs against the Lakers. Again, you’re just being stubborn. OH, that’s right, you’re Bennett, you’re never wrong, that’s why Cleveland never lost a game in the Eastern playoff. Oh, now I remember.
Bennett, are you ever going to be man enough to admit that you’re wrong? be a man for once Bennett
adklajdsfj Said,
May 30, 2009 @ 2:27 am
there’s your beloved “best-PG-in-the-NBA” Chauncey Billup, on the critical game 6, on the home floor, scored whopping 10 points, with 5 turnovers, 2 out of 7 from field, when he’s on the court, Nuggets are NEGATIVE 28. WOW… amazing, purely amazing, he’s not even shooting 40% from the FG, Deron Williams did lot better when he faced the mighty Lakers. Too bad Bennett, please eat your words. By the way, you haven’t answer my question yet, did Cleveland lose any game yet? I can’t seem to remember.
aldkjaksfajf Said,
May 30, 2009 @ 12:37 pm
by the way, Michael, looks like you’re wrong also base on your 40-years of unbiased opinion. I was more on the mark when saying that Carmelo would be a tough cover for Ariza, and Lakers should be able to contain Chauncey since they did a good job against Deron and Denver had NOBODY to contain Kobe and Lakers length will give them problem (Denver bigs constantly in foul trouble). Your idea of Denver top 8 all capable of having big nights against Lakers seems way off like i’ve predicted. Your unbiased opinion of Pau too soft, Kobe had to work too hard, Lamar too crippled, Bynum couldn’t even jump (I’ll give you this one), and Fish & Farmar getting dominated all seem to be wrong. Once again, I’ve proved myself right time after time.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 30, 2009 @ 3:32 pm
a) There are two (2) Michaels… like I told you before. Michael AND Michael Bennett. The clue there is the last name after Michael. Listening, reading and comprehending is a big problem for you. I recommend Hooked On Phonics.
b) You obviously have issues of inferiority and ego. Three posts in a row?!? Wow. Way to wear it on your sleeve.
c) Chauncey Billups is better than Deron Williams. All great NBA minds agree on that.
d) Poor baby aldkjaksfajf needs attention. My suggestion: Go to the zoo and hug a lion. They LOVE that.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 31, 2009 @ 1:05 am
is that the best shot you got Bennett? Why can’t you be man enough to admit you were just stubborn? Your prediction of “Cleveland would not lose a game in eastern playoff” is beyond ridiculous and yet you aren’t man enough to admit how wrong you are.
again, you’re wrong, I don’t have any issue of inferiority. Why would I feel inferior if I’ve hit all the predictions correctly, why some cry babies here can’t even be man enough to admit they’re wrong. BE A MAN BENNETT! There’s nothing wrong to admit you are wrong. You’re DEAD WRONG on Chauncey, and ANY NBA player will take Deron Williams over Chauncey. You see how pathetic he did on critical game 6? Don’t tell me he was dominating over Lakers on game 6.
Come on, be a man, if you ever plan to stood by your opinion then maybe at least be man enough to admit you were wrong. Cleveland is FISHING right now, that officially should make Kobe better than Lebron right according to your logic.
Once again, be a man, read your posts, stood by your opinion. Tell me this Bennett, were you RIGHT or WRONG on Cleveland will NOT lose a game in eastern conference playoff? I WANNA HEAR YOU SAY IT, WERE YOU RIGHT OR WRONG ON THAT?
adklajdsfj Said,
May 31, 2009 @ 1:09 am
be a man Bennet, you want your kid to lookup on you, then be a man.
Michael Bennett Said,
May 31, 2009 @ 9:15 am
Again, you needed two posts… problems?
All you’ve got is an NBA chatboard?
Do you need a friend?
Chauncey is better than Deron. And, that’s a fact.
Holla Bolla Said,
May 31, 2009 @ 10:12 am
Bennett,
Weird seeing you post on this blog.
Who you got in the finals…hater?
adklajdsfj Said,
May 31, 2009 @ 12:18 pm
Bennett, obviously you’re not man enough to admit you’re wrong. I felt sorry for your kids, the daddy cannot be a role model.
adklajdsfj Said,
May 31, 2009 @ 12:20 pm
all I asked was that Bennett, were you right or wrong on your Cleveland prediction, and you kept beating around the bush. Is it really THAT difficult to answer?
and no sorry, Deron is better than Chauncey, that’s reality.
frank B Said,
June 1, 2009 @ 3:01 pm
Well, I guess the Cavs weren’t for real after all.
When I re-read this article and Michael Bennett’s Lebron and Chauncey Billups butt-kissing, condescending posts all I can think of is the old cliche: Opinions are like asses, everyone has one.
Basketball is a team game. Teams win.
Before Michael Bennett, the press, and the talking heads on TV anoint Lebron a better player than Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Julius Erving, Wes Unseld, Michael Jordan, or even Kobe Bryant, Prince James is going to need to grow up. He is also going to need a real coach that makes him a part of the team and not the whole team.
He is still painfully immature. How does a guy disrepect decades of NBA history by storming out of the arena without shaking anyone’s hand and refusing to talk? The world doesn’t revolve around him.
It is really simple. There has never been a one man team that has won an NBA title. Wilt averaged 50 and couldn’t do it. Cleveland, especially on offense, was a one man team. The stats look great, they make puppets about you (can anyone say ‘Little Penny’), TNT and ESPN say you are the greatest ever, but it is not a winning formula.
The finals is going to be fantastic without Lebron. Who knows when his team will be back?
I won’t hold my breath.
adklajdsfj Said,
June 1, 2009 @ 9:43 pm
LeBron is great, however people simply give too much credit to the Cleveland team. People like to jump on the bandwagon. From Eddie’s other article “the team to beat” I’ve already stated that Cavs are good, but they gotta get out of the East first… unfortunately they couldn’t. People kept talking ’bout how good Cavs are, and how they swept out the first two series, well, no offense to anyone, but outside of the top 3 out East, there really isn’t any competitive team. Detroit series is a joke especially without Iversion and Hawks were too banged up to play against Cavs. So.. the fact that Cavs beat them out is pretty much a no-brainer. It’s when they face the real competition, that’s when Cavs start crumbling. Cleveland fans must be really nervous now, their best shot to keep LeBron there will be winning a championship.
Orlando will be a very tough matchup for the Lakers. They’ve beaten the Lakers twice this year already and Lakers have yet to play a playoff team like Orlando (dominant center with LOTS of shooters). Either way, it’s been a great year. We’ve witness an incredible series between Chicago and Boston; incredible shot from LeBron on Game 2 against Orlando. This would be a fun series to watch.
alan t. Said,
June 2, 2009 @ 3:52 pm
I just read this today. I’m guessing that all Eddie Johnson has to say right now is, “WHOOPS!”
Chris Said,
June 2, 2009 @ 3:59 pm
Eddie,
please give us your take on the finals!
How come that all people who predicted the Cavs would breeze through the east and into the finals, are now mothing around that the Lakers will easily win….? Didn´t the magic just take out the cavs without any problems?
I know it is all about matchups, but still.
thanks anb best,
Chris