NBA PLAYOFFS!

[Magpel]

Deal. Anyone else in on this?

 

BTW, the tampon on head, of course, is a reference to the outlandish behavior of what rock and roll hero at the Grammys?

 

Originally posted by Steve LeBlanc:

Originally posted by Magpel:

Kings in 7. If I lose this gentleman's beat, I will change my avatar to a picture of myself with a tampon stuck on my head. The avatar will beposted 2-3 days after the end of the series and will remain for a full three days. What do I get if I'm right?

YIKES!!!

 

Well I'm not going to put a tampon on my head.

 

How about this...I'll change my avatar to a picture of myself in full drag - Shaved armpits, Legs, Hair, Makeup the whole deal (I have the picture and have sworn in the past to never post it on the net ).

 

I'll even add a bit more to the kitty...I'll put a label under the picture that says I'm a Techno Artist.

 

For three days.

 

HAHA...the Lakers ain't going to lose this series...period!

[RobT]

Originally posted by steadyb:

p.s. MJ wasn't injured either time Kobe kicked his ass this year...in L.A. or the All-Star game. And when he was injured for the game in Washington, he sat out.

 

You are actually comparing MJ's game nowadays to someone who is 10-15 years his junior? That's like comparing grapes to kiwi's

 

Rob'StillAPistonFanDespiteTheyHaveNoScoring'T

[Steve LeBlanc]

BTW, the tampon on head, of course, is a reference to the outlandish behavior of what rock and roll hero at the Grammys?

hmmm, I don't know this one but I'll guess...Flea?

[Dan South]

Originally posted by steadyb:

Ahh yes...the nets...a great and wise organization ...the same team that passed on Kobe so they could draft Kittles

I'm not sure how it works out there in Commune California, but in the civilized Northeast we adhere to the child labor laws. ;-)

 

If Kobe wants to impress people, he should get a degree.

[steadyb]

Originally posted by Magpel:

So let's not over-inflate the Spurs

Let's not over-inflate the kings either.

 

Like I've said many times before...The Lakers O W N the kings.

 

Webber can't come up big when it really counts. Ask Tyra Banks

 

Vlade wasn't good enough to be a Laker , so the kings got "Floppy" Divac and we got Kobe. Another masterful move by West.

[steadyb]

Originally posted by Dan South:

If Kobe wants to impress people, he should get a degree.

Kobe is, in fact very well educated, as a result of growing up in Europe and also speaks fluent Italian.

 

Or is your idea of an impressive model citizen "wife beater" Jason Kidd???

 

Kobe at 23 yrs old is better than MJ at 23 yrs old.

[meccajay]

Originally posted by steadyb:

 

Kobe at 23 yrs old is better than MJ at 23 yrs old.

Damn Steady, and you were doing sooo well up to now...

 

Attention All Kobe is better than Michael fantasy land-ers:

 

Kobe never played on a BAD team in his life.

 

Micheal has played on 3!!!! 2 basketball teams and 1 baseball team)

 

...End of comparison.

[Magpel]

I ain't overestimating the Kings. I'm praying that they discover some heretofore unknown resources of grit and talent so that I don't have to stick a tampon on my head.

 

Peja is out for at least the first two games.

[steadyb]

Originally posted by meccajay:

Originally posted by steadyb:

 

Kobe at 23 yrs old is better than MJ at 23 yrs old.

 

Damn Steady, and you were doing sooo well up to now...

Really??? So you're saying Jordan in his 2nd year in the NBA was better than Kobe is now???

Oh, I forgot, Mecca thought Space Jam was a documentary.

 

MJ at 23, a self centered ball hog with Zero titles... , Kobe at 23 yrs old is better than MJ at 23 yrs old.

[Dan South]

Okay, that's it! The gloves are coming off.

 

Kobe vs. Michael

 

Michael didn't need a 7'1" freak of nature to win his championships for him. In fact, when Michael was in the league, that 7'1" freak of nature didn't get within striking distance of a championship game despite excellent support from Anfernee Hardaway, Denis Scott, and even ex-Michael sideman Horace Grant.

 

Substitute Luc Longley in for Shaq and see how many championships Kobe wins. Let me spell it for you.

 

Z-E-R-O.

 

Period.

 

Is that smog going to your brains out there?

 

[Dan South]

Originally posted by steadyb:

Kobe is, in fact very well educated, as a result of growing up in Europe and also speaks fluent Italian.

Ooh! He grew up in Europe and speaks fluent Italian. Amazing! Almost as amazing as the people who grew up in Japan and speak fluent Japanese, the people who grew up in Quebec and speak fluent French, or the people who grew up in Argentina who speak fluent Spanish. I'm just SO impressed!

 

[Dan South]

Originally posted by meccajay:

Originally posted by steadyb:

 

Kobe at 23 yrs old is better than MJ at 23 yrs old.

Damn Steady, and you were doing sooo well up to now...

 

Attention All Kobe is better than Michael fantasy land-ers:

 

Kobe never played on a BAD team in his life.

 

Micheal has played on 3!!!! 2 basketball teams and 1 baseball team)

 

...End of comparison.

Kobe is the Derek Jeter of basketball. He's a top flight player, and he pulls his own weight. But you can't argue the fact that both of these guys landed in a dream situation. Send Kobe to Miami or Utah for a year and see how well he does.

[steadyb]

Originally posted by Dan South:

Substitute Luc Longley in for Shaq and see how many championships Kobe wins. Let me spell it for you.

 

Z-E-R-O.

Don't bet on it.

 

In a few years from now when Shaq has 6 or 7 or 10 championship rings, he'll retire, and Kobe still may not even be 30. Then Kobe, along with whatever decent supporting cast is around him will win at least 3 or 4 more and by the end of his (Kobe's) career, MJ will be to him what Dr. J or is to MJ...a ledgendary NBA great who was the best of his era, (and as a footnote, once known as the best ever), ...until Kobe came along.

 

MJ also benefited from being the first big sports star of the ESPN era, but now Kobe will benefit as well.

 

p.s. Congrats to wife beater Kidd making it to the Eastern Conference finals, ...you must be so proud.

[Dan South]

Nets in 6.

 

Kings in 7.

 

Too bad Kobe won't make it to the finals. I'd like to see Jason make K run sobbing back to mama.

[soapbox]

Originally posted by steadyb:

MJ at 23, a self centered ball hog with Zero titles...

Yeah, but don't forget, MJ at 24 released "Thriller," the biggest selling album of all time!

 

... oops, wrong MJ ...

[steadyb]

Originally posted by Dan South:

Nets in 6.

 

Kings in 7.

 

Too bad Kobe won't make it to the finals. I'd like to see Jason make K run sobbing back to mama.

I gotta tell ya Dan, I love the fact that even though EVERY one of your predictions related to the Lakers and Kobe have NEVER been even close to right, you still keep making them.

 

Bless you sir. ...and keep the laughter alive.

 

p.s. If the Lakers take game one in Sac on Saturday...Lakers in 4.

[Griffinator]

Wheeeeeeeee here we go...

 

I noticed Steve L took a quick exit from this thread. I however, am a little more thickheaded than he, so I'm gonna stay in and argue a bit.

 

Michael Jordan at 23 picked his sorry-ass team up and carried it on his back to a title.

 

Kobe has the most dominant center currently in the league on his team.

 

Who did Michael have in the middle of the floor to help him out? NO ONE.

 

What did Kobe do when it was Vlade Divac in the middle instead of Shaq? NOTHING.

 

Kobe has not demonstrated the ability to take over the game the way MJ did night in and night out. Call him a ball hog if you wish, but when the chips were down, Michael did whatever was necessary to win. Sorry, but Kobe hasn't ever done that. The Lakers started winning titles because of the combination of players they put together, not because of Kobe.

 

The only thing the 90's Bulls and the current Lakers really have in common is a coach with an incredibly good system, and I firmly believe that it took Phil Jackson to get Kobe's head out of his arse and playing to his ability.

[steadyb]

Originally posted by Griffinator:

Michael did whatever was necessary to win.

Michael didn't win a thing until Phil Jackson came along and taught him to stop being a ballhog.

 

[Steve LeBlanc]

I haven't bailed on this thread...I'm a busy man

 

Boston in 5

 

Lakers in 6 (but I won't be too surprised if it's a sweep)

 

Lakers win the finals against Boston in 6.

 

Shaq and the Lakers could not have won a championship without Kobe's many heroic moments...the guy opens up opportunities on offense and defense at least as much as Shaq does...for some reason noone wants to give him credit for that.

 

I think he's definitly a better overall player at his age than Jordan was when he was 23...I would argue he's better than Jordan was in his prime.

[Magpel]

Originally posted by Steve LeBlanc:

I think he's definitly a better overall player at his age than Jordan was when he was 23...I would argue he's better than Jordan was in his prime.

Well, you'd be way wrong, but I can't blame you for basking in a fan's euphoria. Your memories of MJ have conveniently faded.

 

I'm not a Bulls fan, not a Lakers fan. I was never a Michael Idolatrist. Bird and Magic were my boys. Take that for what you will, but Kobe has an awful lot to prove before his achievement approaches Jordan's. He's certainly got the talent. IMO, Jordan was a better player after the baseball retirement. It will be a long time before we can make that judgment of Kobe.

 

BTW, I'd bet that MJ *Never* shot so poorly from the line as Kobe did in the Spurs series. See, Jordan could make all the difficult shots that Kobe can, but he'd never refuse easy points just because they're easy. If there's one thing we know of Kobe, it's that he loves difficulty.

 

BTW2, if Kobe were playing on Jordan's Bulls, he'd spend a lot more of his time on his ass than he does on Shaq's court.

 

BTW3, Kobe is a great champion. Steadyb, Steve, why is that not enough for you?

[Steve LeBlanc]

BTW, I'd bet that MJ *Never* shot so poorly from the line as Kobe did in the Spurs series. See, Jordan could make all the difficult shots that Kobe can, but he'd never refuse easy points just because they're easy. If there's one thing we know of Kobe, it's that he loves difficulty.

Well...I've seen Jordan go something like 4 for 28 from the field far too many times...foul shots are great and all but c'mon they don't really win the game...I'll have to do some research to be sure but I think Kobe's overall freethrow percentage is at least as good as Michael's was.

 

I agree that Kobe loves difficulty but he has learned to take advantage of easy too...how many freethrow opportunities did he have in the Portland series?

 

Nice try but I think a couple of non-perfect perfomances at the line is reaching a bit. Overall percentages matter more...the kid still has a great percentage for his playoff career.

 

BTW2, if Kobe were playing on Jordan's Bulls, he'd spend a lot more of his time on his ass than he does on Shaq's court.

Things were more violent in some ways but in other ways it's more violent now...too hard to compare I think.

 

BTW3, Kobe is a great champion. Steadyb, Steve, why is that not enough for you?

'cause I saw Kobe play a lot his first year...seeing a young teenager like that do the things he did with no NBA experience was just very magical. I hated the phase he went through last year but it doesn't mean he was wrong...I think the Lakers would have won a Championship even if Shaq was the second option. So he was a big-headed kid who wanted to be the leader too soon...I agree but it doesn't mean he couldn't have succeeded at it.

 

The most remarkable thing about him is he's shown time and time again that he IS willing to compromise, mature and be whatever player best suits the environment he's in.

 

I ALWAYS hated Jordan...he WAS the original "Dagger" though, I hated him for making that last shot when it counted everytime. MJ was often VERY embarrassing to watch during the first 3 quarters...Kobe is too...all superstars are...but I think the difference is obvious to anyone who spent a lot of time watching both players. Kobe doesn't get to palm the ball and travel all the time like Jordan did...he gets some preferential treatment from the refs but they don't let him travel everytime he has the ball.

 

AND...that's all I have to say in regards to Kobe/MJ comparisons...in many respects it's comparing Apples and Oranges...it's wasted effort to go any further I think. BUT if you must...I may retort again.

 

I've never seen Kobe have as poor a 4th quarter in the playoffs as Michael did in game 6 against Phoenix in that pivotal win...he got bailed out by a good three point shooter at the end but I remember he missed everything he shot up to that point and Phoenix probably should have got a 7th game. I remember Jordan well.

[Magpel]

Of course Michael had his share of abysmal performances, even some in the playoffs. The exception that proves the rule. Remember Kobe's first playoff debacle? I do, though barely. Think it might even have been against the Spurs. Maybe not. All I remember was Kobe hoisting 3 air balls in the last 2 minutes, whilst Van Exl, Eddie Jones and the like sort of looked over at Del Harris with a "what are you thinking?" expression. It was hideous. In Jordan's first playoff appearance, by contrast, he dropped 63 on the Bird's Celtics, was it?

 

Since no head to head comparison, in their respective primes, is possible, the whole point is moot, and redunadant. We devoted a 300+ post thread to this very issue a while back.

 

Steady tries to persuade people that Jordan's greatness was a marketing initiative undertaken by a new-world-order alliance of sneaker and soft drink manufacturers. I just laugh at this. Others bristle at the implication that we don't know hoops and would be so easily deluded.

 

I don't need to decide. When Kobe's through, we'll compare. It's like Tiger chasing Nicklaus. The new guy always looks best because he's now. Michael's got 6 titles. Kobe's a third of the way home.

 

I do know that Jordan never had the luxury of a Shaq, whose very presence creates opportunities that he would never see otherwise. This does not detract from Kobe's greatness, but it should help put Michael's into perspective. Ain't no one doubling, or tripling, down on Bill Cartwright, Will Perdue, Bill Wennington, Luc Longley, or Stacey "Sky" King in those days. Even Scottie, fine all-round player that he is or was, never created much defensive alarm. Horace's offense essentially consisted of a decent 17 foot jump shot. All Michael had to work with was a couple

of good spot up shooters in Paxson, Armstrong, and later Kerr. Kukoc was more or less a bust because his shoddy D kept him off the court. Hell, The combo of Horry, Fisher, and Fox would have been a blessing to Michael.

 

But whatever. Play on. Let the Conference finals begin, and may Kobe miss a host of important shots. Let it be done.

[Steve LeBlanc]

Fair enough...it's silly to compare ain't it?

 

Now is this a soiled Tampon you'll be wearing?

 

[Dan South]

Foul shots don't win the game? I've seen at least a hundred games where poor shooting from the line cost a team a game that they should have won. If foul shots can LOSE a game, I'd argue that they can WIN a game under the right circumstances, too. Foul shooting is where you see the psyche of the team laid bare. If they have doubts as to whether they can win, they'll lob bricks.

[Dan South]

P.S. You've gotta love a "sure thing."

 

Los Angeles Lakers

 

St. Louis Rams

 

New York Yankees

 

Yup, you've gotta LOVE a sure thing.

[steadyb]

Originally posted by Dan South:

Foul shooting is where you see the psyche of the team laid bare.

"Foul" shooting is what you'll see the Net's do against the Lakers PLAYOFF defense

...if they're lucky enough to get past Boston.

[Griffinator]

Originally posted by Dan South:

P.S. You've gotta love a "sure thing."

 

Los Angeles Lakers

 

St. Louis Rams

 

New York Yankees

 

Yup, you've gotta LOVE a sure thing.

Rams? A sure thing?

 

Did you watch a different Super Bowl than I did?

[steadyb]

Originally posted by Magpel:

Remember Kobe's first playoff debacle? I do, though barely. Think it might even have been against the Spurs. Maybe not. All I remember was Kobe hoisting 3 air balls in the last 2 minutes...

It was against Utah, and he was 17 years old.

[steadyb]

By the way, I like Mike.

 

I like and respect him even more after watching what he did this season. I wish his knees had held out for him, 'cause the eastern conference could use a winner like him in the playoffs.

 

Had the Wizards gotten in as the 8 seed, the New Jersey Hacks would have been ousted in round one. Lucky break for the wife beater and Mr Flagrant.

 

The only Net worth a damn is their head coach Byron Scott.

[Magpel]

Originally posted by steadyb:

 

the wife beater and Mr Flagrant.

 

That was classic sitcom from the early 70s, right? Staring Robert Reed, Jack Klugman, and Bonnie Franklin? Too bad it was up against Good Times. It could have been a winner.

 

Kidd has done about as well as you can to deal with this incident publicly and with the honest intention of working things out, or so his wife says. Which is not to pardon it. It's unpardonable. Only Jason and has wife can engineer forgiveness in this matter. I hope for the sake of his wife and son that he does some genuine soul searching and explores the roots of this issue. I was shocked--seemed very out of character for someone's whose public vibe seems downright gentle and whose brilliant play is so team-oriented.

 

We really shouldn't have to say this to star athletes, but... Don't Hit Women!!!

 

Okay? Everyone clear on that?