NBA Playoff Predictions

Detroit is the better team from top to bottom. Cleveland has the better player. But Detroit should have fouled James on the drive at the end of regulation. That was a major mistake. Foul him; put him on the line. The worst you end up with is that he makes both free throws and you are tied. You might end up with a 1 or 2 point lead and the ball.

My guess is that Detroit wins tonight and Monday is a toss up.

 

Larry I agree with your thoughts. I think it still goes 7 games and is anyone's series right now.

 

Detroit couldn't stop Lebron in game 5 and they won't be able to do it at Cleveland either. Cleveland advances tonight.

 

I think its time for some changes for the pistons. Most people are still wondering what is happening with the Pistons. Todays game will tell the story I think.

Tim

 

They almost didn't have to. With the total lack of support that did not consist of "Pass lebron the ball and get out the way," it is hard to win. The Cavs may win tonight though I don't think they will. But if they do, Lebron will have to come up huge again and the Pistons will have to come out very poorly. It's not unthinkable. When you look at the first four games, the Pistons played bad four times and split. Last game, they played better. Losing McDyess hurt. That won't happen tonight.

 

The thing is, the Cavs do have a variety of offensive plays to use.

Play #1 - High-screen 3
Lebron takes the ball 25 feet from the basket and Ilgauskus limps over and sets a high screen, leading to a Detroit double-team because Ilgauskus isn't a threat to score, then Lebron throws a baseball pass across the court to a wide-open teammate who bricks a three.

Play #2 - High-screen jumper
Lebron takes the ball 25 feet from the basket and Ilgauskus limps over and sets a high screen, leading to a Detroit double-team because Ilgauskus isn't a threat to score, then Lebron stutter-steps and forces a fadeaway 22-footer with a hand in face.

Play #3 - 22 Heave
LeBron stutter-steps from 22 feet with two guys on him, jumps backward and launches a terrible shot as the shot clock is winding down.

Play #4 - 23 Heave
LeBron stutter-steps from 23 feet with two guys on him, jumps backward and launches a terrible shot as the shot clock is winding down.

:smilewinkgrin:

Edited to add: Give credit to The Sports Guy for the above.

 

I feel sorry for the kid. Its clear he's not being raised right! :laugh:

 

May 25th...what was that? Cavaliers in 6? :laugh:

 

Now I can comment on this.
The Cavaliers match up well with SA. Our GM (Ferry) and coach (Mike Brown) came from their championship teams, and knows the Spurs inside out. We will be prepared.
I'm ready for all of the haters to start with the Spurs in 4 or 5. The Cavs swept the season series, and LBJ plays well against them (remember the posterizing dunk over Duncan?) The Cavs got no respect this series, and still are only the third team in NBA history to come back from 2 down. The Cavs should have realistically swept Detroit. No way are the Pistons the better team...as I've read on here. Oh well for the "experts"

 

After all the abuse I took from you, Tim, do I really need to say anything now?

How about after 6 games?

 

Webdog man ... don't be a homer. ... The Pistons are clearly the better team. The Cavs have the better player. Name one player besides James who would start on the Pistons? There's not one with the possible exception of Ilgauskas because of his size (compared to Webber). You are not going to start Pavlocic or Hughes over Billups or Hamilton. You are not going to start Gooden over Wallace. You would start James instead of Prince, or perhaps James instead of Webber and let Prince and Wallace play. But James is the only guy on that team that would start for the Pistons. Even putting both rosters together McDyess is still going to be the first man off the bench over the Cavs starters. He would be starting in Cleveland.

So when you talk about comparing teams, the Pistons are a better team. But better teams don't always win.

You say the Cavs should have swept the Pistons. The reverse is true as well. The Pistons could have easily swept this series were it not for fourth quarter breakdowns. So in that respect, the games were evenly matched.

I think the Spurs may win the finals in three. I think it will be that one sided. They would have beat the Pistons probably in five. Lebron will be the second best player on the court, after Duncan. Seriously though, I look for a sweep or maybe five games. But I don't think it will be close.

 

I cannot stand Detroit, but I agree with Larry here overall Detroit has the better team, but as he said the better team does not always win. LeBron is the best player in the league clearly, and he took his team on his back and took them to the finals.

Cleveland played great and they proved me wrong, and I am glad to be wrong. I am going to be pulling for Cleveland in the next series!

One thing that worries me about Cleveland is will they be so happy with just getting to the finals that they will not play as well? I heard a little of that in LeBrons press conference, he said that he had talked so much about "championships" and now they "had" one.

:laugh: I do have to say though that the Spurs must be one great team if they can win a best of 7 series in 3 games :saint:

On another note, at what point is Detroit considered in somewhat the same light as the Atlanta Braves in MLB? A great team over a period of years, but chokes in the playoffs and ends up with only one championship along the way?

 

Ya' beat me to the punch on that one! :laugh:

Or was that just some sort of "New Math?"

Obviously either one or 'tother!

Ed

 

I concede that everyone was wrong and you were right! Not! Don't care what you think of me CC The Pistons had better players, still do I think, as Larry outline in his post and a better team that just broke down. It wasn't Cleveland it was the Pistons. Good luck on your trip against SA. I think its going to be embassing.

 

I always thought that what happens on the court determines who the best team is, at least in the NBA. How silly of me.

 

Don't confuse a season of 82 games with a best four of seven series. If one were to make that crack, how about the best of 82? And Dallas would then be the NBA champion. And that determioned over 82 games "on the court".

P.S. I could not care less who wins among the pros. But I do read boxscores just to find out how the old UK players are doing.

Ed

 

It was a bit of hyperbole about how overmatched I think the Cavs will be. I could be wrong of course. I was once.

 

If Detroit had the better team... they would have won the series, plain and simple. They had the huge advantage...up two, home court, experience, etc. You also state they have the better team...and then ask which individuals would you replace in Detroit's starting five. That's irrelevant, as the team consists of all 13 players and coaching staff. Cleveland is clearly better. First, I'd take Brown over "can't win the big one" Saunders any day. The role players on Cleveland complement LBJ's game, and round out the team nicely, and we have no head case on our team that can single handedly win or lose a game based on his immaturity. Detroit is old, and should be broken up (probably will be starting with Billups), and they need a new head coach. Detroit was in no position to sweep Clevelnad. Cleveland had the ball in the last seconds of games one and two...Detroit didn't. If Marshall makes that wide open three...and LBJ gets the call in game two...or either putback drops, the Finals would have started last week.
As far as SA goes, if they win the series in three games...they'll REALLY have my respect! No question they are a better team than Detroit was, and this series will be tough...but come on...a sweep? You would have thought Cleveland would have deserved more respect.