Real Deal

ESPN experts... http://i43.tinypic.com/v8elpi.jpg Guess I would've said Cleveland in seven, though...but not against the Magic last season.

Jennings doesn't have any room to talk, honestly. Can't say I like what he's doing. Let your game speak for itself, and keep your mouth closed about others.

The baiting needs to stop, by the way. Doesn't matter who you were rooting for. And I don't think the title of this topic, or the content, have anything to do with Bryant...so I have no idea why that discussion even took place in here. Kobe and Lakers fans aren't the only ones rooting against LeBron (and not all were).

Fill in the following. Ten points for each correct answer, minus ten for each missed (which includes extending the series over the correct amount of games). If you feel the series will extend past four games, continue to add an answer to each game you think the series will play to. +10 bonus for the correct series winner, +15 for a perfect series. For example, if you believe the Magic will win the series 4-2, you should fill in six winners. Orlando has home court advantage.

Cleveland wouldn't beat Orlando, so that really doesn't matter. I just liked seeing LeBron lose the series. If that elbow was a problem, it would've been one after his MRI's...but it didn't seemed to be, as he was scoring 35+ on over 50% FG, swatting shots and even grabbing a massive amount of boards after the injury. Bryant's finger has a tear. He made three consecutive left-handed layups in one of those playoff games, and was taking left-handed jumpers. He took the ball to the rim more, got to the post more, and did other things to upload his 30+ points in five consecutive games. When you're a one trick pony (even though he's REALLY good with that one trick), you can't adjust when you need to. LBJ needs to work on the post game, work on contested shots, and practice better footwork and off-the-ball play. Less fancy passes. Simply put, he played a very good team six consecutive times. They figured him out like they did Wade, and LeBron couldn't adjust. Not hard to see.

Depends on how Orlando plays. They can't sit there and rely on the three so much if they aren't going to feed Dwight first. Launching threes without going to the post turns them into contested jumpers, most of the time, and they will crash and burn that way. Otherwise, they can push the Celtics aside in six games. LA can knock out the Suns in five or six, depending on Bynum's production. Since it hasn't looked good in the last two games, it may come down to Lamar. Kobe has had five consecutive 30+ point games, so I don't see him (or Gasol) having trouble against a Suns team that can't stop either of them.

Excellent post. This game wasn't even a concern of mine, but it's good seeing LeBron lose after the cockiness all season long. It was bound to catch up to him. LeBron deserved his regular season MVP, but that's about it...both seasons. As I've said numerous times, teams declined to double him during the season until the drive, but Boston put it on him immediately, and he couldn't get anything else going because... a) he has no post game b) he has no jumper when it's strongly contested, and c) his footwork needs a lot of work (which ties into his post game and splitting the double) LeBron is an athletic monster, but he doesn't have the advanced fundamentals to beat opponents any other fashion. You take away his drive, and he has to depend on the free throw line, or his teammates. I wasn't exactly rooting for either team...way, way too tough to root for the Celtics because I can't stand anyone there...but it put a smile on my face to see LeBron give up multiple times during those double-digit leads, and it was also good to hear Mark Jackson put him on blast for doing so.

James, Gordon and Griffin would be unstoppable. Doesn't matter who else is on that team. Gordon is an excellent defensive player and a pretty good scorer, Griffin will be one of the better rebounders in the league and a scoring threat down low, and we already know what LeBron does.

Fill in the following. Ten points for each correct answer, minus ten for each missed (which includes extending the series over the correct amount of games). If you feel the series will extend past four games, continue to add an answer to each game you think the series will play to. +10 bonus for the correct series winner, +15 for a perfect series. For example, if you believe the Lakers will win the series 4-2, you should fill in six winners. Los Angeles has home court advantage.

He shot the ball badly in that last game (3-14), but just one thing: Boston did the same to Wade in the second halves of a few games, locked him up pretty damn good, so I really don't know. I do realize the elbow is hurt, but a tear? Either the MRI's were read wrong (which should be unacceptable given the fact that they should have some of the best doctors in the country performing and reading them), or this tear just happened.

TIME: 8:00 PM EST TV: ESPN

Your account isn't banned or suspended. http://www.otrbasketball.com/forums/user/451-snakefromhell

Sorry for not getting here in time to make the game topic. I fell asleep last night, at my desk, and then had to pack all morning long and hit the road, and it slipped my mind. Completely on me. Thanks for making the topic, Kyle.

Nobody blamed it on a hack, and the police already told me they couldn't do anything about it unless there was proof of a criminal threat. Misinformed. Not sure why you sound so mad.

The only way LeBron and Wade play on the same team is if they both go to New York. Of course, that's just my opinion, but I'm sure a lot of others will agree...and the possibility of that happening? I don't know, but I would say highly unlikely. Part of me would love to see it, and the other part would hate it, for obvious reasons. The CP3 deal...I wouldn't put too much into that. The Hornets won't look to trade Paul...not yet. They would rather deal Collison, out of the two point guards...and he would be pretty damn good for the Heat. I just have a feeling Miami will pursue Boozer before they take a look at star point guards.

I just don't see how you could be happy with Jordan Hill, I guess (and the picks or cap room), because...well, I don't see how the Raptors can't get a better deal than that. There has to be a playoff team that wants Bosh and that will offer a better deal, and I can't see why the Raptors pass it up. Maybe Bosh will stay, and I'll be surprised at that, too.

http://thelakersnation.com/forums/index.php?/topic/36538-keep-an-eye-out-for-the-suns/page__view__findpost__p__655735 AND... http://thelakersnation.com/forums/index.php?/topic/36538-keep-an-eye-out-for-the-suns/page__view__findpost__p__656567 Of course, at ONE point, I started to think that the Mavericks could make it to the WCF...but then, chemistry problems hit again, and I changed my mind.

I had him as fourth in my list back in March: http://www.otrbasketball.com/forums/topic/9951-nbas-fab-five-point-guards And I'll keep him there, at fourth, although he's closing in on Nash just a bit. Still have to say Nash at three, though. And it's not really fair to bring this up a year after we all discussed it. At that time, Harris was probably the better overall point guard. This season, he wasn't. Rondo improved significantly since then.

Timeline... Kobe, Game 4 vs. Thunder: 5-10 (50% FG), 12 PTS Kobe, Game 5 vs. Thunder: 4-9 (44% FG), 13 PTS Barkley, after LAL/OKC Game 5: "Kobe's 30-point days are long gone." Kobe, Game 6 vs. Thunder: 12-25 (48% FG), 32 PTS Kobe, Game 1 vs. Jazz: 12-19 (63% FG), 31 PTS Kobe, Game 2 vs. Jazz: 10-22 (46% FG), 30 PTS Kobe, Game 3 vs. Jazz: 13-24 (54% FG), 35 PTS Kobe, Game 4 vs. Jazz: 11-23 (48% FG), 32 PTS Did Charles just make a mistake by saying it, or does Kobe even care?

How is your aunt 20 AND 23?

I'm not sure if he was actually expected to step up. I think that would've been Beasley more than O'Neal.

No-show Joe! (looks at Cobb)

Hope the old design, and a new banner, is good enough for now.

Yep, very obvious when a 50-year old man tries to make a fastbreak layup on a young, athletic kid.

Leaving town for good, actually, haha...moving. Well, moving half of my stuff tomorrow, grabbing bits and pieces of it for the next month, until the lease runs out. Cable will be shut off tomorrow, though, and I'll be tied up for the next 3-4 days, so I'll try to get a halfway-decent skin up very, very soon.