2010 NBA Playoffs

[salsadancer7]

If the C's draw Miami (which is more and more likely), they WILL be had in the first round!

Like I said, I think what has made the Celtics vunerable is a couple important pieces they lost and the fact that because they seem to have gotten older, their defense has seriously suffered. The Big Three are VERY capable of scoring, but the defense is nowhere near as good. I think alot of that has to do with Wallace. That guy has not played defense since college.

If the Celtics beat the HEAT, it's because they played good team defense. IF Miami wins, which I think they will, it is because Miami was too young and athletic to keep up.

BUT, Rondo is gonna KILL US.

 

[salsadancer7]

TNT's Charles Barkley: LeBron should stay in Cleveland and Cavaliers should win the title | cleveland.com

I TOTALLY agree with the Danny Ferry statement, no GM has done more to surround a marquee player without not only important parts to win a championship, but all parts have fit to Lebron's game.

That is why my feeling is that IF they do not win.....well....you know the rest. This is the best built team since those well built San Antonio Spurs.

 

[HD MM]

Like I said, I think what has made the Celtics vunerable is a couple important pieces they lost and the fact that because they seem to have gotten older, their defense has seriously suffered. The Big Three are VERY capable of scoring, but the defense is nowhere near as good. I think alot of that has to do with Wallace. That guy has not played defense since college.

If the Celtics beat the HEAT, it's because they played good team defense. IF Miami wins, which I think they will, it is because Miami was too young and athletic to keep up.

BUT, Rondo is gonna KILL US.

When a team "gets old" in the NBA, they seem to get old real quick. For instance, take a look at the Detroit Pistons before they were disbanded. They were a constant force in the East, then age caught up to them and they haven't rebounded (no pun intended) since.

 

[HD MM]

NBA Playoff Bracket Set! Scheduled for tipoff Saturday April 17th!

EAST

(1) Cleveland
(8) Chicago

(4) Boston
(5) Miami

(3) Atlanta
(6) Milwaukee

(2) Orlando
(7) Charlotte

West

(1) Lakers
(8) Oklahoma City

(4) Denver
(5) Utah

(3) Phoenix
(6) Portland

(2) Dallas
(7) San Antonio

 

[salsadancer7]

EAST

(1) Cleveland
(8) Chicago

(4) Boston
(5) Miami

(3) Atlanta
(6) Milwaukee

(2) Orlando
(7) Charlotte

West

(1) Lakers
(8) Oklahoma City

(4) Denver
(5) Utah

(3) Phoenix
(6) Portland

(2) Dallas
(7) San Antonio

This should be fun!

 

[HD MM]

Complete NBA Playoff Schedule

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) CLEVELAND vs. (8) CHICAGO

Saturday, April 17: Chicago at Cleveland, 3 p.m.
Monday, April 19: Chicago at Cleveland, 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 22: Cleveland at Chicago, 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 25: Cleveland at Chicago, 3:30 p.m.
x- Tuesday, April 27: Chicago at Cleveland, TBD
x- Thursday, April 29: Cleveland at Chicago, TBD
x- Saturday, May 1: Chicago at Cleveland, TBD

(2) ORLANDO vs. (7) CHARLOTTE

Sunday, April 18: Charlotte at Orlando, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 21: Charlotte at Orlando, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 24: Orlando at Charlotte, 2 p.m.
Monday, April 26: Orlando at Charlotte, TBD
x-Wednesday, April 28: Charlotte at Orlando, TBD
x-Friday, April 30: Orlando at Charlotte, TBD
x-Sunday, May 2: Charlotte at Orlando, TBD

(3) ATLANTA vs. MILWAUKEE (6)

Saturday, April 17: Milwaukee at Atlanta, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 20: Milwaukee at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 24: Atlanta at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Monday, April 26: Atlanta at Milwaukee, TBD
x-Wednesday, April 28: Milwaukee at Atlanta, TBD
x-Friday, April 30: Atlanta at Milwaukee, TBD
x-Sunday, May 2: Milwaukee at Atlanta, TBD

(4) BOSTON vs. MIAMI (5)

Saturday, April 17: Miami at Boston, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, April 20: Miami at Boston, 8 p.m.
Friday, April 23: Boston at Miami, 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 25: Boston at Miami, 1 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 27: Miami at Boston, TBD
x-Thursday, April 29: Boston at Miami, TBD
x-Saturday, May 1: Miami at Boston, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) L.A. LAKERS vs. OKLAHOMA CITY (8)

Sunday, April 18: Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, April 20: Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 22: L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 24: L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 27: Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, TBD
x-Friday, April 30: L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, TBD
x-Sunday, May 2: Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, TBD

(2) DALLAS vs. SAN ANTONIO (7)

Sunday, April 18: San Antonio at Dallas, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, April 21: San Antonio at Dallas, 9:30 p.m.
Friday, April 23: Dallas at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 25: Dallas at San Antonio, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 27: San Antonio at Dallas, TBD
x-Thursday, April 29: Dallas at San Antonio, TBD
x-Saturday, May 1: San Antonio at Dallas, TBD

(3) PHOENIX vs. PORTLAND (6)

Saturday, April 17: Portland at Phoenix , 10:30 p.m.
Monday, April 19: Portland at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 22: Phoenix at Portland, 10 p.m.
Saturday, April 24: Phoenix at Portland, 4:30 p.m.
x-Monday, April 26: Portland at Phoenix, TBD
x-Thursday, April 29: Phoenix at Portland, TBD
x-Saturday, May 1: Portland at Phoenix, TBD

(4) DENVER vs. UTAH (5)

Sunday, April 18: Utah at Denver, 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 20: Utah at Denver, 10 p.m.
Friday, April 23: Denver at Utah, 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 25: Denver at Utah, 9:30 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 28: Utah at Denver, TBD
x-Friday, April 30: Denver at Utah, TBD
x-Sunday, May 2: Utah at Denver, TBD

 

[BillD1984]

EAST

(1) Cleveland in 4
(8) Chicago

(4) Boston
(5) Miami in 6

(3) Atlanta in 5
(6) Milwaukee

(2) Orlando in 4
(7) Charlotte

West

(1) Lakers in 5
(8) Oklahoma City

(4) Denver
(5) Utah in 6

(3) Phoenix in 7
(6) Portland

(2) Dallas
(7) San Antonio in 6

My first round predictions above

 

[HD MM]

Phil Jackson Fined $35k for Comments on Durant

LOS ANGELES -- For the second time in two weeks, Lakers coach Phil Jackson has been fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials, it was announced Thursday by Stu Jackson, the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations.

Jackson was fined for comments made in reference to Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, the third-year forward who led the league in free-throw attempts with 10.3 per game this season. The Lakers tip off their first-round playoff series against Durant and the Thunder on Sunday.

"As far as the calls that he gets on the floor, I think a lot of the referees are treating him like a superstar; he gets to the line easy and often," Jackson said on Tuesday, prior to Los Angeles' game against Sacramento.

Boston's Kevin Garnett made a similar derisive claim after the Celtics' 109-104 loss to the Thunder on March 31, saying the calls Durant was receiving made it seem like he was "Michael [expletive] Jordan."

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson fined for comments about Kevin Durant - ESPN Los Angeles

 

[HD MM]

Blazers' Roy to Have Surgery, Miss Suns Series

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will have surgery on his right knee on Friday and will miss the first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, the team announced.

Roy, who averaged 21.5 points, needs the surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Seems pretty quick to recover from knee surgery. Must be a pretty in-evasive process...

[ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/news/story?id=5095872"]Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy to have knee surgery, miss first-round series vs. Phoenix Suns - ESPN[/ame]

 

[HD MM]

LeBron Delivers Speech to Teammates; Vows to Erase Memory of Last Year

"I've been waiting personally on this since Game 6 of the Orlando series," he said. "It kind of hurts for a long time. You kind hold that in for all summer and all regular season to get back to this point. I'll be happy Saturday when I get the opportunity to release it."

Last week, James made a speech to his teammates, reminding them of what's at stake......

"I basically just said this is the time," he said. "This is what everyone was brought here for. This is what everybody worked hard in the offseason all year long. This is the time now. There's no time to look backwards. It's all about straight forward and just the vision of us winning an NBA championship.

"We want to win every series, we want to take every game like it's our last. But our whole vision is to win an NBA championship and we have to believe it first."

Mike Brown may hold the title as Cavalier Manager, but with that speech and on the court leadership, make no bones about it... LeBron James is this teams coach!

LET'S DO THIS CAVS!!!!!!!!

 

[Skyhi]

EAST

(1) Cleveland in 5
(8) Chicago

(4) Boston in 7
(5) Miami

(3) Atlanta in 5
(6) Milwaukee

(2) Orlando in 6
(7) Charlotte

West

(1) Lakers in 6
(8) Oklahoma City

(4) Denver in 7
(5) Utah

(3) Phoenix in 5
(6) Portland

(2) Dallas in 7
(7) San Antonio

 

[mdonnelly]

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson fined for comments about Kevin Durant - ESPN Los Angeles

He's just working the refs. He probably had a good idea that the Lakers and the Thunder would meet in the first round. He's hoping that the refs won't call so many fouls, cuz the Thunder are a very good free-throw team.

 

[HD MM]

Playoff Predictions

East

(1) Cleveland in 4
(8) Chicago

(4) Boston
(5) Miami in 7

(3) Atlanta in 4
(6) Milwaukee

(2) Orlando in 6
(7) Charlotte

West

(1) Lakers in 5
(8) Oklahoma City

(4) Denver in 7
(5) Utah

(3) Phoenix in 5
(6) Portland

(2) Dallas in 7
(7) San Antonio

 

[salsadancer7]

EAST

(1) Cleveland in 6
(8) Chicago

(4) Boston
(5) Miami in 7

(3) Atlanta in 7
(6) Milwaukee

(2) Orlando in 6
(7) Charlotte

West

(1) Lakers in 7
(8) Oklahoma City

(4) Denver
(5) Utah in 7 UPSET special!

(3) Phoenix in 6
(6) Portland

(2) Dallas in 7
(7) San Antonio

THOSE are my picks

 

[SandraC]

I don't think Utah can upset anyone, I think if healthy they are a serious threat to win the West. Denver is hampered by not having George Karl for the first round, the team has not played well under Adrian Dantley.


Sandra

 

[SabresRule]

Cavs in 4- Unless Derek Rose duplicates his Game 1 in the Garden last year against the Celtics for the entire series, this will be one-sided

Heat in 6- Aging team against a dominant player like D-Wade- not a good recipe

Hawks in 6- More talent, plus they have some playoff experience

Magic in 6- Bobcats won't make it easy, but the talent will prevail in the end.

Lakers in 5- Durant can win a game by himself, but inexperence will prove the difference

Mavs in 6- Spurs are at the end of their rope. Mavs have more youth and have fared well against the Spurs in recent years. S.A. had home-court last year- and still lost in 5.

Suns in 6- All those people that wrote off the Suns before the season are looking a little silly right now.

Nuggets in 7- This could be the best round-one series.

 

[Skyhi]

The matchups in the West are going to be really fun to watch. I just wish they weren't on so late at night.

 

[Lkr]

Chicago in 7
Boston in 6
Atlanta in 5
Charlotte in 7
LA in 7
Denver in 5
Phoenix in 4
Dallas in 6

 

[BillD1984]

This weekend's playoff schedule................


Saturday
Chicago at Cleveland (Game 1)- 3:00pm ET/12 noon PT (ABC/ABC-HD)

Milwaukee at Atlanta (Game 1)- 5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT (ESPN/ESPN-HD)

Miami at Boston (Game 1)- 8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT (ESPN/ESPN-HD)

Utah at Denver (Game 1)- 10:30pm ET/7:30pm PT (ESPN/ESPN-HD)


Sunday
Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers (Game 1)- 3:00pm ET/12noon PT (ABC/ABC-HD)

Charlotte at Orlando (Game 1)- 5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT (TNT/TNT-HD)

San Antonio at Dallas (Game 1)- 8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT (TNT/TNT-HD)

Portland at Phoenix (Game 1)- 10:30pm ET/7:30pm PT (TNT/TNT-HD)

 

[BillD1984]

I don't think Utah can upset anyone, I think if healthy they are a serious threat to win the West. Denver is hampered by not having George Karl for the first round, the team has not played well under Adrian Dantley.


Sandra

I agree.

In fact, I have the Jazz winning the West.