bball again

Cam · 04-21-2003, 11:56 PM

I know this isn't the cellar's favorite sport but I have to make comments somewhere. Anyone watching the NBA playoffs. I'm really rooting against the Lakers this year(big surprise). But then again I kind of feel sorry for Shaq his grandfather died this week . If it was anyone but Shaq I'd be rooting for them as sentimental favorites no matter what, but as it stands go T'Wolves.

Missed tonights games, looks like the Spurs where ready to kill out of the gate tonight. And the small O'neil was ready to show the world that he's here.

04-22-2003, 05:42 AM

Basketball is probably my favorite sport. I enjoy watching it and I used to enjoy playing until I lost my eye. (It's where things went wrong. I stopped all sports and subsequently got out of shape.)

I don't enjoy the NBA as much as I enjoy the NCAA tournament, mainly because I think you get better games out of those 64 teams than you do out of the league. They're more exciting to watch.

I was cheering for the Kings last year, but fuck it. I don't think they're a mature enough team to win. It seems like they feel they're owed the title, that they're the best (which is why they keep losing to the Lakers). Real "best" teams don't whine, they win titles. So fuck the Kings, I'm done with those babies.

This year, I'm down for whatever. Go Lakers. They're a really polished team and they obviously put in the work. I wouldn't mind seeing the Nets go to the finals again, 'cause it's amazing how Kidd drives that team. Love him or hate him, he can play basketball.

I probably won't watch any of the games - espn.com is your friend - but that doesn't mean I'm not interested.

Anyway, if I were a betting man, I'd say it's Lakers for a fourth.

elSicomoro · 04-22-2003, 09:30 AM

Sadly, given that there are 3 game 7's tonight in the NHL's opening round, I can only eat, drink, and sleep hockey at the moment. I'll start following the NBA again in a day or two.

vsp · 04-22-2003, 09:53 AM

Not only am I not a fan of basketball, I've never understood its popularity. (Street ball, maybe; it's a sport that any even number of people can play with simple equipment (a ball and a hoop), unlike football, baseball, soccer or hockey.)

But basketball has a number of very bizarre quirks:

* It's the only major sport where the main goal -- scoring points -- is accomplished forty or fifty times by BOTH teams in EVERY game. A goal in soccer, a goal in hockey, a run in baseball, a field goal or touchdown in football... those are EVENTS! Those are noteworthy. Basketball is like the top of a typewriter swinging back and forth: dribbledribbledribbledribbledribbledribbleDING! Score. dribbledribbledribbledribbledribbledribbleDING! Score.

* Because of the rapid scoring, no lead is ever safe until the last five minutes... but those last five minutes take about three days to complete. (Five days if Dean Smith is coaching either team.) It's like watching a marathon; does anyone really care who's ahead at Mile 13, or do they tune in to the end to see who wins?

(Auto racing shares this curious trend, but at least in NASCAR there's always the possibility of a hideous crash to keep things lively.)

* Is there another sport where BREAKING THE RULES is considered to be a regular and strategic part of the game? I refer, of course, to deliberate fouling. Baseball has the intentional walk, but that's not only within the rules, it's used sparingly.

"Johnson! It's third-and-twelve. We're down by four. There's 3:37 on the clock. Go out and clip somebody, so we'll get the ball back." The HELL?

* Baseball takes flak on a VERY regular basis for being the home of "overpaid millionaires." Well, why doesn't the NBA get this backlash? Its salaries have consistently been far and above baseball's for decades, its marquee players' salary demands have torn apart as many teams as baseball's, yet they get a comparative free pass.

I'd watch bowling on TV before I'd watch basketball. At least it's over quicker.

Undertoad · 04-22-2003, 10:15 AM

Also, 90% of the players are genetic mutations and the only reason this isn't more obvious is the long lenses used for TV.

This may be the one reason to enjoy Allen Iverson: he's not a genetic mutation and is still quite good. This may also be the one reason to enjoy college basketball where the mutants have not yet been selected.

(In football, they are 70% genetic mutations, but the 30% "regular humans" touch the ball the most. In hockey, only the goalies are different from the rest of us, what with their chronic brain damage telling them they enjoy being hit in the face with 100 MPH projectiles.)

Cam · 05-05-2003, 01:13 AM

My observations from the first round of the playoffs.

1. T-Mac and KG should learn from this year to shut your mouth and let your game talk for you. Both ran their mouths about how they were this close to winning the series and ended up loosing. T-Mac did this last year too and had the same thing happen.

2. Detroit is an unstoppable force if they can score. Their defense is suffocating, the Magic couldn't buy a good look at the basket let alone a bucket. If Detroit’s shooters remain hot throughout the playoffs, they will make the finals

3. Ben Wallace should be an MVP candidate. He completely changes a game on the defensive end. If he were not on the Pistons, they wouldn't have made the playoffs. He makes defensive plays that leave you wondering what just happened. Not many players do that on the defensive end.

4. The Mavericks feel the need to collapse every once in a while. They blow a 30-point lead to the Lakers near the beginning of the year. And nearly become the first team to loose a playoff series they were up 3-0 in.

5. Officiating in all Major sports needs some serious work. The NFL had problems in there playoffs, the NHL playoffs have had some really crappy calls. The NBA has had some the worst officiating I've ever seen beyond high-school. Game 3 of the Lakers-Wolves series was ridiculous, and it hasn't been just limited to one game or even one series. It's not so much the missed calls in the NBA but the refs don't seem to call the games very consistently.

6. With the passing of the Stockton-Malone era every player I grew up watching has either retired or faded into the background on their respective teams. The only two left from the MJ generation are Pippen on the Blazers and Miller on the Pacers. Malone may stick around for a couple more years but it will not be the same without Stockton there beside him.

7. Finally, the Kings will win the championship. The Lakers may survive the Spurs but I'm predicting a 7 games series that drain both teams. The Mav's Kings Series should be good to but I don't think the Kings will have any trouble. They will just do what Portland did in games 4-5-6 to finish the Mav's off in 5 games. Whoever does survive the Lakers-Spurs series will be completely drained and neither of those teams has the depth to compete with the Kings this year. The Lakes especially so after loosing Rick Fox. Whoever comes out victorious in the East might put up a fight but the East is still inferior the West.

MichaelFarker · 05-18-2003, 02:15 PM

I love watching professional basketball. You don't have to wait a long time for someone to do something right - score. Still, I love the fact that if both teams are good the team that has more grit and determination wins, even if they make mistakes at some point.

Go Mavericks! Almost noone believed they could do it. It's really exciting to see them do so well. It is especially gratifying to see 6'1" Van Exel be the key contributor during the series with the Kings.

The officiating for the NBA playoffs has been terrible. I hate bad calls, whether they are for or against the team I'm cheering for. They devalue the efforts of the competitors and detract from my enjoyment of the game. I wish the league would decide what the rules are for what a foul is, what traveling is, etc. and make the referees enforce these rules equally. Exciting players can usually commit a traveling violation without penalty. Referees can allow whatever level of physical violence they feel like, so long as they call it the same for both teams. They do not even have to be consistent over the course of a game, and often aren't. Particularly with the serious injuries that are occurring during the playoffs this year, the NBA needs to make the difficult call to reign in officiating.

elSicomoro · 05-18-2003, 03:12 PM

I'm just happy to see Sacramento and Los Angeles defeated. I'm pulling for the Spurs...it's hard not to like them.

New Jersey or Detroit...I'll go with the Nets.

Spurs in 6.

SteveDallas · 05-18-2003, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vsp

* It's the only major sport where the main goal -- scoring points -- is accomplished forty or fifty times by BOTH teams in EVERY game.

Ironically, this is the reason given by many American sports fans to explain why they don't like soccer. "They never score! Why should I watch something where there might be a 1-0 score or a 0-0 tie? That's not exciting!!" (My response to this is usually, "if you want exciting, how can you watch baseball??")

Quote:

* Baseball takes flak on a VERY regular basis for being the home of "overpaid millionaires." Well, why doesn't the NBA get this backlash? Its salaries have consistently been far and above baseball's for decades, its marquee players' salary demands have torn apart as many teams as baseball's, yet they get a comparative free pass.

I personally think it's just because the NBA has better PR. Along in the early 80s or so the NBA decided that if it was going to survive, they'd better give the fans what they wanted. MLB seems to be out to annoy the fans as much as please them.

I used to watch a ton of basketball--much less now that I have kids. In fact the last 2 minutes of game 5 of the 76ers/Piston series are the only basketball I've seen the entire season.

05-19-2003, 05:35 AM

Man, soccer can be addicting to watch. At times boring, but there isn't much more exciting than seeing a near goal followed by a goal a minute or so later. Whew.

Man, I find it really hard not to like the Nets, because they're fun to watch. Kings of the fast break, they usually make for exciting games (when they're not getting stomped in the championships).

Hey, I'm glad the Lakers lost, 'cause I think they needed to. I just didn't think anyone could do it. They definitely hurt after losing two pretty key players, so... I predict they'll take it next year.

... UNLESS Jason Kidd goes to the Spurs (or the Kings)... in which case, I'd say that they'll be the team to beat. I kinda hope he stays with NJ 'cause it's amazing how he drives that team (is he the best passer in the league or what?), but if he leaves to find a championship contender, I do believe he'll get a ring.

05-24-2003, 09:29 PM

Well, the Nets are about to win. I've been watching most of the game and it's been fun. The Nets are just so damn fun to watch 'cause they make for exciting games. I think they might actually have a chance against San Antonio because they've been playing <b>extremely well</b> this postseason. I hope they take it, just to see an East team win. Go Nets.

05-29-2003, 08:50 AM

Now things are getting really interesting. The Spurs are up in their series 3-2 against the Mavericks, whereas it really should be over by now. Nowitzki won't be playing tonight (probably) but who knows what the Mavs will do? My guess is that the Spurs will still win the series, but it's hard to discount it after seeing them get throttled Tuesday night.

New Jersey is enjoying its rest. Detroit had the best defense in the league; NJ had the second best as far as points scored and was actually ahead of Detroit as far as forcing worse shooting percentages. That's why NJ won.

We know that San Antonio can score, but against who? The Mavs defense isn't exactly spectacular. More to the point, the Mavs only weapon is that they can score. If they're up against NJ, I think they'll get slaughtered.

San Antonio is a better match for NJ, because they lack the defensive depth but they've got two big men you might have heard of named David Robinson and Tim Duncan - and that will make for an interesting series.

If the Mavs go, I predict NJ champions in 5 games, 6 if Nowitzki is back. If the Spurs go, I think Nets will take it in 7.

That Guy · 05-30-2003, 08:51 AM

You shoulda put money on that, Dave.

Anyone catch the game last night? It's been the battle of IH-35 around here. Fairly interesting, seeing how nobody took much notice of them until recently. (Though I do have to give the Spurs some credit for capturing a previous championship, even if it was a half-season.)

elSicomoro · 05-30-2003, 10:32 PM

I like Dallas, but I've always liked the Spurs. David Robinson used to be my favorite player...still one of my faves. It's his last year, and it'd be great to see him go out with another ring.

When Rho and I were coming back from NJ tonight, they had signs at the Tpk toll plazas that said something like "Go Nets! Go Devils! Make New Jersey proud!" It's hard to be proud of anything in New Jersey, so I guess it's nice for them to have a little pride in their sports teams...even though they're practically New York teams.

And I don't dislike the Nets. Good solid team. But the East is just weak in general. Has been for a few years now. I'm going to stick with the Spurs in 6.

Too bad the Sixers couldn't land Mo Cheeks or Tubby Smith for the head coaching job. I feel for the poor person that gets it. To deal with a headcase like Iverson, and some of the most ridiculous sports fans there are...good luck.

elSicomoro · 06-15-2003, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sycamore 5/18/03
I'm just happy to see Sacramento and Los Angeles defeated. I'm pulling for the Spurs...it's hard not to like them.

New Jersey or Detroit...I'll go with the Nets.

Spurs in 6.

Damn, I'm good. Actually, more like lucky.

04-21-2003, 11:56 PM	#1
Cam dripping with ignorance Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Grand Forks ND Posts: 642	bball again I know this isn't the cellar's favorite sport but I have to make comments somewhere. Anyone watching the NBA playoffs. I'm really rooting against the Lakers this year(big surprise). But then again I kind of feel sorry for Shaq his grandfather died this week . If it was anyone but Shaq I'd be rooting for them as sentimental favorites no matter what, but as it stands go T'Wolves. Missed tonights games, looks like the Spurs where ready to kill out of the gate tonight. And the small O'neil was ready to show the world that he's here. __________________ After the seventh beer I generally try and stay away from the keyboard, I apologize for what happens when I fail.

05-05-2003, 01:13 AM	#6
Cam dripping with ignorance Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Grand Forks ND Posts: 642	My observations from the first round of the playoffs. 1. T-Mac and KG should learn from this year to shut your mouth and let your game talk for you. Both ran their mouths about how they were this close to winning the series and ended up loosing. T-Mac did this last year too and had the same thing happen. 2. Detroit is an unstoppable force if they can score. Their defense is suffocating, the Magic couldn't buy a good look at the basket let alone a bucket. If Detroit’s shooters remain hot throughout the playoffs, they will make the finals 3. Ben Wallace should be an MVP candidate. He completely changes a game on the defensive end. If he were not on the Pistons, they wouldn't have made the playoffs. He makes defensive plays that leave you wondering what just happened. Not many players do that on the defensive end. 4. The Mavericks feel the need to collapse every once in a while. They blow a 30-point lead to the Lakers near the beginning of the year. And nearly become the first team to loose a playoff series they were up 3-0 in. 5. Officiating in all Major sports needs some serious work. The NFL had problems in there playoffs, the NHL playoffs have had some really crappy calls. The NBA has had some the worst officiating I've ever seen beyond high-school. Game 3 of the Lakers-Wolves series was ridiculous, and it hasn't been just limited to one game or even one series. It's not so much the missed calls in the NBA but the refs don't seem to call the games very consistently. 6. With the passing of the Stockton-Malone era every player I grew up watching has either retired or faded into the background on their respective teams. The only two left from the MJ generation are Pippen on the Blazers and Miller on the Pacers. Malone may stick around for a couple more years but it will not be the same without Stockton there beside him. 7. Finally, the Kings will win the championship. The Lakers may survive the Spurs but I'm predicting a 7 games series that drain both teams. The Mav's Kings Series should be good to but I don't think the Kings will have any trouble. They will just do what Portland did in games 4-5-6 to finish the Mav's off in 5 games. Whoever does survive the Lakers-Spurs series will be completely drained and neither of those teams has the depth to compete with the Kings this year. The Lakes especially so after loosing Rick Fox. Whoever comes out victorious in the East might put up a fight but the East is still inferior the West. __________________ After the seventh beer I generally try and stay away from the keyboard, I apologize for what happens when I fail.

04-22-2003, 05:42 AM	#2
dave Guest Posts: n/a	Basketball is probably my favorite sport. I enjoy watching it and I used to enjoy playing until I lost my eye. (It's where things went wrong. I stopped all sports and subsequently got out of shape.) I don't enjoy the NBA as much as I enjoy the NCAA tournament, mainly because I think you get better games out of those 64 teams than you do out of the league. They're more exciting to watch. I was cheering for the Kings last year, but fuck it. I don't think they're a mature enough team to win. It seems like they feel they're owed the title, that they're the best (which is why they keep losing to the Lakers). Real "best" teams don't whine, they win titles. So fuck the Kings, I'm done with those babies. This year, I'm down for whatever. Go Lakers. They're a really polished team and they obviously put in the work. I wouldn't mind seeing the Nets go to the finals again, 'cause it's amazing how Kidd drives that team. Love him or hate him, he can play basketball. I probably won't watch any of the games - espn.com is your friend - but that doesn't mean I'm not interested. Anyway, if I were a betting man, I'd say it's Lakers for a fourth.

04-22-2003, 09:30 AM	#3
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Sadly, given that there are 3 game 7's tonight in the NHL's opening round, I can only eat, drink, and sleep hockey at the moment. I'll start following the NBA again in a day or two.

04-22-2003, 09:53 AM	#4
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	Not only am I not a fan of basketball, I've never understood its popularity. (Street ball, maybe; it's a sport that any even number of people can play with simple equipment (a ball and a hoop), unlike football, baseball, soccer or hockey.) But basketball has a number of very bizarre quirks: * It's the only major sport where the main goal -- scoring points -- is accomplished forty or fifty times by BOTH teams in EVERY game. A goal in soccer, a goal in hockey, a run in baseball, a field goal or touchdown in football... those are EVENTS! Those are noteworthy. Basketball is like the top of a typewriter swinging back and forth: dribbledribbledribbledribbledribbledribbleDING! Score. dribbledribbledribbledribbledribbledribbleDING! Score. * Because of the rapid scoring, no lead is ever safe until the last five minutes... but those last five minutes take about three days to complete. (Five days if Dean Smith is coaching either team.) It's like watching a marathon; does anyone really care who's ahead at Mile 13, or do they tune in to the end to see who wins? (Auto racing shares this curious trend, but at least in NASCAR there's always the possibility of a hideous crash to keep things lively.) * Is there another sport where BREAKING THE RULES is considered to be a regular and strategic part of the game? I refer, of course, to deliberate fouling. Baseball has the intentional walk, but that's not only within the rules, it's used sparingly. "Johnson! It's third-and-twelve. We're down by four. There's 3:37 on the clock. Go out and clip somebody, so we'll get the ball back." The HELL? * Baseball takes flak on a VERY regular basis for being the home of "overpaid millionaires." Well, why doesn't the NBA get this backlash? Its salaries have consistently been far and above baseball's for decades, its marquee players' salary demands have torn apart as many teams as baseball's, yet they get a comparative free pass. I'd watch bowling on TV before I'd watch basketball. At least it's over quicker.

04-22-2003, 10:15 AM	#5
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Also, 90% of the players are genetic mutations and the only reason this isn't more obvious is the long lenses used for TV. This may be the one reason to enjoy Allen Iverson: he's not a genetic mutation and is still quite good. This may also be the one reason to enjoy college basketball where the mutants have not yet been selected. (In football, they are 70% genetic mutations, but the 30% "regular humans" touch the ball the most. In hockey, only the goalies are different from the rest of us, what with their chronic brain damage telling them they enjoy being hit in the face with 100 MPH projectiles.)

05-18-2003, 02:15 PM	#7
MichaelFarker Kinda New Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 1	I love watching professional basketball. You don't have to wait a long time for someone to do something right - score. Still, I love the fact that if both teams are good the team that has more grit and determination wins, even if they make mistakes at some point. Go Mavericks! Almost noone believed they could do it. It's really exciting to see them do so well. It is especially gratifying to see 6'1" Van Exel be the key contributor during the series with the Kings. The officiating for the NBA playoffs has been terrible. I hate bad calls, whether they are for or against the team I'm cheering for. They devalue the efforts of the competitors and detract from my enjoyment of the game. I wish the league would decide what the rules are for what a foul is, what traveling is, etc. and make the referees enforce these rules equally. Exciting players can usually commit a traveling violation without penalty. Referees can allow whatever level of physical violence they feel like, so long as they call it the same for both teams. They do not even have to be consistent over the course of a game, and often aren't. Particularly with the serious injuries that are occurring during the playoffs this year, the NBA needs to make the difficult call to reign in officiating.

05-18-2003, 03:12 PM	#8
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I'm just happy to see Sacramento and Los Angeles defeated. I'm pulling for the Spurs...it's hard not to like them. New Jersey or Detroit...I'll go with the Nets. Spurs in 6.

05-19-2003, 05:35 AM	#10
dave Guest Posts: n/a	Man, soccer can be addicting to watch. At times boring, but there isn't much more exciting than seeing a near goal followed by a goal a minute or so later. Whew. Man, I find it really hard not to like the Nets, because they're fun to watch. Kings of the fast break, they usually make for exciting games (when they're not getting stomped in the championships). Hey, I'm glad the Lakers lost, 'cause I think they needed to. I just didn't think anyone could do it. They definitely hurt after losing two pretty key players, so... I predict they'll take it next year. ... UNLESS Jason Kidd goes to the Spurs (or the Kings)... in which case, I'd say that they'll be the team to beat. I kinda hope he stays with NJ 'cause it's amazing how he drives that team (is he the best passer in the league or what?), but if he leaves to find a championship contender, I do believe he'll get a ring.

05-24-2003, 09:29 PM	#11
dave Guest Posts: n/a	Well, the Nets are about to win. I've been watching most of the game and it's been fun. The Nets are just so damn fun to watch 'cause they make for exciting games. I think they might actually have a chance against San Antonio because they've been playing <b>extremely well</b> this postseason. I hope they take it, just to see an East team win. Go Nets.

05-29-2003, 08:50 AM	#12
dave Guest Posts: n/a	Now things are getting really interesting. The Spurs are up in their series 3-2 against the Mavericks, whereas it really should be over by now. Nowitzki won't be playing tonight (probably) but who knows what the Mavs will do? My guess is that the Spurs will still win the series, but it's hard to discount it after seeing them get throttled Tuesday night. New Jersey is enjoying its rest. Detroit had the best defense in the league; NJ had the second best as far as points scored and was actually ahead of Detroit as far as forcing worse shooting percentages. That's why NJ won. We know that San Antonio can score, but against who? The Mavs defense isn't exactly spectacular. More to the point, the Mavs only weapon is that they can score. If they're up against NJ, I think they'll get slaughtered. San Antonio is a better match for NJ, because they lack the defensive depth but they've got two big men you might have heard of named David Robinson and Tim Duncan - and that will make for an interesting series. If the Mavs go, I predict NJ champions in 5 games, 6 if Nowitzki is back. If the Spurs go, I think Nets will take it in 7.

05-30-2003, 08:51 AM	#13
That Guy He who reads, sometimes writes. Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: at the keyboard Posts: 791	You shoulda put money on that, Dave. Anyone catch the game last night? It's been the battle of IH-35 around here. Fairly interesting, seeing how nobody took much notice of them until recently. (Though I do have to give the Spurs some credit for capturing a previous championship, even if it was a half-season.)

05-30-2003, 10:32 PM	#14
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I like Dallas, but I've always liked the Spurs. David Robinson used to be my favorite player...still one of my faves. It's his last year, and it'd be great to see him go out with another ring. When Rho and I were coming back from NJ tonight, they had signs at the Tpk toll plazas that said something like "Go Nets! Go Devils! Make New Jersey proud!" It's hard to be proud of anything in New Jersey, so I guess it's nice for them to have a little pride in their sports teams...even though they're practically New York teams. And I don't dislike the Nets. Good solid team. But the East is just weak in general. Has been for a few years now. I'm going to stick with the Spurs in 6. Too bad the Sixers couldn't land Mo Cheeks or Tubby Smith for the head coaching job. I feel for the poor person that gets it. To deal with a headcase like Iverson, and some of the most ridiculous sports fans there are...good luck.

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