The NBA Thread

[Guest Alan]

I know there are a few basketball fans floating around this here forum, so i thought i would start a thread dedicated to the NBA and the teams in it. This is the place where anyone can discuss the goings on over in the states, whether your an avid, veteran fan or someone new to the sport, discuss it here!

 

And i'm going to start by talking about Kobe Bryant. The man has had his troubles over the past couple of years, and last season was nowhere near the same player that he has been in championship years. However just the other night he showed everyone that Kobe Bryant is back, scoring a huge 62 points against the Dallas Mavericks, including 30 in just the third period! There is no denying that Bryant is a great player, and if he continues to put on displays like he did against Nowitzki and the Mavericks i can see them getting back into the postseason.

[Guest Drake]

Finally an NBA thread.

 

Kobe did PWN with those 62 points, but the thing is, he doesn't have anyone to back him offensively. When he's not ''Hot'' the Lakers can't score shite. So I really don't think they'll go far in the playoffs, well that is if they make the playoffs.

 

But what about the dominance of the Pistons with Saunders. :)

[Guest Alan]

Personally i hate the pistons with a passion, this goes back to the early nineties when i first got into the game and they were beating on my team in the playoffs every year! Yeah i'm a Bulls fan, but i've stuck with them through the extremely tough times since the break-up of the amazing championship years.

But anyway, the Pistons will be in for another long season, they'll make the playoffs and go far, however i think if, and its a big if, Miami stay fit and go into the playoffs strong, they could be the ones to get into the Finals instead of Detroit.

Philadelphia are beginning to put it together, with the two AI's, Dalembert and Webber, maybe even they can get back into the latter stages of the postseason?

[Guest Drake]

LOL, believe me I HATED the Pistons to. When they were the ones eliminating Philly in the playoffs this past years. If you didn't know, Iverson is my favourite player since I was 11, so I hated them. But when they went against the Lakers in the 04 finals, I was rooting for them to beat the Lakers and I fell in love with them.

 

And to top it off they got Carlos Arroyo last year, so me being from Puerto Rico, I loved it even more. Im split, I think Detroit can loose to Miami, they proved it last year, going to 7 games. I thought it Wade was 100% in game 7, Detroit had a slim chance of getting to the Finals, but we all know Wade wasn't 100% and Detroit took advantage of that.

 

Many people were impressed with Miamis new aquasitions, I was not. To me Walkers not a role player, he only wants to shoot the ball, and until Walker and Williams demonstrate they can work together with Shaq and Wade then I don't think they can win the east.

 

And like you said, GO SIXERS.:D

[Guest yoyo]

I don't see the Lakers going into the playoffs this season. It is true they only do good when Kobe is hot.(tho scoring 62 points in 3 quarters is amazing!)

 

I'm a Cavs fan so I'm rootin for them to win the Championship and with Lebron leading them full charge, what could go wrong?

 

And i hate to say it guys but i hate Iverson. Me and my friend always get into heated arguments about who is better...Iverson or Lebron? Of course I go for Lebron and he goes for AI thus an argument insues. I respect Iverson and all but Lebron is my boy!

[Guest The Beltster]

All I care about, and have cared about since 1989, are the Orlando Magic. We had an awesome run with Shaq and Pennt which came to a halt with Shaq's leaving in 1996, and we struggled for a few seasons until we signed the dream-duo of T-Mac and Grant Hill, but that never worked out due to Grants ankle issues and T-Macs selfish lazy attitude.

 

Once again, Orlandos season is in disarray because of injuries, we NEVER have all our players healthy, if we did, we would be serious playoff contenders with Grant Hill, Dwight Howard, Steve Francis, Hedo Turkaglu, Jameer Nelson, Keyon Dooling, Tony Battie, Kelvin Cato etc. We have all the tools, we just dont have them in place yet. With the coaching return of Brian Hill though, hopefully things will pick up as the season progresses.

 

We have started slow, and have lost 11 of our last 14 I think, but we have won our last two and both games we have been firing on all cylinders, offensively. Once Dwight Howard have a couple more years under his belt, and hoping he sticks with the Magic, he is going to be unstoppable, he will be the next Kevin Garnett, only better, no doubt.

 

I hope they start putting some wins together and show the rest of the league that they arent a joke.

[Guest Popsi]

I've always had a soft spot for the Magic, i don't know why but when i was mad keen on the NBA they were definitely my second favourite team.

 

The Bulls though have always been my team, i got into basketball during their magic years and they really were playing the most amazing basketball.

[Guest Alan]

We have been really shaky so far though this season, struggling to get above a .500 record for most of it. But now the Bulls have put a run together of 4 or 5 straight losses, and it looks worse when a couple of those are against the Bobcats :roll The Cavs put us away fairly easily both times over the past few days, and Chicago need to get their act together and fast if they want to give themselves a decent run.

[Guest The Beltster]

I never liked the Bulls, hated them infact, because at Orlando's peak, they were our most heated rivals. I remember when Jordan returned in the 1995 season and the Magic eliminated the Bulls from the playoffs, it felt too sweet, and then the following year, the Bulls got their revenge and ditched the Magic out of the playoffs, that was during the Bulls amazing 72 win season where they were simply unstoppable. The Magic had no chance, and we were playing awesome, winning a team-best 60 games that year.

 

I always used to have the Magic vs Bulls games circled on my calendar, they were what I looked forward to most. Shaq vs Jordan never failed to get the blood pumping.

 

Great times.

[Guest Alan]

I never harbored much hatred for the Magic, i mean when i was getting into the game they were the guys that the Bulls always beat on their way to a championship! I did enjoy watching them play back then, guys like Shaq, Penny and even Horace when he left us, it was a decent team but just couldnt get the final piece of the puzzle, which was that championship cailbre group.

[Guest The Beltster]

I never harbored much hatred for the Magic' date=' i mean when i was getting into the game they were the guys that the Bulls always beat on their way to a championship! I did enjoy watching them play back then, guys like Shaq, Penny and even Horace when he left us, it was a decent team but just couldnt get the final piece of the puzzle, which was that championship cailbre group.[/quote']

 

I think the guys were there, in 1995 we had easily the best starting 5 in the league with Shaq, Penny, Grant, Scott and Anderson, and although the bench was weak our 5 made up for it. We got to the Finals and if it wasnt simply a case of nerves, we wouldnt have been swept 4-0 by the returning champs Houston. The Rockets didnt have the team the Magic did, but they had the Finals experience from the previous year and when the nerves struck in game one, which Orlando were winning until Nick Anderson missed 4 free throws in 12 or so seconds, it all just fell apart and mentally, the Magic beat themselves. Was hard to watch...

[Guest Drake]

I always found it funny, T-Mac wanted out of Orlando but now he's stuck with what I clasify as one od the worst big men in NBA history, Yao Ming. Everyone can talk about how he's young and improving, but to me that's BS. When it counts the most he chokes like if had swallen a dildo. For a guy of his height he should dominate every center in the league with the exception of Shaq, Shaq just mandhandles Yao in every aspect. I mean sometimes Yao instead of dunking the f'n ball he just puts it like a weak player. For crying out loud you'r f'n 7'6, slam that ******* (ball) down like a man. He just irritates me.

 

And again nothing more funnier and sweeter for me than last years playoffs, where the Rockets were leading their series against Dallas 3-0 and got OWNED by the Mavs. Man I was laughing so hard, because my best friend is like the #1 McGrady fan, so it felt good to see him in pain while his beloved McGrady failed to go past the 1st round yet again. :lol

 

EDIT: Some of the language has been curtailed, keep the insults to a minimum.

Edited December 30, 2005 by Alan

[Guest hulkster]

can someone tell me what larry brown doing to the knicks. Its time for marbury to go to the pacers son Ron artest can go the other way

[Guest The Beltster]

Orlando are currently facing the Wolves, and were holding a 21 point lead not 6 minutes ago, which is now down to 8...I swear, Orlando are the only team in the league who can gain a 21 point lead and still get whipped, its all going Pete Tong here tonight!

[Guest Drake]

Sorry Allan, I just got caught up in the moment about Yao. :P

[Guest The Beltster]

Well, Orlando squandered a 21 point 2nd quarter lead and the Wolves took the lead in the 3rd, but Orlando battled back and ended up blowing the Wolves out with a 20-point victory, very impressive. Thats three straight wins for the Magic!

[Guest Jimmy Redman]

I'm not a big basketball fan TBH, but I'd like to ask a question regarding Clint Bogut. He plays for I think Milwalkee, and I'm just wondering how he's getting on.

[Guest The Beltster]

I'm not a big basketball fan TBH' date=' but I'd like to ask a question regarding Clint Bogut. He plays for I think Milwalkee, and I'm just wondering how he's getting on.[/quote']The Bucks are doing pretty well at 16-11, beating the Knicks tonight.

 

Not sure if we're talking of the same guy, but Andrew Bogut plays for them and is a pretty solid, yet average big man player. He averages around 8.8PPG and has a pretty good rounded game. Not a superstar, but a decent support player.

[Guest Jack]

I'm loosely following the Kings at the moment, because of Mike Bibby of course. i don't really like them as an all-round team, btu there's only one good athlete, as far as I know, who is also called bibby, so why not.

 

Properly though, when I started watching, I became a fan of the 76ers, probably because of Iverson. I know he's a greedy sh*te, but he is massively talented, and his style of play was one of the thigns that got me really interested in NBA, back when it was on ITV. When I started watching, 'we' were a pretty good side, and even though the 76ers arn't as good now, I still really enjoy watching them, on the rare occasion I can.

 

I really think Channel 5, or one of the bigger channels, should pull their fingers out, and get a lot more basketball. apart from the odd match here and there, you get nothing proper that gives you a full insight into the res to f the league. I think I'll sign up to StreamTV properly soon, seeing as they have a load of NBA.

[Fidel Cashflow 130]

Boguts highlight so far was shoving a game-winning shot down someones face.

 

As for Iverson, never understood how he managed to win so often with no support.