WHO DA CHAMPS ???

cleveland 4-4-6-5 (lakers)

lol giving the c's the two wins

I'll pick Orlando over LA just to be different.

the c's depending on garnetts health can totally take two from he cavs - they were the best team for much of the year before the injury bug hit - at this point even if they got healthy theyre too discombobulated to give the cavs a real challenge - but theyre smart and tough and not just going to roll over - i mean i could see them losing a couple close games and only taking one too - lakers on the other hand imo dont match up v/well w/cavs - just not physical enough

Lakers, probably 5 or 6 in the final.

Yeah they don't match up well at all that's why they beat 'em like a drum both times they played them this year.

Including once in Cleveland w/out Bynum.

cavs

yup

http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/1966.jpg
hi alex my name is lebron - i played 38mins a game during the regular season - in the playoffs expect to see me for 48 - enjoy

record against top ten teams: no one else comes close to L.A.'s 21-7 mark there

who were these non physical teams the lakers were beating all year?

yuck it up over the regular season while you can lakers fans - try to forget what happened last year

jon heyman dropped this on the second page of his column today

A couple folks inside the Yankees' clubhouse say they believe LeBron James will be headed to New York as a Knick in a couple years. How they know this, well, they didn't say. But my guess would be that Sabathia, who knows James from his Cleveland days, expressed this opinion to them. I am sure he wouldn't give away any secret like this publicly, so there's no sense me even asking him. But it's something to watch for.

"yuck it up over the regular season while you can lakers fans - try to forget what happened last year"

They faced a team that was better all year (and had beaten them twice in head-to-head matchups) without Andrew Bynum and then they lost in the finals to them?

Lebron played 40+ minutes btw both of those games.

the stock that ppl put into andrew bynum is insane

the stock that people put into 2 regular season games is insane

try to forget what happened last year"

i think the team is not forgetting this and well they shouldn't

lakers built for the regular season / cavs for the playoffs

after the way last year's finals ended i don't really see why non-lakers fans would give these guys the benefit of the doubt.

dat's cool

look at bynum's splits against playoff teams

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/splits?playerId=2748

he averages about... 11 and 6 i'd say? against west playoff teams it looks even lower

im gonna do the actual math now

bynum is pretty important to the lakers when matching up against big teams imo - yr right tho that hes only so good

and coming back right before the playoffs is generally not a good look

against the other 7 playoff teams this year bynum's numbers are

11.6 pts, 6.6 rbds, 1.6 blocks

he's good but i just think it's hilarious that the accepted wisdom amongst the press of OH WOW ONCE THEY GET BYNUM BACK WATCH OUT is kind of hilarious seeing as he has the same stats as like paul millsap

he plays decent D - the dude is solid - he fills a need for the lakers and will make them better - but yeah hes become some sort of false idol for lakers fans def

i don't think they are counting on him being a stat machine in there. just a presences in the lane will be a factor in what they want to do. and defensively this is a better team then last year. Pau has had a full season with the team and has been as constant a player as anybody in the league.

people just hate pau cause hes a little bitch - as a player hes always been good - pretty funny watching everyone blindly trying to hang last years loss on him

he's a legitimate all star, clocks mad minutes and has carried this team in games. he is easy to make fun of though.

"The stock that people put into 2 regular season games is insane."

Like the two win difference between the Cavs and the Lakers?

"he's good but i just think it's hilarious that the accepted wisdom amongst the press of OH WOW ONCE THEY GET BYNUM BACK WATCH OUT is kind of hilarious seeing as he has the same stats as like paul millsap"

Yeah I'm sure that most teams would trade Millsap for Bynum.

I'm not saying it's a foregone conclusion that the Lakers win, but I find the "oh the Lakers don't match up well with" refrain extremely puzzling (esp. since they beat all these times the times they played this year.) They came within the Celtics of winning the championship last year and they look to me like a far better team this year than last (esp. if Bynum is most of the way back.)

cavs imo

here's the poll on this from december: WHOS THE 08/09 NBA CHAMPS ???

I'm not saying it's a foregone conclusion that the Lakers win, but I find the "oh the Lakers don't match up well with" refrain extremely puzzling (esp. since they beat all these times the times they played this year.) They came within the Celtics of winning the championship last year and they look to me like a far better team this year than last (esp. if Bynum is most of the way back.)

― Alex in SF, Monday, April 13, 2009 3:22 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark

my point is that in the context of the lakers bynum is icing at best -- if kobe, gasol and odom play up to their abilities they should win with or without bynum imo

I think Bynum is more important (and consistent) than Odom. Talented 7ft dudes don't grow on trees.

The Lakers record/point differential was definitely better with Bynum than without.

CAVS

not just sayin that b/c boys are my home team

really do think that this year looks as good as any for em

f the lakers, don't even want to see them in the finals. but a lebron v. kobe series would def. be pretty great

brane says lakers, <3 says the cleve

my point is that in the context of the lakers bynum is icing at best

no, dummies, at the very least bynum makes the defense (such as it is) click into place, moves everyone to more natural positions...different dynamics, better team

odom is pretty obv better at power forward - tho hes more suited defensively to the 3

btw kinda sad looking back at that old poll - for a while boston la cleveland and orlando were all playing such amazing ball - i dont think ive ever seen four teams that good in one season - then all these fucking injuries ugh

who run nba

still OTM with the top two teams from that poll

xxp yeah odom is the exception. 2nd unit duty should keep him in the post now, though it didn't earlier in the year

what would be the earliest & latest start date for the finals.

?

Neither Cavs nor Lakers have a lock on getting out of their respective conferences, even, although they must be favored at this point. Given the return of Bynum and their having more recent Finals experience, the Lakers should have an edge - but they'll need to win one on the Cavs home court, obv. A tough call.

Sentimentally, I would prefer Kobe never gets another championship ring ever again, so I voted Cavs.

itd kind of be better if kobe never got a ring as the best player on his team - like if in a few years as his career is winding down he wins one w/dwight howard or something

yo if anyone needs to get caught up on the nba before the playoffs listen to the bill simmons podcasts with marc stein and ric bucher. lotsa good material therein.

Cleveland will not win the finals because they're from fucking Cleveland and you need no other reason. Lakers in six.

maybe the nuggs will win did anyone vote for the nuggets

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

No one will vote for the Nuggets.

Atlanta 1

:B

we have a rockets fan?

Tracy McGrady is a lurker.

pretty reasonable distro imo

yep

The rockets are right on the frustrating edge of being a contender. With Yao at the anchor position they have a great opportunity. But they never seem to put enough pieces around him to get anywhere. If it isn't injuries to key players, it is poor chemistry or the wrong coach.

This year they have a great coach in Adelman, and some good role players around Yao. It probably won't be enough, but I expect a seven game series and it could go either way. If the Blazers don't shoot well from the perimeter, they will be choked off and die.

rose lookin good, ray allen looking atrocious

It would be ironic if the Rockets make it out of the first round the one time when McGrady is out for the season, wouldn't it? Guess he'll never get that albatross off his neck

Blazers v. Rockets leaves me very conflicted - I love the Rockets, but think the Blazers would be a better match up all around for the Lakers in the second round. Though would love to see Battier and Artest harass Kobe in a seven game series.

Yao's right in the prime of his career - just hope he can get a better supporting cast before age and/or incessant play for the Chinese national team takes its toll.

12 people never followed Cleveland sports teams, I guess.

my dad's side of the family is all from cleveland and i've been a cleveland sports fan most of my life, but cleveland has never had anyone like lebron james before. i know it's the cleveland way to look good all season and then bumble it away in the playoffs, but LEBRON JAMES

wit, wisdom, snrub, etc..