Kawshen
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| #1 Posted on 1.6.04 2158.16 Reposted on: 1.6.11 2159.01 | It's official. Sheed and friends end the Pacers season in 6 games.
Let's match up this series.
PG Billups--Payton SG Hamilton--Bryant SF Prince--George PF R.Wallace--Malone C B.Wallace--O'Neal
It's the rematch 15 Years in the Making!!!
Anyhow, it's 4 HOFers against Detroit's Defense. I think Detroit's futility on the offensive end is going to hurt them in this series but I think this one is going the full monty.
Lakers in 7. Good luck, Horses. You're gonna need it.
(edited by Kawshen on 2.6.04 0157)
(edited by Kawshen on 2.6.04 1028) Promote this thread! |  | JayJayDean
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| #2 Posted on 1.6.04 2209.34 Reposted on: 1.6.11 2209.44 | I think the Lakers are going to win the series in 6, but they had best be careful going into Game 1, because the Pistons play every game with such intensity that if the Lakers sleep on 'em they will likely lose Game 1. The Pistons are not a team the Lakers can punt three quarters against then try to pick it up in the fourth and expect to win.
(edited by JayJayDean on 1.6.04 2009) | Packman V2
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| #3 Posted on 1.6.04 2232.37 Reposted on: 1.6.11 2232.49 | I'm looking forward to this series, but I just don't see anyone able to stop Shaq and Kobe. Ben is good, but I just can't see him hanging with ShaqFu for 7 games. I definitely want it to go 7, although fully knowing the sooner the season ends, the sooner the offseason can begin...and see who ends up where.
Go Pistons, but Lakers are gonna win. Dammit! | SC
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| #4 Posted on 1.6.04 2337.44 Reposted on: 1.6.11 2341.49 | Originally posted by ScottChrist on 04/17/04 (3) Detroit Pistons v. (2) Los Angeles Lakers - These Pistons really need Ron Artest and maybe one more real dirty player to just be Bad Boys II, like that movie. I think here's where the Lakers run out of gas and the Pistons "shock the world." Detroit what! Pistons in six.
Well I'm glad I got the finals matchup right, though I would've gladly been wrong for the Pacers to have won instead. What an atrocious series that was.
I still think Detroit wins in six, I'm just not sure LA is going to have the gas to bang with these guys. Logic says the Lakers though, because the Pistons really suck on offense. | ekedolphin
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| #5 Posted on 2.6.04 0110.04 Reposted on: 2.6.11 0110.16 | I'm rooting for the referees, myself. They're at a big disadvantage, though, since their average age is 60. Plus, no matter which team they decide to compete with, they've still got to play three-on-five against them.
Actually, in all seriousness... I could give a rat's ass which one of these teams wins. More than likely I won't even know who won the title until three days after the Finals end. I won't be watching. | Big Bad
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| #6 Posted on 2.6.04 0227.23 Reposted on: 2.6.11 0228.40 | I actually think Detroit's going to take it. The Lakers just don't have the passion, and I think that Wallace is going to shock the world (tm Booker T) by turning Shaq into a non-factor in the series. | Jaguar
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| #7 Posted on 2.6.04 0521.00 Reposted on: 2.6.11 0521.05 | Originally posted by ekedolphin I'm rooting for the referees, myself. They're at a big disadvantage, though, since their average age is 60. Plus, no matter which team they decide to compete with, they've still got to play three-on-five against them.
Actually, in all seriousness... I could give a rat's ass which one of these teams wins. More than likely I won't even know who won the title until three days after the Finals end. I won't be watching.
You're supposed to root for the Pistons so then you could say, "At least my team lost to the best of the best this year."
-Jag | Grimis
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| #8 Posted on 2.6.04 0630.56 Reposted on: 2.6.11 0631.38 | As you can tell by the special avatar, you know where I stand...
...and they'll probably win in six to boot. | dunkndollaz
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| #9 Posted on 2.6.04 0659.23 Reposted on: 2.6.11 0700.09 | Ben Wallace has to keep the cornrows out for the Pistons to win - they don't lose when he is sporting the "Power of the 'Fro" | BWT
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| #10 Posted on 2.6.04 0734.12 Reposted on: 2.6.11 0735.37 | Wow I cant believe all this Laker bashing. First off the Lakers have finals experience and that means a ton. They have Phil Jackson going for the record of 10 championships. They have Karl Malone and Garry Payton although shells of there former selves very determined to win a title. They have Kobe Bryant the best player on the earth at times. Most of all they have Shaq the most dominating player since Wilt. All of you who have picked Detroit have offered no explanation as to how they are going to stop the Lakers. How will Ben Wallace handle Shaq? The only hope the Pistons have is if Brown plays "hack a shaq" and it works because Shaq is having one of the all time worst playoff years for free throw %. I honestly cant see the Pistons having enough offense to out score the Lakers and I don't think they will have the defense either. I'm going to go with Lakers in 5 but I would like to see the Pistons win and get Brown a title. | JoshMann
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| #11 Posted on 2.6.04 0740.55 Reposted on: 2.6.11 0741.01 | If the Wallace Boyz can get theirs, that's a big first step, although with Kobe on Hamilton, I don't see him having the same level of success he had playing against Reggie Miller. Maybe 15-17 points per game during the finals, but he's also going to have to work a hell of a lot harder on the other end. Although I think if Billups can find his shot right quick that would take some of the burden off Rip, since he's big enough to handle Payton if Payton is pressing on him.
But really, everything else is nit-picking beyond one thing: is Benoit Lace strong enough to guard Shaq with a just a little bit of help from Sheed? He may need a little help, but it is possible as someone said to take Shaq off his game if Wallace proves he's not intimidated. One strategy that almost worked for San Antonio was the "Let Karl Shoot" strategy, where they dared Malone to beat them with his jump shot and focused more on Shaq inside...they didn't win the series, but defensively, the Spurs may have hit on something that could work for Detroit.
It's going to be a tough series, particularly if Detroit dictates the style any. If they do, expect a few games in the mid 70-low 80 range and for the media to overlook the quality of playing defense versus scoring being down.
LA in 7, but Detroit is going to give them everything they can handle every step of the way, and I'm only mildly leaning towards the Lakers. | Reverend J Shaft
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| #12 Posted on 2.6.04 0759.35 Reposted on: 2.6.11 0800.22 | I would first like to thank everyone who picked the Pacers to win last series (be it in 4, 5, 6 or even 7 games). That made the win all that more sweet. I would also like to thank Reggie for bricking nearly every three he put up and Ron Artest for cheapshotting Hamilton to swing the game in our favor for good.
And from someone who was at the game last night, let me say that I haven't heard anything in Detroit as loud as when Prince hit his last shot. We all went APES**T.
I think the key to this series will be the Pistons ability (or inability) to keep penetration into the key at a minimum and to guard the entry pass into Shaq like crazy. It seems the only success anyone had against Shaq was when they'd play more between the ball and Shaq and make the ball handler throw it over the defender. Ben is enough of an athlete to do it and then they can rotate in the throwaway big man (Okur, Campbell, etc.) to hack-a-Shaq when they do get the ball into him.
And, of course, I'm picking the Pistons in six. Either way, I'll get to see my first NBA finals game in 14 years.
GO STONES!!!!!!!!
(edited by Reverend J Shaft on 2.6.04 1035) | The Thrill
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| #13 Posted on 2.6.04 0836.53 Reposted on: 2.6.11 0837.34 | Gotta love an Eastern Conference final where neither team scores 70 points. As an old fan of Dick Bennett-style basketball at UWGB and Wisconsin, it warms my heart.
Go Pistons. BEAT L-A!
*ducks incoming Haterade bottles from DJFrostyFreeze and J.T. Dutch* | bradbice
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| #14 Posted on 2.6.04 0927.27 Reposted on: 2.6.11 0929.01 | Nice to hear all the idiot radio guys all over ESPN (cough..."The Herd") talking about how Detroit doesn't stand a chance and referencing stats from the pre-Sheed season. Sure, Detroit is a long-shot here, but what other East team wouldn't be? Detroit blew through New Jersey and Indiana, so they came in the front door, as Joe Dumars would put it. They have the best chance of anyone east of the Miss.
It's going to be interesting, to say the least. I see Elden Campbell(Campbell SOUP!) being put on Shaq a lot, not that it's going to do any good. But it should be fun.
Go Pistons. | spf
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| #15 Posted on 2.6.04 1003.01 Reposted on: 2.6.11 1004.55 | Normally, I would have to be going for the Lakers. I'm a Bulls fan so not only do I have some luv left over for Phil, but I still haven't forgotten the Jordan Rules and the way they thugged Scottie Pippen around or the great walkoff when the Bulls swept them in 91 in the E. Conference finals.
That said though, the Lakers have Karl Malone. Karl Malone is evil. There is no one in basketball I despise more than that cheap-shotting choke artist (the Mailman never delivered on Sundays y'know). Plus Ben Wallace's hair plays for the Pistons, so with my heart leading I call it Pistons in 6. | StingArmy
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| #16 Posted on 2.6.04 1030.08 Reposted on: 2.6.11 1029.02 | The Pistons have played the Lakers before, and in all of the games I've seen between the two, Ben Wallace has held his own against Shaq. I've even seen a handful of blocked shots. AND those games were all without Rasheed. Unless Kobe scores 40 a night, I think the Lakers are in trouble. I would have been much happier if it was Nets v. Kings, but I can cheer for anyone against the Lakers.
Pistons in 6.
- StingArmy | JayJayDean
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| #17 Posted on 2.6.04 1132.14 Reposted on: 2.6.11 1132.37 | I thought the Spurs-Lakers series showed how pointless it is to look at regular season numbers and matchups when talking about beating the Lakers. The Lakers win when they want to (most of the time) and lose when they (mostly Shaq) give less than 100% effort.
Do the Pistons have enough to beat the Lakers once? Yes.
Do they have enough to beat them four times? No.
It ain't gonna happen, people. | avonhun
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| #18 Posted on 2.6.04 1252.59 Reposted on: 2.6.11 1259.01 | i think people are underestimating the intensity the lakers will show in this series. this is what it was all about. this series will be a blow-out. | RYDER FAKIN
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| #19 Posted on 2.6.04 1313.14 Reposted on: 2.6.11 1313.38 | spf2119: That said though, the Lakers have Karl Malone. Karl Malone is evil. There is no one in basketball I despise more than that cheap-shotting choke artist (the Mailman never delivered on Sundays y'know).
Oh come on...the only person deserving any hatred in this series is that asshole Larry Brown. I wish the whole sports media would just start throwing cheese at him during the press confrences. I suppose "coaching greatness" will be an amped of version of hack a Shaq, as that is probably Detroit's only chance. Or blame the refs, it's their fault anyway.
I'm not all that happy about it, but I don't see Detroit winning more than one game, if that. LA moves the ball too well to get rejected in the lane 8 million times / stifled like NJ and Indiana. I love the Rasheed / Malone matchup (if they stay with it) just for the intensity and possible brawling / ejections. Ben Wallace and Shaq should be interesting, depending on how much they will let Shaq get away with - as good as he is, Wallace won't last 4 quarters with Shaq-Fu roughing him up in the paint. The option is putting Shaq at the line, which is an accident waiting to happen anyway you look at it. Hamilton is going to have to have the series (scoring wise) of his life - I think they would be best off to rotate and give him some defensive help with Kobe, as I don't believe he will be able to play both ends, full speed, for very long. They need him to score, for sure. Lakers in 5, to be safe. But I would bet sweep if the odds were right.
ekedolphin: Actually, in all seriousness... I could give a rat's ass which one of these teams wins. More than likely I won't even know who won the title until three days after the Finals end. I won't be watching.
Quit yer crying! I don't see YOUR team about to fuck up a Number 1 lottery pick! ;-). For REAL fun, count how many people in this series have donned a Magic jersey. At least Penny is nowhere to be found
FLEA | Reverend J Shaft
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| #20 Posted on 2.6.04 1344.30 Reposted on: 2.6.11 1345.59 | Originally posted by spf2119 That said though, the Lakers have Karl Malone. Karl Malone is evil. There is no one in basketball I despise more than that cheap-shotting choke artist (the Mailman never delivered on Sundays y'know).
Totally agree. He put 40 stitches in Isiah Thomas' head simply for lighting up his boy John Stockton earlier. He's ended a college player's career and knocked David Robinson (arguably the nicest guy ever in the NBA) unconscious and given him a concussion. To quote a funny movie from the 90's, Karl Malone "should die of gonorrhea and rot in hell." |
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