This is the difference between Coach Byron Scott and Coach Rick Alderman.
Scott: "Harris and Van Horn have the hot hand. Both of you, go in [for the last play of the game]. Kidd, if you can't get it in yourself, pass it to either of them and watch them win the game for us."
Alderman: "Christie and Turkoglu shoot like crap missing the toilet. Oh what the hell, put them in overtime. Bibby, try to pass to them at each opportunity so they can shoot air balls for us."
You're mistaken. The trade of the year, BY FAR, was Marbury for Kidd. I like Marbury better as a basketball player and as a person, but his style is suited more for individual highlight reels and streetball games. What a difference one point guard can make. The Kings were good last year, Bibby just took them over the hump. The Nets were awful last year (as they are EVERY year). Without Kidd, the Nets sure as shit don't make the finals, let alone break .500.
It would be a nice fairytale ending if the Nets win, but it won't happen. The Lake Show is just too damn good. No one on the Nets can stop Shaq. Same for Kobe.
Since I went to the University of Arizona, I feel some need to root for the Nets because of Richard Jefferson, but it's not really even worth it. I felt the same about Bibby going into this series with L.A. , but he surprised me. Too bad the rest of his team is shit. Vlade is quite possibly the biggest bitch in basketball history.
Vlade is quite possibly the biggest bitch in basketball history.
Truer words have never been spoken (typed).
Meanwhile, I'm not very familiar with the Nets' roster. Other than Marbury/Kidd, were there any other noteworthy changes in the Nets line-up this year?
Not that I'm aware of... They picked up Jefferson from the Rockets on draft day, but I wouldn't say he's an invaluable part of their team. McCulloch(sp?) was picked up from the Sixers, but he's worthless. He sure as shit can't handle Shaq, he's just another big body to put in the way.
The main difference between this year's team and last year's is that important players are all healthy (Kittles, Martin, and Van Horn). I strongly dislike the Nets with the exception of Martin and Jefferson and hope that they get slaughtered.
Right now I'm just biding my time until the Clippers win a title.
Some people said that the Nets couldn't stop Pierce and Walker in the last series. So what did the Nets do? They stopped them both in the fourth quarter.
There are ways to beat Shaq: the best way is to prevent him from posting 3 feet from the basket all the time. As for Kobe, well, I let him score. And only him score. No one else on the team scores. And I mean no one else. The other guys get frustrated and commit silly fouls.
As a Lakers fan, I am in a vast minority of people who do not think that Kobe is all that. If you look at the stats, there a number of people who are just behind Kobe - Fisher for example, and Fox. But they don't get the playing time or the ball nearly as much as Kobe. And there are moments were they go to him when they should go with someone else who is less likely to get triple teamed.
Part of the problem is also Kobe. That's what struck me the most about this series - he seemed much less selfish last year than he is this year. And he seems much more unsure of himself this year as well - not a good combination.
"It's hard to be a prophet and still make a profit." - Da Bush Babees
My thoughts exactly! It's not like any team goes into a game against the Lakers saying, "Let's let Shaq post up 3 feet from the basket so he can shoot from point blank range!"
New Orleans...they've really convinced themselves that Chris Paul isn't going to bail to New York the first chance he gets. And they're also convinced he isn't going to hold them hostage around the trade deadline.