I am shocked by the Hornets taking both

I may have underestimated this team

I still like the Spurs, but they might need to take the next four to do it.

celtics are definitely going to pick up the series against the cavs. with the way labron has been playing, that cavs would do better with him on the bench. He had 10 turnovers in game one and they lost by 6. labron cost them the W in that game.

The Cavs will win the next two games as Lebron will figure out how to attack the Celtics going to the rim.

I definitely agree.
I still think Cleveland takes it to at least 6 games. I really don't see Cleveland winning it, though.

LOL at the Magic,
both teams looked positively terrible in that game

its a wrap for the spurs tonight, i can feel it!

I cant wait. Its gonna be a great game I know it. San Antonio has more experience than all the teams in the playoffs right now, but New Orleans hasn't lost at home this series. Ive got my fingers crossed for my Spurs.

You're a Spurs fan? Oshi. This ain't gonna' be pretty. I'm picking the Hornets.

Out of my friends who watch basketball as much as myself. There is about 15 of us probably. Not one of them likes the Spurs.

why though? i just dont understand it. Why root for a team thats already gotten there so many times, i dont see the excitement in it.

Chris Paul is gonna dominate tonight, same goes for Wes. As long as horry doesn't pull any more bs.

If the Vikings had won the superbowl a couple times recently, would you stop liking them and rooting for them?

if i lived in ****ing canada i would...=/

Haha, well Im a die hard Raps fan. But since I know the Raps are a growing team that is still building, the Spurs are my post season favourites.

hasn't that been the case for like, a decade?

Not really, they used to have good players and just be a bad team. Since they got rid of Babcok and got Collangelo, they've gotten to be such a better team with pick ups on guys like Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon.

UGH!
I despise the spurs! They eliminated my favorite team (Phoenix) every year for the past 3 years I believe, I hope they lose to New Orleans adn I hope the Hornets go to the finals,

The Lakers are just head and shoulders above everyone else. They have everything, youth, experience, defense, offense, shooters, big men, coaching, a star player, an excellent bench...

Without Kobe they are crap....That's a fact.

Please tell me that you're joking, they've got one of the best front lines in basketball without Bynum and great bench scoring. They'd be competing for the 7 or 8th seed in the West without him. Hardly something to be laughed at.

well explain that to their dismal performance without him, they are terriable, the front line isn't that great compared to otehr teams in the western conference, the bench isn't deep at all. If Kobe is injured this team will be terriable. Lack of ecpierence because it is still a fairly young team doesn't boad well for them. If you look at teams liek New Orleans Chris Paul is the star player but he gets everyone involved and makes them better, same Lebron James, same witha bunch of other teams. Other teams have star players too, just they make the surrounding cast look better.

Uh, when? You mean when he was injured against the Jazz? I'd hardly call that dismal. Anyway, what are you trying to say? Other teams have star players, well no ****. But so what? A lot of teams don't and if the Lakers didn't the Lakers wouldn't be elite like they are now. But they would still be good. I'd like to hear how you figure their bench and front line isn't good. They have Odom and Gasol, that gives them an excellent 1-2 punch and with Bynum? ****. Their bench consists of players like Luke Walton, Radmonivic, Vjacic, Farmar, Turiaf...Not many that are better in the NBA.

How bout them Spurs :)

No, not during the Jazz, in the regular season this year nd past years.
Odom is ageing he is nothing like he was with the Clippers and with that age brings missed oppurtunities, look at Shaq for example he was the greatest center when with the Lakers now he's gotten older and isn't the same player point and everything are down, same with Odom. Gasol is great but if you say he is the greatest you are wrong without a shadow of a doubt. Bynum isn't that great he can dunk, rebound and on occasion block, he is still inexpierenced and that is what's gonna hurt them in the long run. Luke Walton isn't that great, Radmonivic only goes for 3's which isn't the best choice, Vjacic is medicore, Farmar is still inexpierenced (he's only been in the NBA for maybe 2-3 years).....Detroit, Boston, San Antonio, New Orleans, Dallas, Phoenix are all much better depth wise....Even Utah is better, they just couldn't match up with Kobe.

In past years? Lol. Odom isn't even old, he's in his prime, great shape but now he's more experienced and I'd say his play this year disproves what you're saying about him. I never said Gasol was the greatest. But he's one of the best in the NBA right now. Bynum's inexperience will hurt him in the long run? Isn't that kinda'...Nonsensical? Well yeah, none of their bench players are great, but that's why their bench players. They've got a bunch of solid role players that do their job. But Phoenix? They run a 7 man rotation for God's sake! Utah has a mediocre bench, I don't know why you think they're better. Beyond Millsap and maybe Harpring they don't have much. Seriously, look at the bench scoring for the series...The Lakers are on of the best in the league in that category.

Age wise he might not be old, in "NBA years" he is. if you look at him when he was with the clippers there is a BIG difference, he is not in his prime at all he's been around the block, he's seen and done a bunch of stuff, saying he is in his prime is false. His play this year disproves what I said? he get's maybe 14 points a game with a 5-8 rebound night....With the Clippers he could easily get 20 and 10. And yes if you are not expierenced, you'll either choke or get so energetic you do something stupid, it happens all the time with kids coming right out of high school, look at Jermaine O'Neal. Phoenix has a deep bench that fits into the fast break system they put in place, they might not be exceptional players on a defense minded team but it works for what they do....Barbosa, Bell, Hunter, Skinner you can't tell me they don't have a decent bench for what they want to play. Dude, lakers bench isn't that great, you need bench scoring to win plain and simple but once you face teams like the Spurs, Detroit, Boston and others your bench isn't gonna do nothing. If you say their bench is better than those teams, your wrong....No doubt about it. And the players name is HASLIP not Millsap haha.

Actually he averaged 14.2 and 10.6 a game this year. Hardly over the hill. You said 'inexperience will hurt him in the long run'. The long run. Lol. Phoenix doesn't have half the Lakers bench. They run a 7 man rotation. Beyond that they rarely play other guys. Uh, so good defense magically makes good bench scoring disappear? I have to disagree there. Uh, Paul Millsap isn't a bench player for the Jazz?

The lakers have the best bench in the NBA.
I don't know if its because of age, but Odom didn't seem comfortable being the #2 scorer. It's just not his thing to be super aggressive. During the beginning of the season he was kinda playing poor and I wondered if the lakes could better spend that $13.5M. But during the second half of the season he was getting a double double almost every night with some triple doubles. During the last several months he has been super consistent. What was he like in his prime?!?! and in case you didn't realize, this team is a way different team than last years. We are the most dominant team in the playoffs so far without our starting center! But I'm still scared of the spurs for sure.
PS my bracket is still perfect.

my guess. celtics in 7 games! Lakers in 6!

how bout you shut the **** up >: [

I'm guessing Lakers in 6, Detroit in 7
Boston looks like they don't care enough.

I couldn't be much happier with these teams playing the conference finals.....

Loser's finally back,
what's up, man?

btw Lakers bench is one of the best in the League.

Hey dude, your back too I see.
Well all i'm sayins is comapring them to other teams there bench lacks.

Their bench lacks even though almost everyone on here seems to think they have an elite bench? I think what you're missing is that they don't have one real standout, but they have about 6 solid bench players, who come in, know their role, and know when to pick their shots, and bring a lot of energy.

LOL @ Flip Saunders. He always seems like he's in a really good mood at the press conference after his team loses. It's like it's what he expects to happen. I wonder what would happen if his team won a championship. He'd probably have a nervous breakdown.

Well i'm looking at it this way. every bench player knows what they have to do, and every bench player brings energy. But that is only half the battle. Look st Boston, they bring Sam Cassel in off the bench and "Big Baby"solid players, expereinced (Cassel) and a power house down low (BB) when looking at the Lakers bench i see well rounded players, but i look at other benches and they have expereince and an unstoppable will to score. The lakers roatation flows through Kobe and Kobe only. That's my beef, I'm not saying the bench is terriable but when your entire team's life line is around one player that is when I feel the bench is gonna fail.

The Pistons are so great. Them and the Spurs have saved the NBA. I hope they meet one more time in the finals this year before the new era of stars takes over.

It will be like the 80's all over again soon when Kobe, Lebron, CP3, Deron Williams, and the like dominate the league. But the Pistons and Spurs were special the last 8 years.

Yah, also Carmelo, Wade, Bosh, Oden, Durant maybe Beasley and Rose.

man i hope we get one of those guys >.<

we havent gotten a good draft pick since kevin garnet :-/

Nah, they're going 1-2 to the Heat and Bulls. I'm hoping we (The Heat) pick up Beasley. Rose is a project with his horrible jumper.

who are my t-wolves likely to get D:

Brook Lopez is getting some attention it seems. As a Stanford fan I hope he drops down, but imagine Al Jafferson and Lopez in the frontcourt a few years down the line...Whew...They could trade down and pick up Love too.