[lakerboy]

Nothing has happened this season to make me believe that the Lakers wont play the Magic in the finals again.

Nobody in the west is beating LA unless they get a key injury.Lets stop that debate now.

The only team that can beat the magic is the cavs in the east and i know turk gave the cavs problems but realistically i think Orlando has adjusted to his absence and Carter has come around. The only concern is Lewis( no more roids).

The cavs are better than last year and getting big z back will help but Shaq is iffy and might be just back in shape for round 3. Jamison is a factor but he is used to losing all the time and he doesnt have the desire. I know many will disagree with me but im telling you as of now at this moment there is no reason to believe it wont be a repeat final.

Only a cavs fan can convince themselves.

[FLO31]

I've said from day one the magic will be back in the finals... Lebron is going to have to go nuts to carry the cavs to the finals in my eyes..

[kobefanatic]

shaq may not be completely healthy come playoff time and maybe lebron will be burned out, he has been carrying this cavs team right now, his gas tank may be used up come playoff time, mike brown is playing lebron like he's a horse or something

[jsmithj88]

yup, as much as the overall team talent has improved, the gap is still wide
theres no1 on that team that can take over if he has a bad nite

[newjerseydevils]

hmmmmm might put a few bucks on that

[stealthyburrito]

This is the cavs year, they'll let it all hang out this year. If they dont win it, Lebron is off to the big city. I hope Jamison gets his ring, and thats about all I hope for. If shaq is back, he has a chance at neutralizing Howard in the conf. finals (which is what they got him for). The show is still a relatively weak Defensive team, with a lot of softees

[ozrob]

I think the Lakers wont be as dominant in the finals this year. But saying that someone has to get their act together in the West to mount a proper challenge

[Mac4Lyfe]

The Magic are much worse this year and the Cav's are much better. The Cav's can even win games without Lebron. That hadn't happen in the last few years. The Magic made a huge mistake losing Turkoglu. He was the X factor against Cleveland. That guy always had good games against Cleveland where they had no answer. Vince Carter has always struggled against Cleveland dating back to his days in Toronto. The Magic won't beat Cleveland in a series, you can be sure of that.

There is only one team in the East that can beat Cleveland IMO and your going to think I'm crazy but that's the Bobcat's. They match up very well with the Cav's for some weird reason and seem to play possessed when they play them. Boston and Atlanta can't beat Cleveland either. It's only the Bobcat's and I hope the Cav's don't meet those guys. I really hope they don't make the playoffs.

I do think the Laker's will win the West again. It won't be easy. The Laker's, Nugget's, Mav's, Dallas and Houston all could beat Cleveland in a series. yes Houston, if they get in. Cleveland should win the East but will most likely fall in the finals. Laker's have lot's of problems, mainly with their bench. They could get outted in the first round but if they make it to the finals they will most likely win it all because they can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[Domestic]

Hmm interesting post. Now that you mention it I have to say it is hard to see anything other than a Magic/Lakers Final Series.

[chrislau86]

Orlando's +240 odds to make the Finals will definitely drop after this post

[Mikail]

I agree! Looks like another Lakers/Magic finals. If Lebron's Cavs was gonna go to the finals it would be this year, but don't see it happening for a number of reasons.

[Mac4Lyfe]

I should note that it would take a miracle for the Bobcat's not to make the playoffs. More than likely they are in. I can only hope that they don't get to play the Cav's because they would take the series to 7. Houston is going to have to get on a huge run to make the playoffs as well.

[zigomanisinsider]

i think this is the year cavs vs lakers

[tealish]

To LB, what say you to a friendly wager of some betpoints?

500 for me if Cleveland makes the big dance, 500 for you if Orlando does.

AND/OR

500 for me if Orlando doesn't even see Game 7 of the ECF, 300 for you if they do.

[lakerboy]

To LB, what say you to a friendly wager of some betpoints?

500 for me if Cleveland makes the big dance, 500 for you if Orlando does.

AND/OR

500 for me if Orlando doesn't even see Game 7 of the ECF, 300 for you if they do.

If orlando makes the final you give me 2.4 to 1 odds.
if cavs make it i give you 1.8 to 1 odds. thats the current line

[Mac4Lyfe]

LB - since your convinced it will be Laker's and Magic, why don't you give him even odds???

[lakerboy]

LB - since your convinced it will be Laker's and Magic, why don't you give him even odds???

Can you make that argument with a book?

Whatever no biggie for me - 500 point is peanuts for me

[t-wizzle]

The game changes in the playoffs. The Cavs became so one-dimensional in the eastern conference finals last year it wasn't even funny. Their offense became so stale and I would go as far to say that the offense may have been better when it was run through delonte west. Now I understand that when people read this they will think I'm crazy but the fact is I doubt many of you remember how that eastern conf. finals went last year. Most of you just remember the outcome, but if you watched the games closely, you would have seen that the Magic were able to drastically limit Lebron's influence on the offense. They buckled down on him and the rest of the players kind of just stood around.

We'll see what happens this year. I think the cavs are a better team right now but they need to prove it to me in the playoffs.

[tealish]

If orlando makes the final you give me 2.4 to 1 odds. if cavs make it i give you 1.8 to 1 odds. thats the current line

Sounds good, let's do it! And if you can find a line for whether Orl makes ECF game 7 or not, count me in for that too. I love Vince, but he's not working in Orlando. They just don't look like true contenders to me.

[tealish]

Can you make that argument with a book?

Whatever no biggie for me - 500 point is peanuts for me

Nah, there's no reason for even odds. I wasn't really thinking when I proposed it. Points are just a nice fun bet, so let's do it for 500. No bigs.

[lakerboy]

Sounds good, let's do it! And if you can find a line for whether Orl makes ECF game 7 or not, count me in for that too. I love Vince, but he's not working in Orlando. They just don't look like true contenders to me.

Cool send me 500 points now in this thread.

If the cavs make the finals i will give you 1050 back.

If the magic make the finals i keep the 500.

If another team makes the finals i will give you the 500 back.

[t-wizzle]

And also before I get attacked here... I know Lebron had phenomenal numbers in the series last year, but when it came down to crunch time he was neutralized. Plain and simple.

[lakerboy]

And also before I get attacked here... I know Lebron had phenomenal numbers in the series last year, but when it came down to crunch time he was neutralized. Plain and simple.

No he ran to the rim like a bull and went to the line and missed too many ft's. Nothing has changed

[lunchbawks]

yea this season has been pretty boring for sure. NBA just isn't the same since the 80's. Magic, cleveland, or LAL, again... ugh.


Can the raps catch a break one of these years?

[hoop22]

I am hopping on the Dallas band wagon, Kidd-Butler-Marion-Dirk-Haywood-Dampier-Terry-Barae-Beaubois.. Might be dumb, but I gotta feeling

[tealish]

Cool send me 500 points now in this thread. If the cavs make the finals i will give you 1050 back. If the magic make the finals i keep the 500. If another team makes the finals i will give you the 500 back.

Nah, since the points are going to come MY way when Cleveland makes the Finals, it's more cost effective to just send the points when they do make the big dance. It'll be taxed twice if I send them to you and then you back to me Haha, I'm that confident!! I honestly don't see what you like about this Magic team. Dwight will be invisible, I'll tell you that much. And don't worry, I'm good for the points. You can see my credit in their super-serious Credit Report in the points forum.

[lakerboy]

cool

[tealish]

And also before I get attacked here... I know Lebron had phenomenal numbers in the series last year, but when it came down to crunch time he was neutralized. Plain and simple.

No he ran to the rim like a bull and went to the line and missed too many ft's. Nothing has changed

What's changed is that he's developed a jumper. One that isn't comparable to Kobe's yet, but is something he can fall back on if the lanes are clogged. I've seen him win games on jumpers alone this season. That's a difference maker come playoff time.

[t-wizzle]

No he ran to the rim like a bull and went to the line and missed too many ft's. Nothing has changed

LB, please tell me that I'm not the only one who has noticed that Lebron airballs/badly bricks at least one shot per night.

Look, the guy is an incredible athlete. He's the best and most powerful driver of the ball probably ever. But he launches wayyyy too many jump shots in the fourth quarter and is just not a good enough shooter to be doing that.

[tealish]

^He does brick or airball at least a shot a night. But so do all the premiere players including Kobe, who I do think is still the best in the game.

[lakerboy]

What's changed is that he's developed a jumper. One that isn't comparable to Kobe's yet, but is something he can fall back on if the lanes are clogged. I've seen him win games on jumpers alone this season. That's a difference maker come playoff time.

yup the same jumper that win game 2 last year to avoid a sweep in the magic series

LB, please tell me that I'm not the only one who has noticed that Lebron airballs/badly bricks at least one shot per night.

Look, the guy is an incredible athlete. He's the best and most powerful driver of the ball probably ever. But he launches wayyyy too many jump shots in the fourth quarter and is just not a good enough shooter to be doing that.

i love lebrons passing for sure but he does take lots of shit jumpers but so do others

[t-wizzle]

^He does brick or airball at least a shot a night. But so do all the premiere players including Kobe, who I do think is still the best in the game.

I have to disagree about Kobe, he's a far better pure shooter. But I will say that Kobe on the whole is a different player this year. He looks worn down and if not for all the incredible game winners, I think a lot of people would be asking what's wrong with Kobe.

[tealish]

yup the same jumper that win game 2 last year to avoid a sweep in the magic series

I guess we'll have to see, but 2010 LeBron is far more dangerous than 2009 LeBron. Same with his team. The reverse is true for Orlando. But it's all conjecture, so let's let the games tell the story!

[lakerboy]

If this cavs team doesnt make the finals its a stain on Lebron.

[freeVICK]

if the cavs dont make the finals, lebron is gone