NBA Playoff Push/ NCAA TOURNEY

[Ron_Mexico]

It's an exciting time to be a basketball fan, I'm sure I'm the only one around but I thought it warranted a thread

The Final Four is this weekend, I'm not sure how much coverage college basketball gets outside the US (probably none) but the NCAA tournament is one of the most exciting spectacles in sport. 3 weeks, 64 teams, non stop games, underdogs making runs, the best in the country on display, office pools, filling out brackets, it's great....the US shuts down during this period, I'm sure there are statistics on productivity but everyone is focused on the tournament.

For the first time ever all 4 number 1 seeds made it to the final four: Kansas, UNC (my sister went there so they are my team now that my alma mater Tennessee is out), Memphis, UCLA. It's going to be an awesome final four as they are undoubtedly the best teams in the country and have been all season


Now on to the NBA

The Playoff race in the West is as exciting as it has ever been- the top 9 teams are separated by only 6 games (the top 8 in the conference make the playoffs). There is so much parity in the league and so many quality teams fighting for playoff spots it is like the playoffs have already begun there is so much intensity and quality play

Western Conference Standings as of today 4.2.08
W L
1 New Orleans 51 22
2 San Antonio 52 23
3 LA Lakers 50 24
4 Utah 49 26
5 Phoenix 50 25
6 Houston 49 25
7 Dallas 46 28
8 Denver 46 29
Golden State 45 29

The East is less exciting, but the West is so strong the 6th place team would be in 3rd if they were in the East. The Celtics are the best team in the league, and the Pistons are also very good coming out of the East.

The MVP race is exciting as well as there are so many strong candidates: Kobe, Chris Paul, Lebron James, and Kevin Garnett top most of the lists.
I would give it to Chris Paul because he has led a young New Orleans from NOWHERE to top the toughest conference in league history.

Anyone have any thoughts

[Harv]

Im with ya mate.

this finish has been great

Im hoping Golden State can make the 8, thye play some crazy basketball, and its so good to watch.

CP surely has the MVP....he has led New Orleans superbly. Look at his assist totals the past couple of months...he's averaging like 14

[Ron_Mexico]

Im with ya mate.

this finish has been great

Im hoping Golden State can make the 8, thye play some crazy basketball, and its so good to watch.

CP surely has the MVP....he has led New Orleans superbly. Look at his assist totals the past couple of months...he's averaging like 14

get in there harvey is a bball man

i'm with you on golden state, they are the highest scoring team in the league, baron davis is sick, but they have no big men and play no defense. still i know alot of teams would want to avoid them in the first round

dallas spanked them tonight though, it was crazy, GS gave up in the first quarter

CP is ****ing amazing, he's done some things this season i've never seen before, so fun to watch

i would bounce dallas from the playoffs in favor of GS, them and the nuggets are so fun to watch. plus dallas needs an excuse to fire avery johnson, he's such a tosser

[Harv]

get in there harvey is a bball man

i'm with you on golden state, they are the highest scoring team in the league, baron davis is sick, but they have no big men and play no defense. still i know alot of teams would want to avoid them in the first round

dallas spanked them tonight though, it was crazy, GS gave up in the first quarter

CP is ****ing amazing, he's done some things this season i've never seen before, so fun to watch

i would bounce dallas from the playoffs in favor of GS, them and the nuggets are so fun to watch. plus dallas needs an excuse to fire avery johnson, he's such a tosser

Im a big bball fan mate.

Baron and Monta are incredible, no one will want them in the playoffs should they get there.

Im hoping for a Boston (im a Celts fan Lakers final. That would be great, and really draw attention. Such a classic rivalry, and we may see a re-emergence of it if they face off against each other

UCLA for the NCAA i reckon. Love is such a odd player, he cant jump, he cant run, but he's always in the right spot...and those full court outlets that he effortlessly throws WOW Westbrook is crazy too. My mate and I have been on the Westbrook bandwagon all season, and he's just starting to get some recognition. Bill Simmons wrote a good article on UCLA a week or 2 ago, he's on the Westbrook bandwagon too

[tommyg]

I think KG will win MVP. In my heart of hearts i'd love if it was Chris Paul but i think KG has just been phenomenal this year. I think Boston might win it all, which would be a little sad to see as they've basically bought a championship () rather than developing a program like other clubs have.

on the college side of things...Kevin Love vs Ty Hansborough....what a final that would make

[tommyg]

Oh wow i forgot about the nugs.....J.R Smith is playing fantastic lately. He's been stepping inside rather than just launching the trip.

Crazy to see the other night Kobe hit 53 and the Lakers still lose....

[spud_gun]

76ers to pull a surprise or two in the play off

[tommyg]

76ers to pull a surprise or two in the play off

Iguodala has had a great past couple of months....absolute MONSTER dunker

[Ron_Mexico]

Im a big bball fan mate.

Baron and Monta are incredible, no one will want them in the playoffs should they get there.

Im hoping for a Boston (im a Celts fan Lakers final. That would be great, and really draw attention. Such a classic rivalry, and we may see a re-emergence of it if they face off against each other

UCLA for the NCAA i reckon. Love is such a odd player, he cant jump, he cant run, but he's always in the right spot...and those full court outlets that he effortlessly throws WOW Westbrook is crazy too. My mate and I have been on the Westbrook bandwagon all season, and he's just starting to get some recognition. Bill Simmons wrote a good article on UCLA a week or 2 ago, he's on the Westbrook bandwagon too

Monta has improved every season, he'll be a legit superstar soon

Celtics play the best defense in the league, they are one of the best defensive teams i've ever seen. as the cliche goes, defense wins championships. they aren't too shabby on the offensive end either!

i think everyone is secretly hoping for a lakers-celts chip, i would love to see kobe try to solve that defense for 7 games

Love is getting a ton of media attention, him and Psycho T are the darlings of college bball this year. he's a really smart player, type of player i really enjoy watching. there's a video doing the rounds of him warming up- he does a chest pass from half court and makes it, then does a chest pass full court and makes it. it takes so much strength to do that, shooting is one thing- lots of nba players can make those shots, but a chest pass!!! that takes skill

westbrook is defo gaining momentum in the media, i think he's better than collison. there's talk of him getting drafted ahead of him in the pros at the pg position

i'm sure being a bball fan you already know of this site, but www.hoopshype.com is fantastic. click "read more" under teh rumor section- it takes the juicy bits out of the newspapers and sports sites from around the country and puts them all on one page, fantastic reading, i wish there was a footie site like that

[Ron_Mexico]

I think KG will win MVP. In my heart of hearts i'd love if it was Chris Paul but i think KG has just been phenomenal this year. I think Boston might win it all, which would be a little sad to see as they've basically bought a championship () rather than developing a program like other clubs have.

on the college side of things...Kevin Love vs Ty Hansborough....what a final that would make

Oh wow i forgot about the nugs.....J.R Smith is playing fantastic lately. He's been stepping inside rather than just launching the trip.

Crazy to see the other night Kobe hit 53 and the Lakers still lose....

KG deserves to be in the running for MVP for the way he leads that team. his intensity and professionalism is infectious and has made them such a mentally tough team. the nba is a pretty level playing field when it comes to spending with the cap and all that, i think they deserve credit (especially danny ainge for pulling it off) for signing so many good players in the offseason, basically transforming a dying franchise into a contender in one offseason

the nuggets are my team, if they could play defense they would be up there with the best. iverson has been my favorite player since he left georgetown so wherever he goes i follow. j.r. smith is an awesome player when he gets hot, he's got good range on his jumper, he's athletic as ****- the boy can fly, and he's got a good bball I.Q. - he can pass and has good vision

[Ron_Mexico]

76ers to pull a surprise or two in the play off

Iguodala has had a great past couple of months....absolute MONSTER dunker

Mo Cheeks deserves alot of credit for turning them around, i know alot of team would like to avoid them in the first round

Iguodala is the next big thing in the NBA, out of this world athleticism

[tommyg]

I really hope Chicago get back on track next year, they have been playing some woeful basketball at times this year. Players like Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas will only get better...

[Ron_Mexico]

I really hope Chicago get back on track next year, they have been playing some woeful basketball at times this year. Players like Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas will only get better...

they've imploded this year after looking like a team on the rise in recent seasons. scott skiles quitting definately set them back, since then it's been non stop turmoil, infighting, no discipline. they've got alot of decisions to make in the offseason, got to decide who to keep- players like larry hughes, drew gooden (douche bag), chris duhon (bigger douche bag, but all Duke players are) who is as good as gone after displaying a serious lack of professionalism. they've got some decent trade bait there so it could be interesting

they'll get all the issues straightened out in the offseason and make a good playoff run next season i reckon. they have some very good young players on that team. noah is an annoying jerk off but he's better than i thought he would be. thomas is going to be a very good player, plus they've got the pride of GB bball Deng, who has persuaded Ben Gordon to join him on team GB, those two are great players and are only going to get better. hopefully the bulls can hold on to them, both of them rejected contract extensions. if they can't hold onto them then they could get some great players in a trade, but i think it's stupid for deng and gordon to leave the bulls

[tommyg]

Deng went to Duke! You cant say they're all bad!!

[Ron_Mexico]

Deng went to Duke! You cant say they're all bad!!

so did grant hill and he's alright. the rest though- jay williams, boozer (way to **** over the cavs bud, real classy), wojo, j.j. reddick (epitomizes everything i hate about duke) that prick paulus thats there now and white nerds like scheyer and singler that are carrying on the proud duke tradition of acting like you're better than everyone else because you go to duke...bunch of idiots

they act so gay on the court, and their snide little weasel of a coach is the reason for it all. they are so unpopular. they get so many calls from the refs it's ridiculous

my sister went to Carolina and her bf went to Duke, he took me to the tent city that develops from students in line for tickets. what a bunch of spoiled know-nothing brats, it was depressing as hell listening to some of the conversations "this is the reason i came to college" "duke is the best school and the best bball program in the nation and always has been" **** off

i hate duke