Hey, you're forgetting the second and third most importnat (behind Malone): -The Lakers fans (including ALL IDIOT celebrity bandwaggoners who know **** about basketball) -The media (including ABC for showing all of those idiot celebrities instead of showing the game; Doc Rivers and Al Michaels (no need to explain), ESPN (except Mike Greenberg, the ONLY person who chose Detriot; GOOD MAN!!!) -Stephen A. (and the entire Fastbreak crew (including Greg Anthony, but most notably Tolbert and Kevin Frazier who (off-topic) decided to tell America Francis would 'no question' be suspended for his 'callin some bull****' comment) Someone needs to create STFU websites for ESPN and Stephen A. I know, it's only game 1, but I have been nauseus listening to everyone say Detroit has no chance and practically giving the trophy to LA months ago. Sickening, espcially when NO ONE has given any props to the Pistons. I don't understand why everyone (well, not EVERYone, but it seems like it) has said Detroit is a terrible team? Watching the Pacers series when everyone said the offense was bad instead of good defense..WTF? Were they blind??? Here that tanking? That's the sound of the media slowly but collectively jumping ship. I, btw, took Detroit to make it once I saw their dominance in controlling the game in round 2 and I chose Detroit in 6 before this series.
If you play defense, you will always have a chance to win. If you play defense and were up late in teh game, you're almost guaranteed a win.
this is a tough one for me (but not lakers/spurs tough). on the one hand, i hate the lakers. i don't want karla to get a ring or phil to get his 10th or shaq to get another one above hakeem. on the other hand, i hate the eastern conference for being so pathetic. i've watched crappy teams make the playoffs while we sit at home after crushing their conference 25-5. i get to see terrible teams make the second round while we get bounced early. i hate how pathetic it is and love to see them get trounced in the finals, even if it is the lakers. but still, i hate the lakers and i'm pretty sure the pain of the east winning would not compare to the joy of the lakers losing so i'm going for detroit. which is why i'm pretty sure this game means nothing. the lakers lost the first game to philly also and they won the next four. this year we've seen them sleepwalk through 2 games against the spurs, then realize "oh, maybe we better start playing some basketball" and then roll them 4 straight. i have a pretty good feeling it'll hapeen again. malone and payton won't play this bad and nothing kobe and shaq did was particularly amazing (especially considering shaq was mostly single-covered, he could do this all series, although that did help hold down the role players). it just seems the all too familiar pattern of the lakers not giving a damn until they have to (and why should they, it keeps working) will happen again and detroit will eventually show they just don't have the ammo, especially if the lakers actually start playing D like they did against SA. also, i loved rivers' comment that LA hadn't played a team like detroit so far that was hard to come back on b/c of their defense. oh, apparently us and SA didn't have very highly ranked defenses, and against the west even, or something. LA has been struggling to score all playoffs, except some of the minny series. we just couldn't keep up and they still just had too much firepower for SA. it'll happen again.
i have my doubts that the lakers can presumably 'turn it on' THIS time. realistically...the series is the lakers' to lose. but the one thing different about what the pistons did and what hou/sa did was: -single coverage of shaq. larry brown knows there's no way to stop him so let him have his 30 plus points. that doesn't mean leave him and his shots uncontested. that just means that you just stand your ground as much as you can without having to sacrifice that open shooter when another defender double down on shaq -you can't shut down both shaq and kobe...so shut down the rest of the team. it's hard to shut down two of the best in the game but it's darn easy to shut down the rest of the team when they're not getting open looks. -do what works..and when it doesn't work...keep on doing it. they ran rip off of screens all night long. he had an avg/notsofancy night but they kept screening and getting him the ball so that either he gets his shot off or feed someone else when they come to double up on him. the pistons needs to ...well basically don't do what the spurs and rockets and wolves did. Rockets with their careless TOs, the spurs and their inability to find scorers late in the game, the Wolves and their strategy to double down on O'neal which lead to Fisher, George and Rush getting good open shots
you know what would make my year is if the lakers got swept. karl malone would get so close and the nothing. either that or the lakers loosing on the last shot of a game 7. by darko or something; im pretty sure that work to. would be good times.
I Sincerely hope the Rox are Watching this Series Detroit Defense is OUTSTANDING!!!! Never have I seen such great rotations and defensive recoveries! This team is setting some precedents as to how great a defensive team can be. Lakers had most every shot challenged with at least a hand in their face. WoW. I'm still glowing after tonite's Detroit win. theSAGE
Or even better, the series is 3-3, pistons are up by one point. The pistons have Shaq covered, Ben isn't leaving him open. Kobe is running around in circles trying to get open. Larry brown keeps defending the role players, the only guy open is Karl Malone. Who gets the pass just as times running out, he's wide open for a 16ft jumpshot, it can win the game, he hesitates, shoots... and airballs it. End game, Pistons champs!!! The jump around and scurry into eachother in celebration, while Karl is left there, standing, with the most disappointed look on his face, going "but.. huh.. the.. ball.. wha.. uh..". And be left as the oldest player to go without a ring, who choked the moment he had the biggest opportunity to win one. And ends his career.
I'd love to see the Lakers lose, but 25 years of NBA history points to them winning the series, even though they blew the first game. Raven
Game 7. 3 seconds left. Lakers up by 1. Pistons' ball. Excellent defense. Ben Wallace gets the ball and takes a super ugly 15 footer. Malone jumps high and partially blocks it. The ball goes in. Buzzer sounds.
Question when was the last time the Lakers lost a game in the Finals? The philadelphia sixers under coach brown. They lost the series 4 - 1. They played a good game but they got to do it up atleast 3 more times. However, I think this team is definitely deeper than the Sixers team a few years ago.
Heh, I was thinking almost the same scenario ... but I had him at the line and missing both just for the added humiliation. Really, though, I can't wish something *that* cruel on him.
Game 7, pistons down by one with the ball with 15 sec to go. Prince takes a shot but misses and Malone gets the rebound with 3 sec left on the clock. as he turns B. Wallace strips it and gives malone a facial with 0 sec left on the clock. PISTONS WIN or more importent LAKERS LOSE
I would prefer it if they won in game 7 with Ben Wallace hitting a falling out of bounds 27 foot 3 point jumper....... with .4 seconds left on the clock before the shot. Really, I gave up all hope that The Unfathomable b**** Karl Malone would be denied his ring for the final time when the Spurs screwed the pooch. This game gives me a small spark, a tiny glimmer of potential hope on the distant horizon that it may still happen. But I won't let my hopes get up, because I know, as I think many of you here know, that the odds are this will be just another tiny bump on the road to another championship for the Lakers, and seeing Malone holding that trophy will be worse than having my testicles sown to the inside of my mouth with obsidian splinters shoved into my eyes. It will be a sad, sad day.
The Lakers must lose this series no matter what. I do not care what it takes, Karl Malone must not win an NBA title. "Compadres, It is imperative we crush the rebellion before the start of the rainy season... and remember, A shiny new donkey for whoever brings me the head of Colonel Montoya!"
LOL!!! Oh the shame, the humility....! I think Fisher would kill himself, and Malone would drop into a fetal position and start sucking his thumb!
