#5 Houston vs. #1 Lakers

[glockcoma]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

Looking forward to this series

Dont really care who wins. Plus when i doubt Stern will bail Lakers out so they can play us in the anticipated finals.

Stern will have the refs bail out the Lakers like Obama has the government bailing out the automotive industries.

 

[Silky Smooth]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

I think Houston has a great shot at winning the series. Defensively they have 2 of the best perimeter defenders in the league and on offense they have a 7'6" offensive beast in the paint. I say Houston wins in 6.:weirdo:

 

[Typhoon]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

Stern will have the refs bail out the Lakers like Obama has the government bailing out the automotive industries.

yeah i meant to write "when in doubt" not "when i doubt" :gap:
I edited

 

[blank964]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

Lakers in 5

 

[theSTEREO.]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

This round, I'm pulling for the Lakers.

Quite frankly, Houston scares me more than LA. They play us freaking TOUGH! Yeah, we had a better record against them, but the LA games I felt like we had a chance to win both of them, we just happened to be in a funk at the end of the games... VERY uncharacteristic of us.

However, with Houston, I dunno, I just felt like we were going full speed ahead and barely beat them at home and got embarrased in Texas.


Also, even though they might be a tougher matchup than, say, Denver, I'm really pulling for a Cavs Lakers Finals for purely selfish reasons:

It's going to be a ratings MONSTER! The NBA will have never seen anything like it since the days of Jordan, and its gonna be awfully hard for the NBA to think about James leaving for somewhere else when they've got a nearly guaranteed Cavs Lakers finals for like 4 years. It'd take at least 3 years for LBJ to get another team anywhere close to the Finals, and by that time, Kobe'll be well past his prime.

Kobe vs Lebron is the hottest debate in the NBA in ages. It's too good to pass up, and I'm eager to see it start on the big stage.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

I think Houston is one of the teams Stern would LOVE to see go far in the playoffs. L.A. might have a gigantic fanbase, but the storied Rockets franchise doesn't just have half of Texas rooting for them... they have Yaomania in China pulling in the ratings.

I don't see any top-down mandates from Stern in this series.

All the same, Lakers in 7.

 

[RonG]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

I have to pull for Houston, its the only way I will get to make it to at least 2 finals games.

Beating the Blazers in 5 is a bigger accomplishment than most will give credit for. The rockets will need to play flawless defense and have the talent to do that. However if Yao can't learn how to get to the basket when he is getting fronted on D, the series will be over. The Blazers did not start fronting Yao until the last two games, Jackson will not make that mistake and will have Yao fronted from game one.

Being a realist the Lakers will win this, but as a selfish Cavs fan I rather see the Rockets pull it out so I can make it to some games.

 

[Wulfgar1224]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

Houston really should post matchup problems for LA. They have two good perimeter defenders in Artest and Battier that should at least make Kobe work for his points. They have Yao Ming in the middle. Bynum seems to be struggling to regain his pre injury form. I still think the Lakers have too many offensive weapons for the Rockets. But, this shoud be a 6 or 7 game series.

 

[action]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

I picked Houston to win this. I think their D is peaking at the right time. Although fully rested I'd fear Houston (and still will be wary if they make the finals), Yao will be toast after working against the Lakers' bigs for 7 games. That said, the default mode for Houston is to degrade to a three point shooting team, which definitely makes the series hard to win, they have to play top-notch D and shoot lights out, unless Phil is stupid enough to avoid fronting Yao. I don't think the Lakers guard the 3 particularly well, I think their closeouts are habitually late and there's very little bumping to keep shooters out of their spots (stats absolutely do not back me up on this, Lakers were #3 in opp 3pt%). I don't think Scola and Landry are going to have the same pick and pop they worked for the whole Portland series.

I think we'll really see if the Lakers are worth worrying about in this series. If they come out and dominate the Rockets then we're in deep doodoo, as Houston's defense has got to be neck and neck with ours. If the Lakers force the tempo, they can run away with it.

 

[Dr. Gymbo]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

Since I am pulling for the Nuggets in the other Western Semis, I figured I'd list how the Nuggets did versus each of their potential opponents here:

Nuggets vs Houston 1-3
11/30 in Denver: W 104-94
12/16 @ Houston: L 96-108
1/19 @ Houston: L 113-115
3/9 in Denver: L 95-97

Nuggets vs Los Angeles 1-3
11/01 in Denver: L 97-104
11/21 @ LA: L 90-104
2/27 in Denver: W 90-79
4/9 @ LA: L 102-116

As you can see, the Nuggets went 1-3 against both of these teams. However, they were closer against Houston, losing two games by 2 points. I've been following Denver this season, especially towards the end and I have caught all of their playoff games. They are playing better in the playoffs than they were in the season.

I would rather Houston wins the LA series. I don't think it will happen, but I still am pulling for Houston here. Especially if Denver continues playing with such intensity. The other advantage for Houston winning this series (from a Denver fan point of view), is that Denver would have homecourt versus the Rockets, they don't against the Lakers. Jigo may have called it when he said the Nuggets would be great this offseason, but I have admired Denver for awhile (and also Chauncey Billups from afar). They are my team out West. So I would love a Cleveland-Denver Finals.

It's more than likely going to end up Denver vs Los Angeles, but still, stranger things have happened already this postseason. Commissioner Stern has called Chauncey Billups his favorite NBA player. Therefore, because of the bias already shown to Boston, things could be looking up for the Denver Nuggets.

 

[Bill Walton.]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

This round, I'm pulling for the Lakers.

Quite frankly, Houston scares me more than LA. They play us freaking TOUGH! Yeah, we had a better record against them, but the LA games I felt like we had a chance to win both of them, we just happened to be in a funk at the end of the games... VERY uncharacteristic of us.

However, with Houston, I dunno, I just felt like we were going full speed ahead and barely beat them at home and got embarrased in Texas.


Also, even though they might be a tougher matchup than, say, Denver, I'm really pulling for a Cavs Lakers Finals for purely selfish reasons:

It's going to be a ratings MONSTER! The NBA will have never seen anything like it since the days of Jordan, and its gonna be awfully hard for the NBA to think about James leaving for somewhere else when they've got a nearly guaranteed Cavs Lakers finals for like 4 years. It'd take at least 3 years for LBJ to get another team anywhere close to the Finals, and by that time, Kobe'll be well past his prime.

Kobe vs Lebron is the hottest debate in the NBA in ages. It's too good to pass up, and I'm eager to see it start on the big stage.

I completely agree. Does anyone else realize that the Lakers have an extremely hard road to the finals? The first had to play the Jazz, who actually didn't play terrible for a team who struggles on the road against Sacramento. Then they have to play the Rockets, who are a match up nightmare for the Lakers. Then they have to play the only team in the league that can play at the same level offensively as them (Denver) who's defense has looked pretty good lately. Then they should have to face us, the best defensive team in the league with the MVP.

I'd rather play LA as well. Last year they had a much much much easier road to the finals and still lost in 6 to a better defensive team. LA doesn't scare me as much as they used to. Plus, i'd much rather play LA then Houston and Denver. Houston is a bad match up for us as well, and Denver is extremely deep.

Plus, you're right, we didn't look terrible against LA at home, we just blew the game.

Of course, maybe Dallas can slip into the finals :chuckles:.... We can hope can't we?

 

[BooyaCS]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

All i want is for Artest to go completely loco on Kobe. That would make the highlight reel and make Kobe think about Artest in his sleep.

Just be a physically demanding series that goes 7 games and have Andrew Bynum and Kobe keep logging those minutes.

 

[camakazee]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

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Figured this belonged in here :chuckles:

 

[Lebron_23]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

I completely agree. Does anyone else realize that the Lakers have an extremely hard road to the finals? The first had to play the Jazz, who actually didn't play terrible for a team who struggles on the road against Sacramento. Then they have to play the Rockets, who are a match up nightmare for the Lakers. Then they have to play the only team in the league that can play at the same level offensively as them (Denver) who's defense has looked pretty good lately. Then they should have to face us, the best defensive team in the league with the MVP.

I'd rather play LA as well. Last year they had a much much much easier road to the finals and still lost in 6 to a better defensive team. LA doesn't scare me as much as they used to. Plus, i'd much rather play LA then Houston and Denver. Houston is a bad match up for us as well, and Denver is extremely deep.

Plus, you're right, we didn't look terrible against LA at home, we just blew the game.

Of course, maybe Dallas can slip into the finals :chuckles:.... We can hope can't we?

How on earth can you say you would rather face L.A? the Lakers cause the Cavs match-up problems with their big frontline and they have Kobe one of the best players in the game. I would rather we face Houston or denver who have nobody like that on their team.

Cavs have struggled with L.A this year due to their size and their bigs giving us nightmares. Houston or denver won't cause many problems.

Since when do houston cause major match-up problems for L.A? did you even see what the lakers did to them in the regular season? Lakers could win this series in 4 or 5 games..they are that much better than Houston it isn't even funny. Lakers shouldn't lose anymore than 4 games heading into the finals really.

 

[PIP]

Re: #5 Houston vs. #1 Fakers

If people are picking the Rockets in 7 (Sheridan) they're morons... For some reason people are always under the impression that if the underdog team is going to win, it's going to be in a 7th game..I don't understand this line of thinking ?? Now honestly, what are the chances the Rockets are going to win it in game 7 on the Lakers floor ?? Probably none... However, that doesn't mean they can't win it in say 6 games, on their home floor...

If you think the Rockets can win in a game 7 on the road, what's stopping them from winning a game 5 on the road or stealing a game 1 or 2 on the road ?? Nothing.. If the Rockets are going to win this series, I think it will be in 6 games... They win their home games, and steal a game on the Lakers floor prior to game 7...

But no, we can't say that, we have to say game 7 when it's evenly matched, or you're picking the underdog...

Tool !