NBA Finals/Playoffs

[jjwr]

I saw a few brief comments about this in the NHL thread and figured I would start one up and see if anyone else had been watching along.

Oddly enough as the year went on I thought this was probably the worst NBA Season ever, the games were horrible, so many teams sucked and way too many bad players and bad shooters on the floor.

Oddly enough once the playoffs rolled around, mainly round 2 & 3 the games got really good.

The past 2-3 weeks have been great with some awesome series. The Lakers vs Twolves series was very good, ditto with the Twolves vs Kings, Pacers vs Heat, etc.....

The Pistons & Pacers series was decent, yeah it was low scoring but it was closer to real hoops than the NBA has seen in a while. Both teams played very good defense which locked them down and made them actually move the ball on offense and look for creative ways to get shots off.

Lots of Pick n Rolls, screens, etc. The plague of the NBA vs the college game had been no defense, its a more one on one game as opposed to college which is team oriented. Lots of drives to the hoops and 1 or 2 player sets, with this series the defense was good enough they took a lot of that away and you saw some very good team basketball.

Yeah the scores were horrible, but a game in the 60's would be high for college hoops so its not totally out of the question.

As for the Finals, I would really like to think the Pistons have a chance but I don't know if I can go that far.

Shaq is the big problem, the very big problem. Either you send everyone after him, double & triple him and make everyone else make shots or you guard him straight up while trapping and doubling on the outside with the ball to prevent him from getting it and making the other players make the shots.

Detroit doesn't have a player who can match, Big Ben is big....but he's nowhere near Shaq's size. The biggest problem I will see is Ben Wallance is too small to guard Shaq, but then who would he guard? Malone? So who does that leave Rasheed Wallace to guard? In the East Ben can guard any center leaving Rasheed to take the Power Forward, vs the West teams it may not work so well.

Prince can play good defense, they may drape him on Bryant. Defense won't be the problem, they will cause the Lakers problems though expect Shaq to be getting 30+ per game in this one. The Lakers are no slouch defensivliy either, the real question comes down to can the Pistons score enough to beat the Lakers. If they hold the Lakers in the 80's per game thats great but that also mean they have to score into the 80's.

Lakers in 6 and Malone & Payton finally get their rings.

[JMK]

Originally posted by jjwr
The Pistons & Pacers series was decent, yeah it was low scoring but it was closer to real hoops than the NBA has seen in a while. Both teams played very good defense which locked them down and made them actually move the ball on offense and look for creative ways to get shots off.

Detroit doesn't have a player who can match, Big Ben is big....but he's nowhere near Shaq's size. The biggest problem I will see is Ben Wallance is too small to guard Shaq, but then who would he guard? Malone? So who does that leave Rasheed Wallace to guard? In the East Ben can guard any center leaving Rasheed to take the Power Forward, vs the West teams it may not work so well.

Lakers in 6 and Malone & Payton finally get their rings.

To the first point, I've still gotta disagree. Clinching a spot in the NBA finals by shooting 32% is abyssmal IMO. What did the Pistons have? Less than 30 points at the half? That's barely watchable if you ask me.

Secondly, if I'm the Pistons, I'm going to dance with the one who brought me. I'd let Ben take Shaq and Rasheed can shadow Malone. Either way, that still leaves Kobe open.

Lakers in 5.

[jjwr]

Pistons are not a great offensive team, theres no real way to argue that point, they are built on defense. They can score when the occasion arises but typically they score low.

The 32% was ugly, I won't deny that either but I watched the majority of the last few games in that series and they were very good games, very close the whole way with tons of huge plays.

Defense was huge and the teams had trouble putting the biscuit in the basket, I think I would rather a game like this than the Mavs vs Kings games that were in the 110's each. Those were boring, in this game every basket meant something and it left you really enthralled in the game wondering how they were going to score enough to pull out a win.

[Jedi Master Carr]

The Pistons are horrible to watch I could watch paint dry and that be more enjoyable. The Lakers will kill them, they have no body who can stop Shaq, heck they have nobody who can stop Kobe either.

[JMK]

Kobe is the best player in basketball when he turns it on, no one on the planet can stop him once he gets on a roll. When he starts to heat up in a game, MJ in his prime comes to mind, and I don't mean Michael Jackson. :p

[Cyrel Annat]

And here I was so thankful that the NBA didn't make it to the forums. Personally, I haven't enjoyed watching basketball since Jordan and Barkley retired. It's great that the Pistons have gotten this far, for their sake at least. But it doesn't change the end result with the Lakers winning yet again. It's like the Yankees in baseball.

Yes, I know that the Lakers didn't win it last year, and I find that the way in which they play irritates me. "When they turn it on they're the best team in the NBA."

Well, then, they should win every game. Oh yeah, they only play to win when they feel like it. What a bunch of arrogant brats. Nothing would bring me greater joy than to see the Pistons show them up. Hell, it could happen. No one's giving them a chance so what do they have to lose?

Do I think they will beat the Lakers? No. And thus will end another ho-hum NBA season with the end result that the Lakers (or any other team in the West) win the title. I, for one, will not be watching it.

Rip me if you want. This is just my opinion and I have a feeling that there are many that disagree. Oh well.

Agreed, the Lakers do have some of the greatest players in the game, but if such is the case, they should act like it. None of this "I'll play hard when I feel like it" crap.

[JMK]

I won't rip you for those comments. I agree with them. I hate the Lakers "we play when it matters" attitude, but at the same time, I respect their confidence...or is it arrogance?

[Cyrel Annat]

Could be a lack of appreciation for all those people who shell out a ton of money for a night at the basketball game for the players those fans came to see decide to take a night off.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well I dislike the pistons their kind of basketball is why I hate the NBA and that is why the game is falling apart nobody wants to see games in the 60's that are boring and dull. What is really funny is the NCAA tourney final had more points scored and they play less minutes and have a longer shot clock than the NBA.

[Cyrel Annat]

The NCAA also plays for other reasons. There is a sense of pride when it comes to college sports since for a lot of guys, it's the end of the road. For others, the better they do in college, the better chance they have to make money in the NBA. Once they know the checks are in the mail, what more is there to play for?

Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of players in the NBA that leave it all on the court every night. But there are also a lot that know they are good and thus treat their ability like a light switch, turning it on and off as they see fit. The greater players in history were the ones that kicked on the overdrive switch and took over games. I'm not saying that Shaq and Kobe are not great players. I'd be a fool to think such, but I do think that the overall mindset is that for many, they get paid whether they score 2 points or 32 points.

Sure, players can be cut, released, traded, etc., but I still think that there should be more pride in their play, their team, and more consideration for their fans.

[Madmartigan]

The problem with Shaq is that he committs an offensive foul every single play of the game. He uses his bulk to just basically bully everyone out of the way. If the officials were to call it true Shaq would foul out in 3 mintues time, then again nearly every player in the game would most likely foul out before the game was over. Very few players play the game straight up, I remember when Houston was winning it all in 1994 and 1995 and how i was always disgusted watching them as Hakeem travelled everytime he touched the ball. Heck his famous spin towards the basket was 6 steps before he dribbled the ball, and I saw him sometimes take as many as 8 steps without dribbling and he never had travelling called on him. If Shaq were required to play straight up he would probably be the worst player in the entire game, without his bulk and the abilty to basically throw his weight around and bully his way to within 5 feet within the basket he would never score a single point. He is a dismal outside shooter, a horrible free throw shooter and has only minimal talent at handling the ball.

I think Malone is a lot like Shaq in using his hieght and weight to get closer to the basket, but i can at least respect him as an outside shooter as he has a fairly good outside jumpshot. This wasn't true about his younger years, so I have respect for him in developing his game over the years (he use to have a percentage very similar to Shaq's at the free throw line).

I will always miss players like Bird and Magic when i watch modern day NBA as there is no talent like theirs in the NBA as they played the game more straight up (granted they weren't perfect either but at least it wasn't a farce like Shaq is). Bird, Magic and eventually Jordan (that is always why i respect MJ he really went to great lengths to make himself an all around threat and to me that is great) could light you up as outside shooters, they didn't need to bully their way into the lane to score.

[Jedieb]

Before Sunday's game I would have thought the Pistons lucky to win 1 game. I expected that 1 win to come at home after the Lakers would easily held home court. The Pistons' upset win of Game 1 has many people believing we now have a series. Look, I HATE the Lakers. As a child of the 80's the choices were clear, Celtics or Lakers, Bird or Magic. You chose sides and despised the other side. I was thrilled to see the Bad Boys finally put an end to the Lakers 80's run. Nothing would please me more than to see the Lakers go down in flames.

ut I'm still not convinced. Didn't many of us leave the Lakers for dead after the Spurs went up 2-0? I did and I was loving it. Then they rattled off 4 in a row. Like most of the season, they waited until their backs were against the wall and finally started playing. Like JMK, I echo Cyrel's Laker win when they feel like it attitude. The Pistons are going to go home with at least the split you always want if you're the road team in the Finals. But I still expect the Lakers to rebound. Sunday night gave me hope that the Pistons could shock us all, but I'll believe it when I see Detroit dominate on their home court and deal with Phil Jackson's inevitable adjustments. Jackson and his staff figured out how to shut down Tony Parker and it turned the SA series around. We have to wait to see what they come up with next.

[Cyrel Annat]

Actually, I won't be surprised to see the Lakers drop the second game just to add more drama to it. After all, their season has been marked with drama. But oh the happy day if it would backfire. I won't be watching the playoffs this year, but I will be listening and ESPN radio keeps me well-informed. One of the guys from Mike and Mike in the morning picks the Pistons in 6. I have a feeling it'll be more like Lakers in 5, but I can hope.

[jjwr]

After game one I'm thinking Lakers in 7, it won't go in 5, both teams are playing to well right now for it to end that quickly. 6 is definetly a possibility though.

Both teams had players who didn't really show up, Malone for the Lakers and Hamilton for the Pistons, had Hamilton been on the score would have gotten out of hand, on the flip side had Malone actually made some shots it would have come down to the wire, maybe even OT.

I wasn't sure how the Piston's would handle the Lakers but giving the big two free reign and making the rest beat them is a great way to start, the Lakers have a good team though and the role players won't always play that badly.

[Jedieb]

Late in the 3rd and the Pistons have trimmed an 11pt deficit to 3.... now 1. Even if LA pulls it out, Detroit has shown they can play with LA. They have played much better than I expected. If they manage to win tonight I think the series may not even come back to LA. I think the Pistons will be able to win it at home in 5 games. One thing is for sure, I'm going to love seeing the old Bad Boys show up to root this current Pistons team.

[JMK]

I guess Larry Brown's theory of letting Kobe and Shaq get their shots bit him in the rear. How clutch is Kobe nailing that 3 pointer with 2 seconds left when if he misses his team is in a huge hole? Best player on the planet, period.

[Jedieb]

Every time I think I can't HATE the Lakers more, something like this happens. The only good thing about it was that I slept through the whole thing. I didn't even have the game on because I knew any kind of loss would irk me. But last night would have kept me up for a couple of hours. If you still believe the Pistons have a chance then I admire your optimism. They're DONE. They were 40 seconds away from burying the Lakers in a hole no team has ever dug itself out of, 0-2 with both losses coming at home. This is the kind of loss that haunts players for the rest of their lives. The Pistons only managed 3 pts in the OT I believe and I wouldn't be surprised if the hangover carries over to the first game in Detroit. More bad news, no team has ever won all 3 of their home games with the 2-3-2 format. The Pistons will be lucky to make it back to LA for game 6. :cry

[JMK]

I think it may go back to L.A. at this point, but on the whole, I agree with you, the Pistons are not going to win this series. With 3 seconds left, you HAVE to find a way to finish the game with more points than the other team. They choked. The Lakers drew blood and now the sharks will move in.

[Cyrel Annat]

While I don't know the final and can only hope at what it was, I did catch a score while flipping through the channels. Apparently, it was quite the fast-paced barn-burner [/sarcasm]. 63-51 at the end of the 3rd? So long as Detroit wins and the Lakers get sent packing, I guess I don't care what the score is but with not even an average of 40 points a quarter between the two teams, sounds like little better than watching paint dry.

[Figrin D'an]

Detroit up two games to one. This series is will go the full seven. The Pistons will win one more at home, with the Lakers taking the other, the Lakers will head home and win game 6 in LA.

[CMJ]

I thought Detroit would give the Lakers a series, but at this point I'm in shock. They could easily be up 3-0. They SHOULD be in fact.

[Figrin D'an]

Originally posted by CMJ
They could easily be up 3-0. They SHOULD be in fact.

That's the scary part. They had game 2, until Kobe turned it up a notch.

Kobe can't be Superman every night, though. If that's what the Laker's need to win a game, Detroit is in good shape in this series.

[JMK]

This is pretty shocking. It's reminding me of the Calgary/Tampa series where no one really gave the less talented Flames a real shot at it.

At this point I think the winner of game 4 is going to put themselves in a good position to win the series. I always like to see Giant killers knocking off Goliath, but if the Pistons win I'm going to be feel real badly for Malone.

But you know who's going to be really happy? The owner of the Pistons who also happens to own the Tampa Bat Lightning. :)

[jjwr]

I had meant to post to this thread yesterday talking about the Pistons and how the Kobe 3 wasn't that big of a deal and they were still in control of the series...but I got busy.

Guess I was right though :)

The Pistons are flat out man-handling the Lakers, for all intents and puproses they have beaten the Lakers in 3 straight games now.

In the past few series the Lakers always came together and had a final push, well they've tried.....its failed. The Pistons are the best defensive team in the NBA and they are tearing the Lakers apart.

With Malone hurting the Lakers are seriously suffering on defense, way too much confusion, not having the right staff on the floor so theres a lot of switching but the defenders aren't account for the switch so people are being left open.

If the Lakers keep playing like they are this series will be over in 5 or 6 games, the Pistons are hungry and they are feeling it. The only Laker who was really hungry to begin with was Malone and he's hobbling. I would not be suprised to see the Pistons take the next two games.

[JMK]

I think the Kobe/Shaq combo can steal at least one more game before all is said and done, and I think they will for no other reason other than they've done it before (granted not against a defense like this).

[jjwr]

Its possible but I'm not convinced yet, the defense on those guys has been impressive and unless someone else steps up they are in trouble. No Robert Horry anymore and the other role players don't seem to be able to score either. Where's Payton? He used to average 20 a game. Add in Malone's injuries and theres a good potential scorer lost as well.

[JMK]

I agree with you on one point, Payton looks terrible. Almost disinterested. Or has he just simply lost his game? Or has he not been able to adjust to the triangle offense yet?

[Jedieb]

The Pistons looked great in Game 3. I agree, whoever wins Game 4 is probably going to win this series. Detroit will have the Lakers facing elimination, or the Lakers will have retaken home court.

Did anyone read Magic's comments today? He tore Peyton and the Lakers a new one. Not exactly the kind of thing the Lakers want to hear right now. Especially when Magic keeps going on about "I have 9 rings....." I can't see how this can fire up a 35 year old Peyton and an injured Malone. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttttt. :evil

[jjwr]

Pistons up 3-1....this series is over. It may go back to LA but if it does it will still be over in 6.

Just imagine, had Kobe not hit that huge 3 in Game 2 then the Pistons could have swept them....that would have been a huge shock.

I missed Magic's comments...have a link to them?

[JMK]

This is really shocking. The Lakers are being taught a huge lesson. Ah well, must suck to be them right now...

[JediBoricua]

Detroit is becoming my favorite team.

They are truly old school, hustiling all over the floor, blocking shots and rebounding like crazy. Their seem to not tire.

Like JMK, I was rooting for the Lakers 'cause of Malone, but the way the Pistons are leaving it all on the floor makes me glad to be watching the NBA.

[JMK]

It's almost funny the way the Lakers are being humiliated like this.
If the Pistons close out the series and win the title, does Malone stay another year or will he leave, or will he finally give it up?

[jjwr]

I think a lot of people share the same sentiment, I wanted the Lakers to win so Malone would get one but I'm definetly rooting for the Pistons now.

What was funny was when they had Malone's daughter in the crowd who plays for the WNBA Championship team and they asked her if she felt bad because she got a championship before her father.....ouch!

[Cyrel Annat]

Fear not! I have sent a truckload of tissues to the Los Angeles area so they can dab their eyes while they blame the referees for them getting outplayed. Maybe that's why they've had so much success - used to getting the calls their way. This time they're not and the scoreboard is showing the fact that they're getting outplayed in nearly every facet of the game.

[JMK]

I love watching Lakers, and their fans cry and moan about the refs. It's hilarious. The only thing more hilarious in the world is seeing Steinbrenner face when the Yankees are losing a WS game. :lol

[Figrin D'an]

55 points for Detroit in the first half? wow.. if they keep shooting like this, this game is going to be over halfway through the 4th quarter.

Even with the Lakers starting the game fairly well, and attacking the basket with Kobe and Payton, Detroit still manages to close down on them defensively. It doesn't cease to amaze me how, in this series, the Pistons have looked like the veteran championship-quality team, and the Lakers have looked lost and unsure of themselves. Detroit has dominated this series in every conceivable way, and tonight, thus far, has been no exception. They just look so much better in every facet of the game than the Lakers.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Seriously I hate the NBA I have watched like 4 games all year and hated all four of them. The NBA just sucks as far as basketball. If people call what Detroit plays basketball is entertaining than I refuse to watch. The NBA messed up by letting all these high school kids in, it is ruining the sport, IMO and I refuse to watch until they fix it, which I bet will be never.

[Figrin D'an]

I'm not a big fan of the NBA either, but I have to admit, this series has been interesting to watch, at least from my perspective. I dislike the Lakers immensely, so watching them get hammered is a plus. And, as much as defensive games aren't great for ratings in the long run, Detroit is one of the best defensive teams I've seen in a long time. The way they dictate tempo and style to even the best offensive teams in the league (Indiana, LA, etc) is quite impressive.

It'll be nice to see Larry Brown finally get a ring, too. He'll be the first coach to win a college national championship and an NBA title.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well I used to be a Pacers fan so I hate Larry Brown:p he was a sorry coach there, IMO. I just hate the NBA the game is awful. If Jordan came back in his prime his Bulls would win 70 games every year and win the playoffs easily that is how bad the NBA has gotten.

[Figrin D'an]

Originally posted by Jedi Master Carr
If Jordan came back in his prime his Bulls would win 70 games every year and win the playoffs easily that is how bad the NBA has gotten.


ehhh... that's a little bit of hyperbole. Jordan had a pretty decent supporting cast in Chicago. Pippen, for as much as his career dropped off after he left the Bulls, was also one of the best players in the league when the Bulls were dominating the Finals. And it helped to have Rodman, who was just a rebounding machine. Even the the great ones need good role players around them. Otherwise, Malone and Stockton would have won in Utah at some point.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well I guess I mean the whole Bulls team :p I just don't like the look of the NBA today the superstars don't match up with the ones of the past like Jordan, Bird, Magic, etc these guys stink compared to them.

[Figrin D'an]

Those are all great players,but we have the luxury of judging them based upon entire careers. You have to keep in mind that there are a lot of players whose careers are only really getting started who have a lot of potential. Kobe is still young. So are Garnett, Duncan and McGrady. Shaq has been one of the games great centers (as much as it pains me to say that... ). There are plenty of "great players in waiting" around. We have to let them play for another 10 years before we can really judge them against the all-time greats.

[CMJ]

Originally posted by Jedi Master Carr
Well I guess I mean the whole Bulls team :p I just don't like the look of the NBA today the superstars don't match up with the ones of the past like Jordan, Bird, Magic, etc these guys stink compared to them.

You mean like Bird, Magic, etc.. sucked compared to Dr. J., Russel, Marivich just to name a few. ;) I don't follow the NBA like I used to but the "they just aren't as good nowadays" excuse is one of old men.

[Jedi Master Carr]

lol well I think they don't but heh that isn't my only excuse. I also think there are too many kids playing the game it sucks seeing 18 years olds play they have no right to be there. At least the NFL had it worked out and kept kids out of their sport unlike the NBA.

[Figrin D'an]

Good grief... 82-59 Detroit at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Game over. Party in Motown tonight.

[jjwr]

This was over in the 3rd quarter, the Lakers were just deflated and never really mounted a serious comback....and the Pistons scored 100 points!

You know the Pistons were doing well when midway through the fourth quarter Ben Wallace was side open at the 3 point line and took the shot, course he air-balled it but you could tell they were feeling it. The place would have exploded had that shot gone down.

Current NBA....scoring is down and defense has actually gotten better with the Zone, what the Zone creates is less lanes for drives and individual moves which is what the young players do well. Course the way to beat a good zone is to find the soft spots and hit your jump shots, which is what a LOT of NBA players are missing, a reliable mid-range jump shot, they can dunk with abandon and chuck up 3 points but you ask them to hit a short jumper and its like greek to most of them.

The NBA is too young, there aren't enough good players in the NBA currently. What happens is teams keep drafting the young players so they don't get left behind, but these players need time to develop, sadly its not like baseball where you just send them down to the farm, they take up roster positions while waiting to learn how to play which bumps off Veterans who can play. What you end up with youth loaded rosters who aren't very deep.

Last nights interview with NBA commisioner Stern was good, he wants a 20 year old cap on the NBA, which is better than nothing but a system like the NFL uses would be better, 3 years from the time you graduate high school. Say for the NBA call it two years, that would bolster the College ranks again, which are in effect the NBA's minor leagues and these kids would learn how to play ball again.

[JMK]

I missed last night's game, and ultimately, the comments from the losing dressing room. Did the Lakers use every weak excuse under the sun or did they actually keep quiet and take it like men?

Does this do anything to Phil Jackson's legacy in your opinions?
I know he's like 9-1 in NBA finals now, but this was the first time he was really challenged in the finals and he was thoroughly out coached from the sounds of it. I think this has got to leave a little bit of a stain on his legacy, he's always taken teams with great players and MANAGED them to a ring, I don't know if he's ever taken a weaker team and X'd and O'd them to a ring.

[jjwr]

Very good points, I like Jackson, he definetly makes the great players jell in a way that others can't seem to but this series he didn't look like a coach with 9 Championships.

Where were the adjustments?

[JMK]

Well that's my point. Jackson is similar to Torre in that he takes great players and just lets them out talent everyone to a ring. But this year was totally different. The Lakers were a disastrous soap opera and Jackson was not able to right the ship. He's a manager of egos...but can't make adjustments when needed, this time it was at the most inopportune time.

[Figrin D'an]

Jackson was outcoached, definitely. But, the person who outcoached him was Larry Brown, one of the best game coaches in the business, and one of the best coaches in general, pro or college. It would be far worse a stain on his legacy if it was a lesser known coach who had beaten him.

Had Karl Malone been healthy the entire series, it's possible that the series would have at least gone the distance, and in that case, the Lakers probably would have found a way to win Game 7 in LA. However, even with Malone, the Pistons would still have been the more cohesive team with the guys who wanted it more. That's really what it boils down to. Detroit wanted it more, and the played like it. The Lakers played like the very individually talented by dysfunctional group that they have been all season.

At any rate, the Laker dynasty is dead, which makes me happy. Kobe, Payton and Jackson are as good as gone, IMO. Shaq is only definite to be there next season. Malone may or may not make one last attempt for a championship. He could just as easily decide to hang it up as he could to come back for one more season.

[JMK]

I think Malone would be wise to stick it out one more year. Kobe and Phil will be out, almost without a doubt. They're still a good team and they still have the one player that no one else has an answer for. Malone will get another shot next season with Shaq as the defacto coach. Whoever is behind the bench next season will have only to tell his players to get the ball inside to Shaq often.

[jjwr]

The Lakers could be very solid next year with those players gone.

Say they keep Shaq & Malone, Kobe leaving gives them the $$$ to sign a very good free agent, probably a SG or a SF to compliment the big two. Keep Fisher as a proven Veteran point guard. They have solid players in Rush, George and Walton, with a extra year of seasoning and the extra minutes of Kobe gone they will get the minutes to play well.

The team will have a totally different complexion but it could do very well.

[JMK]

Losing the marketing machine known as Kobe will hurt them though.

[Cyrel Annat]

First off, let me sing the praises of the Detroit Pistons who made my dreams come true (for this year, at least)

Secondly, as far as Phil Jackson goes, I would like to offer an opinion (possibly a good point but I leave that to the masses). The opinion is this. Yes, he has 9 championship rings, many of those with the Bulls. It has been proven this year that the better, higher-profile players do not always win. However, in regards to the Bulls, how much coaching was really needed to say "Give the ball to Mike." In all honesty, that was the gameplan on most nights, especially in the big games. That's how Jordan wanted it, that's how it went and for the most part, it worked great. In a way, I think that Jordan coached those seasons as much as Jackson did.

Now, I'm not trying to take anything away from Jackson's ability as a coach. He is a good one, and does do extremely well with keeping players cohesive with each other. But how much of it is his actual work and strategy as opposed to great players just going out and playing ball together, knowing how each other plays, acts, reacts, etc.

This year, you have a collection of individuals, not a team as far as the Lakers went. I think that there was a lot of "Me me me" going on.

On paper, there was really no reason why the Lakers should not have swept the Pistons, if you go by names and reps alone.

9-1 in the finals is astounding, but rather than point out if this loss will affect his reputation as a coach, why not ask if the players on those other championship teams didn't make his rep as a coach.

[Jedieb]

A dominating performance by the Pistons. They slapped the Lakers around for just about every quarter of the series. Good riddance to the over hyped freak show that was the Lakers.

[jjwr]

The guys on ESPN made a good point, in Game 2, the 2nd Quarter and the Overtime were the only quarters that the Lakers really controlled, the rest of the series was either even or belonged to the Pistons(like all of game 3). And considering what little chance most poeple gave the Pistons a even quarter was a win for them, so they held a 19-2 quarter advantage over the Lakers....scary!

You can't say the Bulls teams were all Jordon, yes he was a huge part of it but he had some great years before Jackson arrived and the Bulls did squat. Jackson seems to get everyone on the same page and really work the role players up to work with the Superstars.

[Jedieb]

I swear, if I see one more story about the Lakers soap opera I'm going to spit. They got their butts handed to them! We should be reading and seeing stories about Big Ben's Fro, not the Kobe, Shaq, and Jackson merry-go-round.

Larry Brown is now officially a stud. After spending years turning losers into playoff contenders (this include the Clippers!) he took the Jackson route and got his hands on an already good team and took them to the next level. Good for him, he deserves it.

[Cyrel Annat]

Yes, he does. He took a bunch of players that were not terribly well-known, many of them having been on several teams in the past and made them play great. Above themselves in some cases. Chauncey Billups anyone? I thought he was out of the NBA for all the more I ever heard about him, or most on that team, really. And he got them to play together as a team. With luck, this will finally get that proverbial monkey off of his back. It certainly should.