The 2005-2006 NBA Season Discussion Thread

haha Timberwolf, I knew you'd come through. If you aren't able to find an animated gif though, don't worry about it. DAMN! Kobe straight up baphtized the MVP. SICK!

Yeah man, the Bulls dominated the Heat last night. More specifically, they dominated Shaq. Dude was completely ineffective the whole game, pretty much. He only had 8 points. In the 4th quarter, Miami just imploded. Posey got called for a flagrant 2 on Hinrich, and got tossed for it. Both Udonis Haslem and Antoine Walker got called for techical fouls. And, as time was winding down, all the players on the bench had sad, pitiful looks on their faces. I still think the Heat will win out but the Bulls are quickly closing the gap.

Also, the Nuggets defeated the Clippers without Kenyon Martin, to make the series 2-1. Carmelo Anthony is starting to look like his old self again, scoring 24 points and pulling down 7 rebounds. He also had 4 assists.

Indiana is up 2-1 in their series now after beating the Nets. Vince Carter had a brilliant first half with 21 points, but he cooled off in the second half, and only had 4 points. He also took a hard elbow to the fast when he was trying to go for a loose ball. Jermaine O'Neal tied his career high with 37 points and Peja Stojakovic returned from his injury to chip in with 10 points. I'm gonna stick with Indy in this series. They've underachieved all season long and they're peaking at the right time.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Tke Lakers are really starting to impress me now. And, though I hate to admit it, KOBE is beginning to impress me, specifically. He's really getting his teammates involved. Everyone contributed in someway last night. If they keep playing this way, and at this level, I think they will win the series. Steve Nash was not playing like his usual MVP-self.

Ron Artest had a huge impact in last night's win for the Kings. If they can continue to hold homecourt, they'll have a shot to possibly make this a series. It's a longshot but a shot, nonetheless.

The Wizards choked last night. They had the game well in-hand and let it slip away. Gilbert Arenas and LeBron James both had monster games. I really thought Washington had it when Arenas hit that shot at the end and converted on the And1, but LeBron was able to pull that final shot out of his ass.... should have been called for steps, but it wasn't called. I agree nazpyro that this will be a highly contested series. The battles scoring battles between Arenas and James have been fun to watch.

Oh yeah, and congrats to Mike Miller on winning the Sixth Man Award.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Timberwolf

The real Pistons were napping.

124-104. What is that.

Did they really give up 124 points. I must be seeing things.

I'm gonna give the Pistons the benefit of the doubt on that one. Giving up 124 points is unacceptable. Michael Redd went off though. He couldn't be stopped.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by nazpyro

No Wizards game for me again, though I have two friends going. Gee I hate school. Hopefully Wizards make the series last to bring it back to DC... or win and move on to the next round. I think I could definitely make any other game besides tonight's.

Anyway, go Wiz.

If the Wizards had won that last game, I really thought they were gonna win the series. They still have a great shot though if Arenas keeps playing the way he has been. Sucks you weren't able to go to any of the games.

Originally Posted by nazpyro

Will Memphis ever get a playoff win? ;_;

No. :P

FELIPE NO

The Suns got robbed. Simple as that. Several times in that game, especially in the 4th quarter and overtime, Nash and crew got a raw deal. With that being said, it still was a great finish. Kobe's shot was magnificent.

Chicago and Washington both picked up huge wins today as well. Both of those series are tied 2-2 now. Each of those series could go either way now, I think. Gilbert Arenas had another great game and Kirk Hinrich is quickly becoming a star in this league. They're both fun to watch.. and they play the game the right way.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Dr. Uzuki

I don't think there was too questionable a call after seeing the replay. They got Nash trapped and he was stumbling, bound to either travel or fall out of bounds. If the refs are going to help you out of that, well, depends on the stage of the game and where you're playing. It could of gone the other way if they were in Pheonix, easy. That's home court advantage for you.

It's not even about a foul or traveling. Nash was calling for a timeout. He should have gotten it. I know all about home cooking, and by the way it looked, that's exactly what this was. Like I said, they got robbed.

I say that, but by the same token, Steve Nash missed like 3 wide open 3-point shots in the 4th quarter that could have put daggers in the Lakers chances, but still, the Suns have a gripe about how all that played out. Nothing they can do now.... just suck it up and get focused on Game 5.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Frylock

Nash ADMITTED to not calling a time-out after the game. Diaw was the one calling for a time out - he was supposed to run over to the official and call it, instead he called it from across the court with all the noise and shit going on. Clearly, a straight-up rookie mistake. Props to my Lakers for beating the Suns twice in one game, lol.

Did he? I did not know that. Well, that changes everything then. Like I said though, Nash had several opportunities to win the game for his team and came up short, so I wasn't trying to make excuses for him or anything.

The Lakers are playing with nothing to lose. Coming into the series, no one expected them to win this series. For this team, just making the playoffs would have constituted a successful season. Now, they're on the brink of making it to the second round. It's just funny how the reg. season and playoffs have been complete polar opposites as far as how they are playing. In the reg. season, it was all about Kobe scoring 40 and 50 a night, now he isn't even cracking 30 and he's getting his teammates involved. This has to be Phil Jackson's greatest coaching job ever.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Jerry West had put together a great team down there in Memphis. The one thing they're lacking is someone who can create and make their own shot in clutch situations. Hopefully, they wil start hunting for that type of player during the offseason.

Man, the Nuggets were a huge disappointment in the playoffs. That whole Kenyon Martin debacle certainly didn't help matters either. They'll probably try to trade him this summer.

Congrats to the Clips and Mavs for making it to the 2nd round. Especially the Clippers, since that franchise hadn't won a playoff series since 1976.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Miami had a huge scare in their game against the Bulls last night. Dwayne Wade went for a dunk and landed on his hip. At first, it looked a lot worse than it actually was. However, in the second half, he was able to come back into the game and garner his team to a 3-2 lead in the series, with Shaq in foul trouble. Oh... and that pass he made to Alonzo when he did the spin was pretty hot.

Against my better judgement, I'm thinking that the Spurs-Kings series could go 7 games. I know San Antonio is the better team but the Kings play much better at home with that crowd. So, I think Sacramento will win Game 6 and the Spurs win Game 7 back in San Antonio.

Phoenix bounced back from their heart-breaking loss in Game 4 to win Game 5. Boris Diaw showed why he was voted Most Improved Player this year by leading the team with 25 points and adding 10 rebounds. The rivalry between Raja Bell and Kobe Bryant escalated as well. Bell was ejected from the game for giving Bryant a hard foul around the head/neck area. Bryant held his cool, but but he was ejected late in the 4th quarter for arguing with a ref. The Suns won this game but still have a long way to go. Game 6 in LA will be fun to watch.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Damn man, that dunk isn't as sick as the one Vince Carter did in the Olympics a few years back, but not far from it. Most people would have either gotten upset or refused to sign the t-shirt but Howard didn't. I like his attitude and how he handled that situation. I bet the guy who wanted to get it signed was trying to get a rise out of him. Howard is a good kid and class act. He's proven that on the court, and this is an example of his personality off of it.

Nice find.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I like how Detroit gave up 124 points to the Bucks in Game 3, then came back to score 109 and 122 in games 4 and 5 respectively, to close out the Bucks. When their offense is clicking like that, they are unbeatable.

LeBron James burned Washington yet again last night, hitting another game-winning shot. The Wizards have been snake-bitten in this series. I think Washington will pull out Game 6 at home. Then when Game 7 comes around, all bets are off.

I enjoy this back and forth between Raja Bell and Kobe Bryant. Bryant calls Bell a kid but the guy is 2 years older than him. I don't think the Suns will lose all that much without having Bell in the lineup. Even though they are still down, I still favor Phoenix in this series.

Originally Posted by Timberwolf

Trade rumour: Ricky for AI

Surely the T-Wolves would have to give up more than just Ricky to get AI.

But can someone please make it happen.

KG and AI. Dope man.

If the T-Wolves could somehow acquire Iverson, it would be great for them. It'd be awesome if, after all these years of not being able to win a championship individually, they teamed up to win one together. I , for one, hope it comes to fruition.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Timberwolf

That Suns-Lakers game last night was another classic. I didn't know Tim Thomas had that in him.

Yeah, that game was great. But what do yu mean about Tim Thomas? He's always been a great player, even back in his days with the Bucks.

Damn! Gilbert Arenas has such a great game, then goes and costs his team the series by missing two key free throws. I never would have thought I'd ever call him a choke artist... but he surely choked at the charity stripe (huge 3-pointer to send the game into OT though). So, the Cavs win the series, and get the privledge of getting handled by the Pistions. Should be a good series, though.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Timberwolf

A gutsy three-pointer off a pumpfake after a scramble Suns offensive rebound ... I was just surprised he took and made that shot, especially when Nash was open and calling for the ball.

You'd be suprised what some people are capable of when their season is on the line and they have to take a desperation shot. But again, he's a disciplined, veteran player who's been in the trenches of the postseason before. So, if I were a Suns fan, I'd be comfortable with him taking that shot. Maybe he didn't know how much time was left and figured an extra pass might have cost them.

Originally Posted by Timberwolf

They might just give the Pistons a run for their money. Or not, if the Pistons decide they like their offense more than their defense.

I'll give the Cavs one game in this series. If the Pistons are gonna score 100+ each night, you can forget about it. With that defense, it's a sweep in the making. Rest assured, if the Cavs had been playing the Pistons tonight, Damon Jones would NOT have gotten a wide open look like that.

How ya doing, buddy?

So yeah, that Spurs-Mavs series should be hot.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

nazpyro, I understand where you're coming from. The last 3 games of the series, the Wizards lost by just one point in each game. The officiating was suspect in all 3 of those games at points. A call here or there and the Wizards might have won this series. But, superstars getting special calls and arguing about calls that they feel aren't warranted, is nothing new. Everybody does it... even the scrubs. You can't blame LeBron for that. And as far as what he said to Arenas at the line, doesn't matter. Arenas is an 80+ % free throw shooter. There is no reason why he shouldn't have knocked down at least one of them. It was an amazing game to watch at home though, so I can only imagine how exciting it was for you being there live.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Timberwolf

Spoiler:

"I don't hate him, but I have no respect for him, because I think he's a pompous, arrogant individual."

-- Raja Bell, on Kobe Bryant.

Spoiler:

"Does he know me? Do I know this guy? I don't know this guy ... Maybe he wasn't hugged enough as a kid."

-- Kobe Bryant, responding to Bell's remarks.

Let's get it on.

The best series in this year's opening round ends tonight.

ROFL! Oh man, this is gonna be good. I'll definitely be checking this one out. This series has been a nail-biter from start to finish just like the Cavs-Wizards series. This Bell-Bryant back and forth is making this Game 7 that much more interesting.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by nazpyro

You just have to even slightly consider the fact that it should have never come down to that.

You're right, it should have never come down to that. Several wizards players, including Arenas and Jamison, had GREAT looks at 3-pointers in that overtime period and couldn't knock them now. Couple that with Arenas' misses at the free throw line, you can't blame the refs for that loss too much. Part of being a great team is overcoming adversity. They had a 7 point lead with just over 2 minutes to go and couldn't close the door. This loss belongs at the doorstep of the Wizards' team, not the referees. I know losing the way you did is a bitter pill to swallow (we've all been there), but come on man...

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

That Nuggets upset of the Sonics in '94 was as improbable as any I've ever seen. During that period, the Supersonics were a powerhosue. The way that series ended with Dikembe laying flat on the court, clutching onto the ball was one of those great moments that you ever forget.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Timberwolf

Okay, I just finished watching the game.

What the hell kind of Game 7 was that.

Edit: Almost as bad as last year's Rockets-Mavericks Game 7.

I actually missed the game because I was out at the movies. I only got a chance to see the box score and stats. What was wrong with it?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Timberwolf

The Suns jumped on the Lakers early, and blew them out. The Lakers never looked competitive, never looked like they grasped the urgency and significance of a Game 7. The Suns were getting open shots, driving in open lanes.

Kobe Bryant took three shots -- and scored only one point (on a technical freethrow) -- in the entire second half.

It was a disappointing Game 7, with absolutely no suspense.

Damn! That sounds like the exact opposite of what a Game 7 is supposed to be. Now I don't feel bad at all about missing it. That's a dissapointing wait to exit the playoffs if you're the Lakers. Why play your asses off in six games, then show no effort whatsoever in Game 7? Ridiculous. Maybe they were gassed out after losing that 3-1 lead. Still no excuse, though. Ah well, the better team won in the end.

FELIPE NO

Their offfense could have been this good last year if Larry Brown had given them the freedom that Flip Saunders has this year. I was gonna give the Cavs one game in this series, but I wouldn't be suprised if it ends up being a sweep.

Spurs win a huge game against the Mavs in Game 1. Dallas had a golden opportunity to steal this game but came up short. I'm gonna take the Spurs in 6 games for this series.

Much love and congratulations to Steve Nash for winning MVP for the 2nd straight season. I thought that with Amare's adsence this season, the Suns would falter and struggle big time, but Steve Nash kept the machine running smoothly all year. I think them winning those 3 games in a row against the Lakers sealed the deal. Again, congrats!

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Timberwolf

I don't think Brown is as good an offensive strategist as Saunders, who has a massive arsenal of play-sets up his sleeves.

Brown is better at getting his team to play defense than Saunders, though. Good thing Flip took over a team that already has that defensive mindset, as well as already having defensive-oriented players (Ben, Tayshaun, etc).

Well, that's true too. But what I mean is that Brown preferred running a half-court offense most of the time. On the other hand, Saunders lets them to get out and run on the fastbreak. Guys like Prince, Billups, Hamilton and 'Sheed are thriving this year because of that. But yeah, your point is right on too.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Timberwolf

Uh, Ben Wallace air-balled both freethrows on one trip.

Is that the first time that's happened in the NBA. I need to know.

oh, hell nah, playah. I've seen that several times. I think even Big Ben has done that before in the past.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Timberwolf

Two airballs on one trip? It's happened several times?

Maybe not several, but definitely a couple.

Pistons just rolled over the Cavs in that game. They had control of the game from the opening tip. Joe Dumars... you're a friggin' genius, brotha.

How ya doing, buddy?

This might be a stretch, but I am beginning to think that Ben Wallace is the greatest post (on and off the ball) defender since Bill Russel. Big Ben is one of those cats where guys will miss wide open shots JUST because they know he's in the vicinity. That Drew Gooden play is a prime example of his skills. Gooden thought he had a sure-fire throwdown but it ended up getting sent into the cheap seats.

Congrats to Ben Wallace.

And yeah, if the Wizards had won that series, it would have been a closer game. The Wiz may have only lost by...like... 15 points or so lol (j/k). But yeah, against the Pistons, you need more than one reliable scorer. Washington has 3, at least. The Cavs on the other hand, with Larry Hughes stinking up the joint, aren't so lucky. They will get mauled in this series if Detroit's offense keeps going on all cylinders like it has been these last few games.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?