Poll: Lakers v. Magic FINALS

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
<img src="http://content.ytmnd.com/content/2/a/f/2af3c7c2cb82c2e522e3612774edd4ed.jpg" alt="" />

<img src="http://asianamericanmovement.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/spain-basketball-cp-584-5321.jpg" alt="" />
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1244198176]Dang... looks like I owe IPO a drink.



Game 2... same bet?</blockquote>


Sure man.



Let's recap game 1:



Foul Howard aggressively to limit him from going off - Check, sent him to the line 16 times vs. the less than 10 he averaged per game so far in the playoffs. If he would have played a more typical game in terms of minutes, i.e. 40 or so, it would have been more like 20 attempts. They were smart and spread lots of those fouls to the help defenders.



Defending the arc - Check, they ran hard at their shooters and ran lots of them off the line. They didn't hard-double Howard all the time, more like crowded him and dared Lee and Alston to beat them. Those guys were the ones with the open looks, not Pietrus, Turk or Rashard. Magic shot 34% from three, a typical percentage, but running them off the line forced them into shots out of their comfort zone, i.e. runners, lay-up attempts against the Lakers length, tweener shots from 15-18, etc. so their 2-point percentage was terrible.



Rested Lamar a difference maker - Check, LO clocked a double-double and played very good on ball and help defense. His energy was great, just like at the end of the Denver series, and it was a big difference maker... Both he and Pau worked hard against Howard to deny position, limit ball entry angles, etc.



Like I said earlier, the Magic are not as good as their playoff run has suggested. Philly is/was a sorry team, Boston was really banged up, and Cleveland's collective team besides Lebron played like crap for the better part of their series. Cleveland had serious match-up problems with Orlando's bigs. This is not a problem for the Lakers with the length and relative speed of the 7-footers.



Howard doesn't like to go left when he faces up on the block. He is much less comfortable with his weak/counter moves. The Lakers understand this and didn't often bite on his initial fakes that direction. That allowed them to stay close to him when he came across the lane, flatten him out way more than Cleveland ever did, and get a little more time for help defenders to crowd the area. Howard really should think about drop-stepping more from the low block vs. turning to face and going right all the time. He's got to mix it up more. His passing out of doubles was very good and patient though. If that dude develops a left hand, good counter moves, or a turn-around J, he will be unstoppable.



I still like the Lakers in six. They will win Sunday in a much closer game. Orlando has got to shoot better... I expect the Lakers to win game 3 or 4 in Orlando and close it out in game 6 back in LA. If the Lakers continue to play smart like they did today, they'll force guys like Rafer, Lee, Reddick, Pietrus, etc. and maybe take Orlando out in 5 or even 4.
 
^^^ Damn... I love your recaps. Way better than ESPN. So I will break it down in lay mans terms...



Dwight Howard 1 for 6 FG .167%. This is horrible since he was over .600% during the playoffs and nearly .600% for the season. He got shut the f*ck down. The Laker D was the most impressive I have seen all season.



Kobe was on fire! He wanted to win so badly you could feel the passion all the way back to Orlando. More middle fingers were raised at TVs and f-bombs dropped in the state of Florida in history, a Guiness book record in fact. And he still had almost half of the Lakers assists.



And... if I disappear after any Laker game... please investigate Skekker. He was less than pleased with me and my text message about half way through the 4th quarter on how much ass the Lakers were kicking, when he had the game still waiting for him on the TIVO. Also if Vicstah disappears, please do the same. I have a feeling he is in the same boat as me.
 
Kobe was kicking a** but I'm concerned about the looks he was getting. They were _not_ easy looks at all. He's a great player, but even he can't keep making those shots over a 7 game series. When Pietrus was on him, he had a hand in Kobe's face for 90% of his shots.
 
So not only did I beat you up... by I turned my foot to the left by an extra 10 degrees to cause 12% more damage to your left buttocks cheek.



Sheesh... they killled the Magic... do we really need all the details?



That's okay... I'll bust my post-game analysis on Game 2 once the Magic shake of the jitters. I notice no reference to Jameer playing... does he not concern you? The Magic staff are a bunch of liars ("Oh he won't play... and if so... it won't be until Game 3")... heh.



I don't really think Game 1 is going to be indicative of the whole series (at least I hope not)... whether the Magic loses or not... I just want to see a better game... last night was a snore fest by the middle of the 3rd quarter.
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1244252250]So not only did I beat you up... by I turned my foot to the left by an extra 10 degrees to cause 12% more damage to your left buttocks cheek.



Sheesh... they killled the Magic... do we really need all the details?



That's okay... I'll bust my post-game analysis on Game 2 once the Magic shake of the jitters. I notice no reference to Jameer playing... does he not concern you? The Magic staff are a bunch of liars ("Oh he won't play... and if so... it won't be until Game 3")... heh.



I don't really think Game 1 is going to be indicative of the whole series (at least I hope not)... whether the Magic loses or not... I just want to see a better game... last night was a snore fest by the middle of the 3rd quarter.</blockquote>


As a mostly lifelong Lakers fan, I love those kinds of games. These Lakers too rarely put the foot on the throat like they did last night. They ease-up, coast, etc. unlike the morale destroying Showtime crew or even the Shaq-led title teams. They continued executing offensively and defensively until the end. Beautiful.
 
[quote author="irvine_grad" date=1244251533]Kobe was kicking a** but I'm concerned about the looks he was getting. They were _not_ easy looks at all. He's a great player, but even he can't keep making those shots over a 7 game series. When Pietrus was on him, he had a hand in Kobe's face for 90% of his shots.</blockquote>


Kobe was killing it but A) he can score on Courtney Lee whenever he wants and B) his looks were a whole lot better than he had against Denver or Houston. He was mobbed in both those series and still managed to score well.



I think he expended much less energy to get his 40 last night than he did on average in either of the last two series. Pietrus can stay with him and make it more difficult to score, but he's all they have in that regard. Lee, Reddick, sheez, they are bleak on the wing defensively besides Pietrus.



Houston had Artest and Battier to throw at him as elite primary defenders and good defensive bigs in Scola, Landry and Ming. Denver triple-teamed him regularly and funneled Kobe into their athletic bigs to make him really work for good shots as well... For the Magic, Rashard and Hedo are rather poor defensively so the only decent help inside is Howard.



Orlando does not have the team defense to slow the Lakers significantly (if they are sharing the ball) so the only chance they have to win regularly is to out-execute the Lakers on the offensive end.
 
They way the Lakers have been playing... I was expecting them to blow that big lead last night.



We'll see how it shakes out in Game 2... I don't think it's going to be as easy... but it is nice to see the "good" Laker team show up. We'll see what version plays on Sunday... they tend to let down after they kill a team.
 
That's two beers now IHO...



Much better game by the Magic. Better execution of the pick-and-roll. The Lakers didn't close out shooters nearly as well as they did in game 1 and didn't run them off the line as much as they should have. I think the keys to the Magic hanging with LA today were the offensive rebounds. Lakers need to be more aggressive on the defensive boards and keep Orlando out of double-digit offensive rebound territory.



The pace of the game was still Lakers-oriented though. LA is a way better half-court team both offensive and defensively. Way too many turnovers by the Magic and not that many of them forced. Orlando needs to defend better and get out into transition more frequently to have a chance in the series.
 
Gah... they should have won. The officiating in the closing minutes of regulation was horrible. They did makeup calls in overtime but the game wasn't on the line anymore... Turkey-Glue should have been at the line when Ariza reached in and fouled.



It must be infuriating to Lakers fans because this is what they did all season... lack of killer instinct. Just like your comparison to Showtime and ShaqKobe... these Lakers are so bipolar... after Thursday's beating... they turn in an OT game... and Howard still isn't playing?



Why not continue to run out at the shooters? Dumb. Is it that the Lakers think they're so good they can cruise control every other game?



My observances:



1. Dwight Howard is a surprisingly a non-factor offensively. It's not just the defense... although he makes it hard for the Lakers to spread out but his post moves are gross as hell... my off hand spin-move is better than his. But he's still making his free throws (and Game 1, his FT% was higher than his FG%... take that stat-man).

2. By the same token, Bynum is nothing either... but at least his post game is better.

3. Pau Ga-Soft is the shiz. Without him... the Lakers have nothing. You think the Lakers have enough bodies to foul Howard, but they don't... those bench players aren't going to see any playing time when it's close as long as Phil is coaching because maybe they can throw fouls at him but what do they do at the offsensive end? That's why Ga-Soft needs to stay out of foul trouble but his defense on Howard is really good... smart and non-hacky.

4. Hedo defended Kobe well... you have to admit that he made it very hard for him to take over in the end.

5. Jameer should not be in there... I don't know what he brings to the team other than screwing up the rotation... he's still recovering and it's just hurting the team.

6. SkipToMyLou should stop shooting... he's acting like Sasha where he thinks if he shoots enough of them... they'll start falling... let the other guys who didn't come from an And1 mix tape score.

7. The Lakers are lucky they are getting the good Odom right now. Maybe it's those Snicker bars but 2 good games back to back is amazing.

8. Ariza is a stud. Forget about Odom next season, develop Ariza and maybe I'll become a Laker die-hard again (well... they would have to trade Kobe too).

9. Rashard needs to keep shooting... forget about sharing the ball... just let it fly and let Howard clean it up.



I hope Orlando can take the next 3 games at home. I hate blow-out series like 2007's Spurs/Cavs... it's bad for the NBA... and my bar tab.



So the bet is on again for Tuesday?
 
What? No IPO post-game analysis?



See... that's why stats in basketball is misleading because there are so many factors that go into it (almost like housing stats). Listy time:



1. 75% at the HALF?!? Was that bad defense by the Lakers or studlike shooting by the Magic? How does Mr.AND1MixTape get to the hole like he is Dwayne Wade? And he should just drive... Rafer's outside shot is gross.

2. And surprise... Kobe is 50% from the free throw line and Dwight is 69%? If Kobe hits his free throws... Lakers might have won.

3. Odom went back to form and only played half a game. 2 rebounds and 1 assist? Bleh... but at least his defense was still good.

4. Ariza is still the hotness... he's like Pippen to Kobe's Jordan.

5. Ga-Soft is the 2nd best player on the team... on both teams... no question about it. Why did Memphis trade him again?

6. Dwight still needs better post moves... those sweeping hooks aren't going to cut it... and almost every pick he sets looks like it's moving.



Like I stated before, the Lakers need to play like they need to win EVERY game. They get so complacent and turn in games like last night and it's irritating. I think they'll split the next two (Lakers always play huge when they lose) and if so it's not good for Orlando. If the Magic can pull off the next 2 home wins... it will turn into a good 7-game series (like the NHL).
 
<blockquote>Professional basketball is like professional wrestling except the players don't know that it's fixed like a newly released puppy from the pound.</blockquote>


I mentioned this exact FACT to several friends while watching Game 2. People really think this sport is legitimate. I remember a few years ago being in Vegas and watching the Finals

with my business partner. I told him it was fixed and he told me that I was crazy. Then low and behold the very referee that I pointed out was making some strange calls admits to being

on the take. Tim Donaghy.



You can bet on this series going 7 games. You can bet on several overtime games as well.



Its all about how many commercials they can make you watch in the last 30 minutes.
 
It wasn't going to be a cake-walk for the Lakes, that is why I said Lakers in 6. I figured the Magic would get last night's game and game 5... Hence, no beer bet from me. I expected a 10-point loss last night. Game was actually closer than I thought.



It took a record shooting performance by Orlando and lameness at the line by the Lakers for the Magic to eek out a win. Like I said before, offensive execution is the key for Orlando and they did that very well last night. The law of averages suggested that the backcourt of Orlando couldn't keep shooting that badly (heck the Lakers were giving their guards wide open looks in games 1 and 2) and they didn't. Rafer went nuts. He is much better, especially against a slow D-Fish, going to the hole and shooting those floaters like he was. If he sits out at the arc and bombs away all the time, he will fail and that plays right into the Lakers defensive strategy.



Can't over-analyze this one. Both teams played reasonably well, Orlando just a little better. Kobe had a number of chances to bring out the Mamba but he choked. 50% from the line in a game where a win will all but assure a championship is terrible. Bad decisions with the ball, e.g. trying to split a double like he did toward the end, is unacceptable. Kobe needs to be more decoy, drawing doubles and triples, and get the ball into Gasol's hands. Pau is an amazingly good finisher around the basket and doesn't choke very often...



I'm thinking the Lakers will take the next game, and if not, definitely game 5. I can't imagine Orlando beating them three straight times on anyone's floor...
 
[quote author="ipoplaya" date=1244679575]It wasn't going to be a cake-walk for the Lakes, that is why I said Lakers in 6. I figured the Magic would get last night's game and game 5... Hence, no beer bet from me.

</blockquote>
What? So you're not giving me a chance to win back my drinks?



Dirty. I wasn't scared to put the first 2 rounds on the line on Laker home court but you won't do me back for the first game on Orlando home court?



I got two words for you...



Chic. Ken.
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1244688870][quote author="ipoplaya" date=1244679575]It wasn't going to be a cake-walk for the Lakes, that is why I said Lakers in 6. I figured the Magic would get last night's game and game 5... Hence, no beer bet from me.

</blockquote>
What? So you're not giving me a chance to win back my drinks?



Dirty. I wasn't scared to put the first 2 rounds on the line on Laker home court but you won't do me back for the first game on Orlando home court?



I got two words for you...



Chic. Ken.</blockquote>


LOL. You can win back one of them with game 4... I'll take the Lakers to win that game.
 
Finals are going right according to my script... Originally I figured the Magic would be a cinch to take a game 5 pride game after the Lakers smacked them in game 4, but I think it's only a 50-50 proposition now. The Magic did not close out that game well. They looked a little more frustrated and defeated than I expected.



I like the 42% from the line clunker Howard put up as well. Remember my regress toward the mean prediction for Howard's charity shots IHO? He's back down to 61.8% now for the series, right around where I predicted he would be. I feel another 6-12 or 7-14 coming for him in game 5! That would get him down to 62-63% for the playoffs...



The key to game 4 was valuing the ball. Lakers kept their TOs to minimum, which the Magic did not do, and rebounded offensively very well. Gotta want the ball and go get it sometimes, especially when shots aren't falling.
 
[quote author="ipoplaya" date=1244806899]Finals are going right according to my script... Originally I figured the Magic would be a cinch to take a game 5 pride game after the Lakers smacked them in game 4, but I think it's only a 50-50 proposition now. The Magic did not close out that game well. They looked a little more frustrated and defeated than I expected.



I like the 42% from the line clunker Howard put up as well. Remember my regress toward the mean prediction for Howard's charity shots IHO? He's back down to 61.8% now for the series, right around where I predicted he would be. I feel another 6-12 or 7-14 coming for him in game 5! That would get him down to 62-63% for the playoffs...



The key to game 4 was valuing the ball. Lakers kept their TOs to minimum, which the Magic did not do, and rebounded offensively very well. Gotta want the ball and go get it sometimes, especially when shots aren't falling.</blockquote>
Wow... you're making it sound like the Laker's are killing them. Even with all the TOs, poor free throw shooting and lack of ball desire... it went to OT. These are close games... Orlando could have won game 2 (check the goaltend by Gasol) and should have won tonight's game... yes... due to Howard's missed FTs (but Turkeyglue missing FTs didn't help either). This series could have easily been 2-2 or even 3-1 for Orlando.



You have to admit that the Magic is giving the Lakers a much harder time than you thought... even though you said Lakers in 6... your pre-series analysis made it seem like the Lakers would beat them handily every game they won... which only happened in Game 1. And even though Howard's FTs are down to that low... save for tonight... that's not what is winning the games for the Lakers. Where are all those fouls from all those bench players you said they were gonna send at him?



Kobe is lucky to have the teammates he has... like I said... Ariza and Gasol are godsends for him. Where was Odom again tonight? And now you know why the Lakers could still win when Bynum was injured.



But... the Magic did stink it up tonight. It was their game and they lost it. Rashard Lewis all of sudden became scared of shooting? I still don't like Jameer Nelson messing up the chemistry... he doesn't even give you an outside shooting option he's so rusty... not to say Alston gives them an outside shooter either. The Magic are still playing too tentatively and were not running out on defense or crashing the boards tonight. Their offense looks horrible... like they are all standing around watching what Hedo is going to do. And how many open looks did the Lakers get? Letting Fish shoot the 3-ball is stupid... especially when you could have fouled instead of letting them tie it up... was that Van Gundy's call or Jameer not thinking?



Hey... I noticed you only bet when you have the advantage... where's the fun in that? First 2 Laker home games... you bet. First Orlando home game... you don't bet. Next game, because it favors you (Lakers haven't lost back to back in the postseason yet), you bet.



Should I invoke the IPO clause?

<strong>

I figured the Lakers would get tonight?s game. Hence, no beer bet from me. I expected a 10-point loss tonight. Game was actually closer than I thought.

</strong>



So now that you think Game 5 is 50/50... is our bet on or not? Or are you going to wait until you see the line tomorrow?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top