Even before tonights game - I am eating crow.

[Cry Havoc]

Sorry for not having posted this earlier, but I have been on vacation for the past several days.

I was completely wrong about the Cavs. I overrated them vastly, based on performances against an uninspired Detroit team and an injured, not-built-for-the-playoffs Atlanta Hawks squad that didn't even put up much resistance.

Orlando has an extremely dangerous team -- really -- if they go on and win the series tonight or in Game 7, it's tough seeing this team have 4 bad shooting games in a 7 game series. That means you have to beat them on a night when they're draining 3s, and that would be difficult for any team to do.

Meanwhile, the Cavs have NO second option on offense. Mo Williams might be the worst "2nd best player on team" in the NBA. The Cavs probably also have the greatest disparity in terms of ability from the best player on the team to the 2nd best in NBA history. LeBron James is having perhaps the best post-season in the history of the league, but he has absolutely no help. Nothing. Consider this for a second -- James is so skilled at involving his teammates that he actually had a large number of NBA fans convinced that Anderson Varejao is a quality big. :lmao I will join in again in eating crow in thinking, "You know, he actually might be a pretty good player." Shows you how starved the league is for big men, neh?

Ok, I could wax on about how much I underestimated Orlando, but I'm sure most of you don't want to read a huge thread based on what you already knew. Even if the Cavs win in 7, this team is absolutely based on one player, and one player alone. I can understand why the Lakers would root for them to win now -- but I still think the Finals between Cle - LA would be a good series.

Anyway, I made a gut call with this pick (Cleveland in 4 or 5) and I was dead wrong. I should have listened to my head. But that's what's fun about sports. I was as wrong as possible and no one got hurt. That's why sports are great. :toast

[NewJerSpur]

1 franchise has a definitive leader, but a suspect supporting cast in the clutch; the other has a great team, but no definitive leader (one can argue that he's on the bench in a suit)....should be interesting to see how this turns out.

[Allanon]

Good that you came back and admitted it :tu

For you:

http://www.tonymarini.com/Images/eating_crow.jpg

[redzero]

I had Orlando in six, and it looks like I'm right. At least you learned something from this experience.

[Cry Havoc]

I had Orlando in six, and it looks like I'm right. At least you learned something from this experience.

Are you ever wrong about your sports predictions?

[DeadlyDynasty]

Good thing you didn't take that bet CH

[Jacko]

It's one thing to make a prediction, but it's another to make a declaration like you did CH with absolutely no real facts to back up anything you were saying.

You made an assclown out of yourself in that thread, at least you have the cajones to man up and admit it.

[Cry Havoc]

It's one thing to make a prediction, but it's another to make a declaration like you did CH with absolutely no real facts to back up anything you were saying.

You made an assclown out of yourself in that thread, at least you have the cajones to man up and admit it.

To be fair, did anyone expect the Cavs to shoot THAT horribly over a series? If they would have just played "ok" it would have gone 7. With any help at all, LeBron makes it to the Finals. But every single player on his team didn't just play poorly, they played worse than they have all season. I'd say that's 50% Orlando and 50% just utter suckage from Mo and company.

[DeadlyDynasty]

To be fair, did anyone expect the Cavs to shoot THAT horribly over a series? If they would have just played "ok" it would have gone 7. With any help at all, LeBron makes it to the Finals. But every single player on his team didn't just play poorly, they played worse than they have all season. I'd say that's 50% Orlando and 50% just utter suckage from Mo and company.

Yes!!! that's what we were all trying to say! The Cavs are LeBron and a gaggle of jumpshooters. The Magic have Dwight Howard and a plethora of players who can create their own shot. Cavs were 3-6 in the regular season against the elite. Just about every team that bested an opponent in the regular season has had that translate to the playoffs...and that has a possibility of continuing in the finals.


So are there still people out there that say the regular season doesn't matter?

[baseline bum]

Yes!!! that's what we were all trying to say! The Cavs are LeBron and a gaggle of jumpshooters. The Magic have Dwight Howard and a plethora of players who can create their own shot. Cavs were 3-6 in the regular season against the elite. Just about every team that bested an opponent in the regular season has had that translate to the playoffs...and that has a possibility of continuing in the finals.


So are there still people out there that say the regular season doesn't matter?

Cleveland swept the Spurs in the regular season before getting swept by them in the Finals. I remember the 95 Spurs owned Houston 5-1 in the regular season before getting killed on their own floor 3 times in the WCF. Regular season and playoffs are almost always completely different animals. You don't seriously expect Orlando to dominate the Finals just because they swept the season series, do you?

[redzero]

Cleveland swept the Spurs in the regular season before getting swept by them in the Finals. I remember the 95 Spurs owned Houston 5-1 in the regular season before getting killed on their own floor 3 times in the WCF. Regular season and playoffs are almost always completely different animals. You don't seriously expect Orlando to dominate the Finals just because they swept the season series, do you?

Regular season success doesn't always translate into post season success, but some problems teams have with match-ups do carry over. The Spurs just played poorly in those games; the Cavs were abused at Orlando because they had bad match-ups across the boards. I would choose Orlando over Los Angeles if Jameer was playing, but that's not the case. I'm not so sure now.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Cleveland swept the Spurs in the regular season before getting swept by them in the Finals. I remember the 95 Spurs owned Houston 5-1 in the regular season before getting killed on their own floor 3 times in the WCF. Regular season and playoffs are almost always completely different animals. You don't seriously expect Orlando to dominate the Finals just because they swept the season series, do you?

Regular season meetings are very telling because they reveal matchup problems. Everybody conveniently ignored the fact that Orlando obliterated Cleveland in the regular season due to great mismatches. Does that mean Orlando will dominate LA? No, because remember those 2 games came down to the last minute and Jameer Nelson was their leading scorer for the Magic in both of them. However, those 2 games proved that Orlando can hang with the Lakers and even beat them in LA.

[Kamnik]

I have lots of crow to eat too... I will write about it more tomorow.

I think everyone underestimated Orlando and pretty much everyone thought that Cleveland will win this pretty easily so it is basically a crow eating fest....

[MannyIsGod]

I didn't get to watch much of the series, but god damn I really thought Cleveland was better than they actually were. Hope Orlando can come through in the Finals.

[sook]

Cleveland swept the Spurs in the regular season before getting swept by them in the Finals. I remember the 95 Spurs owned Houston 5-1 in the regular season before getting killed on their own floor 3 times in the WCF. Regular season and playoffs are almost always completely different animals. You don't seriously expect Orlando to dominate the Finals just because they swept the season series, do you?

But thats excluding the theoretical aspect. My whole philosophy to the magic ass raping them wasn't purely on head to head matchups position wise...it was the fact that any elite team can use the cav's one man scoring show to their advantage in a 7 game series. The better team will ALWAYS win.

[Cry Havoc]

Yes!!! that's what we were all trying to say! The Cavs are LeBron and a gaggle of jumpshooters. The Magic have Dwight Howard and a plethora of players who can create their own shot. Cavs were 3-6 in the regular season against the elite. Just about every team that bested an opponent in the regular season has had that translate to the playoffs...and that has a possibility of continuing in the finals.


So are there still people out there that say the regular season doesn't matter?

And most people that were pointing out how "overrated" Cleveland is are the same people commenting on how much they hate the Cavs and LeBron.

I take the word of haters with a grain of salt. Matchups do not suddenly mean Mo Williams is going to miss EVERY shot he takes. The Magic take a ton of threes as well... how are the Lakers going to counter that? You can't. You just hope the crazy atmosphere of the Finals gets to them, because you really can't stop a 6'9"/6'10" player from getting open 3 pointers. You just hope they miss them.

[ElNono]

Talking about eating crow, I prognosticated Nuggets in 6, and Cavs in 4 or 5.
So I'll be eating crow for lunch and dinner.
Good luck to both Laker and Orlando fans out there.

[sook]

And most people that were pointing out how "overrated" Cleveland is are the same people commenting on how much they hate the Cavs and LeBron.

I take the word of haters with a grain of salt. Matchups do not suddenly mean Mo Williams is going to miss EVERY shot he takes. The Magic take a ton of threes as well... how are the Lakers going to counter that? You can't. You just hope the crazy atmosphere of the Finals gets to them, because you really can't stop a 6'9"/6'10" player from getting open 3 pointers. You just hope they miss them.

likewise their 3 pt shot isn't always going to be on. Trust me , there are ways of defending it, and it starts with how you defend howard, which the cavs did a shitty job of doing. The rockets took howard out of every game this season and steam rolled to an easy victory each time.

[redzero]

And most people that were pointing out how "overrated" Cleveland is are the same people commenting on how much they hate the Cavs and LeBron.

I take the word of haters with a grain of salt. Matchups do not suddenly mean Mo Williams is going to miss EVERY shot he takes. The Magic take a ton of threes as well... how are the Lakers going to counter that? You can't. You just hope the crazy atmosphere of the Finals gets to them, because you really can't stop a 6'9"/6'10" player from getting open 3 pointers. You just hope they miss them.

I've got no problem with LeBron per se. His teammates, on the other hand...

[Cry Havoc]

I've got no problem with LeBron per se. His teammates, on the other hand...

Agreed. I just don't see how people who hate LeBron James can talk trash right now. He had perhaps the greatest playoff series in NBA history. His team just sucks (from a conference finals standpoint).

You can hate on him all you want, but if he had just a couple of DECENT players around him, it boggles the mind how good he could be. I think it's a virtual certainty that he's going to win at least a couple of rings as soon as the Cavs put some players around him.

[Blake]

jeenyus thread :tu

[TJastal]

Props to the threadmaker.

I knew Orlando would not go down easily, with the talent they have. The key was getting a solid PG replacement for Nelson (Alston) who has given them even more than they expected. Rocket fans told all of us he was an erratic streak shooter, but comes to play for the biggest games. Which he did against the cavs. When they needed clutch baskets or a big game, he responded.

I got to see them play in Milwaukee in person as well, and they all were quite impressive and play as a team. Howard is unbelievable to watch in person (I was in the 3rd row). The guy really is Superman. In the game I saw he caught an alley oop from Turkoglu that was launched from a full step behind the 3pt arc. When the ball was thrown it looked like it was going to sail over the backboard. I was like, WTF is that? Then, OMFG! Howard had literally went up past the top of the backboard to catch it and slam it home. It literally shook the Bradley Center. Never forget it.