What is you sincere opionion of Boston's chances to win the east...

[Culburn369]

Bynum did not do this year in the playoffs.

Stopping, & making Howard quit notwithstanding.

[picc84]

Last year, I thought Orlando > Cleveland > Boston > Orlando, if KG was healthy.

This year with the new additions, I don't see Cleveland beating Boston since they have the best weapons to exploit the Shaq pick and roll, two outside shooting bigs and dynamic guards. They'll probably beat Orlando too. I like the 40/30/30 for the three teams.

A lot depends on homecourt advantage too. Thats gonna be more important for the east teams then the west teams IMO.

[bostonguy]

It depends on if they stay healthy or not. If they do, I like their chances. Time will tell. I will say this though. If the Lakers make it out of the West (which I expect them to), the only team from the east who will give them the best fight is Boston. Orlando can't limit the Lakers on O, and the Cavs simply have no chance in .

[picc84]

Wow. No Bynum or Ariza is like Boston not having Posey and Perkins that season.

More like Posey and Powe.

[DPG21920]

I was not trying to say Bynum was healthy. I was saying he did not make a difference in the Lakers winning a le. Ariza did.

[23LeBronJames23]

i think we can take boston because LeBron almost took Cs two years ago by him self and now the Cs hasnt improved their players are older 2 years and KG just came from an injury.

its orlando that scares me because thfy either dominate with dwight or their shooters shoot lights out. But since know we got shaq i hope he can still have some fuel left to stop Dwight.

[tlongII]

I want to agree with you, but Cleveland is just not built for the playoffs. Everything runs through James. Shaq is a s of himself, and they don't run enough. James made a comment to Mo when the Lakers went into Cleveland last year and defeated them. "We cant beat them if we don't have Z to draw their big men out of the lane." Ok, now Z is on the bench and probably on the trrading block as well. Now you have the biggest, slowest center in the league clogging the lane, so they are still stuck with the same problem they had last year.

That doesn't make any sense. Cleveland doesn't have to beat the Lakers to get out of the East.

[DPG21920]

Either way, Boston would not have beaten us if we were fully healthy and they were missing two of their key role players. Yet, all you hear is how great that Boston team was, and how the Lakers squeaked by because of injuries to other teams. DPG gives a perfect example of this double standard when he says the Lakers were smashed by the Celtics, but the Nuggets could have beaten the Lakers, even though the Lakers smashed the Nuggets on their home floor.

Not a double standard. You brought up the Celtics going 7 games, and acted like the Lakers just breezed through. Many of their series were close and none ended as badly as game 6

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

By the way, Boston's chances are about 5%. That 5% is the percentage James may get hurt and not play in the series. If both teams are healthy, it's game over before the series even starts.

Yeah sure, just like it was in 2008.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

I see 0 question marks for Cleveland and a ton for Boston

Their pick and roll defense isn't a question mark?

[bostonguy]

Their pick and roll defense isn't a question mark?

They have Lebron James. Pick and roll D won't be a concern. Mo Williams is also a legit all-star according to the Spurs/Cavs fan.

[DPG21920]

Call it what you will, but I saw a lot of close games against Orlando (even though the Lakers always seemed to be better) and a couple close games with the Nuggets that could have gone either way.

Fact is, the Celtics are a damn good team.

[tlongII]

Is this Jr, or Dad? It makes perfect sense, because the teams that the Cavs have to face in the East have dominant bigs who are much better defenders and shot blockers than the Lakers bigs. If you have Shaq clogging the lane, then Mo and James cant do what they do best, which is drive and kick to the shooters, or finish at the rim.

This is Dad. You're crazy. Shaq can still abuse Kendrick Perkins and Dwight Howard for stretches and that's all they'll ask of him.

[picc84]

I was not trying to say Bynum was healthy. I was saying he did not make a difference in the Lakers winning a le. Ariza did.

You don't think Gasol having to guard Howard for 48 minutes would have been advantageous to the Magic?

[picc84]

Either way, Boston would not have beaten us if we were fully healthy and they were missing two of their key role players. Yet, all you hear is how great that Boston team was, and how the Lakers squeaked by because of injuries to other teams. DPG gives a perfect example of this double standard when he says the Lakers were smashed by the Celtics, but the Nuggets could have beaten the Lakers, even though the Lakers smashed the Nuggets on their home floor.

I agree. If we were healthy and Boston was without Posey/Powe last year, we win. But no one cares. And the argument that we got by because of injuries is a slap in the face when Boston won in a year when Detroit, LA, and SA were all injured, two of those being teams they beat on the way to the le. Its bull , yeah, but whatever. People always remember what they want to.

[Lars]

Its all about matchups.

Orlando > Cleveland
Cleveland > Boston
Boston > Orlando

[Kobe™]

If Shaq magically manifests into an amazing P&R defender I'll give Cleveland the edge over Orlando,
other then that it goes:
Boston
Orlando
Cleveland

(barring injuries)

[DPG21920]

I saw games 1,2, and 4 as close games against the Celtics, but you say they were smashed in that series.

I didn't say the Lakers got walked over (although Kobe was pretty well neutralized), I said game 6 was a smash or at least that is what I meant.

[DPG21920]

You don't think Gasol having to guard Howard for 48 minutes would have been advantageous to the Magic?

Plenty of people could have done the job Bynum did. His numbers were pedestrian and he averaged like 17 MPG. Sure, Gasol needed a break, but plenty of players could have done what Bynum did in those 17 MPG.

Bynum was not healthy however, and if they were matched up again, Bynum would fare much better.

[DPG21920]

Lakers fans crying about other fans blaming injuries on the Lakers winning is way overblown. Most fans understand the Lakers were far and away the best team and the majority of people arguing otherwise are mostly doing it tongue-in-cheek to mess with Laker fans.

[bostonguy]

If you want to talk pick and roll D, nobody on the Celtics can guard the pick and roll like Varejao.



Looks like someone is butthurt Mo was there and not Rondo.

Nah. Mo can have that bragging right (even though he really isn't a legit all-star). At least Rondo doesn't act like a trash talking pussy under playoff pressure like Mo did in the ECF.


I even know you don't believe most of your own crap. You constantly contradict yourself when you bring up the age card. Shaq is almost 40 yet no mention about his age yet you call the Boston 3 party (who are a good couple of years younger) old as dirt. Again are you saying this for attention? I know you don't believe it. You keep spewing it over and over and it is somewhat getting boring. Then again if you feel the need to get on your knees for the Cavs for the sake of getting attention, knock yourself out.

[Darthkiller]

boston if healthy has the best chance of winning the east, however that's a very big if.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

That question has already been answered. They can be vulnerable to it, but it isn't enough to sink them. Shaq changes absolutely nothing in this regard, as they had Ilgauskas last season and seemed to do just fine.

Did just fine? You must have missed that series where they were beaten because they couldn't defend the Turk-Howard pick and roll.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

If you want to talk pick and roll D, nobody on the Celtics can guard the pick and roll like Varejao.

Where was this pick and roll D against Orlando?

Are you seriously re ed enough to say Varejao can defend the PNR better than KG can?

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Shaq is old as dirt. He was also one of the most dominant players ever. None of the Celtics big 3 can say that.

What the does what Shaq did in 2000 have to do with now?