Houston and LA talk is back...

[sandman]

Utah is in the 4th seed and Houston can take that. They can't get the 3rd seed from the Spurs.

If I understand the seeding correctly, a division winner cannot be seeded lower than 4th, regardless of records. However, HCA is determined by records, not by seedings, so the Rockets would be the 5th seed but have HCA over the Jazz if they finish with a better regular season record. The only top 5 teams that have a chance of changing seeds over the final stretch of the season is if the Spurs make up three games on the Suns and take over the #2 seed.

[mardigan]

I may take T-Mac over any player the Jazz have and I may take T-Mac + Yao over any two players the Jazz have, BUT I'd take the Jazz Starting 5 over the Rockets Starting 5 ANY DAY.

As a whole yeah, but as many teams have proven, a couple superstars is sometimes all you need to win a series

[AFBlue]

As a whole yeah, but as many teams have proven, a couple superstars is sometimes all you need to win a series

Tell that to Derek Fisher.

If it weren't for him, the "star-studded" Lakers of 2004 wouldn't have even made it to the finals...and even then, they lost to the solid TEAM, the Pistons. Yao is not as dominant as Shaq was in those days and T-Mac is not as dominant as Kobe was (though that's close)....plus both are injury prone, and in Tracy's case the nagging kind can be the worst in a 7-game series.

[DOMINATOR]

If it weren't for him, the "star-studded" Lakers of 2004 wouldn't have even made it to the finals...and even then, they lost to the solid TEAM, the Pistons. Yao is not as dominant as Shaq was in those days and T-Mac is not as dominant as Kobe was (though that's close)....plus both are injury prone, and in Tracy's case the nagging kind can be the worst in a 7-game series.

yeah T-mac is injury prone Yao is just unlucky with injuries and boozer is always injured too.
good PG's always kill the rockets and thats the main thing im concerned about.

[itzsoweezee]

I'm sorry, I still don't buy into them....or into hearing predictions about Houston and the Lakers being in the 2nd round. Houston and LA win a couple of games again, and suddenly we're hearing talk about them again....

Houston and the Lakers will not be in the 2nd round. Dallas, SA, Utah, and Phoenix are the second round teams.

If anyone disagrees with me, which I'm pretty much used to, let us all know. Who will be the 4 second-round teams?

you're completely wrong about the rockets (they'll probably beat utah), completely right about the lakers (they're much worse than the team they were when they beat the spurs twice this year).

[LEONARD]

Houston - YES
Kobe - YES

[mardigan]

Houston - YES
Kobe - YES

8th seed-YES

[nkdlunch]

I'm sorry, I still don't buy into them....or into hearing predictions about Houston and the Lakers being in the 2nd round. Houston and LA win a couple of games again, and suddenly we're hearing talk about them again....

Houston and the Lakers will not be in the 2nd round. Dallas, SA, Utah, and Phoenix are the second round teams.

If anyone disagrees with me, which I'm pretty much used to, let us all know. Who will be the 4 second-round teams?

I would not guarantee anything in this Stern's NBA. You do realize the ing heat won last year right?

[Dave McNulla]

Utah is in the 4th seed and Houston can take that. They can't get the 3rd seed from the Spurs.

three of the top four seeds go to division winners, which will include the jazz. the fourth is going to the spurs for their record.

hca goes to the team with the better record, which could be the rockets over the jazz.

[Dave McNulla]

He's quicker than Yao and he's a crafty post player. Again....being undervalued.

i don't think so. a quick person can run around the base of an umbrella, but the umbrella is still above him. yao is going to eat his lunch.

[J.T.]

Kobe's hot streak came against defenses. Not to take away from what he did, but he won't average 40+ ppg against us in the playoffs. Nobody can "shut down" Kobe, but keeping him under 30 points is something I would consider as "contained".

Of course, he can score 40ppg against us and Lakeshow can still lose the series. Just ask Amare. But I wouldn't roll the dice on that. I think Manu can play D well enough on Odom to make Kobe have to win the game by himself and I like our chances when it's basically a 1 on 5 game.

I don't know what I want for the first round. Playing LA to show how they can't beat us in April without Shaq or getting that 2 seed to play around with Denver for four games. I'll sleep on it.

[AFBlue]

i don't think so. a quick person can run around the base of an umbrella, but the umbrella is still above him. yao is going to eat his lunch.

Boozer is quick AND CRAFTY, which means he is good at getting defensive players to commit and draw fouls. What good would Yao be if he was on the bench with foul trouble? And as big as Yao is, he's not a dominant defensive presence....an opposing player can get the best of him.

[Roxsfan]

It does pertaining to injury prone players that are still on the team.... you look at these guys the wrong way and something breaks/sprains.

thats just stewpid

[Roxsfan]

i don't think so. a quick person can run around the base of an umbrella, but the umbrella is still above him. yao is going to eat his lunch.

+1

[Roxsfan]

Boozer is quick AND CRAFTY, which means he is good at getting defensive players to commit and draw fouls. What good would Yao be if he was on the bench with foul trouble? And as big as Yao is, he's not a dominant defensive presence....an opposing player can get the best of him.

He clogs up the lane and gets blocked shots when it counts. If he were officiated fairly, he would unstopable. That is a fact. Playoffs will be a test for Yao b/c he will be played physically and he needs to be the aggressor and get to the line. 86% from Goodwill.