Boston vs. Cleveland prediction

[fundamentals]

coming from Beantown writer, somewhat surprised by this, "homerism" or any truth to what he says? I can't see Boston beating the Cavaliers but Danny O does:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/w ... ?eref=sihp

[Triple-S]

[British_Pharaoh]

Oh dear

I'm embarrassed for him

[Ea$t $ide]

so there's no basketball reason he thinks boston can win. just that it's happened before.


hmmm....

well i will say that the cavs will have their hands full. it's not going to be a walkover of the celtics. mainly because their guards, rondo and allen are so superior to anthony parker and mo williams it's just sick. but the cavs have them on depth and of course lebron james. hopefully that's enough. i will say this as well. the cavs are no lock to win the series. i hope they do. and if they come with max effort for every game i think they will win.

[aoxo1]

so there's no basketball reason he thinks boston can win. just that it's happened before.


hmmm....

well i will say that the cavs will have their hands full. it's not going to be a walkover of the celtics. mainly because their guards, rondo and allen are so superior to anthony parker and mo williams it's just sick. but the cavs have them on depth and of course lebron james. hopefully that's enough. i will say this as well. the cavs are no lock to win the series. i hope they do. and if they come with max effort for every game i think they will win.

Who cares? This is boring anyways.

[Larvell Blanks]

coming from Beantown writer, somewhat surprised by this, "homerism" or any truth to what he says? I can't see Boston beating the Cavaliers but Danny O does:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/w ... ?eref=sihp

Didn't bother with it once I saw Shaughnessy's name attached to it. Beantown fans think the guy is a joke.

He's waiting for the next Curse of the Bambino to rear it's ugly head so he has something else to make a buck off of.

[e0y2e3]

As soon as I saw this I knew it would be posted here.

Shaunessy is a flaming retard. Up there w/ the Smiths, Vesceys, Bianchis et all of the world.

Reading him is a waste of time and bandwidth.

[Gradysmanldy]

As soon as I saw this I knew it would be posted here.

Shaunessy is a flaming retard. Up there w/ the Smiths, Vesceys, Bianchis et all of the world.

....and everyone at the PD sans Pluto/Windhorst.

Love listening to the WEEI guys (local radio) pan the hell out of Shaunessy. I just rolled my eyes when I saw this article.

[Larvell Blanks]

As soon as I saw this I knew it would be posted here.Shaunessy is a flaming retard. Up there w/ the Smiths, Vesceys, Bianchis et all of the world.

Reading him is a waste of time and bandwidth.

I'm more curious as to the odds of the person that would post it would most likely be fundamentals.

2-1 ?
5-2 ?
or just taken off the board all together.

[e0y2e3]

This story is way cooler: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/sport ... 7nets.html

[davemanddd]

man bites dog. story at 11:00.

[aoxo1]

As soon as I saw this I knew it would be posted here.

Shaunessy is a flaming retard. Up there w/ the Smiths, Vesceys, Bianchis et all of the world.

....and everyone at the PD sans Pluto/Windhorst.

Love listening to the WEEI guys (local radio) pan the hell out of Shaunessy. I just rolled my eyes when I saw this article.

Pluto is so epically terrible I can't imagine that anyone in Boston is that bad.

[Love child of shawn kemp]

so there's no basketball reason he thinks boston can win. just that it's happened before.

Not true, Sheed was labeled as the X factor

[fundamentals]

I'm more curious as to the odds of the person that would post it would most likely be fundamentals.

2-1 ?
5-2 ?
or just taken off the board all together.

Larvell- I will consult you on how/when to make any/all posts.

I know Mr. O isn't necessarily the most gifted writer and often puts out pieces that rival Adrian Wondafjalsdfasdfklasdrkasksksisksksi but was wondering how/why they continue to be employed and continue to get paid handsomely for poor efforts in journalism. And, this piece was an example of that, should have embellished upon that thought.

[e0y2e3]

Wojo is a real reporter that breaks more stories and news than anyone else out there at this point.

Shaunessy is a Skip Bayless style cartoon character.

Comparing the two is a pretty darn clear indication of how little you actually read.

[pup]

So, as far as predictions go, where is everyone at?

I think it goes 7. They don't win in C-Town, but we don't win up there either.

And this year, it will be Orlando heading into the East Finals having cake walked through eight and untested. We will see if that matters then.

[e0y2e3]

5 or 6, no way it goes 7.

I'll roll w/ 5.

*all hinging on LBJ's elbow actually being fine

[pup]

5 or 6, no way it goes 7.

I'll roll w/ 5.

*all hinging on LBJ's elbow actually being fine

Hope you are right about the C's.

I still see them as having the toughness to bang around and win home games, especially in a place we don't win very often.

[e0y2e3]

Oh I don't want to play the C's. Thing about those pricks is we could very well sweep them but we're going to leave the series hurting. Even W's over these assclowns will beat us up.

[pod2dawg]

Six games...if King James is shooting foul shots Right-handed us, left handed them.

[fundamentals]

Wojo is a real reporter that breaks more stories and news than anyone else out there at this point.

Shaunessy is a Skip Bayless style cartoon character.

Comparing the two is a pretty darn clear indication of how little you actually read.

Reading is fundamental.

If Bo Kimble recuperates, this series goes no more than five.

[motherscratcher]

My prediction?...



...pain.

[Larvell Blanks]

Larvell- I will consult you on how/when to make any/all posts.

All in good fun my man. Just playing off your tendency to post articles that are the opposite views of Clevelanders and the Cleveland media, not that you feel that way.

Did you check out LBJ shaking hands (w/ his off hand) last night?


Celtic series will not be easy but the Cavs take care of them in 6.

[aoxo1]

Cavs in 5.

Celtics come out intentionally hitting LBJ on the elbow, pissing off the entire Cavs roster. Boston manages to grab game 4 to avoid the indignity of a sweep, though.

[e0y2e3]

What did I miss about reading that you called Wojo a hack and asked how he continues to get paid because he wrote some mean things about LBJ three years ago?

Again, Wojo has developed into a very good reporter and you comparing him to Mr. O (WTF does this mean) is a joke fundamentals.

Then again, you coming here to bitch about pieces written by the Skip Baylesses of the world is pretty damn standard.

[Toxicadam]

I think Ray Allen is going to be the X-factor in this series, if he gets hot, the Celtics will push this to 7. If he is cold, then they don't stand a chance.

[Ea$t $ide]

I think Ray Allen is going to be the X-factor in this series, if he gets hot, the Celtics will push this to 7. If he is cold, then they don't stand a chance.

i agree and sadly the another x-factor is the effort of the cavs role players. if they half ass it like they did in game 3 of the bulls series they will screw themselves up.

[JoJo White]

Celtics in 6.

[British_Pharaoh]

If the Celtics win then something terrible must have happened in the series

[DrPoove]

If the Cavs win the first 2 at home, Cavs in 6.

If they split, Cavs in 7.

[Ea$t $ide]

If the Cavs win the first 2 at home, Cavs in 6.

If they split, Cavs in 7.

i totally agree with you. cavs in 7 with each team winning a game on the others court.

[e0y2e3]

If the Cavs win the first 2 at home, Cavs in 6.

If they split, Cavs in 7.

We split w/ Boston and we probably lose the series.

That is a nightmare of epic proportions.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Cavs in 4.

It'll be a walk.

[DrPoove]

If the Cavs win the first 2 at home, Cavs in 6.

If they split, Cavs in 7.

We split w/ Boston and we probably lose the series.

That is a nightmare of epic proportions.

Respectfully disagree. If we split in C-Town I think this team has enough stones to split in Beantown and then each team wins on their home court in Games 5-7.

My 10 pesos.

[Gradysmanldy]

7 Games? really?!?

The Cavs went 7 games with Boston in 2008. That series featured,

1. Delonte west as the ONLY viable back court option.
2. Playoff Z (Not to be confused with the moderately serviceable regular season Z) getting the bulk of the minutes at the pivot.
3. Lebron, without 2 full summers of developing a long range game.
4. Wally Sczerbs with no legs.
5. No HCA,

vs. a HEALTHY and MOTIVATED Boston team, that actually had a bench. (Posey, House, PJ Brown)

That went SEVEN GAMES. They have digressed noticeably since then, lost anything resembling a healthy bench, and the Cavs have added Mo, Tawn, and Shaq. (Ie, have improved by leaps and bounds)

Sure, Rondo, Davis, and Perkins have improved since then....but the core of that team has taken an enormous step back.

If this series goes 7 games, it will be because of heavy amounts of underacheiving. Cavs are motivated to beat this team and have all the peices in place to do so.

Cavs in 5.

[CAVSTRIBEBROWNSin07!]

Cavs in 5.

I'll go so far as to say that they'll win in 5 even if they lose Game 1 at home. This is the same Celtics team that played .500 ball post-Christmas.

Cavs win at least 2 games by double digits.

Rondo's a great PG, but he's not the type that destroys the Cavs. He'll get his 14 and 9 with solid D on Mo, but its the quick guys with midrange games that really eat the Cavs up.

I'll choose Game 2 as the Sheed Meltdown Game.

One game is sealed by one of the Big 3 missing clutch FTs down the stretch.

[e0y2e3]

Alls I am saying Poove is that right now Boston is a starving lost and beaten former alpha dog. That dog didn't really eat anything for the rest of the season but finally was gifted some rat to munch on in the first round.

Giving them one of those first two games would be equivalent to giving them a giant steak and while we could probably still put down the revitalized old bastard I don't really want to risk it.

Put your foot on that old dogs throat from the moment you step out of the gate and don't ever give it a chance to bite ya. If you do your now gambling and stranger things have happened in the NBA playoffs.

[Prosecutor]

The Celtics are old but still dangerous. They have six guys over 30 but the age factor is diminished somewhat because there are no back-to-backs. Also, Doc rested some of these guys down the stretch to make sure they were all healthy, which contributed to that unimpressive second half record. Like the Bulls, they're better than their regular season record suggests.

What concerns me is the guards. The Cavs lost to Chicago when they couldn't stop Rose from penetrating AND Heinrich got hot from the perimeter. The one game they lost to Boston after the season opener was when Ray Allen hit six 3-pointers and put up 33 points. If the Cavs let Allen get good looks from the 3-point line and he gets going, it can be a real problem. Whoever is on Allen needs to stay on him and not drop off to help on Rondo.

I'm also concerned about Jamison guarding Garnett. I'm assuming LeBron will be on Pierce and Shaq will take Perkins. Garnett has the height advantage to post up on Jamo and he can also hit the 15 footer.

I agree the Cavs are deeper. I'm very happy to see Eddie House is gone. That guy could come off the bench and light it up.

The key is to smack them in the mouth in Game 1 and make a statement. As for a prediction, take last year's Cavs playoff team, subtract Wally, Sasha, Ben Wallace and Joe Smith. Then add Shaq, Moon, Jamo, Parker, and Hickson (who was injured). That's a hell of a better team. Plus, LeBron is pissed off at Garnett and is looking for payback. Cavs in 5.

[JCoz]

I think its all about Rondo. The Celts are effective against the cavs when Rondo is able to push the tempo and penetrate the lane, and they are not effective when he cannot do those things.

To me it was as simple as that this season.

[e0y2e3]

Anyone else see that stat that when Delonte was on Rose in game 5 he held Rose to 1 - 8 shooting?

Still gotta love Redz.

[Larvell Blanks]

One key is to not let Rondo smeak in for offensive rebounds. He's done it all year long. Whoever is on him needs to stay with him and make sure he doesn't have a clear path to a rebound. The guy has saved too many posessions for Boston this way.

I'm also concerned about Jamison guarding Garnett. I'm assuming LeBron will be on Pierce and Shaq will take Perkins. Garnett has the height advantage to post up on Jamo and he can also hit the 15 footer.

I think this is of greater concern to Boston. Garnett, because of his injury, doesn't have the lateral movement to keep up with Jamison. Jamison, the more he's played with the Cavs and James, moves good withput the ball and now knows the tendencies of James passing. I expect Jamison to score a majority of his points off the base line. If he camps out on the 3 pt line, that gives Garnett time to rest up and be effective on O. Make him work that gimped knee on both sides of the ball. If the Cavs go with a small lineup where Jamison is playing C, no way can Garnett cover LBJ. I bet Doc tries to comes up with some kind of zone D to offset the Cavs athleticsm at the 4.

[Larvell Blanks]

Anyone else see that stat that when Delonte was on Rose in game 5 he held Rose to 1 - 8 shooting?

Still gotta love Redz.

Another reason why I feel, like in '08, that Redz is gonna be one of the biggest keys to beating Boston.

[Cease]

I really want to see us put speed on the court and run their old asses out of the gym. They don't have Noah, Thomas, and Deng to get back on D, it's Garnett, Pierce, and Perkins who will be trying to get back to defend the rim in transition.

I expect 5+ entry passes per game from our own back court, with LBJ or Jamison positioned under the rim for a pin down. If we can use our speed advantage to push the ball into the paint, our trailing shooters should have plenty of time to set behind the arc and bomb them. After that, back it out and feed Shaq to initiate offense.

Look for me on the Cavs bench.

[pup]

Anyone think Parker can handle Pierce and have LeBron work on Rondo to start games?

[Larvell Blanks]

Anyone think Parker can handle Pierce and have LeBron work on Rondo to start games?

It's possible but my fear is Brown putting Parker on Catfish and than having LBJ playing free safety to prevent Rondo from driving the ball. This than puts Mo out on Shuttlesworth and I don't know how much I like that matchup.

[pup]

Anyone think Parker can handle Pierce and have LeBron work on Rondo to start games?

It's possible but my fear is Brown putting Parker on Catfish and than having LBJ playing free safety to prevent Rondo from driving the ball. This than puts Mo out on Shuttlesworth and I don't know how much I like that matchup.

I know it is Mike Brown, but I cannot imagine we would use that strategy after the Skip To My Lou fiasco of '09.

Just tell Mo, stay with Allen and never leave him to double. Whoever Mo is on is going to be a problem for us. I think Rondo is more dangerous because of the drive and kick or score, which gets everyone else involved.

I think this is a great spot for Brown to show his defensive genius and rotate who has who throughout stretches.

[jb]

7 games due to Bron's elbow and the Celtics resurgence.

A tired cavs team moves onto play.... Milwaukee.

[jb]

Anyone else see that stat that when Delonte was on Rose in game 5 he held Rose to 1 - 8 shooting?

Still gotta love Redz.

Another reason why I feel, like in '08, that Redz is gonna be one of the biggest keys to beating Boston.

Which is why it will take Roker about 6 games to figure out he belongs on Rondo.

[Gradysmanldy]

A tired cavs team moves onto play.... Milwaukee.

Even tounge-in-cheek, that's ridiculous.

[jb]

A tired cavs team moves onto play.... Milwaukee.

Even tounge-in-cheek, that's ridiculous.

Hear me now, believe me later.

But be nice to me about it. I have a retarded cat.