I'm still sticking with my prediction after the first round...

Magic over Suns (my preference and plus it would really piss off the NBA which has to be hoping for Lakers/Cavs or Lakers/Celtics).

The NBA can't help it if Lebron lays an egg.

They tried to help him as much as they could.

Did you see how many bullshit ticky tack fouls went his way? And he still stunk....

I love Mick's vitriol for LeBron. It's both irrational and hilarious.

no shit. the guy puts up 27/19/10 and mick wants to tell you how he'd dominate a game due to solid footwork.

I love how you fail to mention the ten turnovers, which pretty much offset the ten assists...

And he didn't shoot a good percentage, so Lebron didn't have a good game, other than from a rebounding standpoint.

Where you even watching?

His handle was sloppy, he was indecisive on nearly every offensive possession, but more than anything, his teammates really let him down. Every time he went into the post he had the ball stripped because he doesn't have a post game and doesn't realise how to hold the ball on the low block. Mo Williams made some good shots, but at the same time he missed more than a few passes that would have resulted in Lebron dunks and really could have got him going.

And then Mike Brown decides to sit Shaq for practically the whole fourth, despite him being the only one making an effort inside....

Getting Antawn Jamison was really this team's downfall. It meant no more minutes for JJ Hickson, who I thought was a great, active, garbage-man type who didn't demand the ball, just the kind of guy you want playing next to Lebron.

Also, any team that expects to win a title with Mo Williams running the show is deluded at best, no matter who you surround him with...

Don't get me wrong, Lebron is the single most physically dominant force in the game, perhaps ever, but if you think he played well in the two most crucial games of this series, then you're the one being irrational and hilarious.

I guess physically dominant can be defined in various ways... but I'd go with Wilt in his prime, or even Shaq in his prime over Lebron... in terms of physical dominance. Dominant physical players post up.

But your analysis of this series, and Lebron's choke-ishness, is on the mark.

And I am hoping Celts nor Magic (presuming the Lakers beat the Suns) for history and home court advantage. Few things make me happier than beating the Celts in 7.

please god lebron come to chicago

Credit has to go to the Celts. Lebron didn't choke so much as they defended him rather well. Ray Allen played him honest early without giving up either the three or the drive more than the other, and I think that contained him for the most part.

29 points at a 38% rate, along with ten turnovers and two blocks against, is exactly the kind of game you want to force Lebron into as an opponent.

But like Harry alluded to, he's not gonna win a championship until he learns how to post up. At the moment he isn't as much of a matchup nightmare as you would think...he can pretty much be contained (relatively) by shooting guards. Ray Allen had him in fits throughout this game. Once he gets that post game, he'll force bigger guys to guard him, and create the sorts of matchup problems that he'll thrive on. It's pretty ridiculous that a guy his size, with that superhuman strength and athleticism, needs to be a slasher to score in the paint.

In this game, when he was held in check outside by Allen, James tried to back him down into the post. Several times Allen merely swipe the ball away, because Lebron doesn't know how to post up or how to hold the ball high. Dribbling into the post is not how you do it. You GET the ball in the post, then go to work, that way you have the advantage of having not yet dribbled the ball. Lebron hasn't learned this.

If I were him, I'd sort my house out, then get straight onto Larry Bird or Olajuwon like Kobe did last summer, and plug that glaring hole in my game.

Weird to think of a guy with his numbers as a limited player, but you make a good case. I doubt he'll have any type of serious remodeling to his game this summer; it's the Summer of 'Bron!!!

This loss goes 80% on Brown. That team probably didn't have the horses to get a title, but it damn sure should've been able to get to the conference finals and possibly sneak into the Finals. Awful personnel groupings and management of games.
Have to give credit to the Celtics for catching fire in a big way. Seems like everyone on that team is feeding off of each other, telegraphing passes and defenses and playing loose but smart. A Phoenix/Boston finals would be unthinkably fun to watch.

I'll dish out a lot of blame on Brown but also to Cleveland's front office...Mick mentioned the Jameson trade (not good) but really the entire Shaq thing was a debacle: sure, he can still put up the occasional numbers but he is so unathletic that he totally changes the offense. If Shaq's feet aren't moving he's just a Freightliner parked in the paint and that means nobody else can get in there.

But the most credit here should truly go to the Celtics, who everyone had written off (raises hand)--it's still a team with three Hall of Fame caliber players plus another guy who, as we've seen, can throw up triple doubles and take over a game and a roster full of guys with Championship experience.

I was a little stunned how the Cavs just seemingly quit with about 1:20 left....Sure, they showed zero signs of being able to make any sort of desperation run, but they just quit....fuck em

Lebron, pack your bags...Knicks fans will forgive you...

So will Bulls fans.
Maybe he can buy MJ's house in Highland Park with the big red "23" on the front gate...

Man, after watching today's Sportscenter I already have Lebron fatigue.

Shaq is a sizeable unit.

Every time his number was called this postseason, he delivered.

It's entirely the coaching staff's fault that he couldn't get more involved, really. He was the sole shining light in game 5, and every time he caught the ball deep tonight, someone fouled him and sent him straight to the line, or he dunked. Even if he makes none of those free throws, he puts garnett and rondo in foul trouble. It's almost like Mike Brown is so bad he's in another dimension, so we let him slide...

The postseason is exactly what you recruited Shaq FOR, then his time comes and he delivers, and then you don't even play him? Fuck you.

I'm starting to feel sorry for Lebron now more than anything.

Rondo definitely played MC Ren in this series.

Si is reporting that brown (and woodson) have already been fired

Awesome. Just checked AJC and technically they're "not renewing his contract". Semantics. Don't let the door knob hit you in the ass Woody.

I truly believe the right coach can get this Hawks team as currently constructed to the East Finals but they still need personnel tweaks to get to the big show.

wanna take nate mcmillan off the Blazers hands/

Don't the Hawks have at least one noteworthy player other than Joe Johnson up for new contracts this summer? Gonna be tough to keep that many pieces together. I really wish Marvin Williams would develop into some kind of consistent something. Great NBA body, but he seems basketball stupid.

You could say that he "delivered" because he put up some numbers but he makes it impossible for you to run and that's pretty much when they are at their best, in the fast break. Same thing that happened in Phoenix where Shaq would be "back" and put up a 25-15 but it not help at all in the big picture because the Suns need to run to be successful.


As for the Hawks, I say fuck Joe, trade Josh Smith for a big and let Horford play the four, make a PUSH for D. Wade and hope that Teague develops into a reliable PG. Jamal Crawford had a great year but I'm not sure he will be anything more than a sixth man/energy guy

Bibby, thanks for your service but you are done my friend.

I think Marvin is just gonna be Marvin. Maybe if Childress comes back from Greece he could give him a push.

Worst case scenario, you roll out a Teague-Crawford-Marvin-J. Smoove-Horford starting five next year: That team, with a decent coach, could probably get a sixth seed.

Anyone want to try to prescribe a course of action for my Pistons? It'll change a little depending on the draft, but that team's a mess.

who's up for some Sixers talk!

whew. got a little too close there at the end.