Comments on: Playoff Preview: #1 Chicago vs. #2 Miami

By: AYC

AYC — Sun, 15 May 2011 17:58:55 +0000

Come on, guys. Rondo is the best player on the Celts, and he played the last 2 1/2 games of that series with one arm. I'm not saying the Celts would've come back to win that series if he was healthy, but they would've won more than one game. Anyway, my point had less to do with the celts than with Miami. Everybody is assuming they are the favorites to beat Chi and win it all based on 1)beating the Celts handily, and 2) having the most star power. But 1) the celts suffered a major injury to their best player, and 2) three superstars doesn't make a team. Dallas looks like the best TEAM left to me. And if Boozer is playing up to his ability, Chicago has a very good shot of beating the heat

By: Rg73

Rg73 — Sun, 15 May 2011 17:20:07 +0000

AYC: First, I'm not sure how injuries really factor at this point. Teams inevitably by the playoffs have a variety of acute and chronic injuries. It just happens after 82 games. But, if you're going to pull the healthy Lakers card....do I really need to point out that Mr. Bryant re-injured his already severely sprained ankle in the New Orleans series? Need I remind you his injury was serious enough that the Lakers training staff pleaded with him to get imaging studies done on it (which he refused)? Kobe was very visibly not healthy in that series. I could probably also point out that Bynum suffered a bone bruise to his chronically injured knees a couple weeks before the playoffs and didn't take time off, so he was likely playing on a bruised knee. I'm sure Dallas fans could point out Dirk had some nagging injury...or Kidd, or whoever. While we're at it, we could point out Lebron and Wade were playing with a zombie (Ilgauskas), had an injured Haslem, and probably other injuries as well. In the end Kobe didn't make excuses for himself, nor did Rondo. That is because it is expected you head into the playoffs beat up--if you're not beat up at the end of the season, you're either a machine (like Lebron), young (like Durant), or, you didn't try very hard, and hence, aren't in the playoffs. As for the mathematical algorithm that shows Chicago winning...well, there's a reason they play the games. If math could predict everything the Lakers wouldn't have had to endure their sweep. The computer said they'd win, so they could have dispensed playing the games.

By: JTaylor21

JTaylor21 — Sat, 14 May 2011 20:30:37 +0000

This is going to be a very good series. If MIA is able to take one of the first 2gms in CHI, they have a great chance at winning in 6gms. It comes down to how well Boozer and Bosh play for their respective team. It's been proven that Bosh is the key to MIA's success all season long and in the playoffs, when he plays well, they are damn near unbeatable and when he struggles, they tend to lose. The same can be said for Boozer because Chicago is not going to win with Rose taking 25+ shots, so they need their supposed second banana to step up.

By: huevonkiller

huevonkiller — Sat, 14 May 2011 17:08:47 +0000

#3 Funny how he skims over anything that makes him look bad. There are legitimate reasons to pick anyone out of the East, it'll be a tough series.

By: huevonkiller

huevonkiller — Sat, 14 May 2011 17:01:36 +0000

Boston beat an injured Cleveland team last year, tough luck brah.

Yeah Pau Gasol looked so healthy in the playoffs....Or maybe not. He looked beat. And the Atlanta Hawks beat the Bulls twice, neither team was that impressive in the East.

By: Anon

Anon — Sat, 14 May 2011 16:10:21 +0000

"...Miami gets over-hyped for beating a Boston team that had its all-star point guard injured for the last 2 1/2 games...." ...and beat that same team with a healthy PG in the first two games. And I betcha you didn't say anything about Boston knocking off a Knicks team without it's star point guard and a healthy Amar'e in the first round either.

By: AYC

AYC — Sat, 14 May 2011 15:45:54 +0000

Funny how Dallas gets no love for destroying a healthy Lakers team, while Miami gets over-hyped for beating a Boston team that had its all-star point guard injured for the last 2 1/2 games....

By: Matt, Colombia

Matt, Colombia — Sat, 14 May 2011 14:30:25 +0000

Wow, post deadline says Chicago has a 68% chance to win the series and a 31.5% chance to close this out in 5 games or less. Not buying that at all.