Lakers in 7

[Non_Comformist]

I'm posting it now. I refuse to give up.

Expect to see Shaq put on a amazing 3 games and win the series MVP.

[andyfox]

He had an amazing game 4, and it wasn't nearly enough.

[Six_of_One]

I'd love to share your belief, but I just can't. Shaq won't be as good as he was Sunday, Kobe will be better, the role players will still provide virtually nothing, and the Lakers will still lose. That's the way I see it happening. I hope I'm wrong.

[Punker]

I have been wondering in this series what would happen if Phil Jackson sat down for a pregame meeting and said "Here's the game plan. Throw it to Shaq EVERY POSSESSION. Shaq: When you get the ball, score. No passing. No triangle. No one else shoot. Just give it to Shaq."

Forget thinking of 30-40 points as an outstanding game for Shaq; tell him they expect 70 points out of him tonight and thats it.

Could the Pistons defend this strategy?

[WEASEL45]

Shaq would be too tired to move after the 2nd quarter. It's hard work for him to get good position everyplay

[namknils]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd love to share your belief, but I just can't. Shaq won't be as good as he was Sunday, Kobe will be better, the role players will still provide virtually nothing, and the Lakers will still lose. That's the way I see it happening. I hope I'm wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

I originally picked the Lakers in 5. But now...well, I think they will win game 5 tonight, but lose game six. If they could somehow win 5 and 6 then expect then to be the first team to ever come back from 3-1 to win.

[andyfox]

Didn't Wilt Chamberlain's teams essentially try that against the Celtics and usually come up short? The year they finally beat them, Wilt led the league in assists (and rebounds).

Of course Wilt never had Kobe playing with him.

[Punker]

These Pistons are not those Celtics teams either, and they don't have Bill Russell holding him in check; some of Shaq's numbers in the first four games are a bit ridiculous:

FG: 46-71 (65%)
Rest of team (discounting 3 point shots): 81/233 (35%)

I mean really. At present the EV of a Shaq shot is 1.3 as opposed to the rest of the team at 0.7. Thats too much EV to overcome!

[Non_Comformist]

The problem is Kobe is selfish and the other players have had it beat into there head that they have to score. So when Shaq shoots 7 possessions in a row, they start pressing and jack-em up, failing to realize that he has hit 6-7

[J_V]

Greatest fourth quarter comeback in NBA history? I'm not giving up [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

All this Kobe talk has got me backing a horse I'd never thought I'd be riding. Hope he gets his head out of his ass in the next decade, otherwise it will painful.