Does anyone expect any different than a Heat/Lakers final?

Hate both of those teams by the way, but let's just be honest, barring over the top performances by the Celtics or the Thunder and good officiating from the refs, that's gonna be our 2 finals squads hate it like it or love it. :pimp:

Lakers vs Cavs part deux. And that one didn't happen.

Lakers/Celtics.

[QUOTE=SpecialQue]Lakers/Celtics.[/QUOTE]
Scared of :lebronamazed:, eh?

[QUOTE=RRR3]Scared of :lebronamazed:, eh?[/QUOTE]

:kobe:

[QUOTE=SpecialQue]:kobe:[/QUOTE]
It's coo', brah
[IMG]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51G8chQ6ntL.jpg[/IMG]

:oldlol:

[QUOTE=RRR3]It's coo', brah
[IMG]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51G8chQ6ntL.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

I know it's just some good-natured trash talk, but it wouldn't bother me as much if the Lakers lost to the Heat than if they lost to the Celtics. That's why I want a Lakers/Celtics series...the stakes seem higher and I'd be a lot more into the game because I hate the Celtics. If the Heat beat the Lakers, who cares? That team's still not going to catch the number of Laker championships.

I'm expecting LAL/MIA.

But the popular consensus answer is usually always wrong for some reason. For example - 2011 was LAL/MIA, 2010 was LAL/CLE. Neither happened.

I only see 4 possible Finals in 2013:
LAL/MIA
OKC/MIA
LAL/BOS
OKC/BOS

Okl/MIa

While I expect a Lakers/Heat finals, I remain reserved due to the age of the Lakers this upcoming season. A lot depends on their ability to remain healthy and Mike Brown to manage minutes properly....


Yeah....Mike Brown....manage minutes.....properly.

At this point, it seems like a Kobe/LeBron finals is never going to happen. Not getting my hopes up. :(

Injuries are a real factor in sports... Lots of things have to go right for a LA/MIA Finals to happen.

Thunder could make it again. I don't see anyone out East beating the Heat though.

It's the expections yes. Miami are the clear favourite in the east and obviously Lakers/Thunder will be a battle in the west most likely but i have full confidence it will be L.A in the finals. Just need to stay healthly.

[QUOTE=Deuce Bigalow]I'm expecting LAL/MIA.

[B]But the popular consensus answer is usually always wrong for some reason. For example - 2011 was LAL/MIA, 2010 was LAL/CLE. Neither happene
d.[/B]

I only see 4 possible Finals in 2013:
LAL/MIA
OKC/MIA
LAL/BOS
OKC/BOS[/QUOTE]

Actually the bold is extremely true.

Would like to see Lakers/Celtics....one last time. The "inevitable" Kobe vs Lebron Finals ship has already sailed. We were told that was supposedly imminent those 7 years Lebron spent in Cleveland, and it didn't happen. Kobe has nothing left to prove, and everything else in his career at this point, is icing on the cake. It's funny how the FAKE Heat fans are always saying how old he is, but are already coming up with excuses since the Howard trade:lol

Lakers are not making the finals.

Lakers vs Philly!! way I see it east is so weak!! Even the Knicks can sneak in to the finals!!! So:lol

The West is wide open.

As a Celtics fan naturally I dont want the Heat in the Finals; 2 years is enough.

don't fool yourself...
there are only three possible finals...

Lakers vs Miami.
Thunder vs Miami.
Spurs vs Miami.

Miami is coming out of the east... id bet a liver on it... Howard went west, Rose is out... If they made it to the finals in 10-11 and 11-12... they are definitely making it to the finals this time.

[QUOTE=lilbeastnani]Hate both of those teams by the way, but let's just be honest, barring over the top performances by the Celtics or the Thunder and good officiating from the refs, that's gonna be our 2 finals squads hate it like it or love it. :pimp:[/QUOTE]

What do you think is most important to a team that wins a championship; Good luck in that their teams key Players stay healthy, or talent?

the Lakers area going to have their hands full dealing with all the great teams in the west. The Clippers and Nuggets are going to be really good this season, not to mentions OKC and SA

Last season was pretty weird being short and lots of games with little rest - not sure how much you can pull from last year to forecast this year

Nope, it will be Thunder vs Heat

[QUOTE=SpecialQue]Lakers/Celtics.[/QUOTE]
[IMG]http://oi48.tinypic.com/2mn3aqx.jpg[/IMG]

I expect a repeat of last year. I just don't see the Lakers players holding up throughout a whole season, and if they do I think the Thunder match up too well.

[QUOTE=Papaya Petee]Nope, it will be Thunder vs Heat[/QUOTE]

That would certainly be a far better match-up for Miami.

I do expect Lakers/Heat.. But i'm HOPING for Lakers/Celtics.

[QUOTE=All Net]That would certainly be a far better match-up for Miami.[/QUOTE]
Agreed. No real inside presence. They really got away with a center rotation of Bosh/Haslem/Anthony/Bron/Miller/Battier. Basically they went small the whole series because the Thunder bigs don't really pose much of a threat in the paint. If they played the Lakers on the other hand they'd have their hands full with Gasol/Howard. And they'd also have less than favorable matchups with guys on the other side of the ball with Artest roughing up Lebron and Kobe probably having to take on D-Wade.

Thunder vs Miami rematch. Lakers first year playing together they are not winnin Thunder!

I expect OKC/MIA.

[QUOTE=bokes15]Agreed. No real inside presence. They really got away with a center rotation of Bosh/Haslem/Anthony/Bron/Miller/Battier. Basically they went small the whole series because the Thunder bigs don't really pose much of a threat in the paint. If they played the Lakers on the other hand they'd have their hands full with Gasol/Howard. And they'd also have less than favorable matchups with guys on the other side of the ball with Artest roughing up Lebron and Kobe probably having to take on D-Wade.[/QUOTE]

Of course OKC would be more favourable matchup but kobe/artest cant stop lebron/wade.Actually OKC wing defenders are better than lakers.Miami will have significant advantage against lakers wings.

Lakers advantage is the best big man duo since spurs duncan/robinson

I'm hoping for Heat v.s. Lakers, but I could do with seeing Heat v.s. Thunder part two.

Hope we get LA and MIA. OKC and MIA wouldn't be bad though.

Nuggets and Heat. Bookmark it.

[QUOTE=LosBulls][IMG]http://oi48.tinypic.com/2mn3aqx.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

:lebronamazed:

[QUOTE=arifgokcen]Of course OKC would be more favourable matchup but kobe/artest cant stop lebron/wade.Actually OKC wing defenders are better than lakers.Miami will have significant advantage against lakers wings.

Lakers advantage is the best big man duo since spurs duncan/robinson[/QUOTE]
People overrate the value of wing defenders, big time. No great perimeter defender is gonna "stop" a great offensive perimeter player when he's on. An "on fire" Kobe won't be stopped by say Thabo or Battier either. In the same way an "on fire" Bron or Wade won't be stopped by any ONE guy either. The job of the perimeter defender is just to contain the guy, try to get a hand in his face and if he's gonna pass you, force him in one direction or the other and if there's a great help defense behind you, it makes you look that much better. So a team like LA has solid perimeter defenders already but now they're gonna have Dwight and Pau in the paint to rotate and take away those easy lanes that Bron/Wade had against Boston/OKC.

In the East I think Miami is quite clearly the runaway favorite (as many have already mentioned). Barring a serious injury to one of the big three there's no reason to believe the Heat won't simply get better with a deeper squad and that championship confidence.

In the West, it's more wide open than a lot of people think. Here is how I see it as far as most likely to make the Finals:

The two favorites (with serious flaws):

1 Thunder
2 Lakers

The borderline contenders, mix of the new guard and the old. Teams with serious flaws and serious advantages that can put them over the top (superior coaching and veteran leadership from the Mavs and Spurs, and top flight talent for the Grizz and Clippers with coaching flaws):

3 Spurs
4 Clippers
5 Mavericks
6 Grizzlies

I honestly believe any of these bottom four could knock off the top 2 in a 7 game series (if healthy). And, with that being said, the Finals could be a combination of any of these teams and the Miami Heat (With the Heat in all likelihood coming out on top once again).

How dare you underestimate OKC....

[QUOTE=FinishHim!]People overrate the value of wing defenders, big time. No great perimeter defender is gonna "stop" a great offensive perimeter player when he's on. An "on fire" Kobe won't be stopped by say Thabo or Battier either. In the same way an "on fire" Bron or Wade won't be stopped by any ONE guy either. The job of the perimeter defender is just to contain the guy, try to get a hand in his face and if he's gonna pass you, force him in one direction or the other and if there's a great help defense behind you, it makes you look that much better. So a team like LA has solid perimeter defenders already but now they're gonna have Dwight and Pau in the paint to rotate and take away those easy lanes that Bron/Wade had against Boston/OKC.[/QUOTE]
I agree. People forget that 2011 Marion, Kidd, Stevenson were all able to contain and even embarrass Lebron and Wade.