I guess they just wasted all their caps on Kobe. IMO Parker is just terrible, they definitely need to draft/sign a new PG

Farmar, maybe still inexperienced, is still not good enough to carry the passing play for Lakers. I notice too that Farmar fouls alot even playing in short periods. Want to depend on Walton's assists also have to see his 'angin'.

Like others say, Lakers is too dependent on Kobe and it's not good. Matila if Kobe play all by himself, he'll get drained off during playoffs. Buck up, Lakers !

Write until like GSW sure lose

You are right about the energy conservation. Nuggets and 76ers practically rested their entire/most starters and they still win ! The same cannot be said for Spurs though

However, i expect the experienced GSW players to draw from their experience and give Dallas a good fight. Davis is fresh and on fire, i reckon Harris would have a tough time guarding him.

I say Dallas to win 4-2

For Dallas to lose, what an upset it will be for GSW and NBA. But never say never

Raptors and Rockets ftw !!

@Virgil

Well, did you notice that GSW only start to pick up after they traded in Jackson and Harrington ? That coincide with the recovery of Davis from injury, and together with Ellis and Richardson (omg the 3ps he shot), they win alot of their remaining games to reach the playoffs.

Before that, they were nowhere near in contention.

It'll be tough games la for both side, wouldn't say Dallas will blow GSW away, like 4-0. Should be a good fight ! Go Baron Davis !

Guys, what about the other matchups besides Dallas-GSW ? Anybody has some say ? Raptors-Nets, Jazz-Rockets and Heat-Bulls look very exciting encounters they are. Who will shine in the playoffs ? Possible upsets in the cards between Suns-Lakers ?

Heck GSW has Biedrins and Pietrus up for bench scoring too.

DALLAS, April 19 (AP) -- Watching from a tunnel as the Dallas Mavericks played in the NBA finals last season, Don Nelson had to feel like a proud father.

In many ways, he was - with his son running the front office, close friends he'd hired coaching the team and guys he'd molded such as Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard leading the way on the floor.

Nellie will have an even closer look at the Mavs at the start of this postseason. He'll be coaching against them.

Now guiding the Golden State Warriors, Nelson's club snagged the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs on the final day of the season. As luck would have it, their first-round foe is the Mavericks, who are coming off a 67-win season that tied the sixth-most in league history.

So put aside the relationships. Nelson's goal starting Sunday night in Dallas will be to destroy the monster of a club he created.

"It's going to be a good old fashioned family feud,'' said Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks' president of basketball operations and the son of the Warriors' coach. "I'm sure when Nellie comes down, we'll get the kids together and hang out and have a good meal. Then the next day we'll try to rip each other's throats out.''

Mavericks coach Avery Johnson's relationship with Don Nelson dates to the 1993-94 season, when they were together in Golden State. Nelson made Johnson a full-time starting point guard for the first time in his career that season and was rewarded with a trip to the playoffs. This is the Warriors' first time back since then.

Reunited as player and coach in Dallas a few years ago, they later hatched a succession plan. Johnson was to eventually replace Nelson as coach of the Mavericks. Eventually came much sooner than expected, with Johnson taking over in March 2005 after only 64 games. He got Dallas into the NBA finals last year, his first full season in charge.

Because Nelson was around last season as a consultant, he's still very familiar with the Mavericks. And because he's still a heck of a coach, Golden State went 3-0 against Dallas this season. The Warriors spoiled the game when the Mavs dropped a banner honoring their Western Conference title and later ended a 17-game winning streak.

So Nellie's return for the first round is about more than nostalgia. It could be a tough start for the Mavericks in their bid to win the title they lost in heartbreaking fashion last summer.

"I think it's great for the NBA,'' Johnson said. "He and I have had a long history together ... (but) the teams are going to decide it.''

Postseason reunions are becoming common for the Mavericks. Two years ago, it was Steve Nash in the second round. Last year, it was Michael Finley in the second round and Nash in the conference finals. So Nowitzki isn't too worked up about seeing his old coach.

"It's fine,'' he said. "It doesn't matter who we play against. Every team in the playoffs is good and presents problems. Obviously we know Nellie's style is up and down and it's all about matchup problems. He's got a great lineup to do that. We just have to be solid. Nothing new.''

Nelson's impact on Mavs history is best summed up this way: They won 13 games a few years after he arrived. They lost 15 this season.

Nelson arrived as the general manager in February 1996. Both were damaged goods, Dallas because of a roster of misfits and Nelson because of messy departures from the Warriors and New York Knicks.

He named himself coach early in the 1997-98 season, then traded for Nash and Nowitzki on draft day in 1998. He was still seeking his first winning season with the Mavericks when Mark Cuban bought the team in early 2000.

Cuban decided to keep Nelson and give him whatever he needed to succeed. Tapping into those resources, Nelson got the Mavs into the playoffs in 2000-01 and even won a series. They set a franchise record with 60 wins two years later and got to the conference finals. A failed experiment of cramming the lineup with scorers resulted in a drop-off in '04.

Johnson arrived as the coach-in-waiting the following season. Nellie even let AJ take the team out for a spin a few times early in the season, an unusual gesture that just seemed to make sense for this coach and this protege. The breaking-in paid off when some medical issues forced Nelson to leave the team for a few weeks.

When Nelson returned, he realized his players were responding to Johnson's Cajun twang better than his Midwestern tone. He resigned 18 games before the playoffs, parting on good terms with everyone but Cuban. As the winningest coach in team history, Nelson is especially popular among fans, many of them patrons of a sports bar he partly owns. It's called "Nellies,'' of course.

"It's a welcomed matchup,'' guard Jason Terry said. "We're all excited.''

Source: nba.com

What a super game by Richard Jefferson and Jason Kidd, even beat Raptors who have home advantage

Salute !

We all here hope Lakers to win lol, and we all also know they won't haha. Heard that Farmar will be starting instead of Parker, let's hope they can come out with a plan to stop Nash.

---

Added on April 22, 2007, 4:19 pmThat Chinese player, Yi Jianlian (correct name?) is most likely to be the next top pick rite ? Offer Garnett to get him ? That's abit no point, coz both play the same position

This post has been edited by matt85: Apr 22 2007, 04:19 PM

Something like Yao, but 2.1+ metres in height. Dubbed as China's Kevin Garnett... LOL !! Some NBA teams sent their scout to check on him when he played in the China Basketball Association Finals and led his team, Guangdong to the title

Wade played and he got 22 points.......

Edit: Last year Suns played without Amare...so 7 games this year ? Even me Lakers fan will think that is not possible to create an upset. Unless Kobe comes out with another superhuman effort. And having Raja Bell on your tail, Kobe's gona have a hard since there's no player of his calibre that he can depend on. It'll be very difficult, can't see a different result than Suns winning

This post has been edited by matt85: Apr 22 2007, 08:05 PM

Yeah i agree Suns is not strong in the defensive rebounding area, but the problem is neither is Lakers strong in that department. Of course if Brown and Odom play well, Lakers will a chance.

Luke Walton, like my friend say, Lakers' assist king !

Edit: Haih...what a terrible 4th quarter...we threw away the victory, nuff' said

This post has been edited by matt85: Apr 23 2007, 06:58 AM

Yes Marion is reknowned for his rebounding, but did you catch his performance for the past month ? Very poor by his standards imo. Have you watched any of Suns' games ? How they guard their basket perimeter ? They are doing well thanks to Barbosa's 6th man play and Nash consistency, not rebounding.

I still don't understand how Lakers can only get 10 points in the 4th quarter. Farmar definitely need to check on his foul rate. Good game for Odom actually, for pulling down 10+ rebounds (double double for him)

I guess inexperience begins to tell; Raptors doesn't have what it takes to handle playoffs

Upsets galore !!

*rushes to check the results stats of Dallas-GSW*

My money is on Pistons and Rockets to do a 2-0

Nvm la, i bet Jazz will bounce back with the homeground advantage next game. Go Hedo !!

Meanwhile, hope Lakers will upset Suns too.

Trade Bryant ? That will not solve the problem in Lakers; come on, get a better point guard. IMO, Odom did well in the two playoff games so far, notching alot of rebounds and shooting well. It was Bryant who was less contributing.

Damn, now just hope Lakers wont lose 4-0