Don't Panic

The guy at the top lends some validity to the PER stat. Then Lebron is right there around the same level like most fans would agree with. Then Shaq.

Where is Kobe? Is he even in the top 10? Top 20? I thought Kobe was one of the best ever.

I don't think the east is the joke everyone says it is.

They play a different style back east, it's a slower, grinding it out style, hard nosed with a lot of brute force.

It translates to a lower winning percentage during the season, against the run and gun teams of the west. But when you face the same team 5, 6 or 7 times in a row, it's a whole different ball game. It's a style that's really formulated to win playoff series' and it's the playoffs that really matter.

I'm saying don't get too cock to whoever wins the west. Those eastern teams will give you a whole heap of hell if you're not ready for a dog fight, 'cause it's a dog fight every single night back where they come from.

Each team had a successful regular season in so far as they each made the playoffs and beyond that, the regular season has no importance.

Lakers got their asses handed to them in the second round to the team that later got destroyed by the Heat.

Celtics took the Heat to 7 games in the conference finals.

Is it:

A. Michael Jordan

B. Kobe Bryant

C. Wilt Chamberlain

D. Kareem Abdul Jabbar

But then they have other times when they're able to exploit their strengths.

In game 2 they found themselves in the 3rd quarter. Game 3 they got in their zone midway through the 4th quarter and did JUST enough to get the win.

So how is their confidence now? Will they be able to dominate again, maybe even enough to win 2 more games? Or will the Bulls shut them down the rest of the series?

And I will ALWAYS be a huge Laker fan, as long as they're still a good team.

I could smell this 3 peat coming all season long, it's just their right. It's their destiny to get this 3 peat.

So how's that 3 peat coming?

Many people are fond of figuring the cost of the batteries when calculating the cost of operating an electric car. Why don't they do that with gas engines?

A gas engine is warrantied for 100,000 miles, same as EV batteries. But let's suppose you take good care of it, and you get 200,000 miles out of it, just like you can with your EV batteries.

A crate engine will cost up to $14,000, but lets just say you drive a common car and your replacement engine costs $3000. Plus another $1000 to have it installed That's an extra 2 cents per mile.

Then you have to change the oil. You're supposed to do it every 3000 miles, but lets say you're lazy about it and you only do it every 6000 miles. Jiffy Lube will charge you $30 just for the oil change, and if you change the air filter and service the transmission and cooling system, like you're supposed to, it could cost you as much as $120 for one visit. But lets just say you let all the other stuff go, and you just change the oil. That's an extra 0.5 cents per mile.

Then there's the possibility you will experience some seal or gasket leaks, sensor malfunctions, starter or alternator problems, cooling system problems, ignition system problems or exhaust system problems. It's all but certain there will be issues with one or more of those systems. Conservatively, you should add another 0.5 cents per mile for maintenance.

So that's an extra 3 cents per mile, conservatively, that never gets talked about when comparing gas to electric cost of operation.

In a 28 mpg car, that brings the cost from 14 cents, up to 17 cents per mile, if gas prices stay below $4.00 per gallon and who wants to put money down on that happening? The electric car costs 4 cents per mile plus 10 cents for the battery pack, and electric costs are stable and the battery cost is only going to go down.

2008 Lakers

2005 Pistons

2002 Kings

2001 Sixers - That ferocious defense - they would control the ball even when the other team had it, very scary.

1988 Pistons

http://www.nba.com/playoffs/2011/eastseries4/index...

They started out with 4 Magic highlights in a row.

Then they finally got to a Hawks highlight, and it was a lame jump shot.

Then two more Magic highlights and one single hawks highlight. Then back to the Magic for five (that's right, five) more highlights.

By the end it was 19 (Nineteen) Magic highlights, to only 8 from the Hawks. And the Hawks were the ones who actually won the game. They controlled the game throughout and that's the story of the game to me. But that's not the story the NBA is running with, their story is this:

"The Magic played spectacularly, and if you keep watching the Magic, there's going to be a lot more where that came from."

Se here's the question:

Is the NBA trying to sell us on the Orlando Magic because they are supposed to win the series by executive decision?

I love gas engines. I love the roar and the power, the experience of tuning it to perfection and taming the beast inside.

I love them so much I wish more people would drive electric cars so there can be more sauce for me and my fellow car guys in the future!

If you like gas, that's great, so do I, but why do you want EVERYONE to be driving on gas? Save some for us right?

Support gasoline by driving and promoting electric!

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/lebron_james/career_...

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/kobe_bryant/career_s...

Which one has shot over 50% for two seasons in a row and which one has never shot over 50%?

Which one is shooting a higher 3 point percentage this season?

Which one has averaged more career points per game?

Which one has averaged more career rebounds per game?

Which one as average more career assists per game?

Which one has averaged more career steals per game?

Which one has averaged more career blocks per game?

Now look at this page:

http://www.82games.com/gamewinningshots.htm

which one is better in game winning situations?

Now which player do you think is better?

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/2002...

By 2007 and 2008 they would have been something special, I think.

BQ: Do you think all this trading and free agency, like they're playing musical teams with the players, is good for the fans, or would you rather see teams stick together and see what they can become?

No matter. Soon to be forgotten along with all the rest of his game losing blunders. How many Laker fans already want to brag about the game tying 3 he made after having gone 5-17 before that?

How long does this story have to continue before we dispel the myth of Kobe Bryant's clutchness?

1) get rid of the off sides rule. If a guy can gain an offensive advantage by beating the defense down the field, let him. A few more goals would make the game more exciting to watch.

2) let guys sub in and out as much as the coach wants

3) Stop the clock during dead balls. Fcck stoppage time where nobody really knows exactly how much there is.

4) let anyone touch the ball with his hands

5) no goal tending allowed and shrink the goal down to a 2 ft circle and put it up 10 ft high.

6) shrink the field to about 94 ft by 48 ft and make it hard wood instead of grass.

For the past several years the east has had more elite teams, although the west still had more .500+ teams.

But now the east has 5 very strong teams who should all be hoping for a championship. 4 of them will continue to be strong for years to come.

I hope he didn't hurt it too bad when it came down on Kevin Garnett's head. Kobe had a sick game didn't he? Wow! Lakers rule!

There is no glory because they haven't won anything yet, and it's not popular. It just gets you spit and hissed at by all the haters on the hate wagon.

That being the case, how can you even call it a bandwagon?

I think it takes a hell of a lot more courage and individualism to be a Heat fan, especially a new Heat fan, despite the negativity you receive for it, than it does to be for instance a Laker fan, especially one of the 75% of them who don't even live near LA.

Somewhat improper use of the word isn't it? wouldn't rebel, nonconformist or dissident be more fitting?

And, what are Kobe fans? According to popular opinion, they're not bandwagoners, even though it is the popular and the glorious thing to do. Without the bandwagons, what reason is there to be a Kobe fan, and not also a Lebron fan? (that is if you don't actually live in the LA area)

Isn't it possible to be a Lebron fan, and a Kobe fan at the same time? Would your bandwagons cancel one another out, or are you a double bandwagoner?

Or is bandwagon just an overused word that doesn't really have any meaning anymore?

They beat a watered down, tired, beat up version of the team who didn't feel like playing.

Boozer took Baby to school, but it wasn't the Baby that shows up for the playoffs. Come playoff time it won't even be Big Baby out there, it will be KG, and it will be a different story.

The refs were calling all the fouls the Bulls way tonight. They put Rose on the line 19 times. I guess they felt the Bulls needed the win more than the Celtics or something.

Rondo led the team in rebounds, with 5, and that's just laziness.

Rondo isn't 100% yet either, he's only about 75% on the defensive end, if that.

Don't forget Delonte West is still out, Jermain O'neal isn't 100%, Perk is coming back at some point too.

The Bulls were missing Joakim Noah, who has been playing well this year. But otherwise they were fired up, healthy, they had the refs on their side and they beat a Celtics team that was watered down and feeling lazy.

They got a win, but if they get a false sense of accomplishment from that they will have a very rude awakening if they face a healthy and motivated Celtics team in the playoffs.

Why is everyone under the impression that the Bulls Beat the Celtics tonight?