Comments on: The NBA finals: A vote for tenacity, a vote for the Magic

By: The highlight of my career: I jinx Chipper Jones | Mark Bradley

The highlight of my career: I jinx Chipper Jones | Mark Bradley — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:57:09 +0000

[...] Whammy on the Braves and the Bulldogs. I’ve since done it to the Falcons in the desert and the Magic in the finals. I am, I think we’ll all agree, uncanny when it comes to affixing a hex. But I have, you [...]

By: vtye

vtye — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:28:58 +0000

Mark,

Uh oh…..

After watching game one, last night, perhaps I should change from Lakers in six to Lakers in five games.

The Lakers ‘BIGS’ are really way to large, mobile and skilled for Orlando. Howard had a lot of trouble beating anyone to his spot. He was receiving the post up pass a step or two further out than normal.

The Lakers are playing an excellent matchup zone which prevented some of the easy shots Lewis and Turkoglu live upon against Cleveland.

By: Mark Bradley

Mark Bradley — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:09:41 +0000

I never had Deadspin on the blogroll. Perhaps that was someone else.

By: Douglas

Douglas — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:36:18 +0000

Great story!!!!! Hey kool aid man, You have alot of assumptions in your post. “Lakers bench is much better than Orlando” Where was this bench when the Magic beat you twice this year? Kobe had two GREAT games yet went home with two losses.
“Phil is great at making adjustments” Do you not think Stan is also great at making adjustments? Why then is the Magic so explosive in the third? (Answer-adjustments)
You are right about one thing, this will be over in six but Orlando will win game six in LA for the title!!!!!!!!

By: Lakers Bandwagon Fan

Lakers Bandwagon Fan — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:03:34 +0000

Well said Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid. LAKERS IN SIX!

By: Don't Drink the Kool-Aid

Don't Drink the Kool-Aid — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:53:47 +0000

Just because this Orlando team rolled over King James and the Cavs doesn’t mean that the same thing will happen with LA. Cleveland simply did not match up well against the Magic and Van Gundy exploited the match ups.
Things will be different against LA for a few reasons.

1) Ilgauskas is not quick or strong enough to deal with Howard, but Andruw Bynum is. I’m not saying Bynum is going to stop Howard, but if Kendrick Perkins could guard Howard without help from a double team then Bynum, who is bigger, stronger, and more athletic than Perkins, should be able to hold his own.

2) Anderson Varejao is not agile enough to deal with Rashard Lewis when the Magic are on offense, but Lewis also wasn’t threatened by Varejao when the Cavs had the ball. Against the Lakers, Lewis will still have some advantages on the offensive end, but he will get murdered by Gasol on the defensive end. And when Lamar Odom comes into the game, he will no longer have an advantage because Odom is quick enough to guard him on the perimeter.

3) Who’s gonna guard KOBE?? Courtney Lee??? Pietrus??
Everyone is raving about the defense Pietrus played against LBJ and saying it will be the same against Kobe. Forgive me if i don’t find that letting a guy average about 38 ppg to be an accomplishment. Kobe already faced the two best perimeter defenders in Shane Battier and Ron Artest. Do you think anyone on the Magic poses him any threat??

4) You mentioned that the post play of Orlando is what separated them in the Cleveland series.
Well the Lakers have about 4 guys they can play through in the post with Bynum, Gasol, Kobe, and Lamar Odom.

5) The Laker bench is much better than the Magic bench. And unlike the Cavs bench, the Laker bench can come in and score.

6) Phil Jackson. He’s GREAT at making adjustments. Mike Brown proved he still has a ways to go in that department because he never did figure out what to do with Rashard Lewis or Howard.

7) Experience. This Laker team still has a nasty taste in their mouths from last years Finals. They know what playing on this stage is all about. Seems like the Magic are in the whole “happy to be here” stage. And happy to be there is not going to win them any games at this level.

Simply put, the Magic is a good team. I told people ALL season not to underestimate them. But the buck stops here.
The NBA game is all about match ups and the Lakers have more favorable match ups to their advantage than the Magic do.

Lakers in 6!

By: Hawks GM Rick Sund: Picking L.A., pulling for Orlando | Mark Bradley

Hawks GM Rick Sund: Picking L.A., pulling for Orlando | Mark Bradley — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:40:05 +0000

[...] doing his due diligence, because I wanted to know which team he likes now. (I’ve already made my pick.) And he said the Lakers, so I’m hoping he’s [...]

By: Atlanta Journal Constitution » Blog Archive » The NBA finals: A vote for tenacity, a vote for the Magic

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:02:05 +0000

[...] Mark Bradley | ajc.com – [...]

By: Blast

Blast — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:44:09 +0000

Rooting for Orlando to take the championship.

By: lee

lee — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:07:31 +0000

the magic won’t win because Phil Jackson will not make the same coaching mistakes as Mike Brown. For example,putting Lebron on Rafer Alston. And the bad thing is Lebron made him a star because Alston was the 3rd leading scorer,Rafer Alston!!!. The lakers will never let Alston be a star in the series. Or playing guys(Gibson,Sacha,Wally) one game in the rotation then not playing them the next game. It kills a players confidence. Also,Jackson would not fool himself into believing they can win a title with 2 small point guards playing together!Defensively,the were too small. The jumpshots will be more difficult to make against tall Lakers like Kobe,Ariza,Vujacic,Walton and even the physical Fisher. I said in january the Cavs can not win in june with Williams and West. Williams has never been in the playoffs before. You saw his immaturity when predicting they would win the series! What kind of coach would let his players make comments like that or make a spectacle of warm up by letting lebron take imaginery pictures.The only chance the Magic have is if Nelson is healthy. Small quick point guards give the lakers problems.