NBA Playoffs 2010,West

[kaola2010]

Western Conference:
No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 8 Oklahoma City Thunderyouth NBA jersey: The end of the regular season in the West was a horse race to not face the Lakers in the first round. The Thunder ended up losing and earning that dubious honor, and now has the improbable task of stopping the defending world champions. The Thunder may have the youngest team in the NBA, but they also have the youngest NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant. The team improved by 27 wins from last season and host the highest-scoring trio in the NBA. All of this will keep the series relatively close, but the Lakers are too damn talentedNBA jersey. Gasol and Bynum are too big in the paint and will overwhelm Oklahoma's front line. Even if Kobe has an awful series, the Lakers will prevail. Lakers win series in 6.
No. 2 Dallas Mavericks vs. No. 7 San Antonio Spurs: What a great first-round matchup. This is probably the most fun series to watch in the entire first round. Dallas is talented from top to bottom: Led by Dirk Nowitzki, the star-studded lineup features Jason Kidd, Caron Butler, Jason Terry and Shawn Marion. The team is a legitimate title contendercheap NBA jerseys, which makes it hard to pick against in this series versus the Spurs. San Antonio has the experience and talent to be competitive in any playoff series. Tim Duncan and recovering Tony Parker have multiple NBA rings and no shortage of confidence, and Manu Ginobili will provide a go-to scoring outlet, but the Spurs have a mountain to climb if they expect to win four games in this series. I just think the Mavs are too talented. Dallas wins series in 7.
No. 3 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 6 Portland Trail Blazers: This would have been a very competitive series if Brandon Roy hadn't gotten hurt, but without himcheap NBA jersey, the Blazers have some serious offense issues. They will need a huge series from Andre Miller and LaMarcus Aldridge to make up for the void left by Roy. The Suns have been the hottest team in the league since the All-Star break and are really clicking on all cylinders. Amare Stoudemire is a force to be reckoned with, and the rest of the lineup has played very well. Steve Nash plays like he's 25, making flashy passes and running the offense smoothly. If Nash is dictating the offense, the Suns will be able to handle the Blazers more than comfortably. Suns win series in 5.
No. 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 Utah Jazzwholesale NBA jerseys: Carmelo Anthony has been inconsistent in the playoffs these last couple of years. If the Nuggets are to make another deep run, they will need superstar quality from their leader night-in and night-out. The Nuggets have plenty of other weapons: Nene and Chauncey Billups provide for a scary scoring duo while sharpshooter J.R. Smith and the Birdman Chris Anderson come off the bench. The Jazz will rely heavily on Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer. Williams needs to use his high basketball IQ to get around Denver's bigs. The series should be riveting, but expect Denver's depth to wear down the Jazz. Denver wins series in 6.

[kaola2010]

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The Miami Heat have been victims of constant criticism since the pairing of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh altered the NBA landscape, and understandably, their fans have been firing volleys of their own in defense of their team.[color=#ffffff]NBA jerseys
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Most Heat fans chalk up the atmosphere of hate as a result of either jealousy, envy, or fear, and in each instance, they are generally correct in their assumptions.
Some of the teams in the NBA have a very sour taste in their mouths from the manner in which the past two weeks of free agency unfolded, and for some, the very course of their franchise’s future was decided by the Miami Heat’s superstar trio.
Any hopes the Cleveland Cavaliers had of being a championship team disappeared when James vacated the premises, and the shallow threats made by owner Dan Gilbert only illustrate the future plight of the Cavaliers.[color=#ffffff]NFL jerseys
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Gilbert’s false declarations concerning a Cavaliers’ championship before James wins one were hollow, but they did help inspire a legion of anti-LeBron sentiment that has taken center stage.
Chicago and New York also feel jilted in failing to land neither Wade, James, or Bosh, and even though both teams claimed secondary prizes in free agency, there is a feeling the three had made their decisions before the meetings even started.
Cleveland, New York, Chicago, and their fans probably do turn jealous eyes towards Miami because their dreams of reaching the NBA Finals have more than likely gone up in smoke due to Miami’s super team.[color=#ffffff]NHL jersey
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The Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic have no reason to fear the Heat since they are established playoff teams anyway, but the attention which has been adorned on Miami’s team has to seem disrespectful to each team.
The Heat have yet to play a game, but they have been installed as favorites over the Celtics and Magic in the East, despite the fact they are the last two NBA finalists from the conference and return with the majority of their teams intact.
The Heat have also been named as favorites to win this year’s NBA championship, and that prediction has caused an expected outcry from fans of the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.[color=#ffffff]youth NFL jerseys[/color]
The banter between Heat fans and media and Lakers’ fans and media has been different though, because Los Angeles harbors none of those same feelings of jealousy, envy, and hate, even though it has been mentioned.
Some Heat fans have said the Lakers are either jealous or fearful of their super team, but that argument fails to hold weight in the context of a historical perspective.
The Lakers’ 16 championships are second only to the Celtics’ 17, and Los Angeles has only failed to qualify for the postseason twice, while participating in nearly half of the league’s Finals series.
It’s hard to throw the jealousy label in the face of those facts, and considering the Lakers are coming off of three consecutive Finals series with virtually the same roster, it’s hard to find fear in their ranks as well.
The Lakers’ legacy has stood the test of time, and despite several challenges throughout the decade, they have managed to remain relevant in the NBA title discussion.
Miami does have their championship of 2006, but how does that lone title stand up in the face of the Lakers’ five championships since 2000?[color=#ffffff]wholesale NFL jerseys
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Most of the animosity coming from the Lakers’ fans is due to the fact Miami has been installed as a favorite in the minds of some, not because of fear, envy, or jealousy.
There has been much speculation as to how the two teams would match up if they were to meet in the 2011 NBA Finals, but hardly any attention has been given to the Lakers’ edge in championship experience.
The Lakers’ experience and chemistry would have just as much to do with either team’s talent should they meet in the Finals. But for now, it’s only speculation.
Miami will be a great team, and the trio of Wade, Bosh, and James will win many more games than they lose, and some teams will crumble in fear at the mere mentioning of their names in the opening line-ups.
But the Lakers will not be one of those teams because the confidence that flows through Los Angeles has been built over a legacy of achievement and strengthened by the franchise’s recent success.[color=#ffffff]NBA jerseys[/color]
Miami’s hopes for the future have already been realized in the Lakers’ past and present, so to say Los Angeles is is fearful of a Heat team yet to play a single minute may be stretching reality.