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From: lor@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sport.hoops
Subject: Re: The NBA Finals...
Message-ID: <9014@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 16-Feb-86 07:39:49 EST
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.9014
Posted: Sun Feb 16 07:39:49 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 19-Feb-86 03:46:31 EST
References: <1293@pucc-i>
Reply-To: lor@ucla-cs.UUCP (Edward Lor)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 65
Keywords: Lakers, Kareem

In article <1293@pucc-i> afb@pucc-i (Michael Lewis) writes:
>
>    I wouldn't count on there being some different teams in the finals this
>year...much as I'd like to see Milwaukee pull off another 4-0 sweep of the
>Celtics.  Randy Breuer is not an NBA-final caliber center, ditto for Lister
>and *Mokeski*.
        As a Laker fan, I do not want to see the
Celtics in the final this year. Not because we are afraid of them,
the Lakers have already paid back the choking in 1984. I want
to see the Lakers redeeming another humiliation in the finals.
You got it, the sweep from the 76ers in 1983.

>    Then there's Houston, the upstarts of the West.  They have as good a front
>line as any in the NBA.  If their backcourt of Lewis Lloyd and John Lucas was
>up to that standard, then we'd be talking dynasty.  But against the Lakers'
>army of talented guards, one of whom is (arguably) the best guard to come along
>since West and Robertson, they'll fall short.  My feeling is reinforced by the
>way Kareem took Akeem to school the last time they played (something around 40
>points, I believe).
>
>    Denver is a fine team, with as good a pair of forwards as there are in the
>league, but they lack the depth to hang with the Lakers.  Houston also has this
>problem.
        It is thought that the Rockets are going to be the Lakers'
main obstacle to the finals. After watching a couple Rocket games
on TV, I am sure they have not been there yet.

        They may have a good front line; they may have some very
talented players, but they don't know how to play good
team defense (Just an Olajuwon clogging the middle is not
adequate.) The same is true to Denver.
There are only four defenses which can shut down the
Lakers' flashy offense in a seven-game series: Boston,
Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and New York. Unfortunately, the
Bucks and the Knicks do not have the offense to beat the
Lakers.

        In addition, the Rocket players do not have the
experience. When they blow leads in the 2nd half,
they could do nothing to stop it, they simply collapse.
That's not the sign of a championship team.

>However, they have one glaring weakness when matched up with the Celtics; they
>have Barkley, at 6'6", playing *power* forward, with little more size backing
>him up.  McHale can shoot and rebound over him all day.  Also, for some reason
>Robert Parish seems to match up well against Malone (in much the same way as
>Malone matches up well against Kareem...).
        I hope Goukas would use McAdoo against Parish and Malone against
McHale. That would ease the matchup problem.
     
>    My prediction: Lakers in 7, one of the greatest championship series of all
>    time.
        If the series goes down the wire, do NOT bet on the Lakers.
They can't win game 7 and the Celtics can't lose game 7. Blame it on
another jinx or something. As a matter of fact,
the Lakers won all three championships in game 6.

        I can't wait. Why don't they just cut the regular season
and start the playoffs in February (right after the Super Bowl)?

--
                                        Eddy Lor
                                        ...!(ihnp4,ucbvax)!ucla-cs!lor
                                        lor@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
                                        Computer Science Department, UCLA