Face-off: Daniel Abraham vs. Pete Lorenz
Daniel Abraham, Pete Lorenz
Sports | 5/12/08
Most disappointing team in NBA playoffs?
Daniel: Well, obviously the most disappointing team can't really be one that's still in the playoffs. The most depressing team to watch this postseason was Phoenix. So much was made of acquiring the "Big Diesel" to help Amare Stoudamire and Steve Nash, but in the end, the three of them couldn't even win a game. Defensively they were worse than we thought and offensively they couldn't make the big shots they needed. The Suns may have been the six-seed, but they were only one game behind the Spurs in the regular season standings and just two games out of first place. They couldn't even put up a fight in the series.
Pete: I'm fine with calling out a team that's still in the playoffs. The Boston Celtics have yet to impress me in any way. I'm not giving them a lot of credit for beating the Hawks four times at home and then taking two from a team whose star player was cold as ice. They went 35-6 at home and then beat a crappy team and LeBron when he was conspicuously missing easy shots. However, they were also 31-10 on the road in 2007-08, but 0-4 in road playoff games. That's unacceptable for the team with the best record in the NBA. They could lose as early as this round against the Cavs, and I certainly don't expect them to make it to the NBA finals.
Who will win the
Stanley Cup?
Daniel: As much as I thought the Flyers would win the Eastern Conference, it's not looking good after game one. With that said, the winner of that series will win the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings are a quality team but the star power of the Penguins could easily be too much, as well as the confidence and scrappiness of Philly. Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are rising to the occasion like we all knew they could and the Flyers skated right there with them for the majority of the first game. Either team is capable of winning the Stanley Cup.
Pete: I had very low expectations for Detroit going into the postseason, but from what I've seen so far, there is no team that can actually beat them in a seven-game series. The Pens will beat the Flyers without much trouble, but they won't be able to solve the Red Wings' stout defense. They'll get frustrated on offense (just like the rest of the NHL) and make mistakes that lead to goals on the other end. I'll take the Wings over the Penguins in five games, and Johan Franzen will win the Conn Smythe Trophy, even after suffering a concussion.
Daniel: Well, obviously the most disappointing team can't really be one that's still in the playoffs. The most depressing team to watch this postseason was Phoenix. So much was made of acquiring the "Big Diesel" to help Amare Stoudamire and Steve Nash, but in the end, the three of them couldn't even win a game. Defensively they were worse than we thought and offensively they couldn't make the big shots they needed. The Suns may have been the six-seed, but they were only one game behind the Spurs in the regular season standings and just two games out of first place. They couldn't even put up a fight in the series.
Pete: I'm fine with calling out a team that's still in the playoffs. The Boston Celtics have yet to impress me in any way. I'm not giving them a lot of credit for beating the Hawks four times at home and then taking two from a team whose star player was cold as ice. They went 35-6 at home and then beat a crappy team and LeBron when he was conspicuously missing easy shots. However, they were also 31-10 on the road in 2007-08, but 0-4 in road playoff games. That's unacceptable for the team with the best record in the NBA. They could lose as early as this round against the Cavs, and I certainly don't expect them to make it to the NBA finals.
Who will win the
Stanley Cup?
Daniel: As much as I thought the Flyers would win the Eastern Conference, it's not looking good after game one. With that said, the winner of that series will win the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings are a quality team but the star power of the Penguins could easily be too much, as well as the confidence and scrappiness of Philly. Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are rising to the occasion like we all knew they could and the Flyers skated right there with them for the majority of the first game. Either team is capable of winning the Stanley Cup.
Pete: I had very low expectations for Detroit going into the postseason, but from what I've seen so far, there is no team that can actually beat them in a seven-game series. The Pens will beat the Flyers without much trouble, but they won't be able to solve the Red Wings' stout defense. They'll get frustrated on offense (just like the rest of the NHL) and make mistakes that lead to goals on the other end. I'll take the Wings over the Penguins in five games, and Johan Franzen will win the Conn Smythe Trophy, even after suffering a concussion.
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