Comments on EIGHT QUESTIONS FOR THE FINAL QUARTER

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1. Who will be the No. 1 overall seed, with home-court advantage through The Finals?=Miami.

Totalment d'acord, Miami sembla la 1ª (i quasi única) potència a l'Est, tret potser d'Indiana, que ja l'any passat els va posar en problemes. Però aquesta temporada, amb LeBron fent de tot i molt bé....difícil per Indiana, que s'ha de dir que sense fer soroll, ha anat de menys a més. Qui sap....Òbviament, el calendari de Miami no es pot comparar amb qualsevol equip de l'Oest, on la lluita és més dura. Veurem què fa OKC aprofitant que Parker està fora unes setmanes. Tot i així, l'any passat no els va servir de res l'avantatge de camp.

Fully agree, Miami seems the 1st (and likely the only one) power in the East, except maybe for Indiana, which already last season put Miami in very much trouble. However, this season, with a LeBron James doing everything and very good....tough for Indiana, I have to say that, with no making noise, that have gone from bottom to top, though. Who knows... Obviously, Miami's schedule it can't be compared with none in the West, where fight is harder. We'lls see how OKC will take advantage from Parker's loss. Anyway, last year OKC did not 'use' of home court adavantage.

2. Who wins the West?=OKC.

També d'acord. OKC com fa un moment deia, pot treure avantatge de la baixa de Parker. No veig als Clippers agafant OKC ni Denver amb tant temps o Memphis amb dinàmica guanyadora fins al final.

Fully agree too. OKC, as I just said, would take advantage from Parker's recent loss. I don't expect the Clippers reaching OKC, not even Denver has enough time to get them (they're playing good enough!), or Memphis winning in a row until the end of regular season.

3. Will the Lakers make the playoffs?=?.

Jo penso que sí. Són d'aquelles coses que passen. No puc dir que serà cosa dels àrbitres, la Lliga, els jugadors, l'entrenador (no, això segur que no...)... només és que crec que passarà. Em costa de creure que aquests nois no poden fer un equip que no entri a playoff. Suposo que tots els jugadors faran un pas endavant. Està clar que hauran de fer fora a algú, i Utah també em sembla el candidat idoni, crec que estan on estan justament perque Lakers no són el que haurien de ser, i perquè Houston també té alts i baixos de consistència. De totes maneres, aquests Lakers no em convencen, victòries per molt poc marge, havent de remontar...això desgasta molt.

I think yes. It's that kind of things that just happen. I can't say it's going to be because of refferees, the League, players, trainer (no, this it won't be for sure...),... it's just that I think it's going to happen. It's hard to tell that these bunch of guys can't create a team that don't get the playoff spot. I guess all players will step up. It is clear that they will push someone out, and Utah also seems to me the ideal candidate. I think they're where they're just because Lakers don't play as they should and because Houston also has many ups and downs. However, this Lakers don't convince me, many victories by a very little margin, having to make huge combacks....this erodes too much.


4. Shouldn’t we include Golden State and Houston in this conversation?=No.

No, crec que els Warriors arribaran a playoff tranquil.lament. És cert que últimament ja s'assemblen als de l'any passat, però hi ha equip, Bogut ha tornat i, recorde-m'ho, van començar molt i molt bé. És qüestió de tornar als inicis i jugar 
bàsquetbol. Tampoc, com he dit abans, crec que Houston quedi fora, tot i que a vegades perden partits que no deurien i això els podria costar una sorpresa final. També cal veure com Portland acaba la temporada, no hi confio molt i tenen els Lakers per davant, però queden 20 partits i estan a 4-5 victòries del 8è lloc.

No, I think the Warriors will reach the playoff spot easily. It's true, lately, they're look like last season's Warriors, though I think they have a Team, Bogut is back and, remember, they started very very good. It's just a matter of go back to basics and play basket. As I said before, I don't think Houston will be out. However, they lose some games the shouldn't and this would play an unpleasant surprise.

5. Who gets the 2 seed in the East?=Indiana.

Si. NYC té un equip massa gran per lluitar per la 2a plaça. Val més la pena guardar forces per lluitar durant el playoff que per una 2a plaça. Han de pensar que són capaços de guanyar Indiana, sense tenir en compte l'avantatge de camp. Si ells no poden fer això, doncs...oblideu-vos de guanyar l'anell!!

Yes. NYC is too aged to fight right now for the 2n seed. It's more worth to keep energy to fight in the playoffs that for a 2nd seed. They must think they're capable to beat Indiana, no matter who gets home court advantage. If they can't do that...so,...forget winning a ring!!

6. How do East seeds 4-8 shake out?=4.Boston; 5.Atlanta; 6.Brooklyn; 7.Chicago; 8.Milwaukee.

Jo penso que Brooklyn queda 4rt, Chicago 5è, Boston 6è, Milwaukee 7è i Atlanta 8è. Per a mí, els Nets tenen un millor equip i millor dinàmica. Chicago és el meu equip favorit i espero que Rose estigui de nou a les pistes (si no, aquesta temporada no té cap sentit!) i en fa de tot un món diferent, i no vull veure'ls al 7è o 8è lloc!!. Boston està creixent, malgrat que no té a Rondo, i juguen dur últimament, pero no veig que arribin al 4rt lloc. Milwaukee i Atlanta....m'és igual, no tenen cap valor, 10 dies a la post-temporada i ja els haureu oblidat!

My guess: 4. Brooklyn; 5. Chicago; 6. Boston; 7. Milwaukee ; 8. Atlanta. To me the Nets have a good team and good dynamics. Chicago is my favourite team and I hope Rose will be back (if not, this season has no sense) and makes everything different, and I don't want them being 7th or 8th!!!. Boston is growing, despite not having Rondo, and playing hard lately, but I don't see them getting the 4th. Milwaukee and Atlanta...I don't care, they're meaningless, 10 days after the beginning of the playoffs, you'll already forget them!

7. How much does home-court advantage really matter?=It matters, but maybe not that much.

Cada dia té menys valor el jugar a casa. Ara, els grans equips poden fer matxades guanyant últims partits de sèrie a camp contrari, quan se suposa que l'equip de casa t'ha de fumbre una pallissa. Però a la final, bé, potser juga un petit factor quan les coses no t'estan sortint i la grada t'empeny.

Nowadays, playing home is more meaningless. Now, big teams are able to make a huge game and victory away even in the 7th game of a series, when the home-team is supposed to blowout you. Anyway, having this small factor in the Finals, migjt play an iomportant role when your team is trying to do things right but are not going, then, they push you to the victory.

8. Does late-season success carry over into the playoffs?=Sometimes, yes.

No ho crec, o almenys no per tothom. És bo entrar en bona dinàmica, això sí, però venir de guanyar 10 o 20 partits consecutius....només t'apropa a la primera derrota. Cal saber que per passar de sèrie has de guanyar un partit més que el contrari, i no pas haver-ho de demostrar en tot un mes.

I don't think so or, at less, no for everyone. It is good to get into the playoffs in a good run or dynamics, however, come into winning 10 or 20 in a row...just makes you closer to the 1st lose. It is important to know that to get over a series, a team just have to win one more game than the rival, not having to demonstrate in a whole month.

The Old Lakers, from the NYTimes sight

em llegeixo un article del NYTimes sobre els 'vells Lakers', he de dir que d'ençà que ha començat la temporada NBA 2012-13 és el tema que m'es m'ha motivat....observar la caiguda d'una espècie d'Armada Invencible muntada per a l'ocasió a base de (no podem dir talonari, però sí de imposar-se o forçar altres franquícies amb el logo Lakers com a principal virtud, a costa de deixar altres equips sense res de res, peladets, 'vease Orlando o Philly-un Bynum lesionat no és cap regal)

estan vells? mal ajustats? despistats per canvis d'entrenador a les primeres de canvi (jo ja no l'hauria deixat començar...)? o senzillament egos q no volen ser reduïts i per tant, més val ser la 'prima donna' que jugar per l'equip?

no ho sé, el cas és q ara ja han passat uns dies, sembla que poden jugar bé, però no em sembla q tinguin ni qualitat ni esperit necessari per jugar en equip...= fracàs.

em sorpendria que entressin en play-off...però qui sap, la màgia de l'esport pot fer que si hi arriben, inclús facin la temporada més increïble de la història!!
(recordem que cap equip q està en aquestes alçades amb el seu rècord ha acabat guanyant el títol...sí 7 equips han entrat-i perdut- a primera ronda de play-off!!!

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I'm reading a NYT article about the 'old Lakers', I have to tell you, since NBA season started, this Lakers' staff has captivated the most....to observe their downfall it's kind of the Armada Invencible story (see Spain's history of a huge amount of ships that were supposed to devastate British Island with not even one man dead....and yes, as you were thinking, they lost and runaway leaving Britain as surrenders) set through high salaries (forcing other teams to give away their best players going nothing in return, see Orlando and Philly-an injured-Bynum is not exactly a nice gift....)

are they old? bad adjusted? lost by coach changes (I wouldn't even let Mike Brown starting the season)? or simply egos that don't want to be shortened and so, to prefer being a 'prima donna' thant playing for the team?

IDK, the thing is that now, that a few days have gone, it seems that they can play well, although it doesn't seem that they have the quality and the spirit are needed to play in a Team...= failure.

I'd be surprised if they get the play-off...but, who knows, sports are magic, and it would bring them to the post-season and create the most incredible story in NBA history!!
(just for the record, none team at this point with their record has finished raising the NBA title, yet, 7 teams have reached playoff - and lost- 1st round!!!

Els Inicis

Comença l'aventura d'escriure en un blog!!
-This is my first day in this exciting adventure, a blog writer!!

per fí...sempre lligat a tecnologies, bàsicament per oci, he estat reticent fins a dia d'avui (i no sé molt bé perquè començo avui...però ho faig!) a obrir i parlar en un blog.
-I've been involved in using technology, mainly for videogames playing, despite of, I was reluctant of starting a blog (don't know why, but I'm starting today!!).

a vegades un pensa que no té molt a dir...i de vegades creus que un altaveu seria ideal per manifestar una opinió que creus interessant i que molta altra gent potser també està pensant però que no té ressò perquè no es pot fer pública. Crec que a la massa (anònima) social hi ha gent més preparada i amb més sentit comú i amb millor lingüística que molts 'gabinets d'experts' que molts equips o premsa tenen. Només per fer-los costat he pensat en engegar aquest projecte.
-The thing is, sometimes we have opinions that we think they must been communicated to others, share them, and just compare them to the ones the (supposed) 'experts' from teams and press have. I think the fans, the general population have thoughts that are very much proper and have more common sense than those experts usually have. Just to be out there with you all guys, I'm starting this project!

bé, no em considero expert en bàsquet, però m'agrada...m'agrada molt, molt....fins al punt que puc encadenar partit rera partit a la TV (i si pogués al pavelló, al pavelló!!) veient les estrelles de la NBA, Eurolliga, ACB i disfrutant d'un joc que m'ecanta, pels valors que transmet com a esport d'equip, com per la precisió que requereix per a la seva bona posada en escena, com per la noblesa que l'envolta (comparat amb altres esports...).
-See, I don't consider myself as Basketball expert, I like it, though.... I like it a lot, a lot... so much that I can envision several games in a row on TV (if I could, I would do it at the stadium!!) watching NBA stars (also Euroleague and Spanish league-ACB), enjoying a game that I love, not only because of the values it brings to people, but also because the accuracy it needs to be played for.

avui obro aquesta finestra a qui vulgui, però principalment per sentir que expresso tot allò que vaig recollint del que dia a dia extrec de tot el que llegeixo i penso!
-Today, I'm opening this window to anyone who wants to read it, but basically to feel that I share all my thoughts that come up after reading articles and watching games!!

benvinguts!
welcome!

fins ara!!
c u later!!


vinci

PS: I'll try to tell my opinions to others in English too (in advance,  I apologize for mistakes, please, excuse me), not because my writing is good enough, not because I have English family (I do have English-speakers friends), just because I like it!! and I owe it to the NBA!VinciLovesThisGame