New Orleans will steamroll LA, with Kobe hurting no way are the Lakers going to stop Paul. Tyson will shut down Gasol and the Lakers have no one to hound Peja on the Perimeter. I give it to NO in 6 Games. On the East I think Boston will choke and Lebron will force the Cavaliers into the finals. One low low low rated finals.

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"True Freedom is the Freedom to oppress others"

Raise the basket to 18 feet and make it a sport again!

7' guys with 4 foot arms that sink a ball in a 10' basket, ooooooooooooooooooo, that's got to be difficult?

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There are only two things wrong with this great nation of ours, democrats and republicans!

Not necessarily in that order.

Average height in the NBA is 6' 6". In any case unlike what is portrayed in the movies basketball is not about dunking. Its about movement, its about speed and strategy. Its a very physical game, one that requires supreme athletesism and coordenation. Any body can go and play soccer with out ever doing so, any body can swing a stick at a ball, any one can run and catch a ball or tackle some one, basketball is a sport that takes a long time to perfect and play competantly.

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"True Freedom is the Freedom to oppress others"

Sorry, 6' 6" guys with 3' 6" arms! Still not impressed!

The average height when invented was around 5’ 6" tall, and it was about tossing (shooting) the ball into a target.

Once an individual has grasped the shooting techniques of the game they can shoot from just about anywhere within 25’ of the basket. I bought a ball and spent two weeks at a court at the elementary school by myself, and was a pretty good player in school. I could beat the top three players at our school one-on-one hands down.

Got in several fights with them over it too. Prima donnas that they were? That’s why I was on the wrestling team! Basketball is like anything else if you have the physical ability ad the time to practice, oh and a desire to excel you can be a good player.

If ya play your whole life and have mastered it, ya need to challenge your abilities by raising the bar, or in this case the basket! That’s how ya get better!

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There are only two things wrong with this great nation of ours, democrats and republicans!

Not necessarily in that order.

One on one is not basketball. One on one is showing off some level of physical prowess. Basketball is a team sport where you need to work in conjunction with each other.

I'll agree with you that like other sports, if you have the ability, time to practice, and the desire you can be good. But that's like any other sport.

If you play your whole life, you need to make adjustments to your game. Your abilities are constantly challenged because as you age, you can't do some of the things you used to. You have to learn to adapt to your changing body to keep up with the youngsters. At 40, my game is much different than it was at 20.

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Catz: "And, the ever-sage Volvo Driver:"

Based upon Kobe's health, the Jazz could take it.

One thing about Kobe Bryant, he's no Michael Jordan. I'll never forget Jordan playing with a 100F+ temperature against the Jazz in the playoffs, and scoring over 30 points in the game. Michael Jordan was a god amongst men.

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Job 13:5 (New International Version)
If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.

My favorite teams (Utah, Kansas) are teams first and foremost, not a bunch of showboats running around on the floor feeding their own egos. One thing I loved about the Jazz, back in the day, was the Stockton/Malone combination. John Stockton was one of the hardest working players in basketball, and his records for assists are amazing. They almost never missed games.

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Job 13:5 (New International Version)
If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.

OK so let the below 20 and over 40 go for the 10' mark and place the pros at the 15-18' mark and lets see how many of them can still be competitive?

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There are only two things wrong with this great nation of ours, democrats and republicans!

Not necessarily in that order.

That was one of the most impressive things I have ever seen in sports. His will to win in that game was awe inspiring.

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Catz: "And, the ever-sage Volvo Driver:"

Stockton was one of the dirtiest players to ever play the game.

In San Antonio it is required to loathe Malone, because of his dirty cheap shot elbow on Robinson.

They have zero rings between them. One of my favorite all times moments in NBA history , is when the Lakers got Malone to sign for the league minimum because he was ring shopping... and they lost that year.

Its called Karma.

Ixtellor

P.S. I think Utah Jazz failure to win a championship is proof that God hates Mormons.

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George W. Bush "I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation-building"

Blasphemy is a victimless crime.