[Rock Bottom]

Anyone see Hornets sweeping the Spurs? Because I do.

[DDMac]

San Antonio is WAY too good not to take at least two games, let alone one, imo.

[Headliner]

I'm pretty confident the Spurs will take at least one of the next two home games. If not both of them.

[lancebf4life]

LOS ANGELES -- The NBA has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday at a Los Angeles hotel, where Kobe Bryant is expected to be announced as winner of his first Most Valuable Player award.


Kobe Time

Kobe Bryant has had better statistical seasons, but leading the Lakers to the best record in the West obviously swayed MVP voters this season.


Year Pts -- Reb -- Ast MVP Rank
2007-08 28.3 -- 6.3 -- 5.4 First**
2006-07 31.6* -- 5.7 -- 5.4 Third
2005-06 35.4* -- 5.3 -- 4.5 Fourth
2004-05 27.5 -- 5.9 -- 6.0 --
2003-04 24.0 -- 5.5 -- 5.1 Fifth
2002-03 30.0 -- 6.9 -- 5.9 Third
* -- Scoring champ; ** -- Projected.

Neither NBA spokesman Mark Broussard nor the Lakers would discuss the subject of the news conference, although the league did refer to it as an NBA Awards Announcement.

The Los Angeles Times reported last Friday that the 29-year-old Bryant had won the award. League spokesman Brian McIntyre refused to confirm or deny the report on Saturday.

"I didn't know if it was going to come in my career, but to have the moment come now is special, especially to share it with the group of guys we have here," Bryant told reporters Saturday. "We talked about [how] winning this MVP is extremely special because that means I'm doing good. I'm making my teammates better, putting them in a position to win."

Bryant, who entered the season as the league's two-time defending scoring champion, had finished as high as third in the MVP voting twice -- after the 2002-03 campaign, when he averaged 30 points for the first time, and again last year, when Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki won the award and two-time MVP Steve Nash finished second.



Watch Kobe Live
Kobe Bryant's news conference officially announcing his Most Valuable Player award will be carried live on ESPNews at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Bryant averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.84 steals while playing in all 82 games despite tearing a ligament in his right pinkie finger in February. A hand specialist recommended surgery, but Bryant decided to put it off until after the Olympics this summer.

Bryant is expected to receive the MVP trophy Wednesday night from commissioner David Stern before the Lakers face the Utah Jazz in Game 2 of their best-of-seven second-round playoff series. The Lakers won the opener 109-98 on Sunday.

Bryant, second in the NBA in scoring behind Cleveland's LeBron James, would be the first member of the Lakers to win the MVP award since Shaquille O'Neal was a near-unanimous choice in 2000. Other previous Lakers to win the award dating back to 1956 when it was first presented were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, who won it three times each. Abdul-Jabbar also won three with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Bryant and O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships, from 2000-02, and a berth in the NBA finals in 2004. The Lakers hadn't won a playoff series since then until sweeping the Denver Nuggets in the first round last month.

[JoseBxNYC]

Hornets have a good chance to sweep but beating the Spurs in San Antonio is tough. I want the Magics to beat the Pistons but there's just too much experience in that team.

[Porn Freak]

It's a game one of the Celtics/Cavs series tonight. This should be a long and good series. I got the C's winning tonight's game.

[PatMan]

I think that the Celtics will win tonight, probably by about ten. I see them splitting the first four games, with each team losing one at home. I still see Boston winning the series, but probably in 6 or 7.

[Headliner]

I can see the Celtics going to finals with each of their series being 7 games. Including the finals.

[phoenixnash]

Originally Posted by JSL

is it me or does the New Orlenas Hornets remind you of the Sacramento Kings of the Early 2000s?

New Orleans Starting Line up

C - Tyson Chandler
PF - David West
SF - Peja Stojakovic
SG - Morris Peterson
PG - Chris Paul

Kings Starting Line up of Early 2000s

C - Vlade Divac
PF - Chris Webber
SF - Peja Stojakovic
SG - Doug Christie
PG - Mike Bibby

Divac and Chandler are guys who got/getting double double's. Webber and West can get 30 points in a single game, Doug Christie is a better SG than Peterson, but CP3 is a better PG than Mike Bibby (even in his younger years)

This is a laughable comparison... aside from the Peja (obviously), everybody plays almost differently. Chandler is a much better defender and rebounder than Divac. Divac reminds me more of Okur because of his versatility in offense. West and Webber both plays the position so there would be similarities...but Webber is one of the greatest passing big man ever. Paul and Bibby...is not even close...Bibby is not a playmaker but a great clutch shooter BACK THEN. Paul could go down as one of the best PGs to play ever. Kings was a screen and cut offense, much like what Jazz has been doing, NO runs its offense from Paul

Not close at all...sorry

[phoenixnash]

D'Antoni is believed to be going to the Bulls pending some financial and contractual issues. Im happy for Mike...he did well in Phoenix and its clear that the Suns is going to a different direction (not sure how)...I feel bad for Steve Nash being stuck in a middle of a a transitioning team, when he could be contending for a championship. Kerr could be the next Isiah Thomas in Phoenix if they miss the playoff considering how tough the West is... they should have ran one more year with the group that started it...they pulled the trigger too early on this one...that's my opinion