NBA thread

[Sparky]

If boston had bradley and were healthy i think they could match okc pretty good


but they're not, they would have to pull a rabbit out the hat

[FireWaterBurn]

Bradley is nice and would give them more defense but I don't think he's THAT big of a game changer. OKC just has everything covered. 3 elite scorers, post defense, shot blocking, an elite perimeter defender (sefolosha), and guys who arent afraid of the moment of big shots (Fisher, Durant). And so ridiculously young. Could be watching a dynasty forming if they resign Harden after next year. I hope so cause I'm just a fan of the game and I appreciate great historic teams

[Sparky]

who wins tonight?

I'm going miami, not because they improve at all defensively, but i think chris bosh gives them the extra 15 points they need and wade has a strong game

[FireWaterBurn]

I'll say Miami. I hate doing this, and it's one of the few instances I will do it, but I'm making this pick just purely out of hope. As a fan I can't take for granted the chance of a thunder-heat finals. But I really can't even argue for Miami in this game.

They have looked god awful the last few games. Role players losing confidence. Either bricking open 3s or afraid to even take the shot. Wade has been a no-show every 1st half. No clue what they are running on offense at any time. Spo is doing a pathetic job coaching, the silver lining of their season ending tonight (if it does) will be no more Spoelstra. Boston feeling confident, alwyas knows what they are doing, more good players who can knock down shots, and at home which is huge.

All I will say about the Heat is that LeBron's and Wade's greatness can alwyas trump anything Boston does. Their greatness, if present tonight, can trump Spo's coaching. Bosh is a gigantic addition too, even if he doesn't score. Boston rightfully has zero respect for guys like Haslem and Anthony setting pick and rolls and its really hurt Wade.

Like I said, inexcusable effort in Game 5 from Miami and also inexcusable that Bosh didn't even play in the 4th quarter. Spo said "it wouldn't be fair to him" and I don't even know what that means. He's a perennial all star and should be playing in the mos timportant game.

[Sparky]

This is totally speculation and isn't based on any good reasoning

But i don't think wade or lebron are great leaders. I remember watching dwayne wade throw the ball(it was a pass still but threw it hard) at mario chalmers after he made a mistake once.

Both of their demeanor's say they are more focused on protecting their career/identity than winning team basketball. They get good enough stats where you can't blame them for the loss, but don't do any intangibles (hustle on 50/50 balls, extra offensive boards etc) at all.

I see KG literally grabbing people into the huddle, forcing them to participate and be engaged. Dwayne wade just gives his teammates dirty looks, like "be grateful for playing with us"

[FireWaterBurn]

Hmm well i think they were both BETTER leaders before they were on the same team. I think when you have two alphas on the same team, problems are bound to happen. Remember Shaq and Kobe's falling out and feuds that resulted in Shaq getting pushed out of LA. Of course they won 3 titles because they were so talented, but the alpha personalities don't mix well. Can't have two captains of the ship.

Kobe yells and throws **** constantly and everyone loves his leadership. I think every great player ultimately gets compared to Jordan when it comes to anything, which is obviously unfair since nobody will ever be better than MJ. I'm not really sure what else LBJ and Wade can do.

On the court, LeBron has basically been carrying this team throughout the playoffs. But I know if they lose they haters will be out for him again.

[Sparky]

i thought the way kobe threw pau under the bus was bs, personally.

I dont get why wade and bron don't drive in the 4th quarter the way they do in the first 3. KG is all bust exhausted by that point, don't opt for jump shots.

I'll give spoelstra flac but you can't blame him when wade and bron settle for shots instead of driving, and you can't blame him for other guys not making 3's when it's the only thing they're being asked to do

[debaserr]

Someone will surpass Jordan, but who knows if we will be alive to see it.

I don't think Wade or LBJ are great leaders either. They just don't have it in them. What's worse is they have so little confidence in their coach, so where is guidance going to come from?

LBJ has done everything for this team (Spo plays him too many minutes).

If Wade plays well, they will win(he's hurt). He's had 1 good game this series? I'll take Boston.

[FireWaterBurn]

Originally Posted by Sparky

i thought the way kobe threw pau under the bus was bs, personally.

I dont get why wade and bron don't drive in the 4th quarter the way they do in the first 3. KG is all bust exhausted by that point, don't opt for jump shots.

I'll give spoelstra flac but you can't blame him when wade and bron settle for shots instead of driving, and you can't blame him for other guys not making 3's when it's the only thing they're being asked to do

I thought it was BS too. Kobe can basically do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and never receive any crticism. Because he's always had an attitude with the media and they are intimidated by him. Now that Phil Jackson is gone, there's nobody with more clout than him. He can literally do whatever he wants and nobody will say a thing which irritates me. He is an all-time elite player, don't get me twisted but when he is jacking up ridiculously tough baseline fadeaways and demanding the ball every possession, he doesn't hae room to criticize guys for not doing enough. Hard to make plays when Kobe has the ball the entire shot clock and you live and die with his fadeaways.

I don't blame Spo for the missed 3's, but I blame him for never having any plays called. Most of the threes come from a great drive and kick. Haters gonna hate on leBron, but he made two great passes in the late 4th that led to wide open 3s that were missed. One was the one in the corner from Battier (I think) and the other was a drive where he threw it to the corner and then it got passed right to the wing and Chalmers bricked one.

Here's how I give the blame: I give LeBron and Wade the blame for when they stop running. Every game, they get a lead and stop trying to get out in transition. They slow it up and run their garbage half court offense. That's on them. But I can only blame them so much for not driving more. When KG doesn't have to respect Haslem or Anthony on the pick and roll, they are basically running into a double team every time. I did notice though LeBron doesn't go up and over people like he used to. He just takes the foul every time, which might be a smart thing since if he goes airborn a foul is coming anyways, but I wanna see Cavs LeBron teabag people, but I think that LBJ is gone. remember this???

Originally Posted by eric generic

Someone will surpass Jordan, but who knows if we will be alive to see it.

I don't think Wade or LBJ are great leaders either. They just don't have it in them. What's worse is they have so little confidence in their coach, so where is guidance going to come from?

LBJ has done everything for this team (Spo plays him too many minutes).

If Wade plays well, they will win(he's hurt). He's had 1 good game this series? I'll take Boston.

I don't think MJ will ever be surpassed. Maybe, but only after we are dead and nobody alive had seen Jordan ever play and his accomplishments keep fading deeper into history. I think Miami needs a coach like a Phil Jackson, someone that demands respect. But there is only one Phil, it's a players league and not many coaches get their star players respect anymore.

How do you guys think Bosh plays tonight? I think he plays a lot, and goes for 18 and 10 boards

[debaserr]

A huge factor of this series has been how many easy points Boston has been able to get because of Miami's awful transition D. That's inexcusable. Boston couldn't score on Chicago or Philly, but now are exploding against Miami, lolwut?



This can't be a good sign, he's already making excuses for tonight's loss:

Originally Posted by ESPN

LeBron James said all the changes have had a wearing effect on the team as a whole.

"It's been challenging not just for those of us who have been constants in the starting lineup but for those guys who have been in and out, not knowing if they're going to start or not," James said Thursday as the Heat prepared for an elimination game against the Boston Celtics.

The Heat have started five different players at center this season and seven over the last two years. They are Bosh, Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem, Ronny Turiaf, Dexter Pittman, Erick Dampier and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Three other veterans, Juwan Howard, Jamaal Magloire and Eddy Curry, have played minutes at center off the bench.

"It's been a challenge for all of us," said James, who also has played minutes at center in the series with the Celtics.

"At times it's been hard to get a rhythm starting the game or starting the third quarter. That has been a rotating door for the last two years, not just this series. There's Joel, C.B., U.D. at times, Ronny and Damp and Z. The list goes on in just two years."

Spo needs a title to save his job.