Official NBA Playoffs Thread

GhostsOfGil · Post #721 » by **GhostsOfGil** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:07 am

Ya I dont buy into conspiracy theories but theres obvious favoritism that makes these games extremely difficult to watch.

Post #722 » by **miller31time** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:14 am

Clearly, Westbrook needs to listen to the geniuses at ESPN and defer more.

FAH1223 · Post #723 » by **FAH1223** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:14 am

Westbrook is the only one on OKC who wants this game it seems... everyone else is playing half assed

Chocolate City Jordanaire · Post #724 » by **Chocolate City Jordanaire** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:36 am

Norris Cole really brought Miami back into the game. I remember liking him over Mack last draft, but he was off the board when WAS picked.

It sucks that Miami will get their championship this season.

Severn Hoos · Post #725 » by **Severn Hoos** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:40 am

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:It sucks that Miami will get their championship this season.

Well, with any luck, it will be their only one, and it will always have the asterisk because of the lockout...

8-)

Illuminaire · Post #726 » by **Illuminaire** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:45 am

OKC made some mistakes down the stretch, no question. Of course, if Westbrook or Durant could buy a foul any time over the first 45 minutes of gameplay, maybe it wouldn't have been so close.

dandridge 10 · Post #727 » by **dandridge 10** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:53 am

The Heat were manhandling Durant down the stretch. The biggest problem for the Thunder, however, was that none of their role players stepped up, while Miami's did. Harden was a big disappointment...he played scared out there.

The good news is I will be leaving on vacation Thursday night. There is no way I want to watch a Miami celebration. This series is over.

FAH1223 · Post #728 » by **FAH1223** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:58 am

I think San Antonio would have beat this Miami team in 6 or 7. SA wouldn't make the stupid mistakes Westbrook and Harden have made in the final minute of the game and throughout the course of the game SA would have been better offensively because Duncan is a legit post threat while OKC has none.

Durant needs to get himself a post game and some muscle if he wants a ring. Dirk had the same issues in 2006.

Post #729 » by **miller31time** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 4:18 am

The Thunder's 4th quarter offense was putrid. It took Westbrook going absolutely insane for them to stay in the game.

Their offensive sets consisted of Durant unsuccessfully trying to post up LeBron James and the Heat for 15 seconds, then Russell having to go 1 vs 5 with about 5 seconds on the shotclock.

Inexcusable.

FAH1223 · Post #730 » by **FAH1223** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 4:22 am

How does Russy get only 2 trips to the line after all that contact driving to the lane and making tough ass layups?

Yet when LeBron pushes Harden off on D he gets a trip to the FT line?

Durant got hacked when the Heat were up 97-94... he shoulda got 2 FTs instead Wade (who slapped the shid out of KD) got a layup

The Thunder have returned to playing like a stupid young team as the moment is too big for guys like Harden. Derek Fisher getting a good amount of minutes is also laughable

closg00 · Post #731 » by **closg00** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:56 am

OKC miracle comeback?

fishercob · Post #732 » by **fishercob** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:02 pm

Harden seems to be making himself pretty affordable for the Thunder to keep.

Post #733 » by **nate33** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:12 pm

fishercob wrote:Harden seems to be making himself pretty affordable for the Thunder to keep.

I still think someone offers Harden the max. Will OKC have to think twice before matching?

Post #734 » by **nate33** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:35 pm

Battier has been amazing in the Finals. Not just the shooting but everything else also. He is doing everything humanly possible that a role player can do to deliver wins. He is playing great D, jamming up everything OKC is trying to do. He is getting into OKC's heads with a few well timed cheap shots and flops. He's playing much like Rodman did with the Bulls, only without the crazy and with a deadly floor-stretching 3-point shot.

dangermouse · Post #735 » by **dangermouse** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:41 pm

He;s been like Robert Horry with good defense.

closg00 · Post #736 » by **closg00** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:47 pm

nate33 wrote:
fishercob wrote:Harden seems to be making himself pretty affordable for the Thunder to keep.

I still think someone offers Harden the max. Will OKC have to think twice before matching?

Max contract offer!?!? Harden is a solid 6th man and shooter, but he isn't that good at dribble-penetration and creating. Harden won't be getting a Max contract offer.

Post #737 » by **nate33** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:55 pm

closg00 wrote:
nate33 wrote:
fishercob wrote:Harden seems to be making himself pretty affordable for the Thunder to keep.

I still think someone offers Harden the max. Will OKC have to think twice before matching?

Max contract offer!?!? Harden is a solid 6th man and shooter, but he isn't that good at dribble-penetration and creating. Harden won't be getting a Max contract offer.

I'd offer the max if I was running the Wizards. Harden is exceptional for a SG at dribble penetration. Dude had an insane TS% of .660 specifically because he's a good penetrator and finisher, and he's a good 3-point shooter, and he's smart enough not to do anything in between. I wouldn't let one bad Finals performance against an exceptional defensive team change my mind.

Shot Chart

Post #738 » by **LyricalRico** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 2:47 pm

Harden is definitely going out like a sucka this series, and it does make me question whether or not he's a true superstar. Putting up numbers off the bench as the third option on a contender is a whole different animal than being given a max contract by a rebuilding team and expected to lead them as their best player.

But yes...I'd still offer him the max if I'm the Wizards.

Post #739 » by **LyricalRico** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 2:51 pm

Getting back to last night's game, I gotta questions Brook's decisions once again. Before it was having Durant and Westbrook on the bench at the same time. Now it's watching Collison have a great first half (probably the best half of any OKC big this entire series) and then not playing him again. Why wasn't Collison playing more down the stretch? Also, once it was clear that Harden was hesitant and had zero confidence, Brooks should have came back with Fisher IMO. He's not as good, but at least he would have taken the shots.

Post #740 » by **miller31time** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 4:17 pm

LyricalRico wrote:Getting back to last night's game, I gotta questions Brook's decisions once again. Before it was having Durant and Westbrook on the bench at the same time. Now it's watching Collison have a great first half (probably the best half of any OKC big this entire series) and then not playing him again. Why wasn't Collison playing more down the stretch? Also, once it was clear that Harden was hesitant and had zero confidence, Brooks should have came back with Fisher IMO. He's not as good, but at least he would have taken the shots.

It fits right in with his reputation -- a good coach who knows the X's and O's and is excellent for team morale but terrible with rotations and making necessary changes. That was the buzz on him well before these playoffs started.