2011 NBA Playoffs

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

This video pretty much sums up this year's playoffs.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yR9KwFpCvU[/youtube]

How's that milkshake, LeBron?

His "Why Dallas is Great" video was pretty golden too. Assuming you're a Star Wars geek and didnt feel much like watching grown men play ball, it's quite the synopsis.

[tontoz]

Stevenson with the best tshirt ever



http://www.tmz.com/2011/06/13/lebron-ja ... irt-photo/

[queridiculo]

If you ask me, the Heat exceeded the expectations I had for them going into the season. What they've accomplished in just one year is pretty remarkable when you consider just how much turnover that roster had from one season to the next.

To me Spoelstra deserves some serious credit for getting those guys to commit to playing defense, and managing to keep the team together despite the ridiculous expectations and pressure.

That doesn't change anything how I feel about that bunch, but I think you have to tip your hat to how much they've accomplished in just one year.

My biggest problem with James has always been his arrogance and sense of entitlement and it fills me with tremendous pleasure to watch him suffer a bit more before he finally wins the ultimate prize.

Btw, it's going to be quite interesting to see what happens with the CBA. How much longer do the big three really have together?

[GhostsOfGil]

just read this via mike lees twitter

" DAL was +55 w/Dirk in the game during series, -41 w/out him... MIA was -36 w/LeBron in the game, +22 w/out him"

those are some ridiculous numbers on both sides

[Severn Hoos]

I also heard that LeBron had the biggest (negative) point differential in League history from Regular season scoring average to Finals scoring average. Ouch.

[jivelikenice]

If you ask me, the Heat exceeded the expectations I had for them going into the season. What they've accomplished in just one year is pretty remarkable when you consider just how much turnover that roster had from one season to the next.

Have to disagree considering the current state of the Eastern Conference. The Bulls were very good, but are still very young and weren't ready for a title run (although they are close and should be next year) & the Celtics really lost "it" after their midseason deal. The path through the east I think will only get tougher in the future....

[tontoz]

Just when i thought this couldn't get any better.....

As if reading the sports section didn't suck enough for Heat fans this morning, Miami Herald readers opened the paper to find a nearly full-page ad reading, "Congratulations Miami!" next to photos of Heat championship T-shirts and hats sold at Macy's. ("Raise Another Banner" -- ughhhhh.)

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/ ... ad_con.php

[dangermouse]

If you ask me, the Heat exceeded the expectations I had for them going into the season. What they've accomplished in just one year is pretty remarkable when you consider just how much turnover that roster had from one season to the next.

Have to disagree considering the current state of the Eastern Conference. The Bulls were very good, but are still very young and weren't ready for a title run (although they are close and should be next year) & the Celtics really lost "it" after their midseason deal. The path through the east I think will only get tougher in the future....

I agree with hermitkid, to start the season I thought they would end up being annihilated by either the C's or the Magic. Hell, to start the playoffs I thought both of those teams plus Chicago would annihilate them. Miami really started ballin' late in the season and stepped it up another notch in the playoffs. I even thought Bosh looked 100% better than his regular season form in most of the playoff games I saw.

I wouldnt be surprised, and you know what, i wouldnt even be mad if they won next season. All they need to do is focus, play smarter, stop wasting time and energy battling with the media... They should just be focusing on basketball. Stop acting like f'ing children. Yeah, you are hated, USE that. Embrace the underdog role (like the Pistons did). But just shut. the. f. up. and play. Stop giving people ammo for the Heat Hate. Grow up. Let your game do the talking. I feel like they actually started doing that but it all came to a crushing halt in the Finals with the Game 2 meltdown and then the Dirk cough imitating incident. What the hell kind of people imitate a person as a joke after being beaten by him????? Ill answer that; a loser. A loser does that. And theyll stay losers until they get their heads checked. Get the mental toughness to ignore the critics off the court and youll develop the mental toughness to block out the stuff on the court (Dallas really capitalized on this, and i wouldnt be surprised if other teams used this method on LeBron in the Finals/Playoffs, he always seems to just give up).

That and maybe a trade or two for some shooters, sign a half decent C to back up Joel...

[dangermouse]

Oh yeah I got so caught up in the Heat i forgot to mention about the C's and Magic; they seemed to shoot themselves in the foot with their mid-season trades. I dont think either of them are title contenders as it stands moving forward. The Heat and Chicago have to be the top two out East and the gap between those teams and others is very noticable.

[dobrojim]

If you ask me, the Heat exceeded the expectations I had for them going into the season. What they've accomplished in just one year is pretty remarkable when you consider just how much turnover that roster had from one season to the next.

Have to disagree considering the current state of the Eastern Conference. The Bulls were very good, but are still very young and weren't ready for a title run (although they are close and should be next year) & the Celtics really lost "it" after their midseason deal. The path through the east I think will only get tougher in the future....

I think the Bulls will continue to be hamstrung by having Boozer as a key rotation
player and a major contract. The Bulls probably will get better but they could get better
and still not reach any further in the playoffs. Every year is different.

[jimij]

I'd argue that collectively the Heat exceeded my expectations but that LeBron himself was a bit of a failure given his struggles in the finals.

While I have less respect for Wade than I used thanks to his antics, he certainly performed at a high level this year and I have new respect for Bosh based on his play and his attitude.

James will most likely still win titles but I don't see how anyone can ever make the case for him as a potential GOAT given his disappearance for the second straight year in the playoffs. The King abdicated his throne.

[Severn Hoos]

I'd argue that collectively the Heat exceeded my expectations but that LeBron himself was a bit of a failure given his struggles in the finals.

While I have less respect for Wade than I used thanks to his antics, he certainly performed at a high level this year and I have new respect for Bosh based on his play and his attitude.

James will most likely still win titles but I don't see how anyone can ever make the case for him as a potential GOAT given his disappearance for the second straight year in the playoffs. The King abdicated his throne.

Maybe that Scottie Pippen quote about LeBron was a tweet? Did he say that LeBron was the GOAT? Because in the Finals, that was undeniably true...

[Zonkerbl]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/ ... me6-110613

See, I totally disagree with Dirk here. It's ok to cry when you've won the NBA championship. Everybody does it. MJ did it. Magic did it. Isaiah did it. Don't know if Bird did, but you know, he's a Hoosier.

Did Kobe? Probably not. I have a hard time visualizing it. But I bet you dollars over doughnuts Kareem cried when he won his first championship. Didn't Hakeem also?

Totally acceptable. Well, ok, maybe he didn't want 200 million morbid voyeurs vicariously drinking his tears of joy, that I can understand.

[mohammed10]

Oh yeah I got so caught up in the Heat i forgot to mention about the C's and Magic; they seemed to shoot themselves in the foot with their mid-season trades. I dont think either of them are title contenders as it stands moving forward. The Heat and Chicago have to be the top two out East and the gap between those teams and others is very noticable.

No mention of Atlanta?

Just kidding...

[dobrojim]

Oh yeah I got so caught up in the Heat i forgot to mention about the C's and Magic; they seemed to shoot themselves in the foot with their mid-season trades. I dont think either of them are title contenders as it stands moving forward. The Heat and Chicago have to be the top two out East and the gap between those teams and others is very noticable.

No mention of Atlanta?

Just kidding...

with a healthy Kent Hinrich, who knows?

[Dat2U]

Did LeBron throw the series?

That's what it looked like to me. The way he played, especially in the 4th quarter of the finals games was so dramatically different from how he usually plays. He was so passive and purposely removed himself at times from the action. It was so similar to what happened in Boston last year when he was with Cleveland.

It was a case of either LeBron was frozen by fear. LeBron made up in his own mind to quit. Or LeBron purposely decided to lose.

Whatever the case may be it had nothing to do with the Mavericks defense. LeBron's energy & activity level noticeably dropped in the 4th quarter of games. There's no disputing that. Nothing the Mavs did could force LeBron to play lethargically unless LeBron chose to do so on his own.

[pancakes3]

Stevenson got arrested for public intoxication at 1030 pm! Can't feel my faaaaaaaaace...

[dangermouse]

Haha didnt pace himself.

I bet most NBA players avoid alcohol throughout the season.

Beer bonging champagne bottles after the game with a low tolerance probably isnt going to help you party all night.