Official NBA Playoffs Thread

[Ruzious]

And the Diaw acquisition was genius meeting opportunity. With him, Duncan, and Ginobili - those are arguably the 3 best passers at their positions - and that's before getting to Parker. And everyone can shoot - including evil mid-range jumpers. It is virtually impossible to defend that team. If you look at Ginobili's career - when he's been healthy, he's arguably been the best all-around 2 of his generation - up there with Kobe and Wade. Parker has been a remarkable PG. That's one of the most accomplished and under-appreciated backcourts... ever. And Duncan's the best C/PF of his era. Duncan/Ginobili/Parker will go down in history as one the best trios ever.

[Nivek]

Good call Kev.

Re the Steve Blake news - how freakin sad is that? Hate tweets because
he missed a shot. One can only wonder if the senders are big Kobe fans
who think he's a 'high-character' guy.

Okay, miss a buzzer beater, get death threats. By this standard, Kobe should have received this kind of treatment 53 times since 2000-01. Out of curiosity, I looked up Lakers field goal attempts in the last 10 seconds of the 4th quarter or OT with the team trailing by 3 or fewer points. In that situation since 2000-01, Kobe has shot 23-76 -- 30.3%.

This is the guy folks are screaming about to take the last shot?

Well, in a kinda-sorta defense -- Kobe is 4 for 12 the past two seasons. That's 33.3%. He's IMPROVING!!!

By the way, Kobe has made more than half of his buzzer beaters in just 2 of the past 12 seasons. He was 6-11 in 2009-10, and 3-5 in 03-04.

[Nivek]

I know folks here love to harp on the inefficiencies of the mid-range j, but ya gotta hit some of those to keep the D honest - and that's part of the problem with Blake. Paul's p&r game won't work with Blake if Blake is setting a pick and is no threat to shoot the j. His man simply stays down, and Paul has no lane to the hoop. And Blake can hit that shot. Unfortunately, it takes half of the 24 second clock for him to release the ball on his j.

Being able to hit mid-range shots has value -- probably moreso from a big than from a guard. Can Griffin hit that shot? Well, sorta. On shot attempts from 10-23 feet, Griffin is 232-685 for his 2yr career -- .339. Say Griffin gets all the way to average from that distance for a PF -- .401. That would add about three-tenths of a made FG per 40 minutes. Over the course of a 7-game series, that's two additional made FGs.

Which sorta gets to San Antonio. The Spurs defense is designed to give up the mid-range shot. They'll work harder to contest when they're facing a KG or a Nowitzki, but for the most part, even guys who shoot that mid-range shot well aren't worth worrying about from the mid-range. Even shooting 50% from mid-range isn't as productive or efficient as shooting 3s or getting to the rim. So the Spurs defense focuses on those two areas.

So yeah, being able to make mid-range shots is theoretically valuable. The reality is that even guys who shoot the mid-range shot well aren't hurting the defense much. Sometimes it's necessary to shoot it, but then again -- if you're the Clippers, do you really want Blake Griffin shooting 18 footers, even if he's making half of them?

See, this is maybe the 1 basic thing about basketball strategery that I disagree with you aboot. It's not just about what the percentages are on this shot - it's just as much about what the effect on the entire offense is. If Griffin doesn't present a threat there, there's no lane for Paul to drive, and without that lane Paul becomes strictly a jump shooter, and he's not the great player we know Paul to be.

It also goes to the difference between a contested mid-range jumper and an open mid-range jumper. The percentages of those 2 shots are generally very different. An open shot should be a high percentage shot - and a good shot - as opposed to a contested mid range jumper. If I'm coaching LAC, I DO want Griffin shooting OPEN mid-range jumpers. If he's covered outside, I DON"T want him shooting mid-range jumpers - not just because it's a bad percentage shot, but because it means somebody's covering him - so there's room for Paul to drive up the middle or to hit Jordan inside.

They've already got a spacing problem with Jordan's inability to do anything outside of the paint. If Griffin provides nothing outside of the paint, their offense isn't good. That DOESN'T mean he needs to become just a jump shooter. It means he's gotta be more than 1 dimentional as a scorer - just like powerhouses such as Alonzo Mourning and Karl Malone learned early in their careers.

We're actually much less in disagreement than I may have initially thought. I'm 100% in favor of guys being able to do things like the shoot the ball. I agree Griffin would be a more effective player -- and that he'd help his team -- if he could consistently hit a mid-range jumper. In general, it's a bad shot, but it's necessary sometimes.

[closg00]

What fascinates me is how SA is featuring new additions to their tried and true stars.

Kawhi Leonard is a rookie. Danny Green was in the D-League and with Cleveland parts of last season. The Spurs got rid of Richard Jefferson and replaced him with a familiar face, Stephen Jackson. A guy many wrote off after his years in Phoenix is Boris Diaw. He languished with Charlotte, but suddenly he is a main cog in the well-oiled machine. If Duncan is the same as he ever was, only in less minutes, it seems to me Boris Diaw is also as good as he ever was. (Blatche comes to mind here. I could see Andray on a team like the Celtics doing well.) Finally, Splitter emerged from seeming like a bust to overtaking Blair's minutes. People talk about the Spurs lacking bigs, but if Blair isn't even in the rotation they have some depth. DeJuan isn't tall but he can be a Reggie Evans type player, given playing time. Finally, Popovich uses a lot of players. I like Gary Neal a lot. He could start and put up huge numbers for the Wizards at SG IMO.

It is too early to just hand the title to the Spurs, because Duncan's health and both Parker and Ginobili are needed. But yes, if they stay healthy, I think Popovich will coach them past OKC and to the Finals where I expect them to meet Boston, if things hold up the way they're going now.

The Spurs identified Neal (un-drafted) who was having a successful career overseas. They locked-up Neal on a cheap, 3-year deal and he is a good contributor as a back-up PG.

Watch the Spurs turn their 49th pick in the 2010 draft (Ryan Richards), into Tim Duncan's replacement. The Spurs are the best-run organization in the NBA.

[hands11]

How good is Tim Duncan. That guy just keeps on rolling.

IQ and Skill over athletic.

Blake is still years away from being a good basketball player. Amazing athlete though.

At first I thought you meant Steve Blake. He's getting hate messages on Twitter from Lakers who can't handle the truth that Kobe is getting old.

hands, I cannot figure out how Blake Griffin scored 20 but only grabbed 1 rebound against SA. He's a good basketball player IMO but he's very far from great and he really doesn't do much beyond his extreme athleticism and power dunking. What you're saying is true.

Lol. I have been holding out for the big, I told you so because regular season numbers don't mean much. Playoff numbers and Playoff wins do.

When most the board was drooling over him hoping we got the number one to draft him, I was saying I didn't think he was all that. Now he is a freak athlete and he has a strong body, but he is not a great basketball player and I questioned what he has inside. His heart. He is a diva and that turned more off about him.

He can still be a very good playoff level player, but he has some work to do. Maybe in another year or two. As of right now, Harden is looking like the better player. Not saying I was pimping Harden over Blake but just saying I wasn't a Blake fan. He just isn't the kind of player I cheer for. I would rather cheer on a player like Nene.

[hands11]

What fascinates me is how SA is featuring new additions to their tried and true stars.

Kawhi Leonard is a rookie. Danny Green was in the D-League and with Cleveland parts of last season. The Spurs got rid of Richard Jefferson and replaced him with a familiar face, Stephen Jackson. A guy many wrote off after his years in Phoenix is Boris Diaw. He languished with Charlotte, but suddenly he is a main cog in the well-oiled machine. If Duncan is the same as he ever was, only in less minutes, it seems to me Boris Diaw is also as good as he ever was. (Blatche comes to mind here. I could see Andray on a team like the Celtics doing well.) Finally, Splitter emerged from seeming like a bust to overtaking Blair's minutes. People talk about the Spurs lacking bigs, but if Blair isn't even in the rotation they have some depth. DeJuan isn't tall but he can be a Reggie Evans type player, given playing time. Finally, Popovich uses a lot of players. I like Gary Neal a lot. He could start and put up huge numbers for the Wizards at SG IMO.

It is too early to just hand the title to the Spurs, because Duncan's health and both Parker and Ginobili are needed. But yes, if they stay healthy, I think Popovich will coach them past OKC and to the Finals where I expect them to meet Boston, if things hold up the way they're going now.

The Spurs identified Neal (un-drafted) who was having a successful career overseas. They locked-up Neal on a cheap, 3-year deal and he is a good contributor as a back-up PG.

Watch the Spurs turn their 49th pick in the 2010 draft (Ryan Richards), into Tim Duncan's replacement. The Spurs are the best-run organization in the NBA.

Its picking the right pieces regardless of draft slot, grooming them to fit your system and how the pieces fit together. Sure TD is a big part of it, but he isn't all of it.

And mad props goes to the front off. Owner. GM. Pops is big part of it. He will take a player like Manu and for one season, he is trying to build the offense around him. The next season he has him coming off the bench. Blair was a starter. Last game he played 2 minutes. And you never hear any grumbling. He plays who he things he should, when he thinks he should, and how he thinks he should and they all buy in as a team.

That is a huge part of their success.

[tontoz]

It's almost impossible to separate the Lakers bad clutch offense from Kobe's bad clutch play this season. In 4th quarter and OT with the score within 5 points, Kobe took 180 shots this year -- with an efg of .397. Number 2 in FGA: Bynum with 95 (and an efg of .695). Then Gasol with 84 and an efg of .506.

Kobe is 1st in FGA late in close games by a mile, but 11th on his own team in efg. He needs people to stop kissing his ass and telling him what a great clutch player he is and let him know that he's killing his team late in games with his piss-poor shooting.

I bet you have had some good flame wars with Kobe nuthuggers. Would you happen to have a link or two? It would probably be good offseason entertainment.

[tontoz]

Kobe's response to critics.

“I don’t give a [expletive] what you say,” Bryant told Yahoo! Sports late Friday. “If I go out there and miss game winners, and people say, 'Kobe choked, or Kobe is seven for whatever in pressure situations.' Well, [expletive] you.

“Because I don’t play for your [expletive] approval. I play for my own love and enjoyment of the game. And to win. That’s what I play for. Most of the time, when guys feel the pressure, they’re worried about what people might say about them. I don’t have that fear, and it enables me to forget bad plays and to take shots and play my game."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--kobe- ... aceta8vLYF

Just keep on chucking. That is exactly what OKC wants. The refs aren't going to bail you out every game.

[FAH1223]

Mike Brown needs to let Sessions do his thing

Kobe shooting 25 times tonight will be a loss.

OKC in 5

[nate33]

Early in the second quarter, the Spurs were down 40-16. A few minutes before the end of the third quarter, they were up 69-57. For those keeping track at home, that's a 53-17 run. That's got to be some kind of playoff record.

[FAH1223]

Early in the second quarter, the Spurs were down 40-16. A few minutes before the end of the third quarter, they were up 69-57. For those keeping track at home, that's a 53-17 run. That's got to be some kind of playoff record.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnKQsE5Evyw[/youtube]

36 year old PF with no cartilage in his knees doing this on a 23 year old with insane hops 0_0

Spurs outscore Clippers 80-46 in the final 35 minutes after being down 24.

[closg00]

Nice article the Sixers Lavoy Allen. Allen has a high BBIQ, plays great D, and he was taken 50th in the draft. Now that's good pickin.
http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/col ... ion=recent

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

The Lakers lost today with Kobe trying to go solo in the fourth. OKC is almost to the next round.

[Illmatic21]

I hope Wall has been watching Westbrook.. that's what he could be if he had a jumpshot, except with better playmaking ability.

[MDStar]

Kobe is funny! That is all.

[FAH1223]

The Lakers lost today with Kobe trying to go solo in the fourth. OKC is almost to the next round.

Kobe 2-10 in the 4th. His chucking costs them tonight after he was an efficient 10-18 with 31 points for 3 quarters

Bynum got fronted and the Lakers couldn't do anything about it. He didn't get a shot in the 4th

Gasol also had a wide open J or a lane to go to the basket and get fouled to win the game but made a cross court pass that Durant intercepted

OKC will blow them out of the building next game

BTW LET'S GO PACERS

[WashWiz54]

Wade has surpassed James on my list of players I despise. These playoffs have led me to lose the tiny bit of respect I once had for him. I respect and like LeBron more than Wade, and I'm no LeBron fanboy.

I really hope the Pacers can bounce back and win. What a likeable bunch they are. If not, Boston (assuming they beat Philly) should be able to take Miami and I believe they will (if it comes to it).

[FAH1223]

What Lebron did today was historic...40 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks on 52% shooting. That's extremely difficult to do even in 2K12 with 48 minute quarters and the CPU on rookie. We're watching an all-time great here, probably a top 3 talent of all-time. The scary part though? They needed that from him PLUS D-Wade having an MVP performance himself with 30 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and a steal on 57% shooting....all that from them and they barely hung on for the win (the game was even closer than the 8-point final spread). They might very well beat Indiana, but nobody can sustain this kind production game in and game out, and they'll both need to be in All-NBA form to make it even out of this series, let alone the East, since their third option is not even reliable to score double digits on a nightly basis. Bosh's value is showing more and more, and this team has no chance to win a ring without him.

Truth be told tho, I dunno how much chance anytime has with San Antonio playing the way they are. They've lost only TWICE in their last 31 games....how is anybody supposed to beat them 4 times outta 7? Barring a major injury, the Spurs are the 2012 NBA champions and I don't think it's even close.

[hands11]

What Lebron did today was historic...40 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks on 52% shooting. That's extremely difficult to do even in 2K12 with 48 minute quarters and the CPU on rookie. We're watching an all-time great here, probably a top 3 talent of all-time. The scary part though? They needed that from him PLUS D-Wade having an MVP performance himself with 30 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and a steal on 57% shooting....all that from them and they barely hung on for the win (the game was even closer than the 8-point final spread). They might very well beat Indiana, but nobody can sustain this kind production game in and game out, and they'll both need to be in All-NBA form to make it even out of this series, let alone the East, since their third option is not even reliable to score double digits on a nightly basis. Bosh's value is showing more and more, and this team has no chance to win a ring without him.

Truth be told tho, I dunno how much chance anytime has with San Antonio playing the way they are. They've lost only TWICE in their last 31 games....how is anybody supposed to beat them 4 times outta 7? Barring a major injury, the Spurs are the 2012 NBA champions and I don't think it's even close.

The SA vs OKC series should be really interesting. But yeah, I got on board with SA some months back when they put there foot on the peddle to start their run to close the season. And Pops rested player coming into the playoff. And they are getting rest during the playoff because they haven't lost. Things are looking really good for them.

Whoever wins the SA vs OKC series should be the favorite to win it all. But that is obvious.

[Ruzious]

What Lebron did today was historic...40 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks on 52% shooting. That's extremely difficult to do even in 2K12 with 48 minute quarters and the CPU on rookie. We're watching an all-time great here, probably a top 3 talent of all-time. The scary part though? They needed that from him PLUS D-Wade having an MVP performance himself with 30 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and a steal on 57% shooting....all that from them and they barely hung on for the win (the game was even closer than the 8-point final spread). They might very well beat Indiana, but nobody can sustain this kind production game in and game out, and they'll both need to be in All-NBA form to make it even out of this series, let alone the East, since their third option is not even reliable to score double digits on a nightly basis. Bosh's value is showing more and more, and this team has no chance to win a ring without him.

Truth be told tho, I dunno how much chance anytime has with San Antonio playing the way they are. They've lost only TWICE in their last 31 games....how is anybody supposed to beat them 4 times outta 7? Barring a major injury, the Spurs are the 2012 NBA champions and I don't think it's even close.

Nice post. I think SA beats OKC. Duncan's somehow got just enough gas in the tank left, and people still sleep on how GREAT Parker and Ginobili are. And Leonard and Green give them 2 defensive-minded wings you need against both OKC and Miami - and both know their roles on offense and do them efficiently. OKC is going to find out the hard way that beating the Lakers really didn't prepare them for SA.

And ya know what - Durant is not Lebron - at least not yet. He chucks it too much early in the shot clock, and Westbrook is not going to be a steadying influence at the point.