NBA Games Discussion Thread - Part 2

[fishercob]

I still would favor Mia although I'm rooting for the Spurs. Biggest issue for Miami is do they respect their opponent enough? I think Lebron does, but what about the other guys on the team and Spoelstra? He can't treat the Spurs like any other team and think that if they execute their gameplan they will win.

I think both teams were playing near their best last night. I think the pivotal game in this series will be Game 3. If the Heat go down 2-1, they give the Spurs a path to protect home court and win in 6.

I don't think that was Lebron's best. He looks a little worn down and apparently admitted to asking for a breather at the start of the 4Q. When he's attacking the basket like he did in game 7 of the ECF and hitting 3's, he's basically unstoppable. He scored 18 points on 16 shots last night. Good D for sure, but that's not near his best.

[queridiculo]

^Im not seeing the left foot slide. I'm seeing him go to his toes on the left foot when he spins but where's the slide?

The fact that he picks up the pivot is what makes it a travel.

[jivelikenice]

^Im not seeing the left foot slide. I'm seeing him go to his toes on the left foot when he spins but where's the slide?

The fact that he picks up the pivot is what makes it a travel.

If you go to your toes on your pivot foot and don't slide at all its still a travel? If that's the case (which I'm not sure of) than its not how its practically applied at pretty much every level.

[montestewart]

Parker is a better, more efficient version of Allen Iverson. He makes shots look easy that have an insane degree of difficulty.

Speaking of Iverson, just prior to the game, looking at past NBA finals, the announcers mentioned the 2001 Sixers-Lakers Final, and once again repeated the assertion that the Sixers were Iverson and nothing else. I forget which one said it, but they were all in agreement. Motumbo was All-NBA 2nd team and All-Defense 1st team that year, and they had a very solid roster of role players. Is it some combination of intentional dishonesty, apathetic laziness, or pure stupidity? Perhaps they think Isiah Thomas did it all by himself too.

[WallTown02]

As others have noted, I think the rest really helped the Spurs while the tough Indiana series really affected the Heat. I kind of wish that game two was Saturday so the Heat wouldn't get that extra day of rest.

A few things that really give me hope for the Spurs...

1) Miami actually got solid contributions from their bench (30 points) and an OK game from Wade/Bosh (better than some of their games in the Indiana series) and the Spurs still won.

2) The Spurs weren't even shooting all that well. If they can hit more of their wide open 3s, then the Heat are in big trouble.

My biggest fear is that sometimes the Heat just turn it up a notch and get really aggressive and cause chaos on D. The Spurs are so smart and battle tested, but athletically, they can only do so much. Hopefully, they can keep it up!

[dobrojim]

if it goes 7, you have to go with MIA

SAN needs to end this in 6 or less

who is going to be healthier btw Wade and Manu?

Manu is healthier right now. Wade is clearly not going to be 100% anytime soon.

I just hope Manu doesn't suffer from some freak injury that he normally gets. But he is rested and I hope he is ready.

Wadette looked reasonably healthy last night. Manu maybe not so much as
evidence by the dunk he front rimmed.

...seriously nba? 9pm start time...

sucks for folks in the east who have to wake up, but remember for a lot of
folks, the start time is 8 or 7 or even 6.

[dobrojim]

The Spurs already took a bunch of the Heats punches and have bounced right back.

Two turnovers at the half so far and only trailing by three points despite the Heats red hot shooting.

SAN did a great job of staying close.

Duncan's bucket at the end of the half was HUGE.

[FAH1223]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEEaM6gwCcs[/youtube]

Dude was in there directing, telling people like yo "You do this, you go here, you do this, D Wade is flabby and sick so I do this" and the whole time I'm like hold on, where's Pop?

Pop is on the OUTSIDE lol...he's part of the huddle and just watching Tony Parker send out orders to his soldiers. Even before the huddle started Parker went to Pop like we gonna run this right? Pop is like word word just finish these suckas off I'm trying to get up outta here.

[GhostsOfGil]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEEaM6gwCcs[/youtube]

Dude was in there directing, telling people like yo "You do this, you go here, you do this, D Wade is flabby and sick so I do this" and the whole time I'm like hold on, where's Pop?

Pop is on the OUTSIDE lol...he's part of the huddle and just watching Tony Parker send out orders to his soldiers. Even before the huddle started Parker went to Pop like we gonna run this right? Pop is like word word just finish these suckas off I'm trying to get up outta here.

Ya hilarious how Pop is just like.. "ok"

[FAH1223]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSRk7qrwDNA[/youtube]

Just like the one he did on Prince in the last round.

[dandridge 10]

Loved the game last night. It was that typical game where one team is behind the whole game but hangs around long enough you know they are going to win at the end. The Spurs defense down the stretch was unbelievable. I hope they can keep it up. Nothing would make me happier than to see the Heat go down.

[FAH1223]

Loved the game last night. It was that typical game where one team is behind the whole game but hangs around long enough you know they are going to win at the end. The Spurs defense down the stretch was unbelievable. I hope they can keep it up. Nothing would make me happier than to see the Heat go down.

Kawahi Leonad did a good job just staying in front of LeBron.

The worst thing Spoelstra can do is to put LeBron on Parker full time. LeBron will get gassed running around 3 or 4 screens and he is literally the engine for Miami's offense.

Bosh is also being mismanaged. But Duncan put work on him and anyone else they used to guard him.

[fishercob]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEEaM6gwCcs[/youtube]

Dude was in there directing, telling people like yo "You do this, you go here, you do this, D Wade is flabby and sick so I do this" and the whole time I'm like hold on, where's Pop?

Pop is on the OUTSIDE lol...he's part of the huddle and just watching Tony Parker send out orders to his soldiers. Even before the huddle started Parker went to Pop like we gonna run this right? Pop is like word word just finish these suckas off I'm trying to get up outta here.

OK, this is astonishing.

[keynote]

Watching the Spurs really makes you realize how far away the Wizards are from competing.

This. Good gracious, they're like a machine. So well-tuned, so focused, so locked in. Their rotation is entirely void of knuckleheads, low-IQ players, or lazy bums. Even Boris "Patisserie" Diaw plays as hard as his low fitness level allows during his limited minutes - and Pop knows when to take him out before his conditioning becomes an issue. Have you ever seen a guy as chubby as Diaw *never* look winded during a game?

Watching the Spurs/Heat play is like being a DC United fan watching the Champion's League final. They might be using the same ball, but they're definitely not using it the same way.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Watching the Spurs really makes you realize how far away the Wizards are from competing.

Beal fits the Spurs' profile of players. Well-spoken, humble , grounded, great shooter, team player. Okafor and Webster fit the profile in the same way Splitter and Green do. Temple has been a Spur. Ariza is a three and D player who would be in their rotation.

Nene's health, Wall's maturity and consistent stellar play, and offensive depth separate the level the teams compete at. It's not a fair comparison, considering the Spurs have Duncan and many years together under Popovich.

Can the Wizards match up with Indiana? That's who they need to chase.

[keynote]

I will say this, though: the Heat have shown the ability to make excellent - and, ulitmately, successful - adjustments throughout their Big 3 era.

I remember thinking that OKC looked like a juggernaut this time last year as well - until the Heat made their adjustments. The Pacers played the Heat even in the EC finals until Spo unleashed the double teams and benched Battier for Miller. Etc.

We'll see what kinds of adjustments the Heat make in this series. Perhaps a little more LeBron on Parker? Or maybe they'll go small w/ Miller at the 4 and Bosh running the baselines like an Uber-Haslem at the 5. Etc.

[keynote]

Can the Wizards match up with Indiana? That's who they need to chase.

Hard-working, defensive-oriented, thin bench, with major mental lapses? I don't think we're that far off.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Watching the Spurs really makes you realize how far away the Wizards are from competing.

This. Good gracious, they're like a machine. So well-tuned, so focused, so locked in. Their rotation is entirely void of knuckleheads, low-IQ players, or lazy bums. Even Boris "Patisserie" Diaw plays as hard as his low fitness level allows during his limited minutes - and Pop knows when to take him out before his conditioning becomes an issue. Have you ever seen a guy as chubby as Diaw *never* look winded during a game?

Watching the Spurs/Heat play is like being a DC United fan watching the Champion's League final. They might be using the same ball, but they're definitely not using it the same way.

Much as I love to knock Ernie and Ted, they got rid of the lazy last season. Unfortunately, they drafted two or three guys who can't play well and it took Wall a LONG time to come around.

This season there should be more precision and winning ... I think/hope.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Can the Wizards match up with Indiana? That's who they need to chase.

Hard-working, defensive-oriented, thin bench, with major mental lapses? I don't think we're that far off.

Indiana is a talented but at-times dumb team IMO.

Even veterans like West and Hill have major lapses on the court.

[Nivek]

Where have you guys been? Pop has been letting players run "the huddle" in games for years now. There was footage at least a couple years old of Ginobili doing the same thing.

It's interesting. And just think, a few decades ago, KC Jones got fired from Washington in part for footage showing an assistant running a timeout huddle.