NBA Games Discussion Thread - Part 2

[verbal8]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/441785324298338304[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/441786862412525568[/tweet]

It looks like a contradiction, but I think he might actually be right. Basically the East looks like Indy or Miami. Indy looks like a young/poor man's version of the Spurs, so I get the Spurs half of it.

The team in the West I think could beat the Heat is the Thunder. The SF match-up is nearly even if not a slight advantage to OKC. Bosh is the best of the bigs, but overall I think OKC is better if they don't play Perkins much. I also think the Heat don't have an answer for Westbrook more so than OKC struggling to contain Wade.

[FAH1223]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/441785324298338304[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/441786862412525568[/tweet]

It looks like a contradiction, but I think he might actually be right. Basically the East looks like Indy or Miami. Indy looks like a young/poor man's version of the Spurs, so I get the Spurs half of it.

The team in the West I think could beat the Heat is the Thunder. The SF match-up is nearly even if not a slight advantage to OKC. Bosh is the best of the bigs, but overall I think OKC is better if they don't play Perkins much. I also think the Heat don't have an answer for Westbrook more so than OKC struggling to contain Wade.

OKC won't beat MIA because Scott Brooks is Wittman esque in his rotations. He won't bench Perkins in that matchup and he will play Derek Fisher over Perry Jones who really would be able to use his length to cause issues defensively which I remember from the first matchup this season.

Plus, who's their third scorer? Westbrook and Durant will get theres but will Ibaka doesn't play in the low post.

To beat the Heat you need

-Great defensive scheme.
-Best coach in the NBA.
-Defensively solid big that can give them 20 points 10 rebounds. (DAL had Dirk do the scoring and Tyson defending the paint and boarding)
-Great PG that can consistently penetrate.
-Great 3 point shooters.
-Solid bench players.
-Wing defenders

I like SA's bench and 3 point shooting better... 38 year old Tim Duncan is still a lethal post scorer and they're a top defensive team all the time. Hell, Fat Boris Diaw is shooting 70% at the rim and is posting people up left and right.

The Thunder without a big man scoring threat really do not inspire confidence in me. I know people say the stats show they're amazing offensively but when I see Ibaka shooting threes and letting Zach Randolph dominate him physically as he did in that 5 game series last year and Gasol playing free safety off Perkins, a team like MIA would have no fear worrying about that dimension of OKC offensively.

[mohammed10]

The success of the Spurs system is pretty simple:
an elite core of players
an elite coach - there might be 3 or 4 in the league at a time and Popovich is definitely one
a front office that continually looks to improve the team - draft/trades/free agency/waiver cast offs
a culture focused on efficiency and teamwork

Getting a team to that point is the hard part.

Verbal- by your criteria, Washington has none of those...

[deneem4]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/441785324298338304[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/441786862412525568[/tweet]

It looks like a contradiction, but I think he might actually be right. Basically the East looks like Indy or Miami. Indy looks like a young/poor man's version of the Spurs, so I get the Spurs half of it.

The team in the West I think could beat the Heat is the Thunder. The SF match-up is nearly even if not a slight advantage to OKC. Bosh is the best of the bigs, but overall I think OKC is better if they don't play Perkins much. I also think the Heat don't have an answer for Westbrook more so than OKC struggling to contain Wade.

OKC won't beat MIA because Scott Brooks is Wittman esque in his rotations. He won't bench Perkins in that matchup and he will play Derek Fisher over Perry Jones who really would be able to use his length to cause issues defensively which I remember from the first matchup this season.

Plus, who's their third scorer? Westbrook and Durant will get theres but will Ibaka doesn't play in the low post.

To beat the Heat you need

-Great defensive scheme.
-Best coach in the NBA.
-Defensively solid big that can give them 20 points 10 rebounds. (DAL had Dirk do the scoring and Tyson defending the paint and boarding)
-Great PG that can consistently penetrate.
-Great 3 point shooters.
-Solid bench players.
-Wing defenders

I like SA's bench and 3 point shooting better... 38 year old Tim Duncan is still a lethal post scorer and they're a top defensive team all the time. Hell, Fat Boris Diaw is shooting 70% at the rim and is posting people up left and right.

The Thunder without a big man scoring threat really do not inspire confidence in me. I know people say the stats show they're amazing offensively but when I see Ibaka shooting threes and letting Zach Randolph dominate him physically as he did in that 5 game series last year and Gasol playing free safety off Perkins, a team like MIA would have no fear worrying about that dimension of OKC offensively.

You don't need so much to beat the heat....

The key to beating the heat is NOT TO BEAT YOUR SELF

spurs beat themselves that last game, duncan missing layups ginobli jus making a slew of bad decisions
Pacers and Paul george inexperience lost them that round 6, a deng or ariza even would've cut lebron lane off and made him attempt jumper or go to the line

With the heat you have to outscore them, it's very hard to beat them with defense as we saw through the pacers series...
alot of teams in the west would beat the heat in 7
thunder
Warriors
rockets
clippers

thunder jus picked up caron butler... u have him coming off the bench to defend wade or lebron as well as jones...butler brings a missing piece to the Thunder and will definitely make a difference come playoffs
warriors almost beat the spurs in the playoffs, and now they have igu...they have all the tools necessary to beat the heat...I see them and okc in the wcf
rockets can outscore any team in the league...they can be effective from perimeter post and penetration...Defense isn't as effective, but the heat likes to run and will likely attempt to fail at a shootout
clippers is dangerous blake is a new blake and doc is that coach...they can take the heat in 7 easy since the granger pickup....The heat isn't immortal they jus played a bunch of kids 2 yrs ago...and some old men last yr

[hands11]

Hahaha. Just look at the first 20 picks. EVERY SINGLE ONE of the players there are getting minutes with 2 notable exceptions: Ves and Singleton.

Well, I wouldn't include the follow as success stories though..

Derrick Williams
Bismack Biyombo
Jimmer Fredette

[closg00]

Hahaha. Just look at the first 20 picks. EVERY SINGLE ONE of the players there are getting minutes with 2 notable exceptions: Ves and Singleton.

Well, I wouldn't include the follow as success stories though..

Derrick Williams
Bismack Biyombo
Jimmer Fredette

Williams and Biyombo are getting minutes and Jimmer just got picked-up by the Bulls. Ves & Singleton are both out of the league next-year most-likely.

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

Brooklyn takes the L tonight.

And the Bulls take an L to the Grizz... and hopefully will get another at the hands of the Heat come Sunday (who will hopefully still be pissed about that L to the Spurs).

Not a bad night off. Not bad at all.

[Illmatic21]

Blake Griffin on pace for 60.. what a goddamn beast he is this year

[dlts20]

Bulls getting hammered. We are still in a great position. Everyone around us is playing well but if we handle our biz then we should be the 4th seed with a solid shot to get the 3 seed. The biggest 2 factors by far are Wall and the home court non advantage. I think we will be very good at home in the playoffs and maybe very late in the year because I think the crowd will come and be amped up. I think thats our biggest problem. Its a dead arena and our team plays that way.

However, if you are great then you have to lead the way and thats where Wall has to step in. He has to get that passion back that he had late last year. Our team sucked but Wall was going off for 40 and the crowd was loving it. The team fed off that. Wall has to push the ball and attack. Thats what will get our HCA back. I think we will be good the rest of the year on the road. We are a pretty good road team and I think that will continue. What decides our fate is Wall and the home court until the playoffs and they could be one in the same. It starts tomorrow and then the home game in BKY.

Orlando is pretty solid but I just have alot of confidence in us right now on the road so I think we get that win. There is no way we should lose to the Bobcats and or BK at home but we just havent been playing well. If we win those games then we could make a good run for it but it starts with Wall and if he doesnt push the rock non stop then I wouldnt mind rolling with Dre more until Wall gets the hint. Im sick of our boring, lackluster home games. We never look like that on the road

[Illmatic21]

Russell Westbrook is an incredible athlete, man.. Wall is fast in a straight line but Westbrook is on another level with his acceleration and quickness. And most importantly, he plays with that aggressive mindset to attack, attack, attack

[Youheardme90]

Russell Westbrook is an incredible athlete, man.. Wall is fast in a straight line but Westbrook is on another level with his acceleration and quickness. And most importantly, he plays with that aggressive mindset to attack, attack, attack

Yea and he hurts his team by doing too much attacking at times.

[Illmatic21]

Russell Westbrook is an incredible athlete, man.. Wall is fast in a straight line but Westbrook is on another level with his acceleration and quickness. And most importantly, he plays with that aggressive mindset to attack, attack, attack

Yea and he hurts his team by doing too much attacking at times.

Just like Wall hurts his team by not attacking at times (which one could argue is worse because that doesn't strike any fear in the opposing team).

Westbrook is flawed, but still an outstanding player who adds much more than he takes away.

[Illmatic21]

Anthony Davis with 40/21/3/3.. Pelicans better not screw up with that dude

[FAH1223]

Anthony Davis with 40/21/3/3.. Pelicans better not screw up with that dude

Better get that boy some help. He is going to be the MVP of the League VERY soon.

When he gets refined post moves, GAME OVER.

The Rockets self destructed earlier due to bad shots and the refs also helped the Heat out but man this was FILTHY!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGBrOvTsUJ4[/youtube]

[mohammed10]

Just took a look at the standings...did anyone else (outside of Philly) notice the 76ers are in the midst of a 20 game losing streak?

Next 5 for them:

Chicago
Knicks
@ Chicago
@ San Antonio
@ Houston

This thing could easily grow past 25 in a row...

[Illmatic21]

^Record is 26.. I'd say they have a good shot at breaking it

It's funny cause they started the season as a supposedly 'upstart' team

[Dat2U]

Once again, Kyrie appears done for the year with now a biceps injury.

3rd year in the league, 3rd season ending injury. He's arguably a worst player now than when he came into the league at 19.

Cavs would really be ahead of the curve if they dealt him this offseason while they still can get good value.

[fishercob]

Wow. Missed 15 games as a rook, 23 last year, and 18 this year. He played 9 games his one year in college.

Red flag much?

[mhd]

If LAL miss out on a top 3 pick (Embiid, Wiggins, Parker), I could see them offering the pick for Kyrie. I think Cleveland would still say no.

[Kanyewest]

Once again, Kyrie appears done for the year with now a biceps injury.

3rd year in the league, 3rd season ending injury. He's arguably a worst player now than when he came into the league at 19.

Cavs would really be ahead of the curve if they dealt him this offseason while they still can get good value.

I don't think Irving is worse but the Cavs may have been a better team his rookie season with guys like Jamison, Varejao, Parker, and Sessions.