[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
[quote]gregron wrote:
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
I dont’ get people who are loyal to a team and won’t watch a series that their team isn’t in. I just want to see some good BALL, period. I don’t get those people.[/quote]
I dont get you!
I havent watched a game since the lakers lost… except for all of the other games that have been on :)[/quote]
So you’ve watched all other NBA games but haven’t watched since the Lakers lost?
What?[/quote]
x2
Whaaaaaaat?
[quote]therajraj wrote:
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
[quote]gregron wrote:
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
I dont’ get people who are loyal to a team and won’t watch a series that their team isn’t in. I just want to see some good BALL, period. I don’t get those people.[/quote]
I dont get you!
I havent watched a game since the lakers lost… except for all of the other games that have been on :)[/quote]
So you’ve watched all other NBA games but haven’t watched since the Lakers lost?
What?[/quote]
x2
Whaaaaaaat?
[/quote]
muuuwahahahahaha!
ok ok… I’ll admit, I’ve watched all the games since the Lakers lost (I actually didnt watch game 4 of the Dallas/LA series though)
I’m really looking forward to seeing how tonights game goes.
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
[quote]sam_sneed wrote:
[quote]Teledin wrote:
Just like when people were saying MIA were going to smoke the Bulls (not specifically speaking in this thread) because they ran through PHI and BOS. Not accounting for the fact PHI are a good team who doesn’t match up well to the Heat, and that BOS were worn down, injured and barely scraped through against NYK. Also no consideration was given to CHI under performing against IND and ATL who actually match up better to the Bulls than the Heat do.
[/quote]
I wouldn’t say that Boston barely scraped past the Knicks. Sure the Knicks could’ve easily won the first 2, but 3 and 4 weren’t even games. They were embarrassments. I live 20 minutes from the Garden and I can tell you that was the sentiment of all the people I know in this area. Embarrassment.
Now before I get labeled a bandwagoneer because of my avatar, I’m not a Heat fan. Mostly because of Lebron. Wade is however my favorite player. That being said, I like the Heat better than the Bulls, OKC, or Mavs.[/quote]
Man, I love the “by default” fans 
I dont’ get people who are loyal to a team and won’t watch a series that their team isn’t in. I just want to see some good BALL, period. I don’t get those people.[/quote]
Haha, yeah especially the way the playoffs are going this year. Also everyone one of these last 4 teams has a superstar (some more than one) that is exciting to watch even if you’re not a fan. Dirk, Rose,Wade, Durant, Westbrook, and Lebron. How could you not want to see any of these guys in action?
The trick is to be a fan of a team that never gets better and rarely makes the playoffs.
That way every playoffs is enjoyable because you don’t care who wins or loses.
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
Durantula is too sick.
You guys think he’s better than Rose, right?[/quote]
Um, gotta answer this politically. Durant has more talent, but I’m not sure if he’s better right now. He’s not a great ballhandler and disappears sometimes in the waning moments of the game (when he has a hard time getting open). It’s not RW’s fault a lot of the time, he can’t get it to Durant so he has to improvise, and everyone blames it on him for not passing even though Durant is blanketed.
Durant is awesome, and he will eventually be the better player…but I have them at pretty even right now.[/quote]
Durant led in scoring what, 2 years in a row?
And Rose is much more inefficient, I believe…but I haven’t compared stats, to be fair. I do know Rose can be super inefficient.
I enjoy watching Rose and I think he’s unreal. But you’d rather build a franchise around Durant than Rose?[/quote]
You would expect Rose to be more inefficient because he has to create starting with the ball whereas Durant gets a lot of his points coming off screens (which causes selection bias - if he is defended well, he doesn’t even get the ball passed to him, therefore whenever he does get a shot it’s usually open. The inefficiency is in getting him to TAKE a shot… whereas Rose gets his shot off more easily, but makes them less frequently. Getting a shot off is a skill itself).
Does that make sense? It’s harder for him to shoot, but easier once he does. If you watch him off the ball, a lot of times he’ll get denied off a few screens until there are 6 seconds left on the clock and it forces Westbrook to create a low percentage shot. Not really Westbrook’s fault when that happens.
In other words - Kyle Korver is also a much more efficient player than Rose for this reason, but would you rather build an offense around him than Rose?
I’d still start with Durant buliding a team, probably, but it would be close.
[quote]gregron wrote:
[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]gregron wrote:
Miami got owned in the second half last night… but Chicago was en fuego from the field in the second half. They wont be able to keep shooting like that every game though.
I think Dallas beats OKC. Dallas has had lots of good squads over the years but managed to somehow to choke in the playoffs. I think this will finally be their year to play up to their potential… Unless Wesbrook puts up double digit assists throughout the series I dont see them pulling out the series.[/quote]
Man, everyone sleeping on OKC. DAL will have a much tougher time guarding KD/RW than MEM did. I think Ibaka is better suited to guard Dirk than Pau.
No way it goes less than 6 or 7 - but I got OKC here.[/quote]
I’m not sleeping on OKC at all, I just think that Dallas has way more experience and are playing better as a team in the playoffs and they have homecourt advantage.
i think it goes 6 or 7 games as well… I just think Dallas is playing too good and just got a lot of rest for its older veteran players.[/quote]
This is all true - to me it boils down to the fact I put less emphasis on experience than most people. I just think that every dynasty had a “first time” and did it without experience at least once. MY LOGIC IS BULLETPROOF.
[quote]scj119 wrote:
I just think that every dynasty had a “first time” and did it without experience at least once. MY LOGIC IS BULLETPROOF.[/quote]
so the Thunder are a dynasty now?
I agree that they’re the team of the future (probably starting next year) and are going to go on a 7-8 year run at the top of the Western Conference but I think Dallas is gonna pull out this series. I’m rooting for them.
We’ll get a little insight on who’s right after the game tonight
I Want DAL to win as well, but I’m sticking with my original prediction of OKC 
OKC are far from peaking but they will have enough to beat the Mavs.
So lotto draft pick is today.
Hopefully Raps get first place Crosses Fingers
Knowing Colagelo he will draft the European Enes Kanter. No
No offense to the Euro players but Toronto needs to get bigger and blacker.
Bargnani, Calderon, Turkoglu, Bellinelli, Delfino… please no more white guys.
http://espn.go.com/nba/lottery2011/mockdraft
I just spun the mock draft lotto thingy in the link above 5x and 4 out of those 5 times it predicted the raps drafting Enes Kanter 
Think the Mavs 9 day rest might hurt them tonight but be beneficial in the long run. The only way it isn’t is OKC’s youth not letting them get tired. I’m kinda torn on this series. I think people are looking at the Mavs steamrolling the Lakers and predicting big things, but they’re looking past the pretty glaring fact that the Lakers beat themselves [or allowed themselves to be beat, however you look at it]. Also, there is NO WAY the Mavs can keep up their ridiculous bench production and lights out shooting. I just don’t think it’s possible. On the other hand they have a ton of experience and basketball IQ, and I think that Nowitzki is the best player in this series [I think???] and might be looking to make a statement with his team rallying around him.
Now, OKC is absurdly athletic and pretty deep, and they might come out and smother the Mavs from the jump. NO ONE in the Mavs backcourt is gonna be able to stop Westbrook from getting to the rim, and if he starts kicking the ball out [instead of taking heavily contested jumpers/floaters] as the D collapses and OKC’s shooters hit their shots the Mavs are gonna be in a world of trouble. They don’t have the athletes to close out quick enough. And, Durant is probably the best offesnive player left in the playoffs, and maybe the best clutch player left as well. However, they’ve just come off a grueling series and are pretty young. The bright lights and expectations combined with the residual fatigue might be too much for them this year. Any way you look at it, this is gonna be an awesome fucking series.
^ You really think the stage is going to effect OKC’s performance? I can’t see it the way they’ve played so far. Probably will factor in if they reach the Finals.
And really are the expectations on OKC that high? Everyone was predicting a Bulls/Celtics vs. Lakers final, and that OKC was still a year away from peaking.
[quote]therajraj wrote:
^ You really think the stage is going to effect OKC’s performance? I can’t see it the way they’ve played so far. Probably will factor in if they reach the Finals.
And really are the expectations on OKC that high? Everyone was predicting a Bulls/Celtics vs. Lakers final, and that OKC was still a year away from peaking.[/quote]
I personally don’t think it will, just listing it as a possiblity. Your last question touched on, my first point about the Mavs: Expectations are through the roof for the Mavs due to what happened in the Lakers series, but people need to realize the Lakers beat themselves, not to take away from what the Mavs accomplished. I have no idea of what’s gonna happen in this series, and something in me is saying the Mavs take it, but I’d like for OKC to win. I’m 50/50 on this one.
[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
Durantula is too sick.
You guys think he’s better than Rose, right?[/quote]
Um, gotta answer this politically. Durant has more talent, but I’m not sure if he’s better right now. He’s not a great ballhandler and disappears sometimes in the waning moments of the game (when he has a hard time getting open). It’s not RW’s fault a lot of the time, he can’t get it to Durant so he has to improvise, and everyone blames it on him for not passing even though Durant is blanketed.
Durant is awesome, and he will eventually be the better player…but I have them at pretty even right now.[/quote]
Durant led in scoring what, 2 years in a row?
And Rose is much more inefficient, I believe…but I haven’t compared stats, to be fair. I do know Rose can be super inefficient.
I enjoy watching Rose and I think he’s unreal. But you’d rather build a franchise around Durant than Rose?[/quote]
You would expect Rose to be more inefficient because he has to create starting with the ball whereas Durant gets a lot of his points coming off screens (which causes selection bias - if he is defended well, he doesn’t even get the ball passed to him, therefore whenever he does get a shot it’s usually open. The inefficiency is in getting him to TAKE a shot… whereas Rose gets his shot off more easily, but makes them less frequently. Getting a shot off is a skill itself).
Does that make sense? It’s harder for him to shoot, but easier once he does. If you watch him off the ball, a lot of times he’ll get denied off a few screens until there are 6 seconds left on the clock and it forces Westbrook to create a low percentage shot. Not really Westbrook’s fault when that happens.
In other words - Kyle Korver is also a much more efficient player than Rose for this reason, but would you rather build an offense around him than Rose?
I’d still start with Durant buliding a team, probably, but it would be close.[/quote]
Great analysis.
Disclaimer: I’m stirring the pot here so I can relay some good points to my buddy who talks a lot of shit.
I’ve just fucking loved these playoffs. Incredible games played.
Get to watch some on my friend’s 65" TV but the bastard doesn’t care for non-MIA games.
Cavs get #1 pick
Raps get #5 pick.
Who is the best pick in the draft? Kyrie Irving unanimously?
The Kings ALWAYS get fucked in the draft lottery. Im not even mad about anymore, the NBA stole our title in 2002, and they continue to fuck us on a regular basis.
Plus side, I was on ESPN when they showed the footage from the Kings rally.
OKC perimeter D is just crazy
[quote]therajraj wrote:
Cavs get #1 pick
Raps get #5 pick.
Who is the best pick in the draft? Kyrie Irving unanimously? [/quote]
Man, I don’t think there’s any game changers in this draft, but I’d probably say Williams from Arizona is the best player available. His athleticism is overrated, and he’s the definition of 'tweener, but he can play and will probably have the biggest impact immediately and overall. It’s crazy that the Cavs have 2 picks in the top 5. Too for them bad it’s this year.
Damn… If Dirk has another half like that this game will be over quick.
8-9fg with 21 pts!
This series is going to highlight the weaknesses of each team. Jet summed it up perfect. You go 1 on 1 with Dirk he’ll sink shots. You double him, you leave the 3 wide open. Best situation is if you use the two bigs to double and force Dirk to go the inside to Chandler or Haywood.
Just BL for OKC that Westbrook can’t penetrate easily. Clearly it’s frustrating him.
Mavs aren’t an inside game team, but they were getting in way too easily in the 1st. You can’t let guys like Corey Brewer and Peja penetrate like they did. OKC need to play that transition game they were playing in the 1st which hurt them in the 2nd. Durant was just killing them.