2011/2012 NBA Thread: Where Weather Happens

[Daniel Thompson]

^ I hope both series go 7 games honestly. I said that from the beginning I want 7 game series for both WCF and ECF.

 

[JaD]

^ I hope both series go 7 games honestly. I said that from the beginning I want 7 game series for both WCF and ECF.

Are you saying this to the referees or the players?

 

[Venom'sDad]

Boston just might be the most mentally tough team since the '96 Bulls. Obviously not the same talent-wise, but just perseverance. They were down by like 13 at some points tonight, they just keep coming. They were supposed to be done and over with at least 3 seasons now, and they still rise. As a Lakers fan I despise them, but deep down, I respect them. A lot. And in some ways, I wish that same effort could be exerted from LA.

The 96 Bulls was't mentally tough, Jordan was.

 

[Ironhorse75]

Do the Heat even have any cap space to work with?

Or did they think they could get everyone for wholesale price because they should be grateful for all the championships they would be a part of?

ESPN broadcasters and analysts change their tune based on whatever storyline will draw in ratings. They did it when the Pacers were beating the Heat ("The Heat are done! The Big 3 needs to be broken up!"), they did it when the Heat rebounded (even having the nerve to blame the media for writing the Heat off), and now they are right back to throwing the Heat under the bus.

Correct, they're more story weavers than analysts.

 

[Matt]

"Good effort," is trending on Twittier.

 

[Matt]

For the record, I agree with this article:

LeBron and Wade Skip Podium

Basically, they threw Spo and Bosh to the wolves while they answered questions in the locker room (a much less daunting task). This is what people are talking about when they say that the team has no leadership. These two schmucks go out in their silly clothes and glasses with color coordinated ties when the Heat win, but that is easy. Here is the team, at their lowest point of the season, a time when the team's two leaders need to step up and show leadership and rather than facing their critics and motivating their team, they sit in the locker room and pout. Pathetic.

 

[Poeman]

"Good effort," is trending on Twittier.

hahah love it man. The little kid is a real Heat fan.

 

[Poeman]

 

[Darthphere]

For the record, I agree with this article:

LeBron and Wade Skip Podium

Basically, they threw Spo and Bosh to the wolves while they answered questions in the locker room (a much less daunting task). This is what people are talking about when they say that the team has no leadership. These two schmucks go out in their silly clothes and glasses with color coordinated ties when the Heat win, but that is easy. Here is the team, at their lowest point of the season, a time when the team's two leaders need to step up and show leadership and rather than facing their critics and motivating their team, they sit in the locker room and pout. Pathetic.

They need to go to the Kobe school of pissed off post game press conferences.

 

[Poeman]

They need to go to the Kobe school of pissed off post game press conferences.

 

[Poeman]

They need to go to the Kobe school of pissed off post game press conferences.

Also, alot of talk about Lebron and Wade in the 4th coming into play now...Comparing to the Dallas series of last year.

What are your thoughts about Lebron in the 4th quarter this series especially in the last 5 minutes of games?

Game 1: 3pts, 0asts, 2rbs, 1-2fg, 1-2ft
Game 2: 6pts, 0asts, 1rb, 0-3fg, 6-6ft
Game 2 OT: 4pts, 1ast, 3rbs, 1-1fg, 2-4ft
Game 3: 0pts, 0asts, 0rbs, 0-2fg, 0-0ft, 1 to
Game 4: 4pts, 0asts, 0rbs, 1-3fg, 1-2ft (played 4min)
Game 4 OT: 0pts, 0asts, 0rbs, 0-2fg, 0-0ft, 1to (played 3min)
Game 5: 2pts, 0asts, 1rb, 1-3fg, 0-0ft

Totals in 31min: 19pts, 1ast, 7rbs, 2tos, 4-16fg, 10-14ft

Hes hit just 4fgs in 5 games + 2 overtimes.

And this is Wade's

Wade numbers

Game 1| 4 pts,2-2 FG, 1 to
Game 2| 9 pts,2-2 FG,5-8 FT,1 reb, 1 ast
Game 3| 2 pts,1-3 FG,2 reb
Game 4| 2 pts ,1-4 FG,2 reb,2 ast, 1 to
Game 5| 6 pts,2-5 FG,2-2 FT,1 reb

Overtimes included

Total: 23 pts ,8-17FG,7-10 FT, 6 reb, 3 ast, 2 to

 

[runawayboulder]

"Good effort," is trending on Twittier.

That's awesome. You know what would be even more awesome? Boston fans chanting it tomorrow night every time James or Wade touch the ball! t:t:t:

 

[hitmanyr2k]

The Bulls teams never aged as much as this Boston team did. This Boston core is literally in it's last year or so before these guys are done. In 98, Jordan and Pippen were not that old. Pippen and Jackson wanted out, MJ retired and Rodman was done.

Jordan and Pippen were old considering the mileage on their legs. Three-peating twice is no easy task and those deep playoff runs wear on you. Jordan at least got two years off to play baseball (which is nowhere near as physically demanding as basketball) so his legs weren't as old as they should have been. Pippen, on the other hand aged fast because he really got no time off through the 90's. Every season he was in deep playoff runs, played in two (Olympics '92 and '96) so he got no rest in the offseason to recuperate. The injuries started piling up on him (foot, ankle, knees, and back) and from '96 until the end of that Bulls dynasty he never made a playoff run without playing with serious injuries.

In '98 Pippen was out half the season after getting surgery on a bad foot which he played most of the '97 playoffs with. In the '98 Finals that back injury and the offseason surgery took its toll and he was clearly never the same player after that.

 

[Matt]

They need to go to the Kobe school of pissed off post game press conferences.

Nope, they shouldn't do that either. But they should go out there, show leadership and not make excuses. I know that is a lot to ask for from any player in the current NBA. But call me old fashioned, I just think when guys are paid 16 million dollars to lead a team, they ought to act like leaders, not *****es when they lose.

 

[Daniel Thompson]

That's awesome. You know what would be even more awesome? Boston fans chanting it tomorrow night every time James or Wade touch the ball! t:t:t:

I think Boston fans should do that.

 

[Doc Samson]

The 96 Bulls was't mentally tough, Jordan was.

Y'know, I get increasingly more disturbed by this "Jordan Myth" as I call it, with each passing year. That 96 Bulls team (and all of his other championship teams as well) were full of solid, hard nosed, hard working, players. Period. With or without Jordan.

The first time he retired, the Bulls lost two more games then they did the previous year with him. If Lebron left the Heat and that happened, you'd guys be writing his eulogy, in fact people already do that with D-wade being out and them having a winning record regardless.

Rodman grabbed 11 offensive rebounds twice in the Finals that year, Kerr lead the league in Three point shooting, Kukoc was 6th man of the year, they had the best bench in the league, cut it out man! That team was mentally tough across the board, they were head and shoulders better than everyone else but they still approached each game like it was important. There have been plenty of teams before and since with that caliber of talent, but none with the resolve to destroy the teams they're supposed to destroy, whether it was May or January.

Likewise, I've never seen an older team like the Celtics persevere like this. Their demise was supposed to happen a million times already, and they still hang around. Ray Allen needs surgery, like now. Pierce has a sprained MCL and is putting it down on the "greatest player in the world." KG, I don't even know if dude has any cartilage left in those knees, and he's still rolling. They lost their best perimeter defender, still winning. It's something to be appreciated, and I'm sick and tired of people belittling and disrespecting the current players (and the former ones too before MJ) because of some mythological creation they have revisionist history about.

 

[Daniel Thompson]

^ I agree MJ had alot of help during his 6 runs for the championship. If Mike did it all he would not of won 6 titles, as before 1991 when he did not have the championship caliber team he had later on in his career he was doing it all by himself and the Bulls only went as far as the ECF and lose to Detroit 2 years in a row. MJ was still the man and the Bulls needed him alot to pull in games but he at the sametime had alot of help from good role players who would of been starters on any other team.

 

[Doc Samson]

They actually lost 3 years in a row to the Pistons, which is another thing I can't stand. People love to call the 90's the best era, when in actuality, the 80's probably was, with 3 of the greatest teams of all time dominating. And Jordan never beat any of them, until they aged and were on the way out anyway. I hate sounding like this, but the way people talk about him and that period of time just annoys me. He had the greatest career ever, no doubt, but let's leave it at that. Joe Montana had a greater career than John Elway too, doesn't necessarily make him better though...

 

[BatSpider]

For the record, I agree with this article:

LeBron and Wade Skip Podium

Basically, they threw Spo and Bosh to the wolves while they answered questions in the locker room (a much less daunting task). This is what people are talking about when they say that the team has no leadership. These two schmucks go out in their silly clothes and glasses with color coordinated ties when the Heat win, but that is easy. Here is the team, at their lowest point of the season, a time when the team's two leaders need to step up and show leadership and rather than facing their critics and motivating their team, they sit in the locker room and pout. Pathetic.

Gahhhh things like this NEED to be perceived about these two. Leaders? No way in hell. You can have talent on the court but the other things these guys do just completely nullifies the respect i would have of their abilities.

 

[Raiden]

Y'know, I get increasingly more disturbed by this "Jordan Myth" as I call it, with each passing year. That 96 Bulls team (and all of his other championship teams as well) were full of solid, hard nosed, hard working, players. Period. With or without Jordan.

The first time he retired, the Bulls lost two more games then they did the previous year with him. If Lebron left the Heat and that happened, you'd guys be writing his eulogy, in fact people already do that with D-wade being out and them having a winning record regardless.

Rodman grabbed 11 offensive rebounds twice in the Finals that year, Kerr lead the league in Three point shooting, Kukoc was 6th man of the year, they had the best bench in the league, cut it out man! That team was mentally tough across the board, they were head and shoulders better than everyone else but they still approached each game like it was important. There have been plenty of teams before and since with that caliber of talent, but none with the resolve to destroy the teams they're supposed to destroy, whether it was May or January.

You forgot to mention that they had the greatest coach in history Phil Jackson on the sideline as well.

Likewise, I've never seen an older team like the Celtics persevere like this. Their demise was supposed to happen a million times already, and they still hang around. Ray Allen needs surgery, like now. Pierce has a sprained MCL and is putting it down on the "greatest player in the world." KG, I don't even know if dude has any cartilage left in those knees, and he's still rolling. They lost their best perimeter defender, still winning. It's something to be appreciated, and I'm sick and tired of people belittling and disrespecting the current players (and the former ones too before MJ) because of some mythological creation they have revisionist history about.

As a Lakers fan, I hate the Boston Celtics, but even I have to give them props for persevering against a team that many media outlets have anointed as a championship team even before they won a single title. This series shows that talents are not enough, and heart and determination also count alot during playoff.

 

[Doc Samson]

As a Lakers fan, I hate the Boston Celtics, but even I have to give them props for persevering against a team that many media outlets have anointed as a championship team even before they won a single title. This series shows that talents are not enough, and heart and determination also count alot during playoff.

Exactly how I feel. I said this yesterday, but a small part of me wishes the Lakers had that same mentality across the board. In fact, the only time I really saw that was when they had to beat the Celtics in that Game 7. They all dug deep, not just a few guys but the whole team, and showed resilience that hasn't been seen since.

 

[Raiden]

Exactly how I feel. I said this yesterday, but a small part of me wishes the Lakers had that same mentality across the board. In fact, the only time I really saw that was when they had to beat the Celtics in that Game 7. They all dug deep, not just a few guys but the whole team, and showed resilience that hasn't been seen since.

I agree. I think the sweep by Mavs last playoff and a 5-1 exit at the hands of Thunder this playoff showed that mentally, the Lakers just don't have what takes to prevail against other teams that have deeper talents than they do. Aside from Kobe, we have Gasol who didn't show up in the series vs Dallas because he was having problems with his gf, and this season we have Bynum who was showing all kinds of maturity issues throughout the year. Lakers can't have leaders who would buckle under pressure or display behaviors that are more akin to teenagers than NBA veterans who command 17 million a year.

Unfortunately, any attempt to overhaul the Lakers will be difficult, especially with the new CBA, and status quo just means that they'll be farther and farther behind the young & talented OKC for the next decade or so. Right now I don't really have a solution to fix all the problems that Lakers have, and I think Kupchak will have his work cut out for him in this off-season.

 

[Darthphere]

Also, alot of talk about Lebron and Wade in the 4th coming into play now...Comparing to the Dallas series of last year.

What are your thoughts about Lebron in the 4th quarter this series especially in the last 5 minutes of games?


And this is Wade's

I think the issue is, they need to play a complete game. Wade sleep walks through the first 3 quarters and Lebron disappears in the 4th. They have the ability to blow out the Celtics (like in Game 1) but they just don't come out with any intensity. And for all offensive issues they have, they were terribly slow to get back on defense last night allowing the Celtics to get easy baskets. They need to play a complete 48 minutes. Spo needs to trust his bench more and get other guys involved. That's why Bosh was so important. You could count on him for at least 20 a night and in this series would matchup with KG. I think Bosh needed to play more in the 4th, at least to have a body on KG.

 

[Daniel Thompson]

They actually lost 3 years in a row to the Pistons, which is another thing I can't stand. People love to call the 90's the best era, when in actuality, the 80's probably was, with 3 of the greatest teams of all time dominating. And Jordan never beat any of them, until they aged and were on the way out anyway. I hate sounding like this, but the way people talk about him and that period of time just annoys me. He had the greatest career ever, no doubt, but let's leave it at that. Joe Montana had a greater career than John Elway too, doesn't necessarily make him better though...

4 actually, you had LA, Boston, Detroit and Philly.

 

[Daniel Thompson]

I want Spurs to win tonight only so their can be a game 7.