Basketball Thread

[The Real Gamer]

LeBron NEEDS to play every minute and every quarter like he did in that last 5-6 minutes in the 4th quarter. Just stay aggressive and don't go back to being complacent! Does he not realize how much better the Heat are when he plays like this??

Hopefully the switch went off and his head and he realizes it.

 

[ahchoomattchu]

I was helping my friend move in and out of apartments during the game.

That was such a tough loss to listen to on the radio. Still got to see OT.

Need to watch my recording, but it sounded like we really let this one slip away in the last minute of regulation. WTF Pop not playing Duncan???

 

[The Real Gamer]

That was definitely a tough loss for the Spurs but they also had their moments when the game looked bleak for them... I seriously thought Tony Parker single handedly ended the Big 3 legacy after that 3 he made right in LBJ's face followed by that clutch layup. And my god Duncan turned the clock back 10 years in that first half!

Just an overall incredible game.

 

[prisonchild]

LeBron NEEDS to play every minute and every quarter like he did in that last 5-6 minutes in the 4th quarter. Just stay aggressive and don't go back to being complacent! Does he not realize how much better the Heat are when he plays like this??

Hopefully the switch went off and his head and he realizes it.

the reason he was able to be so aggressive offensively is because he had three great shooters around him. they gave him the space necessary to get to the paint and not get crowded by three or four defenders. if you noticed, as soon as wade took miller out there were multiple possessions where LeBron drove, only to have a help defender off wade shut his lane off. once LeBron passed to wade, he obviously didn't shoot since he is a bad three point shooter and just dribbled the ball and wasted time.


the lineup of LeBron/bosh or Anderson and any three of miller/chalmers/battier/allen has been deadly all season, and especially all playoffs.


the one thing I noticed that nobody is really talking about but is really important to Miami's success is bosh. bosh played great defensively, especially in the second half of the game but was pretty much joel Anthony on offense. his shot hasn't been falling and there were quite a few times when he got passed the ball for a wide open mid range shot and passed the ball immediately. if he isn't drawing big men out of the paint to guard his jump shot then he isn't doing much in Miami's offense.

 

[The Real Gamer]

That wasn't the first time that lineup has been called upon. It's not even about keeping the driving lanes open LeBron simply hasn't looked nearly as engaged in this series as he did in those final minutes and his numbers are blatant proof of that.

The Spurs are a great defensive team but for LeBron to have completely sucked (deferred to much) in quite a few of these games like he has is simply unacceptable for someone with his talent.

I need to get some sleep...

 

[theeboredone]

LeBron NEEDS to play every minute and every quarter like he did in that last 5-6 minutes in the 4th quarter. Just stay aggressive and don't go back to being complacent! Does he not realize how much better the Heat are when he plays like this??

Hopefully the switch went off and his head and he realizes it.

It's simple why he doesn't play like that. There's a lot of energy to expend when you play that aggressively. When it came to the 4th Q, do or die, it was all or nothing for LBJ. He can't sustain that for 48 minutes.

I think Spo is finally committed to sticking LBJ on Parker. Pop needs to find a way to counter this. You can't expect much from Ginobili, and they are finally staying strict on Green. If Parker can't take off, Heat are going to win this upcoming game.

 

[The Real Gamer]

I want him to play with the same mentality that he did in Game 6 vs Boston last year. "We're winning this game so hop on my back and enjoy the ride or gtfo of the way."

I refuse to use fatigue as an excuse for his (overall) lackluster performance throughout this series.
In my opinion its 90% mental with him. If he wants to be the GOAT then he needs to play like the GOAT, tired or not.

 

[theeboredone]

Him somehow finding his jumpshot is most likely a mental thing, but him going all out at the rim for 48 minutes can just sap you of energy if that's how you want him to play.

Anyways, I know I said Heat in 6, but looks like it will be in 7. I just thought the Heat would have more of those "blitz" games like they did in Game 2, 4, and 4th quarter of 6.

 

[Jane]

i predicted spurs in 6, and goddammit, it was like 99% close to happening lol. oh well. i was so damn proud of bosh that last game. if i ever get a heat jersey, it'll definitely be bosh's.

 

[theeboredone]

Congrats to the Heat. Wade and LBJ showed up big time. Shout out to Battier as well. It's amazing how much hitting your jumpshot can help you.

 

[210stuna]

Spurs were supposed to celebrate last game.
Now look what happened.

Time to take my Spurs flag off for awhile

 

[SharkAttack]

Congrats to the Heat. Wade and LBJ showed up big time. Shout out to Battier as well. It's amazing how much hitting your jumpshot can help you.

2nd this. Wade was big in the 1st half, Lebron in the 2nd half. Battier was nailing 3's left and right. His three 3 pointers in the 1st quarter got the Miami crowd going. In the 4th quarter Battier hit some 3's as well. I was surprised Battier wasn't in the game as much with the hot hand he was having. It didn't matter overall. What a great series. It is one of the best series' I've seen.

 

[The Real Gamer]

All I have to say is people really weren't kidding when they said winning the 2nd championship in a row is MUCH harder than winning the first... 2 back to back Game 7 series my god. But then again it just makes this 2nd ring soooo much sweeter!

LeBron did exactly what I wanted him to do tonight: he was aggressive throughout the entire game. Also props to Battier for picking up on Bosh's slack. 0 points dude? Wonder if Riley will consider trading him in this off season.

 

[Hot_ArmS]

Kawhi is the future

 

[theeboredone]

Leonard is a real stud. When he wants to be aggressive, he was blowing by LBJ which isn't easy to do. I am very disappointed in TP and Ginobili. They froze two games in a row in the 4th quarter. Very un-Spur like. Ginobili should retire though. It's pretty clear he has nothing left to give on a game to game basis.

From an endurance perspective, it's hard to make it to 4 straight Finals. However, do the Heat really have any competition? Pacers if they can find a legitimate PG. Knicks are stuck. OKC is missing Harden. Spurs will be one year older. Memphis maybe?

 

[Wumbo105]

Ginobili's the turnover king, man. I mean SA had some tough luck at some points but Manu looked lost as hell.
I still believe this series shoulda ended Tuesday on Game 6, but SA let the free win slip away. Kudos to Miami for capitalizing on the fact that SA couldn't make key FTs and then just outplaying them in Game 7. Lebron actually had a solid 4th quarter for once in his life.

As far as competition goes, I'd say Spurs can still sneak up on em, because while people like Timmy are gettin older, people like Kawhi are gettin' more experienced. Also, watch for the Clip next season...if the moves they wanna make actually happen, they're gonna be scary. I'm also expecting my Thunder to pick up a scoring center/PF (thinkin Gortat, Jefferson if Presti is awesome) to replace the hunk of lard that Perkins is, which I think will solidify them nicely (aside from the Harden hole left behind). Pacers just gotta buy time for George to develop his offense and they should be fine. Hibbert's shown that he can score, Hill is a great spot-up shooter.

 

[theeboredone]

Hill maybe a good spot up shooter, but they have such a hard time bringing the ball up/getting it into their bigs. Outside of George, they have no dribble penetration.

Really, if you want to say what might go wrong for the Heat, it's as simple as Wade's health. He might do fine in the regular reason, but we'll see where he is in the playoffs.

 

[Jane]

big congrats to the heat. what an amazing series this was. very worthy of the finals. i loved every damn second of it. good stuff, heat.

 

[ahchoomattchu]

Great series. Hats off to the Heat for taking it back-to-back.

I am totally buying a Kawhi Leonard jersey next. I really wanted Timmy to get 5, but it's going to be really hard to replicate what we did this season.

I'm anxious to see how D. Rose will play next year and if he'll be enough of a factor to seriously challenge the Heat. No other team in the East - other than the Pacers - comes close to competing against them.

 

[theeboredone]

LBJ can shut down Rose though. Bulls need a legitimate second playmaker. Boozer is not going to cut it, and Deng at best is complimentary.

 

[Coolwhip]

< Suddenly shows up reading something about D-rose .

Congrats to heat wade on winning his 3rd title.

Heat are so damn lucky to be champs right now. It won't happen next year though.

 

[theeboredone]

The only useful thing about that post was I can now make another post.

TRG, should they trade Bosh?

 

[2kool2kare]

just a random thought but i think lebron on the pacers would be the most unstoppable team for years to come, more so than miami, his playmaking skills would be just what the pacers need and not to mention his defensive mindset would also fit perfectly with indiana

 

[The Real Gamer]

TRG, should they trade Bosh?

This is a tough question for most Heat fans atm. Bosh is still a very integral part of this Heat team thanks to his ability to draw bigs away from the basket and defend the PnR better than most big men out there currently, but not for the amount of money that he's currently making compared to the rest of the team. Part of me thinks he legitimately enjoys playing in Miami while another part of me wonders if he's currently thinking somewhere along the lines of "okay I got my rings but now it's time for me to prove my self worth and get paid the most money possible elsewhere."

But nevertheless they have repeated so I feel as though Riley has an obligation to keep the core together to go for the 3 peat. Personally I'd listen to trade offers involving Bosh but I wouldn't look to actively shop him. Instead I'd focus on re-tooling the bench with more ring chasers and going for another center because Bosh just isn't gonna cut it as a full time center throughout the rest of his Heat career.

just a random thought but i think lebron on the pacers would be the most unstoppable team for years to come, more so than miami, his playmaking skills would be just what the pacers need and not to mention his defensive mindset would also fit perfectly with indiana

LeBron on any of the current top 12 teams would immediately turn into the favorites to win... He's just that type of impact player.

 

[The Real Gamer]

Well **** me sideways I just wrote a long ass post regarding Bosh trades but then it all got deleted... Short answer: I'd focus on re-tooling the bench and getting a serviceable center more than anything but I'd still listen to offers.

Poster above: LBJ on any of the current top 12 teams would instantly become the favorites.

 

[2kool2kare]

I personally think lebron on any team would make them legit threats to their respective conferences, im pointing out indiana in particular because he just fits so perfectly with them offensively and defensively

And on the bosh issue im also 50/50 they have repeated with him but if they can get a player like gortat and a couple more roleplayers i say go for it

 

[Wumbo105]

The Big 3 is slowly becoming the Big 1, with Bosh becoming a non-issue for long stretches of time to many teams, and Wade's health slowly withering. Every year it's just going to get harder for them, not only due to their deterioration, but other teams' development. Bosh should prove to be a pretty valuable trade piece if a strong alternative becomes available for Miami.

And regarding D-Rose, no, Lebron cannot shut him down. Aside from the fact that Lebron struggles defending quick ballhandlers that tend to excel in blow-by's, D-Rose is just one of those people in the league that cannot be shut down. Lebron, Durant, Kobe, and sometimes Westbrook are also on the list, where defenders just gotta hope for a cloudy day for these guys.
Anyway, i think the main issue with why the Bulls struggled in the playoffs is their painful lack of ability to get points on the board. This is also why we saw them succeed as soon as Nate started filling that scoring void. Once Rose's points and assists come back, they'll be alright.

 

[The Real Gamer]

D-Rose is just one of those people in the league that cannot be shut down.

I'm guessing you somehow missed the 2011 ECF?

 

[theeboredone]

Seriously. Did you see the ECF? LBJ is still in his prime. No matter how many crossovers or fakes Rose threw, LBJ pretty much shut him down. Rose only had chances when it was more of a fast break opportunity. Rose is also no where near a consistent shooter for LBJ to step up on him. You know how the Spurs were guarding LBJ by giving him space? The same can be applied to Rose.

 

[strawhats]

Leonard is a real stud. When he wants to be aggressive, he was blowing by LBJ which isn't easy to do. I am very disappointed in TP and Ginobili. They froze two games in a row in the 4th quarter. Very un-Spur like. Ginobili should retire though. It's pretty clear he has nothing left to give on a game to game basis.

From an endurance perspective, it's hard to make it to 4 straight Finals. However, do the Heat really have any competition? Pacers if they can find a legitimate PG. Knicks are stuck. OKC is missing Harden. Spurs will be one year older. Memphis maybe?

Ughh...this very fact alone pisses me off as a knicks fan. I don't know how the hell the knicks will improve from this year. Chandler needs to develop a 10-15 foot jump shot(kinda like duncan), we need more improvement from Felton. Melo needs to continue to develop his all around game off the ball, especially defensively, and getting others involved(he's made great strides into becoming a solid defensive/offensive rebounder already). Melo should also attack the basket more. J.R. Smith needs to right the wrongs that he's made in the playoffs. Steve Novak needs to learn how to shoot over people shorter than him and be able to shoot a 2-pointer every once in a while, since people love to chase him off the arc these days (yeah sad i know).Otherwise knicks can't really make any moves due to being stuck with luxury taxes/stoudamire's contract. To think we could have had CP3 a few years ago. (he, Melo, and Amare made a toast at Melo's wedding a few years ago b4 even melo came to the NYC). Meanwhile Pacers/Bulls will be getting huge peices back this upcoming season in Danny Granger and Derrick Rose/Healthy Loul Deng/Kirk Heinrich/Healthy Noah. Knicks are at best the 4th best team in the East right now...and I'm not even including the Nets who will certainly improve with D. Williams being completely healthy and Lopez will surely get better. (Not to mention Jason Kidd is coaching, although that could be a double edged sword for that team as he is a rookie from the coaching side of things...he better have a solid ass coaching support system on that sideline with him)

 

[The Real Gamer]

Smashboards is acting so wacky right now. My post last night got deleted but now it's somehow posted? Wha?

But anyways the Bulls and Pacers will most definitely be the biggest threats to Miami next year, and yes that includes the Western Conference teams as well, unless if some sort of blockbuster trade involving Howard/CP3 goes down.

But lets not forget Miami will undoubtedly re-tool as well, and HOPEFULLY Wade can head into next year's playoffs healthy. The dude was averaging 24 points before his injury so maybe he'll still have a bit left in the tank.

Oh and Bosh needs to do some serious soul searching this summer... The Big 3 really are just the Big 1 with an injured Wade and this new pathetic version of Bosh that gets demolished by the corpse of Duncan.

 

[theeboredone]

Wade needs to develop a consistent mid range/3 point shot. I'm sorry, but he really is in the twilight of his years. Yeah he can "turn it on" in some games, and injured or not, that **** is going to come back to bite the team sooner or later.

 

[Knight Dude]

Not surprised that Miami won. But I heard that the Spurs gave them hell. Too bad I missed out on it though.

 

[Wumbo105]

From what I saw in the 2011 ECF, most of Rose's struggling was just himself, kinda like how Kobe shoots himself out of a game from time to time. Granted Lebron got a few chasedown blocks n stuff like that, but I'd hardly say he was the one that shut down Rose, and I saw Wade more on Rose than Lebron. If Kobe goes for 6-26 against the Raptors or somethin, you wanna tell me DeRozan shut down Kobe?

 

[theeboredone]

From what I saw in the 2011 ECF, most of Rose's struggling was just himself, kinda like how Kobe shoots himself out of a game from time to time. Granted Lebron got a few chasedown blocks n stuff like that, but I'd hardly say he was the one that shut down Rose, and I saw Wade more on Rose than Lebron. If Kobe goes for 6-26 against the Raptors or somethin, you wanna tell me DeRozan shut down Kobe?

Dude, when LBJ was asked to guard Rose, he got shut down pretty bad. Rose is no where near the shooter Kobe is. Rose is streaky at best. Either he's hitting them, or he's missing them. Kobe will shoot himself out, because he takes some bogus shots. Rose will shoot himself out, because it's Tuesday.

Like LBJ being stuck on Parker, you can pretty much stop the Bulls offense by sticking LBJ on Rose. He is their only true playmaker unless you count Nate Robinson.

 

[Wumbo105]

Well there ya go then, you're explaining yourself that it wasn't Lebron that stopped him, it was his own inability to shoot the ball. Maybe Kobe wasn't a good comparison, shoulda gone with Westbrook or something. And I wouldn't equate Spurs offense to Bulls offense...true, Parker is the only playmaker but people like Kawhi, Duncan, Neal, and Green (if he's not cold as hell) can all get points when needed. With Rose out, Bulls have...Deng? Nate for one day out of the week? But anyway, doesn't Rose just start driving once his shot isn't falling? I don't watch a ton of Bulls games but I've seen a few.

 

[2kool2kare]

I find it hilarious people have the nerve to compare kobe to jordan whent hes not even top 10 all time...

 

[The Real Gamer]

Dude you can try to sugar coat it all you want... Rose got shut down harder than any other former MVP in recent memory. Just own up to it like I always have to own up to LeBron sucking major ass in the 11 Finals (though he's made up for it in a huge way).

Yes the Miami Heat defense was focused mostly on him but that's why superstars are labelled as superstars in the first place.

 

[Suspect]

Hope some talent ends up in the leastern conference so miami can stop getting free trips to the finals every year

wonder what desperate player is going to try to join the heat next season for a chance at a ring. tmac?

 

[The Real Gamer]

2012: Heat vs Celtics goes 7 games
2013: Heat vs Pacers goes 7 games

...Free trips to the Finals?