2012 NBA Playoffs

[Man in Black]

Here's a thread for us to ramble on about this year's post season... I know everyone wants to hear me rant and rave about my Spurs



Game 2 of the Thunder and Spurs was a treat to watch. The Spurs played team ball as well as I've ever seen it done in the NBA. That team is as well put together as any ever has been. A core of the Euro-style guys mixed with talented but coachable American kids is like putty in the hands of Pop the master... I'm in awe and feel lucky to be a fan of this team.

Duncan serving Sir Chewbacca a little NASTY!

While on the subject I'd like to eat a little crow that I deserve. I don't know if I've mentioned it on this board or not, but I've never been a huge Tony Parker fan. I didn't dislike him, but I've always felt he'd be easily replaced by a player with similar talents.

I was just plain wrong, he has listened and learned and is now the best point in the game and the central guy on a possibly legendary squad (if they don't win it all nobody will remember). I would not trade him for ANY other guy at the position, not even Rondo... who I would have gladly taken for him earlier. Sorry Tony, I stand corrected.

[Jason]

I said the exact same thing about game 2. An absolute treat to watch. When the Thunder would spark a comeback and keep it close, the Spurs began to pull ahead, and it just kept happening. Two great teams that I enjoy watching, playing for all the marbles. I don't know if I've ever been more impressed with an overall team performance than I have with the Spurs right now. Sure, Durant, Westbrook and Harden are probably the better big 3, but the Spurs have an entire team of elite players, which is why they're up 2-0, and haven't lost in months.

[Jason]

Oh, and Tim Duncan is one of my all time favorite basketball players. And I really dig Gregg Popovich.

[Man in Black]

I was wondering if you were pulling for the Spurs to help me out some or would you be liking them anyway. I pull for Denver with you, but I'd be watching them some anyways because of Lawson.


Did you see the jump ball in game one when Steve Kerr said he thought a small bird came out of Harden's beard when the official's whistle fell out? I blew my drink out my nose I was laughing so hard!

I like the Thunder a lot. I wish they didn't have to play each other, but it does make it entertaining. I thought Scott Brooks did a great coaching job keeping game 2 close... but Barkely was right he waited too late. And they are also right about Westbrook, Parker is making him look bad on paper with the stats but Westbrook doesn't have the passing big men that can shoot like Parker does and it is not a proper comparison... Westbrook is playing very well for such a matchup.

They always get the second guy... especially when it's
Artest... and he knocks you out hahahaha...

[Jason]

I don't know for sure if I'd be cheering for the Spurs to go all the way if you weren't a fan, but they would definitely be among the top 1 or 2.

I was only able to catch the last quarter of game 1. I didn't know that whistle incident happened at all. That is pretty funny, though. I wish I could've heard the commentary. Haha.

I really want to hate the Thunder. they're division rivals, and they've been kicking Denver's butts lately, but the team is just too cool. Durant, Westbrook and Harden make it so hard to cheer against them. Kendrick Perkins... Meh, was never a fan of him. That's about it for the Thunder squad.

[Man in Black]

If I had to play against Perkins, I'd probably hate his guts. But he cracks me up watching him. And then all the announcers make fun of him arguing calls and all the faces he makes, it just keeps me laughing. They even showed a clip of Tony Parker just watching him after a call... then Parker shook his head at him and and made a "yapping" hand motion and said "talk, talk, talk." That got me tickled also.

All the funny aside though, the OKC team is set up in a devastating way. With Perkins and Ibaka on the inside swatting shots and grabbing the boards of 3 or 4 guys... it frees up Durant to play a position that is rarely if ever seen (Nowitzki and partially Garnett in his prime). KD is a free roaming near 7 footer that can handle better than most shooting guards... and definitely shoot better than... well anybody.

Then it's almost unfair that such a team has a point guard in Westbrook that really could and maybe should be an elite shooting guard. I like Harden also, but he benefits greatly from that system. That's why you will probably never see him complain about his role. He will never have to worry about a double team.

Add to the core a decent bench and a coach who "gets it" all and you have an NBA champ to be.

Can the Heat beat OKC? Sure, the Spurs ripped them for two games so it can happen. But it's not likely. Lebron is a better defender than KD but he is not any better at scoring if as good. And at this point in his career Wade is cancelled out by Westbrook. The rest... not so good of a matchup for Miami.

I've yet to see anything from their coach and except for Battier who is at the end of his career... they have no bench or role players. On paper this looks like a 5 game series to me. Biased or not, the West was the championship round for me this year.




So... Yeah my Spurs are gone, but who expected them to even make a run? I didn't so I'm pretty happy with the year they had. Now I will be all in for the Thunder. We are on vacation for the up coming 2 weeks so I'll try to find a sports bar to catch some of the series.

[Jason]

I was wondering about the matchup even before it happened. Probably the most exciting. Thunder-Heat. I was analyzing the teams and I came to a personal conclusion that while I believe Miami's big three are better than OKC's, but the team overall goes to OKC. The deciding factor will be if Wade and Bosh can keep up with LeBron, because if they can, I think they can take care of OKC. Some added support from the Battier/Miller 3s and the Haslem jump shots will definitely be needed, as well. But the key factor is Wade and Bosh's performances.

I'm taking Heat in 6.

[Man in Black]

I was not avoiding admitting I was wrong... I was just being anti-social in general.

I give the Heat credit, I didn't get to watch the series as we were camping in the middle of nowhere, but they had to play good team ball to beat OKC. Now that's outta the way I can quit dreading them winning one.





The Heat run has accomplished the bad thing that I thought it would... more teams are piling up all the top guys, which means that the majority of the league is without the talent to even compete. Nash is already a Laker and if and when they get Howard next season will just be exhibition to the Miami vs LA championship. And Ray Allen makes the Heat even more ridiculous.

New Jersey is building up also, but they are still another big name away from being in the mix.

The whole thing wouldn't be so bad if there were 7 or so teams with that kind of talent, then it would be ultra exciting. But with just two it ruins the whole league for me. Here's to hoping I'm as wrong about this as I was my Finals prediction... I'm afraid it is already happening though.

[Jason]

Nash and Allen will only hurt LA and Miami. I love Steve Nash, but he's almost 40. As is Ray Allen. And I'm noticing them slowly wither away. Especially Allen. I think it'll be a similar result to Emmitt Smith in Washington, or Montana with Kansas City.

[Man in Black]

Allen won't be starting... and you are right his best days are waaaay past. But he'll be wide open on that team when he's in there and that's gonna be 3 points.

Nash will depend on Kobe... if Bryant lets him run the offense that team will benefit greatly, Nash has way more left in his tank than Kidd, whose legs have been dead for 5 years, and Kidd still improves the flow of a team's O. Time will tell if Kobe concedes that part of the offense to Nash... I think he will, but if he doesn't you'll be dead on in it making that team worse.