NBA Thread

[Monkey_Driven]

Battier's been pretty bad so far this season, which has me concerned because his versatility has been huge for Miami the last two years.

I think what you described regarding Oden would be worst case scenario for Miami, worse than if he got hurt right now. When Oden's out there Bosh is able to play the 4 and he has been absolutely lighting it up when gets to do that, whether it's Birdman or Oden at the 5. If Miami thinks they can rely on Oden I think we'll see them starting playing a lot more lineups with Bosh at the 4, which is a major change from the pace-and-space "positionless" basketball they've been playing the past two seasons. Even before Oden started playing, Birdman and Bosh have played together a lot more than in the past. I don't think Spo wants to try to beat Indy again by playing small ball, but without Oden they'd have to try. That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if they're used to playing that style, but if they spend the next 40 games playing bigger I think it could be tough for them to adjust on the fly against the Pacers.

That said, Oden will almost certainly not be the reason the Heat beat, or get beat by, the Pacers.

You are spot on with all of this. They cannot wait until the postseason to start playing a more traditional lineup. They have to start now if the pieces are ready. Damn, I just want the Eastern Conference Finals to be here already.

[4/5]

One of the things that's easy to forget is than Miami did end up playing big(ger) (a lot of Birdman and Bosh/Haslem and Bosh) in the second half of the Pacers series last year because of how badly they were getting abused by Hibbert and West. But they weren't really prepared for it, and obviously barely survived that series. Indy is better this year than last year so I'm pretty sure Miami doesn't want to go down that road again.

[Monkey_Driven]

Long oral history about David Stern, but worth the read.

http://www.nba.com/2014/news/features/d ... index.html

[Harry Lime]

I wish I was from Oklahoma. I wish I could buy a Thunder hat & Durant jersey. But I'm no bandwagon jumper. I enjoy that team though.

[red calzolaio]

I wish I was from Oklahoma. I wish I could buy a Thunder hat & Durant jersey. But I'm no bandwagon jumper. I enjoy that team though.

i once lived in Bellingham, Washington...so yea, i'm an Oklahoma fan.

[gems and rhinestones]

Battier's been pretty bad so far this season, which has me concerned because his versatility has been huge for Miami the last two years.

I think what you described regarding Oden would be worst case scenario for Miami, worse than if he got hurt right now. When Oden's out there Bosh is able to play the 4 and he has been absolutely lighting it up when gets to do that, whether it's Birdman or Oden at the 5. If Miami thinks they can rely on Oden I think we'll see them starting playing a lot more lineups with Bosh at the 4, which is a major change from the pace-and-space "positionless" basketball they've been playing the past two seasons. Even before Oden started playing, Birdman and Bosh have played together a lot more than in the past. I don't think Spo wants to try to beat Indy again by playing small ball, but without Oden they'd have to try. That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if they're used to playing that style, but if they spend the next 40 games playing bigger I think it could be tough for them to adjust on the fly against the Pacers.

That said, Oden will almost certainly not be the reason the Heat beat, or get beat by, the Pacers.

You are spot on with all of this. They cannot wait until the postseason to start playing a more traditional lineup. They have to start now if the pieces are ready. Damn, I just want the Eastern Conference Finals to be here already.

I just hope injuries don't play a part in who wins. Wade needs to be healthy or it could be a quick series in my opinion. It would suck for the series to not have both teams firing at full strength. They could also beat up on each other and have nothing left in the finals. These teams are going to go at it if they do meet though. We may get some brawls. The Pacers don't like them at all LOL.

[Monkey_Driven]

Thunder/Heat tonight. Must watch tv for any basketball fan.

[red calzolaio]

you guys don't post while the game is going on?

[Monkey_Driven]

you guys don't post while the game is going on?

I generally do not check RM at home.

Kind of a fluky game. Lots of made 3 pointers by the Thunder and lots of bricks by the Heat. The Heat looked really out of sync once the Thunder switched to their smaller lineup.

That stretch in the 3rd with Lebron and Durant trading baskets was fantastic.

[red calzolaio]

you guys don't post while the game is going on?

I generally do not check RM at home.

Kind of a fluky game. Lots of made 3 pointers by the Thunder and lots of bricks by the Heat. The Heat looked really out of sync once the Thunder switched to their smaller lineup.

That stretch in the 3rd with Lebron and Durant trading baskets was fantastic.

that stretch was great.

throw in a brawl and it would have been a perfect game for me.

[4/5]

That stretch in the 3rd with Lebron and Durant trading baskets was fantastic.

It was awesome, and that was even with the Heat down 15-20 at that point. It would have been even better had they been going back and forth with the lead during that run, but man if that sort of stretch happens in an NBA Finals game it would be otherworldly.

[Monkey_Driven]

That stretch in the 3rd with Lebron and Durant trading baskets was fantastic.

It was awesome, and that was even with the Heat down 15-20 at that point. It would have been even better had they been going back and forth with the lead during that run, but man if that sort of stretch happens in an NBA Finals game it would be otherworldly.

I liked how Durant said it felt like Rucker Park. When is Westbrook supposed to come back?

[4/5]

I'm not sure.

I think the biggest thing to come out of that game would be if Brooks actually realizes once and for all that the right place for Perkins, at least against the Heat, is on the bench. I don't see how he couldn't, but then again most people have been saying this for 2 and a half seasons, and he hadn't appeared to until last night. So here's to hoping he still doesn't get it.

[Monkey_Driven]

I'm not sure.

I think the biggest thing to come out of that game would be if Brooks actually realizes once and for all that the right place for Perkins, at least against the Heat, is on the bench. I don't see how he couldn't, but then again most people have been saying this for 2 and a half seasons, and he hadn't appeared to until last night. So here's to hoping he still doesn't get it.

I've never understood that organization's infatuation with Perkins. That guy is a black hole on defense and his plus/minus numbers are awful. He should have been amnestied long ago.

Sometimes I wonder how much better the Thunder would be if they had a top notch coach. Kind of scary to think about, really.

[Bammer]

Michael Jordan made basketball what it is today in terms of popularity. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are responsible. Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaq, Kobe, and countless other players. Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitski, and Steve Nash helped foster an international audience for the sport and for the NBA, and encouraged more kids to pick up the game. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, etc., are carrying the torch now. David F***ing Stern had nothing to do with it and he will not be missed. At all. By anyone. Except maybe Clay F***ing Bennett.

[red calzolaio]

Michael Jordan made basketball what it is today in terms of popularity. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are responsible. Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaq, Kobe, and countless other players. Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitski, and Steve Nash helped foster an international audience for the sport and for the NBA, and encouraged more kids to pick up the game. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, etc., are carrying the torch now. David F***ing Stern had nothing to do with it and he will not be missed. At all. By anyone. Except maybe Clay F***ing Bennett.

i kinda like this post.

[Monkey_Driven]

Michael Jordan made basketball what it is today in terms of popularity. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are responsible. Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaq, Kobe, and countless other players. Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitski, and Steve Nash helped foster an international audience for the sport and for the NBA, and encouraged more kids to pick up the game. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, etc., are carrying the torch now. David F***ing Stern had nothing to do with it and he will not be missed. At all. By anyone. Except maybe Clay F***ing Bennett.

I don't what to say to this. Kind of hard to watch all these great players when the games are tape delayed or not even televised. Kind of hard to watch these players if half of the league is high out of their minds. Kind of hard to have a competitive league without a salary cap.

Stern has tarnished his legacy in the last few years with the Sonics relocation and the Hornets/Lakers trade veto fiasco but you cannot deny his impact on the league. He, along with all the great players you mentioned, had a tremendous impact on where the league is today. In today's league I believe it is difficult for one person to impact the league in such a major way like Stern did in the 70's and 80's.

[Wes C. Addle]

Damian Lillard will become the first player to compete in Dunk Contest, 3 PT Shootout, and Skills Competition.
Oh yeah and he's a All-Star Reserve, so he'll probably play in the game too.

Yup, good old Weber State reppin'

[bada]

Kind of hard to have a competitive league without a salary cap.

This isn't really a comment on the legacy of Stern but a question to all. If the same 8 or 9 franchises win every year does the salary cap really promote parity? If you are a player and the money is the same everywhere wouldn't you pick a team in a nice location run by smart people with a winning tradition? Doesn't that exclude most of the league? Isn't the salary cap really there to maximize owner profits and to save them from their own ineptness?

[Bammer]

What positive step did the NBA take during Stern's tenure that wouldn't have happened if Stern was never born?

Growth and $$$ was inevitable, and people want to see the players I named above. It's all about the players.

As a UW Husky fan I hate to say this but if anyone/anything can take credit, it's Nike.