2011 NBA Playoffs Thread

[Flames24Rulz]

You've got a in-his-prime dwight howard on your roster and you surround him with [expletive] for years and accomplish nothing with him.

 

Stern has to have his guys furiously working to figure out a way to write the CBA so that Howard can wind up in New York next year.

I keep hearing he'll end up in LA

 

Which LA team? I could see the Clippers (yes, really) making a serious run at him.

[illiniguy]

imb, why would Stern want Dwight to end up on a super team? You do know he's already freaked out that over half of the teams in the league are losing money, right? How would putting all of the great layers on two or three teams solve that?

[TruffleShuffle]

You've got a in-his-prime dwight howard on your roster and you surround him with [expletive] for years and accomplish nothing with him.

 

Stern has to have his guys furiously working to figure out a way to write the CBA so that Howard can wind up in New York next year.

I keep hearing he'll end up in LA

 

Which LA team? I could see the Clippers (yes, really) making a serious run at him.

 

yeah i'm sure one of the nba's biggest stars would voluntarily choose to go play for a racist and incompetent owner.

[UMFan83]

imb, why would Stern want Dwight to end up on a super team? You do know he's already freaked out that over half of the teams in the league are losing money, right? How would putting all of the great layers on two or three teams solve that?

 

I dunno, its weird. On one hand, I don't think he would want Howard to go to a small market either. I think what he wants is to have the stars stay with the teams that drafted them, proving that any team, small or big market, can build a champion through the draft. Nowadays, small market teams have to hope they draft someone with the personality of Kevin Durant where they are willing to give loyalty to the teams that drafted them. Then again, who knows what his thought process will be by the time his next contract comes up.

 

Either way, its things like this that make me believe that the upcoming NBA lockout will be much much worse than what the NFL is going through right now. I still don't think the NFL will lose any games, but I am preparing for a season without basketball next year. The sides are simply too far apart right now, and what the owners want is a drastic overhaul of the system that hurts the players. Oh and also both sides are already very bitter towards each other.

 

I just don't see how either side concedes before a significant portion of the season is lost. I am probably talking out of my ass, but I think that what happened in 1999 is the best case scenario for them.

[Flames24Rulz]

You've got a in-his-prime dwight howard on your roster and you surround him with [expletive] for years and accomplish nothing with him.

 

Stern has to have his guys furiously working to figure out a way to write the CBA so that Howard can wind up in New York next year.

I keep hearing he'll end up in LA

 

Which LA team? I could see the Clippers (yes, really) making a serious run at him.

 

yeah i'm sure one of the nba's biggest stars would voluntarily choose to go play for a racist and incompetent owner.

 

Well, maybe he pulls a Wirtz and dies before he's a FA. With their cap situation and young talent, I could see that being a somewhat attractive destination pretty soon.

[imb]

imb, why would Stern want Dwight to end up on a super team? You do know he's already freaked out that over half of the teams in the league are losing money, right? How would putting all of the great layers on two or three teams solve that?

 

You're probably right. I was coming at it more in a "oh god we need the Knicks to be relevant again" type of thing.

[CubInOK]

imb, we have a choice between Dick Stockton and Grant Long tonight. :(

[imb]

imb, we have a choice between Dick Stockton and Grant Long tonight. :(

 

Well, if I was at home, I'd take Stockton because TNT's HD is beautiful. But I'm at work, so I may take my bros BD and Grant Long. If nothing else, they will be funny.

[Sosa21MVP]

Spurs are getting run out of the building.

[bcl412]

This first round really has been awesome. There is some unpredictability going on in this league, when does that happen?

[17 Seconds]

are the thunder the favorites to come out of the west at this point? the lakers don't look great (and could very easily lose this NO series), and if memphis wins, okc will get them in the second round.

[17 Seconds]

This first round really has been awesome. There is some unpredictability going on in this league, when does that happen?

 

right before a potential lockout, of course

[imb]

are the thunder the favorites to come out of the west at this point? the lakers don't look great (and could very easily lose this NO series), and if memphis wins, okc will get them in the second round.

 

Memphis is a really bad matchup for us. ZBo and Gasol eat us up. I'd say the Mavs are the favorites at this point. If not for that bizarre collapse, they would have won that series 4-1.

[17 Seconds]

haha westbrook

[17 Seconds]

westbrook takes 30 shots, including both of the last 2 threes that would have tied the game (even though KD was 5-6 from three and westbook was 0-5)

 

imb, you can't ever talk about rose again

[Magnetic Curses]

ma and pa broken arrow just heartbroken tonight

[imb]

No one calls Westbrook a sure-fire MVP, so something something Rose is still overrated

 

The Westbrook KD dynamic is so weird. In some ways they're perfect for each other, but times like tonight just make me worried. Durant's not physical enough to get into a good position to get a pass all the time. Either that and/or he's too passive. People complain that Westbrook does't look for Durant enough, which is true sometimes. But Westbrook's mindset is so "SCORE SCORE SCORE" that all it takes is one glance of hesitation from Durant and he's off to the races. That leads to stupid [expletive] like Westbrook passing halfcourt at full speed, seeing Durant surrounded by 2 guys and going "WELP THIS ONE'S ALL ME, FELLAS."

[SouthSideRyan]

At least Westbrook actually made some of his shots.

[UMFan83]

At least Westbrook actually made some of his shots.

 

Career FG%:

 

Westbrook: 42.1%

Rose: 46.8%

 

10-11 FG:

 

Westbrook: 44.2%

Rose: 44.5%

 

Career TS%:

 

Westbrook: 50.9%

Rose: 53.5%

 

10-11 TS%:

 

Westbrook: 53.8%

Rose: 55.0%

[SouthSideRyan]

Weren't we talking about individual games? Like Rose shooting 8% over the last 2?

[Tyrant]

Weren't we talking about individual games?

 

I don't know. No one ever knows what you're talking about.

[wolf stansson]

The Westbrook KD dynamic is so weird. In some ways they're perfect for each other, but times like tonight just make me worried. Durant's not physical enough to get into a good position to get a pass all the time. Either that and/or he's too passive. People complain that Westbrook does't look for Durant enough, which is true sometimes. But Westbrook's mindset is so "SCORE SCORE SCORE" that all it takes is one glance of hesitation from Durant and he's off to the races. That leads to stupid [expletive] like Westbrook passing halfcourt at full speed, seeing Durant surrounded by 2 guys and going "WELP THIS ONE'S ALL ME, FELLAS."

Then in the post-game presser someone asked KD if he thought Westbrook should have made some different decisions down the stretch and he replied with a tiny smile that maybe Russ could have passed it to him if he was the best option but if Russ thinks he has an open look he should take it.

 

Westbrook's decision making down the stretch is oftentimes bad. You have the best pure scorer in the league, a guy who can score from anywhere at anytime on your team and you puke up those prayer shots? Earlier in the fourth he threw a huge, visible fit when Harden took it to the hoop and got fouled instead of passing it to him on the wing.

 

I guess my question is since I don't watch the Thunder consistently enough, is he a total baby? Some of the crap he pulls seems really selfish but they all get along so well, you'd think his teammates must not think so.

[UMFan83]

Weren't we talking about individual games?

 

I don't know. No one ever knows what you're talking about.

 

lol seriously

[imb]

The Westbrook KD dynamic is so weird. In some ways they're perfect for each other, but times like tonight just make me worried. Durant's not physical enough to get into a good position to get a pass all the time. Either that and/or he's too passive. People complain that Westbrook does't look for Durant enough, which is true sometimes. But Westbrook's mindset is so "SCORE SCORE SCORE" that all it takes is one glance of hesitation from Durant and he's off to the races. That leads to stupid [expletive] like Westbrook passing halfcourt at full speed, seeing Durant surrounded by 2 guys and going "WELP THIS ONE'S ALL ME, FELLAS."

Then in the post-game presser someone asked KD if he thought Westbrook should have made some different decisions down the stretch and he replied with a tiny smile that maybe Russ could have passed it to him if he was the best option but if Russ thinks he has an open look he should take it.

 

Westbrook's decision making down the stretch is oftentimes bad. You have the best pure scorer in the league, a guy who can score from anywhere at anytime on your team and you puke up those prayer shots? Earlier in the fourth he threw a huge, visible fit when Harden took it to the hoop and got fouled instead of passing it to him on the wing.

 

I guess my question is since I don't watch the Thunder consistently enough, is he a total baby? Some of the crap he pulls seems really selfish but they all get along so well, you'd think his teammates must not think so.

 

He's definitely kind of a baby. He was griping at an official late in the 4th after he didnt get a phantom foul called, and his now unguarded man hit a 3. Woops we lost by 3.

[wolf stansson]

That's interesting. Lost in how fun that team is and how likable Durant is, the Westbrook is a baby story hasn't really been told.