2011 NBA Playoffs Thread

[DivineBovine]

Yeah, the Heat look pretty good. But I really hope the Heat actually think this series was their biggest hurdle. The team and everyone else seems to think this was their big challenge. An aging Celtics team hit by injuries which is a shadow of what it was in prior years.

[E.J.]

Yeah, the Heat look pretty good. But I really hope the Heat actually think this series was their biggest hurdle. The team and everyone else seems to think this was their big challenge. An aging Celtics team hit by injuries which is a shadow of what it was in prior years.

 

The Celtics were basically playing with 4 men on the court most of the time. The Heat weren't even guarding Rondo because he couldn't lift his arm above his head to shoot the ball.

[Old Style]

I thought battle tested teams were good in the 4th quarter/

 

Considering we were the only chance to beat the Heat, I wouldn't be taking pleasure in this if I was you.

The Celtics were the only team in the playoffs that could beat Miami??????

[Banedon]

I thought battle tested teams were good in the 4th quarter/

 

Considering we were the only chance to beat the Heat, I wouldn't be taking pleasure in this if I was you.

The Celtics were the only team in the playoffs that could beat Miami??????

 

It's the Boston fans' coping mechanism in dealing with the loss. Let them have it.

[SouthSideRyan]

I thought battle tested teams were good in the 4th quarter/

 

Considering we were the only chance to beat the Heat, I wouldn't be taking pleasure in this if I was you.

The Celtics were the only team in the playoffs that could beat Miami??????

 

Yes :(

 

Go winner of Bulls/Hawks.

[Sammy Sofa]

I thought battle tested teams were good in the 4th quarter/

 

Considering we were the only chance to beat the Heat, I wouldn't be taking pleasure in this if I was you.

The Celtics were the only team in the playoffs that could beat Miami??????

 

Given that the Heat are playing their best basketball right now, yes, the Celtics probably had the best shot (if healthy) of the east teams of taking down a Heat team firing on all cylinders.

 

Look, I love the Bulls, and I hope to God that they pull this off and my prediction of them losing in 5-6 games is wrong, but I'm worried that the Bulls peaked too early and now they're facing a team peaking at the right time.

[DivineBovine]

Yeah, the Heat look pretty good. But I really hope the Heat actually think this series was their biggest hurdle. The team and everyone else seems to think this was their big challenge. An aging Celtics team hit by injuries which is a shadow of what it was in prior years.

 

The Celtics were basically playing with 4 men on the court most of the time. The Heat weren't even guarding Rondo because he couldn't lift his arm above his head to shoot the ball.

 

 

Man listening to what those guys said. Using words like "vindication". "This is what we wanted to do".

 

They were the #2 seed and they beat the #3 seed. After the #3 is way past their prime, their PG has 1 arm, and their big men are injured.

 

They really aren't acting like they expected to beat the Celtics. They aren't acting like they've been there before. Which is really surprising, considering Wade has a ring and LeBron has been to the finals.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Does this mean I've seen the last of Rondo's elbow?

[DivineBovine]

I thought battle tested teams were good in the 4th quarter/

 

Considering we were the only chance to beat the Heat, I wouldn't be taking pleasure in this if I was you.

The Celtics were the only team in the playoffs that could beat Miami??????

 

Given that the Heat are playing their best basketball right now, yes, the Celtics probably had the best shot (if healthy) of the east teams of taking down a Heat team firing on all cylinders.

 

Look, I love the Bulls, and I hope to God that they pull this off and my prediction of them losing in 5-6 games is wrong, but I'm worried that the Bulls peaked too early and now they're facing a team peaking at the right time.

 

 

I'm worried about the Heat as well. They have looked good, but they also have yet to be tested in the playoffs. Maybe that's because they are good, but it helps to be tested on the way. One thing I like is the Bulls will be the underdogs for the first time. If things start going bad for the Heat as the clear favorites, I'd like to see how they react.

 

I'll be a homer and call a Bulls victory. Provided they get by the Hawks.

[SouthSideRyan]

If the Celtics aren't a test for the Heat, then what are the Pacers and Hawks for the Bulls?

[UMFan83]

I thought battle tested teams were good in the 4th quarter/

 

Considering we were the only chance to beat the Heat, I wouldn't be taking pleasure in this if I was you.

The Celtics were the only team in the playoffs that could beat Miami??????

 

Given that the Heat are playing their best basketball right now, yes, the Celtics probably had the best shot (if healthy) of the east teams of taking down a Heat team firing on all cylinders.

 

Look, I love the Bulls, and I hope to God that they pull this off and my prediction of them losing in 5-6 games is wrong, but I'm worried that the Bulls peaked too early and now they're facing a team peaking at the right time.

 

Maybe the Heat are playing their best basketball right now, but I am not overly impressed with their play right now. Certainly they righted a lot of the issues they had beating good teams and winning close games that hurt them earlier in the year, but I still think a team with the right matchups can beat them in a series. They definitely didn't impress me in that Philly series, and given the way the Celtics ended the season this year it's hard to say for certain that the Celtics were playing like a 55 win team when they played the Heat.

 

I also think that mentally they are not overly tough and can be rattled. Look at game 3 of the Celtics series. They lost the game and Bosh is storming out of his postgame interview, LeBron is calling reporters [expletive] under his breath, Bosh the next day said his nerves got the best of him in the game and caused his poor play.

 

Maybe it's not a big deal, but who knows. I'm not saying the Bulls or Hawks will beat Miami, the Bulls in particular have played too poorly in the playoffs to predict they can beat Miami in a 7 game series. But if the Bulls advance and can knock off Miami in game 1 at home, I think it could rattle Miami enough to eventually win the series.

[SouthSideRyan]

I also think that mentally they are not overly tough and can be rattled. Look at game 3 of the Celtics series. They lost the game and Bosh is storming out of his postgame interview, LeBron is calling reporters [expletive] under his breath, Bosh the next day said his nerves got the best of him in the game and caused his poor play.

 

 

If they were that easily rattled they probably wouldn't have won an overtime game 4 after the Celtics had all the momentum.

[DivineBovine]

If the Celtics aren't a test for the Heat, then what are the Pacers and Hawks for the Bulls?

 

 

I don't think you're tested if you win in 5. Like I said, maybe its because you are good. But maybe its because the Celtics just aren't.

[SouthSideRyan]

If the Celtics aren't a test for the Heat, then what are the Pacers and Hawks for the Bulls?

 

 

I don't think you're tested if you win in 5. Like I said, maybe its because you are good. But maybe its because the Celtics just aren't.

 

So if the Heat were worse, they'd be tested, but since they're too good, they haven't been?

[bukie]

Not even really concerned about the Heat yet, since the Hawks aren't exactly rolling over yet. Performance against the Hawks has little to do with predicting future performance against the Heat, but the Heat will and should be heavy favorites for the remainder of the playoffs, just based on how all the teams have played to this point.

[bcl412]

Should we be talking about a series that may not even happen?

[UMFan83]

I also think that mentally they are not overly tough and can be rattled. Look at game 3 of the Celtics series. They lost the game and Bosh is storming out of his postgame interview, LeBron is calling reporters [expletive] under his breath, Bosh the next day said his nerves got the best of him in the game and caused his poor play.

 

 

If they were that easily rattled they probably wouldn't have won an overtime game 4 after the Celtics had all the momentum.

 

I don't think that's true and I definitely don't think the Celtics had all the momentum. They were clearly flustered after game 3 and were struggling in game 4. To their credit, they pulled it out, which like I said is something they've improved on since the middle of the regular season (finishing in close games)

[DivineBovine]

If the Celtics aren't a test for the Heat, then what are the Pacers and Hawks for the Bulls?

 

 

I don't think you're tested if you win in 5. Like I said, maybe its because you are good. But maybe its because the Celtics just aren't.

 

So if the Heat were worse, they'd be tested, but since they're too good, they haven't been?

 

 

Well, do we even know how good they are? If they win the championship, which they may do, then we can say it. At this point, we have no idea if they haven't been tested because the Celtics were old and injured, or if the Heat are really good. But we are arguing semantics.

 

I was making the point that it helps to be tested on the way to winning. And by tested, I mean playing in close series and feeling pressure. This hasn't happened to the Heat. It didn't happen to UNLV in 1990 either.

[SouthSideRyan]

You don't think the Celtics had the momentum after easily beating the Heat in game 3 as their PG came back and played with a dislocated elbow??

[cubbyvirus00]

As good as the Celtics are on paper, I think they're clearly an aging old team incapable of easy fast break points. It will be interesting to see the Heat play a younger team where they won't have such an athletic advantage.

[Sammy Sofa]

I thought battle tested teams were good in the 4th quarter/

 

Considering we were the only chance to beat the Heat, I wouldn't be taking pleasure in this if I was you.

The Celtics were the only team in the playoffs that could beat Miami??????

 

Given that the Heat are playing their best basketball right now, yes, the Celtics probably had the best shot (if healthy) of the east teams of taking down a Heat team firing on all cylinders.

 

Look, I love the Bulls, and I hope to God that they pull this off and my prediction of them losing in 5-6 games is wrong, but I'm worried that the Bulls peaked too early and now they're facing a team peaking at the right time.

 

Maybe the Heat are playing their best basketball right now, but I am not overly impressed with their play right now.

 

Then I can only assume you've been flat out horrified with the Bulls' playoff performances outside of, like, 2 games.

[Old Style]

Should we be talking about a series that may not even happen?

You're right. Us focusing on Miami might cause the Bulls to lose the next two games.

[Banedon]

Should we be talking about a series that may not even happen?

You're right. Us focusing on Miami might cause the Bulls to lose the next two games.

 

Don't knock sports superstition, man.

[bukie]

Rose and Kobe are the first team all-NBA guards. I imagine there are about 8 guards who feel slighted (Wade, Paul, Westbrook, Ginobili, Rondo, Williams, Parker, Nash...).

[illiniguy]

Rose and Kobe are the first team all-NBA guards. I imagine there are about 8 guards who feel slighted (Wade, Paul, Westbrook, Ginobili, Rondo, Williams, Parker, Nash...).

Kobe Bryant is a shell of himself. Nice work NBA.