NBA Continued - Conference, Finals, and Beyond

[Minaku]

You take away an all-time elite player away from any team at a critical juncture in a finals game against a team of the caliber and experience of the spurs, and the almost certain result is a loss, regardless of how great the rest of the team is. The fact that they couldn't find way to gut out a win should not be interpreted as showing the weakness of the Heat's supporting cast as instead a demonstration of how good the Spurs are at effectively utilizing any advantage to its maximum.

But that's just it - the supporting cast is a title-winning cast. DWade got himself a title before LeBron came to town. If BronBron is out, DWade has to step up and galvanize the team, get their morale up. Where was the leadership on the court? They looked thoroughly defeated just 6 points down.

[KalibakCruel]

Well Miami isn't championship material without LeBron, but they're very good, which is why they're meltdown was so perplexing, the shooters were left wide open and the ball was turned over too much.

[Mike]

But that's just it - the supporting cast is a title-winning cast. DWade got himself a title before LeBron came to town. If BronBron is out, DWade has to step up and galvanize the team, get their morale up. Where was the leadership on the court? They looked thoroughly defeated just 6 points down.

It's one game. Without the guy who makes them go,in a sauna of a gym, on the road against the deepest and most experienced team in the NBA. If Lebron goes out again in crunch time, and the rest of the team looks like doodoo, then I'll be more inclined to agree with you. But dumping on a bunch of proven, future HoF guys after one collapse is just as reactionary as dumping on Lebron for cramping up and missing crunch time.

[Jaime L]

Edit: This year has to be the Playoffs For Old Guys. I'm constantly surprised at what these creaky dudes can do. Ray Allen, dunking?

All postseason long has been a thorough reminder that 30 somethings > 20 somethings when it comes to playoff basketball. Everyone thinks of basketball as a young man's game, but this has always been a sport that favors experience and savvy. Doesn't matter how great you are - no-one wins titles their first 6-7 years in the league unless they're playing with a hall of fame veteran. MJ couldn't, Lebron couldn't, Durant couldn't. Tim Duncan did but he had David Robinson. Same with Magic and Kareem. Kobe had Shaq. Everyone takes their lumps against some cagey, veteran, battle tested team. I remember the Jazz with Stockton and Malone just grinding those early Kobe/Shaq teams into the ground.

There's a reason the Thunder, the Clippers and the Warriors are all watching the finals at home despite immense talent. The Spurs are ageless and just play so much smarter than all those teams. Ray-Ray is friskier than I gave him credit for (never should doubt a guy that fit). I watched the Wizards play their best basketball against the Pacers only when Professor Andre Miller and Uncle Drew Gooden came into the game. And in turn the only reliable Pacer all playoffs was David West. I think the sweet-spot for playoff performance is right around 30, but if you look at these finals there are plenty of guys in their late 30's who are still incredibly valuable just so long as you monitor their minutes. I mean you still need young stud athletes - the Spurs would be fucked without Kawhi Leonard. But I think it's equally true that to win a title you need those greybeards in key roles to steady you out when the shit hits the fan.

[Minaku]

It's one game. Without the guy who makes them go,in a sauna of a gym, on the road against the deepest and most experienced team in the NBA. If Lebron goes out again in crunch time, and the rest of the team looks like doodoo, then I'll be more inclined to agree with you. But dumping on a bunch of proven, future HoF guys after one collapse is just as reactionary as dumping on Lebron for cramping up and missing crunch time.

This isn't the first time the Heat have wilted badly after a LeBron exit.

[Calibandar]

Like others, Spurs vs Heat is hardly my favourite final.

But here we are, and these are undoubtedly the best two teams in the league. By a fair margin, since OKC looks worse than the last two years, and this year's Indiana was worse than last year's team. The Bulls could have been a challenger to Miami with Rose and Deng, but that obviously didn't happen.

It is a great final though, with teams so well matched. That first game looked to me like it was going to the Heat. LeBron may be the absolute no.1 but Ray Allen has looked phenomenal of late. Wade finally started playing and looks strong, just like Bosh. This looks ominous for the Spurs. Except of course the Spurs are looking at a very good Tim Duncan, a very good Ginobili, an exceptional Boris Diaw. And the two players who had been quiet all game, Danny Green and Kahwi Leonard, contributed very well towards the end offensively. A stark contrast to OKC, I was thinking when watching game 1, how everybody on that Spurs contributes and scores.

It's impossible to call how this is going. I wonder if Duncan and Ginobili will retire if they win. And what they will do if they lose again.

Same for Ray Allen. All 3 of these guys look like they can do another big season next year.

[Jaime L]

A stark contrast to OKC, I was thinking when watching game 1, how everybody on that Spurs contributes and scores.

Game 1 of the Finals definitely made OKC and Indy look like the JV. The level of team basketball being played out there is just so much higher. I think we'll see an even fuller display of it in game 2 assuming non-sauna conditions.

[KalibakCruel]

LeBron is getting zero respect on these drives, he's been hit on the forearm almost everytime without a call.

[Ziggy Targdust]

Takes a near perfect game from Lebron to get a heat win

[Jabronius Maximus]

Well, I guess this is going 7.

[KalibakCruel]

Takes a near perfect game from Lebron to get a heat win

I could say that it took a perfect game from Duncan and a cramp for San Antonio to win.

Both games have been close and it's shaping up to be a fantastic series.

[Jaime L]

Didn't expect Lebron to bury the Spurs with his jump shooting. Was he perfect from 15 feet and beyond in the second half? If not, he was close.

Also I'm a fan of Pop but the disdain he has for the media is getting borderline uncomfortable. Seems like every answer he gives now is just dripping with contempt regardless of how dumb the question was.

[Mike]

Takes a near perfect game from Lebron to get a heat win

Well, it was in San Antonio, and I assume that Wade is going to start playing better at some point. Bosh has been playing solidly and looks like he will continue to do so, and if Lewis or Allen get hot in stretches, the Heat are going to be tough to beat.

Of course, the Spurs were 12-20 from the FT line, which didn't help their cause at all.

[Maithanet]

Of course, the Spurs were 12-20 from the FT line, which didn't help their cause at all.

I've seen some articles making a big deal of this free throw shooting, and yes, missing 4 in a row midway through the 4th quarter was bad, but 12-20 at the line is no exactly a death sentence. You would expect them to hit 15, but whatever, that's a one possession difference.

And I was rooting for the Heat in this game because if the Spurs go up 2-0, this series is virtually over. As it stands, I doubt the Heat can win both their home games, so I think this is coming back to SA tied 2-2. Looking more and more like another really tight series. I'm really curious who I'll be rooting for if it goes to game 7.

[Greywolf2375]

Didn't expect Lebron to bury the Spurs with his jump shooting. Was he perfect from 15 feet and beyond in the second half? If not, he was close.

Also I'm a fan of Pop but the disdain he has for the media is getting borderline uncomfortable. Seems like every answer he gives now is just dripping with contempt regardless of how dumb the question was.

It's the schtick he has. It's the same thing with Belichick - it's a game to see how much a douche they can be.

[Maithanet]

It's the schtick he has. It's the same thing with Belichick - it's a game to see how much a douche they can be.

Yeah, but at some point it is just needlessly rude and distracting. Yes, sideline interviews are pointless and bland, we all get it Pop. But this isn't exactly interviewing a general before a battle about his planned strategies - this is entertainment. Apparently the NBA thinks some people like 30 second interviews with the coaches during games. So you, as a coach, have to play along, at least to some extent. Obviously it is just theater, but you are in the entertainment industry. Deal with it like a man instead of acting like an apoplectic child.

EDIT: If he hates the interviews so much, I'd at least start having some fun with them. Start lying about strategies that you are obviously not going to employ and see if you can come up with something sufficiently ridiculous that the interviewer actually calls you on it. "no, we're not going to cover Lebron at all in the fourth quarter. See how that goes."

[Greywolf2375]

Yeah, but at some point it is just needlessly rude and distracting. Yes, sideline interviews are pointless and bland, we all get it Pop. But this isn't exactly interviewing a general before a battle about his planned strategies - this is entertainment. Apparently the NBA thinks some people like 30 second interviews with the coaches during games. So you, as a coach, have to play along, at least to some extent. Obviously it is just theater, but you are in the entertainment industry. Deal with it like a man instead of acting like an apoplectic child.

EDIT: If he hates the interviews so much, I'd at least start having some fun with them. Start lying about strategies that you are obviously not going to employ and see if you can come up with something sufficiently ridiculous that the interviewer actually calls you on it. "no, we're not going to cover Lebron at all in the fourth quarter. See how that goes."

Oh, I'm not disagreeing at all. It's just too bad it is to the point the sideline reportings are having small challenges to see who has to go deal with Pop in the between quarter or between half interviews.

There has to be, I would assume, some level of what they can and can't say. But yeah, play it up...you're not going to give them anything with teeth, give them something fun. And maybe the interviewers can get in on it. "This is the 328th consecutive quarter you've ended with 5 players on the floor, how has that affected your defense?"

[Jaime L]

EDIT: If he hates the interviews so much, I'd at least start having some fun with them. Start lying about strategies that you are obviously not going to employ and see if you can come up with something sufficiently ridiculous that the interviewer actually calls you on it. "no, we're not going to cover Lebron at all in the fourth quarter. See how that goes."

"Matt Bonner's been calling himself the Kingslayer in practice for weeks now, so we're going to go with him on Lebron for the entire second half and see if we can't pull out a win here"

[Calibandar]

So the Knicks go with Derek Fisher as their new head coach, on a 5 year 25 million deal.

Interesting choice, I don't really have significant reservations about it. Jackson will have his reasons for not wanting a more experienced coach.

[Mexal]

So the Knicks go with Derek Fisher as their new head coach, on a 5 year 25 million deal.

Interesting choice, I don't really have significant reservations about it. Jackson will have his reasons for not wanting a more experienced coach.

I hate it. It's a terrible sign when the NBA is so devoid of coaching talent that they have to wait until a player's playoff run is over before hiring them as a first time NBA coach. Only sport I know where you can play professionally then coach professionally in the best league in the world the day you retire. I fucking hate this trend.