NBA CHAMPIONSHIP: Who wins and in how many games

[Dahoss]

Credit where credit is due. Lebron has been very good in this series. He's the second best player (to Durant) in the series, but he has been solid.

He hit the shots when it mattered, which is something he failed to do last year in the finals.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Credit where credit is due. Lebron has been very good in this series. He's the second best player (to Durant) in the series, but he has been solid.

He hit the shots when it mattered, which is something he failed to do last year in the finals.

He was great tonight. We didn't lose the game because of the horrible non calls at the end, we lost it because Brooks is too stubborn to realize we can't keep Perkins on the floor against the Heat. The Thunder would be better off with me on the floor.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

He was great tonight. We didn't lose the game because of the horrible non calls at the end, we lost it because Brooks is too stubborn to realize we can't keep Perkins on the floor against the Heat. The Thunder would be better off with me on the floor.

Forget all this... Did you catch him in the interview with Stu Scott? He looks beyond uncomfortable. I never noticed, is he a little anti social?

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

Forget all this... Did you catch him in the interview with Stu Scott? He looks beyond uncomfortable. I never noticed, is he a little anti social?

No, not really. Maybe Stu's eye was throwing him off.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

He was great tonight. We didn't lose the game because of the horrible non calls at the end, we lost it because Brooks is too stubborn to realize we can't keep Perkins on the floor against the Heat. The Thunder would be better off with me on the floor.

I was thinking the same thing in regards to perkins. The matchups just don't work for him in this series.

Wouldn't okc be really good running the triangle? Their half court sets,especially with the talent they have, can get pretty stagnant for long stretches.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Credit where credit is due. Lebron has been very good in this series. He's the second best player (to Durant) in the series, but he has been solid.

He hit the shots when it mattered, which is something he failed to do last year in the finals.

In what world is Durant better? Give me Lebron for the next 4 years still. Durant has the better cast around him, and I think it makes him look better.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

In what world is Durant better? Give me Lebron for the next 4 years still. Durant has the better cast around him, and I think it makes him look better.

You are nuts if you think that.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

In what world is Durant better? Give me Lebron for the next 4 years still. Durant has the better cast around him, and I think it makes him look better.

I think Lebron is the more complete player right now and certainly better from the defensive end.

The scary thing about durant is he seems to keep getting better. As a scorer, he is probably better already and he still doesn't have a go to move or any semblance of a post game.

[Cannon Shell]

I think I must have watched a different game.

Miami was fortunate that Brooks was slow to make the proper adjustments and Durant and Westbrook committed some bad fouls. OKC didnt rebound well at all and wasnt able to get points in transition until late.

IMO Miami played about as well as you could expect and was desperate to hang on.

Perkins needs to do a better job of rebounding, they cant let Miami outrebound them but the idea he played too much is puzzling. He played 19 minutes. Collison was a complete non-factor and Ibaka has to give them more on offense than 7 points and 4 reounds.

Derek Fisher was abysmal in 24 minutes. They should play Cook more as he is a far better shooter.

Miami made a lot of defensive adjustments. They took the dribble penetration away from Westbrook and Durant early in the game by doubling high and they also took away the pick and roll from Collison and Ibaka.

Harden kept them in the game in the 1st half but was very quiet in the 2nd.

On offense they posted James a lot while building the lead though they got stagnant in the 4th quarter and didnt attack the basket as well. Wade played well in the 1st half.

I'm sticking with OKC in 6

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Perkins needs to do a better job of rebounding, they cant let Miami outrebound them but the idea he played too much is puzzling. He played 19 minutes. Collison was a complete non-factor and Ibaka has to give them more on offense than 7 points and 4 reounds.

He played the very 19 minutes we couldn't score and couldn't stop Miami. Every time he was on the floor, the lead just grew and grew. Maybe you stepped out during those parts. 19 minutes is too much because he has no role against the Heat. He isn't a good rebounder, and he kills the Thunder offense against good teams. He is a low post defender, and they have no low post players. Even worse, he can't catch a pass to save his life. He has very small hands for a guy his size.

What happens is they put Lebron or Battier "guarding" Perkins, which translates to just roaming around and disrupting any semblance of an offense. I've watched every game, and it is the same every time we play a good team. We dig a hole while he fumbles the ball around, bricks up 3 footers, and clogs up the paint making it near impossible for Russ and KD to drive.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

He played the very 19 minutes we couldn't score and couldn't stop Miami. Every time he was on the floor, the lead just grew and grew. Maybe you stepped out during those parts. 19 minutes is too much because he has no role against the Heat. He isn't a good rebounder, and he kills the Thunder offense against good teams. He is a low post defender, and they have no low post players. Even worse, he can't catch a pass to save his life. He has very small hands for a guy his size.

What happens is they put Lebron or Battier "guarding" Perkins, which translates to just roaming around and disrupting any semblance of an offense. I've watched every game, and it is the same every time we play a good team. We dig a hole while he fumbles the ball around, bricks up 3 footers, and clogs up the paint making it near impossible for Russ and KD to drive.

Yeah but who are they gonna play? You cant start playing guys 45 minutes who are used to playing 28. 19 minutes = approx 1 1/2 quarter

Collison did nothing on offense and Ibaka didnt do a whole lot either. Who else is there?

[King Glorious]

Just watched the game. Don't want to get into all of it but a few things I wanted to touch on:

That was a foul on James at the end. That part is not in question. Is it a call that is usually made? Maybe not. Thunder fans will complain that they didn't get the call but will fail to mention that it was a similar judgement call that went their way when I thought Durant charged into Battier and should have fouled out. The non call didn't cost them the game.

Durant was awesome in the second half. James was strong again. Hit a big shot with under 90 seconds to go and of course those two free throws. Going 12-12 (19-21 for the series) was huge.

Westbrook has got to understand that he plays with Durant. Durant has 42 attempts, Westbrook 50. For the playoffs, it's Westbrook 337, Durant 321. I can't ever remember a situation with a league leading scorer not even getting the most shots on his own team. Not good Russell.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

I think Lebron is the more complete player right now and certainly better from the defensive end.

The scary thing about durant is he seems to keep getting better. As a scorer, he is probably better already and he still doesn't have a go to move or any semblance of a post game.

Durant is a far better shooter than James.
James has better court vision.

I dont think either is going to get much better than they are now.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Durant is a far better shooter than James.
James has better court vision.

I dont think either is going to get much better than they are now.

We will see. I think James has shown another dimension in these playoffs by playing in the lowblock. I don't remember ever seeing that from him.

Durant has plenty of room to improve. He doesn't have a go to move and he doesn't have a post game. Can you imagine what he could do with a turnaround or a hook?

I think James is a better ball handler, passer, defender and rebounder. Durant is a better scorer. Putting it that way doesn't give durant nearly his due. It's like calling dr Fager a one dimensional speedball. If I needed a score at the end of the game, durant is who I would want to have the ball.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

We will see. I think James has shown another dimension in these playoffs by playing in the lowblock. I don't remember ever seeing that from him.

Durant has plenty of room to improve. He doesn't have a go to move and he doesn't have a post game. Can you imagine what he could do with a turnaround or a hook?

I think James is a better ball handler, passer, defender and rebounder. Durant is a better scorer. Putting it that way doesn't give durant nearly his due. It's like calling dr Fager a one dimensional speedball. If I needed a score at the end of the game, durant is who I would want to have the ball.

Actually, Durant does have a post game, he just doesn't use it often.

[Calzone Lord]

Lebron has to be the best player in the NBA. He's led the regular season in +/- for four years in a row on two different teams.

2008-2009: James (CLE) +871 (tops in NBA by 178 points)

2009-2010: James (CLE) +650 (tops in NBA by 48 points)

2010-2011: James (MIA) +619 (tops in NBA by 4 points)

2011-2012: James (MIA) +474 (tops in NBA by 53 points)


Interestingly, James is almost never in the top 15 of that stat in the playoffs.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

We will see. I think James has shown another dimension in these playoffs by playing in the lowblock. I don't remember ever seeing that from him.

Durant has plenty of room to improve. He doesn't have a go to move and he doesn't have a post game. Can you imagine what he could do with a turnaround or a hook?

I think James is a better ball handler, passer, defender and rebounder. Durant is a better scorer. Putting it that way doesn't give durant nearly his due. It's like calling dr Fager a one dimensional speedball. If I needed a score at the end of the game, durant is who I would want to have the ball.

What is a go to move? He is a jumpshooter with a huge first step. Posting him is going away from his strengths.

I think comparing players like James and Durant is folly. They are both unique talents who use their physical abilities at the highest level. It is like comparing Magic and Bird.

Durant is a better scorer because he is a great shooter combined with extremely long limbs which allows him to get his shots off. But he is a pretty good defenser in a T. Price way.