2012 NBA Playoffs

[Kraznaya]

Westbrook was great... then dumb. He never fails to shock me in both good and bad ways. He makes a phenomenal drive and shot, comes back in a close game and dribbles the ball off his foot trying to go between the legs . Scores over 40 but still fails to think by fouling Wade with only 5 sec put on the shot clock after the jump ball... after at least 2 coaches mentioned to the team directly (and they looked up at the clock) on what the exact situation would be. Drains a 3 pointer, then throws the ball away next possession. The dude is quick beyond belief, then a step slow on defense. He is enough to give poor Scottie a heart-attack.

This kind of criticism is unfair to Westbrook. Westbrook plays extremely fast paced and keeps the defense on the back heel because of it; of course you're going to commit turnovers at a higher rate than normal when you do this. Even if you accounted for his turnovers his points per possession was ridiculous this game. If he had missed shots instead, would you have been happier about it? What you're essentially saying is "I can't believe Kobe misses jumpers after he makes last one, clearly by making the jump shot before he should make it every time!" The foul he committed on Chalmers, not Wade, was stupid, but he was confused by an archaic rule and the game was essentially out of reach anyway (and was only close because of him). Why doesn't Durant get criticized on the same play for being outjumped by Shane friggin' Battier?

Thunder's bench stunk. Harden looks lost.

Nick Collison has been the best Thunder big man in the series. And I think most people would be lost if they were forced by their coach to guard a player two positions bigger than them while possibly injured. Harden still managed to grab five times as many rebounds as Durant last game.

Heat playing tough... but I can't believe Kobi, Bird, Magic or Jordan for instance would come out of game with a minute or so left in game 4 of the finals. Like you-know-who did .

He tried to make a go of it and clearly couldn't move at all on defense. It was the right move to take him out and it shows his basketball IQ that he didn't try to pig-headedly go against Spoelstra's decision.

Despite what the common fan like to see, it's not a good move to run into a brick wall in basketball over and over.

 

[Kraznaya]

Also, I'm totally cool with this World Cup of Basketball idea being pitched if the guys playing get a cut of the revenue.

 

[dgfred]

This kind of criticism is unfair to Westbrook. Westbrook plays extremely fast paced and keeps the defense on the back heel because of it; of course you're going to commit turnovers at a higher rate than normal when you do this. Even if you accounted for his turnovers his points per possession was ridiculous this game. If he had missed shots instead, would you have been happier about it? What you're essentially saying is "I can't believe Kobe misses jumpers after he makes last one, clearly by making the jump shot before he should make it every time!" The foul he committed on Chalmers, not Wade, was stupid, but he was confused by an archaic rule and the game was essentially out of reach anyway (and was only close because of him). Why doesn't Durant get criticized on the same play for being outjumped by Shane friggin' Battier?



Nick Collison has been the best Thunder big man in the series. And I think most people would be lost if they were forced by their coach to guard a player two positions bigger than them while possibly injured. Harden still managed to grab five times as many rebounds as Durant last game.



He tried to make a go of it and clearly couldn't move at all on defense. It was the right move to take him out and it shows his basketball IQ that he didn't try to pig-headedly go against Spoelstra's decision.

Despite what the common fan like to see, it's not a good move to run into a brick wall in basketball over and over.

You have your opinion. Jordan might have missed a shot or three, but no stupid fouls at crunchtime (and I think it was Wade) or dribbling off his foot in crunch time. 'Confused'... exactly what I was mentioning him being told right before it happened.

'out of reach' what game were you watching?

I agree on Collison... if Harden is hurt PUT SOMEBODY ELSE IN! So if Harden is in the game the coach has got him covering the wrong guy? Can't cover his guy, not shooting good, may be hurt... take him out.

My point was they wouldn't have come out of the game, he did. Don't think Jordan or Bird's basketball IQ is any less than LeBron's.

 

[Archbob]

He nailed a clutch 3 before he came out. If you've had leg cramps before, you know that you can hardly walk with them, not great for the team for you to be out on the floor.

 

[NBAfan]

Young teams almost never win their first finals appearance. I'm surprised James Harden has completely fallen off.

 

[dgfred]

He nailed a clutch 3 before he came out. If you've had leg cramps before, you know that you can hardly walk with them, not great for the team for you to be out on the floor.

I've had my share of cramps .

Usually you can't move at all or it is just a bit painful... like what his seemed to be.

Just an observation anyway... he played great IMO.

Westbrook also played great... but a couple of huge blunders IMO. Like I said, he would drive me crazy as his coach... but I would still want him on my team. His play is amazing.

 

[Kraznaya]

You have your opinion. Jordan might have missed a shot or three, but no stupid fouls at crunchtime (and I think it was Wade) or dribbling off his foot in crunch time. 'Confused'... exactly what I was mentioning him being told right before it happened.

Link to video.

Was Chalmers. And you're joking if you're trying to claim any of the "legends" never committed turnovers in crunch time. Westbrook was the primary ballhandler for the Thunder in the 4th quarter and he committed turnovers; statistically, this is bound to happen. Westbrook was especially turnover prone last postseason and prior to that, at this point, he commits about as many as any other slashing guard with his kind of usage rate. For the Skip Baylesses who insisted on Westbrook feeding Durant in the paint, he wasn't a viable option because the refs have been allowing Miami defenders to muscle him out of the paint and deny him catches (Durant is notoriously weak at combating that, and Tony Allen did this to great effect last postseason) and the comatose Scotty Brooks hasn't been running offball screens to free him up.

'out of reach' what game were you watching?

"Essentially" out of reach. Heat had one four second possession, were up by 3, Thunder had no time outs left. Even if the Thunder got the ball back down by three with approximately 9 seconds left after the Heat's possession, they had to go for three due to having no timeouts, and Miami would only have to defend the perimeter. The Thunder had shot 3/16 on threes up to that point, on possessions which they didn't necessarily have to go for three. People talk as if the Westbrook foul cost them the game... they had lost the game way before then.

I agree on Collison... if Harden is hurt PUT SOMEBODY ELSE IN! So if Harden is in the game the coach has got him covering the wrong guy? Can't cover his guy, not shooting good, may be hurt... take him out.

Harden is still realistically their best option along with Westbrook, Durant, Sefolosha, and Collison or Ibaka. It's just unrealistic to expect offensive production on him when Scotty Brooks has him on Lebron; just look at how Danny Granger and Paul Pierce's numbers tanked from the last two series. I already posted how Brooks's defensive matchups make no sense here.

My point was they wouldn't have come out of the game, he did. Don't think Jordan or Bird's basketball IQ is any less than LeBron's.

This machismo tough guy stuff is overrated and needs to be less valued in our sports culture. Brandon Roy got permanent knee damage when he forced his way through it and played through a playoff series he had no business being in. The concussion crisis in the NFL and all the bounty talk is a product of such a culture. Sure, a cramp isn't the same thing, but Lebron wasn't doing his team any favors, especially on defense, and he knew it. The legends are the legends because they were amazingly talented and technically skilled, not because they could pull off the tough guy act better than anyone else.

Usually you can't move at all or it is just a bit painful... like what his seemed to be.

Lebron got loosened up on the sideline and they put him back in the game, but he said during his post-game interview that he re-aggravated it the second time and really couldn't move and thus could not get back in the game.

 

[dgfred]

Thanks for the video... but that's about it.

 

[Archbob]

They main issue is that no one can stop James. You can out muscle durant(he's not that strong) but you can't out-muscle James. If his jumper is falling, you really can't do anything against him.

He's the most dangerous offensive player there is and also a better point guard than Westbrook.

 

[Kraznaya]

You're confusing the objective. The point is not to stop Lebron, but to slow him down sufficiently, and more importantly, especially for a team that wins by outscoring you like the Thunder, not to exhaust your best offensive players in the process of doing so. In other words: stick Thabo Sefolosha on him and make that his only job of the series. Lebron's shot horribly from outside three feet this series and he's still succeeding because Scotty Brooks has put Durant and Harden on him to the tune of horrible foul trouble for KD and zero offensive output from Harden. The Heat's offensive efficiency this series has been better than any team's regular season average other than the Spurs.

 

[dgfred]

Maybe if Harden shaves his beard he might do better than the 4-20 shooting the last two games .

 

[Kraznaya]

"Let's put the dagger in them."

 

[Archbob]

Kevin Durant, you are great. But the crown belongs to the King.

 

[Kraznaya]

 

[NBAfan]

I got to hand it to Lebron, he didn't quit this year.

 

[Archbob]

Looks like Bosh is getting left out again.

 

[Kraznaya]

 

[Archbob]

Think the King an Defend his crown next year?

BTW: The thunder need to try to trade Westbrook straight up for Rondo.

 

[Kraznaya]

BTW: The thunder need to try to trade Westbrook straight up for Rondo.

rofl

lebron winning a title doesn't make your inane one-liners any less terrible

 

[Archbob]

rofl

lebron winning a title doesn't make your inane one-liners any less terrible

Not Inane, be a good trade for the thunder. Rondo is a far superior floor general than Westbrook.