Official NBA Discussion Thread

[NinoBrown]

Miami. Dallas. Who ya got?

BTW Chicago stay losing first Oprah now the Bulls.

 

[Luke Flywalker]

http://www.dontlaughpeople.com/2011/05/2011-nba-finals-prediction-dallas.html

 

[straight_edge76]

Gotta give Miami props for the defense on Dirk last night. He didn't get many clean looks, the majority of his points came from the free throw line, and if I'm the Heat I have no problems with making guys like Shawn Marion and Jason Terry needing to beat Miami with Dirk a virtual non-factor. LeBron and Wade both took over the game at various points, Wade started off slow but really turned it on in the second half. That steal and break with the dish to Bosh for the dunk with roughly 1:30 left was when you knew the game was over.

Miami's obviously playing with a chip on there shoulder, they're looking to shut any and everyone up.

I like the Heat in 6.

 

[Hometown Kid]

Dallas sweeps the next 3 tbh.

 

[straight_edge76]

If Miami wins I think they will be the only team in the last few years to beat the only two teams to sweep a series.... Could be wrong though, however Dallas NEEDS to win game 5 to have a realistic shot at winning the series. Winning two in Miami will be pretty tough.

 

[NinoBrown]

Crunch time for Miami right now. Next game is do or die and win or lose, this is the first time in a while I've been this amp for a Finals series and I'll be okay with Dallas winning but I want this to go to a Game 7. This series has been nothing short of amazing. Down to the wire every game and the NFL is rumoured to be talking about an 8 game season and I can't have that!

LeBron needs to show up during the 4th quarter, he's really disappeared on the score chart in the last 12 minutes. Sure he's been passing and playing D but he needs to get on the score chart. I want a Game 7!!

 

[Chuck Taylor's Grenade]

I just have one thing to say. Well actually I'll let this guy say it-

[yt]aIrhVo1WA78[/yt]

Miami got what they deserved. First off there were more Dallas fans than Miami fans in the arena even though the game is in Miami. Pretty sad when Dallas fans will travel over a thousand miles to support their team at their opponents arena and local fans can't even travel less than a tenth of that distance to do the same thing for their team. Way to support your team Heat fans. Second Lebron, Bosh and Wade just expected the title to be handed to them. The Mavs actually fought hard and earned it.

 

[Luke Flywalker]

DeShawn Stevenson > LeBron

http://twitpic.com/5b3xne

 

[PeepShow]

[yt]jOV5t_4loaE[/yt]

 

[NinoBrown]

You really thought they'd win it in their first year? Can't really hate on them, everyone looked down on them when the season started and they prevailed with Chalmers, Miller, Bibby, Anthony and the rest of the Mami Heat. I'd say congrats for making it all the way to the finals in there first year together but nobody will see that.

Congrats to the Mavs though, it's well deserved.

P.S. Bye bye Howard.
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/30028491

 

[Luke Flywalker]

^When you take a dynamic champion like Wade, add in the greatest athlete basketball has ever seen, and arguably the best player in the world today in LeBron James... and they go out talking about 8 championships... yes, they're expected to win a championship IMMEDIATELY.

They shouldn't have lost to the Mavs. They didn't get beat, they beat themselves. LeBron's horrible, inexcusable play cost the Heat. They lost this series by a total of 14 total points in 6 games... they went to the line fewer than any other team to ever play in the Finals, because of LeBron's play. If LeBron plays like he did during the regular season, and not the way he plays in the Finals, there's absolutely no way the Mavs beat the Heat.

 

[He who knows more than Nation]

Seriously, Heat apologists can't see the forest for the trees either due to blind bias or plain ignorance. They played in an inferior conference, knocked off a team that only got in because you have to have to have 8 teams, beat an aging Celtic group that shot themselves in the foot trading Perkins, and beat a young and inexperienced Bulls squad, the team LBJ should have joined. They played up to their same level of competition, but they aren't a complete team, just two of the five best in the L and an incredibly over rated power forward with no post presence or rebounding ability. And with a huge reduction coming to the salary cap, the Heat are in no position to win 8 titles, they won't be able to sign the type of role players they need and being tied down to such cap crippling salaries ensures they may never have a complete team. Every single one of their centers is worthless and needs to be sent to the glue factory, Howard first apparently. They can't defend the paint and they couldn't rebound a friggin beachball to save their life. Their top point guards aren't starting caliber and aren't distributors, their back up wings are absolute garbage chuckers who couldn't defend JJ Barea. I'm unsure of the current roster but I think they only have five to six deals on the book for next season but with a possible soft and hard cap, they are in the same position they were last season. They're going to have to continually patch the roster with minimum salary players and wash ups playing at reduced price in hopes of a ring. It will be hard to have continuity and that is almost a requisite to winning a title.

And the Heat deserve every bit of criticism. The uncouth and classless way LBJ left Cleveland, the incredible grandiose introduction, the boasting of 7 titles, the classless mocking of Nowitzki. The Heat made critical mistakes, mainly not letting Wade be the man when it was apparent after the third game that LePussy just isn't a clutch closer and was getting shut down by 32 and 36 year old past their prime Kidds and Marrions. Then getting killed by Barea like he was Pistol Pete was the topping. The Heat pulled a Nowitzki on Nowitzki. Dirk has now silenced his critics while LeBron takes the "Dik Nowitzki" of the league moniker. It's too bad LBJ couldn't take his talents to the 4th quarter.

 

[MizMasta3000]

If Dallas didn't win it this season, with all the veteran talent on that team, it'd never happen. Terry, Kidd, Dirk, and Stevenson worked their asses off. However, I feel bad for Lebron. I think the reason that they lost is because no one wanted to see them win. Everyone talked about the Mavs being the underdog team, but on all the sports shows and all over the media, as well as on the streets, I might have heard 3 people at the most say that the Heat will take it. It's so fashionable to hate James and the Heat, people don't think that weighs down on their confidence and drive to want to win. I think this championship series was a wake up call to Carlisle more than anyone that he can't just sit back and let the Big 3 "Do what it do". He needs to teach them that they are all apart of the team and give James some pride. That's how a squad wins it all...pride for the city and team that they play for.

Too bad the Knicks are taking it next year

 

[fuzzy]

The Heat lost on their promise of winning 7-8 titles. although they're good on paper and durring the reg-season, the playoffs are a different court they're playing on. I agree with enzo, the heat made it to the finals not because they're great team but because the teams they beat were too young, too old and too inexperienced.
LBJ isn't the greatest player in the nba, because he has yet to prove that he is. MJ will always remain the best in the game, not because he has won titles but because he has done it without crying and bitchin' he never flipped just to be with a better team.
LBJ will never be as great because the chance he had to prove that is now long gone.
They failed and it's one of many to follow.

 

[straight_edge76]

I love how 90% of these pundits on TV talked about how Miami lost the series more than Dallas winning it. Now, I am not saying that Miami didn't have more than it's fair shar of melting down throughout the series but give guys like Dirk, Jason Terry and so on there just dues. The won the series. Miami will get there rings, no doubt, I think LeBron needed to lose this to really mature. I love LeBron, but he's an immature spoiled kid, in a 26 year old mans body. It still amazes me how a proven clutch player, and champion Dwayne Wade didn't take over on multiple occasions throughout the series. The team will be fine, they need a legit post player though, Anthony and Haslam are solid but neither of them are a solid #1 center on any team. Mario Chalmers has matured nicely over the past 3 seasons and It wouldn't be unheard of to have him in the top PG in the league talks in the next few years IMO. I'm not one of those blindly ignorant Heat fans that thinks shit will change overnight and they'll coast to a 3pete. They need an upgrade at Center, and another PG to compliment Chalmers with Bibby retiring. LBJ needs to mature A LOT, Bosh played well throughout the series, Wade needs to realize HE... Not LEBRON needs to lead the team.