NBA Playoffs

[Pa Golden Tate Fan]

Didn't see a thread posted about the NBA playoffs. So I decided to post one.

 

[blueNDgold44]

Bulls suck, I don't know if it is just me but I'd rather watch the LPGA amateur tour than the NBA.

 

[chicago51]

Bulls suck, I don't know if it is just me but I'd rather watch the LPGA amateur tour than the NBA.

The problem with the Bulls is they play their best all season long. Unfortunately you have teams that don't so when the Bulls get to the playoffs they can't play any better while other teams with more natural talent can pick up their games.

Believe or not down 0-2 and dropping both home games I still don't think this series is over. I expect Washington and their youth, with all DC telling how good they to get a bit to full of themselves now that they are going home.

Looking forward to seeing if the Spurs can make one last run. How about Tim Duncan's 27 point throw back game in game 1? He pretty much won the game for them in the 4th quarter. That team never ceases to amaze me even if they are not popular. I don't know if they got enough natural talent anymore to win another title but Tim Duncan is my favorite player in the league today.

BTW I wish you could have 2 sports team for the same sport as I would totally have a Spurs one as well.

 

[philipm31]

Grizzlies-Thunder is probably the best rivalry in the NBA right now, with the Grizzlies improbably holding a 15-14 edge dating back to 2011.

Other matchups might look sexier but this is the best NBA basketball series every time they play.

 

[dublinirish]

NBA Oregon Trail: The New York Knicks All Die - Hardwood Paroxysm - Unbiased opinions from extremely biased people.

didn't know where to put this, but it is pure gold

 

[irishfan]

Anyone but the Heat....

Really thought it would be a Heat-Bulls Conf finals, but Chicago isn't inspiring much hope right now. Not sure what to think of Indy since they've been so weak recently (minus last night's 3rd quarter), and I don't know anything about Toronto really. I'm no NBA expert, but it seems like the Heat have a much easier than usual path to the NBA Finals.

Western Conference, I don't know if I would rather have the Spurs or Thunder advance. Not sure which one is better built to take down the Heat.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Spurs are a better match vs the Heat I think. But the Thunder have better matchups vs the Spurs. But yeah, anybody but Heat.

 

[rikkitikki08]

I still believe its Pacers/ Heat in the eastern conference finals. East and West finals should be a blood bath so who knows what happens come the time for the NBA finals

 

[rikkitikki08]

NBA Oregon Trail: The New York Knicks All Die - Hardwood Paroxysm - Unbiased opinions from extremely biased people.

didn't know where to put this, but it is pure gold

HAHA that was fantastic

 

[irishfan]

NBA Oregon Trail: The New York Knicks All Die - Hardwood Paroxysm - Unbiased opinions from extremely biased people.

didn't know where to put this, but it is pure gold

haha this is hilarious

and honestly, who in their right mind would thought it would be a good idea to put Carmelo, JR, and Amare on the same team? just asking for a team with 0 chemistry

 

[dublinirish]

haha this is hilarious

and honestly, who in their right mind would thought it would be a good idea to put Carmelo, JR, and Amare on the same team? just asking for a team with 0 chemistry

No team Melo is on will ever have anything resembling chemisty. Love that Oregon Trail skit - poor Pablo and JR never had a chance lol

 

[philipm31]

Guess we are NOT talking about the playoffs now? I mean, this was a thread about the playoffs and we get sidetracked by THIS??

Talk about losing your way

 

[zelezo vlk]

Bulls are out. I have no care anymore. Kidding. It actually reduces stress for me and I enjoy watching the other match ups a lot too.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[chicago51]

I know Ibaka is out but all excuses included the Thunder defense is awful right now, like really awful.

Not righting them off in the series yet but I watched game 1 and watched the 2nd half of game 2 when the Blackhawks went south every play it seemed like every play the Spurs end up shooting a wide open shot.

 

[Irish Insanity]

This series started like this in 2012. And ended with OKC ripping off 4 straight to win the series. With that being said, there is probably less of a chance of that than there was for the Cavs to win the draft lotto. Ibaka deserves a raise in the off season. At this point it appears Ibaka is more important to this team than Westbrook.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Well, Ibaka is pretty much the only big OKC has who can hang with the Spurs. He's also the third scoring option and enough of a deterrent to affect Tony Parker. I do think that the Thunder might need to shake things up in the offseason (look for a way to offload Russ for a huge haul), but Brooks is just as much to blame.

That being said, they had close to no chance with Ibaka out. With Ibaka healthy, they had a great chance but with him out, everything falls on KD and he just can't do it alone.

 

[Irish#1]

Well, Ibaka is pretty much the only big OKC has who can hang with the Spurs. He's also the third scoring option and enough of a deterrent to affect Tony Parker. I do think that the Thunder might need to shake things up in the offseason (look for a way to offload Russ for a huge haul), but Brooks is just as much to blame.

That being said, they had close to no chance with Ibaka out. With Ibaka healthy, they had a great chance but with him out, everything falls on KD and he just can't do it alone.

Ibaka definitely helps them, but OKC still doesn't know what defense is.

 

[irishog77]

OKC has been one of the best defensive teams in the league during Brooks' tenure. It's not like they can't and don't play defense. I think 2 factors are at play here: the Spurs are playing lights-out right now and Ibaka is a kind of Spur-stopper, in a sense.

B-ball is such a game of matchups. The 4 games this season that OKC beat SA, Ibaka was a nightmare for SA (particularly defensively). He really altered Parker's ability to penetrate because of his quickness, length, and shot-blocking ability. So much of the Spurs offense begins with Parker getting into the lane and either finishing, or beginning their now famous ball movement that focuses on shooters and taking advantage of defensive mismatches/switches that took place because Parker was able to break down the opposition's set defense. Ibaka alone nullified much of that.

I think, if healthy, I'd give the slight advantage to OKC over the Spurs in a 7 game series (and I'm a HUGE Spurs fan)...but think the Heat would easily handle them in the Finals again. If the Spurs advance, I think they can handle the Heat. They match up with them so much better than OKC. I think if the Pacers advance, OKC an SA would both beat them in 5.

 

[chicago51]

This series started like this in 2012. And ended with OKC ripping off 4 straight to win the series. With that being said, there is probably less of a chance of that than there was for the Cavs to win the draft lotto. Ibaka deserves a raise in the off season. At this point it appears Ibaka is more important to this team than Westbrook.

True and I had OKC winning as athletic teams seem to bother the Spurs the most. However it is important to note no James Harden, now no Ibaka.

Plus in 2012 the Thunder made a huge run at the end of game 2 to come back and almost steel the game after being down big. Kind of set them up for game 3 and the rest of the series.

I still think the Thunder are the more "talented" team. I blame the coaching staff as there defensive system and rotations are just awful right now in these playoffs (although they where good during the season). Ibaka helps but they where playing bad defense with him against the Clippers even though they won the series. When it comes to "God given talent" the Thunder have it as much as any team out their but the run a crap offense with no passing, and have awful help defense. When they beat the Spurs in 2012 it was because they started passing like never before only to revert back and lose to the Heat in the finals.

Well, Ibaka is pretty much the only big OKC has who can hang with the Spurs. He's also the third scoring option and enough of a deterrent to affect Tony Parker. I do think that the Thunder might need to shake things up in the offseason (look for a way to offload Russ for a huge haul), but Brooks is just as much to blame.

That being said, they had close to no chance with Ibaka out. With Ibaka healthy, they had a great chance but with him out, everything falls on KD and he just can't do it alone.

Assuming you want to keep Brooks who I think underachieves with a super talented team then I think the Thunder need to bring Ron Adams back as an assistant coach to one the defense. For those who don't know who this guy is he is one of the type defensive assistants in the league. He left OKC to go to Chicago because of his friendship with Thom Thibodeau but the Bulls fired management fired him for some reason prior to this season which pissed our head coach off. Bulls defense didn't suffer because Thibs is a defensive genius himself but Adams will make anybody's team defense better.

 

[zelezo vlk]

I don't think that OKC should retain Brooks but I don't know who else to bring in. If something happens with the whole Doc/Clipps thing, bring him in. However I just don't see that happening. I'm not exactly sure who should be brought in, but the offense is probably what needs to be fixed.

 

[Irish Insanity]

I'm all for Brooks being sent down the road. He has built his offense to only include 2 players and the other 3 on the floor are there for the scraps when they miss of the shot clock is low. His success as a coach is a product of his players, not the other way around.
But I seriously laugh at those who say OKC doesn't know D. Depends upon what metrics they are using, but in all rankings they are right around the 5th best. Ibaka controls the center which allows the other 4 to play more of a cheater style and go for the steel and over the screens.
Brooks has no consistency. He starts the game sending Westbrook into the lane and playing off that. Which works if they can hit the mid range shots it creates and Parker is to small and can't stay in front of Westbrook. As soon as both games hit the 2nd quarters, the adjusted away from what was working. Brooks seems confused with any adjustments. He seems to be throwing things out there and hoping they work.

 

[chicago51]

I'm all for Brooks being sent down the road. He has built his offense to only include 2 players and the other 3 on the floor are there for the scraps when they miss of the shot clock is low. His success as a coach is a product of his players, not the other way around.
But I seriously laugh at those who say OKC doesn't know D. Depends upon what metrics they are using, but in all rankings they are right around the 5th best. Ibaka controls the center which allows the other 4 to play more of a cheater style and go for the steel and over the screens.
Brooks has no consistency. He starts the game sending Westbrook into the lane and playing off that. Which works if they can hit the mid range shots it creates and Parker is to small and can't stay in front of Westbrook. As soon as both games hit the 2nd quarters, the adjusted away from what was working. Brooks seems confused with any adjustments. He seems to be throwing things out there and hoping they work.

Yes they need to adjust. Play Reggie Jackson with Westbrook more. The Spurs have used Green a more solid defender than Parker on Westbrook. If you play Jackson you force Parker to have to guard someone who can score instead of Sefalosha (don't anyone go call dshans on my spelling here). If I am them I stop letting Parker guard a guy that can't score. Play Thabo on Parker at the other end when he is in the game. Westbrook is a fine defender but he he would use up less energy and would be more free to gamble on Danny Green.

OKC is good in fact real on defense because of athletic talent and length; they can really challenge guys. They are undisciplined when it comes to a team defense and Ibaka's absence has exploited that.

 

[Irish Insanity]

What I hate more than anything is even when Ibaka was healthy and in the floor Brooks still only ran offense 99% of the time for Durant and Westbrook. Sefalosha and Ibaka have some offensive game. Some of the moves to the basket with the ball they both made last series were good. The opposing D never has to play honest and can always cheat on the big 2. Doesn't have to be every time down. But run some plays for them to keep the D honest. And that's on Brooks. And I think that's a big reason has hit it's ceiling with him.

 

[Irish#1]

I'm all for Brooks being sent down the road. He has built his offense to only include 2 players and the other 3 on the floor are there for the scraps when they miss of the shot clock is low. His success as a coach is a product of his players, not the other way around.
But I seriously laugh at those who say OKC doesn't know D. Depends upon what metrics they are using, but in all rankings they are right around the 5th best. Ibaka controls the center which allows the other 4 to play more of a cheater style and go for the steel and over the screens.
Brooks has no consistency. He starts the game sending Westbrook into the lane and playing off that. Which works if they can hit the mid range shots it creates and Parker is to small and can't stay in front of Westbrook. As soon as both games hit the 2nd quarters, the adjusted away from what was working. Brooks seems confused with any adjustments. He seems to be throwing things out there and hoping they work.

They play some defense, but not compared to the Pacers or Heat. Your defense shouldn't drop off that dramatically because you lose your best defender. As mentioned previously, OKC doesn't play solid "team" defense.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Ibaka now upgraded to 'day to day'.

 

[irishfan]

At this point (as a Heat hater), I'm just hoping for a Spurs sweep and that the Pacers can at least push the Heat to 6 games.

 

[Irish#1]

At this point (as a Heat hater), I'm just hoping for a Spurs sweep and that the Pacers can beat the Heat in 6 games.

FIFY

 

[chicago51]

Ibaka now upgraded to 'day to day'.

Willis Reed moment?

 

[Irish#1]

Pacers gave that one away. I wasn't expecting them to maintain a 14 point lead from the first quarter, but the turnovers did they in again. That seems to be their achilles heal.

 

[Booslum31]

Willis Reed moment?

Good call! would love to see it.