***Official NBA Playoffs Thread***

[ajalves]

like Dak said, and i know its a $$ thing, but the schedule is bush league crap. Why can they play back to back? i mean Orlando plays saturday and then Tuesday???

fucking stupid.

[DRiccio21]

like Dak said, and i know its a $$ thing, but the schedule is bush league crap. Why can they play back to back? i mean Orlando plays saturday and then Tuesday???

fucking stupid.

i think we have this talk every year and shel and i are always the only two who like this and everyone else seems to hate it.

who cares when they play? it gives us like 2 straight months of good basketball games to watch/bet.

i love it spread out like this as long as there are games on everyday.

[ajalves]

like Dak said, and i know its a $$ thing, but the schedule is bush league crap. Why can they play back to back? i mean Orlando plays saturday and then Tuesday???

fucking stupid.

i think we have this talk every year and shel and i are always the only two who like this and everyone else seems to hate it.

who cares when they play? it gives us like 2 straight months of good basketball games to watch/bet.

i love it spread out like this as long as there are games on everyday.

yeah i suppose i dont watch anyhow, so what do i care.

[DRiccio21]

like Dak said, and i know its a $$ thing, but the schedule is bush league crap. Why can they play back to back? i mean Orlando plays saturday and then Tuesday???

fucking stupid.

i think we have this talk every year and shel and i are always the only two who like this and everyone else seems to hate it.

who cares when they play? it gives us like 2 straight months of good basketball games to watch/bet.

i love it spread out like this as long as there are games on everyday.

yeah i suppose i dont watch anyhow, so what do i care.

i guess thats a really good point ... lol

shel and i are the only 2 who watch the NBA so we enjoy watching every game while others really just want to either see their favorite teams play or for it to be over.

makes sense

[ajalves]

i think what turns me off to the NBA in general is what sonmeone mentioned, the officiating.

[DRiccio21]

i think what turns me off to the NBA in general is what sonmeone mentioned, the officiating.

i hear ya.

i dont know why, maybe it was my focus on watching Derrick Rose so closely the other day, but i have been turned off far more this postseason then normal. the numbers i posted are kind of eye opening. the superstars for the home/favorite teams are shooting as many free throws in most cases as the entire other teams.

the thing for me is that the level of basketball being played is so mind boggingly good on both sides of the ball that i have to watch. the skill and athleticism in the NBA right now is just absurd.

i actually don't know that i blame the refs completely for the officiating. i think its more the rule changes and athleticism. the speed of the game and the improved skill makes it harder for defenders to keep guys in front. a guy like Rose can literally get to the rim anytime he wants without a hand check and then Rose can just barrel into a guy and get a foul called. its not Rose's or Lebrons or Wades fault either... nobody can physically stop those guys from getting to the rim.

[Cnasty]

I watch the NBA but I don't post as much in that thread and you guys know way more about the players than I do.

I really only watch the "good" matchups though that I'm interested in such as:

Miami, my team
Knicks-celtics, think it will be a fun series
Magic, to root against them
Lakers, to hope for them to get upset

I think that's it

[ReignOnU]

I don't have time to run the numbers and don't take this as an argument that the stars aren't getting the super easy calls, because they always are... but keep in mind when looking at FGA vs. FTA, you have to consider that a made FG and foul call is a FGA and a missed FG on a foul call is not an FGA. So if it's 40 FGA vs. 20 FGA and 10 FTA vs. 40 FTA, then the real FGA could easily be 45 FGA vs. 40 FGA. (not counting and 1s)

[dakshdar]

i think what turns me off to the NBA in general is what sonmeone mentioned, the officiating.

i hear ya.

i dont know why, maybe it was my focus on watching Derrick Rose so closely the other day, but i have been turned off far more this postseason then normal. the numbers i posted are kind of eye opening. the superstars for the home/favorite teams are shooting as many free throws in most cases as the entire other teams.

the thing for me is that the level of basketball being played is so mind boggingly good on both sides of the ball that i have to watch. the skill and athleticism in the NBA right now is just absurd.

i actually don't know that i blame the refs completely for the officiating. i think its more the rule changes and athleticism. the speed of the game and the improved skill makes it harder for defenders to keep guys in front. a guy like Rose can literally get to the rim anytime he wants without a hand check and then Rose can just barrel into a guy and get a foul called. its not Rose's or Lebrons or Wades fault either... nobody can physically stop those guys from getting to the rim.

To me, some of it is the undesirable offensive foul call on a home team star player.

Defensive players aren't given the right to the space they are occupying like they should be. Someone can be in great defensive position on Rose but if Rose decides he wants to go right at a guy, the defensive foul is being called pretty much every time. Doesn't matter if people are moving their feet well and sliding into position correctly. They only offensive fouls you normall see called are on switch defense when the dribbler just goes right at the help defender and lays him out.

Plus, I think Rose benefits from the fact that visually it is hard to see a small player offensively fouling a bigger defender. He can more easily bump off guys to get a little room to make a play where as if a bigger player tries that the contact looks so much more obvious that you're more likely to see an offensive foul (for the same type of play).

Plus, some players (maybe Rose is getting there) are so good with their offensive clearing moves (fouls) that they just don't get called. I think Pierce pushes off and leans into guys to get space more than any player I've ever seen and he'll never get called for it because he makes it look like part of the play every time. He constantly puts a shoulder into someone while moving forward half a step to get them moving away/off balance and then hits the fade-away. It is a great move, but frustrating as hell to watch as an opposing fan because you can only defend that with serious length. The minute you try jumping toward him after that move, he switches it up and comes into you rather than fading away and then he's at the line.

Guess I could just say I'm not a fan of post-up/fade-away basketball. Well run transition offense, pick and rool, ball rotation to the open player, and face up play from 15 feet is much more entertaining to me.

[nick]

I don't have time to run the numbers and don't take this as an argument that the stars aren't getting the super easy calls, because they always are... but keep in mind when looking at FGA vs. FTA, you have to consider that a made FG and foul call is a FGA and a missed FG on a foul call is not an FGA. So if it's 40 FGA vs. 20 FGA and 10 FTA vs. 40 FTA, then the real FGA could easily be 45 FGA vs. 40 FGA. (not counting and 1s)

[VeniVediV1ci]

i'd agree that the athleticism is at an all-time high, but i don't know about skill when you include everyone in the league

[DRiccio21]

i'd agree that the athleticism is at an all-time high, but i don't know about skill when you include everyone in the league

with technology, globalization, 365 day training, individual coaches for everything from dribbling to free throws you're crazy if you don't think talent is at all time highs.

the only thing that makes people say its not is nostalgia and wanting to believe 'their time' was better. 'when i was growing up' blah blah.

go watch a game of basketball in 1975,85,95 and then today and tell me the talent isn't better.

[iRoccafella]

I think rule changes have something to do with it too. I remember reading an article talking about how ridiculous the Great One would be with todays rules in the NBA

[nick]

What I dont get is.... How come when I say lebron is the greatest ever, people disagree? He is the best player in the best generation, therefore he is the best. If Jordan played now I still think Lebron would be better. If Lebron played in Jordans era he would of dismantled the league with his speed.

people point to the rings, Lebron is like 25 yrs old, people talk like he's in his mid 30's. He still has 10 dominating years + 5 support cast years to get rings. And when they come it'll be in Laker like bunches

Iunno.. thats my opinion. I'm watching the greatest player ever play now

[ReignOnU]

Kobe had 3 at this point in his career. Jordan went on a run of 6 in the next 7 seasons at this point. Also keep in mind that Lebron has never missed more than 10 games in a season... and he gets fouled as hard as any player in the league. That beating is going to take it's toll and eventually (5-6yrs down the road) his explosiveness/physical ability will deteriorate and he'll need to adapt.

And just to throw it out there... I think the league is going to be increasingly more competitive at the top, over the next 10yrs. The Knicks are getting better. Chicago has a great nucleus. OKC should continue to really develop. LA has at least 1 more very competitive year and you never now how Bynum develops.... plus the always entertaining Dwight Howard rumors.

Lebron has the players around him to make a 6/7 type of run... but I think the pack is a lot closer than when the Bulls pulled it off.

[shel311]

like Dak said, and i know its a $$ thing, but the schedule is bush league crap. Why can they play back to back? i mean Orlando plays saturday and then Tuesday???

fucking stupid.

i think we have this talk every year and shel and i are always the only two who like this and everyone else seems to hate it.

who cares when they play? it gives us like 2 straight months of good basketball games to watch/bet.

i love it spread out like this as long as there are games on everyday.

I'm on both sides of the fence lol.

But basically, yea I'm with you. I hate that a 1st round series can take up to 2 weeks, but the reward for me personally outweights that since I can watch any and every single game I want.

[shel311]

Kobe had 3 at this point in his career. Jordan went on a run of 6 in the next 7 seasons at this point.

This is why I hate the titles argument(in general, I know you're not striking up the debate lol).

I know I'm speaking in hypotheticals here, but put Kobe or MJ in Cleveland for the 1st 7 years of there career, or give Lebron 13 years of Kobe's teams or 13 years on MJ's teams, and I am 100% certain Lebron would have more titles(on either LAL or CHI) than Kobe and MJ combined would in Cleveland. Guys shouldn't be punished for that, IMO.

Also keep in mind that Lebron has never missed more than 10 games in a season... and he gets fouled as hard as any player in the league. That beating is going to take it's toll and eventually (5-6yrs down the road) his explosiveness/physical ability will deteriorate and he'll need to adapt.

He'll definitely need to change to have a really long lasting career. Though, if anyone can handle that kind of punishment, I think Lebron with his physical stature.

Also, Lebron has really worked on his post game this year. And although he doesn't post up as much as I think he should, statistically, he has become a top 10(maybe top 15, dont remember exactly) post player in the entire league, not just big men, everyone. So, he has a few more years to refine that game, and we'll see the evolution of his game which will be pretty cool to see how it goes down.

[BIGmike]

Kobe had 3 at this point in his career. Jordan went on a run of 6 in the next 7 seasons at this point. Also keep in mind that Lebron has never missed more than 10 games in a season... and he gets fouled as hard as any player in the league. That beating is going to take it's toll and eventually (5-6yrs down the road) his explosiveness/physical ability will deteriorate and he'll need to adapt.

And just to throw it out there... I think the league is going to be increasingly more competitive at the top, over the next 10yrs. The Knicks are getting better. Chicago has a great nucleus. OKC should continue to really develop. LA has at least 1 more very competitive year and you never now how Bynum develops.... plus the always entertaining Dwight Howard rumors.

Lebron has the players around him to make a 6/7 type of run... but I think the pack is a lot closer than when the Bulls pulled it off.

Bynum is a living, breathing injury.

[VeniVediV1ci]

i'd agree that the athleticism is at an all-time high, but i don't know about skill when you include everyone in the league

with technology, globalization, 365 day training, individual coaches for everything from dribbling to free throws you're crazy if you don't think talent is at all time highs.

the only thing that makes people say its not is nostalgia and wanting to believe 'their time' was better. 'when i was growing up' blah blah.

go watch a game of basketball in 1975,85,95 and then today and tell me the talent isn't better.

talent is different from skill, but don't get too excited i don't care much about this and won't argue because i don't feel strongly (figured i'd get that out of the way)

[Cnasty]

That move wade just put on turner was just not right. Hope it makes it to YouTube