NBA Finals

[razazteca 0]

So no comments yet for the entire game?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why comment when nobody can make a simple jump shot or layup.......37% for the game! I would like to place all the blame on the fact that Rasho played 14 minutes too many. I would rather see Nazr play 30 minutes, challenge Wallace for rebounds, make some points then have RASHO be soft in the middle.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

The Pistons shot 45%, it's just good defense. I'm loving this series, defensive basketball is just as exciting as offensive. Sometimes even more so.

[Guest news_gimmick]

Yep, 31 point blowouts are a blast to watch. The bar I was at even turned it off.

[Just John 0]

Everyone here said this would be a good series because both teams are defensively sound... But it looks like the problem is only one team plays defense per game. This series has been pretty hard to watch, in my opinion.

[Dangerous A 0]

The series is competitive. The games are not.

 

I think the next 2-3 games will be closer.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Maybe they're just really abysmal road teams? At least San Antonio was kind of average on the road (going 21-20) but awesome at home (38-3). Detroit had the second best road record in the East behind Miami, but only had one more win than San Antonio did in that category, going 22-19 while going 32-9 at home.

 

And therein lies the true story of this series. Homecourt advantage.

[Vern Gagne 0]

I had no idea both teams where so mediocre on the road.

[cabbageboy 0]

The odd thing is that until now neither team has been bad on the road. The Spurs took road games at Denver, Phoenix, Seattle in the playoffs (I think they clinched in both Seattle and Phoenix) while Detroit clinched their series in Miami (game 7 no less).

 

It's time to be honest: neither of these teams are really championship caliber teams. They certainly wouldn't have been during the Jordan Era of the NBA (at least not the Pistons...they are 90s Knicks lite). The Spurs maybe could have made the finals but they would have been the token jobber along the lines of the Utah Jazz circa 1997-98.

 

People kept blathering about how good this series would be. It has sucked ass, which I knew it would. I am even surprised it has been THIS horrible, not even a close or competitive game. I figured it'd be a long, boring series of 80-76 type games with a lot of gooning, hacking and bad shooting.

 

The Pistons will remain a total joke, even if they win this series. They got past the Pacers due to the Pacers being shorthanded and banged up, you know the deal there. They only got past the Heat because they managed to goon Dwayne Wade to where he didn't play in game 6 and wasn't as effective in game 7. Did it shock anyone to see Ginobili go down in this series? One time might be accidental, but in the offseason David Stern needs to take a hard look at this shit and the overall state of his product.

[razazteca 0]

Heel champions are bigger draws?

[bobobrazil1984 0]

perhaps we should just abandon the whole concept of 'sports' and call in Vince McMahon (err no wait, strike that, call in Paul Heyman) and have him book sports entertainment NBA seasons so we can always get "teams who dont win championsh... err i mean, teams that are fun to watch" and exciting ~SUPERSTARS~! in the Finals.

 

and frankly, the blame lies squarely on the "exciting teams", Its Dallas fault and Phoenix's fault they cant play good defense to go with their "fun" games. its Miami's fault they couldn't hold on to their 2-1 lead or an 8 point lead with 4 minutes left, and so on and so on. Of course nobody wants to blame the teams they like. damn the spurs and the pistons!!! no, damn YOUR favorite team for playing like crap.

I'll look forward to next year's "Western Conference Glut", the 3 or 4 teams who are fun to watch but will eventually get slaughtered by the good teams and will never make the Finals. Last year, all i remember is that sacramento, minnestoa, and Dallas, played each other in the first two rounds,and i cant even remember who played who (other than Minn winning). this year the glut consisted of dallas, houston, seattle, and phoenix (though i'll admit i thought phoe had an outside chance, unliek the other 3)

god i hope the pistons win. these days with the obnoxious attitudes of fans, NOTHING makes me happier than seeing "fan favorite" ~SUPERSTAR~! teams fall to the Pistons, though i guess the Spurs are close enough to the Pistons it might not have the satisfaction that watching Heat and Laker fans and general upsettiness-over-Det-Spur-finals-fans sputter and get angry.

 

on an unrelated note, i totally dig those Phil 'zen master' jackson car commercials.

[Damaramu 0]

The odd thing is that until now neither team has been bad on the road.  The Spurs took road games at Denver, Phoenix, Seattle in the playoffs (I think they clinched in both Seattle and Phoenix) while Detroit clinched their series in Miami (game 7 no less).

 

It's time to be honest:  neither of these teams are really championship caliber teams.  They certainly wouldn't have been during the Jordan Era of the NBA (at least not the Pistons...they are 90s Knicks lite).  The Spurs maybe could have made the finals but they would have been the token jobber along the lines of the Utah Jazz circa 1997-98.

 

People kept blathering about how good this series would be.  It has sucked ass, which I knew it would.  I am even surprised it has been THIS horrible, not even a close or competitive game.  I figured it'd be a long, boring series of 80-76 type games with a lot of gooning,  hacking and bad shooting.

 

The Pistons will remain a total joke, even if they win this series.  They got past the Pacers due to the Pacers being shorthanded and banged up, you know the deal there.  They only got past the Heat because they managed to goon Dwayne Wade to where he didn't play in game 6 and wasn't as effective in game 7.  Did it shock anyone to see Ginobili go down in this series?  One time might be accidental, but in the offseason David Stern needs to take a hard look at this shit and the overall state of his product.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Goon? Joke? Dude what the fuck are you talking about?

The Pistons won b/c they're a good team. And they didn't fucking goon anyone. Joke my ass. Back to back NBA champions is no joke(if they should beat San Antonio).

 

And metr0man I agree with you. People need to quit the bullshit complaining about how the GOOD TEAM THAT FUCKING WON THE GAMES made it and not the exciting team and just watch basketball. If you want a scripted finish then watch wrestling. This is sports where the outcome is determined by what happens on the field(court in this case) and the team that wins goes on. Not always the most exciting team so fucking get over it. I get so tired of hearing "Well this series won't draw." as if it's the NBA's fault and they booked the wrong series. They don't book anything! You play the games and you get a winner. It's a competition not a work.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Heel champions are bigger draws?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

perhaps we should just abandon the whole concept of 'sports' and call in Vince McMahon (err no wait, strike that, call in Paul Heyman) and have him book sports entertainment NBA seasons so we can always get "teams who dont win championsh... err i mean, teams that are fun to watch" and exciting ~SUPERSTARS~! in the Finals.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

=?

 

But ironically, Phil Jackson's the one banging the boss' daughter...

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

People complain because the games are fucking boring. I watched pretty much all of the playoff games until the finals started because the Finals have been boring. Just because it's a competition doesn't mean that it shouldn't be entertaining. I thought this stuff was here for our entertainment. you shouldn't watch it because you feel obligated to. Defense is nice and it wins and all that stuff, but I don't want to see a bunch of blowouts and teams missing shots. They might play good defense out there, but they also have shitty offenses. In the NBA good defense can't stop good offense.

[Damaramu 0]

People complain because the games are fucking boring. I watched pretty much all of the playoff games until the finals started because the Finals have been boring. Just because it's a competition doesn't mean that it shouldn't be entertaining. I thought this stuff was here for our entertainment. you shouldn't watch it because you feel obligated to. Defense is nice and it wins and all that stuff, but I don't want to see a bunch of blowouts and teams missing shots. They might play good defense out there, but they also have shitty offenses. In the NBA good defense can't stop good offense.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Both these teams play to the tempo of their opponents. That's why they were more fast paced against Phoenix and Miami.

Now they're playing another defensive team so they're playing to one another's tempo. That simple.

 

And no people can complain about the game being boring. But you shouldn't fucking complain as if you want Vince McMahon to come in and book you the most exciting finals possible. I'm sorry but that's just not how it works in real sports.

[Guest Vitamin X]

People complain because the games are fucking boring. I watched pretty much all of the playoff games until the finals started because the Finals have been boring. Just because it's a competition doesn't mean that it shouldn't be entertaining. I thought this stuff was here for our entertainment. you shouldn't watch it because you feel obligated to. Defense is nice and it wins and all that stuff, but I don't want to see a bunch of blowouts and teams missing shots. They might play good defense out there, but they also have shitty offenses. In the NBA good defense can't stop good offense.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Both these teams play to the tempo of their opponents. That's why they were more fast paced against Phoenix and Miami.

Now they're playing another defensive team so they're playing to one another's tempo. That simple.

 

And no people can complain about the game being boring. But you shouldn't fucking complain as if you want Vince McMahon to come in and book you the most exciting finals possible. I'm sorry but that's just not how it works in real sports.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Whoa, what series were you watching? Only thing "fast-paced" about the Detroit-Miami series was Dwayne Wade.

 

And Dama, just because YOU don't think it's boring doesn't mean that other people don't have the right to feel a different way. I personally don't see what's so entertaining about games that have ended with double-digit wins every single team, but I have to expect that these last two-three games are going to be a lot closer. Game 1 wasn't too bad in the second-third quarters, until Manu and the Spurs just completely annihilated them in the 4th.

 

I think the best series of these playoffs thus far was Phoenix-Dallas. It was frustrating to not see either play defense, but that was the last memory I have of the Suns executing their game to perfection, and that was fun stuff.

[Kismet 0]

If good defenses can't stop good offenses, then wouldn't have Phoenix, Dallas, etc made it to the finals? If these 2 teams truly have no offensive skills, Detroit wouldn't be a defending champion and San Antonio wouldnt be getting to the finals every three years....they'd be, well Dallas or Phoenix. I am a Pistons fan, but the series has been bleh due to the blowouts. Winning team seems to shoot 45% or higher mostly, and in the case of the Pistons, super low turnovers. So thats efficient, not flashy. They up the total shots per game, then you'll get higher scores on both sides. Instead of 95-75 or whatever, its 105-88...thats not tons better either. Be bored with the series, dont watch it or whatever, that's cool. I have a dog in the fight, but if its over by the end of the 3rd quarter regardless of who is winning, I could care less. A good game has little to do with hitting a certain total, but it DOES have to do with close games usually. So enjoy the rest of the series if possible, or don't and lets all look towards football then.

[Damaramu 0]

People complain because the games are fucking boring. I watched pretty much all of the playoff games until the finals started because the Finals have been boring. Just because it's a competition doesn't mean that it shouldn't be entertaining. I thought this stuff was here for our entertainment. you shouldn't watch it because you feel obligated to. Defense is nice and it wins and all that stuff, but I don't want to see a bunch of blowouts and teams missing shots. They might play good defense out there, but they also have shitty offenses. In the NBA good defense can't stop good offense.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Both these teams play to the tempo of their opponents. That's why they were more fast paced against Phoenix and Miami.

Now they're playing another defensive team so they're playing to one another's tempo. That simple.

 

And no people can complain about the game being boring. But you shouldn't fucking complain as if you want Vince McMahon to come in and book you the most exciting finals possible. I'm sorry but that's just not how it works in real sports.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Whoa, what series were you watching? Only thing "fast-paced" about the Detroit-Miami series was Dwayne Wade.

 

And Dama, just because YOU don't think it's boring doesn't mean that other people don't have the right to feel a different way. I personally don't see what's so entertaining about games that have ended with double-digit wins every single team, but I have to expect that these last two-three games are going to be a lot closer. Game 1 wasn't too bad in the second-third quarters, until Manu and the Spurs just completely annihilated them in the 4th.

 

I think the best series of these playoffs thus far was Phoenix-Dallas. It was frustrating to not see either play defense, but that was the last memory I have of the Suns executing their game to perfection, and that was fun stuff.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm not saying that it can't be boring to you but don't bitch about it like it was booked wrong. That's driving me crazy saying stuff like "Well the Pistons/Spurs are playing the ratings will be down. Not a good match" as if they fucking booked the wrong title match.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

If good defenses can't stop good offenses, then wouldn't have Phoenix, Dallas, etc made it to the finals? If these 2 teams truly have no offensive skills, Detroit wouldn't be a defending champion and San Antonio wouldnt be getting to the finals every three years....they'd be, well Dallas or Phoenix. I am a Pistons fan, but the series has been bleh due to the blowouts. Winning team seems to shoot 45% or higher mostly, and in the case of the Pistons, super low turnovers. So thats efficient, not flashy. They up the total shots per game, then you'll get higher scores on both sides. Instead of 95-75 or whatever, its 105-88...thats not tons better either. Be bored with the series, dont watch it or whatever, that's cool. I have a dog in the fight, but if its over by the end of the 3rd quarter regardless of who is winning, I could care less.  A good game has little to do with hitting a certain total, but it DOES have to do with close games usually. So enjoy the rest of the series if possible, or don't and lets all look towards football then.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's really not what I meant. I'm talking about the fact that Dwayne Wade was shutdown by the great Pistons defense in Game 1 but came back and put up 40 points on their asses. I'm talking about Amare Stoudemaire going nuts this whole post season and Steve Nash dropping all those points on the Spurs. To quote Charles Barkley, "This aint baseball where good pitching can beatgood hitting. You can't stop good scorers from scoring." I'm not trying to knock the defenses, but I really don't want to see two offenses pass the ball around until the shot clock is up and then shoot a bad shot. Good defense or not, that shit is ugly.

[Dangerous A 0]

Sounds to me like a clash here. Some of it is they don't like the teams involved. Some of it because they don't like how the games aren't close. A Question I pose is..

 

If the previous 3 games were closer, as in within 2-3 points in the final 2 minutes, would the critics of this series still say this series sucks because there wasn't that one offensive star a la Shaq, Wade, T-Mac, Amare, Kobe, etc. or would there still be a problem because there isn't a "marketable" star in the finals?

 

Sports is the ultimate reality TV folks. No scripting. Of course there should be gripes because up until now, the series has been less than stellar. However, part of the tradeoff for having what we have here in sports is sometimes the more flashy, glossy, pop team doesn't always make it in the end. Legitimacy seems to be the problem of some because unfortunately, it doesn't have favorites. It doesn't care about appeal or marketability. However, I wouldn't have it any other way. If I really don't like the game/series, I just don't watch it. Simple as that. Would there still be criticism of the series if the Heat made it to the finals, yet the scores and outcomes were exactly the same? Or what about the Suns? What if the exact scores and outcomes held up except it was the Suns and not the Spurs, would the criticism die down more because more people "got what they wanted"? These are things that should keep you up at night

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

If the teams were within 2-3 points of each in the final minutes, I don't think anyone would be complaining because that would imply some really good games and even play by both sides. The fourth quarter has basically been garbage time for this series.

[Justice 0]

You know, I can understand how someone not from these towns could say it was boring, but it's bullshit to think that either team doesn't deserve to be here. Both teams have great offense and defense (and if you don't like Detroit's offense, then fuck you because they have one of the best team offenses I've seen in a long time). Bitch about Miami not getting a chance because Wade was injured, but they wouldn't even BE there without the unexciting slug that is Shaq scoring 20 points per game for them with his freight-train approach to basketball.

 

Indeed, individual players can be exciting, but for me, seeing a complete team offense is way more exciting, which is why I like Detroit so much. They score 100 points in a finals game and blow out their opponents, and yet people still say they don't have enough offense to be exciting. What BS.

[Guest Brian]

That's because they don't let the other team score 100+ every game. Silly Justice.

[Art Sandusky 0]

If good defenses can't stop good offenses, then wouldn't have Phoenix, Dallas, etc made it to the finals? If these 2 teams truly have no offensive skills, Detroit wouldn't be a defending champion and San Antonio wouldnt be getting to the finals every three years....they'd be, well Dallas or Phoenix. I am a Pistons fan, but the series has been bleh due to the blowouts. Winning team seems to shoot 45% or higher mostly, and in the case of the Pistons, super low turnovers. So thats efficient, not flashy. They up the total shots per game, then you'll get higher scores on both sides. Instead of 95-75 or whatever, its 105-88...thats not tons better either. Be bored with the series, dont watch it or whatever, that's cool. I have a dog in the fight, but if its over by the end of the 3rd quarter regardless of who is winning, I could care less.  A good game has little to do with hitting a certain total, but it DOES have to do with close games usually. So enjoy the rest of the series if possible, or don't and lets all look towards football then.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's really not what I meant. I'm talking about the fact that Dwayne Wade was shutdown by the great Pistons defense in Game 1 but came back and put up 40 points on their asses. I'm talking about Amare Stoudemaire going nuts this whole post season and Steve Nash dropping all those points on the Spurs. To quote Charles Barkley, "This aint baseball where good pitching can beatgood hitting. You can't stop good scorers from scoring." I'm not trying to knock the defenses, but I really don't want to see two offenses pass the ball around until the shot clock is up and then shoot a bad shot. Good defense or not, that shit is ugly.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's each side constantly readjusting in the offense/defense debate. A great defense can shut down a guy, do the same things to him the next night but still have the dude score 25+ because he changed his game while the defense stayed similar. The next night, he does the same stuff and gets snuffed out by a re-worked defense. Yeesh, it's not that hard.

 

But in the end, defense, not offense, is more of a "great team" barometer.

[Justice 0]

Indeed. There are a lot of guys who can consistently score 20-25 points a night. There are few teams who can consistently keep their opponents under 85.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

I'm not trying to take anything away from either team that's in the Finals but it's just not fun to wathc in my opinion. Tim Duncan is the only legit superstar in this series and he's boring to me. I can't think of another Finals that's been this boring to me. Even the last Finals that the Spurs were in had Jason Kidd. Maybe I just got spoiled seeing Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuowon, Shaq and Kobe winning the Finals all those years. I'm not saying that nobody should enjoy these Finals, I'm just saying why I haven't.

 

As far as adjustments go, who adjusted to Amare Stoudemaire at all this post season? He kicked everybody's ass every game. How many times can you say Jordan was shutdown? When is it ever in doubt that Shaq's going to score when he gets the ball? The good players are automatic and get their points whenever they need to. Sometimes people have off games, but the good players consistently get their points and aside from Tim Duncan, we have nobody in this series that you can really say that about.

[Dangerous A 0]

You were excited with Kobe and Shaq's finals? The only decent finals Kobe and Shaq were apart of was their first where it took them 6 games to dispose of the Pacers. I found them beating the Sixers 4-1 and sweeping the Nets to be incredibly boring, particularly the Nets series since pretty much none of those games was competitive.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

The Kobe and Shaq Finalsat least gave you someone to root for or against. Some peopl etuned in just to watch them lose. This series I couldn't give two shits about. I try to watch, but I'm just underwhelmed.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Game 5 = best game of series and 0 posts about it.

 

Hmm..

[bobobrazil1984 0]

i'd like to think everybody's busy watching it and not wanting to step away...

 

ANOTEHR missed FT by Duncan.

[Cartman 0]

Either everyone is watching it...

 

Or most likely nobody gives a shit.

 

Horry may be one of the best Clutch basketball players ever.

 

Duncan is anti-clutch tonight it seems...cant hit a FT for anything.