NBA Conference Finals

[Guest]

Since I doubled up, I'd also like to say that when Bell's a free agent, someone's going to pay him a lot.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I'm hopeful that Detroit wins tonight only to buy Dallas time (because I'm starting to want Miami/Dallas, and the only way I feel Dallas can really beat Miami is if they have equal amount of rest).

[CanadianChris 0]

I think Dallas beats the Heat no matter how much rest they get.

 

The Heat are going to be vastly overrated heading into the Finals (assuming they make it, of course). They struggled with the Bulls, they beat an equally overrated Nets team, and they will have beaten the Pistons, who are clearly not the team they were in the past two years. Meanwhile, Dallas, should they make it, will have pulled off the only sweep of the playoffs, beat the defending champs, and beat a very tricky Suns team.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I'm not saying Dallas has no chance on less rest, I'd just be more comfortable this way.

[naiwf 0]

The 75 points thing, and the running up and down the court thing are like opposite things. I don't understand your point.

 

How do you function in everyday life with no basic understanding of words?

 

TRENDS start when people see things are successful. In the NBA during the 1990's, horrible offensive teams (the Cavs, Knicks, Heat etc) couldn't outscore anyone so they took it upon themselves to try and make games in the 70's or 80's by mugging dudes, milking the shot clock and dribbling the air out of the ball. When it worked as much as it did, other teams did it too, to the point where the NBA had to completely rewrite the defensive rulebook to try and inject some offense back into the game.

 

If the Suns can win a title this year playing no traditional bigs and no defense whatsoever, aside from diving on every bump on the low block, other defensively challenged teams will follow the model because they'll see that it can work. The Knicks for example would benefit from abandoning that half of the court and teaching Marbury, Francis, Crawford et al to just flop every play and hope for the best.

[Brett Favre 0]

You're exaggerating.

 

And the Knicks and Heat? Are you kidding me? They scored like 75 points a game. There's no way its anything like that. You seem to be the only one that talks about this as if its anywhere near that.

 

The Spurs and Suns are two of the five or six best teams in the league and both play the clutch and flop. The Pistons way of playing ball won't work anymore and Dallas and Miami are where they are because they excel on both ends of the floor. If the Suns win the title this year, trust me when I tell you a lot of undersized teams will model themselves after the Suns. Pro sports are all about copying what worked. There's a reason the NBA nearly died from 75 points being enough to win any game. Why bother wasting energy playing defense when you can just run up and down on offense and fall down whenever someone moves towards the basket on defense? That brand of basketball will kill the need for any kind of big men who can't run up and down the court, and there's no reason to have guys like Shaq or Yao on your payroll if they can't guard a 6'8 "center" who can shoot well on one end of the court and fall over whenever they get posted up.

 

So is this what the Knicks/Heat did, or the Suns are doing? You mixed both of them up. And if both played the same way, why would one score like 30 more points than the other? Try making your point clear.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

naiwf is saying the Suns could be setting a precedent with the flop defensive style just like the Knicks/Heats set a precedent in the 1990s for the Basketbrawl style. Monkey see monkey do.

[Brett Favre 0]

Yes, so why did the NBA almost die when teams did the opposite, which is the Knicks/Heat way? Will it die both ways?

[naiwf 0]

You're exaggerating.

 

And the Knicks and Heat? Are you kidding me? They scored like 75 points a game. There's no way its anything like that. You seem to be the only one that talks about this as if its anywhere near that.

 

The Spurs and Suns are two of the five or six best teams in the league and both play the clutch and flop. The Pistons way of playing ball won't work anymore and Dallas and Miami are where they are because they excel on both ends of the floor. If the Suns win the title this year, trust me when I tell you a lot of undersized teams will model themselves after the Suns. Pro sports are all about copying what worked. There's a reason the NBA nearly died from 75 points being enough to win any game. Why bother wasting energy playing defense when you can just run up and down on offense and fall down whenever someone moves towards the basket on defense? That brand of basketball will kill the need for any kind of big men who can't run up and down the court, and there's no reason to have guys like Shaq or Yao on your payroll if they can't guard a 6'8 "center" who can shoot well on one end of the court and fall over whenever they get posted up.

 

So is this what the Knicks/Heat did, or the Suns are doing? You mixed both of them up. And if both played the same way, why would one score like 30 more points than the other? Try making your point clear.

 

Are you still in Junior High? I mean, anyone with basic reading comprehension could see that I was talking about two different trends. The first of which was streetball, the second of which is the Suns and Spurs just diving around the court. Seriously bro, learn to comprehend pretty simple arguments. If you take the sentence before the one you bolded I fucking spelled it out for you. Sports teams copy what works. Back in the day it was throwing guys on the other team to the floor on defense, now it's throwing yourself to the floor on defense.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I guess it's the opposite sides of the spectrum.

[Brett Favre 0]

You're exaggerating.

 

And the Knicks and Heat? Are you kidding me? They scored like 75 points a game. There's no way its anything like that. You seem to be the only one that talks about this as if its anywhere near that.

 

The Spurs and Suns are two of the five or six best teams in the league and both play the clutch and flop. The Pistons way of playing ball won't work anymore and Dallas and Miami are where they are because they excel on both ends of the floor. If the Suns win the title this year, trust me when I tell you a lot of undersized teams will model themselves after the Suns. Pro sports are all about copying what worked. There's a reason the NBA nearly died from 75 points being enough to win any game. Why bother wasting energy playing defense when you can just run up and down on offense and fall down whenever someone moves towards the basket on defense? That brand of basketball will kill the need for any kind of big men who can't run up and down the court, and there's no reason to have guys like Shaq or Yao on your payroll if they can't guard a 6'8 "center" who can shoot well on one end of the court and fall over whenever they get posted up.

 

So is this what the Knicks/Heat did, or the Suns are doing? You mixed both of them up. And if both played the same way, why would one score like 30 more points than the other? Try making your point clear.

 

Are you still in Junior High? I mean, anyone with basic reading comprehension could see that I was talking about two different trends. The first of which was streetball, the second of which is the Suns and Spurs just diving around the court. Seriously bro, learn to comprehend pretty simple arguments. If you take the sentence before the one you bolded I fucking spelled it out for you. Sports teams copy what works. Back in the day it was throwing guys on the other team to the floor on defense, now it's throwing yourself to the floor on defense.

 

I understand the monkey see monkey do stupid. What you're also saying is that the Knicks/Heat style nearly killed the NBA, yet the Suns are doing the opposite, and thats also going to kill the NBA. So what will keep the NBA alive?

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Well let's do a small prediction. Who do you guys see winning in Miami in Game 6? Detroit has looked completely lost in both games there, but they gotta know it's crunch time. I think Miami takes it there.

[Guest]

I said Miami wins in 7, I'm going to hold to that prediction.

[naiwf 0]

Well let's do a small prediction. Who do you guys see winning in Miami in Game 6? Detroit has looked completely lost in both games there, but they gotta know it's crunch time. I think Miami takes it there.

 

Miami needs to win it in 6. I think Shaq will carry them to victory. His whole season rides on this one game.

 

To answer the question, you can't have the NBA game become softer than the NCAA one. You can't have pros diving to the floor every time someone slightly larger posts them up. Just like it didn't work when people basically threw someone face first into the floor routinely, you can't turn the league into a joke on the defensive end. Two of the four teams in the WC Semis spent more time flopping than playing defense. If you don't think that's a problem, that's one thing, but it does take away from the enjoyment of a game when you have to be more concerned with how the referees CALL the game than how the players PLAY the game. I think everyone can agree that refs should be seen and not heard, but if one team is constantly flopping, then the officiating crew will dictate who wins games and who doesn't simply because one team's players will be in foul trouble from start to finish of every big game.

[Brett Favre 0]

I agree, but I think you're over exaggerating the problem. It's not that bad.

[alfdogg 0]

Miami = 6/20 from the free throw line.

 

Obviously they're not going to shoot that bad again. I think the Heat win Game 6, but if the Pistons pull it off, I'm sticking with my initial Detroit in 7 prediction. I don't see the Pistons losing a Game 7 at home.

 

Also, for what it's worth, the only team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the conference finals, is the 1968 Boston Celtics. This also led to Wilt Chamberlain demanding a trade, and going to the Lakers.

[alfdogg 0]

I stand corrected...the '81 Celtics and '79 Washington Bullets also did it.

 

Here are all the teams that have come back from down 3-1

 

1. Boston over Philadelphia, 1968 Eastern Conference Finals

2. Los Angeles over Phoenix, 1970 Western Conference Semifinals

3. Washington over San Antonio, 1979 Eastern Conference Finals

4. Boston over Philadelphia, 1981 Eastern Conference Finals

5. Houston over Phoenix, 1995 Western Conference Semifinals

6. Miami over New York, 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals

7. Detroit over Orlando, 2003 First Round

8. Phoenix over LA Lakers, 2006 First Round

[Damaramu 0]

The Mavericks fan I work with is sweating bullets. He was going on about how the Mavs NEED to win tonight or else they're finished. I think I can agree with that assessment.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Since I doubled up, I'd also like to say that when Bell's a free agent, someone's going to pay him a lot.

 

Seeing that he is signed through 2010 (when he'll be 34), I seriously doubt that.

[Guest]

Oh, really. I didn't have the contract pages available to me at the time, so my fault.

[dh86 0]

Well let's do a small prediction. Who do you guys see winning in Miami in Game 6? Detroit has looked completely lost in both games there, but they gotta know it's crunch time. I think Miami takes it there.

 

Miami needs to win it in 6. I think Shaq will carry them to victory. His whole season rides on this one game.

 

To answer the question, you can't have the NBA game become softer than the NCAA one. You can't have pros diving to the floor every time someone slightly larger posts them up. Just like it didn't work when people basically threw someone face first into the floor routinely, you can't turn the league into a joke on the defensive end. Two of the four teams in the WC Semis spent more time flopping than playing defense. If you don't think that's a problem, that's one thing, but it does take away from the enjoyment of a game when you have to be more concerned with how the referees CALL the game than how the players PLAY the game. I think everyone can agree that refs should be seen and not heard, but if one team is constantly flopping, then the officiating crew will dictate who wins games and who doesn't simply because one team's players will be in foul trouble from start to finish of every big game.

 

exactly..another problem is the 'superstar' calls I remember last game they were saying the refs 'respected' dirk to not call the 2nd foul on him in the 1st quarter...thats bullshit and stern has yet to do a damn thing about it...just like officiating shaq...call every foul that occur and stfu

[iggymcfly 0]

Wow, three shot-clock violations in four possessions for the Suns there. The Mavericks have really been playing some suffocating defense tonight.

 

Honestly, this is the first time that I've really seen the Mavs on their 'A' game since the San Antonio series.

[naiwf 0]

How was that a foul on Stackhouse?

[iggymcfly 0]

I have no idea. Really, the cheap fouls have been keeping Phoenix in the game when they've been getting nothing in their halfcourt offense. If you took out the transition baskets and the free throws, they'd have about 20 points.

[alfdogg 0]

I've decided I want Dallas to win this series, if only because I'm getting really tired of Tim Thomas and his shitty John Cena impersonation. Luke Walton should have gotten a bonus for that foul, not a fine or suspension.

[alfdogg 0]

So of course, he scores nine points in a row after that post.

[Guest]

I'm convinced that Tim Thomas has made a deal with the devil.

 

Some dumbass team will give him big money.

[chaosrage 0]

I love you Tim Thomas.

 

I also love the Mavs keep leaving him wide the fuck open.

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

Man, Thomas is making the Mavericks his bitch tonight.

[Guest]

Raja Bell is a bitch.