The NBA thread

[ToxicAdam]

In retrospect, thank god the Cavs didn't win that first game. it would have been painful to watch them lose 4 in a row and make history.

[Stoney Mason]

I don't blame the players. I mean one team is fully at strength and the other is a shell of itself. The early games were the abberation and the warriors figured out the easy to solve offense the cavs implemented.

I do blame Blatt to a degree though. It's just not acceptable basketball even with the injury decimation. They should get beat at least playing basketball the right way. And they haven't played basketball the right way at any point in the series. I don't care if those guys aren't very good. The ball should still move. It shouldn't look like high school basketball when Lebron goes to the bench. They were still going to always lose. But it should look better than it did in the way they lose.

One of the annoying things earlier in the series was dumb-ass reports I saw that Blatt was outcoaching Kerr. Which is the most annoying thing ever if you were actually watching the games. Let's see an actual offense next year that has motion and cutting and not just iso ball which was still the preferred style even when everybody was healthy. They have too much talent to play basketball in such a vanilla way, especially when the trends in basketball are so clear in which direction things are going. That I do blame Blatt for. I thought his coaching for most of the year was very average and counter to the reputation he had coming over.

Congrats to the Warriors though. That is one passionate fan base. And they individually will go down as one of the great single season teams ever. Let's see if they can turn it into a dynasty. It's certainly hard to pick against them. They are young and deep as fuck and have a great coach.

[benjipwns]

One of the annoying things earlier in the series was dumb-ass reports I saw that Blatt was outcoaching Kerr.

Kerr completely changed his rotation, a hundred games into the season, in the middle of a series he knew he'd probably win by attrition to lock it down.

LeBron was the second best coach in the series.

[naff]

I don't blame the players. I mean one team is fully at strength and the other is a shell of itself. The early games were the abberation and the warriors figured out the easy to solve offense the cavs implemented.

Same, and i don't think anyone outside of the crazies (see Walrus) were happy seeing the Cavs get so beat up. So sad. If anyone can be blamed it's that dirty fucker kelly olynyk, and poor coaching from the Cavs.

On the other hand i just closed on the most tin ass sports bet i ever made



 

[Phoenix Dark]

Cavs didn't fold, I'll give them that. After Kyrie went down I figured they'd get destroyed 4-1 or something. I doubt they would have won with Kyrie but damn...they just might have been able to pull it off.

Next year with everyone healthy...who knows. Gotta think James is going to expect some roster changes to add more depth. You can't win shit without a bench, and barely anyone who can create their own shot.

[Stoney Mason]

One of the annoying things earlier in the series was dumb-ass reports I saw that Blatt was outcoaching Kerr.

Kerr completely changed his rotation, a hundred games into the season, in the middle of a series he knew he'd probably win by attrition to lock it down.

LeBron was the second best coach in the series.

 :'(

That's the way I felt. Other than managing timeouts I'm not really sure what Blatt did this series. I get it that he had a lot less options and there is no magic option that would have probably changed the series. But it was hard not to wonder how any offense could be that stagnant in this day and age injuries or not. 

[Mandark]

It's weird to me that people are still dumping on Blatt.

[Stoney Mason]

I'm just talking shit.

Maybe he is great and will do something amazing next season.

I wasn't really a fan of their style even before the injuries though.

[benjipwns]

Sitting Mozgov in game five was the dumb move of the series on the Cavs side. The Warriors could alter their rotation drastically because they tinkered with those lineups all year, and it didn't change the way they played any to not have Bogut/Speights/Ezeli on the floor.

I always thought that was the Mavs fuck up against the Warriors during Dirk's MVP season. Avery panicked and completely altered the rotation and style to matchup with another unorthodox Warriors squad, only the team had just got done winning 67 games one specific way. IIRC, the Mavs won the two games that Dampier/Diop played at least 30 minutes combined, especially since Diop was quicker at rotating than Dirk and both were more useful offensive rebounding than having Devean George on the floor doing absolutely nothing or Stackhouse jacking bad shots because the offense was completely out of wack.

It wasn't like this Cavs team was getting absolutely killed with Mozgov and Thompson out there. Especially since I was making as many threes as James Jones.

[benjipwns]

Iggy is the first Finals MVP to have zero starts during the regular season.

[Mandark]

I dunno, this feels like some sports radio call-in coaching critique.

[benjipwns]

Blatt didn't show any leadership, he didn't find the motivation for the team, he needed something like a bowl of paper like Pat Riley used in 2006. He's just not the kind of coach who can give a team a championship mentality because he has no experience. Kerr played with the best ever, so he has that lineage that makes other players stand up and listen when he speaks.

I think it's important that the Cavs find a coach who has that championship mentality, so hopefully they'll take another run at Tom Izzo this offseason and find someone who can lead LeBron and Love and Irving to somewhere they'd never been on their own, at the top of the league.

[dkdk]

nobody can coach when Lebron is the coach, GM, team manager, etc. this aint miami.

[Mandark]

There we go, benj.

Though I feel that's only marginally more unrealistic than "Blatt should have installed a complex motion offense for Delly and Shump to run when LBJ was sitting."

[Phoenix Dark]

Tom Izzo probably gets hard ons watching Tristan Thompson attack the boards.

[Mandark]

On a different note, how many people are waiting for Phil Jackson to break his Twitter silence?

[benjipwns]

Watching this team the last couple years, I felt like a little faster pace could go a long way. Really the key is the defense was in place. Mark Jackson and his staff the last couple years really built a defensive juggernaut. ... It's all about balancing the offense and defense.

We were fortunate in a lot of ways this year. Maybe No. 1 was health. To win a title is a lot of work, but a lot of luck as well. I know there's been all this talk this year especially about the 3-point shot and can you win shooting it. ... I think what was probably overlooked all year long is what really wins is the combination of great offense and great defense. We were the No. 1 defense in the league. We were the top scoring team in the league.

I got great teammates. I want to be just like Steph when I grow up.

[benjipwns]

LeBron is now 2-4 in the NBA Finals, same as Wilt. Wonder if he'll retire to go play volleyball.

[eleuin]

(Image removed from quote.)

No votes for curry  , surprised but glad

[benjipwns]

I like how Zach Lowe suddenly has a vote for Finals MVP. I remember when him (Pelton on Insider) getting on Grantland was big news.

Also this is the first season that an NBA team and their D-League affiliate has won their respective championships in the same year!

[benjipwns]

Amusing note on the Nuggets hiring Mike Malone. The week before they hired the GM (Pete D'Alesandro) who had fired him from the Kings.

[Stoney Mason]

Good for iggy with the mvp nod. Always liked him.

Surprised they didn't go with Curry because of the offense bias in those kind of things. It's not like he had a terrible series or anything.

Averaged 26 ppg for the series. Shot 45%. I think the series Lebron had hurt his chances which isn't really fair.

[Stoney Mason]

Victorious Gentry: "Tell Mike D'Antoni he's vindicated! We just kicked everyone's ass playing the way everybody complained about!"

[benjipwns]

Finals facts coming out this time are always fun:
If LeBron makes it back next year, he'll have appeared in 7 out of 10 consecutive Finals. Only Magic has appeared in 8 out of 10. Kobe has appeared in 7 out of 11. (1960's Celtics/Lakers obviously did more.) LeBron's five straight did break Magic's four straight record for the modern era. To get any other players with that many you have to go back to the 1960's Celtics: Bill Russell, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones and Satch Sanders.

No MIP award winner other than Boris Diaw has ever won a championship.

Sheed had his ring resized to fit his middle finger instead of ring finger.

Hakeem couldn't wear gold as a Muslim, so his 1995 ring was made out of platinum.

[Kara]

we did it shinobi

[benjipwns]

Steve Kerr first rookie head coach to win since 1982.

ESPN's pre-season predictions:

Most 3-pointers in a single postseason

Stephen Curry 98
Reggie Miller 58 (1999-2000)

[benjipwns]

[benjipwns]

Poor Elgin Baylor 

He retired nine games into the 1971-72 season.

The year the Lakers went 69-13, won 33 straight and the title.

[benjipwns]

In a recent interview with French sports outlet L’Equipe, Michael Jordan discussed his life as an NBA owner. When asked if he can beat his Charlotte Hornets players in a game of one-on-one, the 52-year-old Jordan answered with confidence.

"I'm pretty sure I can, so I don't want to do that and demolish their confidence, so I stay away from them. I let them think that they are good,"

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Moses Cleveland I don't know how many children you raped to place this curse up our town but

Be me brehs

The injuries
Play for the Raiders
Be in school for the Webber time out
Christian Laettner
Watch michigan football implode
the drive
the fumble
The Jose Mesa
The Maddux
Pedro out of the bullpen

FML

At least I did win one title in 97 
But it was a co national title

[ToxicAdam]

You forgot JD Drew grand slam

(2007)

[TakingBackSunday]

womp

fun Finals though.  Lebron is incredible.  Fuck Walrus, etc

[Stoney Mason]

Jump shooting teams can't win in the playoffs.

 

[Stoney Mason]

It’s been 40 long long years for the Golden State Warriors but they are now the winners of the NBA Finals for the first time since Gerald Ford was President. With the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James scratching and pushing right up until the very end last night, the Bay Area team won the series 4-2 with a 105-97 Game 6 victory. In what has been a record-breaking series ratingswise, ABC probably wished it could have gone to a Game 7 but they got some pretty good results themselves on Tuesday night with Game 6 scoring a 15.9 in metered market ratings – the best a Game 6 has ever done on the network since it started showing the series in 2003, according to Nielsen.

In a series that has had strong momentum from the get go last night’s MM ratings also seal the deal in making the 2015 NBA Finals the highest-rated ever for ABC with a 13.9 overnight average – that’s up 31 from the 2014 NBA Finals, which went five games.

[Phoenix Dark]

https://www.facebook.com/sbnation/videos/10152828972476536/?fref=nf

[naff]

womp

fun Finals though.  Lebron is incredible.  Fuck Walrus, etc

I felt humbled watching Bron in that series. Forced into running an ugly predictable offense, he pushed them further than I thought possible. Despite rooting for gsw, I would've been so in awe of Cleveland pulling through in that situation I couldn't be anything but happy for em.

[naff]

Victorious Gentry: "Tell Mike D'Antoni he's vindicated! We just kicked everyone's ass playing the way everybody complained about!"

Kerr said it himself, it was all about the balanced nature of the team - number 1 offense and defense in the NBA, the latter courtesy of Mark Jackson.

[Stoney Mason]

It's been obvious that the league has changed. Hell the Heat mostly played small ball when they won their titles although it was a different kind of small ball.

But it takes a team like the Warriors winning before some of the more old school basketball fans will acknowledge what has happened. I mean it seems impossible for people like Barkley and others to get on and say the same old stuff but we'll see.

It's also hard to see the game going back to a defensive swing unless rules change or something. This style is far more entertaining to watch also so its unlikely for them to try to change it at a rules level.

Now get rid of Hack a Shaq NBA.

[naff]

It's been obvious that the league has changed. Hell the Heat mostly played small ball when they won their titles although it was a different kind of small ball.

For sure. Not sure Mike No-D'Antoni is vindicated tho.

[Phoenix Dark]

Are we sure Barkley isn't AiA?

[benjipwns]

http://www.nba.com/clippers/GearUpLA

I want off.

[benjipwns]

https://twitter.com/EASPORTSNBA/status/611403103187832832

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Cavs offseason gonna be real interesting. Lebron ain't taking a paycut, love is just going to opt in, Thompson going to get max or damn near, Kyrie's max contract starts next year, delle, jr, and big hair all need paid.

Dan's wallet am cry.

[ToxicAdam]

Are we sure Barkley isn't AiA?

He's actually Ripclawe's Tyler Durden.

[benjipwns]

I think Chad Ford is starting to put fake players in his mock drafts to see if anyone notices:
Ziga Dimec
J.P. Tokoto
Guillem Vives
Arturas Gudaitis
Nikola Milutinov
Mouhammadou Jaiteh
Cedi Osman
Guillermo Hernangomez

[benjipwns]

[ToxicAdam]

I'm curious to what a Thibodeau-less Bulls will look like.  They could be the sleeper champ next year .

[Stoney Mason]

Clips new unis

edit:whoops didn't scroll up to see benji already posted.

[Phoenix Dark]

@RealSkipBayless

I love Steph but GSt had a fortuitous run to title. Avoided OKC, Clips, Spurs and 4 straight injured starting PGs. Needs to validate next yr

I understand that this is his gimmick, and mirrors how sports radio tends to work but jeez...

[jakefromstatefarm]

I thought about that yesterday

Conley came back in game 2 and played great, if you think Jrue Holiday and Patrick Beverley were the differences in their respective series' you're deluding yourself, all the injuries afflicting the cavs was a legit bunny for golden state

[TakingBackSunday]

I actually KIND OF agree with Skip here, shockingly, HOWEVER

The Rockets were playing great fucking basketball in the second round.  Golden State embarrassed a team that was high on their accomplishment against the Clippers (arguably the scariest team in the West outside of GS and the Spurs).

And GS still probably would've beaten a Cavs team with Love and Kyrie (worse defensive unit)

[Stoney Mason]

http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/3896/lebrons-handling-of-blatt-unbecoming

This should get tongues wagging for a few days. Not that I agree with the article.

[TakingBackSunday]

So scathing.  Not a flattering look for Lebron.

[Stoney Mason]

I think its one side of a story. As all media stories are.

[Phoenix Dark]

I think its one side of a story. As all media stories are.

Is there another side to openly disrespecting your coach?

[Stoney Mason]

I think its one side of a story. As all media stories are.

Is there another side to openly disrespecting your coach?

If I only take that interpretation as the correct interpretation of all the events that went down. I can imagine another article talking with different people with a different interpretation. So to answer in a generic way. Yes.

I think its a window into the conflict between the two which is more how I read the article versus a 100% gospel version of the how things are going down and who is in the wrong and who is in the right 100%

There is one piece of "evidence" in that article which is Lebron disagreed with a play being drawn up and apparently shook his head which Stein observed. The rest is I think Lebron should support his coach more judgments from an outsider looking into a situation.

Reading that article what is the concrete tangible evil thing that Lebron has done? Huddle with Lue? 

I'm not saying there isn't conflict between the two. But I'm not sure the correct answer, especially from an outsider looking in is to say that the coach is always right and you always blindly support the coach. Maybe the coach/boss is wrong. Just like potentially at any other profession.

[Stoney Mason]

Cavs offseason gonna be real interesting. Lebron ain't taking a paycut, love is just going to opt in, Thompson going to get max or damn near, Kyrie's max contract starts next year, delle, jr, and big hair all need paid.

Dan's wallet am cry.

Actually griffin just got through saying he expects Love (and jr) to opt out and they would of course try to resign him. I just think it would be super awkward for him to opt out and sign another one year deal. But you never know. Maybe that is just realistic.

[Phoenix Dark]

I will say this: funny how no one says shit about Peyton Manning doing this for the last decade. He's just a passionate smart player-coach huh.

[naff]

Also: white

[benjipwns]

One thing regarding Lue is that Blatt admitted after the last incident that there were multiple times that Lue had to stop him from calling timeouts they didn't have, inform him of foul counts and so on. So I can see why LeBron might want to check with the "associate head coach" from time to time.