The NBA thread

[Stoney Mason]

33 point lead. They are kicking the crap out of the Lakers.

[Cormacaroni]

The end of the 1st quarter (which i'm just catching up on) is a great answer to all those who bleat on about Bynum's FG% vs Kobe's...Bynum shoots a high % IF he gets the ball and IF he can take a shot. If either of those fail, it's likely a worse possession that Kobe just jacking it up from the perimeter. Why? Well, the entry pass is risky, now that defenders can roam anywhere they want. And if the other team can instantly double-team, it doesn't matter how big the offensive player is - he likely can't get a good shot without risking an offensive foul. So you are basically just substituting a pass from a guard on the perimeter for a pass from a double-teamed big man in the post in many cases. That works if you have a talented passer like Shaq AND great spacing (like the Magic or the early-2000's Lakers...) but not always. Even if you get a really good system down, it becomes very predictable and the defense will compensate quickly (and again, zones are legal now so forget about comparisons to Ewing or Barkley or Hakeem...).

In short, it's just not going to be possible to get someone like Bynum 30 good looks per game, no matter how efficient that sounds in theory.

[Phoenix Dark]

lol lakers

[Cormacaroni]

If there is one truism in the NBA i'd like to see hard stats on, it is the idea that slumping shooters will suddenly come to life after getting a free throw, a lay-up or a dunk. If only to shut up Reggie Miller and Steve Kerr.

[Stoney Mason]

Whether they win or lose the series against Indy, tonight was a prime example of why the Heat won't win the title this year. Even with Bosh.

[Joe Molotov]

LIKE A BOSH

[Joe Molotov]

Oh snap, Derrick Rose out for 8 months to ONE YEAR.

[Phoenix Dark]

wtf 

[Stoney Mason]

Spurs just way too good for the Clippers. It looks like the Spurs versus the Thunder will be the real NBA Finals.

[Beezy]

Spurs just way too good for the Clippers. It looks like the Spurs versus the Thunder will be the real NBA Finals.

I had this same thought earlier. Can't wait.

[Great Rumbler]

Spurs just way too good for the Clippers. It looks like the Spurs versus the Thunder will be the real NBA Finals.

It's interesting to see how this is going for the Thunder. First the Mavs, then the Lakers, and then likely the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. If they get to the Finals, they will have gone through the West's old guard from the past 13 years.

[Stoney Mason]

Spurs just way too good for the Clippers. It looks like the Spurs versus the Thunder will be the real NBA Finals.

It's interesting to see how this is going for the Thunder. First the Mavs, then the Lakers, and then likely the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. If they get to the Finals, they will have gone through the West's old guard from the past 13 years.

What would be crazy is if the Spurs won it with their big three again after such a long separation from 2006–07 title.

[Stoney Mason]

Much closer game two here for the Thunder and Lakers. You can tell the Lakers know its over if they lose this one so they are putting up a huge fight.

[Stoney Mason]

Thunder making a huge rally.

[Stoney Mason]

Thunder got a little lucky there but looks like they are taking game 2. 

[TakingBackSunday]

And yet again, the Thunder show that they're still the most exciting and fun team to watch in the NBA.  Rooting for them to win the west.

[Great Rumbler]

Kobe Bryant = 9 of 25 shooting

[TakingBackSunday]

MVP!!!! bububuu it's the intangibles!!

[Joe Molotov]

Kobe Bryant = 9 of 25 shooting

0-6 on 3-pointers. 2-15 as a team.

[pilonv1]

lolkers

[TakingBackSunday]

Kobe, get the fuck out of here.  At least Lebron has been playing decent in the fourth quarter these playoffs (last night not withstanding).  Kobe has been megashit

[TakingBackSunday]

Lakers-age is absolutely fucking terrible.  They're rightfully blaming Kobe, but some choice quotes:

If you're going to get swept, at least flagrant foul Westbrook for me. thx.

YNB and Harden (until the last two minutes) probably couldn't have played worse and OKC still won. Probably a sweep now. Thunder have gotten some ridiculous luck so far this postseason though, think it balances out against the Spurs or Heat.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Give me MJ for the first 47 minutes and Kobe for the last 60 seconds.

I expected the Thunder to win by 15-20, but their stupid turnovers and horrible isolations almost gave the game away to the Lakers.

Originally Posted by DeathbyVolcano: 
Kobe hasn't been "clutch" for years. He has a lower percentage than Lebron and Wade. This stupid clutch thing needs to go away, he's not the clutch guy
You're an idiot - plain and simple. And facts don't back up your idiotic arguments


That being said, this loss is allllll on Kobe

And Reilo thinking Kobe is STILL leagues better than Lebron.  el oh fucking el

[Smooth Groove]

I'll never get why some fans get so emotionally invested.  For all the derision that bandwagoners get, they might be the ones that really know what's going on. 

[etiolate]

You should have known that the Lakers had no chance in this series,

[TakingBackSunday]

shinobi never knows

[Smooth Groove]

http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/30597/rapid-reaction-game-2-thunder-77-lakers-75

ESPN coverage is horrible but I've a little respect for the Kamenetskys because they aren't just mouthpieces for Kobe, unlike Mcmenamin and Shelburne who bring nothing to the table. 

[Cormacaroni]

I'll never get why some fans get so emotionally invested.  For all the derision that bandwagoners get, they might be the ones that really know what's going on. 

Hurry up, there's still room on my Kings Celtics Heat Clippers Wolves Thunder Spurs bandwagon!

[Cormacaroni]

Thunder won't beat the Spurs but it will be a hell of a lot more interesting than the Lakers series. If the Lakers go to 3-1, I expect a lot of temperamental bullshit from them in game 5 again.

The Celtics have maybe a 10-15% chance at beating the Heat, if they can wrap up the Sixers series early and the Pacers stretch out their series. If Allen, Bradley and most of all Pierce can get a bit healthier AND Bosh stays out AND KG and Rondo keep beasting, they can take them, I swear. Who thinks i'm delusional? The Cs' team defense is phenomenal now, and has been consistent in almost every game they've played so far...they just suck at scoring. But without Bosh and with LeBron forced to play the 4 or even the 5...the Heat won't be scoring that much either.

[Smooth Groove]

I'll never get why some fans get so emotionally invested.  For all the derision that bandwagoners get, they might be the ones that really know what's going on. 

Hurry up, there's still room on my Kings Celtics Heat Clippers Wolves Thunder Spurs bandwagon!

Maybe one more round before I decide which team I've been always been a fan of. 

[Cormacaroni]

hint - it's the Spurs

[Cormacaroni]

If you feel any doubt, just ask yourself - did anyone on the Spurs look even remotely worried facing Chris Paul in the 4th quarter yesterday? Yes, the Chris Paul with the PER of 38 in 4th quarters this season

[Cormacaroni]

he said in the series, and he's right

[etiolate]

I see the Lakers winning game 3 in LA, losing the next game and then getting blown out in game 5 as Kobe quits on the team.

[Cormacaroni]

he said in the series, and he's right

Yes, but taking a 1-1 tie back home for two games gives a team a puncher's chance. And any team with Bynum, Gasol and Kobe has to get pretty good puncher's odds.

We probably still would have lost, but if we were taking the series back to LA with a 1-1 tie, I could see us winning it in 6. Instead we'll probably get swept.

Yeah, but any team with Durant, Westbrook and Harden has way better puncher's odds. There is no real way to project a Laker win here other than ooh, maybe someone will get hurt or suspended (which is the only circumstance in which I can get excited by the prospect of Celtics vs Heat next round, thanks to the Glorious Chris Bosh Abdomen Injury)

[Mandark]

Upsets happen, of course, but everyone I've heard predict one in the OKC-LAL series is giving a ton of weight to "experience".  Or is a nutbar Lakers fan on my Facebook.

Either way I'm glad LA showed up.  It's always fun watching the team self destruct in the playoffs (do they ever go out and not have it be ugly?) but I'd like some close games too.

[Cormacaroni]

The Big 3s are not even, but it's more than that. The Thunder can thwart the Lakers' main offensive weapon by double-teaming the bigs and daring someone to hit a 3 (no-one much has). Whereas the Lakers have no fucking chance of running with the Thunder, whether they shoot well or not.

[Cormacaroni]

Upsets happen, of course, but everyone I've heard predict one in the OKC-LAL series is giving a ton of weight to "experience".  Or is a nutbar Lakers fan on my Facebook.

Either way I'm glad LA showed up.  It's always fun watching the team self destruct in the playoffs (do they ever go out and not have it be ugly?) but I'd like some close games too.

A ton of weight to experience, but discounting the flameout vs the Mavs just last year because Mavericks.

[Cormacaroni]

Honestly, I think the big 3's are both pretty even.

The Thunder are better because they're vastly superior from 4-12.

Who else is good on the Thunder then? Go on, say Ibaka I dare you

[TakingBackSunday]

Honestly, I think the big 3's are both pretty even.

The Thunder are better because they're vastly superior from 4-12.

Who else is good on the Thunder then? Go on, say Ibaka I dare you

Ibaka!

[Cormacaroni]

9 pts a game! Blocks shots but doesn't make them noticeably a better defensive team (by defensive plus-minus). Can't create a shot for himself. How is that more useful than Matt Barnes or MWP

[TakingBackSunday]

because fuck the lakers, that's why

[Cormacaroni]

a little confused logically but i can't disagree with the sentiment!

[Mandark]

Ibaka's horribly overrated as a defender (Michael Wilbon had him as DPOY), but he's a bit underrated on offense.  Chips in points, doesn't turn it over, seems to have a decent midrange jumper when he's open.  Also, Nick Collison's posted some wildly befuddling plus/minus numbers, to the point where he might be the first Guy Who Does Things That Don't Show Up In The Boxscore to really deserve that title.
 
At this point, I think the difference between the respective big 3's is basically however much better Durant is than Kobe now.

Starting to get my hopes up for Spurs/Thunder.

[T234]

Nah, Ibaka altered alot more shots that weren't on the stat sheet. I watched this game, Ibaka was better tonight than most any of the lakers 4-12.



Around these woods we got a saying:"There are lies, damn lies, and statistics." 

[Cormacaroni]

Durant is way better than Kobe right now but also it's a point guard's league now (and both Harden and Westbrook are PGs when they're in). You can do way more damage from there than from the post.

[Cormacaroni]

Nah, Ibaka altered alot more shots that weren't on the stat sheet. I watched this game, Ibaka was better tonight than most any of the lakers 4-12.

Around these woods we got a saying:"There are lies, damn lies, and statistics." 

If this was true, then he'd be significantly positive in defensive plus-minus. Sorry.

[Cormacaroni]

That's not to say that he didn't have a significant defensive impact TONIGHT of course but that's not what we were talking about

[Mandark]

Durant is way better than Kobe right now but also it's a point guard's league now (and both Harden and Westbrook are PGs when they're in). You can do way more damage from there than from the post.

PG's are putting up bigger numbers than they ever used to, but bigs still have a really important impact on the overall game.  Gasol and Bynum were key players on two championship teams, after all, even in the no-handchecking era.

What's odd is how there aren't as many standout wings, especially 2-guards, as there are big men and PG's.  Maybe something to do with the way players develop (like when all the big men learned to shoot and there were tons of great PF's and few C's) or maybe it's just one of those random talent fluctuations.  For someone who started following basketball during the Jordan/Pippen era it's a bit jarring.

[Cormacaroni]

The Lakers' championship teams had players who could hit open 3s - without that, a post-based offense is crippled. And Bynum didn't do a whole lot in 2009 did he? Odom was far more important I thought...

Yeah, no doubt those guys are important but it's relative to the Thunder's Big 3.

I'm sure Malcolm Gladwell has some half-baked theory to explain the lack of 2 guards. It is odd. After years of hearing whinging old-school coaches complaining about everyone wanting to be MJ...where are they??

[Stoney Mason]

[Cormacaroni]

saw that live, horrifying. C-Webb had a snappy line about it too, but i've forgotten it 'cause it concerned some US entertainer I didn't know.

[Joe Molotov]

saw that live, horrifying. C-Webb had a snappy line about it too, but i've forgotten it 'cause it concerned some US entertainer I didn't know.

Flavor Flav?

[Phoenix Dark]

Leper Cormac

[Stoney Mason]

[Cormacaroni]

saw that live, horrifying. C-Webb had a snappy line about it too, but i've forgotten it 'cause it concerned some US entertainer I didn't know.

Flavor Flav?

must have misheard in that case

[Stoney Mason]

[CajoleJuice]

[Stoney Mason]

Huge game for the heat in a couple of hours and they are on the road in Indy. If they lose it, they are in some deep shit.

[Stoney Mason]

Oh look. Miami off to another shitty start. How unusual.

[TakingBackSunday]

 :'(