NBA Playoffs Thread

[Blitz]

You won't find very many San Antonians who aren't worried now with Memphis. That team's already beaten the Spurs twice in the regular season and now today's result ... this one, sadly for the older Spurs, might drag out to 6 or 7 games.

 

[Matt Stephens]

You won't find very many San Antonians who aren't worried now with Memphis. That team's already beaten the Spurs twice in the regular season and now today's result ... this one, sadly for the older Spurs, might drag out to 6 or 7 games.

I'm an OKC fan, and if the Thunder make it past Denver, I'd rather see it play San Antonio than Memphis. Grizzlies scare me, too.

 

[Small Town Guy]

Fouls are always going to be cause for controversy. When do you call hand-checking, when don't you? Charge or block? How much do you let them get away with in the post? Refs should get a pass for missing some calls with those.

What you can't miss is an obvious offensive goaltending that gives a team a one-point lead with about a minute to go, which is what happened in the OKC game. Denver blew three straight possessions when they had the chance to up the lead to 3, but they should have had a fourth opportunity but for the missed call.

 

[holy bull]

Anybody bad-mouthing the NBA probably needs to take a closer look at the playoffs. OKC and Denver are both legitimate Western Conference champs, and they're playing each other in the FIRST ROUND. The matchups are all great, playoff basketball in the NBA is amazing, you've got Knicks-Celtics just for laughs ... what's not to like?

The fact that the really, really good teams can sleepwalk for 40 minutes, then turn it on and win. And even the Lakers will likely have little problem winning the series in the end.

But it has been an awesome first two days.

How do you define the "really, really good teams"? Because a lot of them are playing each other right now, even though it's the first round, which leaves little room for this supposed sleepwalking that you're referring to.

The Lakers having little trouble winning their first-round series, I'll believe that when I see it.

 

[holy bull]

Fouls are always going to be cause for controversy. When do you call hand-checking, when don't you? Charge or block? How much do you let them get away with in the post? Refs should get a pass for missing some calls with those.

What you can't miss is an obvious offensive goaltending that gives a team a one-point lead with about a minute to go, which is what happened in the OKC game. Denver blew three straight possessions when they had the chance to up the lead to 3, but they should have had a fourth opportunity but for the missed call.

Yeah, that was clearly a call that had a pretty direct impact on the game. The other stuff in the Knicks-Celtics game were borderline judgment calls far away from the basket, but that one in OKC-Denver was a blown field goal-deciding non-call late n the game that had an impact on how the final possessions played out.

 

[Den1983]

What a first two days. Unbelievable.

Melo, as has been noted, was the goat for the Knicks; not because of his ill-advised final attempt, but who dribbles toward the sideline instead of the center? It was a fatal play from the moment Melo started dribbling.

Also, at what point does Amar'e start demanding the ball? This is HIS team. He needs to act like it. Why he's been sitting back and letting Melo assume what's not rightfully is is, not only disturbing as a Knicks fan, but restricting New York from having any shot in this series.

And yeah, Memphis scary. Even with Manu, that doesn't change the fact that Memphis will make the Spurs absolutely work for anything inside. Man, I really wish the Grizzlies had Gay. They could really shock a lot of people with him on hand.

And this weekend confirmed what we already knew. This is one of the most wide open races in recent playoff NBA history. It's gonna be fun watching how this all goes down.

 

[Webster]

What you can't miss is an obvious offensive goaltending that gives a team a one-point lead with about a minute to go, which is what happened in the OKC game. Denver blew three straight possessions when they had the chance to up the lead to 3, but they should have had a fourth opportunity but for the missed call.

That was inexcusable.

 

[Bob Cook]

These games ones are a nice palate cleanser after the **** sandwich that was this year's NCAA men's final. The OKC-Denver game could have provided every play for the ESPN Top 10 all by itself. If you say you like basketball, you owe it to yourself to watch these games.

 

[Football_Bat]

The West could end up looking like the NHL playoffs where the 5, 6, 7 and 8 seeds win the first round. Sure, Dallas and OKC won their openers at home, but that's no guarantee.

The Hornets may have hit on a formula that finally works this year: Let Kobe score his, and stop the other four. And I was at no point this year blown away by the Spurs.

 

[Double Down]

These games ones are a nice palate cleanser after the **** sandwich that was this year's NCAA men's final. The OKC-Denver game could have provided every play for the ESPN Top 10 all by itself. If you say you like basketball, you owe it to yourself to watch these games.

But, but, but... purity of the game! Sanctity of amateur athletics! And everyone in the NBA is a thug! And no one plays any defense! And all they do is clutch and grab and play defense! I don't like how Kobe Bryant scowls! And... And... And...

/head explodes...

 

[dreunc1542]

The West could end up looking like the NHL playoffs where the 5, 6, 7 and 8 seeds win the first round. Sure, Dallas and OKC won their openers at home, but that's no guarantee.

The Hornets may have hit on a formula that finally works this year: Let Kobe score his, and stop the other four. And I was at no point this year blown away by the Spurs.

As JC said on the hockey thread, people draw entirely too many conclusions based on game one of a long series.

 

[Small Town Guy]

The West could end up looking like the NHL playoffs where the 5, 6, 7 and 8 seeds win the first round. Sure, Dallas and OKC won their openers at home, but that's no guarantee.

The Hornets may have hit on a formula that finally works this year: Let Kobe score his, and stop the other four. And I was at no point this year blown away by the Spurs.

As JC said on the hockey thread, people draw entirely too many conclusions based on game one of a long series.

A hot Aaron Grey is not the same as a hot goalie?

The one lower seed I still think has the best shot of winning is the one that lost the first game, Portland. The Manu injury changes things, but I still see the Lakers and Spurs series going the way of the lower seed stealing Game 1 but ultimately falling in five or six. I think every game of OKC and Denver will go down to the wire and Denver's as tough as anyone at home, but finally that lack of a real go-to guy will hurt them. Last night in the last three minutes they couldn't figure out where to go on offense, even though they have a ton of options the first 45 minutes.

 

[Bob Cook]

The West could end up looking like the NHL playoffs where the 5, 6, 7 and 8 seeds win the first round. Sure, Dallas and OKC won their openers at home, but that's no guarantee.

The Hornets may have hit on a formula that finally works this year: Let Kobe score his, and stop the other four. And I was at no point this year blown away by the Spurs.

As JC said on the hockey thread, people draw entirely too many conclusions based on game one of a long series.

A hot Aaron Grey is not the same as a hot goalie?

The one lower seed I still think has the best shot of winning is the one that lost the first game, Portland. The Manu injury changes things, but I still see the Lakers and Spurs series going the way of the lower seed stealing Game 1 but ultimately falling in five or six. I think every game of OKC and Denver will go down to the wire and Denver's as tough as anyone at home, but finally that lack of a real go-to guy will hurt them. Last night in the last three minutes they couldn't figure out where to go on offense, even though they have a ton of options the first 45 minutes.

Indiana had the same problem at the end of its game against the Bulls, with no one standing up to take over the game. Chicago, obviously, didn't have that problem.

I think this is true at any level of basketball -- you can have all the pretty team play you want all game, but in a tight game in the last few minutes, you need an established leader who has the ability to take over. Sometimes that person doesn't have to actually take over the game -- their mere presence means that's where the attention is focused, opening up the floor for others.

 

[bigpern23]

The fact of the matter is, Anthony is one of those odd superior talents (there's no denying that) who you're better off without.

Carmelo averaged 30 ppg in the playoffs last year. He scored 27 ppg in 2009 to take the Nuggets - THE NUGGETS - to the Western Conference finals. He has taken his team to the postseason every year of his career, including his rookie season when Denver went from 17-65 to 43-39? And you think the Knicks are better off without him? Really?

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Yes, I do. Anthony is, like Allan Iverson, a player who's most effective when he's the ONE superstar on a team. Bringing him in to pair with Stoudemire was a mistake.
It's not like I think Anthony isn't a superior talent. He surely is. He's just one of those talents who's not a good fit with comparable talents on one team.

 

[bigpern23]

Yes, I do. Anthony is, like Allan Iverson, a player who's most effective when he's the ONE superstar on a team. Bringing him in to pair with Stoudemire was a mistake.
It's not like I think Anthony isn't a superior talent. He surely is. He's just one of those talents who's not a good fit with comparable talents on one team.

You're nuts if you think the Knicks as constituted are worse than they were before the trade.

 

[Football_Bat]

Yes, I do. Anthony is, like Allan Iverson, a player who's most effective when he's the ONE superstar on a team. Bringing him in to pair with Stoudemire was a mistake.
It's not like I think Anthony isn't a superior talent. He surely is. He's just one of those talents who's not a good fit with comparable talents on one team.

You're nuts if you think the Knicks as constituted are worse than they were before the trade.

You are correct, but the Nuggets still got the better of the trade if only by addition by subtraction.

 

[bigpern23]

I think the Knicks are better with Melo, but last night he didn't seem to cognizant of the fact that, in the second half, he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn while Stoudemire was pretty lights-out. Defer, man.

Agreed. However, on the final shot, Stoudemire was standing around doing nothing and 'Melo had two guys in his face (and, not for anything, but Doc and Lawrence Frank right there ON THE COURT as well). I'm not so sure he could really see anyone around the double team and, even if he did, I'm not sure he could have made a pass without turning it over. The Celts D was excellent there.

He really needed to put the ball on the floor and try to create something, instead of settling for that near-impossible 3-pointer.

 

[Devin]

The fact of the matter is, Anthony is one of those odd superior talents (there's no denying that) who you're better off without.

Carmelo averaged 30 ppg in the playoffs last year. He scored 27 ppg in 2009 to take the Nuggets - THE NUGGETS - to the Western Conference finals. He has taken his team to the postseason every year of his career, including his rookie season when Denver went from 17-65 to 43-39? And you think the Knicks are better off without him? Really?

You forgot the part about the Chauncey Billups stabilizing that Nuggets offense, and averaging 20 points and 6 dimes during that Western Conference Finals run.

Before Billups got there, Melo was well on his way to being the next Tracy McGrady.

 

[MileHigh]

Criminy, somebody put down **** Stockton. He hasn't made a right call since he said "The Lakers win it ... again" ... in 1988. He has been absolutely brutal on this Bulls-Pacers game with so many missed calls.