NBA Playoffs Thread

[DanOregon]

Maybe its just me, but it was nice watching the Chicago and Vancouver basketball and hockey playoff games last night - if only because their fans didn't all feel it necessary to all wear the giveaway shirts.
To me, nothing says small-time more than fans wearing "we believe" t-shirts.

 

[floridanewbie31]

****, I actually disagree, I think that game was beautiful to watch. Butler UConn was ugly as hell cause there was noone to make open shots. Last night was different. That was just great great defense on both sides. And I thought that was fun to watch.

 

[Dick Whitman]

****, I actually disagree, I think that game was beautiful to watch. Butler UConn was ugly as hell cause there was noone to make open shots. Last night was different. That was just great great defense on both sides. And I thought that was fun to watch.

That's two games now in their last three where Miami just absolutely locked it down the last couple minutes. That kind of effort is tough to sustain for 48 minutes, but I'll be damned if they aren't unbelievable defensively when they decide to be. That being said, some of Korver's looks were very clean and just flat-out missed throughout the fourth.

 

[Blitz]

High-scoring tonight in Big D.
OKC up by two at half.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Maybe its just me, but it was nice watching the Chicago and Vancouver basketball and hockey playoff games last night - if only because their fans didn't all feel it necessary to all wear the giveaway shirts.
To me, nothing says small-time more than fans wearing "we believe" t-shirts.

Agreed.

 

[JakeandElwood]

Maybe its just me, but it was nice watching the Chicago and Vancouver basketball and hockey playoff games last night - if only because their fans didn't all feel it necessary to all wear the giveaway shirts.
To me, nothing says small-time more than fans wearing "we believe" t-shirts.

Agreed.

Yeah, the Bulls tell everyone to wear red but don't actually give out free red shirts.

 

[Bob Cook]

I bet it was an interesting dynamic in the OKC locker room. Thunder win, despite -- or because of -- Scott Brooks sitting Westbrook the whole fourth quarter. Thing is, OKC played better tonight with Westbrook off the floor. As the playoffs go along, Westbrook grows more allergic to giving the ball up to Durant.

 

[Tommy_Dreamer]

Both benches proved their worth in Games 1 for Dallas and 2 for OKC.

However, I feel much better about the Mavs. Terry had an off game, that usually doesn't happen. And Harden going for 23 or whatever it was, while great for OKC, I doubt it happens again this series.

Only know what I saw from the box score. I had to follow the game online. Looking forward to Game 3 though. Shaping up to be a classic series.

 

[BrianGriffin]

I like Harden. I think he has more of these games in him. I really think OKC is a future power if they can stay together and add a piece or two.

OKC adjusted to what Dallas did in game one and Dallas has adjusting to do now. There are a lot of players they can't stay in front of, including both point guards and Durant.

Some of what you'll see Dallas do is what they did in the fourth quarter: Get it to Dirk at the elbow and let him put the ball on the deck. Good things happened then, but they had already dug a hole and couldn't do enough defensively to build it into a run.

 

[Stoney]

I bet it was an interesting dynamic in the OKC locker room. Thunder win, despite -- or because of -- Scott Brooks sitting Westbrook the whole fourth quarter. Thing is, OKC played better tonight with Westbrook off the floor. As the playoffs go along, Westbrook grows more allergic to giving the ball up to Durant.

The Westbrook/Durant dynamic has proven an interesting subplot throughout these playoffs. OKC clearly played better without Westbrook last night, and then Brooks kept him benched the entire fourth quarter.

I don't think Westbrook is a selfish player. I just think, as discussed above, he's not comfortable playing the primary distributor role. But he's such a magnificent talent, OKC absolutely needs him on the floor, but perhaps in a slightly different role. Not sure why Westbrook/Maynor must be seen as an either/or choice. It'd be interesting to see them play together more, with Westbrook at the 2 spot where he can focus entirely on what he does best.

 

[dreunc1542]

A lineup of Maynor, Westbrook, Harden, Durant and Ibaka/Collison would be small and most likely struggle defensively but it would create matchup problems all over the place and would be fun to watch.

 

[Bob Cook]

I bet it was an interesting dynamic in the OKC locker room. Thunder win, despite -- or because of -- Scott Brooks sitting Westbrook the whole fourth quarter. Thing is, OKC played better tonight with Westbrook off the floor. As the playoffs go along, Westbrook grows more allergic to giving the ball up to Durant.

The Westbrook/Durant dynamic has proven an interesting subplot throughout these playoffs. OKC clearly played better without Westbrook last night, and then Brooks kept him benched the entire fourth quarter.

I don't think Westbrook is a selfish player. I just think, as discussed above, he's not comfortable playing the primary distributor role. But he's such a magnificent talent, OKC absolutely needs him on the floor, but perhaps in a slightly different role. Not sure why Westbrook/Maynor must be seen as an either/or choice. It'd be interesting to see them play together more, with Westbrook at the 2 spot where he can focus entirely on what he does best.

I wouldn't say he's selfish, but Westbrook isn't getting it through his head that Durant is ALWAYS option No. 1, and that if he's open, get him the damn ball. Westbrook seems to have these moments -- particular at the end of quarters -- that it's his time, and last night those were his times to screw up. You don't want to make Westbrook passive to shoot, but he's also got to trust that getting the ball in Durant's hands is the right thing to do. Westbrook might even find himself with more open shots as a result, if he cuts to the right place after getting Durant the ball.

 

[BrianGriffin]

I bet it was an interesting dynamic in the OKC locker room. Thunder win, despite -- or because of -- Scott Brooks sitting Westbrook the whole fourth quarter. Thing is, OKC played better tonight with Westbrook off the floor. As the playoffs go along, Westbrook grows more allergic to giving the ball up to Durant.

The Westbrook/Durant dynamic has proven an interesting subplot throughout these playoffs. OKC clearly played better without Westbrook last night, and then Brooks kept him benched the entire fourth quarter.

I don't think Westbrook is a selfish player. I just think, as discussed above, he's not comfortable playing the primary distributor role. But he's such a magnificent talent, OKC absolutely needs him on the floor, but perhaps in a slightly different role. Not sure why Westbrook/Maynor must be seen as an either/or choice. It'd be interesting to see them play together more, with Westbrook at the 2 spot where he can focus entirely on what he does best.

I wouldn't say he's selfish, but Westbrook isn't getting it through his head that Durant is ALWAYS option No. 1, and that if he's open, get him the damn ball. Westbrook seems to have these moments -- particular at the end of quarters -- that it's his time, and last night those were his times to screw up. You don't want to make Westbrook passive to shoot, but he's also got to trust that getting the ball in Durant's hands is the right thing to do. Westbrook might even find himself with more open shots as a result, if he cuts to the right place after getting Durant the ball.

I disagree. He's selfish. When you have the mindset that everything has to revolve around you -- either you score or a teammate scores because of the way the defense reacts to you, not to the teammate -- then you are selfish. And that's Westbrook.

It's not hard to figure out. There are 10 players on the floor and you are one of them. If you have the ball in your hands, you should take into account what the other nine players are doing and what they are capable or not capable of doing. If you only can see what you are doing and what that sets up, then you are selfish. No way around it.

 

[floridanewbie31]

Yeah I agree, he's been completely selfish. And I say that because this hasn't been a season long issue. It's been a playoff issue. Westbrook looked at the bright lights and has completely decided that he's going to get his and that's going to be the closer. But he's not. Durant is, and he will never be the player that Durant is, although he's a wonderful talent. Brooks was right to put his ass on the bench last night, and even better, they showed they can win without him. I don't know how many times he's looked Durant off in these playoffs, and him yelling at Brooks was completely out of line.

As I said, had this been a season long problem, I would think it's just because he doesn't know how to run the point etc. But Westbrook is a bright guy, and I've seen him play since his freshmen year at UCLA. I've never seen him jack up so many shots. even though Darren Collison ran that team, Westbrook still averaged 4-5 assists per game as a Bruin. It's not like being a playmaker was foreign to him. He has just somehow thought that he should be the number one option.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I have long maintained that being number two star on an NBA team is one of the hardest jobs in sports because of the psychological adjustment and high level of emotional maturity needed for the position.

 

[qtlaw]

Why Dallas waited until the 4th to start feeding Dirk in the post was very puzzling. I watched into the 3rd and the Mavs were doing all this pick and roll action and appeared to have forgotten how Dirk was the man in Game 1 (although I liked the balanced scoring.)

OKC bench may have come up huge but really hard to believe that they can sustain that for a 7 gm series.

OKC will rise and fall with Westbrook and that's why I think the Mavs prevail.

 

[BrianGriffin]

Why Dallas waited until the 4th to start feeding Dirk in the post was very puzzling. I watched into the 3rd and the Mavs were doing all this pick and roll action and appeared to have forgotten how Dirk was the man in Game 1 (although I liked the balanced scoring.)

OKC bench may have come up huge but really hard to believe that they can sustain that for a 7 gm series.

OKC will rise and fall with Westbrook and that's why I think the Mavs prevail.

What was happening is early they tried to throw it to Dirk on the block and OKC would front him with a guy behind playing a man-and-a-half off of probably the center (Chandler and Haywood) and they would come hard to double when Dallas would lob the ball over the guy fronting Dirk.

In other words, Dirk couldn't really post on the block.

They solved that by feeding Dirk around the elbow. If they fronted and doubled from the backside, then it was an easy drop down pass for a dunk, just because the angle. So they had to play behind him and Dirk was able to catch it, face the defender, then go around.

It took them three quarters to figure that out.

 

[Big du]

Carlos boozer need to step up n take charges!!!!

 

[Big du]

Go bulls!!

 

[NickMordo]

Carlos boozer need to step up n take charges!!!!

He is an overpaid hack.