Official 2013-2014 NBA Playoffs Thread

[IAteYourMother]

Perhaps I am incorrect. If IL (or the other states) wants to go after me for the pittance I'd be paid for working in other states (maybe 2 weeks total of the year), go right ahead. I'd have no problem paying the like $200 in back taxes I'd owe.

Good for you, it doesn't mean that you're not spewing complete bullshit

 

[smackababy]

ITT we talk about Landon Donovan and State Income Taxes.

We can't talk about SA dumping all over Miami until tomorrow night. >_<

 

[manly]

I wouldn't say Kobe has the potential for 0 rings. Also, he is paid slightly more than Lebron (19.2mil per year vs 25 mil per year). He also has a lot more tenure than Lebron. Kobe is younger than Duncan and KG.

Don't get me wrong, LA has a lot of work to do to win a championship, but it could happen.

surprised nobody has pointed out that Kobe made $30M this season.

I'm assuming LeBron will sign close to a max extension (if not the full max), so next season they will be close in salary. I wouldn't be surprised if LeBron takes a haircut again just so that Pat Riley can continue to sign cheap veterans who are knocking down doors just to ball with LeBron.

I agree, L.A. could win a 'ship if LeBron comes to the Lakers and leaves money on the table so Kupchak can get a couple role players. Other than that, it's highly improbable. I would pay money to see Kobe and Carmelo share the ball for a season or two!

 

[bunnyfubbles]

I wouldn't say Kobe has the potential for 0 rings. Also, he is paid slightly more than Lebron (19.2mil per year vs 25 mil per year). He also has a lot more tenure than Lebron. Kobe is younger than Duncan and KG.

Don't get me wrong, LA has a lot of work to do to win a championship, but it could happen.

1. Kobe is making 30million this year: http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm, http://espn.go.com/nba/salaries
2. Who the fuck cares about tenure if the goal is winning as many championships as possible?
3. whether Kobe actually has more "tenure" is arguable when LeBron has 4 league MVPs to Kobe's 1, and just as many Finals' MVP awards (ggs Shaq)
4. Duncan and Garnett haven't won a championship since '07 and '08 (younger then than Kobe is now)
5. If Duncan does win a championship this season, it will have been because he took a massive paycut (cut in half from 20 mil), and he did this last season, so this is his 2nd season playing for half of what he's supposedly worth - all to make sure there was enough salary to acquire one of the league's best benches. (Ginobli did the same this season, same age as Kobe)


I think its pretty clear that LA just wants to ride Kobe to retirement, knowing full well they won't lose any significant fanfare by just coasting until that moment, and Kobe clearly doesn't seem to care, and/or maybe he's just too stupid/arrogant/egotistical to realize he can't do it himself.

 

[dawheat]

Excited about Game 1 tonight - frankly, we're all winners in getting to watch 2 amazing teams go at it again.

My prediction - the Spurs take this game by a decent margin, though the Heat make a run in the 3rd quarter to close the gap. The Spurs win wire to wire.

I think Pop is going to roll out a new wrinkle in guarding Lebron that's going to throw him off the first half. He won't simply do the same as last year (pack the paint, give up long 2s) as Lebron really started to figure it out in G6 and G7. There'll be some of that for sure, but I expect Lebron to look a bit befuddled and take some badly contested shots initially.

Also I expect SA to get more open 3s than the Heat would like with some new cuts/schemes they haven't shown yet. Same as last year when Green basically used the same cut again and again to get those open looks.

I have the highest regard for Spoelstra and his ability to prepare and adapt, especially in comparison to Brooks and Vogel. Same with Lebron. But it's going to take a game at least for them to take and learn. So my other prediction is the Heat take G2 in SA.

 

[Miramonti]

Cliche but this series is going to come down to how bad each team wants to win. It's like two semi trucks driving 60mph straight at each other, both desperately wanting to get to the other side, and we'll see who flinches first in the process, if either.

 

[lupi]

You got Wade probably healthiest he's been at for this point in over 2 years, and on the opposing side you've got the mystery with Parker. Does this become a major factor tonight or will it play out over the series?

 

[smackababy]

I am really looking forward to how well Leonard does guarding Lebron this series. He has had time to get out some experience and got some finals jitters out of the way.

 

[manly]

Cliche but this series is going to come down to how bad each team wants to win. It's like two semi trucks driving 60mph straight at each other, both desperately wanting to get to the other side, and we'll see who flinches first in the process, if either.

willpower? You've got the wrong sport, maybe hockey or NFL football would be more appropriate for that analysis.

Basketball is mainly about execution, whoever "plays better" (to use a terrible cliche) is likely to win when two opponents are relatively fairly matched. Sure there's some psychology involved as you're suggesting but if Miami's Big-3 is healthy and locked in, and the team is playing their trademark active D, the Spurs will be in for a tough go.

 

[Miramonti]

You got Wade probably healthiest he's been at for this point in over 2 years, and on the opposing side you've got the mystery with Parker. Does this become a major factor tonight or will it play out over the series?

I'd say wade is 'as rested' as at any time in the post season the last few years, but I don't know if he'll ever have 'healthy' knees again, as his issues are chronic. He knows when to interject himself tho and a little wade can go a freakin long ways, not to mention if he's going to continue hitting 3's...

Parker on the other hand, I'm more skeptical about. Anything that keeps someone out like the last game most likely isn't going to be near 100%, especially once his ankle(?) starts taking punishment again. Like others have said tho, the spurs shouldn't have big problem compensating.

 

[smackababy]

I'd say wade is 'as rested' as at any time in the post season the last few years, but I don't know if he'll ever have 'healthy' knees again, as his issues are chronic. He knows when to interject himself tho and a little wade can go a freakin long ways, not to mention if he's going to continue hitting 3's...

Parker on the other hand, I'm more skeptical about. Anything that keeps someone out like the last game most likely isn't going to be near 100%, especially once his ankle(?) starts taking punishment again. Like others have said tho, the spurs shouldn't have big problem compensating.

I don't know if Parker being out was entirely due to him being injured. It wasn't a game 7, and the Spurs were playing at OKC with the final game coming home to them. It might have been more cautionary to force Parker to sit out than it was really needed. That really just gave him a bit of an extended rest. Even without Parker though, I think the Spurs will be okay. Some other people will have to step up to score, but I think the Spurs can handle it.

 

[Miramonti]

willpower? You've got the wrong sport, maybe hockey or NFL football would be more appropriate for that analysis.

Basketball is mainly about execution, whoever "plays better" (to use a terrible cliche) is likely to win when two opponents are relatively fairly matched. Sure there's some psychology involved as you're suggesting but if Miami's Big-3 is healthy and locked in, and the team is playing their trademark active D, the Spurs will be in for a tough go.

Not sure if willpower is the right word, but the ability to continue to attack while at the same time executing. For example, sometimes in the nba, 'flinching' is most obvious when teams don't hit their 3's. That can mean they are out of their comfort zone and mentally aren't dialed in to the pace or physicality, or both (as well as how a team responds to ref calls against them.) I see both teams equally able to respond to another teams effectiveness, through coaching, teamwork, and talent, but the consistent mentality of each team and player will be critical. Lots of abstracts and intangibles, but this is a series that I think will be defined by them (even tho commentators say that about almost every competitive series'.)

 

[dougp]

Rather amusing preview of the Finals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXtmd0Z0E4A

 

[andy04]

Duncan on scooter

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Rather amusing preview of the Finals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXtmd0Z0E4A

Lmao Wade in the casts and at Raptor Bosh.

 

[dougp]

Yeah, that whole thing was epically hilarious. Manu's disappearing hair, Birdman, Lebron's selfie during a dunk ... clever girl.

 

[dbk]

Spurs bench!! Gogogogooooo

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Wade going off. Heat playing great with LeBron on the bench.

 

[Miramonti]

For the most part, Heat are keeping the Spurs out of the paint in their half court offense. Spurs haven't made them pay from outside all that much, which isn't good.

 

[IAteYourMother]

Danny Green should not be driving the ball

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Apparently Wade has discovered the secret to time travel. It's anyone's guess why he shared it with Duncan.

 

[Ns1]

wow, they're playing the game w/o AC? christ, must be hot as balls in there, raining sweat.

 

[dbk]

no AC o damn

 

[IAteYourMother]

Man Bosh is playing some terrible defense on Duncan. If you can't defend him down low then at least do a better job of denying position.

 

[manly]

JVG can be whiny & annoying sometimes, but Mark Jackson is so obvious with the cliches all game long. I don't know why some people consider this MJ insightful as a color commentator.