NBA Playoffs 2012 Running thread

My fuckup. Thought Pippen came in the 1989 draft.

 

That's what I love about the Heat. There will be a massive shitstorm among themselves if they lose, and a massive shitstorm among the entire rest of the world if they win. It's win/win.

 

Famous last words. After the 86 Finals the prevailing wisdom was saying that the younger and more talented Sampson/Hakeem/McRay Rockets would now replace the ageing Lakers as the West's new dynasty. Instead that group was never heard from again and the Lakers simply regrouped and went back to owning the West for years more. It was also believed that the 77 Blazers would go on to win a bunch more championships because they were so young--then they promptly crumbled apart.

You never know. Much can go awry, even for the supremely young and talented.

 

If you're the Thunder, who are you bringing back next season, Harden or Ibaka?

 

I always laugh at the notion that Jerry Krause somehow sleuthed out the unknown young star from Central Arkansas. Pippen was the fifth pick in that draft.

If he was such a genius who discovered a diamond in the rough Hall of Famer, shouldn't he have traded down to get him?

 

Good to see you now know what college he attended.

 

I was just amusing myself that night.

 

Its been a fascinating series no doubt.

Can the Thunder come back? Of that I have no doubt because how soon people forget that the Thunder were down 2-0 to the Spurs who were in the midst of a 20-0 run, 10-0 in the playoffs, and being called perhaps one of the all-time great teams.

Westbrook was amazing last night. As great as he was, that's how dreadful Harden was. Harden looks like the scared rookie right now. He blew the layup late in the 4th when he made the steal and had the chance to put the Thunder up. He's awful trying to defend LeBron (hello Brooks, how about someone else?) in the post. He doesn't even realize that you cannot put two arms on a guy in the post.

One criticism of the Thunder's offense late, there's got to be some other way of getting the ball to Durant besides the lob from the center to the wing. How about running him off a double pick? Even a top of the key handoff. As great as Westbrook was, you've got to get Durant the ball late and the Thunder give up.

Last criticism, How about Fisher taking it down the lane thinking he's MJ and getting swatted when Westbrook and Durant were available? Hello, you're not the superstar, give up the ball. I saw Fisher revert to that when he came to the Warriors and that's the exact play when he gets your team in trouble. GIVE IT UP!!! You're not the lead guy.

 

This times a million. I can vividly recall how every Canadian basketball fan thought we were on the cusp of greatness with Carter, McGrady and Davis and the Raptors only made the conference finals.

While the future looks great for OKC there are a bunch of things that can go sideways so that they never wina championship.

By this analogy please do not think in any way shape or form do I think Vince Carter was on Durant's level.

 

No celebration should be tolerated by the Heat if they win this.
It's only the first of not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, ...championships.

 

When did the Raptors make the conference finals? Didn't they only make it to the second round once?

Do not include Canadians as Raptor fans. The country as a whole doesn't give a shit about the Raptors. Far mor Suns fans out west than Raptor fans.