NBA Playoffs 2012 Running thread

Ozzie Guillen just might have found his way back into Miami fans' good graces -- attack Wade, the one guy who is as unpopular as Castro right now.

http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/7948934/miami-marlins-ozzie-guillen-miami-heat-dwyane-wade-guarantee-fight

A day after having vowed to be done with Twitter, the outspoken manager of the Miami Marlins wasn't backing off his shoot-from-the-hip style of expression, saying Wade's behavior toward Heat coach Erik Spoelstra during a Thursday loss "can guarantee a fight."

"I will kick his ass," Guillen told reporters Friday. "Well, I won't say I'll kick his ass. They'll kick my ass because they're bigger than me, and I'm older. But I will take my chances. Some people have to understand our job."

And:

"You know how many players I take out of the game and they go in the back and talk crap about me?" Guillen said.

"I don't care because I'm going to talk crap about them. If I take you out of the game it's for a reason. You think I want to take you out of the game? You think I want to pinch-hit for you? I pinch-hit for you because you suck. There's somebody else I thought was better than you."

 

I buy that. Good points. Much better analysis than 'Yab offered.

 

There are times Ozzie Guillen really makes me mad, but this is one of the times where I really love what he has to say.

 

Just glancing again the Spurs roster and cannot figure how they are so damn good.

They start Boris Diaw, who earlier this year was waived by the 7-59 Hornets, and Danny Green, who last year was waived by the 19-63 Cavs. So these guys weren't good enough for two of the worst teams in NBA history, but they are good enough to START and excel on the NBA's best team?

Their bench help comes from the likes of Gary Neal--an undrafted complete unknown, Dejuan Blair--a fatassed unathletic second rounder with no ACLs in either knee, Stephen Jackson--who's old and crazy, and Matt Bonner--who's ....well, Matt Bonner.

And their big 3 of Duncan/Ginobli/Parker are 36, 35 and 30 years old, have an insane amount of mileage on their legs, and by the laws of human aging and physiology, should've been slowing down for years now.

Does that seem like a roster that should be running roughshod over the league like this?

 

Don't overlook the fact that they have the best coach in the league -- by far.

 

Maybe that's why those teams had those records.

 

What DD said. If Popovich wins a fifth title over 13 seasons -- with all the roster turnover and changes in the league that entails -- that's more impressive in many ways than Phil Jackson winning titles in bunches with made-for-championship talent.

 

No doubt, Popovich has long been the best in the business. Including when big Phil was around.

But, I must say, even taking into account the Popovich factor, the Spurs roster places all the "supporting cast" excuse making for the Lebron/Wade/Bosh Heat in a different perspective. Are Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier really any worse than Danny Green and Boris Diaw? I don't think so. Are Haslem/Mike Miller/Anthony, etc. really much different than Bonner/Neal/Blair? Not that I can see. At least none of Miami's supporting players have been cut by the frickin Hornets or Cavs.

 

Five titles in 13 seasons doesn't match 11 in 20 seasons, no matter what kind of pretty sheen people want to put on the Spurs right now.

Depending on what position you want to slot him in on a given night, Tim Duncan might be the greatest PF to ever play the game. Parker and Ginobili have been really good for their entire careers. David Robinson was kind of a Hall of Famer. Granted, he was Olajuwon's plaything in the 1995 playoffs, but as a running mate?

Ever since winning the draft lottery in 1997, these Spurs have always had talented players to build around.

Let's not fall for these media tropes about how they lack superlative talent.

 

I know better than to listen to the media. I stand by my assessment.

 

It's funny when people mention Phil Jackson always took jobs with "ready-made championship talent."

Anyone care to recall circumstances of how Popovich became Spurs coach?