NBA Playoffs Thread

With a 24-second shot clock, everyone has to keep trying. It's not like Berea could stand, Bobby Plump-style, at the top of the key and let the minutes tick down. Heck, Berea only could drive the lane easily because the Lakers appeared to have quit playing defense after about the first minute.

There is no defense for what Bynum did.

 

The bottom line message I get from you is, "you're a pest because you're still trying when I have lost" and being a pest means I get to take a cheap shot at you. Got it. That's not acceptable, and not good sportsmanship.

Bynum cares? If he really cared, he'd have kept trying to the very end, scoring 35 in a losing effort. No, he gave up and took the easy way out and you applaud him for it. Your views are crystal clear.
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I'm not basing my opinion on Barea on this particular play. He just rubs me the wrong way (sort of like David Eckstein, because he clearly relishes the fact that his small stature means he gets treated as if he's somehow giving more effort than his bigger, taller counterparts), and I know I'm not the only one.

Additionally, I hope all of the people rushing to morality judgments on Bynum and the Lakers aren't expressing support for the Mavericks, since we can evidently define one of their key players as a "classless cheap shot artist" based on one play (Jason Terry's shove on Steve Blake in the teams' last regular season meeting). I know he's not a Laker, but the disdain for Bynum needs to be shown for Terry based on the rationale expressed in this thread.

 

I have no disdain for Bynum other than that play. Completely Bynum neutral. Laker neutral too. Mavs neutral. But that was a chickenshit act in the highest order, period. Would have been in any era.

And I still don't see what's so annoying about the way Barea plays. Never saw Boykins, Bogues, Webb and all the other little guys take cheap shots just because people loved the fact that they were little guys and those guys were all marketed based on their small stature.

 

Moses Malone once kneecapped Tiny Archibald with a police baton as he drove the lane in a playoff game. True story.

 

That deserves to be elaborated on. Was Moses having to work security at an ABA game or something?

 

So if driving the lane up 30 points is running up the score, and shooting threes when up 30 is running up the score, then is the rule that only 18-foot jumpers are allowed when leading by 30?

 

This is ridiculous.

The rules are its a game, you try to win, and the game lasts 48 mins. Not when the loser says so. And no up 30 with 8 mins. left is not automatic. Warriors played a game a few years back where they were up at least 25 and scored total of 6 in the 4th and lost.

A "message" is only needed when someone does a "look at me" taunt. JJ did nothing of the sort. And being a "pest"? That's a judgment in your own mind, not an act. Learn how to play the game so you don't lose by 40 when you're facing an elimination game.

 

Sorry, should have gone blue font there.

 

As should I.

 

I'm pretty sure I've already elaborated on the fact that I'm fine with running up the score. And I'm totally on board with you as far as why you don't let the gas off the pedal, but all I'm saying is that if you don't call off the dogs a little bit, don't act horrified if you piss off the opponent. Recognizing that these are prideful professionals and not 12-year-olds in a yuppie, suburban youth soccer league makes me ridiculous? Fine. However, I've said it before and I'll repeat it: I'm not defending Bynum's elbow, because it was classless. But I choose to consider all of the factors at play rather than assume the absolute worst about Bynum. If you all like, maybe we can just cancel the playoffs now and give every player a ring just for participating. Considering the devolution of physical play in the NBA, that seems like the logical next step.

 

It turns out, Bynum learned all he knew from Magic Johnson.

http://lakers.ocregister.com/2011/05/09/bynums-elbow-play-lakers-fans-have-seen-it-before/54583/

I don't know how Magic ever recovered from such a classless act. Might have been because no one liked Isiah Thomas, even then.

 

Meanwhile, while the argument rages, the Celtics are in the process of winning Game Five against Miami.