NBA Playoffs Thread

Adding : doesn't make you correct, even though that seems to be the practice of some.

I'm sure him not talking nearly as much SINCE THE GIANT SPECTACLE OF AN UNVEILING CEREMONY IN WHICH THEY ANNOUNCED THEY WANTED TO WIN SEVEN FUCKING TITLES AND ACTED AS THOUGH THEY ALREADY HAD has nothing at all to do with one of his handlers finally getting through to him that maybe it was time he STFU for a while.

 

That entire spectacle was done for the home fans, who seemed to enjoy it.

If a bunch of fans can fill a basketball arena in July and enjoy themselves for a while . . . it's beyond me why anyone else should be bothered by it.

Has nothing to do with "love of petulant athlete." Has everything to do with just live and let live. Beats gnashing your teeth all the time over something you see on ESPN. And your post above just reeks of teeth gnashing over . . . nothing.

You've got athletes who are criminals and thugs and wife beaters (and rapists), and you're gnashing your teeth over . . . a harmless party for the fans.

 

I'm stunned at how flat the Hawks are. It's an elimination game, at home, and they're playing like it's a February night in Charlotte. Perhaps it has something to do with the Hawks not having the trust to rally with each other in tight times, because there's a lot of one-on-one play and standing around.

 

I'm stunned at how bad they are. They're so talented. Smith. Johnson (the highest paid player in the league, right?) Crawford. Horford. Hinrich/Teague. I mean, those are some real skilled NBA players. More than the Bulls have in the starting lineup.

 

The Bulls have 25 assists on 30 buckets.

This is a vivisection.

 

Hinrich hasn't played in the series.

 

Johnson made the most money of any free agent last summer. He is a max player, but I don't think he's actually the highest paid player.

And are you saying the Hawks have a better starting lineup than the Bulls?

 

I know.

That's why I said Hinrich/Teague.

There hasn't been much dropoff.

 

I think so. What do you think?

 

LeBron has exhibited two behaviors: incredible basketball playing and incredibly self-conscious self-marketing. When he celebrates after a non-championship game as if he had won a championship, it's hard to differentiate between the two.

 

Why are baseball teams allowed to celebrate after every playoff round with champagne and no one bats an eye? Just different cultures in the two sports?

 

I very much disagree.


Derrick Rose >>>> Jeff Teague
Keith Bogans <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Joe Johnson
Luol Deng vs Josh Smith - This is curious for me - Smith is clearly more athletic, but he can't shoot for crap and I would say he's been a detriment to the Hawks in much of this series. He's 3-for-30 shooting outside the paint. Deng is a great defender and a good third option offensively. On pure talent the edge goes to Smith though.

I would take Horford over Boozer but it's close - especially if Boozer's good game tonight is a sign of things to come.

Joakim Noah >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jason Collins

So I guess it's a little closer than I thought, but the Bulls starters are just so superior defensively, and that has to count for something too. I think there are many reasons the Bulls won 18 more games in the regular season and are going to take this series fairly solidly in six games. The starters are a big part of that.