NBA Playoffs Thread

They ran pick and rolls with him and on the roll he'd be wide open for the 12-15 footer and he'd ...pass. Even when the roll was right to the rim, he threw up weak floaters that missed. If it was Amare, the rim would be swinging (okay, I know he's not Amare.) If it was turf toe, then Gibson should have been out there. The next 4 years are going to be ugly with his deadweight on the payroll.

 

When I'd see the Bulls run pick and roll, Miami often trapped it and Rose would step back and deliver a pass to the screener at the foul line and create a 4-on-3. At that point, the big is a distributor more than a shooter. In Utah, the point would likely either try to split the defenders, or the screener would slip toward the basket, depending on how good the trap was and how the rotations were, etc. Utah seemed much more aggressive torward the rim on pick-and-rolls, which is remarkable considering that Rose is the point.

Again, I have to emphasize I saw a lot more of the Dallas-OKC series than the East series (had to do with me generally being busy from 7-8:30 when the bulk of the East games were played. I usually caught the bulk, or all, of the West games starting an hour later).

So it's no surprise to me that Boozer was passing up semi-open jumpers, so long as the defender was closing. Also, if you are going to back up and give it to a big in a decision-making high-post position, that player needs to have guard-like ball skills. He's basically, at that point, the center in the Princeton offense. I don't think of handle when I think of Boozer. I think he's more effective when he's aggressive. In other words, if there's a trap, he slips to the basket.

Again, health could affect how that was approached. If he didn't have the lift to finish around the rim -- you indicate that he did not -- then they might have consciously decided to back up to draw the trap, then give it to him at the free throw line in a 4-on-3. He's not the best player for that (Noah's better).

 

Never trust biased eyes.

All ball. Sorry.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-ct-swesda-bulls03320110526212414,0,997818.photo

 

That is a much better view than the TV angle.

Although you talking about bias involving the Heat is cute.

 

This.

 

Do LBJ and the Heat get some unfavorable treatment on this board? Sure. They're treated poorly because James (possibly inadvertently) put himself into a villain's role, then (appears to have) embraced it. He's like a heel in professional wrestling, except possibly less likable because of his past behavior and the fact that, clearly, he has given far less than a full effort on occasion ... and it wasn't a whole hell of a long time ago.

Yes, our opinion/treatment of LeBron James is poor. What's worse is the multitude of people who seem to get off on finding an athlete looked upon unfavorably and going out of their way to defend them. We've seen it with Favre, and we've seen it with James. Who's next?

 

I for one hope he NEVER wins a title. But if he does, he can wait another year. Go Mavs!

 

It would be no skin off my back if he wins a title, but I would not be disappointed in the least if taking his talents to South Beach backfired. I was more lashing out at the fanboilooserists than anything else.

 

I know you were. No worries. I'm just a long-suffering Mavs fan who wants no part of losing to the Heat again.

 

She deserved it

- Bob Ryan

 

Completely understandable. And I think D-Wade went to the line twice as I typed that.

 

As much as I've bitched about that particular "discrepancy" during that 2006 series, a win in this series means I'd probably never bring it up again.