NBA Playoffs 2012 Running thread

[JRoyal]

Loser wears a Harden beard for a week.

 

[Dick Whitman]

I've never really been a LeBron hater until recently. I interviewed him a couple times when he was in high school and I covered his first NBA game and at the time I was stunned at how mature I thought he seemed and how, all things considered, he seemed a lot more down-to-earth than some of the other guys who had gone straight to the NBA out of high school.

Now, I don't know... He just strikes me as someone who just doesn't get it on any level anymore... There's also something kind of enjoyable about watching guys who got together just to get a ring who can't finish the deal. I'm reminded of the year Karl Malone was on the Lakers and how much I loved it that they didn't win that year.

I so enjoyed watching the Heat lose to the Mavericks last season and I think a Thunder victory would be even more enjoyable since Durant probably is my favorite player to watch these days.

I remember thinking the same thing about him at the McDonald's All-American Game when I was in the postgame press conference. "This kid is 18?!"

I remember when Eddy Curry was in Chicago, Scott Skiles would talk about how the problem with getting Curry to work hard is that Curry already thought he was working hard. He just didn't get what it actually took, what working hard actually meant. I'm sure we've all worked with or around a guy like that before, someone who does what others would consider the bare minimum on a beat, but honestly believes, in his head, that he is busting his hump. Now, I don't think that LeBron is a lazy ass like Eddy Curry. But I think that he truly believes that he wants a title as badly as Michael did or Kobe does or Duncan does or any fierce competitor you can name. His dial only goes up to 8. Theirs goes up to 11.

No one had a better, bigger, rip your heart out game than his game 6 against the Celtics.

Sure. But it doesn't happen enough for a player of his skills. I don't think he understands what it means to do that every game. Maybe he does now. Maybe that was a harbinger of what's to come. But we've seen him have some games like that before, and then it's back to the shadows at crunch time.

 

[Webster]

I've never really been a LeBron hater until recently. I interviewed him a couple times when he was in high school and I covered his first NBA game and at the time I was stunned at how mature I thought he seemed and how, all things considered, he seemed a lot more down-to-earth than some of the other guys who had gone straight to the NBA out of high school.

Now, I don't know... He just strikes me as someone who just doesn't get it on any level anymore... There's also something kind of enjoyable about watching guys who got together just to get a ring who can't finish the deal. I'm reminded of the year Karl Malone was on the Lakers and how much I loved it that they didn't win that year.

I so enjoyed watching the Heat lose to the Mavericks last season and I think a Thunder victory would be even more enjoyable since Durant probably is my favorite player to watch these days.

I remember thinking the same thing about him at the McDonald's All-American Game when I was in the postgame press conference. "This kid is 18?!"

I remember when Eddy Curry was in Chicago, Scott Skiles would talk about how the problem with getting Curry to work hard is that Curry already thought he was working hard. He just didn't get what it actually took, what working hard actually meant. I'm sure we've all worked with or around a guy like that before, someone who does what others would consider the bare minimum on a beat, but honestly believes, in his head, that he is busting his hump. Now, I don't think that LeBron is a lazy ass like Eddy Curry. But I think that he truly believes that he wants a title as badly as Michael did or Kobe does or Duncan does or any fierce competitor you can name. His dial only goes up to 8. Theirs goes up to 11.

No one had a better, bigger, rip your heart out game than his game 6 against the Celtics.

Sure. But it doesn't happen enough for a player of his skills. I don't think he understands what it means to do that every game. Maybe he does now. Maybe that was a harbinger of what's to come. But we've seen him have some games like that before, and then it's back to the shadows at crunch time.

I don't think he understands what it means to do that every game? I don't even know what that means.

 

[JC]

I think Durant will outplay James in this series. Any takers on that bet?

Depends on what you consider outplaying?

 

[Dick Whitman]

I've never really been a LeBron hater until recently. I interviewed him a couple times when he was in high school and I covered his first NBA game and at the time I was stunned at how mature I thought he seemed and how, all things considered, he seemed a lot more down-to-earth than some of the other guys who had gone straight to the NBA out of high school.

Now, I don't know... He just strikes me as someone who just doesn't get it on any level anymore... There's also something kind of enjoyable about watching guys who got together just to get a ring who can't finish the deal. I'm reminded of the year Karl Malone was on the Lakers and how much I loved it that they didn't win that year.

I so enjoyed watching the Heat lose to the Mavericks last season and I think a Thunder victory would be even more enjoyable since Durant probably is my favorite player to watch these days.

I remember thinking the same thing about him at the McDonald's All-American Game when I was in the postgame press conference. "This kid is 18?!"

I remember when Eddy Curry was in Chicago, Scott Skiles would talk about how the problem with getting Curry to work hard is that Curry already thought he was working hard. He just didn't get what it actually took, what working hard actually meant. I'm sure we've all worked with or around a guy like that before, someone who does what others would consider the bare minimum on a beat, but honestly believes, in his head, that he is busting his hump. Now, I don't think that LeBron is a lazy ass like Eddy Curry. But I think that he truly believes that he wants a title as badly as Michael did or Kobe does or Duncan does or any fierce competitor you can name. His dial only goes up to 8. Theirs goes up to 11.

No one had a better, bigger, rip your heart out game than his game 6 against the Celtics.

Sure. But it doesn't happen enough for a player of his skills. I don't think he understands what it means to do that every game. Maybe he does now. Maybe that was a harbinger of what's to come. But we've seen him have some games like that before, and then it's back to the shadows at crunch time.

I don't think he understands what it means to do that every game? I don't even know what that means.

I don't think he grasps that hitting that level once in a blue moon is not enough. Not with his gifts. I truly believe that he thinks he has Kobe's or Michael's or Tiger's fierce will to win. But he doesn't. Those guys would die for it. He wouldn't die for it. But he thinks he would.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

We're getting some real hard-core long-distance pop psychology bullshirt here. I wish my paper had a "desire" line in its box scores, as yours must.

 

[Dick Whitman]

We're getting some real hard-core long-distance pop psychology bullshirt here. I wish my paper had a "desire" line in its box scores, as yours must.

A man is defined by his actions. I am putting forth a reasonable inference from observing his passivity.

 

[RickStain]

We're getting some real hard-core long-distance pop psychology bullshirt here. I wish my paper had a "desire" line in its box scores, as yours must.

A man is defined by his actions. I am putting forth a reasonable inference from observing his passivity.

You aren't defining his actions. You are defining what you imagine to be going on inside his mind.

 

[LongTimeListener]

And really, unless you've had to work alongside a co-worker who was banging your mom on the down-low, it's hard to put yourself in LeBron's shoes.

 

[Dick Whitman]

We're getting some real hard-core long-distance pop psychology bullshirt here. I wish my paper had a "desire" line in its box scores, as yours must.

A man is defined by his actions. I am putting forth a reasonable inference from observing his passivity.

You aren't defining his actions. You are defining what you imagine to be going on inside his mind.

I'm inferring that from his actions.

This isn't baseball, where you patiently wait your turn. This is basketball, where you can bull your way into the lead role.

 

[Stoney]

Instead of an avatar bet, I think the loser should have to dress like this for a week:

Seriously, what is up with NBA players wearing fake Urkel glasses and dorkwear this year? When did this become cool?

 

[Dick Whitman]

Instead of an avatar bet, I think the loser should have to dress like this for a week:

Seriously, what is up with NBA players wearing fake Urkel glasses and dorkwear this year? When did this become cool?

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7346656/the-rise-nba-nerd