NBA: 2012-2013 Season

[sumbrownkid]

The Griz's defense will more than make up for Rudy Gay's absence.

 

[Brett]

Rudy Gay is paid superstar money, but that salary does not match the level he produces on the floor.

 

[a6m5]

Gay was good(you know lol), but I get the impression that they are better than ever. I am just so sorry that OKC & Memphis will beat each other up so badly, whichever team will be missing manpower by the time they play the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. Tony Allen & Perkins I think had knee troubles, right?

I'm just kidding, if anybody's gonna break down, Spurs elder players are fragile.

 

[McLaren]

I can't wait til' next season when they do something more about the Hack-A-Shaq strategy. OKC already has this series won (going by history), so this is how they want to win the last one?
I've lost all respect for this team. Hope the Grizzlies blow this team out because Zach Randolph won't play this strategy.

Edit* I give huge credit to John's Rockets. OKC played a dirty ass tactic for nearly 3 minutes & it backfired. And then the crowd booing at the refs? This game showed how dirty OKC really is & how unable Durant is to be a clutch when the momentum isn't in his favor. Seriously lost any sort of respect for OKC as a team for trying this crap. Stern is somewhere fuming.

 

[Paulie]

Yeah I just finished watching those highlights and not only was that a dog tactic by OKC hacking at Asik, I also thought it was rather pathetic the Thunder making an obvious lunge at Beverly when he called a time-out in retaliation for Westbrook then Durant yelling at the Rockets bench on a different time-out call in retaliation for Westbrook. Seriously, wth? Regardless of if what Beverly did was daft or not, you're professional athletes and this is how you behave? Just get on with the game of basketball. Here's to hoping the Rockets become the first ever team in NBA history to come back from 3-0 and win a series. (I think?)

 

[Stavingo]

I don't get why they hacked Asik though, he still went 11-16 from the line

 

[Paulie]

I don't get why they hacked Asik though, he still went 11-16 from the line

Desperation on a season 56% FT shooter.

I just found out Aussie Aron Baynes has been playing a lot for the Spurs and I didn't even know it. In game 4 against LA he even started for them and played physical enough defence on Dwight Howard to make Howard cry to the refs and get his 2nd tech foul-ejected from the game. They still don't play Mills ever though, I wish the Raptors or someone would sign him.

 

[McLaren]

I don't get why they hacked Asik though, he still went 11-16 from the line

What's more is that they did with FOUR minutes to go & they were only down by SIX points.

Then as they pointed out afterwards, they knew OKC lost when KD gave up & wasn't even trying to get the ball. Amazing how much this team actually needs Westbrook even with his hot/cold streaks. And that wanted foul for KD losing the ball off his foot resulting in a tech? Gold.

 

[sumbrownkid]

So Deng and Gibson are both sick with the flu, and maybe game time decisions...

Nets will play harder knowing that.

 

[JohnBM01]

Don't get a brother started on that strategy to foul Omer Asik every nanosecond last night. I'm proud of my Rockets and want them to advance, but I still think OKC will take the series.


Enjoy tonight's matches as the NBA Playoffs wear on.

 

[Stavingo]

Desperation on a season 56% FT shooter.

I just found out Aussie Aron Baynes has been playing a lot for the Spurs and I didn't even know it. In game 4 against LA he even started for them and played physical enough defence on Dwight Howard to make Howard cry to the refs and get his 2nd tech foul-ejected from the game. They still don't play Mills ever though, I wish the Raptors or someone would sign him.

Still, hacking him like and him going with those sort of percentage will only give Asik more confidence if they try and hack him again.

Haven't seen too much of Aron Baynes this season, sounds like a bit of a bruiser 👍

What's more is that they did with FOUR minutes to go & they were only down by SIX points.

Wow, then again at least the spectators got their moneys worth

 

[a6m5]

OKC? How about New York? Dressed in black, like funeral for Boston, then losing the game? Pathetic.

Lot of people are big on NY, I still say they are fakers. They should get past Boston, but people who think the Knicks have a shot at Miami's suffering from head injury, or defect.

 

[Stavingo]

OKC? How about New York? Dressed in black, like funeral for Boston, then losing the game? Pathetic.

Lot of people are big on NY, I still say they are fakers. They should get past Boston, but people who think the Knicks have a shot at Miami's suffering from head injury, or defect.

First round syndrome of Melo' kicking in

 

[a6m5]

First round syndrome of Melo' kicking in

It's a longshot, but I sure wish to see NY lose.

 

[Stavingo]

It's a longshot, but I sure wish to see NY lose.

Don't care either way, but I'll still lol hard if they lose to Boston.

 

[McLaren]

OKC? How about New York? Dressed in black, like funeral for Boston, then losing the game? Pathetic.

Yeah, but it's not all that surprising either. Smith apologized, but Martin has always been a punk ass player.

 

[Stavingo]

Yeah, but it's not all that surprising either. Smith apologized, but Martin has always been a punk ass player.

I remember a small clip of him on YouTube somewhere trying to have a go at Cuban, funny times.

 

[Paulie]

Warriors are through to play the Spurs! Bogut and Curry were pretty awesome, but they had a woeful 4th quarter and tried their hardest to make Denver win.
I'm looking forward to watching the Warriors-Spurs. Spurs should still win but it'll be fun watching a possible match-up of Bogut-Baynes if Spurs play him.

I'm proud of my Rockets and want them to advance, but I still think OKC will take the series.

Unfortunately I agree, it'll still be one helluva tall order for Houston to win, but I'm cheering for them.

OKC? How about New York? Dressed in black, like funeral for Boston, then losing the game? Pathetic.

I just read that earlier, it's pretty damn funny!

Don't care either way, but I'll still lol hard if they lose to Boston.

Can't both of them lose? I think I like Boston less than the Knicks, but I really don't care who advances.


Edit: CRUD! Harden has come down with strep throat.

 

[sumbrownkid]

Yeah, but it's not all that surprising either. Smith apologized, but Martin has always been a punk ass player.

Martin is the type of person I won't want close to my family. No sir, not with those tattoos exposed like that.

And my Bulls are probably going to collapse, and I cannot imagine the hype train ESPN will pull while completely dumping on Chi. It's annoying that the Nets got all the breaks with us getting hurt and sick, but yet they get overrated because ESPN loves anything New York. Brooklyn fans annoy me because they sound so fake. I'm sorry you're still part of NYC as far as me and the rest of America is concerned.

I hate the fact the scrubbiest coach in the NBA currently in PJ Carlesimo is beating Thibs, and it's not down to coaching at all but because of our health situation.

Omnis, if you read this, tell Lebron to explode on the Nets and wipe the floor with them if they win Game 7.

 

[Stavingo]

Wow interesting final game between the Knicks and Celtics.

Knicks dressing up all black like a funeral and Celtic fans chanting Honey Nut Cheerios

You stay classy Boston

 

[JohnBM01]

And... season over. As I predicted, OKC took the series. We lost 103-94 fighting. I now can watch my Astros keep losing games and await the Texans in August. Rockets are done for the 2012-2013 season after f:censored:ing up one too many times in the 2nd half.


Congrats to the Thunder.

 

[a6m5]

Grizz & OKC should be a battle. I kind of like Memphis. Built the right way(tough + true center), plays with purpose. I haven't followed either teams, and not that familiar with either roster, but I think Memphis has enough talent to take out the OKC, with Westbrook out.

I just hope San Antonio stay healthy & handle Golden State. I still think San Antonio(healthy) has the best chance against the Miami All-Star team, but I wouldn't mind seeing Memphis in there either. OKC has zero chance of beating Miami, so I feel bad for Brett, but I hope they get out of the way fast.

Yeah, but it's not all that surprising either. Smith apologized, but Martin has always been a punk ass player.

Yeah, I read that. JR said they got "buried". K-Mart, I guess he's a little 🤬 He can dish it out, but he can't take it. Grow a pair, what is he, fifty? Geez....

 

[sumbrownkid]

And my nightmare scenario is realized...Deng is out for game 7.

Well boys, give'em Hell at least.👍

 

[a6m5]

And my nightmare scenario is realized...Deng is out for game 7.

Well boys, give'em Hell at least.👍

That. Sucks.

What's amazing is all these players being out with injuries in today's NBA. Maybe I'm just old & senile, but I don't remember injured players sitting out so much back in the day. Unless if it was season ending injury or something, I think most of them just played. Don't get me wrong, I lose Rose, and being a Blazer fan(knee bust city), I most definitely see where he's coming from, but that stuff would've been unthinkable in 80's & 90's.

 

[sumbrownkid]

No a6 you are right, all these injuries to guys such as Westbrooke and Rose (and both of them had reputation of being iron men before injuries) is just diluting the playoff experience. I don't remember seeing players go down left and right in the 90s, and even in the 2000s.

I don't want to sound like that cranky old guy, but Miami has it way easier now compared to the 90s.

 

[a6m5]

I guess there's too much money on the line in today's NBA. Speaking of Miami, there's a team that could easily have three of their main players go out with injuries. I don't wanna jinx them or nothing.....

 

[Brett]

Grizz & OKC should be a battle. I kind of like Memphis. Built the right way(tough + true center), plays with purpose. I haven't followed either teams, and not that familiar with either roster, but I think Memphis has enough talent to take out the OKC, with Westbrook out.

My expectations are not high for the Memphis series. Memphis is a better team than Houston. Not having Westbrook is going to make it very difficult to get past a Memphis team that has a whole lot of fight in them.

I just hope San Antonio stay healthy & handle Golden State. I still think San Antonio(healthy) has the best chance against the Miami All-Star team, but I wouldn't mind seeing Memphis in there either. OKC has zero chance of beating Miami, so I feel bad for Brett, but I hope they get out of the way fast.

Without Westbrook, I would still say their chances are greater than zero, but not by much.The games in last year's finals were much closer than what everyone seems to remember. Game 1 ended up being an "easy" win for the Thunder. OKC lost by four in Game 2, six in Game 3, and six in Game 4. The Thunder lost by 15 in Game 5.

With Westbrook, Miami is the better team, but the Thunder are still a very good team, have two of the best ten players in the world on their team, and right now, just fall ever so short of being better than the Heat. The differences between the two teams are much smaller than everyone makes them out to be.

The Thunder could end up being like the Bulls, taking their lumps before getting over the hump, and winning championships. Everyone seems to look back on Jordan and the Bulls like they had an easy time getting to the Finals. That was not at all the case. They had hurdles to get over first, mostly the Detroit Pistons, before reaching the pinnacle.

The Thunder are taking their lumps right now and could end up winning multiple championships. Everyone seems to forget that both Durant and Westbrook are just 24 years old. LeBron did not win his first until he was 27, just a year younger than Jordan was when he won his first, and needed the help of Wade/Bosh/role players playing out of their minds.

Durant and Westbrook can both still add much to their games. Serge Ibaka needs to continue to develop into a better player. His game has improved quite a bit this year, but there is still plenty of room for more development.

Serge needs to be more aggressive on the offensive end and drive to the basket harder/more often. When he does drive to the basket, mostly late in the shot clock and when the options require quick action, the results are usually quite good. Continuing to better his corner three would be an awesome thing to add to his game and the three point attempts are something that only appeared in his game this year. Serge made 35% of his threes on 57 attempts and many of the misses were just a hair off from being good. Adding some semblance of a post up game and better rebounding would also be awesome.

Though and the result I would rather not see, the Thunder could end being the early 90s Blazers/Suns, Malone/Stockton Utah Jazz, or Webber Sacramento Kings.

 

[a6m5]

I understand where you are coming from in regards to the competitiveness of the Finals last year, but where I'm coming from, it's all about the execution. They can be 100% equal to each other & the team that can actually execute crucial plays, under pressure will win almost every series. Funny you should mention the Jordan Bulls, because that was a team all about the execution. They didn't necessarily blow everybody out, every year. It is indeed a well known fact that Detroit did harden Jordan's Bulls.

Thunder SHOULD win the Championship in the future. That's why it was so important to move the Sonics to OKC in the first place(Presti + Durant). Heat roster does not have perfect health. Durant needs to get stronger though. IMO.

P.S. People who saw the Kings/Lakers series says that refs were playing for the Lakers. Blazers, Jazz & Suns lost. Kings, I'm not so sure if they belong in the same category.

 

[JohnBM01]

My Rockets are done for the season, but I am very much proud of what they have been able to accomplish as such a young team. There are no real superstar players except James Harden and maybe even Jeremy Lin. Five or ten years ago, two guys named Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady were among a solid cast of Rocket players. The future is bright for the Rockets.

Even though this is an NBA thread, the future is a bit more brighter for Houston since the Rio Grande Valley Vipers- Houston's NBA Developmental League team- won the title this season. Maybe some Vipers can help out in the future and maybe get some more NBA starts.


Good luck to all teams as the playoffs continue.

 

[a6m5]

I love Jeremy Lin, but I'm very skeptical of his game in playoff basketball. Very surprised how far they took the series. Harden surprised me as soon as the season started. Maybe there is hope for the Rockets after all.