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NBA Playoff thread 2012
- Thread starter Chris Fitzgerald
- Start date
So let's see Durrants been in the league five years, and been a finalist for the MVP in three of those seasons. How many more years does he have to establish himself?
In the meantime, flopaWade got those calls in his second season when he went to the line about fifty times a game in his first finals appearance. I guess its a bit easier to "establish yourself" in South Beach.
What is up with these refs? Fisher was practically shoved into the stands with no foul called on the Heat. Not to mention the other Miami fouls being ignored and OKC being fouled over nothing, both in this game and Sunday's.
To quote a friend on FB, "This is where I turn off the TV and go to bed."
To quote a friend on FB, "This is where I turn off the TV and go to bed."
Yeah, the lack of calls for Westbrook is borderline criminal. The guys been attacking the rim all night, has 37 points, and just got his first free throw with 6 minutes left in the fourth. Literally embarrassing for the league. These teams are fairly evenly matched, to bad the officials aren't.
And that's the way the Finals should be played. Much like the complaints about that non-call Durant got last game. Notice how he never complained, just mentioned "I missed a make-able shot." Like him or not Lebron hit a big 3 after limping over a strain/cramp. Let the superstars decide the game, not the refs.
James was fantastic, living up to the promise that everybody's been talking about for years. Wade, in addition to perpetrating a pathetic flop in the second quarter in which he either hurt himself or simply playacted hurting himself in the second quarter, actually stepped up and made some big shots when the Heat needed it. The big difference in the game defensively for OKC was Chalmers, who had a career night because James reacted beautifully to the doubles all night and found the open man when they came. Gotta hand it to LJ - that was a beautiful game.
For OKC, Durant played well, and Westbrook was brilliant. The rest of the team didn't supply enough balance to pull it out. Watching them for the last three quarters was like watching a series of fantastic 1-on-1 performances by Westbrook (mostly) and Durant. Once the first quarter was over, they had no flow on offense, no offensive rhythm. Van Gundy was right on the money with his commentary. And the biggest reason they've lost the last two games, IMO, is... the Beard. His season averages as 6th man of the year were 16.8 points on 44% shooting (and 37% from the 3 point line). His averages over the last two games were 8.8 points on 20% shooting and 11% from 3. Bring his averages up to normal, and the Thunder win those two games. But even without the stats, Miami has at had at least one more reliable scorer than OKC in every game, and that's supposed to be Harden's role. He just hasn't stepped up and filled it. Simple as that.
As for the rest, yes, there were some bogus calls and non-calls. Westbrook should have gone to the line more, and Wade less. Wade gets more phantom calls than anyone I've ever seen, and whines more than anyone in memory. But if Harden had played his regular expected game, OKC would be sitting pretty right now. Instead, they're in an insurmountable hole saving a miracle. I want to see them scratch their way back to OKC with some heart, and some Harden.
For OKC, Durant played well, and Westbrook was brilliant. The rest of the team didn't supply enough balance to pull it out. Watching them for the last three quarters was like watching a series of fantastic 1-on-1 performances by Westbrook (mostly) and Durant. Once the first quarter was over, they had no flow on offense, no offensive rhythm. Van Gundy was right on the money with his commentary. And the biggest reason they've lost the last two games, IMO, is... the Beard. His season averages as 6th man of the year were 16.8 points on 44% shooting (and 37% from the 3 point line). His averages over the last two games were 8.8 points on 20% shooting and 11% from 3. Bring his averages up to normal, and the Thunder win those two games. But even without the stats, Miami has at had at least one more reliable scorer than OKC in every game, and that's supposed to be Harden's role. He just hasn't stepped up and filled it. Simple as that.
As for the rest, yes, there were some bogus calls and non-calls. Westbrook should have gone to the line more, and Wade less. Wade gets more phantom calls than anyone I've ever seen, and whines more than anyone in memory. But if Harden had played his regular expected game, OKC would be sitting pretty right now. Instead, they're in an insurmountable hole saving a miracle. I want to see them scratch their way back to OKC with some heart, and some Harden.
Agreed on all counts. Regarding Wade's "injury", I'd be willing to bet he wasn't hurt in the least. Watching him go down on replay did not look even remotely bad.
Just to be clear, I'm not "blaming the refs". And unlike the MIA win over Dallas where Wade went to the line every other minute MIA is actually playing better than OK and deserves it. At this point Miami is the best team in a mediocre league and deserves the title if they close it out. OK, isn't losing the game because of the refs, they are losing because their role players aren't ready for prime time.
Even Westbrook as great as he played last night made a simply boneheaded play fouling a MIA player when MI had a 3 point lead with 4 seconds on the shot clock and 15 to go in the game. That is poor coaching and terrible game awareness.
I do think the pathetic officiating is getting in their heads, being a younger team. But good teams learn to overcome bad officiating. And OK is simply not there yet.
OTOH, I'm sadden by what a once great team game has become under Stern. And it all started under Jordan. The stars got calls before MJ, but not to near the same level. Now we have a league with two different sets of rules. And it really favors physical stars like James, and Wade. I saw James three times last night use his forearm to clear out a defensive player on a drive. That is an O foul for any other player, much like Shaquel O'Neil, he literally plays with a different rule book And if your a star in a big market, you will not get in foul trouble in a big game.
You think Durant is at the same level in terms of perceived superstar as James? Ask anyone not in the know regarding the NBA to name some (current) players. You'll ge Bryant on top, then James, perhaps Nowitski, Carmello, Derrick Rose (although I doubt it), "World Peace (because of his ridiculous name) and a few others. You will not hear Durant's name. You won't hear anyone's name from OKC, except maybe Harden's. And that will be because of his beard (Brett Keisel-type stardom), or the elbow he took FROM Artest, not because of his play, despite being Sixth Man this year.So let's see Durrants been in the league five years, and been a finalist for the MVP in three of those seasons. How many more years does he have to establish himself?
In the meantime, flopaWade got those calls in his second season when he went to the line about fifty times a game in his first finals appearance. I guess its a bit easier to "establish yourself" in South Beach.
So let's see Durrants been in the league five years, and been a finalist for the MVP in three of those seasons. How many more years does he have to establish himself?
Which is it, Steve? You're kind of contradicting yourself here... Or you just disagreed with my comment about K.D. because you like to argue.
Agreed. The only thing more pathetic than Wade's petulant playacting on that play was the way it affected the refs insofar as him getting more of those lame "drive and flail" calls later in the game. Nobody hates this aspect of Wade's game more than I do. For me, it's the kind of thing that sucks credibility out of the entire league, and I hope they find a way to come down on it. But even I had to give it to him when he made some tough shots in the 4th. He should just focus on doing that and his team would improve greatly as a result.
burk said:
Including Harden as a role player, I agree 100%. Wade is still a ridiculous flopper, and Battier flops way to much on defense; that said, we haven't had the sickening march to the line yet that we had in 2006. The Heat's role players are coming through, and the Thunder's aren't. Simple as that.
I thought that was a bad no-call until I watched it twice in the highlights last night. Haslem goes up and tips the ball, comes down and Fisher--who had moved in the process of chasing down the ball--wound up under Haslem's armpit. Good no-call, IMO.
Heh, you hate Wade so very much.
C'mon, he collided in the air with a much bigger guy, it's not so hard to believe he would naturally fall backwards after that.I guess you missed LeBron brilliantly setting guys up for open looks time after time last night. The team that went to 1-on-1 plays every time down the court last night lost.
Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals was kind of a big game...
Of course it's weird that Westbrook didn't go to the line more last night. But honestly, I'm having trouble coming up with plays where he got fouled and it wasn't called. Please do not count the time he kicked his leg out to the side while shooting a jumper in order to try and get a call.
The dude is just so slight, slippery and fast, a lot of times Miami couldn't hardly touch him.
The dude is just so slight, slippery and fast, a lot of times Miami couldn't hardly touch him.Fun facts and thoughts while bitching about the refs goes on and on...
OKC blew a 17-point lead in less than four minutes. I don't think I've ever seen that in the NBA.
Every player on OKC other than Durant and Westbrook: 24 points
Mario Chalmers: 22
LeBron made as many shots while suffering from extreme leg cramps as Harden did the entire game.
Durant didn't get his first rebound till the 4th quarter and finished with two for the game. That's not gonna get it done. Also, Chalmers was his man and he had a career night, as Chris said. Granted, Durant was supposed to double down, but he left Chalmers wide open all night.
In fact, OKC in general seemed lazy on defense after the first quarter. Miami had a surprising number of open shots.
OKC blew a 17-point lead in less than four minutes. I don't think I've ever seen that in the NBA.
Every player on OKC other than Durant and Westbrook: 24 points
Mario Chalmers: 22
LeBron made as many shots while suffering from extreme leg cramps as Harden did the entire game.
Durant didn't get his first rebound till the 4th quarter and finished with two for the game. That's not gonna get it done. Also, Chalmers was his man and he had a career night, as Chris said. Granted, Durant was supposed to double down, but he left Chalmers wide open all night.
In fact, OKC in general seemed lazy on defense after the first quarter. Miami had a surprising number of open shots.
Heh, you hate Wade so very much.
Yes, I do hate his flopping.
He's a great player when he doesn't flop, and always has been. Harden and Paul Pierce flop too, and I wish they'd stop... or be stopped. On this particular play, he got his shot blocked, faked a bunch of contact that wasn't there, and then faked an injury to influence the refs for the rest of the game. Just like the one he did last year at 1:20 in this vid:Again, this is sucking credibility out of the game, no matter who does it. Wade, Pierce, Ginobili, Kobe, Harden, Varejao, doesn't matter. Out them and make them pay, either in $$$ or in stigma, or in both.
Which is it, Steve? You're kind of contradicting yourself here... Or you just disagreed with my comment about K.D. because you like to argue.
How is it a contradiction? Durrant doesn't get the calls Wade and Lebron get, despite the fact that he has been a superstar by any definition for at least three seasons. And I stated that there are two reasons for this, one he doesn't play in a big market. OK winning a title may be a nice story, but it doesn't sell as well as a title in S. Beach.
And two, he's not as physical and offensive player as Wade or Lebron. Both Wade and Lebron hand check a ton on defense. You can't legally rest your hand on a player your guarding. But those rules don't apply to them, and both Lebron and Wade clear out defensive players with their arm strength. Both of them rarely get called for O fouls.
All I'm saying is that Durrant especially and Westbrook are both playing under a different set of rules than Lebron and Wade.
But OK still should have won the game if any of their complimentary players would have stepped up the series would be a far different story. Too me the difference in this series is Battier, Just like Boston when they had Posey. A Wing defensive player who can hit a few threes for you is critical in this league to win.
