NBA CHAMPIONSHIP: Who wins and in how many games

[Clip-Clop]

OKC does everything that the Heat do only faster and better. This is going to be ugly if Miami doesn't try to slow them down.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Clip-Clop

OKC does everything that the Heat do only faster and better. This is going to be ugly if Miami doesn't try to slow them down.

Miami can't really slow them down because they can't play slow themselves, at least if they want to actually score.

[cmorioles]

Great quote from Dirk:

"He's way more of a 3-man than I ever was. He handles the ball way better on the break than I ever did. He's got deeper range. And he's doing all this at 23. He's won the scoring title three times in a row, so that he means he won the first one at 21. I barely got through my rookie year. When I was 21, Gary Trent was still killing me in practice."

Great quote from Dirk. It might take two championships until the deranged give him proper credit. It's pretty obvious who the better player was last night.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Great quote from Dirk. It might take two championships until the deranged give him proper credit. It's pretty obvious who the better player was last night.

If Durant wins this Ill say he is better. But lets all just take a step back and be realistic. Switch up Durant and Lebron. Wade is old. Lebron and the Thunder would be crushing the Heat. Westbrook, Illblacka and the BEARD ARE MONSTERS.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

If Durant wins this Ill say he is better. But lets all just take a step back and be realistic. Switch up Durant and Lebron. Wade is old. Lebron and the Thunder would be crushing the Heat. Westbrook, Illblacka and the BEARD ARE MONSTERS.

Ibaka and the Beard, especially the Beard, didn't do much last night. But it is just like I told you, Lebron may very well go off and still lose.

I can tell you one thing I saw for sure. Westbrook and Durant have no fear of taking an open jump shot, while Wade and ESPECIALLY Lebron wanted no parts of it in the 2nd half. Granted, Lebron's shots looked they were launched with an uncalibrated catapult, but still.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Ibaka and the Beard, especially the Beard, didn't do much last night. But it is just like I told you, Lebron may very well go off and still lose.

I can tell you one thing I saw for sure. Westbrook and Durant have no fear of taking an open jump shot, while Wade and ESPECIALLY Lebron wanted no parts of it in the 2nd half. Granted, Lebron's shots looked they were launched with an uncalibrated catapult, but still.

Should have said ILL BLOACK A....
Westbrook and Harden. They are both better then Wade right now. I just thought Lebron could be that good. Not sure after last night. Unless Wade somehow plays like 6 years ago and Bosh does 10x more.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Great quote from Dirk:

"He's way more of a 3-man than I ever was. He handles the ball way better on the break than I ever did. He's got deeper range. And he's doing all this at 23. He's won the scoring title three times in a row, so that he means he won the first one at 21. I barely got through my rookie year. When I was 21, Gary Trent was still killing me in practice."

Gary Trent, the Shaq of the MAC

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

If Durant wins this Ill say he is better. But lets all just take a step back and be realistic. Switch up Durant and Lebron. Wade is old. Lebron and the Thunder would be crushing the Heat. Westbrook, Illblacka and the BEARD ARE MONSTERS.

Do you watch the games?

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Ibaka and the Beard, especially the Beard, didn't do much last night. But it is just like I told you, Lebron may very well go off and still lose.

I can tell you one thing I saw for sure. Westbrook and Durant have no fear of taking an open jump shot, while Wade and ESPECIALLY Lebron wanted no parts of it in the 2nd half. Granted, Lebron's shots looked they were launched with an uncalibrated catapult, but still.

I didn't see LeBron have too many open shots to take in the 2nd half. Brooks made adjustments and they were practically begging Bosh to shoot 3's.

If you have a clue (hello PG) as to what you are watching it is painfully obvious that OKC is a better team than Miami and what LeBron does or doesn't do cant change that. OKC is younger, healthier, stronger, faster and meshes far better than Miami. They came out a little tight and Miami was making shots that you knew wouldnt keep falling. OKC simply wore them down and in the end when Durant and Westbrook are hitting jumpers they are practically unstoppable. It has been that way pretty much all season and the fact that they are doing a better job of protecting the ball makes them that much better. I'm sure the refs/Stern will try to slow them down the next 2 games because they dont want a sweep but really how much better is Miami going to play? Offensively they scored 54 in the 1st half and got contributions from guys you wouldnt count on. Wade hasnt been good all year. Bosh is easily guarded by Ibaka especially if he is never going to go into the paint. Sure James may need to score 40 but unlike Boston and Indiana this is a team that can punch back. Defensively they are finding out that there is no real good answer to stopping OKC. Just like SA and the Lakers found out.

I guess I could have summed that up by saying that OKC is just a better team.

[King Glorious]

I thought that OKC and SA were both better than Miami and nothing I saw last night makes me think different. I think OKC wins pretty easily although I wouldn't be surprised to see Miami take game two or lose tomorrow and take two at home. Basketball changes quickly. Two games into the SA/OKC series, the Spurs had won 20 straight and people were comparing them to the best teams of the past 20 years and wondering if OKC could win a game. One game into the Miami/Boston series, it looked like a Miami sweep. After game five, Miami was lucky they weren't eliminated. Then they came back. OKC very easily could have been down 3-1 against LA after destroying them by 100 in game one.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

Should have said ILL BLOACK A....
Westbrook and Harden. They are both better then Wade right now. I just thought Lebron could be that good. Not sure after last night. Unless Wade somehow plays like 6 years ago and Bosh does 10x more.

Miami has to use Lebron in the post if they are going to guard him with Sefpaloha. The Heat get no low post scorng, none. They rarely even run a pick and roll.

I hate to overreact to one game but the only way Miami wins a game is if OKC has a bad shooting night or the refs just absolutely give them the game.

[tiggerv]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

I hate to overreact to one game but the only way Miami wins a game is if OKC has a bad shooting night or the refs just absolutely give them the game.

I suspect David Stern has already made a few phone calls

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I thought that OKC and SA were both better than Miami and nothing I saw last night makes me think different. I think OKC wins pretty easily although I wouldn't be surprised to see Miami take game two or lose tomorrow and take two at home. Basketball changes quickly. Two games into the SA/OKC series, the Spurs had won 20 straight and people were comparing them to the best teams of the past 20 years and wondering if OKC could win a game. One game into the Miami/Boston series, it looked like a Miami sweep. After game five, Miami was lucky they weren't eliminated. Then they came back. OKC very easily could have been down 3-1 against LA after destroying them by 100 in game one.

The difference is Miami played pretty well last night. LA was a tough matchup for OKC because they are so big. SA was just on an insane run but OKC eventually figured them out, and SA seemed to run out of gas.

OKC is just a nightmare match up for MIA because MIA isn't deep and has no low post options like LA and SA. On defense OKC doesnt have to respect the bit players and can contest perimeter which last night wore down James and Wade. On offense they can play the pick and roll game, they can slash to the basket, they can draw doubles and hit open jumpers, they want to get the ball in the open court and they play a normal rotation. You can stop Durant simply by doubling him out by the 3 point line but that opens the court for Westbrook/Harden to to to the hoop or take the open jumper, Ibaka/Collison can roll hard against a mismatch if the heat double with a big man. What is amazing is that OKC can have so many offensive looks and options despite having one of the worst offensive players in the NBA as a starter. Like I said I hate to overrate one game but Miami is in real trouble unless OKC implodes.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by tiggerv

I suspect David Stern has already made a few phone calls

I dont know, Jim Rome might have distracted him. It is amazing how defensive Stern gets over the Lottery questions.

[dalakhani]

Miami was impressive tonight. Good for Lebron knocking down those two free throws at the end.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Miami was impressive tonight. Good for Lebron knocking down those two free throws at the end.

Plus that almost impossible bank shot. Look bottom line is, these playoffs have been nutty. Who though the Thunder had a shot after going down 0-2 to the Spurs? I was scared after Game 1. Now I feel like MIAMI CAN EASILY WIN 2/3 AND BE UP 3-2. We shall see.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Miami was impressive tonight. Good for Lebron knocking down those two free throws at the end.

Easy to do after fouling Durant three times and Westbrook once on the prior play.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Easy to do after fouling Durant three times and Westbrook once on the prior play.

Durants a G. No doubt. Love how he handled himself post game. Westbrook is the best dressed player in the HISTORY OF THE NBA.

[Dahoss]

Credit where credit is due. Lebron has been very good in this series. He's the second best player (to Durant) in the series, but he has been solid.

He hit the shots when it mattered, which is something he failed to do last year in the finals.