NBA Finals 2012: Series Thread + Picks and Predictions

[e0y2e3]

1) Norris Cole is fucking terrible. OKC doesn't guard him, he was bound to hit the ocean eventually

2) OKC's "cap trouble" means worst case they give up Ibaka, who doesn't play in fourth quarters anyhow

3) The Presti Plan has gotten his team to the conference finals at least each of the past two years, the only other team to do that is Miami. Of the 55 major markets that tanked and cleared cap space for LBJ only ONE of them has made it past the second round of the playoffs. If you think a once in a generation skilled player going to a team during FA is going to dramatically shift building through the draft and aquiring elite talent early in it you need to pop a xanex Madre. Ask the Knicks how the Miami Plan works without LBJ.

4) this has been (score wise) the single closest finals ever and it has been a true growing experience for OKC. Harden is a guy that in the future will get better. Russ is a player that literally gets better every single month. KD is teetering with making the leap. These guys are not going away by any means, what you are seeing is the birth of what should be a fantastic rivalry as long as LBJ staying in Miami with his sidekick Bosh and they keep doing their charity work by carrying Wade's broke ass around.

5) Wade is done and only going to get worse. The LBJ leap has been enough to overcome it for now (and Bosh playing really, really fucking well), but things are not going to get easier for LBJ at any point in the future, whereas OKC is actually going to continue to grow at every level.

6) If OKC can somehow dump the carcass of Perk they can keep IBaka too (Presti's lone blemish).

[e0y2e3]

The Cavs current GM, Chris Grant, ran the drafts when Ferry was here.

And LBJ didn't help his cause, Ariza would have been their Battier had LBJ committed.

[e0y2e3]

BTW: Russ always makes those kind of buckets, he's fucking really good. I'm so tired of people acting like that was him going out of his mind, that was Russ being Russ. Stop listening to ESPN fucktards. Magic called him the worst PG ever one game then the best player on the court the next. Those guys are morons.

[CAVSTRIBEBROWNSin07!]

What in the fuck are you talking about with the Presti Plan?

This team's four best players are 23, 23, 22 and 22.

Ooh the sacred Presti Plan. The one where Greg Oden, Hasheem Thabeet, and OJ Mayo were drafted ahead of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.

I fucking hate the reverence that Presti is treated with. Had he had the #1 pick instead of the #2 he takes Oden; or if he had that same #2 pick one year later than 07 he takes Beasley, no questions asked.

No one talks about RC Buford. He didn't have the luxury of building around his franchise player with top 4 picks the following 2 years, and yet his team wins and wins and wins. That entire roster outside of Duncan is late 1st rounders, 2nd rounders, undrafted players, castoffs, has beens, and never wases. All this = no love. Meanwhile Presti lucks in to not only 1 franchise player but THREE, and everyone's sucking his dick, and constantly.

He is flat out the luckiest man in sports.

[FUDU]

I agree with e0y2e3 on all that above, except Wade, and Ferry being so un-instrumental in the drafts.

[e0y2e3]

I've often said that if not for knees exploding Portland would have executed the Presti Plan before Presti. I don't give him all the credit at all, but the term has become the accepted term.

Fuck, even Memphis did the same thing, draft, draft, draft then trade for the last piece.

[Madre Hill, Superstar]

Which of course meant he could never draft a decent player or make a decent trade other than the minor deal getting Andy.

Bosh and even busted Wade are better than anyone Ferry/Grant had available in the draft or were rumored to have been interested in, save for Allen and Amare.

But Presti is a failure.

He had every break and hit every draft note, but sometimes your best just isn't good enough.

[e0y2e3]

For every one quarter Wade plays well he plays bad for three. The guy leads the playoffs in turnover and is completely failing at adapting his game to one where he can't rely on his body getting him into the point 30 times a game.

Wade is done unless he magically gets a reliable outside shot. That 25-7-7 he dropped game three was the single worst performance dropped in that game by a non-role player (by miles) and probably the worst 25-7-7 in NBA history.

[Madre Hill, Superstar]

If you think a once in a generation skilled player going to a team during FA is going to dramatically shift building through the draft and aquiring elite talent early in it you need to pop a xanex Madre. Ask the Knicks how the Miami Plan works without LBJ.

I'm not just talking James, I'm talking All-Star talent in general.

[e0y2e3]

HOW IN THE FUCK IS SOMEONE A FAILURE WITH FOUR STUDS THAT ARE AT LEAST FIVE YEARS YOUNGER THAN LEBRON

[FUDU]

I've often said that if not for knees exploding Portland would have executed the Presti Plan before Presti. I don't give him all the credit at all, but the term has become the accepted term.

Fuck, even Memphis did the same thing, draft, draft, draft then trade for the last piece.

I'm not disagreeing, and in this sport you have to be careful of becoming just good enough to make the playoffs too soon in the process (as the 6th-8th seed), b/c that can truly F up the plan if you don't have picks stock piled.

[CAVSTRIBEBROWNSin07!]

probably the worst 25-7-7 in NBA history.

Absolute truth.

Never dreamed that Derek Fisher wouldn't be the worst player in the series, but Wade has been giving him a serious run for the money.

[e0y2e3]

If you think a once in a generation skilled player going to a team during FA is going to dramatically shift building through the draft and aquiring elite talent early in it you need to pop a xanex Madre. Ask the Knicks how the Miami Plan works without LBJ.

I'm not just talking James, I'm talking All-Star talent in general.

Yeah, Melo and D-Will have done wonders....

The teams that are succeeding right now, outside of Miami, are led by players they drafted. Period.

[CAVSTRIBEBROWNSin07!]

The teams that are succeeding right now, outside of Miami, are led by players they drafted. Period.

Boston. Nuggets kinda. Lakers and Memphis to some degree (Pau and ZBo).

[e0y2e3]

Boston without Rondo right now is deader than dead. Ray Allen wouldn't have left the bench if Bradley were healthy and Pierce is hometown grown.

The Nuggets aren't really succeeding and even in the manor that they are, they dumped a star they drafted for all of that talent.

The Lakers under Brown will be better when they trade Pau.

And what is Z-Bo without Gay and Conley.

I'm not saying you have to draft every player to be good, but all of these teams used trades and FA to build around the homegrown core, not vice versa.

[rk]

Good test on Thursday of the Stern Effect™. This series is getting way too good ratings for it to end in 5. I still refuse to watch because I value an unbroken television screen too much but I would imagine that Lebron sees early foul troubles while Durant and Westbrook are relatively foul free. Still won't preclude a superhuman game from Lebron but it'll be a lot harder for him to accomplish than normal.

[peeker643]

I didn't think I'd get there but I am too. Maybe it was forced on me but that's alright. I don't feel miserable about it at all.

And LBJ has been ridiculous. He figured it out even if he's a douchebag and a tool. Had he approached it like this years back he may already have that ring.

No he wouldn't have.

Ferry was unable to put the supporting cast along side im. he was a bung hole then and he's a bung hole now. But Mo Sucki and a burned out Z and the rest of the scrubs, bench players and bad draftees and FA's didn't amount to much nmore than the Charlotte Bobcats.

So last year doesn't count?

And I forgot y'all believe the Heat's supporting cast are high quality.

There is no Big 3. If you think Wade and Bosh are up there on Rushmore then there's nothing I can say to fix that.

Is the supporting cast there better than here? Yes. But not by the margin you're believing it to be. Chalmers stepped up last night though he still gave up more than he got and his defensive ability revolves solely around the art of flopping. Battier turned back into the pumpkin he's always been unless you're telling me you expected 73% out of him from three. Haslem is blech..Miller is dead...Cole is meh...Jones is a piece/part as he's always been.

Bron could have had his ring earlier. He could have had it last year when he chose to trade 20 footers with a team he could have had a field day with at the rim.

[Gradysmanldy]

Get it over with and get over it. This franchise did what it needed to do off season to add the final pieces and role players instead of the Ferry way of incompetance or mealey mouthed excuses.

Our best chance would've been to add Shuttlesworth and Amare. And Amare wasn't coming.

Nobody was ever coming here to win with Lebron.

Which of course meant he could never draft a decent player or make a decent trade other than the minor deal getting Andy.

But Presti is a failure.

I still think a big part of the reason people weren't coming here to play for the Cavs was because the jackass publicly flirted with 5 other teams and made it very clear it was a crapshoot he would stay around. There wasn't cap space/tradeable assets in the first year of his deal, and in the latter years people weren't willing to roll the dice, come here, have him dick out, and then get stuck in a rebuilding process. (Look how well it worked for JamO)

I think if he had the same stance as yaboi in OKC, he might have been able to get a better Pippin. Not sure if he felt like he needed it, though.

[jb]

Tonite is the night!

One of NEO's favorite son's gets his well-deserved, long-awaited title.

Given that the Cavs have no realistic chance of ever winning a title again, I hope the butt hurt hatas can now share this moment.

[FUDU]

I'm as a big an MJ as you'll ever find, but ^ pic is gay, not this gay



but close to this gay

[Gradysmanldy]

BTW: Russ always makes those kind of buckets, he's fucking really good. I'm so tired of people acting like that was him going out of his mind, that was Russ being Russ. Stop listening to ESPN fucktards. Magic called him the worst PG ever one game then the best player on the court the next. Those guys are morons.

He made some pretty stupid decisions in that game, but I thought the Steve Francis 2.0 comparisons were pretty apt. Westbrook is what Francis could have been had he taken his game to the next level, and he's just getting started.

He made some buckets in triple coverage that I thought couldn't have a prayer of going in, and he did it CONSISTENTLY all night. That game is a blowout if he doesn't go bananas.

[Triple-S]

Well.

This sucks.

Are we going to have a melt thread?

[Larvell Blanks]

2 minutes left in the 3rd,Heat up by 25. Someone put Triple S on suicide watch.


Total team effort by Heat tonight. Shit Mike Miller can't miss. I bet if Spo put Juwan Howard he'd be hitting from half court


Countdown to first complaint when James thanks Akron but ignores Cleveland after he raises the trophy.

[Ziner]

Eh, fuck him.

In 12 minutes he goes from being a cum stain to a cum stain with a ring.

Tomorrow I am going to wake up and have the same life I did before and the same personal problems I had today

[e0y2e3]

As much as that was a "team" effort, that was an LBJ effort.

Holy fuck is he just unreal right now. Everything is perfect.

OKC needed this loss, btw, same way LBJ needed Miami/Indy/Boston over the last two playoffs to make this transition.

[jb]

Dear LeBron,

I was wrong. You won a title before me and Tristan Thompson. Sincere congrads.

My best to Gloria and Cheyanne, or Shoshanna or whoever she is again.

Your pal,

Dan Gilbert

PS – Will you come to my casino in the off season and bring Chris and Dwayne?

[Triple-S]

As much as that was a "team" effort, that was an LBJ effort.

Holy fuck is he just unreal right now. Everything is perfect.

OKC needed this loss, btw, same way LBJ needed Miami/Indy/Boston over the last two playoffs to make this transition.

Could LeBron have won a title with us?

or is the Heat roster really that much better?

I didn't see much of Bosh, Wade having great games during this run. Hence my asking.

[Larvell Blanks]

As much as that was a "team" effort, that was an LBJ effort.

Holy fuck is he just unreal right now. Everything is perfect.

OKC needed this loss, btw, same way LBJ needed Miami/Indy/Boston over the last two playoffs to make this transition.

Your right, James threw this team on his back in game 6 of the ECF and hasn't disappointed. Everyone else in the rotation has followed his lead.

OKC is going through the growing pains of the late 80 Pistons, late80's early 90's Bulls, etc, etc

[LakeErieWarriors]

OKC is playing this series like Miami was playing Dallas last year in the Finals.
Just not quite ready for the big show first time around.

[Larvell Blanks]

Dear LeBron,

I was wrong. You won a title before me and Tristan Thompson. Sincere congrads.

My best to Gloria and Cheyanne, or Shoshanna or whoever she is again.

Your pal,

Dan Gilbert

PS – Will you come to my casino in the off season and bring Chris and Dwayne?

Wrong font

[Spin]

Well, it's done. I hope this helps some people get the fuck over it now. I'm sick and tired of the jilted lover whining and self pity every god damn Heat game.

If I never see Mike Tyson singing about Cleveland fans again it will be too soon.

[peeker643]

Really looking forward to Game 5 tomorrow night, you guys.

Should be a classic that can get the Thunder right back in it.

I like Harden and Westbrook to shoot the lights out while old dudes like Mike Miller and Battier go a begging.

Can't Wait!!!

[FUDU]

As much as that was a "team" effort, that was an LBJ effort.

Holy fuck is he just unreal right now. Everything is perfect.

OKC needed this loss, btw, same way LBJ needed Miami/Indy/Boston over the last two playoffs to make this transition.

Could LeBron have won a title with us?

or is the Heat roster really that much better?

I didn't see much of Bosh, Wade having great games during this run. Hence my asking.

Of course he could have, but that would have required not tanking.

[e0y2e3]

LBJ just made the leap. He wasn't mentally able to do it in Cleveland (not due to the team, but due to age and immaturity). Now that he made the leap, well, OKC needs to grow up because he can win with anyone at this point.

[Ziner]

This entire celebration seems shallow and fake. I can't put my finger on why, but it does.

[FUDU]

Is LeBron's mom gonna get a ring?

[Triple-S]

This entire celebration seems shallow and fake. I can't put my finger on why, but it does.

Much like the 97 Marlins, Miami is just full of fake-looking sports teams.

Seriously, fuck that shithole.

[Triple-S]

Is LeBron's mom gonna get a ring?

Is delonte finally popping the question?

[FUDU]

Is LeBron's mom gonna get a ring?

Is delonte finally popping the question?

You have to admit I put that on a tee for anyone & everyone.

[LakeErieWarriors]

This entire celebration seems shallow and fake. I can't put my finger on why, but it does.

Much like the 97 Marlins, Miami is just full of fake-looking sports teams.

Seriously, fuck that shithole.

Both titles were 'purchased.'
Marlins disbanded the next year.
I think Miami will need some sort of revamping to win next year.

[dmiles]

I switched it over to college baseball at about the 3 minute mark. No need to watch the pressers or the celebration. We had a 7:00 baseball game tonight with my HS sons, and FWIW Stan Van Gundy was sitting in a lawn chair watching his kid instead of watching the NBA finals (game was over by 9:30). My older kid hit is first grand slam, I was too pumped about that to get down about this Heat thing. Talk about great timing, just made me not really give a shit though I still have no interest in watching the trophy get hoisted, or listen to the pressers.

Now back to the game, damn I really couldn't believe how fast it got away in that 3rd quarter. I really thought OKC was coming out to take over for a couple of minutes and whammo. LBJ getting assists all over the damn place, and the blowout was on.

[Triple-S]

This entire celebration seems shallow and fake. I can't put my finger on why, but it does.

Much like the 97 Marlins, Miami is just full of fake-looking sports teams.

Seriously, fuck that shithole.

Both titles were 'purchased.'
Marlins disbanded the next year.
I think Miami will need some sort of revamping to win next year.

I think those loses would be handled better if the city was one with actual legit fans.

If this takes place in New York with the Knicks? Whatever, at least they have fans to enjoy it with, and have an actual semblance of a history.

Miami is kind of like the rich spoiled kid down the street. He has all the toys and everything you always wanted as a kid, but your parents were always too poor to give you something like one measly hot wheel. You end up finally getting one, only to find the rich kid taking it from you and several other kids toys, and he just winds up keeping them in the basement, not even touching or caring about them, while you're left with absolutely nothing.

[jb]

Could LeBron have won a title with us?

Look, I saw Rick Berry, so I would never say never. But not bloody likely.

Despite Eye being tough on Wade's lack of efficiency, Dwayne with his swollen knee and ego are light years ahead of Mo "Gotti" (more like one of Christopher Multasanti's friends in season one)and the Heat scrubs are far and away better than the stumble bums The inept Ferry trotted out.

Look, we all KNOW Pax was an idiot. The Welsch cluster was indeed a setback DF inherited. But at the end of the day, what did he and Grant draft when they did have the chance? Crap, that's what. Utter and complete crap. Guys who aren't even in the Association.

And DF had one opportunity to put his stamp on the team. He traded that opportunity for Damon Jones, Donyell Marshall, and larry freaking Hughes. And I'm ick of people making excuses. If that wasn't the year, fine. You wait. You don't blow your one chance. And if Bron was in his ear, shame on Ferry. You were boss. He was 22 YO.

DF's one best shot netted us a one series wonder, an over the hill former role player, and a guy who never came close to his potential who played will in a contract year exactly to reel in suckers like DF.

Plus that idot let Bron sign for less than max years. Dumas.

or is the Heat roster really that much better?

You're kidding, right?

You can trot out whatever stats you want in a vaccum, but as far as talent and impact, Chalmers and Mo are a push, except Mario remembers how to hit an open 3 in the playoffs. Andy was a nice plus effort rebounder. Haslim is better. West was a contributor who is a 3rd guard. Drew Goodne was crap. Larry Hughes was crap and an especially bad fit with LBJ. Z was a matchup rotational player. And we had no one with the role vet savvy of a Battier, let alone leaving Bosh and Wade out of the equasion, which you can't.

That was a grabage team and if you didn't think LBJ was legitimate in being frustrated you are being disingenuous as he was.

Since The Decision Grant drafted the no-brainer 1 overall. Thanks ping pong balls. That has been followed up with TT (disaster at 4) and letting Danny Greene go as a role project to keep Manny Harris and Alonzo Gee. The man who brought you Skyenga and Hickson is now in charge.

There's NFW this team does anything for a long, long time.

Kyrie will play very well, but miss alot of games as he's injury prone, role players will be confused with building blocks and the player development program will try to emulate san Antonio but will be garbage. We will bid Kyrie farewell like he's CC sabathia as a good guy who never promised more than he did as he laeves for LA or NY or a sunbelt contender.

The Cavs are a waste of time.

Sadly, LBJ knew this but the butt hurt are blind.

[e0y2e3]

The Heat's bench is old, shitty and proven.

When you have existing talent like Battier, Miller and Haslem you have to believe that every night one of them will remember how to play basketball (or once every three months in Miller's case). That is the strength of their bench.

That said, Andy is far better than Haslem at this point and at their peak they were probably a push, that is just foolish JB.

Not to mention that with that '09 team I really think if LBJ plays in the post and does what he did (inside out creation for his teammates) and someone remembers to guard Rashard Lewis on two gawd damn wide open threes, they could have won a title.

If anything this makes me wonder if all of those years with Z and then Shaq clogging the middle was detrimental to LBJ's development, because it only took him two years in Miami to take his game to the level we all prayed and hoped he would.

BTW: Again, Miami started winning games when Wade sat the fuck down and let LBJ run the team. He's biggest impact last night was some hustle blocks. Bosh is FAR more important to what they do at this point. Going into last night The Heat were -37 on the playoffs with Wade alone and were still a cumulative +147 for the playoffs. +/- crap aside, that is just a crazy ass number.

[FUDU]

JB way to gloss over 120+ wins and toying with the Celtics when he did actually try, only to tank when he felt the heat.

Nothing will ever change that fact.

[jb]

JB way to gloss over 120+ wins and toying with the Celtics when he did actually try, only to tank when he felt the heat.

Nothing will ever change that fact.

120 wins? By who? That POS cast? No. LeBron. Roker was playing Bron 45 minutes a game RS to do that.

And he knew he couldn't do enough vs Boston and he was immature. But if you give him Russ' x KG's X Legend's mantality he still loses to Boston.

I'll go so far as say that I don't know 2012 Miami gets past 2009 Boston.

[e0y2e3]

LBJ didn't tank shit against Boston, stop fucking saying he did. Because if he intentionally tanked against Boston he did the same thing against Dallas last year. They guy crumbled, wilted, melted his own mind, etc. Tanked is intentionally losing and last year proved loud and fucking clear that wasn't the case.

And you are talking about 2010 Boston JB, 2009 was Orlando.

[jb]

LBJ didn't tank shit against Boston, stop fucking saying he did. Because if he intentionally tanked against Boston he did the same thing against Dallas last year. They guy crumbled, wilted, melted his own mind, etc. Tanked is intentionally losing and last year proved loud and fucking clear that wasn't the case.

And you are talking about 2010 Boston JB, 2009 was Orlando.

Thx. Off the cuff, but you get teh point. The celtics at their peak.

[FUDU]

JB way to gloss over 120+ wins and toying with the Celtics when he did actually try, only to tank when he felt the heat.

Nothing will ever change that fact.

120 wins? By who? That POS cast? No. LeBron.

And he knew he couldn't do enough vs Boston and he was immatuire.

I'll go so far as say that I don't know 2012 Miami gets past 2009 Boston.

LeBron's post season performance this time around earned his ring, but don't kid yourself that the perfect storm didn't swell up, just in time. Rose/Bulls were a nice convenience and the Celts still took it to 4q game 7.

He was spanking Boston in 2010 like a lil bitch before he intentionally tanked, it might as well be on the same stone on the 10 Commandments.

You're in denial if you don't see it, and one of about 6 people left on the planet who fail to recognize it.

[Orenthal]

Sanctimonious fucks.