Waiters has been better than Beal. I don't think Beal will be anything special in the long run.
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2013 Mar NBA Season lOT| Change This Face, Be Happy, Enjoy it!
- Thread starter reilo
- Start date
Waiters has been better than Beal. I don't think Beal will be anything special in the long run.
ItWasMeantToBe19
Banned
Heat over Spurs in 7. Thunder have too much Kevin Martin to believe in them winning the West, Duncan's knees being 100% by the Finals is too questionable for me to think the Spurs will win the title though.
LiveFromKyoto
Member
From realgm. So funny, but something about it is just so wrong too.
Oh man. Nailed it.
ThisWreckage
Banned
I seriously doubt that San Antonio makes the Finals. The moment they run into an athletic team they're finished. It's going to be just like the past three or four seasons for them--great in the regular season and disappointing in the playoffs. There is no way in hell they could beat Miami either way.
ItWasMeantToBe19
Banned
There are no athletic teams in the Western conference playoffs other than the Nuggets and Thunder (since Bledsoe and Jordan will be on the bench most of the time for the Clippers in the playoffs)
Better at what exactly??
LiveFromKyoto
Member
1. Okay, so nobody except for OKC, the one team they're pretty much guaranteed to have to beat.
2. Wait, what? LAC, the team whose offence revolves around the alley-oop isn't athletic?
Future PhaZe
Member
Red Blaster
Member
I think the Nuggs will make it to the 2nd round this year at the very least, they're 12th in DRTG this season compared to the last couple years when they were in the 20s.
ItWasMeantToBe19
Banned
CP3/Crawford/Barnes/Griffin/Odom will probably be the main lineup with Butler and Billups getting a lot of minutes as well. Other than Griffin, I don't think any of those players are considered good for their current levels of athleticism.
Justin Timberlake
Member
From realgm. So funny, but something about it is just so wrong too.
With playoffs getting close who do you guys see winning it all. I think the Spurs will win their 5th title in the Duncan era.
I'd say
Miami 85%
San Antonio 14%
Oklahoma City 1%
Our margin of error is too small for me to believe we have anything but an improbable chance. A lot has to go right: we have to be healthy, our role players have to keep their composure, we have to avoid getting jobbed by FThunder, and we have to somehow hope that Pop's coaching and our advantage in the frontline is enough to overcome a massive talent deficit v. Miami. It doesn't help that we won't have HCA over them either, and how we have to wear ourselves out comparatively while they essentially have a bye to the Finals.
theignoramus
Member
I dont think the Nuggets or Clippers can beat the Spurs, we know what they look like in the half court and their defense isnt good enough to hide their ugly half court game.
For the Thunder, I dont think Scott Brooks bad coaching will get them past SA either, Ill take Duncan/Parker/Splitter/Leonard/Ginobili over Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka/Martin all day, even if KD plays better than three of those Spurs guys combined. If James Harden was around still, I think OKC would do what it did last year, but he isnt, and OKC's four best players wont overwhelm SA's best players in a 7 game series.
Memphis can beat SA tho, they have the half court game and composure to grind out wins.
For the Thunder, I dont think Scott Brooks bad coaching will get them past SA either, Ill take Duncan/Parker/Splitter/Leonard/Ginobili over Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka/Martin all day, even if KD plays better than three of those Spurs guys combined. If James Harden was around still, I think OKC would do what it did last year, but he isnt, and OKC's four best players wont overwhelm SA's best players in a 7 game series.
Memphis can beat SA tho, they have the half court game and composure to grind out wins.
MorisUkunRasik
Member
Miami is gonna win.
Future PhaZe
Member
I like the Spurs over the Thunder. I just think the coaching difference and the loss of Harden is too much of an advantage for San Antonio. Also Martin doesn't have playoff experience IIRC.
The Heat? Can't bet against them, sorry.
nah
Justin Timberlake
Member
I can't remember the last season I thought there were only 2 teams with a legitimate chance to win it all. And even if we're being generous and including OKC, 3 is still a really low number. Its usually between 5-7 "contenders"
Meh. Pat Riley broke the game.
Meh. Pat Riley broke the game.
theignoramus
Member
Miami does seem impossible for any team to beat 4 times. even their one weakness with interior D and rebounding seems like it got mitigated by the Birdman.
whoever matches up with them has to have the personnel to shut down Wade, Bosh and defend against their three point shooters.
whoever matches up with them has to have the personnel to shut down Wade, Bosh and defend against their three point shooters.
Future PhaZe
Member
The bolded is definitely true, especially since they pulled their shit before the new CBA + state tax tricks.
Salary cap restrictions make it almost impossible to keep enough talent together to challenge the Heats roster.
Luckily we may see an end to the Heat lizard once the CBA 2014 destruction shows its face.
Bam Bam Baklava
Member
Spurs.
ThisWreckage
Banned
The thing about the Heat is that Chalmers has turned into a legitimately good player and their bench is playing fantastic. I really can't imagine anyone beating them if they have home court advantage.
I love Lillard but if Kanter was on the table for a lillard/kanter swap i would have a hard think about that.
It would probably end up hurting both teams and i wouldn't do it, doubt blazers management would, but i would give a lot to get Kanter.
Iron E Man
Member
I'm expecting the Bulls to get blown out again tonight. Hoping on the tank too late.
Justin Timberlake
Member
Thats the biggest problem actually
You'd think with 3 of the absolute best players in the game, they'd at least have a mediocre supporting cast.
But no, they have proven playoff performers, guys who specialize in vital roles (Ray - shooting, Battier- perimeter defense, Birdman - shot blocking, etc), and dependable veteran leadership.
They also have a gimmick with their small ball lineup that almost no team can contend with.
...? No.
No. No way.
And I like Kanter too.
Sho_Nuff82
Member
Gerald Wallace is making 9 million this year.
Future PhaZe
Member
lmao
Jazz do that and don't even blink before saying yes. It would solve so many problems for them.
LegendofJoe
Member
I am almost to the point of wanting to sign Kwame in the offseason because our bigs are that bad. I miss Okafor for god sake. Utah is in heaven compared to us.
u cray
Maybe. But it would be the best frontcourt in the league. Maaan it would be great
still cray
Hahah what the hell? Can someone gif the wink?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YNEnr2naOQU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YNEnr2naOQU
friskykillface
Banned
Heat gonna repeat but if god mode Battier and lol Ray don't show up in the playoffs then it will be harder
Miami won't sweep anyone though, someone always wins at least 1 game.
Miami won't sweep anyone though, someone always wins at least 1 game.
ryutaro's mama
Member
Wouldn't be the first time he did so.
He broke it pretty good in the 1980s too--from the coach's seat that time.
Future PhaZe
Member
Has a team ever had like 5 rotation guys that shoot 40% from 3?
Chalmers, Bron, Ray, Battier, Shard.
And Miller is a career 40% guy.
Chalmers, Bron, Ray, Battier, Shard.
And Miller is a career 40% guy.
Mavericks during the Dirk, Nash, Finley, Van Exel and LaFrentz days?
Black Mamba
Member
Not 5 but the 2010 Suns over 40%: Dudley (46%), Frye (44%), Hill (44%), Nash (43%)
Also:
Dragic (39.4%), Richardson (39.3%)
That was a fucking good 3 point shooting team (Hill only shot 1 a game, though)
edit: 41.2% as a team
Black Mamba
Member
I wouldn't count Fisher with such a small sample. I could have thrown in Clark at 40% with the Suns, too!
Here are the only teams above 40% http://www.basketball-reference.com...al=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=fg3_pct
Who knew the Hornets were #1?
Rice, Curry, Bogues, Delk, Goldwire, Pierce over 40%.
ThisWreckage
Banned
Most defenders play off of him. He's pretty much shooting wide open. His three point % will likely continue to increase.
Fisher can be counted on to be a 40 3PT% shooter though. And he's always attempted a non-trivial number of threes over his career.
Rockets are borderline...
Harden: 37.1%, Parsons: 39.3%, Delfino: 39.1%, Morris: 38.1%, Douglas: 37.7%, Garcia: 37.5%, Beverly: 40.7%
Man, that team chucks threes lol. Rockets are #1 in 3PTA.
How did we forget about the Kings from the '00s?
The more I think about it, the more I conclude that Healthy SA team could beat Miami in the Finals. If SA somehow gets HCA I give them a 55/45 chance. If they don't have HCA, I give them a 30/70 chance. No other team right now has more than a 20% chance to beat Miami but I think SA can do it.
I have faith that Pop can draw up some defensive schemes to completely take one of the big 3 out of the game (my guess is he goes after Wade), stay home on shooters, and make Lebron/Bosh have to combine for 65+ every game to win.
I have faith that Pop can draw up some defensive schemes to completely take one of the big 3 out of the game (my guess is he goes after Wade), stay home on shooters, and make Lebron/Bosh have to combine for 65+ every game to win.
Black Mamba
Member
3s, FTs, and shots in the paint. Morey built it based on advanced metrics, offensively. Take the best shots only (3s and in the paint) and get fouled.
houston is 3rd in shots in the paint, 5th in FT rate, and 2nd in 3PA and deal last in the league in long 2 point attempts.
I'm fairly convinced he is doing an experiment. A so far they're top 5 on offense, so it's working. Too bad they can't play D outside of Asik.
Couldn't beat the Thunder last year and Miami is better than last year. What makes you think the Spurs and Pop (who couldn't game out any of the big 3 in OKC) will do it versus Miami? Miami's offense is too much for Spurs. Ain't happening.
Black Mamba
Member
?
I'm not saying Spurs can't beat OKC now, I'm saying the Spurs were the same team last year and couldn't beat OKC, a team that lost to Miami. Miami is better this year and so if Spurs couldn't beat last year's OKC what should make me believe they would beat this year's Miami (a better team than last year)?
The problems SAS had against Thunder last year are the same versus Heat. No one to defend Durant (Lebron) or Harden (Wade) and much less athleticism and speed.
edit: I think Spurs could beat OKC this year because of Martin. Not talking about OKC this year.
Syphon Filter
Member
Milwaukee might troll the heat tonight.
Psychological Intellect
Banned
he was shooting 42% for a while but he's been having a "bad" shooting stretch lol.
You know basketball doesn't work that way because of how different match ups are.