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[Justin Timberlake]

What I want to happen (for entertainment's sake):

1 SA v 8 LAL
2 OKC v 7 HOU
3 LAC v 6 GS
4 MEM v 5 DEN

What I think will happen:

1 OKC v 8 LAL
2 SA v 7 GS
3 MEM v 6 HOU
4 LAC v 5 DEN

Which is a lot more boring imo.

 

[Future PhaZe]

Your meltdown if the Lakers beat the Spurs would be great to see

 

[PBY]

Your meltdown if the Lakers beat the Spurs would be great to see

Agreed. I'd love for the Lakers to play the Spurs in round one. Love it.

 

[Justin Timberlake]

Gregg Popovich will never lose to Mike D'Antoni.

Its one of the laws of the universe.

[In fact, a LAL - LAC - OKC - MIA path would be pretty cool. Being able to say we beat Dwight Howard - Kobe Bryant - Steve Nash - Pau Gasol - Chris Paul - Blake Griffin - Kevin Durant - Russell Westbrook - Dwyane Wade - Lebron James - Chris Bosh on the way to the chip would be really sick. Plus I live in LA right now and I'd be able to go to a bunch of playoff games]

 

[Jeff-DSA]

Gregg Popovich will never lose to Mike D'Antoni.

Its one of the laws of the universe.

[In fact, a LAL - LAC - OKC - MIA path would be pretty cool. Being able to say we beat Dwight Howard - Kobe Bryant - Pau Gasol - Chris Paul - Blake Griffin - Kevin Durant - Russell Westbrook - Dwyane Wade - Lebron James - Chris Bosh on the way to the chip would be really sick. Plus I live in LA right now and I'd be able to go to a bunch of playoff games]

Tarnished for not having to go through G-TYME.

 

[ratcliffja]

Tarnished for not having to go through G-TYME.

Yep only the great Monta Ellis could achieve something like that.

 

[MorisUkunRasik]

I wonder who the beneficiary of the paper tiger Spurs will be this year.

 

[Vahagn]

Agreed. I'd love for the Lakers to play the Spurs in round one. Love it.

So you tell me to stop it, and then agree with me?

 

[The Frankman]

Yep only the great Monta Ellis could achieve something like that.

I'm sure anyone could shoot 3-16.

So you tell me to stop it, and then agree with me?

No one said people in this thread have to make sense.

 

[MorisUkunRasik]

So you tell me to stop it, and then agree with me?

He wants to see SAS v LAL as a ball fan, not because he thinks LA will 'have a better chance'.

The playoffs is LA's superbowl. They're getting bounced in the first round child.

 

[Dominican Power]

Thank god Ibaka is playing.

 

[Justin Timberlake]

I wonder who the beneficiary of the paper tiger Spurs will be this year.

The paper tiger joke doesn't make sense considering how far we got last year..

We're clearly one of the 3 teams that can win it all (MIA and OKC being the others). Unfortunately, MIA is far and away the favorite, but you never know.

Doesn't help that they basically have a bye to the finals either.

 

[reilo]

I'm sure anyone could shoot 3-16.

From three?

Somewhere, JR Smith is smiling.

 

[Starphoenix]

I want the Spurs to stay away from the Lakers as far as possible. It's bad enough the Spurs have to play against the refs half the time, but against LA? Ugh. Honestly I hope OKC takes the number one seed.

 

[Future PhaZe]

lulz

okc has about no shot

Indiana might be able to fuckball their way through the Heat if they shoot out of their minds

Spurs have a shot through great coaching tho

 

[Justin Timberlake]

I want the Spurs to stay away from the Lakers as far as possible. It's bad enough the Spurs have to play against the refs half the time, but against LA? Ugh. Honestly I hope OKC takes the number one seed.

Maybe the refs will use up all of their bad calls vs LA, and they'll feel sorry for us by the time we face OKC? Or at least not assign Joey Crawford to an elimination game?

Meh, whatever. SAS-LAL is too much fun. I don't care if UTA or GS would be easier. We're probably not gonna win it all so might as well have a memorable series or two (unlike last years' curbstomps).

 

[Dominican Power]

lulz

okc has about no shot

Indiana might be able to fuckball their way through the Heat if they shoot out of their minds

Spurs have a shot through great coaching tho

Stop predicting things because you're not good at it.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

I guarantee that the Jazz would be a tougher team to face in the playoffs than the Lakers. When defenses tighten up and it gets into the crunch, Al Jefferson is a more clutch player than Kobe. Vag proved this to be true through stat analysis.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Your meltdown if the Lakers beat the Spurs would be great to see

Are you hoping for the end of me, Faze?

Losing a playoff spot to the Lakers before seeing them advance in the playoffs would be the worst thing that ever happened ever.

You shouldn't even joke about these things.

Not cool.

 

[Starphoenix]

I guarantee that the Jazz would be a tougher team to face in the playoffs than the Lakers. When defenses tighten up and it gets into the crunch, Al Jefferson is a more clutch player than Kobe. Vag proved this to be true through stat analysis.

Yeah, but the Jazz don't have the refs on their side. If you think it doesn't matter, tell that to ATL the other night. But I won't make any predictions at fear of jinxing the NBA playoffs the way I did the NFL playoffs... I'm sorry '9er fans... >_>

 

[MorisUkunRasik]

The paper tiger joke doesn't make sense considering how far we got last year..

You were talking all that good shit all season long. Sa won 12 straight, you were jerking it to the thought of going 16-0 and then OKC got in that ass for 4 straight.

Sa was not who you thought they were. Paper tigers.

 

[LegendofJoe]

Pssh the lottery race is where it's at guys. Will we finish as the worst team in the league for the 2nd year in a row? Will Stern decide to throw MJ one last middle finger by giving us the number one in the worst draft since 2006? Iolcat drama at it's finest because we for damn sure won't be talking about the playoffs, we probably can't even spell that word in fact.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

You might say that San Antonio was...thunderstruck.

 

[Vahagn]

I guarantee that the Jazz would be a tougher team to face in the playoffs than the Lakers. When defenses tighten up and it gets into the crunch, Al Jefferson is a more clutch player than Kobe. Vag proved this to be true through stat analysis.

You guys had your chance last year, and got swept by double digits 4 straight times basically. Recent history suggests that's a pretty bold guarantee.


I don't think LA are favorites to beat the Spurs at all, that's just cray cray. I do think Spurs present a slightly better, although still pretty hopeless matchup than OKC does.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

You guys had your chance last year, and got swept by double digits 4 straight times basically. Recent history suggests that's a pretty bold guarantee.

Devin Harris.

 

[Future PhaZe]

Are you hoping for the end of me, Faze?

Losing a playoff spot to the Lakers before seeing them advance in the playoffs would be the worst thing that ever happened ever.

You shouldn't even joke about these things.

Not cool.

Does Kobe's will exceed team basketball?

If its yes the Lakers take the spot.

Pssh the lottery race is where it's at guys. Will we finish as the worst team in the league for the 2nd year in a row? Will Stern decide to throw MJ one last middle finger by giving us the number one in the worst draft since 2006? Iolcat drama at it's finest because we for damn sure won't be talking about the playoffs, we probably can't even spell that word in fact.

Cats to get 1st overall in this draft and then miss on Wiggins by one slot next year confirmed

 

[theignoramus]

if OKC makes it back to the Finals, it will just be a repeat of last year with maybe 1 more win for the Thunder. I dont think the Clippers match up well with the Heat either, Cp3 does what he can, but their late game execution sucks cause of VDN.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

The Heat are going to repeat. They're crushing teams and they're just acting like clowns. When the playoffs come around and they get serious, it's only going to be harder to deal with them.

 

[Justin Timberlake]

You were talking all that good shit all season long. Sa won 12 straight, you were jerking it to the thought of going 16-0 and then OKC got in that ass for 4 straight.

Sa was not who you thought they were. Paper tigers.

You were jerkin right there with me bruh. Beautiful basketball (tm) is irresistable.

That OKC series was very close, and if we won it, we sure as hell match up better than the Thunder do against the Heat. We weren't very far from a chip. I could give you a litany of reasons why that OKC series went the way it did [the Thunder played out of their minds: Ibaka, Collison, and Perkins were Dirk-esque in pivotal games, Harden hit a crucial gamewinner, and Sef was Ray Allen out there; Joey Crawford absolutely jobbed us in one of the worst officiated games of all time; our bench shriveled, particularly Neal and Green; and we didn't respond well to losing our 20 game streak] but the point is that it really could have gone either way. The 2012 Spurs were a damn good team, and a contender to win the chip. They didn't win it, but they could have.

So I don't see why this Spurs team is any different. I still haven't seen the offense hum like last year (hell, I have hardly seen any offense hum like 2012's), but the defense is so much tighter that maybe they're better than before. If our young guys take the experience from last year and step up when it counts, we can do it. Unlikely, since MIA exists, but its possible

 

[Truelize]

From three?

Somewhere, JR Smith is smiling.

Rex Chapman says hi.

 

[Starphoenix]

I still believe Denver is the team in the West that can take out the Thunder.

 

[Black Mamba]

no suspension for Ibaka? The fuck is wrong with the NBA.

Application of the rules makes no sense.

 

[The Frankman]

no suspension for Ibaka? The fuck is wrong with the NBA.

Application of the rules makes no sense.

No, it makes perfect sense.

Punch in the face - Auto 1 game suspension
Punch in the groin to floppers - $25K fine

Nicholas Batum approves.

 

[giri]

no suspension for Ibaka? The fuck is wrong with the NBA.

Application of the rules makes no sense.

Preach it.

Suns got Robbed.

if OKC makes it back to the Finals, it will just be a repeat of last year with maybe 1 more win for the Thunder. I dont think the Clippers match up well with the Heat either, Cp3 does what he can, but their late game execution sucks cause of VDN.

It's partly VDN, it's partly the fact that no one else on that team can generate their own shot.

 

[Justin Timberlake]

if OKC makes it back to the Finals, it will just be a repeat of last year with maybe 1 more win for the Thunder. I dont think the Clippers match up well with the Heat either, Cp3 does what he can, but their late game execution sucks cause of VDN.

I think the Spurs are pretty much the only team with a chance in hell.

And hell is hot.

----

MIA is going to win this year. And probably next. This is what happens when you have Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Lebron James on the same team. Of course they're going to win. Their roster is broken. They even have a dependable, veteran bench!

But I'm not one of those stans who thinks a chip is the end-all-be-all; if we end in 2nd or 3rd, like last year, I'll be very proud of the team.

 

[Vahagn]

I don't see Thunder beating the Heat. They just don't match up well at all. Miami has better shooters, better defense when they're locked in, and their 3 stars match up well with OKC's. Play essentially the same positions too.



It's SA or bust. Miami is winning a chip unless Pop completely coaches circles around Spo and comes up with a game plan that completely confounds the Heat.

 

[Future PhaZe]

It was over once Battier started becoming Ray Allen before Ray Allen actually got there

Became pretty much a sure bet once Wade started acting like Wade again.

About to put my money on the Heat now before the lines get Daniel Day Lewis for best actor Oscar bad.

 

[thekad]

If only OKC had another All NBA player that could help them match the firepower of the big 3 in Miami. Nah, no way.

 

[Zep]

It's SA or bust. Miami is winning a chip unless Pop completely coaches circles around Spo and comes up with a game plan that completely confounds the Heat.

No major gameplan, it'll be Tony Parker running circles around Chalmers/Cole getting into the paint and them knocking down wide open three point looks. Great ball movement kills Miami...And San Antonio when they're on, no team is better.

 

[PBY]

If only OKC had another All NBA player that could help them match the firepower of the big 3 in Miami. Nah, no way.

Imagine if he was an MVP candidate!

 

[Black Mamba]

No major gameplan, it'll be Tony Parker running circles around Chalmers/Cole getting into the paint and them knocking down wide open three point looks. Great ball movement kills Miami...And San Antonio when they're on, no team is better.

Spurs can score, I just don't know if they can stop Miami. They are at a bigger detriment vs Lebron than the other near-contenders, IMO.

Plus, Duncan and Ginobili can't give the 44 minute games Lebron, Wade, and Bosh can.

 

[Justin Timberlake]

They are at a bigger detriment vs Lebron than the other near-contenders, IMO.

Are we though? We have much better interior defense than the rest, and Kawhi is no slouch. I'm not saying it will be 2007-esque; I still think Bron will be a problem but Pop has a habit of devising brilliant schemes to thwart big time talent.

Chalmers/Cole v Parker and the MIA frontline v Duncan/Splitter is the best thing any team has going for them.

 

[PBY]

Are we though? We have much better interior defense than the rest, and Kawhi is no slouch. I'm not saying it will be 2007-esque; I still think Bron will be a problem but Pop has a habit of devising brilliant schemes to thwart big time talent.

Chalmers/Cole v Parker and the MIA frontline v Duncan/Splitter is the best thing any team has going for them. Our biggest issue, imo, is what the hell we plan to do against Wade.

What about the Birdman tho? Flies in any weather....

 

[KingGondo]

If only OKC had another All NBA player that could help them match the firepower of the big 3 in Miami. Nah, no way.

We had him last year and he was a major reason we lost.

Not saying he wouldn't help us, but the major factor holding us back is Brooks' insistence on trying to go big against the Heat. No more than 1 true big should see the floor at a time the entire series.

 

[Smokey]

Yeah Heat are winning it again this year and there is nothing anybody can really do about it barring an injury to LeBron or somebody steel pipes his knees or something.

 

[Smokey]

We had him last year and he was a major reason we lost.

Not saying he wouldn't help us, but the major factor holding us back is Brooks' insistence on trying to go big against the Heat. No more than 1 true big should see the floor at a time the entire series.

It was dudes first time in the finals. He was a little shook. I'd guarantee he wouldn't perform like that if they got back this year.

 

[reilo]

Spurs can score, I just don't know if they can stop Miami. They are at a bigger detriment vs Lebron than the other near-contenders, IMO.

Plus, Duncan and Ginobili can't give the 44 minute games Lebron, Wade, and Bosh can.

They're better equipped to handle Lebron than OKC. Kawhi and Jaxx are at least bigger bodies than Sefalosha and we all know Durant can't handle Lebron. Their interior defense with Duncan at the helm is also better than Ibaka's pogo defense and Perkins' zombie speed defense.

 

[Black Mamba]

Are we though? We have much better interior defense than the rest, and Kawhi is no slouch. I'm not saying it will be 2007-esque; I still think Bron will be a problem but Pop has a habit of devising brilliant schemes to thwart big time talent.

Chalmers/Cole v Parker and the MIA frontline v Duncan/Splitter is the best thing any team has going for them.

You got destroyed by durant last year, harden played real well as well. Yeah, Bron and Wade will eat you.

Memphis and Indiana have the best defenses for Miami but they don't have the offense. Meanwhile the Spurs and Thunder have the best offenses but not enough defense.

They're better equipped to handle Lebron than OKC. Kawhi and Jaxx are at least bigger bodies than Sefalosha and we all know Durant can't handle Lebron. Their interior defense with Duncan at the helm is also better than Ibaka's pogo defense and Perkins' zombie speed defense.

Maybe, but both are in the same spot.

 

[Vahagn]

We had him last year and he was a major reason we lost.

Not saying he wouldn't help us, but the major factor holding us back is Brooks' insistence on trying to go big against the Heat. No more than 1 true big should see the floor at a time the entire series.

I think Brooks feels, and I agree with him that you can't out-small-ball the Heat. Wade-James-Bosh+2 shooters is the Heat's staple. I don't think you're beating them at their own game.


Not saying playing Perk and Ibaka together helps. But it just comes down to the fact that the Heat are so good at what they do that you can't try to control the type of game against them. They're better at small ball than anyone, and they'll punish anyone who goes big with transition buckets and open 3's.


It's literally all on Pop's power to devise a defensive gameplan to confound them. Like the Dallas zone did to them 2 years ago or the Phx zone did to LA for a few games a few years back.


Just gotta throw something at them and keep making adjustments to confuse them. Heat have more talent, if SA wins it will be all about in series adjustments and game-planning.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

Bottom of the page is the best place to admit this. I just lost 2-1 to my female co-worker in foosball. I'm actually really good at foosball. I can't explain this. Reilo, just marry her and taker her away already.