The 2010/2011 NBA Season Thread

[Bodhi]

Hell of game by James last night, Jordanesque performance for sure.  By that I mean present day 48 year old  Michael Jordan.

[LunsJail]

Hell of game by James last night, Jordanesque performance for sure.  By that I mean present day 48 year old  Michael Jordan.

Whew, that was a bad night. By the 4th quarter he wasn't even looking to shoot. Wasn't even looking at the basket. It was all "Where's D-Wade?"

[pilferk]

Hell of game by James last night, Jordanesque performance for sure.  By that I mean present day 48 year old  Michael Jordan.

Don't insult MJ.  I have complete faith he could go out on that court, at 48, and score more than 8 points...even if he couldn't manage to put in the minutes Lebron did.  At the very LEAST he wouldn't be invisible like Lebron was last night.

I'm telling you: Mon-Stars were in the house.

[pilferk]

Hell of game by James last night, Jordanesque performance for sure.  By that I mean present day 48 year old  Michael Jordan.

Whew, that was a bad night. By the 4th quarter he wasn't even looking to shoot. Wasn't even looking at the basket. It was all "Where's D-Wade?"

Wasn't looking to shoot?  The guy was running away and hiding in a corner on offense (and no, I'm not exaggerating.  Watch the tape).  In 1/2 their possessions, he didn't even touch the ball.  In about 4 of the other 10 possessions, he caught a pass and IMMEDIATELY got rid of it.

It was like he flashed back to last years game 5 against the Celtics.

Or, you know...that Mon-stars theory (not to belabor the point).

[tim_m]

Typical LeBron when things get tough he runs and hides and quits on his team. The man just can't rise to the occasion and carry his team. Dirk is the perfect example. Fighting a 102 fever and what does he do? Score the most important points of the game including the winning basket. "Nuff said.

[faldor]

Typical LeBron when things get tough he runs and hides and quits on his team. The man just can't rise to the occasion and carry his team. Dirk is the perfect example. Fighting a 102 fever and what does he do? Score the most important points of the game including the winning basket. "Nuff said.

I hate Lebron as much as the next guy, but he had been clutch and playing great up until the finals.  I wouldn't bury him just yet.

Though I hope he continues to suck.  I'll take much enjoyment in that.

[SpecialAgentCooper]

ditto....go Mavs!



Coop

[tim_m]

Typical LeBron when things get tough he runs and hides and quits on his team. The man just can't rise to the occasion and carry his team. Dirk is the perfect example. Fighting a 102 fever and what does he do? Score the most important points of the game including the winning basket. "Nuff said.

I hate Lebron as much as the next guy, but he had been clutch and playing great up until the finals.  I wouldn't bury him just yet.

Though I hope he continues to suck.  I'll take much enjoyment in that.

Ditto on that. I'll be a happy guy with another 3-11 and 8 pt performance tonight.

[Bodhi]

yeah i would love that, but he is a very talented player, i can see him going off for 30 something tonight. 

[D]

This is the same as if BIrd joined Magic or Jordan joined Ewing. the number 1-2 players in the NBA playing together.

I don't see it as the same.  Like I said before, Wade & Lebron weren't rivals... they were never going to be rivals... they never even played a playoff series against each other.  This is not the same as Lebron teaming up with someone like Kobe or the Celtics who have bounced him from the playoffs for years.  These guys are playing as a team and making a sacrifice in their role as alpha dogs on their respective teams (which, BTW, the stat quo would be Miami barely making the playoffs and getting booted in the first round every year and Lebron winning 60+ games in the regular season with scrubs and losing in the conference finals).

These guys can't win... if they lost in the first round you guys would be saying "Fuck those guys, see?  You can't just toss talent together and take a shortcut to a title.  Basketball is a team sport.".... but since they are in the Finals everyone is saying "Fuck those guys, they took the easy way out".

In a league filled with guys bitching about not getting enough minutes and being overpaid to be "the man" on their teams, Lebron basically sacrificed the next 5 or 6 MVP awards and tons of positive media attention for a chance to win.  I don't look down on him for it......... I do look down on his performance in the 4th quarter of Game 4 though.....

Probem is though, he tried to take a SUPER shortcut.

he could've went to Chicago and played with Derrick Rose and nobody would've hated on him or said a word. I agree with leaving Cleveland, but my God it almost shows a lack of balls and confidence in his ability having to load the team THAT much.

Lebron in 8 NBA finals games, has yet to score over 25pts in one of them.

Couple that with the Dirk hammering him 44-9 in the 4th.. guys this isn't how the best player in the league plays.

[Axl4Prez2004]

Heat take Games 5 and 6.  Take it to the bank!

Lebron's the most talented player in the league right now, but that doesn't mean he's the "best."

[tim_m]

This is the same as if BIrd joined Magic or Jordan joined Ewing. the number 1-2 players in the NBA playing together.

I don't see it as the same.  Like I said before, Wade & Lebron weren't rivals... they were never going to be rivals... they never even played a playoff series against each other.  This is not the same as Lebron teaming up with someone like Kobe or the Celtics who have bounced him from the playoffs for years.  These guys are playing as a team and making a sacrifice in their role as alpha dogs on their respective teams (which, BTW, the stat quo would be Miami barely making the playoffs and getting booted in the first round every year and Lebron winning 60+ games in the regular season with scrubs and losing in the conference finals).

These guys can't win... if they lost in the first round you guys would be saying "Fuck those guys, see?  You can't just toss talent together and take a shortcut to a title.  Basketball is a team sport.".... but since they are in the Finals everyone is saying "Fuck those guys, they took the easy way out".

In a league filled with guys bitching about not getting enough minutes and being overpaid to be "the man" on their teams, Lebron basically sacrificed the next 5 or 6 MVP awards and tons of positive media attention for a chance to win.  I don't look down on him for it......... I do look down on his performance in the 4th quarter of Game 4 though.....

Probem is though, he tried to take a SUPER shortcut.

he could've went to Chicago and played with Derrick Rose and nobody would've hated on him or said a word. I agree with leaving Cleveland, but my God it almost shows a lack of balls and confidence in his ability having to load the team THAT much.

Lebron in 8 NBA finals games, has yet to score over 25pts in one of them.

Couple that with the Dirk hammering him 44-9 in the 4th.. guys this isn't how the best player in the league plays.

Great players don't disappear in clutch time.

[Axl4Prez2004]

This is the same as if BIrd joined Magic or Jordan joined Ewing. the number 1-2 players in the NBA playing together.

I don't see it as the same.  Like I said before, Wade & Lebron weren't rivals... they were never going to be rivals... they never even played a playoff series against each other.  This is not the same as Lebron teaming up with someone like Kobe or the Celtics who have bounced him from the playoffs for years.  These guys are playing as a team and making a sacrifice in their role as alpha dogs on their respective teams (which, BTW, the stat quo would be Miami barely making the playoffs and getting booted in the first round every year and Lebron winning 60+ games in the regular season with scrubs and losing in the conference finals).

These guys can't win... if they lost in the first round you guys would be saying "Fuck those guys, see?  You can't just toss talent together and take a shortcut to a title.  Basketball is a team sport.".... but since they are in the Finals everyone is saying "Fuck those guys, they took the easy way out".

In a league filled with guys bitching about not getting enough minutes and being overpaid to be "the man" on their teams, Lebron basically sacrificed the next 5 or 6 MVP awards and tons of positive media attention for a chance to win.  I don't look down on him for it......... I do look down on his performance in the 4th quarter of Game 4 though.....

Probem is though, he tried to take a SUPER shortcut.

he could've went to Chicago and played with Derrick Rose and nobody would've hated on him or said a word. I agree with leaving Cleveland, but my God it almost shows a lack of balls and confidence in his ability having to load the team THAT much.

Lebron in 8 NBA finals games, has yet to score over 25pts in one of them.

Couple that with the Dirk hammering him 44-9 in the 4th.. guys this isn't how the best player in the league plays.

Great players don't disappear in clutch time.

Damn!  My brain cells aren't functioning well tonight...a few years ago one of the Freak-o-nomics authors wrote about this.  The "great players playing better in the clutch" stuff is for the most part, a myth.  I know it goes against conventional wisdom, but over time we remember what we want to remember...the numbers don't always bear out what we want to see...just sayin'. 
 

[tim_m]

James disappears again in the 4th qtr and Dallas ends up with a pretty convincing win. If i'm Miami i am concerned. James can't close the game out and Wade is hurt. Who knows how effective he'll be from here on out.

[D]

whats ur bank account Prez?

[faldor]

whats ur bank account Prez?

Trust me D, you always want Axl4Prez picking against your team.  It's a great omen.  You just have to hope he doesn't jump on the Mavericks bandwagon now.

Great win for the Mavs, but they still have a tough task at hand, having to win one game at Miami.  Lebron had a triple double tonight, but didn't show up in the 4th AGAIN!  I love it.

[tim_m]

whats ur bank account Prez?

Trust me D, you always want Axl4Prez picking against your team.  It's a great omen.  You just have to hope he doesn't jump on the Mavericks bandwagon now.

Great win for the Mavs, but they still have a tough task at hand, having to win one game at Miami.  Lebron had a triple double tonight, but didn't show up in the 4th AGAIN!  I love it.

You're right winning one in Miami will not be easy, but, you can look at it this way too. Miami has to do something they haven't in this series. Win two in a row.

[SpecialAgentCooper]

I just dont think Dallas can be stopped at this point...they clearly want it more and it showed tonight!



Coop

[tim_m]

Dallas has one more game like tonight and they are champs period.

[pilferk]

Damn!  My brain cells aren't functioning well tonight...a few years ago one of the Freak-o-nomics authors wrote about this.  The "great players playing better in the clutch" stuff is for the most part, a myth.  I know it goes against conventional wisdom, but over time we remember what we want to remember...the numbers don't always bear out what we want to see...just sayin'. 
 

But they don't play this bad.  Quick stats analysis shows there are about 6 former league MVP's who averaged this few points in the 4th quarter in an NBA finals.

5 of them (Walton, Kareem, Robertson, Malone, and I forget who the 5th was) were all WELL past their prime, WELL past their MVP days, when they garnered that stat.

The 6th? Lebron James, this year.

This doesn't just "feel true".  It is true.