NBA Season 2012/2013

[faldor]

Well maybe San Antonio is gonna be the team. They are up 2-0 now.

We'll see, I think that Memphis may have figured something out after the half in Game 2.  Also, Spurs can't keep shooting 3s at this rate.  Griz came back from down 0-2 against the Clippers...

Pacers fucking blew it last night.  2.2 seconds left, up 1 and the coach takes Hibbert out of the game?  WTF?  It seemed as if they drew up their defense to plan exactly how they can give up an open layup.  Did they think they were up 3?  Beyond ridiculous.

It was puzzling to take Hibbert out, but Lebron blew by George on that play.  He has to play better defense there regardless of who else is on the floor.  Even with Hibbert in the game, he would've had to pick up Lebron and there's no way the refs wouldn't have called a foul in that situation.  So I think the result would've been the same.  Unless Lebron missed the FT's, which would've been sweet.  Regardless a bad 2.2 seconds all around for the Pacers.  Then again, they were sort of lucky to get to OT to begin with.

[GeorgeSteele]

Well maybe San Antonio is gonna be the team. They are up 2-0 now.

We'll see, I think that Memphis may have figured something out after the half in Game 2.  Also, Spurs can't keep shooting 3s at this rate.  Griz came back from down 0-2 against the Clippers...

Pacers fucking blew it last night.  2.2 seconds left, up 1 and the coach takes Hibbert out of the game?  WTF?  It seemed as if they drew up their defense to plan exactly how they can give up an open layup.  Did they think they were up 3?  Beyond ridiculous.

It was puzzling to take Hibbert out, but Lebron blew by George on that play.  He has to play better defense there regardless of who else is on the floor.  Even with Hibbert in the game, he would've had to pick up Lebron and there's no way the refs wouldn't have called a foul in that situation.  So I think the result would've been the same.  Unless Lebron missed the FT's, which would've been sweet.  Regardless a bad 2.2 seconds all around for the Pacers.  Then again, they were sort of lucky to get to OT to begin with.

Yes, George got tricked on the play, so he fucked up.  Another fuckup was that Hansbrough (who came in for Hibbert) left the paint wide open to cover the corner 3.  Hibbert would not have done that and, even though Lebron got by George, I don't think Lebron would have challenged Hibbert at the rim.  I think he would have pulled up and taken a jumper (or dished either to Bosh or to the open 3 in the corner).  Per ESPN: LeBron played 38 minutes with Hibbert on the floor, and took just three shots from around the rim. But in LeBron's nine minutes without Hibbert in the game, he took six shots from the same proximity.

Yes, they were lucky to get into OT (forget George's shot, I've never seen Ray Allen miss a game-clinching free throw), but that's what makes the last play all the more devastating --- if you can't win a game when you get huge lucky breaks, what hope do you have when you don't those breaks?

[faldor]

Well maybe San Antonio is gonna be the team. They are up 2-0 now.

We'll see, I think that Memphis may have figured something out after the half in Game 2.  Also, Spurs can't keep shooting 3s at this rate.  Griz came back from down 0-2 against the Clippers...

Pacers fucking blew it last night.  2.2 seconds left, up 1 and the coach takes Hibbert out of the game?  WTF?  It seemed as if they drew up their defense to plan exactly how they can give up an open layup.  Did they think they were up 3?  Beyond ridiculous.

It was puzzling to take Hibbert out, but Lebron blew by George on that play.  He has to play better defense there regardless of who else is on the floor.  Even with Hibbert in the game, he would've had to pick up Lebron and there's no way the refs wouldn't have called a foul in that situation.  So I think the result would've been the same.  Unless Lebron missed the FT's, which would've been sweet.  Regardless a bad 2.2 seconds all around for the Pacers.  Then again, they were sort of lucky to get to OT to begin with.

Yes, George got tricked on the play, so he fucked up.  Another fuckup was that Hansbrough (who came in for Hibbert) left the paint wide open to cover the corner 3.  Hibbert would not have done that and, even though Lebron got by George, I don't think Lebron would have challenged Hibbert at the rim.  I think he would have pulled up and taken a jumper (or dished either to Bosh or to the open 3 in the corner).  Per ESPN: LeBron played 38 minutes with Hibbert on the floor, and took just three shots from around the rim. But in LeBron's nine minutes without Hibbert in the game, he took six shots from the same proximity.

Yes, they were lucky to get into OT (forget George's shot, I've never seen Ray Allen miss a game-clinching free throw), but that's what makes the last play all the more devastating --- if you can't win a game when you get huge lucky breaks, what hope do you have when you don't those breaks?

I think Lebron goes at Hibbert if he's in the game because that's the last play of the game and he knows he's putting pressure on the refs to call a foul in that situation.  If it was anywhere close to a foul, like Hibbert's 5th foul on Chris Anderson which really wasn't a foul, they would've called it.  I agree it's a puzzling move not having Hibbert out there, I'm not sure what Vogel's reasoning was.  Haven't heard an explanation, if there was one.  But I think Lebron still gets to the line at the very least in that situation.

And yes, the Pacers did let one slip away.  Could be damaging.  We'll see how they react.  They have to believe in themselves and take out of the game that they can hang with the Heat.  They can't view it like they let one slip away.  Focus on the positives, and there were plenty of them.  I fear the Heat will wake up though, and come out all business in game 2.  Unless, the Pacers really can hang with them.  Then we're onto something.  I'm not convinced just yet.

[tim_m]

Well maybe San Antonio is gonna be the team. They are up 2-0 now.

We'll see, I think that Memphis may have figured something out after the half in Game 2.  Also, Spurs can't keep shooting 3s at this rate.  Griz came back from down 0-2 against the Clippers...

Pacers fucking blew it last night.  2.2 seconds left, up 1 and the coach takes Hibbert out of the game?  WTF?  It seemed as if they drew up their defense to plan exactly how they can give up an open layup.  Did they think they were up 3?  Beyond ridiculous.

Agreed, absolutely inexcusable defense. You can't let Lebron just walk to the basket like that.

[tim_m]

I am so sick of the NBA kissing the Heat's ass. In the first round Smith gets suspended for a game for elbowing Terry. In game 2 of the conference finals Wade plows into the head of Stephenson with his forearm and gets nothing? Fuck you David Stern.

[Eazy E]

They upgraded Wade's elbow to a flagrant 1.... not that it will have any impact on the series.

[tim_m]

Should've been at least a one game suspension. He leaped up and plowed his forearm into his head. There's no universe where you can justify saying it was unintentional.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Should've been at least a one game suspension. He leaped up and plowed his forearm into his head. There's no universe where you can justify saying it was unintentional.

You can in David Stern's universe! 

[tim_m]

Should've been at least a one game suspension. He leaped up and plowed his forearm into his head. There's no universe where you can justify saying it was unintentional.

You can in David Stern's universe! 

Well he's as corrupt as the officials but we've known that for awhile.

[tim_m]

In other news the league actually does the right thing and suspends Andersen for game 6 in Indy. The officials should've ejected him and the league suspend him for game 6 though.

[GeorgeSteele]

I'll go out on a limb and predict that Stern has the officials decide Game 7 early on tonight by putting Hibbert/George/West in immediate foul trouble.

[tim_m]

I'll go out on a limb and predict that Stern has the officials decide Game 7 early on tonight by putting Hibbert/George/West in immediate foul trouble.

Sadly, that wouldn't shock me.

[tim_m]

In other news though, Jason Kidd retired today. Next stop the HOF.

[tim_m]

I'll go out on a limb and predict that Stern has the officials decide Game 7 early on tonight by putting Hibbert/George/West in immediate foul trouble.

Good call. The Sternba gets what it wants as always

[pilferk]

I'll go out on a limb and predict that Stern has the officials decide Game 7 early on tonight by putting Hibbert/George/West in immediate foul trouble.

That sure is what happened.

But watching the game, I'm not sure it was entirely (or even mostly) because of the officials.  The Heat were MUCH more aggressive going to the rim and rebounding the ball.  The Pacers took a lot of jumpers....

Throughout the season, and especially the playoffs, I think the officiating has been pretty horrible.  Last night?  Not terrible.  Not great, either.  But not so terrible that I think it effected the outcome,or even the margin that much.

[faldor]

I think there were a couple things at play.  Not sure which is the most prominent factor or if its just a mix of them all.

1) Indiana was a better team than some people gave them credit for and matched up well with Miami

2) Miami isn't as dominant as people thought

3) Miami IS as good as advertised, they just don't play like it all the time.  Maybe they think they are so much better than the opposition that they feel they can just show up and win and it isn't until they're really tested that they go full throttle.  I heard so many people the last few days talk about the demise of the Heat and how they went from the Big 3 to a Cleveland like Lebron team.  This is a team that dominated the regular season and went like 40-4 at one point.  None of those Cleveland teams ever did anything like that.  So I think that was a bit of an exaggeration.  We will see in the finals.  If they fall to a veteran team like the Spurs, maybe there's something to that.

[GeorgeSteele]

I'll go out on a limb and predict that Stern has the officials decide Game 7 early on tonight by putting Hibbert/George/West in immediate foul trouble.

That sure is what happened.

But watching the game, I'm not sure it was entirely (or even mostly) because of the officials.  The Heat were MUCH more aggressive going to the rim and rebounding the ball.  The Pacers took a lot of jumpers....

Throughout the season, and especially the playoffs, I think the officiating has been pretty horrible.  Last night?  Not terrible.  Not great, either.  But not so terrible that I think it effected the outcome,or even the margin that much.

Right, I don't think any officials could have helped Indiana last night.  But I did find it funny when, in the 3rd quarter, Indiana scored a few straights buckets to cut the lead to 'only' 13, then Hibbert immediately got hit with his 4th and 5th fouls.  Miami may have been in total control of the game, but to me that showed that the officials weren't taking any chances.  That was when I turned the game off.  
 

[GeorgeSteele]

I think there were a couple things at play.  Not sure which is the most prominent factor or if its just a mix of them all.

1) Indiana was a better team than some people gave them credit for and matched up well with Miami

2) Miami isn't as dominant as people thought

3) Miami IS as good as advertised, they just don't play like it all the time.  Maybe they think they are so much better than the opposition that they feel they can just show up and win and it isn't until they're really tested that they go full throttle.  I heard so many people the last few days talk about the demise of the Heat and how they went from the Big 3 to a Cleveland like Lebron team.  This is a team that dominated the regular season and went like 40-4 at one point.  None of those Cleveland teams ever did anything like that.  So I think that was a bit of an exaggeration.  We will see in the finals.  If they fall to a veteran team like the Spurs, maybe there's something to that.

I think all of those basically true, but the bottom line is that Miami, as talented as they are, is a flawed team.  They were one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA this year.  They went berserk on the boards last night and ended up completely dominating.  But I don't think they can rebound to that degree consistently against the Spurs.  Scary thing is, they're so ridiculously talented, they may not need to. 

[AxlsMainMan]

Let's go Spurs!

[AxlsMainMan]

The Boston Celtics are apparently thinking of trading Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers to the Clippers in a deal that would include Eric Bledsoe and perhaps DeAndre Jordan, along with other assets.

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2013/06/17/marquee-coaches-players-rule-nbas-bizarro-world/?ls=iref:nbahpts