NBA Thread 2011-12

[gunnar hendershow]

The Boston defense was a disgrace tonight. The matchups were horrible and they never adapted to the way Miami was playing. Who knew letting LeBron James get open with regularity would lead to such a result?

[gunnar hendershow]

Also, I miss when a night like what LeBron had tonight was routine from Michael, Bird, Magic, and Kobe. He doesn't do it anywhere near as much as someone with his talent should. I expect Game 7 he wilts under the pressure of such a monumental game... like usual. It's unfortunate for such a great talent, but it's just so routine now.

And, yes, I hate LeBron because he walks around thinking he's the best ever but managing to do nothing to back that up when it counts the most. It's like a race car driver going from 1st to middle of the pack on the final lap. That's his career, and I expect to see that happen on Saturday. For how great he was tonight, Saturday is a different game. The adversity that seems to fuel him is gone and it's replaced by the pressure to be "the guy" that causes him to Wilt Chamberlain.

[Plubby]

Who knew letting LeBron James get open with regularity would lead to such a result?

*raises hand meekly*

I...I did?

[naiwf]

Boston wins by 6 in Game 7. Book it

[Hailtothechimp]

Boston wins by 6 in Game 7. Book it

Wouldn't surprise me in the least. Boston can't ever seem to the win the first game to win a series.

[Panni]

The workday goes by so much faster when you can read dozens and dozens of articles talking about the collapse of the Miami Heat.

[Trey]

Also, I miss when a night like what LeBron had tonight was routine from Michael, Bird, Magic, and Kobe. He doesn't do it anywhere near as much as someone with his talent should. I expect Game 7 he wilts under the pressure of such a monumental game... like usual. It's unfortunate for such a great talent, but it's just so routine now.

I'm as big a critic of LeBron as anyone but that wasn't a routine game for any of those guys. Hell, none of those guys ever did what LeBron did last night. This is why he came to Miami, because with the talent around him that he has now (and that he was never going to get in Cleveland) teams are forced to play him much more straight up or pay the price. As a Bulls fan I hope it was a flash in the pan but as a basketball fan I hope he's finally figured it out. He won't ever be Jordan, but I'd love to have the chance to tell my grandkids that I got to watch one of the best ever in his prime.

[naiwf]

He won't ever be Jordan, but I'd love to have the chance to tell my grandkids that I got to watch one of the best ever in his prime.

Kevin Durant thanks you in advance for the kind words.

[gunnar hendershow]

Also, I miss when a night like what LeBron had tonight was routine from Michael, Bird, Magic, and Kobe. He doesn't do it anywhere near as much as someone with his talent should. I expect Game 7 he wilts under the pressure of such a monumental game... like usual. It's unfortunate for such a great talent, but it's just so routine now.

I'm as big a critic of LeBron as anyone but that wasn't a routine game for any of those guys. Hell, none of those guys ever did what LeBron did last night. This is why he came to Miami, because with the talent around him that he has now (and that he was never going to get in Cleveland) teams are forced to play him much more straight up or pay the price. As a Bulls fan I hope it was a flash in the pan but as a basketball fan I hope he's finally figured it out. He won't ever be Jordan, but I'd love to have the chance to tell my grandkids that I got to watch one of the best ever in his prime.

Jordan did what LeBron did last night and then some countless times in the playoffs. "The Shrug", "The Showdown", "The Flu Game", 63 points against Boston, and Game 6 of the '98 Finals were all incredible performances on a level not even LeBron has been able to touch yet. He and Durant are the only ones who can get there right now.

[Trey]

I'm not saying what LeBron did was better then any of those, what I was saying is that Jordan never put up a 45-15-5 in a playoff game and that's something worth bringing up when talking about how great LeBron was.

[naiwf]

Jordan basically averaged 33-6-6 in the playoffs and everyone in the world knew he was going to have the ball in his hands at the end. LeBron's game was great because of the rebounding total, but if MJ had ever pulled down 15 boards in a playoff game the other team was doing something wrong. I still say that Rondo's Game 2 was better than LeBron's Game 6 from an individual standpoint when you consider the difference in size between the two.

[gunnar hendershow]

Jordan also averaged 2 steals per game and 1 block per game in his playoff career. He shot 49% from the field, 33% from 3-point range, a quarter of his rebounds were on the offensive end, and had more last-second, game-winning shots than you can count. I can name every major last-minute shot of LeBron's playoff career for comparison's sake.

[Panni]

I could write a book about all the reasons why people love/hate Lebron James. I believe there's also a big cultural issue, but that's a different discussion for a different time.

The reason why people I know...including myself...don't love Lebron is because he comes off as a front-runner. I loved Lebron James, and I still think he's the best player in the game, but I just don't have the respect or admiration that I once did. Joining up with the Miami Heat was a cop-out...it was him saying he's got to form a super-team to win a title. That's just not how many of us envisioned his career going, it wasn't heroic at all. Then the Miami Welcoming Party he says that the games will be easy, pat riley could run the point guard, and they're going to win 8 championships. All this coming from a man who hadn't won anything.

Then the playoffs come around. When the Heat were rolling Lebron was a monster...adding big jams and stuffing stat sheets. But when it became crunch time (specifically the 4th Quarter in the Finals) he was flat-out embarrassing. I've never seen someone so talented become so ineffective. The pressure unquestionably gotten to him, and for a man who made all these guarantees it came across extremely badly for him. Meanwhile you have guys like Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant who are constantly doing the right thing. They aren't dancing during their All-Star Game introductions, they aren't making ridiculous guarantees, and they aren't disrespecting the rest of the teams in the league. They became easily likeable and made Lebron even more detestable.

However, Lebron's performance in Game 6 truly was historic. For the first time in years I was scared every shot he was going to put up was going to drop...I used to get that feeling with Kobe Bryant. It was a new Lebron James. I think the Celtics winning game 5 was the lowest of the lows for the Heat. They have reached that rockbottom and will now emerge stronger than ever. I fully expect them to destroy Boston tonight and then move on to beat OKC in 5 games. Do I want that to happen...not at all. But with all the highs and lows this playoff run I think we're finally seeing the making of a Lebron James championship team. He's not gonna get that ring until he overcomes these demons...and I think Game 5 was a huge step for him in doing that.

[naiwf]

He's not gonna get that ring until he overcomes these demons...and I think Game 5 was a huge step for him in doing that.

All of that exorcising demons stuff would be true if LeBron had come up big in a close game. Miami got out to a huge lead, and coasted. Point blank, if the game is on the line and LeBron has two free throws to win a title, odds are he misses one, if not both. Same scenario with a 20 point lead, and he drains them both without hesitation. Miami may never have another close game, but he's proven nothing in "winning time" in his entire career.

[gunnar hendershow]

The thing is, LeBron almost always puts up his bigger numbers in the first half (including Game 6). That's all well and good, but when the game gets close is when he vanishes. Yes, he has the best defender on him. Yes, he has the pressure on him. No, he shouldn't look to Udonis Haslem or someone to drain the winner. There's a time for the best player to be the best, and tied with a minute to go is that time. There's more times his decision-making has caused problems in these situations than it has won games. He's the first superstar to be like this.

Yeah, if James could score 30+ in the first half every game he'd win a lot more. But that's asking too much out of any player in history. If he can score 30+ a game and be the guy in the last minute then he'd already have a ring, maybe two. But two head coaches haven't been able to solve the conundrum of what to do with a superstar who doesn't like the ultimate challenge, and I don't think anyone will. Someone once suggested to me it was a direct result of James for his entire life being the best player on the court, he's never had to work for the greatness and so when he hits the wall he doesn't know how to react. For years I was the smartest person in the classroom (I went to a small school), when thrown into a bigger pond I struggled for the first few years. It took me awhile to figure out. I've been waiting 5-6 years for James to figure it out, and I haven't seen it yet.

[Your Mom]

I thought hanging on the rim a super long time like that was illegal

[naiwf]

I thought hanging on the rim a super long time like that was illegal

It is unless someone's underneath you. If the refs weren't trying to give Miami the 'W', that would have been a technical on CaBron.

[gunnar hendershow]

Boston's shots are falling and they're playing some tough defense. Two things we didn't see on Thursday.

Second half is gonna be a ride, foul trouble might decide the game.

[naiwf]

Bosh's ab can burn in hell.

[Fait Accompli]

Meanwhile, (and I don't know if people will get this reference) Chris Bosh is playing like that dude at the park who comes up saying "can I run with y'all" and every time he takes a long range jumper, it goes in.