*NBA THREAD* Abe will be missed (2 Viewers)

[No. 16]

Noah played out of his mind and wade/lebron played crappy. Anyone who thinks this is going to be a cake walk for the bulls is out of their minds.

How did Noah play out of his mind?

9 and 14?

Dude scored 9 pts by going 4/14, when he shoots over 50% for the season.He grabbed 14 rebounds, but he averages 10 a season playing against teams with better rebounding frontcourts than the Heat.

Noah did what he always does, play excellent defense and crash the boards. Good luck if you're a Heat fan counting on Noah playing WORSE. He can actually play better.

His boxing out, tips, hustle plays and boards >>> than his scoring. If he plays like last night the Heat are in trouble because they have one to counter that intensity and hustle.

Have you ever seen Noah play before?

 

[shake zula]

Noah played out of his mind and wade/lebron played crappy. Anyone who thinks this is going to be a cake walk for the bulls is out of their minds.

How did Noah play out of his mind?

Did you watch the same game? First, 14 boards is alot of boards. But beyond the stats, he was everywhere. Diving, hustling, tipped balls, boxing outing. His hustle ignited the bulls. I thought his intensity would last one quarter boy was I wrong. The guy has a legit motor.

Have you ever seen Noah play before? All that is nothing new.

He always plays that kind of game. But he was at a different level last night.

 

[shake zula]

Noah played out of his mind and wade/lebron played crappy. Anyone who thinks this is going to be a cake walk for the bulls is out of their minds.

How did Noah play out of his mind?

9 and 14?

Dude scored 9 pts by going 4/14, when he shoots over 50% for the season.He grabbed 14 rebounds, but he averages 10 a season playing against teams with better rebounding frontcourts than the Heat.

Noah did what he always does, play excellent defense and crash the boards. Good luck if you're a Heat fan counting on Noah playing WORSE. He can actually play better.

His boxing out, tips, hustle plays and boards >>> than his scoring. If he plays like last night the Heat are in trouble because they have one to counter that intensity and hustle.

Have you ever seen Noah play before?

really?

 

[saintfool]

Hey look, the NBA thread has turned into a giant douchefest. Imagine that.

just wait for the championship!the NBA: it's FAN-tastic!

 

[ericttspikes]

As a Bulls fan, I didn't expect that. Whoa. Insane second half. Only one game, but good to see Bulls firing on all cylinders again after sub par play vs. the Pacers and ATL. Especially the second team. Regardless what happens, I'll remember Wade being posterized by Gibson for a long time. Too sweet.

 

[No. 16]

Noah played out of his mind and wade/lebron played crappy. Anyone who thinks this is going to be a cake walk for the bulls is out of their minds.

How did Noah play out of his mind?

Did you watch the same game? First, 14 boards is alot of boards. But beyond the stats, he was everywhere. Diving, hustling, tipped balls, boxing outing. His hustle ignited the bulls. I thought his intensity would last one quarter boy was I wrong. The guy has a legit motor.

Have you ever seen Noah play before? All that is nothing new.

He always plays that kind of game. But he was at a different level last night.

I'd bet he'll have better games than last night. Sure his intensity level was high, but he's playing for a spot in the Finals. His intensity will only increase the deeper into the playoffs they go. He plays at a higher level than most during the regular season, and during playoff time just like everyone else he ramps it up another notch.

 

[shake zula]

Noah played out of his mind and wade/lebron played crappy. Anyone who thinks this is going to be a cake walk for the bulls is out of their minds.

How did Noah play out of his mind?

Did you watch the same game? First, 14 boards is alot of boards. But beyond the stats, he was everywhere. Diving, hustling, tipped balls, boxing outing. His hustle ignited the bulls. I thought his intensity would last one quarter boy was I wrong. The guy has a legit motor.

Have you ever seen Noah play before? All that is nothing new.

He always plays that kind of game. But he was at a different level last night.

I'd bet he'll have better games than last night. Sure his intensity level was high, but he's playing for a spot in the Finals. His intensity will only increase the deeper into the playoffs they go. He plays at a higher level than most during the regular season, and during playoff time just like everyone else he ramps it up another notch.

My point is that he was at a different level than EVERYONE else on the court and that intensity made a huge difference. I'm giving him props not taking a shot. Not sure why or how it turned into a coversation with my wife.

 

[Captain Quinoa]

I'd bet he'll have better games than last night. Sure his intensity level was high, but he's playing for a spot in the Finals. His intensity will only increase the deeper into the playoffs they go. He plays at a higher level than most during the regular season, and during playoff time just like everyone else he ramps it up another notch.

Yeah the "Noah was superhuman" angle is really weird, and if Miami is pinning their hopes on him playing appreciably worse than he did last night then they are in big trouble.

 

[Bogart]

Hate to not stay on topic, but I like the Mavs in seven coming out of the West. OKC scares me much, much more than Memphis would have, but I think home court wins out in this series.

 

[fightingillini]

Wade has been dreadful tonight.

Not only Wade didn't have a good game on the offensive end.....he looked really tired in the 4th quarter....and it's only Game 1.The Heat have NO answer for Derrick Rose. None. They know that Rose would just abuse Chalmers or Bibby, so Wade takes a turn guarding him. Good luck with that if you're a Heat fan. The last thing you want to see is your premier scorer have to expend a lot of energy guarding perhaps the quickest player in the league....who happens to be the MVP.The Heat is in real trouble if they can't keep CHI off the glass and the game becomes a halfcourt struggle. The Heat is the best in the league in transition, but you can't get the fast break going if 1) you can't rebound the basketball and/or 2) you can't force turnovers.The Bulls did a great job protecting the ball and owning the glass. They also did a great job defending Lebron.....they have the personnel to do it with Deng, Noah, Gibson and Asik.That said, I expect the Heat to come out strong in Game 2.......

 

[myhousekey]

Hate to not stay on topic, but I like the Mavs in seven coming out of the West. OKC scares me much, much more than Memphis would have, but I think home court wins out in this series.

Dallas sports radio was predicting a win in 4 or 5 games this morning. Most credited the rest, home court and the feeling that OKC was not quite ready for the "big stage" yet with the reasons for an easy Dallas win. They also mentioned Marion has been the best defender in the league this year on Durant. I guess it wouldn't be Dallas if we didn't plan the parade too early and jinx the whole thing.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Noah is going to abuse Bosh inside for the entire series.

 

[No. 16]

My point is that he was at a different level than EVERYONE else on the court and that intensity made a huge difference. I'm giving him props not taking a shot. Not sure why or how it turned into a coversation with my wife.

Read what your first posted.

Noah played out of his mind and wade/lebron played crappy. Anyone who thinks this is going to be a cake walk for the bulls is out of their minds.

It's probably not what you intended but it seems like you were making excuses for the Heat by saying: Noah played out of his mind and that Wade/LBJ played crappy. I was just pointing out Noah did "play out of his mind" and he was definitely at a different level from EVERYONE else, but considering his past play, the opponent, and the circumstances I wouldn't be surprised if has better games.

Noah's rebounding and defense were not out of the ordinary for him, so I expect him to keep up that level of play on the defensive end. However, his offense will surely improve.

 

[JbizzleMan]

Let's go Bulls and Thunder!!

 

[Abraham]

1. I like Dallas in 5. OKC has a very nice team and they will be a tough out for a long time. My prediction isn't even about them "being a year away" or anything like that. I just think that Dallas has a significantly better and deeper team. Toss in the rest and the home court advantage and I think Dallas advances pretty quickly.

2. The most significant takeaway (to me) from the Chi/MIa game is that they can't use Wade's energy on defense. Not if everyone outside of James and Bosh are afraid to shoot. Similar to Lebron, Rose can be slowed down but I doubt we'll see him shut down; he just does too many things. Secondly, if the "energy" guys for Chicago (noah, gibson, Boggins) keep playing like that then the Heat are simply going to be out of gas for the last three games. Miami has two excellent players and one pretty good player....and not much after that. If the Chicago players keep up this level of intensity then I predict a game 5 or 6 close out by Chicago that sees the Heat shooting < 35% and getting manhandled even worse on the boards.

 

[shake zula]

My point is that he was at a different level than EVERYONE else on the court and that intensity made a huge difference. I'm giving him props not taking a shot. Not sure why or how it turned into a coversation with my wife.

Read what your first posted.

Noah played out of his mind and wade/lebron played crappy. Anyone who thinks this is going to be a cake walk for the bulls is out of their minds.

It's probably not what you intended but it seems like you were making excuses for the Heat by saying: Noah played out of his mind and that Wade/LBJ played crappy. I was just pointing out Noah did "play out of his mind" and he was definitely at a different level from EVERYONE else, but considering his past play, the opponent, and the circumstances I wouldn't be surprised if has better games.

Noah's rebounding and defense were not out of the ordinary for him, so I expect him to keep up that level of play on the defensive end. However, his offense will surely improve.

I see the confusion. I don't think there are any excuses to be made. I've seen Noah play but never like that for an entire game. I think the heat will hit stride but I'm scared that it won't be until game 3 in Miami.

 

[DrJ]

Noah played out of his mind and wade/lebron played crappy. Anyone who thinks this is going to be a cake walk for the bulls is out of their minds.

How did Noah play out of his mind?

Did you watch the same game? First, 14 boards is alot of boards. But beyond the stats, he was everywhere. Diving, hustling, tipped balls, boxing outing. His hustle ignited the bulls. I thought his intensity would last one quarter boy was I wrong. The guy has a legit motor.

Have you ever seen Noah play before? All that is nothing new.

He always plays that kind of game. But he was at a different level last night.

I'd bet he'll have better games than last night. Sure his intensity level was high, but he's playing for a spot in the Finals. His intensity will only increase the deeper into the playoffs they go. He plays at a higher level than most during the regular season, and during playoff time just like everyone else he ramps it up another notch.

My point is that he was at a different level than EVERYONE else on the court and that intensity made a huge difference. I'm giving him props not taking a shot. Not sure why or how it turned into a coversation with my wife.

Not everyone. Taj Gibson was bringing some intensity when he was out there.

 

[shake zula]

Noah played out of his mind and wade/lebron played crappy. Anyone who thinks this is going to be a cake walk for the bulls is out of their minds.

How did Noah play out of his mind?

Did you watch the same game? First, 14 boards is alot of boards. But beyond the stats, he was everywhere. Diving, hustling, tipped balls, boxing outing. His hustle ignited the bulls. I thought his intensity would last one quarter boy was I wrong. The guy has a legit motor.

Have you ever seen Noah play before? All that is nothing new.

He always plays that kind of game. But he was at a different level last night.

I'd bet he'll have better games than last night. Sure his intensity level was high, but he's playing for a spot in the Finals. His intensity will only increase the deeper into the playoffs they go. He plays at a higher level than most during the regular season, and during playoff time just like everyone else he ramps it up another notch.

My point is that he was at a different level than EVERYONE else on the court and that intensity made a huge difference. I'm giving him props not taking a shot. Not sure why or how it turned into a coversation with my wife.

Not everyone. Taj Gibson was bringing some intensity when he was out there.

True. Taj looked like a man possessed. It's something about Noah's beautiful hair. It just captivates me and I notice his play more.

 

[Instinctive]

Hate to not stay on topic, but I like the Mavs in seven coming out of the West. OKC scares me much, much more than Memphis would have, but I think home court wins out in this series.

Dallas sports radio was predicting a win in 4 or 5 games this morning. Most credited the rest, home court and the feeling that OKC was not quite ready for the "big stage" yet with the reasons for an easy Dallas win. They also mentioned Marion has been the best defender in the league this year on Durant. I guess it wouldn't be Dallas if we didn't plan the parade too early and jinx the whole thing.

I was going to mention that Marion on Durant may be even worse than Allen/Battier on him, for OKC.We're going to have trouble with Westbrook. Then again, that might mean he jacks up too many jumpers and screws the Thunder - you never know.

 

[TobiasFunke]

I was very disappointed in the quality of the Thunder cheerleaders. No other pro teams in the immediate vicinity, and in an area of the country where you'd expect to find a lot of quality candidates. What gives?

 

[DrJ]

One thing I'm a little disappointed about is that Taj pulled back when it was him and Lebron 1 on 1 near the end of the game. Yeah there were a couple of minutes left and they were up huge, but it would have been pretty great to see both Wade and Lebron on posters in the same night.

 

[ivnabru]

Wade has been dreadful tonight.

Not only Wade didn't have a good game on the offensive end.....he looked really tired in the 4th quarter....and it's only Game 1.The Heat have NO answer for Derrick Rose. None. They know that Rose would just abuse Chalmers or Bibby, so Wade takes a turn guarding him. Good luck with that if you're a Heat fan. The last thing you want to see is your premier scorer have to expend a lot of energy guarding perhaps the quickest player in the league....who happens to be the MVP.

The Heat is in real trouble if they can't keep CHI off the glass and the game becomes a halfcourt struggle. The Heat is the best in the league in transition, but you can't get the fast break going if 1) you can't rebound the basketball and/or 2) you can't force turnovers.

The Bulls did a great job protecting the ball and owning the glass. They also did a great job defending Lebron.....they have the personnel to do it with Deng, Noah, Gibson and Asik.

That said, I expect the Heat to come out strong in Game 2.......

All Wade needs to do is tackle Rose to the ground and sweep the leg. He can take Rose out of this series no trouble.

 

[GroveDiesel]

Kind of hilarious that anyone would think that the way Noah played was anything out of the ordinary for him. The guy is like the modern day Rodman with his energy level and his ability to frustrate and irritate his opponents.

It's especially weird to hear a Florida guy ignorant about that. I mean, I realize that most of them are bandwagon fans not prone to watching other teams, but I figured he was their favorite player for those back to back University of Florida NCAA titles.

 

[timschochet]

Noah is going to abuse Bosh inside for the entire series.

This is a very interesting comment. As I wrote earlier, Dr. Jack on the radio in the first half was basically saying the exact opposite. I watched the second half, and Bosh was the one effective Heat player on offense. So I'm not quite sure this is so. Noah did seem to outwork Bosh at times on the boards, but he had trouble (I thought) defending against Bosh.

 

[GroveDiesel]

Wade has been dreadful tonight.

Not only Wade didn't have a good game on the offensive end.....he looked really tired in the 4th quarter....and it's only Game 1.The Heat have NO answer for Derrick Rose. None. They know that Rose would just abuse Chalmers or Bibby, so Wade takes a turn guarding him. Good luck with that if you're a Heat fan. The last thing you want to see is your premier scorer have to expend a lot of energy guarding perhaps the quickest player in the league....who happens to be the MVP.

The Heat is in real trouble if they can't keep CHI off the glass and the game becomes a halfcourt struggle. The Heat is the best in the league in transition, but you can't get the fast break going if 1) you can't rebound the basketball and/or 2) you can't force turnovers.

The Bulls did a great job protecting the ball and owning the glass. They also did a great job defending Lebron.....they have the personnel to do it with Deng, Noah, Gibson and Asik.

That said, I expect the Heat to come out strong in Game 2.......

All Wade needs to do is tackle Rose to the ground and sweep the leg. He can take Rose out of this series no trouble.

First, Rondo went down and the refs said nothing...

 

[timschochet]

Re Dallas vs. Oklahoma City: I think the key to the series is Russell Westbrook. He is such an unpredictable talent. If he plays like he did yesterday with any consistency, the Thunder will win the series because Dallas has no one that can defend him. When Westbrook penetrates and dishes, that offense is simply excellent.

On the other hand, if Westbrook plays like he did on other occasions, in which he takes way too many shots, is careless with ball handling, and seems to have no clue on offense, then the Thunder will lose the series. It all depends which guy shows up.

 

[myhousekey]

We're going to have trouble with Westbrook. Then again, that might mean he jacks up too many jumpers and screws the Thunder - you never know.

Surely Kidd isn't going to be asked to guard WB. I think they'll put Stevenson or Terry on WB and let Kidd guard Sefolosha. Not that WB still won't be tough to defend but he'd torch Kidd.

 

[Abraham]

Noah is going to abuse Bosh inside for the entire series.

This is a very interesting comment. As I wrote earlier, Dr. Jack on the radio in the first half was basically saying the exact opposite. I watched the second half, and Bosh was the one effective Heat player on offense. So I'm not quite sure this is so. Noah did seem to outwork Bosh at times on the boards, but he had trouble (I thought) defending against Bosh.

I actually think that Noah won the battle inside. Bosh had a very nice game (for the first time in a while) but Noah was able to disrupt enough in the middle that it allowed his teammates to crash the boards even better as well. To see the statline, BOsh looks like he "won" the middle. But to look at the team totals, NOah's efforts clearly had the more positive impact.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Noah is going to abuse Bosh inside for the entire series.

This is a very interesting comment. As I wrote earlier, Dr. Jack on the radio in the first half was basically saying the exact opposite. I watched the second half, and Bosh was the one effective Heat player on offense. So I'm not quite sure this is so. Noah did seem to outwork Bosh at times on the boards, but he had trouble (I thought) defending against Bosh.

I'm guessing the Bulls don't care very much what Bosh does on the offensive end. They are keying in on taking away LeBron and Wade. A whole lot of Bosh's baskets were wide open layups (or 15-18 foot jumpers) when whom ever was guarding him had rotated over to help on Wade/LeBron. When Bosh scores almost as much as Wade and LeBron combined, the Bulls will be very happy.

 

[Abraham]

If he plays like he did yesterday

If he plays like he did yesterday, his battle with Rose in a couple weeks is going to be epic. I have watched the Thunder play a lot this season and yesterday's game was perhaps the best he has EVER looked. He made great decsions. He seemed to know when to push the ball and when to lay back. He looked like the game had slowed down for him - he wasn't rushing or hesitating. He was excellent.

 

[timschochet]

Wade has been dreadful tonight.

Not only Wade didn't have a good game on the offensive end.....he looked really tired in the 4th quarter....and it's only Game 1.The Heat have NO answer for Derrick Rose. None. They know that Rose would just abuse Chalmers or Bibby, so Wade takes a turn guarding him. Good luck with that if you're a Heat fan. The last thing you want to see is your premier scorer have to expend a lot of energy guarding perhaps the quickest player in the league....who happens to be the MVP.

The Heat is in real trouble if they can't keep CHI off the glass and the game becomes a halfcourt struggle. The Heat is the best in the league in transition, but you can't get the fast break going if 1) you can't rebound the basketball and/or 2) you can't force turnovers.

The Bulls did a great job protecting the ball and owning the glass. They also did a great job defending Lebron.....they have the personnel to do it with Deng, Noah, Gibson and Asik.

That said, I expect the Heat to come out strong in Game 2.......

It seems like you sort of answered the question here as to how Miami can win this series: Wade's got to defend Rose. If that exhausts Wade on the offensive end, you've still got LeBron. LeBron needs to drive and penetrate and dish, and Bosh needs to get himself open down low. And make someone other than Rose beat you.

 

[No. 16]

Noah is going to abuse Bosh inside for the entire series.

This is a very interesting comment. As I wrote earlier, Dr. Jack on the radio in the first half was basically saying the exact opposite. I watched the second half, and Bosh was the one effective Heat player on offense. So I'm not quite sure this is so. Noah did seem to outwork Bosh at times on the boards, but he had trouble (I thought) defending against Bosh.

I actually think that Noah won the battle inside. Bosh had a very nice game (for the first time in a while) but Noah was able to disrupt enough in the middle that it allowed his teammates to crash the boards even better as well. To see the statline, BOsh looks like he "won" the middle. But to look at the team totals, NOah's efforts clearly had the more positive impact.

Yah, I think the Bulls were happy with Bosh getting his and having Noah play tighter on Wade/LBJ. The Bulls figure it is better to force the Heat to get their points from Bosh, rather than having LBJ and Wade create for themselves and everyone.

 

[Gatorman]

Nice win by the bulls as they out everythinged the heat did yesterday. Every close play went in for the bulls. All that said, heat just need to win one of the two games in Chicago. They get 3 days to rest and regroup. If deng continues to = lebrons production then the heat lose the series. Guy seriously gets up for playing lebron.

 

[ArbyMelt]

Wade has been dreadful tonight.

Not only Wade didn't have a good game on the offensive end.....he looked really tired in the 4th quarter....and it's only Game 1.The Heat have NO answer for Derrick Rose. None. They know that Rose would just abuse Chalmers or Bibby, so Wade takes a turn guarding him. Good luck with that if you're a Heat fan. The last thing you want to see is your premier scorer have to expend a lot of energy guarding perhaps the quickest player in the league....who happens to be the MVP.

The Heat is in real trouble if they can't keep CHI off the glass and the game becomes a halfcourt struggle. The Heat is the best in the league in transition, but you can't get the fast break going if 1) you can't rebound the basketball and/or 2) you can't force turnovers.

The Bulls did a great job protecting the ball and owning the glass. They also did a great job defending Lebron.....they have the personnel to do it with Deng, Noah, Gibson and Asik.

That said, I expect the Heat to come out strong in Game 2.......

It seems like you sort of answered the question here as to how Miami can win this series: Wade's got to defend Rose. If that exhausts Wade on the offensive end, you've still got LeBron. LeBron needs to drive and penetrate and dish, and Bosh needs to get himself open down low. And make someone other than Rose beat you.

I thought they guarded Rose pretty well. He didn't get inside very much, and didn't get to the FT line much, even with Bibby guarding him. But the Heat were almost doubling him, and the Bulls were very effective passing the ball, especially between their big men. I expect a tight series. The Bulls were very efficient offensively, I don't expect that every game this series. And Miami can't rebound any worse, well maybe.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Wade has been dreadful tonight.

Not only Wade didn't have a good game on the offensive end.....he looked really tired in the 4th quarter....and it's only Game 1.The Heat have NO answer for Derrick Rose. None. They know that Rose would just abuse Chalmers or Bibby, so Wade takes a turn guarding him. Good luck with that if you're a Heat fan. The last thing you want to see is your premier scorer have to expend a lot of energy guarding perhaps the quickest player in the league....who happens to be the MVP.

The Heat is in real trouble if they can't keep CHI off the glass and the game becomes a halfcourt struggle. The Heat is the best in the league in transition, but you can't get the fast break going if 1) you can't rebound the basketball and/or 2) you can't force turnovers.

The Bulls did a great job protecting the ball and owning the glass. They also did a great job defending Lebron.....they have the personnel to do it with Deng, Noah, Gibson and Asik.

That said, I expect the Heat to come out strong in Game 2.......

It seems like you sort of answered the question here as to how Miami can win this series: Wade's got to defend Rose. If that exhausts Wade on the offensive end, you've still got LeBron. LeBron needs to drive and penetrate and dish, and Bosh needs to get himself open down low. And make someone other than Rose beat you.

I thought they guarded Rose pretty well. He didn't get inside very much, and didn't get to the FT line much, even with Bibby guarding him. But the Heat were almost doubling him, and the Bulls were very effective passing the ball, especially between their big men. I expect a tight series. The Bulls were very efficient offensively, I don't expect that every game this series. And Miami can't rebound any worse, well maybe.

Spoelstra may think that he needs to get even smaller to match the speed of Chicago. Expect to see LeBron starting at the 5 next game.

 

[ElGatoLoco]

Noah played out of his mind and wade/lebron played crappy. Anyone who thinks this is going to be a cake walk for the bulls is out of their minds.

How did Noah play out of his mind?

Did you watch the same game? First, 14 boards is alot of boards. But beyond the stats, he was everywhere. Diving, hustling, tipped balls, boxing outing. His hustle ignited the bulls. I thought his intensity would last one quarter boy was I wrong. The guy has a legit motor.

Have you ever seen Noah play before? All that is nothing new.

He always plays that kind of game. But he was at a different level last night.

I'd bet he'll have better games than last night. Sure his intensity level was high, but he's playing for a spot in the Finals. His intensity will only increase the deeper into the playoffs they go. He plays at a higher level than most during the regular season, and during playoff time just like everyone else he ramps it up another notch.

My point is that he was at a different level than EVERYONE else on the court and that intensity made a huge difference. I'm giving him props not taking a shot. Not sure why or how it turned into a coversation with my wife.

Not everyone. Taj Gibson was bringing some intensity when he was out there.

True. Taj looked like a man possessed. It's something about Noah's beautiful hair. It just captivates me and I notice his play more.

Oh, but you have to appreciate the manscaped chin beard of Gibson.

 

[ElGatoLoco]

I'm guessing the Bulls don't care very much what Bosh does on the offensive end. They are keying in on taking away LeBron and Wade. A whole lot of Bosh's baskets were wide open layups (or 15-18 foot jumpers) when whom ever was guarding him had rotated over to help on Wade/LeBron. When Bosh scores almost as much as Wade and LeBron combined, the Bulls will be very happy.

A lot of this is Boozer's fault on defense. He is awful on defense. Noah is constantly rotating over to fill a hole that Boozer leaves open, which allows for the easy dish to Bosh. I saw it time and again in the series against the Pacers and Hawks.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

I'm guessing the Bulls don't care very much what Bosh does on the offensive end. They are keying in on taking away LeBron and Wade. A whole lot of Bosh's baskets were wide open layups (or 15-18 foot jumpers) when whom ever was guarding him had rotated over to help on Wade/LeBron. When Bosh scores almost as much as Wade and LeBron combined, the Bulls will be very happy.

A lot of this is Boozer's fault on defense. He is awful on defense. Noah is constantly rotating over to fill a hole that Boozer leaves open, which allows for the easy dish to Bosh. I saw it time and again in the series against the Pacers and Hawks.

Boozer vs Bosh is a bad matchup for the Bulls. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense for Boozer to ever be on Bosh. Stick him on Anthony, Magloire, <insert scrub here>, etc.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Noah is going to abuse Bosh inside for the entire series.

This is a very interesting comment. As I wrote earlier, Dr. Jack on the radio in the first half was basically saying the exact opposite. I watched the second half, and Bosh was the one effective Heat player on offense. So I'm not quite sure this is so. Noah did seem to outwork Bosh at times on the boards, but he had trouble (I thought) defending against Bosh.

I actually think that Noah won the battle inside. Bosh had a very nice game (for the first time in a while) but Noah was able to disrupt enough in the middle that it allowed his teammates to crash the boards even better as well. To see the statline, BOsh looks like he "won" the middle. But to look at the team totals, NOah's efforts clearly had the more positive impact.

I'm not disagreeing with your opinion, I just want to point out that per advanced metrics (or any metrics for that matter), Bosh absolutely destroyed Noah yesterday. As someone who loves advanced metrics but is often beaten up on this board for suggesting that they don't always tell the whole story, I find your post interesting, especially since this wasn't even a borderline case.

 

[Gr00vus]

The Heat should have signed Erik Dampier.

Championship.Is this where we overreact to one NBA playoff game?Also I think OKC takes out Dallas. Dallas got a vacation against the Lakers, OKC got a test vs. Memphis. Dirk vs. whoever is the only clear cut advantage Dallas has matchup wise, the rest are pretty much even or in OKC's favor. Youth vs. experience (read: old guys). Should be interesting.

 

[fightingillini]

Wade has been dreadful tonight.

Not only Wade didn't have a good game on the offensive end.....he looked really tired in the 4th quarter....and it's only Game 1.The Heat have NO answer for Derrick Rose. None. They know that Rose would just abuse Chalmers or Bibby, so Wade takes a turn guarding him. Good luck with that if you're a Heat fan. The last thing you want to see is your premier scorer have to expend a lot of energy guarding perhaps the quickest player in the league....who happens to be the MVP.

The Heat is in real trouble if they can't keep CHI off the glass and the game becomes a halfcourt struggle. The Heat is the best in the league in transition, but you can't get the fast break going if 1) you can't rebound the basketball and/or 2) you can't force turnovers.

The Bulls did a great job protecting the ball and owning the glass. They also did a great job defending Lebron.....they have the personnel to do it with Deng, Noah, Gibson and Asik.

That said, I expect the Heat to come out strong in Game 2.......

It seems like you sort of answered the question here as to how Miami can win this series: Wade's got to defend Rose. If that exhausts Wade on the offensive end, you've still got LeBron. LeBron needs to drive and penetrate and dish, and Bosh needs to get himself open down low. And make someone other than Rose beat you.

Do you honestly think Wade can shutdown Rose? Now he's a better option than Chalmers or Bibby....but..............I think you need Wade's 25PPG more at the other end. If you tire out Wade on the defensive end, you eliminate perhaps Miami's biggest offensive weapon, because CHI has no answer for Wade. Wade against Bogans/Korver/Brewer is a big advantage for Miami. They have the horses to guard Bosh and LeBron. While you don't completely shut down Lebron, the Bulls present the toughest matchup for him.The Heat need 70+ points a game from the Big Three to win this series. If you're eliminate much of Wade's 25pts per game, you putting way too much pressure on LeBron and Bosh.

 

[Abraham]

I'm not disagreeing with your opinion, I just want to point out that per advanced metrics (or any metrics for that matter), Bosh absolutely destroyed Noah yesterday. As someone who loves advanced metrics but is often beaten up on this board for suggesting that they don't always tell the whole story, I find your post interesting, especially since this wasn't even a borderline case.

You're right - it wasn't a borderline case. This is the problem with advanced metrics and is probably why so many people disagree with some of the advanced metrics assertions made here. By the math, Bosh "destroyed" Noah yesterday. But Noah's team was clearly better inside and they won. To that end, it doesn't much matter that Chris Bosh played great yesterday - he was a -15 on the floor to Noah's +15.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

I'm not disagreeing with your opinion, I just want to point out that per advanced metrics (or any metrics for that matter), Bosh absolutely destroyed Noah yesterday. As someone who loves advanced metrics but is often beaten up on this board for suggesting that they don't always tell the whole story, I find your post interesting, especially since this wasn't even a borderline case.

You're right - it wasn't a borderline case. This is the problem with advanced metrics and is probably why so many people disagree with some of the advanced metrics assertions made here. By the math, Bosh "destroyed" Noah yesterday. But Noah's team was clearly better inside and they won. To that end, it doesn't much matter that Chris Bosh played great yesterday - he was a -15 on the floor to Noah's +15.

Advanced metrics do not work for a single game; I don't think anyone here would claim that. For 82+ games, they work pretty darn good.

 

[Abraham]

I'm not disagreeing with your opinion, I just want to point out that per advanced metrics (or any metrics for that matter), Bosh absolutely destroyed Noah yesterday. As someone who loves advanced metrics but is often beaten up on this board for suggesting that they don't always tell the whole story, I find your post interesting, especially since this wasn't even a borderline case.

You're right - it wasn't a borderline case. This is the problem with advanced metrics and is probably why so many people disagree with some of the advanced metrics assertions made here. By the math, Bosh "destroyed" Noah yesterday. But Noah's team was clearly better inside and they won. To that end, it doesn't much matter that Chris Bosh played great yesterday - he was a -15 on the floor to Noah's +15.

Advanced metrics do not work for a single game; I don't think anyone here would claim that. For 82+ games, they work pretty darn good.

I don't really know how they work, and I don't know how TGunz is suggesting they work. i was just pointing out that for the game last night (whre the Advanced Metrics point to Bosh domination) they fail to accurately portray the battle in the middle.

 

[TobiasFunke]

I'm not disagreeing with your opinion, I just want to point out that per advanced metrics (or any metrics for that matter), Bosh absolutely destroyed Noah yesterday. As someone who loves advanced metrics but is often beaten up on this board for suggesting that they don't always tell the whole story, I find your post interesting, especially since this wasn't even a borderline case.

You're right - it wasn't a borderline case. This is the problem with advanced metrics and is probably why so many people disagree with some of the advanced metrics assertions made here. By the math, Bosh "destroyed" Noah yesterday. But Noah's team was clearly better inside and they won. To that end, it doesn't much matter that Chris Bosh played great yesterday - he was a -15 on the floor to Noah's +15.

The bolded demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of advanced metrics in my opinion.The idea behind most sports metrics is to capture what we don't fully grasp with the untrained eye, not what we see and understand. The idea is to do analysis free of bias, limited awareness and selective retention- things that every single sports fan brings to the table when they watch a game. Saying that the individual or collective perception of something highlights what's wrong with advanced metrics gets it exactly backwards.

I hesitate to use the Bosh/Noah example because most advanced metrics are intended to evaluate over the long term, not one game. But here you wouldn't say that they're wrong because Noah clearly outplayed Bosh, it would be that maybe Bosh played better than was commonly perceived and Noah didn't play as well as commonly perceived, because "hustle" and "effort" and what the announcers tell us about the narrative tend to stick in our heads more than, say, 12-18 vs. 4-14, or getting to the line 6 times and making them all vs. getting there twice and making one. Rebounds and steals and perceived effort and hustle matter, sure, but so does a shot going in vs. not going in.

Not saying Bosh was better than Noah yesterday here, just that your criticism of advanced metrics makes no sense.

 

[Gr00vus]

Not saying Bosh was better than Noah yesterday here, just that your criticism of advanced metrics makes no sense.

Bosh was better (even accounting for Noah's excellent help D), but not nearly better enough to make up for the rest of his team's lousy second half.

 

[whitem0nkey]

KCJHoop K.C JohnsonPractice hasn't "officially" started yet. But the "early group" is here, several balls are bouncing and Thibs can be heard coaching them up.

 

[No. 16]

Great posting Tobias!

 

[Abraham]

I'm not disagreeing with your opinion, I just want to point out that per advanced metrics (or any metrics for that matter), Bosh absolutely destroyed Noah yesterday. As someone who loves advanced metrics but is often beaten up on this board for suggesting that they don't always tell the whole story, I find your post interesting, especially since this wasn't even a borderline case.

You're right - it wasn't a borderline case. This is the problem with advanced metrics and is probably why so many people disagree with some of the advanced metrics assertions made here. By the math, Bosh "destroyed" Noah yesterday. But Noah's team was clearly better inside and they won. To that end, it doesn't much matter that Chris Bosh played great yesterday - he was a -15 on the floor to Noah's +15.

The bolded demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of advanced metrics in my opinion.The idea behind most sports metrics is to capture what we don't fully grasp with the untrained eye, not what we see and understand. The idea is to do analysis free of bias, limited awareness and selective retention- things that every single sports fan brings to the table when they watch a game. Saying that the individual or collective perception of something highlights what's wrong with advanced metrics gets it exactly backwards.

I hesitate to use the Bosh/Noah example because most advanced metrics are intended to evaluate over the long term, not one game. But here you wouldn't say that they're wrong because Noah clearly outplayed Bosh, it would be that maybe Bosh played better than was commonly perceived and Noah didn't play as well as commonly perceived, because "hustle" and "effort" and what the announcers tell us about the narrative tend to stick in our heads more than, say, 12-18 vs. 4-14, or getting to the line 6 times and making them all vs. getting there twice and making one. Rebounds and steals and perceived effort and hustle matter, sure, but so does a shot going in vs. not going in.

Not saying Bosh was better than Noah yesterday here, just that your criticism of advanced metrics makes no sense.

I was simply responding to TGunz statement about Bosh "destroying" Bosh yesterday. I don't know much about advanced metrics, and I certainly understand your (bolded) explanation of them. I don't think I'm criticizing the concept of advanced metrics here; I'm responding to the assertion that was made that Bosh outplayed Noah by a wide margin via advanced metrics. In this, specific, case - the conclusion drawn from advanced metrics is 180 degrees incorrect.

 

[tommyGunZ]

I'm not disagreeing with your opinion, I just want to point out that per advanced metrics (or any metrics for that matter), Bosh absolutely destroyed Noah yesterday. As someone who loves advanced metrics but is often beaten up on this board for suggesting that they don't always tell the whole story, I find your post interesting, especially since this wasn't even a borderline case.

You're right - it wasn't a borderline case. This is the problem with advanced metrics and is probably why so many people disagree with some of the advanced metrics assertions made here. By the math, Bosh "destroyed" Noah yesterday. But Noah's team was clearly better inside and they won. To that end, it doesn't much matter that Chris Bosh played great yesterday - he was a -15 on the floor to Noah's +15.

The bolded demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of advanced metrics in my opinion.The idea behind most sports metrics is to capture what we don't fully grasp with the untrained eye, not what we see and understand. The idea is to do analysis free of bias, limited awareness and selective retention- things that every single sports fan brings to the table when they watch a game. Saying that the individual or collective perception of something highlights what's wrong with advanced metrics gets it exactly backwards.

I hesitate to use the Bosh/Noah example because most advanced metrics are intended to evaluate over the long term, not one game. But here you wouldn't say that they're wrong because Noah clearly outplayed Bosh, it would be that maybe Bosh played better than was commonly perceived and Noah didn't play as well as commonly perceived, because "hustle" and "effort" and what the announcers tell us about the narrative tend to stick in our heads more than, say, 12-18 vs. 4-14, or getting to the line 6 times and making them all vs. getting there twice and making one. Rebounds and steals and perceived effort and hustle matter, sure, but so does a shot going in vs. not going in.

Not saying Bosh was better than Noah yesterday here, just that your criticism of advanced metrics makes no sense.

I agree with this post. W/re to the bold, I think it's the idea that advanced metrics are infallible that most irks me. It's reached the point to where advanced metrics are the trump card, and the lack of context irks me.