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Allen hasn't lost it, he's just on such a bad ankle injury he shouldn't be playing. Guy was shooting something like 50% from 3 most of the year. Pierce is on a knee injury. It may work out to the same thing but I don't think either guy is completely finished.
What does it say about the West when 1 individual player falling out (say Durant) would result in a 3 round bye to the NBA finals?
How is that different than any other conference in the history of the NBA? Pick the year, I'll show you a #2 seed that gets a easy road to the Finals with two key injuries.
1954.Go.
The Syracuse Nationals were just a Cousy and a Mikan injury away from their first ever title.
Rather than hypotheticals, has it happened?Has there been an easier path to the Finnals.. ever? They lost 2 games in indy, I think mainly out of boredom. Otherwise, just showing up seems to be about what this requires.
Is this based on perception or reality? Plenty of past champions and runner ups have cruised through their conference playoffs. The Thunder and Spurs plowed through pretenders in the first 2 rounds. Of course, a lot of pretenders of the past were contenders in their present. If you are asking if the 2 elite players on separate teams missed the postseason in the same conference allowing a 3rd talented team to cruise to the NBA Finals in any given year, are we really going to be able to prove you wrong? Of course, I wouldn't be stunned if it has happened in the past.
So your quarrel is that the Heat are too good? The Heat had a key injury too, you know. Has any team ever made the Finals without an above-average frontcourt player? Depends how good you think Horace Grant was, I guess. Either way, pretty impressive company, assuming they get there. You're also awfully dismissive of a Pacers team that had a good enough record for the #3 seed and would have been good enough for the #3 seed in the West (and went 13-5 against the West this season). The Heat beat them comfortably without Bosh- and that's supposed to be a negative?Point is, different random circumstances- injuries, suspensions, retirement, whatever- make every year's playoffs different. Leave that stupid "asterisk" nonsense to people like Simmons and the other haters trying to come up with new ways to not give LeBron credit.
Perception of course, I don't recall a road this easy. There is usually at least one round where a team "earns it".Mostly my reacting to what I see as the biggest letdown of an NBA postseason ever.
Easy killer. Just made an observation. See above post.
San Antonio has had as easy a trip to the conference finals as the Heat. They beat a terrible Utah team (a Utah team that the Knicks would have beat) and a very flawed Clipper team.
Completely agree, and if they sweep OKC - my reaction to a terrible NBA postseason stands. eta - although there were a few "experts" out there that actually picked the Clippers. The Spurs have at least had to demonstrate they can play at a high level... I don't feel that is the case for the Heat. they will show up in the Finals and I won't know whether to predict a sweep for the West, or a good series - because I have no idea what the Heat are.
And I'm just pointing out that your observation is wrong. At least the one about there never having been a path this easy- I agree that the playoffs this year have kind of sucked generally.Look at Dallas coming out of the West just last year. A meh Portland team gets them to 2-2 with a couple home wins but then rolls over in Games 5 and 6, neither of which are close. The Lakers are essentially a bye in the conference semis, and then they get a 4 seed coming off a brutal seven game series in the conference finals and smack them around in 5.
Why do people write stuff like this? They lost those games (wasn't one in Miami?) because they were outplayed. The Pacers, who are not as talented a team, played over their heads and deserve great credit for that, which you're not giving them. The Heat weren't "bored"- they played poorly. They made some adjustments, Wade has his knee drained, and they turned things around. But Indiana is a young team which showed they may be a force in the years to come. Miami cannot defeat the Celtics by "showing up." They need to play great defense and consistent offense, both of which they did last night. The Celtics are a fine veteran team: though they aren't healthy, they are still a threat. If Miami defeats them (and I think they will) then Miami deserves credit for that. Winning playoff series in the NBA is never easy. Every team is filled with stars and great talents. There is no way any team can just show up and expect to win.
If this series isn't a sweep I will be shocked. Wade will have to fall asleep on the court again like he did in Indy.If they show up, this series is already over.
Here you go again with right and wrong. You are again looking for a fight..
In my opinion no playoff team in the last 25 years has had an easier road to the Finals. Not even close.Yeah, I definitely have a different opinion. I think last year's Mavs had an easier path- they had pretty much exactly the same as the Heat this year, in fact, except that their semifinal opponent was pretty much the opposite of this year's Pacers as far as a roadblock goes. And from a quality of basketball standpoint, whoever came out of the East in the early years of the last decade definitely had a easier path, because everyone was terrible as compared to the West.Here you go again with right and wrong. You are again looking for a fight..
You clearly have a different opinion, cool by me.
I don't think either is completely finished [though Ray's days as a starter could be after this year], but there's no way Ray Allen should be out there for 39 minutes. Guy is atrocious out right now. Someone needs to see more time -- whether it's Pietrus, Dooling, Daniels, Pavlovic.
It took more than 2 players.Chicago was out Rose and Noah, if Noah had been healthy they're a tough out and likely (with all the other injuries) still playing today.Orlando was out Howard who is easily a top 5 player.Boston is basically out Bradley and Allen, Pierce isn't anywhere near where he was before the knee injury. That's 3 of their top 6 options.Miami is out Bosh.Atlanta was out Horford and had a Josh Smith injury.Indiana had West and Granger injuries by the end of last series.New York was without Lin and Stoudemire was fighting an injury.I think the 8-seed Philly was pretty healthy.That's basically the top 7 teams in the East playing through some big injury issues.
That's like saying Metta World Peace was fighting through some emotional turbulence. At some point it's not a temporary thing, it's who they are. Same goes for Allen/Pierce being banged up. They're old. Bum wheels are what happens to old people who play a lot of basketball. Still an impressive list without those guys, though.
Probably 5 or 6 of those teams at full strength could at least take Miami to 6. I think that list probably involves half the allstars in the East or at least guys you'd expect on the allstar team if healthy (Horford). I think fully healthy the East is deeper than the West. And based on the regular season a healthy Chicago/Miami are probably pretty equal to SA/OKC at the top.
Agree, I hope Boston can make this an entertaining series. They completely outplayed Miami for a quarter but otherwise were dead in the water. If things go right I think they can bring this 6 but I'm not sure they can even force a game 7 at this point. I still don't think Miami has an answer for Rondo or KG if they go off, and even hurt Pierce still shows flashes so I doubt we're going to see a sweep at the least.fair enough.end of the day, all this = effing boring.
I do completely agree on the boring. Other than watching my Bulls series, I have not been really interested in any other series since I knew who would win and the games were not really entertaining. The only three series I will have watched entirely are the Bulls, Western Finals, and NBA Finals.fair enough.
Very little chance of that happening IMO. The most important thing is unselfish star player(s). How many of those are there? What star player doesn't care about his touches? Nash, LeBron, Paul, Durant... ? Think Melo would be happy only getting 10-15 shots a game? Howard? Kobe? Wade? Rose? Johnson?Then you need a team full of good outside shooters which there just aren't that many of. And a lot of the ones who are good shooters, are useless everywhere else (Novak, Korver, Jones, Gordon, Redick, etc.) This iteration of the Spurs reminds me of the past Suns teams with the major difference being that the Spurs have a great post player (Duncan) for when things get bogged down and you need to get a great shot. And of course the Spurs actually play defense. I'd love to see other teams try to follow suit. Haven't enjoyed watching a team play like I do the Spurs since the old Suns teams.
I know everyone loves Durant and points to him as everything good in the NBA. But he's probably not the type of player to point to as a guy who doesn't care about touches. He has been top 4 in FG Attempts the last 3 years and was 7th the year before that missing 10% of the season. Maybe he'd be alright taking less shots, but I'd say a guy on your no list Dwight Howard is a lot more likely to be alright taking less shots than Durant.
I know that I am in isolation here but Derrick Rose would sacrifice his shots in an instant.
Quite possibly. I just don't recall Durant ever complaining about not getting the ball enough... maybe because he gets it enough? And from what I've seen from Durant, he gets a lot of shots in the flow of the game. Not many of his attempts are forced. Howard on the other hand has complained many times that he doesn't get enough touches and his whole charade this year doesn't make me think he'd be happy taking a slightly lesser role.
Rondo? Maybe the best distributor in the game right now. Granted he can be inconsistent, and doesn't shoot so well.I think Denver has the raw material to do something like this as well.
When you say "old Suns teams," are you talking about the Truck Robinson Suns? The Dan Marjerle Suns? The Steve Nash suns from 7 years ago?
But comparing to the Spurs the most shots Howard has ever attempted in his career is 13.4 per game. Tim Duncan has beaten that every single year of his career except for this season and last season. That's playing 10 minutes less per game both years. Tim Duncan's lowest FGA per 36 minutes was during 2010-2011 where he had 14.0, Dwight Howard's highest FGA per 36 in his career was also 2010-2011 where he took 12.8. I think Howard would probably be alright with a Duncan type role offensively.
But Duncan creates more of a open team game with his ability to space the floor from 15 feet and his superior passing ability.
They clearly have different offensive games and Duncan is a much more complete player offensively. That doesn't change the fact that Howard is probably unselfish enough offensively to exist in a San Antonio type system.
Rondo would definitely fit.The Nash Suns. Denver has some pretty bad outside shooting (24th in the league). Their best shooter this season (Affalo) would be slightly above average on the Spurs. And no one on Denver has much of a post game. They do share the ball which is great to watch since they don't have that "star" bogging things down.
Unselfish enough, yes. Skilled enough, maybe not.
I did not realize that Howard took so few shots. I thought he was up around 17-18 per game.
Are you serious? I'm not even sure how to respond to this. I personally think Dwight Howard is every bit the player that Tiago Splitter is. I might be in the minority there, but that's my opinion.
I think that's the key, plus a front office that has the stones to buy into a plan like that. You could eventually find the right mix of players to fit the system - heck it'd probably be easier than trying to find the one or two mega stars you need to have a chance to win a title in the current conventional fashion. But your front office has to be willing to have your team consigned to "unsexy" status, less national attention, ergo less money coming in from T.V. revenues.Tangentially it'd be a strange mix if Sloan took the HC job for the Bobcats. While he did have his share of mega stars in Utah, he's a very team oriented coach who knows how to get the most out of his talent via his system. His owner would be the guy who epitomized, maybe even created hero ball. How long would that arrangement last I wonder?
I am in no way saying Dwight Howard isn't the best big man in the league. Howard is a post up or pick and dive player who kicks it back out. The Spurs do not play an offense where such a player is a focus of the offense. It doesn't mean Howard wouldn't fit in a team oriented system because I agree that he is (too) unselfish. But the Spurs current system was adapted when Duncan became less of an scoring force allowing Parker and Ginobili to be the offensive centerpieces. Replacing Duncan with Howard would result in very different offensive scheme (with credit due to Pop for willingness and foresight to do this).
