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Post by Jean-Ralphio on Apr 22, 2013 12:19:31 GMT -5
Bulls with Rose were the only team that could knock off the Heat.
Rondo on the Celtics MIGHT have, but thats it. I doubt that anyone other than the Bulls would have stopped Miami
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Post by Quanthor on Apr 22, 2013 12:45:07 GMT -5
I never bought into the Bulls as designed. They play tough defense, but their offense stinks. With Rose they were offensively challenged, without him they are offensively inept.
Miami is head and shoulders above every team in the east regardless of who is hurt.
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Jamal
Main Eventer
Joined on: Nov 24, 2005 14:53:44 GMT -5
Posts: 4,877
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Post by Jamal on Apr 22, 2013 15:04:04 GMT -5
Even with Rose, Miami would have play pretty crapty to lose to them.
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Post by the franchise on Apr 22, 2013 15:16:30 GMT -5
I'm a little disappointed everyone just seems to give the Heat the title this year. Unless I can't read all of sudden I'm pretty sure the Heat lost multiple games this year. Anything can happen in the playoffs.
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Post by Quanthor on Apr 22, 2013 16:21:48 GMT -5
I'm a little disappointed everyone just seems to give the Heat the title this year. Unless I can't read all of sudden I'm pretty sure the Heat lost multiple games this year. Anything can happen in the playoffs. I would agree that "anything can happen" if this were the NHL or the MLB where 8th seeded and wild card teams win championships but you just don't see it in the NBA. Honestly I think there's only been a couple of teams seeded lower than 3 that's won a title since the NBA/ABA merger. The teams with the best superstar power win titles. This is why Miami is the easy bet to win it all with OKC right behind them. I've been surprised maybe 3 times in the 25 years of watching NBA. '95 Rockets, '04 Pistons and the '11 Mavericks. The '95 Rockets looked cooked heading into the playoffs and they went on the most magical run of any team ever having to beat the top 3 west seeds on the road as well as in the Finals. If they didn't have the guys who knew what it took to win, they probably get dumped in the 1st round. The Pistons beat a more talented team that lost it's way internally. They had the perfect team of gritty defensive minded players to take advantage them. Lastly the Mavericks. They benefited from the lack of experience of some teams and the injuries of others. They snuck through like a thief in the night while playing consistent team basketball. While they were surprises, in hindsight they make sense. These scenarios don't exist this year.
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Post by Jean-Ralphio on Apr 22, 2013 16:26:05 GMT -5
I think the Heat will make the finals, I cant guarantee them winning it. OKC, San Antonio, or even the Clippers could beat them.
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Post by "Living Legend" Duttanized on Apr 22, 2013 22:18:11 GMT -5
Westbrook and Durant need a championship.
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Post by cordless2016 on Apr 23, 2013 0:01:23 GMT -5
I never bought into the Bulls as designed. They play tough defense, but their offense stinks. With Rose they were offensively challenged, without him they are offensively inept. Miami is head and shoulders above every team in the east regardless of who is hurt. This core for the Bulls has never been healthy together. If they were healthy, there offense would be fine w/ their strong defense. The problem is that since this core got together in 10-11, Rose, Deng, Boozer, and Noah have never all been healthy together. In 10-11, Boozer was struggling w/ the same foot injury Noah has had for the last 3 year so that explained why he was a non factor against the Heat during that series (his scoring could have made a difference). That series came down to the final two minutes every game and the problem was Rose was the only go to scorer. Deng tore up his wrist last year but has improved his all around offensive game despite that. Noah has dealt w/ on again, off again foot issues, and we all know the Rose situation. Despite all of that, Deng has become a more versatile offensive player (can slash and drive to create his own shots rather than just shoot mid range jumpers). Noah's offense has improved 10 fold over the past 2 years, and that's not counting his amazing defense. W/ Jimmy Butler developing a consistent 3 pointer and his rock solid defense like Deng's, this team has a ton of potential if they can finally get healthy next year. Boozer has played great offense for us all year (his defense still sucks hard) and is quicker now that he has shed about 30 pounds since coming here. Him and Rose might finally get a strong pick and pop going like Boozer had w/ D-Will. A healthy Bulls team can give Miami a run. Rondo almost single handedly defeated the Heat in the playoffs last year had it not been for the blown call by the refs in OT in game one. Rondo played all 48 minutes in that game, plus overtime. W/ seconds left Rondo drove the lane and took a shot to the head from Wade that sent his headband flying into the stands (Wade is know to be a dirty player). Obvious foul but no call made and Wade got the ticky tack foul on the other end when he stuck his foot out and kicked Garnett (which should be offensive foul if anything). Those two plays gave the Heat the win yet the Celtics still pushed em to 6 games. Had the refs not blown the call the Celtics had that series (and that was w/out one of the best one on one defenders in the league in Avery Bradley).
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Post by Quanthor on Apr 23, 2013 1:14:28 GMT -5
I never bought into the Bulls as designed. They play tough defense, but their offense stinks. With Rose they were offensively challenged, without him they are offensively inept. Miami is head and shoulders above every team in the east regardless of who is hurt. This core for the Bulls has never been healthy together. If they were healthy, there offense would be fine w/ their strong defense. The problem is that since this core got together in 10-11, Rose, Deng, Boozer, and Noah have never all been healthy together. In 10-11, Boozer was struggling w/ the same foot injury Noah has had for the last 3 year so that explained why he was a non factor against the Heat during that series (his scoring could have made a difference). That series came down to the final two minutes every game and the problem was Rose was the only go to scorer. Deng tore up his wrist last year but has improved his all around offensive game despite that. Noah has dealt w/ on again, off again foot issues, and we all know the Rose situation. Despite all of that, Deng has become a more versatile offensive player (can slash and drive to create his own shots rather than just shoot mid range jumpers). Noah's offense has improved 10 fold over the past 2 years, and that's not counting his amazing defense. W/ Jimmy Butler developing a consistent 3 pointer and his rock solid defense like Deng's, this team has a ton of potential if they can finally get healthy next year. Boozer has played great offense for us all year (his defense still sucks hard) and is quicker now that he has shed about 30 pounds since coming here. Him and Rose might finally get a strong pick and pop going like Boozer had w/ D-Will. A healthy Bulls team can give Miami a run. Not buying it. It's a nice excuse and all but I just don't see how they make up from being a very average or poor offensive team to even a top 10 offensive team. Injuries are prevalent, they're not exclusive to Chicago. Eliminating Boozer's nagging foot injury that season doesn't put them in an elite class offensively. They don't have the tools and they play a very iso power hero ball type game when Rose is on the floor. They have 1 guy who can put the ball on the floor and get his own shot consistently, they need multiple especially if they are going to combat Miami.
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Post by cordless2016 on Apr 23, 2013 17:25:31 GMT -5
Don't see how its an excuse when nobody has said a healthy Boozer would have helped defeat the Heat. Its simply a fact that the Bulls core have never been healthy together, and they still pushed the Heat to the final 2 minutes of each game from the '11 ECF. Had Rose and Boozer ever been healthy together during the past 3 years, they'd have developed the great pick and pop game that Boozer and D-Will ran to perfection in Utah (can't forget Boozer was one of the more productive PFs during his time in Utah). Add the quickly improving shooter Jimmy Butler to that group, and they have a lineup that will be fine on offense.
Thibs defensive scheme is so good that the Bulls don't have to score 90-100 points on a nightly basis. The team is designed to hold opponents to under 90 points a game, and w/ a healthy Rose and Boozer leading the scoring w/ Deng, Noah, Butler, and Gibson each capable of putting in buckets, and this is a dangerous team. Hopefully next year we finally can see this team at full strength.
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Post by Jean-Ralphio on Apr 23, 2013 19:41:02 GMT -5
I never root for anything to do with the Heat, but when they play the Knicks I am gonna be such a Heat fan
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Post by LA Times on Apr 23, 2013 19:49:09 GMT -5
I never root for anything to do with the Heat, but when they play the Knicks I am gonna be such a Heat fan I want the Lakers and Knicks eliminated ASAP, even if it means supporting Miami
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Post by Jean-Ralphio on Apr 23, 2013 20:12:54 GMT -5
Seriously, Carmelo gets just as many calls as Lebron and he is even more out of control than Lebron
HE SUCKS
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Post by cordless2016 on Apr 23, 2013 22:39:37 GMT -5
Seriously, Carmelo gets just as many calls as Lebron and he is even more out of control than Lebron HE SUCKS Never been a Melo fan. The guy is a great scorer but look at how many shots he takes. He has never given an effort on the defensive end, and for his size he could be a better rebounder. There is a reason he has only made it out of the first round of the playoffs once in his career (this year would only be the second if it happens). Agreed. Also can throw in the '94 Rockets with those. That team had Hakeem and that's it. Him and a bunch of role players. Showed just how great he was to drag that team by himself. Very similar to the '11 Mavericks when Dirk dragged em to the title. Dirk's supporting cast wasn't much better, as he had a past his prime Kidd, a sixth man in Terry, a solid player in Marion, and a great defender but terrible offensive player in Chandler. The '04 Pistons were simply a great team that played team ball, something that we sadly don't see much in today's game. They gelled perfectly and took apart the Lakers who had brought in Payton and Malone to team w/ Shaq and Kobe that year. Its sad we don't see more underdog teams win the title, and a big reason has to do w/ David Stern and his love for the bigger markets. It can't be a coincidence that 3 teams own the majority of NBA Titles (Boston, LA, Chicago). San Antonio is the on exception to this, but Stern has never been a fan of em. The fine he gave em for resting players against the Heat earlier this year is just one of the many shots hes taken at them.
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Post by T R W on Apr 24, 2013 8:51:35 GMT -5
The 94-95 Rockets weren't filled with a bunch of journeymen and role players. They had good quality players. Sure they weren't a big three, or superstars, but they had some good players surrounding arguably the best big man in NBA history in his prime. Robert Horry, Vernon Maxwell, Kenny Smith, Sam Cassell, Otis Thorpe, and Mario Elie were all quality players. Replace Thorpe with Smith the next year, and they were better. Granted their record didn't reflect it, and it took a while for them to gel. But Drexler was playing out of his mind trying to get a championship that year. I'm not saying the Rockets were stacked, but they had lots of good players around a great one, much like the Spurs have done.
What kills me, was as a huge Barkley fan, was watching the Rockets deny him a championship twice during his best chance to get one while Jordan was MIA.
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Post by cordless2016 on Apr 24, 2013 10:50:40 GMT -5
I'll give you Thorpe as a solid teammate. Averaged 14 and 10 that year while starting every game, but he is was not a dominant player who could lead teams through the season. Solid role player behind Hakeem.
Robert Horry was a sophmore who definatly benefitted from playing next to Hakeem. Horry was a decent player at the time, but wouldn't be know as the hard nosed player he became later in LA and San Antonio. Same for Cassell, who was a rookie that year. Mawell was a decent scorer, but again, playing behind Hakeem someone was going to benefit from the open looks.
The '93-94 Rockets were built w/ one superstar and solid role players behind that star. Not saying they were scrubs or anything but going into the season most people were looking at teams like the Bulls (even w/out Jordan), the Knicks, Utah, and Phoenix to win the title. Hakeem was simply a freak of nature whos averages that year of 27 pnts, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game dragged the team to the title. Going into the Finals, most analysts pegged the Knicks w/ their verteran group and amazing defensive scheme to stop Houston.
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Post by Quanthor on Apr 24, 2013 15:11:39 GMT -5
The Knicks are pretty unlikable and honestly not that good either. A few weeks ago I thought Boston could take them and that's with being undermanned, poor on the road and a awful rebounding team. That's how little I think of the Knicks. However since then, the Knicks started to get hot and Boston looked like they ran out of gas. I'd love to for the Celtics to beat them, but honestly this one appears like it might not go more than 5.
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Post by Jean-Ralphio on Apr 24, 2013 21:24:55 GMT -5
The Knicks are pretty unlikable and honestly not that good either. A few weeks ago I thought Boston could take them and that's with being undermanned, poor on the road and a awful rebounding team. That's how little I think of the Knicks. However since then, the Knicks started to get hot and Boston looked like they ran out of gas. I'd love to for the Celtics to beat them, but honestly this one appears like it might not go more than 5. Bingo. I wanted the Knicks before the Knicks got super hot the Celtics started getting old/hurt/downright awful. KG is so out of rhythm right now its not even funny. That is the downside of resting him all those games. I think it goes 5 unfortunately, maybe 6 just because the NBA wants to make me spend money
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Post by cordless2016 on Apr 25, 2013 13:56:23 GMT -5
Boston always comes out at home so the series is defiantly not over. But unfortunately I think they lack consistent scoring to defeat the Knicks at this point. Similar to the Grizzlies. Both great defensive teams but their offenses are seriously lack and stagnant at the moment.
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Jamal
Main Eventer
Joined on: Nov 24, 2005 14:53:44 GMT -5
Posts: 4,877
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Post by Jamal on Apr 25, 2013 23:17:52 GMT -5
The Grizz would this Knicks team up.
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