2013-14 NBA thread v. Adam Silver Lays the Pipe on Donald Sterling ©2014antigoon

[KevShmev]

Exactly.  They can "hang around" and eventually overtake a mentally soft team like the Pacers, but if they have slow starts against the Spurs, they'll get blown off the court in the first half.  But I think they know that and will come in mentally ready to go from the start.

[ReaPsTA]

Apparently now Joerger wants to stay with the Grizz and Pera isn't giving him to the Wolves.

wat?

[black_biff_stadler]

He couldn't bear the thought of leaving them.

[ReaPsTA]

[ReaPsTA]

Spurs have work to do.

[black_biff_stadler]

Looks like the Thunder are Ibaka in the saddle again.

[ReaPsTA]

That one was okay, but I can't post a clap.  Sorry.

[black_biff_stadler]

No biggie. Just couldn't not post it.

[ReaPsTA]

I think (a) the doctors did a really bad job dianosing Ibaka, (b) him being out for the season was bullshit, or (c) he used PEDs to come back.

[Azyiu]

In game 1 & 2 starters not named Durant and Westbrook scored 9 pts. In game 3 those starters scored 34pts. Some adjustments needed for the Spurs. Or, was it just a must win situation at home that, brought the (one game only) best out of the Thunder? One thing is for sure, Ibaka is playing or not, the Spurs cannot allow guys like Reggie Jackson to score like he is an all-star!

[ReaPsTA]

Brooks deserves a lot of credit for the rotation he used last night.  Starting Jackson was great, and he cut Sefolosha completely.

I think a lot of what happened last night was just the intensity of the Thunder's energy.  But still, with Ibaka, the Thunder can play the kind of defense they need to play, and the offense really opens up.

Spurs should still win the series, but they need to make the right adjustments.

[Syzzle]

https://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/05/26/report-robert-pera-orchestrated-one-on-one-game-with-tony-allen-wanted-to-fire-dave-joerger-when-it-fell-through/

Seriously who is this guy and why is he allowed to own any basketball team?

[TheOutlawXanadu]

The Pacers didn't lose tonight because of the officiating, but if I'm Frank Vogel, I'm still getting a fine tonight. 27 fouls for Indiana versus 17 for the Heat. There were a lot of missed calls.

[KevShmev]

I didn't see much of the game, only the last four or five minutes, but that offensive foul on Stephenson when he would have cut it 9 was pretty bad.  It likely wouldn't have mattered, but it's typical NBA officiating.

[ReaPsTA]

PG says they outplayed the Heat.

What a joke.

It doesn't really matter, but I'm rooting for the Heat this series.  Fuck that Pacers team.

[black_biff_stadler]

Regardless of whom they've played, the Heat seem to be the most underrated team to ever have this good of a record one game from clinching a finals appearance. They definitely have appeared lackadaisical at times but there simply is no way a team in any modern season in NBA history can go 11-2 without being inarguably elite.

[Syzzle]

I miss the Celtics at least they put up a fight against Miami.

[Azyiu]

Vogel had his chances. If I were Bird, I would so fire Vogel immediately, come down and coach the team myself for Game 5 and hopefully beyond. He has nothing to lose. 

[ReaPsTA]

Video of PG saying the Pacers were better, and Wade/LeBron responding.

This is the only time I've ever sympathized with LeBron.  When the reporter tells him and Wade what PG said, the WTF? look on his face borders on genuine.  After Wade's done talking, he says "Well, we did only have five turnovers, and we scored 20 points off their turnovers.  I don't think that had anything to do with the free throw line."

This Pacers team is so unlikable I'm rooting for the Heat.

[Azyiu]

Video of PG saying the Pacers were better, and Wade/LeBron responding.

This is the only time I've ever sympathized with LeBron.  When the reporter tells him and Wade what PG said, the WTF? look on his face borders on genuine.  After Wade's done talking, he says "Well, we did only have five turnovers, and we scored 20 points off their turnovers.  I don't think that had anything to do with the free throw line."

This Pacers team is so unlikable I'm rooting for the Heat.

In some ways I actually feel the same way, and typically I root against the Heat! 

[KevShmev]

How about stupid ass Lance Stephenson dogging LeBron to the media for trash talking him, saying it was weak?  I guess Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, two of the biggest trash talkers ever, were weak, too, eh?   And it is never smart to give a guy like LeBron more ammo to want to stick it to you. 

[ReaPsTA]

How about stupid ass Lance Stephenson dogging LeBron to the media for trash talking him, saying it was weak?  I guess Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, two of the biggest trash talkers ever, were weak, too, eh?   And it is never smart to give a guy like LeBron more ammo to want to stick it to you.

I found that baffling.  When LeBron's doing well, he's usually more relaxed and talking.  When LeBron's not doing well, he's tighter and not really talking.

[Syzzle]

So Lance trash talking LeBron isn't weak, but LeBron talking back is weak? I can understand PG's comments because he  clearly suffered brain damage from his concussion, but Lance is just an idiot.

Paul George: "Lance is young. That's a teaching point... Sometimes, you've just got to watch what you say."

 

[ReaPsTA]

Fuck Paul George.

You get a woman pregnant, offer her a million dollars to have an abortion, she refuses for the child support money.  Deny it in public like an idiot.

Get catfished by a man.  "Oh no, that was no man."

Get killed by your rivals in the ECF, "Oh, we outplayed them.  They just won at the free throw line."

I hate to mix up my opinions of athletes' personal and professional lives.  It's an open secret that KG's had a mistress for a long time.  That doesn't change the insane amount of work and sacrifice he puts into basketball.  It doesn't mean he's a good person, but it does mean you can respect him as an athlete.

Paul George is totally unlikable because it's the same thing over and over.  Whenever he fucks up, it's somehow not his fault.  Yet he wants you to know how awesome he is.  You can't have it both ways.  If you want to talk about how awesome you are, you better produce.  If you have an injury or something and want to say it's hurting your game, by all means.  But be humble about it.

PG's just being an ass.  And a really irresponsible one at that.

[KevShmev]

It's gotta make Bird sick to see how mentally soft this Pacers team is, considering no one was more mentally tough than Larry Bird.

And because Bird was such an awesome trash talker, here are some awesome stories about that:

When the Indiana Pacers put rookie George McCloud on Bird in the closing minutes of a game, Bird yelled over to the Pacers bench, "Hey, I know you guys are desperate, but can't you find someone who at least has prayer?" (I nearly choked on my lunch a bit ago, cause I made the mistake of reading this one while chewing my food, and I couldn't stop laughing.  )

After Craig Hodges won the NBA All-Star Game Three-Point contest in Bird's absence, Hodges was asked if the victory was tainted because Bird hadn't participated. "He knows where he can find me," was Hodges retort. Told of Hodges' challenge, Bird replied, "Yeah, at the end of the Bulls' bench."

On a West Coast trip in 1986, Bird told the entire Dallas Mavericks bench that after the time out, Ainge would inbounds the pass to DJ, who would hit Bird in the corner where Bird would step back and take a three. "So you got that?" Bird queried the bench. "I'm gonna stand right here. I'm not going to move. They'll pass me the ball, and the next sound you here will be the ball hitting the bottom of the net." And that's exactly what happened. Bird winked at the Maverick before heading back down to the other end of the court.

[Nekov]

 

I didn't know he had that attitude.

[ReaPsTA]

I'm just going to copy and paste this:

The Miami Heat had 27 drives to the basket for 33 points in Game 4, according to SportVU data.

The Indiana Pacers, however, had just 11 drives for 10 points.

LeBron James had 10 drives compared to zero for Paul George.

George said following the game that the Pacers attacked the basket as much as the Heat.

"You can't tell me we don't attack the basket as much as they attack the basket."

Obviously you're going to get more fouls.

[Syzzle]

Damn those ref's favoring Miami. (Damn at the Spurs though )

[King Postwhore]

It's gotta make Bird sick to see how mentally soft this Pacers team is, considering no one was more mentally tough than Larry Bird.

And because Bird was such an awesome trash talker, here are some awesome stories about that:

When the Indiana Pacers put rookie George McCloud on Bird in the closing minutes of a game, Bird yelled over to the Pacers bench, "Hey, I know you guys are desperate, but can't you find someone who at least has prayer?" (I nearly choked on my lunch a bit ago, cause I made the mistake of reading this one while chewing my food, and I couldn't stop laughing.  )

After Craig Hodges won the NBA All-Star Game Three-Point contest in Bird's absence, Hodges was asked if the victory was tainted because Bird hadn't participated. "He knows where he can find me," was Hodges retort. Told of Hodges' challenge, Bird replied, "Yeah, at the end of the Bulls' bench."

On a West Coast trip in 1986, Bird told the entire Dallas Mavericks bench that after the time out, Ainge would inbounds the pass to DJ, who would hit Bird in the corner where Bird would step back and take a three. "So you got that?" Bird queried the bench. "I'm gonna stand right here. I'm not going to move. They'll pass me the ball, and the next sound you here will be the ball hitting the bottom of the net." And that's exactly what happened. Bird winked at the Maverick before heading back down to the other end of the court.

Oh god those stories and a thousand more we legendary here in Boston.  He never stopped talking and backed it up all the time.

[KevShmev]

For sure. I am not always a fan of trash talking, but I love reading about Bird's!

Also, the Spurs should thank their lucky stars that Ibaka missed Games 1 and 2, otherwise they could have been swept.  It's amazing what a difference he makes.

[ReaPsTA]

He's only paid 12 million per year too.

[senecadawg2]

I'm still cautiously optimistic that the Spurs will take care of business at home and win this series, but I hope the extra time for rest and preparation doesn't give the Heat an advantage in the finals. I'm not sure how much that actually matters- sure people like to talk about it, but I haven't seen any hard evidence on such an advantage- but it would be nice to see the Pacers at least push a game 6. Doesn't look too likely, though, after the last game 

[ReaPsTA]

I'm not thinking about a Spurs Heat finals anymore.  Spurs have real work to do.

EDIT:  Look at it this way.  Thunder aren't smarter than the Spurs, but if they're smart enough to help aggressively on defense and run even a little bit of an offense, it's enough to leverage their athleticism and decisively win games.  The Spurs have never found a solution for the Thunder, which is problematic because they desperately need one now.

[KevShmev]

Question: I think it's more than reasonable to consider the 10 best NBA players ever at this juncture to be:

Jordan
Kareem
Bird
Magic
Wilt
Russell
Duncan
LeBron
Shaq
Bryant

I am not sure who else would be in there or who you would take out.

But in what order would you put them, right now?  I say "right now" because, barring an injury that slows him down, James is likely to end up in the top 3, but I don't think you can put him there yet.  My order would probably be about the order I listed them in, although I am sure I could tweak it a bit.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I would substitute Hakeem for Bryant and say:

1. Jordan
2. Kareem
3. Russell
---
4. Magic
5. Bird
6. Wilt
---
7. Shaq
8. Duncan
9. LeBron
10. Hakeem

Or something. If the Heat win this year, LeBron goes up to #5.