The 2014 NBA Finals Thread (Spurs vs Heat)

[daytripper]

7.0 overnight rating for USA-Ghana on ESPN; 6.8 for the NBA Finals Game 5 on ABC #usmnt #worldcup

NBA ratings up over last year though.

 

[Dr. Claw]

The endless Lebron and Jordan comparison needs to stop.

Apples and oranges.

Pretty much. It's like people got bored with the Kobe comparisons (which I thought were dumb at the time), so they moved on to the next best thing. (To be fair, they ... well, Laker fans did the same with Kobe)

I don't care what is shown. I watched him live. I hate the mother fucker for what he did to the Cavs year after year. And I would watch those Finals rooting for the Lakers and Blazers and Suns and Sonics and Jazz. And I would just shake my head in awe.

Where was the incredible champion before 1991? That's what made him the champion he was. He couldn't get by the Pistons. They beat the shit out of him. His answer wasn't to team up with Barkley and Hakeem in South Beach. It was to get stronger and work even harder and get even better. Once he got by the Pistons the rest of the league had no chance. If he takes it easy and joins a super team, he wouldn't be the Jordan everyone knows now.

Best post, perhaps in the history of RCF.

I hate Michael "Cheese Eyes" Jordan to this day (and at the height of the Bulls, more than the cult of LeBum). Laugh every time I see him out there with those yellow eyes, starched Girbauds, designer curtains converted into a button-up shirt, smoking cigars looking like a bootleg version of Harvey Weewax from the Cosby Show. I rooted for every team that faced the Bulls against the Bulls. But tape don't lie... those Bulls were the greatest championship teams of a generation, maybe of all time. And they had some BUMS once you got out of the starting 5. Forgettable ones.

FOH with a "Nike-driven Jordan is God" mentality. I haven't worn Jordans since I was a 7th grader. Switched to David Robinsons and didn't look back. If there was ever a "Nike-driven (Player) Is God" mentality... it exists today for LeBron, and has existed in the past for everyone SINCE Jordan.

The funniest thing about LeBronies is that they have turned me into a Michael Jordan DEFENDER, of all things.

 

[czvo]

Can we stop with the "Wade is garbage" cop-out? The guy was playing some of his best basketball of the season in these playoffs (just finished 20-5-4 against Indy shooting 55/46/85). Maybe he got a little worn down, but the Spurs played excellent defense on him. Bosh was coming off three great games to finish that Indy series as well. These guys were playing at an extremely high level coming into the finals. So no, he wasn't "flanked by one of the worst supporting casts a title team's best player has had." They're damn good, and had been playing good basketball. The Spurs just shut them down.

Stop taking credit away from San Antonio by blaming LeBron's supporting cast for not coming through. There is a reason those guys didn't come through, and it was the team standing across from them.

 

[Scholar]

Can we stop with the "Wade is garbage" cop-out? The guy was playing some of his best basketball of the season in these playoffs (just finished 20-5-4 against Indy shooting 55/46/85). Maybe he got a little worn down, but the Spurs played excellent defense on him. Bosh was coming off three great games to finish that Indy series as well. These guys were playing at an extremely high level coming into the finals. So no, he wasn't "flanked by one of the worst supporting casts a title team's best player has had." They're damn good, and had been playing good basketball. The Spurs just shut them down.

Stop taking credit away from San Antonio by blaming LeBron's supporting cast for not coming through. There is a reason those guys didn't come through, and it was the team standing across from them.

I think you are focusing too much on the offensive side of the ball. The Heat played pretty weak defense throughout the playoffs. Giving up 50+% from the field shows issues. Yep, Wade got his. But, was largely non existent on the defensive end. People pointing out the Dwayne's game has slipped are not without some merit.

 

[czvo]

I'm not forgetting his defense. It was atrocious, particularly during the finals. But the catch with Wade is that he's never really been a great defender. He would get steals and blocks, but from a purely fundamental perspective, he's always been pretty bad. He's prone to ball-watching, slow closeouts, and he's always been lazy getting back. The difference is he no longer has the quickness to make up for his bad habits.

His game has slipped, sure, but the Spurs should be given most of the credit for his poor performance.

 

[billmac91]

I'd hate to be that guy, but this was prob my best post on this board(posted mid April). You could really see the freight train coming in the lead-up to the finals.

I still think as bad as the EC was this year, people still underestimate just how bad. Like awful. And it left Miami vulnerable in the Finals. Miami steamrolled through a terrible eastern conference while playing really mediocre/bad basketball and if you watched the games it was pretty evident.

I also had a feeling, and thankfully I was right because one poster called me out on it, that Wade would crash back to earth. He played out of his mind this year, and largely because his mid- range jump shot was butter. But that's a shot you live with defensively in today's NBA and the Spurs dared him to take it Game 3 forward. Dwayne just wasn't himself when San Antonio gave him 6 feet of space.

And obviously Patty Mills. Guy has been an absolute stud off the bench this year, and yet non one talked about him before the finals. If you had to point to one area where the Spurs improved the most in 2014 it would undoubtedly be back- up PG which was their most glaring weakness in 2013. Patty Mills was the difference in this series, IMO. He kept Parker fresh and gave Chalmers/Cole fits when he was in.

That finals was amazing. Just a joy to watch if you're into team basketball.

http://realcavsfans.com/showthread.php?44024-2014-NBA-Playoffs-Thread&p=1846000&highlight=#post1846000

I'm not sure a Heat/Spurs series goes past 5 games this year. Maybe 6. The Heat just don't look very good this year and their play is flat ugly. It's been effective in the Eastern Playoffs, but the shot selection, offensive flow, and overall pace has been rugged (in a bad way). Losing Mike Miller has hurt, Battier just isn't the same guy in multiple facets, Udonis Haslam is a corpse, and Birdman isn't setting the world on fire like last year. Wade played out of his mind last night and the Nets still hadthem dead to rights if they don't choke. Ray Allen was huge in that series and LeBron carried them as normal, but this is a deeply flawed team. I'd go as far as saying the Heat team that lost in the Finals to the Mavericks was significantly better than this years team.

All that being said, I'm not sure OKC has the right offensive philosophy and overall team game to beat a tough-minded Heat squad. The Spurs will light their asses up with added motivation from last year. Not too mention, the bench of San Antonio is just a monster this year vs. last year where the Heats bench got significantly worse. Patty Mills could start in a lot of places and is great offensive firepower from a back-up PG and keep in mind, the Spurs backup PG last year was essentially Manu because they didn't trust Cory Joesph all that much. Every time Joseph came in the game the Spurs offense went directly into the shitter. Patty Mills at times outplays Parker which sounds crazy, but Pop lets Patty run the show for extended minutes if he's got a hot hand and operating effectively. It's almost humorous watching Parker on the bench soak up extra rest time when Patty is feeling it. Hopefully the tight hamstring is feeling good enough in the next week to not jeopardize the rest of his playoffs. But Manu being healthy is a night and day difference as well. Obviously, if Manu isn't a skeleton of himself last year, that series is over in 6 anyways. Just disappointing Manu wasn't able to work himself back into basketball shape by the finals last year. He's been outstanding this year and had a good playoffs. Obviously, the versatility Diaw brings has been amazing. Guy is like a point-power forward and keeps the ball moving in rhythm so effectively. It's like he was designed specifically for the Spurs offense. He's really grown this year with additional minutes and more time in the system. And then you can't forget the upgrade of Belenelli for Gary Neal. Neal was a nice piece but unfortunately very limited as a 6'1" 2G trying to chase Ray Allen around. Belenelli really benefitted from his years in Chicago and provides significantly better perimeter defense and contest ability being 6'7". And their shooting is largely a wash but slight favor in Belenelli's favor.

I think the amazing thing about this years Spurs team is how much better they are than last year even with increased age from Duncan, Manu, and Diaw. But then you look at the fact that these guys rarely play over 30 mins a game, and now guys like Diaw and Mills are fully indoctrinated into the system and some of the holes they had last year have become absolute strengths. Kawhi has continued to improve and Thiago Splitter went from a 7'1" stiff to a guy who is actually moving well without the ball and has become a defensive stopper. I would not have trusted Splitter on Bosh last year but think that match-up favors the Spurs this year after watching Splitter give Dirk all he can handle in the first series. Splitter moves his feet well and was able to contest out to the three point line.

Anyways, I'm gonna be pulling hard for San Antonio against the LAC/OKC winner. In a weird way I think both LAC and OKC would have a better chance of beating the Spurs because of their athleticism than Miami. At the same time, I don't trust or think OKC or LAC would be mentally tough enough to knock off Miami. The way the Spurs have operated this year though, I think they steamroll Miami. Miami has been able to feast on poor offensive teams that are liable to go 3 to 5 minutes without a field goal and they explode for huge runs on them. That just doesn't happen against San Antonio because they execute too well. And unless LeBron can average 45 minutes a game against the Spurs, when he's off the court, I don't it will be pretty for Miami at all. The bench advantage for the Spurs is just enormous.

 

[Tornicade]

I'm not forgetting his defense. It was atrocious, particularly during the finals. But the catch with Wade is that he's never really been a great defender. He would get steals and blocks, but from a purely fundamental perspective, he's always been pretty bad. He's prone to ball-watching, slow closeouts, and he's always been lazy getting back. The difference is he no longer has the quickness to make up for his bad habits.

His game has slipped, sure, but the Spurs should be given most of the credit for his poor performance.

uh Dwade was instrumental on the defensive end and his defense was a key part to both of Miami's Championship.

Defensively though Wade is a high stakes gambler. playing off his man he can close the gap quikly and reovers very fast. howver losing a step has majorly impacted this aspect of his game. he will have to adjust his defensive style.

I would also classify Wade as a clutch defender

 

[czvo]

uh Dwade was instrumental on the defensive end and his defense was a key part to both of Miami's Championship.

Defensively though Wade is a high stakes gambler. playing off his man he can close the gap quikly and reovers very fast. howver losing a step has majorly impacted this aspect of his game. he will have to adjust his defensive style.

I would also classify Wade as a clutch defender

What you refer to as gambling, I call poor fundamentals. We are literally saying the same thing here.

 

[3 Da Hard Way]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>LMAOOO <a href="http://t.co/ya7HEHZFMb">http://t.co/ya7HEHZFMb</a></p>&mdash; Sarabi (@Trisity_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trisity_/statuses/479410313339482112">June 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[Redzone]

NBA ratings up over last year though.

Because, as was the case last year, whenever the Spurs won, ratings went up the next game; when the Heat won, ratings went down the next game. Viewers wanted to see the Heat lose. The Spurs winning three in a row caused ratings to increase from last year.

 

[Redzone]

I never saw in game 6 LeBron's leadership in getting his players involved more once the Spurs made their runs. It seemed like LeBron just accepted inevitable defeat. I know he played well, but I don't think he played great, like he did at times when he took over while with the Cavs, i.e, the Pistons game four. I didn't see the fire, any killer instinct. Remember how he would get his Cavs' teamates involved, sometimes chastizing them, i.e., telling Drew Gooden to go strong? He also left at the six minute mark and never returned.

Game six, elimination game, and the best player in the game is on the bench with six minutes to go?

Anyone else think this was all odd for him?

 

[theSTEREO.]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>LMAOOO <a href="http://t.co/ya7HEHZFMb">http://t.co/ya7HEHZFMb</a></p>— Sarabi (@Trisity_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trisity_/statuses/479410313339482112">June 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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:rofl:

Favorite x1000

 

[Soar]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>LMAOOO <a href="http://t.co/ya7HEHZFMb">http://t.co/ya7HEHZFMb</a></p>— Sarabi (@Trisity_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trisity_/statuses/479410313339482112">June 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Epic :chuckles:

 

[Dr. Claw]

LOL. Popovich adds more icing to the cake.

Even funnier is watching the LeBrony contingent argue with the Jordanians about who's better... and watching the former get super mad when others bring in Magic, etc. to the discussion. It'd be sweeter if the Heat were ringless but this is absolute comedy right now.

 

[ssopata]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>LMAOOO <a href="http://t.co/ya7HEHZFMb">http://t.co/ya7HEHZFMb</a></p>— Sarabi (@Trisity_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trisity_/statuses/479410313339482112">June 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Pop needs his psycho beard to take this over the top