NBA Basketball 2011-2012 Season

[Urbaninstitution]

Let's not get overexcited about the spurs winning the west.. They just swept a team that for all intensive purposes that Just isn't very good. They are still young, and are just scratching the surface of viable west teams. With three young athletic explosive scorers, two excellent defensive bigmen and solid bench players.. I can't see them getting past OKC.. And not sure how you can say Parker is playing like the best pg, when cp3 is basically single handedly winning games for the clips..

[laughed]

^Tony parker can't win games for the spurs the way that the cp3 wins them for the spurs - because he's not even playing in the 4th quarter!
The game is over by then! cp3 is lucky to even have his team in the game at that point. speaking of cp3, i thought the spurs were bad with flopping, but cp3 and blake griffin are making fools of themselves out there.
ha!
while all of america has jumped on okcs bandwagon, i'm not buying it..I think it is okc who are still young, and frankly, while every talking head has okc going to the finals, the fact is young teams don't win championships. look at the last 20 years or so - not one team has been young. the only veteran they have is derek fisher and that doesn't exactly qualify as veteran leadership. this is what killed them last year against the mavs.
saying the spurs sweep of the jazz wasn't impressive isn't fair. they absolutely dominated them...every game they were up by at least 30 points, game 3 they were up by 37. this is a playoff jazz team with professional players. thunder barely even beat the mavs in two games - coming down to the final seconds - when they should have dominated - not even close to being impressive. number 7 seed for crying out loud. even if you dismiss the spurs absolute undressing of the jazz, you can't dismiss the fact that they have the best coach in the league, and last time i checked they had the best record in the entire NBA all year long. the only person okc has coming off their bench is harden. this is what will doom both okc and heat - weak benches.
jefferson of the jazz said that when the spurs second unit comes in, it's like playing their first unit and it's demoralizing.
Coach Pop vs Coach Breckin Meyer, hmmm, let's see here....i'll take Pop!

[Urbaninstitution]

I will agree they have the best coach hands down, pop is a bbal genius. but unfortunately the coaches don't play the games.. And didn't the spurs have the best record in the west last year? Didnt even make it out of the first round..The bulls had the best record in the reg season last yr n didn't even win the east. I'll leave it up to the players to decide championships, if it were only the coaches the spurs would have won way more trophies. I would take "the field" over the spurs in the playoffs any day, and if there is any sport that puts less on reg season wins I haven't seen it..

[laughed]

No, coaches don't play but they are a huge part of the outcome. Scottie Brooks was outcoached against the Mavs last year, as was Spoelstra.

I agree with you, regular season doesn't matter. I never said that the team with the best record is the best team. I never said last year's Spurs team or Bull's team was the best because they had the best record. On the contrary, I never had the Spurs getting out of the first round and frankly, I think Derrick Rose is one of the most overrated players in the game, bulls will never get passed this Heat team. I picked the Mavs to win at the beginning of the year and we all know how that ended. With that being said - Spurs got beat by a strong Memphis team that took your OKC team to 7 games, and Ginobli was never really healthy, so i wouldn't act like they were small fries - Memphis was a few shots away from going to the Western Conference finals.

This year - the Spurs have the best record but on top of that - they are playing like the best team. I'm not saying they are the best team because they have the best record but because it's obvious from what they are doing to the other teams they are playing. They are playing better than they ever were last year. They have acquired more pieces, so they are a different team. Completely different than last year or any other year for that matter. This could be the best bench in the history of the NBA (yes, I'm going there).
Spurs have lost 2 or 3 games in their past 30 games or so -
blowing out the Lakers by 30 twice, they destroyed okc by 20 in okc, annihilated the jazz, amongst other victims. (up by this number at one point, final score not story of game, pulling starters, etc.)

Look, I'm not a huge Spurs fan, I'm a Mavs fan. At this point I could care less who wins just as long as the referees don't ruin games, which is what I am seeing in the Knicks, Heat series. Yes, the Knicks suck, but the Heat get the most ridiculous calls I've ever seen in my life.

I also HATE the Heat. I Hate them with a passion. So as long as the Heat lose I'm fine.
If OKC gets passed the Lakers, and then the Spurs, you better believe I'll be the biggest OKC fan in the world.
Also, I'll always be a Durant fan being that he played for Texas.
We know Spurs are going to the Western Conference finals. There's no way clips or griz beat them.
But the jury is still out on whether OKC will get by L.A.

[zamb]

I don't have time to get into it all now,

but the Spurs have been the best team in basketball this year. all the talk and everything there is only one thing that makes me doubt the Spurs and a die hards spurs fan. Tim Duncan is no longer the great player he once was........Duncan on top of his game is head and shoulders above every one else including all the hyped up players regarded as the best in the league.......for the last three or four years he is pom the decline.however, the Spurs have never had a team this deep, this good. the tSpurs last year were a completely different team from this year, jefferson was a joke last year, Kawhi Leonard has been great as a rookie with his energy, defense and slashing to the basket, a complete upgrade over Richard Jefferson. Getting Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw was very huge, as the Spurs have two of the best passing bigs in Duncan and Diaw.

I will say more later.............

[laughed]

i can't agree more. jefferson was an absolute joke. i guess people forget how good stephen jackson is...he was the captain on the 2006/07 Golden State team that blew the doors of the #1 seed Mavs and was a dominate player in that series, like nothing I have ever seen before..(along with Baron Davis of course who played out of his mind)....
He was also the top player in the mcdonald's game (and kobe was on his team) - in other words - HE CAN BALL.
He would be a starter on any other team, easily...when you have Stephen Jackson AND Manu Ginobili coming off the bench - good lord.
and Gary Neal is no slouch. This team literally has 2 starting fives.
You just can't compete with that. The funny thing is, I would say half of the Spurs losses came only because Pop was resting his starters for either the entire game or pretty much the entire game. They're not 96 bulls good but man, they're REAL GOOD. And yes, Kawhi Leonard was the steal of last year's draft. Was easily top 5 best players in college basketball the previous year, just didn't play for an elite program. (though san diego state is on the rise)

One thing I love about the Spurs is their attitude on the court. They really don't flop anymore, but they don't ever complain about calls. When someone does start complaining, another player will come over and tell the player to knock it off in a sort of authoritative way.
There's no hot dogging and show boating - they go out and take care of business. To see them run their offense is a work of beauty and although teams like the Heat and Thunder get all the credit - the Spurs can run a fast break like it's nobody's business.
When I talk about coaching, you can really see that the team is a product of Pop. No other team in the league has their coaches stamp on them like Pop does the Spurs. It's beautiful.

[Urbaninstitution]

Im not sure how they have two starting fives, 2nd team maybe better than the bobcats but most college teams are.. We wont find out how good the Spurs are until they play legit competition. And to even bring up the 96 bulls in this argument is ridiculous.. NOT EVEN CLOSE...

[Urbaninstitution]

And if Stephen Jackson and overweight Boris Diaw are your "star bench players" you got problems.. these two are avg at best

[zamb]

And if Stephen Jackson and overweight Boris Diaw are your "star bench players" you got problems.. these two are avg at best

I think you are completely missing the point. there is a complete difference in human being, being in a situation where there is a real opportunity to accomplish something, as opposed to one thats going nowhere.
Diaw at times might be a defensive sieve, but he is without question one of the best passing post players in the league, something that works very well in a system that thrives on balance scoring. being on a bobcats team going nowhere, is different from being on a team with a great coach and a legitimate chance to win an NBA championship, with potentially a fat payday as he is a free agent at the end of the season.

As it pertains to stephen Jackson, he might be a hothead but there are few players who play with more fire, toughness and desire to win than stephen Jackson........he will be a valuable tool to at least slow Lebron James or make him work defensively if the Spurs meet the Heat in the Finals, watch him against Kobe or Kevin Durant, whichever they meet in the conference finals, I say conference finals because I don't see either the Clippers or the Grizzlies having a chance against this spurs outfit.

You are also forgetting that depending on who starts at Center for the Spurs, you got Splitter and Blair coming off the bench to play with Duncan, between Diaw and these two there is no Dropoff at the Center position, but a sustained effort with three different looks, as Blair is an excellent rebounder and scorer who though being undersized, is strong enough to guard most centers or PF and is a nightmare to defense as he is quicker and more agile than most centers in the league.

I don't buy OKC, in part because as I have said before and say again. its bigs that win championship, not guards , but forwards and centers. As good as Russel Westbrook and James Harden are they cannot lead you to a championship. Durant is 6"10 but he plays like a guard and not a forward. Perkins, Ibaka and Nazr Mohammed is not enough as far as I am concerned to take you past the lakers, then the Spurs and then Miami. the route for OKC is just too much

[Urbaninstitution]

But bigs dont win championships anymore.. And Talking about 6 ' 10 players playing like guards, look no further Than dirk.. The day diaw gets a fat payday is about as likely as Antoine walker playing in the nba again. The nba is much more geared towards guards which is why OKC, Mia are the two to beat... OKC is too fast, too talented for the spurs to keep up..

[Urbaninstitution]

But, I guess that's why they play the game.. We'll see if coaching, experience and depth beat out talent, athleticism and speed..

[laughed]

oh urban -
to say bigs don't win championships anymore, everyone will agree that Tyson Chandler was the missing piece in the Mavs run last year. And Dirk is 7 feet. The OKC bigs and Heat bigs were guarding Dirk and although he isn't a center - he is a big. They got destroyed.
That's two 7 footers in last years championship that played a huge role.
Dirk doesn't play like a guard at all. He never dribbles the ball. He runs pick and roles and posts up down low just like a center.
anyway, this isn't the issue.
It's pretty obvious that you haven't watched the Spurs much this year. Seeing clips on ESPN doesn't count. And that's not just Jackson and Diaw, but Ginobili and Leonard coming off the bench. Manu is still one of the best players in the league and if Leonard was a starter he would be in talks for rookie of the year.
You say that OKC is too fast for the Spurs, but the fact is, the Spurs play just as fast if not faster than OKC. Anyone saying otherwise just doesn't watch the games. This isn't your "old and slow" Spurs team. This team BLAZES up and down the court. Their game is not a half-court game like it sort of was in the past. Their game is creating turnovers and hauling a** to the other end to score.
Again - this is not an old and slow Spurs team. The Spurs owned the thunder in the regular season this year so I don't know why you think the playoffs will be any different.
OKC was never the team to beat - it's been the Spurs all along.
OKC still has to get passed the Lakers. And while people on ESPN like to make fun of Tiago Splitter, they should really be making fun of Nick Collison. This guy couldn't even hack in in the Mavs D-League and is a poor excuse for a basketball player.
The fact of the matter is this - any, and I mean any person who has actually watched the Spurs cannot even come close to thinking they aren't the best team. Spurs aren't my team! The Mavs are my team. I'm supposed to hate the Spurs. OKC and the Heat are hyped by the NBA and ESPN because their young superstars make them money and get them ratings. That doesn't mean they are the best team. Are they the most popular? Yeah, without a doubt. If there is a definition for jumping on a bandwagon, people only need to look at this year and how easy it is to pick a team like okc.....but honestly, this is nothing new. Spurs were pretty much a dynasty and every year they won, not one person picked them and no one wanted them to win. It was some of the worst ratings the NBA has ever seen. This is all this is this year - same thing - no one wants to see the spurs play "fundamental" basketball.
They want LeBron vs Durant. They want Harden and Westbrook. Well, sorry, because they're getting Tony Parker and Tim Duncan.

Tony Parker and Manu aren't more popular because they aren't american, that's an entirely different issue, but i've seen Dirk get slighted because he's german and it's just a fact and pretty sad.

What people fail to forget is that OKC has a problem with their emotions. Perkins has the most techs the season and Westbrook third most. And what? no...kevin durant!? Yes, even kevin durant is in the top 5 percent this year.
Nothing has changed since last year. This team is still mentally weak, and the spurs are masters of their emotions and getting to other teams.
The truly great players and teams know how to break other teams down mentally and half the Jazz team said in so many words that they felt like they had no chance to beat the Spurs because they are so mentally taxing.

I'm not a huge artest fan or harden fan, but i have a feeling ron artest is licking his chops to get back in the playoffs and play the thunder.

I think that's the real point of conversation - Spurs have made it, but OKC has a tough road ahead of them.

and what a gutless effort by the knicks.

[cowsareforeating]

But bigs dont win championships anymore.. And Talking about 6 ' 10 players playing like guards, look no further Than dirk.. The day diaw gets a fat payday is about as likely as Antoine walker playing in the nba again. The nba is much more geared towards guards which is why OKC, Mia are the two to beat... OKC is too fast, too talented for the spurs to keep up..

i'd like to see the stats for the team with more than a +5 reb differential over the game and their winning %ages...

money's on rebounds and possesions unless you're 10% fg..

[Urbaninstitution]

Laughed,
Saying dirk plays like a center is like your name laughable.. He takes jump shots, jump shots n more jump shots.. Plays little interior d and shoots 3s.. How exactly is that like a center?? Haha, so the spurs have already made it to the finals? Just like last year... It's not about ratings, it's about talent.. Nobody needs a bench in the playoffs.. And again the reg season record means ZERO.. I wouldn't watch the spurs if my life depended on it, as the nba as all pro sports are about entertainment.. If anyone wanted to watch fundamentals/layups they would watch the Wnba... Which they don't

[zamb]

Laughed,
Saying dirk plays like a center is like your name laughable.. He takes jump shots, jump shots n more jump shots.. Plays little interior d and shoots 3s.. How exactly is that like a center?? Haha, so the spurs have already made it to the finals? Just like last year... It's not about ratings, it's about talent.. Nobody needs a bench in the playoffs.. And again the reg season record means ZERO.. I wouldn't watch the spurs if my life depended on it, as the nba as all pro sports are about entertainment.. If anyone wanted to watch fundamentals/layups they would watch the Wnba... Which they don't

Now I know I cannot have a conversation with you or take your words seriously. you are saying on on sentence that it isn't about rating but about talent, then you say you wouldn't watch the Spurs. the Spurs has the best post player the game has ever seen outside of Hakeen Olajawon in Tim Duncan. and the payer who has won more than any player in any American sport, yes, not just basketball but all of American Sport since he started paying professionally. The only superstar in the league that has more rings that Duncan is Kobe, and he won three of Them playing second fiddle to Shaq.
You are saying that its a guard league now?

Yea, keep dreaming........The reason why I never believe Derrick rose could get pass the heat was because Lebron for all his short comings is 6'8" and an excellent rebounder, a walking triple double..........Lets see OKC getting past Gasol and Bynum.

The only threat the Spurs have in the west is their old Rival, their only legit rival in the Lakers. The reason for this is not Kobe, but Bynum and Gasol, because rebounds mean ball possession, it means control of the game and bigs do that. I pick the Spurs over the Lakers because the Lakers greatest weakness is San Antonio's strength.The lakers don't do well in guarding quick guards that play pick and roll basketball and get into the paint, as Bynum and Gasol struggles at this. If Parker and Ginobili are on their A game its and quick series in favor of the Spurs..........you can see this weakness of the Lakers against Denver, with Ty Lawson and Andre Miller running them to shreds, it was also obvious with chris paul last year and the reason they got swept by the Mavs was because of JJ Barea and Rodrique Beaubois .

Ramon Sessions was brought in to solve this problem, he makes the offense as he is quicker better but he is not a better defender than Fisher, as old as he was.
The beauty of the current Spurs is they are just too versatile, as versatile as the 2002 Sacramento kinds team that was cheated out of getting to the Finals. there is balanced scoring and rebounding from all five positions in different ways......there is slashing to the basket by Parker and Leonard. you can go Pick and Roll with Parker and Duncan or Parker and Splitter.
if you need isolation basketball you bring in Ginobili. you can run the offense for a few sets from the post with Duncan and now Diaw at center and the most important part is there is absolutely no drop off when the bench comes in and changes the game completely. Blair is scoring on the inside, with Ginobili playing at the point, slashing to the packet, shooting threes with the floor spread with Jackson, Bonner and Gary Neale.
Some of them are not great defenders but they play very good team defense

I am not saying the Spurs are a lock to win it all, but good luck to any team in beating them if everybody stays healthy and continue to play at this level i don't see any dream winning four of seven against them especially having the home court advantage against every opponent throughout.............