NBA Playoffs 2012/13

Nuri Sahin

:eek:

NufcNavan

Grind City.

Paully D

padraig_f wrote: »

Damn, would've been nice to take it back to Chicago, but good to see the players going down fighting.

What a great series for Jimmy Butler, I'm not sure I've seen anyone guard Lebron as well. Held him to 5-14 tonight while scoring 19 points himself. Will be surprised if he's not the starting SG next season.

Also kind of glad Rose didn't make any rash decisions to return in the playoffs, must've been hard to sit on the sidelines, but gives him the best chance of returning healthy next season.

A lot to look forward to, very encouraged by the playoff run.

Well done to the Heat, deserving winners, but we pushed them all the way and when you have someone like Lebron saying "I'm not sure of all my closeout games, but this is one of the toughest ones we've had in my career," and also saying he was exhausted and has no energy left, proves we really made them work.

Butler has to start next season IMO. A starting line up of Rose/Butler/Deng/Boozer/Noah is most likely I'd imagine. Then 2014/2015 can be even better if Mirotic comes over, we get to use the Charlotte draft pick and perhaps pick up a max free agent too. The future is extremely promising.

Thibs has figured the Heat out, we just ran out of ammunition this year and in total, including regular season and playoff games, we lost out to them 5-3 without one of the best players in the league and numerous other injuries to contend with. It would be fitting if this young Bulls team can remain healthy and end the Big 3 era at the Heat by beating them in the playoffs at some stage over the next couple of seasons.

A good season overall considering what we have had to deal with, and the future is very promising.

BQQ

Can any Bulls fans enlighten me as to why Rip Hamilton was getting so few minutes up to the last 2 games.

Was weird seeing "DNP coaches decision" beside his name at a time when the team was seriously short-handed.

Nuri Sahin

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&type=totals&per_minute_base=36&lg_id=NBA&is_playoffs=Y&year_min=&year_max=&franch_id=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=99&height_min=0&height_max=99&birth_country_is=Y&birth_country=&is_active=&is_hof=&is_as=&as_comp=gt&as_val=&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_gf=Y&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fg=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&qual=&c1stat=g&c1comp=gt&c1val=10&c2stat=pts&c2comp=lt&c2val=25&c3stat=tov&c3comp=lt&c3val=25&c4stat=fg_pct&c4comp=lt&c4val=.30&c5stat=&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=season

padraig_f

Paully D wrote: »

A good season overall considering what we have had to deal with, and the future is very promising.

Yeah, some fairly ugly offense at times during the regular season, but the playoff run was a blast.

Some highlights of the season:
- Noah getting his first all-star
- Stopping the Heat's winning streak
- Triple-overtime win against the Nets
- Game 7 road win against the Nets
- Jimmy Butler's emergence

Paully D wrote: »

A starting line up of Rose/Butler/Deng/Boozer/Noah is most likely I'd imagine.

That's a mouth-watering starting 5 if we can get them all healthy, but that's the big question with this Bulls team. Hopefully we'll have a bit more luck in that respect next season. And hopefully, after a second straight post-season marred by injury, Thibs doesn't run them into the ground in the regular season. It's a smart staff and I'm sure they'll make some adjustments.

padraig_f

BQQ wrote: »

Can any Bulls fans enlighten me as to why Rip Hamilton was getting so few minutes up to the last 2 games.

Was weird seeing "DNP coaches decision" beside his name at a time when the team was seriously short-handed.

I had high hopes for Hamilton when he joined the team, but he could never stay healthy. He had the starting spot earlier in the season, but was out injured heading into the playoffs, and it cost him. Something Thibs seems to value in his rotations is continuity, so if you're out as a fringe player, it's a bit harder to get back in. He did ok when he came in last night, and if the Bulls had more games to play, he probably would've played more.

But his efficiency when he did play wasn't great, just looking at his numbers for this year...

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hamilri01.html#per_game::none

Free-throw attempts are through the floor (1.5, compared to career of 4.1), so he wasn't getting to the rim, 30% from 3 (league average is about 35%). TS% for the season 48%, bottom end of the league. If you're not getting to the rim and you're not making 3s, it's really hard to score efficiently. Ok he gives you a bit more than that, good passer, can handle the ball a bit, but mainly what you want from your SG is shooting.

I thought he'd play more in the playoffs as well, at least as a backup, so it was a surprise when Daequan Cook came in ahead of him. But with his lack of scoring efficiency, I don't think he'd have affected the Bulls chances much.

BQQ

padraig_f wrote: »

I had high hopes for Hamilton when he joined the team, but he could never stay healthy. He had the starting spot earlier in the season, but was out injured heading into the playoffs, and it cost him. Something Thibs seems to value in his rotations is continuity, so if you're out as a fringe player, it's a bit harder to get back in. He did ok when he came in last night, and if the Bulls had more games to play, he probably would've played more.

But his efficiency when he did play wasn't great, just looking at his numbers for this year...

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hamilri01.html#per_game::none

Free-throw attempts are through the floor (1.5, compared to career of 4.1), so he wasn't getting to the rim, 30% from 3 (league average is about 35%). TS% for the season 48%, bottom end of the league. If you're not getting to the rim and you're not making 3s, it's really hard to score efficiently. Ok he gives you a bit more than that, good passer, can handle the ball a bit, but mainly what you want from your SG is shooting.

I thought he'd play more in the playoffs as well, at least as a backup, so it was a surprise when Daequan Cook came in ahead of him. But with his lack of scoring efficiency, I don't think he'd have affected the Bulls chances much.

Yeah, I don't think it would have made a huge difference.
Just thought it was strange they couldn't use him to give Butler a breather for a few mins

Paully D

Didn't know where else to put this. Should be a good read, Jackson compares Jordan and Kobe in a part of his new book which is released next Tuesday:

http://dimemag.com/2013/05/phil-jackson-on-mj-vs-kobe-jordan-was-more-charismatic-bryant-more-reserved/

Kobe Bryant has been getting the Michael Jordan comparisons for close to 20 years. He never enjoyed them, even doing what he could to silence them. With Phil Jackson releasing his memoir next Tuesday, co-written with Hugh Delehanty and titled “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success,” the Zen Master will also be doing something he always hated: comparing the qualities of two of the best players he ever coached.

The 339-page book is Jackson’s latest tell-all, and according to Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times, large portions of it describe the differences between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

The Los Angeles Times received an advanced copy of the book, and while content centered on Andrew Bynum should be interesting, let’s face it, that’s not who we really want to read about. Here are some notable observations from Jackson regarding Bryant and Jordan:

“Michael was more charismatic and gregarious than Kobe. He loved hanging out with his teammates and security guards, playing cards, smoking cigars, and joking around.”

…

“Kobe is different. He was reserved as a teenager, in part because he was younger than the other players and hadn’t developed strong social skills in college. When Kobe first joined the Lakers, he avoided fraternizing with his teammates. But his inclination to keep to himself shifted as he grew older. Increasingly, Kobe put more energy into getting to know the other players, especially when the team was on the road.”

…

“No question, Michael was a tougher, more intimidating defender. He could break through virtually any screen and shut down almost any player with his intense, laser-focused style of defense,” said Jackson, who coached Jordan to six championships and Bryant to five.

“Kobe has learned a lot from studying Michael’s tricks, and we often used him as our secret weapon on defense when we needed to turn the direction of a game. In general, Kobe tends to rely more heavily on his flexibility and craftiness, but he takes a lot of gambles on defense and sometimes pays the price.”

…

“Michael was more likely to break through his attackers with power and strength, while Kobe often tries to finesse his way through mass pileups,” Jackson wrote. “Michael was stronger, with bigger shoulders and a sturdier frame. He also had large hands that allowed him to control the ball better and make subtle fakes.

“Jordan was also more naturally inclined to let the game come to him and not overplay his hand, whereas Kobe tends to force the action, especially when the game isn’t going his way. When his shot is off, Kobe will pound away relentlessly until his luck turns. Michael, on the other hand, would shift his attention to defense or passing or setting screens to help the team win the game.”

…

“One of the biggest differences between the two stars from my perspective was Michael’s superior skills as a leader,” Jackson said. “Though at times he could be hard on his teammates, Michael was masterful at controlling the emotional climate of the team with the power of his presence. Kobe had a long way to go before he could make that claim. He talked a good game, but he’d yet to experience the cold truth of leadership in his bones, as Michael had.”

At first, I wasn’t sold on this book. Over the years, I read every major basketball book I could get my hands on, including Jackson’s numerous “tell-alls” (“The Last Season” is definitely my favorite). After a while, you feel like you’re hearing the same stories over and over again. (Like the one from this latest book where Jackson recalls a meeting between Jordan and Bryant during the 1999-2000 season. The first words out of Kobe’s mouth were “You know I can kick your ass one on one.”) Yet after seeing what’s in store for us, “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success” seems like a must-read.

Finally, now that he’s retired, the Zen Master can step back and tackle the MJ/Kobe comparisons as only he can, as perhaps the only coach either player truly respected. He clamors over Jordan’s ruthlessness, and, for perhaps the first time, dives into how satisfying it was to watch Bryant mature as a leader.

padraig_f

Paully D wrote: »

Didn't know where else to put this. Should be a good read, Jackson compares Jordan and Kobe in a part of his new book which is released next Tuesday:

http://dimemag.com/2013/05/phil-jackson-on-mj-vs-kobe-jordan-was-more-charismatic-bryant-more-reserved/

It looks fascinating, I'm going to get it when it comes out next week. Just in those small excerpts, he points out little nuances I hadn't realised about either player.

leggo

Great stuff from the Golden State fans to stay and chant for them even when the game was lost last night. The Warriors have been the highlight of these playoffs, without question.

ButtersSuki

So...we're almost at Conf. Finals stage.....

San An v Memphis in the West and Miami V Indian (likely) in the East.

Both series too hard to call at this stage for various reasons. Hard to judge where exactly Memphis are at as they made such hard work beating an undermanned OKC despite the 4-1 series scoreline; while if Dwayne Wade is injured or out of the Pacers series that's a real leveller.

The Spurs have a real advantage when it comes to experience and home court obviously, but the Warriors should have won the first 2 games in San An so that puts the home court advantage in doubt when you consider the Grizzlies have managed to win at least 1 away game in each of their series so far. With their huge front court and grinding style, I think (like in the first round a few years ago) that the Grizzlies are actually slight favourites in this series, despite the seeding. One thing I'd bet the house on is that all games in this series will be very low scoring and very physically tough games - real "Playoff basketball". As I previously posted this will be one for the purists and not the casual fan. My heart says San An but my head says the Grizzlies will win this in 6. :eek:

The East is likewise a coin toss for me if Wade is out due to the sheer size and defence of Indiana. A depleted Chicago have show the template to beat the Heat - Indiana have biggera nd stronger personnel in key positions to really exploit this if they make it a fight. Rebounding will be a key battle in this series, and I fully expect the Pacers to significantly out-rebound the Heat in the series, as they have done to the Knicks. If all players are fit and able to play I see the Heat in 6; if not, this could genuinely go to Indiana in 6.

And I await the abuse of the Knicks Mafia.................:rolleyes:

BQQ

Haha, not a member of the knicks mafia, but I do think you're counting them out too soon.

Indiana badly missed Hill last night and he'll definitely be out for game 6 too.
DJ Augustin had zero assists in his place yesterday, even allowing for the fact that Paul George was often bringing the ball up the floor, that stat is shocking :eek:

If knicks take game 6, then they have home court and will be favourits to progress, which Miami will love

Nuri Sahin

leggo wrote: »

Great stuff from the Golden State fans to stay and chant for them even when the game was lost last night. The Warriors have been the highlight of these playoffs, without question.

Yup, really cool moment and along with the Bulls, they've been the highlight of the Playoffs so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1qRdaA0zqA

ButtersSuki

BQQ wrote: »

Haha, not a member of the knicks mafia, but I do think you're counting them out too soon.

Indiana badly missed Hill last night and he'll definitely be out for game 6 too.
DJ Augustin had zero assists in his place yesterday, even allowing for the fact that Paul George was often bringing the ball up the floor, that stat is shocking :eek:

If knicks take game 6, then they have home court and will be favourits to progress, which Miami will love

Didn't know Hill was out........that does change things.

Ona related note, I can't ever remember a Playoffs with this many injuries across so many teams. Think the shortened sewason last year and the Olympics is playing havoc with player's conditioning/welfare etc.

buyer95

ButtersSuki wrote: »

So...we're almost at Conf. Finals stage.....

San An v Memphis in the West and Miami V Indian (likely) in the East.

Both series too hard to call at this stage for various reasons. Hard to judge where exactly Memphis are at as they made such hard work beating an undermanned OKC despite the 4-1 series scoreline; while if Dwayne Wade is injured or out of the Pacers series that's a real leveller.

The Spurs have a real advantage when it comes to experience and home court obviously, but the Warriors should have won the first 2 games in San An so that puts the home court advantage in doubt when you consider the Grizzlies have managed to win at least 1 away game in each of their series so far. With their huge front court and grinding style, I think (like in the first round a few years ago) that the Grizzlies are actually slight favourites in this series, despite the seeding. One thing I'd bet the house on is that all games in this series will be very low scoring and very physically tough games - real "Playoff basketball". As I previously posted this will be one for the purists and not the casual fan. My heart says San An but my head says the Grizzlies will win this in 6. :eek:

The East is likewise a coin toss for me if Wade is out due to the sheer size and defence of Indiana. A depleted Chicago have show the template to beat the Heat - Indiana have biggera nd stronger personnel in key positions to really exploit this if they make it a fight. Rebounding will be a key battle in this series, and I fully expect the Pacers to significantly out-rebound the Heat in the series, as they have done to the Knicks. If all players are fit and able to play I see the Heat in 6; if not, this could genuinely go to Indiana in 6.

And I await the abuse of the Knicks Mafia.................:rolleyes:

:pac:Hill is out for game 6, likely for the series, if the knicks just win the next game then they have a game 7 in MSG.

ButtersSuki

Miami would much rather play the Knicks than the Pacers....

buyer95

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Miami would much rather play the Knicks than the Pacers....

Thats completely irrelevant. You basically said it was a foregone conclusion that the Pacers were going to the Conference Finals, when it isn't. The above is another debate.

ButtersSuki

buyer95 wrote: »

Thats completely irrelevant. You basically said it was a foregone conclusion that the Pacers were going to the Conference Finals, when it isn't. The above is another debate.

.....whoa! Knicks mafia in the house.....

My opinion was based on a full strength Pacers squad, at the time I didn't know that Hill was likely out.

And yes, I'd be the only basketball fan in the entire world to think the Pacers should close out from 3-1 up......:rolleyes:

buyer95

ButtersSuki wrote: »

.....whoa! Knicks mafia in the house.....

My opinion was based on a full strength Pacers squad, at the time I didn't know that Hill was likely out.

And yes, I'd be the only basketball fan in the entire world to think the Pacers should close out from 3-1 up......:rolleyes:

Ofcourse the Pacers should close out from 3-1 up, but you posted your belief that Indiana would likely be in the conference finals this morning when the series was 3-2, so I don't know what your getting at there...
I don't disagree that the Pacers " should " close out, any team up 3-1 should, but the dynamic of this series has completely changed. Hill is almost certainly out of game 6, and if the Knicks steal that, then they would be odds on to end the series at home.
This situation shows strong parallels with with 94, where the Pacers were up 3-2 heading back to Indianapolis, after Reggie single handedly beat the Knicks with 25 points in the 4th. But the Knicks won game 6 and closed it out at home.
Game 6 is a huge game, with massive pressure on the Pacers because if they lose all momentum would be with the Knicks, and they wouldn't fancy heading into the Garden for a winners takes all game 7.

Soby

The 6'4 rock is tiny eh :P

ButtersSuki

buyer95 wrote: »

Ofcourse the Pacers should close out from 3-1 up, but you posted your belief that Indiana would likely be in the conference finals this morning when the series was 3-2, so I don't know what your getting at there...
I don't disagree that the Pacers " should " close out, any team up 3-1 should, but the dynamic of this series has completely changed. Hill is almost certainly out of game 6, and if the Knicks steal that, then they would be odds on to end the series at home.
This situation shows strong parallels with with 94, where the Pacers were up 3-2 heading back to Indianapolis, after Reggie single handedly beat the Knicks with 25 points in the 4th. But the Knicks won game 6 and closed it out at home.
Game 6 is a huge game, with massive pressure on the Pacers because if they lose all momentum would be with the Knicks, and they wouldn't fancy heading into the Garden for a winners takes all game 7.

Not trying to get into an argument at all. Yes, I know they were 3-2 up when I posted that, but they were also 3-1 up and this was the position I was referring to. It's just hard to lose 3 in a row in Playoff basketball when you've won 3 out of the first 4.

With the way the Knicks are shooting though and the way Indiana are controlling the boards in this series I don't see this one going 7 and I think Indiana will seal the deal tonight at home - even without Hill. that said, Indiana have choked before in these types of positions so it could of course happen again so we'll just have to wait and see!

ButtersSuki

Soby wrote: »

The 6'4 rock is tiny eh :P

Don't know......not sure The Rock is as tall as he claims - wonder is that part or the WWE Wrestling PR machine? I've read anything from 6'1" to 6'3" for him stretching back to his American football days. Barkley was always listed as 6'6" in his playing days but most writers etc. claimed he was 6'4"ish.

Shaq on the other hand looks like Godzilla! I saw (not met) him on the street in Boston once and definitely thought he was the biggest person I had ever seen in my life - by biggest I mean height and width/size combined, but it was on the street so he was around "normal" people so it possibly seemed exaggerated as a result. When I saw him play in the flesh he just looked like a beast - without doubt the most powerful player I have ever seen and with athletic ability and quickness you could not believe for a man his size. It would be hard to imagine another guy with his physical talents coming around again for a long time.

Oh, the video for that lift off is funny if you can find it!

padraig_f

I didn't realise Rihanna would be providing playoff insights.

JR Smith: "I'm not worried about Instagram. I'm worried about the playoffs."

How did we get here? It all started with Rihanna, of course. (All Instagram controversies somehow come back to Rihanna.) There have been rumors that she and J.R. were dating, so responding to a commenter on Instagram who accused her of ruining J.R. Smith, Rihanna said, "F*** you and your wack ass team! Nobody don't want that desert thirsty ass *****!! He f***in up because his ass be hungover from clubbing every night during the playoffs!!"

I love the phrase "wack ass team".

Paully D

I'd like to see the Pacers win this one because they match up quite well against Miami and Miami don't like playing them. I feel the Heat would dispose of the Knicks quite easily, whereas the Pacers should prove a much tougher opponent.

Hill is a game time decision for tonight.

buyer95

Hill cleared to play, expect him to feel a few hard screens early on.

kmart6

I'm in stupid France for Cannes so haven't seen anything since Wednesday...no sign tonights game on my hotel channels either!

HigginsJ

kmart6 wrote: »

I'm in stupid France for Cannes so haven't seen anything since Wednesday...no sign tonights game on my hotel channels either!

It's on no channel here either :mad:

kmart6

Seriously?! That's bullsh1t!

HigginsJ

kmart6 wrote: »

Seriously?! That's bullsh1t!

Yea ESPN has some wrestling n ESPN America has College Lacrosse