2012 NBA

[Azuredream]

I don't think the Heat will win three (would be four I guess counting tonight) in a row though. If they want the title they'll probably have to win another in OKC.

[Threash]

OKC ain't going to win shit if they continue to refuse playing in the first quarter.  When did Shane Battier turn into Reggie Miller?

[Paelos]

I am appauled that OKC has to send Hardin out there to score ANY points in the first quarter with Westbrook and Durant on the court. Magic was absolutely right to slam Westbrook for his PG play at halftime.

[ghost]

I don't think the Heat will win three (would be four I guess counting tonight) in a row though. If they want the title they'll probably have to win another in OKC.

We'll know better once they play a game in Miami. 

[Threash]

If Shane Battier came down to earth and the Thunder play on the first quarter this games wouldn't be very close.  Miami has given up huge leads in both games, if last nights game had gone a minute longer they'd be down 2-0 now.

[ghost]

Battier is a hell of a shooter.  Earlier in his career he was an almost 40% three point shooter.

[caladein]

It's not so much that Miami can't close out games as that they're playing a much better line-up down the stretch.  Perk just needs to not be on the floor when Miami is playing without a proper big, he's not doing much.

Sebastian Pruiti's Grantland piece is a good overview if you're just going to read one of these,
Zach Lowe from SI covers the offensive issues leaving Perkins in against Miami's small lineup creates, and
Rob Mahoney from the NYT explains why Battier is ripping OKC apart at the start.

[Threash]

Battier is a hell of a shooter.  Earlier in his career he was an almost 40% three point shooter.

He was a 32% shooter this season, this series he's shooting almost 70%.

[ghost]

Well, he's old.  It's not as shocking to see him shooting at a high level as it would be to see, say, Elton Brand suddenly shooting 50 plus percent from three.

[Paelos]

It's a statistical anomaly. It just happens as the right time for us to notice.

[ghost]

Him shooting well is a statistical anomaly? 

[Ingmar]

Him shooting well is a statistical anomaly? 

Yes? Hot streaks like that are basically the same as runs at the craps table or what happens when I play Paelos in Blood Bowl. With a larger sample size he will inevitably regress to his career average.

[ghost]

My point was that he has traditionally been a pretty good shooter, except for the past couple of years.  It's not unheard of for him to go on hot streaks. 

[Paelos]

And my point is him going 9-13 beyond the arc is not normal for any shooter, especially since he shoots 38% on his career.

[ghost]

It would not be atypical for a career 40% three point shooter to have streaks of this sort.  He's a good shooter.  It's really not that baffling.

[Paelos]

It would not be atypical for a career 40% three point shooter to have streaks of this sort.  He's a good shooter.  It's really not that baffling.

1 game, sure. 2 games in a row? No, you're simply wrong. Battier hasn't done that all season. He's never gone two games in a row this season shooting <50% beyond the arc with more than 5 tries a game.

It is baffling because it's been completely absent. In fact, the last time this came up for Battier was in April of 2009, when he went 8-15 in 3 pointer across back to back games. You're talking about the 3 year gap, and it just happened to surface in the playoffs.

[ghost]

Note Shane Battier hit 2-2 three pointers tonight.   

[Malakili]

Watched the game.  I feel like the foul trouble for Durant was the difference.  The Heat feel iffy to me.  They are great when everything is running on all cylinders, but they all too often get into this mode where they just sort of run down the shot clock and try to take jump shots, and it can get ugly. 

Should be a good series, can still go either way as far as I am concerned.

[Threash]

Watching OKC and Miami makes me realize how pointless every single other team is.  One star teams like Chicago really would have zero chance against either of them.

[ghost]

Chicago is very, very good when Derrick Rose is healthy.  I'd give them a shot against both of these teams.

[Teleku]

I haven't watched any NBA for many years now, but watched this game last night at a bar.

I know it was always iffy, but have they just totally stopped calling traveling?  Christ.

[Rasix]

If you're driving to the hoop? Yah.  Take 4 steps and a jump.  They don't seem to care.

If you're standing still?  They will call it every time.

[Ingmar]

I haven't watched any NBA for many years now, but watched this game last night at a bar.

I know it was always iffy, but have they just totally stopped calling traveling?  Christ.

Yeah this is why I can't watch the NBA.

[ghost]

They've actually changed the walking rule in the NBA to two steps once you suspend your dribble.  I honestly don't care all that much.

[Paelos]

They've actually changed the walking rule in the NBA to two steps once you suspend your dribble.  I honestly don't care all that much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkn0jOfOMgI

[Ingmar]

Ugh.

[Teleku]

Yeah, it really makes the games un-watchable for me.  Being able to run to the hoop as much as you want for that sweet dunk destroys the game.  Make the talentless assholes actually play for it!

Oh well, I still have international ball.  I recall watching the refs rip apart our players with constant traveling calls at the last Olympics.  It was quite enjoyable.  This time around should be equally fun.

[Rasix]

The crab dribble may not pass Olympic scrutiny.

[ghost]

Michael Jordan, you are an idiot.....

How bad do you think they'll fuck up the draft?

[Threash]

I'm not sure that was as much Michael Jordan being an idiot as no one wanting to coach the damn Bobcats.

[ghost]

Dude, there has to be at least someone that has the stones to coach the Bobcats.  Fucking Pat Ewing would have been better.

Addendum-  and by this I mean the actual act of putting a penis into Pat Ewing's ass would have been better than hiring some college assistant from a team with a losing record.

[Paelos]

Nobody wants to work for Jordan. That's the issue. He's undoubtedly the worst boss in the NBA.

[ghost]

The only person that could have made anything out of that job would have been Jackson because he would have been able to somewhat control Jordan.  Jordan may actually be a worse administrator than Isaiah Thomas. 

[Paelos]

Hold on, Isaiah Thomas is a downright criminal. Jordan is just a hopeless gambler.

[ghost]

But they both have gotten equally shitty results.  I'm not concerned about the methods of their ineptitude, just the end result of their idiocy.