2013 NBA Playoffs Thread

[nuraman00]

The NBA assumes the Memphis-San Antonio series will be longer than the Miami-Indiana series, so they have the Grizzlies-Spurs play two games first. Or do they just want to give the Spurs more time to rest up if they get finished early? Hmmm... it is an odd year. (I don't think anyone's beating the Heat without a major injury to LeBron and less so Wade.

Memphis-SA played 2 games first, because they clinched WCF spot, before both of Indiana-Miami clinched their spots.

And since TNT is doing the ECF exclusively this year, they decided they'd rather start on a WED than MON. Also, the breaks in the schedule even out. If the series go long enough, IND-MIA will play 2 games in before SAS-MEM plays 2. It's always like that, every round.

One set of teams (for the earlier rounds) play 2 games before the other set play 2 early in a series, then it's flipped later in a series.

Trust me, I know what seeds have played at what times every year. There's a few variations, but still a pattern. The networks have a set schedule and just plug in the teams.

 

[nuraman00]

It also has to do with how networks value SAT/SUN, vs. other days.

 

[MHSL82]

Memphis-SA played 2 games first, because they clinched WCF spot, before both of Indiana-Miami clinched their spots.

And since TNT is doing the ECF exclusively this year, they decided they'd rather start on a WED than MON. Also, the breaks in the schedule even out. If the series go long enough, IND-MIA will play 2 games in before SAS-MEM plays 2. It's always like that, every round.

One set of teams (for the earlier rounds) play 2 games before the other set play 2 early in a series, then it's flipped later in a series.

Trust me, I know what seeds have played at what times every year. There's a few variations, but still a pattern. The networks have a set schedule and just plug in the teams.

I object! You're not helping my pseudo-theory! They built this "pattern years, maybe decades ago, to favor Miami or San Antonio. I just haven't figured out which!

 

[Sackataters]

Pacers missed a golden opportunity tonight and let Lebron spray a golden shower onto their heads. A layup? That smarts pretty bad. Hibbard is looking pretty good. Didn't we miss him by one lottery pick a couple years ago.

 

[nuraman00]

I liked Liar Liar.

 

[Sackataters]

Damn, Hibbard looks great. Granger a sick blow by James and a dunk. Pacers are kind of a fun team to watch.

 

[nuraman00]

Game 1 was one of the best playoffs games I've ever seen.

* Indiana never lead by more than 7; Miami never lead by more than 5.

* Both teams were playing good defense and offense. Indiana moved the ball really well the whole time. There weren't any possessions where I thought the ball stuck. I thought they might have a few slow possessions, but they never did. They are confident and execute well.

Their players know what they're doing.

Nice job Vogel.

As for the last few plays of game 1, I understand the decision to take Hibbert out.

With Battier/Bosh/Cole/Allen/James, you don't want to give up a James layup. But you don't want a Bosh jumper, or Allen or Battier 3's either. All of those guys can make the shots they were designed to make. So if Hibbert was there, and Bosh had an open look, that's just as bad, as I think any of those guys could have made an open look.

The answer is that Paul George has to do a better job with his perimeter defense. He can't let James have such a wide driving lane.

So it's not so much as to whether Hibbert should have been there, but it's on George for giving up the driving lane, and not forcing a worse shot.

And then of course you had a GW at the end, and an OT game, and Paul George making some tough but necessary shots.

Game 2 as also good. Neither team had too big of a lead, and again, I thought it was well-played.

James defense has disappointed me a lot this series. He's defending the weak side of the ball most of the time, outside of a possession here or there on West or George Hill.

They're using James more as a roving team defender. That's not as effective, IMO.

I want to see James defend Paul George. The two best players guarding each other. I understand not wanting James to get in foul trouble, but at least start him out on George. James didn't even defend George in the 4th quarter.

Miami's defense could have been even better had they had James on George. Or maybe George would have had even more good plays. Who knows. But that's the kind of thing I want to see.

I think you know where I'm coming from. I'm used to seeing Kidd or Payton or Stockton guard each other for the entire game. Or, Hinrich's 1st game ever vs. Baron Davis was another favorite. A rookie PG vs. a vet, and even though Davis had a great game, I liked seeing Hinrich compete and stay with it the whole time, not get discouraged. I think was a sign that Hinrich would be a solid defender for his career.

So I don't give James much credit for his defense, if all he's going to do is be a help defender.


Hibbert has been fun to watch as well. There's lots of intriguing matchups in this series. West vs. Bosh is another.

 

[MHSL82]

Foul on David West:

Had to share this, credit to TexasMan.

 

[MHSL82]

This was bad. Almost our everybody below 50%. Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers - Box Score

Now, the Finals can either be interesting - a tired Miami versus a rested Spurs. Or a Pacers-Spurs series I won't watch but I'm sure Nuraman will appreciate.

To be honest, I've been so busy I probably won't watch either. I haven't seen much this year.

 

[geneh_33]

Had to share this, credit to TexasMan.

Both of them flopped! Keep them out of commercials, their acting sucks.

 

[nuraman00]

To be honest, I've been so busy I probably won't watch either. I haven't seen much this year.

What playoffs games have you seen in whole or in part this year?

I know, you've been so busy practicing your counting skills.

3... 2... 1...

 

[MHSL82]

What playoffs games have you seen in whole or in part this year?

I know, you've been so busy practicing your counting skills.

Counting down skills, you mean. To answer your question, full games, none. Can't remember which one's I've seen. I refused to watch the Rockets because I didn't want to see Lin suck it up and I knew he would. I would be living vicariously through him and it would be awful to live that way. I just looked at box scores. Plus, I had less reason to watch after he got injured.

I know it was a good series. If not the Jazz, I watch for individual players and hope it's a good game with my player winning.

Priorities

Jazz win in a good game > Jazz win however they get it >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> My players' team with player playing well in a win > My player playing ok in a good game win > My player playing well in a loss, not garbage time, just only guy producing out there > Garbage time, good play.

 

[nuraman00]

Counting down skills, you mean. To answer your question, full games, none. Can't remember which one's I've seen. I refused to watch the Rockets because I didn't want to see Lin suck it up and I knew he would. I would be living vicariously through him and it would be awful to live that way. I just looked at box scores. Plus, I had less reason to watch after he got injured.

I know it was a good series. If not the Jazz, I watch for individual players and hope it's a good game with my player winning.

Priorities

Jazz win in a good game > Jazz win however they get it >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> My players' team with player playing well in a win > My player playing ok in a good game win > My player playing well in a loss, not garbage time, just only guy producing out there > Garbage time, good play.

 

[nuraman00]

Grizzlies Reportedly Give Lionel Hollins Permission to Talk to Other Teams | Bleacher Report



From the article:

During the Grizzlies' playoff run, tensions turned to a confrontation when Hollins exploded during a practice session upon finding Hollinger had walked onto the practice court and engaged forward Austin Daye during a shooting drill, multiple sources told Yahoo! Sports.

With the team watching – and with a motive to show his players that he was completely in charge on the floor, sources said – Hollins loudly questioned Hollinger about what he was doing, and why he believed it was appropriate for a management official to intrude on what's considered sacred territory for a coach and team, sources said.

Does anyone have a video of this practice?

 

[nuraman00]

Roy Hibbert:


Roy Hibbert Drops F-Bomb in Postgame Press Conference After Huge Game 6 Win | Bleacher Report





(video)

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/ey...omophobic-slur




http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.c...me-interviews/

 

[nuraman00]

I think it's fine for Hollinger to be interacting with a player, especially if it's just for a few minutes. He's just trying to give tips or advice. Maybe on technique, maybe on shot selection or understanding of plays.

If it directly contradicts what the coach says, then it's a problem, but if he can use it in conjunction with what the coach says, then it's fine.

 

[MHSL82]

I think it's fine for Hollinger to be interacting with a player, especially if it's just for a few minutes. He's just trying to give tips or advice. Maybe on technique, maybe on shot selection or understanding of plays.

If it directly contradicts what the coach says, then it's a problem, but if he can use it in conjunction with what the coach says, then it's fine.

I think the timing, not the content that was the issue. They were at practice (warming up). Hollinger is no longer working for ESPN. He works for Lionel's team, which makes this outburst odd (as opposed to a private talk). Hpllinger is presumably there on a moneyball purpose.

 

[nuraman00]

Here were my predictions and how I'm

ing myself for not staying with my prediction for Pacers-Heat.

++++++++++++++



I'm going with San Antonio. I think Memphis was a little better in 2011 on offense. They're much better on defense this year though. I don't think they can guard the Spurs though. The Spurs can get shots both in the paint and from 3's.

If the Grizzlies improved defense can handle SA, then they can win this series.

I don't think Randolph and Gasol are as good in the paint on offense as they were a few years ago. They're better on defense though.

I'm rooting for Memphis though.

San Antonio in 4.

San Antonio
San Antonio
San Antonio
San Antonio

I think most games will be close. I don't think Memphis will be blown out in SA, but more likely they could be blown out at home. I've usually liked SA on the road over the years, and they've played some of their best playoffs games on the road this year too.






Indiana - Miami:



Indiana's frontcourt is better than before, and I think Hibbert will have some good performances. I think he's the key if Indiana is to win, not Paul George.

Miami's getting good ball movement for their 3's, along with their great defense too.

Miami in 6.

Miami
Indiana
Miami
Indiana
Miami
Miami

Note: I wanted to pick an alternating Miami-Indiana-Miami-Indiana breakdown, with the series going full 7 games. But I just spent 20 minutes trying to find another series that went 7 games and didn't have a team winning consecutive games, and couldn't find one. And I don't think this will be it either.

+++++++++++++++++++++

This would have gone in The Nuraman Thread had it not occurred.


NOTE: Out of all my years doing predictions games, I've only seen one person correctly predict a full 7 game series with correct game order, it was the Boston-Orlando 2009 series.

Sure, others have gotten a team winning in 7 correctly (as 2 of us had Utah over Houston in 7 in 2007, for example), but the game order was never correct, except for the one aforementioned time.

I could have been the 2nd person ever to get game order correct for a full 7 game series!

 

[nuraman00]

I was disappointed by one aspect of the Indiana-Miami series, because James was used as a weakside defender most of the time, or as a team defender, or as a rebounder. After that, he was used to guard West. I made a long post about how upset I was that James didn't guard Goerge, after the first two games.

I had wanted to see he and Paul George guard each other. Paul George guarded James for most of the series. But James barely guarded George. I think there were a few possessions in game 1. Then 2 possessions in game 7 (1st quarter). That's about it.

James did allude to guarding Tony Parker in the Finals, but he said that Chalmers and Cole will get the first crack at Parker. I don't have as strong of a desire to see James guard Parker as I did to see James guard Paul George. But, since I want him to be on the best perimeter offensive player, and that's Parker, I would like to see him guard Parker for stretches. I did find it interesting that Bowen shut down Billups in the 4th quarter of some of the 2005 Finals, and James on Parker could be similar (but against the Spurs).

 

[MHSL82]

Tim Duncan got 9 points and 11 rebounds on a 3-13 night in a blowout loss. This ensures that if the Spurs win the Finals, Duncan will be NBA Finals MVP, because just look at those eyes! Those fundamentals! Heck, I don't care if Parker leads them or if the Heat win, let's just give it to Duncan!