Pacers vs Grizzlies in the Finals?

[ChiTownCliff]

Okay, I understand that the Pacers getting past the Heat is a long shot, but they are really the only team in the east with a shot at winning in a 7 game series. The Bulls are way to beat up and broken down and the Knicks simply do not play with enough effort every game and their defense is average.

I could see the Grizzlies coming out of the West now that the Thunder are without Westbrook. The Spurs and Warriors would both be nice stories, but both have their own weaknesses. I think the Grizzlies are the most complete team in the West right now.

So can you imagine the Pacers and Grizzlies facing off in the Finals? Two teams from rather small metro areas and no real major superstars to be had on either team. Personally I would love to see these two in a 7 game series. I bet it would be some hard-nosed and tough basketball. I am sure the TV ratings would be the lowest in decades but I would be happy.

Chances are the Heat will make it there, but the Pacers do have a good chance. They are not quite as good as a fully healthy Bulls squad but they play hard and they have some solid talent and they are big down low. With all that being said, I bet very few would have said the Grizzlies had a real shot at the beginning of the season. Almost everyone was in love with the Lakers new lineup, with the Durant/Westbrook led Thunder, or the up and coming Clippers.

Anyways, if the Griz and Pacers do meet up in the Finals there will be some great matchups. Hibbert on Gasol, West on Randolph, and Hill on Conley. Of course the Pacers have the young star in Paul George, but the Griz have a bit better depth. I bet it would be a great series to watch as a fan of the game, but I am sure the league would lose a lot of money...

Thoughts?

 

[bksballer89]

 

[Smoke]

Heat n' Grizz with El Heat winning.

 

[bksballer89]

I would watch just because I'm an NBA fan first but the ratings would be pretty poor. That would be an extremely low scoring series ( first team to 80 wins?)

Paul George and Hibbert are too inconsistent IMO for Indy to make the finals

 

[ChiTownCliff]

hahahaha!

I was quite clear old buddy, that I think the Heat will make it to the Finals, but the Pacers really seem the only team left that could have a shot. The Knicks are so up and down and rely too much on talent a lot of the time.

 

[piss-tons]

The Heat better hope the Grizzlies don't make it or else there is a good chance The Heat lose. Tony Allen is a great perimeter defender. Prince and Conley are no slouches either. Gasol is a DPOY (should have went to Duncan but still) who is a great passer and could abuse the Heat on the boards, and Z-Bo would just bully Bosh or whoever is at the 4. I think at this point the Grizzlies have a better shot against the Heat than the Spurs do.

 

[bksballer89]

As I've been telling the hardheaded Knicks fans that I know in the real world. The Knicks roster is made for the regular season. The style of basketball they play doesn't usually translate to success in the postseason.

Melo and Smith are both volume shooters while the rest of the team basically just settle for 3's. So if those 2 are not shooting a good % and they're not hitting as many 3's as they're expected to, they'll lose.

Wouldn't be surprised if Indy takes this in 5.

They had the Knicks right where they wanted them for about 3 quarters in g2 but NYK ran off a crazy run at the end of the 3rd/start of the 4th which changed the game.

 

[UTVolCountry]

I wouldn't mind, just as long Memphis makes it there. But they need to take care of OKC first.

 

[bksballer89]

The Heat better hope the Grizzlies don't make it or else there is a good chance The Heat lose. Tony Allen is a great perimeter defender. Prince and Conley are no slouches either. Gasol is a DPOY (should have went to Duncan but still) who is a great passer and could abuse the Heat on the boards, and Z-Bo would just bully Bosh or whoever is at the 4. I think at this point the Grizzlies have a better shot against the Heat than the Spurs do.

Gasol won't abuse anyone on the glass. He is a pretty crappy rebounder for his size. He's 7'1 but yet he can't grab 8 RPG? I think if the Heat play Memphis we would see a lot of Birdman & Bosh in the game together. Birdman is a good post defender and I doubt Randolph would be able to bully him.

The Heat would beat Memphis in 6 games.

 

[ChiTownCliff]

I agree bks, the Knicks are not a real post-season team. Melo=McGrady if you ask me.

 

[bksballer89]

I agree bks, the Knicks are not a real post-season team. Melo=McGrady if you ask me.

Pretty much. If the Celtics offense was not so crappy the Knicks wouldn't even make it to the 2nd round.

 

[piss-tons]

1.) We all know the Knicks are overrated trash.
2.) Gasol isn't that bad of a rebounding, but his rebounding rate both offensive and defensive has decreased over the last few seasons, but even then he is still a good rebounder, and his team gets defensive rebounds a lot better with him on the court.

 

[HurricaneDij39]

Like I said on CBS, the fate of the TV people has no effect on me. The people that care about that are the ones watering the league down. I'd love to see some new blood, but unfortunately kids 20 and under are obsessed with superstars, and they pretty much make up the majority of the NBA's fan base.

For the record, I still got the Spurs winning the West and winning the title. Memphis doesn't score enough to play with the Heat.

 

[bksballer89]

That's the reason I said no.

I'm an NBA fan...I will watch the NBA finals if the Heat are in it or not.

I watched every single finals since 1993.

 

[HurricaneDij39]

That's the reason I said no.

I'm an NBA fan...I will watch the NBA finals if the Heat are in it or not.

I watched every single finals since 1993.

I've watched since '97, my first NBA Finals I've ever witnessed was the most brutal in my opinion. Jordan flu-gate.

 

[piss-tons]

The 84 finals had the game when the AC went out in Boston. The temperature was in the high 90s in the building, ridiculous. The game probably would have been postponed if that happened today.

 

[HurricaneDij39]

I think the best Finals series in my time was without a doubt the Mavs taking out the Heat. Mavs losing to the Heat in 2006 was by far the worst. My boy Stack got screwed by the league.

 

[piss-tons]

I agree Stack got screwed by the league this year...

 

[HurricaneDij39]

Stu Jackson doesn't have balls. When McHale hit Rambis in '84 it was called a personal foul and nothing else...

 

[piss-tons]

There were no flagrants back then. The most ridiculous thing by far was Parish sucker punching Laimbeer in the face down to the ground, and the officials didn't even call a common foul. But hey, he definitely deserved it.