Tonight proves there is no team on Earth that can beat this Heat team in a series

[trojanfan12]

They have a better record through the first 31 games this season than they had last season...

Could that be because of how much worse the Eastern Conference is? I agree with geneh in the sense that the Heat don't look as dominant to me as they did the past 2 seasons.

I think it may be possible that the Heat aren't as good as they have been the past couple of seasons but have a better record because most of the teams in their conference are worse.

It would be understandable if the Heat aren't as good too, because going to 4 straight finals is an incredibly difficult thing to do.

 

[shitsho]

Could that be because of how much worse the Eastern Conference is? I agree with geneh in the sense that the Heat don't look as dominant to me as they did the past 2 seasons.

I think it may be possible that the Heat aren't as good as they have been the past couple of seasons but have a better record because most of the teams in their conference are worse.

It would be understandable if the Heat aren't as good too, because going to 4 straight finals is an incredibly difficult thing to do.

The mental strain takes a toll I am sure. Going at something continously for 4 years in a row is difficult to maintain.

 

[trojanfan12]

The mental strain takes a toll I am sure. Going at something continously for 4 years in a row is difficult to maintain.

Yeah, it's both a mental and physical strain. It's 4 years of taking everyone's best shot and playing until the last game of the finals for 4 straight years.

Add to that the off-season commitments to national teams for Olympics and other tournaments and some of these guys are playing almost year round.

When a team keeps making deep playoff runs, the players don't get as much time to heal. I read where Kobe has already played the equivalent of 20 NBA seasons when you count playoff games. I'd imagine D-Wade and Lebron are on a similar pace.

 

[bksballer89]

Could that be because of how much worse the Eastern Conference is? I agree with geneh in the sense that the Heat don't look as dominant to me as they did the past 2 seasons.

I think it may be possible that the Heat aren't as good as they have been the past couple of seasons but have a better record because most of the teams in their conference are worse.

It would be understandable if the Heat aren't as good too, because going to 4 straight finals is an incredibly difficult thing to do.

People talk as if the Heat are some dominant team. Last yr the Heat did not look dominant until the 27 win streak which started in mid January.

Last yr the Heat were 22-9 with losses to Detroit, Milwaukee, Washington, 2 20 point losses to NYK, and a home L to the Bulls who obviously didn't have Rose. They also had a few escapes where they needed a late rally to pull it out.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Compare their records vs +.500 teams then?

They are better this year, every thing points to that conclusion.

 

[trojanfan12]

People talk as if the Heat are some dominant team. Last yr the Heat did not look dominant until the 27 win streak which started in mid January.

Last yr the Heat were 22-9 with losses to Detroit, Milwaukee, Washington, 2 20 point losses to NYK, and a home L to the Bulls who obviously didn't have Rose. They also had a few escapes where they needed a late rally to pull it out.

Not sure what any of this has to do with my point that the Heat don't look as good to me and their better record may be the result of how bad the East is. Dominance may not be the right word, but they just don't look as good to me.

They remind me a bit of the Lakers when they were trying to get to a 4th straight finals. That Lakers team looked tired (best word I have to describe it). They were still good enough to beat most teams, most nights, but in the playoffs they ran out of gas.

Not saying that will happen to the Heat, it's just how they look to me.

 

[bksballer89]

Not sure what any of this has to do with my point that the Heat don't look as good to me and their better record may be the result of how bad the East is. Dominance may not be the right word, but they just don't look as good to me.

They remind me a bit of the Lakers when they were trying to get to a 4th straight finals. That Lakers team looked tired (best word I have to describe it). They were still good enough to beat most teams, most nights, but in the playoffs they ran out of gas.

Not saying that will happen to the Heat, it's just how they look to me.

Point is the Heat didn't look good or the year before either. The Heat have never been a good first half team in terms of looking dominant. They find ways to win and usually are more dominant in the 2nd half of the year.

I'm just curious how many Heat games have you watched start to finish this year compared how many Heat games you watched start to finish last year after 31 games? The Heat look better actually than they did at this point last year. Most of the Heat losses have actually come With Wade being out. The Heat lost 3 games this yr with Wade in the lineup.

Newsflash: Wade won't be missing meaningful games in the playoffs.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Point is the Heat didn't look good or the year before either. The Heat have never been a good first half team in terms of looking dominant. They find ways to win and usually are more dominant in the 2nd half of the year.

I'm just curious how many Heat games have you watched start to finish this year compared how many Heat games you watched start to finish last year after 31 games? The Heat look better actually than they did at this point last year. Most of the Heat losses have actually come With Wade being out. The Heat lost 3 games this yr with Wade in the lineup.

Newsflash: Wade won't be missing meaningful games in the playoffs.

Either they are comparing this year's 1st half Heat to 2nd half Heat last year when clearly the Heat do not "turn it on" until the second half of the season OR they simply are ignoring all statistical facts and relying on their wishful opinions.

 

[trojanfan12]

Point is the Heat didn't look good or the year before either. The Heat have never been a good first half team in terms of looking dominant. They find ways to win and usually are more dominant in the 2nd half of the year.

I'm just curious how many Heat games have you watched start to finish this year compared how many Heat games you watched start to finish last year after 31 games? The Heat look better actually than they did at this point last year. Most of the Heat losses have actually come With Wade being out. The Heat lost 3 games this yr with Wade in the lineup.

Newsflash: Wade won't be missing meaningful games in the playoffs.

I haven't counted how many I've watched, but I've seen enough to know what I see. I see a team that is missing "something".

As much fun as I had razzing Heat fans and predicting the Heat's demise, I never seriously thought they wouldn't win the last 2 titles. I have serious doubts about them getting a 3rd straight.

As I said, they look a lot like the last Lakers team that was going for a 4th straight finals appearance. They played well enough to beat most teams, most nights but there was something missing all season and I didn't think they'd get to the 4th straight finals. I also felt that if they did manage to make it, they'd lose.

Again, not saying the Heat won't get there. Given the shape the East is in, the Pacers are probably the only team that can prevent it. But they just don't look as strong to me.

As for D-Wade, never said he'd be sitting out any playoff games. So what if he doesn't? I don't think any Lakers sat out any playoff games when they were going for their 4th straight appearance. It didn't matter.

 

[trojanfan12]

Either they are comparing this year's 1st half Heat to 2nd half Heat last year when clearly the Heat do not "turn it on" until the second half of the season OR they simply are ignoring all statistical facts and relying on their wishful opinions.

Maybe some Heat fans (you) simply can't accept that there are plenty of logical reasons for the Heat not to make 4 straight finals appearances.

bks and I are having an adult conversation about this. If you want to join in, feel free. If you want to post crap like the above, go troll another thread.

 

[bksballer89]

I haven't counted how many I've watched, but I've seen enough to know what I see. I see a team that is missing "something".

As much fun as I had razzing Heat fans and predicting the Heat's demise, I never seriously thought they wouldn't win the last 2 titles. I have serious doubts about them getting a 3rd straight.

As I said, they look a lot like the last Lakers team that was going for a 4th straight finals appearance. They played well enough to beat most teams, most nights but there was something missing all season and I didn't think they'd get to the 4th straight finals. I also felt that if they did manage to make it, they'd lose.

Again, not saying the Heat won't get there. Given the shape the East is in, the Pacers are probably the only team that can prevent it. But they just don't look as strong to me.

As for D-Wade, never said he'd be sitting out any playoff games. So what if he doesn't? I don't think any Lakers sat out any playoff games when they were going for their 4th straight appearance. It didn't matter.

Did half of the losses for that Lakers team in the regular season came with Kobe being out? Just curious

 

[trojanfan12]

Did half of the losses for that Lakers team in the regular season came with Kobe being out? Just curious

Don't honestly remember. I know he and Gasol were being rested more than usual because of their age and the number of games they had played getting to 3 straight.

I hope you're not misinterpreting what I'm saying like BOT. I don't have any irrational hate for the Heat and am not necessarily wishing/hoping they don't make it. More than disliking the Heat, I like seeing history made and rare feats accomplished.

As I've pointed out, making 4 straight finals is very difficult and very rare. So seeing any team, whether I like them or not, accomplish that would be pretty amazing. I've seen several teams that, imo, were better than this current Heat team attempt to accomplish it and not get it done.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

LOL at you of all people calling anybody else delusional. Let me offer you a little insight and go a little deeper than the records.

1st you should understand that Miami tends to be slow the first half of the season, sort of saving them selves if you will.

You are saying that they do not look as dominating as they did last year but you are probably comparing your idea of them to what actually was happening. You remember the 27 game win streak and coasting to the #1 overall seed. You do not remember how they actually were the 1st half of the season.

Last year through 31 games Wade missed 4 games, Bosh 1, and LBJ 0. This year Bosh and LBJ have each missed 1 game a piece and Wade has missed 8. Despite that they have 1 more win. You already knew that but what you do not know is that through those 1st 31 games their point differential was +4.58. Their point differential this year is +6.9. They also had 3 games go to OT last year through 31 games versus 2 this year.

Compare their records vs +.500 teams then?

They are better this year, every thing points to that conclusion.

Maybe some Heat fans (you) simply can't accept that there are plenty of logical reasons for the Heat not to make 4 straight finals appearances.

bks and I are having an adult conversation about this. If you want to join in, feel free. If you want to post crap like the above, go troll another thread.

LOL little testy are we? I posted several stats to back up my stance which basically proves that your eye test is incorrect and you call me a child rather than address anything disproving your theory.

I never said that they were going back to the finals. I said that they are better this year than last at this time in the year. Nothing more, nothing less.

If the Heat do not make it back to the finals it very well could be because they are "tired" but they are certainly better this year than last year. You have to compare apples to apples not 1st 31 games to 27 game win streak. IND has become a lot better this year as well to add to the obstacles.

If you want to make the bold prediction that the Heat will not go back to the finals then fine, bold predict away. The fact is they look like this every year at this time since the big 3 have come together.

 

[trojanfan12]

LOL little testy are we? I posted several stats to back up my stance which basically proves that your eye test is incorrect and you call me a child rather than address anything disproving your theory.

I never said that they were going back to the finals. I said that they are better this year than last at this time in the year. Nothing more, nothing less.

If the Heat do not make it back to the finals it very well could be because they are "tired" but they are certainly better this year than last year. You have to compare apples to apples not 1st 31 games to 27 game win streak. IND has become a lot better this year as well to add to the obstacles.

If you want to make the bold prediction that the Heat will not go back to the finals then fine, bold predict away. The fact is they look like this every year at this time since the big 3 have come together.

Your "stats" don't disprove anything. Your reliance on them shows that you don't know near as much about sports as you think you do. If you did know anything about sports, you'd know that stats never tell the whole story. It happens all of the time where a team turns out not to be as good as their record/stats because they faced inferior competition (like the Heat face in the East).

Also, your stats do not disprove how difficult it is to make 4 straight finals which is a very rarely accomplished feat.

I have made zero predictions, bold or otherwise on what I think the Heat will or will not do. I have simply pointed out what I see at this point in time compared to what I have seen from other teams attempting to accomplish the same feat, most recently the Lakers.

Ultimately, time will tell. It's a long way to May/June and a lot can happen. All that I'm doing is pointing out what I see to this point.

Again, if you want to be part of an adult conversation. Join in. If not, go troll another thread.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

You call me a child for using stats and I am the one not having an adult conversation?

I use stats because anybody can say what ever they want using the "eyeball" test.

Of course it is really hard for a team to go to the finals 4 years in a row, or even 3.

You are pointing out what you have seen and I am showing you that it seems you are seeing something different from the stats.

Have you watched all 32 of their games? The stats have.

 

[trojanfan12]

You call me a child for using stats and I am the one not having an adult conversation?

Uh no, I called you a child for a particular post. I said you don't know as much about sports as you think you do because of how much you rely on stats and think they prove points that they don't. Please try and keep up.

I use stats because anybody can say what ever they want using the "eyeball" test.

And stats can be twisted and used to mean whatever one wants them to mean. So people can say whatever they want with stats without those stats necessarily proving anything. Case in point: If a center has a 54% shooting percentage and a 2 guard has a 47% shooting average, that doesn't mean the center is a better player, it may simply mean that the vast majority of his shots are much closer to the basket.


Of course it is really hard for a team to go to the finals 4 years in a row, or even 3.


Which is the point I've been making all along as to why I have serious doubts that the Heat will be able to do it.


You are pointing out what you have seen and I am showing you that it seems you are seeing something different from the stats.


Again, stats don't mean nearly as much as you want them to. As I've pointed out, the East isn't exactly a grind this year and as an Eastern conference team, most of the Heat's games are against Eastern teams. So as I've pointed out, it's entirely possible and even likely that the Heat's "stats" make them look better than they actually are.


Have you watched all 32 of their games? The stats have.

If you can't understand how little stats can actually mean, it shows how little you actually understand about sports and likely how little you actually watch.

 

[Pariah]

wut

 

[Black Adam]

wut

 

[RobToxin]

nice bump

 

[trojanfan12]

Soooo, what planet is San Antonio on?