NBA playoffs thread

[Balta1701]

Can't believe people still hire this clown for a year at a time.

When you need a rebuilding plan and you've got issues like Elton Brand's contract, why not?

[DBAHO]

I wish that Vinny were kept, but he won't and we'll end up with another inexperienced coach who goes through growing pains.

If they do that though, won't the Bulls virtually have not much of a chance at getting one of those big FA's.

 

If the Bulls can get an experienced hire, by all means they should. Whether or not they do though is another story.

[Balta1701]

If they do that though, won't the Bulls virtually have not much of a chance at getting one of those big FA's.

 

If the Bulls can get an experienced hire, by all means they should. Whether or not they do though is another story.

If they can't, then they need a fully new front office. Paxson and Forman have essentially gambled their jobs on being able to land 1 of the big 3.

[nitetrain8601]

I certainly didn't get the impression that either of those were true. I got the impression that JR didn't want to get into a bidding war against the Knicks for D'Antoni, because he was going to lose that bidding war, and I got the impression that Doug Collins had the job if he'd wanted it and he decided he didn't want it.

 

JR kept stalling with D'Antoni. Despite JR stating he doesn't get involved, he really really does. He got involved in the Deng negotiations, he didn't want Gordon, he's been Hinrich's biggest fan. JR was basically dicking around with D'Antoni and Mike wouldn't have it.

 

Collins wanted the job, badly too. Paxson was completely on board with it and that's when Doug talked about it on TNT basically sounding like he would be the next coach. JR stepped in and basically told him he didn't want to have to fire his friend, so he didn't want to get him the job. VDN was a lameduck coach since he was hired. The Bulls only wanted someone to work cheap until 2010 came around and then go from there.

[Steve9347]

Bulls mercifully will be put to bed tonight. Supposedly the VDN firing will happen the day after they are eliminated. I plan on cracking a beer in celebration tomorrow.

[Balta1701]

Bulls mercifully will be put to bed tonight. Supposedly the VDN firing will happen the day after they are eliminated. I plan on cracking a beer in celebration tomorrow.

Beer? Hell, that deserves like a bottle of some 1870's vintage champagne.

[lostfan]

If the Bulls don't land one of the big 3 they're f***ed, going to be a .500 team for the next few years barring any unforeseen circumstance like lucky FA signings. One of those 3 would make the Bulls a perennial contender, but without them, they won't be good enough to get any high seeds or have any real shot at making it out of the second round, and they won't be bad enough to get a lottery pick.

[Dick Allen]

If the Bulls don't land one of the big 3 they're f***ed, going to be a .500 team for the next few years barring any unforeseen circumstance like lucky FA signings. One of those 3 would make the Bulls a perennial contender, but without them, they won't be good enough to get any high seeds or have any real shot at making it out of the second round, and they won't be bad enough to get a lottery pick.

They currently are in NBA hell, right in the middle of being great and being horrible, but a FA or 2 could change that. If they don't get one of the big 3 or 4 if you include Johnson, I hope they don't blow their wad on a couple of lesser guys. Its always advantageous to have a lot of cap space. I know its beyond a longshot, but if you were Lebron and seriously looked at the 2 rosters, Cleveland and Chicago, you would have to say Chicago is far superior with yourself than Cleveland is or will be with you. If Lebron signed with the Bulls and the Bulls key players remained healthy, they would dominate the NBA until their contracts ran out. Seriously, 6 or 7 titles minimum if you ask me. I really think when its all said and done, Lebron will be thought of as close to Michael Jordan's equal as anyone who has ever played or maybe even better. There's nothing he can't do, and he's bigger and stronger than MJ. Of course, he will have to shine in the Finals first.

[lostfan]

They currently are in NBA hell, right in the middle of being great and being horrible, but a FA or 2 could change that. If they don't get one of the big 3 or 4 if you include Johnson, I hope they don't blow their wad on a couple of lesser guys. Its always advantageous to have a lot of cap space. I know its beyond a longshot, but if you were Lebron and seriously looked at the 2 rosters, Cleveland and Chicago, you would have to say Chicago is far superior with yourself than Cleveland is or will be with you. If Lebron signed with the Bulls and the Bulls key players remained healthy, they would dominate the NBA until their contracts ran out. Seriously, 6 or 7 titles minimum if you ask me. I really think when its all said and done, Lebron will be thought of as close to Michael Jordan's equal as anyone who has ever played or maybe even better. There's nothing he can't do, and he's bigger and stronger than MJ. Of course, he will have to shine in the Finals first.

I think the Bulls would be unstoppable with LeBron. Rose, right now he scores most of his points by driving and slashing because he's so fast, and he doesn't have much of a long-range shot yet (and I'm sure he will, he's only 21, LeBron couldn't shoot for s*** at that age and now he is lights out when he's hot).

 

Do you think the Cavs are a .500 team without LeBron? Less?

[whitesoxfan99]

I think the Bulls would be unstoppable with LeBron. Rose, right now he scores most of his points by driving and slashing because he's so fast, and he doesn't have much of a long-range shot yet (and I'm sure he will, he's only 21, LeBron couldn't shoot for s*** at that age and now he is lights out when he's hot).

 

Do you think the Cavs are a .500 team without LeBron? Less?

 

LeBron still isn't a good 3 pt shooter and almost certainly never will be a really good one but except for his first year in the league he was always a dramatically better 3 pt shooter than Rose is. LeBron shot 35% from 3 his 2nd year in the league and has basically been about a 33% 3 pt shooter since then. Rose has been well under 30% from 3 each of his first two years and has been hesitant to even take 3's. He could certainly develop a long range shot but there is no evidence to support it. LeBron at 21 was shooting the 3 at the same percentage he is now.

 

It is just as likely if not more so that Rose is like Wade where he always struggles from 3 but as he gets more comfortable shooting from the outside he at least becomes a bit of a threat.

Edited April 28, 2010 by whitesoxfan99

[lostfan]

LeBron still isn't a good 3 pt shooter and almost certainly never will be a really good one but except for his first year in the league he was always a dramatically better 3 pt shooter than Rose is. LeBron shot 35% from 3 his 2nd year in the league and has basically been about a 33% 3 pt shooter since then. Rose has been well under 30% from 3 each of his first two years and has been hesitant to even take 3's. He could certainly develop a long range shot but there is no evidence to support it. LeBron at 21 was shooting the 3 at the same percentage he is now.

Compared to James, Rose hardly even attempts threes so to compare them like that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, the 3 is not a part of Rose's game, at least not yet. In any case that's not really where I was going with that. I was talking more generally about Rose getting better as a shooter, it's not like it's unheard of, it just takes a few years of practice. Jordan was a terrible 3 point shooter in the mid 80s mostly because he just didn't need to, he could average 35 ppg without attempting more than about 50 threes in a season since he could just penetrate and drive on anyone (similar to Rose although obviously Rose is a far inferior player, and I'm not comparing him to MJ, my bad for that, it's just MJ was the first one I could think of with that career trend). Then he developed an outside shot out of necessity thanks to the Jordan Rules and things like that and he got harder to defend, since you block his lane to the basket and he'd just step back and take the open shot, and if you contest the shot, he'd drive around you. I see no reason why Rose can't or won't do that.

[WHarris1]

Hard to win when Rose drives the lane and gets destroyed by Shaq with no call, then Noah gets called for a touch on the rebound

[whitesoxfan99]

Compared to James, Rose hardly even attempts threes so to compare them like that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, the 3 is not a part of Rose's game, at least not yet. In any case that's not really where I was going with that. I was talking more generally about Rose getting better as a shooter, it's not like it's unheard of, it just takes a few years of practice. Jordan was a terrible 3 point shooter in the mid 80s mostly because he just didn't need to, he could average 35 ppg without attempting more than about 50 threes in a season since he could just penetrate and drive on anyone (similar to Rose although obviously Rose is a far inferior player, and I'm not comparing him to MJ, my bad for that, it's just MJ was the first one I could think of with that career trend). Then he developed an outside shot out of necessity thanks to the Jordan Rules and things like that and he got harder to defend, since you block his lane to the basket and he'd just step back and take the open shot, and if you contest the shot, he'd drive around you. I see no reason why Rose can't or won't do that.

 

That is why I brought up Wade who I think is a much better comparison. Wade is and always has been a bad 3 pt shooter. Early in his career he took very few 3's and sucked at them. Now he takes about 3 a game and still is only a 30% 3 pt shooter. His early career shooting both from 3 and the FT line is similar to Rose and they are both guards who excel at attacking the basket so Wade is the closest comparison. It is also important to note that with Jordan 3 pt shooting was not a big part of the game when he was growing up and college basketball didn't even have a 3 pt line nationally until 1986 so he wouldn't have worked on that aspect of his game that much growing up.

[lostfan]

That is why I brought up Wade who I think is a much better comparison. Wade is and always has been a bad 3 pt shooter. Early in his career he took very few 3's and sucked at them. Now he takes about 3 a game and still is only a 30% 3 pt shooter. His early career shooting both from 3 and the FT line is similar to Rose and they are both guards who excel at attacking the basket so Wade is the closest comparison. It is also important to note that with Jordan 3 pt shooting was not a big part of the game when he was growing up and college basketball didn't even have a 3 pt line nationally until 1986 so he wouldn't have worked on that aspect of his game that much growing up.

Yeah you wrote that after I replied and while I was typing, but I agree, and that's more of what I was talking about. Rose is going to be a more prolific scorer and harder to defend if teams are afraid of him taking shots from 15, 18 feet. And although it's still a wet dream, both he and LeBron have the ability to create for others so that offense would be really hard to stop.

[WHarris1]

These officials are an embarassment

[WHarris1]

THEY LITERALLY JUST f***ING CALLED CONSECUTIVE PHANTOM FOULS ON MILLER

 

GIVE ME A f***ING BREAK

[lostfan]

How the f*** was that a foul? Miller stood there while Shaq tried to post him up, that's a foul?

[WHarris1]

Shaq gets away with f***ing murder all game then s***s his pants when he is whistled for a foul. f*** off you fat oaf

[WHarris1]

WHAT THE f*** ARE THESE f***ING REFS DOING

[lostfan]

How was that a foul on Noah? I mean really?

[WHarris1]

This is just getting f***ing ridiculous now.

 

Overturning Rose's and one was a f***ing JOKE

Edited April 28, 2010 by WHarris1

[zenryan]

This is just getting f***ing ridiculous now.

 

Overturning Rose's and one was a f***ing JOKE

 

 

Yeah it was.

 

This is why the NBA is so hard for people like me (casual fan) to get into. It just looks way too obvious that the refs are catering to the the more popular team.

[WHarris1]

There is no beating the Cavs down the stretch in an important game. If Lebron puts it on the floor the whistles are ready

[WHarris1]

When Mo f***ing Williams is getting phantom calls you know you don't have a chance

[Vote4Pedro]

c'mon bulls make a 4th quarter comeback