2010-2011 NBA Thread

[southsider2k5]

I'm debating whether I want to even watch the game tonight. The last 3 games have resulted in me going to bed and laying there angry for several hours, not being able to fall asleep.

 

And the chance of seeing Douche James celebrating after a victory nauseates me.

 

I'll flip to it between innings. The series is over in my mind.

[southsider2k5]

That has been almost entirely because of the level of defense Miami plays. It isn't like the Bulls are getting and missing a ton of open looks, just about every offensive possession lately has been a struggle for the Bulls to get a good look at the basket.

 

Miami's defense has been the thing that shocked me about this series. It has been other-worldly this series. I don't know how Spoo got them to buy into it, but it is working.

[Balta1701]

I'll flip to it between innings. The series is over in my mind.

That's where I'm at too.

 

Which is also why I'm so pessimistic on the next couple years all of a sudden.

[BigSqwert]

Which is also why I'm so pessimistic on the next couple years all of a sudden.

I think you're being overly pessimistic about the Bulls' chances going forward. And I'm Mr Doom and Gloom.

[Balta1701]

I think you're being overly pessimistic about the Bulls' chances going forward. And I'm Mr Doom and Gloom.

I won't believe that's the case until I hear it from both MM and J4L.

[Jordan4life_2007]

This entire prediction/estimation talk is based strictly in a vacuum assuming NOTHING changes for the foreseeable future, including a major injury to any on of the Big 3 in Miami and including any free agent moves or trades. It is bulls***. Just the same as the talk early this season that the Heat were going to not only tie, but SHATTER the bulls 72-10 mark.

 

 

And lets not forget here, the Bulls also have "been together for like 5 minutes" and their record went +20 in the win column. And the Heat havent even won the title this season

 

I can't predict injuries. Rose could get decapitated tonight and Steve would end his life. I don't know. I know that any player(s) can get hurt. And I don't mean to ride Balta's coattails, but like he said, the Heat, like the Bulls and other teams, will have the ability to improve their supporting cast. They basically piecemealed it this year and here they are. And I never said the Heat were a lock to win the title. At least not since last July when I was on emotional overload because I obviously wanted 'Bron and Bosh, not Boozer and Watson.

[BigSqwert]

I won't believe that's the case until I hear it from both MM and J4L.

MM doesn't follow the NBA.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Miami's defense has been the thing that shocked me about this series. It has been other-worldly this series. I don't know how Spoo got them to buy into it, but it is working.

 

I know you're not a huge stats guy. But they didn't lie. Miami has been elite on defense all year. Not just this series.

[Soxbadger]

Miami defense has been excellent in part because of the Bulls ineffectiveness at offense. Korver has had plenty of good looks, but when a career 40% 3 point shooter cant make shots, the other teams defense is going to look good.

 

And well the Bulls are going to make any team defense look good because if you look back over the past few months, Ive consistently stated that the #1 problem the Bulls have is that they are unable to run an offense and continually rely on Derrick Rose to make miraculous shots at the end of the shot clock.

 

That isnt Miami's defense, that is the Bulls offense. The Bulls seemingly do not understand how to run effective offensive plays. This could be because Rivers used to diagram all the plays in Boston and so Thibs may not have a lot of experience. Allegedly he has just taken a few plays from different systems and tried to implement them, but this is the Bulls #1 weakness.

 

If anything Miami's defense has done nothing more than what it should, hold down a bad Bulls offense. During the regular season Bulls were the 20th in ppg, Miami was 8th. Now maybe there are some adjusted stats that show if you add in pace the Bulls scored more (actually with pace Bulls are 12) and Miami is 3.

 

In fact of the final 4 teams, Miami was 3, OKC 4, Dallas 8 (off eff).

 

So I guess im not surprised the bulls struggled offensively, especially when Korver isnt hitting threes. The good news for the Bulls is that this is entirely fixable, it just will require the Bulls hiring an assistant coach who can diagram plays in game and take advantage of other teams on the fly.

 

Miami is a good team, but it doesnt really wow me that theyve struggled against a Bulls team that has a significant offensive problem.

[southsider2k5]

I think you're being overly pessimistic about the Bulls' chances going forward. And I'm Mr Doom and Gloom.

 

This year they are done. Next year I will wait and see what happens to the cap first, and then what moves the Bulls make in the off-season. I think this is a team that will be better next year, but there are a lot of balls in the air as to what next year will look like.

[Quin]

That would be amazing, but how would that work contract-wise? He has a pretty huge deal, right?

 

Well, it depends on if the Lux tax and Bird Rights still exist. If it does, then they can acquire him, though the starting five will make over $60M come Rose's extension. You can trade Brewer, Watson, Bogans, Lucas, Pargo (last three not guaranteed) to match salary along with any combination of picks.

[Balta1701]

I know you're not a huge stats guy. But they didn't lie. Miami has been elite on defense all year. Not just this series.

Miami was no where near during the season what they've been on defense in this series. If they were elite all year...then whatever they are now is 7 steps above elite. This is beyond ridiculous.

[southsider2k5]

I know you're not a huge stats guy. But they didn't lie. Miami has been elite on defense all year. Not just this series.

 

I'm even less of a stats guy in basketball after all of the years I spent broadcasting it. Especially defensively there are plenty of ways to make numbers lie. Miami didn't convince me that they had a commitment to playing D during the three games the Bulls played them during the regular season. Sure they could turn it on when they wanted to for a stretch here and there, but nothing really sustained the way the Bulls do. That has changed in the playoffs. This is as good of a defensive series of basketball as I have seen since the defensive rules changed because of Michael Jordan.

[Balta1701]

I'm even less of a stats guy in basketball after all of the years I spent broadcasting it. Especially defensively there are This is as good of a defensive series of basketball as I have seen since the defensive rules changed because of Michael Jordan.

This whole series has been what would happen if you took Celtics/Lakers game 7 last year and turned it into a 5 game series.

[Soxbadger]

Miami was the 5th most efficient defense during the regular season, and that was without Wade etc for stretches of time.

 

Im not sure why anyone thought Miami would be anything but a top tier defense, which is why the Bulls horrific offense is really being exposed.

 

In fact Miami's defense efficiency is only down a point (which is better) in the playoffs.

 

The Bulls defense is up a point and their offense is down 3 points (worse).

 

In the playoffs you have to score points, the Bulls dont score points because of how the Bulls play. Lebron being a monster just makes it harder for the Bulls to get the easy points they rely on, but the major problem is that the Bulls can not shoot from the floor with any consistency.

 

if you cant make jump shots, you arent going to beat a team like Miami.

[Balta1701]

I hate to have to agree with the Republican here, but if the advanced metrics are saying that nothing much has changed about Miami's defense in the playoffs, then I'm never citing an advanced metric again.

[Soxbadger]

Advanced metrics say they are a point better, which is an improvement, especially considering they are only playing playoff teams.

 

The point is that the Bulls offense is down more than the Heats defense is up, because what we are seeing is a bad offense making a good defense look unstoppable.

 

 

[Jordan4life_2007]

I hate to have to agree with the Republican here, but if the advanced metrics are saying that nothing much has changed about Miami's defense in the playoffs, then I'm never citing an advanced metric again.

 

You're going overboard over 4 games. The stats say they've been pretty good all year. Defensive efficiency is a much better measure for overall team defense because it takes pace into account. And as Badger said, they were 5th.

[Steve9347]

This will be the first NBA finals since 1979 that does not feature at least 1 of these players:

Magic Johnson

Larry Bird

Michael Jordan

Isiah Thomas

Hakeem Olajuwan

Shaquille O'Neal

Tim Duncan

Kobe Bryant

That's pretty crazy.

[Steve9347]

After game 2 I said exactly this.

 

I've totally changed my tune.

 

Miami is blowing me away with how they're beating the Bulls despite the Bulls throwing the kitchen sink at them on defense. Miami is out-offensing the bulls and out-defensing the Bulls.

 

That's blowing me away.

That's it.

 

Bulls are winning this series.

[Balta1701]

That's it.

 

Bulls are winning this series.

That'd be the epic "Spite balta" move. But it'd make me too **** happy, so it won't happen.

[Steve9347]

Miami's defense has been the thing that shocked me about this series. It has been other-worldly this series. I don't know how Spoo got them to buy into it, but it is working.

Their effort is what has surprised me. I never expected them to match the Bulls in work ethic.

[southsider2k5]

I hate to have to agree with the Republican here, but if the advanced metrics are saying that nothing much has changed about Miami's defense in the playoffs, then I'm never citing an advanced metric again.

 

Honestly I didn't watch the Heat play except when they played the Bulls, so I supposed I could have missed something, but this is a whole other level of defense they are playing than what I saw prior to this. The big difference is that they aren't taking quarters off of playing hard. The Heat would go through long lapses of seemingly not caring about the defensive end of the floor.

[southsider2k5]

You're going overboard over 4 games. The stats say they've been pretty good all year. Defensive efficiency is a much better measure for overall team defense because it takes pace into account. And as Badger said, they were 5th.

 

5th out of 30 isn't elite, that is good. The D in this series has been elite, as in the best.

[southsider2k5]

Their effort is what has surprised me. I never expected them to match the Bulls in work ethic.

 

100% yes.