NBA Playoff Thread

[Kwijiboe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XeZ4Q09uXU

Best game of the year's highlights. Double overtime, Nash scoring 10 points in one minute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8hT8cLdO48

Top 10 nash plays, pretty nice compilation.. some of the passes are just unbelievable.. finding holes inbetween 3 players, and delivering passes to his teammates.. Like people are saying on this thread, that's what makes a MVP. But hell, I'm biased like I've always said-- GO SUNS.

Was at game 7 last year for lakers/suns, I know it was a blow out and probably not that much fun to watch if you were at home.. but I've never been to a game more exciting.

[Akiyama]

Edit: Just realized how well Kidd is doing. He's averaging a Triple-double? >.> Holy shit.

He had that game where he went like 18/18/18...

Yea, even though he does get attention (it's not like he's unknown), Jason Kidd still seems to be underrated, as weird as that sounds. Two players I just love to watch are Kidd and Nash, they hustle so damn much.

And was anyone else jumping up, screaming "Ow mah gawd" every other second of the third quarter where Baron Davis started lighting it up?

Tonight:
Cavaliers @ Wizards - 7:00 (3-0)
Jazz @ Rockets - 8:00 (2-2)
Spurs @ Nuggets - 10:30 (2-1)

I'm hoping the Wizards don't get swept, badly. I'm going to go with the home team in all three games. Should be interesting if the Nuggets can tie the series at 2-games a piece.

First off, lol @ actually thinking some of us would watch the NBA First Round over Heroes.

Secondly...

Anyone else find it funny two picked the Heat, three picked the Mavs and it's looking like neither will get past the first round? Made me lol@Espn.

to be fair, I don't think anybody save a few hardcore hometown fans really picked the Warriors

nor did anybody see it coming that Heat would be swept even with Wade in his poor condition, most of my friends thought Bulls would come out from at least a 6 game series

And that's exactly what's making this year's playoff so fun to watch :D

I don't see how people could pick a much, much older Heat team where D. Wade (who kept the Heat in the playoffs/won them the Finals last year) was injured and probably playing 70% healthy over the Bulls. The Bulls dominated the Heat this year. They opened the season against them with that 42 point win. The Bulls also have experience from facing the Heat last year in the first round so yeah. lolHeat, lolEspn.

The Mavs side of the story I can understand. I know the Warriors beat them during the regular season, but as everyone knows.. NBA regular season means absolutely diddly. The Mavs aren't just getting beat this postseason, they are getting destroyed so it's sort of odd. Nowitzki is just highly overrated.

Go Go Bulls.

[GRT]

nah, I meant to say that a lot of people might have picked Bulls to eventually come out, few expected a complete sweep, they are the defending champion for an air donkey's sake XD

I mean come on, even the Lakers beat the Suns once at home lol (no hatin involved here, I like Kobe as much as the next guy)

[melbufrauma]

I think that the Mavs will come back next year to take it all, they do just fine in regular season (record), they just have to go over how to not choke in big games.

[Nny]

I'm too lazy to go back over this again and see who posted it but, Nash a product of the media?

Look, I absolutely HATE the media. They hype, the dishype(?lol), the storylines they make that are absolutely fucking trivial. I hate reporters, I hate writers, burn 'em all.

And Nash is not a product of the media.

Someone else above pointed out his pin-point accuracy. It's not because he's a great shooter. He's above-average, but he's no where close, seriously NO WHERE close, to Kobe Bryant, shooting-skill wise. He's above average, but he's not an upper-tier shooter.

The reason his percents are so robust, is what makes him great.

He knows how to run the offense.

As cheesy and as over-used it is, he really is the quaterback of his team. He is a true, true to true, true point guard.

He's court vision is fucking amazing. His driving skills, his ball handling skills, his passing skills.

And the thing that makes him the best?

He knows when to shoot the ball.

It's not JUST his passing.

It's because when he's open, he has the killer instinct and puts it up. Whereas a lot of pointguards put up the ball when they aren't open, or don't have that killer instict to put up the shot and instead pass it, he knows when to shoot and when not to shoot.

He isn't a great shooter, it's just that almost all the shots he takes are wide open. He only takes high percentage shots, hence he has a high percentage.

He has the insticts of a shooting guard with the mind and mechanics of a point guard. Yeah, the system helps. Yeah, Amare helps. But he's an amazing player, and he makes it all happen.

Oh, and as others have pointed out, look at the Sun's record without him.

Most VALUABLE Player

a.k.a.

The player who's most valuable to the top-tier team.

And God everytime someone suck's Dirks cock I get so pissed. Dude fucking sucks, dude's a fucking choke artist, dude isn't a leader. And Dallas doesn't need him. They're 3-1 when he hasn't played, 6-0 when he played, but played under 25 minutes, and fucking 16, that's SIX-FUCKING-TEEN, 16-3 when he scores 20 or less...with scoring being about the only thing he can fucking do. Fuck Dirk, fuck the Mavs and fuck the people that slob their knob. Mavs are so fucking overrated it's not even funny. Regular season doesn't mean ANYTHING. God damn, record != skill of team.

I picked the Spurs to win before playoffs started. I don't like the Spurs, but that doesn't change the fact that they're the most complete team. I was rooting for the Magic, but man, that sucked, lol. If we didn't turn the ball over and could actually shoot freethows, they'd be good. But nooo. Dammit. But man, once Howard finally develops post moves, we're gonna be fucking unstopable. He still needs a lot of work though, unfortunately, and Jameer just isn't very good at running a team.

p.s. I also don't remember who else said it, but yeah, Gilbert Arenas is also so fucking overrated. I love his quickiness, but christ, he's not VALUABLE. People were all over his dick at the begining of the season. Also rofl at how he did when um, it was either Jamison or Butler, I don't remember which, went down around mid-season and he just flat-out sucked.

p.p.s Kidds amazing but he doesn't deserve MVP this year cuz Nets sucked. It wasn't just Kristic going down either, they sucked before then too.

p.p.p.s to the person lol@espn for picking heat and mavs, these are the same people that said Indy "Super Bowl winner" Colts would lose to the Kansas City, that Detroit Tigers wouldn't get to the first round (I'm not going to point out nobody picking the Cardinals winning it all because that was a lucky gype, and anyone who says they picked the Cards was either 1) lieing or 2) a homer card fan), the Heat were too old to win last year, blah blah blah welcome to sports analysist only riding bandwagons.

[kisada]

i wouldn't bet on the mavs winning it all next year, since don nelson's blown the secret wide open on how to attack dirk. avery johnson knows how to help him, but i think they need better personnel than diop and dampier. if the mavs can find the right guys to help dirk and his slow-footedness, i'm sure they'll do quite well the next time someone tries nellie-ball against the mavs.

however, i do think, regardless of whether they lose or win this round, that dirk will come back next year (or maybe even sooner) with a much, much better individual gameplan offensively.

he's shown in the past that given some time, he makes great adjustments to certain defenses, players and tactics used against him, and i don't doubt he'll eventually figure out how to beat nellie's quick, harassing defense.

[GRT]

I still think you guys (and a lot other people) underestimate Nash's jump shots. That guy makes Robert Horry caliber gaming saving three pointers under pressure from point deficit, time remaining, and/or defender's hand in his face. It's just that his amazing consistancy in contributing in all angles throughout the game that makes those big shots less exciting, and that's saying a lot.

But I agree, even if he only makes wide open shots, Nash is still more of an MVP than anybody else in the league right now.

By the way, quick question: if those 3-1 series end quickly with 4-1s etc, will round 2 start sooner or still next Monday nevertheless?

[kisada]

round two will only start when all the other teams are ready to start. so teams that sweep (cavs, bulls, pistons) all get a few days off guaranteed.

and yeah, i dunno how others wanna define shooter but nash obviously shoots very well, and quite a few are incredible, super-tough, clutch shots. he's definitely more clutch than many of the other so-called clutch players in the league who aren't much more than end-of-game chuckers when you really get into it.

[GRT]

round two will only start when all the other teams are ready to start. so teams that sweep (cavs, bulls, pistons) all get a few days off guaranteed.

I mean like right now, if any of the series goes to game seven, which will be held this Sunday, then the second round would start for everybody next Monday. My question is if all the series finish off early, say by Thursday, then does the second round start this weekend or will it start next Monday regardless?

[dietvanillapepsi]

The NBA won't wait until all first round matches are decided. It is not uncommon to have a game 7 and a second round game one on the same day. They will all be spread out as needed so that both Western Conf and Eastern Conf finish at the same time for the Finals.

As for Dirk, he's a great shooter but sometimes the problem is that he gives up as many points as he makes. His defense has gotten better in the last couple of years. However, it's still bad enough that Nellie has his guys isolate him and drive to the basket as he watches them run by.

Anyway, I hope Tuesday's game is just as good as the last one. I don't know who I want to win. An 8 seed beating a 1 seed would be cool. On the other hand, these games have been so good that I also want Dallas to extend the series.

[Nny]

I wasn't trying to imply that nash was a bad shooter.

But he isn't as good as his 53% FG% implies.

I mean, 53% from a guard is fucking huge. But that's because almost all his shots are high %. That's not to say he can't hit clutch shots, he can't shoot with a hand in his face. But he's not taking all those shots the majority of the time like a lot of shooters are. Majority of the time, it's high % shots, which ofcoarse means, higher %. His % says more of his shot selection this his actual shooting ability. Again, not saying he doesn't have shooting ability.

[Iono]

Wouldn't that say something about his incredible ability to get open?

Not easy to get open shots in the NBA. Especially when you're usually designated to carry the ball down.

[Tyr]

Is anyone watching the GS-Mavs game? Absolute insanity. Drop whatever you're doing and turn it on. Mavs had a near-20 point lead in the first quarter, GS is at the moment within 3.

[Exoduso]

Mavs should've won the game by the 2nd quarter lol... but GS is having a horrible horrible game, Davis is barely felt.(except for the last couple of mins anyways..)

[Tyr]

Dude, the Warriors made a huge run to end the first half, and since then, they've tied once and kept within like 3-6 points. This is with the mavs fans going wild.

Fuck jerry stackhouse, just hit a 3pointer =\

EDIT: davis just answered =D

[Exoduso]

3-pointer extravaganza lol...

And yeah I know, but wars are losing waaaaay too many balls.

[Exoduso]

About time the warriors take the lead...

[Tyr]

Oh shit, GS 91 - Mavs 90 now...

did you see that throwdown by Matt Barnes? Nothing says "bitch sitdown" like those dunks where you throw it down with your last ounce of strength.

[Exoduso]

If GS just chills and plays a regular paced game they'll win... right now they're just panicking and it's not doing any good.

[Tyr]

I hate devin harris. He perpetually has the look of a frustrated hamster.

EDIT: holy crap @ the 3-pointers flying everywhere....

EDIT2: Oh shit I love you steven jackson