1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

  2. Live Rockets Discussion
    Jalen Green looks like a legit star, Amen Thompson is shining and the Rockets have found something without Alperen Sengun. Clutch is talking about the 10-game winning streak at 11:00am as we talk Rockets live!

    Talking Rockets - LIVE!

Spurs vs. Thunder - 2012 Western Conference Finals

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by Juxtaposed Jolt, May 21, 2012.

?

Who wins the series?

Poll closed May 27, 2012.
  1. Spurs in 4

    6 vote(s)
    3.3%
  2. Spurs in 5

    14 vote(s)
    7.7%
  3. Spurs in 6

    45 vote(s)
    24.6%
  4. Spurs in 7

    26 vote(s)
    14.2%
  5. OKC in 4

    2 vote(s)
    1.1%
  6. OKC in 5

    2 vote(s)
    1.1%
  7. OKC in 6

    44 vote(s)
    24.0%
  8. OKC in 7

    44 vote(s)
    24.0%
  1. DVauthrin

    DVauthrin Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 1999
    Messages:
    9,186
    Likes Received:
    7,161
    Agreed. So happy for KD right now. I can't wait to see him play in the finals. Also, gotta give props to old man Fisher. He hit two huge shots in the 4th quarter tonight.
     
  2. ObamaFan

    ObamaFan Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2012
    Messages:
    1,796
    Likes Received:
    24

    Well thats why i said a rookie Russell Westbrook

    its easy to say yes now
     
  3. supdudes

    supdudes Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    2,530
    Likes Received:
    126
    These guys better not lose to the Heat....
     
  4. jopatmc

    jopatmc Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2002
    Messages:
    15,368
    Likes Received:
    387

    I am wrong.



    Until

    Dwight Howard gets paired up with an All-Star point guard and a 4 that can shoot the 3 and defend and two wings that can shoot the 3 and defend.



    or



    Until

    Pau is traded to a team that will play him at center alongside another superstar point guard and one other big that can shoot from deep and spread the floor.
     
  5. Kam

    Kam Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2002
    Messages:
    30,476
    Likes Received:
    1,322
    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>I lowkey miss Seattle and Key Arena</p>&mdash; Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/19701926566" data-datetime="2010-07-28T01:34:06+00:00">July 28, 2010</a></blockquote>
    <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


    Saw AB put this up.
     
  6. DVauthrin

    DVauthrin Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 1999
    Messages:
    9,186
    Likes Received:
    7,161
    Pau Gasol is far from a dominant post player. Sure, he can play there on occasion, but he's soft as hell, and loves to step out and hit mid range shots. Using him as an example is laughable.

    As for Dwight Howard, let me know when he gets paired with a team that has all those pieces. If two hypothetical scenarios are the best you can do in a 30 team league, it proves our point, not yours. The NBA has transitioned to a guard oriented, open court game based on versatility.
     
  7. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2006
    Messages:
    42,226
    Likes Received:
    5,572
    How do you define balance? When you have 3 guys who can all (1) create/dish, (2) finish hard/athletic at the rim, (3) drill 3-pointers, (4) pull up off the dribble, (5) slash off the ball and (6) PnR with each other or anyone else on the floor, where is the lack of balance? OKC scores from everywhere on the floor, including from close in. They are plenty balanced. You are limiting the definition of "close in" to be back-to-the-basket. By your own words, the Lakers have 3 of the top 10 post players in the NBA and OKC kicked them in the rump even though Perkins played on one leg. I guess having all that post-up ability wasn't enough against a truly balanced team.

    I'm saying in today's NBA, post-ups aren't the defining factor for success or even the best way to score within 10-feet. The game has changed from the 90s.

    IMO, the main problem OKC has is Perkins inability to finish. He has no dexterity, touch, niftiness or hops from close-in. Ibaka can scoop, slam, hook and even shoot mid-range jumpers. But Perk can't do much of anything except slam or hit an unassisted layup. Ibaka also needs to improve his PnR instincts on both ends. Maybe when gains a few pounds and gets some sand in his britches he can replace Perkins at C in two years.

    OKC is indeed the exception. There is no team like them.
     
  8. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2006
    Messages:
    88,833
    Likes Received:
    42,761
    Man I can say this now.......Screw the Spurs
    finally, just didn't look to go away.....
    Have a nice fishing weekend......
     
  9. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2006
    Messages:
    88,833
    Likes Received:
    42,761
    So the Spurs were reliant on 3 point shots..... that is normally more like a tossup

    Mid range game over 3 pt shots every day of the week
     
  10. rolyat93

    rolyat93 Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2010
    Messages:
    6,354
    Likes Received:
    460
    If he played hard with tough D, he'd still get minutes like Parsons did this year.
     
  11. jopatmc

    jopatmc Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2002
    Messages:
    15,368
    Likes Received:
    387

    Balance simply means the ability to play half-court back to the basket just as well as playing face up basketball. Sure they can shoot close in, they can drive, they're are wildly athletic, they can finish. But their whole game is predicated on their face-up ability. They are the best face-up team ever assembled in my opinion. And it appears that they are going to break through based on that fantastic face-up game.

    I realize the game has changed. But it will change again. The game is always changing as the NBA makes rule adjustments, etc. Can you guess what is going to happen next??? I have some sneaking suspicions. And here's one of them. What if....the league determines this offseason that they have to stop all the illegal screens by the bigs out top???? (It is getting ridiculous.) And that is one of the primary reasons why this whole league is running PnR basketball ad nauseum. Because they can get away with that moving pick. But if the league clamps down on that, then PnR basketball, although still a foundation basketball play, will not be run 90% of the time like it is now. And with that one rule change, back-to-the-basket basketball becomes vitally important again. (It's still vitally important. Just because there is a dearth of great big men doesn't mean back-to-the-basket basketball isn't important. That's why I'm all over us trying to get Dwight. And frankly, that's why I am convinced Jared Sullinger is going to be a serious player in the NBA. And that is why Luis Scola holds such high trade value even though most people think he's over-the-hill and on a bad contract.)

    Oh, and how about this one? What if the league decides it needs to preserve the rule of verticality, you know the fundamental basketball rule that states if a defender jumps and goes straight up vertical and he doesn't reach out but shoots his arms straight up and the offensive player runs into him that the offensive player committed an offensive foul? What is that going to do to face-up basketball??

    Yeah, the league is different right now. But it's temporary. The rule changes are coming. The tide is constantly turning. One of the NBA's greatest attractions is it is where fans go to see true GIANTS play while being able to watch average sized men and even a few sensational little men be able to dominate as well. So, back-to-the-basket basketball is not dead, not by any stretch of the imagination. The rule changes have overbalanced in favor of the perimeter guys that can dribble drive off a pick and can shoot the 3. But just a few tweaks (and they are coming) and we're back to more balance between face-up and back-to-the-basket style.

    And I haven't even gotten to mention yet, just a few trades away from serious back-to-the-basket play again. First of all, if you break up Pau and Bynum and each man becomes the main post option on their respective teams, both guys will look so much better. And then if they are paired with good perimeter players, those teams will be contenders. And then here's the biggie. If Dwight Howard ever gets to play on a team with a great point guard and perimeter players, his team will be a true contender.

    Last night I had this dream. In my dream, Goran Dragic was chasing Westbrook around all over the place, frustrating the dickens out of him. On the wing, Deron Williams was face-up defending James Harden making it difficult for Harden to even get loose to catch the ball. On the other wing, Chandler Parsons was dogging the dickens out of Durant. They were all playing up close, not worrying about getting beat to the rim. And then I looked in the paint and there was Dwight just trying to barely touch Ibaka and Motie was fronting Perkins on the baseline. They finally forced a tough contested perimeter jumper, Dwight gobbled up the rebound, and up the floor they came as a unit. Now the shoe was on the other foot. Westbrook had Dragic, Harden had DWill, Durant was on Parsons playing midway because he was cheating playing off to help the other guys. Motie was in the far corner. And there was Dwight in the box. Perkins was trying to root him out. But it was impossible. They threw it in to Dwight, he took one dribble and the scramble was on. And the dream ended right there.


    Don't underestimate back-to-the-basket post play. It's still a vital part of championship basketball.
     
  12. Yung-T

    Yung-T Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2009
    Messages:
    24,403
    Likes Received:
    7,047
    Celtics will kill Miami tonight man, OKC will face Boston.
     
  13. Zboy

    Zboy Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2002
    Messages:
    27,234
    Likes Received:
    21,955
    You and your what ifs....

    [​IMG]
     
  14. bullardfan

    bullardfan なんでやねん

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2008
    Messages:
    3,597
    Likes Received:
    101
    holy crap! this is the first time i called a series correctly. although i really started to question "thunder in 6" after game 2. go OKC. I really like their team and the atmosphere they have. Reminds me of the championship Rockets teams. Scotty Brooks is doing a hell of a job there.
     
  15. BigBenito

    BigBenito Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2002
    Messages:
    7,355
    Likes Received:
    175
    http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/28935/oklahoma-citys-winning-play

    Good writeup by Pruiti - evolution of the Westbrook offball pick play that the Thunder had been using to get KD open. (Link has multiple video/picture examples of the plays.)
    .
     
  16. TheFreak

    TheFreak Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 1999
    Messages:
    18,246
    Likes Received:
    3,194
    I guess the best coach in the league wasn't good enough to get the team with the best record in the league to the Finals. Again.
     
  17. boomboom

    boomboom I GOT '99 PROBLEMS
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 1999
    Messages:
    12,205
    Likes Received:
    8,526

Share This Page

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now