Eastern Conference Finals (Playoff): Chicago Bulls(1) Vs Miami Heats(2)

MVP performance is what Dirk did last night.

 

well, great players make tough shots. that's what they're paid to do. what are you trying to say?

the bulls are deeper, and have a better bench. but depth isn't really that imporatant in the playoffs when your best players play 40+ minutes every game.

i don't see how you can think the bulls can beat the heat if they don't outrebound the heat (by a large margin)? all things being equal, the bulls won't beat the heat.

the heat outscored the bulls by 17pts the last 3 quarters when the rebounding was pretty even. and the heat didn't even play that well.


your standards for MVP must be pretty high b/c that was one of the best performances (if not top 3) of all time in the playoffs offensively.

 

Shutting down a player means literally... shutting down. Dirk wasn't shut down. He was still affecting the game in many ways besides scoring. Shutting down means making a player a non-factor, and Dirk WASN'T a non-factor.

Dirk was slowed in the series, his game was put off for sure. But was he shut down? I would hardly say so.

I would agree, but that doesn't mean he was shut down. And that certainly doesn't mean he would be shut down by Haslem this year, considering Dirk's performance so far. Not to mention, the Heat were handed a championship in 06, and if not handed one they were given favorable treatment. Would people still consider Dirk as having been "shut down" by Haslem if the series was more objectively officiated and the Mavs won?

 

A guy has to set records for it to be an MVP performance? That's a ridiculous standard that nobody else in the world uses.

Putting up 25-28 points on 10-14 shots is amazing efficiency that only MVP-type players can produce with any consistency. Keep in mind that only seven players in the league averaged 25 points per game this year and all of them averaged at least 18 shot attempts per game.

 

You make some very good points, and if the Mavs had won, you are right, Haslem would of got some love, but not as much as he got.

But you right about Dirk this year, he has stepped it up another level, and will be tough to stop, but at least the Heat has someone with a proven record of playing good D on Dirk.

People saying the Heat getting handed the chip in 06, is a subject for another thread, and will just derail this thread even more.

 

Game 1 vs. Indy, 39 points, 6 assists, 6 boards. MVP performance.
Game 3 vs ATL, 44 points , 7 assists, 5 boards. MVP performance.

I'm not going to debate on this, everyone has different standards.

I'm not going to lie Udonis has changed this series just because of the hustle and boards he gets, but the Bulls aren't going to stink it up like they did today, this probably the worst they played offensively throughout the season. If this is the best Miami can do against this Bulls defense offensively then they will lose unless Chicago goes partying again.

 

so TWO games out of the entire playoffs?

but agree to disagree. i pick the heat in 6 for my reasons. i predicted they would lose game 1 and win game 2.

 

The Heat played great D, that's why the Bulls struggled today, they rely on D Rose to much, and it showed today.

 

I pick Chicago in 7, I believe they'll steal one in Miami... Hopefully I get tickets. Chicago's hustle reminds me of the Rockets against the Lakers when we took em to 7, except the Bulls have hc advantage.

 

it's as close to a literally shut down as it gets. no mvp caliber player gets literally shut down. he may not be a non-factor but haslem was certainly more of a factor than him in that series. if dirk's held to those performances again by haslem, dallas has no chance of beating the heat. in fact, dallas has little chance of beating any playoff teams if dirk's slowed to that kind of performances. see the golden state series.

 

So funny how we're already talking Heat/Dallas as if it's a given. Neither series is even close to being over.

 

i don't think home court matters much to the heat. they have won in 2 of the toughest places to play in boston and now chicago. they were a top 2 team on the road all year, and lebron plays better on the road.

the heat haven't had one good role player step up outside of haslem in both games, and i expect them to play MUCH better at home.

but i do agree, i give the edge to the bulls if it does go 7. this team just plays with another world of energy at home. the bulls were constructed the same way we were with tmac and yao, except they have better, younger, and more athletic role players.

 

Dallas wins

Miami wins

Miami wins

 

When you mention that comparison it makes me realize how ****ty our role players were throughout that era. Are any of them still in the league?

MJ singlehandedly made the Bulls an iconic franchise, they're coaches, players, fans are just just so organized at fulfilling what they do best. Seriously, Thibs, executes that staggering defense every single game to the max, the arena practically has a say in the game because they are a sixth man when the Bulls are on a run. For the most part, their players do their jobs, their bench always provides a spark, offensively and defensively, Deng knocks down the shots he has too, Noah cleans up the ones he has too. The only ones that lack consistency are on the team are Rose, Boozer and Korver. If you're the Bulls I think you can afford two of them having an off game but not all 3 like tonight. Obviously it depends because they're all diff. caliber players but generally speaking.

 

watch every game in the playoffs, a role player ALWAYS steps up on the winning team.

now you look back at our teams from 04-05 to 06-07 when tmac and yao were healthy, i don't remember one role player stepping up at all. it was pathetic.

the only time that a role player stepped up was carl landry in game 3 in utah in 08. AND HE WAS YOUNG AND ATHLETIC.

you need role players to win consistently in the playoffs. and you definitely need them if you want to be a championship-contender.

the bulls have a phlethora of starters on their bench (brewer, asik, gibson, korver).

 

RealSkipBayless Skip Bayless
Yes! My man LeBron comes thru for me! Ha. Saves season down stretch. Might even call him King for a day, tomorrow at 10am, ESPN2. Way to go

 

The games that we won in that era were because either Yao or Tmac stepped up big but management did a horrible job at finding roles players to surround them with. It was two very good stars, with below average roles players.

That's what I think is holding miami back, but then again they have Haslem back who is one of the best in the NBA at being a role player. Can't wait for Sunday already.

 

The mavs have players who have stepped in this playoff other than Dirk.

Chandler, Kidd, Peja, Barea, Terry are all players who have stepped up significantly.

This won't be anything like the GS series. The GS series was a bad matchup, GS were the only team to sweep the Mavericks for the season in 07.

 

you may be right if lebron/wade are just your borderline superstars (tmac was a true superstar during that time before he got injured though), but they are the 2 best players in the L. and they both haven't really got going, despite game 2.

 

Heat Facts:
This was the first time that the Heats, Five Highest paid players, played together on the court all season. Miller Haslem Lebron Wade and Bosh.

Everyone said Bibby would be owned by Rose, well look at these stats.

"Rose is now shooting 37.8 percent against the Heat defense in this series, and Bibby has held his own"

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/7762/heat-95-bulls-85-5-answers-to-5-questions