November 12, 2003 After Jeff and Stan Van Gundy faced off for the first time "I almost feel guilty,'' Jeff said. "It's like why were you blessed with talent and he wasn't? There was a huge talent discrepancy and huge size discrepancy, which we're happy about, but we're going to have to play better to continue to win.''
Miami's in the east, do you think that Indiana can seriously beat T-Wolves, Sac, Lakers, or Spurs in a best of 7 series? It's amazing that Miami is even 2 -2 against indiana, not taking any of that away. But east is east, the best in the east is still the underdog against the top4 of the west.
The Pacers were 3-5 vs the WC Top 4 and 6-2 vs the lower 4. An underdog, but not as much as many people think. MIA is staying even on pure grit.
I did not see the game . .. . ole boy on 610 was whining about the Reffing I think the pacers have a solid team Perhaps the biggest discrepancy is on the sidelines Rocket River
To the 2nd point, I agree. To the 1st point, I do believe Indy and Pistons can give a great accounting of themselves in the Finals. I am still not sold on the Nets as a serious 7-game threat.
There is probably size difference. But talent-wise, heat is a pretty nice team. Even come to the west, I think Heat can be a 7th or 8th palyoff seed. Dwane Wade is going to be a big time player in this league. The kid just has it.
Heat does have a nice team, but they wouldn't survive at all in the West. They have the smallest frontcourt in the league, period. As Steven A. Smith puts it: The East is like the JV league.
Being the Isiah worshiper that I am, I would find a great deal of statisfaction in that. But why, oh why did he have to go to the Knicks???? That is the rough equivilent of being the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan and having your only daughter marry a Black Panther.
I feel your frustration but question your comparator. Perhaps better thought -- being president of the high school glee club and marrying a Gray Panther?
i dunno about that... i think the rockets could consistently beat the heat. but i guess that's just because of Yao Ming and the size of our front court. they have some real athletes down there. butler's turned it up, wade is good, odom is playing fantastic (but i don't think he's gonna be a superstar or anything), eddie jones... remember when he was traded for kobe they thought similar players? but anyway he's still decent, and then you've got grant, who's okay. so have some tough nosed players and one or two guys that can take it to the rack all the time. they are kind of very similar to the old Rockets, but with more defensive intensity and of course since they play in the east they're playoff quality. if eddie jones and brian grant were just one or two years younger they'd be better. but even so... this team has upside. i just can't believe grant and jones have hit their physical downslide so early, in their late twenties.
The Heat do have quite a bit of talent. Sure, they play in the East, but their record against the West is better then the Rockets record against the West and their beating a team that many consider just as good as any team in the West.
I hope the Pacers lose, so that they'll be more open to changing up their roster over the summer. Francis for Harrington, Tinsley and Pollard, anyone?
No way the Heat would make the playoffs in the West. You think they would have recovered from 9 straight losses to begin the season? No way. They're playing terriffic basketball right now, especially at home, but if they were in the West this season, they wouldn't make the playoffs, and if they were in the West next year, they'd still have to struggle like hell to make it.