NBA Championship Finals: Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat

[MrBill]

I'm standing by my prediction of Mavericks in 6 :yep:

 

[Saluki]

WOW didnt realize it was that bad.

Heat hung in there though last night. They really should have won that game, Wade is the locker room for the third and the Mavs really didnt extend the lead, I know it got to 9 but the Heat came right back.

Still gotta take some one the "heat" off of Lebron, yeah he had 2 points in the 4th and went cold at the wrong time. he still had a triple double, and you have Wade and Bosh there to score too. Cant just blame Lebron. I know he's suppose the man and all but even Jordan had Pippen, Kerr, and Paxson hit shots down the end of the game. Someone else needs to hit shots when Lebron is double teamed, someone is open.

The Heat were killing them with the high pick and roll, I dont know why they got away from it. As much as I fucking hate Bosh, the guy has a nice shot and is all but automatic from the free throw line.


Mavs made ridiculous shots last night too, those rainbows falling right and left, but thats part of the game i guess. I dont care if Dirk has been to the line 40 times, to make 39 of them is just nuts.

I think the Heat win in 7. You guys are proabaly happy you have the 2 games at home now being down 3-2

It's not even just the scoring, he's let Jason Terry hit big shots at the end of both of these last two games too. Since he told that reporter he wasn't worried about offense because he was playing good D, Terry had his best two games of the series. I don't know what's goin on in the 4th qtr of these games, but if spolstra doesn't do something to get him involved on O, or start running something different on D when he starts getting burned by Terry their going to lose.

This is the time where the heat would REALLY benefit from having a coach with more plays than ISO Wade, ISO Bosh, ISO, Lebron.

 

[ralaw]

There is something going on with James....even though he got a triple-double he just doesn't seem to be engaged in the game. I'm not sure about this rumors of his girlfriend, but something is certainly going on with him. His game is just off.

 

[KNUBB]

I'm standing by my prediction of Mavericks in 6 :yep:

This................

Mavs keep coming up big in the stretch. Heat continue to falter when the game is on the line. I believe in almost every game in this series the Mavs have been able to pull off some kind of insane run in the 4th quarter.

 

[manchild24]

Someone made a comparison last night on a sports show, Im trying to think. Oh

MJ and Bill Russell vs LeBron and WIlt.

They said LeBron is nothing more then a new verison of Wilt. The physical presence, the size, quickness,etc. But not that killer instantic like MJ. They said a young LeBron has better numbers then a young Jordan. But like Wilt, he didnt have that intangible that MJ had and what made Bill better then Wilt.

 

[ralaw]

Someone made a comparison last night on a sports show, Im trying to think. Oh

MJ and Bill Russell vs LeBron and WIlt.

They said LeBron is nothing more then a new verison of Wilt. The physical presence, the size, quickness,etc. But not that killer instantic like MJ. They said a young LeBron has better numbers then a young Jordan. But like Wilt, he didnt have that intangible that MJ had and what made Bill better then Wilt.

Bill Russell wasn't better than Wilt though. James had the intanglibles when he was winning MVPs and carrying the Cavs in the playoffs. James is actually one of the better playoff performers this league has ever seen. James is certainly having an average finals (by his standards), but lets not make this out to be some all-time crumble.

 

[EmpireWF]

There is something going on with James....even though he got a triple-double he just doesn't seem to be engaged in the game. I'm not sure about this rumors of his girlfriend, but something is certainly going on with him. His game is just off.

Bosh and Miller are definitely dealing with personal issues, too.

 

[Dan The Man]

@damienwoody
Damien Woody
If u ask @KingJames for a dollar , he'll only give u 75 cents , he never gives you the fourth quarter #Ouch!!!

Oof.

 

[Saluki]

Bill Russell wasn't better than Wilt though. James had the intanglibles when he was winning MVPs and carrying the Cavs in the playoffs. James is actually one of the better playoff performers this league has ever seen. James is certainly having an average finals (by his standards), but lets not make this out to be some all-time crumble.

11 total points in the 4th qtr through 5 games? That's a pretty sizable crumble. Not to mention his horrid D on terry at the end of the last 2 either.

 

[ralaw]

Bosh and Miller are definitely dealing with personal issues, too.

People cope with things differently. I'm not going to pretend to know what he's dealing with, but I do know something just isn't right with him. Wouldn't you say?

11 total points in the 4th qtr through 5 games? That's a pretty sizable crumble. Not to mention his horrid D on terry at the end of the last 2 either.

I wouldn't call that a crumble though. James certainly isn't playing up to his already set standards and he is struggling in the 4th, but IMO there is more to this...he's dealing with something. When a player crumbles a part they generally just go cold and can't make a basketet to save their life. James' problem is that he isn't being agressive and seems detached. He isn't really even taking shots.

Also, believe it or not, but Dallas is playing decent defense on him. IMO he's settled too much for the jumpshot and that has made him less agressive, which is why he hasn't been going to the free throw line. He also has lost all confidence in his shot. Instead of trying to attack the double team he's making the passive (but correct) play of moving the ball around, which is also why his scoring his down, but assist are up.

 

[Saluki]

I wouldn't call that a crumble though. James certainly isn't playing up to his already set standards and he is struggling in the 4th, but IMO there is more to this...he's dealing with something. Also, believe it or not, but Dallas is playing decent defense on him. IMO he's settled too much for the jumpshot and that has made him less agressive, which is why he hasn't been going to the free throw line. He also has lost all confidence in his shot. Instead of trying to attack the double team he's making the passive (but correct) play of moving the ball around, which is also why his scoring his down, but assist are up.

Dallas had Jason Kidd on him down the stretch. If your the best player in the league, and your not scoring on 38 year old Jason Kidd, i'd call that a pretty big issue.

 

[ralaw]

Dallas had Jason Kidd on him down the stretch. If your the best player in the league, and your not scoring on 38 year old Jason Kidd, i'd call that a pretty big issue.

You have to know there is more to defense than a one-on-one matchups...right? Dallas is sending help..if James was being agressive Kidd wouldn't even be guarding him, as they'd keep Marion or Stevenson on him all night. The problem is that James is being too passive.

 

[Saluki]

You have to know there is more to defense than a one-on-one matchups...right? Dallas is sending help. Granted, James isn't being agressive either, so that isn't helping his cause.

They didn't send much, there were several times where he was matched up one on one with kidd, and settled for a jump shot. Dallas pretty much showed that they weren't worried about James in the 4th.

 

[bucky]

James' problem is that he isn't being agressive and seems detached. He isn't really even taking shots.

Wasn't this a knock he had in Cleveland? I did ask this in the other thread. I distinctly remember him looking disinterested and un-aggressive in big playoff games. Maybe this is just who he is.

 

[ralaw]

They didn't send much, there were several times where he was matched up one on one with kidd, and settled for a jump shot. Dallas pretty much showed that they weren't worried about James in the 4th.

...because they realize that he's being passive. Again, IMO something on with him, because he just isn't right....you can tell by his body language and lack of emotion.

 

[Atlas]

Dallas put kidd on durant last series during the waning moments of each game too... he shut down durantula too, so lets give kidd a little credit...

 

[ralaw]

Wasn't this a knock he had in Cleveland? I did ask this in the other thread. I distinctly remember him looking disinterested and un-aggressive in big playoff games. Maybe this is just who he is.

The only time I've seen this from him was last year in game 5 against Boston, but even that was just one game. Normally, James is actually a good playoff performer.

 

[FedEx227]

He averages a very disinterested 28 ppg in the playoffs.

 

[ralaw]

Dallas put kidd on durant last series during the waning moments of each game too... he shut down durantula too, so lets give kidd a little credit...

Kidd is a good defender, but if James is playing like he's supposed to he wouldn't stand a chance. You can see James' lack of agressiveness when he gets the ball in the post and throws it back out too quickly instead of turning away from the double team and making an agresssive offensive move or when he's on the perimeter and doesn't even try to take Kidd off the dribble.

 

[ralaw]

He averages a very disinterested 28 ppg in the playoffs.

Along with 9 rebounds and 7 assist.