****The Official 2013-14 NBA Thread****

Heat in 6. A grueling 6 with multiple games decided in the closing minutes.

 

I've been deadly this playoff season in picking winners and the exact amount of games...

This has the makings of an epic, EPIC series....a play here and a play there is what will be the only difference. You can argue for days about who is the better basketball team.


Spurs in 7 thanks to the home court advantage.

It's that close IMO, I don't think Manu could play any worse than he did last year. This will be a series of inches, infact I see the Heat winning game 1.

 

Heat in 5.

 

Lebron James has never won a game 1 on the road in a 7 gm series. He is 0-7.

 

I don't know if that is a trend or just an interesting stat. I actually feel like winning game one would be huge for us. Huge.

 

I think this series is going 6, don't know which way.

I think the chess match between coaches will be huge this game, IMO. Pop is best in the league, but Spo is up there as well. Should be fun basketball, regardless of who you pull for.

 

I was more scared of the Spurs last finals than this finals even with home court theirs this time. I can't explain why honestly. The series should be interesting.

 

I'm just the opposite actually. They have a chip on their shoulder with the revenge factor this time around.

Leonard and Green seems to have developed nicely and Ginobili looks healthy.

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Those things are true. Last year it felt like they were some sort of machine though. I don't get that feeling this season. Not to say they can't beat us because they definitely can. We will see.

 

This. I feel like this is awful close to a coin flip match up and game seven is in their house.

 

For some reason it's just tough for me to imagine Miami getting so close to losing without Gary Neal on the other side popping off 3 pointers that nobody has any business making. I guess he really only affected game three and since that game was such a drubbing it's hard to say it would've come out any different even if he didn't do what he did...but still that's the image I have in my mind from last year.

 

He went ham in game three but he had several games in a row where he was shooting something ridiculous like 80%. Then they put Wade on him for the last couple and he pulled in tight and cut off his air.

This is a compelling series any way you look at it. Sure Neal likely won't get those numbers again, but Manu was terrible last year and is playing much better now. But then again Wade looks healthy which is enormous and Parker may be gimpy. I dunno. Lots of variables. The Spurs are a seriously mentally tough team. I felt uncomfortable against them last year and I feel the same this year.


I do not want this series to see a game seven.

 

If you bet on this series...you hate money.

Pros and Cons.

For Spurs:

A) Bellineli is better than Neal.
B) Ginobli has been playing better.
C) Home Court
D) In Mills and Joseph, Pop found a more reliable backup PG.

For Heat:

A) Wade is Healthy
B) Bosh added a 3 pt. shot. and has proven he is effective with proper touches.
C) Emergence of Rashard Lewis gives Heat 2 Stretch 4's.
D) Birdman is playing better than ever.

 

I agree but I'd say we are an equally mentally tough team. After losing that first finals series we have been challenged quite a few times and pulled through each one. I know the Spurs have this weird aura around them because of Duncan/Pop/Parker and what they have accomplished but I'm just saying we can't sell ourselves short in that category.

 

That was my thought as well, although there might be some individual game opportunities.

IMO both teams are better than last year.

Heat:

Wade, Bosh, Coles and Birdman are clearly better than they were last time. Lewis is a plus. They lost Miller so that's a negative. Battier and Allen looked worse most of the year, but seem to have rounded out of late to about where they were last season. I'd say the net is that Miami's better than last year.

Spurs:

A) Bellineli is better than Neal.
B) Ginobli has been playing better.
C) Home Court
D) In Mills and Joseph, Pop found a more reliable backup PG.

I agree with your remarks about the Spurs above. In the end I see a 7 game series. The Spurs can win, but have to play with very good ball movement to beat Miami's D. They certainly do that at times, but watching their playoff games they're about as consistent at it as Miami has been at playing great D. Miami can win if they play great D enough of the time and hit hit their threes enough to keep the floor spread. I think it will come down to which team plays at their top level most consistently and in the big moments. I'd call it a toss up with the Spurs having a very slight edge due to home court. But if somebody came back from the future and told me either team had won, I wouldn't be surprised by either outcome.

 

I think Miami will have an easier time than last Finals, primarily because Birdman is playing so well that Duncan's impact will be somewhat negated.

 

LeBatard!!!! Pacers rant!!!!1!

 

-The big question is how will the Spurs defend Lebron? Last time, they dared him to shoot midrange jumpers. It worked for a few games, but he figured it out. Will the sag on him again? If they do he'll destroy them.

-Someone said Ginobili will not play as terribly as he did last year. I agree with that. He'll play better, but so will Wade and Bosh.

-Tim Duncan is pissed off. I don't like that.

I have no clue how this series will go.

 

I also think emergence of Cole is big for us IMO. Rio is yet to have a very good or a very bad game, so he is due for both.

 

Indianapolis 500...it's not a race, it's your basketball record since the All Star Break

 

Agreed. I'd much prefer to face the much more docile, scholarly, Duncan that we played last year.

The chip on the shoulder this year.

 

The old Duncasaurus Rex can be mad or happy, I don't think he's going to dominate the series regardless.

 

I can assure you that no one associated with the heat will be overlooking the greatest power forward in the history of the game.

 

I'm not saying overlook him or that he won't impact individual games. I just don't think he can carry them on his back if needed, so it doesn't matter if he's mad or not. Bosh should be able to basically make Duncan a non factor by simply playing to his level which at this point in the career of Tim Duncan...should happen.

 

I think that's one of Lebron's (and Spoelstra's) strengths. I have faith that they'll figure things out as the series progresses. I don't know who'll win, but I also wouldn't count the Heat out even if the Spurs start out looking great.

 

I think as the series progressed Lebron realized if they were going to clog the middle he still had to attack, make them commit and THEN kick to the open shooter. My guess is Pops will start with a completely different philosophy. To beat the Heat he will need to keep them off balance.

 

I feel both teams are what they are at this point. We will see some new things at some points in the series I'm sure, but mainly I expect a heavy dose of what each team does best and whichever team can stop the other better win take the series.

 

Stugotz, what do you call a beautiful person in Indianapolis?

A visitor.

 

Spoelstra would tell you the game will go to whomever plays to their identity better

 

David is the closest you're going to get to meeting the West.

 

My all time favorite is still from last years rant.

"Pacers? Pacers? Who names a team after a car that starts a race but doesn't finish a race?"

 

Okay I just watched Stephenson touch Lebron on the face again and the funny thing I didn't realize was how fast he backed away. He wanted no part in that.

 

Paul George's house was burglarized. Found missing was $16,000, an all star ring, a flex watch, a pair of Air Jordan Four Toro's, and Roy Hibbert.

 

Last year's was gold. Did he do one the year before?

 

For the Celtics and Thunder

 

God I'm ready for this series to start.

 

I'm going to sit back and enjoy a great basketball series in which I will likely change rooting interests 10 or more times.