[Speedy88]

Dumb thread. If you honestly don't know why the Heat are the favorites to win the title, you don't know NBA. I don't like the Heat, but I know that they are the favorite, and for a reason.

[zoo youk]

OKC or nothing

OKC got a real bad draw in the Mavs.

look out for the Spurs. the shortened season helps them so much, as the older player are still fresh.

[Speedy88]

OKC has close to no shot at winning the title this year. Spurs owned them in the regular season. Spurs handled the Thunder twice this year, and one of those games was on OKC's homecourt.

Russell Westbrook will always be the downfall to the Thunder. My main issue with the Thunder is that they are a jumpshooting team. When Durant and Westbrook's jumpers aren't falling, they really struggle. And worst of all, they continue to shoot. And that's what happened in the OKC-LAL game last week.

[Ockert12]

Spurs Heat finals

Heat in 6

Quote this somewhere been saying it for weeks

[onacloud]

It's not necessarily about who is the best team. Consider the paths to the championship.

The Heat get the Knicks in round 1 and Pacers in round 2. They will finish off the Pacers in 5 games and will be fresh and well rested for the ECFinals. Meanwhile the Bulls are going to get stuck in a 7 game battle with the Celtics. The winner of that series will be physically and mentally exhausted heading into the Miami series. The Heat really lucked out with the #2 seed this year. While the Bulls will be rewarded for their regular season excellence by facing a championship caliber Celtics team in the 2nd Round.

Have you watched the Pacers play? Bulls would rather play the Celtics than the Pacers......

[jjgold]

Good Point About Okl City and a jump shooting team

Tough for teams to win playing like that in NBA Playoffs

[Balco10]

Lebron will find a way to choke. Spurs all the way!

[Ron29301]

The Knicks will bump the Heat in the first round. Watch!! Ya'll go ahead and pound that team if you want. The Bulls and the Spurs will be in the finals.

[Speedy88]

OKC has no shot. When was the last time a team won a championship with that much youth and no inside game?

http://www.nba.com/history/finals/champions.html

You may have to scroll for a while.

[Ron29301]

OKC turn the ball over to much. They can shoot the 3 ball and drive but the turnovers will kill them in the playoffs against the Spurs.

[d2bets]

It's not necessarily about who is the best team. Consider the paths to the championship.

The Heat get the Knicks in round 1 and Pacers in round 2. They will finish off the Pacers in 5 games and will be fresh and well rested for the ECFinals. Meanwhile the Bulls are going to get stuck in a 7 game battle with the Celtics. The winner of that series will be physically and mentally exhausted heading into the Miami series. The Heat really lucked out with the #2 seed this year. While the Bulls will be rewarded for their regular season excellence by facing a championship caliber Celtics team in the 2nd Round.

Bulls own the Celtics.

[d2bets]

Have you watched the Pacers play? Bulls would rather play the Celtics than the Pacers......

Agreed!!!

[Roadtrip635]

Out of the East, it may end up being the Heat by default. I liked the Bulls, but if Rose isn't healthy it will be tough for them to win out in the East. The Bulls are too physical for the Heat when they're healthy and play solid team defense, but need Rose at 100%. I was thinking the Celtics would be a solid dark horse to win the East, they play solid defense, match-up well and have the experience, but with Ray Allen injured and questions on the extent, it takes them out of the mix. They would need Allen at 100% to have a chance.

In the West, it will be the Spurs. They are healthy, focused,deep, experienced and have the best coach in the league. If they can stay healthy throughout the playoffs they will win the Championship. OKC has a chance, but if it comes to a Spurs vs Thunder WCF, it will come down to which team will execute and limit the mental mistakes. The Spurs have the edge there. The Spurs also have more scoring options than they've ever had before and Parker has really elevated his game. The Grizzlies probably are the next best team to give the Spurs some trouble due to their size and physical play and defense, but this isn't the same Spurs team they beat last year. Last year Ginobili was injured, Timmy had also twisted his ankle during the series and the Spurs just didn't have the scoring options they have this year.

The Spurs win it all and Timmy gets #5!

[jjgold]

East is real week

Heat probably could not get out of 1st round in the west

[darkhat]

East is real week

Heat probably could not get out of 1st round in the west

[jjgold]

Well it starts tomorrow

I will be watching all games now

[BigDeem5]

LeBron is on a mission. Only Dwade can hold him back

[Jeffie]

Would anyone watch the finals if it ended up being Jazz Vs Pacers?

[BigDofBA]

Good Point About Okl City and a jump shooting team

Wasn't Dallas a jump shooting team?

I don't think OKC will win it but they have a decent shot to get there.

[dfberger23]

People think they have seen the Heat by watching the regular season but they are mistaken. Lebron and Wade about to turn it up a notch. Will win it all sadly.

[RonPaul2008]

Game 7 of the Finals will be in Chicago.

[jwes4907]

Heat/Spurs in the Finals. Will all come full circle; Lebron MVP of the Finals. Heat in 6.

[Nick Papageorgio]

If the heat were not favored it would have been the joke of the century, simple. JJ, you will get rocked in these NBA playoffs but hopefully you learn something.

[raydog]

a lot of guys kind of missed the point here... jj wants to know why the distant 2 seed in the much easier eastern conf. is the overall fav... not really a bad question when you compare it to a lot of the stuff his mind gets boggled by..

(it was much better than Speedy here who appears to be arguing with an imaginary man...this entire 2nd page, he does nothing but bash okc in a handful of posts, but nobody has even discussed okc since early in page 1 )

[Nick Papageorgio]

West only means about 1/5th of the conversation, the other 4/5ths is how weak the East is and how talented the Heat are. Talent wins out in a short season been saying it since day 1. Miami won't have many problems with the East with Rose still playing like a joker.

[GunShard]

I placed a future bet on the Heat, Bulls and Lakers to win the NBA Championship.

I'm hoping for a Lakers vs Heat finals.

Thunder winning will mess up my bets.

[aman86]

... Or spurs lakers have no chance and west will win east r pushovers

[seaborneq]

Lebron is the only reason the heat are prohibitive favorites. Put him on any of the playoff teams except Orlando and they become the faves. It's all about lebron. The best player in the game.

[jjgold]

Lebron is best player in game

Now he has to produce though like he did in regular season

Many say man of Heat loses were real close and by good teams in regular season whatever that means

[raydog]

Lebron is best player in game

Now he has to produce though like he did in regular season

Many say man of Heat loses were real close and by good teams in regular season whatever that means

appears to be the best regular season player right now... but has been a fukkin bum when it counts in the playoffs and because of that, he isnt the best player in the game, imo, of course...he hasnt shown any signs of knowing how to handle the extra defense applied to him and the sheer pressure of playoff basketball... perhaps this is his year...he will need a healthy wade, thats for sure

[Sawyer]

Can someone please tell me???

JJ, Agreed %100. OKC is my favourite here. Miami is overrated.

[JM92]

appears to be the best regular season player right now... but has been a fukkin bum when it counts in the playoffs and because of that, he isnt the best player in the game, imo, of course...he hasnt shown any signs of knowing how to handle the extra defense applied to him and the sheer pressure of playoff basketball... perhaps this is his year...he will need a healthy wade, thats for sure

So true man.

CAREER PLAYOFF AVERAGES

Year	Team	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
05-06	CLE	13	13	46.5	0.476	0.333	0.737	1.7	6.4	8.1	5.8	1.4	0.7	5.00	3.38	30.8
06-07	CLE	20	20	44.6	0.416	0.280	0.755	1.3	6.8	8.0	8.0	1.7	0.5	3.30	2.00	25.0
07-08	CLE	13	13	42.5	0.411	0.257	0.731	1.2	6.6	7.8	7.6	1.8	1.3	4.15	2.54	28.2
08-09	CLE	14	14	41.4	0.510	0.333	0.749	1.4	7.8	9.1	7.3	1.6	0.9	2.71	2.14	35.3
09-10	CLE	11	11	41.8	0.502	0.400	0.733	1.4	7.9	9.3	7.6	1.7	1.8	3.82	2.09	29.1
10-11	MIA	21	21	43.9	0.466	0.353	0.763	1.6	6.8	8.4	5.9	1.7	1.2	3.14	2.67	23.7
Career	--	92	92	43.6	0.460	0.323	0.746	1.4	7.0	8.4	7.0	1.6	1.0	3.60	2.46	28.0

[jjgold]

Be interesting to see if Knicks stay with them today

[raydog]

much better stats than i thought(not that i didnt know or cared that they were good, mind you, because thats only a small part of my opinion of his playoff play)...i guess what it boils down to is he plays well until it comes down to the most crucial times of the games, the times when his team depends on him the most...the best players in the nba find ways to will their teams to victory...you can have great stats your whole career and never be a winner when it counts...again, maybe this is his year and again, it wont happen if wade isnt healthy...the guy is phenomenal and plays unlike anyone else...would be a shame for him to go down as the best player to never win a title and until he does that, he wont sniff being the best player in the nba...not in my book anyways

[seaborneq]

Lebron showed why the heat are the favorite. He scored as many points by himself as the Knicks starters.