Edit
-
-
some comical stuff in this thread. gotta love itComment -
Spurs are MUCH better at this point this year than last year, last year they stumbled down the stretch looking very tired and Ginobili was hurt for the playoffs. The shortened season REALLY helped them this season and they still look fresh, and to say they are peaking right now would be an understatement given the historic 29-1 run. If by the Thunder "giving them fits" you mean they can challenge them and keep the games close, then yes they certainly can. But beating the Spurs 4 times, I don't think so.Comment -
I think the Spurs are better than the Thunder. I'm not so sure about Miami. Miami would probably win a 7 game series against OKC but they aren't the dominate team people think they are.
How come people keep saying OKC can't win because they are a jump shooting team? MIAMI IS A JUMP SHOOTING TEAM! Likewise, Durant is clutch and Lebron isn't.
People that are saying Miami would dominate OKC have no clue. OKC beat dominated Miami this year in OKC and barely lost on the road in a game in which they let a 4th quarter lead slip away.
OKC/Miami would be a great series. OKC would have a better chance of beating Miami then they would the Spurs.Comment -
Really? Then how come we beat a fully healthy Heat team a few months ago by 16?
The Spurs are a tougher matchup for OKC than the Heat. We match up well with Miami and I think we could beat them.Comment -
San Antonio will win this in 6 I think. They're really better across the board with the exception of the best player in Durant being on OKC. The issue is I just don't think OKC can do anything to slow down SA's ferocious offense
I see SA winning this in 6 with most games having like a 118-110 kind of a scoreComment -
Beating the Heat in a regular season game and beating them in the NBA Finals are two different animals. You saw what a motivated Miami team looks like the last 2 1/2 games, since they were down at halftime in Game 4 vs. Pacers on brink of going down 3-1.Really? Then how come we beat a fully healthy Heat team a few months ago by 16?
The Spurs are a tougher matchup for OKC than the Heat. We match up well with Miami and I think we could beat them.Comment -
You're right, based on Lebron's past finals performances it may be easier. Why is everyone riding the heat so hard? Durant and Westbrook would practically neutralize wade and lebron (perhaps just a slight edge to the heat duo). If Bosh doesn't make it back (and if the heat even make the finals), I would take the rest of the Thunder squad over the rest of the heat squad by a mile.Comment -
How come when OKC the last week of the season when it was like a playoff game they lost by double digits to the Heat it's a shame cuz I liked the Thunder but now they're good the turds come out and ride their nuts sucks I have to root against themComment -
lost 10x on Sixers
will lose 15x on Thunder
= 25x
Must bet 100x on Heat to break even
lose Heat - down 125xComment -
What are you talking about? The Thunder didn't play the Heat the last week of the season. The Thunder played the Heat in Miami April 4th and lost by 5 points. That was a game OKC led most of the way and probably should have won. In the other meeting, OKC won by 16.
Also, I'm not sure why people have a hard on for Miami. Dallas made easy work of them in the finals last year. Maybe OKC is a different animal in the playoffs. OKC has a better playoff record than the Heat this year and OKC plays in the Western conference not the Eastern Conference.
What's so great about beating up on the Knicks?
Western Conference > Eastern Confernce.
Whoever wins the West will win it all. Most likely the Spurs. Miami may not even get by Boston. Miami is a two man team.Comment -
OKC series price is +137 at SIA and +182 (and climing) at Pinny.Comment -
As was proved by them losing to Dallas in 6 games last year?
Winning games against teams in the East is easier than winning games against teams in the West. I think everyone will agree the Western Conference is better than the Eastern Conference.
With that said, OKC is 8-1 in the Playoffs and Miami is 8-3. OKC has better winning percentage against better teams. Maybe OKC is a different animal?
Spurs will probably win the West but I would love OKC to get a chance to play Miami. We have a better team top to bottom. A better closer in Durant. A better home court advantage. A better coach. Better players.
Miami is a two man team and their best player is afraid to take a shot when the game is on the line.Comment -
The arguing in this thread is stupid and pointlessComment -
Comment -
BigdofBa, for the record, I'm a huge fan of OKC. I love Durant and westbrook and the way you guys play is fantastic. I just don't see them winning
if I didn't have money on SA, I would be rooting for OKC because I would love to see OKC and Miami finals. I just don't see it happening because SA is a more well rounded team with better inside/outside combination and better 3 point shooting
if OKC is not making jump shots, they're not gonna win because they're a 1 dimensional team in that regard. They really can't win with an inside game, half court offense or relying on defenseLast edited by brahmabull117; 05-27-12, 05:42 PM.Comment -
No I think that's crazy. I wouldn't be surprised necessarily if San Antonio wins in 5 but I expect all the road games to be very close and maybe OKC pulls out 1 on the road
I think OKC will average around 100 ppg in the series but they'll give up about 108-110. They need to find a coach to make them a truly elite defensive team like MiamiComment -
OKC is really young. We will get better and defense is something most of the players on the team can improve on.
With that said, I feel like OKC matches up well with the Heat and could beat them in a 7 game series. It's too bad we match up horribly with the Spurs.
Also, you're saying that OKC needs to get an elite coach to play defense like Miami? Do you really think Sploestra is an elite coach? He got circles ran around him last year in the finals.
If Miami is so great, how did they lose to Dallas in 6 games?Comment -
stop looking so far ahead.
im worrying about capping these two match ups.Comment -
1)I think spoelstra does a good job defensively, but that's a different situation there cause you have Lebron and Wade as the 2 leaders of the team that constantly play and preach fantastic defense. You don't have that as much with OKC. I think a good coach like Tim Thibs would do a better job with OKC in terms of improving team defense, preaching effort and hustle, improving rebounding, rotations, etc...
2)Miami lost in 6 games last year cause Lebron choked
3)Spoelstra is a pretty avg coach. Offensively he's below average as he's shown poor play designs at times but he's above average in defense cause everybody on that team plays hard and helps each other defensively
4)I think San Antonio will beat Miami as well to be honest. I think Lebron's gonna choke again in the finalsComment -
Miami is not a jump shooting team first of all. Harden is the Thunder's only guy that can truly break down the defense and get other guys involved. Westbrook has fallen in love with his midrange game. On the contrary, D Wade and Lebron have been driving every play, getting it in the post, especially Wade, and for a team to win a championship, you need you wing players to be in the post, something no one on OKC does, not even their big men.
When it comes down to it, Durant will struggle to drive the ball against Lebron James. Don't bring up the regular season. It means nothing. Miami doesn't give full effort in the regular season. Durant is slower and much weaker than James. His array of crossovers is not good enough to consistently get to the basket. Last year you saw him get pushed far away from the basketball by Tony Allen. Durant can still get a jump shot off any time he wants but he's giving away speed and 50 pounds of muscle to Lebron.
Lebron James is a much better overall basketball player than Durant. Durant will be twice as good as he is now in two years.
Westbrook can get to the rim any time he wants, with either chalmers, wade, battier guarding him, it doesn't matter. However, he has fallen in LOVE with that midrange game, and when your adrenaline is pumping and nerves are high, then that shot typically will rim out most of the time, and you're better off getting into the paint.
Sefalosha would be key in that series because of his defensive effort on Wade. Because neither Harden or Westbrook will be able to handle Dwayne down low in the post, that's a big mismatch. Let's not forget that Wade is one of the greatest finals performers in NBA history. In the 12 NBA finals games he's played, his stats are off the charts.
OKC will beat themselves in a finals. Trust me. They are way too young of a team. Their 4 best players are what 22 23 years old. That matters a lot. Miami won't allow guys 8 years younger than them to bully them. They lost to Dallas last year after controlling the whole series up til game 5 4th quarter where they let it slip because Dallas's vets got inside their heads. They got inside Lebron's head and Lebron was absolutely pitiful in the finals.
Think about this. Dallas played perfect ball and barely won. Wade was outstanding but the Heat's best player was a no show. You really think that a bunch of kids will get inside Lebron's James' head this time around? That combined with the nerves of most of the players on the Thunder, will allow Miami to win that series pretty easily.
Like I said, guys like Westbrook play with way too much emotion. He was celebrating on an and1 against the Lakers like he just won the championship. When you're too caught up in the highs and lows like that, it starts to affects your conscious and your judgement. Everything in the NBA finals magnifies even more and when you're pg can't control himself then you're basically done.Cause Sleep is the Cousin of DeathComment -
That's actually a really good analysis.
Remember, I never said OKC would win a championship. I also said they would most likely fall to San Antonio. We are still too young imo.
I was just saying we match up better with Miami and would have a better chance of beating Miami. It would be a great series.
For everything you said about Durant, he has proven he is better in the clutch than Lebron and he is a lot younger.
I think you are spot on with Westbrook. He could get to the rim and dish to other guys but he doesn't most of the time. I think it's because he gotten really good at that mid-range jumper.
That's an area of his game I see him getting better at. Like you said, Durant, Westbrook, and Harden are all 23 or Younger. Ibaka is only 22. This team has a high ceiling.Comment -
Lebron James is averaging 28.3 PPG in potential series clinchers, 4th most all-time- trails only Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor, & Jerry West...... He's so not clutch he sucksComment -
Yeah, Durant is cold-blooded and more clutch than Lebron. No question about it. He has a lot to improve though to be honest. He will put on muscle, he will get stronger, his defense will get better. The guy has unlimited potential. Once he gets stronger he will start going in the post more like the great scorers in this league do (Bryant, Carmello, Wade, Dirk). They really need him to be in the post. The Heat were missing that element last year from their best player and he added that this year by working with Hakeem in the offseason.
It would be a good series for sure though, very entertaining. I'm hoping the Heat play the Thunder because I don't really want to see Popovich in the finals. While I think Miami will win that series (Bosh will be back), it'll be similar to the Dallas series last year. Very close games for the most part.Cause Sleep is the Cousin of DeathComment -
But if they are -400 fav to win in the finals u will b on them BrahmaComment -
Comment -
Good luck with this play LB, all this analysis, is ruining, my eyesight and my brainComment -
now you can probably get OKC for +300Comment
