Official Miami Heat (4) vs OKC Thunder (1) NBA Finals Thread - Miami Heat NBA Champions

[finallyfamous]

I feel the same way... Of course I want OKC to get it done, but I'm not about to #OKCLE all night.
EDIT: Animal Thug don't even bother getting into it 

 

[trasoul82]

Originally Posted by Proshares

Originally Posted by knightngale

Dude had a very good team in Cleveland.

What? 

  

A Laughing emoticon is not an argument.
How was LeBron's Cleveland team not "very good"? LeBon's biggest problem is that he's been natured and nurtured by the Eastern Conference Facade. The east has been the weaker conference for the last couple of decades but has been able to sweep it under the rug of "superstardom." Those JKidd New Jersey teams that made the finals ran the east for a little and AI's Sixers benefited from the east. When Michael Redd and Joe Johnson wanted to become "superstars" what conference did they go to? Now look at take teams from the east that have actually won the finals recently: Detroit (once) and Boston (Once). And both of those teams embodied a strong team concept. The western teams have always embodied the team concept which is why 50 wins has been the recent playoff standard in a full season. 

I say all of that to say that Cleveland was a damn good "team" even if the names weren't the sexiest. Ilgauskus was actually on of the better big men in the league and Varejao's annoying antics had their place. The only problem is that they were dominating a weak conference. They had the best record in the league so I don't see how anyone could laugh at them being "very good." But the key is that when a west team makes it to the finals, have been thoroughly tested with a higher level of consistent basketball play. The Heat are also "very good," but the problem remains the same. I'd be proud of the Heat for being able to steal a game in this series. The Heat literally don't have the legs to keep up with these boys or the offensive continuity in the half court. They can try to run OKC out of the building if they want to but,

1. OKC's been resting

2. OKC's younger

3. OKC's more athletic.

People expect LeBron to drive to the basket on most plays AND guard Durant/Westbrook? 

 I "hate" Lebron and all, but that is just cruel and unusually. It's been 9 years and Lebron has proven to be great on both sides of the ball as long as he is facing the basket. He's  a much better chase-down blocker than perimeter defender, and he's a much better slasher than post player. How many times is he supposed to make it past Sefolosha and jump over Ibaka, and then chase down Durant in transition? People suddenly want the freight train to become mag-lev?  

One of Miami's many problems is that their stars lack consistent mid-range. OKC wants the Heat to become a jump shooting team. They have the bodies to defend the basket. One of those bodies happens to be Kendrick Perkins (someone who helped stop LeBron before). The other guy has had a triple double (with blocks/rebounds) and has had a total of 3 double-digit block gms this season. That's what Bron has to deal with IF he can beat Sefolosha off the dribble. I'm officially done criticizing (not laughing at) LeBron this post-season. Wade go the in the bad habit of picking spots and flipping the switch while he was with Shaq. He only responds when ESPNation polls says he has to. Bosh is who he is. If he has a great game then great, if not, "He's Bosh."

I'm calling it now. James Harden is going to light the Heat up in game 4. I say that based off of gas in the tank.

Oh and Westbrook is the obvious key to this series. He's that freakish type of guard that Miami isn't built to handle. And he thinks he's a superstar. He's athletic enough to be right. It's up to Miami (possibly Spoelstra) to form a plan to make him doubt himself, because Miami's body language after a furious Westbrook dunk is no good. He misses praise like Wade misses criticism. He was two rebounds shy of of a monster trip-dub in his first finals game that spilled into a mini-blowout.  

Durant's demeanor is scary when you think about it. It's like he still thinks he's on his summer lockout tour. 

 

[cyber smoke]

Originally Posted by University of Nike

Originally Posted by DubA169

In D-Wade era, Heat are 14-3 (.824) in playoffs when he refs, 48-40 (.545) all others.

Yikes.

what a coincidence 

 

[mr s j king]

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539

Originally Posted by Mr S J King

Originally Posted by Proshares

What? 

  

Thanks bro for saving me the finger energy responding to that comment

Best record twice in a row in the league, 2 conference finals and 1 finals trip - scored less than he did than he does now with the current Heat team - yet he didn't have a very good team.

Thanks for sharing.

  

Bro take LeBron off that team and tell me what that "very good TEAM" record would be.
Do yall not realize LeBron WAS THE TEAM.
Yall cats do watch basketball don't you?

 

[MVP]

Can't have it both ways...if Bron was the whole team and got them at least to the Finals with a bunch of so called scrubs then surely he can get it done with two top 40 players on his squad now? Yet he needs more help?!? C'mon son.

 

[jesusshuttlesworth34]

Top players don't make a good "TEAM."  A good team has players who know their roles and do their designated roles well.  The Spurs are a good team, OKC is a goood team, etc.  There was a reason that 2004 Olympic team failed.  Not a good TEAM. 

 

[solarius49]

Originally Posted by Mamba MVP

Can't have it both ways...if Bron was the whole team and got them at least to the Finals with a bunch of so called scrubs then surely he can get it done with two top 40 15 players on his squad now? Yet he needs more help?!? C'mon son.

fixed.  
So a finals trip with the "bums" on the Cavs should mean 8 rings with the superstars on the Heat right?  Isnt that the reason why they all formed up like Voltron?  The problem is that OKC is the SWAT Cats, so they have a jet, that can turn into a motorcycle too...they are too high speed right now

 

[MVP]

Well before in CLE everyone was saying the personnel was the problem, but that TEAM had more chemistry than Miami does in my opinion. And everyone wanted Bron to get better talent around him to get it done, he has that now, enough damn excuses. The Big 3 made this bed when they decided to form, their contracts won't ever allow them to have the necessary "TEAM" that you guys so desperately want or think he needs. Like I've said over and over, last year was their best chance to get a title and Bron disappeared, D-Wade seems to be returning the favor so deal with it.

There were a few situations that Bron could have went to that would have been better TEAM fits (ie. Bulls, Knicks, Clips) but he wanted to team up with his best friend and be coddled once again. So he has to suffer the consequences of that decision.

All that being said if MIA wins tonight, it'll be a long series.

 

[Animal Thug]

Originally Posted by Mr S J King

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539

Originally Posted by Mr S J King



Thanks bro for saving me the finger energy responding to that comment

Best record twice in a row in the league, 2 conference finals and 1 finals trip - scored less than he did than he does now with the current Heat team - yet he didn't have a very good team.

Thanks for sharing.

  

Bro take LeBron off that team and tell me what that "very good TEAM" record would be.
Do yall not realize LeBron WAS THE TEAM.
Yall cats do watch basketball don't you?

Naw, I don't actually.
  

 

[solarius49]

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539

Originally Posted by Mr S J King

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539



Best record twice in a row in the league, 2 conference finals and 1 finals trip - scored less than he did than he does now with the current Heat team - yet he didn't have a very good team.

Thanks for sharing.

  

Bro take LeBron off that team and tell me what that "very good TEAM" record would be.
Do yall not realize LeBron WAS THE TEAM.
Yall cats do watch basketball don't you?

Naw, I don't actually.
  

Which would explain why he has to score more just to end up with a worse record hmmmmmmmm

 

[cyber smoke]

That Cleveland team was not better. Dudes acting like this Heat team haven't made the finals two years in a row .

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Originally Posted by Mamba MVP

Well before in CLE everyone was saying the personnel was the problem, but that TEAM had more chemistry than Miami does in my opinion.

Thats one thing I will say about his CLE days those teams had a lot of chemistry in the regular season. When the playoffs came though them dudes did not show up.
  

 

[Animal Thug]

The argument isn't which team was better.

But cats have the nerve to say the Cleveland team wasn't a good team - like they barely made the playoffs. It's quite known Lebron makes every team better, but to disregard the whole team and say he was the only person doing anything is ridiculous.

Contradicts the sports ideology in general. Each player does his thing, each player contributes the best they know how. The chemistry on the Cavs team was unmatched. They brought players in that complemented Lebron.

End this argument, this thread is about the Heat and Thunder; not Lebron and the Cavs..

 

[proshares]

Originally Posted by TraSoul82

Originally Posted by Proshares

Originally Posted by knightngale

Dude had a very good team in Cleveland.

What? 

  

A Laughing emoticon is not an argument. 

When it comes to saying he had a very good team in Cleveland, yes it is.  I'll give you Z as an adequate player but the rest of that roster, you're not going to get a lot of people to say he ever had a good team around him.  They were at or near the top of the EC year after year because of one player only.

The Big 3 made this bed when they decided to form, their contracts won't ever allow them to have the necessary "TEAM" that you guys so desperately want or think he needs.
Do you realize how much dog %$+! is on this roster?  I understand some of you will never get over the decision and all that crap but how can you blatantly ignore how piss poor of an effort Riley did in signing FA's?  It's even clearer now than before with Wade regressing and Bosh still hurt/playing poorly.  He's been putting up great games this entire postseason and carrying this piss poor squad but still gets no slack.  Some of y'all are Kobe fans who get mad when people do this to Kobe but pile on top of Bron

.  The dude could put up great numbers like he did in Game 1 and some of you clowns will still say "he disappeared in the 4th".  Jeez, I'm not even a fan of the guy but I hope he wins so you guys can disappear with this mess

.  Some of you guys can't see past the hate for some reason and give the guy a break or see where others have slacked since he came to Miami.

AT, I thought you were probably the only level headed Cleveland fan since this mess but your points are wrong IMO.

 

[Animal Thug]

Which points of mine are wrong? I stated facts.

 

[MVP]

Mike Miller was a huge miss, but realistically they CAN'T get any free agents with Bron/Bosh/Wade taking up 52 million on the cap and increasing every season. The new CBA only constricts their opportunity to improve what's around Bron unless they get rid of Wade or Bosh. Outside of vet minimums, they and Bron are stuck in this predicament which is really of their own doing. If they wanted better players around them they should have taken less than the max.

 

[solarius49]

Shannon Brown
Boobie Gibson
Drew Gooden
Big Z
Andersen Varejo
Donyell Marshall
Sasha Pavlovic

I'd say Lebron had a fair share of decent role players on that squad
oh yeah, and in the playoffs that year, they had 4 players in double figures, and 2 players averaging just under

 

[duba169]

Originally Posted by Proshares

s bed when they decided to form, their contracts won't ever allow them to have the necessary "TEAM" that you guys so desperately want or think he needs.

Do you realize how much dog %$+! is on this roster?  I understand some of you will never get over the decision and all that crap but how can you blatantly ignore how piss poor of an effort Riley did in signing FA's?  

AT, I thought you were probably the only level headed Cleveland fan since this mess but your points are wrong IMO.
go back and find the thread when miller and battier were signed. People were praising the @%!$ out of Pat.
 It was over. And lebron said it would be easy and they could suit up pat 

it isnt THAT easy to get awesome surrounding players when they are capped out. I mean you wanted him to luck out on jeremy lin or something? its hard and random you know. some luck comes into play too. But people praised his moves. highly.

people were even gassed up over fat boy curry 

then they get turif for free

 

[proshares]

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539


The argument isn't which team was better.

But cats have the nerve to say the Cleveland team wasn't a good team - like they barely made the playoffs. It's quite known Lebron makes every team better, but to disregard the whole team and say he was the only person doing anything is ridiculous.

Contradicts the sports ideology in general. Each player does his thing, each player contributes the best they know how. The chemistry on the Cavs team was unmatched. They brought players in that complemented Lebron.

End this argument, this thread is about the Heat and Thunder; not Lebron and the Cavs..

I'll say the bolded part is wrong to me.  The stuff about team chemistry, I'll agree with you on.  The team surrounding him, no that's not a good team by themselves or as a whole.  Look at some of those names, decent players but nothing at all to write home about as a solid supporting cast.

Shannon Brown
Boobie Gibson
Drew Gooden
Big Z
Andersen Varejo
Donyell Marshall
Sasha Pavlovic

I'd say Lebron had a fair share of decent role players on that squad
Exactly, role players.  Average at most, excel at nothing players aren't going to help much when you have 11 of them and 1 star player.  LeBron made them look very good, outside of Drew Gooden which one of them looked decent without him?

End this argument, this thread is about the Heat and Thunder; not Lebron and the Cavs..
I'll end that then, don't want to derail here.

Mike Miller was a huge miss, but realistically they CAN'T get any free agents with Bron/Bosh/Wade taking up 52 million on the cap and increasing every season. The new CBA only constricts their opportunity to improve what's around Bron unless they get rid of Wade or Bosh. Outside of vet minimums, they and Bron are stuck in this predicament which is really of their own doing. If they wanted better players around them they should have taken less than the max.

Huge miss in an understatment.  You're talking about a guy who was supposed to come in a spell him and Wade and has been nothing but hurt for two years.  They have room to wiggle around but when Riley is stockpiling names like Howard, Pittman, Turiaf, Curry expecting them to be sufficient for a front line then he's in the wrong.  When you sign Shane Battier to give him a breather along with James Jones, you get the same situation as you did in last year's Finals.  You don't have any control over the minutes situations.  There's no need for him to average 47 mins in the CF but you have guys breaking down left and right, guys not playing well at all and guys like Jones glued to the bench then that's what you get in the playoffs.  You can get away with those kinda guys stealing minutes during the season but those extra 3-4 minutes they're out on the court, NYK/IND/BOS/OKC could run away with it.  Especially when you consider Bron is pretty much getting extended mins at the 4/5 plus his defense on 3 positions on the other end, it's no surprise that he'll break down again this series.  A lot of it is on Riley and some on Spoelstra.  But, when they don't win again, who will get the blame?

 

[fx35on24s]

My prediction for tonight's game will be 114-93... OKC with the blowout and take a commanding two game series lead... LeBrons fatigue continues to show and okcs young talented experienced more athletic players will puttin on a shooting clinic as the heat will still scratch their heads trying to figure out how to stop Durant... By the time they figure it out okc will have already won this series... I can't wait till tonight... I took OKC -3 first half and okc -5.5 the whole game...

 

[solarius49]

Originally Posted by Proshares

Shannon Brown
Boobie Gibson
Drew Gooden
Big Z
Andersen Varejo
Donyell Marshall
Sasha Pavlovic

I'd say Lebron had a fair share of decent role players on that squad
Exactly, role players.  Average at most, excel at nothing players aren't going to help much when you have 11 of them and 1 star player.  LeBron made them look very good, outside of Drew Gooden which one of them looked decent without him?

Exactly, role players.  Did you expect them to stockpile stars around Lebron?  Plenty of those guys had decent careers without Lebron
Donyell Marshall with Golden State and Toronto

Shannon Brown in Phoenix

Big Z had been getting loose for the Cavs long before Lebron even got there

Gooden, as previously stated

They put a team around Lebron, as I said, that team had 4 guys avg'ing double figures in the playoffs, and 2 more guys averaging around 9 points per game.  How much more did you want them to do?

 

[Animal Thug]

Thank you Solarius

.

What opportunity did the Cavs have to PUT star power around Lebron?? He sign two 3-year contracts, what player would commit to Lebron's team if he did that? Not to mention he didn't recruit a single player to come to the Cavs, yet the first minute he's a Heat - he began calling all these players to come join him.

To be real, Lebron did it to himself - which lead to the eventual demise of our squad. Which is I way I believe dude isn't the truth. He needed help right? So he joins the best SG in the NBA, and a top-5 PF - yet he's struggling to beat teams at ease.

C'mon with this nonsense. Lebron ain't !*%+ bruh. Just look at how the Thunder are handling these frauds. We are all witnesses.

 

[proshares]

I forgot Big Z but you're right about Marshall. Brown come on now, Nash makes everyone look good.

My point is you're not winning with guys averaging 10-12 PPG and you're the only one averaging above the teens. Double figures is sugar coating it when the points are that low. How am I now the only one saying this when everyone said this for years

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539

C'mon with this nonsense. Lebron ain't !*%+ bruh. Just look at how the Thunder are handling these frauds. We are all witnesses.

 aight man, you got it.  I can't go back and forth with someone with this logic.

 

[CP1708]

Dub is right, I remember fighting with dudes on here about Miller signing, and Haslem, I was bein told the spacing, defense, all of that would make it impossible to beat the Heat.  I remember that stuff well. 

As I said, now it's a "1" man team. 

Miller broke down, Wade is breaking down, Bosh is hurt, Haslem is not the same, Battier is eh, Chalmers is decent, but like a 5th-6th type guy, their size down low has washed out, Cole was hot early but has been mia in the postseason, James Jones has moments but nothing spectacular. 

But with each signing last year, unstoppable was being tossed around LOOSELY.  Big Z, Bibby, as I said Miller and Haslem, House, all of it.  People was losin their minds on here. 

And now we're back to Cleveland Lebron with no help. 

 

Maybe Wade and Bosh will get it turned around, cuz OKC is rollin right now, and barring injury, they're going to be real tough to beat 4 times in 2 weeks.  (we said the same about the Spurs tho, so anything's possible, sorry KG) 

 

[solarius49]

Originally Posted by Proshares

I forgot Big Z but you're right about Marshall. Brown come on now, Nash makes everyone look good.

My point is you're not winning with guys averaging 10-12 PPG and you're the only one averaging above the teens. Double figures is sugar coating it when the points are that low. How am I now the only one saying this when everyone said this for years

But thats my point, he has guys who are doing ATLEAST what his supporting cast in Cleveland was doing.  Chalmers is an excellent off the ball player, Battier is a knockdown shooter, and Haslem is a good midrange jumpshooter as well......the problem is that when you factor in all those guys, PLUS Lebron, Wade, and Bosh, there is still only 1 basketball to go around.
I would contend that Lebron needs LESS talent on his team.  The problem is that talent DEMANDS the ball, but whenever you have the "best player in the world" on your team, you need guys who can be effective without the rock.