I might be early!
Posted: April 23, 2006, 1:07 am
Gratz Spurs on NBA Championship , Total Domination. God I hate them
You know there is no way they play every playoff game like that, and they are SUPPOSED to handle the kings like that, they are the #1 seed!Kelshara wrote:
That said, if they play like that every game they will win it.
Btw.. holy fuck did anyone else watch LeBron??
Possibly, but the road to the Championship goes through San Antonio until someone beats them.noel wrote:A few things:
The road to the finals goes through Auburn Hills.
That's fucking stupid. The road to the championship goes through 16 separate teams until someone beats them. Grats you on saying nothing of note.Crav wrote:Possibly, but the road to the Championship goes through San Antonio until someone beats them.noel wrote:A few things:
The road to the finals goes through Auburn Hills.
Yeah cause last year when San Antonio had a healthy Duncan and Ginobli, they beat Detroit OH. SO. CONVINCINGLY.If San Antonio can close out the first round quickly and rest Duncan and Ginobili they have as good a chance of winning the title this year as they had last year.
noel wrote:That's fucking stupid. The road to the championship goes through 16 separate teams until someone beats them. Grats you on saying nothing of note.Crav wrote:Possibly, but the road to the Championship goes through San Antonio until someone beats them.noel wrote:A few things:
The road to the finals goes through Auburn Hills.
noel wrote:A few things:
The road to the finals goes through Auburn Hills.
I'm saying... The championship will go through Detroit. Period. I'm not qualifying that statement.Boogahz wrote:noel wrote:That's fucking stupid. The road to the championship goes through 16 separate teams until someone beats them. Grats you on saying nothing of note.Crav wrote:Possibly, but the road to the Championship goes through San Antonio until someone beats them.noel wrote:A few things:
The road to the finals goes through Auburn Hills.noel wrote:A few things:
The road to the finals goes through Auburn Hills.
Yea because all the teams in the playoffs are equal right? Until someone can prove they can beat San Antonio in a best of seven they are the champions, period end of story.noel wrote:That's fucking stupid. The road to the championship goes through 16 separate teams until someone beats them. Grats you on saying nothing of note.Crav wrote:Possibly, but the road to the Championship goes through San Antonio until someone beats them.noel wrote:A few things:
The road to the finals goes through Auburn Hills.
Oh I'm sorry did Detroit win the championship last year? I must have missed the part where it went past six games. Convincingly or not who won the Championship, who proved they were the better team by winning?noel wrote:Yeah cause last year when San Antonio had a healthy Duncan and Ginobli, they beat Detroit OH. SO. CONVINCINGLY.If San Antonio can close out the first round quickly and rest Duncan and Ginobili they have as good a chance of winning the title this year as they had last year.
Here's a hint: For all of Artest's running at the mouth, THE QUEENS AREN'T THAT GOOD.
Why am I wrong? Please explain how I am wrong in saying that San Antonio are the champions until someone beats them in a seven game series.noel wrote: I'm saying... The championship will go through Detroit. Period. I'm not qualifying that statement.
He is saying, the championship will go through A until B defeats them. First of all, he's wrong when he uses San Antonio as the A. Second, that can be said for any team.
What are you talking about? It went 7 games. The Pistons won game 6 in San Antonio and then lost game 7, still in San Antonio. Virtually every sports writer who commented on it after the fact agrees that Detroit lost because they didn't have home court advantage, and why it was such a big deal that the Pistons had the best record in the NBA this year.Crav wrote:Oh I'm sorry did Detroit win the championship last year? I must have missed the part where it went past six games.
OMG, I just noticed that Winnow must have angered the forum gods as well! His Suns thread was deleted!? It's a kunspeeruhsee!Cartalas wrote:"Phoenix (if they get what's his name back), "
OMG LMAO!!! ( Sorry Winnow that was funny as hell)
Your opinion doesn't really make me wrong, but while I disagree with your first statement I'll gladly in theory agree with your second statement.noel wrote:San Antonio's not going to make the Western conference Finals. That's how you're wrong.
All I was saying, and I apologize for not making myself clear, is that technically everyone is in it until they lose a series.
Even with all those improvement they couldn't have a better record than the Spurs in the regular season, a team that is built around the playoff more than the regular season. Don't believe me? Why else would you keep a guy like Robert Horry around or sign two aging stars like Finely and Van Exel?noel wrote: San Antonio, sans Parker, is a shadow of the team that won the finals last year, and it's not like they won them convincingly last year anyway. Teams like Dallas, and Phoenix (if they get what's his name back), have improved tremendously. There's no point in even talking about how much Detroit has improved because San Antonio will never see them.
That's funny because I thought Duncan has a finals MVP. Oh and the only reason the Spurs won last years Championship is because they won one more game than the Pistons. On the road or at home it really doesn't matter because there is no close to winning there just is winning or losing.noel wrote: The only reason the Spurs won last year was that Parker and Ginobli dragged Duncan through the finals where (like usual) he was nearly invisible and Larry Brown was too busy negotiating his contract with Isaiah to coach a fucking game.
You can say that about any team, but moreso about superstar teams. Cavs lose LeKing? Lakers lose Kobe? Come on, I'd much rather take my chances losing Sheed to one tech too many.On the subject of injuries do you think the Pistons would have a chance at the finals if even one of their starters goes down? One of the problems with building a complete team is that without one of the pieces it tends to not function as well.
I apologize I didn't remember if it was 6 or 7 games last year and it honestly didn't matter. I could have said it went 6 or 7, heck I could have said it went 5 games and while I would be wrong on that count it still wouldn't have changed the fact that the Spurs won the Championship.Sylvus wrote:What are you talking about? It went 7 games. The Pistons won game 6 in San Antonio and then lost game 7, still in San Antonio. Virtually every sports writer who commented on it after the fact agrees that Detroit lost because they didn't have home court advantage, and why it was such a big deal that the Pistons had the best record in the NBA this year.Crav wrote:Oh I'm sorry did Detroit win the championship last year? I must have missed the part where it went past six games.
Luckly you don't need to win 4 games away in the playoffs, all you need is to win one game and you change home court. So all that work and coming out of the gates strong mean nothing if they lose just one game at home.Sylvus wrote: They came out of the gate wanting home court through the NBA finals, and accomplished that goal. No one is beating the Pistons this year. Hell, they only lost 4 games at home all year, the fourth being the last game of the year with all scrubs (read: Chauncy Billups didn't play and the rest of our starters played about half as much as they usually do) playing in the game.
See the thing is that's a 1 in 5 chance for those teams not a 5 in 5. The Pistons are built on the idea that each player can cover up the others weaknesses and while that makes them a very strong team it also makes them very vulnerable.Leonaerd wrote:You can say that about any team, but moreso about superstar teams. Cavs lose LeKing? Lakers lose Kobe? Come on, I'd much rather take my chances losing Sheed to one tech too many.On the subject of injuries do you think the Pistons would have a chance at the finals if even one of their starters goes down? One of the problems with building a complete team is that without one of the pieces it tends to not function as well.
That said... I think the Pistons could mingle if Sheed went down, because McDyess is good enough of a replacement. Other positions would be more difficult to fill, though Delk is proving to be a solid backup point guard / shooting guard.
I know it gets old but the Suns get no respect. Who gives a fuck what Kobe scores against Phoenix? He averaged 40+ against the Suns during the regular season and the Lakers STILL lost every gave except the one Nash, along with half our team resting for the already clinched 2nd seed in the playoffs.Leonaerd wrote:Kobe only got 22, but the Suns barely won.
We all know Kobe. We all know the Suns' defense. K-Dog's going to take this to 7 games by himself.
SPECIAL MIDWEEK EDITION:
Separated but equal . . . almostBy Marc Stein
ESPN.com
As teammates, they were inseparable.
Well, guess what?
As MVP rivals, they ain't any easier to separate.
Steve Nash. Dirk Nowitzki. There they are, together again, filling the top two slots on my MVP ballot.
Finding any distance between them now is honestly harder than ever.
By now you've surely heard me and numerous colleagues wail about how tough it was to pick this season's Most Valuable Player. I know, I know: We say that every year. But I can't see how it's ever been more true. I would struggle to mount a passionate protest if any of the five guys on my official ballot end up as the NBA's 2005-06 MVP. And I can't remember ever thinking that before this, my 13th season covering the league.
The ballots in all categories -- including All-NBA teams, which I'll unveil in the final Daily Dime of the regular season Wednesday -- are due back to the league office by Thursday at 3 p.m. Here's how mine will look:
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Steve Nash
Nowitzki is having an MVP-caliber season, as one of the few players on the NBA map who can legitimately claim to get better every single season. In the low post, on the defensive end and when confronted by smaller/quicker defenders, Nowitzki is clearly better than he was a year ago. The only thing missing on his resume is the No. 1 seed in the West, and it's not really fair to hold that against the big German when Dallas exceeded all expectations anyway by winning 60 games . . . despite the biggest gap between the best and second-best player (Josh Howard) on its roster than any player in this discussion. Even Nash, when asked about Nowitzki's MVP-worthiness, told me: "What more does Dirk have to do?"
LeBron James is having an MVP-caliber season, too, thanks largely to the late rush from his Cleveland Cavaliers that might wind up netting the third-highest win total in the Eastern Conference after seven seasons out of the playoffs. LeBron's individual production is ridiculous (31.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 6.6 apg) and looks even better when you remember that Larry Hughes, imported to be the backcourt sidekick who would help James finally get Cleveland back to the postseason, missed 45 games. If 50 wins equates to elite status, and if the Cavs can get there by winning Wednesday's finale against Atlanta, LeBron might combine singular prowess and team success better than anyone in the field.
Of course, I can only say might because of Kobe Bryant, who's having his own MVP-caliber season. Did someone say ridiculous individual production? Surely you haven't forgotten Bryant shredding Nowitzki's Mavs for 62 points in three quarters . . . and then hang 81 points on the Toronto Raptors. It's no less of a trick for Kobe to have the Lakers at 44 victories, relying heavily on Smush Parker and Kwame Brown (with pretty much zippo on the bench behind them) as major contributors. Given the depth of the West compared to the densely populated sub-.500 culture in the East, Kobe's win total and 35-point scoring average arguably trumps LeBron. Most amazing feat of all from No. 8: No one even talks any more about Eagle, Colo.
No ballot, furthermore, would be complete without Chauncey Billups, who's having an MVP-caliber season of his own as the Nash of the East. As noted in this cyberspace more than once, it's tough to stand out in the NBA's equivalent of a "Seinfeld"-standard ensemble, but Billups does so even with three other All-Stars in the lineup. If you were to single out one player from the league's foremost starting five, it would have to be the 29-year-old point guard who, like Nash in the desert, somehow gets better, more clutch and more glue-like as he gets older.
So . . .
To beat out all of the above competition, the reigning MVP would have to be even better than he was last season.
Right.
He was.
Nash simply would not let the Suns drop out of the NBA elite, even though these Suns -- with almost a whole new team in place and with Amare Stoudemire's season consisting of three games and two knee surgeries -- were not last season's 62-win Suns. Nash promptly dispelled the myth that he wouldn't be as effective without Stoudemire as his pick-and-roll finisher and produced his best statistical season yet, shooting better than 50 percent from the floor, better than 40 percent on 3-pointers and better than 90 percent from the line as one of seven Suns to record a career-best scoring average. As a result, Phoenix has 53 wins and has maintained one of the league's top four records all season, in spite of all the changes and a run of injuries that recently claimed new interior defensive anchor Kurt Thomas.
Shawn Marion's own brilliant play diminishes Nash's candidacy to some, but we again invite you to answer this question: If it were Nash out for the season instead of Stoudemire, would Phoenix be the No. 2 seed in the West?
The Suns actually started 4-5, but coach Mike D'Antoni -- who had guaranteed a 50-win season after losing Stoudemire -- repeated his guarantee by reminding folks that he still had Nash and that his point guard would "figure it out."
"That's what he does," D'Antoni said. And that's why, close as it was, Nash's season rates as the best of the five on this scorecard.
Stein's ballot:
1. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
2. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
3. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
5. Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons
October prediction: Tim Duncan
You keep attributing statements to me that I have never made. Where did I say that the Spurs would have beaten the Heat in the finals last year? I was simply responding to a comment that just because something is a popular belief doesn't make it true.noel wrote:If you think for a second that the Spurs could have beaten a healthy Heat team last year, you are smoking some really good shit.
needs to be beat with 5 bars of soap and a pillowcase pleaseK-Dog's going to take this to 7 games by himself.
I know you're joking an all but... A healthy Duncan, Ginobli and Parker are just insane. I personally think the real key to their success has been the coaching of Greg Popovich.Winnow wrote:The Suns will have a hell of a time with the Spurs. They're smart enough to exploit the Suns down low.
The Spurs really suck though...all of them...it's just the system. They're a bunch of losers really...just the system...plug in any coach and 12 players with birth defects and they'd still win...just the system is all.
Marion's four game stretch after the all-star game: (he's the 6'7" product of the system guy that happened to have great stats pre Nash as well) ...wouldn't think of giving him some credit for being a hustle guy that puts in 100% every game...nah!Nash becomes only the 4th player in NBA history to shoot 50+ % from the field, 40+ percent from the 3 and 90+ percent from the foul-line.
He joins Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, and Mark Price.
44 points 15 rebounds 4 steals 3 blocks 15/22 field goals
31 points 24 rebounds 3 assists 2 blocks 1 steal 11/19 field goals
30 points 18 rebounds 3 assists 3 steals 12/19 field goals
29 pts 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks 11/21
Marion had eight steals in a game this year.Last year, Marion was the 2nd player in NBA History to be in top 5 avg of steals and rebounds. David Robinson did it in '91-92. Well, Marion did it again this year, tied for 3rd in steals (2.0 spg) and 3rd in rebounding (11.8 rpg)
No one does it for 15 yrs, and he does 2 yrs in a row.
Line up three women...two pretty but boring ones and another not so pretty but a fucking blast to be with...I'll take her and you can have the trophy wives! Go Suns! Fuck your boring teams!(This is the stat where three-point makes count extra, so basically it's a ranking of points scored per FGA.)
Current leaders:
1. Shaquille O'Neal .600
2. Steve Nash .579
3. Raja Bell .565
4. Eddy Curry .557
5. Mike Miller .557
6. Shawn Marion .556
7a. *Leandro Barbosa .554
7. Tony Parker .552
8. Kyle Korver .551
9. Gerald Wallace .550
10. Delonte West .548
*Barbosa does not have enough attempts to qualify.
That differential takes into account all of their games (losing teams have negative stats in this category)Boogahz wrote:While you're posting those stats, what was the point difference in their losses?
Boris Diaw - Phoenix Suns
Most Improved Player
2005-06:
Averaging 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists (19th), .527 FG (T-7th) in 35.5 minutes, all career highs, in 2005-06 ... One of three NBA players (LeBron James, Jason Kidd) to average at least six rebounds and six assists ... Became only fourth NBA player (Kidd, James, Dwyane Wade) to record multiple triple-doubles this season with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists at Dallas on March 5 ... Logged his first career triple-double at Philadelphia on Jan. 31 with 14 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high tying 13 assists ... Scored a career-high 31 points at Minnesota on Dec. 26 (prev. 20, April 17, 2005, Atlanta at New York).
Our take:
Boris Diaw was basically a throw-in in the Joe Johnson trade last summer, having played limited minutes for a team that went 13-69 in '04-05. The Suns didn't exactly have him penciled into their rotation and thought that he could maybe give them some minutes at the one or the two. No one could have guessed that he would be starting at center for them (and holding his own) down the line. You can say that he's a product of Steve Nash or that anyone's numbers will go up in the Phoenix system, but you can't deny that Boris Diaw has done a lot for himself as well.
-- John Schuhmann
From the coach:
He's the type of guy that has to have guys around him that know how to play, because it's not his game to go one-on-one and try to do things himself. He's a team player and he thrives in a team type of system. With Nash and Shawn Marion and guys like that, that's what he has found. And then the confidence grows. He's gotten better with his shot. He's just a terrific ball player.
-- Mike D'Antoni
A fan's take:
He arrived from Atlanta, one of the worst teams of the league, to one one of the best, Phoenix. Logically, his stats should have gone down. On the contrary, he is now one of the most complete players of the league, and is able to play as a guard, a forward or a center. And despite the absence of Stoudemire, Phoenix kept on winning with Diaw as a center. He definitely deserves this award.
-- Tom - Cognac, France
I think he got a little mixed up with all of the columns and missed the first DIFF column.Cartalas wrote:Winnow???
"1st - Winning Point Differential +7.71 (yeah, that's right..Spurs +5.24, Detroit +4.64) " ?????
Go here Sort by PPG Diff and look
http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortable_ ... 1.html#top
#1 Spurs 6.81
#2 Detroit 6.67
#3 Dallas 6.07
#4 Suns 5.54
Maybe you were confused with Assist per game that is where the Suns are #1
Suns 7.71
Hell yes! The Suns have no big men and good teams will demolish them inside. Amare, Kurt Thomas, Brian Grant (sort of) are all gone. Dallas somewhat, and the Spurs for sure, can pick apart the Suns inside. The rest of the teams can't keep up enough for it to matter offensively.Sylvus wrote: do you think there are some negative stats out there that you aren't posting that are preventing them from winning it all?