robj55;1619618 wrote:Lamb played tremendously while Westbrook was out earlier this year. Would you rather have him or someone like James Jones who is strictly a three point shooter and nothing else?

neither play so its really an irrelevant question.

Pick6;1619620 wrote:neither play so its really an irrelevant question.

But we are comparing rosters, so I picked two guys about in the same spot in the rotation. That being said I like James Jones and he may be the best pure shooter in the NBA, but every GM would take Jeremy Lamb over him. I'm not gonna break down every spot on the roster, but at the very least the rosters are equal.

robj55;1619617 wrote:Obviously Lebron makes people better, but look at Miami from their first year together until now and tell me there hasn't been tremendous growth as a team and a coaching perspective. The first year they really didn't know how to play together, Spoelstra helped them figure it out on both ends. OKC's roster is better, no doubt in my mind from top to bottom. You speak of coaching like this is aau and anyone can do it, this is basketball at the highest level. I don't think you realize how much preparation and adjustments goes into it game in game out.

The first year together they went to the damn finals, its not like they struggled. And I honestly think it was more the players getting used to playing with eachother and their tendencies than it was some amazing coaching gameplan that put them over the top. And at the other end of the spectrum, you speak of the ob Spo did like its unheard of and absolutely amazing. He was handed a dynasty and pretty much just had to make sure the train didnt derail, he didnt have to do anything amazing.

As far as OKC's roster being better top to bottom, I think thats debatable.

Foster baited Westbrook into that T. Called a foul on him, then stared him down waiting for em to say something lol. Rarely do I agree with REggie but I do here.

And Perkins getting those early fouls could be a blessing in disguise for OKC, he has REALLLLLY fallen off since his Boston/Early OKC days

KB0938;1619622 wrote:The first year together they went to the damn finals, its not like they struggled. And I honestly think it was more the players getting used to playing with eachother and their tendencies than it was some amazing coaching gameplan that put them over the top. And at the other end of the spectrum, you speak of the ob Spo did like its unheard of and absolutely amazing. He was handed a dynasty and pretty much just had to make sure the train didnt derail, he didnt have to do anything amazing.

As far as OKC's roster being better top to bottom, I think thats debatable.

I never said anything about the job he did being amazing, but you are completely degrading coaching as a whole with your whole he doesn't have to do anything because he has talent. Completely ridiculous. One of the major reasons they lost that finals was because they(and Spoelstra) had no answer for the zone that Rick Carlisle threw at them, completely froze them. The improvements in the last few years that they have made, he and that coaching staff deserve a large portion of the credit. Basically in your view coaching means nothing, only talent.

Unless you are saying he gets too much credit? In reality he gets basically none lol

Does it mean nothing to me? No. Does the value I place on coaches and the effect they have on the games IMO go down with the higher the level of basketball theyre coaching? Yes.

Obviously theres no way to prove this, But I would feel comfortable betting that a majority of coaches in the league right now could do the exact same thing hes managed to do in Miami with the players hes had.

KB0938;1619629 wrote:Does it mean nothing to me? No. Does the value I place on coaches and the effect they have on the games IMO go down with the higher the level of basketball theyre coaching? Yes.

Obviously theres no way to prove this, But I would feel comfortable betting that a majority of coaches in the league right now could do the exact same thing hes managed to do in Miami with the players hes had.

So college coaches are better and more valuable than NBA coaches? Why penalize professional coaches because they are coaching elite talent? Elite talent comes with ego and enhanced sense of self worth as well. That's your opinion I suppose but I don't see the rationale.

College players and younger players are still learning the game and how to play. When you're in the NBA you're a professional and have a much better feel for the game than younger players. NBA coaches more or less manage, not teach/coach as much

KB0938;1619634 wrote:College players and younger players are still learning the game and how to play. When you're in the NBA you're a professional and have a much better feel for the game than younger players. NBA coaches more or less manage, not teach/coach as much

I disagree, but don't feel like arguing about it.

This looks like an absolutely different team than the first 2 games that San Antonio smashed them

What a garbage call on that three from Mills, we see who the Nba wants to win this game.

Now all we get to hear about is what happened a couple years ago when the Spurs went up 2-0 on OKC and lost in 6. I can hardly hold back the excitement!

Haha Spoelstra isn't that good of a coach!? The fuck? They're doing all of this with a below average PG and no true big man

Classyposter58;1619678 wrote:Haha Spoelstra isn't that good of a coach!? The fuck? They're doing all of this with a below average PG and no true big man

They don't coach, they "manage" lol

Classyposter58;1619678 wrote:Haha Spoelstra isn't that good of a coach!? The fuck? They're doing all of this with a below average PG and no true big man

Except LeBron is the best PG in the game...

Spoelstra is alirght, he is nothing fantastic. LeBron's support cast gives him the same numbers as he had with his supporting cast in Cleveland. The only difference from then and now is Lebron is better and the league is worse. I think Mike Brown sucks, but he even wins a title with the heat in the last 3 years.

Shhhh, common sense has no place in this thread. Spoelstra is a basketball genius and the job hes done with a mere 2 superstars and 1 perenial all star is amazing.

Classyposter58;1619678 wrote:Haha Spoelstra isn't that good of a coach!? The fuck? They're doing all of this with a below average PG and no true big man

There are very very very very few true big men in the NBA to begin with. And Lebron is the best PG in the NBA, just happens to play SF

I am watching this game from a completely biased POV, but it totally seems like the heat are getting all of the calls. Pacers coming back and the refs are just calling enough BS on the pacers to keep them out of reach

Pretty obvious who has and who hasn't played organized sports in this thread. Anyone who has knows how important and vital coaching is.

KB0938;1619736 wrote:Shhhh, common sense has no place in this thread. Spoelstra is a basketball genius and the job hes done with a mere 2 superstars and 1 perenial all star is amazing.

Wade is falling apart and Bosh's isn't producing the way he was before he came over especially on the boards. I mean he's done a pretty damn good job

Classyposter58;1619792 wrote:Wade is falling apart and Bosh's isn't producing the way he was before he came over especially on the boards. I mean he's done a pretty damn good job

People look at the game casually think that because the players are so talented they don't need to be coached. Couldn't be more off base though. I mean I understand that line of thinking but it's a poor generalization.

Paul George, stop making excuses, you in no way shape or form outplayed them tonight.

like_that;1619708 wrote:Spoelstra is alirght, he is nothing fantastic. LeBron's support cast gives him the same numbers as he had with his supporting cast in Cleveland. The only difference from then and now is Lebron is better and the league is worse. I think Mike Brown sucks, but he even wins a title with the heat in the last 3 years.

I think you're right about Lebron being a lot better now than he was four years ago. His shooting, IMO, is probably the most improved. The east is also such a pile of shit. I believe that any of the western playoff teams could have given the Heat a better challenge than the east has. But the bolded part is where I disagree. They're probably going to get strong contributions from Wade, Bosh, Allen most nights (nearly 50 points tonight). I think Lebron can reasonably score anywhere from 25-40 points depending on how the game is going. Whatever they get from Andersen, Chalmers, Battier, Cole, and Haslem is gravy at that point. IMO, Wade is what makes them as successful as they are. His style compliments Lebron's so well. When they get out in transition they're nearly unstoppable. I'm trying to recall some of the Cavs teams from that period but I can't think of anyone who did anything like that for Lebron. It was a slow, half-court team filled with guys who couldn't score or create their own baskets. I think Bosh, as inconsistent as he is, would still be head and shoulders better than anyone Lebron had for a teammate in Cleveland.

Other thoughts:
-Fuck Bosh. He plays like trash all series and finally has a game that indicates why he's earning $19 million and everyone's like "OMG BOSH IS BACK YEAH" Worse case scenario is Lebron stays in Miami but if they at least ditch this clown I'd consider it a win.
-The Pacers are such a bunch of trolls (reminds me of Tiernan, actually). They've looked like shit since like March, are trailing 2-1 in the series, have never beat the Heat when it matters most, and still talk trash. Paul George said the Pacers actually outplayed the Heat tonight, and of course Stephenson was trying to get in Lebron's head a couple days ago. Just stop. You're a couple days away from being bounced out of the playoffs by the Heat again.
-I think Ibaka might be able to drag the WCF to game six or seven, but a Spurs - Heat rematch seems inevitable.

Also, just for shits, at this point how would everyone rank the 16 playoff teams knowing what we know now? I'd go:
1. Heat
2. Spurs
3. Thunder
4. Portland
5. Clippers
6. Pacers
7. Golden State
8. Memphis
9. Dallas
10. Washington
11. Brooklyn
12. Toronto
13. Houston
14. Atlanta
15. Chicago
16. Charlotte