NBA 2012-13 Season Thread - Crown The Heat!

cinge_sl said:

Lol not something you want to hear from your players, he might as well just say "I give up".

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Like Ginobili can play any worse?

Yea, 9 points and 8 turnovers is just ridiculous. He looked like a klutz every time he touched the ball.

Soygen_sl said:

There's just so many transplants from other states here, the fanbase is flaky as hell.

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This is why I can't wait for the SF Giants to start being shitty. Awful fan base. I know way more about their team than most of them.

You're from a place with shitty weather, OF COURSE you know more about *insert professional sports team name here* than someone from California.

fanaskin_sl said:

first 30-10-10 in a finals game since charles barkley's finals appearance

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I haven't watched the NBA seriously, since the Lakers/Celtics finals a few years ago(sick and tired of Stern and the WWE nature of it all). I don't get all the Lebron love...atall. He has almost 0 on-court presence. The guy just doesn't takeovera game like MJ did, so I don't get the comparisons to GOAT. Hell, even Kobe is better at that than Lebron is. Very few times during the game, do you get that "Oh, shit! Here he comes!" feeling like you did with MJ, Magic, etc. Like I said, even Kobe had his moments. Lebron would be a 2nd tier player in MJs era. Guys like Ewing, Robinson, Olajuwon, etc. would have eaten him alive on his way to the basket.

Musab_sl said:

They feel like beating the shit out of Splitter.

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He scored a couple tough baskets in the 4th. Only Parker and Leonard can also say that (but his lack of good defense hurt). As for Ginobili, he still managed to find his way to the free throw line several times late in the game.

The problem really is that once they started double teaming Duncan it killed their main source of points. It should have opened some external shooting opportunities, but no one had a hot hand or had the chance to work himself into a rhythm as no one hardly shot at all from the 3 pts line through the previous 3 quarters. They needed more than a good Duncan and a good Leonard to win and just could not find it.

Kirun_sl said:

I haven't watched the NBA seriously, since the Lakers/Celtics finals a few years ago(sick and tired of Stern and the WWE nature of it all). I don't get all the Lebron love...atall. He has almost 0 on-court presence. The guy just doesn't takeovera game like MJ did, so I don't get the comparisons to GOAT. Hell, even Kobe is better at that than Lebron is. Very few times during the game, do you get that "Oh, shit! Here he comes!" feeling like you did with MJ, Magic, etc. Like I said, even Kobe had his moments. Lebron would be a 2nd tier player in MJs era. Guys like Ewing, Robinson, Olajuwon, etc. would have eaten him alive on his way to the basket.

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I am a fan of Lebron, but try to be objective as possible. Have you looked at the rosters he played on while in Cleveland and did you see any of the games he played in there? Took over the game... he was virtually the only player on the court for Cleveland a majority of the time. I'll admit he is praised as god in a lot of cases when he shouldn't, but to say he doesn't take over games is very silly.

Kirun_sl said:

I haven't watched the NBA seriously, since the Lakers/Celtics finals a few years ago(sick and tired of Stern and the WWE nature of it all). I don't get all the Lebron love...atall. He has almost 0 on-court presence. The guy just doesn't takeovera game like MJ did, so I don't get the comparisons to GOAT. Hell, even Kobe is better at that than Lebron is. Very few times during the game, do you get that "Oh, shit! Here he comes!" feeling like you did with MJ, Magic, etc. Like I said, even Kobe had his moments. Lebron would be a 2nd tier player in MJs era. Guys like Ewing, Robinson, Olajuwon, etc. would have eaten him alive on his way to the basket.

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LeBron is the reason the Heat got back into the game in the 4th (ZOMG REFSTROLOLOLOLOL). Before last years playoffs I think the "never takes over games" argument was partially valid but game 6 in Boston, shit changed. He's carried the heat these playoffs but until he averages 40/15/10 in a series he's just ok

Cleveland was built around Lebron. He had a good supporting cast of role players with him as the man.

I'm the bizzaro version of you where I hate Lebron, but think some of his criticism is unfair. But he does have a way of disappearing in big games. Not that he misses shots, but he just doesn't seem like he wants the ball. He'll stand at the 3 point line and watch. When they pass it to him he'll pass it away immediately or just shoot a lazy jumper.

When you see Lakers games, towards the end of games Kobe waves his arms around like a madman calling for the ball on every play.

Is Kobe's way better? Maybe, maybe not. He does some incredible things to close out games, but also has his share of bad plays. He is forgiven for those, though, because people respect that in a person. Its a very alpha male trait that Lebron just doesn't show.

In all fairness, James also had at least three super bad plays at the end of the 4th, two resulting in turn overs and one resulting in a Bosh rebound for the Allen three. If Bosh and Allen did not send the game into overtime, suddenly James would be the guy who hero-balled his way to defeat. What can be said though is that he took his responsibilities.

Ambiturner_sl said:

Cleveland was built around Lebron. He had a good supporting cast of role players with him as the man.

I'm the bizzaro version of you where I hate Lebron, but think some of his criticism is unfair. But he does have a way of disappearing in big games. Not that he misses shots, but he just doesn't seem like he wants the ball. He'll stand at the 3 point line and watch. When they pass it to him he'll pass it away immediately or just shoot a lazy jumper.

When you see Lakers games, towards the end of games Kobe waves his arms around like a madman calling for the ball on every play.

Is Kobe's way better? Maybe, maybe not. He does some incredible things to close out games, but also has his share of bad plays. He is forgiven for those, though, because people respect that in a person. Its a very alpha male trait that Lebron just doesn't show.

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This is pretty much what I've seen as well. The guy just doesn't have that killer instinct, it seems.

Ambiturner_sl said:

But he does have a way of disappearing in big games.

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Doesn't he have the highest points scored average in NBA history in elimination games? That's not disappearing.

I'd be more interested in his scoring average in 4th quarter elimination games where his team is down.

He has the 5th highest PPG in playoff games of all time:

Rank Player PPG
1. Michael Jordan* 33.45
2. Allen Iverson 29.73
3. Jerry West* 29.13
4. Kevin Durant 28.63
5. LeBron James 27.99
6. Rick Barry* 27.33
7. Elgin Baylor* 27.04
8. George Gervin* 26.46
9. Dirk Nowitzki 25.95
10. Hakeem Olajuwon* 25.90

Also this...


Most Game-Tying/Go-Ahead FG in Playoffs
Final 24 Secs. of 4th Qtr/OT Since 2003-04

1. LeBron James 7-16 (43.75%)
2. Kobe Bryant 5-17 (29.41%)
3. Kevin Durant 5-12 (41.67%)
4. Dirk Nowitzki 5-12 (41.67%)

Also:"LeBron is the first player in NBA postseason history with a triple-double and a buzzer-beater game winner in the same game.

Magic never did it. Jordan never did it. Bird never did it. Not even Oscar or Wilt. Only LeBron.

LeBron and Ralph Sampson are the only players in NBA history with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and three blocks in a playoff game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Since the 2006 postseason, a player has had a playoff triple-double with at least 30 points four times. All four of those players are named LeBron James. "
Source:http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/pos...ch-think-again

Sorry, again, I try not to slob his knob too much but that is probably how this is all coming off. He doesn't shrink in big gamesmost of the time.

Lebron defensively is another level than Kobe or MJ, that doesn't make him the GOAT, but lebron's overall game - in the non flashy parts is superior to kobe and MJ, have you seen the blocks? He can guard people they couldn't and guard the people they could. Defense is easy to overlook.

Ambiturner_sl said:

I'd be more interested in his scoring average in 4th quarter elimination games where his team is down.

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I'm trying to find recent stats but most information puts him in the top 3-7 for 4th quarter points over the last couple years. I'll keep digging.

Edit: Here is for the 2012-2013 season. Shooting stats for 4th Qtr or Overtime for all players. Same result if you do just playoffs, he's first.

People hate LeBron because he is too good. They're spoiled by what they think he should be doing. Nothing he does is good enough, every mistake he makes is the worst mistake ever made, proves he is overrated and tarnishes his legacy.

Last year he couldn't win a ring, wasn't a champion, blah blah. This year he has basically carried the Heat to a game 7 in the Finals and it doesn't matter. People just hate him because in high school he was already better than their favorite players not named Jordan.

Kobe & Jordan can't touch LeBron's all around game. His passing, his rebounding, his blocks, his steals. Not to mention his ability to guard the best player on the floor whoever it is.

To say he doesn't have the "gene" is fucking retarded. Despite his mistakes in the 4Q last night it's probably a 20 point blowout defeat without him. He got them to the point where a couple of Bosh rebounds, blocks and big Ray Allen shots made the difference.

Did Wade show up? No. 14 points in a game 6 at home. All he did was disrupt the 4Q offense enough to almost result in a loss.

If you like basketball and at this point of LeBron's career you still hate LeBron you just hate him because he is LeBron. He has proven over and over and over that he is the best all-around player to play this game, maybe ever.

Also, I love you Ray Allen and DWade go kill yourself.

Ambiturner_sl said:

Cleveland was built around Lebron. He had a good supporting cast of role players with him as the man.

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Really? Name them. Cleveland sure played well when LeBron left eh? Jordan fucking retired and Pippen took them to the second round and got robbed. James left Cleveland and they had the worst record in the entire fucking NBA.