NBA 2012-13 Season Thread - Crown The Heat!

Glad to see the curse of Derek Fisher coming to fruition. Wonder if Durant will get a pass for this? I know if it was Lebron or even Dirk (locally) we'd never hear the fucking end of it... can't win the big one, etc, the usual bullshit cliches.

Not so fast, my friend...

Wow, Choke Randolph! Refs swallowed their whistles for a little while there to help things out.

Good look...he just hurried the shot.

Durant just wore out as this series went along. Shouldering the entire load against such a physical team with very little rest for 5 games was just too much. Brooks better get fired.

I doubt LeBron or Dirk would have gotten shit for losing this series with the team Durant has. LeBron didn't get shit in 09 when the Magic took him down. Even Simmons said the supporting cast on the 09 Cavs was better than the Thunder's make shift group without Westbrook.

Yeah the Grizz as constructed aren't really a good match up for a team with a single scoring threat, especially a forward.

I think even with Westbrook the Grizz would of won in 7, the Thunder got so much worse in their 2nd unit by trading Harden. Their entire bench is a bunch of spares now.

Man0warr_sl said:

Yeah the Grizz as constructed aren't really a good match up for a team with a single scoring threat, especially a forward.

I think even with Westbrook the Grizz would of won in 7, the Thunder got so much worse in their 2nd unit by trading Harden. Their entire bench is a bunch of spares now.

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Really? A series with 2 OT games and 2 other very close games at the end and you think the Thunder would have been heavy favorites with the addition of an all-star guard?

That series would have been over in 5 the other way if Westbrook played. He is only a top 5 player in the league though.

And they had Harden too, who you could argue is in the top 5 going forward. Dumb Presti.

They could never keep all 3 past this year. They kept the right two. However, considering what they got in the trade, they should have given it a shot this year but oh well.

I dunno if they kept the right guy. With increased pressure to score after Westbrook went down, Ibaka didn't really step it up.

If he's a lifetime 12ppg/8rebound/3block guy I think he's overpaid.

Without Harden I say OKC wouldn't have beaten the Spurs last year. Harden gave their bench the firepower OKC needed to win. His absence has been very noticeable this year.

Man0warr_sl said:

I dunno if they kept the right guy. With increased pressure to score after Westbrook went down, Ibaka didn't really step it up.

If he's a lifetime 12ppg/8rebound/3block guy I think he's overpaid.

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Harden no showed the Finals and look at the jump he made this year. I'm not suggesting Ibaka is going to make a jump to Top 10 in the league next year but just because he struggled in the Playoffs playing without Westbrook for the first time in his career doesn't really tell us anything. Not to mention, really he just had a bad 4 or so game stretch which happened to be against the team that is probably the worst matchup for him in the entire league. He was actually pretty good in Games 4 and 5 against the Griz. Ibaka does really need to develop a post game during the offseason, at least one or two moves. Right now, against solid or better post defenders, he is basically useless on offense if his jumper isn't dropping.

Also, when I said they kept the right two, I meant Westbrook and Durant. That is the thing, once Harden decided he wanted the max it wasn't him or Ibaka; it was him or Westbrook. The only way Durant, Westbrook, and Harden were staying together was if Harden took a little under the max, which they offered him and he said no. Harden made the decision for them once he decided on the max. Whether they should have traded him when they did or waited a year is another matter entirely.

Considering the endorsement deals that come with being a star player, you would think the smart thing to do would have been for Durant to take less than max salary to maximize his chance at a championship. Probably a difficult choice to make though.

LeBron & Wade took less than max for Bosh!

Szlia_sl said:

Considering the endorsement deals that come with being a star player, you would think the smart thing to do would have been for Durant to take less than max salary to maximize his chance at a championship. Probably a difficult choice to make though.

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Considering their extensions all happened at very different times, I don't think it even registered as a possibility.

Really, the new CBA fucked them more than anything, under the old one they would have probably just paid the tax.

Game 6 is going to be nerve-wrecking for the Pacers. They'll be in very bad shape if they can't win that one. Fucking George Hill better clear his head and get on the court.

GO SPURS GO!!! Great win