****OFFICIAL 2012 NBA PLAYOFFS THREAD****

[dirk digler]

Great sports weekend with the draft and now the NBA Playoffs starting today

First Round Matchups Today:

76ers vs Bulls
Knicks vs Heat
Magic vs Pacers
Mavs vs Thunder

Sunday:

Jazz vs Spurs
Celtics vs Hawks
Clippers vs Grizzlies
Nuggets vs Lakers

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by Fine Uncut Meat

It was a B+ performance. He plays regular minutes, he probably only scores 24 points.

He didn't play regular minutes, though. He played the entire game because they needed him to and because he's their most important player by far.

It's incredible that you're trying to find a way to criticize him after what we just witnessed in Game 6/7. At least wait until the Heat fail to beat the Thunder (which likely will have more to do with the fact that OKC is better than them than anything LeBron will end up doing).

[Hammock Parties]

I'm not really criticizing him. He had a good game.

He wasn't the biggest reason they won.

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by SNR

Perkins is garbage.

Celtics could have used a scorer like Jeff Green far more than Kendrick freakin Perkins

Well there will be no tootling around under and to the hoop with Perkins and Ibaka down there. Never been an OKC fan but I sure will be in this series.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

Well there will be no tootling around under and to the hoop with Perkins and Ibaka down there. Never been an OKC fan but I sure will be in this series.

I don't think the Celtics valued that style of player that much, either. Nothing was stopping them from completing a trade for a big, bulky center to clog lanes. They could have had anybody. I'll betcha anything the Timberwolves would have traded away Darko Milicic for dirt cheap. There's a guy like that on every team who could have done what Perkins does for OKC.

The acquisition of Pietrus prior to the season as Kendrick's replacement says everything that needs to be said regarding what the Celtics thought they needed in a center. Perkins would not have won Boston a Game 7.

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by SNR

I don't think the Celtics valued that style of player that much, either. Nothing was stopping them from completing a trade for a big, bulky center to clog lanes. They could have had anybody. I'll betcha anything the Timberwolves would have traded away Darko Milicic for dirt cheap. There's a guy like that on every team who could have done what Perkins does for OKC.

The acquisition of Pietrus prior to the season as Kendrick's replacement says everything that needs to be said regarding what the Celtics thought they needed in a center. Perkins would not have won Boston a Game 7.

Who do you want in the Finals?

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

Who do you want in the Finals?

Tough to say. I like both teams equally. They're both fun to watch. Oh, and there's that whole the two best players in the NBA are squaring off against each other in the finals thing. This was the exact Finals I dreamed of at the beginning of the year, and I got it. I'm totally happy with it.

Whom do I want to win? I mean, really, I don't care at this point. I just want a great ****ing Finals. 7 games, 3 of them OTs, and some unforgettable playoff performances for Lebron and Durant. Is that too much to ask for? Maybe, but I'll take whatever it's got. Bring it all on.

And I think my desires will be matched. I think we're in for one hell of a series.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by SNR

I don't think the Celtics valued that style of player that much, either. Nothing was stopping them from completing a trade for a big, bulky center to clog lanes. They could have had anybody. I'll betcha anything the Timberwolves would have traded away Darko Milicic for dirt cheap. There's a guy like that on every team who could have done what Perkins does for OKC.

The acquisition of Pietrus prior to the season as Kendrick's replacement says everything that needs to be said regarding what the Celtics thought they needed in a center. Perkins would not have won Boston a Game 7.

It is hard to say though I contend that the Celtics would have been in the Finals last year if they hadn't traded Perk.

It would have been huge if the Celtics would have gotten David West who had a deal then decided to go to the Pacers. That probably would have gotten them over the top and if they stayed healthy.

[Hammock Parties]

Sweet vid.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by Fine Uncut Meat

Sweet vid.

Sick.

[okcchief]

Originally Posted by SNR

Perkins is garbage.

Celtics could have used a scorer like Jeff Green far more than Kendrick freakin Perkins

Perkins is garbage on offense. He's a great low post defender and great at setting picks for KD. He does stuff that doesn't show up on the stat sheet and you only appreciate him when you are a fan of that team.

Jeff Green is overrated. He puts up points, but needs a lot of shots to do it. He's not efficient in the least. He's a total non-factor on the boards, and a liability on defense. He's not big enough to play power forward and not quick enough to play small forward. The Thunder turned the corner when they made that trade. It gave them the low post defender they needed. Gave Collison and Ibaka more minutes, and gave Harden Jeff Green's shots. Jeff Green is really just good and filling gaps. He would have been more useful to the Celtics than Perkins against Miami, but not overall.

I remember debating that trade with many on this board. Basketball is more than stats. You need players to fill certain roles along with your superstars.

[DaKCMan AP]

Head to head: Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
By Ira Winderman
South Florida Sun Sentinel
11:27 a.m. EDT, June 10, 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY— Staff writer Ira Winderman looks at the key elements of Heat-Thunder, with the NBA Finals opening Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern in Oklahoma City.

Edge goes to:

Center: For the first time since the start of the postseason, there is not an overwhelming concern about the opposing center. Respect? Absolutely. But Kendrick Perkins is not going to beat you with his offense. For the Heat, it doesn't matter as much about who is starting, but rather who is going to be the man in the middle in key moments, and that is going to be Chris Bosh. With each game back, Bosh has moved closer to his pre-injury self and he will be needed big time against one of the more imposing front lines in the NBA, bigger than the Heat have faced this postseason. Bosh needs to come up big and play big. Edge: Heat.

Power forward: The Heat do not have a matchup for Serge Ibaka. They have the grit of Udonis Haslem or the ability to pull Ibaka out of the paint with the perimeter presence of Shane Battier. For Erik Spoelstra, it will be a pick-your-poison decision, with no easy answer. While Ibaka does not necessarily have a polished post game, he has the ability to easily shoot over the top or do damage with his offensive rebounding. Rebounding will be a key in this series and Oklahoma City's length will be tricky. Edge: Thunder.

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Small forward: What we have here is the best one-on-one matchup of not only these NBA playoffs, but one for the ages. Not only did LeBron James and Kevin Durant finish 1-2 in balloting for NBA Most Valuable Player, but they have set up what should be a two-man race for years to come. While James long has been viewed as the superior defender, Durant has had his defensive moments in recent years head to head against James, with the length not only to sit back for the drive but also extend to contest the jumper. The Heat get the edge here, ever so slightly, only because if they don't hold an edge here, they could be in trouble. Edge: Heat.

Shooting guard: This is one of those matchups that really isn't a matchup at all. That in no way is to disparage the marvelous defensive skills of Thabo Sefolosha, who will make Dwyane Wade work for anything he gets and also spend time on LeBron James. But James Harden is the Thunder's closer at shooting guard and will provide a significant challenge for Wade when the two are matched up. Wade and Harden have already been compared in their attacking styles and Harden's youth could give him an advantage in an extended series. But as with James against Kevin Durant, the Heat simply have to come out ahead in this matchup. Edge: Heat.

Point guard: There is no question that Russell Westbrook is the superior talent, an All-Star who singlehandedly can take over a game. But he also possesses some of the same erratic traits possessed by Heat point guard Mario Chalmers. Both can make boneheaded turnovers, go on hot streaks or turn ice cold from the field. Westbrook is far more explosive, but Chalmers has a knack for big-game moments. Yes, this is a position of advantage for the Thunder, but it might not wind up being as decisive as some think. Westbrook has never shot particularly well against the Heat. Edge: Thunder.

Bench: Game. Set. Match. The Heat's depth does not come close, with no one on Erik Spoelstra's bench who can offer the game-changing impact provided by James Harden. In fact, it would not be surprising to see Harden outscore the Heat's bench on many nights, particularly if Chris Bosh is in the Heat's starting lineup. And that's not even getting to Nick Collison and Derek Fisher and the veteran savvy they have provided the Thunder in reserve. For Erik Spoelstra, the bench largely has been about buying time for the Big Three and merely surviving. Mike Miller has to hit shots. Norris Cole has to push the pace when matched against Fisher. And there might yet be a Joel Anthony sighting. Edge: Thunder.

Coaching: Doc Rivers is not on the opposing bench, so that will be a relief for Erik Spoelstra. But Scott Brooks might be as in tune with his team as any coach in the league. Spoelstra had his moments in the first two rounds against the Knicks' Mike Woodson and the Pacers' Frank Vogel, and likely will offer a few twists to offset the Thunder's athletic advantage. But this isn't a coaching series, and it might not even be a series about depth of talent. This is about LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant. Edge: Even.

Intangibles: Don't overstate homecourt advantage in a series played on a 2-3-2 basis, the Dallas Mavericks certainly didn't against the Heat last year. And don't overstate the Heat going seven games in the Eastern Conference finals, still getting two days off before this Tuesday night opener. But the Thunder are coming off a confidence-inspiring showing in the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs, while the Heat are coming off a matter of survival against the Celtics. You have to wonder how much is left in the tank with Erik Spoelstra playing such a tight rotation. Edge: Thunder.

Prediction: If Chris Bosh was fully healthy, there might be an issue of overall talent. But with Bosh still working his way back from the lower-abdominal strain that had him out for three weeks, the Thunder simply come from too many directions with too many weapons. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will have to be at the absolute top of their games. The Thunder are young, athletic, long and talented. And that would appear too much to overcome. Unless. Unless Bosh proves to be all the way back, in which case a Heat emergence certainly is within the realm, as is a championship celebration down Biscayne Boulevard. Pick: Thunder in six.

-- Ira Winderman

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/m...,3587352.story

[Hammock Parties]

[okcchief]

Luke Skywalker-Kevin Durant
Han Solo-Russell Westbrook
Chewbaca-Serge Ibaka
Yoda-Derek Fisher
Darth Vader-LeBron James
Jar Jar Binks-Chris Bosh
Pat Riley-Darth Sideous
Storm trooper 27-Mike Miller
Darth Maul-D Wade

[okcchief]

Can't focus

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by okcchief

Can't focus

When you're at the game tonight tell Bron that DaKCMan AP thinks he's Awesome.