Got my new Avatar ready. Let's go Spurs.

Oh okay, that makes sense. I was wondering out of all the great players in the league, why your favorite player would be Kawhi Leonard.

Yep, only one of two Aztecs in the league, the other one is Malcolm Thomas for the Bulls, but I don't know if he'll be in the league next year. Jamaal Franklin should be though.

Your avy should have him in a Spurs uniform. Go all the way buck. all the way

like

http://cache1.asset-cache.net/gc/162...%2boAdJRzWBJnO

or http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images...jpg?1363647995

nope

Going with Spurs in 6. If I could be guaranteed that the Wade from game 7 would show up for this series and not the guy who could barely move and did nothing at all for the first 6, I'd go with Miami. But as it is, LeBron can't beat a team as good as the Spurs alone like he did with the one-man show against Indiana.

Come on buck.

http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-co...s-Good-man.jpg

I'm waiting to see how often Miami uses the "flying death machine" defense since they only seem to use it when they're motivated. If they can, and so far nobody has been able to handle it, heat in 6 or 7ish. And that's simply because they'll get tired and try to win it with their half court offense the rest of the time.

So far, we've only seen that hellish defense for extended periods in game 7 and in spurts otherwise. And as far as I can tell, the main change is that Lebron tells his teammates, **** these guys - don't let them breathe. Then the energy level ramps up to 11, every ball handler is aggressively blitzed, passes get mishandled, dribbles get lost, lebron goes into freight train mode, and... blowout. The "Laker beating" Pistons defense was probably the best I'd ever seen*, but this Miami defense when engaged is just disturbing.

So while a healthy wade/bosh means they can beat most teams without reverting to it, that's one hell of a trump card they can throw down.

*As a pretentious basketball purist, I never considered the early knicks/heat defenses good. They just fouled the shit out of everybody. Any hack at a YMCA can play defense like that which is why shitty teams always resort to those tactics.

Miami has no center you dipshit. They aren't unleashing any kind of hellish defense on the Spurs. Mo than likely they goin ta get they asses handed to them in da paint for 6 games and bitch out like the frauds they is.

great point. Charlotte wins it all in R games, then.

Seriously though, whats to stop Timmy from averaging 25 a game?

He'll probably get 30 at LEAST twice.

I want to say Heat in 5 but I'll be safe and say Heat in 6.

My best guess is the same thing that kept hibbert from averaging 25. The Pelicans.

When was the last time Duncan averaged 25 against anybody?

The real problem will be Tony Parker.

You do realize that Duncan is way better offensively than Hibbert right? And Hibbert averaged 23 per game in the Heat series.

Definitely more polished offensively but less physically imposing than Hibbert. He's also much less of a defensive presence.

At his peak, duncan was one of the best low post guys in the history of the game... but they guy's averaged 25+ in the playoffs only twice in his career and the last one was like 8 years ago.

If he's averaging 25+, there's probably a problem in Pop's system.

The greater opportunity is moving the ball better than indy to get the ball in the post. Indy tried but often got sloppy. Especially because hill got sloppy at times and too many guards were useless with the ball in their hands.

Agreed. That's why Parker is so important. Everybody's talking about wade, but if the spurs get a stumbling, bumbling ginobli like in the early parts of the warriors series, San An is in trouble. Unless Parker starts averaging 30 and 10 every night

George Karl out as nuggets coach. Seems like a horrible decision.

If I'm the Clippers...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p61NSGVJ7P...eL01qiicfz.jpg

Horeshit. Ginobili has been crap this entire playoffs. The Spurs don't need Ginobili to play well to win.

Wasn't he coach of the year? Team record in wins too this year. Crazy

Won't argue with the lousy ginobli play. What I'm thinking though is his ball handling ability will be crucial, since Miami puts a ton of pressure on the guards on pick and rolls. Would you be more comfortable with Danny Green or Ginobli in that situation?

Spurs haven't seen a D like Miami's, probably ever. Against Memphis, there was a huge defensive liability in Zach Randolph that parker repeatedly attacked. Nobody other than Bogut really plays good D for GS and in the first round D'Antoni is an idiot. Ray Allen's really your only liability on D for Miami and he's a bench guy.

Parker's going to need help from Ginobli.

Yep. They also lost their GM who was executive of the year.

The Spurs can run more than the pick and roll. They will be running Parker off of 2 to 3 screens all night. Spurs are not the one dimensional flat offenses that play in the Eastern conference. Don't forget the Spurs running without the Big 3 and still putting up a shit load of points on that "vaunted" Miami defense earlier this year.

Yes, terrible.

I am thinking that as well.

Spurs in 6.

Getting ready for the MIA HEAT SHOW!!!

My heart says Spurs but my little head says Heat. I will be rooting for the Spurs though

Wait...is the ESPN crew going to do pregame the whole Finals? Please say no.

of course they are

they've been doing the ABC pregame all year

Unfortunately yes. God I wish this was on TNT

That just sucks out loud.

Stern's last act of power should be to mandate that the Inside the NBA crew do the entire playoffs.

Also, bring back John tesh's roundball rock.

Almost time....lets get it on!!

Cracking open a Saison Brett and smoking a bowl GAMETIME MOTHER****ERS


GO SPURS GO

That little girl can ****ing sing

Awwww she's adorable. But this crowd is terrible. Barely cheered for the service woman

Chalmers-Wade-Bron-UD-Bosh

Lets Go

miyameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaat

Spurs baby lets do this.

Man, the jordan era bulls had the best intros. Wtf was that anticlimactic shit?

DAKC why aren't you at a bar with your girl?

We've got a tropical storm here, brah, and I'm flying out in the AM.

SPURS SPURS SPURS SPURS

Heat gotta realize this isn't the Pacers offense.

ahahahaha

where's that "killer" D, Miami?

Aww that's rough.

Leonard can't be picking up cheap fouls like that

Don't sleep on these Spurs. Too many have for too long.

Duncan's not gonna like that call and for good reason.

Bad call..obvious charge

He wasn't even shooting.

For the first time this postseason, having difficulty deciding who to root for in this series. Want a game 7, so maybe cheering for the home teams at home is the way to go.

This game is a track meet. Complete opposite of the Conference Finals.

Completely different pace in this game compared to the Bulls\Pacers series for Miami. This favors them IMO

I guess you're like me then. Because I really don't care who wins. I guess if i was forced to choose, I'd go for San Antonio. Wish Chalmers played for a team that I didn't dislike.

I don't like drinking Red Bull but I love their commercials

Duncan can't hit shit so far

I really like players on both teams (Miami: LeBron, Chalmers, Birdman; San Antonio: Ginobili, Duncan, Parker, Bonner), which makes it even more difficult.

Far better pace for Miami, although it's not like the Spurs can't play it too.

Just a bit more entertaining than the Heat/Pacers games, yeah.

If the Heat can hit there wide open 3's like last year's Finals then they are pretty much unbeatable.

This seems easier than Pacers series.

I think someone predicted that :)

Duncan is whipping Birdman on both ends.

Easy now. WHo knows if the Heat can go on this kind of a torrid pace of hitting outside shots from support players forever.

The Heat, on the other hand... it doesn't look like anybody can guard Duncan.

Wade stepped in the time machine before this game.

Bosh is allergic to the paint.

So I guess Wade can run around and jump again?

They did it last year and their supporting cast is better this year.

Duncan = All Time Great
Birdman = Nobody would notice him if he didn't have the tats

Battier still eating that turd sandwich

Yes, they did.

OKC, on the other hand, was as hot/cold as you can get. Mostly very cold. If the Heat slip from this kind of high energy, attack mode for just a split second, the Spurs will find a window to slip through. We've seen that the Heat are not always capable of playing hard for 4 quarters.

This is some high quality basketball.