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In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

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2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

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  • #16
    Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

    I'll take OKC in 5 and Heat in 6 (they will start to defend Rose smarter, I'd expect).
    But I'll root for Dallas and Bulls. And I'll root for Dallas winning it all.

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

      Miami will defend Rose better when LA starts defending Dirk better.

      They can't guard him. Miami doesn't have a team gameplan like Chicago does.

      I'm fairly certain Dallas having 7-8 weapons trumps OKC's 2. Did we learn nothing from the Lakers series?

      If someone could sell me that OKC had an answer for Dirk where LA did not, I'd buy that. But they don't.
      Last edited by Kstat; 05-16-2011, 05:13 AM.

      It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

      Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
      Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
      NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

        I hope you are right. We'll see. Every team still in the playoffs supposedly has an unstoppable force and immovable team defense.

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

          Originally posted by Kstat View Post
          Miami will defend Rose better when LA starts defending Dirk better.

          They can't guard him. Miami doesn't have a team gameplan like Chicago does.

          I'm fairly certain Dallas having 7-8 weapons trumps OKC's 2. Did we learn nothing from the Lakers series?

          If someone could sell me that OKC had an answer for Dirk where LA did not, I'd buy that. But they don't.
          I have no explanation as to why Lebron and Wade were not defending Rose all game, but to act like Miami doesn't have anyone to guard Rose is ridiculous. They do. They actually have two elite defenders that can defend Rose.

          Dirk against LA was different because dirk is among the three entirely unguardable players in the league. The thing is, as long as you play decent defense (see: Ibaka) and you exploit every other matchup, you will win. In OKC's favor, they will win literally every other matchup against the Mavs.

          As Kstat would say, "Did we learn nothing from the last 10 years of the playoffs?"

          Had Pau not played like a *****, had Kobe exploited his matchup against Kidd (what an incredible mismatch! though Kobe has never played great in the playoffs, he should have averaged 40 agaisnt kidd) the Lakers would have won...

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

            No one right now in the NBA can stop Dirk. That's my true belief. If his supporting cast can hold up, this is the Maverick's championship to lose.


            Comment


            • #21
              Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

              Originally posted by mattie View Post
              ?"

              Had Pau not played like a *****, had Kobe exploited his matchup against Kidd (what an incredible mismatch! though Kobe has never played great in the playoffs, he should have averaged 40 agaisnt kidd) the Lakers would have won...
              ....so Kobe couldn't exploit his mismatch, but Westbrook and Durant Will?

              Maybe, just maybe, Dallas is a better defensive team than you realize?

              Pau got beaten by a better player. It's silly to act like he could have outplayed Dirk, but he simply chose not to.

              Originally posted by mattie View Post
              I have no explanation as to why Lebron and Wade were not defending Rose all game, but to act like Miami doesn't have anyone to guard Rose is ridiculous. They do. They actually have two elite defenders that can defend Rose.
              This reminds me of 2004, when people were wondering why Kobe wasn't guarding Billups. Wing players are not used to guarding point guards. That's what made guys like Pippen special as a defender. It's very difficult to do.
              Last edited by Kstat; 05-16-2011, 01:27 PM.

              It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

              Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
              Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
              NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

                Originally posted by Kstat View Post
                Pau got beaten by a better player. It's silly to act like he could have outplayed Dirk, but he simply chose not to.
                I didn't realize Dirk was such a great post defender..... It should have been a mismatch on both ends, but only one player took advantage.

                Pau played soft. He played like he didn't care, and his awful numbers from that series reflect that fact.

                Pau has no heart. None.
                Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right.” ― Ricky Gervais.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

                  Originally posted by Since86 View Post
                  I didn't realize Dirk was such a great post defender..... It should have been a mismatch on both ends, but only one player took advantage.

                  Pau played soft. He played like he didn't care, and his awful numbers from that series reflect that fact.

                  Pau has no heart. None.
                  Dirk is a better defender than people realize, and he's gotten better with age.

                  It also helps that for the first time in his life, he has several other frontcourt players willing to do the dirty work.

                  It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

                  Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
                  Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
                  NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

                    So they did the dirty work on Pau and just let Bynum do his thing?

                    And none of it explains why Pau also had a horrible first round series. Statisically, he played worse that series, than he did against Dallas. He actually shot better and rebounded better against Dallas.

                    Pau looked disinterested. He played with zero passion. He was lazy.

                    He didn't enter the series and slowly get phased out. He went in looking like a zombie, and continued to play that way.

                    Let's not pretend like he was playing good basketball, and the defensive effort by Dirk was some amazing feat. Pau was playing like crap, and continued playing like crap, eventhough he was being defended by a player who has never been known for defense.
                    Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right.” ― Ricky Gervais.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

                      I'm not pretending Pau was in a good mental state, just like I'm not pretending he was ever a better basketball player than Dirk Nowitzki.

                      It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

                      Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
                      Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
                      NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

                        I don't think "experience" matters too much. Chicago has zero experience and they might beat Miami, a team that has two superstars who have been to the Finals.

                        What are the Mavs going to do about Westbrook? The two PG's they have played against this postseason are Andre Miller and Derek Fisher, two old guys. How is Kidd going to keep up with Westbrook? If Westbrook plays smart then he should have a field day against them.

                        Durant and Dirk cancel each other out I think, and Westbrook is the third best player in this series. Thunder in 6.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

                          Miami as a team has less experience than Chicago. Having two individuals who have been to the finals is not the same thing as going through even one round as a team.

                          If the game was decided by who the 2nd best player on the court was, Dallas wouldn't still be playing, and Miami would win every playoff game for the next 5 years. The game isn't that simple.

                          I don't believe Wesbtrook is ready for this yet. He's far too inconsistent. No the Mavs have nobody that can keep up with him one on one, but this isn't a gus macker tournament.

                          OKC has to match up with all of Dallas's weapons, and they don't have nearly the depth. Harden, Cook, Maynor and and Sepholosha do not come close to Barea, Terry, Peja and Marion.
                          Last edited by Kstat; 05-16-2011, 01:49 PM.

                          It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

                          Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
                          Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
                          NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

                            [QUOTE=Kstat;1235835]....so Kobe couldn't exploit his mismatch, but Westbrook and Durant Will?

                            Maybe, just maybe, Dallas is a better defensive team than you realize?
                            QUOTE]



                            Kobe was completely gassed. The injuries, 15 years in the league, three Finals runs with an Olympics stuck in there....all of that finally caught up with him. I give Dallas' D credit, but Westbrook and Durant have younger legs and will be much fresher than Kobe was.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

                              They also aren't as playoff tested as Kobe was.

                              Over 7 games, young legs give way to experience. Dallas can control the tempo of a game. OKC has trouble with it because their point guard is so bipolar.

                              It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

                              Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
                              Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
                              NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: 2011 Western Conference Finals: (3) Dallas vs. (4) Oklahoma City

                                Originally posted by Kstat View Post
                                Miami as a team has less experience than Chicago. Having two individuals who have been to the finals is not the same thing as going through even one round as a team.

                                If the game was decided by who the 2nd best player on the court was, Dallas wouldn't still be playing, and Miami would win every playoff game for the next 5 years. The game isn't that simple.


                                I didn't say the game was that simple. But again, tell me, how is Dallas going to stop Westbrook? He's a bit more spry than Andre Miller or Derek Fisher.

                                Dallas' experience is something that's being trumpeted in this thread. They have what, two players who were on the 2006 Finals team (Dirk and Terry)? That's about as relevant as the Heat's two best players having been to the Finals in the past.

                                Comment

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