2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

[King Tuts Tomb]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

Yup. Gun to my head (or really any part of my body really) I would take the Knicks over the Pacers just because of Melo and their ability to get hot for a couple games and shoot us out of the series. Especially if the Knicks have home court.

[rexnom]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

Yup. Gun to my head (or really any part of my body really) I would take the Knicks over the Pacers just because of Melo and their ability to get hot for a couple games and shoot us out of the series. Especially if the Knicks have home court.

New York Knicks:

18-5 (n=23) from November 2nd until December 15th
14-13 (n=27) from December 15th until February 15th

Also, some of the factors that were critical to their early season success (hot shooting, old legs fresh at the beginning of the season, few nagging injuries) are unlikely to re-emerge for a seven game series in the second round of the playoffs.

Injuries to Shumpert and Amar'e are mitigating factors, of course (these guys will likely be as good or better in the playoffs than they have been). Another factor is Felton's injury, which was obviously devastating.

I'm not saying I'm not scared of the Knicks, especially if they end up with home court, but this is not the same team we saw in November and December. I don't think we will see that team in the playoffs. I also don't think we will see the January Knicks in the playoffs so we'll see what happens.

[Sollozzo]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

Right now the Knicks are matched up against Boston in the first round. Honestly, I'd be tempted to pick Boston to win that series. You can't underestimate the toughness of Garnett, Pierce, and Terry (who has looked a lot better lately). It would be interesting to see Terry go up against Chandler and Kidd since they were all members of that championship team.

[BRushWithDeath]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

I know he's enemy #1 here, though I still can't really understand why, but this thought crossed my mind last night. If Lebron was 6'3", 200 lbs with mediocre athleticism, he'd still be one of the 5 best players in the NBA.

[Sollozzo]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

Can we stop Wade and/or Bosh? That's the key. LeBron can average 50ppg for the series as long as he's the only one having a good series.

Bosh only played one game against us last year and they still won the series. I don't think that stopping Bosh is going to do all that much, though it will certainly help.

Stopping Wade would certainly help in theory, but I think he is simply too good to be stopped. He might not be 2006 Wade anymore, but he's still pretty freaking good. In the six game series last year, he scored 29, 24, 5, 30, 28, 41. We stopped him one game, and then he came back the next three with a chip on his shoulder and completely torched us.

I think we can frustrate them and take a couple of games from them. I want to believe. But after watching the playoffs for so many years, one thing is clear: The team with the best offensive players almost always win: Lebron, Dirk, Mamba, Truth, Duncan, Shaq, 45, Hakeem, etc etc etc. I don't think there's any defense that can stop Lebron from exploding and taking over a series when he wants to. If we had a player who could trade buckets with Lebron, then it would be different. Lebron and Wade are so superior offensively to anything we have, and that is what will decide the series. If we had a Reggie on the team, i.e. a guy who you could count on to take over the game offensively in the fourth quarter, then it would be different. But I don't have confidence that anyone on this roster can do that. We have multiple "very good" offensive players, but there's no player who you can count on to routinely will you to playoff wins by taking his game to the next level like Reggie did. That's what wins in the playoffs. Our best hope is that Paul George eventually turns into that player. I'm confident that he can because he's only 22 and has drastically improved his offensive game in every season. The sky is the limit for him.

[Johanvil]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

Completely random but I lol-ed





JJ Watt is a beast and look how tiny he looks next to Yao.

[Ace E.Anderson]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

I know he's enemy #1 here, though I still can't really understand why, but this thought crossed my mind last night. If Lebron was 6'3", 200 lbs with mediocre athleticism, he'd still be one of the 5 best players in the NBA.

He wouldn't be able to get to the rim nearly as well as he does. That body and that athleticism opens up things (outside jump shots, post ups, transition game) for him.

Now he would still be an NBA player, and probably a pretty good PG. Maybe he'd be a like a bigger CP3.

[xIndyFan]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

Can we stop Wade and/or Bosh? That's the key. LeBron can average 50ppg for the series as long as he's the only one having a good series.

I thought Frank had a nice coaching moment vs the Heat last game. He switched David to Bosh and left Roy on Haslem. That kept Roy inside near the basket and David out on Bosh to contest those jumpers. JMO, but the guy that will determine Pacer success vs the Heat is Roy. If he can score inside, they will have problems with the B&G.

[Since86]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

Completely random but I lol-ed





JJ Watt is a beast and look how tiny he looks next to Yao.

I didn't see the bottom comment for a good 30secs. Kept looking at the picture and wondering what I missed. Wow, really puts things into perspective.

[Sookie]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

I know he's enemy #1 here, though I still can't really understand why, but this thought crossed my mind last night. If Lebron was 6'3", 200 lbs with mediocre athleticism, he'd still be one of the 5 best players in the NBA.

Completely disagree. His game depends on his athleticism/strength as much...if not more..than Rose's does.

[Dgreenwell3]

He wouldn't be able to get to the rim nearly as well as he does. That body and that athleticism opens up things (outside jump shots, post ups, transition game) for him.

Now he would still be an NBA player, and probably a pretty good PG. Maybe he'd be a like a bigger CP3.

His passing ability with just ok athleticism makes him rondo .

[xIndyFan]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

Completely disagree. His game depends on his athleticism/strength as much...if not more..than Rose's does.

I agree with Sookie. LBJ's skill level is good but not great. He would still starve if he broke his right hand. His passing is good, but not great. Magic Johnson or Marc Jackson have nothing to fear from James. Without his size and athleticism, he is just another guy.

[Hicks]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

Technically, Jordan averaged just under 50ppg for a playoff series once and pretty much beat a good cavs team by himself...

That's fine. I can't speak to that series as it was before my time, and the fact that Michael Jordan's team won a playoff series isn't the least bit surprising. It also doesn't change my belief in the concept that if we make it all about LeBron being a scorer and really do a good/great job of clamping down on all the help, it might make Miami vulnerable to defeat. I think they're at their best when they're sharing and running. If we can make it a half court LeBron fest, I think that may ultimately help us if we can muster enough offense of our own (which, I think we can given the matchup).

[Hicks]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

Bosh only played one game against us last year and they still won the series.

Yeah, because we couldn't stop Wade (who is or was far more important / dangerous than Bosh), we didn't do a good enough job on their 3 point shooters, and we didn't do a good enough job exploiting them in the post on offense.

It could repeat itself, but I think we're more likely to pull it out this year than we were last year for various reasons. I just think what that would probably look like is LeBron scoring above his average while everyone else scores below theirs (or with some exceptions scoring just AT their average and not above it). That's all I'm really trying to say.

[Hicks]

Re: 2012-13 NBA Random Thoughts Thread IX: Ode to Joy

I thought Frank had a nice coaching moment vs the Heat last game. He switched David to Bosh and left Roy on Haslem. That kept Roy inside near the basket and David out on Bosh to contest those jumpers. JMO, but the guy that will determine Pacer success vs the Heat is Roy. If he can score inside, they will have problems with the B&G.

That would be brutal on Miami if Roy finds his offense versus them, but I was looking at our two games this season and Roy really didn't score in those wins, so maybe it's not necessarily needed now. I think even when he's not producing he's still a factor just because they have to work hard to keep him 'down' with the big size difference, though. Him just being on the floor draws attention.

Honestly a big quiet difference this year over last year is having Ian instead of Lou backing up the five spot. He stuck out in both wins thus far to me in how different it is to have him come off the bench instead of Lou to protect the rim, challenge shots, discourage drives. Having that size and length for 48 minutes is a huge deal for us in that matchup. With Lou it was pretty tough.