NBA Finals: Who you picking to play?

[Kitaman]

Miami vs SAS here.

Pacers just aren't ready, and with that forward Ibaka injured and out for OKC is huge. Both games go a minimum of 6.

 

[tzznandrew]

Miami vs SAS here.

Pacers just aren't ready, and with that forward Ibaka injured and out for OKC is huge. Both games go a minimum of 6.

I think this is probably right. The injury to Ibaka is probably too much to overcome for OKC.

 

[superjohn]

Spurs Heat, Spurs win it all.

 

[8893]

Don't really care other than to see good games and root like hell for OKC. Win-win for UConn: The better they do, the longer they keep their paws off KO (I really think this job is the biggest threat); and we've got three Huskies there.

 

[aceboon]

I think with Ibaka's injury Brooks basically came up on a "I can't get fired now" card. With Westbrook and Durant they can still win, but their D is going to really suffer w/o Ibaka, especially with a team firing on all cylinders on offense like SA is right now.

Royce Young ‏@royceyoung May 17
Couple sobering stats: In the four meetings, the Spurs shot 46.6% inside five feet with Ibaka on the floor, and 63.6% with him off.

Royce Young ‏@royceyoung May 17
With Ibaka on the floor this season, the Spurs scored just 93.0 points per 100 possessions, and 120.8 with him off.

 

[Nnocu]

Heat over Indy in 6. SAS over OKC in 7.

Heat over SAS in 6.

 

[husky91]

Even with Indy game 1 win, I'll take Heat-Spurs. Repeat of last year. That was awesome, watched games 6-7 in ATL @ sports bars on business, they were alive and jammed. Noise on every possession. Seemed like everyone rooting 4 San. What a crazy sequence when Ray made that famous 3.

 

[RichZ]

Ibaka's injury notwithstanding, I want to see the Heat and Thunder in the finals. That way, we've got at least one more Husky chamionship ring coming.

That's what I'd like.

What I expect is Heat Spurs.

 

[champs99and04]

OKC just seems snake-bitten. Last year they lose Westbrook, now they lose Ibaka. As a fan of the NBA, it really sucks. Tough to see them winning without him, though I guess it's possible when you have two players as good as Durant and Westbrook.

 

[EricLA]

I'd like to see OKC vs. Indiana just for something different. But I think it will be Miami and San Antonio...

 

[Dogdeacon]

Agree with Heat-SAS and Spurs avenging last year's loss.

I didn't watch the game yesterday, amazing that Indiana actually put up a 3-digit number. I'd be rooting for the Pacers but their last 2-3 months seems like a lot of drama queens on the squad. Stevenson & West are the only one's I like on that team at this point, former because he's recklessly fun and latter is great combo of gritty, smart, strong and skilled.

 

[tzznandrew]

Agree with Heat-SAS and Spurs avenging last year's loss.

I didn't watch the game yesterday, amazing that Indiana actually put up a 3-digit number. I'd be rooting for the Pacers but their last 2-3 months seems like a lot of drama queens on the squad. Stevenson & West are the only one's I like on that team at this point, former because he's recklessly fun and latter is great combo of gritty, smart, strong and skilled.

Stephenson is seemingly the one who creates a lot of the problems, though. He got in a huge fight with Evan Turner during the playoffs. At times, I love to watch him play, but sometimes he just makes the worst decisions and exemplifies all of the negative traits NBA critics universalize to the league.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Stephenson is seemingly the one who creates a lot of the problems, though. He got in a huge fight with Evan Turner during the playoffs. At times, I love to watch him play, but sometimes he just makes the worst decisions and exemplifies all of the negative traits NBA critics universalize to the league.

Agreed, he is a microcosm of everything good and bad about the NBA. Fascinating to watch impartially, but it'd be harder to enjoy the experience if you were a fan of his team and much easier to hate him if rooting for the opponent.

 

[PacificStorm]

Indiana beats Heat 4-2. Spurs beat Oklahoma 4-0. Indiana beat Spurs 4-1. Indiana wins it all.

 

[Scoe]

Agreed, he is a microcosm of everything good and bad about the NBA. Fascinating to watch impartially, but it'd be harder to enjoy the experience if you were a fan of his team and much easier to hate him if rooting for the opponent.

He's an easy guy to hate but you need an like that on your team.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Indiana beats Heat 4-2. Spurs beat Oklahoma 4-0. Indiana beat Spurs 4-1. Indiana wins it all.

I'd say the Heat-Pacers is a toss-up, but LeBron is the best player by so much and I suspect the Heat figure out some way to capitalize on Indiana's dysfunction and LeBron & Co. have one last go as constructed at the finals.

I think either the Spurs or OKC would eviscerate the Pacers although Indiana would do its best to win a game or two 85-79.

 

[Horatio]

I think the Heats lack of a big man is gonna catch up to them this year +Tony Parker's injury may offset Ibaka.'s absence. OKC vs Pacers.

 

[PacificStorm]

I think the Heats lack of a big man is gonna catch up to them this year +Tony Parker's injury may offset Ibaka.'s absence. OKC vs Pacers.

Is Parker's injury that serious I did not factor that into my analysis. Is till go with my first prediction that the Pacers will destroy Miami. Miami would be lucky to win 1 game even with Lebron.

 

[James]

I think with Ibaka's injury Brooks basically came up on a "I can't get fired now" card. With Westbrook and Durant they can still win, but their D is going to really suffer w/o Ibaka, especially with a team firing on all cylinders on offense like SA is right now.

Royce Young ‏@royceyoung May 17
Couple sobering stats: In the four meetings, the Spurs shot 46.6% inside five feet with Ibaka on the floor, and 63.6% with him off.

Royce Young ‏@royceyoung May 17
With Ibaka on the floor this season, the Spurs scored just 93.0 points per 100 possessions, and 120.8 with him off.

Jeremias Engelmann, half of the team behind real plus-minus, compares teammates based on the performance of lineups with four identical players. Those ratings show Collison as equivalent on defense to Ibaka (who, you'll recall, finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting) and a whopping nine points per 100 possessions better on offense.



Since Ibaka was ruled out of this series, the statistic has been making the rounds that the Spurs averaged 120.3 points per 100 possessions with Ibaka on the bench in four meetings, as compared to 90.3 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. Left unsaid is the other half of that stat: Oklahoma City's offensive rating against San Antonio was 103.8 points per 100 possessions with Ibaka and a sizzling 133.7 with him on the bench. The Thunder's net differential was actually better in the 44 minutes Ibaka sat, 33 of which Collison played -- with a plus-12 plus-minus.

 

[Horatio]

Is Parker's injury that serious I did not factor that into my analysis. Is till go with my first prediction that the Pacers will destroy Miami. Miami would be lucky to win 1 game even with Lebron.

They said its a Grade 1 hamstring pull/ injury so who knows. I don't know the difference between the grades of hamstring injuries . I just guessed he' ll be about 75% for the series.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

GO SPURS GO !!!

Been a Spur's Fan for almost 25 Years.
I'm hoping they play the Heat, Again.
We need to Avenge Last Year!!!!!

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Ibaka is OUT.
Spurs should win in 5.

 

[aceboon]

@James interesting stats, really looking forward to see how Brooks handles his rotations with Ibaka out and how OKC approaches things on the defensive end because they are going to have to compensate with the loss of rim protection

 

[I Bleed Blue]

Bold Prediction: Celtics-Lakers. Ray Allen hits a game 7, series clinching, go ahead 3 with 0:01 left.

 

[J187Money]

Spurs v whoever. So I can get to a game.