I think something happened to the Rockets in the game 6 come back.
They did it with Harden on the bench.
I think the whole team is formidable.
They have more confidence in themselves now, and Harden has more confidence in his teammates.
Whether the series goes 4 or 7 it will be hard fought.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
LeBron should take note and trust his teammates more.
I think something happened to the Rockets in the game 6 come back.
They did it with Harden on the bench.
I think the whole team is formidable.
They have more confidence in themselves now, and Harden has more confidence in his teammates.
Whether the series goes 4 or 7 it will be hard fought.
truth
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
LaserWolf said:
I think something happened to the Rockets in the game 6 come back.
They did it with Harden on the bench.
I think the whole team is formidable.
They have more confidence in themselves now, and Harden has more confidence in his teammates.
Whether the series goes 4 or 7 it will be hard fought.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
LeBron should take note and trust his teammates more.
Yeah, Houston toughened up later in the Clippers series. Their 'others' have stepped up big time. I predicted that Josh Smith could have big playoff impact for Houston in helping Harden score. Also, hero ball LeBron (first stint in Cleveland) has enjoyed less team success than ball sharing LeBron (2-time champion in Miami) because the former shoots worse and has far more turnovers than the latter.
Yeah, LeBron is all that, but can that hero ball continue?
He pretty much didnt have a real problem w/ Jimmy Butler.
Will he still get his way w/ ATL?
DeMare Caroll w/ be an interesting matchup. He's bigger than Butler and isnt a slouch on the defensive end. Can ATL's balance attack overcome.
Will these days off help Kyrie come back, cause dude was a non-factor against Chicago.
Houston does have an inside presence and they have shooters.
What will GS do if they try and double Howard if his ass gets it going?
Did GS face this team in the regular season?
Or was Howard gone and the Josh Smith & Corey Brewer additions there after mid-season.
I dont think this will be a cakewalk, unless it become the Harden show.
I dont think this will be a cakewalk, unless it become the Harden show.
I don't think the Warriors will have too much trouble. In fact, I'm joining the chorus of people predicting the Warriors taking it 4-1.
Also, let's enjoy the irony of the Clippers--the Warriors' ostensible biggest rival--doing the Warriors two big favors: knocking the Spurs out, then choking against Houston.
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
batmon said:
Yeah, LeBron is all that, but can that hero ball continue?
He pretty much didnt have a real problem w/ Jimmy Butler.
Will he still get his way w/ ATL?
DeMare Caroll w/ be an interesting matchup. He's bigger than Butler and isnt a slouch on the defensive end. Can ATL's balance attack overcome.
Will these days off help Kyrie come back, cause dude was a non-factor against Chicago.
Houston does have an inside presence and they have shooters.
What will GS do if they try and double Howard if his ass gets it going?
Did GS face this team in the regular season?
Or was Howard gone and the Josh Smith & Corey Brewer additions there after mid-season.
I dont think this will be a cakewalk, unless it become the Harden show.
Hey Batmon,
Honestly, with the injury problems, I have a feeling that Cleveland will be outgunned by the balanced Atlanta attack. Hero ball LeBron won't be enough for the efficient Atlanta offense (and good team defense). Then again, I had my doubts about the full Cleveland lineup, so I don't think an injured Irving, Love-less team will be enough. Plus, Atlanta has a really strong bench which I can see owning Cleveland's second unit. So, I predict a Hawks victory in 6 or 7 games.
In the West, you raise some good points about GSW vs. Houston. As you said, they do have some paint presence (when Dwight Howard feels like playing). I think Terrence Jones (in addition) to Josh Smith will be important in helping Houston get paint points. Houston is more athletic than Memphis, so they may defend the perimeter better (if they decide to play D, which they don't most of the time). Yet, I think GSW is a far more balanced team than Houston (offensively and defensively), and I think they beat the Rockets in 5 or 6 games. I have never believed in James Harden (or Dwight Howard for that matter) as the 'main man', and I still don't.
I'm not trying to be overconfident though, I could definitely see it going 6 or 7 games just on the strength of the Rockets' peaking and the Warriors' adjusting
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
Hey,
The defense in Game 1 was atrocious, which bodes terribly for Houston. There is no way they can play an up-and-down game with GSW. Instead, Houston should slow down their offense and pound the paint (and tighten up their defense). Hell, Kevin McHale is one of the best PFs off all time, so he should know the time. Harden taking a lot of shots is not a winning strategy. With their lack of offensive and defensive discipline, GSW will beat them in 5 games.
Houston was doing just fine punishing the interior, until Howard went out.
Then it turned into the Harden show which was also part of the comeback.
But yeah, they are not going to outgun GS. The early balanced attack was nice to watch.
And then repeatedly throwing the ball to no one, letting fantastic passes go right by him and generally looking clueless at key points in the game.
It's a shame. I [em]had [/em]a feeling that the Rockets would take this to a game 7 and it would be a coin toss to see who would win but that all falls apart when they give up the chance to steal the game 1 road win and possibly lose Howard for any significant period of time.
It was a close game.
GSW went small and played good D.
Houston's big guys couldn't cope.
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
yuichi said:
Instead, Houston should slow down their offense and pound the paint (and tighten up their defense).
ha. funny shit. I wonder how many teams tried to do this to the Warriors all damn season.
Credit Josh Smith for hurting D. Howard though.
They have good size and athleticism inside and used it well in the 1st quarter. Harden is so schizo offensively which tanked the game for them. He's not the guy to take a team to the promise land. Houston has sufficient talent to make it a series, but insufficient discipline and execution to fully utilize it.
Instead, Houston should slow down their offense and pound the paint (and tighten up their defense).
ha. funny shit. I wonder how many teams tried to do this to the Warriors all damn season.
Credit Josh Smith for hurting D. Howard though.
They have good size and athleticism inside and used it well in the 1st quarter. Harden is so schizo offensively which tanked the game for them. He's not the guy to take a team to the promise land. Houston has sufficient talent to make it a series, but insufficient discipline and execution to fully utilize it.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
During crunch time when it became the Harden show, i thought what Houston could use is an Andre Miller type dude who runs the point and still can get Harden ball. Him at the top of the key for 5 consecutive possessions is too predictable.
Yeah Howard being out did make them desperate, but this shit reminds me of LeBron in the old Cavs w/ dudes standing around watching him go dolo w/ no ball movement to at least camoflague the iso. Jason Terry is not a true point.
LeBron won when he wasnt the only option.
For most of the year it was apparent that GSW and ATL were the best in the West and East.
The #2 was hard to call. I felt it could be Cavs, but they sure kept me guessing until the end.
I never had a #2 in West. Most people seemed to like SAS (everyone loves a winner) and Grizzlies.
But the #1 meme was that the regular season means nothing when the playoffs come. No doubt there are historical precedents.
Here we are at the division championships and we have 1v2 on both sides.
3 minutes left in Atl and Atl could still pull it out.
I'm not surprised by the Warriors, Atlanta and the Cavs being in the conf finals but I really am by the Rockets. They have so many flaws with that team, yet here they are.
I'm not surprised by the Warriors, Atlanta and the Cavs being in the conf finals but I really am by the Rockets. They have so many flaws with that team, yet here they are.
All it took was a Blazers team utterly decimated by injuries and an epic bed-shitting by the Clippers.
#wellactually they played the Mavs, who were healthy but nevertheless hurt badly by their acquisition of Rajon Rondo
still, there's no way they beat the Spurs if the Clippers didn't, or OKC if they had made it (I don't know if this would have happened, brackets-wise, but still). Shit, I don't think they could've beat Memphis.
#wellactually they played the Mavs, who were healthy but nevertheless hurt badly by their acquisition of Rajon Rondo
still, there's no way they beat the Spurs if the Clippers didn't, or OKC if they had made it (I don't know if this would have happened, brackets-wise, but still). Shit, I don't think they could've beat Memphis.
Houston swept OKC in the regular season, split w/ Memphis, and lost 3-1 to SA.
Comments
Dodo bird.
Lebron in the Finals = eh.
Fortify the bench and take it from there.
Get a younger shooter or slasher at the 2 guard, thats cool w/ being the third option.
___________
Can ATL beat a Loveless, injured Kyrie, LeBron goes solo team?
_________
Josh Smith is in the WCF.
Golden State in 5, and they play the Cleveland Lebrons for the chip.
They did it with Harden on the bench.
I think the whole team is formidable.
They have more confidence in themselves now, and Harden has more confidence in his teammates.
Whether the series goes 4 or 7 it will be hard fought.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
LeBron should take note and trust his teammates more.
truth
He pretty much didnt have a real problem w/ Jimmy Butler.
Will he still get his way w/ ATL?
DeMare Caroll w/ be an interesting matchup. He's bigger than Butler and isnt a slouch on the defensive end. Can ATL's balance attack overcome.
Will these days off help Kyrie come back, cause dude was a non-factor against Chicago.
Houston does have an inside presence and they have shooters.
What will GS do if they try and double Howard if his ass gets it going?
Did GS face this team in the regular season?
Or was Howard gone and the Josh Smith & Corey Brewer additions there after mid-season.
I dont think this will be a cakewalk, unless it become the Harden show.
I don't think the Warriors will have too much trouble. In fact, I'm joining the chorus of people predicting the Warriors taking it 4-1.
Also, let's enjoy the irony of the Clippers--the Warriors' ostensible biggest rival--doing the Warriors two big favors: knocking the Spurs out, then choking against Houston.
Hey Batmon,
Honestly, with the injury problems, I have a feeling that Cleveland will be outgunned by the balanced Atlanta attack. Hero ball LeBron won't be enough for the efficient Atlanta offense (and good team defense). Then again, I had my doubts about the full Cleveland lineup, so I don't think an injured Irving, Love-less team will be enough. Plus, Atlanta has a really strong bench which I can see owning Cleveland's second unit. So, I predict a Hawks victory in 6 or 7 games.
In the West, you raise some good points about GSW vs. Houston. As you said, they do have some paint presence (when Dwight Howard feels like playing). I think Terrence Jones (in addition) to Josh Smith will be important in helping Houston get paint points. Houston is more athletic than Memphis, so they may defend the perimeter better (if they decide to play D, which they don't most of the time). Yet, I think GSW is a far more balanced team than Houston (offensively and defensively), and I think they beat the Rockets in 5 or 6 games. I have never believed in James Harden (or Dwight Howard for that matter) as the 'main man', and I still don't.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
They oughta get rid of 2 or 3 bigs, and make room for Jahlil Okafor or Towns to get some major minutes right away.
Guard play is obviously an issue though....
Is Bogey or whatever his name is retiring?
The defense in Game 1 was atrocious, which bodes terribly for Houston. There is no way they can play an up-and-down game with GSW. Instead, Houston should slow down their offense and pound the paint (and tighten up their defense). Hell, Kevin McHale is one of the best PFs off all time, so he should know the time. Harden taking a lot of shots is not a winning strategy. With their lack of offensive and defensive discipline, GSW will beat them in 5 games.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
ha. funny shit. I wonder how many teams tried to do this to the Warriors all damn season.
Credit Josh Smith for hurting D. Howard though.
Then it turned into the Harden show which was also part of the comeback.
But yeah, they are not going to outgun GS. The early balanced attack was nice to watch.
And then repeatedly throwing the ball to no one, letting fantastic passes go right by him and generally looking clueless at key points in the game.
It's a shame. I [em]had [/em]a feeling that the Rockets would take this to a game 7 and it would be a coin toss to see who would win but that all falls apart when they give up the chance to steal the game 1 road win and possibly lose Howard for any significant period of time.
GSW went small and played good D.
Houston's big guys couldn't cope.
They have good size and athleticism inside and used it well in the 1st quarter. Harden is so schizo offensively which tanked the game for them. He's not the guy to take a team to the promise land. Houston has sufficient talent to make it a series, but insufficient discipline and execution to fully utilize it.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
During crunch time when it became the Harden show, i thought what Houston could use is an Andre Miller type dude who runs the point and still can get Harden ball. Him at the top of the key for 5 consecutive possessions is too predictable.
Yeah Howard being out did make them desperate, but this shit reminds me of LeBron in the old Cavs w/ dudes standing around watching him go dolo w/ no ball movement to at least camoflague the iso. Jason Terry is not a true point.
LeBron won when he wasnt the only option.
The #2 was hard to call. I felt it could be Cavs, but they sure kept me guessing until the end.
I never had a #2 in West. Most people seemed to like SAS (everyone loves a winner) and Grizzlies.
But the #1 meme was that the regular season means nothing when the playoffs come. No doubt there are historical precedents.
Here we are at the division championships and we have 1v2 on both sides.
3 minutes left in Atl and Atl could still pull it out.
All it took was a Blazers team utterly decimated by injuries and an epic bed-shitting by the Clippers.
still, there's no way they beat the Spurs if the Clippers didn't, or OKC if they had made it (I don't know if this would have happened, brackets-wise, but still). Shit, I don't think they could've beat Memphis.
Houston swept OKC in the regular season, split w/ Memphis, and lost 3-1 to SA.
Oh, right. Dur! My bad. How could I forget the glorious passive-aggressiveness of Rajon Rondo?