Playoff Time

[Malone]

If you are a David and Goliath fan you have to be a Thunder Fan this year. The NBA had to be hoping for this match up.

More like Goliath and Goliath. I'll even say that Miami is the underdog. These Thunder have reached the point where they will make the NBA their ***** for a good many years. Scary, scary team.

[huntt26]

Should be a great series to watch!

Thread should probably be 'official nba finals thread' but that's ok

[Clones21]

Go Thunder!

[Farnsworth]

I was hoping that the Spurs would be able to win one last title. Now I'm just hoping for good basketball.

Same here. I grew up a semi-Spurs fan (family there) and will be in San Antonio for the next 2 weeks, would have been sweet to be there during an NBA finals. Plus we are staying at the hotel the players/league/broadcasters stay at.

Maybe I'll stop in OK City on our drive down there and buy some Thunder gear.

[Farnsworth]

More like Goliath and Goliath. I'll even say that Miami is the underdog. These Thunder have reached the point where they will make the NBA their ***** for a good many years. Scary, scary team.

I agree with this. If the Thunder play anywhere near what they have been playing the should be the favorite. The 2 games San Antonio won were really close, game 2 being a steal by the Spurs.

[Clark]

If you are a David and Goliath fan you have to be a Thunder Fan this year. The NBA had to be hoping for this match up.

What? The Thunder are the favorites so I'm not sure how they're anywhere near David. I'd say this is Goliath vs Goliath and I for one can't wait to watch it.

[Clark]

Bosh and Westbrook are the key players for both sides. Obviously LeBron/Wade and Durant/Harden will leave their mark on these games but the games will be decided one way of the other by the other starters like Bosh/Battier/Chalmers and Ibaka/Westbrook/Sefelosha.

[Tre4ISU]

Again I don't get it. I've lived in Chicago for 12 years, I've been a Bulls fan longer than any other team including ISU...I'm supposed to LIKE a team who celebrated a championship before they won a championship? Huh? WTF?

That's completely irrational. I don't like San Antonio or Boston either for various reasons. Am I a "hater" for that too? "THE GREATEST TRIO TO EVER PLAY THE GAME" as Wade says put such a huge target on their backs that everyone else seems likable in comparison.

No one said you should do anything. I was just pointed out that Bulls fans have a hard on for the Heat.

[Clark]

I wonder if Brooks will start Harden to get some offense early in games so they aren't constantly fighting back from big holes.

The problem for Brooks is that he has to play Sefelosha a lot of minutes to guard Wade/James and he's a complete non factor on offense. He can't make dunks let alone jumpshots. With him and Perkins/Collison on the floor at the same time the Thunder are basically playing 3 on 5 offensively and if Ibaka is also in the game that's a horrible offensive lineup. However, they can't play good enough defense to stop Miami without those guys on the court.

[Tre4ISU]

I wonder if Brooks will start Harden to get some offense early in games so they aren't constantly fighting back from big holes.

The problem for Brooks is that he has to play Sefelosha a lot of minutes to guard Wade/James and he's a complete non factor on offense. He can't make dunks let alone jumpshots. With him and Perkins/Collison on the floor at the same time the Thunder are basically playing 3 on 5 offensively and if Ibaka is also in the game that's a horrible offensive lineup. However, they can't play good enough defense to stop Miami without those guys on the court.

That's why I think the Heat win. They don't have anyone extremely limited offensively and everyone is at least decent defensively. Look what happened for the majority of the game last night. If LeBron is guarding Durant, he is much less effective. LeBron probably is too but OKC will struggle to win when Durant isn't scoring 30.

[CyJack13]

Battier's outside shooting has been huge this series. He's fulfilling the role of knock down shooter that Miami thought they were getting with Mike Miller. When the Heat can space the floor with him and Bosh it becomes that much harder to stop LeBron and Wade.

[MNCyGuy]

Battier's outside shooting has been huge this series. He's fulfilling the role of knock down shooter that Miami thought they were getting with Mike Miller. When the Heat can space the floor with him and Bosh it becomes that much harder to stop LeBron and Wade.

Is Battier typically that good of an outside shot? It seems like he can't keep it up.

[Clones21]

Is Battier typically that good of an outside shot? It seems like he can't keep it up.

He will cool off sometime here soon. If he keeps this hot and the Heat win the title he should get MVP....but no way he stays this hot.

[cyclonespiker33]

Yeah Battier will stop shooting lights outs, but if he is left open he has shown in the playoffs that he can knock it down.

[Clark]

Is Battier typically that good of an outside shot? It seems like he can't keep it up.

That depends on how you mean "that good." He's shooting nearly 70% from 3. Nobody is that good. However, if OKC continues to guard him the way they have been, which is to say not at all, he's capable of shooting over 50% from 3. OKC can take away his 3's for the most part anytime they want. The problem is that means that's one less defender in the paint to protect against James and Wade.

The wide open 3 is one of the easiest shots a professional basketball player takes.