NBA Playoffs Thread

[kidcolin]

TSC, I believe you mean Jackson, not Baron. Otherwise you're dumb. Nothing Baron did warrants a suspension at all.

Anyone else think that Devin Harris travels just about every time he takes a pull up J in isolation? I need to see some more footage of it. Maybe it's within the rules. It's hard to describe. He does a hesitation stutter step type of move, like he's about to crossover and drive. His feet shuffle while he does this. This is while the ball is at the "top" of the dribble. But then right when he would normally be putting the ball to the floor, he puts both hands on it, sets, and takes a J.

I dunno maybe I'm way off. Just something I caught while watching last night. Not that I'd expect it to ever get called.

[tdarko]

kidcolin,

I know what you mean and it scares the hell out of me. He also carries the ball a lot when he is crossing over and stutter stepping, I think sometimes he just gets out of control. He needs to just relax. But yea, I see this too.

[tuq]

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Nice picture, brings up a good point actually. I read a great interview w/ Jason Terry who has turned into one of my favorite players in the league from one of my least favorite

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I remember in that double-OT game a month or so ago Nash took a charge on Terry, really the kind of close call that could have gone either way, and Terry just looked upset for a moment and then just ran back down to the other end. No bitching.

The fans, on the other hand - while I like Dallas as a whole it's clear after reading Seven Seconds Or Less and watching Dallas home games that Cuban has done a very effective job of creating an "us against the league" mentality that results in a very frenzied, high-energy atmosphere...and a LOT of booing/bitching at refs by the fans.

Honestly, I can't think of another home crowd that's nearly as into the game as Dallas' - and I think to be fair you should exclude playoff fringe teams like GS because of course their fans are going to be into it, they haven't had a home playoff game since 1994. Between Dallas, Detroit, Miami, San Antonio, Phoenix, and LAL, I think Dallas is clearly the most electric atmosphere. Every time they so much as string two field goals together, half the lower bowl stands and goes crazy.

On the other hand, I could see getting tired of Cuban pretty easily, and as a fan of the road team could also tire of him trying to work the refs and get the crowd to do the same. Is it smart to try to gain an edge? Yeah, but it's really not that much different than flopping.

Also, the Suns answer to Terry for most popular player on the team is Barbosa. Very humble guy that everyone likes.

[tdarko]

tuq,

Your interpretation of Dallas fans is pretty good. They can bother me most of the time. They hate the Rangers and attend the games just to hang out and chat w/ hot bitches. Stars games are a social event to try to hook up w/ Neiman Marcus models and to hang out at the clubs at the arena. The Cowboy games are events just to be "seen at." If a good game breaks at, cool you were there. Now don't get me wrong everyone here loves the Cowboys but they are quick to hate them too and the games are social events.

The Maverick games are fun, they are loud and the fans here love them. I do hate it that the boo-birds come out at all. I have heard this team get booed this year and was thinking, "are you [censored] kidding me? They have the best record in the NBA what else do you want?" But the fans here have been spoiled a little but spoiled w/o the ring and that is the worst...so while they have high expectations they get antsy very easily as well, different from say the Bulls in the 90's--high expectations but if you lost a bad game nobody worried b/c fans knew it was all going to be taken care of, there isn't that certainty until you win that first one. The games are great though like you say, two field goals and its a party but man people are jumping off the top of the arena after game 1 on that flip side haha.

There was a good interview w/ Cuban around the all-star break, he was asked why he had been quieter this year and out of trouble and was asked if it was married life that had calmed him down. He said it wasn't that but said that when you are the best what is there to say? He said the refs aren't going to change, league policy isn't going to change, why take the focus off of what Avery and the team is accomplishing? He said this year is all about what the team is doing on the court, not what he is doing off the court and his antics shouldn't take away from them like it has in the past. I thought it was a pretty good interview. Sure, the camera loves to find him in the stands going apeshit during the game, but the man KILLS for his team to win--I LOVE IT, the man wants to win as badly as anyone on that court and it shows, but this year he hasn't done much to distract the team like the previous years which is nice.

And [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Barbosa. Absolute stud. Only guy faster than Devin Harris in the league.

[ThaSaltCracka]

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TSC, I believe you mean Jackson, not Baron. Otherwise you're dumb. Nothing Baron did warrants a suspension at all.



[/ QUOTE ]Eh, probably. I just found his antics to be incredibly childish. They also go against everything the league laid out before the season. But, all that [censored] was thrown out the window a month into the season.

GS is probablu #2 on my least favorite teams in the league, just behind SA. Bunch of whiners, all of them. We all should be thanking our lucky stars these two teams didn't meet in the 1st round. Can you imagine how unbearable that would have been?

Also, Tuq, you are absolutely right about Nash. My disagreement with his MVP's aside, he is all class and a consumate professional. I imagine his work ethic has rubbed off considerably on his teammates.

[kidcolin]

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Eh, probably. I just found his antics to be incredibly childish. They also go against everything the league laid out before the season. But, all that [censored] was thrown out the window a month into the season.

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except in this case, where they T'd him up for trying to show up the ref, and he got ejected. Seriously you're making no sense. Do you think the league came into this season intending to dish out suspensions for every emotional outburst?

[tuq]

td,

W/r/t the booing, I meant piling on the refs, not booing at the team. I haven't noticed any of that. And what I meant was, Cuban is setting the tone by flailing about over there and people follow suit.

That said, Cuban >>>>>>>>>> Sarver. The Mavericks seem like his toy, and he's willing to invest what he has to to win, WITHOUT being a huge PITA like Jerry Jones. I was raised to dislike Jerry Colangelo, my parents thought he was an arrogant dick or something, I don't know. But now I have some friends in the Suns organization who worked for Jerry for years and every one of them LOVES him.

So now we have Sarver, who chased off Jerry's son and who sits on the floor wearing a stupid goddamned #1 foam hand and waving it all game, bitching at the refs, and most annoyingly waving his arms like a spaz to try to get the crowd on their feet. He seems to forget we're his paying customers and we'll stand for good basketball, not for him. Colangelo, on the other hand, still sits where he always has, about 9-10 rows behind the Suns bench, not close enough to interfere and not center court, and just minds his business. The only time I've ever actually seen him excited was when Tony Womack knocked in the tying run in game 7 of the 2001 WS. Aside from that he just sits there.

[tdarko]

tuq,

Yea, there has been some booing, only twice this year and once was debatable if it was at the team or the refs walking off the court at the end of the game. Yea, the fans get after the officials...it may go, 1. Spurs 2. Warriors 3. Maverick fans =). You can always tell if the call was at least close b/c you can hear the booing in the background, if it is close Mavs fans hate the call no matter what.

The team being Cuban's toy may be the best way to describe it. Ugh Jerry Jones, does anyone else cringe when they hear him speak?

I always heard that for many years Colangelo didn't get along with certain players if he didn't like their attitudes or their lifestyles and this clashed w/ many people. Like his thing w/ Barkley. But now he is a chill dude and even cool w/ Barkley is that right?

[ThaSaltCracka]

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Eh, probably. I just found his antics to be incredibly childish. They also go against everything the league laid out before the season. But, all that [censored] was thrown out the window a month into the season.

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except in this case, where they T'd him up for trying to show up the ref, and he got ejected. Seriously you're making no sense. Do you think the league came into this season intending to dish out suspensions for every emotional outburst?

[/ QUOTE ]when someone looks like a pirate, yes.

[tuq]

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I always heard that for many years Colangelo didn't get along with certain players if he didn't like their attitudes or their lifestyles and this clashed w/ many people. Like his thing w/ Barkley. But now he is a chill dude and even cool w/ Barkley is that right?

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I have no idea what's going on with those two. I don't get where Barkley's chip on his shoulder came from, but I think it has something to do with him leaving town in a huff about ten years ago. Still, he needs to get over it - he still lives here, they retired his number (which shows you how starved we are for stars - he only played here four seasons, which isn't much even if at least three of them were memorable), and his credibility takes a hit when 100% of his comments directed at the Suns are negative and clearly imply a grudge.

Certainly Colangelo has a history of shipping players for behavior he deems unfit, e.g. giving away Jason Kidd for pennies on the dollar (Starbury). He would have had a heart attack managing the Jail Blazers, but to be fair he probably wouldn't have OK'd signing those guys in the first place. But I don't know what the deal is here, maybe he just thinks that Charles is a little too obnoxious at time and he deems that unprofessional.