Official NBA 2012-2013 Season Thread

[5am6oody72]

At first I thought Karl getting COTY was a joke, but that roster is nowhere near 57 win caliber. His system may not work in the playoffs, but that award is for the regular season so I don't think its a crime for him to receive it.

I would have gone with Thibs, Jackson or Spo. For as talented as Miami is, ask Phil Jackson about how hard it is to get a team to bring energy and focus (especially on D) when they just won a title and could get by on talent if they wanted to. 27 in a row and they really could have had 68-69 wins if not for resting their guys at the end of the year. It might be as obviously impressive as what Thibs did but its still noteworthy nonetheless.

 

[seymore cake]

Wow Mark Jackson finished 7 and Tom Thibodeau 8 in Coach Of The Year voting. That's a bunch of BS  

FLAW *** voting, no way shape form or fashion does George Karl deserve a CoTY award

 

[tr1ll]

As for Spo. He has a great team, I've never seen him make any adjustments or calls that led me to believe he's a great coach. LeBron seems like he coaches himself and does his own thing.

As I said earlier. All of these coaches were more impressive.

Thibs - people ruled this team out because of no Rose and dealing with the distraction of Rose. I saw plenty of games with 4-6 starters out and they would dominate. This team is the toughest in the league, ask LeBron who's crying about a Ric Flair slap.
Voget - turned this team into a defensive monster. Hibbert has improved, George has improved. Lost their star player along with some other pieces. I don't think he should have won but would have been in my top 5, maybe top 3.
Jackson (whom I hate) - took a young team that no one thought could win anything and did a 180. Overall, this team is playing some of the best basketball in the league in a tough Western conference.
Woodson - my coach, some days I hate him and other days I love him. This team placed second and won 54 games. Very inconsistent and needs to improve. Didn't expect him to win.


Still not sure what Karl did. I've always thought he was a good coach but he had a lot of pieces with this team. I didn't think he did anything to win the award.

Spo draws up some of the best plays in the league if you really watch heat games. But to say lebron coaches himself is funny,
When a coach wins with great players, the players get the credit but when they lose its because they were outcoached

This is NT, everything the Heat do can be credited to the refs..

 

[knightngale]

Aren't ya glad this didn't happen?

Kahn

How did he not know that he was aiding Miami in building a super team?

 

[abubakr shaheed]

tonight i hope to see more of wade and lbj crying to the refs while the bulls run back to score

 

[a55a5in11]

Wow Mark Jackson finished 7 and Tom Thibodeau 8 in Coach Of The Year voting. That's a bunch of BS  

FLAW *** voting, no way shape form or fashion does George Karl deserve a CoTY award

How though. He has a team of second and third options in a superstar league and led them to more wins than they should have. They had the second longest streak this year.

Mark Jackson had a better team and almost fell out of the playoffs

Thibs could have an argument for a winner though. I can't think of any other team that could have so many injuries and not have a huge drop off

 

[7thave btn 31stn33rd st]

Spo draws up some of the best plays in the league if you really watch heat games. But to say lebron coaches himself is funny,
When a coach wins with great players, the players get the credit but when they lose its because they were outcoached

I have never heard anyone refer to Mike Brown as a great coach, and he won 60 games twice and 50 games twice. It was well noted that Mike Brown rarely drew up any offensive plays. Erick Spoelstra is clearly a Riley disciple as far a defense is concerned, but has been more of a manager of egos than anything.

Lebron probably has a better basketball IQ than most coaches in the league including his own HC.

 

[black migo]

How though. He has a team of second and third options in a superstar league and led them to more wins than they should have. They had the second longest streak this year.

Mark Jackson had a better team and almost fell out of the playoffs

Denver is way more deeper than gs

 

[julius wrek]

Hey_

Why We (and the NBA) Still Miss the Thunder's Big Three
BY BETHLEHEM SHOALS

When people die, we say that everybody dies eventually, and that is supposed to make us feel better. Rationalizations are always rational—to a fault, which is why they are stupid and never work. I realized this morning that the reason I am perilously driven to explain away the Oklahoma City Thunder losing James Harden is that it pains me to the very bottom of my soul.

It started early in the season with "Durant has really come into his own; Westbrook has found the right balance between mayhem and responsibility, and the Thunder are probably a better, if more orthodox, team." The preceding statements contained no lies. KD refined and expanded his game, becoming a versatile monster who could legitimately go toe-to-toe with LeBron James. Westbrook, bonkers as ever, nevertheless had learned restraint, or even good taste. His chaos-sowing drives and profane interjections of athleticism were, increasingly, employed for effect. Russ still couldn't help himself and yet the NBA's least self-conscious players now had learned the value of self-awareness. You could say all the exact same things about his rise as a fashion icon.

The Thunder, indeed, were no longer an exhilarating patchwork of a system. Last season, Durant's discipline and Westbrook's sprees operated in separate orbits. Harden mediated between them, both by literally facilitating within the offense and, in his precisely flamboyant game, bridging the stylistic gap. In 2012-13, the two big dudes got along just fine. They also learned a thing or two from each other: Durant had more edge than before; Westbrook understood the flow of the game.

None of it lies, but only part of the truth. All of the above is, I believe, decent basketball analysis. But it's also masking the larger emotional truth: I miss seeing James Harden on the Thunder. I miss what that team could have become. Not in a dynasty or efficiency or advanced metrics kind of way. They made me happy, and now they are gone. Anything I say to the contrary is a distraction, an attempt to feel better about the world we're stuck with instead. Granted, had Harden not left, we might never have seen the omni-directional terror he's unleashed as the Rockets' leading man. Again, though, that's consolation.

These days I find myself saying things about the salary cap and the inability of KD and Westbrook to evolve in Harden's presence (and vice-versa) as if I might beat myself into submission. I am pretty sure that last night, I stated that a one-year rental of Kevin Martin was "no-risk, medium-reward" while keeping Harden would have put off a total retooling of the team. I suppose there is a solid idea there, even if it only took the Thunder one season to be just fine without Harden as is. I've certainly seen people stop drinking to avoid a hangover; relationships end if one party decides it's a dead end. But only in French literature is suicide a plausible reaction to the fear of death. The truth is, any sane basketball fan should be mourning for the Thunder and for themselves. Not because they look shaky without Westbrook; what team doesn't lose a bona fide superstar and then experience some aches and pains? Instead, we should allow ourselves to admit that Durant/Harden/Westbrook was a glorious thing and miss it profoundly.

Imagine Harden developing as he has, Durant getting better like he has (he would've) and Westbrook making room for both. How would that not have been the most enjoyable team in the known universe? Everybody's in a better place now. We should be happy they've found that more settled place. But the Thunder were a dynamic unit with Harden, full of possibility, tension, and a million ways to make you drop your jaw. At the same time, it would be great to see them play together, the three of them, as the players they've grown into this season. We owe it to ourselves to grieve. We owe it to ourselves to put aside sound explanations and wish it hadn't happen. That's the best we're going to do. And while it's not comfort, at least it's honest about why that team moved us—and why a lot of us enjoy the NBA in the first place.

Granted, sports are inherently rational. Teams want to win. They win by scoring more points. While, in my opinion, the NBA is at its best when one unexpected moment of transcendence is matched by another until the clock runs out, most basketball consists of well-tested hunches and reasonable reactions. For every J.R. Smith, who plays as if probability were a bad dream, there's a Derek Fisher, who spins miracles out of common sense. OKC general manager Sam Presti reasoned that some legitimate size (Serge Ibaka) was more essential to the team than another explosive scorer.

Sports are also a business, which means they can be exceedingly, dislikable rational. The decision to trade Harden was forced by the cap; of course the front office would've preferred to keep Durant, Harden, and Westbrook AND Ibaka. It was also forced by the market. What the Thunder got for Harden has ended up being fairly unremarkable. But really, how well would it have it gone to abruptly devalue Westbrook's brand-new max deal by putting him on the trading block?

We can gauge whether, according to these criteria, the Thunder made a redeemable choice or a foolhardy one. But picking apart basketball in this light isn't, at least to me, the be-all-end-all of observing the sport. I get that, increasingly, everyone is an expert and an insider.

I wonder, though, if this isn't just the more dignified side of rationalization. The rational as an end in itself blunts a lot of what made Durant/Harden/Westbrook (or the Heat, for that matter) fantastic in the first place. My cries for help over Twitter could have been one half of a conversation; the other half, I'm guessing, would've been the scalpel-like dissections of how badly Presti screwed up. It comes down to a fairly simple truth, though: this team made us happy. They are more impressive together than they will ever be apart. To call it a good or bad decision is to overlook the obvious: all of us wish it hadn't gone down this way. Empty as this may sound, and as little as there is to say about it, it's at least close to being honest about how we watch the NBA.

We don't own teams. We don't run front offices. Even if we have a particular rooting interest, we aren't moved by rationality. The NBA markets itself in terms of amazing moments and unforgettable performances. Harden's exit wasn't rational or irrational. It was just plain sad.

http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-feed/2013/05/i-still-miss-okcs-big-three.html

Julius F. Wrek

 

[black migo]

I have never heard anyone refer to Mike Brown as a great coach, and he won 60 games twice and 50 games twice. It was well noted that Mike Brown rarely drew up any offensive plays. Erick Spoelstra is clearly a Riley disciple as far a defense is concerned, but has been more of a manager of egos than anything.

Lebron probably has a better basketball IQ than most coaches in the league including his own HC.

Manager of egos? These dudes wanted to play together, so egos went out the door once they signed with mia. Smh at you for comparing mike brown to spo, look at the heat vs celtics game when the streak was on the line and watch the plays that were being executed late in the 4th

 

[a55a5in11]

How though. He has a team of second and third options in a superstar league and led them to more wins than they should have. They had the second longest streak this year.

Mark Jackson had a better team and almost fell out of the playoffs

Denver is way more deeper than gs

Curry, Thompson, jack, lee, bogut, Landry Barnes > Lawson, iggy, danillo, miller, McGee, faried, chandler, brewer

 

[a55a5in11]

How though. He has a team of second and third options in a superstar league and led them to more wins than they should have. They had the second longest streak this year.

Mark Jackson had a better team and almost fell out of the playoffs

Denver is way more deeper than gs

Curry, Thompson, jack, lee, bogut, Landry Barnes > Lawson, iggy, danillo, miller, McGee, faried, chandler, brewer

 

[dland24]

Just curious....the vast majority of posters have been hating on George Karl winning the award. Is that strictly because you feel there are others that are MORE deserving, or that Karl is NOT deserving.  To me, those are not the same arguments.  But most people have just expressed their outrage as to Karl getting the award, and not really saying why.

I think Karl did a really good job.  Not saying there arent more deserving coaches, but I dont see the major issue here.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

OKC's big 3 was def fun to watch

 

[jumpmanfromdabay]

How though. He has a team of second and third options in a superstar league and led them to more wins than they should have. They had the second longest streak this year.

Mark Jackson had a better team and almost fell out of the playoffs

Denver is way more deeper than gs

Curry, Thompson, jack, lee, bogut, Landry Barnes > Lawson, iggy, danillo, miller, McGee, faried, chandler, brewer

ok


Nobody was singing this tune before the series started

 

[champcruthik]

Can we agree Denver has more overall depth, but less "star power"?

Ty, Gallo, and Faried aren't on Steph's level. Faried isn't even better than David Lee yet. A combo of Klay and Barnes essentially cancels out Gallo.

 

[dman14]

How though. He has a team of second and third options in a superstar league and led them to more wins than they should have. They had the second longest streak this year.

Mark Jackson had a better team and almost fell out of the playoffs

Denver is way more deeper than gs

Curry, Thompson, jack, lee, bogut, Landry Barnes > Lawson, iggy, danillo, miller, McGee, faried, chandler, brewer

ok


Nobody was singing this tune before the series started

w's fans were definitely confident when they drew nuggs. i didnt want to see okc or sa at all. wanted the clips and nuggs.

 

[100027]

Everyone obsessing over Thibodeau and Mark Jackson is basing their opinion entirely on the playoffs so far, which has nothing to do with COTY

 

[datznasty]

OKC is 2 and 3 last 5 games. Kendrick Perkins is minus 57 in 87 minutes, and he has been in the minus column all 5 games. That extrapolates out to a -31.2 per 48 minutes. And as is always the case, OKC had a 5 pt lead in the 3rd quarter, Perkins checked, Memphis went on an 11-2 run. At the end of the game down, and needed a bucket what does former COY Scott Brooks do, subs out an offensively capable player in Reggie Jackson to put Kendrick Perkins in the game and run a play that involves him handling the ball and making a pass. It's referenced here

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-t...n-power-rankings-modern-grizzlies-in-the-city

 

[jumpmanfromdabay]

How though. He has a team of second and third options in a superstar league and led them to more wins than they should have. They had the second longest streak this year.

Mark Jackson had a better team and almost fell out of the playoffs

Denver is way more deeper than gs

Curry, Thompson, jack, lee, bogut, Landry Barnes > Lawson, iggy, danillo, miller, McGee, faried, chandler, brewer

ok


Nobody was singing this tune before the series started

w's fans were definitely confident when they drew nuggs. i didnt want to see okc or sa at all. wanted the clips and nuggs.

No doubt. I was referring to non W's fans

 

[bhzmafia14]

Serious question...what starting centers in the NBA would you guys take Kendrick Perkins over?

I understand what he brings to the table, but this guy is terrible. He cannot rebound, block shots, alter shots, score, shoot free throws. He's just a big body that's tough. If OKC could somehow get Paul Millsap and move Ibaka to the 5 :x . I just really don't see why they are so concerned with matching up with size when they have the 2nd best player in basketball and a top 5-7 player. Are the Heat concerned with matching up against size? Then, why would OKC be so concerned? Beat teams with your game.

 

[champcruthik]

100027: Not necessarily. Thibs' regular season accomplishments are actually more impressive IMO. Bulls were pegged to miss the playoffs by many. Yet Coach rallied the team. Chicago is a nightmare matchup. They play hard every night. Tough, stingy defense. Thibs was also forced to replace the original Bench Mob. Key bench production like Asik.

 

[drewsone]

Perkins is garbage. Lol.

 

[ballinsam23]

beating cancer, returning and getting 57 wins probably factored into the decision as well

 

[dman14]

100027: Not necessarily. Thibs' regular season accomplishments are actually more impressive IMO. Bulls were pegged to miss the playoffs by many. Yet Coach rallied the team. Chicago is a nightmare matchup. They play hard every night. Tough, stingy defense. Thibs was also forced to replace the original Bench Mob. Key bench production like Asik.

thibs job reminded me of what sloan did with that roster one yr withou stockton and malone and a couple yrs before they got dwill. i remember it was mo williams rookie yr. sloan had a bunch of role players at 41 wins and just missing the playoffs.