Official 2012 NBA Finals Thread

[RipCity32]

Yeah this format is dumb, never understood why they have it like this.

 

[buzzy]

lets go heeeaaaat!

 

[buzzy]

Yeah this format is dumb, never understood why they have it like this.

traveling reasons, for the 135th time

 

[RipCity32]

How do you figure?

 

[MR.ballin]

Don't think anyone likes this format despite being for traveling reasons.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Why would Scotty Brooks change his starting lineup?

 

[RipCity32]

Why would Scotty Brooks change his starting lineup?

Blown out in both first quarters.

 

[elcheato]

Because Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka can't guard the perimeter? Not to mention they don't even cause miss matches on the other end, since you're not going to throw the ball down low to either of them, especially Perkins.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

What would he change it too?

 

[elcheato]

Westbrook - Harden - Thabo - Durant - Ibaka

 

[buzzy]

How do you figure?

You only change location twice with the current format, and that only if it goes to 6 or 7 games. With the other format you have 4 location changes in a 7 game series. They changed it in the 80's when the Lakers, C's and 6ers were in the Finals a lot of the times, traveling between thier hometowns adds up quite the milage.

 

[RipCity32]

Lol, completely forgot the concept of East and West. Guess it does make complete sense then. Wasn't thinking about it from an actual distance standpoint.

 

[elcheato]

Perkins provides absolutely nothing, but yes, keep playing/starting him because his worthlessness is very valuable.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Westy-Harden-Thabo-Durant-Ibaka probably could be a better lineup to start the game, but you still have a mismatch either way. It's a tough spot for OKC.

 

[elcheato]

I don't see any mismatch for the Thunder with that lineup.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

People act like the Thunder haven't just come out flat. It's not Perkins' fault. Westbrook has been absolute shit in the first quarter of both games.

 

[elcheato]

Battier averaged 5 points per game in the regular season. He has scored more than that in the first quarter of game 1 and game 2 with big men covering him (not covering him) and losing him on the perimeter.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I don't see any mismatch for the Thunder with that lineup.

Ibaka on Bosh? That's a mismatch in more than one way.

First off, Ibaka isn't a "defensive player of the year" type guy. He's a great shotblocker, a good rebounder, but he'll get caught out of position and over pursues plays (which has also been a problem, Ibaka will leave his man on p&r situations to try and get a block, which isn't his responsibility). He's also not as good of a actual defender as people are led to believe so Bosh vs Ibaka one on one is a mismatch.

Secondly, you still have the same problem you had in games 1 and 2. Ibaka is a rim protector, and Battier would drag him away from the rim. Chris Bosh would still pull Ibaka away from the rim and take away his biggest skill, in a lesser extent obviously. But Chris Bosh isn't a paint player in any sense of the word, which like I said, nullifies Ibakas biggest strength which is protecting the paint by pulling him away from the rim closer to the 3 point line and short corner.

The bigger problem though is that OKC has nobody that can stay in front of DWade and Lebron on drives, which puts OKC's bigs in a bad spot (especially when Ibaka is already not where he wants to be). Which I guess is a problem every team has. In the end though, it's just good coaching from Spoelstra (imagine that I thought he's terrible), knowing OKC can't match up with that lineup.

 

[RipCity32]

Not to mention Durant was very cold to start the game too.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Battier averaged 5 points per game in the regular season. He has scored more than that in the first quarter of game 1 and game 2 with big men covering him (not covering him) and losing him on the perimeter.

He's just hot, and if you're the Thunder, you have to live with that.

Starting James Harden at this point would be absolutely idiotic because they'd have nothing to go to off the bench scoring wise.