2015 NBA Playoffs Thread: The Zebras are Loose

[CameronCrazy06]

"What a baby"

 

[CameronCrazy06]

At some point as a basketball fan, you sense the inevitable end for your team. I sensed it the second I saw LAC in Houston's bracket, but now that it's obvious to everyone, I'd like to make a few vicious and completely warranted statements:
 
1. Fuck you, James Harden. Other stars make their damn jump shots when defenders collapse in on them. I understand that you're trying to facilitate more but when you only shoot an arbitrary jump shot here and there, you give yourself no chance at developing a rhythm. Shoot the damn ball and forget about driving until they no longer give you space.
 
2. Get Josh Smith the fuck out of Houston. He is an absolute on-court cancer, even if he is by all account a good individual. His game is outdated and inefficient and he has no business in an offense predicated on floor spacing. He sucks and I hate him more with every second he's on the floor.
 
3. It's time to fire Kevin McHale. I don't give the slightest damn about how good his resume looks--Houston has had pieces, and he's failed them at crucial moments. This team has no offense, whatsoever, and they make no adjustments to what other teams do. Their defense has completely fallen apart in the playoffs, and I don't see him holding anybody accountable and making changes. They simply fire away and let James drive and hope shots fall through the basket. It is no sustainable and will always backfire on them. Fuck off with this nonsense.
 
4. Daryl Morey is an absolutely terrible GM and I can't stand him. He pushes this Morey-ball philosophy that specializes in inefficiency and he wants to put inefficient shooters on this team. This 3 point shooting team needs a bench that can score and he adds Corey Brewer and Josh Smith? Are you fucking kidding me? Even if you're a terrible shot, you'll eventually hit your foot if you keep aiming in that direction.
 
5. I am absolutely furious about the overall lack of effort this team has put forth in this series. They pranced into game 1 like they were untouchable and have since forth gotten bitch-slapped by Austin Rivers, a player that no other team in this league has had any issue defending. Talk about pathetic in every sense of the word.
 
6. Why is it so hard for Dwight Howard to not toss everybody around and pick up stupid fouls?
 
The good things:
 
1. I'd like to thank guys like Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, and Jason Terry for playing like champions while everybody else plays like chumps. James Harden looks disinterested. Terrence Jones plays hard but somehow can't find a way to defend anybody. Pablo Prigioni can't hit the broad side of the barn. Corey Brewer is completely out of control so far in this series. Josh Smith is the NBA equivalent of disgusting processed American cheese. Kevin McHale looks confused and incapable of general basketball thought. Anyway--thank you to Dwight, Ariza, and Terry. You at least put forth an effort. Everybody else can fuck off.
 
That's about it. There's nothing worth really stating in a positive manner. There is no foundation built here. This team is constructed to be as inefficient as possible and about the only way they can possibly improve is to chase LMA or a real, actual point guard, not to mention some bench pieces that can actually shoot the fucking ball.
 
Houston got outcoached, outplayed, outsmarted, and outclassed in this series. They had no chance from the get go, decided to act like a bunch of cats with awful cases of Little Bitch Syndrome, and have since paid for their sins. They can go to Hell ten times over and I'm about ready to tell this team to fuck off and give my support to a team like Memphis, who may not have what's necessary to win it all but at least they play hard, smart, and are very, very well coached. 
I've had enough of this nonsense. How dare this team waste what Dwight Howard has brought to them. How dare they allow a nonsensical approach to the game undermine what they're capable of. How dare they bitch out and put forth a lackadaisical effort against a great Clippers team? How dare they expect us fans to continue to care with the way they've bitched out of this series?
 
I would take 25-30 wins with a clear upward trajectory over this nonsense.

But they were dominant given the circumstances I thought?

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Redick is better than harden straight up

:boom:

 

[BwareDWare94]

But they were dominant given the circumstances I thought?

 
They certainly were, but they were playing defense. They decided to quit playing defense in the playoffs. Look what happened.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Or maybe they just weren't a dominant team who needed a good bit of luck to have the record they had

 

[CameronCrazy06]

The clippers are winning it all

 

[BwareDWare94]

The clippers are winning it all

 
Agreed

 

[CameronCrazy06]

 
Agreed

 
Printing out this post and framing it

 

[bosoxlover12]

The clippers are winning it all

pierce v doc finals

 

[bosoxlover12]

The main problem is that Houston runs an outside-in offense, based around Harden as the offensive focal point


They should be doing exactly what Orlando did with Dwight. He's the #1 option and you need to feed the post. Terrence Jones is a good PF in the inside focused offense. And then you have Ariza/Harden/Beverley on the perimeter when the defense crashes inwards.

You look at how successful those Magic teams were, and that's with Lewis/Nelson/Hedo as his supporting cast. Granted Dwight is probably not as healthy as he was back in 09, but he's still a Top 3 center in the league when used properly.

 

[elcheato]

pierce v doc finals

Wizards won't even make it past Atlanta

 

[bosoxlover12]

Wizards are absolutely winning this series

 

[BwareDWare94]

The main problem is that Houston runs an outside-in offense, based around Harden as the offensive focal point


They should be doing exactly what Orlando did with Dwight. He's the #1 option and you need to feed the post. Terrence Jones is a good PF in the inside focused offense. And then you have Ariza/Harden/Beverley on the perimeter when the defense crashes inwards.

You look at how successful those Magic teams were, and that's with Lewis/Nelson/Hedo as his supporting cast. Granted Dwight is probably not as healthy as he was back in 09, but he's still a Top 3 center in the league when used properly.

 
If the way Dwight played in the playoffs is any indication, he's back. I agree with you wholeheartedly. He has to be the focal point or they aren't using him properly.

 

 

[Mexi]

Knew it

 

[elcheato]

Wizards are absolutely winning this series

well then they won't make it past Chigager, you punk trick

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Not only is Dwight not as healthy as he was in Orlando, he's simply not as good either.

 

[Hurricane Season]

http://streamable.com/ph9i
 
Rose's acrobatics around the rim have always been absolutely fucking absurd.
 
His play during this series is promising.  If they do get knocked out this round and Rose goes into the offseason fully healthy, I'll be pretty excited for next season.  It'll be the first time he'll go into a season with a real offseason behind him in like three years or some shit.

 

[Mexi]

Hopefully they keep butler
Lakers aremgonna offer him a max

 

[Hurricane Season]

They're gonna match no matter what.

 

[BwareDWare94]

Game 5 result:
 
Clippers 131
Rockets 101