Nitro

Not only did the coach's style effect his play, but I think the NBA style of play will greatly benefit Rubio. With bigger court, longer 3pt line, refs and overall style, he will have a ton more room to operate and penetrate, which is something the international game doesn't allow a ton of. In the NBA he will be able to penetrate the lane a lot easier, thus opening up a ton of opportunities to make plays for himself and for his teammates.

I actually think Rubio is a tremendous prospect. The only major glaring hole in his game is his jumper, but that's one of the most correctable weaknesses a player can have. It's a lot more difficult to get a player to get better as a rebounder, ballhandler, passer or defender than it is to get him a respectable jumper (I'm not talking about a Ray Allen jumper, but moreso what guys like Rose, Wade and even Kidd have done over the years with their jumpers). He has amazing passing ability and vision, and from what I saw in his games against Team USA his defense is phenomenal at times. Anyway, as for Beasley, I'd dump him for a veteran role player. He definitely has talent, but he's only proficient as an isolation volume scorer (which he does at very low efficiency). He's a disappointing rebounder (although solid), he's a horrible playmaker, a below average defender, and has a low basketball IQ. Now that the Wolves have a few decent prospects (including Rubio who can be their first legit starting PG in years), and an All-Star caliber player in Love, it is time to put some reliable, proven veterans around these guys. I think it will help with the development of their younger players and give the team a foundation. I think we've already seen what Beasley offers, and IMO it just isn't good enough to partially build around. Let the other prospects learn to be quality players, see what they can do with Williams (if they get him), and grab some veterans to solidify this team.

1) The '97 Rockets trio were still All-Stars, but not in their prime like the Heat are, and didn't really have. And keep this in mind with that team....of the 8 players who played in all 16 of their post-season games, including the Big 3, 7 of those 8 players were 33 years or older. That's a major disadvantage. Also keep in mind that Drexler and Barkley both missed 20+ games that season. 2) Pippen wasn't in his prime. He was on the downside of his career; he was still a very good player, but not nearly as explosive on either side of the ball as he used to be. In that '99 post-season he shot a dismal 33% from the floor as well. 3) I don't think it's fair to judge how good that Lakers team was unless they were remotely healthy for the Finals, but they did take out the reigning champs (who happened to be the same team that would win the following season) when they did have their health. Also, as I said, neither Payton 'nor Malone were the caliber player that Bosh currently is. First off, I don't like comparing teams from 40 years ago to modern NBA teams...the league is far too different. With that said, Chamberlain played only like 10 games for the Lakers that first season (for comparison, the Heat were a .500 team about 20 games into this season) and were defeated by a Knick team with mutliple stars as well. The second, and last, season that Big 3 was together Baylor missed virtually the entire season and didn't play a game in the playoffs. Lastly, even though you say age wasn't a factor, Baylor was a shell of his former self by then, and Chamberlain and West were in their mid-'30's as well. Basically what I am trying to say is no team has ever gotten 3 stars together, in the middle of their prime, like the Heat have. A lot of those trio's had all-time greats, but they weren't the same players when those teams were built, and a few of those teams, like both the '70's and '04 Lakers, had severe injuries in the post-season which prevented them from reaching their goal. I know you weren't comparing them necessarily, but I think your logic in using them as examples of how this Heat team may not work was flawed.

Those aren't the greatest comparisons. All those teams (except the Mavs, who didn't have a 3rd star, 'nor a player the caliber of Wade or James) had superstars at the very end of their careers. Those Rockets teams had players at the tail-end of their careers, and that first team was only a Stockton GW away from the Finals. By the time the second team came around, Olajuwon was on a steep decline, and Pippen and Barkley weren't the same players either. The 2004 Lakers suffered a similar fate, although one of the things about that team that gets severely overlooked is Malone got injured in the WCF and wasn't even 50% for the first few games of the Finals, and missed the last few altogether...people forget how huge he was in defending Duncan in the semi's that year. Mix that in with Payton's decline, Kobe's injuries and the Kobe/Shaq feud, and it's clear why they weren't able to meet the expectations. This Heat team is different. You have arguably the two best players in the league in their physical prime, who have the capabilities to be 30PPG scorers as well as lockdown defenders and strong in the ballhandling/passing/rebounding departments. Mix that in with a PF who averaged 25/11 last season, and a few quality role players and a defensive minded philosophy from the top of the organization to the bottom (something I stressed all last summer but people doubted), and it shouldn't be a surprise that this team is this good. My only question was if a frontcourt with Haslem and Anthony playing C would work against teams with strong rebounding, like Chicago and Dallas, and so far they've done just enough to get by.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii73/mootz4/lebron.gif

Anthony did a better job tonight than in the first 2 games, but in those first 2 games anytime Dirk would post him up he would be able to dribble him down to about 5ft to the rim. Dirk is not bullying Haslem in those situations like he is with Anthony, and as I said I think Haslem's size is causing more resistance on iso jumpers as well. You're right, Anthony is doing a better job of eliminating the drive than Haslem, but if I were Spo I'd almost rather see Dirk drive occasionally and trust Miami's help defense than to see him get space on jumpers or bully the defender around.

I strongly disagree here. I've thought Haslem has done a better job on Dirk than Anthony this series. Anthony has done the best with what he's got, but he's simply too small to consistently give a strong contest on Dirk's jumpers, and he's consistently letting Dirk abuse him on post-ups. Haslem probably isn't as savvy defensively as Anthony, but he's longer, stronger and tougher, which is the only way you can really defend Dirk.

Regardless of who won, this was a tremendous game to watch. I was surprised Miami actually pulled this one out. With 3-4min left they kept making dumb play after dumb play...between missed defensive rotations to horrible fouls while in the penalty to extremely hesitant offense by LeBron and Bosh, Dallas really had them on their heels. However, Wade simply willed them to this win. He made a few clutch baskets, and made a number of plays to open things up for his teammates, whether it be off the dribble or out of the post. He was everywhere tonight, and managed to not commit a single turnover the entire game. Dallas fans will continue to have nightmares about him for years. For the Mavs, tough loss, although their terrible defensive start put them in that hole in the first half and early 3rd quarter. Dirk was amazing the 2nd half, but he's human and commited that bad turnover then missed the tough fadeaway the last 2 possessions. Peja was absolutely horrible defensively, and losing Haywood really hurt them, with Mahinmi nearly setting a Finals record for quickest to foul out in a game. Marion was finally held in check by Miami as well, and while Barea made a lot of great plays, he simply didn't have his shot going. Chandler, Kidd and Terry, for the most part, played strong games, though, but it just wasn't enough. Can't wait for Game 4!

Wade's been dominant so far at finding small seams in the defense to get to the rim. Dallas needs to throw more hard doubles at him, at least as long as LeBron stays quiet. Bosh is still ice cold from the field, and if the Heat are to win he will need to get it going. Dirk's been quiet, but I expect him to be more aggressive in the 2nd half. Most importantly for the Mavs they need to cut down on turnovers and maximize the number of shot attempts this game.

Love it, very nicely done.

Hand-checking wasn't really enforced until 04-05, after 03-04 saw probably the worst offensive/best defensive output in NBA history because of hand-checking + zone defense. Zone defense was initially legalized because A) It was rarely enforced to begin with, and B) It was meant to speed the game back up. Here's an excerpt from an article in the Houston Chronicle showing how the rule changes came about and how it effected the game initially... Also, something I always forget to mention in these debates is the new defensive 3 second rule, which is enforced a lot more than the old zone defense rules, and has really opened up the lane for many of these stars today.

Damn man, that's some really scary shit. If you need anything shoot me a PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adusCcba89o My annual post showing people how tough defense was back then, and how different it is from now. I found the video pretty fascinating, and it shows those players not only handchecking, but also blatantly playing zone when it was considered illegal. Take what you want from this video...whether it be to influence MJ vs. Kobe debates, to show how much the game has evolved, to determine if the new rule changes have helped or hurt the quality of the league's product, etc... Nontheless, I thought some of you may find it interesting.

Dirk's been better in the Finals than LeBron, but Wade has been better than both...so, if you're going to call Wade the best player in the game and series, it's something I won't argue. :glasses:

Hahaha, I listen to Mike Francesa almost every time I am driving between 11-6, and it's hilarious. I don't think there is anyone in sports radio who takes themselves more seriously than he does. Mad Dog really is missed.

Very nice work, although I'm not a huge fan of the text. Can I use it?

I can't believe this has gotten 2 pages of replies and has been so overblown by the media...it's a non-issue. He made a big shot to put his team up 15pts in THE NBA FINALS, held the follow through, then walked backed slowly to his bench. It's not a big deal. It happens all the [expletive]ing time, and the only time it ever really crosses the line IMO is when they actually taunt the opposing team's bench directly; Wade didn't even look their way and didn't even appear to say a word. Also, what often goes largely unnoticed in these situations is how the bench will scream, throw towels and other things when an opposing player takes a shot in front of their bench. I couldn't tell if any of the Mavs players were screaming or anything on Wade's shot, but it happens all the time (specifically with the Celtics), and IMO is a lot worse then what Wade did because it directly impacts the game. Yet, that occurance never even gets noticed, let alone blown way out of proportion like this did.

With his contract and awful playoff performance, the only trade possibility I see would be similar to the Arenas-Lewis deal where they get an equally crappy return.

1) LeBron shot better from 3 each of the last 2 seasons, and shot better each of the last 2 post-seasons. Ever since Kobe's knees started deteriorating he hasn't been able to get the same lift that he used to be able to get, thus effecting his jumper significantly. Even if you believe he's a better 3pt shooter than LeBron, it hasn't translated the last few seasons, including the playoffs. 2) Fine, let's throw away stats and I'll give you an analysis... Scoring- LeBron is a much better finisher at the rim; with his strength and athleticism he is better at finishing with contact and contorting his body to hit all kinds of difficult shots in traffic. Meanwhile, Kobe has lost a step when it comes to being able to take player's off the dribble, and only on a few rare explosions does he explode around the rim. Kobe still has a wider arsenal of ways to score the basketball; whether it be in the post, in iso situations, off the PnR, in the post, or in the open court, Kobe still is a more polished offensive player. However, ever since LeBron became a consistent threat as a jumpshooter 2-3 years ago, and since Kobe started to lose his touch due to less lift, the versatility area hasn't mattered much because now LeBron can kill you from both inside and outside. When the defense is tight, he can still get to the rim very often, and when all driving lanes are cut off he can simply rise up and consistently hit jumpers in the defender's face...that's what used to be missing a few years ago. The only time versatility as a scorer means much is when the defense is able to deny you of your comfort zones and you are forced to beat the defense in other ways...now LeBron can do that (see- the Bulls and Celtics series'), and with greater efficiency than Kobe can. Playmaking/passing- This is an area LeBron has always been better in. He's a more careful ballhandler, has a PG's anticipation of reading plays and knowing where to pass the ball before the play even develops, he has better vision due to his 2-3" height advantage over Kobe, and he's more on-point with his passing. The one aspect of passing/playmaking where Kobe has an advantage is when he dominates the ball, he will tend to get the ball out of his hands a little sooner than LeBron, which makes him less likely to stall the offense. Rebounding- Once again, an area that LeBron has pretty much always been better in. Every year he grabs between 7-8 boards, and the last few post-seasons he has been up around 9 boards a game. Kobe is a very good rebounder for a SG, but LeBron is better, whether you want to see how he compares to Kobe or other SF's. LeBron's strength, athleticism and hands are once again the advantage. Defense- At this point, LeBron is a much better defensive player than Kobe. I still might give Kobe a slightly edge in man-to-man defense, because he's less flat footed than LeBron and when he's locked-in he is more aggressive and cut-throat. However, man-to-man defense is just a small part of defense, and LeBron beats Kobe out in every other area. LeBron's help defense is far better; from being able to defend dribble-drives and then rotating onto 3pt shooters, to helping defend pick and rolls, to being able to switch off onto the 1-4 positions (and sometimes 5), to playing the passing lanes for steals, to blocking shots on the weakside or on the fastbreak...LeBron is just way more versatile and impactful of a defender than Kobe is. Clutch ability- I still give this to Kobe, even though every stat says otherwise. Also, keep in mind the major advantage LeBron has in being able to play the 1-4 positions, and sometimes all 5. That has allowed the Heat to plug up the holes they have at PG and C, and experiment with a bunch of different lineups most other teams can't get away with.

Id my dad loved me then in 8th grade he wouldn't have brought me to a psychiotrist instead of Blockbuster like he promised.

Team success doesn't equal individual ability. If the Heat win, LeBron will still be the same player he was in the Bulls series, during the regular season and even last year, just like Kobe would have been the same player regardless if the Lakers won or lost against the Mavs in the semi's. Individually, LeBron is clearly a better player than Kobe at this moment. He's a better and more efficient scorer (from both 2 and 3), better passer who quantifies it by averaging about 3 more assists (with a better assist:turnover ration), much better rebounder, and at this point is a much better defensive player. I can give you an in-depth analysis on each area, but I doubt you will bother to even refute it so I won't bother. All of that applied to the LeBron vs. Wade arguement as well, and that is hard to admit for me since Wade is my favorite player. And who cares if Dirk means more to his team? LeBron's Cavs teams were FAR worse than Dirk's Mavs, and unless you believe LeBron has significantly declined since last season, then you'd see how stupid of an arguement that is to use as anti-LeBron propoganda.

I've heard a lot of great things about the city of Dallas, and heard Texas (the more metro areas) is pretty awesome. It's also a place that I've never been to, as opposed to Miami where I'd been staying near for the past 4 months.

Wow... So, my dad just called me, asking, "What is the one thing that would get you the most jealous in the entire world." Now, my dad's boss is based out of Ft. Lauderdale in Florida, and has box seats to Heat games for business purposed (also at Sixers games, which is how I got those tickets back in November). So, I figured he was going to get tickets to Game 6 of the Finals in Miami, so I told him that. He said, "Nope, after Game 2, my boss got so pissed that he bought out a luxory box in Dallas for Game 3, and he gave me a free ticket." Can you believe that shit?!? If getting to go to the NBA [expletive]ing Finals (with my favorite player, D-Wade playing in it) wasn't a big enough kick in the balls, he's getting to go to [expletive]ing Texas, a place I've always wanted to visit, to see it. God [expletive]ing dammit. My dad told his boss that if anyone can't go to give the extra ticket to me, but I highly doubt that'll happen.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of this song either...