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Arena The NBA Thread

Discussion in 'Community' started by KnightWriter, Nov 16, 2006.

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Which team is the favorite to win the title?

  1. Boston Celtics

    10.0%
  2. Cleveland Cavaliers

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  3. Dallas Mavericks

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  4. Denver Nuggets

    40.0%
  5. Los Angeles Lakers

    5.0%
  6. Miami Heat

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  7. Milwaukee Bucks

    40.0%
  8. Phoenix Suns

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  9. Other

    5.0%
  1. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    I was watching a show called Open Court on NBATV where they get older players together to talk about various subjects, the subject of this particular episode being "clutch".

    They showed some buzzer beaters, and while that was nice and expected, I was a little disappointed they focused so heavily on buzzer beaters, and not at all on the players who were clutch more than just the final seconds. What about the guys who got you to those final seconds? The guys who kept you in the game the last few minutes when your team couldn't buy a bucket otherwise. Reggie Miller was brought up, obviously for his many buzzer beaters, but Isiah Thomas (who coached Reggie, when Reggie banked in that three in the playoffs) did mention that Reggie was a guy that didn't just show up at the very end, but got you there.

    One good part about the show was the players talking about what it's like inside the huddle just before those last shots, for the offense and the defense. That was neat.

    So, maybe we can talk about clutch players? It doesn't have to be GREATEST OF ALL TIME or anything, just guys who come to your head. It'd be cool if you guys could drop some names I haven't thought of, someone you saw, that I missed. That's what's cool about talking sports on the internet, you get people from all over the country with different perspectives, who inevitably saw different games than you did.

    Jordan is obvious, and doesn't really need to be mentioned, but the Open Court show did show several buzzer beaters by Bulls players other than Jordan. Jordan was surrounded by guys who could make clutch threes. It made me think, was his success at the end of games contagious? Did he make them better clutch players?

    Steve Kerr was clutch with Chicago, but he went on to be clutch in SA, too.

    Who else did Jordan have? Paxson and Hodges, they were clutch. Wasn't Kukoc pretty clutch, too? Horace Grant, if he was open for that midrange jumper, he'd knock it down.

    Pippen was brought up by the panel on Open Court as not really a clutch player, and I remember that. Though I also remember him coming up big while Jordan was gone.

    The panel also brought up the difference between guys like Jordan and guys like Kerr.

    Everyone is trying to stop Jordan, while Kerr gets wide open shots. Steve Smith (Smitty) brought up the fact that guys like Kerr are often cold, having barely played much less actually gotten their shots in, and they have to be ready to step up and hit the shot. They had a hard time putting the difference in words.

    Well, the difference is guys like Jordan are clutch stars, while guys like Kerr are clutch role players. You really need and want both. If you have at least one clutch star, surrounded by a couple of clutch role players, that's the kind of team that wins championships.

    Enough about the Bulls. Too obvious.

    Outside of Jordan and Reggie, the most clutch player I've ever seen is Chauncey Billups. I've never seen anyone repeatedly drop pull up threes down the stretch the way he did, just one after another, game after game, in the playoffs. I was disappointed that he went unmentioned by the panel. That shows that just because a guy doesn't have any memorable buzzer beaters, doesn't mean he wasn't clutch.

    Derek Fisher was a clutch guy, a guy you hated to see get a kick out or loose ball at the end of games, if you were rooting for the other team. I still say that shot against SA shouldn't have counted, there's just no way he could have gotten that off in time. DarthTunick

    Robert Horry made his whole career on knocking down shots in the playoffs, and being a role player on a seven championship teams. Damn. The panel mentioned Horry and showed a few buzzer beaters, and talked about how there's basically never been another player like him with his career (they also mentioned how he used to coast during the regular season). I don't think we'd even remember Horry at all if it wasn't for those buzzer beaters and those rings. If he had just won the two in Houston, I think he'd be mostly forgotten. It used to drive me completely insane when people leave Horry at the end games. What are you doing? This is what he does! That's all he does!

    Mario Elie was a clutch guy who got three rings.

    Those Spurs teams had a lot of clutch players. Elie, Kerr, Horry, Sean Elliott, Duncan (bank shot), Avery Johnson was pretty clutch, Bruce Bowen would play defense and knock down corner threes. It's really not surprising that a team with that many experienced veterans would win so many times.

    Alright, that's enough names from me. Who you guys got?
     
  2. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2000


    That shot, and my reaction to it (literally running around the driveway of my old house, screaming like a maniac in pure glee) almost makes up for their humiliation in The Finals against Detroit. :p
     
    CT-867-5309 likes this.
  3. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    Was your reaction something like this?
    [​IMG]

    :p


    As for Open Court, I'm kinda disappointed they don't get more players from Isiah's era. Then I realized, it's probably because everyone hated Isiah and no one would want to sit down and talk with him.
     
  4. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2000
    More like this:



    [​IMG].



    :p
     
    Juliet316 likes this.
  5. epic

    epic Ex Mod star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 4, 1999
    So Rose seems to think the Knicks are a super team

    Lol
     
  6. xblackout

    xblackout Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 5, 2008
  7. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    Amare Stoudemire retires.

    An unfortunate "what might have been" career.
     
  8. Sith_Sensei__Prime

    Sith_Sensei__Prime Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    May 22, 2000
    I thought Stoudemire had a great career.
     
    ChefCurryWindu, Juliet316 and tom like this.
  9. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    really? i wouldn't say that. obviously the injuries derailed him eventually but he was five times all-nba before that. pretty great career actually.

    edit: replied at same time as ssp
     
  10. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    I was going to say he still had a good career, relatively speaking, but it could have been much better. I mean, this guy could have been a Hall of Famer, he certainly had that talent.

    Seeing how he was pretty much done by age 30 due to injuries, and a hollow shell of what he used to be, I can't help but think "what could have been". He had some ankle injuries his second season, destroyed his knee at 23 and was never quite the same athlete, and then had a lot of minor injuries and some freak accidents (eye injuries).

    I have a tendency to think about what might have been when ultra athletic guys have major knee injuries early in their career. In fact, this has been a long time coming for me, as I saw this as his probable end way back when he first hurt his knee (welp, there went his potential Hall of Fame career). So, I've been thinking about this for basically ten years.

    Thirty is not exactly the age for guys to be done these days.
     
    tom likes this.
  11. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    No one had a career quite like Sasha Kaun though. Seriously. The guy plays one season, scores 23 total points, and is part of the Cavaliers title-winning team. Then he retires. 23 total points. 26 total rebounds. In his career. And a champion.
     
  12. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2000
  13. JediVision

    JediVision Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 6, 2015
    Sorry for the late, off-topic post, but I rarely pop my head in here anymore.

    But my favorite thing about this picture is this Bill Simmons line from 2010

    He was right at the time, but now, is there anyone on Earth that thinks LeBron collapsing on the floor was "partly for effect"?

    Also, I wonder, will that specific spot on the court become a place of pilgramage for Cavs fans ;)
     
  14. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    Hmm ... I am going to briefly be in Oakland next week ...
     
  15. Juliet316

    Juliet316 Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 27, 2005
  16. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    Many credible sources are saying Wesrbrook will resign with the Thunder.

    These chumps better not be teasing me.
     
  17. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2000
    I could have sworn that you were a Knicks fan?
     
  18. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2000
    [​IMG]







    So reports of OKC's demise have been greatly exaggerated. :p
     
  19. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    I am! My favorite band is from Oklahoma and I fell in love with Westbrook. But I still think the Knicks might be worth checking out this season. A big reason I finally became so dedicated to OKC is also because they beat the Spurs. And the Spurs might not have done anything wrong, but they beat the Knicks in the finals.
     
  20. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    Almost seems inevitable that Westbrook will end up either a KG-type or a Malone-type, at least with respect to championships.

    First of all, good on him. Westbrook was nowhere near the "sure thing" Durant was coming out of college. OKC put him in a good system, put their faith in him, and he's repaying them. The fans there will adore him, pretty much forever, and he will get to be the face of a franchise. Which, is kind of crazy, because it really should have been Kevin Durant.

    Having said that, there's almost no way he wins a title in OKC.
     
    Runjedirun likes this.
  21. darth_gersh

    darth_gersh Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2005
    Well no way makes tom happy.
     
  22. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    eh, not a fan of okc but i think it's good for the nba. if every big star kept bolting from small markets there's a much bigger chance the owners would terminate the current collective bargaining agreement before the december 15th deadline and that negotiations on a new one could get drawn out into a long dispute. russell westbrook may have just saved us all from another prolonged lockout.

    edit: and inty in my mind westbrook, oladipo, adams is a pretty interesting start and they have some good role pieces. i think they are maybe only one piece away from having a very interesting rivalry with the warriors. where that piece would come from i have no idea.
     
  23. LloydChristmas

    LloydChristmas Baseball and Three-Time Jedi Draft Champion star 5 VIP - Game Winner

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    lmao it's almost like they DID have a Warriors rivalry and then lost a piece!

    Russ is a G, stoked to see him potentially play even MORE angry that he already does.
     
  24. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    me too. he's gotta be favorite for mvp. durant and curry will cancel each other out, and lebron's mvp days are probably done the way he saves himself for the postseason now. it's between kawhi and russ, with dame as the dark horse imo. but i'm not ruling out lebron deciding his legacy needs one more mvp and just crushing everyone all year.
     
  25. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    I think Westbrook will have the advantage for MVP votes as well, due to the "he's doing it without Durant" factor.

    Don't rule out the 'Brow, either, if he takes that leap everyone expected.