The NBA Thread

[Captain]

Didn't watch the Celt's last game, but I don't like losing Perkins.  He's been a very good defensive presence and has developed a pretty strong chemistry with the rest of the starting Celtics.  I think he's a big loss for a couple of names that I don't know much about (which, yeah, means I don't really know what I'm talking about).  Mostly, maybe I'm just a sap... don't go, Perkins!

Hope a Knicks vs. Heat match-up turns into a "who has the biggest chip on his shoulder" match-up.  I'll take 'Melo on that one.

[Babar]

I felt the same way when I heard about the trade. A lot of it makes a lot of sense though now that I've had some time to marinate on it. A few things one could mention:

* Boston needed a back-up for Pierce. Quis is probably done for the season (career?) and a 33 year old PP can't play 40+ minutes every night.
* Boston didn't have the cash to give Perk a contract he deserves so he probably would have walked away in the off-season with Boston getting nothing.
* Perk has only played 12 games this season and just got injured again for the next 3 weeks. Krstic has played every game of the season which gives Boston a reliably healthy center for the first time this season.
* Nate Robinson's contract was too big to be worth it so getting rid of him was nice.
* Now they can go small with KG at center and Green at PF which spreads the floor like they did with Posey in '08 (perhaps even with Delonte West at PG).
* Of course there are a lot of other factors but Boston was 33-10 without Perk to begin the season and were 8-4 with him. So saying Danny Ainge has ruined the team is ignorant because they certainly can win without Perk.
* The C's should have lots of cap space before the 2012 season. Dwight Howard anyone? Just sayin.

Now, many things could be said about why it was a bad trade but since it's done I'm not gonna ponder over that.

[Ignatius]

It's almost playoff time, guys.

I know the Lakers on the second leg of a back-to-back and all, but the Warriors are playing defense like a loaded spring tonight and the resulting breaks are fucking insane.

[Ignatius]

I mean... bad teams like GS often slow down and let good teams back in, and I have no illusions that they can keep this up for four quarters, but it's fun basketball.

[DanielBurns11]

Pacers are looking pretty good against the Bulls right now, and if Granger can get it going and stop taking stupid guarded jumpers, they could run away with this one. It's amazing what crashing the offensive boards can do for you.

Stoked the playoffs have finally started btw, go OKC!

EDIT: And how about Darren Collison? Haven't seen much of him since college, but I liked his game then and man has he stepped it up. He's goin' off.

[Thermofusion]

In the West, I'm throwing my support behind Portland, because I have a serious man-crush on Gerald "Crash" Wallace and part of my soul was damaged forever when Charlotte traded him. In the East, I dunno. Pacers? Though I would become a lifelong 76ers fan if they managed to take down Miami. I like hard-luck cases.

[DanielBurns11]

I have a hard time not pulling for pretty much every 8 seed ever. I mean, I like the Bulls, ever since Michael Jordan was the reason I ever got interested in basketball, and their rise to prominence once again is exciting to me (plus, who doesn't love D-Rose?), but every time I see an 8 seed make a run like the Pacers have today, but heart starts to jump a little.

Yes, fuck the Heat, if the Sixers win then Doug Collins will go from one of my favorite coaches/broadcasters ever to my personal hero.

Love the Blazers this year and am picking them in 7 against the Mavs. But this is the Thunder's year, got to be. I'm a carry over Seattle Sonics fan btw, so OKC is my adopted team. Also rooting for the Celtics in the east because of the Ray Allen/Sonics association.

[Thermofusion]

Hell yeah! I am on board with all of that, minus the Celtics part (though I understand the Ray Allen thing). And yeah, I always pull for the 7 or 8 seeds and always root for the small market teams (so yeah, I'd love this to be OKC's year). The underdog and/or small market thing applies to pretty much every other sport I watch, as well.

[DanielBurns11]

Good game, Pacers played their hearts out. I'm afraid they may have awaken the beast with this game though, the Bulls know what they're up against now and I could see them taking the next three games. We'll see.

C'mon Philly!

[Ignatius]

You're

a) A Thunder fan because you liked the Sonics, and

b) A semi-Celtics fan because you liked Ray Allen, aka The Guy Who Got Traded For GP when Howard Schultz pulled his dick out and didn't like his chances

bonus: Ray Allen the guy who got crushed in the Sonics only meaningful playoff series in the past ten years? Who, in that same series, couldn't match the hustle of Jerome f'ing James?

Gotta say that I'm excited to see how the Bulls handle this first round, particularly after that scare - though this is a different team, the few key guys that remain from previous runs have always played as discounted, tough underdogs. And they've played this entire season more or less with playoff-like intensity.

Philly could assume the function and thrill of previous Bulls' playoff teams. I'm looking forward to that.

Anyone think that whoever comes out of the Hawks/Orlando matchup might make a run? That was a fun game for about three quarters. I'd like to ride the thrill?

The Pacers are kinda like the EC Thunder to me circa 2 seasons ago, with some redistribution from transcendent-wing-scorerness to insideness. Sorry this was an ugly way to structure a playoff thoughts post.

Also: Andre Miller vs. Jason Kidd holy wow! Plus Peja and Marcus Camby! 1000 years of experience!

[DanielBurns11]

Yeah, I was fucking pissed when they traded GP, wanted no part of Ray Allen. And yes, they didn't do much the one time they had a chance in the playoffs with Ray. But I always liked Ray at least a little when he played for the Bucks, and his post-Sonic career has been pretty impressive. I guess my Sonic loyalty runs so deep, it doesn't matter how many fuck ups they made as Sonics. Hell, I rooted for the Magic all those years that they had Rashard Lewis, and God knows he had his problems on the court in Seattle.

[hannah]

do the Knicks have any chance of advancing?

[DanielBurns11]

Yay Memphis!

And yes, the Knicks have a good shot of advancing. As much as I'm rooting for Boston, and as much as I hate Carmelo, I must admit that the Celtics are really vulnerable right now (and unlike a lot of people, I don't think an out of shape and old Shaq would suddenly fix that), I expect a long series that could go either way, but am saying Boston in 6 or most likely 7, but really who knows in this series.

Man, if a David West-less NO can make a tough series out of it with LA, it'd be amazing, bot also bittersweet when one imagines what they could do with West on the court.

[Thermofusion]

Holy shit! Go Grizz & Hornets

[Ignatius]

Argh! That was a crucial game for the Spurs - Memphis TANKED the last four games of the season to get that matchup, and the Spurs needed to send a message. The Spurs are a tough team, though sometimes psychological resilience becomes a lack of urgency.

I think they can win this series without him, but man did they need Manu in that first half. OTOH, seeing Tim Duncan lay down three pretty nasty dunks after not really seeing him jump in the regular season felt good.

Celtics, meanwhile, look like they have the Knicks number when it comes to close games.

[Ignatius]

Also you are a good dude daniel burns and more people should appreciate sports with your sort of understanding and positivity. Also this Nuggets/OKC game is pretty awesome.

[Ignatius]

BTW this is the first postseason where I've been excited about all 8 matchups. To be honest, I was not excited about NOH/LA, but I guess I was wrong about that.

[Captain]

do the Knicks have any chance of advancing?

Well, they have a chance, sure!

I really don't like Carmelo Anthony, though.  I mean, the trade made sense and everything... I just don't think this Knicks team goes anywhere.  Carmelo is kind of an albatross.

I didn't watch the game and only caught the highlights (so I can't speak definitively), but what was Anthony doing in that second half?  Ridiculous.

[hannah]

Yeah, I kind of want to support the Nuggets just to spite the Knicks (I mean, I guess I could root for both teams)

[Captain]

So many teams I want to root for this postseason!  The hardest one right now is Dallas vs. Portland... I want them both to move on.

[coldforge]

I've got March Madness!

[elpollodiablo]

It's probably just Tubeneck

[Greg Nog]

I wish every mention of Captain Trips didn't immediately make me guffaw, but.

[DanielBurns11]

Also you are a good dude daniel burns and more people should appreciate sports with your sort of understanding and positivity. Also this Nuggets/OKC game is pretty awesome.

lol, thanks dude, gotta keep it positive, I learned that the last few years of being a Sonic fan. I'm not thrilled about the whole Kendrick Perkins offensive interference debacle, but I am thrilled that OKC pulled out a close one in the end.

Also, who knew Zach Randolph was such a beast? I mean, I knew he's been pretty much a guaranteed 20/10 guy his whole career, but damn.

[Ignatius]

For my own selfish purposes, I'm really hoping that he takes it easy now that he's got a nice 4 year contract.