Who do you want to see in the Finals?

[thesanityannex]

Who do you want to see in the Finals, and why?

 

[VF21]

I picked San Antonio vs. Detroit.

Why?

Detroit does NOT have the Large Living Room Suite (with occasional tables, standing halogen lamp, area rugs, sleeper sofa, two recliners, ceiling fan, lined drapes, overstuffed chair with matching ottoman, entertainment center, framed picture of Don Johnson and Philip-Michael Thomas, multiple HD-TVs, chauffeur-driven golf cart for room-to-room transport, in-house catering service, hotline to Chad Ford, 120 foot-tall artifical Christmas tree, noisemakers, indoor wave machine, autographed pictures of himself AND robots programmed to say "Shaq is the greatest" every 27 seconds) on the roster.

 

[Bibby_Is_Clutch]

I picked San Antonio vs. Detroit.

Why?

Detroit does NOT have the Large Living Room Suite (with occasional tables, standing halogen lamp, area rugs, sleeper sofa, two recliners, ceiling fan, lined drapes, overstuffed chair with matching ottoman, entertainment center, framed picture of Don Johnson and Philip-Michael Thomas, multiple HD-TVs, chauffeur-driven golf cart for room-to-room transport, in-house catering service, hotline to Chad Ford, 120 foot-tall artifical Christmas tree, noisemakers, indoor wave machine, autographed pictures of himself AND robots programmed to say "Shaq is the greatest" every 27 seconds) on the roster.

Same pick... good reason! ^^^

 

[Variant]

Picked SA vs Detroit. Not so much because I hate Shaq, but I just don't like how cocky the Heat's "supporting cast" has gotten. They'd be out in the first round without the big fella.

However, the Heat are looking pretty tough tonight. If I had to bet, I'd guess it'll end up being SA vs Miami.

 

[4cwebb]

Picked Detroit, largely b/c I think they have the best shot at actually winning four games vs. the Spurs. Doesn't really look that way after game 5 of the ECF, though.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Much rather see Spurs/Pistons, and Variant is exactly right; I love the way that Damon Jones, who spent most of his career as a 3rd-string point guard, if acting like he thinks he's an All-Star, now that he's finally getting minutes on a good team. And, by "love," I mean I can't stand it.

Plus, I think that a Pistons/Spurs series would be one of the most cerebral and captivating series ever.

 

[Insomniacal Fan]

Plus, I think that a Pistons/Spurs series would be one of the most cerebral and captivating series ever.

Do you mean to say mind-numbing and lethargic?

Ahh well, who am I to judge, I'm done with the NBA for the season.

 

[thesanityannex]

Plus, I think that a Pistons/Spurs series would be one of the most cerebral and captivating series ever.

Exactly my reason for spurs/pistons. Match-ups at every position.
Plus, the Pistons have that horse logo, and the Spurs have....well spurs. Symbolism, its all about the symbolism series.

 

[kings52/23]

i picked the spurs and the pistons because ive been rooting for both teams ever since kings got eliminated. I also just happen to be a big fan of ben wallace, tayshaun prince and manu ginobli.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Do you mean to say mind-numbing and lethargic?

If that's what I meant, then that's what I would have said. The Spurs and Pistons play excellent basketball, whether you like it or not. Maybe you're one of those myopic type of "fans" who think that that run-and-gun is the only way basketball should be played, but most of the rest of us know better, and are mature enough to admit when two teams are playing great fundamental team basketball.

Now, if the Knicks were playing the Jazz in the Finals, that would be a mind-numbing and lethargic series. The Pistons and Spurs would be great basketball; two teams that play fluid offense and outstanding team defense, coached by two of the best... every possession would seem like a chess match. You may not see forty-eight minutes of highlights, as you might with two run-and-gun teams but, unlike with two run-and-gun teams, every play would be of consequence.

 

[Kev.in]

I picked Miami, because I don't like Larry Brown and Carlos Arroyo.

I think San Antonio is going to run through whoever they face, but the prospect of Wade (if his ribs are ok) and Ginobili trading fearless assaults on the basket for a whole series is very appealing to me.

 

[Londonking]

I would prefer to see Miami vs San Antonio.

I believe San Antonio will win against either team, but i dont think the the Heat fans have had too much to celebrate for the past few seasons so I wouldnt begrudge them their 'day in the sun'.

From the (very) little i have seen of both teams this season Miami impressed me the most (with and without Shaq).

Just wish it was us waiting for the winner......

 

[Kev.in]

If that's what I meant, then that's what I would have said. The Spurs and Pistons play excellent basketball, whether you like it or not. Maybe you're one of those myopic type of "fans" who think that that run-and-gun is the only way basketball should be played, but most of the rest of us know better, and are mature enough to admit when two teams are playing great fundamental team basketball.

Now, if the Knicks were playing the Jazz in the Finals, that would be a mind-numbing and lethargic series. The Pistons and Spurs would be great basketball; two teams that play fluid offense and outstanding team defense, coached by two of the best... every possession would seem like a chess match. You may not see forty-eight minutes of highlights, as you might with two run-and-gun teams but, unlike with two run-and-gun teams, every play would be of consequence.

I think the Pistons offensive execution is seriously overrated. Even during a good game, because they don't have enough firepower, they'll have spells where they lose their heads and can hardly score at all.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I think the Pistons offensive execution is seriously overrated. Even during a good game, because they don't have enough firepower, they'll have spells where they lose their heads and can hardly score at all.

That's not due to poor offensive execution, it's due to poor shooting. Detroit's system is designed to create open shots, which it does frequently. Unfortunately for Detroit, only two out of their five starters are consistently good shooters. The only flaw in Detroit's offense is that their inconsistent jump shooting means that they can be taken out of their offense with a zone; the system works fine.

 

[PejaFanatic]

Much rather see Spurs/Pistons, and Variant is exactly right; I love the way that Damon Jones, who spent most of his career as a 3rd-string point guard, if acting like he thinks he's an All-Star, now that he's finally getting minutes on a good team. And, by "love," I mean I can't stand it.

Plus, I think that a Pistons/Spurs series would be one of the most cerebral and captivating series ever.

Same here, I find Damon Jones and the bench so frigging annoying especially Damon Jones. He thinks he's top dog.
He irritated me and my sister during the first round of the playoffs and he continues to do so. Whenever, he drains his 3s, he often time will show 3 fingers and look so darn cocky.


I just can't stand annoying players.

 

[Insomniacal Fan]

If that's what I meant, then that's what I would have said. The Spurs and Pistons play excellent basketball, whether you like it or not. Maybe you're one of those myopic type of "fans" who think that that run-and-gun is the only way basketball should be played, but most of the rest of us know better, and are mature enough to admit when two teams are playing great fundamental team basketball.

It is not a matter of a love of high scoring games. I'm not interested in seeing track meets on the basketball court. But I suspect an actual chess match between Poppovich and Brown would not draw terribly high ratings either.

I know you use the chess match as a metaphor, and "lethargic" was very severe, especially a disservice to the Spurs offense, which has a lot of energy when it needs to this season. Plus, if anybody makes defense interesting to watch, it's Big Ben.

Where is the interest in watching two teams constantly forced to take contested outside jumpers, when both teams are too good defensively to be beat and yet not dazzling enough offensively to penetrate the other? I think the series is going to boil down to Tim Duncan steadily throwing the ball over his shoulder.

P.S. This is assuming that series occurs. The Heat versus the Spurs would be about as cerebral as a bulldozer uprooting a tree, and that doesn't particularly interest me either.

 

[4cwebb]

The thing that doesn't interest me about a Heat vs. Spurs series is that we've already seen the Spurs conquer a two-headed monster in the Suns, and do so quite effectively (even though, to be fair, the Suns were missing their third most important player for the series for the first two games). The Spurs would merely allow Shaq and Wade to get theirs by taking a huge number of shots and not involving the rest of the squad (ala Pistons last year), and the Heat would eventually fold, probably in 5 games (edit: especially if DWade is not fully healthy -- don't know how fast you can recover from a pulled rib muscle, or whatever his injury is).

 

[Bibby_Is_Clutch]

I think the heat would have no chance against the spurs.

 

[Kev.in]

That's not due to poor offensive execution, it's due to poor shooting. Detroit's system is designed to create open shots, which it does frequently. Unfortunately for Detroit, only two out of their five starters are consistently good shooters. The only flaw in Detroit's offense is that their inconsistent jump shooting means that they can be taken out of their offense with a zone; the system works fine.

That's what I'm saying. Their execution is overrated. They could run any kind of system they want, they don't have the firepower to hang with a team that can score 105+ on them. So to say they're a team that runs a "fluid" offense would be inaccurate. There's nothing fluid about a mostly jumpshooting team that isn't usually that great at shooting jumpshots. Throw in the fact that Rasheed is prone to going mentally AWOL for whole games and that Billups gets into these random wild spells where he forces drives and gets sloppy with the ball and you have something that's very far from fluid.

 

[starks]

manu ginobli is frigging annoying and also det with their grab/hold defense....det-sas would be the ugliest final ever played....wade is the best player in play-off now and i'd like to see him in the final

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

It is not a matter of a love of high scoring games. I'm not interested in seeing track meets on the basketball court. But I suspect an actual chess match between Poppovich and Brown would not draw terribly high ratings either.

What do ratings have to do with good basketball? When did ratings ever enter my argument? High ratings are mostly a reflection of whether or not people who don't know basketball are tuning in to watch. I don't care whether or not the Finals get a 0.002 rating, if it's good basketball.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

That's what I'm saying. Their execution is overrated. They could run any kind of system they want, they don't have the firepower to hang with a team that can score 105+ on them. So to say they're a team that runs a "fluid" offense would be inaccurate. There's nothing fluid about a mostly jumpshooting team that isn't usually that great at shooting jumpshots. Throw in the fact that Rasheed is prone to going mentally AWOL for whole games and that Billups gets into these random wild spells where he forces drives and gets sloppy with the ball and you have something that's very far from fluid.

So, basically you're saying that their offensive execution is overrated because sometimes they have off games, and don't shoot well.... That's nitpicking, in my book. Every team's offense bogs down at time, including the Suns. Even the Kings of old would stagnate at times during just about every game. When the Pistons are playing well, their offense is as good as anybody's, and better than most, and I would very much like to see those two teams playing at their respective peaks, for the NBA Championship.

 

[NoBonus]

I wanna see the Pistons vs. Kings.

 

[Insomniacal Fan]

What do ratings have to do with good basketball? When did ratings ever enter my argument? High ratings are mostly a reflection of whether or not people who don't know basketball are tuning in to watch. I don't care whether or not the Finals get a 0.002 rating, if it's good basketball.

Ratings have nothing to do with it. My point is that most people, mature fans or not, find what's going on on the court more interesting than what's going on inside the coaches heads.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

And I would find what'd go on on the court between Detroit and San Antonio to be infinitely more interesting than the alternative.

 

[loopymitch]

^^^ I agree with slim

 

[thesanityannex]

miami vs san antonio=BORING

 

[Bibby_Is_Clutch]

I wanna see the Pistons vs. Kings.

Thats 2006.

 

[Kobster]

SA-Detroit. I do not want the heat in the finals. I too cannot stand the cockiness of the heat's supporting cast. Especially Dooling & Mourning. They both act like they won 10 rings after every play. And dooling is really funny, he thinks he is the biggest start in the league. When he played on the clippers no one even knew his name. I hate the heat!

 

[slugking50]

I hate the heat!

Hmmm... I wonder why.