NBA 2012 Regular Season Thread

[The Admiral 28]

The NBA shows more favoritism towards certain teams than any league does to their respective competitors.

 

The flopping in the Heat/Thunder game was disgraceful. Westbrook could be an incredible defender if it wasn't for his low bball IQ. He shoots very inefficiently as well. But then he has a game where you just say "Wow, he is amazing" and all is forgiven.

 

OKC fans - I felt the same way as ya'll right now in game 6 of my Spurs against OKC in the WCF, but it happens. The NBA has taken a severe downward spiral since the 90's... but I still love it. Wish I didn't, though. Refs can alter games way too easily. Players can't even trash talk anymore. Jordan/Reggie Miller would be getting severe suspensions nowadays for their antics.

 

Some fans probably feel they get terrible refereeing when their teams play my Spurs, because I damn well feel that way when the Spurs go up against some teams.

[BwareDWare94 723]

The NBA shows more favoritism towards certain teams than any league does to their respective competitors.

 

The flopping in the Heat/Thunder game was disgraceful. Westbrook could be an incredible defender if it wasn't for his low bball IQ. He shoots very inefficiently as well. But then he has a game where you just say "Wow, he is amazing" and all is forgiven.

 

OKC fans - I felt the same way as ya'll right now in game 6 of my Spurs against OKC in the WCF, but it happens. The NBA has taken a severe downward spiral since the 90's... but I still love it. Wish I didn't, though. Refs can alter games way too easily. Players can't even trash talk anymore. Jordan/Reggie Miller would be getting severe suspensions nowadays for their antics.

 

Some fans probably feel they get terrible refereeing when their teams play my Spurs, because I damn well feel that way when the Spurs go up against some teams.

 

Parker and Ginobili travel too much and if they fall to the floor after a layup they get a whistle, even when there's no contact. That's all that bothers me. Otherwise, Spurs games seem to be pretty fair. As legendary as Duncan is, I can't stand how disrespectful he is to officials. His facial expressions, the way he throws up his hands. He's almost as bad as Chris Paul, and really destroys his image for me.

[The Admiral 28]

Parker and Ginobili travel too much and if they fall to the floor after a layup they get a whistle, even when there's no contact. That's all that bothers me. Otherwise, Spurs games seem to be pretty fair. As legendary as Duncan is, I can't stand how disrespectful he is to officials. His facial expressions, the way he throws up his hands. He's almost as bad as Chris Paul, and really destroys his image for me.

 

Find me and NBA player that commits a foul, and graciously accepts it and agrees with it. (Not counting intentional fouls/hard fouls).

Harden was flopping all of the WCF. Ginobili fouled out of game 6 which is ridiculous on its own. Tony and Manu do draw contact and exaggerate it - I am not that blind - they are foreign, after all . Please don't put any Spur in the same sentence with CP3, though. He is a disgrace when it comes to flopping.

 

In tonights game, Westbrook missed a free throw and threw his hands up and then smacked the ground. That is so immature and embarrassing for himself and his coach. Perkins sprinted down the floor after he committed a foul. Wade has 5 minute conversation with officials. Ray Allen faked a shoulder injury. Dirk yells when he throws up EVERY fade-away. Could go on for days.

 

Just like Jordan, Durant gets the superstar calls where if a player looks at him the wrong way a whistle gets blown. Every team has players who have annoying tendencies.

Edited December 26, 2012 by The Admiral

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

It's laughable that Russ last night and so many OKC fans are whining about officiating in Miami. The officiating was awful both ways last night, but you were in the game arguably because of those same officials. Talk about hypocrisy.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

It's laughable that Russ last night and so many OKC fans are whining about officiating in Miami. The officiating was awful both ways last night, but you were in the game arguably because of those same officials. Talk about hypocrisy.

 

lol. You'll go to any length to defend the Heat when it comes to the officials, especially so seeing as you hate the Thunder.

 

I almost never bitch about the refs in the NBA, but the Heat/Thunder games have been egregious. The Heat employ the "Hack-a-Thunder" strategy, but the Thunder only get sent to the line half of the time.

 

I rooted for Miami against Dallas and have been one of the few LeBron apologists through and after "The Decision". However, the more games I see the refs absolutely hand to the Heat, the more I dislike them.

[JetsFan4Life 542]

It's laughable that Russ last night and so many OKC fans are whining about officiating in Miami. The officiating was awful both ways last night, but you were in the game arguably because of those same officials. Talk about hypocrisy.

 

Good teams can overcome bad officiating. You know what makes you lose? When the point guard of your team shoots 5-19 and only has three assists.... aka Westbrook yesterday against the Heat.

 

Edit: Zack I'd just like to see you give SOME credit to the Heat or talk about how bad Westbrook played instead of just saying it's the refs fault and the refs fault alone.

 

Just like the NBA Finals the Thunder kept digging themselves into a hole (wasn't it like 13-2 or 15-2 early on?). They need to stop doing that and they'll be better off.

Edited December 26, 2012 by McElroy4Ever

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

lol. You'll go to any length to defend the Heat when it comes to the officials, especially so seeing as you hate the Thunder.

 

I almost never bitch about the refs in the NBA, but the Heat/Thunder games have been egregious. The Heat employ the "Hack-a-Thunder" strategy, but the Thunder only get sent to the line half of the time.

 

I rooted for Miami against Dallas and have been one of the few LeBron apologists through and after "The Decision". However, the more games I see the refs absolutely hand to the Heat, the more I dislike them.

 

Of course, because when someone gives an opinion, the teams he roots for, or apparently hates is the only thing that matters.

 

This has nothing to do with the teams I root for. I don't even like the Heat, I like Lebron. That's it. And as far as "hating the Thunder", that's exaggeration to the extreme. I don't like the team itself because they left Seattle, but I love Serge Ibaka, PJIII and am always one of the first to come out on the defense for Westbrook. Stop trying to treat this like I have an agenda to bash the Thunder every chance I get.

 

The officiating was awful all game for both teams, but that doesn't give OKC or their fans the right to complain.

 

You go to the defending champ's homecourt, "David Stern's darling team", on Christmas in primetime, and come out with 38 FTA to 19... And you want to complain about not getting enough fouls called? Lebron James hadn't fouled anybody in like 20+ games and came out of the OKC game with 3, and you wanted more fouls called for the Thunder?

 

Westbrook throwing a temper tantrum after getting hit in the wrist well after his shot was off for a foul call shows how much OKC themselves expect the superstar calls.

 

Never mind that OKC themselves are the beneficiary of getting star treatment more then any teams in the NBA including maybe the Heat themselves. This is essentially, one team who gets a ton of star treatment whining that the other team who gets a ton of start treat was/are the beneficiary of star treatment. hypocrisy.

 

When you outshoot a team 38-19 FTA, and you still lose, time to go back to the drawing board. Not bring up the officiating (unless if it's to note how bad it was on both sides).

[BwareDWare94 723]

Of course, because when someone gives an opinion, the teams he roots for, or apparently hates is the only thing that matters.

 

This has nothing to do with the teams I root for. I don't even like the Heat, I like Lebron. That's it. And as far as "hating the Thunder", that's exaggeration to the extreme. I don't like the team itself because they left Seattle, but I love Serge Ibaka, PJIII and am always one of the first to come out on the defense for Westbrook. Stop trying to treat this like I have an agenda to bash the Thunder every chance I get.

 

The officiating was awful all game for both teams, but that doesn't give OKC or their fans the right to complain.

 

You go to the defending champ's homecourt, "David Stern's darling team", on Christmas in primetime, and come out with 38 FTA to 19... And you want to complain about not getting enough fouls called? Lebron James hadn't fouled anybody in like 20+ games and came out of the OKC game with 3, and you wanted more fouls called for the Thunder?

 

Westbrook throwing a temper tantrum after getting hit in the wrist well after his shot was off for a foul call shows how much OKC themselves expect the superstar calls.

 

Never mind that OKC themselves are the beneficiary of getting star treatment more then any teams in the NBA including maybe the Heat themselves. This is essentially, one team who gets a ton of star treatment whining that the other team who gets a ton of start treat was/are the beneficiary of star treatment. hypocrisy.

 

When you outshoot a team 38-19 FTA, and you still lose, time to go back to the drawing board. Not bring up the officiating (unless if it's to note how bad it was on both sides).

 

I think the Heat get calls against everybody. Watching the Indiana and Boston series last year was difficult in each instance because the Heat got extreme supeerstar treatment. Boston was capable of beating Miami. Indiana went up 2-1 and then lost 3 straight in part because the officiating took a major turn.

 

I'll be the first to tell you that Russell Westbrook can hurt his team something terrible at the worst of times. 5-19 is a big reason OKC lost. At the same time, these performances lessen by the year and he'll eventually work it down to where these poor shooting nights are the same anomalies they are for every great player. It's not like Russ shoots 5-19 every night.

 

I'm watching James Harden get superstar calls right now on a new team. I know how badly the Thunder and Heat both get them. 9 times out of 10 Durant shoots free throws that aren't even earned. Harden is a close second, but he's more apt to attack than Durant because Durant can shoot the hell out of the ball and doesn't need to attack to shoot a high percentage shot.

 

38-19 is quite a difference, but LeBron is the only Heat player who consistently attacks (I really think Wade is declining). You're talking about Kevin Martin on the other side of the ball, and while he's the Thunder's fourth best player he's the best at getting to the line. Combine that with Durant's superstar calls and Westbrook's tenacity going to the hoop and the Thunder are going to outshoot most teams in FTAs. I see your point, but the Thunder shooting more FTs isn't an indication of a fairly officiated game. Remember, Durant was out with three fouls early in the second quarter, two of those fouls VERY questionable. This is the NBA. LeBron and Durant never foul out. There's no reason either should have to spend unnecessary time on the bench. It was fishy, to say the least.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

I think the Heat get calls against everybody. Watching the Indiana and Boston series last year was difficult in each instance because the Heat got extreme supeerstar treatment. Boston was capable of beating Miami. Indiana went up 2-1 and then lost 3 straight in part because the officiating took a major turn.

 

I'll be the first to tell you that Russell Westbrook can hurt his team something terrible at the worst of times. 5-19 is a big reason OKC lost. At the same time, these performances lessen by the year and he'll eventually work it down to where these poor shooting nights are the same anomalies they are for every great player. It's not like Russ shoots 5-19 every night.

 

I'm watching James Harden get superstar calls right now on a new team. I know how badly the Thunder and Heat both get them. 9 times out of 10 Durant shoots free throws that aren't even earned. Harden is a close second, but he's more apt to attack than Durant because Durant can shoot the hell out of the ball and doesn't need to attack to shoot a high percentage shot.

 

38-19 is quite a difference, but LeBron is the only Heat player who consistently attacks (I really think Wade is declining). You're talking about Kevin Martin on the other side of the ball, and while he's the Thunder's fourth best player he's the best at getting to the line. Combine that with Durant's superstar calls and Westbrook's tenacity going to the hoop and the Thunder are going to outshoot most teams in FTAs. I see your point, but the Thunder shooting more FTs isn't an indication of a fairly officiated game. Remember, Durant was out with three fouls early in the second quarter, two of those fouls VERY questionable. This is the NBA. LeBron and Durant never foul out. There's no reason either should have to spend unnecessary time on the bench. It was fishy, to say the least.

 

Wait. What? And the Thunder don't?

 

The Thunder attempt 25 (make around 17) attempts near and around the basket. That's good for 14th in the league, yet they get 28 FTA per game, that's good for 2nd in the league only to LA.

 

In comparison, the Miami Heat attempt 23 shots around the rim (make around 17), good for 23rd around the league, and get to the line the 14th amount of times.

 

Wade doesn't attack the basket anymore? Wade's entire game revolves around posting up players, pump faking and either getting fouled or flopping into a foul, or going into the basket and running into guys. He did one or the other often last night. He attempts the second most amount of shots around the rim among SG, and one less then Westbrook.

 

When these two teams face off, neither side's fan bases has any right to complain about the officiating. Period.

[Kardiac Kids 6]

Love me some Jar Sull, he just needs to minimize the fouls.

Rookie bigman typically have foul problems. He will learn and minimize them with time.

[Guest Phailadelphia]

Just like the NBA Finals the Thunder kept digging themselves into a hole (wasn't it like 13-2 or 15-2 early on?). They need to stop doing that and they'll be better off.

 

As long as Ibaka and Perk are starting the game together that's probably never going to stop.

 

Honestly the Heat just present a matchup nightmare for OKC. They've got to play perfectly if they're going to win a series against Miami. Of course some of the egregious missed calls aren't helping but that's not something in their control.

[BwareDWare94 723]

When is the NBA actually going to fine JJ Barea for flopping? This is ridiculous.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

ALDRIDGE BACK

[Bay 2,003]

When is the NBA actually going to fine JJ Barea for flopping? This is ridiculous.

 

Missed the game because my dad was over today with my little brother. We don't see each other on Christmas Day anymore.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

I feel bad for the chubby guy in Brooklyn. His talents are wasting his talents.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Zack_of_Steel+ : (27 December 2012 - 10:06 PM) Westbrook played great in OT, but they wouldn't have been there if not for him taking errant shots all game

 

Zack_of_Steel+ : (27 December 2012 - 10:06 PM) I love Westbrook and Perkins, but they're two of the most frustrating players.

 

 

Perkins needs to be on the floor less. I love the guy, but he just isn't worth having on the floor at the same time as Ibaka against teams that don't have a true center. He's literally worthless on offense and a lot of the time he looks worn down and lackadaisical.

 

Westbrook can fuck himself. I love him, but he needs a fucking wake-up call because he's shooting the Thunder into huge holes. With Westbrook taking shit shot after shit shot and Perkins being on the floor too much, the Thunder hemorrhage points and struggle to get back into the game until Perkins comes out and they play smaller with the Westbrook/Martin/Sefolosha/Durant/Ibaka lineup which usually destroys teams.

[BwareDWare94 723]

I don't think Russell Westbrook is a detriment to OKC, but I think fans like Phail need to take off the rose-colored glasses. He's still got some major issues, his ego being one of them. You want to know why he shoots so much? Because he thinks he's the baddest motherfucker on the floor, and honestly believes he's the best player out there. That is foolishness at its best, and I'm waiting for him to take the next step, which isn't shooting necessarily shooting less. It's deferring to Durant, acknowledging with his on-court actions that the thoroughbred wears #35, not #0.

 

He's only tapping into his potential, but will his ego ever shrink enough for him to maximize it?

 

Sorry Russ, but it's Durant whose wallet says "Bad Motherfucker."

Edited December 28, 2012 by BwareDWare94

[blotsfan 2,112]

I don't know if you can really change that about Westbrook though, because sometimes that attitude is a huge help to the Thunder. I think with Westbrook you just have to accept that he's gonna have some really terrible nights because his normal play more than makes up for it. Thats probably gonna be him his whole career.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

I agree with blots here in that his attitude is a good trait. I love that heart-stomping, facewrecker mentality that he embodies and his intensity is unrivaled. I love his attacking and how he makes the offense click by driving the lane, but I think he could be the best in the league if someone sat him down and said, "look, you're averaging 20+ points and 8+ assists, but you're shooting almost under 40% and at a very high volume. You could be considered the best PG in the league if you shaved off some of the errant shots you take and ran our offense the way we know you can and added a few assists a game to your total. You could average 20+ points and 11+ assists if you made a concerted effort to get our team the best shot possible every time down the court."

 

If Westbrook took something like that to heart, his game could evolve into something great. His ceiling, like Ibaka's, is extremely high. The difference between the two is that Ibaka is making the effort to tweak his game and get better at taking the midrange shot and get rebounds while Russell is still shooting under 40% on a consistent basis rather than looking for the assist.

[The Admiral 28]

Westbrook just doesn't have a high basketball IQ. Whether he can develop that or not is up to his approach to the game - mentally and physically.

 

As a Spurs fan, Ibaka and Durant both frighten me more than Russell.

[Guest Phailadelphia]

He's still got some major issues, his ego being one of them. You want to know why he shoots so much? Because he thinks he's the baddest motherfucker on the floor, and honestly believes he's the best player out there.

 

It has NOTHING to do with his ego. NOTHING. I don't know how many times Westbrook has said KD is "the guy." He continues to shoot because he's relentless. it has absolutely nothing to do with ego or thinking he's "the guy." This is seriously the WORST talking point about Westbrook and it's completely fabricated by ESPN.

[BwareDWare94 723]

It has NOTHING to do with his ego. NOTHING. I don't know how many times Westbrook has said KD is "the guy." He continues to shoot because he's relentless. it has absolutely nothing to do with ego or thinking he's "the guy." This is seriously the WORST talking point about Westbrook and it's completely fabricated by ESPN.

 

ESPN has nothing to do with what I think about Russell Westbrook and his ego. That's based on the vibe I get when I watch him play.

 

So he says the right things? A lot of players say the right things. Doesn't mean they think it.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Andre Drummond just made a sexy move to the basket. Looked like a basketball porno.

 

He can move for a big ass monster.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

We beat the Heat!!! Championship!!!!!!

[BwareDWare94 723]

I try my damndest to look the other way when reffing is obviously biased, but there is no way on earth a person could argue with the fact that the Spurs got a million calls tonight. Harden had 5 fouls, five fucking fouls on James Harden, in the THIRD QUARTER? On what planet is that OK? And neither his fourth or fifth fouls were actually fouls! This is the biggest crock of shit I've ever seen. Obvious bias took Harden out of the game and that allowed the Spurs to pull away.

 

I'm sorry, but these types of situations make me want to give up on the NBA. This is ridiculous.