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Real Deal

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Everything posted by Real Deal

  1. I agree. I actually wonder how much of that has to do with Wade not being more of a Ray Allen, and LeBron being too confident in his champion teammate? Let's face the facts: any player would rather pass to Dwyane Wade over Mike Bibby and Mike Miller. The Heat found a lot of success this season, but I wouldn't put much of it on their role players. All three loved isolations, mainly because they are used to them being called since they came into the league, and using the P&R creates the mismatches they want, and basically gives them the green light to attack their opposition. It would be difficult for me to dish the ball out to someone like Bibby only because I'd have two other all-stars on the floor, and I would look for them first. Of course, I'm not making excuses for him, because you win with five players on the court...but this seemed to be the problem, especially under the big lights. It's really hard to pinpoint what was going through his head in the Finals, but when you have a teammate that is so similar and that needs the ball to operate (Wade is better off the ball than LeBron, but he's not Ray Ray), then it's like having three teammates on the floor, not four...and those three usually just sat around and waited for their shot. It really almost felt like it was the 2010 Cavaliers out there, at many points of the game. If LeBron develops the post, and he utilizes it and figures out how to draw doubles out of it (because, honestly, teams will need to double quite a bit if he gets to that point, especially if they decide to stick a big PG on him -- like Kidd), the Heat will be a nasty team to knock out of the playoffs, if they weren't already, because not only will they be able to run, but they can also play a halfcourt game, slowing it down when they want, and controlling the tempo for the entire 48 minutes.
  2. Again, I really don't support what he's doing, but I understand why he'd be happy IF all he's going to do is worry about LeBron's future, because the 2006 Mavericks were also just two wins away from a championship, then proceeded to lose in the first round the following season, then get dropped from the playoffs three more seasons before winning it all this year. Thing is, five seasons from now, Wade will be around 34-35 years old, and all of the trio will be in their 13th NBA season. Getting close doesn't mean you're going to be even closer the following year, no matter who you have on your side...and, well, maybe Gilbert believes he can find two jewels in the draft with those picks, and seeing that his Cavs took out Miami in late March, just half a month away from the playoffs that they nearly dominated, he could be pretty confident in a first-round match-up against them in 1-2 years.
  3. That's just it, though...if he can't finish shots like that, and he doesn't know how to pass out of the post, he's not going to be able to post up any good post defender without getting called for a charge, a walk, or trapped into help D along the baseline. Sure, he doesn't have an excuse for it, but that's because he SHOULD be able to do all of that. Because he can't, well, it's understandable. And Wade has a better post game than LeBron, sadly. Hard to really believe it, since the one that needs work is four inches taller and has about 400 pounds more muscle, but it is what it is, and we'll see if LeBron comes into the next season with something new or not.
  4. Well, I wouldn't really consider that getting punked, I guess. To me, it means that LeBron got him in the post, no help, and Barea actually ripped him or contested his shot so well, it caused him to miss the rim altogether.
  5. Did he get punked by Barea? I don't remember that, lol...that's insane. I do remember him having Barea on a switch, but he didn't try posting up...just took a jumper after about 6-7 seconds of dribbling. Dallas actually decided to see what would happen if Barea was all alone, with no help, and LeBron felt like he didn't want a piece of The Glove 2. I understand him having trouble with Kidd in the post if he doesn't have a post game in the first place. Kidd is just all-around amazing, even at 38. However, given the size advantage, I just don't see how this guy hasn't done something about it already, even if he has dominated many other defenders with his game so far. The whole "put my head down and get to the line" shit isn't going to last his entire career, though. Interesting topic, because one would think that LeBron really wouldn't show a decline in athleticism so soon.
  6. The bigger question is, will OTR still be up? Yes, and I'll be running it.
  7. It was clear that Iverson wasn't the same player when he was in Memphis, Detroit and his second stint in Philly. Detroit wanted to start him, more than the other two teams, but he was getting out-worked in practice by Rodney Stuckey, and it just showed on the court. When did Iverson not have an attitude problem or a big head? If he was still able to get to the rim and do what he wanted on the offensive end, there's no way in hell that Detroit would've treated him like a bench player. Same with Memphis and Philly. Not that I actually attend practices, but it just seems to me like Wade would be willing to dig deeper and develop a nearly flawless post game, while LeBron would end up believing he can drive to the rim until he's 38. Maybe it's due to the fact that James has yet to really put one together. What if he did back in, say, 2007? By now, he would be absolutely scary...but hell, Shawn Marion welcomed it, and Jason Kidd didn't care if he had to defend LeBron. Dallas didn't run doubles every single time, and it worked. It just feels like Wade wants it five times as much. LeBron did take a big leap on the defensive end, improving greatly, but how does a guy like him not realize how massively important a post game would be? It would be much, much different if he was a skinny Toronto Raptor McGrady, and he didn't have the meat on his bones or the strength to take advantage of anyone...but good God, LeBron could destroy people on the block. How the hell would Durant hold him? While I'll love it because I can admit that I hate the guy, it'll be disappointing for him and most of his fans if he doesn't polish his offensive game. It sounded like he didn't realize he wasn't that great in the Finals, which worries me. If he truly believes it was all due to defensive mistakes, and team defense at that, and that it wasn't God's plan this year (WTF), then he's got a long road ahead of him.
  8. Asks the pissed-off fan with the VC avatar and Ellis sig. Had me laughing.
  9. Drew is Jim Buss' boy, but I pray he's not ignorant enough to actually decline a trade, even if it involved Gilbert. The amnesty clause (which will most likely happen) will give us the opportunity to toss Arenas, so any deal for Dwight has to be done, unless it involves trading Bryant (and I doubt the organization does that to him). In regards to him staying in Orlando, I'm not a believer. He's giving too many indications that he wants out. He knows they aren't going to win it all next year. When the guy starts taking pictures with a Lakers hat on (despite wearing his Orlando jersey in the picture as well), and actually coming out in an interview and saying he would love to play with Kobe before he retires...then declining a two-year extension, it just sounds more like a Shaq situation to me.
  10. I'm very skeptical about LeBron being able to do anything else (meaning, change his game up when he starts to lose athleticism). The footwork isn't there. Honestly, he gets away with more travels than any other player I've ever seen in the history of the game. Being able to play in the post, constantly, is a huge plus for anyone at his size. He's taller than Charles Barkley, and weighs more than Charles did at many points of his career (CB sat at 6-6, 252 for years). Charles was a legitimate PF because of his post game and his ability to crash the boards. Thinking back, I've noticed a small decline, but not too much. I have to recall the times he dunked on Damon Jones, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett...then go back to this season and compare. This really isn't good news. As I stated in another topic, Dwyane Wade is almost 30. If you disregard age, you have to consider the fact that all three of the trio have played eight seasons, and two of those three (LeBron and Wade) are more of an Allen Iverson than a Kobe Bryant, and that's why Iverson left the game while Bryant, Nash and Ray Allen (all from the 1996 class) are still playing basketball at high levels.
  11. That's a tough list to make, but I'll say this much: you can't, can't, can't leave off Cape Fear in that five. He was incredible in that movie.
  12. Last night, my brother and his girlfriend drove to Tulsa, OK to pick up a set of tires for $400. He got there, and a guy and his three buddies were waiting. They asked him if he had brought tires to replace the ones he's giving my bro...which wasn't anything this bitch stated on the phone. My brother told him that he didn't, and this guy asked him for $20 to drive to Claremore (which is about 30 minutes from Tulsa) so he could be at his place and have tires to put back on his car. My bro gets there, and there are 10 guys waiting. This dude proceeds to tell my brother that he needs a lift kit before he puts the other tires on his car, and that he needs to buy one tomorrow (today). My brother had already given him the $400, and he told him he's not leaving Claremore without something, so this dude gives my brother three of these big ass 22" tires and tells him to come back today. Not going to happen that way today, though. I'll be there, and we're going in about 5-6 hours, so I'm already in that mode. If I have to drive all the way to Tulsa, I'm getting $400, or I'm getting the tires my bro supposedly paid for.
  13. Well, you have Kobe and Wade in the top two spots. After that, in no particular order... Monta Ellis Joe Johnson Ray Allen Manu Ginobili Kevin Martin Eric Gordon Jason Terry Vince Carter James Harden Tyreke Evans Jason Richardson Jamal Crawford DeMar DeRozan Nick Young Arron Afflalo Probably leaving out a few...but yeah, it doesn't seem like he's reaching. Monta is there.
  14. I seriously have no idea what I was thinking, again...second time I've [expletive]ed something up that I should've known, seems like I've been getting my years mixed up lately. Atkins isn't worth mentioning, though (same as Smush just one year later), and Caron was a matador on the defensive end. That team made me sick to my stomach. It was halfway decent with Rudy T, probably a bit over .500 if I recall correctly, but with Hamblen, they racked up a 10-29 record to end the season, mainly due to the injuries and the fact that Hamblen doesn't know how to head coach. Sad days. Let's talk about Miami some more!
  15. Opinions changed when Kobe started winning again? No. They changed when Kobe basically started clowning with the media, trying to gain their approval. After the trial, idiots were claiming that Kobe ran Shaq off, when it was Buss that refused to give O'Neal his $30 million a year. Later, Shaq made it clear that it wasn't Kobe that ran him off, and I believe he said it once again just a few weeks ago. That produced hate towards Kobe. That following year, the Lakers won 34 games. People wanted to dump on Bryant for that, not caring that he missed a chunk of the season AND Odom was out for the rest of the year with his shoulder injury (leaving Bryant with just Walton, Kwame, Smush and Mihm). Kobe was the scapegoat because people hated him. Then, when Kobe supposedly "gave up" against the Suns in a Game 7, people were on the hate train again...just one year later. Even before the 2003 trial, Kobe was hated because he was a quiet guy. He didn't talk to the media. Hell, people hated him because he stood on the table when he won it all, and many believed he was trying to mock Jordan. People hated him for fighting Chris Childs and Reggie Miller, even though Reggie was actually one of the most hated stars in the league many times throughout his career. Nah, I didn't compare the two. Not at all. There is no comparison. The LeBron hate hasn't lasted as long, and the hate is because he has a big mouth, calls himself the King, turned his back on a city he promised he would bring a championship to (and basically his hometown), and doing it all while having zero rings and mediocre Finals performances. So, again, I don't see the problem. The hate is warranted, more than any other superstar I've seen in the league. MJ, Kobe, Shaq...those guys were hated for winning before anything else. Jordan's gambling, Kobe's adultery, and Shaq's big mouth came later on, but it fueled a fire that was already burning due to championships and success. With LeBron James, it's ass-backwards, so I'm not sure what else to say. You guys will obviously win about 20 rings with him, so I guess you can deal with all of the hate and disrespect that comes with it.
  16. You know for a fact that the Lakers team they played was done before they even started the series. Gasol had checked out the first game of the Hornets series, and I won't need to talk about Ron. Even Kobe was spent. The 2011 Lakers team was nothing like the two-time defending champs. They went on a massive 17-1 run, then started losing games like crazy to end the season. Hard to swallow, but they weren't going to beat anyone decent in the playoffs. Hell, Portland took Dallas to six games. What does that say about the Heat? Are you willing to make comparisons there?
  17. Bosh, Wade and LeBron are in their primes. Jordan won his first ring in his seventh season, had three championships by the time he completed his ninth season (LeBron just completed his eighth). The mileage isn't just about one's age. LeBron was a primary option when he stepped onto the court right out of high school, at 19 years old, while Jordan was 21 or 22. In the same amount of seasons, Jordan already had two rings.
  18. Way younger? Pierce, Garnett and Allen were 30, 31 and 32 (in that order) when they won it all. Rondo was 21. Wade will be 30 by the time the 2012 Playoffs roll around. All of them will be in their ninth seasons. Pierce was in his 10th. The entire "eight championship" claim was funny. These guys aren't 20 years old. I wouldn't say they are "wayyyy" younger. He did enough of that by making fun of Dirk. You can believe what you want, but Wade dodging the truth was to save face. If he really did have a cough, he would've just coughed, and not had Dirk on his mind the entire time. He did it because he knew the media would blow it up? Sounds ridiculously dumb to me. He must have wanted to explain himself later? Wanted to make Dirk smile? Wade and LeBron got their cocky asses beat, so they aren't going to sit there and say they were making fun of the guy they were getting destroyed by in the fourth quarter of every game, the guy that decided he wasn't going to leave Dallas and team up with another superstar, and the guy that, for all of his career, has been very quiet and not as Hollywood and dramatic as LeBron and Wade. I'm done talking about that incident, though. Most knew what their intentions were, and it didn't work.
  19. Well, I'd like to encourage everyone to post their mock drafts on the site, and I'm assuming their mock draft topics will be similar to the submissions you'll receive. But, honestly, do you ever look at a member's mock draft and take something from it? I think we all do, and that's the thing. We will all go to DraftExpress, or NBADraft.net, at some point, and see what's posted. We'll check out Chad Ford's stuff. We'll read everyone else's. Also, do you want 30 picks? I figure it's just for the first round.
  20. Sounds very similar to what Boston fans were saying over at RealGM, about the three-peat, after they won their ring in 2008 with what ended up being a big four and one of the most complete defensive teams in the history of the game.
  21. http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/310120/news_lebron-james-check-my-stats-1.jpg He's an ass, just like Stevenson. The difference is, he's a superstar. Stevenson is only relevant to the media when he's playing mind games with LeBron. It's not like we all don't realize it. One HAS to do things like that to get attention, the other doesn't need to, but chooses to anyway.
  22. The only problem with Bosh was that he was playing like absolute garbage for at least 3-4 games of the series, and when he played decent (he didn't have an exceptional game), he lacked on the boards or was raped on the defensive end...something was wrong. But, yeah, aside from Wade (who I think had a great series, especially when you remove Game 6 from view), I think Bosh should've had more opportunities. Make Dirk work on the other end of the court, at least, to slow him down. Anything.
  23. No reason to reply to everything, but this is something I'll touch on... Obviously, LeBron didn't learn from 2007. Boston forced him into terrible shots last year. He still didn't establish a decent post game. Why would that change? And, if the Heat learn from this experience, why wouldn't other NBA teams learn how to beat the Heat? Zone them up. Dallas trusted it, and it worked. How many times did Dallas stick two guys on LeBron before he reached the perimeter? Hell, there were opportunities where Barea was on LeBron by himself. It's something you saw all year with teams, though, because those teams were all intimidated. Larry Brown claimed that the group of Pistons learned how to defeat the triangle. They took time to learn the offense. It must have been true, seeing how we lost to a real team (ironically) of guys that had zero superstar power, but a ton of defensive talents. If I can be convinced that one of them changes (LeBron or Wade), cool...I'll change my stance. As we go along, they will only get older, Miami could be lacking in talent, and to be honest, I'm not really sure how James will respond to the ass-kicking he just had. In 2007, it was acceptable because he didn't have Wade or Bosh, and he played a dynasty. Last night, Dallas was considered the ultimate chokers for so long, not a single NBA championship in franchise history, and a coach not named Phil Jackson or Gregg Popovich. Make one a better off-ball player, or have one develop a nasty post game, and I'll start to worry a little more about the potential of them winning multiple championships.
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