2011 NBA FINALS

[Klecko73isGod]

Miami Heat

[T0mShane]

Awesome.

Btw, did Dirk leave without hugging Lebron and Wade?

[SMC]

Dirk probably went to call his family.

Great win.

[RutgersJetFan]

Man, I defended him a lot of the season, but Spoelstra's gotta go. That was one of the most horribly coached games ever, the past couple even. The ball movement made no sense. They set barely any screens, they didn't roll or pop off anything, just a complete choke job on all ends. If I'm Miami I'm firing him first thing in the AM, offering Bosh up for any and all takers (and you're going to have to basically take nothing for him to shed the salary), and completely retooling the team. All the useless guys on one year deals have to go.

The problem however, is that I also think the entire concept of giving up a ton of money for a shot at a title is now probably going to die out fairly quickly. Mike Bibby has to be kicking himself right now. $6.2 million left on the table, gone. Wade and Lebron both left around $8-10 million for the next couple of years on the table to let it ride on this. No chance in hell was that worth the risk.

[visajets]

Man, I defended him a lot of the season, but Spoelstra's gotta go. That was one of the most horribly coached games ever, the past couple even. The ball movement made no sense. They set barely any screens, they didn't roll or pop off anything, just a complete choke job on all ends. If I'm Miami I'm firing him first thing in the AM, offering Bosh up for any and all takers (and you're going to have to basically take nothing for him to shed the salary), and completely retooling the team. All the useless guys on one year deals have to go.

The problem however, is that I also think the entire concept of giving up a ton of money for a shot at a title is now probably going to die out fairly quickly. Mike Bibby has to be kicking himself right now. $6.2 million left on the table, gone. Wade and Lebron both left around $8-10 million for the next couple of years on the table to let it ride on this. No chance in hell was that worth the risk.

+1 and REPPED.........

[jason423]

So happy for Kidd. He brought us so many fun years in Jersey and even though hes certainly not a major guy on this team he started and played serious minutes. I really enjoyed the interview they did with him after the game and for the most part I cant stand the ESPN interviews.

Wonder where Miami goes from here. Part of me says that this is the last time they will ever lose because now they will have a better understanding of how to approach the games. I would not be surprised to even see one of the two stars offer to come off the bench to balance out the offense. They definitely have to make some coaching decisions in the offseason. Im never a big NBA coach guy since its such a players league, but the Heat coach did such a poor job. Is such a young guy the kind of coach that can handle this team? I wouldnt be sure.

One of the problems about putting together a team with two megastars, an overpaid decent player, and a bunch of scrubs is that you get way too much reliance on a few players. Their halfcourt offense is so terrible. Great team in transition. Awful team in the set. I actually think they are worse with James on the floor than James on the bench. When James is on the floor he dominates the ball and guys just stand around. Its not James' fault, but the guys around him (other than Wade) are so bad they just wait for him to do something and the coach isnt making him do anything.

James seems very conscious of his image and place in history and I think it effected the way he played. Hes not a great shooter. Maybe he will be one day, but right now he dominates games by driving to the hoop. Here he became a spot up shooter. I dont know if he wants to prove he can have more range than Jordan or live up to this "all around player" label he seems to want to stick on himself, but in no way can they allow him to pound the ball at the top and just hoist a 3. His coach cant allow him to make that change to his game in the playoffs. When he started the game 4 of 4 the annoucers started going crazy about how LeBron was being all aggressive until Van Gundy finally made the point that Dallas would live with that shot selection all day because all he was doing was hoisting the ball up. He rarely got to the free throw line at all. Players like James are supposed to make a career by driving and getting to the line. You cant do that hanging outside the 3 point line 90% of the game. Thats all about a young coach that has no idea how to impose any restrictions on a big star.

[billybroome]

they didnt play defense or rebound.

In other words they talked the talk, but didn't walk the walk?

You've gotta be shi**ing me!

[jason423]

They set barely any screens, they didn't roll or pop off anything, just a complete choke job on all ends. If I'm Miami I'm firing him first thing in the AM, offering Bosh up for any and all takers (and you're going to have to basically take nothing for him to shed the salary), and completely retooling the team. All the useless guys on one year deals have to go.

The problem is that Bosh is like Boozer. Way overpaid and no team is going to want him at that salary. It still amazes me that teams were as interested as they were in him. Clearly they never watched him in Toronto. Max players dont play on teams that pretty much stink the way Boshs did. Most of his teams won in the low 30s. They had the one miracle season and quickly got bounced by the Nets in the playoffs. Hes a finesse guy and its very hard to build around a finesse center, but at his salary thats what you would have to do. Now that he is finally on a good team the rest of the league is now alert to the fact that he is nothing more than a complementary piece. How they did not see that before is beyond me. For them to get rid of him they would have to pair him with one of their stars. Wade/Bosh for Howard or something along those lines. For them to get the money to bring in a few capable players to fill out the roster they have to dump Wade or LeBron as those are the only two with real value. It still amazes me some of the guys on that Heat team. I have to do a double take when I see names like Juwan Howard on the team. Those guys dont even belong in the league, but thats who they will be filling the team up with as long as its the Big 3 contracts in Miami.

[RutgersJetFan]

One of the problems about putting together a team with two megastars, an overpaid decent player, and a bunch of scrubs is that you get way too much reliance on a few players. Their halfcourt offense is so terrible. Great team in transition. Awful team in the set. I actually think they are worse with James on the floor than James on the bench. When James is on the floor he dominates the ball and guys just stand around. Its not James' fault, but the guys around him (other than Wade) are so bad they just wait for him to do something and the coach isnt making him do anything.

I think the way Miami structured their team is going to be a lesson to the rest of the league. You can sign 2-3 superstars if you want to, but a limited team can't win a title. You have to be able to play big and small, you have to be strong in transition to make it through the regular season, and you have to be even stronger in halfcourt ball for the playoffs when the court shrinks. Said it all year, I just don't think a team that inconsistent playing halfcourt ball can win a title. It's not a matter of if it will catch up with you, it's simply a matter of when. You need a bench for something like that. You need role players and you need versatility from your vets to be able to pull it off. You need swingmen and tweeners, you need garbage guys and several types of big men. The Playoffs, though top heavy in today's league, still present enough different sets amongst all the teams that you face that it's a necessity. Miami's one saving grace is that the East's top teams will still be fairly one dimensional next season, and they'll still be able to overwhelm the bottom 3-8 seeds every year, (if there even is a season), but this is the type of dilemma they're going to be running in to every year. When you max yourself out on only three players, you sacrifice everything you're going to need to beat a team like Dallas.

[RutgersJetFan]

The problem is that Bosh is like Boozer. Way overpaid and no team is going to want him at that salary. It still amazes me that teams were as interested as they were in him. Clearly they never watched him in Toronto. Max players dont play on teams that pretty much stink the way Boshs did. Most of his teams won in the low 30s. They had the one miracle season and quickly got bounced by the Nets in the playoffs. Hes a finesse guy and its very hard to build around a finesse center, but at his salary thats what you would have to do. Now that he is finally on a good team the rest of the league is now alert to the fact that he is nothing more than a complementary piece. How they did not see that before is beyond me. For them to get rid of him they would have to pair him with one of their stars. Wade/Bosh for Howard or something along those lines. For them to get the money to bring in a few capable players to fill out the roster they have to dump Wade or LeBron as those are the only two with real value. It still amazes me some of the guys on that Heat team. I have to do a double take when I see names like Juwan Howard on the team. Those guys dont even belong in the league, but thats who they will be filling the team up with as long as its the Big 3 contracts in Miami.

Had they won this year, they could have convinced maybe a couple guys to sacrifice some dough for a title or two, but after seeing what happened to Bibby, would anyone in their right mind ever bite on that pitch?

[JohnnyHector]

I think the way Miami structured their team is going to be a lesson to the rest of the league. You can sign 2-3 superstars if you want to, but a limited team can't win a title. You have to be able to play big and small, you have to be strong in transition to make it through the regular season, and you have to be even stronger in halfcourt ball for the playoffs when the court shrinks. Said it all year, I just don't think a team that inconsistent playing halfcourt ball can win a title. It's not a matter of if it will catch up with you, it's simply a matter of when. You need a bench for something like that. You need role players and you need versatility from your vets to be able to pull it off. You need swingmen and tweeners, you need garbage guys and several types of big men. The Playoffs, though top heavy in today's league, still present enough different sets amongst all the teams that you face that it's a necessity. Miami's one saving grace is that the East's top teams will still be fairly one dimensional next season, and they'll still be able to overwhelm the bottom 3-8 seeds every year, (if there even is a season), but this is the type of dilemma they're going to be running in to every year. When you max yourself out on only three players, you sacrifice everything you're going to need to beat a team like Dallas.

So where does this leave the Knicks?

[Klecko73isGod]

So where does this leave the Knicks?

They have two superstars. They should focus on finding role players to complement them rather than looking for a third superstar.

[SMC]

They have two superstars. They should focus on finding role players to complement them rather than looking for a third superstar.

Pretty much. They have holes to fill.

BUT, I really hate the easy argument against the Heat about the star system. The star system could have won in Miami if LeBron didn't dissapear in the 4th quarter these last 3 games. In other words, the RIGHT star system can win a championship.

[JohnnyHector]

They have two superstars. They should focus on finding role players to complement them rather than looking for a third superstar.

Unless they can find a center that isn't a complete stiff for a reasonable price (though you'd be more likely to find Jimmy Hoffa's corpse), I think the primary plan should still be to make a run at Paul, regardless of the Heat's shortcomings.... unfortunately, the Knicks have holes at the two hardest positions on the floor to fill.

[RutgersJetFan]

So where does this leave the Knicks?

Dolan had to be watching this series awfully hard. The way 3 players and nobody else can handle a title run. The way that Cuban remained committed to a player, his willingness to build a team around him and keep the players that he's comfortable with. Hiring Carlisle as well, which in retrospect was just a brilliant hire on all ends. I think Dwane Casey just put himself on the Knicks radar to replace D'Antoni considering what he pulled off throughout the regular season, and especially against Miami and Lebron. I hope Dolan realizes how important versatility is per Cuban's example, and just gets rid of D'Antoni.

Obviously there's definitely going to be a reevaluation of whether or not it makes sense for them to chase Paul, Howard, or Williams. The way the new cap is structured is going to be everything. But a lot of the D-leaguers are going to have to be replaced with better guys. Hopefully they don't replace them with replicas or even worse, extend their deals.

The good news is that nothing's been done yet. They have a ton of financial flexibility with Billups' contract being the only other money that's taking up room, and that expires next season. However they're in a great position. They have multiple superstars to build around and more importantly money to do so, and both Miami and Chicago do not possess both of those attributes.

[JohnnyHector]

Dolan had to be watching this series awfully hard. The way 3 players and nobody else can handle a title run. The way that Cuban remained committed to a player, his willingness to build a team around him and keep the players that he's comfortable with. Hiring Carlisle as well, which in retrospect was just a brilliant hire on all ends. I think Dwane Casey just put himself on the Knicks radar to replace D'Antoni considering what he pulled off throughout the regular season, and especially against Miami and Lebron. I hope Dolan realizes how important versatility is per Cuban's example, and just gets rid of D'Antoni.

Obviously there's definitely going to be a reevaluation of whether or not it makes sense for them to chase Paul, Howard, or Williams. The way the new cap is structured is going to be everything. But a lot of the D-leaguers are going to have to be replaced with better guys. Hopefully they don't replace them with replicas or even worse, extend their deals.

The good news is that nothing's been done yet. They have a ton of financial flexibility with Billups' contract being the only other money that's taking up room, and that expires next season. However they're in a great position. They have multiple superstars to build around and more importantly money to do so, and both Miami and Chicago do not possess both of those attributes.

Agreed on all points.

Cap space and lack of trade chips notwithstanding, I still think that Paul's skillset and what it would bring to a team already starring Melo and Amar'e means that you have to explore it. I think Howard has always been a pipedream and I'm not nearly as bullish on Williams.

The Knicks problem is that they're strong in positions for which there is generally an abundance of serviceable players and weak in those that are the hardest to find guys who aren't complete disasters.

Ultimately, I think D'Antoni is the biggest problem right now, but I doubt Dolan has the good sense to cut bait at this time.

[RutgersJetFan]

Agreed on all points.

Cap space and lack of trade chips notwithstanding, I still think that Paul's skillset and what it would bring to a team already starring Melo and Amar'e means that you have to explore it. I think Howard has always been a pipedream and I'm not nearly as bullish on Williams.

Yeah, Miami's problem is that their third guy is a hindrance financially, and the Knicks wouldn't have that problem because ours would be worth it. There's always the possibility that Amare becomes that due to health issues in a couple years, but he's got 4 left and IMO with the impending lockout giving him some much needed recovery time, I don't think so. Paul's done a lot with nothing in New Orleans, so there's the notion that he could do a lot more with two true stars and crap much better than Wade has with one star and a good role player, and crap.

The Knicks problem is that they're strong in positions for which there is generally an abundance of serviceable players and weak in those that are the hardest to find guys who aren't complete disasters.

That's the elephant in the room going in to this season. Great forward class, horrible guard class. Crawford and Green are the only attractive options. I suppose they can always make another push for Shannon Browne as well, and maybe even Iggy.

Ultimately, I think D'Antoni is the biggest problem right now, but I doubt Dolan has the good sense to cut bait at this time.

That's a fact, but I don't know if he won't fire him. Dolan's gone from being a stubborn guy who wouldn't fire anyone to a guy who's canned two guys in 3 years now. One can only hope.

[jason423]

Had they won this year, they could have convinced maybe a couple guys to sacrifice some dough for a title or two, but after seeing what happened to Bibby, would anyone in their right mind ever bite on that pitch?

Probably not. I mean the guys that can get are those last leg guys with nowhere else to go, which is more or less what hey have on the bench. For a guy like Bibby, who isnt any good anymore anyway, its a waste. Now he gets lumped in with "the supporting cast who just isnt good enough to win" and will have no earning potential in the future. Its at a far different level, but the Nets were one of the first in the era to try to give out the big contracts. They had the two maxs in Kidd and Carter and then tied up way too much money in Jefferson who was a nice player, but nowhere near a star. They never had any money to do anything else and the bench was always terrible and it was a nightmare to find guys to play the 4 and 5. Its very hard to get it to work that way. Obviously the guys in Miami are way better than what the Nets had, but the issue is still the same about financially finding a way for it to work.

[Barcs]

I think the Knicks needs a big center way more than they need Chris Paul. We got Billups to mentor Toney Douglas, who's shown great improvement. I think we'll be fine at that position. Carter makes a good backup as well. What do we even have left to trade? We have a limited bench, we'd literally have to trade the rest of our role players to even get him. It's wishful thinking. We need a center more than anything. Our defense and rebounding was terrible last year.

[Matt39]

Deshawn gets the last laugh for now

[JohnnyHector]

I think the Knicks needs a big center way more than they need Chris Paul. We got Billups to mentor Toney Douglas, who's shown great improvement. I think we'll be fine at that position. Carter makes a good backup as well. What do we even have left to trade? We have a limited bench, we'd literally have to trade the rest of our role players to even get him. It's wishful thinking. We need a center more than anything. Our defense and rebounding was terrible last year.

If a Knicks team giving Toney Douglas 30+ mpg at the point comes anywhere near winning a championship, Dick McGuire will be rolling in his grave. The guy is a decent enough combo guard off the bench and is capable of scoring in bunches at times, but if he's your plan going forward at PG, Dolan might as well burn the $200m he still owes Melo and Stat.

The problem with finding a center is that once a guy looks like he might be worth a damn, he's going to get paid. Assuming the Knicks are completely priced out on the top guys available (M. Gasol, Nene, Tyson Chandler), that leaves DeAndre Jordan and Dalembert as your next best options. The Knicks would have to give serious money to Jordan, who seems like he would be a good fit, because he's an RFA and the Clippers are reportedly determined to keep him. I just can't see any upside in taking yourself out of the 2012 FA class to give a guy like Dalembert a multi-year deal.

I'd sooner give Oden decent money on a 1-yr deal as an audition to let him prove he can stay healthy. The added bonus is that his expiring can be used (after December 15th) in a deal.... in a perfect world, if the Knicks had some young talent to move, they could take on Okafor's deal as a trade tax to acquire Paul.

[Klecko73isGod]

If a Knicks team giving Toney Douglas 30+ mpg at the point comes anywhere near winning a championship, Dick McGuire will be rolling in his grave. The guy is a decent enough combo guard off the bench and is capable of scoring in bunches at times, but if he's your plan going forward at PG, Dolan might as well burn the $200m he still owes Melo and Stat.

The problem with finding a center is that once a guy looks like he might be worth a damn, he's going to get paid. Assuming the Knicks are completely priced out on the top guys available (M. Gasol, Nene, Tyson Chandler), that leaves DeAndre Jordan and Dalembert as your next best options. The Knicks would have to give serious money to Jordan, who seems like he would be a good fit, because he's an RFA and the Clippers are reportedly determined to keep him. I just can't see any upside in taking yourself out of the 2012 FA class to give a guy like Dalembert a multi-year deal.

I'd sooner give Oden decent money on a 1-yr deal as an audition to let him prove he can stay healthy. The added bonus is that his expiring can be used (after December 15th) in a deal.... in a perfect world, if the Knicks had some young talent to move, they could take on Okafor's deal as a trade tax to acquire Paul.

If wishing made it so....

[JohnnyHector]

If wishing made it so....

My point was that they could potentially be in a position to acquire both Paul and Okafor from a salary standpoint (barring a significant change to the cap structure) and it would require less talent to do so, since NO would be dumping the $40+m they still owe Okafor. Unless the guy the Knicks get at #17 shows early promise, I doubt they have the chips to pull it off.

The ownership situation in NO is also an obstacle, but dumping salary makes them more attractive to a potential buyer (assuming they're not contracted).

[RutgersJetFan]

The problem with finding a center is that once a guy looks like he might be worth a damn, he's going to get paid.

To be honest, I don't know if that stigma's going to hold anymore once the new agreement's in place. IMO the era of those types of contracts is completely over and done.

[JohnnyHector]

To be honest, I don't know if that stigma's going to hold anymore once the new agreement's in place. IMO the era of those types of contracts is completely over and done.

The problem is that there's a dearth of serviceable bigs and every team that doesn't have one needs one. And the ones that have them need to either keep or replace them when they become FA's.

Even if the cap reduction is significant, I don't see these types of guys getting a much lesser percentage of the total cap figure. A big factor in all of this is going to be whether or not the MLE is ditched, as middling bigs seemed to be a frequent target.

[T0mShane]

So happy for Kidd. He brought us so many fun years in Jersey and even though hes certainly not a major guy on this team he started and played serious minutes. I really enjoyed the interview they did with him after the game and for the most part I cant stand the ESPN interviews.

Wonder where Miami goes from here. Part of me says that this is the last time they will ever lose because now they will have a better understanding of how to approach the games. I would not be surprised to even see one of the two stars offer to come off the bench to balance out the offense. They definitely have to make some coaching decisions in the offseason. Im never a big NBA coach guy since its such a players league, but the Heat coach did such a poor job. Is such a young guy the kind of coach that can handle this team? I wouldnt be sure.

One of the problems about putting together a team with two megastars, an overpaid decent player, and a bunch of scrubs is that you get way too much reliance on a few players. Their halfcourt offense is so terrible. Great team in transition. Awful team in the set. I actually think they are worse with James on the floor than James on the bench. When James is on the floor he dominates the ball and guys just stand around. Its not James' fault, but the guys around him (other than Wade) are so bad they just wait for him to do something and the coach isnt making him do anything.

James seems very conscious of his image and place in history and I think it effected the way he played. Hes not a great shooter. Maybe he will be one day, but right now he dominates games by driving to the hoop. Here he became a spot up shooter. I dont know if he wants to prove he can have more range than Jordan or live up to this "all around player" label he seems to want to stick on himself, but in no way can they allow him to pound the ball at the top and just hoist a 3. His coach cant allow him to make that change to his game in the playoffs. When he started the game 4 of 4 the annoucers started going crazy about how LeBron was being all aggressive until Van Gundy finally made the point that Dallas would live with that shot selection all day because all he was doing was hoisting the ball up. He rarely got to the free throw line at all. Players like James are supposed to make a career by driving and getting to the line. You cant do that hanging outside the 3 point line 90% of the game. Thats all about a young coach that has no idea how to impose any restrictions on a big star.

100% agreed on all counts, especially those regarding Kidd. If one guy deserved it for doing (mostly) everything the right way while toiling in some sh*tty situations, it's him.

[JohnnyHector]

100% agreed on all counts, especially those regarding Kidd. If one guy deserved it for doing (mostly) everything the right way while toiling in some sh*tty situations, it's him.

Does Joumana get half of the ring?

[T0mShane]

Does Joumana get half of the ring?

Not if she learned how to bob and weave in the past few years.

[visajets]

Does Joumana get half of the ring?

Jomomma gets nothing........

[JustInFudge]

Out of curiosity...cuz I've seen all sorts of love for Kidd...isnt he a wife beater?

[T0mShane]

Out of curiosity...cuz I've seen all sorts of love for Kidd...isnt he a wife beater?

******* racist.

[JohnnyHector]

Out of curiosity...cuz I've seen all sorts of love for Kidd...isnt he a wife beater?

Spoken with the indignation of an unmarried man.

[JustInFudge]

******* racist.

He's a racist wife beater? Jeez, I'm glad he won a title.

Spoken with the indignation of an unmarried man.

Please, just because I'm not married doesnt mean I havent had to fight the urge to hit a bitch.

[T0mShane]

Spoken with the indignation of an unmarried man.

Omg. I laughed, then hated myself for laughing.

[T0mShane]

Out of curiosity...cuz I've seen all sorts of love for Kidd...isnt he a wife beater?

To answer your question, he smacked her, admitted to

It, got counseling, then gave her $750 million dollars and has since stuck to a strict regimen of banging disposable 22 year-old models.