NBA Finals

[Alram]

I'm rooting for Miami. I like how they came from behind as underdogs and embarrassed Dallas. I used to live in Florida so I don't mind rooting against Texas. Were it the Spurs I would be rooting for Tim and the team of course.

With Stackhouse suspended for game 5, Dallas will have it tough tonight.

[Nystul]

Although I'm a fan of the Heat (after being a Lakers fan for 25 years, suddenly the Heat had more Lakers than the Lakers did), I still find the suspension of Stackhouse to be ridiculous. I haven't seen many flagrant fouls this year, so I don't know how this compares in terms of precedent. But to me the bottom line is, his only intention was to stop a 330 pound man from putting the ball in the basket. He wasn't acting out of anger or frustration or trying to hurt anyone. He was just trying to stop a dunk. I think the term excessive is almost relative in this case. If he had hit Wade or Williams with the same force, it would seem like more of a cheap shot. I felt the officials made the right call on the court, giving Miami 2 shots and the ball but not ejecting Stackhouse. Fortunately for Dallas, they are so deep at guard that this should not really be a big deal.

Dallas had a golden opportunity in game 3 and blew it. Now they have gone from almost having the series clinched to being in an even series with all of the momentum on the other side.

I can't believe how much zone has been played by both teams in this series. By now, you would think they would have practiced zone offense so much in their walkthroughs that it wouldn't be an effective defense. Dallas was hiding Dirk in the center of the zone in the last game and Miami wasn't even able to get the ball into the post against him (not that it mattered since they had a huge lead).

Miami may be the best halfcourt basketball team in the league right now. Dallas has to force them into jumpshots so they can get the fast break going if they want to get back into the series.

[Griselda]

Well, I'm going for Dallas, and I don't think that Miami was ever considered an underdog in this series. If anyone is the underdog, I'd have to say it would be Dallas, who were constantly discounted during the season despite being a contender for the best record in the West all season long. The press seemed to be ready for the coronation of San Antonio and Detroit from the start, and although I do really like Detroit, I think it's nice to see some fresh blood make it to the finals this year. If Miami is an underdog, it's only because they didn't play particularly well this season, especially considering who they have on their roster.

It's nice to see teams doing well because of talent, chemistry, and heart, like Miami's young roster when they took Indiana out of the playoffs three years ago. But Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, and Alonzo Mourning? Ugh! I believe that all three of them are players who have REFUSED TO PLAY for teams when they were traded in the past. They don't care about making their teams better. They just want the ring for themselves. I can't respect that. If there's any veteran who deseves a ring, it's Reggie Miller, and he had the grace to retire without one rather than chasing the it around all over the NBA.

I've been a Dallas fan ever since I went to a Portland/Dallas playoff game a few years ago. I didn't go meaning to root for Dallas, although even then it was hard to be a Portland fan, but Dallas' beautiful sets and unselfish play won me over. At the time, it was Steve Nash's play that stood out, but I think it's pretty cool that both teams are doing better with Nash's departure. Plus, I really like Avery Johnson as a coach.:)

So, go Dallas! Win one for Stackhouse! :D

[Alram]

I actually don't follow basketball until the finals each year. I called Miami the underdogs because after the first two games they lost I heard Jim Rome saying on the radio that Dallas was "just a better team."

[Mithrandir]

I really, really dislike Miami. I don't like Shaq (cheats and gets away with it / not good at basketball), Wade (maybe you wouldn't be constantly falling down if you laid off all the off-balance body-hurling?), Gary Payton (has been a big jerk his entire career), Alonzo (bitches constantly), Jason Williams (alright, no real reason here) or Antoine Walker (way overrated, just because you were the second best player on the Celtics for a couple years does not mean you are a good basketball player).

Go Dallas I suppose.

[Nystul]

I don't like Shaq (cheats and gets away with it / not good at basketball)

He certainly uses contact to his advantage, but how can you say he's not good at basketball? OK, he has limited jumpshot range and he's a terrible free throw shooter. His footwork in the post is very good. If you match his power, he can still break you down with 3 or 4 different post moves to create an easy shot. He has a very good hook shot and decent short range jumper. His dribbling is above average for a center, and his passing is outstanding. Tim Duncan might have more post skills than Shaq, but I can't think of anyone else in the NBA. Look at some of these centers on playoff teams... Diop? Ben Wallace? Phoenix doesn't even have a center. If Shaq were 6'10", 260, he'd still be the best center in the Eastern Conference.


...As for Gary Payton being a jerk his entire career, you get no argument from me on that one.

[Nystul]

On a side note, props to Miami for getting the Big Man (Clarence Clemons, not Shaq) to play the national anthem. I suppose it would be asking too much to replace the crunk music for the starting lineups with some Bruce Springsteen.

[Mithrandir]

He certainly uses contact to his advantage, but how can you say he's not good at basketball?

Shaq is good at being 7'1" 330. He is not good at playing basketball. I will concede that he is an above-average passer.

Mostly it just disgusts me how much cheating he gets away with though - although it is a problem with the NBA in general. I always like when commentators say things like "Oh, he's just a rookie, no way they are going to give him that call." Huh? Isn't a foul a foul? Either it is against the rules or it isn't. I fail to see in the NBA rulebook where it says that veterans and superstars get special lattitude in the foul department.

I think that it is embarassing for the league to see Shaq stumbling over the line after each feakin' free throw for two years and never getting called for it. Or Shaq putting the ball on the ground while palming it, leaning on it for a while and then picking it back up and starting to dribble without anything being called as he did in last year's playoffs.

Probably my only real complaint against the NBA is the arbitrary enforcement of the rules. The refs have almost become as big of personalities as the players themselves and that is wrong.

[Alram]

That was fun! I like those close games especially when the team I'm rooting for wins.

[Nystul]

Dallas had plenty of opportunities. That last timeout was crazy.

Avery Johnson is a very good coach, but I think he screwed up by giving fouls on Shaq in the overtime period. Putting your own team into the penalty early on purpose is just a bad idea, and they didn't even do it fast enough to force Shaq out for more than a few seconds. If they had a foul to give at the end of the game, maybe they could have stopped the Heat on the final possession.