Official NBA 2010-11 Season Thread

DerrickRose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe9V19ClNn4

(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (3) Dallas Mavericks (lol mavs still)

Oklahoma City comes off of a long seven game series in which their inability to finish games were on display. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have shot lights out and swept Los Angeles. Let's get one thing clear: the result of game one should not be blamed on "rust" or "fatigue". I say this because in almost every conference final, fans of said teams make up excuses for both sides to excuse the fact that they lost the first game. It's either fatigue (the team that just came out of a 6/7 game series) or rust and/or "no competition" (team that just swept). Players can't get rusty if they go to pre-game shootouts and actually practice in-between series, and there's nothing crazy about two day rest.

Regular Season
Regular season is hard to quantify because OKC had Jeff Green and not Perkins. This most likely only affects the overall offense and rebounding. Another interesting thing to note is Westbrook and Durant's scoring in the regular season. First, the Mavericks apparently do better with Westbrook on the floor. Westbrook's 14.9 a game is also worrisome. Who is guarding this guy? It can't be Kidd of all people.. right? I'm guessing that it's probably Stevenson or ... well we'll sure find out. Durant is also apparently only shooting 30 something percent against Stevenson as well. One thing's for sure, Chandler affects both Durant and Westbrook to the same extent. Perhaps it is a forewarning and with that said, Dallas most likely has the regular season leanings.


Perimeter
This is where Oklahoma City excelled in the last series. They have plenty of athletic guys that can finish in transition and an explosive scorer off the bench. Westbrook, just like Rose, is one of the most explosive point guards in transition left in the playoffs. If he isn't scoring well, it'll be hard for them to beat this Dallas team because their scoring outside of Durant and Westbrook is inconsistent (I'm looking at you, Harden).

Dallas may not have a a wing that averages as much as the twosome above, but they are a hell lot more consistent, better shooters, and deeper than the players outside of that two. Oklahoma City outside of Durant, Westbrook, and Harden on good nights is pretty much a three point shooting team that can run and dunk. If Dallas plays a slow tempo, they win any game easy; and that would probably explain Westbrook's low scoring because he's useless in a half-court offense.

By the by, even if Westbrook wins his match-up, I got money on him screwing up in the fourth quarter again.


Frontline
How much of an effect will Perkins have now? I'd say he may have a WORSE effect. He's slower than Chandler and doesn't stand a chance against Dirk, so he's probably a liability on both ends if he isn't rebounding. Ibaka is their best chance against Dirk and even then, that's a stretch. There isn't really much to say here because the Thunder frontline simply doesn't score. They defend, and I doubt they will defend in this series. Yes, even Ibaka.


Zone Defense
The reason I add this is because of an important discovery by Sebestian. The Mavericks probably play the best zone defense in the league, and with Perkins, Oklahoma City is likely to have a harder time scoring this time around (http://nbaplaybook.com/2011/05/17/dallas-zone-and-how-oklahoma-city-will-attack-it/). If OKC does not have a solution for the zone, you can count them out in five.


Comparing Superstars
A lot of people are going to see Durant vs. Dirk in this series, but I expect Dirk to outshine him here. Durant is just an athletic jumpshooter in all honesty. Part of the problem in Durant not getting the ball is because he's not good playing off of it. Dirk gets the ball wherever he wants. Dirk can post and play in both transition and halfcourt. Durant... seems to only do effective in transition. Dirk will have an easier time than Durant if you were to ask me who is going to be the best player on the floor. He's just a more complete player.


Bench
Will Jason Terry outscore the Oklahoma City bench? For some reason, it doesn't sound THAT preposterous. James Harden does light it up sometimes, but these guys depend on transition as much as the starters.


Prediction
I guess it's pretty obvious that I favor Dallas a whole lot in this match-up. In fact, I can't remember the last time I've favored Dallas... it's been so long. With Dallas, comes that imminent chance of choking. It's certainly possible for Oklahoma City to win if Dallas can't control the tempo, but I feel that with Dirk, it'll be easy to contain Durant and Westbrook in the halfcourt.

Dallas has too much of experience, firepower, 4th quarter shooting, ... and Kirby's numbers probably. >_>

Dallas in six.


Lol Mavs Scenario
It'll be 2007 all over again. The Thunder would consistently run and gun with Westbrook all over the place, Ibaka will prove how soft Dirk is, and Harden takes a giant **** on Terry. Good thing they're the Mavericks, right?

One of the reasons I took Blazers earlier in the season was due to my thinking of their guards and forwards probably being able to take their guards off the dribble and we all know how defensively challenged Dallas' guards can be. Only Westbrook and Harden have that sort of ability so perhaps they can shine in this series? I certainly don't expect their frontline to.. anyway.


Overall a lazy effort but meh screw this series tbh.
 

YTP

I'd rather see the Thunder win. Not because I have something against the Mavericks, but I like watching Kevin Durant play
 

DerrickRose

Mavericks playing weird and taking a lot of tough runners and floaters.

Questions to Ask
  • Can Westbrook control the tempo and distribute the scoring better than Jason Kidd or Dirk Nowitzki?
  • Can the Mavericks' perimeter players keep quick guys in front of them?
  • Can OKC score on the zone defense?
  • Terry or Harden?
 
CaptKirby

CaptKirby

as someone who lived in Dallas his whole life except going to the University of Texas, my last year with tickets being the year Durant was there, this game has been about the sexiest possible outcome so far

Dirk wants the finals so badly, and we are going to get it
 

Ryan3E

All I hope is that Dallas doesn't win the title this year, not because I don't like the team, but because I do not like Mark Cuban. Dirk plays like every foreign power forward should play like (ahem Pau) and Dallas's bench is stacked with offensive superstars (ok maybe not superstars) in Terry, Stojakovic, and the lesser known players like Barea. However, Cuban always comes off as extremely arrogant (as Kobe probably does to most non-Laker fans) like he is the king of the world. In addition, I just want all the Mavericks "fans" that go to my school (I go to high school in So Cal) to just shut up. I mean I give total respect to all the real Mavericks fans who have stuck with them even after their 06 blunder.

Bulls over Heat in 6
Mavs over Thunder in 7

Bulls over Mavs in 7
 
CaptKirby

CaptKirby

boohoo, you dislike an owner who loves his team, is a true fan albeit a little bit of a loudmouth, and who took a wretched franchise from a bottom tier to decade long contender; comparing Cuban to Kobe is ridiculous

lol wait what stuck with them after we were refjobbed? gee, that was so hard to get through; 07 was embarrassing, 06 was only us being robbed

oh and the reason I came to post

DIRK
IS
UNSTOPPABLE

HERE WE COME FINALS
 

DerrickRose

SebastianPruiti SebastianPruiti
RT @treykerby: Both JVG and Mark Jackson wanted Thabo on Dirk, and both are potential head coach candidates. File that away.
 

YTP

I now see why people tend to complain about refs whenever Dirk is in a game. This is just absurd. *thunder player touches Dirk* *ref calls foul*
 
CaptKirby

CaptKirby

we have one title

I just want to disclaim that the Thabo foul called just now was bullshit, but the referees have been calling the game that tight on both games..it is sad that the referees decided from 10 seconds into the game to call fouls obsessively

that being said, 18-18??? holy fuck Dirk

EDIT: hey look at YTP act like only Dirk is getting the calls, when a dumb foul is called the next play for the Thunder; it is going BOTH ways, the referees were after Chandler all game too for instance...the Thunder have more free throws YTP, you are just fixating
 
CaptKirby

CaptKirby

we beat the Heat 5/6 games, why do we have to go over this every time? you have seen me claim it before DerrickRose, I am never going to stop...it is not a personal thing, I view the Seahawks as a Super Bowl winner too.
 

Shinryu

As I thought, Thunder have no answer for Dirk really...sure they can hype up the mismatch between Kidd and Westbrook, but as long as Kidd can get the ball off to someone and at least pressure Westbrook and his shots, nothing they can't overcome. Dallas within 6.
 

YTP

Bad reffing aside, Durant puts up 40 and Westbrook has a horrible shooting night and puts up ~20. BAD REFFING ASIDE, it looks like the thunder will only lose by single digits.

IMO this series will be a lot closer, especially if the thunder don't give up like they haven't tonight.
 
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