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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
jazz fans threw stuff at the wrong people....not the spurs, you should've thrown stuff at the REFS!!! haha oh well, it was not a class act of them to do any throwing.
Spurs played well, they kept their heads up during Utah's run and shut them down, but the refs ruined it at the endComment
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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
When did the NBA become like Soccer where flopping and faking getting knocked on your *** is rewarded.
reason #2000 I don't watch the NBA any longer. The league is a joke.Comment
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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
Thoughts on Billups v. The Cavs?
Detroit's misfiring Piston
By Steve Kerr
Monday, May 28, 2007 1:27 am EDT
CLEVELAND -- One bad game is a fluke. Two bad ones is a trend. Three in a row? It's a reality.
And with that said, I think it's safe to say that Chauncey Billups -- for whatever reason -- does not match up well against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Detroit Pistons' All-Star point guard, by his lofty standards, was once again awful in Sunday's 88-82 defeat to Cleveland. Billups committed five more turnovers (giving him 17 for the series) and shot 4-for-14 from the field. Despite making a couple of late buckets to keep his team close, he never was able to control the game as he normally does, looking frazzled on the court, missing shots and making poor decisions with the ball.
The normally unflappable Billups simply cannot find his comfort zone against the Cavaliers. The question is "Why?" What is it about Cleveland's defense that makes things so difficult for Billups?
Here's what I see:
1. The Cavaliers speed him up. Billups likes to play the game at a deliberate, controlled pace. But with the Cavs blitzing every screen and roll, they're forcing Billups to move more quickly than he likes. He has to get rid of the ball earlier than he wants, and as a result, he's not getting to his favorite spots on the floor.
2. Cleveland's size is bothering him. Billups is being guarded by either Larry Hughes, Sasha Pavlovic or LeBron James most of the time. Each is at least 6-foot-5, athletic and long armed. They're all able to cut off passing angles that Billups normally has, and they're fast enough to stay in front of him. Perhaps most importantly, all three have the strength to deal with his back-down game, which is a big part of his repertoire. Then, on the screen and roll, long-armed, active bigs like Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao attack him with traps. The overall size and length of the Cavs' D is disrupting Billups' preferred slow tempo.
3. Surprisingly, Daniel Gibson is doing a good job on him. Gibson has played quite a bit the last two games because Cleveland has to have a shooter on the floor. The fear for the Cavaliers was that defensively Gibson would not be able to handle Billups' strength. But each time Billups has attempted to post up Gibson, the Cavs' rookie handled the matchup well and forced tough shots.
Billups is the head of the snake for Detroit. Even though the Pistons are incredibly balanced, he is the leader of the team. When you take him away, you have a much better chance of winning the game.
Cleveland blew two golden opportunities to win at the Palace, but it got back in the series with Sunday's Game 3 win. What I'd be worried about if I were a Pistons fan is the fact that Billups hasn't played well at all in the series, and he appears rattled. Can he get it going? Can he settle himself -- and his team -- down enough for Detroit to regain the momentum in Game 4 on Tuesday? We'll see.Comment
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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
For the past three years that i've been watching the spurs play in the playoffs i feel like im watchin vince mcmahon continually find cheap ways to beat the rock. the nba refs have no more validity in my eyes than wrestling refs. and the only reason the spurs are so good is because they get calls that everyone else doesnt get for some reason. if u think about it, as a defender u have to respect the fact that ginobli is going to get a call if u lay a finger on him. therefore it makes him that much better of a player. why the hell do u think he doesn't dominate for the argentinian team????Comment
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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
Hopefully the Spurs can take it all at home and end the Jazz's season.
Get Timmy another finals MVP.Comment
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Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***
You said you hate the NBA...so why post in the NBA forums?
Personally, I'd rather watch paint dry than watch baseball. I find baseball the most boring sport in the world. Just a complete waste of time.
I don't go over to the baseball forums to say "reason number 200000000 i don't watch this crap" though...
The baseball forums are there for people who like it. Not for me to come over and tell them i don't like it...Comment
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Nice.
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