2014 NBA Playoff thread

[Superbone]

"No. I don't need to get off with Stephenson," James said.

I sure hope not.

Stephenson can talk all the way through his team's series loss to the Heat. I don't think it'll make much difference.

 

[Lorenzo]

Man these playoffs suck for me. I don't want the spurs or heat to win. but I don't really like OKC either. I guess I'm rooting for indiana but I really don't like their players either. I would like to see durant win a ring if possible. the spurs fans seem to think their series is over. I hope they cry soon.

 

[Lorenzo]

I sure hope not.

Stephenson can talk all the way through his team's series loss to the Heat. I don't think it'll make much difference.

who knows. I thought jason terry and desaun stevenson were idiots for talking crap about lebron, but dwade was doing the same thing to dirk. it seemed like it motivated dallas in that series. I think at the end of the day trash talk doesn't make any difference at all. the best team will win, but players do it to motivate themselves or get under someone elses skin.

 

[Lorenzo]

I remember Cuban making a big stink about this a few years ago with Dirk always on the national team. I can't remember specifically the outcome but I believe he basically made the German national team pay to insure against his contract should an injury occur.

I don't know if that happened or not. but I do know that he talked dirk out of playing some of the time and I think it helped him in the end.

 

[Russ Smith]

Stephenson is almost going Rodman against Pippen with LeBron he's clearly trying to instigate and see if he can get LeBron to snap and get a T or something.

But the worst last night was Battier at the end there. First that out of bounds play my goodness one arm over George, the other hand grabbing his jersey, no foul ball out and then he starts his blank eating grin stuff because it was clear the replay wasn't conclusive and they were going to give the ball to the Pacers. What a tool he knows damn well he fouled the guy repeatedly but he has to show the refs up.

Then they inbound it again and he grabs George pulls him forward and then flops and they call the foul on him and same stupid grin walking around acting like he got robbed.

One of my least favorite players in the NBA in years

 

[Absolute Zero]

Stephenson is almost going Rodman against Pippen with LeBron he's clearly trying to instigate and see if he can get LeBron to snap and get a T or something.

But the worst last night was Battier at the end there. First that out of bounds play my goodness one arm over George, the other hand grabbing his jersey, no foul ball out and then he starts his blank eating grin stuff because it was clear the replay wasn't conclusive and they were going to give the ball to the Pacers. What a tool he knows damn well he fouled the guy repeatedly but he has to show the refs up.

Then they inbound it again and he grabs George pulls him forward and then flops and they call the foul on him and same stupid grin walking around acting like he got robbed.

One of my least favorite players in the NBA in years

Ya, Battier is a tool all right. Glad they called him on it.

I didn't see the game, but was listening to Fox Sports NW at the time and they were going off about a bunch of blown calls down the stretch in favor of the Pacers. Sounded like it included another one of those out of bounds plays where the replay showed it was off the Pacers, but they gave the Pacers the ball.

 

[Russ Smith]

Ya, Battier is a tool all right. Glad they called him on it.

I didn't see the game, but was listening to Fox Sports NW at the time and they were going off about a bunch of blown calls down the stretch in favor of the Pacers. Sounded like it included another one of those out of bounds plays where the replay showed it was off the Pacers, but they gave the Pacers the ball.

That's the play. The inbound to George, Battier fouls him the ball goes out no foul Pacers ball. Battier immediately starts demanding a replay. The first angle looks like off Battier, 2nd angle off George, 3rd angle off Battier. The announcers all agreed they could not tell and expected the ball to stay with the Pacers which was the eventual call.

But the whole thing was Battier fouled the hell out of George, twice, and then acted like they got robbed when they didn't get the ball. I think overall the Pacers got more calls, but that play was a clear example of Battier just being Battier.

 

[SO91]

Stephenson is almost going Rodman against Pippen with LeBron he's clearly trying to instigate and see if he can get LeBron to snap and get a T or something.

But the worst last night was Battier at the end there. First that out of bounds play my goodness one arm over George, the other hand grabbing his jersey, no foul ball out and then he starts his blank eating grin stuff because it was clear the replay wasn't conclusive and they were going to give the ball to the Pacers. What a tool he knows damn well he fouled the guy repeatedly but he has to show the refs up.

Then they inbound it again and he grabs George pulls him forward and then flops and they call the foul on him and same stupid grin walking around acting like he got robbed.

One of my least favorite players in the NBA in years

Yeah Eff that guy. I've hated him since '01

 

[Phrazbit]

I'd hate to be the team that pays Stephenson this summer. He is acting like an entitled, cancerous, lunatic while making 6 figures, I cannot imagine how insufferable he would become if someone is dumb enough to give him an 8 figure deal for 3 or 4 years.

I would think that this clown act is costing Lance millions but after an inferior player like Tyreke Evans got paid 44 million as his reward being an inefficient, cancerous, chucker who didnt even pretend to play defense on a trash team... not much would surprise me with Lance.

 

[Russ Smith]

I'd hate to be the team that pays Stephenson this summer. He is acting like an entitled, cancerous, lunatic while making 6 figures, I cannot imagine how insufferable he would become if someone is dumb enough to give him an 8 figure deal for 3 or 4 years.

I would think that this clown act is costing Lance millions but after an inferior player like Tyreke Evans got paid 44 million as his reward being an inefficient, cancerous, chucker who didnt even pretend to play defense on a trash team... not much would surprise me with Lance.

That's just his MO. Remember this is a kid that made his entire reputation in an AAU game when he was like 14 or 15 because he challenged OJ Mayo. Apparently Mayo outplayed him but people were impressed that Stephenson went after him and he was 4-5 years younger so that and the Born Ready from the same folks that brought us the Marbury family made him famous overnight.

He's actually a reasonably good player, just not nearly as good as he thinks, and he's just a bit too borderline dirty for my taste.

 

[Phrazbit]

He's actually a reasonably good player, just not nearly as good as he thinks, and he's just a bit too borderline dirty for my taste.

I'd agree with that, and add that he seems a bit mentally unstable and I question if his motivation would evaporate once he got paid.

I was not trying to say he was similar to Tyreke Evans in terms of impact, because Lance absolutely tries on defense. But I would think Lance will use Tyreke's awful contract as a benchmark for what he should get paid this summer.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I still can't believe Duncan hit that 3 against us back in the day.

 

[Russ Smith]

I'd agree with that, and add that he seems a bit mentally unstable and I question if his motivation would evaporate once he got paid.

I was not trying to say he was similar to Tyreke Evans in terms of impact, because Lance absolutely tries on defense. But I would think Lance will use Tyreke's awful contract as a benchmark for what he should get paid this summer.

Yeah there is something about him that's just not "right". Very highly regarded kid but there's a reason he wound up not going to any of the D1 basketball powerhouses, it wasn't just grades or questions about amateur status, there were several reports about how people just didn't think he was a good fit for their team. I seem to recall him getting sent home from tryouts for a national team at one point and some other stuff.

He's got a lot of Ron Artest in him.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Stephenson is just playing BS crap out there now. Can't root for that guy. I hope LeBron drops 50 on him and Bird kicks his ass out the door after. he already told him in the media to drop the Rodman act and he comes out just goes after the garbage even harder.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Miami wins this game by 40.

Did anyone just see that pass by LeBron to Battier for 3? The guy is ridiculous. How the hell he only scored 7 points in that last game is anyone's guess.

 

[Finito]

Lance getting a bad rap. He is a bit Rodman in his antics but there is a method to his madness. He's the only one out there actually competing and showing any signs of life

 

[Cheesebeef]

Looks like the Heat found their latest Dust off the old vet ala Battier/Miller with Rasharf Lewis.

 

[Finito]

Pacers will never win anything serious as long as Roy Hibbert is a critical part of there team. They just don't have that toughness that fight in them. You just see there body language tonight. Stevenson the only guy who looked like he actually wanted a piece of the Heat tonight.

 

[Cheesebeef]

nice little moment between LeBron and Stevenson.

 

[SirStefan32]

Pacers will never win anything serious as long as Roy Hibbert is a critical part of there team. They just don't have that toughness that fight in them. You just see there body language tonight. Stevenson the only guy who looked like he actually wanted a piece of the Heat tonight.

I think the Pacers did as well as they could with their current roster. George is just not a Superstar (yet, anyway), West was out of energy in quite a few games, Hibbert has been extremely inconsistent, and Stephenson is a knucklehead.

 

[Finito]

How can anyone not like Lebron James.

 

[Finito]

I think it's complete BS how Frank Vogel is throwing Lance under the bus. Saying it hurt them and "I don't think it's good to tug on supermans cape"

So what are you supposed to do? Just be afraid of superman that's exactly the Pacers problem. There scared of the Heat this isn't Lance fault someone want to tell me what Paul George did tonight? Someone forget to tell Roy Hibbert there was a game today?

 

[TJ]

I think it's complete BS how Frank Vogel is throwing Lance under the bus. Saying it hurt them and "I don't think it's good to tug on supermans cape"

So what are you supposed to do? Just be afraid of superman that's exactly the Pacers problem. There scared of the Heat this isn't Lance fault someone want to tell me what Paul George did tonight? Someone forget to tell Roy Hibbert there was a game today?

What good does it do to try and annoy Lebron? He's not going to fade because some clown is blowing into his ear. If anything, it's going to motivate Lebron even more than he already is to close out the series along with helping the rest of the team rally around him. In addition, Lance's antics also caused an unnecessary distraction for the team. It was the main topic for media reporters and people like Larry Bird and Vogel had to tell him to stop trolling. It was clear that Indiana was not focused tonight, and I'd have to imagine it was large in part due to Lance's conduct on the court.

 

[Finito]

What good does it do to try and annoy Lebron? He's not going to fade because some clown is blowing into his ear. If anything, it's going to motivate Lebron even more than he already is to close out the series along with helping the rest of the team rally around him. In addition, Lance's antics also caused an unnecessary distraction for the team. It was the main topic for media reporters and people like Larry Bird and Vogel had to tell him to stop trolling. It was clear that Indiana was not focused tonight, and I'd have to imagine it was large in part due to Lance's conduct on the court.

He's got to try and do something. They say hey Lance go guard Lebron yeah I know your giving up 5 inches and 30lbs but do your best. Don't get it twisted Lebron is a champion as good as it gets maybe ever he's going to bring his A game in these situations no matter what's going on. That's a BS argument Lebron had been to the finals now 5 times in his career Lebron motivates Lebron.

That's the Pacers problem they've been eliminated by the Heat 3 straight years you can tell you can just look at them some of those guys wanted no part of this game when it started going south in the first quarter like here we go again and they laid down. That effort was embarrassing in an elimination game. To blame that on Lance is crazy he's the only guy that wanted as piece of the Heat tonight. I'll tell you who didn't want any part of this game that big 7 footer who was supposed to be the difference. That guy is about as fragile as it gets and that has effected them more than Lance.

What Lance was doing was no different than Bruce Bowen, Arrest or Rodman the difference is those guys played with leaders who had there backs. Instead the Pacers were looking for someone to blame cause they don't have a leader. Can you imagine Jordan going to Rodman saying awe come on Dennis don't make Karl Mad your just gonna motivate him and then we're gonna be in trouble.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I really think Westbrook just might be a better big game player than Durant...


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