2011-12 NBA Season

[The_Admiral]

If they made the playoffs in spite of him, then he didn't get them in. If my car breaks down and I have to walk the rest the way to my destination, my car did not get me to my destination; I got there in spite of my car.

He's an assclown who is not only abjectly horrid at his job, but also used his ever-fleeting moment in the sun to take shots at the team that fired him, despite the fact that said team worked angles behind the scenes to get him his new job. What a peen. He can't be launched soon enough.

[Billy B]

It's kind of funny that Del Negro even became a head coach given how bad of a defensive player he was. The "Vinny Del Negro defense" where four players have to play extra hard to make up for one guy that can't play D that you always hear announcers talk about during Spurs games isn't really what you expect from a player that goes on to coach.

[pmoehrin]

It's kind of funny that Del Negro even became a head coach given how bad of a defensive player he was. The "Vinny Del Negro defense" where four players have to play extra hard to make up for one guy that can't play D that you always hear announcers talk about during Spurs games isn't really what you expect from a player that goes on to coach.

I can't fault Vinny for that because I've heard that theory as well.

It sounds bad but some guys just can't play defense.

To me the Spurs are just flat out better then the Clippers. I said that after game one. I don't think any defense could hold that team to 85 points. I've just never seen a team run that complex of an offense that efficiently.

[dfwabel]

Really tough loss for the Clippers but I expected to lose this one anyway. Time to start looking forward to the offseason, I guess.

First order of business: FIRE VINNY. I will never understand how he could just stand there slackjawed on the sideline while the team was getting their asses kicked and not realize that adjustments needed to be made. Somehow, this guy has spent so many years in the NBA as a player, front-office guy, and coach, yet he has the basketball IQ of someone who just learned about the sport today.

What is the Basketball IQ of 'Lights Out'?

If he did nothing during the reduction of the lead, did he do anything for them to have a 20+ point lead in the Q1?

Seriously, in terms of North American pro sport, winning a NBA title is the most difficult of them all. There have been 61 NBA Finals and 33 have been won by either the Celtics or Lakers and six franchises have won another 17.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Yeah, I wouldn't say it as harshly as dwfabel, but the Clippers aren't winning a championship any time soon. In the NBA, teams like the Clippers don't win. They have nice playoff runs (see: Kings, Suns, and Nuggets of the past decade), but they always lose to the Lakers or that decade's analogue. It's just how the league works.

EDIT: Question: Is Mike Brown a good coach?

[Kramerica Industries]

Not at all.

[Island_Style]

Yeah, I wouldn't say it as harshly as dwfabel, but the Clippers aren't winning a championship any time soon. In the NBA, teams like the Clippers don't win. They have nice playoff runs (see: Kings, Suns, and Nuggets of the past decade), but they always lose to the Lakers or that decade's analogue. It's just how the league works.

EDIT: Question: Is Mike Brown a good coach?

And that is why the NBA is in last place for me.

[dfwabel]

Yeah, I wouldn't say it as harshly as dwfabel, but the Clippers aren't winning a championship any time soon. In the NBA, teams like the Clippers don't win. They have nice playoff runs (see: Kings, Suns, and Nuggets of the past decade), but they always lose to the Lakers or that decade's analogue. It's just how the league works.

EDIT: Question: Is Mike Brown a good coach?

Who really knows? From the start of his career with LeBron, it seems that he was just rolling the balls out in practice. As for with the LAL, it seems that it could be the same. However, it took Rick Carlisle three teams to with a title when it seemed that he took over very good teams in IND and DET, yet he did not win.

Was he a bad coach then? Is he a bad or lesser coach now since he could not even get out of the first round after winning a title?

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Yeah, I wouldn't say it as harshly as dwfabel, but the Clippers aren't winning a championship any time soon. In the NBA, teams like the Clippers don't win. They have nice playoff runs (see: Kings, Suns, and Nuggets of the past decade), but they always lose to the Lakers or that decade's analogue. It's just how the league works.

EDIT: Question: Is Mike Brown a good coach?

And that is why the NBA is in last place for me.

Watching the NBA is a whole lot more fun when you don't have a favorite team. I watch it more like an overarching TV show instead of a league that houses a particular sports team I root for.

So long as a single player can dominate the league and has a preference to stay with one team, it'll always be thus.

[loogodude90]

Watching the NBA is a whole lot more fun when you don't have a favorite team.

Really? My interest in the NBA pretty much plummets at the end of the regular season, which is usually the point at which my team stops playing. I loosely watch the Finals, but my interest in the playoffs is pretty much restricted to SportsCenter highlights.

I don't think I would watch the NBA if I didn't have a team to root for, even if my team sucks.

[Kramerica Industries]

Russell Westbrook falls victim to the recent events at Staples Center.

Thunder better hope it's nothing too serious.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Watching the NBA is a whole lot more fun when you don't have a favorite team.

Really? My interest in the NBA pretty much plummets at the end of the regular season, which is usually the point at which my team stops playing. I loosely watch the Finals, but my interest in the playoffs is pretty much restricted to SportsCenter highlights.

I don't think I would watch the NBA if I didn't have a team to root for, even if my team sucks.

I have friends who are huge college basketball fans but don't root for any particular team. They enjoy watching contenders rise throughout the year and then make their way through the tournament. For me, it's kind of the same thing with the NBA. You chart which teams are having good seasons through the year, and then watch it all come together in the playoffs. It's like a two-month finale to a TV show you don't necessarily need to watch through the year to understand.

[Cujo]

Amirite?

[Cujo]

It feels like the Lakers should be up 20, but the Thunder are somehow hanging in.

All I know is L.A. better not lose this one. I don't think Staples could handle another colossal meltdown.

[The_Admiral]

Amirite?

No, the convention is for NBA teams to go fishing.

[Kramerica Industries]

Lakers blew Game 2, and have now blown their lead they have all game with a minute left.

They really need this game tonight. Champions don't blow numerous opportunities when they are underdogs.

UPDATE - Kevin Durant is a cold-blooded mother- er. And this is probably the death blow to this era of Laker basketball. Just like Dallas, this is made worse by the fact they very easily could (should?) be up 3-1, not down 3-1, but it is what it is. Oklahoma City has learned how to win these tough games that they otherwise have no business winning.

What I find hard to believe is a team with Kobe Bryant could blow two games out of three in this fashion.

[Cujo]

The Clips' and Lakers' seasons both died at Staples today. A pathetic showing by both Los Angeles teams.

[Rockstar Matt]

Well, it looks like we're finished. Hopefully we can regroup in the off-season and be better next year. Oh well. We had a good year.

All I can say now is...

Go Thunder. Please beat the Spurs and anybody else that comes out of the East!

[Cujo]

No, the convention is for NBA teams to go fishing.

[NJTank]

The Lakers are in that Red Wing, Patriot, Yankee class where nobody sheds a tear for their fans when they get bounced because they have had so much recent success.