2013 NBA Playoffs

[pmoehrin]

I thought Memphis was going to put up a much better fight then they did.

They clearly dogged it at points in game four and they're lucky it was as close of a game as it was.

San Antonio for their credit won every key matchup they had to, the biggest one being inside with Duncan. For him to do what he did at 36 years old against what's arguably the best front court in the NBA is nothing short of astounding. A lot of people were focusing on Parker and rightfully so in many ways, but Duncan I thought was the key for the Spurs success in this series. He had to play great in order for San Antonio to have a shot in the series and with the exception of game one that's exactly what he did.

As for Memphis, a team where I wonder if this was the best shot they were ever going to get at winning an NBA title. Conley has some upside to him but that's pretty much it. Everyone else is as good as they're going to get right now. They're not going to blow this team up, nor should they, but it is a team where you do have to starting saying if not this year then when?

Also why they haven't locked up Lionel Hollins I have no idea. For whatever reason it just seems like ownership does not like him and wants to go in another direction. I think its just typical ego BS. (Its not really a win if its won by a coach that somebody else hired.) My only concern is its only a good idea to fire a coach if you can get a better replacement and who the hell do the Grizzlies really think they can get that will be a better hire then Lionel Hollins? If I'm a team looking for a head coach this is probably the first guy I'm placing a call to and I think he is going to get a boat load of money from somebody. Its just not going to be Memphis.

[The_Admiral]

You can't have a Hollins and a Hollinger on the same staff. Their mail will get mixed up!

But seriously I'm bummed out that the Grizzlies ran out of steam the way they did. I would have loved to see them go all the way this year. Good town, good people, good team.

[DG_YouKnowWhatThatMeans]

So... Spurs vs Heat?

Huzzah. Basketball is saved.

We went from possibilities of Golden State or Memphis or Indiana, but nope. Same old, same old. Build me up with possibilities, and crush me with your reality, NBA.

The Spurs haven't made the Finals in six years and they've never played the Heat in one. The Pacers (who are only down one game!) haven't made the finals in more than a decade and have never played the Spurs in the NBA Finals.

I don't see what the problem is.

[cshookemHORNS]

So... Spurs vs Heat?

Huzzah. Basketball is saved.

We went from possibilities of Golden State or Memphis or Indiana, but nope. Same old, same old. Build me up with possibilities, and crush me with your reality, NBA.

The Spurs haven't made the Finals in six years and they've never played the Heat in one. The Pacers (who are only down one game!) haven't made the finals in more than a decade and have never played the Spurs in the NBA Finals.

I don't see what the problem is.

It's not the Lakers

[Lights Out]

So... Spurs vs Heat?

Gonna be a good series. I'd be happy no matter what, since either Duncan or LeBron will be getting another ring.

[Lee Noire]

Well if that ends up being the matchup there are some decent storylines there. Spurs possibly making a final stand for the ring with this "old" team and LeBron getting payback on the Spurs from that 2007 Finals sweep.

[zpqmaowl]

LeBron sees point to flopping

[Lights Out]

Lots of big coaching news today...

Hawks hire Mike Budenholzer

Mike Malone "a lock" to be the Kings' new coach

Clippers looking at Lionel Hollins, Jeff Van Gundy, and Brian Shaw; Shaw seems to be the players' choice

[The_Admiral]

Hard to go wrong with a Spurs associate. All three of the Clippers' choices seem solid, but I'd be iffy about Jeff Van Gundy. Hollins is a proven commodity without being a tired retread, and Shaw has been a Next Big Thing for years. I don't remember who Mike Malone is.

[Lights Out]

Malone's been an assistant coach for a while. Started out with the Knicks, but has also coached for the Cavs, Hornets and most recently the Warriors.

[pmoehrin]

Hard to go wrong with a Spurs associate. All three of the Clippers' choices seem solid, but I'd be iffy about Jeff Van Gundy. Hollins is a proven commodity without being a tired retread, and Shaw has been a Next Big Thing for years. I don't remember who Mike Malone is.

Malone is basically a no name assistant who's bounced around with a few teams, most recently Golden State with Mark Jackson's staff.

Don't really know much about him beyond that. My guess is he'll probably be coming in with that Larry Brown half court style transition offense approach given who he's worked for. (Mike Brown, Mark Jackson, Lenny Wilkins, Don Chaney) It may not be a bad fit for them.

I just wonder if the Kings are one of the teams any coach can do much with. They're young and have some upside to them, but I question how much upside and they also have zero depth. So its going to be a couple years at least before this team is relevant again.

Jeff Van Gundy I could see coaching the Clippers, not sure if Lionel would be a good considering what the Clippers want to do as a team and what he wants to do. I wouldn't want to get too far away from what Del Negro's style was, because they did have some success with it and Lionel Hollins would be almost a complete 180. Jeff would be much more of a lateral move at least strategy wise.

Shaw would be an interesting choice, but as he said himself being Phil Jackson's assistant is probably hurting him a lot more then its helping him. I could see Phil Jackson being very difficult to work with from a GM's perspective. Not that's its necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean you have less say in the day to day operations of things and Jackson probably passed that philosophy on to Shaw.

Brian Shaw could very well be the best coach in the NBA never to have a head coaching gig, but I kind of wonder like Hollins is his style going to be too much of a departure away from what Del Negro was trying to do to really be effective?

Larry Drew's firing is one of the more questionable ones to me, but I think they got a really good potential find in Budenholzer and its a team that's going to be in a bit time rebuilding mode as well, so the style question wasn't an issue for Atlanta, because they can pretty much turn over the whole roster in two years away.

[pmoehrin]

Double post

[Lights Out]

Considering Vinny Del Negro's "style" lost the locker room two years in a row and resulted in a 2-8 record in the Clippers' last ten playoff games, I don't see the Clippers worrying too much about abandoning that. As soon as the next coach starts implementing actual plays on offense, they've pretty much abandoned VDN's "style" already.

[DG_YouKnowWhatThatMeans]

When Jeff Van Gundy was the Knicks coach I thought he was just the greatest. When he went to the Rockets, I thought for sure they were going to win a championship (hey -- remember the Yao Ming era?). Now that I hear him on NBA on ESPN games doing his best to out-smarm Bill Walton, I hope I never see him again. For someone who acts like the smartest guy in the room, he hasn't really accomplished all that much.

[dfwabel]

Michael Malone is not a no name. Hell, he is Brendan Malone's kid (pretty much enough in NBA circles) and has been on GMs radar for three seasons. He was named top assistant by GMs in 2012.

But in Atlanta, doesn't anybody see that Ferry failed in making "Spurs North" (aka CLE), and is trying to make ATL, "Spurs East"? Starting with a Popavich assistant as HC, he is doing the same thing over again but here he has to immediately have to worry about Josh Smith as opposed to have years to develop around LeBron.

[Lee Noire]

Considering Vinny Del Negro's "style" lost the locker room two years in a row and resulted in a 2-8 record in the Clippers' last ten playoff games, I don't see the Clippers worrying too much about abandoning that. As soon as the next coach starts implementing actual plays on offense, they've pretty much abandoned VDN's "style" already.

I for one would be happy to see an actual half court offense. Run and gun got the Clips a lot of wins but none that mattered come playoff time. My concern is the bigs. As we have seen Blake and DJ aren't exactly Gasol and Z-Bo in the paint.

[Eye]

Considering Vinny Del Negro's "style" lost the locker room two years in a row and resulted in a 2-8 record in the Clippers' last ten playoff games, I don't see the Clippers worrying too much about abandoning that. As soon as the next coach starts implementing actual plays on offense, they've pretty much abandoned VDN's "style" already.

I for one would be happy to see an actual half court offense. Run and gun got the Clips a lot of wins but none that mattered come playoff time. My concern is the bigs. As we have seen Blake and DJ aren't exactly Gasol and Z-Bo in the paint.

Who's DJ and what's a Z-Bo?

[DG_YouKnowWhatThatMeans]

Bill Simmons is a dummy (I finally finished The Book of Basketball), but he's right about one thing -- the NBA was better when teams didn't like each other.

Check out the foul and shove by Isaiah Thomas at the 4-minute mark:

Awesome. Those Pistons were dicks.

[Lights Out]

Who's DJ and what's a Z-Bo?

DJ = DeAndre Jordan

ZBo = Zach Randolph

[NEW.ERA]

Saying this.

I think if the Pacers win tonight. It's not coming back to Indianapolis.