SPURS - NBA CHAMPIONS/Winner Announced for PS3Forums.com NBA Playoff Betting

[L0ST]

Well wizards are pretty much done with the post season, they lost Arenas to a knee injury. Washington is basically screwed, no chance to go anywhere without arenas...

[KioKurama]

Pistons gonna take it all this year.

[dc writer]

I'm hoping Miami don't overtake Raps for the 3rd seed. Raps want to face Wiz in 1st round

Alright guys, I'm hyped up for the playoffs! I'm pullin for the Raps baby! I would put them as the dark horse in the east.

injuries to key players and they keep winning! 3rd best team in east this year.

[airupthere23]

Cavs and Heat are in overtime right now... Making me a little nervous. If we (Cavs) lose this game we drop from 2nd to 5th in the East.

[netbevit]

Los Angeles is a playoff team but the Suns and Mavs aren't? Ha, great idea you have there.

Just because your team makes the playoffs consistently, does not make them a playoff team. The Dallas Mavericks are far from a "playoff" team. They're a regular season team at this point. They dominate the regular season and then always manage to either barely skid by in the playoffs until finally choking everything away or they don't skid at all and just flat out choke.

Dirk Nowitzki never shows up in the playoffs when it matters most. He's always MIA. He needs to develop into a leader and show the ability to lead his team to something more than just constant disappointment.

Playoff teams win championships. They play as a unit and they play stronger in order to achieve their goals. That's what makes teams like the Spurs, Pistons, Heat, etc... "playoff teams"... Championships speak volumes. The Mavericks are on mute.

[Blu-Ray]

Just because your team makes the playoffs consistently, does not make them a playoff team. The Dallas Mavericks are far from a "playoff" team. They're a regular season team at this point. They dominate the regular season and then always manage to either barely skid by in the playoffs until finally choking everything away or they don't skid at all and just flat out choke.

Dirk Nowitzki never shows up in the playoffs when it matters most. He's always MIA. He needs to develop into a leader and show the ability to lead his team to something more than just constant disappointment.

Playoff teams win championships. They play as a unit and they play stronger in order to achieve their goals. That's what makes teams like the Spurs, Pistons, Heat, etc... "playoff teams"... Championships speak volumes. The Mavericks are on mute.

Wow man! You abosolutely pwned with that post... I'll rep you for that one. I will alos rep you because you are one of the only people on the forums who spoke positively about my hometown Detroit Pistons.

[L0ST]

Just because your team makes the playoffs consistently, does not make them a playoff team. The Dallas Mavericks are far from a "playoff" team. They're a regular season team at this point. They dominate the regular season and then always manage to either barely skid by in the playoffs until finally choking everything away or they don't skid at all and just flat out choke.

Dirk Nowitzki never shows up in the playoffs when it matters most. He's always MIA. He needs to develop into a leader and show the ability to lead his team to something more than just constant disappointment.

Playoff teams win championships. They play as a unit and they play stronger in order to achieve their goals. That's what makes teams like the Spurs, Pistons, Heat, etc... "playoff teams"... Championships speak volumes. The Mavericks are on mute.

Um if you can lead your team to the NBA finals ill consider that team a playoff team. Since the mavs beat the almighty spurs to goto the finals, i consider them a playoff team.

[Fedos]

Well, I don't think you can say that the Mavs aren't a playoff team based on the fact that they've never won a title. As Lost mentioned, they eliminated the Spurs last season, a core group of which Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli have won two titles in the last four years, and they also--as stated--made it to the Finals.

Another thing you'd have to consider is that the Mavs experienced heartbreak last year. Experiencing heartbreak the way that they did a lot of times is necessary to finally win a title, at least I'd say so. I'll use my Pistons as an example. During the playoffs of the 02/03 season, the Pistons made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, and got swept handily by the Nets. The next season, they won the championship. Going through those kinds of experiences a lot of times will do the job in terms of propelling a team with talent and chemistry to a championship.

[netbevit]

Um if you can lead your team to the NBA finals ill consider that team a playoff team. Since the mavs beat the almighty spurs to goto the finals, i consider them a playoff team.

Jason Kidd led the New Jersey Nets to 2 NBA Finals in a row. They are hardly a "playoff" team. They can hardly be a .500 team with BETTER talent now than what they had then...

Dirk Nowitzki lead his Mavericks to a finals after beating a team that was missing the most dominant player they have on the court in Amare Stoudemire. As Phoenix has proven in the past in 7 game series' against Dallas, the Mavericks are incapable of beating a healthy Suns team in a 7 game set. They never have and they never will be able to because Dirk Nowitzki chooses not to take games into his own hands when it is needed...

At full strength, the Mavericks don't beat the Suns last year in the playoffs. Instead they choke then and there instead of in the finals against the Heat after going up 2-0. Leaders elevate the players around them to play at a whole different level. Dirk Nowitzki does not provide this for the Mavericks and they suffer because of it. Duncan provided this for the Spurs, Wade does it for the Heat, Chauncey does it for the Pistons, Kobe/Shaq didn't have to do this at all but then again, Dirk doesn't have a Shaq to make himself not have to elevate the guys around him... Jordan did it before then, Olajuwan with the Rockets... Magic with the Lakers... Byrd with the Celtics, and so on and so forth... Leadership and defense gains Championships... You don't win one without the other and it rarely occurs as it did with Shaq/Kobe which was just too much to compete with...

Playoff Teams are built around "leadership" and the way a team can unite and strengthen themselves behind that concept.

Case in point. Playoff teams win championships, not consolation prizes.

Well, I don't think you can say that the Mavs aren't a playoff team based on the fact that they've never won a title. As Lost mentioned, they eliminated the Spurs last season, a core group of which Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli have won two titles in the last four years, and they also--as stated--made it to the Finals.

Another thing you'd have to consider is that the Mavs experienced heartbreak last year. Experiencing heartbreak the way that they did a lot of times is necessary to finally win a title, at least I'd say so. I'll use my Pistons as an example. During the playoffs of the 02/03 season, the Pistons made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, and got swept handily by the Nets. The next season, they won the championship. Going through those kinds of experiences a lot of times will do the job in terms of propelling a team with talent and chemistry to a championship.

OUTSIDE of the fact that RASHEED WALLACE wasn't part of the Pistons for that playoff series against the Nets, I'd say he was a big step up over "Corliss Williams" and Sheed was definitely one of the reasons why they made it over the hump the following year... Dallas hasn't added a player of this caliber to make their team any different than it was the previous year...

Detroit won the championship the next year for ONE reason. Tayshaun Prince. His defensive ability and wingspan allowed him to shut down and dominate Kobe Bryant through-out that entire series. Not to mention the fact he was shutting down any other player who he was defending. Tayshaun Prince's intangibles are rare in NBA Players in this generation. Without him, Detroit not only never wins that championship, but they don't return the following year either.

Tayshaun Prince was still learning the ropes of the NBA in 02-03.

[dc writer]

Wow, mavs this, pistons that

I actually believe there will be a couple upsets in the playoffs this year...

Ok, I'm hoping :s******

[hootyhoo88]

miami and suns even tho i want the cavs in there

[KingJordan]

They never have and they never will be able to because Dirk Nowitzki chooses not to take games into his own hands when it is needed...

So the ball somehow slipped in the basket in Game 7 of the Spurs series in San Antonio. He also accidentally scored 50 on the Suns too (Didn't matter if Amare was playing or not, he wouldn't have stopped it)

And the injury excuse BS. I love it. I can play too. If Dirk doesn't get hurt in the '03 WCF against the Spurs, they go on to win the title. See how easy it is to play that game? Now stfu with the injury bs.

[netbevit]

So the ball somehow slipped in the basket in Game 7 of the Spurs series in San Antonio. He also accidentally scored 50 on the Suns too (Didn't matter if Amare was playing or not, he wouldn't have stopped it)

And the injury excuse BS. I love it. I can play too. If Dirk doesn't get hurt in the '03 WCF against the Spurs, they go on to win the title. See how easy it is to play that game? Now stfu with the injury bs.

Good job to avoid Dirk's faults completely. Had Amare been playing in the series, his defensive skills would not have allowed for Dirk to have reached 50. The fact you believe that his presence defensively against Dirk either A) In the paint or B) 1-on-1 would have no effect on if Dirk scoring 50 points or not is just hilarious. When was the last time Dirk scored 50 points at all? He certainly didn't do it at all this year.

Also, Dirks game-tying point was a Free-Throw in game 7. That's hardly a "clutch shot" to win the game. Dirk is consistently above 88% in free throws. It's a shot that he takes unguarded and whenever he feels comfortable in letting it go.

Secondly, I laugh towards your fanboyism of the Dallas Mavericks. If you can actually recall the 2003 WCF in which Dirk got hurt, the Mavericks were already losing the series 2-1 against San Antonio WITH Dirk playing. Whatever reasoning you have for thinking that had Dirk played in the next 3 games, they would have won... I'd love to hear. Because last I checked, they couldn't beat the Spurs for years up until this last one, with Dirk healthy or not.

Dirk Nowitzki's INABILITY to play WELL, EFFECTIVELY, and BE A LEADER in the playoffs is something they have been criticizing him about in Dallas for the last SEVEN YEARS on the radio.

PS: For the whole "injury" excuse, we can also throw in the fact Raja Bell didn't play in the first half of the entire Phoenix/Dallas series last year either. Having 2 of your big players hurt, is going to lose a series. Dallas was able to cake-walk through it and it is the ONLY reason they made it to the finals.

When you reply, please come with something logical, factually based, thought out and typed with intelligence outside of the biasness you came with there. It's annoying having to diplomatically debate with someone wearing blue-tinted glasses.

[KingJordan]

I'll keep the blue tinted glasses on.

I'm certain the Mavs would've beat the Spurs just as you're so certain the Suns would've beaten the Mavs with Amare. Ha, they let an average team at best take them 7 games in the first round. Boy what a playoff team. And Tim Thomas is about a 3 times better defender than Amare is. You might be the only person on these internets who thinks Amare could stop Dirk.



But all this doesn't matter though. They won't be playing the playoffs. Come the Suns/Spurs series, Spurs will handle pretty easy.

[netbevit]

I'll keep the blue tinted glasses on.

I'm certain the Mavs would've beat the Spurs just as you're so certain the Suns would've beaten the Mavs with Amare. Ha, they let an average team at best take them 7 games in the first round. Boy what a playoff team. And Tim Thomas is about a 3 times better defender than Amare is. You might be the only person on these internets who thinks Amare could stop Dirk.



But all this doesn't matter though. They won't be playing the playoffs. Come the Suns/Spurs series, Spurs will handle pretty easy.

1. Mavs have never beat a healthy Suns team in a 7 game set. Explains my reasoning.

2. Mavs were losing the series BEFORE Dirk got hurt. Once again, explains my reasoning and discredits yours.

3. No where did I identify Amare Stoudemire as a better defender than Tim Thomas. However, he is a better defender than the slouch who had to play in his spot.

4. No where did I identify the Suns as a playoff team, thanks.

5. Amare is what, 24 years old? He's as dominant as he is at 24 years old and he's only going to get better and better. He doesn't have to "stop" Dirk, but it's evident Dirk scores 50 points rarely once in a season, IF THAT. Dirk vs Amare in the paint, I'll take Amare's big body, ANYDAY. Size wins in the paint. 12 rebounds is hard to come by with a big body like Amare's blocking you out, sorry.

6. I have no doubt that you're another front-runner. Fan of the Colts/Mavs/etc... You have no ties to the teams you cheer for other than them being winning franchises within the last 5-6 years. Thus, this discussion with you is simply pointless. Come 5-6 years down the road, when the Mavericks hit bottom again, you'll be on somebody else... Front-runners do not change, sorry.

[KingJordan]

right. I'veen rooting for the Mavs and Colts since yesterday.


Suns coouldn't beat them in a series this year. All I saying. Well, nobody can beat them this year.

He doesn't have to "stop" Dirk, but it's evident Dirk scores 50 points rarely once in a season, IF THAT

But aren't you the one who said he doesn't step up when it matters, yet he has one of his rare 50 point games in the WCF's? Weird how he didn't step up there.

[netbevit]

right. I'veen rooting for the Mavs and Colts since yesterday.


Suns coouldn't beat them in a series this year. All I saying. Well, nobody can beat them this year.




But aren't you the one who said he doesn't step up when it matters, yet he has one of his rare 50 point games in the WCF's? Weird how he didn't step up there.

1. Exactly, since yesterday.
2. Mavs couldn't beat them in a series this year, either. Ridiculous point.
3. Game 1 of the WCF is not "when it matters".... The season isn't on the line in game 1. Good try though.

[KingJordan]

Wasn't game 1. Game 5. And yeah, it mattered. Good try though.

[netbevit]

Wasn't game 1. Game 5. And yeah, it mattered. Good try though.

Sorry, that's right. The way Yahoo has their page set-up, the months divide the stats, so it looks like it reads game one instead of 5, my bad. I'll give him credit for showing up in a 2-2 series.

However, this is more of what I'm talking about in terms of leadership and elevating the guys around him...

[embed]http://www.youtube.com/v/ysAH1c8nMrA[/embed]

Also, on top of that dismal video. Shooting 37% in the BIGGEST SERIES of your life is nothing short of disappointing and choking away something a city has put on your shoulders...

[KingJordan]

I woulda been ****ed and kicked some stuff too after choking a 2 game lead away. So would other people.

But Dirk's work ethic is incredibly high and he's learned from all of his mistakes. Don't be surprised when they win this year.

[UnReaL]

Lakers Fan here. Just hope they even make the play-offs now. Could go from 6 to out of play-offs in the last 7 games. Starting off at a such high note, and all of a sudden, going blank when it counts.

BTW, KingJordan. The Mavs DID give away the Championship to Miami. D-Wade got the Jordan treatment, and your coach Avery Johnson should have used hack a Shaq in game 4 or 5 I think, to give you the commanding series lead.

Dirk Nowitzki is ReDirk-ulus. Give the guy the MVP, that if Kobe doesn't get it.

Edit: My picks. I would want the Lakers, but thinking real: San Antonio Vs. Miami.

[netbevit]

I woulda been ****ed and kicked some stuff too after choking a 2 game lead away. So would other people.

But Dirk's work ethic is incredibly high and he's learned from all of his mistakes. Don't be surprised when they win this year.

I wasn't talking about his emotion. I was talking about his 8/19 performance in a series changing game including the miss of a gimme-FT with 1:25 left in the game...

You don't learn from shooting 37% through-out the biggest 6 games of your life.

Nobody judged his work ethic at all. His leadership is criticized on a yearly basis, you would know that if you actually lived in Dallas, though. I doubt the Mavericks are televised daily where you live.

Also, you proved my point... Choking it away... Leaders lead, not choke.

In that 3 game choke job where they lost their 2 game lead... Dirk shot 33% FG-wise, 16% beyond the arc, and 82% from the FT line(significantly worse than his season average). Case in point, when his teammates need him to step up and take charge the most; he isn't there. 2-3 playoff games where he showed up in an 8 year career, isn't exactly leadership induced.

Lakers Fan here. Just hope they even make the play-offs now. Could go from 6 to out of play-offs in the last 7 games. Starting off at a such high note, and all of a sudden, going blank when it counts.

BTW, KingJordan. The Mavs DID give away the Championship to Miami. D-Wade got the Jordan treatment, and your coach Avery Johnson should have used hack a Shaq in game 4 or 5 I think, to give you the commanding series lead.

Dirk Nowitzki is ReDirk-ulus. Give the guy the MVP, that if Kobe doesn't get it.

Edit: My picks. I would want the Lakers, but thinking real: San Antonio Vs. Miami.

Steve Nash is most deserving of the MVP once again. His FG%, FT%, 3PT%, and APG are ridiculously good... Not to mention he averages basically 20 PPG on a team full of high scorers.

PS: This is starting to look like I'm a Suns fan. Just want to clarify I'm not and that I don't have a favorite NBA team, I only have a favorite college team.

[UnReaL]

Steve Nash is most deserving of the MVP once again. His FG%, FT%, 3PT%, and APG are ridiculously good... Not to mention he averages basically 20 PPG on a team full of high scorers.

Nah, thinks its Dirks year. The guy has been been ReDirk-ulus all year long. Double-Doubles, and Avery has him playing some D. Nash, is great and its great to watch the Suns play, but anyone on that team could get double ppg. Go up the court and get a shot off as quickly as possible. Slow the pace down, and you won't see that happen. If Nash does win it...then congrats. But whats and MVP without the Ring? He has 2 MVP and no rings. Can he make it 3 for 3?

[soldier one]

Suns are going all the way, if they keep second they wont have a real challenge until the semi final agianst the mavs, at which they beat twice when it became important wins.

As for MVP, Nahs deserves it, wants it, and will get it. If not screw the NBA because he already has it, even if he doesnt have a trophy to show off, fans, players, and him will all remember this year that he dominated. The trophy should be his but life is life and its up to the NBA to decide.

There really are no east coast teams that can really take on the suns or the mavs so i think its oe of theese two teams that will go all the way.

GO SUNS!

[Fedos]

^How are the Suns going to win it all this year when the Spurs (second round matchup) can contain them offensively?