Finals Talk

My friend Anthony and I have a tradition of texting each other all throughout football and basketball games that we're watching at the same time. The games are inevitably 10% less enjoyable when this doesn't happen.
That is, unless Hubie Brown is commentating. This is the conversation we had that started in the closing minutes of game 4 of the NBA finals. As you might imagine, some of the stats quoted may be slightly off.

D: What the fuck was Fisher thinking?

A: This is all coaching, Theyll never even make it back to the finals with him ad coach

This is worst coaching job I've seen in long a time

D: That's just not true

A: Your wil’n, He can't think on the fly, he doesn't know to react

D: You don't see all the dumb things they've done on the floor?

A: That’s coaching!

D: No it isn’t

Coaches can’t make players execute

Fisher gets a steal and then tries to go coast to coast like it’s 2004. How is that the coaches fault?

A: You gotta yell out, “no foul the clock resets”, especially on your own end of the floor with 20 seconds of [players] walking around [waiting for the jump ball]

D: Ibaka falls asleep on two rotations and chokes on a play that he gets a block on 10 out of 10 times

A: Why was Sefalosha on the floor!? He’s not an offensive threat and Lebron was off the floor

The fact is this, the second game in a row you have a double digit lead and you allow them not only to make a run but go ahead before you bring your 1^st and 2^nd best player off the bench. He needs to be fired. Or else they’ll be the Orlando Magic of the 90s. one finals appearance and nothing more

D: That’s not why they lost. Durant had to struggle to get every shot off. There’s no way he could’ve been any kind of effective if he hadn’t had a rest. They made late turnovers and played poor defense [particularly] in the 2ns half. The way they defend the pick and roll, that’s Brooks. Playing Perkins instead of Collison, that’s Brooks. Outside of that, they’re just not ready for this.

A: That not ready argument is lazy. Their offense is terrible because their coach can’t make adjustments!

He can’t see momentum.

He doesn’t know how to yell “push the ball”? like he’s not even a little bad, he’s egregiously bad. Where is the Durant/Westbrook pick and roll? Why is Durant still trying to post people? Y y y?

D: Harden’s confidence is shot. Perkins and Ibaka are fucking up on rotations. They made a lot of dumb decisions and Lebron is the best defender in the league. They won’t let Durant get the ball where he’s comfortable

They can’t pass it to him while he’s facing up. Miami took care of that. He’s gonna need to get stronger or they’re gonna lose to the Heat the next 3 years

A: They need a new coach. There’s no reason Durant should ever, ever, ever have his back to the basket. Ever.

D: He can’t get the ball any other way unless it’s 27 feet from the rim

A: He’s Ray Allen with height. Post ing is not his game.

[Regarding Miami denying Durant the ball]  That’s fine! Pick and roll with Westbrook!

D: Miami is taking away what he normally does. They’re the best defense in the league. The Thunder haven’t seen a defense like this yet.

A: [They could be doing] double screens! Back picks! But they have no coaching!

D: Watch the game again and look at what Miami is doing defensively. You’re talking like there’s nothing you can do defensively to take a player out of a game. If he could post up he wouldn’t have this problem and Miami knows that

A: They’re fronting and leaning on him but he shouldn’t be posting anyone!he should be coming off a screen, get the ball in motion to the rim. Shoot or drive!

D: You really think they never tried that? Watch the game again.

A: When you have a pg that can blow by anyone, if you set a pick with Durant, Miami is at a loss. There’s nothing to defend that

He doesn’t call any offensive plays. None

D: I’m telling you, they took it all away. They said “if you want the ball, post up. That’s the only way you’re gonna get it”

I’ve been saying they don’t have an offense. But you can’t say now that that’s why they’re losing when no one said anything on the way to the finals

A: There’s no such thing [as “taking it all away”] unless they switch all guys on a double pick which means Bosh or Haslem is on [Durant].

D: He wound up with Wade on the switches and there was always someone behind Wade. The problem was that the open man was either Sefalosha or Harden and neither of them can shoot right now.

A: He can shoot right over Wade!

D: He had 28 points! He did shoot over him

A: Ray Allen has shot more wide open threes than anyone when everyone in the world knew he was getting the ball

D: Not against Miami

A: They play one on one Iso ball and tha’s Brooks’ fault. Period

D: Like I said, it wasn’t his fault when they were winning

A: No excuse

They won in spite of him. They couldn’t get good looks in the last 3 minutes because he’s a terrible coach!

They went back to him posting instead of jumpers over Wade. Or Sefalosha in the game for no reason. Where was the “hey let’s push the ball guys” after the first quarter?

D: I said at the start of the season they would get to the finals and they wouldn’t win because they’re a jump shooting team with no movement. They’re figuring that out. He’s a 3^rd year coach with a point guard that’s not a point and a core of very young players playing against two of the greats. One of them might be the 2^nd best player ever. I think it’s too soon to call him a terrible coach. That’s not fair.

And it’s not like they’re getting blown out

A: The Heat shouldn’t have one 2 of the games. The Thunder are a better team than Dallas was last year and Miami isn’t as good as they were last year.

D: They’re not a better team than Dallas was, they’re more talented. And Miami is better than they were last year because Chalmers is better and Battier is what Miller was supposed to be if he were healthy

A: He simultaneously can’t keep them out of the lane and leaves wide open threes. That’s almost an achievement in negligence

D: That’s not true. It’s been either or. When they packed the lane, the Heat made jump shots. When they guarded the perimeter, the bigs didn’t do their job.

A: Bull. He has the help coming from the top. Y? All you need is Sefalosha and Perkins/Ibaka to protect the rim. Stay home on the shooters and tell Sefalosha to guard the drive not the jumper. If Doc Rivers or Stan Van Gundy were coaching this team the Heat would win 2 games tops

D: That’s probably true. And they both have double digit years coaching.

A: If Phil Jackson were coaching them the Heat would win 1

D: Now he needs to be in the same class as 11 chips?!

And what about Harden? They’re missing about 15 points that have been guaranteed all year

A: You are what you are. He’s failing on all fronts. He’s not going to get that much better. Rick Carlisle wins this series.Tibbs wins this series

D: [Carlisle’s] been coaching for 15 years! What did Tibbs do when Lebron locked up Rose last year? They lost 4-1

A: You can keep Noah/Boozer. They’re ass. Give that Bulls team to Scott Brooks and they’re a lottery team. Brooks was an NBA player! Who was in the finlas no less! What magical switch is he going to flip?

D: You don’t think people learn things over time through experience? I think the “coach sucks” is lazy. I’ve seen first hand how little coaching matters when it comes to decisions players make on the floor. There’s things he needs to do better, no question. Does he suck? Probably not. They’re in the finals. They’ve beaten 3 of the 5 champions of the last 15 years to get there. He probably doesn’t suck

On another note, Wade fouled Harden twice on that steal/fast break. I can’t believe every analyst is blaming that on Harden. Did no one else see that?

A: He beat gimp versions of those teams, let’s be honest. This was a lost year for both LA and Dallas before the season even started. It took him 3 games in that Spurs series to realize the reason I told you they would win before the series even started. That combined with the Spurs bench completely choking and their old legs giving in

D: This is a highly unlikely series of events that occurred where everything fell into place for the Thunder to succeed over the course of 7 months despite Scott Brooks’ glaring incompetence

7:59 pm the next day…

D: I wanna put the convo we had last night on my site

A: Lol, I was upset at the game but I stand by most of what I said

D: I don’t think you’re the only one who feels that way