NBA: Playoff Time

Are they max contract players? I thought they each took a pay cut to play together?

Their contracts are all like 90% of a max contract, it's close enough not to matter a ton in trades. They also got a deal where in just two years they can all be free agents again which is not very standard.

Effectively you could trade any of the three of them for any other player in the league no matter how good that player is and still get around cap situations.

If I'm GM, I take LeBron-Wade over any other combo in the league, but adding another max or basically max contract instead of a real team doesn't make sense. It makes sense from a "let's play superfriends" point of view but not basketball. They may well win a few titles, but I think it would be easier with just LeBron-Wade and flexibility to build a better team.
 
Their contracts are all like 90% of a max contract, it's close enough not to matter a ton in trades. They also got a deal where in just two years they can all be free agents again which is not very standard.

Effectively you could trade any of the three of them for any other player in the league no matter how good that player is and still get around cap situations.

If I'm GM, I take LeBron-Wade over any other combo in the league, but adding another max or basically max contract instead of a real team doesn't make sense. It makes sense from a "let's play superfriends" point of view but not basketball. They may well win a few titles, but I think it would be easier with just LeBron-Wade and flexibility to build a better team.

I agree for the most part, but I think they did have slightly more flexibility than you are suggesting, they just botched it with the Haslem-Miller-Anthony signings. Those three mid level contracts could have brought in players who could be big time contributors but none of those guys have worked out as expected. Miller and Haslem have both been injury prone and both got old very quickly. Anthony was just a poor signing to begin with.
 
LeBron James is the best player in this league. The fact that he lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals in this game with another elite player on his team underscores that.

However, Wade is a better pure scorer than LeBron is, which is why it makes more sense for him to take the final shot. If the heat had more reliable shooters on their team LeBron would be an ideal closer due to his passing ability but they don't.

Think about this: The other Heat players shot about 25% combined, Wade shot about 33%, and they were ice cold from behind the arc (1-16) and the Heat lost by 3. The Pacers are going to have to figure out how to score more consistantly because all those things aren't likely to happen in the same game again.
 
LeBron James is the best player in this league. The fact that he lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals in this game with another elite player on his team underscores that.

However, Wade is a better pure scorer than LeBron is, which is why it makes more sense for him to take the final shot. If the heat had more reliable shooters on their team LeBron would be an ideal closer due to his passing ability but they don't.

Think about this: The other Heat players shot about 25% combined, Wade shot about 33%, and they were ice cold from behind the arc (1-16) and the Heat lost by 3. The Pacers are going to have to figure out how to score more consistantly because all those things aren't likely to happen in the same game again.

True, but I doubt Indiana is going to start a game off 8-34 from the field again or go 3-16 from behind the arc. With the heavy load Lebron/Wade are carrying, they better hope they can rally and get both games in Indy. The longer the series goes the better the Pacers' chances to win get. Their depth is superior to Miami's and fatigue is going to be a factor for the Big 2 if this thing gets to a game 6 or 7.
 
True, but I doubt Indiana is going to start a game off 8-34 from the field again or go 3-16 from behind the arc. With the heavy load Lebron/Wade are carrying, they better hope they can rally and get both games in Indy. The longer the series goes the better the Pacers' chances to win get. Their depth is superior to Miami's and fatigue is going to be a factor for the Big 2 if this thing gets to a game 6 or 7.

It's interesting to watch the idiotic free throw spin in the media as if the free throw line is what's hurting Miami.

Indiana shoots .782 as a team
Miami shoots .775 as a team
Both top ten in the league.

Game two:
Ind 70.4%
Miami 69.0%

Game one:
Ind 71.4%
Miami 76.3%

Miami shot 12 more free throws so far at a higher %. It's been a key strength keeping them in the two games, not their weakness even though LeBron bricked two important ones.
 
True, but I doubt Indiana is going to start a game off 8-34 from the field again or go 3-16 from behind the arc. With the heavy load Lebron/Wade are carrying, they better hope they can rally and get both games in Indy. The longer the series goes the better the Pacers' chances to win get. Their depth is superior to Miami's and fatigue is going to be a factor for the Big 2 if this thing gets to a game 6 or 7.

Game 1: Pacers shot 40% from field and 23% from 3. Game 2 38% and 20%

For the Heat: 40% and 0% for Game 1 and game 2 35% and 6%

For the playoffs the Pacers averaged about 43% shooting from the floor and 29% from 3:

The Heat have averaged 43% and 31%.

The Pacers are shooting pretty much in line with what they have done in their other playoff games, especially when you take into account Miami's defense.

Miami on the other hand has seen their 3 point shooting absolutely plummet.
 
LeBron James is the best player in this league. The fact that he lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals in this game with another elite player on his team underscores that.

However, Wade is a better pure scorer than LeBron is, which is why it makes more sense for him to take the final shot. If the heat had more reliable shooters on their team LeBron would be an ideal closer due to his passing ability but they don't.

Think about this: The other Heat players shot about 25% combined, Wade shot about 33%, and they were ice cold from behind the arc (1-16) and the Heat lost by 3. The Pacers are going to have to figure out how to score more consistantly because all those things aren't likely to happen in the same game again.

The Heat are going to have just as many if not more problems scoring consistantly without Bosh. They were decent in the halfcourt with Bosh, without him they are dreadful. Bosh was their best jump shooter and spaced the floor for Wade and LeBron. The Heat's supporting cast is worse than last year. They have no big guys who can score, they are going to need LeBron and Wade to both be able to score 25-30 a night while also playing 40+ mins every game. The Pacers have a deep team, with long athletic wings who can defend Wade and LeBron. The NBA has to be getting a little nervous right now that they might be looking at a Pacers-Spurs finals.
 
Also, the Spurs are on a pretty historic run right now and getting absolutely no attention paid to them.
 
Also, the Spurs are on a pretty historic run right now and getting absolutely no attention paid to them.

Which is just how they like it. They'll handle the Clips in 4 or 5, and then sit back and watch the Lakers and Thunder beat each other up over 6 or 7 games. I'm probably the only poster here who thinks LA will bounce back with a win tonight in OKC.
 
I'm not sure how you beat the Spurs honestly. They've got shooters all over the floor in both the first and second unit. I suppose OKC or Miami could just out athlete them for lack of a better term. Basically, Durant/Westbrook/Harden or James/Wade/Bosh would have to be so special that it negates the Spurs depth. It's possible but that's hard to do for an entire series.
 
ISU needs to hand out those clap boards (?) that OKC has. Rutgers had them at the bowl game as well. They make so much more noise!

Look like this:
60a4_35.JPG

You fold it up, then slap it on your hand.
 
That's what an MVP looks like boys.

Steal and dunk to make it a close game, then the game winning shot.
 
Yeah Durant is one of the best closers in the league right now... MVP easy for me
 
That's what an MVP looks like boys.

Steal and dunk to make it a close game, then the game winning shot.


Amen to that. I hate all the tools who say all Durant does is score. Tonight 4th quarter takes the responsibility of guarding Kobe and does a pretty decent job then yes at the end of the game is probably the most clutch guy in the league.