NBA 2012

[papsrus]

Only 2 white dudes have made the squad since 1992

John Stockton and Tim Duncan

[PHILLYQ]

BS is known as The White Mamba

Lol

he's also known as 'Veal'

[paul secor]

If OKC wins, Derek Fisher will have 6 rings - one more than Kobe. That's a long ways from Bill Russell's 11 and Sam Jones' 10.

A bit of trivia: Robert Horry has one more ring (7) than MJ.

[Soulstation1]

Horry most rings by a player that never played for the celtics

[Quincy]

Who's the short guy between Ewing and Magic? I know everyone else.

Christian Laettner was on the Dream Team (he beat out Shaq!) as the token college player, but something's up with that photo as he's 6'11". If he wasn't pasted in maybe they dug a trench for him to stand in as part of the hazing process.

If you examine the picture, you can see that they are all standing on a stair step setup. Karl Malone also looks short because of this.

After posting I figured it out. So Karl Malone is a 6'3" guard eh? What a strange stair step photo arrangement.

A memory of the team I'll never shake was Jordan with the 'stache and abusing Angola with his defense. It was just cruel. That and Barkley being the man.

[Soulstation1]

Dream Team doc coming out soon should be good

Can't complain about Christian L being on team

Guy had the best 4 year NCAA run I've seen since 1981

Also Coach K was on the team

Edited June 13, 2012 by Soulstation1

[Matthew]

It looks like OKC is in a good position to win this series, they seem to match up well, with Durant & Westbrook being the equal of James & Wade. The cast of characters surrounding KD / JW looks much better than anything Miami has to offer. Seems like OKC in six.

Edit to change: when this series to win this series

Edited June 13, 2012 by Matthew

[Soulstation1]

Wow

Forget OKC vs Miami

David Stern vs Jim Rome is better

I'll take Van Smack

I'm out

[Soulstation1]

If you like to gamble

I like the over of 196 points for tonight

[Matthew]

If you like to gamble

I like the over of 196 points for tonight

Really? I'd take the under thinking Miami will make some adjustments and come up with a big defensive effort tonight.

[Soulstation1]

I think OKC can put up 100-110 points no prob vs Miami

The over (195.5) covered on game # 1

[BruceW]

Given how game 2's are so full of adjustments I would probably take the Under 195.

[Soulstation1]

The Cat on the drums always messes up on the 4 of the 2 & 4 beat

[Big Wheel]

Ha ha.

LeBron has been playing crazy numbers of minutes these playoffs. He played something like 45 minutes in Game 1. It is not realistic to expect him to put up 30-40 ppg, 10+ rbg, 5+ apg, defend every position on the court, run the break, play power forward for significant stints on offense AND still have enough left in the tank to take over the game in the fourth quarter while only sitting 3 minutes. Who in any sport ever has been held to this kind of standard?!

[paul secor]

Ha ha.

LeBron has been playing crazy numbers of minutes these playoffs. He played something like 45 minutes in Game 1. It is not realistic to expect him to put up 30-40 ppg, 10+ rbg, 5+ apg, defend every position on the court, run the break, play power forward for significant stints on offense AND still have enough left in the tank to take over the game in the fourth quarter while only sitting 3 minutes. Who in any sport ever has been held to this kind of standard?!

Check out Wilt Chamberlain's stats for the 1961-62 season. Not playoffs - season.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/chambwi01.html

48.5 min./game; 50.4 ppg.; 25.7 reb./game - That's over 80 games, not just for the playoffs.

Edited June 14, 2012 by paul secor

[Big Wheel]

The game was completely different in 1962. Wilt was a 7-footer playing in a 9-team league full of shorter, less athletic guys. There was no defense to speak of and the Warriors averaged 125.4 ppg (with their opponents putting up 122.4 ppg). The three-point field goal wouldn't be adopted by the NBA for another 17 years, so the value of accurate deep jump shooting was much lower, meaning the game revolved around the low post. The lane was 4 feet narrower, allowing for easier camping down low with no need to worry about getting called for 3 seconds, and offensive goaltending was permitted - both rules that favored Wilt's style of play. If you're wondering why Wilt's FT% was as good as it was that year (61%), it's because at the time there was no rule against simply jumping toward the basket from the free throw line, making your free throws, in effect, uncontested running 5-footers off the glass. All these rules were changed to curb Wilt's dominance.

Also this season was the one that featured Wilt's 100-point game and so forth, so the stats are skewed a bit by these outlier games.

The Warriors' strategy was pretty clearly:

1) Get Wilt the ball as close to the basket as possible.

2) Nobody is tall enough or quick enough to stop Wilt once he gets the ball in the post, unless he is triple-teamed.

2a) If Wilt is tripled, he can kick out to anyone he wants for the easy mid-range jumper.

While this strategy does require Wilt to do a fair bit of running up and down the court, it's not nearly as physically taxing as what James is expected to do against good defenses and it certainly doesn't make the same demands of Wilt on the other end. LeBron has to defend on the wing, chase point guards around, body up big men on the block, handle the pick and roll, and help out on other assignments where necessary. On defense, Wilt has to basically get under the rim and stay there, challenging any nearby shot, but it's not his job to worry about much else.

Edited June 14, 2012 by Big Wheel

[Soulstation1]

OMFG

Iron Mike singing LeBron James is toooooo freaking much

[paul secor]

The game was completely different in 1962. Wilt was a 7-footer playing in a 9-team league full of shorter, less athletic guys. There was no defense to speak of and the Warriors averaged 125.4 ppg (with their opponents putting up 122.4 ppg). The three-point field goal wouldn't be adopted by the NBA for another 17 years, so the value of accurate deep jump shooting was much lower, meaning the game revolved around the low post. The lane was 4 feet narrower, allowing for easier camping down low with no need to worry about getting called for 3 seconds, and offensive goaltending was permitted - both rules that favored Wilt's style of play. If you're wondering why Wilt's FT% was as good as it was that year (61%), it's because at the time there was no rule against simply jumping toward the basket from the free throw line, making your free throws, in effect, uncontested running 5-footers off the glass. All these rules were changed to curb Wilt's dominance.

Also this season was the one that featured Wilt's 100-point game and so forth, so the stats are skewed a bit by these outlier games.

The Warriors' strategy was pretty clearly:

1) Get Wilt the ball as close to the basket as possible.

2) Nobody is tall enough or quick enough to stop Wilt once he gets the ball in the post, unless he is triple-teamed.

2a) If Wilt is tripled, he can kick out to anyone he wants for the easy mid-range jumper.

While this strategy does require Wilt to do a fair bit of running up and down the court, it's not nearly as physically taxing as what James is expected to do against good defenses and it certainly doesn't make the same demands of Wilt on the other end. LeBron has to defend on the wing, chase point guards around, body up big men on the block, handle the pick and roll, and help out on other assignments where necessary. On defense, Wilt has to basically get under the rim and stay there, challenging any nearby shot, but it's not his job to worry about much else.

Yeah - But the man still averaged 48.5 minutes per game, 50.4 ppg, and 25.7 rpg. No one did it before him. No one's done it since. You can say what you want. It still doesn't take anything away from what the man did that year. 48.5 minutes per game. Who else will ever match that?

[Big Wheel]

Look, I'm not saying Wilt wasn't an all-time great. He was. I'm saying that it's an apples-to-oranges comparison to expect that any player in the modern era could approach these numbers while playing the entire 48 minutes. The sheer level of defensive intensity and decreased focus on the post (thanks to rule changes and improved athleticism across the board) make it all but impossible.

(Though I shudder to think of what Shaq could pull off with legalized offensive basket interference and a 12-foot lane.)

Edited June 15, 2012 by Big Wheel

[paul secor]

I have no real argument with what you've said, I was just giving my answer to your question: "Who in any sport ever has been held to this kind of standard?!"

Wilt tried to do it all and his team didn't win the title in 61-62. James is trying to do it all and we shall see what happens with his team.

[alocispepraluger102]

The game was completely different in 1962. Wilt was a 7-footer playing in a 9-team league full of shorter, less athletic guys. There was no defense to speak of and the Warriors averaged 125.4 ppg (with their opponents putting up 122.4 ppg). The three-point field goal wouldn't be adopted by the NBA for another 17 years, so the value of accurate deep jump shooting was much lower, meaning the game revolved around the low post. The lane was 4 feet narrower, allowing for easier camping down low with no need to worry about getting called for 3 seconds, and offensive goaltending was permitted - both rules that favored Wilt's style of play. If you're wondering why Wilt's FT% was as good as it was that year (61%), it's because at the time there was no rule against simply jumping toward the basket from the free throw line, making your free throws, in effect, uncontested running 5-footers off the glass. All these rules were changed to curb Wilt's dominance.

Also this season was the one that featured Wilt's 100-point game and so forth, so the stats are skewed a bit by these outlier games.

The Warriors' strategy was pretty clearly:

1) Get Wilt the ball as close to the basket as possible.

2) Nobody is tall enough or quick enough to stop Wilt once he gets the ball in the post, unless he is triple-teamed.

2a) If Wilt is tripled, he can kick out to anyone he wants for the easy mid-range jumper.

While this strategy does require Wilt to do a fair bit of running up and down the court, it's not nearly as physically taxing as what James is expected to do against good defenses and it certainly doesn't make the same demands of Wilt on the other end. LeBron has to defend on the wing, chase point guards around, body up big men on the block, handle the pick and roll, and help out on other assignments where necessary. On defense, Wilt has to basically get under the rim and stay there, challenging any nearby shot, but it's not his job to worry about much else.

Yeah - But the man still averaged 48.5 minutes per game, 50.4 ppg, and 25.7 rpg. No one did it before him. No one's done it since. You can say what you want. It still doesn't take anything away from what the man did that year. 48.5 minutes per game. Who else will ever match that?

agreed, paul.

[Soulstation1]

196 points in the game tonight

[Chalupa]

Oh man Durant got mugged right in front of the official on his last shot by LeBron. And then LeBron traveled with the ball after he grabbed the rebound.

I guess Stern is happy now.

[Big Wheel]

I have no real argument with what you've said, I was just giving my answer to your question: "Who in any sport ever has been held to this kind of standard?!"

But leaving aside the obvious difference that most of the NBA games in 1962 were never even filmed, let alone given the media exposure or public attention of the 2012 NBA, even Wilt wasn't expected by anyone to do the kinds of stuff that's expected of Lebron. The onus to win a team game with individual effort is on Lebron in a way it never was on Wilt. That's all I'm saying. When people talk about why the Warriors couldn't beat the Celtics, nobody points their finger and says "Wilt couldn't get it done." The reverse is true for LeBron - rather than ask why no Heat role player could score consistently enough in the 2011 Finals to give LeBron some time to rest, instead the narrative is all about LeBron shrinking in the fourth quarter.

Edited June 15, 2012 by Big Wheel

[JETman]

I have no real argument with what you've said, I was just giving my answer to your question: "Who in any sport ever has been held to this kind of standard?!"

But leaving aside the obvious difference that most of the NBA games in 1962 were never even filmed, let alone given the media exposure or public attention of the 2012 NBA, even Wilt wasn't expected by anyone to do the kinds of stuff that's expected of Lebron. The onus to win a team game with individual effort is on Lebron in a way it never was on Wilt. That's all I'm saying. When people talk about why the Warriors couldn't beat the Celtics, nobody points their finger and says "Wilt couldn't get it done." The reverse is true for LeBron - rather than ask why no Heat role player could score consistently enough in the 2011 Finals to give LeBron some time to rest, instead the narrative is all about LeBron shrinking in the fourth quarter.

Yes, let's nominate Lebron for sainthood!!!

He brought it on himself. And fyi, just as much, if not more, pressure existed for Jordan.