CK4: The Team that made Pat & The Team that the Don made: The Miami Heat vs Your Boss Angeles Lakers

[Tom Foolery]

Did they not have an easier start to the season?

You guys are all over the place.

 

[Lakerman0834]

Yes they were considered a contender and favorite by Vegas. Betting odds and what people are saying are not the same thing. If you look at the way people reacted to other Bron squads, this pales in comparision, despite being pretty clearly the best from jump. Just go back and look at threads from before the season and even throughout the season. Look at what the talking heads were saying. Most of them picked the Clippers. shyt you had people jumping out the window saying this team would miss the playoffs or fail to win 50. Look at how people acted about the fukking Blazers.

Don’t stress those will all be upped. People changing their tunes now but we ain’t forget July 2019

 

[Biscayne]

Just a small addition like a serve ibaka/brook lopez would be major for the heat. I’d even give Christian woods a shot

We just need one two way big. A 7footer to help Bam. And when I say two way, I don’t mean a big who’ll dominate on offense and get 20ppg. I mean two way as in, they’ll be competent enough to get buckets when they have a mismatch or get double digits(like 10-13ppg) and protect the rim, box out, grab rebounds. Offensive rebounds kills us.

 

[Flex Luger]

 

[drifter]

Miami can't go into game 3 with this zone shyt, it's not working. These clips don't show Rondo carving them up either. Rondo/LeBron are too good of passers to get away with it and at least one of them is on the court at all times, AD is too versatile and can slip in from the perimeter.

All of the Lakers bigs can move their feet for the pass at the rim, add LeBron playing underneath for another wrinkle and Spo's plan is backfiring since they're getting easier looks than if you played them man to man.

If Danny Green didn't forget how to be an NBA player last night would've been even worse than game 1.

 

[LV Koopa]

Asterisk talk is garbage, everyone playing hard on a level playing field. Probably the most fair it has been, this championship is just as meaningful, if not more, than the others. Only cry baby ass niccas are saying this, but wouldn’t feel this way if their team was in LA’s position.

Yep. I actually give the Lakers major props for winning with no HCA through a full tournament they didn't even want to play in. Takes more mental focus to get here than any other year.

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

This really is a switch. It's usually Bron in Jimmy's shoes, giving his all on an overmatched squad while the other team's stars get to pick their spots without completely gassing themselves. Gotta respect the Heat for not just lying down. They could very easily mail it in and no one would blame them but they were out there competing. Gotta salute all those cats.

This Bron/AD shyt looking better and better by the day. Scary thing is, I think we are gonna see another level of AD after this experience. That "can he do it in the playoffs (despite of course avg like 30 and 13 and only losing to the Warriors)" monkey will be off his back. League needs to be on notice.

The thing that stands out to me most about these playoffs and really this entire season is...how did damn near everyone miss so badly with this Lakers squad? Not even on some revisionist, hindsight shyt. I mean you had Bron and AD. That right there is a problem for any team, anywhere in any era. Then you put all these quality role players around them, perfect mix of young and old, overwhelming size all over and a defensive head coach and people really slept on this squad every step of the way. I don't get it. People been screaming "superteam" with every squad Bron's been on the last decade. Yet you had nothing but questions and doubts with this thorough ass squad all year. If we looking at play at both ends especially by superstars, versatility, role players, holes or lack thereof this squad is the best squad he's been and people basically gifted them the "no one believes in us" card. Was it purely Bron spite and/or wishful thinking or am I the only one who saw this shyt clear as day all year?

I think there were a lot of factors. The front office turmoil with flabgic leaving and Jeanie getting consultations from Linda Rambis and an old ass Phil and Kurt juxtaposed with the clippers having a more traditional looking front office including the architect behind 10 Laker titles and a few Warriors titles, and a billionaire owner.

Then the Kawhi gaffe where the Lakers waited and missed on quality role players only to be left with the last of the scrap heap while the Clippers were merely plugging in Kawhi and PG to a team that was already on the rise.

Combine those factors with LeBron missing significant time from injury for the first time in his career, AD’s already shaky injury past, Vogel’s unproven record as a championship coach, and a slew of older and/or questionable role players with not a lot of shooting and you can see why there were all these questions coming in.

I think the media also loves it when the Lakers are high profile but in turmoil so continuing the narrative of the “can’t get right” Lakers vs the rising, more orderly Clippers was a juicy storyline headed into the season.

Naturally, this just points out how absolutely trash NBA media and analysis can be. Seeing as how they stubbornly stuck with this position.

 

[LV Koopa]

This really is a switch. It's usually Bron in Jimmy's shoes, giving his all on an overmatched squad while the other team's stars get to pick their spots without completely gassing themselves. Gotta respect the Heat for not just lying down. They could very easily mail it in and no one would blame them but they were out there competing. Gotta salute all those cats.

This Bron/AD shyt looking better and better by the day. Scary thing is, I think we are gonna see another level of AD after this experience. That "can he do it in the playoffs (despite of course avg like 30 and 13 and only losing to the Warriors)" monkey will be off his back. League needs to be on notice.

The thing that stands out to me most about these playoffs and really this entire season is...how did damn near everyone miss so badly with this Lakers squad? Not even on some revisionist, hindsight shyt. I mean you had Bron and AD. That right there is a problem for any team, anywhere in any era. Then you put all these quality role players around them, perfect mix of young and old, overwhelming size all over and a defensive head coach and people really slept on this squad every step of the way. I don't get it. People been screaming "superteam" with every squad Bron's been on the last decade. Yet you had nothing but questions and doubts with this thorough ass squad all year. If we looking at play at both ends especially by superstars, versatility, role players, holes or lack thereof this squad is the best squad he's been and people basically gifted them the "no one believes in us" card. Was it purely Bron spite and/or wishful thinking or am I the only one who saw this shyt clear as day all year?

breh to be honest most of the people outside the sports talks morons did not sleep on the Lakers. On this very forum when the Clippers dikk sucking you had plenty of people (mostly Laker fans) saying when the playoffs come the Clippers are gonna get roasted by Bron. Harrell or Zubac trying to guard AD? yea ok. It would've been competitive but they were acting like the Lakers were bums. Even AFTER the regular season dominance to #1 seed, they got clowned as Clippers food.

And now we here. Bam is a far, far better defender than anyone the Clippers have and he was getting cooked from all directions because Bron was setting him up to fail. People who really watch Bron know this was coming. And anyone who watched AD in New Orleans knew he wasn't this playoff choker that the media and dumb fans kept saying he is. The best thing about this playoffs is guys like Bron, Butler, Lowry, and AD being vindicated where dudes supposedly better than them like Harden and Giannis have way, way more to prove.

 

[Flex Luger]

 

[LV Koopa]

Miami can't go into game 3 with this zone shyt, it's not working. These clips don't show Rondo carving them up either. Rondo/LeBron are too good of passers to get away with it and at least one of them is on the court at all times, AD is too versatile and can slip in from the perimeter.

All of the Lakers bigs can move their feet for the pass at the rim, add LeBron playing underneath for another wrinkle and Spo's plan is backfiring since they're getting easier looks than if you played them man to man.

If Danny Green didn't forget how to be an NBA player last night would've been even worse than game 1.

Miami doesn't play zone all day. Normally they zone about ~20% of their possessions.

With no BAM, they kinda have to up it. They have no other big man good enough. They literally cannot play their base switching scheme without Bam. That's how they started losing in G1 - Lebron got to iso on Herro and Duncan once Bam got his 2nd foul quickly. Lebron sat, Miami was already on the back heels, and AD just ate everything. By the time Miami went zone it was too late. But it's a far better idea than trying to switch everything without a defensively competent big. They have to pick the option that does the least damage so they even have a shot.

 

[Bunchy Carter]

I put the Lakers will win in 5, but the way things look it could be 4.

We will see how the Lakers play on the road, when the Heat have home court advantage

 

[drifter]

Miami doesn't play zone all day. Normally they zone about ~20% of their possessions.

With no BAM, they kinda have to up it. They have no other big man good enough. They literally cannot play their base switching scheme without Bam. That's how they started losing in G1 - Lebron got to iso on Herro and Duncan once Bam got his 2nd foul quickly. Lebron sat, Miami was already on the back heels, and AD just ate everything. By the time Miami went zone it was too late. But it's a far better idea than trying to switch everything without a defensively competent big. They have to pick the option that does the least damage so they even have a shot.

That's kind of the point, they need to get away from it altogether this series if LA is just going to abuse it like they have. I get there isn't but so much you can do for the talent difference but they're not even competitive when running it. Add Robinson going ice cold and there's no way they can make up the difference just off that 20%. Not when 2 of your 5 starters (Herro, Robinson) are liabilities defensively. It's too much to overcome.

Bam's contribution will probably be minimal to if he was 100 but at least he's playing, I'm taking my chances with a two big line up if I'm Miami. Olynyk/Bam with Crowder heading to the bench. I know Olynyk is food if LeBron's switched on him but at least try to match the Lakers length, which means Meyers has to get more than 9 minutes.

Crazy to say it but I'm making LeBron beat me, shyt sounds blasphemous. That's how you know this is just a bad match up all the way around. We all waited for which team would come dominate the small ball league the Warriors left behind, we're seeing it now.

 

[LV Koopa]

You run zone because it's your best option to hide Herro/Robinson/Nunn when 2 of the 3 have to be on the court together for Miami to score. They can't run a switch defense without Bam as that's even worse. The other option is to play man and trap. They tried man in G1 and had success with it at the start and then got killed. They have to play zone because it is their only shot at keeping the better offensive players on the court at the same time as Lebron/AD. Miami torched the Lakers defense but still lost because they couldn't stop them even with KCP/DG shooting like shyt. Might as well go out letting AD/Bron go ham while trying to stop everyone else and playing a potent offense. They are picking the best strategy out of a bunch of bad options because they lost two starters and didn't have the size to begin with.

Myers Leonard couldn't get a rebound lol. I think if he at least grabbed like 3 Spo woulda kept playing him.

 

[ALonelyDad]

Bucks finally overtake Los Angeles for best title odds
Team Odds 2/6 Current Odds
Bucks +333 +290
Lakers +275 +300
Clippers +300 +320
Feb 10, 2020, 8:46am PST

Toronto Raptors' title chances rise to fifth-best in latest 2020 NBA Championship odds update | NBA.com Canada | The official site of the NBA
2020 NBA Championship Odds

Teams Openings Odds Current Odds
1. L.A Clippers 3/1 3/1
2. L.A. Lakers 7/2 3/1
3. Milwaukee Bucks 7/1 9/2
4. Houston Rockets 7/1 9/1
5. Philadelphia 76ers 6/1 10/1
12/04/2019

NBA odds 2020: Championship predictions, title picks, teams to avoid from expert on 113-84 run
2020 NBA title odds (via William Hill)
Los Angeles Lakers +200
Milwaukee Bucks +240
Los Angeles Clippers +300
Houston Rockets +1600
Boston Celtics +1800
Mar 31, 2020

arent the betting odds based on fans betting? cant compare the fans to what experts were saying.

 

[FTBS]

I don't know. Everyone was expecting Lakers Clippers in the WCF.

This is true but I am not talking about that. You really think the way that people talked about the Lakers was in line with previous "superteams" Bron has had or what this team has shown all season up through game 2 of the Finals? My point isn't that people thought the Lakers wouldnt' be shyt. My point is that people went overboard and overrated so many past teams and then turned around this year and underrated this squad, which is the best of the bunch, for some reason. Seriously, go check the thread after the Cavs got Kyle Korver breh .