NBA - Artigos e Análises Estatísticas para discussão

[vakjew]

Acho que o Pop já disse que quando o Duncan arrumar as botas ele faz o mesmo.

Editado 1 Abril 2013 por vakjew

[Pat Riley]

Pois faz todo o sentido sair em grande.

 

Quando isso acontecer, será que alguma vez voltaremos a ver os Spurs serem um contender?

[Perdigas]

Pois faz todo o sentido sair em grande.

 

Quando isso acontecer, será que alguma vez voltaremos a ver os Spurs serem um contender?

:lol:

[Jonas F]

Pois faz todo o sentido sair em grande.

 

Quando isso acontecer, será que alguma vez voltaremos a ver os Spurs serem um contender?

Fazem como outros, sacam uma estrela no draft e depois é só ir por aí apanhar mais dois franchise players na FA :mrgreen:

[Pat Riley]

Quero ver quem vão ser os franchise players a quererem ir para lá. :mrgreen:

 

e não sei qual é a piada se nunca foram um verdadeiro contender antes do Pop lá chegar não sei o que me garante que vão ser depois.

Editado 1 Abril 2013 por Snoop Dogg

[El Colosso]

Quero ver quem vão ser os franchise players a quererem ir para lá. :mrgreen:

 

e não sei qual é a piada se nunca foram um verdadeiro contender antes do Pop lá chegar não sei o que me garante que vão ser depois.

Porque para alem do Pop, tens o FO.

[Perdigas]

Quero ver quem vão ser os franchise players a quererem ir para lá. :mrgreen:

 

e não sei qual é a piada se nunca foram um verdadeiro contender antes do Pop lá chegar não sei o que me garante que vão ser depois.

É demasiado tempo a dominar o Oeste. É assim que as coisas começam.

[NIkeL]

Também não os vejo a ser relevantes durante algum tempo quando esta gente sair. Honestamente só vejo uma equipa capaz de construir permanentemente através da FA, os Lakers, todos os outros ou lhes cai um Franchise player no colo (Bulls anyone?) ou andam ali na mediocridade. Claro que não estou a dizer que de vez em quando na história não existam franchises a fazer uma equipa através da FA, mas sempre, sinceramente não vejo mais nenhuma.

[Carmelo Anthony]

Com a gestão certa (que é aquilo que tem faltado desde que Roma era um Império), os Knicks. Ainda há pouco o SAS escrevia que o Jerry Buss era o dono que os Knickerbockers queriam que fosse o seu.

[Rōnin]

Entrevista com Tim Grover (autor de Relentless) que treinou Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, entre outros atletas de elite.

 

Tim Grover has trained Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and many other elite athletes. His new book Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable (co-written with Shari Lesser Wenk) divides competitors into three categories: Coolers, Closers, and Cleaners. A Cleaner is the ultimate competitor who has an "insatiable addiction to success." A Closer "can handle a lot of pressure" and will perform effectively if his task is clearly defined, while a Cooler is a follower who "can make a huge play, but he's ultimately not responsible for the outcome."

 

I recently spoke with Grover and he shared with me his observations about the mindset of elite athletes.

 

Friedman: "In your book you discuss how LeBron James and Dwyane Wade performed in the 2012 playoffs en route to winning the NBA championship. What is your take on LeBron James' performance in the 2010 playoffs with the Cleveland Cavaliers and his performance in the 2011 playoffs with the Miami Heat? What do you think was going on with him that prevented him from performing up to the capabilities that he displayed in 2012?"

 

Grover: "In his early years I think that LeBron was having a hard time figuring out who he is and was as a player. There are 13 different characteristics that I mention in Relentless that define who a Cooler is, who a Closer is and who a Cleaner is. In his early years with Cleveland he did not have that father figure--or that Cleaner, as I call it--to kind of guide him through those stages. LeBron was learning on the fly. When you come into Cleveland as the man having all of that pressure on you from high school and not having anybody to teach you how to deal with it and how to handle that in athletics, then it accumulates too much until you start overanalyzing things and you start thinking too much. You start worrying about what everybody else is saying. When he was in Miami, Dwyane Wade--having gone through all the trials and tribulations with the Miami Heat, from the (2006) championship to all the way down to being a Lottery team--learned how to deal with all the different levels of adversity and success. He was able to teach LeBron or when he would see LeBron in certain situations playing or in practice he knew how to put LeBron in position to succeed."

 

Friedman: "As you just mentioned in your answer and as you discuss in your book, you define competitors as Coolers, Closers and Cleaners. I am going to mention several players--one is retired and the rest are still active--and I would like to know which category you would place each of them in and why you would place that player in that particular category. The first one is a player who I know that you worked with when he played for the Chicago Bulls: Scottie Pippen."

 

Grover: "Scottie was a Closer. Scottie was a Closer who understood that his role was to assist and help the ultimate Cleaner (Michael Jordan) get to where he wanted to get to. When Scottie was was placed in a couple situations where he was the lead person on the team he found out how difficult it was not only to deal with the pressure on the court but also what comes with it off the court. Every time there is a mistake on the team or there is a loss or there is some off the court issue, you have to deal with that. Not every individual can deal with that situation."

 

Friedman: "That is the same category that you place LeBron in as well. You called LeBron a Closer for the reasons that you gave in your earlier answer. Is that correct?"

 

Grover: "Right. It's still early in LeBron's career. Remember, a Cleaner is a combination of many different aspects: championships, what you do on the court, what you do off the court. LeBron is still early in his career and what I have seen in the past (resembles a Closer) but he is definitely heading in the direction toward Cleaner status. I don't think that he is there yet because Cleaner status is all about what the end result is. It's not about the skill level, because we know that his skill level is extremely superior. It's about the mentality you have and how you handle it from the neck up. That can apply to anybody in any walk of life, not just in basketball. This is about the mental makeup of an individual."

 

Friedman: "So, even with the Finals MVP and the performance this season during the 27 game winning streak and so forth, you still don't think that LeBron has fully reached Cleaner level?"

 

Grover: "No, I don't. Each individual is held to a different standard. So, the standard that I would hold him to as a Cleaner is much different than the standard I would set for another player who does not have his ability. Three MVPs going on number four--which he will win--is not the end result. The end result is the championship. Now, if they pull off the championship again this year then we will definitely move him up into that Cleaner category. As of now, there is more that needs to be proved."

 

Friedman: "How would you categorize Chris Paul and why?"

 

Grover: "Chris Paul is definitely a Cleaner. No question."

 

Friedman: "In your estimation, what is the difference between Chris Paul and LeBron James? LeBron James has won three MVPs and a championship, while Chris Paul has not attained any of those things. What difference do you see in Chris Paul’s mindset?"

 

Grover: "Chris has not had a chance to play with the talent level that LeBron has. Throughout Chris' whole career, he has always wanted the ball in his hands. He has always decided whether he is going to shoot the ball or put the ball in someone else's hands to succeed. He is always willing to take the last shot and accept that pressure. He is always dictating where his players should be and what they should be doing. There was an article recently that stated that his teammates are tired of hearing him constantly telling them that they need to get better and play at a higher level. He is constantly relentless about putting that in their heads all the time. That is what a Cleaner does. Not everyone is going to be able to get to that championship level but it is about the mentality that you are applying to do what you can to get there."

 

Friedman: "What about Kevin Durant? Where would you place him?"

 

Grover: "Kevin Durant, to me right now, is also a Closer. I feel like Russell Westbrook is actually the Cleaner on that team."

 

Friedman: "That is very interesting, because I think that in the past 20 years or so in each generation there has been one great player who has been a bit underestimated. You and I may disagree a little bit about Scottie Pippen but I think that he was unappreciated. I think that in the next decade--the 2000s--Kobe Bryant has been unfairly criticized or unappreciated and I think that the next guy who is getting that mantle of being a great player but everybody is nitpicking his game or saying that he has the wrong attitude is Russell Westbrook. So, it is interesting that you say that he is a Cleaner and not Kevin Durant. I think that this is a minority opinion but I would really like to hear you explain what you see in Westbrook's game that maybe a lot of people are not seeing."

 

Grover: "He is 100% fearless. If you look at the characteristics of a Cleaner, one of them is that it is better to be feared than to be liked. He instills fear into his opponents and he doesn't care about being liked. He doesn't care about being liked by the media, he doesn't care about being liked by his teammates or by his opponents. His attitude is that he has a job to do and this is how he is going to do it. He will take the last second shot if necessary. They are interchangeable because there are some nights that I see Kevin Durant as a Cleaner but the majority of the time from a mental standpoint I see Russell as being the person who drives that team and gives them their personality."

 

Friedman: "You have not personally worked with Westbrook, have you?"

 

Grover: "I have not."

 

Friedman: "But obviously you've worked with Kobe, so you know Kobe better than you know Russell Westbrook. From what you've observed knowing Kobe very well and from what you've observed of Westbrook from a distance, do you see a similarity in their mindsets?"

 

Grover: "Very similar. Very, very similar."

 

Friedman: "That is interesting. I think that a lot of people would disagree with you about that but on that particular point I agree with you and I have written about that for the past year or two. When Kobe retires or at least declines physically--even though that seemingly has not happened yet--I think that Westbrook is going to take over as the best guard in the league even though many people will not even realize that this has happened.

 

Where would you place Carmelo Anthony in your continuum? Also, give an explanation for why you would place him there."

 

Grover: "Carmelo is one of those individuals on the Closer/Cleaner border. He goes back and forth. As he grows older in his career and deals with everything that you have to deal with in New York I think that he will obtain Cleaner status. I think that a lot of times he lets outside things interfere with what he is doing on the court. One thing I always say is a Cleaner knows what his job is. People always talk about Kobe and say he should pass the ball more and shoot less but Kobe's job is to get buckets. That's Kobe's job. That's what Melo's job is. You have to keep that mentality and let other teams make the adjustment toward you while also realizing that this is your main focus but not your only focus--if you are having an off night then you have to get your teammates in position to do what you are not able to do on a particular day. I think that is what Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant have to do in order to get to that next level."

 

Friedman: "That is interesting because in some of his public comments Kobe Bryant has said that Carmelo should accept that this is his role instead of trying to do other things or trying to justify why he took certain shots. Kobe has said that Carmelo should have a mentality like his own and not apologize for shooting a lot. So, you think that Carmelo is a hybrid who has some Closer tendencies and some Cleaner tendencies but that he is not quite in either category."

 

Grover: "Right."

 

Friedman: "Just to take this full circle, if your belief is true that a person can't change and that each person fits into one of these categories then is it really possible for LeBron to make this evolution after almost a decade in the league? Can he go from being a Closer to being a Cleaner if by nature he is not like Kobe, not like Jordan, not like Tiger Woods, not like Chris Paul, not like Westbrook? If he is not like that then how can he completely become that way?"

 

Grover: "Anyone can and that is the point of the book but it just depends how you handle the situations that are thrown your way. Let's say that they win the championship. Will he continue to want to win more or will he say that's enough? If they don't win the championship how will he react to that? Will he become a better player or will he stay the same way? Everyone has the ability to get to the next stage, to go from a Closer to a Cleaner or to go from a Cooler to a Closer, but what's thrown in front of you and how you handle it will determine that. It's not just about sports. You can be a Cleaner as a bus driver, as a teacher, as a radio host. It really doesn't matter what it is you do but rather how you handle what is thrown at you and what direction that takes you in."

 

Friedman: "From your perspective, LeBron is clearly the best player in the league, but whether or not you are a Cleaner is not determined by your skill set. His skill set at this point is second to none but the mindset that you are talking about--that thirst that if I have one championship then I want two, if I lose in the Finals then I want to get back--is the kind of thing that you want to see or is to be determined regarding LeBron’s status.”

 

Grover: "Absolutely."

 

Entrevista completa

 

 

Entrevista bastante interessante. Principalmente a análise à dupla Westbrook/Durant. Concordam, discordam?

[Joao Pereira]

Entrevista com Tim Grover (autor de Relentless) que treinou Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, entre outros atletas de elite.

És um ótimo tradutor de primeiras frases. :)

[Pat Riley]

:lol:

 

 

Friedman: "What about Kevin Durant? Where would you place him?"

 

Grover: "Kevin Durant, to me right now, is also a Closer. I feel like Russell Westbrook is actually the Cleaner on that team."

 

enough said

[Carson Wentz]

The Thunder Without Russell Westbrook

Zorgon - Welcome to Loud City

 

What contingency plan?

 

After 5 years, Thunder fans just had it too good. Prior to Westbrook being sidelined for an "indefinite" period of time today, the worst injury the Thunder have had to endure was Desmond Mason's hyperextended right knee, which kept him out for the second half of a totally meaningless season. Yes, we've been that lucky.

 

It's amazing to me how much Thunder writers have focused on the "business" aspect of the NBA. You know, how players will move from team to team and nobody cares about where they're currently playing. Faces will change, and you have to deal with it. According to some, when the business aspect kicks in, everybody's going to turn against the Thunder. But anybody making that argument obviously doesn't watch college football, where there's significant roster upheaval every single year. Oklahomans are used to seeing guys come and go.

 

Instead, writers should have focused on what it will be like when the Thunder are faced with disappointment. I'm not saying that college teams haven't disappointed before, but I am saying that our track record isn't very good. Go to Norman in the midst of a 8-5 season and tell me how many people are filling the stands. Or, let's bring it closer to home. Remember when the Hornets had a legitimate playoff team, but sunk with a rash of injuries during their second season in Oklahoma City? Attendance suffered. I remember the stadium sitting eerily empty during the cold January winter that year.

 

But, perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's focus on the here and now.

• Was it Patrick Beverley's fault?

 

In one word: No. Westbrook and Beverley were going at it all game, and things were getting pretty intense. But as far as I could tell, it was just one competitor against another. On this particular play, Beverley was simply trying to get a cheap steal while Westbrook's guard was down. He was trying plays like this all game, using his speed and constant readiness to surprise players when they least expected it. If you don't believe me, go back and look at some of the offensive rebounds he had.

 

But there's no question in my mind that it wasn't malicious. Metta World Peace elbowing James Harden was malicious. This was simply hard-nosed basketball. Sometimes unfortunate things happen, and it sucks. But I definitely won't be booing him if he returns to Oklahoma City for Game 5.

• What does this injury mean?

 

Well, let's first look at the timetable. Russell Westbrook is stated to be out "indefinitely", but that's hardly anything to go off of. To put it in perspective, as J.A. Sherman did in his reaction piece, Metta World Peace suffered the exact same injury in late March. He was said to be out for the rest of the season (approximately 2.5 months), but he recovered in 2 weeks and was ready for the playoffs.

 

If Russell Westbrook makes the miraculous 2 week timetable, that would bring him back on May 10th. That's in the thicket of the 2nd round. But considering how the Thunder treat the health of their players as "paramount", I'll go ahead and say that Westbrook will be back for the NBA Finals, at best.

• Can the Thunder make it to the Finals without Westbrook?

 

At this point, I'd love to show you a game the Thunder played without Russell Westbrook. Here's the problem: They've never played without Westbrook. The last time Westbrook didn't play, Earl Watson was the starting point guard and Kevin Durant was decidedly more green.

 

We don't even really have lineup examples to look at. Scott Brooks decides on his rotations very early in the season, rarely deviating or trying new strategies. On top of that, Westbrook plays the second most amount of minutes on the team, often logging heavy time with the starters. As a result, Reggie Jackson, his likely replacement, almost never gets time with the starters. In fact, the most used lineup in which Jackson is playing with three or more starters includes Russell Westbrook, and has only seen 25 total minutes on the floor this season.

 

All we can really go off of is conjecture. And if Reggie Jackson is to replace Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup, our future looks reasonably bright. Reggie Jackson has the advantage of being a player that's remarkably similar to Russell Westbrook. They're the same height (though Jackson is a bit bigger), both are athletic, both love to recklessly drive the paint, both are great competitors who make questionable decisions, and both are better scorers inside than they are outside.

 

The big question isn't really one of distribution. Russell Westbrook has never been the greatest passing point guard, and even if Reggie Jackson doesn't quite have the tricks of the trade that Westbrook has, his likely cooler head will make up for it. Rather, the question is how well Reggie Jackson can do when more shots are placed upon him. Undoubtedly the Thunder will try to look to Martin and Ibaka more, but Reggie Jackson will likely find himself slotted in as the fourth scorer. Collison, Sefolosha, Fisher, and Perkins are all too limited to carry that role. He's definitely got the tenacity for it, as he can drive the ball and score with the best of them. But his shot is still a work in progress. He's shooting 23% from three on the season, and it's hard to say whether his mid-range shot or athleticism is enough to make up for it.

 

In any case, I do think that the starting lineup has the tools to be nearly as good as they used to be. Slotting in Reggie Jackson doesn't require a re-inventing of the wheel, and there's enough offensive weapons to cover for his weaknesses most of the time.

 

But, there's one more problem that we must face....

• What about the bench?

 

This, to me, is the biggest problem of them all. Without Reggie Jackson, the defacto point guard becomes Derek Fisher. Yes, Derek Fisher was point guard during the Thunder's NBA finals run last year. But even then, he was a point guard in name only. The majority of the ball handling was done by James Harden, the slick shooting guard who now sits on the other side of the fence. He was never a pure point guard, but he had a mean two-man game with Nick Collison, and his excellent court vision got him out of many sticky situations.

 

This year, the Thunder don't have James Harden. They have Kevin Martin. K-Mart is similar in caliber to James Harden, as he's an excellent scorer who can compete with anybody from behind the arc. But he's just not a ball handler. Isolation situations with him are hopeless, often resulting in a really poor mid-range shot. He can work the break, off-ball cuts, and two-man game relatively well, but he simply doesn't have the athletic tools to run point, nor does he have the passing ability.

 

I've discussed Derek Fisher's skillset at length on this blog, and it's still up for debate as to whether he's been an asset for the Thunder this season. But he's simply not a point guard, and never has been. On every team he's played for, he's had a ball-dominating shooting guard that can allow him to score off the ball, whether that man be Kobe Bryant or Jason Richardson. The one exception would be his lone year with the Jazz back in 2006-07, but that team had so many good passers (like Gordan Giricek and Andrei Kirilenko) that Derek Fisher's lack of ball handling didn't matter.

 

So, if not Derek Fisher, then who? That's the nightmare surrounding this whole situation. The Thunder have no one else. Eric Maynor was shipped off to Portland in February for a pick a trade exception, which is looking like a terrible move at this point. Reportedly, Eric Maynor wanted to stay, but refused an assignment in the D-League and Thunder management were determined to move him. At least, that's what the word on the street was. #rumors

 

There are some potential solutions, though. Ronnie Brewer is by far the most experienced player that's not getting regular minutes right now, and he's a better ball handler than Kevin Martin. He's not exactly a point guard, but he's always gotten high assist numbers for a shooting guard, and his athleticism helps him draw defenders. Plus, his defensive presence would help solidify a lineup that's traditionally been a disaster on that end. The downside is that his shot appears to have completely left him, and he's always been a poor finisher near the rim.

 

The next best solution would be Jeremy Lamb, the rookie out of UConn. He's put up some monster stats in the D-League, and showed a decent ability to distribute the ball. The huge downside to him is that he hasn't proven anything on an NBA level. In garbage minutes, his stats have been downright terrible. He's only shot 35% from the field, bricked a ton of threes, and hasn't distributed the ball much. It's throwing somebody out of the frying pan and into the fire, but he's got to improve somehow, right?

 

DeAndre Liggins has been a surprise for Oklahoma City this season, but he's not a distributor, and is extremely limited in what he can do. He'd add scoring insolvency and size disadvantage to a lineup very weak in those areas, and add nothing in terms of ball handling. I'd have loved to see him next to Reggie Jackson, but he's a disaster waiting to happen next to Derek Fisher.

 

Though they'd add nothing to the ball movement dilemma, Scott Brooks could simply go big. Perry Jones is there, but he, like Lamb, has been a disappointment. Thabeet and Orton are both there, but it's hard to say whether they could bring any impact at all.

 

The cold, hard answer is that there is no solution to the problems of the bench. No matter what the Thunder do, the bench is going to see a significant drop in production without Reggie Jackson. We're going to have old man Fisher start to log regular minutes, Kevin Martin is going to have difficulty finding shots, and there's no scoring help in sight. The only real upside is that Martin and Fisher will be back at their natural positions, but that doesn't mean a whole lot when you lose so much offensive production.

• What if you start Derek Fisher, and play Reggie Jackson with the bench?

 

This is a perfectly valid question. What if the Thunder simply started Derek Fisher and left Reggie Jackson on the bench?

 

Honestly, I like this solution more than most. The Thunder simply need somebody to move the ball on the bench, and that man is Reggie Jackson. Without him, the unit becomes horribly underwhelming and stagnant. I can already see the torrential rain of missed threes.

 

But the starting lineup with Fisher honestly wouldn't be that bad. Derek Fisher is perfectly capable of being a part-time point guard....next to Kevin Durant. Obviously, the big downside is that Kevin Durant will have to become the primary ballhandler, which isn't easy for a guy with the size of a power forward. But, he can definitely pull it off. The Thunder will have to iso him a lot on one side, but that's what he's good at. As long as he can receive the ball in the mid-range matched up against one guy, he's good as gold.

 

Obviously, this means that the starting lineup has to be re-tooled in the middle of a playoff series, and that's a problem. But it's less of a problem now than if you sit on it, realize the bench is killing your team, and attempt to fix it at the tail-end of the second round.

 

I know that the solution sounds radical, and probably gives Derek Fisher more credit than he's worth. But I really feel like the second unit is going to suffer without a catalyst.

• Anyway, what's the most likely scenario?

 

Let's put conjecture and "what if" scenarios aside for a minute. The most likely possibility is that Reggie Jackson gets the starting point guard spot, while Derek Fisher suits up at backup point. The ninth man in the rotation will either be Ronnie Brewer or a committee of players, depending on the matchup. Though Brewer would be best suited handling the ball, he'll probably end up being miscast as a corner three shooter, just like he was on the Knicks.

 

The end result will probably be a near as effective starting lineup, but a bench nightmare. That could definitely carry the Thunder through a series against Houston, and maybe even a series against the Clippers or Grizzlies. But what happens when fatigue sets in? The bench will find themselves playing less and less as the playoffs go on, and we'll see more of Kevin Durant simply not sitting in the second half. The question then will not be whether the Thunder have the talent to win, but whether they have the energy to.

 

Anyway, until I see some actual games, I'm unwilling to speculate any further than that. But now, we get to see the first true test of Presti's player grabs and Brooks' lineup management. Can the journeymen or the rookies step up and fill some very needed roles on this team? Can Brooks re-tool a team that's currently centered around a player who's no longer there? Only time will tell.

[LgD]

Não percebi porque os Thunder trocaram o Maynor para depois contratarem o Fisher.. ele é horrível! Não percebo, e agora isto os vai lixar e bastante

[pedrituh_9]

O Maynor também é horrível. O Fisher ainda traz experiência ao menos.

[NIkeL]

O Fisher não é contratado pela contribuição dentro de campo.

[andriy pereplyotkin]

O Fisher não é contratado pela contribuição dentro de campo.

Tem valor, o que ele dá, mas acho honestamente que os Thunder fazem overvalue desse aspecto. Estão "presos" ao Perkins há demasiado tempo à conta disso.

[NIkeL]

Tem valor, o que ele dá, mas acho honestamente que os Thunder fazem overvalue desse aspecto. Estão "presos" ao Perkins há demasiado tempo à conta disso.

Sim, aliás, não me admirava se fossem buscar alguém no Draft para tentar substitui-lo mais tarde.

[Carson Wentz]

KG's winning this board game

His historic rebounding has given the C's a chance to steal series

Chris Forsberg - ESPNBoston.com

 

 

Two weeks shy of his 37th birthday, Kevin Garnett finds himself in the midst of maybe the most impressive rebounding stretch of his entire 18-year NBA career.

 

Try these numbers on for size: Not only does the Celtics big man lead the playoffs in rebounding (14.4 per game, nearly three better than closest competitor Reggie Evans), but Garnett is hauling in a staggering 40.3 percent of all available defensive rebounds when he's on the floor (also tops amongst qualifiers).

 

To put that in perspective, Evans -- the league's resident rebound magnet -- topped the NBA this season with a regular-season defensive rebound rate of 39 percent, and Houston's Omer Asik was the only other qualifier above 30 percent. Garnett grabbed 25.9 percent of all available defensive caroms, which put him in the league's top 20.

 

But in the past three games, Garnett has been utterly relentless on the glass and his totals are staggering: 17, 17, 18 in Games 3-5. Maybe not surprisingly, a Celtics team crippled by the second-chance points they've allowed the New York Knicks this season has won the past two games and roared back into this Eastern Conference first-round series.

 

New York still leads the best-of-seven matchup 3-2 as the teams shuffle up to Boston for Game 6 on Friday. Garnett's dominance on the glass may be the biggest reason why the Celtics' season is still alive.

 

Garnett's teammates just marvel at what he's doing. Informed of Garnett's recent rebounding totals, Avery Bradley -- he of a career defensive rebound percentage of 6.7 -- sat slack-jawed and struggling to put the numbers into perspective.

 

"That's amazing. He's an amazing player," said Bradley "You can't really say anything else. That's all you can say. Amazing, man."

 

It truly is. Just look at some of the other elite rebounders in NBA history at similar stages of their career. Wilt Chamberlain was out of the league before his 37th birthday, while Bill Russell was gone by the time he was 34. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar averaged 8.1 rebounds per game at age 37 during the 1984-85 playoffs, but his defensive rebound rate was a measly 13.2 percent, according to Basketball-Reference.com. Former Celtics center Robert Parish grabbed 9.2 rebounds per game at age 37 during the 1990-91 playoffs for Boston, but his defensive rebound rate was still nearly half of Garnett's (21.7) that postseason.

 

Every rebound in this series is a war. Garnett is engaged in hand-to-hand combat with fellow veterans Kenyon Martin and Tyson Chandler for each available carom. You can see the anguish on Garnett's face when Chandler manages to tip a rebound back out -- often leading to a Knicks 3-point attempt -- and Garnett has absorbed more elbows than you'd find in a typical box of pasta.

 

And yet he keeps coming back for a second helping.

 

"That's what Kevin does," said captain Paul Pierce. "He's a legend in this game. He's one of the greatest players to ever play the game. And you're seeing when the great ones get challenged, what they're able to do. That's what you're seeing in Kevin Garnett."

 

For his part, Garnett has been hilariously evasive on his rebounding prowess. Asked the secret of his rebounding spike after Wednesday's game, he offered, "I have no idea."

 

At the team's morning shootaround earlier in the day, he offered only slightly more, not willing to reveal his secrets.

 

"I don't know," said Garnett. "I haven't really thought about it, to be honest. A lot of rebounding is timing. Tyson and I, Kenyon and I, we're down there battling for the ball. Some of them are coming off of me or whatever. It's not one or two things that goes into it, nor would I like to share. But the things I have been doing are working for me and I'm going to stick with it."

 

Does Garnett enjoy battling down low?

 

"You don't have a choice, whether you like it or not," he said. "It's whether you adapt to it or not. And if you don't adapt, obviously you know what end you catch, or what end you end up on. And I don't want to be on that end."

 

It's been a quiet offensive series for Garnett, who is averaging 12.2 points while taking just 10 shots per game. The Celtics often make a point to note they need more from Garnett at that end of the floor this time of year, but he's been so ridiculously important on the glass that it's hard to ask for more.

 

"His rebounding and his presence have been amazing for us," said coach Doc Rivers.

 

Before this season, Garnett had grabbed 17-plus rebounds 14 times in his playoff career. Now he's done it three times in a row. He'll have to bounce back quickly, with only one day off before Game 6 on Friday, but you get the sense Garnett is feeding off this situation. As usual with these Celtics, with their backs against the wall, they've come out swinging. And rebounding.

 

During a postgame interview with Comcast SportsNet after Game 5, Garnett kept repeating, "We out here scrapping."

 

Scrapping and rebounding.

[vakjew]

Big Ticket :prayer:

[Pat Riley]

E ainda voltou a insultar a mulher do Carmelo. :mrgreen:

[Hugo Jr.]

E ainda voltou a insultar a mulher do Carmelo. :mrgreen:

 

Quem é que ainda nao insultou a mulher do Melo?

Editado 4 Maio 2013 por LittleEnglish

[Carson Wentz]

Spur Wars - Round IV: Return of the Finals

CapHill - Pounding the Rock

 

 

The playoffs are upon us: which means that the staff of Pounding the Rock, in the spirit of the very first Epic Preview, continues the Spur Wars by photoshopping players onto the bodies of famous fictional characters, letting the Bantha chips fall where they may. The first round's hope was successful, and the second round's return strike was avoided, the third round's Empire-assisted Grizzly-attack was stymied, which brings us to the last installment of our story. May Lucas (and the big anthropomorphic mouse) have mercy on our Spurs.

 

A long time ago in a town far, far away...

 

The rebel Spurs, having already defeated the Lake Star, outmaneuvered the Imperial Jumpshooters at Gold City, and annihilated the behemoth at JabBo's Palace, now face their biggest challenge in the recently constructed (and most expensive) Heat Star. Emperor Palpastern hopes his latest weapon will bring about the final destruction of his most hated nemesis, the Small Market Alliance...

 

 

The Playbook for the new weapon has fallen into the rebels' hands. Tony SkyParker rejoins the rebels, as Mon Baynma reveals the audacious plan. Admiral Gackbar explains the two-pronged assault: the rebel fleet, led by Lando McGradian, will attack the Heat Star and a strike team, led by Manu Solo, will travel to the moon of Florindor and deactivate the shield protecting the colluded Heat Star.

 

 

The strike team lands on Florindor only to be discovered by the hot-headed, excessively tattooed Sebirdman and the bounty hunter Rango Fett. A fast break ensues, with Princess Tia and Tony chasing the fighters through the forest.

 

 

Rango attempts to strike at Tony from long range, but his speeder shows its age and falls apart. Meanwhile, Sebirdman loops back around and flagrantly knocks Tia off her speeder. She falls unconscious, only to be found by the excitable Wicket, who rescues the princess by knocking out the mohawked jumper with his energetic towel waving.

 

 

When Tony, Manu, Diawbacca and the droids are captured, all the towel-waving natives are startled upon seeing C3-Kleo and proclaim him a (basketball) god. His companions are taken prisoner, with Manu set to be the main course at dinner! SkyParker uses The Zone to elevate C3-Kleo and show off his "great defense". Wicket and his friends grant the team honorary status in the Game Day Bala tribe and join the fight against the forces of The League. But Tony SkyParker decides now is the time to leave Florindor and face the cyborg General Jamesievous and Emperor Palpastern.

 

 

In the Millennium Coyote, General McGradian leads the Rebels in the attack on the Heat Star, not knowing that the shield is still intact. At the last moment, Admiral Gackbar remarkably senses a trap and commands the fleet to break off the assault. Lando, along with Bonn Nunb, begs the commander to give Solo more time to bring down the shield.

 

 

Solo's strike team is captured by Imperial forces, but a surprise long-range attack by Wicket and his Balas free the Spur rebels for an assault. Manu, Tia and the droids are pinned down by enemy fire, desperately trying to break into the bunker to bring down the shield.

 

 

Inside the bunker, the cerebral Count Battiku and his assistant Spotto, a mechanic and slave-trader, direct the Imperial Jumpshooters to open the blast doors, unaware that Diawbacca has taken over the artillery. Battiku is thus forced to give up his superior defensive position.

 

 

Once they have breached the bunker (with the help of trusty droid D2-B2), Manu Solo and his strike team smash the controls for the shield protecting the battle station. They discover JarJar Bosh hiding in the shadows of the machinery, but the annoying alien proves to be only a minor obstacle, easily pushed out of the way by the baguette-loving Diawbacca.

 

 

Meanwhile, the Emperor tempts SkyParker to give in and join the dark side of The Zone. Palpastern entreats Angry Tony to replace the old MVP, but the poing guard refuses and declares himself a Spur Knight forever.

 

 

Suddenly Darth Wade appears, flashing his light saber to distract Tony from Palpastern. The Dark Lord tries to bowl over SkyParker, but the Spur Knight spins past the dark lord and defeats the hooded Sith by striking his weakened knees.

 

 

Suddenly, the hulking General Jamesievous joins the fray, threatening to turn the Spur Knights to the dark side of The Zone. Angered, but still holding himself back from the dark side, Tony attacks the monstrous cyborg. SkyParker's quick crossover severs the General's hand.

 

 

The Emperor's anger knows no bounds. He finally attacks SkyParker with his "expert" lightning. Tony withstands the assault, eventually picking himself up off the court. The Wee Frenchman weaves his way through the bolts, using his speed to throw Palpastern off-balance and send the villain careening into the abyss.

 

 

While Tony and the Emperor are battling, the Rebel fleet again attacks the Heat Star. Wedge Greentilles and Cor Josephca lead the offensive. With the shield destroyed, the pilots harness their long-distance accuracy and target the weakness of the Heat Star, destroying the battle station from within.

 

 

Tony escapes from the exploding Heat Star and reunites with his team. He sees the spirits of Obi-Tim and YodaPop watching the celebration of the Small Market Alliance victory. SkyParker joins his friends, toasting the Spur Knight victory (with an A to Z cabernet).

 

 

 

Ai :heart:

 

JarJar Bosh :lol:

 

Muito bom, fdx :prayer:

[Osnofa]

:prayer:

 

Parti-me a rir com a entrada do Mills e do Spoelstra :lol:

 

Obi-Tim e YodaPop <3

Editado 7 Junho 2013 por Osnofa

[Pat Riley]

First

Round

Exit

(Celtics)

 

Acredito mais nos Pacers/Celtics contra os Heat, do que os Knicks. Contudo, acho que este esforço suplementar dos Celtics vai-lhes custar caro nos PO. É esperar para ver

 

 

A vida tem destas coisas.

 

Numa altura em que o valor do Rondo já não era fortemente questionado, este lesiona-se. A equipa dá-se bem sem ele e voltam as dúvidas do passado.

 

E só mesmo os Celtics ou Pacers poderão fazer frente aos Heat. Os Knicks ainda não conseguiram provar que conseguem neste momento ombrear defensivamente com os melhores.

 

 

Eu acho que os Knicks são um caso sério para poder eliminar Miami. Tenho dúvidas é que cheguem à final. O roster deles está muito bem construido tendo em conta as nossas debilidades. E viu-se bem a maneira como não conseguimos jogar contra eles.

 

Os Pacers são sempre uma equipa a ter em conta, tem potencial para eliminar os Heat, mas precisavam do factor casa. No ano passado criaram tantos problemas por causa das lesões mas também é de ter em conta que são uma equipa bem evoluida.

 

A 3ª incognita são os Bulls. Ainda tou para ver o que são capazes.

 

Os C's limpamos fácil.

 

 

Eu concordo que Knicks sao bem capazes de vencer Miami em 7 jogos, nao acredito e que cheguem la. Mas depende de muita coisa ainda. Nota-se que a equipa anda meia perdida a defender e que a atacar ainda dependem demais do Melo, quando nao tem razao para isso tendo em conta o arsenal que tem a disposicao. Vai ser um grande teste para o Woodson, eu acho que da para ver que ele e um bom gestor de homens, o Amar'e anda todo contente a sair do banco, o JR igualmente e ainda se tem esforcado a defender, o Felton voltou rapidamente a forma e o Melo anda com um mindset completamente diferente agora falta ver o resto.

 

 

Acho sinceramente que falta algo aos Knicks. O quê, não sei. :mrgreen:

 

 

Os Knicks já não são o que eram no início da época. Os 3 não caem todos e o "6th Man of the Year" está lentamente a voltar ao que sempre foi. Espero que os Bulls apanhem os Knicks nos play-off para largar um sweep! Pacers e Bulls são os mais fortes candidatos a destronar Miami no este.

 

 

Porque recordar é viver. Percebemos muito disto.