Collection of Thoughts After 2013 NBA Finals

[syfy9]

Kawhi Leonard is going to be really good. My lasting memory of him was the side step, no look tim hardaway style and-1 lay up. Great rebounder. Hit the clutch 3.

Why didn't Bosh win finals MVP? Come on, he has a +1 plus/minus rating! Along with 0 points, 2 turnovers, and allowing Tim Duncan to completely abuse him in the post nearly every time...but y'know. It should have been him or Ray.

I like Shane Battier now.

Danny Green just went completely cold...

So did Tony Parker...

And Gary Neal...

Man, what if Tim Duncan hit the easy hook and tied the game with less than 2 minutes to go? I get that he was tired, but come on; that was a point blank shot. I won't blame him for it, though. Being the competitor he is, he's going to be blaming himself for the loss. I wish Tim Duncan a long and prosperous life after he retires. Hopefully he can play another year or two, though.


I really want the Clippers to get KG/Doc now. I don't wanna see a 3-peat. The Clippers worked hard last season and changed their defensive culture - just imagine how it'd change with KG?


I've seen waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better NBA Finals celebrations...

And now I'll leave you with how one properly celebrates an NBA championship:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fiYKptoFWU

[jambr380]

Yeah, I love Leonard even more than before. I don't know that he'll be a superstar, but I would love love love him on the Cs.

I made my peace with the Heat winning the series on Tues night. I was angry and upset and really bummed out about Lebron winning a 2nd championship and Spoelstra being a multiple-championship coach. If the Spurs won tonight, I would have been pleasantly surprised, but knew in my heart that the Heat were going to pull it out.

[lightspeed5]

https://vine.co/v/hu5gXpDMQ55

[syfy9]

Yeah, and also: I absolutely hate Chris Bosh right now.

He was just horrid in a basketball standpoint. Soft, only taking jump shots, and a liability on the floor. Tim Duncan was playing head games with him.


Dwayne Wade, I still dislike from the Rondo incident.

[lightspeed5]

wade is drunk

[Celtics18]

My only thought is:

Ewwww!!

[PhoSita]

My main thought is

I LOVE THE NBA!


Even after such a disappointing Celtics season, I still feel so great to be an NBA fan and privileged to get to watch a playoffs and especially a Finals series like that one.


As Jeff said on Twitter, these Finals are why us fans of all the other teams go nuts over trades and the draft and coach hirings and firings and rumors . . . we just want our favorite team to get where the Heat and the Spurs were, competing at the highest level on the highest stage.

I hope it's not too long before the Celtics are there again.

[SparzWizard]

Still like Chris Bosh.

LeBron James is just phenomenal. He is a monster. And yeah, I dislike him hahahah.

I absolutely detest Dwyane Wade.

Ray Allen is next to DWade.

Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, and company aren't far behind.

[sed522002]

I wish Ray didn't make that 3 in GM 6 or Leonard or Gnobli would have made that free throw...I'm actually not mad like I thought I would be that the Heat won. They played a worthy opponent.Also, Parker played like crap tonight..10 pts (0 in the 2nd half) 4 ast

[NocturnalRebel]

Duncan missed a huge opportunity to tie to that game. That would have been a huge play. I hate that he missed it.

But I enjoyed this series. Maybe it had something to do with a Texas team against a team I highly dislike but minus that it was just great basketball.

I still dislike tha Heat. My respect for LeBron has risen but I will still root against him.

I have high hopes for Kawhi Leonard. That brotha has a great future and he will be a great player in this league.

Tim Duncan is one of tha greatest of all tha time. It was great to see him back in another finals but it would have been that much better if they were tha champs. Danny Green took a huge step back from what he was for tha Spurs up until game 6. His confidence was shot and he fell back into that Danny Green I saw in tha WCF of last year.

Though i'm disappointed, this was a great non-Celtics series/finals I enjoyed. And I don't know what it is about Chalmers but I don't like seeing him celebrate. Watching this series makes me want to see tha Celtics move onto with their youth movement as much as I was opposed to it. Tha Spurs have great young talent and I'd like to see tha C's cop some young talent that can be for them what it's been for tha Spurs and more.

[D.o.s.]

Some players are good at one, very, very specific thing. Chalmers is good at two--making shots that he has absolutely no business making, and causing everyone watching to wince.

He's the dude who hits the game winning shot at the pickup game and gloats about it, despite being the fourth or fifth best player on his team.

[timobusa]

My thoughts.

Kawhi Leonard is gonna be a star. All Star.

Ginobili is old. Gives you 1 good game out of 7.

Tim Duncan is still a beast. His post moves are so beautiful to watch.

Lebron James is a monster when he wants to be.

Tony Parker was great. But he's made bad decisions. I've seen him not pass to an open Danny Green about 6 to 8 times this series.

Danny Green came back down to earth after an amazing first 5 games.

Dwyane Wade. I still hate the guy.

Ray Allen was clutch when he needed to, I still hate him too.

Chris Bosh is an over paid role player.

Popovich is the best coach still.

[LarBrd33]

LeBron James.  The Undisputed King of the NBA.  Hate him if you want, but that kid has been meeting every single challenge that comes his way and destroying them.  4 MVP's.  4 Finals appearances.  Back-to-Back titles.  Carrying dead weight teammates to a championship.  Nailing insanely clutch shots.  These playoffs were all LeBron.  We're witnessing one of the greatest players of all time play the game.   I think he could retire right now and go down as one of the 10 greatest players in NBA history.

Simmons had Oscar Robertson #10 on his hall of fame pyramid.  Compare the resumes:

LeBron:

2× NBA champion (2012–2013)
2× NBA Finals MVP (2012–2013)
4× NBA Most Valuable Player (2009–2010, 2012–2013)
9× NBA All-Star (2005–2013)
2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008)
NBA Rookie of the Year (2004)
NBA scoring champion (2008)
7× All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008–2013)
2× All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007)
5× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2009–2013)

Oscar: 

NBA champion (1971)
NBA Most Valuable Player (1964)
12× NBA All-Star (1961–1972)
3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1961, 1964, 1969)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1961)
9× All-NBA First Team (1961–1969)
2× All-NBA Second Team (1970–1971)


... Oscar played more years, but beyond that Bron could retire right now at age 28 and probably be considered in the top 10 ever.  And for all we know, LeBron could play another 10 years.

Other than LeBron's glorious title defense, the only other thing worth mentioning is Ray Allen's Game 6 shot.  He saved the season for the Heat.  Without Ray, the Spurs win the title.

[LarBrd33]

Fwiw... Playoff stats:


LeBron: 26 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 2 steals, 49%/38%/78%

Wade: 16 points, 4.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1 block 46%/25%/75%

Bosh: 12 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 block, 1 steal 46%/40%/73%

 
LeBron with a huge 37 point 12 rebound, 4 assist, 2 steal 52%/50%/100% performance in Game 7.  Really can't criticize him at this point.  Guy owned the league this year.

[D.o.s.]

LeBron James.  The Undisputed King of the NBA.  Hate him if you want, but that kid has been meeting every single challenge that comes his way and destroying them.  4 MVP's.  4 Finals appearances.  Back-to-Back titles.  Carrying dead weight teammates to a championship.  Nailing insanely clutch shots.  These playoffs were all LeBron.  We're witnessing one of the greatest players of all time play the game.   I think he could retire right now and go down as one of the 10 greatest players in NBA history.

Simmons had Oscar Robertson #10 on his hall of fame pyramid.  Compare the resumes:

LeBron:

2× NBA champion (2012–2013)
2× NBA Finals MVP (2012–2013)
4× NBA Most Valuable Player (2009–2010, 2012–2013)
9× NBA All-Star (2005–2013)
2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008)
NBA Rookie of the Year (2004)
NBA scoring champion (2008)
7× All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008–2013)
2× All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007)
5× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2009–2013)

Oscar: 

NBA champion (1971)
NBA Most Valuable Player (1964)
12× NBA All-Star (1961–1972)
3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1961, 1964, 1969)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1961)
9× All-NBA First Team (1961–1969)
2× All-NBA Second Team (1970–1971)


... Oscar played more years, but beyond that Bron could retire right now at age 28 and probably be considered in the top 10 ever.  And for all we know, LeBron could play another 10 years.

You're leaving out the triple-double. And the Big O's historical importance to the game. No way LeBron vaults over him on either point (certainly not his importance, distantly possible for the average).