The cHeat lost. And the universe is celebrating.
I don't even have much to say about this one. The Mavs played like a real team and the cHeat played like a bunch of pickup ballers who handpicked their squad to steamroll everybody and couldn't understand why they weren't.
That's the way it was all series.
I wonder how Miami fans feel about LeBron James right now. He checked out last night. Totally checked out. Anybody who watched the game knows it's true. The reality is, he seemed to check out a couple games ago, about the time things stopped going his team's way.
James was all celebration and swagger during the early rounds. The cHeat beat up on a flawed Celtics team and a Bulls team that still has some growing up to do...and nobody was more in-our-faces about it than LeBron. Dancing and air-punching and screaming after big plays. The closer Miami got to clinching a series, the better he got. He was at his absolute best when his team was on top.
When they stopped being on top...he faded slowly into the backdrop.
This is why I bristle every time LeBron starts getting compared to Michael Jordan. It happened again when the cHeat eliminated the Bulls. I couldn't believe it. I really thought that, at the very least, people should have waited until he owned the Finals and finally won a championship. His stats and abilities are so amazing that people want to crown him King before he's ready for the throne.
He's not. That much is obvious. Last night's game was ugly. He was passive. He played scared. He avoided contact and passed the ball like a hot potato.
This isn't meant to be a dogpile on LeBron. Not exactly. Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade weren't perfect. Bosh had a good offensive game but gave up some key offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, and Wade shot poorly and was generally ineffective. But although those guys didn't play well, I never got the sense they stopped trying. Especially Wade. Dude looked locked in, even if he spent a little too much time looking to the refs to bail him out.
LeBron, the so-called best basketball player in the world and possibly the greatest physical specimen the league has ever seen, played like a roleplayer.
That cost Miami a championship. Or at least a Game 7.
And King Crab, as has been the case ever since The Decision, simply couldn't go down with class and dignity.
Said LeBron: "At the end of the day, all the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today. I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that. They can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal, but they have to get back to the real world at some point."
That lone statement speaks volumes about who and what LeBron is at this point in his life. Things didn't go his way in Cleveland and so he fled to Miami. Now there's nowhere to run and he wants us lesser mortals to remember he lives a better life than we do. Totally douchebaggery.
But you know what's great about sports? There's always a chance for redemption. Just as Dirk Nowtizki. Over the course of this year's playoffs, and especially in the Finals, Dirk destroyed all conventional thinking about his toughness and ability to come through when it matters. Words like "soft" and "choker" can't be used on him any more. He's a champion and a Finals MVP. One of the all-time greats.
The same thing can happen for LeBron. The story isn't over. But he has a lot of work to do -- both in terms of his game and his mindset. He could stand a large dose of humility for starters.
So, on behalf of myself, AnacondaHL, chris and Dan B., I want to thank everybody for another fun season of bawful. Tomorrow begins our summer reading program. Until then, enjoy all the press about LeBron's failures.
Chris's Slightly Belated, But Still Elated, Ewok Cheer Lacktion Report:
Mavs-El (Oh El) Heat: Juwan Howard finished his Finals career the way just about everyone expected...bricking thricely (including twice from the charity stripe!) and losing the rock once in 6:58 for a +4 suck differential and a non-celebratory 1:0 Madsen-level Voskuhl!!!!
Labels: 2011 NBA Finals, Dallas Mavericks, Lebron James, Miami Heat
150 Comments:
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Bawful After Dark: Weekend WatchWorst of Game 5 of the 2011 NBA Finals
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Worst of Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Finals: Dirk's Flu...
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Very zen of Mr. James.
Anyway, thanks again. Basketbawful is the best part of my morning during basketball season!
I'm like a supernatural visionary.
"Upscale Role Player". You heard it here first.
"Batman has no jurisdiction. He'll find him and make him squeal. I know the squealers when I see them...and..." ~The Joker from The Dark Knight
"At the end of the day, all the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today."
Yep, only problem with that so-called jab is that, personally, my life is relatively great! Maybe James such engineer a trade and take his talents to Southern California and play caddy to Bryant and Gasol. They and use a young athletic role player on the wing.
check out my blog too -- hoopnut.blogspot.com!
He does still have the fall-back argument which we were all making back around Christmas: the Heat are three guys and a bunch of role players. I give Mike Miller great credit for playing hurt all post-season, but his lack of outside shooting killed the Heat. Joel Anthony did fine with a limited skill set, but he's as good as a man-down on offense.
I think, with the benefit of hindsight, that the Heat's inability to hold on to their game 2 lead cost them the series. It gave Dallas some belief and psychologically, the questions about the ability to win of the Heat, but particularly Lebron, started to press.
It will be fascinating to see what happens over the summer: will the lockout occur? Who will the Heat/Lakers/Magic/Bulls/Celtics recruit? Who will retire?
Just hope we've got some basketball/bawful to laugh at/debate come next winter!
You're right, LeBron. We'll have the wake up ringless, just like you.
I told myself I was going to let go of the LeBron hate if the basketball gods allowed Dirk to win, but he's going to make it exceptionally hard to do so.
After LeBron hit a "clutch" 3 to put the game within 9 with about 2 minutes left, the Heat forced 2 turnovers but put up 2 bricks from downtown (Bron, Wade) -- a couple trips in the paint and it could've been a 5 point game. Anyway, in a still single digits game, LeBron (guarding Dirk at the 3 point line) lost focus, and Dirk just ran right toward the hoop, took the handoff from Kidd, and got a layup.
It was just a little thing, but it struck me as a perfect demonstration of many of the criticisms of LeBron. It was like he checked out -- in a finals game that was still within single digits!
And if he wasn't such a jerk-off, he would have known that the natural corollary to his "My life is grand so suck on that little people" comment is that he forgets or ignores the people who are sad BECAUSE he failed and they wanted him to win. He is, in effect, telling them to stop supporting him and his team and get a life (and stop buying his products). Your benefactors are tied up in to the outcome on a personal level also (in the aggregate, of course), idiot.
Those "Heat fans" probably forgot about all that talk of winning a championship and jumped off the bandwagon as soon as Miami lost the series.
but they deserved this
it isnt how bad the cheat played
it's how good the mavs played
that sweep of the fakerz was gold.
Here are a couple of comics:
Comic- Why Mark Jackson was fired
The secret behind Dirk Nowitzki's fadeaway
Sorry Lebron, but it looks like the Mavs took their talents to South Beach also!
Really happy for Dirk, Kidd and the other Mavs, especially in a revenge series against the Heat (even though they repeatedly said they didn't consider it one). Quite a playoff run after they were considered the easiest first round opponent by many.
And I have to admit I'm glad the Heat couldn't win in their first year. But they'll certainly be a dangerous team again next year if they can maybe turn down the Hollywood a bit.
Also in those losses, Kobe took the losses and the public disdain in stride. I think Lebron was candid last night, but he did come off as if ppl should start feeling sorry for him (and the Heat).
This is the summer where we'll figure out what Lebron is made of. If he comes back with some semblance of a post-game or a more confident and natural jumper, then this trial taught him a lesson.
Let's recap:
- Yeah, Bird lost twice in the Finals to the Lakers. But he also has three rings, 300% more than the shame of Northeast Ohio.
- Yeah, Kobe lost twice in the Finals too so I guess that Bron here is now JUST LIKE MAMBA! Except for those 5 rings.
- Wilt Chamberlain comparison blah blah blah. Wilt has a ring.
- And finally, the obvious. The guy whose ex-sidekick Scottie Pippen felt that Krabby Patty over here managed to have surpassed already...
...never once lost in his 6 trips to the Finals.
Yeah.
And never once scored only 8 points in a fourth-round game, either.
This is a summer of celebration in America, in Germany, in Canada, around the entire world right now, and we are only beginning to feel the unfettered joy of the permanent stain that will mark the Nazgul's existence.
YES.
The Association: fannnnnnnnnntastic.
Just wanted to add my voice to the chorus of thank yous. This site is a first-stop on my breaks -- please keep it up!
Any idea what this year's summer series will be?
team-by-team "worst of the season". Get a fan of each team to write up the 3 or 4 worst moments of the entire season for that team -- bad plays, bad games, bad karma, whatever. Maybe do one division per day.
Because there was so much bawful this season, it just can't be over.
But they can never say that they are a lock for it to the world ever again and act like anyone will believe them. And it is a beautiful moment, the reality that three massive egoes got taken down by a "choke artist" and an "overbearing owner" and a custodian.
Yep, LeBron, one less ring than Brian Cardinal. What a man.
I know this will probably not happen, but I wonder how joyful 1961-1971 must've been for Laker haters. It'd be nice to see that happen here with South Beach, for a team universally more loathsome and less in touch with reality.
LeBron's no Jerry West. He's no Elgin Baylor. For that matter, he's no Frank Selvy, because at least Selvy tried to make a game winning shot instead of shutting it down.
That said, the NBA lockout will be a well-deserved timeout for all involved...
1. He has achieved the success he sought out to attain in his life. Rings are not as important as money, fame (or infamy) and general exposure. He is 2-8 in Finals games, and yet actually said last night that they played well enough to win (yet didn't - the man is delusional).
2. He STILL doesn't get it; he probably never will. Wade and Bosh showed some class in their remarks post-game, LeBron spewed more bile and gave people additional reason to hate him.
3. LeBron is better than the rest of us, just ask LeBron. LeBron: you are a goat, not the GOAT.
All this talk of future redemption for James is strange. I don't see it happening. He couldn't even lose without being a douche and rubbing his self-ascribed greatness in everyone's faces. He blamed his failures in Cleveland on his supporting cast, saying they couldn't deliver. He has stated repeatedly that there was nothing wrong with his play in these finals. His failures are not his fault - they are the fault of fans for buying into his declarations that he's the 'King' and the 'Chosen One', they are the fault of the media for giving him the attention he actively seeks and recruits, they are the fault of his inferior team mates ... again, just ask LeBron - he'll tell you.
He'll probably get a ring at some point, but that will bring professional redemption, not personal redemption. The LeBron James brand has lost it's allure to the masses, and I don't ever see it returning. Imagine how big a douche he'll be if/when he actually wins.
Funny thing is, I really liked Wade as a player and as a person entering these finals - but after watching him lead the mockery of Dirk (along with his follower), then hear his blatantly retarded defense of it and accusation that it was the media acting idiotically, not him - I now can't stand this guy too.
1) I knew the game was over when Erik Spoelstra was giving his legendary inspirational timeout speech about maintaining "mental stability."
2) Did anyone else's eyes roll back into their heads when Mark Jackson claimed Wade and James would take back their fake coughing?
3) I also enjoyed the astounding revelation from Jackson that "LeBron James is a scorer!"
* * * *
Sid,
I hate James as much as the next guy, but Jordan was similarly excited after his shot over Ehlo.
Will ESPN shut down its pointless "ESPN Miami" thing?
Seriously, that city only has its own dedicated ESPN site because of The Decision.
@Lotharbot - that's a great idea ... but where would fans of teams like the Raps (I am one ...) start? Only 3 or 4 moments? I can think of 80 off the top of my head (they won the first game, and by the last I was excited that the misery was over), and that didn't require any effort!
David Thorpe rips apart Krabby Patty like a mechanical food separator:
I have serious concerns. You can't be him, with his abilities, and have one less offensive rebound than J.J. Barea. I'm not one to use stats like that to crush a guy, but I spent this game repeatedly rewinding my DVR and watching in slow motion. I studied him. I mostly saw him standing and watching. I saw balls fall near him as he did nothing.
That's a severe gut check. That's a severe sign of a heart problem.
I'm hoping there's no hardwood cardiac doctor available to fix this, because it is absolutely entertaining to see this play out game after game. Maybe the lockout will get Krabby some time to learn post moves, instead of calling out haters in the media...and I don't want him to get that wise!
Ummm.... I wouldn't count on that too much.
Gasol outplayed Garnett in last year's game 7, and there was a lot of talk that he should have been the Finals MVP instead of Bryant. Look at what happened this year....
Btw, thanks for the great humor and analysis! Hope we have a season to make fun of next year.
So does Angry KG for that matter.
that reminds me, every so often I would hear the talk of "THE HEAT NEED TIME TO DEVELOP CHEMISTRY, THEY JUST STARTED PLAYING WITH EACH OTHER THIS SEASON!!!!"
and I just can't help but think about the 07-08 Celtics: a team that was assembled hastily before the season started...
...was way more dominant in the regular season than the Heat were at any point...
...and won the title against their eternal archrivals from Los Angeles, including coming back from a double-digit deficit one night.
Maybe they are too old to win more than one.
But they gelled faster than this Heat team has, and they didn't make excuses. Well, okay, we have to be fair and talk about Wheelchair's moment under the spotlight, but end result: RING.
Is this choking really surprising anyone?
Even in interviews LeBonk passes to Wade when he doesn't know what to do.
The sign of an actual champion opposed to someone who "just wins" is to forge forward and to be and do your best when it looks like all is against you.
It's called a lot of things in sports; character, heart, soul etc.
Whatever it is
Dirk has shown at least part of that over the years and when he was sick for example in game 4.
So Congrats to Dallas.
J Kidd, Dirk surely closer to being hall of famers than before these finals.
Anyway,
James lacks emotional maturity and doesn't have the heart or brains to accept that if potentional translated into rings that he possibly:
A)
Should have more to his legacy than just some individual awards
B)
Wouldn't be playing pick up ball in miami right now being basically an at times effective point forward
C)
Should realise Jordan comparsions are wildly off base. Especially mentally.
The Heat could win every game to start the first 50 games next year (Next year? Ha, what am I thinking? There won't even be 50 games next year) and it won't change what I think about LeBron.
"At the end of the day, all the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life"
Besides ignoring the horrible grammar,
Correct I've never lost an NBA Final series, he has now lost two.
Do they hand out anti-rings?
I remember clearly how I first read that Dirk got drafted on CNN (video-)text, which was my best source for NBA news over here in Germany back then. I had never heard of the guy and I thought that second-division sevenfooter with the weird name can only be a total stiff. Then I saw him play in his rookie season and I've been a Mavs fan ever since. I thought the window had closed for them, but they had one more bullet in the chamber. The way they played these playoffs could not have been scripted any better. They sweep the Lakers? They win in Miami? Dirk scores as many points in the fourth quarters in the Finals as Wade and LeBron combined? Come on. Incredible. I'm happy.
The summer reading has been composed, and will be released piece by piece over the next 2 months.
Tune in tomorrow.
ET
Ummm...
...that shot was at the buzzer
...in a elimination game
...against a team that they had just lost to 6 times in a row and were expected to lose to again.
No (reasonable) comparison to be made.
Point taken. Although it still seems more like righteous indignation from MJ and relieved surprise from LeBron.
Never made the connection before, now I'm already looking forward to his Hall of Fame speech. New levels of bile.
"Just be careful when shipping the Miami Heat champs T-shirts to the poor in Guatemala," NBA.com quoted Avon, Ohio's, Nathan Obral as saying. "They could be a choking hazard."
Wade has an extra problem than all of us.
everyone else only has 99 problems (but a B**ch ain't one)
I predict that as soon as the Mavs start having trouble, the "soft" label will be stuck to Dirk once again, as undeserved as it is.
I think the reason that the Celtics gelled so fast is because Ray Allen and KG both play off the ball and can be effective when not being the primary ball handler.
Lebron and Wade both need to be the ball handler, and that's what caused the lack of chemistry. Even Bosh complained (albeit in a low-key way) about not being involved in the offense after the game last night! It's what we all said at the beginning of this season, and it turned out to be true.
Gee, Pookie once ran his mouth in 07 after his free-throw assisted title:
The ugly from 2006 in Miami had barely faded, not for guys like Dirk and Jason Terry. OK, mostly for Dirk. His basketball résumé seemed to begin and end with those Finals.
And into this gaping wound came D-Wade.
"You're remembered for what you did at the end," he infamously said. "[Dirk] is the reason they lost the championship because he wasn't the leader he's supposed to be in the closing moments."
Harsh, especially by player-on-player standards. And D-Wade's words, over time, were translated into "soft" and used as an indictment, especially as the Mavs started losing early in playoffs and seemed to be getting further away.
Until Sunday, that is.
Somehow, I have a feeling that quote was posted somewhere on the Mavs' team plane. Probably on the lavatory door.
Somehow, when Pookie missed those critical free throws earlier in this series, I can imagine Mark Cuban smirking quietly (QUIETLY!) in his seat, sensing something momentous just like 2006 Game 3...only in reverse, against the man who tried to assemble a championship the easy way with his AAU buddies.
Lebron and Wade both need to be the ball handler, and that's what caused the lack of chemistry. Even Bosh complained (albeit in a low-key way) about not being involved in the offense after the game last night! It's what we all said at the beginning of this season, and it turned out to be true.
It's not a good thing when fans are clearly more intelligent than the combined basketball IQs of Erik Spoelstra, Pat Riley, AND the Little Three.
And yet, here we are, with the scenario predicted by some prescient folks here playing out the way we all hoped it would.
Basketbawful 1, Heat -3.
a money quote from the victorious coach (not named Riley/Spoelstra) -
"Come on. How often do we have to hear about the LeBron James reality show and what he is or isn't doing?" Carlisle said. "I'm so proud of what our team stood for. I kept having people come up to me the last three or four days. 'Hey, there's billions of people rooting for you guys.' And we could feel it. We knew it was very important that we won this series for those reasons. Because of what the game is about, and what the game should stand for."
Whatever happens from here on out, there have been few sporting events which generated such cross-demographic, cross-national unity as this one. And I cherish it forever amongst us all.
@trj: Dirk and Kidd were Hall of Famers before these playoffs started.
Btw, Dirk is now 15th all time in career playoff scoring. Next up: Wilt.
He's also currently 8th in career playoff PPG. Sadly AI and Tmac are ahead of him and those guys will never see to playoffs again to lower their average.
I'd like to second the idea of a team-by-team basketbawful year-end recap. While it would be hard to limit the bawful to a top 3 list for some of the teams, I think it would be an entertaining read. Especially given the impending lockout and lack of basketball to mock next year.
This ad actually ran in the Miami Herald today (hat tip to a post at RealCavsFans.com ) -
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/assets_c/2011/06/mistakead-thumb-500x863.jpg
L O L.
Fail.
Don't forget Doc's "no team beat our starting 5 in the playoffs" excuse either. But really, the 07-08 Celtics were beasts. It was insane seeing a team gel very quickly, but it also showed that you need a proper TEAM (aka, superstars + role players + bench + COACH WHO DOES NOT BEND TO SUPERSTARS'S WILL) in order to win. The 10-11 Heat were a half assed 07-08 Celtics, in that they only had 3 superstars (or 2 & 1/2).
Agreed that the Celtics "big three" gelled better/were more complementary, etc., etc., but I wonder how much of the difference can be attributed to Riley's moronic idea that he needed to fill the 6-10 spots with guys that had gigantic forks sticking out of their backs (except perhaps Chalmers, coincidentally the only player in this group that didn't completely embarrass himself).
Once you got past Posey and Rondo (the best two of the non-big three Celtics, analogous to Haslem/Miller), you still had solid young players like Powe, Baby and Perkins rounding out the rotation instead of embarrassing retreads like Z, Dampier, Bibby and Magloire.
Also, Boston absolutely hit the buyout/unretiring jackpot that season with Cassell/Brown compared to the corpses that were Bibby and Z as waiver pick ups. As people rushed to distribute hand jobs to Pat Riley for having the foresight to sign a two-time reigning MVP, the degree to which he actually shat the bed over the rest of the roster was completely glossed over.
I don't mean to excuse the myriad failings of the big three this series, but I have to think that the difference between them and the 2008 Celtics goes was a little more than just them "gelling better".
If Bosh is pissed about not getting the ball, he can blame D-Wade for not knowing how to facilitate.
Z, Magloire, and Dampier...did any of them play a minute in the Finals? At all?
Abu Saud: "Never lost with that starting 5" of course only came AFTER that season, after they had gotten the ring. Not that it's an important or valid rationale whatsoever, but hey, nobody can take that championship away from them.
Also, for me as a Mavs fan this team has accomplished more than I could have hoped for, the Mavs can lose 70 games next year, I don't care.
As a footnote, and I have no idea how you'd measure this historically, but the Heat started 5 different players (Arroyo, Z, Bibby, Dampier, Jones) at least 8 times in the season who didn't play a single minute in game 6 (bonus bawful points for waiving Arroyo midseason after starting 42 games). That has to be close to a record for a finals team. For the record, Scalabrine was the only Celtic to start at least 8 games then notch a DNP in the clincher in 2008.
Obviously injuries were a part of that, but it really is amazing to me sometimes that Spoelstra seems to have completely escaped any criticism for being so clueless with rotations throughout the year.
Yeah you're right. Winning a ring in such a fashion like the 08 Celitcs can make that excuse somewhat defensible. As a Lakers fan, I know that far too well.
Neither Gasol nor Garnett has ever done that, and most folks in the Association haven't, either.
If that's the only point you can pick out of my whole comment then I guess that's fine.
First Ballot hall of famers?
Most likely yes.
Was just trying to say consider the public opinion of Kidd & Dirk before this series started and even further back before they belted the Lakers.
It's a considerable difference.
Dirk going
From: Maybe on par with say someone like Karl Malone, still a beast, long decorated career, not many finals or major playoff win shares, underdog to win it all this year. =Major doubts.
To: Playoff MVP and I'd say now, one of, if not the best PF in terms of a career I've enjoyed seeing play in my lifetime.
Duncan: A Lock
Garnett: A Lock
Dirk: Now a Lock
Kidd: Now a Lock
Iverson: Still will be a hall of famer
My Point: The resume doesn't just look the same, unless you can say you beat everyone you could at least one year.
Weren't some people calling for him to be the Finals MVP because of Kobe's sub-par final game last season?
Please, stop trying to rewrite history.
As Bill Simmons said, that preseason celebration has now become permanently funny!
(from Friday's BAD post:) http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6649101/the-highs-lows-today-nba
And not that it would alter the outcome, but Stevenson shoved two different people. Should have been slapped with a double tech and kicked outta the arena.
Maybe as that guy who your divorced mother sees and you call your "Uncle Pau".
I totally jumped out of my chair on that play!
Alas, the Heat stormed back right away...
Also, I'm really curious to see how Nike will try to sell us LeBron stuff next year, that will require remarkable spinning.
Your comment, on the other hand, jumped you into the top spot for douchiness on this comment thread. Nice job!
THE HEAT IS LOSING!
And the way I see things, LeBron has the Tracy McGrady-syndrome. He's so big and so gifted that he's been able to "get by" without really expanding his game much. Remember Jeff van Gundy's remarks about McGrady's practice time? It's kinda like that.
It's because he represents the big-market, big-media, big-headed approach to basketball that leaves places like Sacramento and Cleveland in the dust.
So when the ESPN-endorsed, self-appointed champion suddenly finds out - as if 2007 wasn't enough to show him this - that media accolades do not give you a title, and that simply playing in a large city doesn't leave you in the history books forever, well, of course I am going to savor this the way one savors a $30 cut of beef at Ruth's Chris.
This is shaping up to be a wonderful summer already.
As a raptors fan, I'm looking forward to a recap of a year's worth of Chris Bosh gaffes - flopping, saying dumb things, crying, shooting 1 for 18...enjoying that south beach spotlight yet??
Thing is, Bosh isn't the problem with that team, it's that Wade and James are completely redundant as players in terms of skillset, ability, role, etc
There may come a time when I actually feel bad for LeBron and hope he makes it, but that's a ways away.
"I don't always miss shots. But when I do, I prefer the NBA championship to be on the line." - Lebron James
Er, if LeBron weren't on their team, at least.
That dude has some serious soul searching to do. It's impossible to deny that he had a total collapse of confidence in this series.
The Heat are in a good place going forward. I don't think any team in the league has a brighter title-outlook over the next few years. But this one hurts.
Congratulations to Dallas. I feel great for Dirk. He absolutely deserves it.
LeBron should now use Dirk as an example to follow as he tries to figure out how to overcome his demons.
Short of trading one of the big 3, I honestly don't see how - in an NBA with a radically different CBA - Miami gets better. It has to come from within ... how much more manufactured motivation can LeBron find? He made promises - he just didn't / couldn't deliver.
Birdman bet $2 million that the Heat would win this series.
oops.
Since it's just how to party down there, who cares if they actually won or not?
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/deadspin/2011/06/loss-of-the-ring.jpg
After last summer, the Heat will not care where the cap lies. The only things they care about are 1) will the MLE still exist and 2) even worse, will there be a hard cap.
These two things decide the fate of the Heat.
I fully believe it's not a question of will the new CBA impact the Heat, but more how will the new CBA impact the Heat? If it's 3 + more scrap parts, this may have been their nadir as a team. They need better players in slots 4-12 ... I predict that will be a tough task. Riley is good, but the new system will be nothing like he's ever been forced to work with before. Should make for another interesting offseason.
I mean, can you think of ONE adjustment that Spoelstra made that had a major impact? He started Chalmers, but not until it was past obvious that Bibby was useless in this series. He also didn't give Eddie House any minutes until they were absolutely desperate for some shooting.
Carlisle, on the other hand:
-Started Barea and played him together with Kidd, thus resulting in perhaps the shortest starting backcourt in the playoffs, which was surprisingly effective
-Put in Brian Cardinal who delivered big-time in limited minutes (injuring Wade, drawing charges, hitting a few 3's)
-Benched Peja after it was clear he was no use in this series
-Managed to get meaningful PT out of Mahimni in a closeout game
-Baffled MIA with zone/man/pressures/double teams and whateverelseyouwannaname
Any way you cut it, Carlisle out-coached Spoelstra and got his team to perform at an insanely high level.
-------
Sad that the season is over. Thanks to all the blog contributors- you guys are rockstars and have made my days appreciably more entertaining.
I also should thank commentators because I love reading comments about as much as I do the posts, even when things get chippy or intense. (OK, especially then).
Happy Summer, everyone and here's hoping for no lockout!
-David
I told myself I was going to let go of the LeBron hate if the basketball gods allowed Dirk to win, but he's going to make it exceptionally hard to do so.
His media groupies, too:
@kevinarnovitz RT @SherwoodStrauss LeBron might be a jerk. Who he is, is besides the point: I'm disconcerted by our tendency to revel in hating a person.
Big congrats to the Mavericks!
DeShawn's shove will be forever etched in Mavs-Heat rivalry lore.
It took away all the momentum of that 14-0 run by Miami.
Now will the MLE exist? That's a good question. Miami's chances become a lot better if it does because then they can go get someone like Dalembert to play center (I know he's average, but thats still more than you can say for Joel Anthony's overall game).
biting commentary by the brilliant Joe Posnanski.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/06/13/137151099/a-short-photo-essay-about-lebron-james-for-people-who-dont-like-lebron-james
You are someone very special when even freaking NPR is making fun of you.
And really, unless a lot of them agree to huge discounts, it's hard to see a CBA that would allow them to retain enough of Chandler, Barea, Butler, and Stevenson to put together another run when they already have ~$60 million committed to Dirk, Terry, Kidd, Marion, Haywood and Brewer next season. I expect the Mavs' future to heavily factor in Roddy Buckets and Corey Brewer, for better or worse.
There will always be ring chasers and rookies for Miami to scoop up at minimum or near-minimum levels, and not all of them will be as incompetent as Bibby, Damp and Z were this year. Barring injury (likely with Wade), they'll be in the mix for the foreseeable future. As much as people focus on how much the CBA will hurt Miami, it's not like they're the only team that could have some serious issues.
Dirk earned his ring and he was the real closer last night. He has had to wait on long time for his ring, longer than other superstars. Congrats Dirk, J-Kidd and Co.
http://theresastatforthat.blogspot.com/2011/06/dirks-ring-long-time-coming.html
The NBA loves having strong major markets, but the majority of the owners are not in those markets. I really can't see another CBA that allows a few markets to flourish while the majority flounder. It would be extremely noble and misguided (and unrealistic) to believe the owners of the teams that are losing money (pretty much all of them aside from the ones you mentioned) would agree to another system that props up a few at the expense of the majority. I could be wrong, but owners are tired of losing so much money - something tells me the voices of ownership in New York, Chicago, LA, Miami and Boston will be heard, but politely dismissed. The owners vote on the new CBA, and while many NBA owners have proven quite stupid, I'd be shocked if the majority vote allowed another system of extreme haves and a majority of have nots.
Lebron seems to be the strongest candidate so far but Dan Gilbert should also be up there with him.
Taking down the Dark Lord of the Sith, along with his cohorts, frustrating them into becoming hockey players.
The young ones, the Thunder, with their superhuman speed, were worn down by determination and will.
And finally, the biggest nemesis of them all, Dwayne Wade, who was as mighty in the championship round as Dirk remembered from his nightmares, but with the help of the Legendary thief, JKIdd, The Wizard, JET, and the Bodyguard, Chandler, Dirk prevailed.
That shove really did work out, didn't it? DeShawn starts the fight, but ends up getting one more tech called on the Miami side, which leads to a Dirk FT. Plus, the altercation required quite a long replay review which cooled off the crowd and the Miami shooters.
The one member of Les Douches Trois who I feel any kind of sympathy for is Bosh. Wade was a complete douche to Dirk and the Mavs after the 2006 Finals, and acted like a douche all series this time. Lebron is Lebron. But Bosh gave his best effort, and he is actually a pretty good guy and very honest.
Meanwhile, The Bosh was outmatched against the lesser minions, JJ Barea, Mahinmi, and the Custodian, Brian Cardinal.
Both remaining Nazgul fought valiantly, but without the Witch King, were weakened. They never imagined they would be taken down by peasants and squires, and they never imagined the Witch King would flee.
And so, a crown on his blond brow, a ring on his finger, and his greatsword, Steve Gnash, at his feet, we leave Dirk for now.
But take one last look at the words at the top of throne, will you?
And here it reads:
"Take Dat Wit Chew."
Look at this opening segment:
What does Adam Morrison have that LeBron James doesn't? That's right, an NBA championship ring. Two of them, in fact.
Morrison only appeared in two playoff games in two seasons with the Lakers, but since everyone from the training staff to the players receive rings, he got them, too.
@Vanilla Thunder: "Of course it would take a 7 ft. german to teach America the true glory of schadenfreude."
Best post of the comments section!
Look, I have some sympathy for LeBron. First, he is too uneducated to properly conjugate a verb. Second, he is largely a victim of the information age, where public figures navigate an unprecedented array of pitfalls whereby they can make themselves look like total idiots. Congressman Anthony Wiener, anybody? Brett Farve? The thoughts were always in certain athletes' heads, but our idiotic 24/7 digital news era full of shouting heads amplifies it far beyond anything known before. That said, they asked for it, didn't they.
I have always believed that the best competitors have it in their DNA to be clutch. I don't think LeBron has it. He doesn't push to maximize his own ability, he pushes to look great. That's why he doesn't have a post game: nice post moves don't make Sports Center and sell product, while dunks do.
Also, I think the man was gassed. An effect of little supporting cast, so Bron had to be Mr. Superman Shot Blocker. I'm not going to get into the Bron hate. Yes, his news conference showed more superdouchery. But as for his game, his main sin is talking too much, and being a drama queen. It's all been said. LeBron's DNA says Scottie Pippen to me. Surround this core with a good PG who can hit perimeter shots and a very defensive center who can block some shots and push opposing bigs out of the paint (think Dwight Howard playing in LA next year), and a couple sparks off the bench with perimeter shots, and you have a few good title runs in this team. And you need to use your PG to bring the ball up, because a one man full-court press tires Dweeane out. That's just a stupid thing to set yourself up for.
Anyway, Bron needs to get a post game this summer and the team needs to beef up their roster. Then they can contend with Howard's LA, with Kobe, Odom and Gasol. Ugh. Still, I won't hate LA as much when Kobe isn't The Man.
And kudos the the Mavs. The won the title by playing great team basketball. I rank them up there with the 04 Pistons: a little less D, a little more O, but great team play all around. You really have to love these guys. Except for Stevenson, of course. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU5v_SVx7vE
Enjoy, Bawful devotees.
Spending all day bashing someone far more talented and successful than yourself all day long is both sad and pathetic.
There have been some fantastic photoshops today around the internet (Loss of the Ring wins). But where the hell did that LeBron cryface actually originate? I'm seriously curious
I thought this was an interesting article. I also felt cheated in the sense that after so much drama regarding Heat, the way they gave up in the 4th quarter was completely anti-climatic. Those guys weren't super villains. They weren't super anything.
http://eye-on-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/30005005?source=rss_blogs_NBA
This offseason, the Heat will euthanize Bibby and Howard, Miller and Haslem will be back healthy. Miami will be even better. I can only hope this was humbling to LeBron, and I guess its true after all, that you havee to lose before yo9u can win
http://i.imgur.com/kRhkY.gif
http://www.cavemancircus.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2011/june/rings.jpg
And yeah, thanks to all the bloggers and commenters for making this one of the best basketball-related websites on the net.
Also, I'm really curious to see how Nike will try to sell us LeBron stuff next year, that will require remarkable spinning.[/I]
The pricetag on his kicks is going up, $170 next season I believe.
Did wonder if Nike snuck out the LeBron low "Sprite" colourway a month early to ensure they sold their inventory.
He took the initiative when Crab didn't.
But this is already Bron's second finals loss. Bird, Bryant, Jordan, Magic, Kareem, Duncan...ALL won their first Finals appearance.
Maybe that's too high of a standard, and I can live with that.
How long is it going to take before a grown man "learns" how to win, when the answers have always been right there, on every Finals retrospective video there is, in the sweat and pain that champions undergo year after year?
His entire game, other than passing and taking it hard to the rack, is mediocre at best. And his 4th qtr Finals performace over 6 games shows how well only a "I can take it hard to the rack" strategy works.
He needs to take a summer and learn some moves. Maybe he should hire Barea to teach him. If LeBum had Barea's moves the Earth would implode on itself due to the gravity of his greatness.
But he doesn't, and Barea is 4 feet tall I think. With a ring.
http://deadspin.com/5811396/lebron-james-is-still-a-cocksucker
I believe the face originated during the 2008 Wizards Cavs series-when Papa John's in DC printed out 'crybaby' shirts to mock crabby's antics-though I'm not certain as to the exact genesis of the photo that's when it started popping up in Wizards forums and the like.
So I take it you are spectacularly successful? Right.
Study after study after study shows that the surest way to financial success is through education. This is an average, of course. There are wealthy folks who didn't finish high school, and poor PhDs. But if you want to get ahead in the world and stop sounding like a hick dumbass, get yourself educated and work hard.
On that subject, what degree of admiration should we give LeDouche for being born a freak of nature? Did he actually DO anything to have his gifts? Sure, he's developed his game somewhat, but a helluva lot less than a lot of other players (otherwise he'd have a post game). I'd argue that JJ Barea is far more worthy of admiration than James. Barea has done it against all odds, and that's a credit to hard work.
Bron can say whatever he wants, obviously. But the sad, pathetic fact is that he brought this all on himself. His denial and blaming of "all the haters" just shows that he can't even accept responsibility for his actions. How pathetic is that?
plus it's a freaken game! professional atheletes (and their OWNERS) should be thanking all fans/critics/ everyone for giving them millions of dollars to play a game. (since those millions of dollars could...you know be spent on research on cancer, heart disease, public hospitals...you know something that will save someone?)
That statement he made is irrelevant- it has nothing to do with the criticisms on him it only supports them. Also nobody is thinking about that insult and sobbing themselves to sleep at night because of it. The only people that may have been hurt by it are his fans because they're the only ones who actually care what he has to say. The people he's trying to hurt treat everything he says like a joke.
LeBron - sorry that you haven't been able to cry yourself to sleep, but I think you can do better things at 3 AM than post on here. Like work on your game. Maybe see a psychologist.
http://sportsradiointerviews.com/2011/06/14/lebron-james-twitter-comments-nba-finals-miami-heat-dallas-mavericks-dwyane-wade/
----
Anonymous douchebag: I don't have millions of dollars, I don't party with hot sluts, and I share a house with my wife's parents. And my life is f**king awesome. My baby boy is walking circles around me and giggling as we speak. He gets to play with grandma and grandpa every day. I have a faithful, loving, intelligent, and generally awesome wife who is a software freelancer, so we set our own schedules.
Maybe you have an unsatisfying life that makes you think partying with hot sluts while your coworker bangs your girl or your mom and caving under pressure is an improvement. I wouldn't trade.
One thing is for sure one of us doesn't know how to read...you.
My comment CLEARLY stated the DESPITE his framing of his comments the natural inference from his comments would be to a larger group.
"Spending all day bashing someone far more talented and successful than yourself all day long is both sad and pathetic."
Really? He's a better natural athlete than me. Hie penis is probably larger too. So what? My life is grand. Which is why I have time to write meaningless commentary on the Internet a few minutes a day.
Natural Athlete: LBJ 1 - Cortez 0
Computer Engineering: Cortez 1 - LBJ 0
I win.
coach spo, on the other hand, looks afraid to make any roster shake. by the time he did it, it was too late and too drastic. bibby went from starting the whole playoffs to playing 0 minute in game 6. eddie house suddenly saw more playing time in game 6 than the rest of the playoffs combined (and with good results too). people will be left wondering what if he did this earlier, or what if he played other guys more minutes instead of forcing lebron to log around 45 mins in the finals.
NBA skills- LeDouche
Money-LeDouche
Nºof girls banged-leDouche (close call)
Penis size- Le Douche (VERY close call)
Ego-le Douche (by far)
NBA rings-tie
Right? Carlisle pwned the coaching matchup and derserves a ton of credit. It's even more impressive when you consider how masterfully he used the ENTIRE bench (even Corey Brewer) over the course of the playoffs. Each team they battled had a different plan and different personnel. Talk about maximizing your return.
Cortez said:
Natural Athlete: LBJ 1 - Cortez 0
Computer Engineering: Cortez 1 - LBJ 0
I win.
Looks like a tie to me. But Imma give you the win because you forgot:
ass-wiping-with-mountain-lion-skillz: Cortez 1 - LBJ 0
There. FTFY. Cortez wins 2-1
so the Heat where technically only a healthy Mike Miller away from a championship. But who will ever know if their championship worthy top 5 will ever be healthy in June...
honestly (the big mistake the Cavs also committed because of the approaching free-agency): wouldn't the Heat be better, if they said: ok, we're not going to win this season, but instead of Howard and Big Z, we get young players who work hard and get better, and we will rock next season.
the way it is right now, the Heat will not be any better next season, then they were this season. So (while considering, that the Bulls ans the Thunder could be better) the Heat are in the same position as the Cavs were: chasing a ring for the King but only surrounding him with players who can't quite get it done now and wont help you next year...
again, just a thought, but if the Cavs skipped on Shaq and Jemeson, but instead got a player in the mid 20s who could take the next step playing next to Lebron (kind of what Mo Williams did becoming an "all-star"...) the Cavs might have convinced LeBron to stay... and now the Heat are doing the same mistake so we might be in for another free-agent ride 4 years from now...
on the other hand... Dallas just won a championship collecting all those ancient stars so never mind...
I'm a Miami fan, but congrats to the Mavs, especially Dirk and Carlisle, for playing like a team, setting actual plays and just generally playing with more heart. They deserved it. Like I mentioned before, even though I was rooting for the Heat, I feel good for the goofy German. He was always an all-around good guy (anyone remember that episode of "Punk'd"?), and his work ethic is, to this day, astonishing. (I have to keep wondering, though, what would have happened if Cuban had actually retained a certain Canadian point-guard, and a good friend of Dirk's...)
As for LeBron...Damn. He's almost becoming the Charlie Sheen of basketball. Although, that one anonymous commenter with a seemingly douchey comment, did get something right: most people do need to find a different vent for their frustrations. Let me put it this way: when I was banging hot chicks and living it up, I was barely visiting this site, let alone commenting on it. Now, that I've got nothing better to do...surprise, surprise - I'm typing an essay in the comments section.
Still, all that being said...LBJ let me, and many other people who still had some sympathy or faith for the guy, down. Big time. I read the Simmons piece, and I agree with all of it, including his sentiments. Also, in honor of the Sports Guy, here's a link that even I enjoyed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7sG2RuVsU8
But they continued to make moves to try and shoot for it this year. Risky, but they almost pulled it off. You can't deny that they had to take this risk, no way millions of bandwagoners would accept "we've got a solid 2 year plan before we start winning" as an excuse, especially after the !(1<=n<=7) championship promise, etc. They needed to shoot for it now.
Yes, the Heat can improve, and can get worse. There are so many variables this summer, some beyond their control, it's not really worth trying to figure out if they'll win it next year.
Also, Haslem's injury was big too.