2012 NBA Playoffs

[KingSpeed]

Stupid Bynum says close out games are easy and now they're 0-2 in close out games. I love it. Will be interesting to see WorldPeace back for Game 7.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

For now I'm a Nuggets fan. Oh how I'd love to see the Lakers lose this one especially with how Bynum and Artest have been acting. I think I dislike Bynum more than Kobe now.

 

[Rhal]

For now I'm a Nuggets fan. Oh how I'd love to see the Lakers lose this one especially with how Bynum and Artest have been acting. I think I dislike Bynum more than Kobe now.

Gonna be a great few months at my work if the Lakers get knocked out by Denver.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I am so conflicted

I hate pretty much every team in the playoffs, with the exception of maybe the Spurs. What's important to me is Lebron never winning a title though, so the more talented teams in the playoffs that could knock them off the better.



Plus, seeing Faried play the way he does makes me sick to my stomach knowing he was right there for us

 

[BBert]

Miller plus (passing on) Faried for Felton. What an epic blunder. And I said so at the time.

And it's even worse than I remembered:

The Trail Blazers have addressed their needs at point guard.

The Blazers on Thursday got both experience and youth at point guard, trading Andre Miller to Denver for veteran point guard Raymond Felton and drafting Duke point guard Nolan Smith with the No. 21 overall pick.

Andy Miller, the agent for Andre Miller, confirmed the trade.

Blazers interim general manager Chad Buchanan did not return messages and scout Mike Born said he would not comment.

Dallas is also reported to be in the deal, acquiring Rudy Fernandez and the rights to Petteri Koponen from the Blazers in exchange for their first-round pick (No. 26 overall). Portland will send that pick to Denver.

So, we literally traded Andre Miller, Kenneth Faried, Rudy Fernandez, and Petteri Koponen for Failton and Smith! Someone should be fired for that. Seriously, every intelligent fan on this board knew that was a bad deal. And then it got much worse.

 

[RR7]

I think dumping Rudy can not be seen as a negative.

 

[Eastoff]

I think dumping Rudy can not be seen as a negative.

seconded, nor has pettri hurt us really.

 

[BBert]

I think dumping Rudy can not be seen as a negative.

I knew many here would think that. But that is not the point. The point is Rudy had value. Koponen had value. That value was determined to be the No. 26 pick, which also had value. Then we gave away the No. 26 pick (Rudy+Koponen) for NOTHING. Failton now equals NOTHING. During the season, he turned out to be less than nothing. And we gave up drafting Faried, who everyone and their grandmother knew the Blazers wanted. Aargh!

Further, I'd frankly rather be playing Koponen than Smith. Hell, I'd play Flynn at PG over Smith. And Rudy is better than Smith will ever be.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Miller plus (passing on) Faried for Felton. What an epic blunder. And I said so at the time.

And it's even worse than I remembered:



So, we literally traded Andre Miller, Kenneth Faried, Rudy Fernandez, and Petteri Koponen for Failton and Smith! Someone should be fired for that. Seriously, every intelligent fan on this board knew that was a bad deal. And then it got much worse.

Wait, Chad has done a good job I thought? That's what people are saying anyway. LOL

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Andre Bynum is \../ this close to having a full head of grey hair. Did anyone else notice his abundant grey hair?

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Well we watched what happened in the playoffs when a team loses their #1 guy as the 8 seed knocks out the 1 seed

And we watched what happened in the regular season when a team loses their #1 guy as the Blazers went from playoff team to lottery team

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Stupid Bynum says close out games are easy and now they're 0-2 in close out games. I love it. Will be interesting to see WorldPeace back for Game 7.

Everyone's giving Bynum a hard time about that "close-out games" comment, but let me ask--prior to this week, had Bynum ever been on a team that had lost a close-out game? Hadn't the Lakers won like 12 such games in a row?

If his only experience has ever been victory in close-out games, wouldn't it be natural for him to think they were easy?

 

[RR7]

I knew many here would think that. But that is not the point. The point is Rudy had value. Koponen had value. That value was determined to be the No. 26 pick, which also had value. Then we gave away the No. 26 pick (Rudy+Koponen) for NOTHING. Failton now equals NOTHING. During the season, he turned out to be less than nothing. And we gave up drafting Faried, who everyone and their grandmother knew the Blazers wanted. Aargh!

Further, I'd frankly rather be playing Koponen than Smith. Hell, I'd play Flynn at PG over Smith. And Rudy is better than Smith will ever be.

Well, we didn't GIVE it away. We traded Rudy, who needed to go, Kopo who had shown nothing and Miller for Felton. On the thought that coming off of a career year, and in a contract year, 8 or so years younger than Miller, that we were making a move for our future, by adding a young somewhat talented PG who was just entering his prime. He sucked, so it backfired. But the logic made perfect sense. Rudy had more back problems, and will probably be in Spain when his contract is up. Kopo will likely never be here. Miller looks the same. Was he going to get us anywhere? No. We weren't winning a title with him, or this year, so the thinking was to get much younger at the position, and find that PGOTF that every fan is always bitching and moaning about.
He came in fat and worthless. After the AS break, he actually played like the PGwe thought we were getting. 13 and 7, shot 38% from 3.
And I'd still like to see the organization saying they were forced to pass on Faried to make that deal, instead of just fans speculating that because they wanted him, it HAD to have been part of the deal.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

i remember the tnt or espn guys or whatever saying during the draft that they swapped the picks, but since they were consecutive, they didnt have to, and just let faried slip to denver.

now, whether the blazers would have drafted him in the first place is still up for debate

 

[Nikolokolus]

This Memphis - Clippers series has been kind of entertaining ... Grizzlies in particular are a fascinating team: simultaneously brilliant and boneheaded.

 

[THE HCP]

The Hoop Family is killin the Clippers!!!!!

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Randy foye with the feltank!

{Poasted via palm pilot}

 

[Natebishop3]

Hilarious. I'm going to laugh if the Clips and Lakers both get eliminated in the first round after having leads.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Having a pure low-post scorer who can get you two points or draw fouls changes the whole dynamic of your offense late in games.

This is the reason why I'd like to see this team go after DeMarcus. Without Zach the Grizzlies wouldn't have a chance in this series.

 

[Drttimmy]

If I'm rooting for anyone, it's the Grizz and Nuggets, for ex-Blazer reasons. Zach Randolph is just a gamer. Clutch buckets. Saved possessions. The guy is steel down the stretch of games, contrary to most his teammates. He gets more aggressive when everyone else clams up. Makes you wonder if he'd ever develop into that kind of player if he stayed with Portland? Maybe the Knick/Clipper waivings humbled him some.

 

[jlprk]

I define NBA experience as the number of coaches and systems you've had to learn.

It's not humility, it's learned intelligence. More than most Blazers of the time, he passed the Oregonian's humility test. He was a very nice guy, even to reporters.

 

[e_blazer]

Hilarious. I'm going to laugh if the Clips and Lakers both get eliminated in the first round after having leads.

That would give me a good LA-ugh as well.

 

[Rhal]

That would give me a good LA-ugh as well.

Would be record breaking too, very few teams have ever lost going up 3-1.

 

[ironcrotch]

Magic Johnson says Mike Brown will be fired if the Lakers lose tonight.

 

[KingSpeed]

Andre Bynum is \../ this close to having a full head of grey hair. Did anyone else notice his abundant grey hair?

Yes.

Everyone's giving Bynum a hard time about that "close-out games" comment, but let me ask--prior to this week, had Bynum ever been on a team that had lost a close-out game? Hadn't the Lakers won like 12 such games in a row?

If his only experience has ever been victory in close-out games, wouldn't it be natural for him to think they were easy?

Lakers lost a close out game 6 vs Houston in 2009. But even though they won all the others, that doesn't mean they were easy. He also gave Denver fuel to prove him wrong. I really hope the Lakers lose tonight.

 

[KingSpeed]

Also- in Bynum's rookie year, the Lakers lost 3 straight close out games against the Suns. Even though Bynum didn't play much, he had a front row seat to how hard it can be. And now history is repeating itself.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

And then they hire nate while we hire brown. Fml

{Poasted via palm pilot}

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Mike Brown is probably the worst coach in basketball bar none, including assistants acting as head coaches. Buck Williams could outcoach Mike Brown.

 

[Natebishop3]

Maurice Cheeks could outcoach Mike Brown.

Honestly, I don't know what the Lakers were thinking.

 

[illmatic99]

Iggy is kicking Pierce's ass tonight. This is kinda sad.