NBA 2011-12 Regular Season Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Walter C]

I won't be watching this dirty matchup at all, as this represents the things that annoy me big-time, about the NBA.

The Heat are self-explanatory, so no need to get into that. And the Thunder, with the whole mess of relocation, and how Stern could allow that to happen. I just can't root for either team, and in fact, it just further distances me from the sport. And it's too bad, because I used to enjoy watching it back in the day.

 

[mattCR]

Originally Posted by Walter C /t/320596/nba-2011-12-regular-season-discussion-thread#post_3937172
I won't be watching this dirty matchup at all, as this represents the things that annoy me big-time, about the NBA.

The Heat are self-explanatory, so no need to get into that. And the Thunder, with the whole mess of relocation, and how Stern could allow that to happen. I just can't root for either team, and in fact, it just further distances me from the sport. And it's too bad, because I used to enjoy watching it back in the day.

I've always been puzzled about the distaste for Miami, or the dislike for Lebron. Last I checked, for all the "fury" over "The Decision" special (which donated all proceeds to charity), he hasn't been in any legal trouble of any sort, he's been an off the court solid representative, and he plays one of the most complete games of anyone in the league. He doesn't have a litter of kids he's not taking care of, etc.

In regards to the Oklahoma bit.. look, it's easy to say "how did the league let this happen", but money moves teams. It has always been that way in every league, the NBA isn't alone. And their attendance in OKC is very, very good - amongst the best in the NBA. So, it's hard to fault the NBA for moving a poorly attended team there.

 

[Walter C]

My distaste has more to do with LeBron than with the Miami Heat. Yes, "The Decision" was one reason, but it was also the fact that he quit on the Cavs during the playoffs in his final season there. As if he could not wait to get out of Cleveland, with the way he was playing in the closing minutes of that game, and the Cavs weren't even down by a lot, and had a chance.

With the Thunder, OKC basically got the team by pulling the rug right under the city of Seattle, and how the new owner basically lied about keeping the team there when he bought the team, then turns around and basically says, "oh by the way, we are moving the team to Oklahoma City." And Stern allowed it, which makes it worse. So all of those factors still make it hard for me to root for this team, but I am slowly getting over it.
I will give credit to the Thunder though, for building their team through the draft, and having a quick turnaround, which makes it more unbelievable. So if I had to choose, I would rather see this team win it all. They are unbelievable, especially with the way they flipped the switch against the Spurs after losing the first 2 games. And Durant is not a quitter.

 

[Ockeghem]

Walter,
I would rather have Kevin Durant on my team than LeBron, for a variety of reasons. I don't know if Durant can take over a game like LeBron, but I suppose we might find out soon.
BTW, I liked the Seattle Supersonics. There were some awesome teams in the 1970s and 1980s that I followed rather closely. Much of this has (not surprisingly) to do with Bill Russell's involvement with the team in the mid-1970s, but some of the earlier teams were quite fun to watch. I loved (and emulated to some extent) Lenny Wilkens' game, and (later) I thought Gus Williams and Dennis Johnson really helped round out what I thought was a pretty darn good team at the time. I also count Jack Sikma as one of my all-time favorite players. And imagine how having Paul Silas coming off your bench helped! Some of those Sonic teams gave the Celtics fits in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Those were some fun times.

 

[Walter C]

Originally Posted by Ockeghem /t/320596/nba-2011-12-regular-season-discussion-thread#post_3937293
Some of those Sonic teams gave the Celtics fits in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Those were some fun times.

I remember someone (who was a Seattle native) said how he did not look forward to relocating to Boston, jokingly saying it one of the reasons was because the Celtics would always beat the Sonics. It was probably because of those times.

I just remember the 90's teams, coached by George Karl, often posting best records during the regular season, only to choke in the playoffs. Especially that one time when the #1 Sonics got eliminated by the #8 Nuggets. Only making one Finals appearance during that time, facing a Bulls team that nearly went undefeated at home.

 

[Ockeghem]

Walter,
Cool. It was almost as if Gus Williams and Jack Sikma never missed a shot when they played the Celtics! It was infuriating at times, but I still loved those teams (not as much as Boston, of course). Even when the Celtics were doing well, Seattle seemed to make Boston play their game.
So in a way, I guess I'll be rooting for the Sonics beginning tomorrow night.