I think the bigger issue is being down 15+ every game.

Weird game.  OKC hasn't had any role players (cough, James Harden) come up big.   LeBron did his best to lose the game when he started putting up contested shots with zero ball movement just before he cramped up.  12 assists for the night though. 

And if Harden remembers how to make layups and wide open jumpers that would be even better.

Posted by stinenavy on 6/21/2012 2:01:00 AM (view original):
I'm usually not one to ***** and moan about the refs, but holy **** have the refs screwed over OKC this series.

I'll put on my eternal optimist hat and say that the Thunder can still pull this out. If LeBron is a little gimpy that'd be great, and if James Harden stops guarding him that'd be even better. No team has come back from down 3-1 in the Finals, but this team is as well positioned as anyone.

You know, it's interesting when you look at the dynamics of the NBA, that certain things seemed destined to happen.  For example, stepping outside of my own preferences, of the following situations below, which is better for NBA and its appeal nationally:

1.  Chicago or Utah?
2.  Phoenix (and Barkley) vs. Chicago (and Jordan), or Seattle (with Payton and Kemp as youngsters) vs. Chicago.
3.  LaBron, Wade, and Glitzy Miami or small market OKC.  (Look at todays nba.com headline:  "LeBron James is near his first title after years of paying his dues -- both on the court and off it.")

When it's better for the NBA as a whole, the calls seem to be mysteriously a certain direction.  Or more subtly, the game is called in a manner which may be even, but favors a certain style.

Haven't watched every minute of every game, but it certainly appears to me that one team has been favored, while the other gets to "pay their dues".

Posted by silentpadna on 6/21/2012 4:42:00 PM (view original):

Posted by stinenavy on 6/21/2012 2:01:00 AM (view original):
I'm usually not one to ***** and moan about the refs, but holy **** have the refs screwed over OKC this series.

I'll put on my eternal optimist hat and say that the Thunder can still pull this out. If LeBron is a little gimpy that'd be great, and if James Harden stops guarding him that'd be even better. No team has come back from down 3-1 in the Finals, but this team is as well positioned as anyone.

You know, it's interesting when you look at the dynamics of the NBA, that certain things seemed destined to happen.  For example, stepping outside of my own preferences, of the following situations below, which is better for NBA and its appeal nationally:

1.  Chicago or Utah?
2.  Phoenix (and Barkley) vs. Chicago (and Jordan), or Seattle (with Payton and Kemp as youngsters) vs. Chicago.
3.  LaBron, Wade, and Glitzy Miami or small market OKC.  (Look at todays nba.com headline:  "LeBron James is near his first title after years of paying his dues -- both on the court and off it.")

When it's better for the NBA as a whole, the calls seem to be mysteriously a certain direction.  Or more subtly, the game is called in a manner which may be even, but favors a certain style.

Haven't watched every minute of every game, but it certainly appears to me that one team has been favored, while the other gets to "pay their dues".

I totally agree. I mean the league obviously wanted Dallas over the same Heat team. The league had its eyes on titles in Houston instead of the small market Knicks or that upstart team in Orlando with no talent. San Antonio was also a clear choice over the Knicks as was Detroit over LA.

Point taken.  Just anecdotal observations - probably of situations I selectively remember.  But I have little doubt that this series is being called in such a way as to favor one team over another, maybe just by to what degree they "let the guys play".  That, and a few obvious non-calls, especially in game 2 at key times.

The Heat are a good team.  They don't need the help, but they certainly have gotten it.  (Neither does OKC).  It would be better if it didn't need to be discussed at all. 

If the Heat win, I think you'd get little argument that as whole, that's better for the NBA.  I find it odd that the officials become a part of the story in situation like this.

Seriously, I disagree.  I think the NBA would rather see the small market team win in this situation because:

1.  May help keep small market stars with their small market teams and as a byproduct
2.  Stabilizes the free agent market and salaries
3.  Increases the value of small market teams in the future.

The large market teams are going to get their share of free agents and money when their teams sell naturally, but this will bode well for smaller teams (especially figuring that in the next 5-10 years two or three of these will sell).

My old pappy always used to say... take care of business and don't let the refs decide the game.  You rebound the basketball, you play defense, you don't turn the ball over... and it's much harder to let the refs beat you.

Jesus that was a terrible game. The refs tried to keep the Thunder in it, but it's no use when it's raining 3's. At what point do you saw screw it, and not leave your man open on the wing on defense?

At least one more season before Harden and/or Ibaka leave, so Thunder should make it back to Finals. Good bye to Derek Fisher, thanks for nothing. Would love to see Cole Aldrich make it into the rotation. He's paid his dues in the D League and deserves some PT instead of scrubs like Nazr Mohammed.

Still haven't had a team I root for win a championship in any sport. Maybe next year.

OKC sucks.  Seriously....what kind of defensive game plan was that.  Freaking joke.

Thanks OKC for giving the Heat their 1st title.  Scrubs.

Miami was pretty unstoppable though.  This is as good as they've ever looked as far as moving the ball and making shots.  The only reason they struggled to get here was losing Bosh for the playoffs. 
It's tough to stop 3 $20 million players in their prime on the same team.  Hell, Bosh is Nowitzki light all of a sudden he's hitting 3's.   

Posted by malone9975 on 6/21/2012 10:01:00 PM (view original):
Seriously, I disagree.  I think the NBA would rather see the small market team win in this situation because:

1.  May help keep small market stars with their small market teams and as a byproduct
2.  Stabilizes the free agent market and salaries
3.  Increases the value of small market teams in the future.

The large market teams are going to get their share of free agents and money when their teams sell naturally, but this will bode well for smaller teams (especially figuring that in the next 5-10 years two or three of these will sell).

All of those are good points.  I think they miss my general one, however.

Which is that the NBA marketability - as a whole - is better if LaBron is in a market like Miami and winning a title than it would be if he was in Cleveland and they won the title.  To me this affects how well the NBA sells outside of its markets.  I'm talking about all of the gear, XBox games, etc.

Now that the series is over, hats off the Heat.  They did earn it.  I don't know if Battier and the rest of those guys can shoot like they did if they matched up again, but they did shoot that way this series and that seemed like the biggest difference.  The moment I thought the series would go the Heat's way wasn't the non-calls in Game 2, which were huge, but when Battier hit that 3-pointer several feet behind the line from straight on off the glass in the midst of the Sonics' big comeback.  That was one of those shots that just felt like a "destiny moment".

and naturally the nba would want the Finals to last only 5 games, right?

it simply means that the NBA over compensated in its reaction.....

OKC wins game 1, so the league says, 'uh-oh....the Thunder could win this, better not let them go up 2-0'

Game 2 was a poorly officiated game, Miami won.......except it turns out they didn't need the help...they were better than OKC, and probably would have just as easily come back from 2-0 down

Yes I can recall a Cavs-Celts playoff game when the same thing happened.  Lebron's Cav's were destroying the favored Celts in Cleveland, but the refs kept giving Boston free throws to try to keep it close.

I think that refs tend to favor veteran teams and teams they believe are better.  That's just my 2 cents.