Miami's road to the Finals: Charlotte, Toronto and Washington/Atlanta

[FLDFSU]

So how does a 16 game format help the Thunder beat Memphis or The Pacers to beat the Heat or the Houston from defeating Portland?

If the ultimate goal is to win a ring how does this 16 playoff format change the ultimate best team from winning a ring?

[DMAVS41]

No team is perfect. I just don't see how Dallas is running Atlanta out of the building. Memphis versus Charlotte would be a defensive struggle for the ages and Brooklyn versus GSW would be an entertaining shootout.

I don't see how any of those teams a part of an upper echelon.

I'd actually take Atlanta over Dallas in 6.

No, just no.

The Mavs could easily be up 3-2 against the Spurs right now. Essentially 4 of the 5 games played so far could have gone either way with 3 minutes left. And the only for sure of the series has gone to Dallas in game 2.

So the Mavs can do that to the Spurs without HCA...but they are going to lose in 6 to a Hawks team maybe 50% as good as the Spurs...while the Hawks have nobody on the team that could play Dirk 20% as good as Splitter has?



Look. Nobody is saying the Heat winning doesn't count. That is silly. But it's a clear advantage to play in the East all year and in the playoffs. It just is. You can coast to the 2 seed. You don't have play as many hard games. You get at least 1 round in the playoffs in which losing is impossible...

We just need to acknowledge the difference. That is all.

Making the finals four straight times, if they do, is going to historic regardless. And if they 3 peat...nobody is going to mention this stuff.

Conversely, if they do lose, then the competition stuff will be mentioned. And rightfully so. They are going to likely have back to back years not playing a 50 win team. And that is doubly hilarious because a good team would coast to 50 wins in the East.

Hawks over the Mavs in 6...

[DMAVS41]

So how does a 16 game format help the Thunder beat Memphis or The Pacers to beat the Heat or the Houston from defeating Portland?

If the ultimate goal is to win a ring how does this 16 playoff format change the ultimate best team from winning a ring?

Oh, I think it definitely could change it.

These margins are small to begin with. Just a hypothetical...I'm not saying this was the case as the Spurs had a pretty easy road to the finals.

But just imagine a scenario in which one team in the finals is 10% fresher than the other because one team has had to play a handful of more competitive games to get there and they are worn down a bit. This happens in the NBA. Teams and players get worn down...

Am I saying I think that has happened to date for the Heat? Actually yes. I don't think the 12 Heat make it out of the West without Bosh. I think they lose to the Spurs or Thunder without Bosh in 12.

[atljonesbro]

When did Toronto and especially Atlanta win their series? Have I missed something?

Atlanta is by far the worst team in this year's Playoffs and a series ain't over till it's over. Stop this premature threads, same shit every year.

Lol. And yet they're winning their series. Another typical, LOL360DUNKYOLOESPNTOP10 kid.

[Heavincent]

No team is perfect. I just don't see how Dallas is running Atlanta out of the building. Memphis versus Charlotte would be a defensive struggle for the ages and Brooklyn versus GSW would be an entertaining shootout.

I don't see how any of those teams a part of an upper echelon.

I'd actually take Atlanta over Dallas in 6.

Dallas >>> Atlanta

It's not even remotely close. Atlanta won 39 ****ing games Dallas is better in every way. This isn't debatable. Dallas in 4, 5 at most.

Memphis >>> Charlotte

Again, this isn't close. Charlotte is basically a poor man's version of Memphis. Memphis in 5.

GS >>> Brooklyn

I've watched both teams extensively. Again, GS is better in every regard. lol at "shootout". GS's elite defense wouldn't have much of an issue shutting down the Nets offense. GS in 5. I'm a fan of both teams, so there's no bias here.

None of your comparisons make any ****ing sense. The western teams win every one of the those matchups with relative ease.

[Heavincent]

I still can't believe there are people who try to pretend like there isn't a massive discrepancy between East and West. It's such a joke.

"Atlanta beats Dallas in 6"
"The Wizards would beat any western team"
"The Heat don't have an easy road to the Finals"
"West is overrated. East is just as good"

Are you people for real?

[Quickening]

You could flip it over and say getting battle hardened throughout the playoffs is more valuable than just beating poor teams until you meet the best of the best from the west.

Since when is playing poor competition better preparation for a final than good competition? Miami still have to beat the best team from the west, you realise they don' get a championship for winning the conference finals.

[Legends66NBA7]

I'd actually take Atlanta over Dallas in 6.

I'm assuming you mean healthy Atlanta with Horford. Otherwise, no they wouldn't win.

[Legends66NBA7]

People don't realize how injured the East became this year. I mean the Hawks would be a Top 4 seed if Horford doesn't go down. The Knicks were never healthy all year. Toronto and Chicago were supposed to tank when they traded players, while Dolan rejecting the trade for Lowry and Rose lost for the Bulls again. Brooklyn lost Brook Lopez for the season and were never at full strength early on and through out the rest of the year without Brook.

It would have been much more competitive. Probably not at the level of the West overall, but certainly could challenge some of the lower tier of the West. Toronto came close to being the only East team of sweeping 6 different Western Conference teams, which included Dallas and Memphis. It took epic comebacks from OKC and Golden State to prevent them from being the 6th and 7th teams.

[red1]

People don't realize how injured the East became this year. I mean the Hawks would be a Top 4 seed if Horford doesn't go down. The Knicks were never healthy all year. Toronto and Chicago were supposed to tank when they traded players, while Dolan rejecting the trade for Lowry and Rose lost for the Bulls again. Brooklyn lost Brook Lopez for the season and were never at full strength early on and through out the rest of the year without Brook.

It would have been much more competitive. Probably not at the level of the West overall, but certainly could challenge some of the lower tier of the West. Toronto came close to being the only East team of sweeping 6 different Western Conference teams, which included Dallas and Memphis. It took epic comebacks from OKC and Golden State to prevent them from being the 6th and 7th teams.

I will never forgive salmons for blowing that game by giving kd a chance to hit a gamewinner on us. What a f*cking scrub

[mistergreens]

Clinging to this concept of "asterisk" rings says much more about you thant it does Lebron or the Heat. It's pure haterade, and like someone said, no one will remember paths in the past few years. If the East is so easy, then Miami will EASILY get exposed by the West champ in the finals right? Maybe, but to simply ignore the eye test and just look at paper stats is ridiculous. Stop acting like Miami doesn't belong.

[FLDFSU]

Oh, I think it definitely could change it.

These margins are small to begin with. Just a hypothetical...I'm not saying this was the case as the Spurs had a pretty easy road to the finals.

But just imagine a scenario in which one team in the finals is 10% fresher than the other because one team has had to play a handful of more competitive games to get there and they are worn down a bit. This happens in the NBA. Teams and players get worn down...

Am I saying I think that has happened to date for the Heat? Actually yes. I don't think the 12 Heat make it out of the West without Bosh. I think they lose to the Spurs or Thunder without Bosh in 12.

But that didn't stop Miami from defeating the Spurs, or Miami from defeating the Thunder the year before. Both years MIA got pushed to 7 games in the ECF only to go on to win a ring. In 2011, Miami played 5 games in the ECF, and had a much easier road-based on games played-and still ended up losing to the Mavs.

At the end of the day, the best team will win the title. 16 team playoff won't change a thing; If X is the best team, they will ultimately prevail.

[FLDFSU]

People don't realize how injured the East became this year. I mean the Hawks would be a Top 4 seed if Horford doesn't go down. The Knicks were never healthy all year. Toronto and Chicago were supposed to tank when they traded players, while Dolan rejecting the trade for Lowry and Rose lost for the Bulls again. Brooklyn lost Brook Lopez for the season and were never at full strength early on and through out the rest of the year without Brook.

It would have been much more competitive. Probably not at the level of the West overall, but certainly could challenge some of the lower tier of the West. Toronto came close to being the only East team of sweeping 6 different Western Conference teams, which included Dallas and Memphis. It took epic comebacks from OKC and Golden State to prevent them from being the 6th and 7th teams.

While I generally agree. That is no excuse. Miami's Wade missed like half the season trying to protect an injury and the Heat ended up with a top 2 seed.

The Knicks have ZERO excuse for missing the playoffs.

And BKN is even worse, they have Pierce, Johnson, and Williams...Don't want to hear about injury.

The only team (and they made it as a top 4) that is legit is Chicago.

[FLDFSU]

Clinging to this concept of "asterisk" rings says much more about you thant it does Lebron or the Heat. It's pure haterade, and like someone said, no one will remember paths in the past few years. If the East is so easy, then Miami will EASILY get exposed by the West champ in the finals right? Maybe, but to simply ignore the eye test and just look at paper stats is ridiculous. Stop acting like Miami doesn't belong.

Been saying it for weeks now. Whoever wins the West should then have no problem beating the living hell out of the "weaker" East winner.

[ArbitraryWater]

So how does a 16 game format help the Thunder beat Memphis or The Pacers to beat the Heat or the Houston from defeating Portland?

If the ultimate goal is to win a ring how does this 16 playoff format change the ultimate best team from winning a ring?

BECAUSE THOSE TEAMS WOULDNT EVEN START PLAYING EACH OTHER YOU DUMBASS



You see the ****in' difference? Get it in your head already

How can anyone even be against this? From a pure competition/fairness standpoint, it doesnt get any more simple and fairer than this... but no, because this team plays in a city in the east, lets have them play different opponents.. retard