I just want to see if everyone is on the same page.

They're a great team right?

So we should expect a deep playoff run right?

CP3 has a team that's good enough to get to the Finals at least?

Or are we gonna blame Vinny, Blake, Billy Crystal or someone else if that doesn't happen?

****bookmark***

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

---

But hell, what do I know?

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2097021&mesg_id=2097021&listing_type=search

---
"though time has passed, im still the future" (c) black thought

No, not getting to the finals wouldn't be a terrible result, it's not like this team is a now or never team (ALA Knicks/Lakers) and the thunder are a spectacular team with something to prove. I say Conf finals is the pass for my clips, and would be happy with that.

Can they beat the Spurs?!

Do yourself a favor.

Divorce yourself from emotion as much as UK-an.

Then watch basketball.

They ain't in the same universe, dawg.

Never were.

It's okay, we can pretend we didn't see you get gassed if you let this shit go now.

Rondo was a weed-carrier when he won a chip. Now that he's their best player, they ain't sniffing shit.

Nobody would even notice that either (since no sane person compares the two) if you just lay low, stop lying to us & especially yourself.

Keep this up tho?

Send In.....The Clowns(c)Frankie Baby

What are you talking about?

Keep pretending these regular season wins translate to the post season though.

The bookmark is already there.

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

they were also in game 7 against an extremely mediocre sixers team that, honestly, should not even have been a playoff team. so you can spin it either way.

they are done. rondo is a great supporting player, any team with him as the star is doooomed though.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

...and keep letting the sensationalist media dictate your position.

Rondo was in the championship year and still is playing with multiple hall-of-fame talents who are playing great. All of this "Rondo is the best player on the Celtics" consensus is extreme. Yeah, he's a spectacular player to watch, but he does not excel at every area of the game and--far, far, far more than Pierce, Garnett, or (then) Ray Allen--his weaknesses can be exploited, and exploited in major ways.

Remember how good that players on championship teams look when they're surrounded by great players and boosted by a great coach. Also remember how they look when they move on to teams without that greatness.

I'm not saying that Rondo is on Trevor Ariza status, but still...

were relevant B.

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

So you can't really spin it that way

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

lol @ a bookmark.

you can put that shit on a tattoo if you want.

Rondo & CP3 are not in the same fucking hemisphere, dude.

Cry.

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

Then equally quiet at playoff time

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

'initial embarrassment' should have occurred the first time you posted on the subject but yet, here we are.

I think Rondo is the perfect PG for a team with offensive weapons...But when he's asked to be the best player, I think that's a problem for a team....

He's a freak of nature...He's a brilliant floor general...But he's pretty limited offensively...

GOAT of his era......long live Prince.....God is alive....

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

.

Luckily I'm not a dumb nigga and have the Internet.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rondora01/shooting/2013/

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/paulch01/shooting/2013/

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rosede01/shooting/2012/

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westbru01/shooting/2013/

http://www.hoopdata.com/shotstats.aspx?team=%25&type=pg&posi=PG&yr=2013&gp2=0&mins=30

But stay strutting around flaunting your stupidity like a peacock with Down Syndrome.

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

I'll continue to watch & laugh. Man now that the C's ain't shit there's really nothing to say.

But....his freethrows.

Just waive the white flag dawg.

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

>Just waive the white flag dawg.

and people actually try to guard CP3's jumpers.

as mindless NBA analysts try to pretend.

Yep is right there with everyone else. And in some aspects better.

And your response is.... "nobody's guarding him".

Yep.

He's shooting them all by his lonesome.

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

CP3 jumper *still* better by your own stats before you even get into any other variables (like whether teams actually fear it enough to defend it with the same vigor).

You up there bemused at the original dude's statement acting like Rondo has no offensive limitations & you're serious when you say it.

'The Joke's On You, Jack!'(c)James Todd Smith

you can't see that Rose and Westbrook take 3 pointers? Rondo is a 41% jump shooter with like 10 3's. Blake Griffin is a 39% jump shooter as well.

Yeah and wow, Rose and Westbrook don't have good jumpers EVERYONE KNOWS THAT lol. No one was ever killed by D Rose jumpers. The difference is that both of them demand double teams and get in the lane which opens up the defence for their team.

Fact: Rondo, Rose, Westbrook and CP3 are ball heavy PG's.
Fact: CP3 runs the 4th rated offense in 2013 and 4th in 2012.
Fact: Westbrook is part of the 1st rated offense in 2013 and 2nd in 2012.
Fact: Rose ran the 5th best in 2012 and 11th in 2011.

and the killer fact that sound put this bs to bed: Rondo runs the 25th rated offense in 2013 and 27th last season. He runs bad offenses. Which is a blight on a PG.

CRY ABOUT IT.

IMO that is what you can reasonably expect from a good team. After that, the real playoffs start and all eight teams (well at least six or seven of them) are going to be legit.

at this point though i don't see anyone clearly better. they got a squad.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Just getting to the 2nd round (same place they got last year) is where the bar is set?

Must be nice.

Lebron has expectations. Kobe does. Durant. Wade. Melo. Dwight. Rose.

Yet CP-3 can just play.

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

by no team CLEARLY better i dont mean i wouldnt pick OKC in a seven-game series right today.

too many potential pitfalls for them or any WC team. i'd say only OKC has higher expectations and even then only because of their recent success.

but you look at the rest of the good teams--clippers, san antonio, memphis--i think the realistic minimum expectation has to be the second round. i know you want to bend this to an agenda but i'm being pretty clear and consistent here.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Its a completely different team and mentality this year so I'm not worried about the Spurs. I think they can beat OKC if they have home court. I'd be more concerned with a team like the Grizz who still hasn't gotten over their game 1 collapse last year.

_________________________

they have the best player at the most important position on the floor on the deepest team with the best record in the league
if this isn't a title contender then wtf is?
i think it's fair to pick 3-4 teams a year that ppl can objectively be disappointed in if they don't win the title
this year it's the heat, thunder, lakers (still), and clippers
now if the clippers don't win the chip for xyz reasons then start plea copping at that point (mostly for agenda purposes)
but right today? foh with the hedging

~~~~~~

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

No on else gettin fried... And really not even OKC, but hey love to hate on Russ, so...

____________________________________________________


Steph: I was just fooling about

Kyrie: I wasn't.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8OWNspU_yE

Everyone else though is free as shit.

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/4722149376/h3EC54DFF/

-The Knicks’ coaching search still includes a lone frontrunner, Kurt Rambis, whose qualifications for the position include a strong relationship with Jackson and a willingness to take the job.

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/you-got-me.gif

-The Knicks’ coaching search still includes a lone frontrunner, Kurt Rambis, whose qualifications for the position include a strong relationship with Jackson and a willingness to take the job.

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

All the arguments I've heard, including from the national media, are based on their performance vs the Spurs in the playoffs. Which is silly since this is a completely different team. They're passing and playing defense this year, they upgraded at multiple positions and Del Negro is doing pretty good at managing his rotations.

_________________________

can win? because of the spurs series last year?
iono maybe. i guess cp3 is in that carmelo wheel house of 'we'll believe it when we see it' because there aren't many arguments for why they shouldn't come out of the west

~~~~~~

The Spurs exposed them last year (and Blake and Paul were hurt) and they base their "analysis" on how they performed in that series. If they actually watched games last year and this year they'd see the huge improvements on the offensive and defensive end. Last years team had so many weaknesses; this is not the same team.

_________________________

in the playoffs, you've got series. schemes to contend with and manipulate.

you mentioned how deep the western conference is, which would've been my first response, but if they manage to make it through to the finals it'll be because they matched up right and had the proper playcalling (paul?).

LA/MIA would be ridiculous.

Miami is still, and stays, stacked.

---

But hell, what do I know?

there are around six teams with a legit chance of a title. if one of them wins, it doesn't mean the rest are humiliating failures. why would anyone want to view basketball through such a narrow, zero-sum lens?

kind of ironic that you're parroting this bullshit, especially after you saw how everyone idiotically dog-piled on LBJ prior to his chip.

i still blame hip-hop.

.

~~~~~~

~~~~~~

---
"People that need positivity around them all the time are weak individuals in my book" - @lilduval

>they have the best player at the most important position on
>the floor

is it really? the previous "best" point guards didn't win chips, at least not as the main man (payton, kidd, nash) and really there has not bee much leading to a title since zeke from the "elite" guys.


on the deepest team with the best record in the
>league

if they hang onto the top seed i'd say the expectation almost certainly shifts to WCF or bust.

>if this isn't a title contender then wtf is?

it is a title contender but we are talking about minimum and reasonable expectations here. to say they HAVE to get to the finals with pretty limited playoff experience and a deep west, eh, that just doesn't sound right to me at all.

>i think it's fair to pick 3-4 teams a year that ppl can
>objectively be disappointed in if they don't win the title
>this year it's the heat, thunder, lakers (still), and clippers

why the clippers and not memphis or golden state? those teams have 2-3 more losses than the clippers. at the start of the year, memphis was the hot ass team everyone was thinking as sliding up as a contender. why not san antonio? conference finalists last year.

to me you have the heat and thunder for sure and then the lakers because of their aggressive offseason. anybody else coming into the year couldn't be *expecting* finals or to be considered a bust. the west has several good teams and the east has whoever is going to take on miami in the ECF.

>now if the clippers don't win the chip for xyz reasons then
>start plea copping at that point (mostly for agenda purposes)
>but right today? foh with the hedging

are we blaming people for not looking at one month early in the year and crowning these guys king? what am i even reading in this thread?

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

>is it really? the previous "best" point guards didn't win
>chips, at least not as the main man (payton, kidd, nash) and
>really there has not bee much leading to a title since zeke
>from the "elite" guys.

doesn't matter. it's still universally considered the most important position on a team now days
if it isn't i've love to know what is



>it is a title contender but we are talking about minimum and
>reasonable expectations here. to say they HAVE to get to the
>finals with pretty limited playoff experience and a deep west,
>eh, that just doesn't sound right to me at all.
>

they don't HAVE to do anything, the responses in this thread suggest that no one would put money on them doing much of anything apparently.
chris paul is no spring chicken and there are several veterans on the team with championship experience much less playoff experience lol
what now this core group has to stay together and make several deep runs before anything can be expected of them?
is that the new adjustment?



>
>why the clippers and not memphis or golden state? those teams
>have 2-3 more losses than the clippers. at the start of the
>year, memphis was the hot ass team everyone was thinking as
>sliding up as a contender. why not san antonio? conference
>finalists last year.


well for one memph/gs won't have the all important "best player on the floor" in any series their in past round 1
and they're not playing well enough for anyone to believe they can overcome that against teams that do....especially since those teams are also playing better than memph/gs as of right now
and the spurs should be included in the discussion

>are we blaming people for not looking at one month early in the year and crowning these guys king? what am i even reading in this thread?

who crowned them king? is the national media even expecting anything out of them in the serious sense? this is just a non platinum thread in oks
if someone was being objective about it though it would be about a franchise acquiring one of the most coveted players in the league, then surrounding him with a good mix of young and veteran talent, then seeing that team become cohesive and ball out
then simply realizing the team is good enough to win a title and that's probably the teams (realistic) current goal


at the end of the day if you want to give the team props for being better this year, best team in the league or whatever the claim is then you have to adjust expectations accordingly
it's not that deep
if you want to hedge (for whatever reason) and say it's okay for them to lose in the 2nd round again despite getting SIGNIFICANTLY better compared to the other teams in the conference then you have to temper everything else you're saying about them since apparently you don't think it means shit where it counts the most (playoffs)
of course that would be an indictment of cp3. so you're left with a weird combination of praise/preemptive plea copping

~~~~~~

>doesn't matter. it's still universally considered the most
>important position on a team now days
>if it isn't i've love to know what is
>

Sigh. No its fucking not.

The most important position to any team is the position of their best player. LeBron is a billion times more important to his team's success than Mario Chalmers, which is the perfect example to obliterate your point. Yes, on the Clips CP3 is the most important player, his position is irrelevant though.

Zeke is the last point guard to "lead" a team to a chip. PG is just a position, its not fucking quarterback. Teams have won chips recently with bums and platoons at PG.


That being said I do believe the pressure is on CP3 this year. This is easily the best team he has ever had, so he needs to make the conference finals MINIMUM in my opinion. He is a top 5 player to me, and this is the squad he finally has to cement it once and for all.

and so CAN any other great player at any position. I mean look at the list of best players on championship teams: Bron (PF/SF), Dirk (PF), Kobe (SG), Duncan (PF/C), Shaq (C), Jordan (SG), Hakeem (C), and Isiah (PG).. literally every position is covered. Point is a great player is a great player. Basketball isn't all about offense, and even the best PG can't anchor a team defensively.

Their bench is also somewhat overrated to me since it lacks serviceable front court players and has a lot of redundancy in other areas. Unless, Odumb starts playing well consistently, their bigs: Ronnie and esp. Hollins are garbage and will be out of the rotation come playoff time. They are best suited if they ship out Bledsoe for a quality front court player since w/ D'Andre shooting 45% at the line, he's going to find himself on the bench come crunch time.
Also, folks saying they are going to get better w/ the return of Chauncey/Hill is unfounded. Chauncey/Hill are redundant since you aren't going to have enough guard time minutes for Chauncey w/Paul+Bledsoe+Crawford and at the wings for Hill w/ Caron/Barnes eating-up major minutes. Let's not even get to Del Negro, Willie getting up 10+ shots per game in 20 minutes says it all.

WHAT'S GOOD *****? What's REALLY good?!?!????!!! Ha HA!
http://40.media.tumblr.com/d8e2daf9f3f37244cd05436bcdf05973/tumblr_mt4qibKq4c1rgam01o1_1280.png

In regards to Del Negro, he's been coaching and they've been winning, so he's obviously making the right decisions.

_________________________

>lakers (still)

________________________________________
"Take the surprise out your voice Shaq."-The REAL CP3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H5K-BUMS0

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

________________________________________
"Take the surprise out your voice Shaq."-The REAL CP3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H5K-BUMS0

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

________________________________________
"Take the surprise out your voice Shaq."-The REAL CP3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H5K-BUMS0

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

________________________________________
"Take the surprise out your voice Shaq."-The REAL CP3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H5K-BUMS0

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

WHAT'S GOOD *****? What's REALLY good?!?!????!!! Ha HA!
http://40.media.tumblr.com/d8e2daf9f3f37244cd05436bcdf05973/tumblr_mt4qibKq4c1rgam01o1_1280.png

the most irrational ones in here, talking about LAC being title or bust this season and dumping on paul for irrational reasons.

that said, this was definitely a disappointment for the clippers. they had a lot of peripheral players that were essentially one-year guys. maybe it will help them to have some more accountability and a consistent identity now. their core guys still have a ways to go with the exception of paul.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

________________________________________
"Take the surprise out your voice Shaq."-The REAL CP3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H5K-BUMS0

...

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

--------
Twitter: _TheloniousFunk
Instagram: thelonious_funk_

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5xo9h5X3E1qgfdhto1_500.gif

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

-The Knicks’ coaching search still includes a lone frontrunner, Kurt Rambis, whose qualifications for the position include a strong relationship with Jackson and a willingness to take the job.

--------
Twitter: _TheloniousFunk
Instagram: thelonious_funk_

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3sokwyU831qbpwzeo1_500.gif

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

http://25.media.tumblr.com/9aca41aedd77e54a019f92d0051b0a06/tumblr_mov3gloEib1rtca3lo1_1280.jpg

--------
Twitter: _TheloniousFunk
Instagram: thelonious_funk_

the 1st round. Now you talking bout championships and 'frying' him for losing in the 2nd round.

Goalpoasts moving like crazy.

Safe to say most players(including all-stars) won't be nba champions, let alone the best player on a championship team. Hold on to that that tho.

I see why you are.

You said he needed to get out the 1st round. He did.

Hold on to the championship bit tho.

-The Knicks’ coaching search still includes a lone frontrunner, Kurt Rambis, whose qualifications for the position include a strong relationship with Jackson and a willingness to take the job.

>the 1st round. Now you talking bout championships and
>'frying' him for losing in the 2nd round.

I said the Knicks have to make it to the 2nd round. They did. I haven't said shit about the Knicks.

>Goalpoasts moving like crazy.
>
>Safe to say most players(including all-stars) won't be nba
>champions, let alone the best player on a championship team.
>Hold on to that that tho.

No it's safe to say Melo can't be the best player on a championship team playing the way he currently plays.

I think you're mixing agendas.

I like Melo. But he needs to play better. He needs to commit a little more on defense, pass more, and make his teammates better.

If he does that, he can lift a trophy.

The same with D-Rose.

**shrugs**

>I see why you are.
>
>You said he needed to get out the 1st round. He did.
>
>Hold on to the championship bit tho.

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

silly me.

And even if melo does all those things, you still can't find a team he's been on that should have won a chip.

I actually agree with you on alot of that criticism, but you can't say that and not take into consideration the team he's on when they lose. lol

I've been vocal with my problems with Melo, (I made a post when he commented about not changing or improving his game or whatever he said) Now can we have an honest discussion about melo's teammates?

I already know the answer to that btw lol

-The Knicks’ coaching search still includes a lone frontrunner, Kurt Rambis, whose qualifications for the position include a strong relationship with Jackson and a willingness to take the job.

>silly me.
>
>And even if melo does all those things, you still can't find a
>team he's been on that should have won a chip.

We don't know that, because he's never done that.

So your hypothetical is meaningless, and sounds more farfetched as his career goes on.

>I actually agree with you on alot of that criticism, but you
>can't say that and not take into consideration the team he's
>on when they lose. lol

Why not?

Teams have won (not necessarily the championship) with less than with what the Knicks have.

>I've been vocal with my problems with Melo, (I made a post
>when he commented about not changing or improving his game or
>whatever he said) Now can we have an honest discussion about
>melo's teammates?

Why? I don't care about his teammates. They're good enough.

>I already know the answer to that btw lol

<---https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL9AVTQ

-The Knicks’ coaching search still includes a lone frontrunner, Kurt Rambis, whose qualifications for the position include a strong relationship with Jackson and a willingness to take the job.

-The Knicks’ coaching search still includes a lone frontrunner, Kurt Rambis, whose qualifications for the position include a strong relationship with Jackson and a willingness to take the job.