NBA Hoop Thread (Non-Fro Dog Edition)

[Slaky]

This Spurs team is one of the best ever assembled. The win-loss record won't reflect it because Popovich just doesn't care. If they weren't ripping my favorite team a set of matching assholes, I'm sure I'd really enjoy talking about it.

I'm disappointed but the Heat has nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of. Four Finals and two rings is really great. And it's not like they're done. They'll rebuild around LeBron who probably has five years of his prime remaining at least.

You sound like a Blackhawks fan

[BH]

This Spurs team is one of the best ever assembled. The win-loss record won't reflect it because Popovich just doesn't care. If they weren't ripping my favorite team a set of matching assholes, I'm sure I'd really enjoy talking about it.

I'm disappointed but the Heat has nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of. Four Finals and two rings is really great. And it's not like they're done. They'll rebuild around LeBron who probably has five years of his prime remaining at least.

Wade looks old, Bosh is still great one game, disappears the next game. Both are going to ask for big money deals (even if they take a discount), what do the heat do with the roster next year?  The Spurs are a deep, talented team. That's the issue with super teams, they don't have much money to spread around to good bench players. Carmelo joining them sounds great, but the heat likely couldn't get any useful bench players to help those guys get rest.

[InternetApex]

This Spurs team is one of the best ever assembled. The win-loss record won't reflect it because Popovich just doesn't care. If they weren't ripping my favorite team a set of matching assholes, I'm sure I'd really enjoy talking about it.

I'm disappointed but the Heat has nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of. Four Finals and two rings is really great. And it's not like they're done. They'll rebuild around LeBron who probably has five years of his prime remaining at least.

Wade looks old, Bosh is still great one game, disappears the next game. Both are going to ask for big money deals (even if they take a discount), what do the heat do with the roster next year?  The Spurs are a deep, talented team. That's the issue with super teams, they don't have much money to spread around to good bench players. Carmelo joining them sounds great, but the heat likely couldn't get any useful bench players to help those guys get rest.

I think they've gotten useful bench players in the past three years, even if those guys are clearly done right now. Battier, Allen, Birdman, Lewis and Mike Miller all took far less than market value to line up next to the Big 3 and they're all off the books after this weekend - precisely the right time. There is absolutely no reason to believe they could not replace them with Battier retiring and everybody else other than Cole a free agent. They won two titles with those guys so in no fucking universe can anybody say it didn't work.

I don't care about the Melo talk. I think that if any of that leaked out of the Heat camp it was Riley trying to jack with Phil so he'll offer Melo the max, understanding if he lets him walk, he might end up in Miami.

I think Bosh and LeBron will be the focal points next year. The reason people say Bosh "disappears" is because he does so many things that don't appear on the stat sheet to help the team win that when he has an off shooting night it looks like he played poorly. I don't know many centers that could take on his role defensively. It's the second most important aspect of that system, other than LeBron being a destroyer of worlds. What will Wade do? If he opts into the final year of his deal, he simply torpedoes one year of LeBron/Bosh, who both took less money to come play with him. And then he'd be gone next year having alienated his two best friends and the fanbase. He doesn't need the money. I honestly don't see him signing for more than it will take to put this thing in order. The player they need to target in my opinion is Marcin Gortat. If they can get him for market value he could help solve their rebounding woes. After that, they need young legs.

To BH's point the crafty veterans they've banked on have broken all the way down. How do you get guys like that to settle for fewer minutes and diminished stats in a system that guarantees them nothing but a shot at a title, no set role and... the city of Miami as their oyster? How should I know? I'm not Pat fucking Riley.  

As for the Spurs, Tim Duncan could retire after this Sunday and Popovich already said he'd follow him out the door. Then what? You guys all become Thunder fans again I guess.

[Eli]

Then what? You guys all become Thunder fans again I guess.

Actually, we'll probably all just stay Bulls fans rather than switching our allegiances around to different NBA teams.

[Bort]

Then what? You guys all become Thunder fans again I guess.

Actually, we'll probably all just stay Bulls fans rather than switching our allegiances around to different NBA teams.

SERVED.

[InternetApex]

Then what? You guys all become Thunder fans again I guess.

Actually, we'll probably all just stay Bulls fans rather than switching our allegiances around to different NBA teams.

SERVED.

Fair enough. Looking forward to hearing more of these jokes in year five.

My company just landed a gigantic contract today so fuck the city, fuck the Kingsguard, fuck the King.

Butthurt: Relieved.

[Eli]

Then what? You guys all become Thunder fans again I guess.

Actually, we'll probably all just stay Bulls fans rather than switching our allegiances around to different NBA teams.

SERVED.

Fair enough. Looking forward to hearing more of these jokes in year five.

My company just landed a gigantic contract today so fuck the city, fuck the Kingsguard, fuck the King.

Butthurt: Relieved.

Jokes? I was just talking about us. You must be projecting something.

[Slaky]

Then what? You guys all become Thunder fans again I guess.

Actually, we'll probably all just stay Bulls fans rather than switching our allegiances around to different NBA teams.

SERVED.

Fair enough. Looking forward to hearing more of these jokes in year five.

My company just landed a gigantic contract today so fuck the city, fuck the Kingsguard, fuck the King.

Butthurt: Relieved.

Jokes? I was just talking about us. You must be projecting something.

Yeah like the cool thing is even when/if the Bulls are bad I don't have to find another team. I just continue being a Bulls fan. It's pretty good.

[Bort]

Then what? You guys all become Thunder fans again I guess.

Actually, we'll probably all just stay Bulls fans rather than switching our allegiances around to different NBA teams.

SERVED.

Fair enough. Looking forward to hearing more of these jokes in year five.

My company just landed a gigantic contract today so fuck the city, fuck the Kingsguard, fuck the King.

Butthurt: Relieved.

Jokes? I was just talking about us. You must be projecting something.

Yeah like the cool thing is even when/if the Bulls are bad I don't have to find another team. I just continue being a Bulls fan. It's pretty good.

In many ways it isn't even an option for a lot of people. How many of us would have ended up here at all if we could change our favorite baseball team, for example?

[Tony]

Then what? You guys all become Thunder fans again I guess.

Actually, we'll probably all just stay Bulls fans rather than switching our allegiances around to different NBA teams.

SERVED.

Fair enough. Looking forward to hearing more of these jokes in year five.

My company just landed a gigantic contract today so fuck the city, fuck the Kingsguard, fuck the King.

Butthurt: Relieved.

Jokes? I was just talking about us. You must be projecting something.

Yeah like the cool thing is even when/if the Bulls are bad I don't have to find another team. I just continue being a Bulls fan. It's pretty good.

In many ways it isn't even an option for a lot of people. How many of us would have ended up here at all if we could change our favorite baseball team, for example?

We can change it, but we're loyal/stupid. It would be like wearing a Notre Dame football, Indiana basketball reversible jacket. Nobody wants to be that guy.

[PenFoe]

Then what? You guys all become Thunder fans again I guess.

Actually, we'll probably all just stay Bulls fans rather than switching our allegiances around to different NBA teams.

SERVED.

Fair enough. Looking forward to hearing more of these jokes in year five.

My company just landed a gigantic contract today so fuck the city, fuck the Kingsguard, fuck the King.

Butthurt: Relieved.

Jokes? I was just talking about us. You must be projecting something.

Yeah like the cool thing is even when/if the Bulls are bad I don't have to find another team. I just continue being a Bulls fan. It's pretty good.

In many ways it isn't even an option for a lot of people. How many of us would have ended up here at all if we could change our favorite baseball team, for example?

to be fair, Yeti and IAN are still here and they're Cardinals fans.

[Quality Start Machine]

Then what? You guys all become Thunder fans again I guess.

Actually, we'll probably all just stay Bulls fans rather than switching our allegiances around to different NBA teams.

SERVED.

Fair enough. Looking forward to hearing more of these jokes in year five.

My company just landed a gigantic contract today so fuck the city, fuck the Kingsguard, fuck the King.

Butthurt: Relieved.

Jokes? I was just talking about us. You must be projecting something.

Yeah like the cool thing is even when/if the Bulls are bad I don't have to find another team. I just continue being a Bulls fan. It's pretty good.

Plus, you kow who owns the team.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

To be fair, 6 titles in 8 years is simply motherfucking hard to do.  In retrospect it seemed easier than it was, but much anguish was spilt in the decade between  '88 and '98 (aka the ascension and defense).  Lotta emotion, lotta assurt, but the Bulls just kept coming out on top.  Hooray for us, especially those of us whose pro sports allegiances tend to be region-based and that region happens to be Chicago, because even if the Bulls ranked after the Cubs/Sox, Bears and Hawks in your heart (like they do mine, though the order in '98 was Cubs, Bears Bulls then Hawks), and even though it won't eliminate the total asshurt that the Cubs and Bears have wrought, 6 championships in 8 seasons makes for awfully tasty tonic because that shit was about as enjoyable as anything we'll ever experience--yes, even a Cubs World Series.

Kudos to Miami for making 4 straight titles (joining the '98-'01 Yankees of all modern pro sports teams in doing the 1 thing those Bulls teams didn't do) and winning 2 of them.  Appreciate those two (and I think Pex does).  They can still win a couple more and that'll add to their legacy; it just won't touch what the Bulls did.  I hope Bulls fans from back then can still recognize and appreciate what an experience 6 of 8 was--I know watching what the Blackhawks have done since the 2009 playoffs has made me appreciate it again.  Just know that no other fans can say things like, "the repeat in the second three-peat (aka, Utah, the first time)" .  Heh.

[Quality Start Machine]

Not to mention, if Jordan hadn't taken two years to chase curveballs, they would have actually done the SuperFans' eight-peat. Because they would have curbstomped those Rockets teams.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Not to mention, if Jordan hadn't taken two years to chase curveballs, they would have actually done the SuperFans' eight-peat. Because they would have curbstomped those Rockets teams.

Perhaps, I dunno.  I'm okay with what happened in that the '93-'94 season can serve to silence any and all Scottie and Phil haters.  Part of me loves that ridiculous team (and Pippen's ridiculous season ) more than I should--an indulgence I can afford having seen them win 6.