2016 NBA Playoffs WESTERN Conference Discussion

Playoffs is all about match ups though. The road there is less important.

 

I genuinely believe whoever wins this series wins the Championship. I think Durant and Westbrook come out for blood to beat the Cavs. I don't believe in the Cavs ability to play like a team when they need to. I like the Thunder mostly (I loathe Waiters...) and I hope they can pull it off...

But I know for sure they'll be considered underdogs against a team that swept the first two rounds and has LeBron and was here just last year.

 

Great points wcsoldier81. Durant is using that length on D to disrupt everything - passing lanes, blocking shots. It's beautiful. Never seen him so locked in for D. And yes, I've never seen a player like Westbrook at 6 foot three so completely physically dominant. Right now he is playing like the best basketball player in the world. He's just been superb. And completely dominant.

 

To be fair I supported that idea before we got the #2 pick. Now we have an automatic influx of talent (even if it's immature talent) already so I'm not as worried about just going out and getting anyone. That pick allows us to be much more discriminating.

 

I was pulling for the Warriors all season until their owner opened his pie hole about them being "light years ahead." From that moment on I was rooting against them to even break the record.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba...joe-lacob-jinx-his-team/ar-BBttj3X?li=BBnba9I

 

Wow, hadn't seen that. Yeah, I don't like that at all. I loved the Warriors last year and I was rooting for them this season, but OKC has won my vote now. They are firing on all cylinders and have really impressed me. In the back of my mind it hurts a little to root for OKC because I wanted them to fail to have a better shot at Westbrook. But bottom line, it doesn't matter what I want, those guys are hungry enough to go get it right it now, and I've got say more power to them.

 

...still salty over that ONE offensive rebound away from ending their run.

On topic: I think the Warriors will win Game 5 but OKC will end it in six. Golden State really was shell shocked from the opening tip. The Thunder just took the business to them. Yes, they lost all three regular season contests with the Warriors but they had leads in the fourth in each one. In their collective minds, OKC knew they could do it.

 

Despite Lebronze's size he's rarely physically dominated the way a guy like Russ has. Last year's Finals was literally the first time I saw Lebronze abusing folks on the block and truly utilizing his size. I don't count running into people and getting the whistle as dominating which was his go to move for pretty much his whole career. Westbrook with a triple double including 36 points last night? Holy smokes. That's Magic Johnson starting at center for Kareem vs. Philly type numbers. Insane game from Westbrook. Flat out dominant. No one can stop him. Plus he is so aggressive and relentless - something that Lebronze has often lacked and been criticized for, rightfully so at times when it really counted. If Westbrook continues his stellar play and wins it all this year I can see him begin to be in that discussion. Still a ways to go.

 

In all my years of Laker fandom, the closest chest thumping I have ever witnessed was Riley guaranteeing in 1988. For all his bravado, not even O'Neal has uttered a statement like that even at his most goofiest. Laker players and management always showed respect in the heat of the moment. We don't even talk a whole lot of mess after we kicked opponents' behinds.

Green is starting to annoy me with his Rodmanesque antics... Overall though, the Warriors still don't elicit the same contempt and despise like the Clippers.

 

Westbrook's a killer. James thinks he is... The latter tries but his overall game isn't that dynamic to truly dictate outcomes.

 

This makes a hell of a case for all those old grumpy dudes saying Steph couldn't do what he's doing in their more physical era because they'd be all over him not letting him get open and beating him up on screens... I was telling those guys to shut up when they said it, but, I mean..