King Paul and his Bees vs D-Wade and his Heat (Finals Preview?)

[BRHornet45]

sons this will without a doubt be an epic battle early on this season against arguably the two best teams in the NBA. I think this will be a very close game as expected with high scoring. My full predictions below ...


How the Team Leaders Match Up

http://ll-media.tmz.com/2010/08/12/0812-whod-rather-credit.jpg

:king Paul

Points: 21.3
Assist: 9.0
Rebounds: 6.3
Steals: 1.8
Field Goal %: 51.9

D-Wade

Points: 22.4
Assist: 4.2
Rebounds: 5.0
Steals: 1.6
Field Goal %: 47.6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
FINAL SCORE

Hornets: 111
Heat: 109

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hornets Stats (For the players who matter)

:king Paul - 31pts, 15ast, 7rbd, 3stl

Mr. West - 24pts, 8rbd

Microwave Thornton - 17pts

LUIGI Belinelli - 11pts

Jason "The Honky" Smith - 10pts

Ariza - 7pts

Okafor - 7pts, 10rbd

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heat Stats (for the only 3 players on team)

D-Wade (team leader) - 34pts (18 free throw attempts)

Bosh - 22pts, 11rbd (11 free throw attempts)

Lebron S. Pippen - 16pts, 3 turnovers (10 free throw attempts)

[JJ Hickson]

You stupid dyke loving piece of shit. The Hornets will be lucky to get the 8th seed.

[Giuseppe]

I hope fervently that you smight these fucks, BR.

Carry on oh wayward son, they'll be peace when you are done.

[HarlemHeat37]

CP3 and DWade wearing my shirt..flattering, tbh..

[fevertrees]

Lebron S Pippen won't be a factor in this game considering he will be focused on that fancy jambalaya CP3's chef will have prepped for them after the game!

[BRHornet45]

I hope fervently that you smight these fucks, BR.

Carry on oh wayward son, they'll be peace when you are done.

thx son god bless

[BRHornet45]

Lebron S Pippen won't be a factor in this game considering he will be focused on that fancy jambalaya CP3's chef will have prepped for them after the game!

cosigned

son Lebron S. Pippen never does shit against the Hornets. Wade and or Bosh will have to carry the Heat in this game.

[fevertrees]

Wade will be too busy thinking about all those fine ass Southern gals on Bourbon just WAITING to get his herpes =D

[narmerguy]

Comparing stats with Miami heat players is almost worthless at this point. The Miami players are playing such smaller minutes with such a lightened load that a head-to-head comparison never looks glamorous because 1) They work as a team 2) They finish business fast.

[Pelicans78]

Comparing stats with Miami heat players is almost worthless at this point. The Miami players are playing such smaller minutes with such a lightened load that a head-to-head comparison never looks glamorous because 1) They work as a team 2) They finish business fast.

I agree. That's why team stats can tell the story.

[BRHornet45]

Comparing stats with Miami heat players is almost worthless at this point. The Miami players are playing such smaller minutes with such a lightened load that a head-to-head comparison never looks glamorous because 1) They work as a team 2) They finish business fast.

son did you even bother to look at the Hornets minutes and the way they have played as a team so far this season? The King and D-West have also had a lot more time to rest thanks to the team playing well together. All Star players minutes so far ...

King Paul - 34.9 MPG
West - 30.3 MPG

Lebron S. Pippen - 34.4 MPG
Bosh - 31.8 MPG
D-Wade - 31.6 MPG

[jdiggy0424]

you are high off your ass if you think the hornets make the finals.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Charles Barkley just said Deron Williams is the best PG in the game...have at it

[ducks]

to earlier in the season to say this year

[BRHornet45]

Charles Barkley just said Deron Williams is the best PG in the game...have at it

son Charles Barkley also changes his mind on a weekly basis. but hey everyone wants to pull for the underdog, I understand. Like I have said before ... claiming that Deron Williams is the NBA's best point guard is just like cheering for those fat slobs on that TV show "The Biggest Loser" ... you know, its kind of a pity thing. People love cheering for the underdog.

[fevertrees]

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/21140/what-to-expect-from-the-4-0-hornets

What to expect from the 4-0 Hornets


http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/1104/nba_g_cpaul1_576.jpg
After some easy Ws, Dwyane Wade and company will have their hands full with Chris Paul.



You've seen the New Orleans Hornets run it thousands of times since Chris Paul arrived in the Big Easy:

The high pick-and-roll.

The Hornets' rendition of this scheme is one of the most lethal in basketball, a menacing play that even the league's most capable defenses have trouble containing.

"It's a very, very tough offensive set," Dwyane Wade said. "They can run it the whole game and it would be tough to guard."

To review: One of the Hornets' big men -- usually power forward David West, center Emeka Okafor or, this season, forward Jason Smith -- steps up to provide a strong pick for Paul. This action ignites Paul and gets the Hornets into their half-court offense.

Then all hell breaks loose.

"[Paul] can find any kind of small crack and he can make any kind of play," Erik Spoelstra said. "He’s the great equalizer because he breaks your defense down."

Paul's brilliance stems from more than just his speed with the ball and his capacity to squirt through those openings. In addition to probing the defense, Paul's talent gives him a bevy of choices in the half court. Virtually every team in the league runs some variation of the 1-4 middle pick-and-roll. What makes New Orleans' so special is that range of possibilities defenses have to account for.

“He can create so many options off that pick-and-roll," center Joel Anthony said. "It’s definitely a team effort with that 4-man and that 1-man really containing him on that pick-and-roll. Then after that, there’s a rotation. That’s what buys us time to make the right coverage as a team. But it isn’t much time.”

Even with the most aggressive trap, Paul's size and speed allow him split the defenders off that pick-and-roll. When that happens, the Hornets essentially have a 4-on-3 advantage because both Paul's on-ball defender and the guy guarding the screener have been left in the dust. Paul now has a full menu of options. He can burst ahead, beating help defenders to the rim for an easy layup. If the designated rotator -- usually the opposing center -- collapses on Paul in the lane, then there's a good chance David West is hanging out at 17 feet ready for a flip pass from Paul. But if that rotating center has committed to West, then who's guarding Okafor? Remember those epic alley-oops from Paul to Tyson Chandler back in the day? Those were often the result of Chandler's man picking up West at the foul-line extended. Okafor doesn't have Chandler's springs, but there's a reason his field-goal percentage as a Hornet under Paul is well above 50 percent.

As the Heat's power forward, Chris Bosh figures to spend a lot of time at the top of the floor deterring Paul from penetrating. As that big man on the trap, there's absolutely no time for deliberation.

"If you get caught off-guard and are kind of late just a little bit, they’re too good for that," Bosh said. "Chris Paul is one of the best playmakers in the league. So you can’t really give him any room. Our pick-and-roll coverage has to be good tomorrow to contain him. You have to limit his vision If he comes off and you give him options, he’s going to tear you apart.”

Heat center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been studying coverages since the Lithuanian national team was wearing tie-dyes. A dozen years into his NBA career, Big Z still recognizes how difficult this stuff is to defend. As the 5 man, Ilgauskas is often charged with the responsibility of making those split-second decisions. Does he collapse on Paul? Does he rotate onto an open West? Does he hang back to ensure Okafor isn't open for a simple pass from Paul, who can find anyone, anywhere on the floor?

"You have to start working your way out and start shrinking the floor just in case [Paul] splits the pick-and-roll or there’s a drive straight through the middle if he rejects the pick-and-roll," Ilgauskas said. "You also have to be ready to rotate onto the 4 for the pick-and-pop in case our 4 gets stuck on the pick-and-roll. In your mind, you also have to keep your body on Okafor. You can’t forget about him because he’s really good at ducking in and taking up space. And that’s where you help comes from your teammates. Another guy has to come down to help if Okafor is ducking and you have to rotate out.

To complicate matters even further, the Hornets' 5 man will often pin the rotator, rendering a guy like Ilgauskas or Anthony helpless to do much of anything. This buys an acre of real estate in open space for West or Smith for their mid-ranger jumper. West has parlayed that face-up jumper into two All-Star selections, in no small part because Paul has a preternatural sense of where West is on the floor at any given moment.

And what if the defense and rotations on Paul, West and Okafor are air tight?

"They also stretch the floor with shooters coming around," Wade said.

Fortunately for the Heat, that roster of shooters includes Marco Belinelli, Trevor Ariza, Marcus Thornton and Willie Green. These guys aren't chopped liver, but nobody will mistake them for Mike D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns teams.

The Heat have built a gaudy defensive rating of 87.9 points per 100 possessions, but they've compiled that total against some abject offensive squads. On Friday night, they'll confront the league's best point guard whose competitive edge and ability to create can challenge the Heat's mettle. Of course, the Heat still have an uncanny ability to blanket the court from arc to rim.

"I think we have the athletes to cover it," Wade said. "But it’s not going to be an easy task at all.”

[Ashy Larry]

I know you guys are really hoping for a Hornets run to the finals but teams that go from lottery to finals overnight is rather slim.

[j.dizzle]

If NO beats Mia tonight then I will give them much props. CP3 has to go ape shit to do that so we'll see. Mia has crappy PG's so I see Paul with a 28-8-10 type of line.

[lefty]

Hornets?


Finals?































































:lmao

[Giuseppe]

If NO beats Mia tonight then I will give them much props. CP3 has to go ape shit to do that so we'll see. Mia has crappy PG's so I see Paul with a 28-8-10 type of line.

Diz is on spot here. Litmus test tonite for BR and his people. t and Portland had one of a lesser weight last night, but, failed miserably all the same.

We shall indeed see if Paul is serious on a continuous basis, or, is he just shinin' shoes, funnin' about.

[21_Blessings]

Can ya imagine the Spur/Mav/Rocket fan jealousy if the Hornets win? BR will go on a rampage upstairs to boot.

[lefty]

Can ya imagine the Spur/Mav/Rocket fan jealousy if the Hornets win? BR will go on a rampage upstairs to boot.
:lol

[Giuseppe]

Can ya imagine the Spur/Mav/Rocket fan jealousy if the Hornets win? BR will go on a rampage upstairs to boot.

I can't wait. One of us up there strikin' back for all the slights we've suffered down here. Go BR, though you're scorned & covered with scars, go on, with your last ounce of courage.

We'll be waiting right here for you if they throw ya out.

[fevertrees]

Regardless if it's a win or loss tonight the SMACK talking will be amazing.

[Giuseppe]

Regardless if it's a win or loss tonight

When you say shit like that you come off as weak & puny, Fever. That's Paul's (Roy too) problem as well. Instead of shuttingtfu and soldiering, he'll say something similar as that above to insulate himself in case of loss.

[fevertrees]

I didn't specify which team FOOL.

Hornets win
Heat loss

[ohmwrecker]

Somebody has been huffing the swamp gas.

[Giuseppe]

I didn't specify which team FOOL.

You didn't have to.

[Giuseppe]

Somebody has been huffing the swamp gas.

It ain't me. I'm hooked on skunk gas. I had no other choice when the winds blow Westerly.

[ohmwrecker]

It ain't me. I'm hooked on skunk gas. I had no other choice when the winds blow Westerly.

It's better than that easterly shit wind that you guys send this way so you can continue to believe that yours doesn't stink.

[fevertrees]

Just a little bit of that old school TC + CP3 = CCC(crescent city connection) to get the place bouncing!

dTehsoap_vc

[BRHornet45]

sons I'm already seeing some new N.O. Heat fans walking around with Lebron S. Pippen jerseys. why do some people degrade themselves like that? ... I may have to choke a bitch tonight

[Giuseppe]

That's the least of your problems, BR.

Finish it.

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

sons I'm already seeing some new N.O. Heat fans walking around with Lebron S. Pippen jerseys. why do some people degrade themselves like that? ... I may have to choke a bitch tonight

You'll be choking something

[BRHornet45]

You'll be choking something

son I may be choking my chicken to that sexy ass blonde girl in your avatar ;)

[Giuseppe]

^:lol^

[jacobdrj]

The only way CP3 is going to the Finals is if he or his team is located to the Eastern Conference where they have less experience with him.

[jeebus]

finals preview :lmao

[lefty]

4-0 Sons