Dirk with high praise for Durant

[mavs777]

Originally Posted by KillerLeft

I fear that like Dirk, Durant is about to succumb to inexperience and suffer an unfortunate loss to a lesser team in his first trip to the finals.

Miami is clearly the better team, there is no comparison.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by vinylstar

I grew a couple of inches between 19-22. Why are people in such denial this is a possibility? This happens with most tall-ish people. Hell, John Wall grew between 1" and 2" over last summer.

Nobody's denying that it's physically possible. It didn't happen here, though. Guys usually get an inch-or-so boost in their listing when they're listed in NBA media guides. If Dirk was listed at 6'11" coming in and just 7' now, chances are he hasn't actually grown at all since then.

But more importantly, it was just a ridiculously irrelevant point. The discussion was about Dirk's untraditional upbringing in the league--which is absolutely irrefutable--and clown-ass (not you) wants to nitpick about completely immaterial details.

[CaseyJones]

Originally Posted by mavs777

Miami is clearly the better team, there is no comparison.

Miami is a better team but it's only because LeBron is like having 2 superstars and a ref on your team. It's not like every Miami player actually holds up to every OKC player.

[iella]

Originally Posted by sbibi

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/bas.../si/power.html

"At best, he's the next: Keith Van Horn." This just made me laugh hard!!

Webpages from the 90's... dear Lord.

[KillerLeft]

Originally Posted by mavs777

Miami is clearly the better team, there is no comparison.

Think so?

I'm not so sure, myself. I think Carlisle, armed with OKC's roster and time to get to know them, wins that series in 6.

[CaseyJones]

Originally Posted by iella

Webpages from the 90's... dear Lord.

5 others to watch:
Torraye Braggs
Jelani McCoy
Andrae Patterson
Raef Lafrentz
Antawn Jamison
that guy clearly knew what he was talking about. Even the best of that group wasn't anything to get excited about.

[mavs777]

Originally Posted by CaseyJones

Miami is a better team but it's only because LeBron is like having 2 superstars and a ref on your team. It's not like every Miami player actually holds up to every OKC player.

OKC got plenty of questionable calls throughout the series, the biggest mismatch may have been Spoelstra verse Brooks who for whatever reason didn't play his mobile bigman (Collison) near enough.

[mavs777]

Originally Posted by KillerLeft

Think so?

I'm not so sure, myself. I think Carlisle, armed with OKC's roster and time to get to know them, wins that series in 6.

I'm considering the coaches, not just the player talents.

[Rick Carlisle]

Originally Posted by KillerLeft

Think so?

I'm not so sure, myself. I think Carlisle, armed with OKC's roster and time to get to know them, wins that series in 6.

This was a good message board comment.

[EricaLubarsky]

Real men cry. Dirk just cried after winning in the finals. Respect for both

Dirk : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_leOEYRTmbM
Durant : http://deadspin.com/5920427/

[Spurred1]

The quibbling over Dirk's height vs. Durant's height is ridiculous. Is it even relevant?
Anyway, yeah-Durant and the Thunder looked overwhelmed by the Finals stage. Only a couple of the Thunder had been to the Finals-Fisher/Perkins who both have rings as a result. Most of the Heat were there just last year, Wade had been there two times before this current go around. LeBron got swept in 2007 and embarrassed last year. They had more experience on the big stage than the Thunder. Their role players in Battier and Miller stepped up. The big three did their share.
Brooks should have used Collison much more and put his foot up Perkins' vag. to wake him up. He never used Nazr Mohammed, from what I remember. Granted, Nazr isn't that good, but still, maybe he could have provided something. Perkins sucked on both ends of the court. Westbrook took too many jumpers instead of driving. Durant looked skittish too often. Ibaka did not have a perfect shooting night like he did against SA. Harden vanished too often.
Miami was the better team because everyone did their part and contributed. They learned from last year. Thunder's very young and they do have time to learn what it takes. The Mavericks applied what they learned from the first Finals debacle and got their revenge. The Thunder have to do the same.