Have you watched Lebron and Durant's defense this season? Durant has consistently played equivalent and sometimes better D than Lebron throughout the course of the season.
He can, but we don't award MVPs on what players CAN do, we judge it off what they do. They have to do it, and his defense this year has slipped while Durant's has gotten better this year. You are going off of reputation which is fine, its why people think Kobe is still a good defender. I don't know what Francessa's arguments are I don't listen to him. In reality it's a close race. If you want to go off their reputation, sure, and I'm sure many others will do that too. But Lebron's defense has slipped from last year and Durant's has risen. Defense is a strange thing like that. If you get a reputation as a bad defender, it will stick. If you get one as a good one, it will stick. It's hard to measure for us because we don't get the good stats writers do that breakdown how many points per possession a player will give up in isolation, the post, etc etc.
Trust me, I was on same reputation thing you were earlier this year. It isn't true this year. If we had both these guys seeing the finish line in the final 7 games of a season (hint hint Adam Silver) we would probably see both of these guys pick up their play on a consistency basis. 7 games is a sprint, not a marathon to steal a common phrase. The MVP is not what we think the player could do, it's what they have done over the ~75 games they play.
^^ Portland's only .5 game ahead of the 4 seed right now. There is large gap from 3-5 and 6-9 in the West though so Portland should be fine staying in the top 5 barring an collapse
How do you view the West as a whole? To me, I believe we are heading toward a Spurs/Thunder WCF, the only team I can see disrupting this is the Rockets. The Clippers I just dont believe in, CP3 will have another playoff letdown.
The West is tricky. The seeds don't matter as much as the match ups in the 1st round. I think it would be a shame from my fan view if the Clippers and Rockets have to play each other first round as I want to see them in separate series. I hope Memphis can sneak into the playoffs but it means removing one of PHX or DAL which I don't want to see. I think both OKC and SA should be favored 1st round no matter the matchup, but 3-6 will be very important regarding match ups. I do think overall Memphis would be a team you want to avoid with their grit and grind and PHX And DAL are the weaker of the bottom 3. From 3-6, POR and HOU shoot a lot of 3s which if on can steal a series and off can lose a series. Dwight is playing very well at center but is questionable tonight with is back. LAC has the added bonus of Doc Rivers now and we will see how that experience crosses over to playoff coaching where match ups and coaching decisions are highlighted over a 7 game series. The best defenses in the West are SA, LAC, and OKC so those should be the favorites I guess. Defense is key as all these teams can score in the West.
I haven't gotten to watch enough of the WC teams as I have wanted to this year, but I plan on trying to in the coming weeks. I think it's definitely fair to say SA and OKC are favorites to meet but I don't think it's a huge favorite, it's just that those are your two past defending WC champs and they have kept up the high play and core. We will have to see what happens to the OKC now that Sefolosha is down and out. I think he is key to OKC, but maybe Butler fills in well and the Thunder adjust well.
Which also leads to GS at IND and MIA at HOU tonight and LAC at PHX tonight. The first two are good measuring the teams cross conference especially GS against a team filled with good individual defenders and hopefully Dwight plays tonight so we see how MIA handles a team like HOU. LAC and PHX will be interesting to see how the pace of the game is controlled and if LAC defense can contain Dragic and Green
The West is pretty wide open, unlike the East. A number of teams are capable of beating San Antonio. OKC is the obvious favorite to win the conference (and the best team), but they can be had as well. If OKC faces Dallas or Phoenix in the first round, I'd be confident in saying they'd win that series, but Memphis is lurking. Memphis can beat anyone if they get in (they're a game out). Clippers and Houston are very strong. Portland is sliding but they are very talented. I'd bet against a San Antonio/OKC conference finals.
Memphis intrigues me, I think the Thunder would overcome them but it could be a difficult series. Phoenix and Dallas are just going to be first round exits. The Rockets do scare me, they have given San Antonio great difficulties. McHales seems like a pretty decent head coach from what I have seen. Hopefully the Spurs can avoid em, I would not like that series.
Houston can beat anyone, I think. Dallas and Phoenix are the only two I don't really view as threats. I think they'd both lose in the first round if they make it. Memphis is a real threat. If they get in, that changes the complexion of the West playoffs. I'd say we have two teams that can make the Finals out of the East, and five out of the West (or even six).
I'm seeing the "it was harder to score in the 90s in the NBA" floating around twitter today. That isn't true according to the scoring numbers
Really smart play by GS. Just gave it to Klay since George Hill is too small to guard him. 0.6 left, IND ball ,down 2
George misses a 3 at the buzzer. That was a long 5 seconds then 0.6, but GS with a really good win in IND
