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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: crazy climber dude on August 23, 2021, 05:16:51 PM
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Discuss all things NBA. From off season activity....to the upcoming season.
Draft is complete. Summer League is over. The biggest moves in the off season perhaps already been realized.
I agree with Vmadera00....the most interesting topic moving forward is the Lakers chemistry. Will they implode at some point? I think if things are going WELL in the win-loss column...everything will be okay. But you have to wonder what might happen if Westbrook jacks up a lot of 3's at the most inopportune times (and bricks them)....how will Lebron react? He (Westbrook) seems to have matured SOME over the years, and last year wasn't quite as gratuitous from 3 point range as in previous seasons. But he's still a loose canon at times...so you wonder if this ideal opportunity to win a championship will temper his impulses. I'll reserve judgment for now.
The other high profile question is.....will Brooklyn stay healthy and unseat the defending champs in the Eastern Conference next year? I think the NBA would love to see the dynamics involved with Lakers vs Nets. The KD/Westbrook/Harden connection. And Lebron/Kyrie. Or will The Greek Freak and the Bucks still have something to say about that matchup? How will the upstart Hawks look? The Suns?
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I think Westbrook will work better with the Lakers than many think.
The Bucks might be the most disrespected NBA champion I have ever seen.
I continue to laugh at people calling Kevin Durant the best player in the league now. Part of being great and "the best" is being durable and available, and he has failed miserably in those two regards for a while now.
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Yeah, Durant is a great player, but I never thought of him as the best player in the league (not even on his MVP season).
Regarding Westbrook, I can see his playing style working well with Lebron and AD, but he will need some adjustments. I hope it does works, and that we see less injuries this year. Lebron is getting up there in age, and having Westbrook take on dribbling the ball could help both of their performance and open up the court a bit more for AD. We just need to wait and see.
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Barring injury, I like the chances of a repeat.
#homeropinion
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I think that Durant may very well be the best player if we assume 100% health and a shorter duration of time (one playoff series or even one game), but I'm not sure how fair it is to actually make those assumptions. Durant has missed more games than he has played over the past two years. Before that, he got injured in the playoffs twice. I think that Giannis is a much safer pick as the best player because he's pretty much guaranteed to give you a full regular season in addition to the postseason.
I'm interested to see what happens with LeBron. Does he succumb to another significant regular season injury, does he finally start to look old, or are we in store for a repeat of 2020 where he bounces back in a big way? In any case, there will be no dull moments. :lol
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That is the thing: if we are ignoring durability, then Lebron is still the best player, but durability does matter, and after a long career of being crazy durable, LeBron's hasn't been quite as durable the last three years, so he gets dinged a little.
Consider this: the All-NBA team every year has 15 players (5 on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams).
Giannis, the obvious pick right now for best player, is one of only two players to be All-NBA 1st team both of the last two years (Luka the other). Durant wasn't on either team. So, Durant wasn't one of the 15 best players in the league either of the last two seasons, but we are supposed to buy him as the best player in the league now? Hell no.
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Pre-season starts soon, really interested to see how teams and the league will handle unvaccinated players. A couple of them have been upfront saying they are not vaccinated (Bradley Beal being one of them). A couple more are rumored to not be vaccinated, but they aren't confirming anything.
Kyrie Irving wasn't available for Media Day, since he was not allowed inside of Barclays Center. There are rumors that LBJ is not vaccinated, though Lakers GM claims everyone will be fully vaccinated at the beginning of the season, so who knows. With all these uncertainty in player, this season (at least the first 2 months) will be very interesting.
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Kyrie Irving wasn't available for Media Day, since he was not allowed inside of Barclays Center.
Kyrie's been benched for the year. No vax, no play says the Nets. Also won't get paid for missed home games.
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Opening night!
Raising the banner!
Time to defend the championship!
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Opening night!
Raising the banner!
Time to defend the championship!
Didn't get a chance to watch the game but based on highlights, looks like the bucks had a good game.
Season is officially underway, lets see what it brings. Will Lebron pass Karl Malone on the All Time Scoring list? If he doesn't get injured, I'm going to bet that he does.
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Danny Green's stat line last night @ Pelicans can be filed under the "What the f*** have you done out there" category... in 19 mins, ZERO in pts, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks... not even turnovers WTF?! :lol
Also, what a game between the Celtics and Knicks! And I am glad Schroder is no longer a Laker, lol. :lol
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I cannot, cannot wait until Ben Simmons is TF out of Philly.
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Loving that my Nuggets came back from 16 down to beat the Suns in Phoenix. :coolio
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Danny Green's stat line last night @ Pelicans can be filed under the "What the f*** have you done out there" category... in 19 mins, ZERO in pts, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks... not even turnovers WTF?! :lol
I believe Tony Snell pulled that off for the Bucks a few years back.
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Last night games, especially the first two were weird. The Bucks have several guys out injured... I watched a bit and decided to switch over to the Mavs @ Hawks... blow out again... I ended up watching the Broncos @ Browns instead. The Clippers @ Warriors was a good one though.
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Westbrook looks like a bad fit for the Lakers (so far).....and this dust up with Howard and Davis will likely send Dwight packing.
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Apparently there is a provision in the CBA that states a player’s salary cannot be withheld for failing to render services (e.g., practice and play) “if such failure has been caused by the player’s mental disability.” Simmons has been exploiting this loophole to the max.
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Westbrook looks like a bad fit for the Lakers (so far).....and this dust up with Howard and Davis will likely send Dwight packing.
I feel those that really follow the NBA knew Westbrook was a horrible fit for the Lakers, and it brings me joy they were dumb enough to acquire him.
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Celtics all ready in fighting for power and imploding at 2-5. They need to change something.
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Celtics all ready in fighting for power and imploding at 2-5. They need to change something.
What the hell is going on with you guys? I feel like you have a good roster but that you aren't taking advantage of it.
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Celtics all ready in fighting for power and imploding at 2-5. They need to change something.
What the hell is going on with you guys? I feel like you have a good roster but that you aren't taking advantage of it.
There seems to be a power struggle with leadership. The top 2 guys(Tatum & Brown) and Marcus Smart are butting heads. Hero ball with no passing and Smart called them out but the issue with that is Smart as a guard doesn't get assists and shoots too much as well so there is resentment growing between him and Tatum and Brown.
First Kyrie stirred the pot, then the fight with Marcus Morris, get rid of Ainge, Team tuned out Brad Stevens, he moves into the GM roll and they bring in Udoka because that's who the players wanted and they are still acting shellfish.
What a prime time drama hurting this team right now. No maturity.
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That's a shame. You guys could be playing some nice ball. Luckily Chicago seems to have gotten it's shit together and seems to be headed for the playoffs. The east has rebuilt nicely these last couple of years.
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Seriously. The team was built well but guys do not know their roles and limitations here. I hope Udoka can turn it around.
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Holy crap! Ball would have suffered serious injury, if Embiid's fist connects Ball's face... :omg:
http://bleacherreport.com/post/national/b5ded75f-b93b-4eaa-8523-15a018520626
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Shooting accuracy is unreal in the 4th qtr between the Cavs and Knicks. Rubio is having a career night off the bench... maybe he still remembers Thibs traded him and gave Jeff Teague $57mil :lol Fun second half to watch. :tup
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Jokic gets one game suspension for giving a front shoulder shiver to Markieff Morris. Considering the NBA typically frowns more on the retaliation, I would say Jokic.....and more importantly the Nuggets....will take that suspension and move on.
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Jokic gets one game suspension for giving a front shoulder shiver to Markieff Morris. Considering the NBA typically frowns more on the retaliation, I would say Jokic.....and more importantly the Nuggets....will take that suspension and move on.
Yeah, he got a pretty light suspension. I guess being a superstar does have it's privileges :lol
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League was probably happy he did it, the Morris twins are as dirty as dirty can be.
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I know it is only 11 or 12 games into the season, but I am amused to find the Washington Wizards are sitting at the top of the eastern conference, and in a tie with the Bulls. I think with Dinwiddie, KCP, Kuz and Harrell to support Beal, the Wiz finally has a complete team to play both ends. Them, the Bulls and actually the young Cavs are the east teams I now somewhat follow. They are all quite fun to watch.
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https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10018407-report-staples-center-to-be-renamed-cryptocom-arena-in-multiyear-contract
That's it, with a mid-season arena name change, I just know this season is doomed :tdwn
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Kemba Walker benched in NY. What a fall from grace for him.
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Kemba Walker benched in NY. What a fall from grace for him.
This blows my mind. When he was in Charlotte he was an All Star. I can see why he didn't really explode in Boston where he had to share the ball with Tatum and Brown, but I expected him to take charge of that NY roster. Maybe he's having issues with Thibbs and his methods.
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His main issue in Boston was his knee. He was never healthy. It really wasn’t Brown and Tatum.
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Bucks sign Boogie Cousins. They are pretty thin at bigs with Lopez being out almost all season.
Not sure if Cousins has anything left in the tank, but for the minimum, why the hell not.
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If they can keep him out of trouble with the refs he could add some interesting depth to the roster. He is definitely talented, but his volatility can make him a liability pretty quickly. As you said, it is worth it if you're paying him the minimum.
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Kemba Walker benched in NY. What a fall from grace for him.
This blows my mind. When he was in Charlotte he was an All Star. I can see why he didn't really explode in Boston where he had to share the ball with Tatum and Brown, but I expected him to take charge of that NY roster. Maybe he's having issues with Thibbs and his methods.
From what I read, he's being outplayed by 2 other guards.
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Do you guys know the real reason why LeBron is in health and safety protocols?
He wants to avoid talking bad about China with Enes Kanter Freedom... :lol
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Holy cow, OKC got crushed, what an embarrassing lost.
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lot of way too early narratives this nba (https://www.sportsbetting3.com/nba/nba-championship-betting#futures) season. call me after the ASG. Cleveland are not finishing top of the east! :lol
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Just popping in to tip the hat to Steph as he breaks the record on his way to making it untouchable. They had a Stat where he has 22 10+ 3pt games. The second person has 3. :lol
Such a badass.
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fitting that he will be the only one in the 3k 3s club very soon. he can have that to himself for a while. interesting to see the next kid up.
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Yea, Steph is by far the best shooter we've seen so far in the NBA. He's always fun to watch.
I wouldn't bet on that record being untouchable though. The way the game has evolved, I wouldn't be surprised if one of these young players starts racking up 3s and surpasses Curry. Heck, James Harden will probably pass pass Ray Allen by the end of next season as well.
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saw on twitter he could be only 1 in 4k club but a lot of players from todays era are on path for 3k also
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I cannot, cannot wait until Ben Simmons is TF out of Philly.
THANK GOD
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I'm not sure how much this will help either of the teams on the court, but at least it removes some of the off court distractions. It will be interesting to see how Simmons adapts to playing with two ball handlers being that he needs the ball himself and can't shoot to save his life.
Harden seems like a good fit in Philly, he can give Embid space while also providing a great second scoring option. We'll have to wait and see if Joel is OK with Harden slacking on the defensive end.
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Maybe it is just me, Harden doesn't seem to play well with other superstars- Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Westbrook etc. Harden played with Dwight Howard while he was in his prime... so we will see how to play in Philly.
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What's up with the contest tonight? Did not know they changed the format (again)
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I'm not sure how much this will help either of the teams on the court, but at least it removes some of the off court distractions. It will be interesting to see how Simmons adapts to playing with two ball handlers being that he needs the ball himself and can't shoot to save his life.
Harden seems like a good fit in Philly, he can give Embid space while also providing a great second scoring option. We'll have to wait and see if Joel is OK with Harden slacking on the defensive end.
Dude nearly ten years on that signature....
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At least (a) Knicks won something this year :metal
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Is there a bigger ass in the league than Kyrie Irving? That jack ass can't go without spouting digs at Boston every time he plays them. There is reasons you get booed Kyrie and it's all on you. Thankfully you are not a Celtic anymore and are someone else's problem.
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.....and are someone else's problem.
Perfect segue.
https://youtu.be/hCeSVYzkHRg (https://youtu.be/hCeSVYzkHRg)
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Lol.
I hope I never have to hear him speak again. He is not a good person.
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I watched the 4Q of the Raps/Nuggets game last night. Coming off of a B2B (victory no less) from Phoenix, and down 6 playing brutal defence heading into the fourth (Nuggets had 99 at the the end of 4) then holding them to 16 points in the 4th .... all with no VanVleet or OG, and Pascal sat for the first 8 minutes of the quarter (having already amassed 33 points in the first 3).
I hope this team is finally starting to put things together ... they just need a little consistency.
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I watched the 4Q of the Raps/Nuggets game last night. Coming off of a B2B (victory no less) from Phoenix, and down 6 playing brutal defence heading into the fourth (Nuggets had 99 at the the end of 4) then holding them to 16 points in the 4th .... all with no VanVleet or OG, and Pascal sat for the first 8 minutes of the quarter (having already amassed 33 points in the first 3).
I hope this team is finally starting to put things together ... they just need a little consistency.
Not an excuse, but a factor.....no Aaron Gordon for the Nuggets. He is their best defender and they miss his toughness. NOT going to factor in no MPJ and Jamal Murray because they haven't been playing at all....though it does make their 40-28 record so far all the more impressive without two of their best players.
And they were riding Jokic like a Grand Canyon mule for the past several games....I think he just wore down.
That said, yes....Siakam had a huge game. He is a force, and always gives the Nuggets fits. Also, is their a better rookie than Scottie Barnes? And they did tighten the screws on defense. Esp. impressive on a back to back at altitude in Denver.
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I watched the 4Q of the Raps/Nuggets game last night. Coming off of a B2B (victory no less) from Phoenix, and down 6 playing brutal defence heading into the fourth (Nuggets had 99 at the the end of 4) then holding them to 16 points in the 4th .... all with no VanVleet or OG, and Pascal sat for the first 8 minutes of the quarter (having already amassed 33 points in the first 3).
I hope this team is finally starting to put things together ... they just need a little consistency.
Not an excuse, but a factor.....no Aaron Gordon for the Nuggets. He is their best defender and they miss his toughness. NOT going to factor in no MPJ and Jamal Murray because they haven't been playing at all....though it does make their 40-28 record so far all the more impressive without two of their best players.
And they were riding Jokic like a Grand Canyon mule for the past several games....I think he just wore down.
That said, yes....Siakam had a huge game. He is a force, and always gives the Nuggets fits. Also, is their a better rookie than Scottie Barnes? And they did tighten the screws on defense. Esp. impressive on a back to back at altitude in Denver.
AND considering they played the Suns (and beat them) the night before. Easy for a team to crash after a high like that.
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LeBron is only 20 point away from taking the 2nd spot as all-time scoring leader. Might happen tonight :corn
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LeBron is only 20 point away from taking the 2nd spot as all-time scoring leader. Might happen tonight :corn
What's funny is that this disaster of a season is probably good for his overall resume, as it is getting him closer to the overall scoring record, and with the Lakers being a likely quick out if they even make it to the play-in, he won't have another one of those pesky finals losses on his record, and if the fans of Michael Jordan have taught us anything, it's that losing early in the playoffs is better than losing later in the playoffs.
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Yeah, I think overall he's having a good season (though his MVP days are far behind him).
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Wow....went to the Nuggets/Celtics game in Denver last night. Good seats. Sellout. Lots of energy in the arena, but it did not translate to the home team. And, in fact....it was more like a home game for the Celtics!
Tatum and Brown are such a dangerous tandem. They are both playing with so much confidence right now.....almost unstoppable. Celtics D smothered Jokic and frustrated him all night. He was clearly flustered.....worst game by him in a couple of years.
The outcome was bad enough, but the effort? Jokic definitely playing hard, but was forcing the ball. And the team was (predictably) forcing it to him (Philly having similar issues with Embiid last night). Aaron Gordon always plays hard. Jermichael Green was playing his ass off too. But everyone else was seemingly AWOL. Made all the more disappointing by the fact the Nuggets blew a big lead against Cleveland in their last game....and I expected 100% from everyone. Malone actually put out the second team at the start of the 3rd. That's pretty bad! :huh:
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The Celts D has been fantastic in their run.
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They're back to back tonight in OKC and Williams and Smart are out.
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They're back to back tonight in OKC and Williams and Smart are out.
And they're all ready up 15-2. Crazy.
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They're back to back tonight in OKC and Williams and Smart are out.
And they're all ready up 15-2. Crazy.
Oh are they? I'm going to flip over between periods of the B's.
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after how long, the Timberwolves may actually be relevant?
although it seems it will largely come down to how good their defense is, in The Playoffs. Which their coach may be the 1 factor that helps that.
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The Celts D has been fantastic in their run.
At least one Toronto team took care of Boston this week. :biggrin:
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The Celts D has been fantastic in their run.
At least one Toronto team took care of Boston this week. :biggrin:
Celts had 4 starters out.
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The Celts D has been fantastic in their run.
At least one Toronto team took care of Boston this week. :biggrin:
Celts had 4 starters out.
Excuses are for losers.
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The Celts D has been fantastic in their run.
At least one Toronto team took care of Boston this week. :biggrin:
Celts had 4 starters out.
Excuses are for losers.
I actually thought that the C's showed gumption by almost wining the game without 4 starters and their 2 all starts.
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The Lakers miss the playoffs.
To make it even better, the team that passed them in the standings, New Orleans, now receives the Lakers 1st round pick in the next draft due to a previous trade.
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The Lakers miss the playoffs.
To make it even better, the team that passed them in the standings, New Orleans, now receives the Lakers 1st round pick in the next draft due to a previous trade.
This season for the Lakers was pretty rough. I suspect we will see Westbrook out during the off season.
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The Lakers miss the playoffs.
To make it even better, the team that passed them in the standings, New Orleans, now receives the Lakers 1st round pick in the next draft due to a previous trade.
Oh that is hilarious.
What is the deal with Zion? Is it me, or is he a major bust?
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Nice to see that the Raptors are now guaranteed no worse than 6th, avoiding the play in round. Hard to fathom they had a chance at home-court advantage over the 76rs as recently as the weekend. I'm not sure which matchup I prefer for them... 76rs or Bucks. I think it's the former.
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The Bucks are the team to beat, so I'd want to avoid them. Philly isn't going anywhere.
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author=TAC link=topic=56757.msg2873022#msg2873022 date=1649253123]
The Bucks are the team to beat, so I'd want to avoid them. Philly isn't going anywhere.
This is correct. ;)
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In fact the Bucks are going to BLOW OUT the Celts tomorrow night. C's are in Chicago tonight and are a little banged up. I can easily see them going for this more winnable game tonight, and resting or going easy on the b2b.
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The Lakers miss the playoffs.
To make it even better, the team that passed them in the standings, New Orleans, now receives the Lakers 1st round pick in the next draft due to a previous trade.
This season for the Lakers was pretty rough. I suspect we will see Westbrook out during the off season.
Anthony Davis is the one they should chuck. What a bozo that guy he is. Can't stay healthy despite being in what should be his prime and plays like a fraud half the time when he is out there. James will take the brunt of the blame for the season, because it is always LBJ's fault no matter what :lol, but Davis and the Lakers front office have to wear this embarrassment of a season the most, IMO.
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The Lakers miss the playoffs.
To make it even better, the team that passed them in the standings, New Orleans, now receives the Lakers 1st round pick in the next draft due to a previous trade.
Oh that is hilarious.
What is the deal with Zion? Is it me, or is he a major bust?
Jury still out. He's young enough to fulfill his hype....and he has certainly shown flashes of living up to it already. But yeah, kind of like Anthony Davis. You gotta stay healthy to make an impact.
The consensus is that he needs to lose weight to put less stress on his body. Blowing out a pair of sneakers is more rare than breaking a backboard!
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Added a poll. Who you got....and why?
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It should be Giannis, but voters are stupid and will give it to Jokic because he has put up crazy good stats in categories no one cares about.
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Giannis is the man right now, I don’t see how it’s even debatable.
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Giannis is the man right now, I don’t see how it’s even debatable.
Yup. Completely agree.
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It should be Giannis, but voters are stupid and will give it to Jokic because he has put up crazy good stats in categories no one cares about.
What stats are those?
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It should be Giannis, but voters are stupid and will give it to Jokic because he has put up crazy good stats in categories no one cares about.
What stats are those?
For starters, Win Share and PER, two stats I never see talked about in regards to basketball players, yet all of a sudden they are apparently super important. That could be the emphasis on such things by the analytics nerds out there, so maybe I missed that memo. I read a fact last week that only once in NBA history has a player whose team finished as the 6 seed or lower in his conference won the MVP, and that was Westbrook a few years ago (and I think most know now how dumb it was to give that to him). If Jokic, whose Nuggets are the 6 seed, was lapping the field, then I'd say, yeah, give it to him again this year, but with Luka, Giannis and Embiid all being right there as well, nah. Giannis is the best player in the league and had another unbelievable season, but just like voters didn't want to give it to Jordan or James too many times, they are now doing the same with Giannis.
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I think the deeper issue is that almost every major award is regular season-based, but the regular season is becoming more and more irrelevant. I wish the NBA had Ballon d'Or (Player of the Year) and Conn Smythe (Best Playoff Performer) equivalents.
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I liked Colin Cowherd's idea that in order to get NBA players to play more and stop with this load management crap, they need to a) play less games, b) get rid of back to backs, and c) make it mandatory to play a certain percentage of games for any players to be eligible for awards (MVP, Defensive Player of the Year), All-NBA, etc. I think that would all be a good start.
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GO Cavs!
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It should be Giannis, but voters are stupid and will give it to Jokic because he has put up crazy good stats in categories no one cares about.
What stats are those?
For starters, Win Share and PER, two stats I never see talked about in regards to basketball players, yet all of a sudden they are apparently super important. That could be the emphasis on such things by the analytics nerds out there, so maybe I missed that memo. I read a fact last week that only once in NBA history has a player whose team finished as the 6 seed or lower in his conference won the MVP, and that was Westbrook a few years ago (and I think most know now how dumb it was to give that to him). If Jokic, whose Nuggets are the 6 seed, was lapping the field, then I'd say, yeah, give it to him again this year, but with Luka, Giannis and Embiid all being right there as well, nah. Giannis is the best player in the league and had another unbelievable season, but just like voters didn't want to give it to Jordan or James too many times, they are now doing the same with Giannis.
I think those metrics are actually supposed to assess a player in more of a context to TEAM value, and yes.....success, but not in just wins and losses. Things like getting other players involved (Jokic scores high because he is a playmaker....and perhaps the best passer in the game), reliance for clutch plays, team defense, how the team does when X player is NOT on the court, etc. It's the antithesis to looking at stats at face value....because just the mere numbers....like Westbrook and Harden triple doubles.....don't always portray the entire story.
Those analytics speak to the root word value.....as it applies to "valuable" in Most Valuable Player. But I don't know if that means they are "super important" to everyone who has a vote for MVP. There's no way to know all the criteria they used to cast their vote.
Also, there is a natural geographical bias. Not even complaining about that....rather, I am acknowledging it as valid. Jokic plays for Denver....which to esp. people on the east coast....might as well be Siberia. Understandable. It's not a big market city, though it is a major hub and growing....seemingly exponentially. And....the time zone difference creates these gaps in exposure to players who play for those teams that play their games much later. So that even if Denver is on television.....the majority of people don't even watch those, what would be 10:30 Eastern Time starts. The Nuggets home games are typically at 9pm Eastern, but if they are on National TV, they are usually playing someone from the West and are on the second half of the doubleheaders 90% of the time.
So, accordingly....there's a disconnect. Further proof of that is awareness of the Nuggets team dynamics this year. And while I have heard some broadcasters mention this in their assessment of Jokic as an MVP candidate....the fact they came close to winning 50 games with their second and third leading scorers on the team out all (Jamal Murray, who...if you remember the Bubble series with Utah a couple seasons back, you will recognize his infinite value)....or virtually all (Michael Porter Jr) season.....it's not been said enough to where the average NBA fan would even be aware. What other team can say that about their team? The Clippers, yes.....Leonard out all year and George missing many games. But there's no MVP candidate there. In that regard, while Jokic would be the first to tell you it's ultimately no excuse.....it is nonetheless a factor....and therefore not fair to penalize him for his team's success as only the 6th seed.
And yes.....just looking at the stats alone. They do still relate to a player's value....particularly if the points, rebounds, assists (the three major ones, typically)....are compiled in key moments during the games. So looking at Jokic's year.....he was better than last year, and he won it then. In fact, he had a HISTORIC season. First player ever to score 2,000 points, grab 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists. If you're looking at something either objectively or subjectively....it would be hard not to take that into account.
Finally, I do admit my bias. I have seen Jokic play every game since he came into the league. I have watched him grow and understand his value to his team's success. And he's not flashy...can't jump, doesn't dunk much. Yes, until they make a deeper run in the playoffs, he will be not be recognized in the same way as other champions. Time will tell. And the problem with reliance on one player to do so much is....in the playoffs....the Warriors, for example...will be focusing on him so much. So until he has had a couple of runs with an almost fully healthy squad....I think the jury will still be out (on his evolving evaluation of greatness) for awhile yet.
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I see in the poll.....no one voted for Embiid. But also....someone voted for "OTHER". Who was that player?
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I am guessing someone who is a Kevin Durant fan, likely someone from the media :P,. as the media is totally in the tank for Durant (in general, not in the MVP race), which is why he is often referred to as "the best player in the league," a laughable assertion, unless a guy who wasn't All-NBA either of the last two seasons and likely won't even be All-NBA first team this season can really be the best player in the league. Jordan, Bird, Kareem, Magic, LeBron, etc. never went three seasons in a row during their alleged prime without being All-NBA 1st team and still were slurped enough to be called the best player in the league. Kevin Durant must have dirt on the media. :lol :lol
Also, if someone wants to counter with the "Durant has been hurt at times" excuse, that makes my point stronger, as durability matters! You can't be the best player and miss as many games as Durant has in his prime years. Contrast that to James, who was an iron man for most of his career until the last few years when most would concede he is a bit past his prime (but still a great player).
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Go Nuggets! :flame:
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Kyrie gave the Celtics fans a middle finger, but the C's gave the last salute! WOOOOTTT!!
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I, for one, can’t wait for Boston and Brooklyn to go a hard seven.
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Definitely good for the Bucks!
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Definitely good for the Bucks!
If the Celtics can win a longer series, I'd almost prefer that with them winning with adversity knowing that can overcome it. Plus, it increases the chances of Williams returning.
As long as they emerge healthy of course.
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Agreed buy 40 minutes plus a night is rough.
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:loser:
Agreed buy 40 minutes plus a night is rough.
I know. It's a balance I guess.
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Speaking of staying healthy, the Raptors are not. Scottie Barnes is out tonight with an ankle injury (that's never good!). Trent Jr and Young are also doubtful.
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Kyrie Irving gives the fingers to fans on multiple occasions during a game on live TV and then says, "suck my d**k, bitch," to one after the game...and gets a whopping fine of 50K.
This is Adam Silver's NBA, where the inmates now run the asylum. What a joke of a league it is now.
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Kyrie Irving gives the fingers to fans on multiple occasions during a game on live TV and then says, "suck my d**k, bitch," to one after the game...and gets a whopping fine of 50K.
This is Adam Silver's NBA, where the inmates now run the asylum. What a joke of a league it is now.
Don't worry. Us racist, scorned lover fans will ratchet it up tomorrow night. He won't be able to help himself.
You know, bygones be bygones.
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It's F U Wednesday Kyrie.
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It's going to be insane!
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Delivering pizza to the night shift at 7pm and then it's game on!
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Kyrie Irving gives the fingers to fans on multiple occasions during a game on live TV and then says, "suck my d**k, bitch," to one after the game...and gets a whopping fine of 50K.
This is Adam Silver's NBA, where the inmates now run the asylum. What a joke of a league it is now.
Don't worry. Us racist, scorned lover fans will ratchet it up tomorrow night. He won't be able to help himself.
You know, bygones be bygones.
It's only a matter of time when there is another Malice at the Palace. And when it does, the league and the sports media who have been soft on Irving this week will both be culpable.
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Yup.
Right now, Brooklyn more physical than C's. Tatum cold so far.
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Celtics are screwed. Neither Durant nor Irving is making shots, yet the Nets are up 7.
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C's up 5. It's nuts.
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HELL YEAH!!!
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(https://i.postimg.cc/MHsYx1CD/20220420-214322.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/fS9dfSTt)
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I can easily see the Nets winning both games in NY.
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Oh definitely but to see the resilience of the C's in these 2 games is comforting.
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Bucks playing like they think they’ve already won the series. Zero focus.
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Bucks playing like they think they’ve already won the series. Zero focus.
The Bucks have won the series. Don't worry.
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Embid was a fucking beast in the 2H, after being held to just 5 points in the 1st. That last shot - holy fuck.
Raps are toast, but it was a good season long showing for a team that was expected to be contending for the lottery. Barnes ought to win ROTY, and the future looks pretty bright for this team. Just need a legit big-man.
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Bucks playing like they think they’ve already won the series. Zero focus.
Now Middleton is done for the series, maybe the rest of the playoffs. Not ideal.
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Amazing how coaches on the collegiate and pro level still don't have the brains at times to know the always put a guy on the player inbounding the ball. You are basically giving them an easy pass for a shooter. Unreal.
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Yeah, that was ridiculous.
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I have no dogs in the hunt, but when I turn a game on, and the home team is wearing road unis, or, like last night, the Nets are in black and the Celtics in green, I instantly turn the game off. Makes it all like like intramural or adult town league games, and it's hard on my eyes.
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What a marvelous take former player Stephen Jackson had on Speak for Yourself today regarding the Nets.
According to him, it's all Steve Nash's fault. And why? Because Nash is white, and black coaches never get to take over a roster with two players as good as KD and Kyrie, therefore this is all Nash's fault. He literally said that.
:rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin
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Holy shit Kev. I just saw it. Jesus.
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That’s a real tough loss for the T-wolves.
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Wow, those are some ugly 4th quarter numbers.
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What a marvelous take former player Stephen Jackson had on Speak for Yourself today regarding the Nets.
According to him, it's all Steve Nash's fault. And why? Because Nash is white, and black coaches never get to take over a roster with two players as good as KD and Kyrie, therefore this is all Nash's fault. He literally said that.
:rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin
What the actual fuck? I guess he has to.stand up for the players at all cost...
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I know the Nuggets aren't a great team, but damn if the Warriors don't look impressive right now. I'm so bummed about Booker's injury. Would have loved to see those two teams go at it at full strength.
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Holy shit Kev. I just saw it. Jesus.
What the actual fuck? I guess he has to.stand up for the players at all cost...
What's funny is that he said basically the same thing on The Herd to Cowherd earlier in the day, but toned it way down. I guess he figured it was safer to go full tilt with Wiley and Acho, both of whom ended up disagreeing with him. Cowherd didn't agree with him either, but didn't say it to him. Cowherd had given his take earlier that Durant and Irving a) hand picked Nash, and b) flat out said they don't think they need to be coached, so you can't really blame the coach for this. But he is not the type to argue with a guest, especially once who plays the race angle, as he usually avoids those topics, so he let Jackson's comments go and moved on to another topic.
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Ben Simmons looks like a fucking fruitcake on the Nets' bench. WTF??
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Hey, but he'll be ready the next game. Lol
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Hey, but he'll be ready the next game. Lol
Hopscotch?
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No, reporters are saying he'll play game 4. Crazy
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Not in those orange ass pants.
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I wouldn't trade for him.
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Durant probably already talking to his agent to try and find a way to sign with the Celtics this offseason.
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Don't want him. He is not a leader. He had his chance when Brady talked to him
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Don't want him. He is not a leader. He had his chance when Brady talked to him
Oh, well... if Brady couldn't close the deal, then he ain't good enough for Bahston fans!
Good game defensively by the Raps to avoid the sweep. Especially considering Scottie - ROTY - Barnes was on the limp, and VanVleet left early in the 2nd with a hip injury. The D absolutely swarmed Embiid, and it's quite clear his thumb was frustrating him. Ironic for him to bitch about the refs given his comments towards Nurse after Game 2. Suck it up buttercup.
The joy will be short-lived, as I don't see them winning in Philly.
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He isn't. Lol
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https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33799973/brooklyn-nets-list-ben-simmons-game-4-vs-boston-celtics
Guess what? Simmons is OUT for game 4.
:rollin :rollin :rollin
Woke up with back soreness today. From what?? :lol
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His outfit no doubt.
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His outfit no doubt.
Talk about a dude that's out of touch.
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https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33799973/brooklyn-nets-list-ben-simmons-game-4-vs-boston-celtics
Guess what? Simmons is OUT for game 4.
:rollin :rollin :rollin
Woke up with back soreness today. From what?? :lol
Uncomfortable seats on the bench?
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Gutless.
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His outfit no doubt.
Talk about a dude that's out of touch.
Hey, don't dis him too much.... General Soreness is quite the military foe in hand-to-hand combat against elite athletes.
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His outfit no doubt.
Talk about a dude that's out of touch.
Hey, don't dis him too much.... General Soreness is quite the military foe in hand-to-hand combat against elite athletes.
He’s acting more like Private Parts.
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You act like a jackass all season you affect the chemistry of the team. 4-0 sweep baby!!
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It really feels like the Bucks/Celtics is the the East Final.
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It really feels like the Bucks/Celtics is the the East Final.
Should be a good series.
On local Boston sportsradio, it was reported that tonight's ref, the corrupt Scott Foster aka the Series Extender..... in the last 21 playoff games that were not Game 1's, the team behind in the series was 19-3...now 19-3.
...and Tatum fouls out.. :corn
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(https://i.postimg.cc/dVwtzMz8/IMG-20220423-200413-816.jpg) (https://postimages.org/) (https://postimages.org/[/url)
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A bored Lakers fan could dream, right?
With the Nets just now getting swept even with KD (you guys probably don't agree, but I think KD is showing signs of slowing down) and Kyrie, and then you potentially have to deal with Simmons' "mental health" issues long term. Why would Nash want to stay on with the Nets?
Perhaps if the Lakers make the right push and somehow find a way to compensate the Nets for the remaining two years; Nash coming to LA wouldn't be a bad choice. IMHO Nash is a far better choice than Nurse and definitely better than Doc "I won a title in 08" Rivers.
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Zero percent chance the Raps let Nurse go anywhere.
Looks like the 76rs are developing a case of the yips. No FVV, and the Raps still lay a spanking on them with absolutely crushing defense, and attacking Embiid on the other end at every chance to tire him out. Worked pretty good. Though, I don't think we can count on Maxey and Hardon to continue to play like shit for however long the series goes for.
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A bored Lakers fan could dream, right?
With the Nets just now getting swept even with KD (you guys probably don't agree, but I think KD is showing signs of slowing down) and Kyrie, and then you potentially have to deal with Simmons' "mental health" issues long term. Why would Nash want to stay on with the Nets?
Perhaps if the Lakers make the right push and somehow find a way to compensate the Nets for the remaining two years; Nash coming to LA wouldn't be a bad choice. IMHO Nash is a far better choice than Nurse and definitely better than Doc "I won a title in 08" Rivers.
Huh? Has Steve Nash shown he can coach at all? Durant and Irving don't want to be coached, so I am not sure we have any idea if he can do it or not. Nurse and Rivers, meanwhile, have both won championships. Granted, Nurse got his due to Klay and Durant getting hurt, and Rivers is the king of blowing 3-1 leads and is currently halfway to being the first to blow a 3-0 lead, but both are far more proven than Nash.
Also, did anyone see Irving talking in the post-game presser about how he and Durant will help co-manage the franchise? :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin Can you say delusional?
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He co-managed so well this year didn't he? :lol
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No, I am not a real fan of Nash's coaching, but between him and Doc Rivers? I'd rather take a chance on Nash, that's all. Besides, realistically who else is worthy to be the next Lakers' coach anyway? :|
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With the Nets just now getting swept even with KD (you guys probably don't agree, but I think KD is showing signs of slowing down
Hard to say. He had an MVP-caliber season this year when he played, and looked completely unstoppable against the Bucks last season if only Kyrie and Harden weren't hurt. The Celtics just had a much better defensive scheme against him this year than the Bucks did last. Online people are skewering him for shooting so little in games 2-3, but he had practically nothing but bad shots the whole time. He took a lot more in G4 but was incredibly inefficient. It's more about just how good the Celtics have become defensively in the last few months than Durant declining to me.
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Agree the Celtics are playing out of this world right now. They have been for many weeks.....locking in on defense when needed, anchored by Tatum (any surprise Brooklyn mounted a comeback when he fouled out yesterday?). Speaking of which, he....not coincidentally....is playing MVP like basketball on BOTH sides.
I think Steph and Klay get all the pub for best guard duo....with good, historical reasoning. But right now.... is there a better two punch at guard than Tatum and Brown? McCollum and Dame used to be in that discussion, but they are no more. Harden, Westbrook, Kyrie.....I supposed you could put some duos together in various incarnations of the past, but everything is so shuffled around now. And esp. Harden and Westbrook, the FORMER, respective MVP's.....are on the downhill side for sure. Kyrie still shows flashes of greatness, but was clearly impacted by the vaccination decision status....and is a personal/professional enigma.
I know it's considered more of a positionless league these days, with big men like Jokic handling the ball and passing like a point guard. So there might be a better duo of players at any postion on one team, but I think guards are so pivotal (no pun intended). Tell you this much....we might get to see Steph/Klay vs Tatum/Brown in the Finals. That could be quite a matchup.
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Agree the Celtics are playing out of this world right now. They have been for many weeks.....locking in on defense when needed, anchored by Tatum (any surprise Brooklyn mounted a comeback when he fouled out yesterday?). Speaking of which, he....not coincidentally....is playing MVP like basketball on BOTH sides.
I think Steph and Klay get all the pub for best guard duo....with good, historical reasoning. But right now.... is there a better two punch at guard than Tatum and Brown? McCollum and Dame used to be in that discussion, but they are no more. Harden, Westbrook, Kyrie.....I supposed you could put some duos together in various incarnations of the past, but everything is so shuffled around these days (with a pervasive likelihood of a consistent state of flux moving forward). And esp. Harden and Westbrook, the FORMER, respective MVP's.....are on the downhill side for sure. Kyrie still shows flashes of greatness, but was clearly impacted by the vaccination decision status....and is a personal/professional enigma.
I know it's considered more of a positionless league these days, with big men like Jokic handling the ball and passing like a point guard. So there might be a better duo of players at any postion on one team, but I think guards are so pivotal (no pun intended). Tell you this much....we might get to see Steph/Klay vs Tatum/Brown in the Finals. That could be quite a matchup.
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Quoted for emphasis? :lol
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With the Nets just now getting swept even with KD (you guys probably don't agree, but I think KD is showing signs of slowing down
Hard to say. He had an MVP-caliber season this year when he played, and looked completely unstoppable against the Bucks last season if only Kyrie and Harden weren't hurt. The Celtics just had a much better defensive scheme against him this year than the Bucks did last. Online people are skewering him for shooting so little in games 2-3, but he had practically nothing but bad shots the whole time. He took a lot more in G4 but was incredibly inefficient. It's more about just how good the Celtics have become defensively in the last few months than Durant declining to me.
I don't think he is declining. I just think Boston had a great defensive game plan to confuse him, and it worked to a 't.' He looked off for much of the series.
Ultimately, Durant chose to leave an unselfish superstar like Steph Curry for a selfish nimrod named Kyrie Irving, and how bad of a decision that truly was couldn't be any clearer than it is now.
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With the Nets just now getting swept even with KD (you guys probably don't agree, but I think KD is showing signs of slowing down
Hard to say. He had an MVP-caliber season this year when he played, and looked completely unstoppable against the Bucks last season if only Kyrie and Harden weren't hurt. The Celtics just had a much better defensive scheme against him this year than the Bucks did last. Online people are skewering him for shooting so little in games 2-3, but he had practically nothing but bad shots the whole time. He took a lot more in G4 but was incredibly inefficient. It's more about just how good the Celtics have become defensively in the last few months than Durant declining to me.
I don't think he is declining. I just think Boston had a great defensive game plan to confuse him, and it worked to a 't.' He looked off for much of the series.
Ultimately, Durant chose to leave an unselfish superstar like Steph Curry for a selfish nimrod named Kyrie Irving, and how bad of a decision that truly was couldn't be any clearer than it is now.
But for some reason, as good as he is, Durant is not, or has never been the guy to lead his team to a Championship.
I think it's fair to look at that. It may not be a talent thing, but he also just might be a dick that makes running a team through him, on and off the floor, quite difficult.
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But for some reason, as good as he is, Durant is not, or has never been the guy to lead his team to a Championship.
I think it's fair to look at that. It may not be a talent thing, but he also just might be a dick that makes running a team through him, on and off the floor, quite difficult.
Hard to say, but until he leads a team to a championship, many will always view him as the guy who had to jump on the bandwagon of a 73-win team that had already won one to get rings. Fair or not, that perception is out there, and it is fair.
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I think Steph and Klay get all the pub for best guard duo....with good, historical reasoning. But right now.... is there a better two punch at guard than Tatum and Brown? McCollum and Dame used to be in that discussion, but they are no more. Harden, Westbrook, Kyrie.....I supposed you could put some duos together in various incarnations of the past, but everything is so shuffled around now. And esp. Harden and Westbrook, the FORMER, respective MVP's.....are on the downhill side for sure. Kyrie still shows flashes of greatness, but was clearly impacted by the vaccination decision status....and is a personal/professional enigma.
I know it's considered more of a positionless league these days, with big men like Jokic handling the ball and passing like a point guard. So there might be a better duo of players at any postion on one team, but I think guards are so pivotal (no pun intended). Tell you this much....we might get to see Steph/Klay vs Tatum/Brown in the Finals. That could be quite a matchup.
It's kind of murky, yes, though I'd say Tatum and Brown are more of wings than guards. I especially wouldn't call Tatum a guard, more of a forward. Smart is the PG anyway at this point, sometimes White. It all depends upon the lineups as well, but even on the other side sometimes Klay is more of a forward than a guard.
But with Tatum's ascendance as a top 5-10 player recently, yeah, they're getting up there as a duo. CP3/Booker is pretty stacked too though, and closer to a pure guard backcourt dynamic.
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Tatum is a forward. Brown starts as a shooting guard, but he's a forward really.. Smart is the point guard as this point as LJS states.
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Tatum is a shooting(small) forward & Brown is the power forward.
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I’d call them both wings. :P
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^^
I'd say it's closer to the reverse, but Horford and Grant Williams take up the lion's share of the minutes at PF regardless. It becomes increasingly irrelevant though, other than to screw up All-NBA ballots.
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I'm confused. Does the NBA not reseed after each round? The Celts will play the winner of Bucks/Bulls.
But the Bulls are the 6 seed and would be the lowest remaining seed. Why wouldn't they play the Heat?
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They play the Bucks if they win. They play the second lowest seed if the Bulls win.
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The NBA does not re-seed. Winner of 1/8 plays winner of 4/5, winner of 2/7 plays winner of 3/6.
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The NBA does not re-seed. Winner of 1/8 plays winner of 4/5, winner of 2/7 plays winner of 3/6.
Ok thank you.
That's weird.
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Ok thank you.
That's weird.
I know the NHL reseeds in the first round, but the NBA never does that.
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Ok thank you.
That's weird.
I know the NHL reseeds in the first round, but the NBA never does that.
Not to digress too much into hockey talk, but this is an "it depends".... on whether one or both WC teams win their first round series. In 2018, no WC teams won in Rd 1, so the Rd 2 matchups stayed intra-division, regardless of regular season standings (eg, Tampa played Boston in Round 2, who had more regular season points than Washington/Pitt; Nashville played Winnipeg, who had more regular season points than Vegas/SJ).
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I think Steph and Klay get all the pub for best guard duo....with good, historical reasoning. But right now.... is there a better two punch at guard than Tatum and Brown? McCollum and Dame used to be in that discussion, but they are no more. Harden, Westbrook, Kyrie.....I supposed you could put some duos together in various incarnations of the past, but everything is so shuffled around now. And esp. Harden and Westbrook, the FORMER, respective MVP's.....are on the downhill side for sure. Kyrie still shows flashes of greatness, but was clearly impacted by the vaccination decision status....and is a personal/professional enigma.
I know it's considered more of a positionless league these days, with big men like Jokic handling the ball and passing like a point guard. So there might be a better duo of players at any postion on one team, but I think guards are so pivotal (no pun intended). Tell you this much....we might get to see Steph/Klay vs Tatum/Brown in the Finals. That could be quite a matchup.
It's kind of murky, yes, though I'd say Tatum and Brown are more of wings than guards. I especially wouldn't call Tatum a guard, more of a forward. Smart is the PG anyway at this point, sometimes White. It all depends upon the lineups as well, but even on the other side sometimes Klay is more of a forward than a guard.
But with Tatum's ascendance as a top 5-10 player recently, yeah, they're getting up there as a duo. CP3/Booker is pretty stacked too though, and closer to a pure guard backcourt dynamic.
CP3/Booker are definitely contenders if not the best guard duo in the NBA right now. I would look out for the Morant/Bane duo in the next few years. Ja is already one of the best guards in the league and Bane has been improving a lot. If they can keep this pace Memphis will become a real threat.
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I guess I just think of Tatum as playing more like a big guard. He's listed as everything from shooting guard to small forward to power forward. So I suppose small forward is the best description. But his versatility is so valuable, because you know he creates matchup nightmares at any position.
Brown is also characterized as a shooting guard or small forward.
Yeah, for some reason I didn't even think about CP3 and Booker. They are definitely both guards (and more traditional defintion of point and shooting) and a great duo.
So perhaps I should amend my original question to be best duo, period.
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Honestly the best duo might be Steph and Draymond. Their skillsets are completely complimentary, with years of proven chemistry and results.
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I like the show Speak for Yourself, but Marcellus Wiley is out of his mind this week. He must be one of the media peeps who Durant has something on, along with Screaming A Smith, whom I read is afraid to criticize Durant now much because his mom once yelled at him for it :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin, because Wiley literally tried to argue today that Durant is an all-time top 10 player. :eek :eek :eek :lol :lol :lol
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Getting into the top 10 is really hard, but that's hardly crazy. He's probably top 15 right now, and his career isn't over. Getting over that hump to knock out #10-12 or so is very difficult though.
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Getting into the top 10 is really hard, but that's hardly crazy. He's probably top 15 right now, and his career isn't over. Getting over that hump to knock out #10-12 or so is very difficult though.
Man, even I can name 10 players off the top of my head that are better than him. With a bit of thinking and Google, I could probably get to 20. I’d put him top 25 at best.
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MJ
LeBron
Kareem
Bird
Magic
Duncan
Bryant
Shaq
Hakeem
Russell
Wilt
Robertson
That's 12 right there that I don't see how anyone can make a reasonable argument for being below Durant, so even if you think Durant is the best of the rest, which I do not, that puts him at 13. Heck, I'd put Curry ahead of him.
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Didn't realize that Durant will be 34 next season. I obviously knew he wasn't a young pup, but 34 is really old by NBA standards. That said, I do think that advancements in modern medicine combined with recent rule changes will allow Durant to be a great offensive player for many years to come. If he can put together one or two more great playoff runs, then he may have an argument for top ten. Tough group to break into though.
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Khris Middleton has been ruled out the entire Boston series. Not ideal.
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Getting into the top 10 is really hard, but that's hardly crazy. He's probably top 15 right now, and his career isn't over. Getting over that hump to knock out #10-12 or so is very difficult though.
Man, even I can name 10 players off the top of my head that are better than him. With a bit of thinking and Google, I could probably get to 20. I’d put him top 25 at best.
MJ
LeBron
Kareem
Bird
Magic
Duncan
Bryant
Shaq
Hakeem
Russell
Wilt
Robertson
That's 12 right there that I don't see how anyone can make a reasonable argument for being below Durant, so even if you think Durant is the best of the rest, which I do not, that puts him at 13. Heck, I'd put Curry ahead of him.
They're close, and Curry is arguably also top 15 or so. But in two finals series in a row KD outplayed Steph (and also went to-to-toe with LeBron, and in the '12 finals as well). Curry is a better shooter and has a bit more gravity in spacing, but KD is a better scorer and defender.
That's pretty close to the dozen there are the best arguments for being better. Kobe and Robertson probably have the iffiest cases. Anyone else you can name KD will have a pretty good argument for being the equal of, if not most likely a superior case for.
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They're close, and Curry is arguably also top 15 or so. But in two finals series in a row KD outplayed Steph (and also went to-to-toe with LeBron, and in the '12 finals as well). Curry is a better shooter and has a bit more gravity in spacing, but KD is a better scorer and defender.
I think Curry crushes Durant when it comes in intangibles, and I think being a great leader is one of them. Most players as great as Curry wouldn't have put their ego aside and let Durant take over in large doses in both finals, to where he was the MVP of both, but Curry had no problem with it. I think that is a huge checkmark in Curry's favor.
Plus, Durant gets hurt too much. He has missed significant time due to injury in five of his last eight seasons, which should be his prime years. This isn't like LBJ getting hurt a lot in his later 30s. To me, being consistently durable is a big part of being great.
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That's mostly fair. There's an argument that true alpha dog top players would never defer and let someone else ever take over, but I think it's pretty contextual when to apply it.
Curry also hasn't played 70 or more games since '16-'17, so you could quibble with his durability as well, but Durant certainly has missed even more.
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MJ
LeBron
Kareem
Bird
Magic
Duncan
Bryant
Shaq
Hakeem
Russell
Wilt
Robertson
That's 12 right there that I don't see how anyone can make a reasonable argument for being below Durant, so even if you think Durant is the best of the rest, which I do not, that puts him at 13. Heck, I'd put Curry ahead of him.
Add the Mailman to that list without question.
As for 'maybe/maybe not' in the better than Durant comparison, I'd also throw out:
West
Baylor
Dr. J
That 'other' Malone
The Admiral
DW
Shit, I could even be convinced with Parrish and/or McHale
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Garnett is an interesting case because no one thinks of him as a top-ten player, but if you look at any impact metrics (raw plus/minus all the way through advanced plus/minus) he's off the charts. Sadly, we will never know how great his career could have been because the Timberwolves were such trash. :lol
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Speaking of Minnesota, perhaps they should take back the name Lakers after all… for the way they keep blowing double digits leads. :facepalm:
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Khris Middleton has been ruled out the entire Boston series. Not ideal.
And Embid is out indefinitely with an orbital fracture. It seems Miami and Boston have the better chances right now.
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The Bucks reminding everyone they are the defending champs.
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The Bucks reminding everyone they are the defending champs.
Yeah, ugly game. I kind of expected the Celts to be a bit flat. Hopefully this wakes them the hell up.
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That's going to be a fascinating series. No Middleton and they still prove that championship experience matters. I know it's a regular season award, but it feels like every post-season we gradually realize we might have given the MVP to the wrong player. In the past couple decades only LeBron, Steph, and Duncan have won the MVP and the finals in the same season (and only once apiece), and Steph didn't even win FMVP (though he should have).
The overconfident Grizzlies are looking to be down in a hole. No second half Draymond, no Iggy, Klay still cold, Grizz at home, and they still can't win. Ouch.
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I don't really follow basketball but it looks like the Suns are in the playoffs again. Up 1-0 so far. Go Suns!
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The Bucks reminding everyone they are the defending champs.
Yeah, ugly game. I kind of expected the Celts to be a bit flat. Hopefully this wakes them the hell up.
The Celtics woke up.
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Man, charges are a thing of the past when it involves Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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Man, charges are a thing of the past when it involves Giannis Antetokounmpo.
While you can't run a spell checker, I see that you can copy/paste. :lol
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It was my first night of golf league so I didn’t see most of the Bucks/Celtics game. Saw it was a 25 point game at half, oof.
Bucks took one game on the road which is all you can ask for to start a series.
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Hopefully your golf league meets again Saturday night. :lol
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Man, charges are a thing of the past when it involves Giannis Antetokounmpo.
While you can't run a spell checker, I see that you can copy/paste. :lol
For sure. I could spell his first name without copying. :lol
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Man, charges are a thing of the past when it involves Giannis Antetokounmpo.
While you can't run a spell checker, I see that you can copy/paste. :lol
For sure. I could spell his first name without copying. :lol
I STILL can’t spell his name correctly, probably because I just go with Giannis all the time.
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Warriors caught some tough breaks and didn't play particularly well, but still had an opportunity to win last night. Some good takes here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFdxoRH47Rc
But, man, Charles! :lolpalm:
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Apparently Breathing On Giannis is a foul, while the guy travels through the paint, swinging elbows, and gets every fucking call.
How their coach didn't get a T for running out on the floor earlier in the game is beyond me.
Of course, if the Celtics could actually shoot, it wouldn't make a difference.
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Is there a central site where all Boston sports fans converge where a consensus is determined as to what to complain about? :P
There has to be, because everywhere you look on the 'net, Boston sports fans are complaining about Giannis getting away with murder. :lol :lol
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It's because he is. It's so fucking blatant.
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So close... ouch!
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The Celtics shooting was atrocious in the first half.
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The Celtics shooting was atrocious in the first half.
Was it the Bucks' defense on him? Or he just have a cold shooting day? Tatum went 4 for 19, good for only 10 points. WTH?
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He was cold. He had tons of open looks in the first half.
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NBA superstars getting the benefit of the doubt when it comes to calls. This has never NOT been a thing since I've been watching.
Wild finish. Celtics had their chances.
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Team A shot 34 free throws and Team B shot 17, yet Team A’s fans think the officiating was skewed against them.
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Yes, that is true. :lol
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Congrats to Nikola Jokic for his second consecutive MVP award. Well deserved. :tup
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Congrats to Nikola Jokic for his second consecutive MVP award. Well deserved. :tup
Agreed. But that is not going to be the consensus opinion, either here or in the mainstream media. It's already becoming a political football...er...basketball. :mehlin
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What a 4th qtr by Boston, especially Horford. I didn't think he could score like that at this stage of his career. It will be tough to win the next one in Boston for the Bucks.
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That C's game.
(https://i.postimg.cc/6qS3bfCd/1-Wbc1nv-Gvey-FRlehirtp-CQg-1.jpg) (https://postimages.org/) (https://postimages.org/app)
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First game the Bucks truly missed Khris Middleton. Bucks were gassed and old man Horford couldn’t miss.
It feels like the Celtics are in the drivers seat, but as they say, it isn’t over until it’s over.
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but as they say, it isn’t over until it’s over.
Yeah, I don't think either side will be comfortable until it's actually over.
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Feels like the Bucks went to iso ball instead of moving, passing snd hitting the open guy.
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Feels like the Bucks went to iso ball instead of moving, passing snd hitting the open guy.
No doubt about it. Amazing how complacent teams can get during games after going on runs.
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Yeah, looks like the Suns are doing the same thing this year. They get home court advantage, go up 2-0 and then drop 2 on the road. Can't get at least 1 game on the road?
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A question to gauge my family's sanity.
My wife is a lifelong Celtics fan (born and raised in the Albany, NY area). Since I don't have any basketball allegiance, my son also adopted the Celtics as his team, and he and my wife have been regularly watching the Celtics playoff games.
When I got home yesterday, the two of them were livid. I don't remember exactly where the game was, but the Celtics were down by maybe 6-8 with a ton of time left. They were screaming about how the Celtics have to beat both the Bucks and the refs. There was one ref in particular they were bitching about. At one point my son walked into the room where I was, and I asked how he was doing. His response was somewhere along the lines of, "miserable. I have never been so mad about a game I wasn't playing in. I just want to punch something." Not long after that, they were whooping it up because the Celtics took the lead for good.
I usually write off/ignore my wife's (mostly) whining about refs. I believe that she truly believes some refs are biased and that games are fixed. I find it hilarious that she thinks everyone is anti-Celtic, which is a bit like suggesting that the MLB is anti-Yankee. Is there really anything to this -- particularly with respect to yesterday's game?
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Before last night, the Celtics were 2-10 in playoff games reffed by that guy last night.
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Two words: Al Horford. The dude literally got back at Giannis dunking on him by dunking on him even harder. :hefdaddy
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To add, earlier in the series, the C's were getting call for fouls that Giannis was not so that make some fans go into a tizzy. Even I bitched early on when the announcers called a travel by Giannis a "Jump Stop." The C's started to get the calls in the second half like Brown traveling but not called. The C's being physical like Giannis and not getting called for fouls in the second half calmed most fans down.
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A question to gauge my family's sanity.
My wife is a lifelong Celtics fan (born and raised in the Albany, NY area). Since I don't have any basketball allegiance, my son also adopted the Celtics as his team, and he and my wife have been regularly watching the Celtics playoff games.
When I got home yesterday, the two of them were livid. I don't remember exactly where the game was, but the Celtics were down by maybe 6-8 with a ton of time left. They were screaming about how the Celtics have to beat both the Bucks and the refs. There was one ref in particular they were bitching about. At one point my son walked into the room where I was, and I asked how he was doing. His response was somewhere along the lines of, "miserable. I have never been so mad about a game I wasn't playing in. I just want to punch something." Not long after that, they were whooping it up because the Celtics took the lead for good.
I usually write off/ignore my wife's (mostly) whining about refs. I believe that she truly believes some refs are biased and that games are fixed. I find it hilarious that she thinks everyone is anti-Celtic, which is a bit like suggesting that the MLB is anti-Yankee. Is there really anything to this -- particularly with respect to yesterday's game?
Did you ask if they wanted a little cheese with that whine? :lol In the game of basketball, being down less than 10 pts with a reasonable amount of time left isn't a death sentence. Even without 3 pt shots it's surmountable. :tup
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The next game the fans don’t complain about the refs will be the first. It’s almost as if we can’t fathom our teams losing to another without admitting we actually weren’t good enough to win.
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RIP Bob Lanier.
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Damn. R.I.P.
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What a depressing news, RIP
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Gag on it, Celtics.
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A question to gauge my family's sanity.
My wife is a lifelong Celtics fan (born and raised in the Albany, NY area). Since I don't have any basketball allegiance, my son also adopted the Celtics as his team, and he and my wife have been regularly watching the Celtics playoff games.
When I got home yesterday, the two of them were livid. I don't remember exactly where the game was, but the Celtics were down by maybe 6-8 with a ton of time left. They were screaming about how the Celtics have to beat both the Bucks and the refs. There was one ref in particular they were bitching about. At one point my son walked into the room where I was, and I asked how he was doing. His response was somewhere along the lines of, "miserable. I have never been so mad about a game I wasn't playing in. I just want to punch something." Not long after that, they were whooping it up because the Celtics took the lead for good.
I usually write off/ignore my wife's (mostly) whining about refs. I believe that she truly believes some refs are biased and that games are fixed. I find it hilarious that she thinks everyone is anti-Celtic, which is a bit like suggesting that the MLB is anti-Yankee. Is there really anything to this -- particularly with respect to yesterday's game?
How are your wife and son doing? ;D
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Fudge.
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I rather enjoyed that.
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:lol
As you should!
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I like fudge! ;D
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I like fudge! ;D
Easy Felger.
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Hard to trust a team who has a player with green hair.
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That's a smart observation.
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And I hate him bitching after both plays when A) he was cleanly blocked and B) cleanly had his pocket picked
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A question to gauge my family's sanity.
My wife is a lifelong Celtics fan (born and raised in the Albany, NY area). Since I don't have any basketball allegiance, my son also adopted the Celtics as his team, and he and my wife have been regularly watching the Celtics playoff games.
When I got home yesterday, the two of them were livid. I don't remember exactly where the game was, but the Celtics were down by maybe 6-8 with a ton of time left. They were screaming about how the Celtics have to beat both the Bucks and the refs. There was one ref in particular they were bitching about. At one point my son walked into the room where I was, and I asked how he was doing. His response was somewhere along the lines of, "miserable. I have never been so mad about a game I wasn't playing in. I just want to punch something." Not long after that, they were whooping it up because the Celtics took the lead for good.
I usually write off/ignore my wife's (mostly) whining about refs. I believe that she truly believes some refs are biased and that games are fixed. I find it hilarious that she thinks everyone is anti-Celtic, which is a bit like suggesting that the MLB is anti-Yankee. Is there really anything to this -- particularly with respect to yesterday's game?
How are your wife and son doing? ;D
I wasn't home yesterday evening. A friend and I had dinner at a sports bar and then went to the Long Beach State baseball game. When we left the bar, the Celtics were up. When I got home, my son said, "if you see red sauce near the cat's bowls, that was me." I asked what happened, and he said "Celtics." I think I'm glad I wasn't home.
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How about that James Harden. Biggest cancer to any team he’s on.
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How about that James Harden. Biggest cancer to any team he’s on.
No more Harden this season? I love it... but just 11 points (no points in second half) in an elimination game? He put up no fight, man. He is definitely going to opt-into his $47+M deal, but he doesn't deserve not even third of that. I think it is a combination of the new rules and his age finally caught up to him.
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Why Jeff Van Gundy is the best...
"You've got some experienced floppers in this game". :lol
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Seriously.
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Giannis is a Colt 45 commercial in the 70's with every drive to the bucket
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The Celts are going to gag another one away, but holy shit, Giannis fucking travels on practically every play.
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The last Bucks-Celtics game was wild and it's looking the same tonight.
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The Celts are going to gag another one away, but holy shit, Giannis fucking travels on practically every play.
They just called in the act of shooting. Are the refs blind?
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The Celts are going to gag another one away, but holy shit, Giannis fucking travels on practically every play.
They just called in the act of shooting. Are the refs blind?
Yeah. Ridiculous.
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2 game 7's this weekend. Crazy!!
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2 game 7's this weekend. Crazy!!
If I could only have one, I'd sacrifice the B's because the C's have a legit shot.
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I dint think like that. They gave to earn it. Up to them.
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Er...
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Sacrifice? What is this bullshit? Fucking want both to win.
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(https://media3.giphy.com/media/3tHMCH1gsgxGRyBFhZ/giphy.gif)
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(https://i.postimg.cc/P5b2DywV/explosion-explosion-walk-away.gif) (https://postimages.org/)
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Sacrifice? What is this bullshit? Fucking want both to win.
With any luck, they'll both lose. :biggrin:
ABB... Anyone But Boston.
Luv you guys. Hate your teams.
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Totally get that but nee ner, nee ner. Lol
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Tatum got help, Giannis didn’t.
Game 7’s are only fun when your team isn’t involved. May the best team win.
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Yeah, completely agree. He seems to be on an island. No secondary scoring with consistency.
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Game 7’s are only fun when your team isn’t involved.
So much this. Like Joe said, we have two of them this weekend.
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OK Sports Gods. We burned the Bruins at the stake for you.
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Someone is going fishing after tonight, and I surely hope it ain't the Bucks nor the Suns.
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I don't know, CP3 sometimes looks like a bass on a line.
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I don't know how so many root for Chris Paul. He is a flopper, a dirty player, a dick, and an all-around asshole (based on everything I have seen and read about him).
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I don't know how so many root for Chris Paul. He is a flopper, a dirty player, a dick, and an all-around asshole (based on everything I have seen and read about him).
I hear you, and I used to hate him too. Then again, he has been behaving rather professionally since he got traded to OKC. Sure, he still whines and flops, but those acts are not as bad as when he was younger. Perhaps he finally learned he can't get far by flopping.
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I know it is just the start of 4th qtr, but the Bucks look so out of sync on offense, and couldn't make any shot; while the C's just keep making shots left and right... I think it is likely game over for the Bucks.
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The first quarter had me worried but it looked like the Bucks were just worn down. They missed Middleton for his points but also, his minutes.
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Hard to win when you can’t shoot. Celtics outscored the Bucks by 159 points on three pointers during the series. Amazing it went seven games.
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We stunk, but we didn’t stink as much as the Suns.
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We stunk, but we didn’t stink as much as the Suns.
*checks score*
Oh shit. 75-35?? WTF??
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What a satisfying game to watch.
The Suns literally quit in the first half of that game. Couldn't happen to a nicer asshole than Chris Paul than to see the team he leads quit in a home Game 7.
Luka is unreal. Giannis is the best player in the league, but he may not hold that title for much longer, as Luka is gunning for it.
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What a satisfying game to watch.
The Suns literally quit in the first half of that game. Couldn't happen to a nicer asshole than Chris Paul than to see the team he leads quit in a home Game 7.
Luka is unreal. Giannis is the best player in the league, but he may not hold that title for much longer, as Luka is gunning for it.
Maybe offensively but Luka will never be close to the defender Giannis is.
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It is 4:39 am here, and I just woke up for a toilet break... found out what happened in Phoenix... man, I am glad I wasn't watching it live... 27 points at the half... as a team?! This was game 7, man! That was as crappy a performance as us in 2006 first round game 7 vs the Suns.
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I can't believe what I just watched last night, and this definitely says it all.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FS16n7FUUAEFt3B?format=jpg&name=small)
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What a satisfying game to watch.
The Suns literally quit in the first half of that game. Couldn't happen to a nicer asshole than Chris Paul than to see the team he leads quit in a home Game 7.
Luka is unreal. Giannis is the best player in the league, but he may not hold that title for much longer, as Luka is gunning for it.
Maybe offensively but Luka will never be close to the defender Giannis is.
Very true.
It is 4:39 am here, and I just woke up for a toilet break... found out what happened in Phoenix... man, I am glad I wasn't watching it live... 27 points at the half... as a team?! This was game 7, man! That was as crappy a performance as us in 2006 first round game 7 vs the Suns.
What's really funny is the final score was much closer than the game actual was (and the Mavs won by 33!).
Dallas was up 30 at half, and my thought was, "Okay, Phoenix will come out and make a run to start the 3rd Q and we will see if that gives them any chance to come back," but the opposite happened. Dallas continued thrashing them and were up by 40 in the blink of an eye. Luka didn't play a second of the 4th quarter because he didn't need to. I can't recall in any sport seeing a team take that much of a beating in a home in a Game 7.
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As a Mavs fan I too was shocked at what I was watching. Maybe it's just me but I but I saw a whole lot of give up on the Suns side of the house.
Only 10 points in the second quarter?
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The Suns starters had 1 (Paul), 2 (Booker), 3 (Ayton), 4 (Bridges), and 5 (Crowder) points at the half. That hasn't happened to a team in over 20 years. Wow.
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It's not rational but for some reason Devin Booker annoys me about as much as anyone in the league. I think it's because he has that style of game where he can't really get to the rim, but instead just shoots a bunch of wobbly jump shots, which of course leads to fouls because he's crashing into to people or landing all over the place. :lol It's that style of game that feels a bit doomed in the playoffs once you run into a good defense.
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It's not rational but for some reason Devin Booker annoys me about as much as anyone in the league. I think it's because he has that style of game where he can't really get to the rim, but instead just shoots a bunch of wobbly jump shots, which of course leads to fouls because he's crashing into to people or landing all over the place. :lol It's that style of game that feels a bit doomed in the playoffs once you run into a good defense.
CP3/Booker are definitely contenders if not the best guard duo in the NBA right now.
I think perhaps an amendment should be made to the latter quote!
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Fun news day already...
Rondo is alleged to have pulled a gun at the mother of their 2 kids. No arrest yet, but the judge has granted her protective order.
Meanwhile, even Dame joins in to slam Beverley for talking bad about CP3.
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LOL Suns. They're like the Dallas Cowboys of basketball. They go up 2-0 and think the rest will be smooth cruising. Pretty ironic they got owned by a Dallas team. :lol
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That game was pathetic. Fucking Suns??
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It's not rational but for some reason Devin Booker annoys me about as much as anyone in the league. I think it's because he has that style of game where he can't really get to the rim, but instead just shoots a bunch of wobbly jump shots, which of course leads to fouls because he's crashing into to people or landing all over the place. :lol It's that style of game that feels a bit doomed in the playoffs once you run into a good defense.
CP3/Booker are definitely contenders if not the best guard duo in the NBA right now.
I think perhaps an amendment should be made to the latter quote!
It's so easy to overreact to an awful game or series, and it's certainly been fun in the moment to enjoy this disastrous debacle (unless you're a Suns fan). But until the playoffs and arguably even after they were up 2-0, it still seemed like a pretty warranted take. And there's a world in which they eat an ocean of crow, lick their wounds, and come back strong again next year. But it's going to be a K2-sized mountain to climb to do it, so I'm not counting on it.
It's not rational but for some reason Devin Booker annoys me about as much as anyone in the league. I think it's because he has that style of game where he can't really get to the rim, but instead just shoots a bunch of wobbly jump shots, which of course leads to fouls because he's crashing into to people or landing all over the place. :lol It's that style of game that feels a bit doomed in the playoffs once you run into a good defense.
Yeah, he thinks he's the next Kobe, but nope, he sure ain't Kobe. K-Mart Kobe has been making the rounds, which is probably disrespectful to K-Mart.
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Meanwhile, even Dame joins in to slam Beverley for talking bad about CP3.
I suspect a lot of players think what Beverley said, but since Paul used to be president of the player's union and likely still has a lot of power, many want to stay on his good side off the court, so they keep mostly quiet. A guy like Beverley, though, just doesn't give a crap. :lol :lol
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Horford and Smart out tonight. Not good news
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How do they go from having 3 or 4 days off DURING the first round, but the CF are every other. This was a quick turnaround that's for sure.
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Horford and Smart out tonight. Not good news
Smart was pretty beat up in the Bucks series, but what's wrong with Horford?
How do they go from having 3 or 4 days off DURING the first round, but the CF are every other. This was a quick turnaround that's for sure.
I believe the start dates for both the ECF and WCF are set regardless. In other words, you get a few more days off if you finished your second round series sooner, or else you have to deal with the quick turnaround.
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Horford and Smart out tonight. Not good news
Smart was pretty beat up in the Bucks series, but what's wrong with Horford?
Health & Safety protocols.
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Horford and Smart out tonight. Not good news
Timing is everything.
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I expected Smart, not Horford.
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Thought I'd be wrong after the 1st half. Still had 30 minutes and the Heat clamped down on their D. All you can do is tip the hat.
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Meanwhile, even Dame joins in to slam Beverley for talking bad about CP3.
I suspect a lot of players think what Beverley said, but since Paul used to be president of the player's union and likely still has a lot of power, many want to stay on his good side off the court, so they keep mostly quiet. A guy like Beverley, though, just doesn't give a crap. :lol :lol
I respect players being honest and giving their true thoughts but some of Bev's comments were wild. I really enjoyed him adamantly campaigning for James Harden to get the supermax even though pretty much everyone can see that would be a disaster. :lol
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Have not been following NBA much lately but just saw the comments from Bev :facepalm:
Admittedly, I never liked Bev (I honestly didn't even know he was still playing). He's one of those dudes that tries to intimidate you with toughness, and that doesn't work with A-type players. But at the end of the day, He's not completely wrong, I just think he used the wrong words. CP3 is a great player, but he's known for facilitating and being effective on offense, not defense. Plus, at his age he is on the older side of NBA players.
The Harden discussion is interesting. Harden is another player I don't like (I guess you can guess how I felt about Houston when they were both there), and while he can put up great numbers, that alone doesn't grant the "supermax" discussion, though I don't fault those that believe he deserves it.
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Horford has been cleared to play tonight!! Woot!! Same for Smart!
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That second half by the Dubs... Damn...
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C's with too many turnovers. Heat came to play and the C's didn't match their intensity. Tatum flat out laid an egg.
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Why do you guys keep talking about teams nobody cares about?
GO DUBS!
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I truly feel the Celtics treated the Milwaukee series as more important than the Miami series.
I get it because that was the Bucks a few years ago.
And Bosk is right, go Dubs!
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Why do you guys keep talking about teams nobody cares about?
GO DUBS!
I bleed green like Spock. :lol
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Have you ever seen a series like this? Ever game a team dominates the other team for a stretch that wins the game? So many 20 point leads.
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Just keep stretching the series out. More time for the Warriors to rest for the finals.
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Just keep stretching the series out. More time for the Warriors to rest for the finals.
I was thinking about that too. Honestly shocked GS blew threw that series so far. You'd expect a better battle. Big win if GS can close tonight.
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Someday somebody is going to come behind from 0-3. Why not Luka? I'm not counting on it though. It would probably take Steph spraining his ankle on the first play.
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Someday somebody is going to come behind from 0-3. Why not Luka? I'm not counting on it though. It would probably take Steph spraining his ankle on the first play.
Because he has no supporting cast that can answer what the Warriors do. That's the simple answer. I have no doubt that it will happen someday. But as great a player as Luka is, I don't see it this time.
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Just keep stretching the series out. More time for the Warriors to rest for the finals.
I was thinking about that too. Honestly shocked GS blew threw that series so far. You'd expect a better battle. Big win if GS can close tonight.
Dallas got cold at the wrong time. They had a comfortable lead in G2 and missed more open shots than you can imagine. I think losing that game took it out of them.
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I would watch but basketball is a sport the wife doesn't like so watching the Celtics run only is a compromise. Lol
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I would watch but basketball is a sport the wife doesn't like so watching the Celtics run only is a compromise. Lol
I'm in a hotel room in Texas and there's one channel that isn't coming in.....ESPN, so I can't watch hockey...Dammit..so I am watching the basketball game instead. My wife is practically sleeping already.
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Good way to get the controller Tim. Lol. Where in Texas?
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Good way to get the controller Tim. Lol. Where in Texas?
We're an hour west of Austin.
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Crazy game.
Rain delay from roof leak. Hole in the shark tank?
Draymond gets free throw ball stuck on top of hoop.
Mavericks shoot 60%+ on threes, go up 29. Warriors' bench knocks the lead down to 8 against most of the Mavericks starters still in, but not quite enough time to do much more.
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Someday somebody is going to come behind from 0-3. Why not Luka? I'm not counting on it though. It would probably take Steph spraining his ankle on the first play.
I agree, it could happen if an opposing team lost a key player after being up 3-0. Or.....if another team was playing without their best player due to injury, then they came back after Game 3.
It has happened in other sports (even without injuries playing a big role), so definitely not out of the realm.
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This iteration of the NBA is hit or miss. You're either hitting your 3s or you're not. In games 2 and 3 the Mavs were not hitting the 3s and GW and Steph was - look at the stats and you will see the story that GS wasn't that great hitting the 3s but the Mavs were worse. Last night, it was the opposite and look at the score.
It's not out of the question that the Mavs can come back although I highly doubt it...............
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Dubs :RJ:
Come join us in the finals King...we'll have to make a little wager if you green bastards make it.
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Dubs :RJ:
Come join us in the finals King...we'll have to make a little wager if you green bastards make it.
1st tonight, then we'll talk.
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Dubs :RJ:
Come join us in the finals King...we'll have to make a little wager if you green bastards make it.
1st tonight, then we'll talk.
Oh go ahead and commit you wuss...nothing ever bad happens when you celebrate early....
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Dubs :RJ:
Come join us in the finals King...we'll have to make a little wager if you green bastards make it.
1st tonight, then we'll talk.
Oh go ahead and commit you wuss...nothing ever bad happens when you celebrate early....
The 2004 New York Yankees have entered the chat.
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Dubs :RJ:
Come join us in the finals King...we'll have to make a little wager if you green bastards make it.
1st tonight, then we'll talk.
Oh go ahead and commit you wuss...nothing ever bad happens when you celebrate early....
HELL NOOOO! :lol
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This game is going to give me ulcers. Lol
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This game is going to give me ulcers. Lol
Butler gets away with more than Giannis.
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This game is going to give me ulcers. Lol
Butler gets away with more than Giannis.
Hey, the refs call everything but him bulling so why not do it every time?
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Fudge.
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That was some serious sloppy basketball. And sloppy reffing to. Celtics really got some bad calls.
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They sure did. Felt like the Heat could maul anyone with the ball and then they'd call ticky tac fouls on them. Still, the C's big 2, failed us in the 2nd half.
Especially Brown.
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Game 7...I like it...
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Game 7...I like it...
Son of a... lol
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Game 7...I like it...
Son of a... lol
:lol
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Game 7 down in Miami should be fun.
Meanwhile, my Lakers have hired Darvin Ham as the next HC. It looks like the reactions from the media are mostly positive, and I know he is a defensive minded player/assistant coach. Hopefully he can help bring mental toughness to this team, and somehow find ways to utilize Westbrook. Oh gosh, and AD, can you like not get injured every 10 games or so? :facepalm:
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Game 7 down in Miami should be fun.
It won't be. lol
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It just feels like whoever wins Game 7 is getting clowned by the Warriors in 5, maybe 6, especially since they have home court in the Finals no matter who comes out of the East.
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It just feels like whoever wins Game 7 is getting clowned by the Warriors in 5, maybe 6, especially since they have home court in the Finals no matter who comes out of the East.
How is losing in 6 games getting clowned?
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It just feels like whoever wins Game 7 is getting clowned by the Warriors in 5, maybe 6, especially since they have home court in the Finals no matter who comes out of the East.
How is losing in 6 games getting clowned?
Stay tuned. ;)
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You're a cross sport pain in the ass.
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You're a cross sport pain in the ass.
(https://media3.giphy.com/media/lIF6cxnT9HNUk/giphy.webp?cid=ecf05e47jegsofxu1fv7vcz8ifbh9ya07z8xhqwrb9sjnqnm&rid=giphy.webp&ct=g)
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I'm just pissed I have to stay up late now Sunday night with a 5am wake up call.
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Game 7 down in Miami should be fun.
Meanwhile, my Lakers have hired Darvin Ham as the next HC. It looks like the reactions from the media are mostly positive, and I know he is a defensive minded player/assistant coach. Hopefully he can help bring mental toughness to this team, and somehow find ways to utilize Westbrook. Oh gosh, and AD, can you like not get injured every 10 games or so? :facepalm:
Ham is going to be a good coach, however I’m not sure the Lakers are a great starting point for him.
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I'm just pissed I have to stay up late now Sunday night with a 5am wake up call.
You don't get the holiday off?
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Nope. Place only closes 2 times a year. 2 years before that only one day.
Caused by corporate greed and any asshole who stands in line Thanksgiving evening ect...
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You should be happy that you get to sleep till 5!
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That I agree. Your schedule is horrific.
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Bad shot decision by Butler...
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RJ and I have an avatar bet. No better way to follow a finals with friends. Bosk1. You too!!
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Sure, I'm in. How long? 1 week or something else?
My serious take: Granted, I have only seen a few quarters of this series, mainly from the last 2 games. BUT if it took until the final second of game 7 to barely close out a team playing as poorly as Miami, I don't see any way the Celtics take 4 from the Warriors. I just don't.
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That last 4 minutes was nuts.
Bad shot decision by Butler...
At first, this is what I thought. But after reflection, he'd already hit a shot just like that earlier in the game, and was virtually on fire. The Celtics D had shown to be very capable of stopping the Heat repeatedly (they'd earlier in the 4th gone 9 possessions without a bucket) - especially on set plays in the half-court. If he just goes around Horford for the 2 points, then there's about a dozen seconds left for the Celtics to tie it, or take the victory. Split second decision ("hero ball" for sure), but I can understand his thought process. Turned out not to be the right call. And man, did the Heat suck ass with their fast-break defense. I dunno what the official definition of "fast-break" is (since the box score is only showing 20 points for the Celtics), cuz it sure seemed like a shit-ton of their points came without much use of the shot-clock.
Anyway ... Go Dubs.
ABB - Anyone But Boston
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Sure, I'm in. How long? 1 week or something else?
My serious take: Granted, I have only seen a few quarters of this series, mainly from the last 2 games. BUT if it took until the final second of game 7 to barely close out a team playing as poorly as Miami, I don't see any way the Celtics take 4 from the Warriors. I just don't.
1 week Avatar of the others choice. So if GS wins. RJ would pick the first week and you would pick the second.
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Warriors in 5.
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Celtic record vs. the Warriors since Kerr became the coach? 9-7.
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I think Butler taking the 3 was the right move. The Heat were losing the whole game, were on fumes, and it felt like that run at the end was their best and last punch, so going for the 3 and hoping for a stop to win the game was a better decision than getting the 2 and then having to win in it OT (since Boston more than likely plays for the last shot in regulation if the game is tied). I am generally not a fan of hero ball, but in that scenario, taking all things into consideration, I think Butler taking the 3 gave them the best chance to win the game.
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So Joe will have Curry as his avatar for two weeks?
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So Joe will have Curry as his avatar for two weeks?
Each get to pick for a week if the Warriors win.
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I think Butler taking the 3 was the right move. The Heat were losing the whole game, were on fumes, and it felt like that run at the end was their best and last punch, so going for the 3 and hoping for a stop to win the game was a better decision than getting the 2 and then having to win in it OT (since Boston more than likely plays for the last shot in regulation if the game is tied). I am generally not a fan of hero ball, but in that scenario, taking all things into consideration, I think Butler taking the 3 gave them the best chance to win the game.
I don't have an issue with the 3 itself, it's just he did it off the dribble with no one closer than 6-10 feet away from him. That's what I think the bad decision is. If he had stop, gather his shot for 1 second and then take it, he still would have been wide open. But then again, I've never played a game 7 to go to the finals with seconds left in the game. But to me, that's what I thought was bad, taking the shot off the dribble.
I want to root for Boston, but also want Curry to win another championship.
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Warriors in 3.
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My serious take: Granted, I have only seen a few quarters of this series, mainly from the last 2 games. BUT if it took until the final second of game 7 to barely close out a team playing as poorly as Miami, I don't see any way the Celtics take 4 from the Warriors. I just don't.
Just a few quarters and that is your conclusion?
They had a brutal first half in G6 and still almost won. They led wire to wire in G7 on the road. In fact they won three games in Miami.
They've gone through Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Miami. Pretty sure the Warriors had an easier path.
If these were 7 games during the regular season, I could easily see Boston winning 4 games. But these are NOT regular season games. These are for the CHAMPIONSHIP. And to me, if the Warriors have an edge, THAT is it, and it only. Their experience. I think the Celts can easily go toe to toe with the Warriors. But they just have to do it.
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The funny part is thinking about those doofuses Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Irving forced his way out of Boston, and Durant left Golden St. reportedly because Green hurt his feelings.
And here we are now with their two former teams in the finals, a month after those doofuses got swept in the 1st round.
Well done, sports gods. Well done. :tup :tup
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The funny part is thinking about those doofuses Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Irving forced his way out of Boston, and Durant left Golden St. reportedly because Green hurt his feelings.
And here we are now with their two former teams in the finals, a month after those doofuses got swept in the 1st round.
Well done, sports gods. Well done. :tup :tup
Aside from the fact that I just want the Warriors to win as a fan, I really want them to be able to say they won one without Durant after he left.
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My serious take: Granted, I have only seen a few quarters of this series, mainly from the last 2 games. BUT if it took until the final second of game 7 to barely close out a team playing as poorly as Miami, I don't see any way the Celtics take 4 from the Warriors. I just don't.
Just a few quarters and that is your conclusion?
They had a brutal first half in G6 and still almost won. They led wire to wire in G7 on the road. In fact they won three games in Miami.
They've gone through Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Miami. Pretty sure the Warriors had an easier path.
That's my conclusion based on what I saw. Yeah, they had a brutal first half in G6 and still almost won. And that's consistent with what I've seen so far--they have brutal stretches, pretty frequent, pretty long ones--against a team that is depleted by injury and looks pretty awful. To put it another way, from what I have seen--and, again, I have seen relatively little, so this may not be consistent with how they played outside of that--they have had unforced brutal stretches. That would concern me if I were a fan. And, yeah, they led wire to wire in G7. But still barely won against a team that was not playing well. See above.
And I don't know that the Warriors had an "easier" path. The Warriors played some tough teams. As did the Celtics. I can't really compare, and don't want to. It is what it is. I just return to what I've said: from what I saw of the Celtics, which granted wasn't much, they were not playing good basketball.
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The Celtics certainly nearly gagged that series away that's for sure. But the game is a game of runs, and there were definitely stretches in that series where they looked awful.
The Celtics have to prove that they're on the level of the Warriors. They have a ways to go with that, learning to take control of these games and putting these games away. But they led on average by 10 points the entire G7. I think the Heat got to 4 at one point earlier in the game and the Celtics pulled away.
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I'll say this though. The Warriors scare me more than any of the teams the Celts have played so far. Curry is lethal.
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It's weird. I'm feeling good about this series. The teams that give us trouble are tough nosed teams like the Bucks and the Heat. We've faired well against them. That being said, I expect 7 games.
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Yeah, like I said, if these were 7 regular season games, I think the Celts could easily take 4 of them. But The Finals is a whole 'nother animal.
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I don't know who will win, but I fully expect Draymond Green to do something stupid, get thrown out; and possibly cost the Warriors one game. :corn :lol
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I'll say this though. The Warriors scare me more than any of the teams the Celts have played so far. Curry is lethal.
Yeah, if he's on, you're fucked. Period.
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They've gone through Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Miami. Pretty sure the Warriors had an easier path.
That's a tricky question. Nets were missing Simmons, Harris, and Aldridge. Not sure if Blake was healthy, he didn't look it in the limited minutes he played compared to a year ago. Bucks were missing Middleton. Heat had Lowry and Herro out several games. Butler and Lowry looked hobbled in some of the games. Given how close all of those were (remember that even in the Nets sweep all four games were close, only a 4.5 point margin of victory on average), it's conceivable that Boston could have lost all three of those series if their opponents were healthy.
For the Warriors, Nuggets were missing Murray and Porter. That's the biggest "what if", completely loaded you could see them taking the title. Grizzlies were missing Morant for a few of them, but they lost one where they had him (even with Draymond only playing half the game) and barely won the other they did have Ja going supernova. The blowout was without him, it's kind of a Ewing theory effect, and they are defensively stronger without him as a target. Mavericks were missing Hardaway. Overall those weren't tight series though.
Full strength Warriors are pretty scary, so many weapons and options, but you just don't know what you're going to get from them on any given night.
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You forgetting the Celtics injuries? That counts as well.
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And the Warriors' injuries. But it's hard to compare and say which team had an "easier" path due to injuries, and it's kinda pointless anyway. First off, you play the team that is in front of you. If they are depleted, they are depleted. That doesn't give either team a pass. You play the game and the winning team moves on. But second and more importantly, you never know how a game or series is going to be impacted by an injury. It's easy to say that the healthier team always has the advantage. But in reality, they don't always win.
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Lots of variables for sure...I will say though, if Boston doesn't take one in SF, it'll be a really hard battle.
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The Celts definitely have to take one, because there's no way they're going to win 4 out of the next 5. The good news is that the Celtics have a good history of playing well out there.
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You forgetting the Celtics injuries? That counts as well.
I feel if Robert Williams played more in the Bucks series the Bucks had a better chance to win. Sometimes an injury is a positive.
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You forgetting the Celtics injuries? That counts as well.
It sure does. Though they're arguably less significant than their opponents'. But the whole thing is why it's kind of crazy how some people try and put an asterisk on various titles, when if you go through the whole playoff history each year, you could pretty much invalidate every single title ever won because of some injury that shifted a series, not always in the finals itself, but everything is interconnected.
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You forgetting the Celtics injuries? That counts as well.
I feel if Robert Williams played more in the Bucks series the Bucks had a better chance to win. Sometimes an injury is a positive.
I disagree. Him in the paint is a deterant except for Yannis.
You forgetting the Celtics injuries? That counts as well.
It sure does. Though they're arguably less significant than their opponents'. But the whole thing is why it's kind of crazy how some people try and put an asterisk on various titles, when if you go through the whole playoff history each year, you could pretty much invalidate every single title ever won because of some injury that shifted a series, not always in the finals itself, but everything is interconnected.
I tell you Jimmy Butler had to be injured but the man is a beast. So tough mentally and physically.
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The funny part is thinking about those doofuses Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Irving forced his way out of Boston, and Durant left Golden St. reportedly because Green hurt his feelings.
And here we are now with their two former teams in the finals, a month after those doofuses got swept in the 1st round.
Well done, sports gods. Well done. :tup :tup
Aside from the fact that I just want the Warriors to win as a fan, I really want them to be able to say they won one without Durant after he left.
I think this one will mean a lot more in the grand scheme than the one without Durant in 2015 since I have seen a lot of people attach the "yeah but..." to that championship because the Cavs were missing Love and Irving. This Warriors team beating this Celtics team will do wonders for both the Warriors dynasty and Steph Curry's legacy.
And I think we all know that when discussing legacy and whatnot, all championships are not created equal, otherwise Bill Russell would be called the GOAT all the time instead of MJ.
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You forgetting the Celtics injuries? That counts as well.
I feel if Robert Williams played more in the Bucks series the Bucks had a better chance to win. Sometimes an injury is a positive.
WUT??
The guy was a 2nd Team All Defensive player. If Robert Williams was healthy, the series would've been over in 5, maybe 6.
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And I think we all know that when discussing legacy and whatnot, all championships are not created equal, otherwise Bill Russell would be called the GOAT all the time instead of MJ.
Yeah, this is the other side of it, giving context to all of them. In that sense I tend to have Hakeem higher than most, his '94 title is possibly the most impressive playoff run ever.
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You forgetting the Celtics injuries? That counts as well.
I feel if Robert Williams played more in the Bucks series the Bucks had a better chance to win. Sometimes an injury is a positive.
WUT??
The guy was a 2nd Team All Defensive player. If Robert Williams was healthy, the series would've been over in 5, maybe 6.
Williams being out unlocked the Celtics small lineup which the Bucks couldn’t match up with.
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You forgetting the Celtics injuries? That counts as well.
I feel if Robert Williams played more in the Bucks series the Bucks had a better chance to win. Sometimes an injury is a positive.
WUT??
The guy was a 2nd Team All Defensive player. If Robert Williams was healthy, the series would've been over in 5, maybe 6.
Williams being out unlocked the Celtics small lineup which the Bucks couldn’t match up with.
Aah gotcha!
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I really didn't see the difference. The Bucks were 2 and 2 with him on the floor. He missed games 4, 5 & 6.
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I really didn't see the difference. The Bucks were 2 and 2 with him on the floor. He missed games 4, 5 & 6.
The Bucks were 2-1 with Robert Williams playing, he missed 4,5,6, and 7
The Bucks had their way in game 1 and game 3 (minus the last couple minutes) with Williams playing major minutes. Game 2 was a lights out Boston win. Then the C’s won three of the next four games with Williams on the bench and probably should have won three in a row if it wasn’t for them folding hard in game 5.
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He sat game 7. That's right. Well, in all honesty he's not moving at 100% with his issues with the knee surgery. So that might have played into it. He's been dynamite this year when healthy.
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The funny part is thinking about those doofuses Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Irving forced his way out of Boston, and Durant left Golden St. reportedly because Green hurt his feelings.
And here we are now with their two former teams in the finals, a month after those doofuses got swept in the 1st round.
Well done, sports gods. Well done. :tup :tup
Aside from the fact that I just want the Warriors to win as a fan, I really want them to be able to say they won one without Durant after he left.
I think this one will mean a lot more in the grand scheme than the one without Durant in 2015 since I have seen a lot of people attach the "yeah but..." to that championship because the Cavs were missing Love and Irving. This Warriors team beating this Celtics team will do wonders for both the Warriors dynasty and Steph Curry's legacy.
And I think we all know that when discussing legacy and whatnot, all championships are not created equal, otherwise Bill Russell would be called the GOAT all the time instead of MJ.
If anything, I think we could see a pretty wild swing where Curry goes from being a bit underrated to being a bit overrated. I've seen a couple of media members preemptively pronounce him as a Mount Rushmore player assuming that Golden State wins the championship. In my opinion, Curry is easily one of the most revolutionary players in history but his overall impact/quality is more in the 10-15 range.
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The funny part is thinking about those doofuses Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Irving forced his way out of Boston, and Durant left Golden St. reportedly because Green hurt his feelings.
And here we are now with their two former teams in the finals, a month after those doofuses got swept in the 1st round.
Well done, sports gods. Well done. :tup :tup
Aside from the fact that I just want the Warriors to win as a fan, I really want them to be able to say they won one without Durant after he left.
I think this one will mean a lot more in the grand scheme than the one without Durant in 2015 since I have seen a lot of people attach the "yeah but..." to that championship because the Cavs were missing Love and Irving. This Warriors team beating this Celtics team will do wonders for both the Warriors dynasty and Steph Curry's legacy.
And I think we all know that when discussing legacy and whatnot, all championships are not created equal, otherwise Bill Russell would be called the GOAT all the time instead of MJ.
If anything, I think we could see a pretty wild swing where Curry goes from being a bit underrated to being a bit overrated. I've seen a couple of media members preemptively pronounce him as a Mount Rushmore player assuming that Golden State wins the championship. In my opinion, Curry is easily one of the most revolutionary players in history but his overall impact/quality is more in the 10-15 range.
I can't believe I am saying this out loud, but: I think Steven A. has it about right when it comes to his take on Curry. He is THE most gifted shooter of all time. But he is not a "Mt. Rushmore" player, even if he surpasses LeBron's total number of championships (could realistically happen, and soon) and, possibly, LeBron's total number of MVP awards (which he won't).
I agree wholeheartedly with that overall take, even if I might disagree with some of the reasoning. The main thing I take issue with is the implication that Curry is "just" a shooter. He brings SO MUCH more to the table than that. He has an incredibly well rounded skill set. But that is a relatively minor quibble in the overall context of the discussion. What he does not have is the specific skillset that allow him to singlehandedly take over a game, regardless of who is around him and what they are doing, on a predictable, sustained basis. He can't do what, say, Butler was doing in the Miami/Boston series (I didn't watch any of the other regular season or playoff games, so I can't comment on those) or what LeBron regularly does. I mean, nobody can do it completely alone. And guys like Magic, Bird, LeBron, Jordan, etc. had guys around them that helped them win. But they could physically dominate a game regardless. That's a lot harder for a guy like Curry to do in the specific ways that make a player a "Mt. Rushmore" player. That doesn't take away from his greatness at all. And if I'm building a team around one player, I would love to have him as that cornerstone. But just "keeping it real," so to speak.
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I don't know... I fear Curry more than I did Durant, Giannis, or Butler.
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Well, I think there's good reason for that. And I'm not trying to sell Curry short. Far from it. But I think the reason to "fear" isn't Curry alone--it's Curry coupled with the players and system that surround him.
As for those other players:
-Durant: Great player, but overrated, IMO.
-Giannis: Perhaps the best of the three. He can truly put a team on his shoulders, take over a game, and dominate. But he seems to be streaky, and seems to suffer an identity crisis and sometimes not know when to facilitate and get the team involved or to shoulder the burden himself. And I'm not sure about his defensive game.
-Butler: Probably doesn't really belong in the conversation, other than being an example in the recent series of how one guy can take a team on his shoulders and dominate. I was using him mainly as a contrast to Curry's skillset, that's all.
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Well, I think there's good reason for that. And I'm not trying to sell Curry short. Far from it. But I think the reason to "fear" isn't Curry alone--it's Curry coupled with the players and system that surround him.
But Curry is the top dog. If he has a good series, the Warriors will win. If he doesn't, they won't. Not that that's a controversial take or anything. :lol
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When they need a score, I cringe when curry gets open. Clutch. I'm curious to see how the Celtics D him. Who gets the switch because that's what the Celtics do. Does that give Curry the advantage? Tomorrow can't come fast enough.
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Well, I think there's good reason for that. And I'm not trying to sell Curry short. Far from it. But I think the reason to "fear" isn't Curry alone--it's Curry coupled with the players and system that surround him.
But Curry is the top dog. If he has a good series, the Warriors will win. If he doesn't, they won't. Not that that's a controversial take or anything. :lol
I disagree with the bolded. And it's not just a "subjective feeling," but something they have proved time and again. This year alone, if you look at the box scores in the playoff games, there were 4 games that they WON where he was not the leading scorer. And even where he was the leading scorer, you get maybe one game per series where he outscores the next best scorer by close to 10 or more. Usually, it is him at #1, with at least one other player 5 points or less behind. But again, I'm not downplaying him so much as playing up the strength of their entire roster. Klay Thomson, Andrew Wiggins, and Jordan Poole are perfectly capable of outscoring him in any particular game, or at least being right there in the mix near the top. In fact, in game 5 against the Mavs, all three of those guys, as well as Draymond Green, outscored Curry. Despite that Curry led the team in points for the whole series, I was actually surprised he got the nod for finals MVP. When you take the entire stat sheet into account, Wiggins was definitely the most dominant all around player on the Warriors for that series. And that's an indicator of how deep and varied they are. Yeah, Curry is the "top dog." But they are more than capable of winning a series where he has a pedestrian performance because the team isn't built to thrive only when he is thriving. It's built around sharing the wealth and getting more than one guy heavily involved at all times, and it has been that way since this Curry/Thompson/Green version of the team first started rolling back in 2014/2015.
All that said, I would love it if he has a lights-out series, and not only gets another ring, but gets that elusive Finals MVP trophy as well.
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The point of it is that Curry's mere presence, due to his historical reputation, generates a whole engine of offense regardless of whether he himself can get open or knock down his own shots. As soon as he crosses half court he is a threat to score, and this constant attention leads to needing double teams, complex switching assignments, and creates mistakes and overlooked rotations that the other Warriors can capitalize on. There's a reason that he can make non-allstars like Looney (and previously Javale) look like Wilt Chamberlain at times, because players are forced to pay so much attention to Steph's constant motion that there are inevitable lapses to exploit. Klay, Draymond, Wiggins, Poole and others are also good players, but he elevates their stature as well due to his gravity.
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And I think we all know that when discussing legacy and whatnot, all championships are not created equal, otherwise Bill Russell would be called the GOAT all the time instead of MJ.
Yeah, this is the other side of it, giving context to all of them. In that sense I tend to have Hakeem higher than most, his '94 title is possibly the most impressive playoff run ever.
True, but it seems like some love to dismiss the Hakeem titles as "he only won those cause Jordan retired." Granted, those are the same people who literally thought that MJ could walk on water back then. :lol :lol
If anything, I think we could see a pretty wild swing where Curry goes from being a bit underrated to being a bit overrated. I've seen a couple of media members preemptively pronounce him as a Mount Rushmore player assuming that Golden State wins the championship. In my opinion, Curry is easily one of the most revolutionary players in history but his overall impact/quality is more in the 10-15 range.
The problem with putting Curry in the top 10 any time soon is, who are you taking out?
I never saw Wilt or Russell play, but let's assume for the sake of argument that they are no-brainers for the top 10 still.
Jordan
LeBron
Kareem
Magic
Bird
Russell
Wilt
Duncan
Bryant
Shaq
I don't see how a realistic argument can be made, even two weeks from now if Curry has 4 rings and his first finals MVP, that he is as good or better than any of those guys all-time. And then of course there are fringe top 10 guys like Hakeem, Oscar, West, Dr J, etc.
Again, I think Curry is awesome, and I think his leadership skills and knack for being an unselfish superstar are intangibles that some guys on that list did not have (*cough* Kobe Bryant *cough*), but top 10 all-time? I cannot go there.
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If anything, I think we could see a pretty wild swing where Curry goes from being a bit underrated to being a bit overrated. I've seen a couple of media members preemptively pronounce him as a Mount Rushmore player assuming that Golden State wins the championship. In my opinion, Curry is easily one of the most revolutionary players in history but his overall impact/quality is more in the 10-15 range.
The problem with putting Curry in the top 10 any time soon is, who are you taking out?
I never saw Wilt or Russell play, but let's assume for the sake of argument that they are no-brainers for the top 10 still.
Jordan
LeBron
Kareem
Magic
Bird
Russell
Wilt
Duncan
Bryant
Shaq
I don't see how a realistic argument can be made, even two weeks from now if Curry has 4 rings and his first finals MVP, that he is as good or better than any of those guys all-time. And then of course there are fringe top 10 guys like Hakeem, Oscar, West, Dr J, etc.
Again, I think Curry is awesome, and I think his leadership skills and knack for being an unselfish superstar are intangibles that some guys on that list did not have (*cough* Kobe Bryant *cough*), but top 10 all-time? I cannot go there.
I agree. Ask me again when he's ready to retire, and I might have a different answer if he has a ring on each finger or something. But as much as I love him as a player, I wouldn't put him there, and I don't think most level-headed fans would either.
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Yeah, but some (for real) already think Kevin Durant is a top 10 player all-time :lol :lol, so never underestimate how prisoner of the moment many can be in 2022.
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I'm curious why you still find that so laughable. We kind of talked about this a few pages ago, but where would you rank him all time? I wouldn't have him in the top 10, no, but I think he's in a tier right outside of that, which would make him fairly close. If anything I think it's being prisoner of the moment in '22 that has made him look weaker than he used to since he struggled against the Celtics in the first round. Just a year ago he was outplaying Giannis in the semis, almost single-handedly willing the hobbled Nets to the conference finals, and then won an Olympic gold medal and was still looking like the best player on the planet. Add to that two titles and finals MVPs, an MVP (and numerous top 5 finishes), 12x all-star (2x MVP), 6x all-NBA first team, 4x second team, four scoring titles, etc., and he already has both the resume and the eye test of one of the all-time greats, and he's still playing. Whether he's #12 or #19 when all is said and done (and I'd argue it's probably closer to the former), it's still been a really impressive career in spite of a few flaws.
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I'm curious why you still find that so laughable. We kind of talked about this a few pages ago, but where would you rank him all time? I wouldn't have him in the top 10, no, but I think he's in a tier right outside of that, which would make him fairly close. If anything I think it's being prisoner of the moment in '22 that has made him look weaker than he used to since he struggled against the Celtics in the first round. Just a year ago he was outplaying Giannis in the semis, almost single-handedly willing the hobbled Nets to the conference finals, and then won an Olympic gold medal and was still looking like the best player on the planet. Add to that two titles and finals MVPs, an MVP (and numerous top 5 finishes), 12x all-star (2x MVP), 6x all-NBA first team, 4x second team, four scoring titles, etc., and he already has both the resume and the eye test of one of the all-time greats, and he's still playing. Whether he's #12 or #19 when all is said and done (and I'd argue it's probably closer to the former), it's still been a really impressive career in spite of a few flaws.
To me, every few years, you get a stellar player like that who is easily in the top 3-5 of his peers. To my eyes, while Durant is truly great in comparison to all but maybe a handful of those currently playing, that still falls short of putting him in that elite all time group. Guys like him, Harden, Giannis, and a few others will be remembered by those who watched the game during this time. And that is itself a huge accomplishment. But did he elevate the game in some way that makes me think his name will be discussed with awe by future generations? I'm not seeing that. LeBron? Yes. Curry? Yes. Durant? No.
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Durant's career is one of the hardest to judge. He was obviously brilliant in OKC but a combination of bad injuries at the wrong times and brutal floor spacing on offense resulted in those teams underperforming a bit and him having some rough series. In Golden State, he was pretty much unstoppable but those were also ludicrously good teams on a level we've never seen. Even his Brooklyn tenure has been weird... One all-time great playoff run and one stinker. If I had to place him somewhere, I'd probably throw him in that 11-15 range.
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When you make a deal with the devil (AKA: Kyrie) bad things happen.
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Durant is top 20 sure, but top 10? No way. I don't think he has ever been the best player in the league, and if he was, when?
He has been All-NBA 1st team once in the last eight years. Once.
Back when he was making All-NBA 1st team every year (five years in a row from 2010-2014), James was the best player in the league by a country mile.
"Oh, but he has been hurt."
Exactly. Durability matters when it comes to greatness. Look at James. His body is breaking down a little as he has gotten older, but he was an iron man for the first 15+ years in the league.
I don't care about the Olympics and all that since there is never any contest and it's just a matter of which guys go and who decides to go for it the most. Hell, Carmelo Anthony has been an Olympic star, and his NBA career pretty much exists of scoring a lot and never making teams better.
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James played some crazy minutes too for so many years.
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Leaving Curry wide open on a switch is asking for death.
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Celts needs to address the pick and roll with Curry. You can't give him an inch. I'd rather be beaten by anyone else on the Warriors.
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Celts needs to address the pick and roll with Curry. You can't give him an inch. I'd rather be beaten by anyone else on the Warriors.
They need to make an adjustment. He's getting way too many open looks and they're getting way to many second chances. Celts look too wound tight on D to start the game.
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So far in the 2nd quarter they've done a much better job.
.Curry with 3 fouls.
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The Celts need to drive at Curry on EVERY possession in the 3rd.
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Don't give him an inch when playing D and exactly what you said. Force him to play D.
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3rd quarter is the Warriors. C's need stops.
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I'm honestly shocked but so happy.
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What a beatdown that was in the 4th quarter. All of the stats and analytics say the Celtics are the better team, and they sure looked like it.
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Things went smoothly for the Warriors in the 3rd qtr, then they got cute with the ball to start the 4th qtr. Curry pooped himself in the 4th with only 4 pts and no points after the 6 minute mark. Great comeback by the Celtics. The rest of the series should be interesting, now that Boston got home court.
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Shocked at how badly the Warriors shot and played D in the 4th. Thankfully, that's a trend that I don't see continuing.
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Shocked at how badly the Warriors shot and played D in the 4th. Thankfully, that's a trend that I don't see continuing.
Honestly I agree even though I know how good our D is. How did the go away from what worked in the 4th?
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:dunno: Sometimes, they get silly like that.
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Shocked at how badly the Warriors shot and played D in the 4th. Thankfully, that's a trend that I don't see continuing.
Honestly I agree even though I know how good our D is. How did the go away from what worked in the 4th?
Boston is the better team. I think it really is that simple. My "they will get clowned by the Warriors in 5 or 6" comment was obviously way off. :facepalm: :lol :lol
Tatum didn't play well, yet the Celtics still won by double digits. That does not bode well for the Warriors. Now, the Celtics have the tendency to take games off in these playoffs, and you can't give games away in the finals, but given how good their defense, team play and coaching all is, if they play their game, they win this.
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GS going cruise control in the 4th was something else.
I too wouldn’t have expected that result.
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This series is far from over. You don’t win or lose a series in the first game. The Celts lost both G1s in the previous two series.
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I heard this on the radio today. Draymond Green talking after the game saying Smart, Horford & White won't be that hot the next game.
Shouldn't he be talking instead that he needs to be better than 2 for 12 for him shooting?
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I heard this on the radio today. Draymond Green talking after the game saying Smart, Horford & White won't be that hot the next game.
Shouldn't he be talking instead that he needs to be better than 2 for 12 for him shooting?
Yeah, definitely not a time for shit talking....not after that 4th quarter.
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I heard this on the radio today. Draymond Green talking after the game saying Smart, Horford & White won't be that hot the next game.
Shouldn't he be talking instead that he needs to be better than 2 for 12 for him shooting?
Didn't we all know a guy like Draymond Green in grade school? Ya know, the kid who was a good player, but always ended up on the teams in school with the best athletes, and ended up being the one who ran his mouth every time they won even though everyone knew he wasn't the main reason why they ever won. He should be thanking his lucky stars that he got drafted to the team with the Splash Brothers.
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Yeah,
I heard this on the radio today. Draymond Green talking after the game saying Smart, Horford & White won't be that hot the next game.
Yeah, probably not, but they could be. And Tatum is unlikely to go 3/17 again, Grant Williams could easily do better than 0-2, and Jalen is capable of better than 10/23. Conversely, Steph may not go 7/14 from 3 again, OPJ 4/5 from 3, or Iggy 3/4 overall. If they don't win tonight beating the Celtics 4/5 is going to be a Herculean task.
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If they don't win tonight beating the Celtics 4/5 is going to be a Herculean task.
I can 100% guarantee they won't win tonight.
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I can 100% guarantee they won't win tonight.
Are you saying the Warriors will get swept by the Celtics? While I think the Celtics are a slightly better team, especially defensively and size; but sweeping the Dubs is quite difficult if not impossible.
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No. Because they are playing tomorrow night. Well done Bosk1. Lol
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I can 100% guarantee they won't win tonight.
Are you saying the Warriors will get swept by the Celtics? While I think the Celtics are a slightly better team, especially defensively and size; but sweeping the Dubs is quite difficult if not impossible.
No, I was saying the Celtics will not win tonight. I can 100% guarantee it and I will bet any dollar amount you want to put on the table.
As for who will win the series, I'm still very confident in the Warriors. I think they probably win the next 2, lose the second in Boston, and then take the next two to close it out in 6.
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Ooh, it is tomorrow. I'd gotten so used to the every other day schedule I had just assumed it would stay that way once it started.
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I can 100% guarantee they won't win tonight.
Are you saying the Warriors will get swept by the Celtics? While I think the Celtics are a slightly better team, especially defensively and size; but sweeping the Dubs is quite difficult if not impossible.
No, I was saying the Celtics will not win tonight. I can 100% guarantee it and I will bet any dollar amount you want to put on the table.
As for who will win the series, I'm still very confident in the Warriors. I think they probably win the next 2, lose the second in Boston, and then take the next two to close it out in 6.
Draymond Bosk1.
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I don't get the hate for Draymond at all.
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No hate. Just bold. Like your prediction.
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I don't get the hate for Draymond at all.
I am shocked by this.
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I'll say this about Draymond...he gets away with murder yelling at the refs. I can't believe they take it from him.
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I'll say this about Draymond...he gets away with murder yelling at the refs. I can't believe they take it from him.
I think they are just so used to it that they tune him out, but, yeah, it is crazy what he gets away with when it comes to verbally abusing the officials. If he gets a technical, look out, because 99 times out of 100, they don't want to toss him, so he pretty much then has free license to say and do whatever he wants the rest of the game because he knows the officials don't want to get ripped for kicking him out of the game, even when he deserves it.
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Way too many turnovers in the 1st quarter for the Celtics. You just can't give possessions away like that.
Theis doesn't look ready. Get him the F out of this game.
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Hit the nail on the head Tim. Turnovers.
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The Celtics' third quarters have been brutal.
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Warriors D has been great tonight.
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It has. The turnovers killed the Celts.
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Birthdays seem to be a bad idea during the playoffs. Al Horford turned 36 and turned into Chris Paul.
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It has. The turnovers killed the Celts.
Yep turnovers combined with Smart and Horford having very poor games. Was always going to be a tough one for the Celtics to win.
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Well, I was talking 7 game series so no surprise. Onto game 3!
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Rasheed Wallace is hired by the Lakers as an assistant coach. Ball don't lie, yo.
He might not have gotten along with the refs when he was playing, he is a damn smart player; and I can see him teaching guys how to develop all-round skills. And he is definitely not afraid of getting into guys' face when they screw up, which is a huge plus. I think this is a pretty good hire.
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It seems like unless LeBron goes elsewhere, '20 will probably be his last title. It's just hard to see the situation improving there unless something unexpected happens.
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I dunno. I think any team with him on it could be a title contender.
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Health is his biggest issue right now. The team that has him has to manage his minutes so he can be healthy for the playoffs.
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He's going to be 38 by the next playoffs. He's had unbelievable durability, but it seems to be finally catching up with him. Davis, on the other hand, has not been durable. Russ is an albatross, and the rest of the team pales in comparison to what it was even two seasons ago. Kareem in '85 is the closest example, but I don't think the team begins to compare to Magic, Worthy, and the rest of the showtime cast.
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I don't discount any of that. I'm just saying, even with all of that being true, I would never count out a team with him on it.
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Hot start so far. Not surprised. Seems both teams respond well the next game.
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I hope they play like this in the 3rd quarter. :lol
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Seriously. Lol
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Warriors responding. As great teams do.
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3rd Quarter. Buckle up! :lol
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🤞
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Curry got his 4th foul, someone from the Dubs must step up.
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This is for RJ. Suck it. Lol
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:-*
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Curry got his 4th foul, someone from the Dubs must step up.
Klay is heating up.
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I've never been so happy to have a -8 point differential in a quarter. :lol
Al got abused in that quarter.
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Gutsy call for leaving Curry in after got his 4th foul
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Love you my friend. Also.
(https://i.postimg.cc/dtTrMvbH/1-Wbc1nv-Gvey-FRlehirtp-CQg-3.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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Tough win. I expect the kitchen sing Friday night.
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Tough win. I expect the kitchen sing Friday night.
Maybe the toilet will talk too.
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That's your strength brah.
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Alarm in 4 hours. 'night!
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I didn't see the game (was watching the new Top Gun!, but I cracked up when I saw that Green had 2 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 fouls. :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol
I agree with the take this morning that it might go down as the worst game in Finals history by a future Hall of Famer (which he unfortunately will be).
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What's with the Warriors players complaining about the Boston fans?
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What's with the Warriors players complaining about the Boston fans?
From what I saw/heard, they weren't complaining--they were responding to the endless media questions about it (the "F--- you, Draymond!" chant, etc.). Blame the reporters. Yeah, it is pretty classless to do that and have that in front of kids and on national tv. But on the other hand, Boston certainly doesn't have a monopoly on classless fans. Bay Area fans have done plenty to make me ashamed, so I'm the last one to point fingers at another city's fans (for the most part). And there are plenty of good ones out there too, like King, TAC, and Stadler. Honestly, if money were no object, I'd LOVE to set between you guys at a game in Boston, take all the heckling from you for 2 1/2 hours, and then sit down for a cold one afterwards.
I didn't see the game (was watching the new Top Gun!, but I cracked up when I saw that Green had 2 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 fouls. :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol
I agree with the take this morning that it might go down as the worst game in Finals history by a future Hall of Famer (which he unfortunately will be).
Good. Let the hate flow through you. :itpoe: :lol
On a different topic (same topic as far as the NBA finals; but different in terms of the above two points), I am gaining a lot of respect for Derrick White and Marcus Smart. They both seem like good dudes, players who give their all from opening tip to the 4th quarter buzzer, and have tremendous basketball IQ. I really like both of those guys.
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I think it's something they heard in every stadium honestly. Is it right? No. Can we as fans heckle with some decorum? You bet.
But he says it as his teammate swears in front of his child at the podium. Better to just say, the fans are excited. It's playoff basketball. Others he comes off like he did.
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Yeah, I don't disagree with any of that. But I also think that, again, you have to take what Klay and Kerr said in context--which was, again, just a short response to reporters asking them about it. They didn't go on some long rant. Basically just gave a 3 second answer and moved on to the next thing.
Honestly, I think Draymond responded better. He basically laughed it off and said, "That's playoff basketball. I've heard worse." (that was on his show, anyway; I didn't see any clips of him responding to the media asking about it, although I'm sure they must have if he talked about it on his show later last night)
Anyhow, this is a pretty good series. I wouldn't have complained at all if the Warriors swept the Celtics and won by 40 points every night. Other than Boston fans and advertisers, I think everyone in the country would have loved that. But it's fan that they are trading haymakers with each other too. Boston has definitely stepped it up from what I saw in the Miami series. It'll be interesting to see what happens if the Warriors tie it up on Friday and come back to SF with it becoming a best of 3 series.
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I expect the Warriors to come out on fire Friday night. I'm hoping not to be 2-2 heading to SF.
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On a different topic (same topic as far as the NBA finals; but different in terms of the above two points), I am gaining a lot of respect for Derrick White and Marcus Smart. They both seem like good dudes, players who give their all from opening tip to the 4th quarter buzzer, and have tremendous basketball IQ. I really like both of those guys.
Derrick White has had a great series. Since he's gotten here, he's been an extremely inconsistent shooter, but he is capable of going off. He's been key off the bench.
Bosk, the Marcus Smart experience is a hoot. I mean, he is all over the place. In the rugby scrum where Draymond fouled out, it was Smart who came out with the ball. On one hand, he makes winning plays all over the place, but he almost single handedly handed the Heat a Game 7 victory.
There are those that feel that Tatum will be unable to achieve the alpha status with Smart in the mix, but Tatum is not ready for it anyway.
But I watch Smart play and I lmao at some of the things he does. He's a dirt dog for sure. But he's a big time flopper too.
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And surprisingly, he hasn't flopped much this series.
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there's been no need to. This series has been so nice to watch. The refs are letting them play. The Bucks and Heat series were fucking slogfests.
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There are those that feel that Tatum will be unable to achieve the alpha status with Smart in the mix, but Tatum is not ready for it anyway.
But I watch Smart play and I lmao at some of the things he does. He's a dirt dog for sure. But he's a big time flopper too.
I think Tatum actually plays great in the series. He couldn't find ways to score in game 1, so he played as a facilitator. And then he seemed to have figured things out in game 2 and 3. The thing I like about him is, he is not afraid of taking tough shot when he has to. I don't watch the Celtics enough in the regular season to say much else, but based on what I have seen this spring, he has got what it take to become the alpha dog. He is just quiet by nature compared to Smart.
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I didn't see the game (was watching the new Top Gun!, but I cracked up when I saw that Green had 2 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 fouls. :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol
I agree with the take this morning that it might go down as the worst game in Finals history by a future Hall of Famer (which he unfortunately will be).
Good. Let the hate flow through you. :itpoe: :lol
Acknowledging again that sports hate is different from real hate, Green isn't a relevant enough player for me to summon a lot of sports hate. My sports hate is generally directed at players on teams that get in the way of my favorite teams (see: my sports hate for countless Red Wings from the later 90s :lol) or ones who go out of their way to injure players on my favorite teams (see: Nick Kypreos). A largely irrelevant supporting cast guy like Green is easy to dislike because of what a dirty troll he is, but he doesn't rise to the level of sports hate for me.
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If the statistics go how they have been in the finals and playoffs so far, FMVP is going to be an interesting decision. If the Warriors win it seems pretty clear it'll be Steph. But if the Celtics win it'll be less clear. Even though Tatum won the Bird trophy, some were making the case that Horford was more deserving. He's harming his case in the small sample size of the finals though with his poor play in game 2. But Brown is arguably outplaying Tatum in ways at the moment as well. The next few games are going to be unusually important in deciding it, and we could have an ironic Iguadola situation depending upon the narrative.
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I don't watch the Celtics enough in the regular season to say much else, but based on what I have seen this spring, he has got what it take to become the alpha dog. He is just quiet by nature compared to Smart.
Tatum has had a pretty well rounded playoff, but he's not been a dominant force. It's really his personality. Plus, he's only 24. But he's maturing before our eyes.
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Speaking of Iguodala, I love the guy, but he really feels like he is a liability now when he is out there.
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He's more of an assistant coach than a player now.
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Draymond seems to care more about his podcast and TNT appearance deal than playing at this point. Kerr should probably just bench him for the rest of the game and let him get his podcast out early.
Is Robert Williams 8 feet tall?
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Typical Celtics. Can't play from ahead in a series.
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Can I say that Curry is one tough superstar?! Guts x infinity.
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3rd quarter. Buckle up! :lol
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Curry is ridiculous.
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Never play him beer pong.
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What's beer pong? Is that like Quarters?
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WWWWWWWW
TTTTTTTTTTTT
FFFFFFFFFFFFFF
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Best 3rd so far for the Celts. Only -6 :lol
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:lol
Great game. I'm dying. Lol
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They gotta get on Curry like a glove.
How many layups have the Celtics missed??
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It's a battle for sure. It's like a toe to toe 10th round battle in the ring right now.
Who can make stops?
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It's like a toe to toe 10th round battle in the ring right now.
Toetally!
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Metatarsaly!
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7 game series. Going to be a bloodbath
Blood from RJ & Chad. Lol
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The NBA is so bad to watch now more often than not. Wanna get drunk? Take a shot every time a guy throws up a random 3 with more than 10 seconds still on the shot clock. You'll be blackout drunk early in the 2nd quarter. :lol :lol
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Impressive how the entire Celtics lineup became bricklayers in the last 5 minutes of the game. And to Kev's point ... just keep heaving up 3s, instead of going for a better look - I think one of their shots was an airball :lol. Spoiler alert .... 2>0.
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That's called experience, I guess? The Dubs just kept playing calmer and cooler as the game progressed, vs the C's felt they always needed to make a big play or something. Damn! Now the Dubs got home court back, and it is hard to win another one in SF.
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That's called experience, I guess? The Dubs just kept playing calmer and cooler as the game progressed, vs the C's felt they always needed to make a big play or something. Damn! Now the Dubs got home court back, and it is hard to win another one in SF.
Boston is 8-3 on the road in the playoffs, so I think they can absolutely win another in Golden St, or even two if that is what it takes. When you are that good defensively, that travels well, but of course you always worry about home cooking when it comes to officiating, which has been a glaring issue with the NBA for as long as I've been watching.
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Boston is 8-3 on the road in the playoffs, so I think they can absolutely win another in Golden St, or even two if that is what it takes.
Of course they can. But I don't think they will. I still think it is over in 6.
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It's going 7. At least that's what I think.
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One more...
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SF D excellent and the C's turning over without real pressure is the downfall. You can't give a great defensive team easy turnovers when they are getting turnovers from pressure.
They lost their pose.
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I'm not sure what you do if you're the Celtics. They seemed absolutely determined that Steph was not going to get 43 again (although he might have gotten 30 if he could buy a bucket from deep). So instead they forced Wiggins to beat them, and well, he did. 26 from him felt like 50 from most other players.
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Another round of massive props: This time to Robert Williams. The hustle out of that guy is incredible.
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Have you guys watched Hustle on Netflix? I liked it. Some parts were pretty predictable, but overall it was pretty good. A great film to watch and to fill out the void between game 5 and 6.
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Wow, no comments on the actual game?
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I did bosk1.
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Wow, no comments on the actual game?
One thing the Celtics have done in this series that they did not do in the previous two series was start on time. But I had a feeling Monday that they would not. And it happened.
I actually went to bed in the 2nd quarter when Curry came back into the game and the Celts hadn't closed the gap.
I had considered not watching the game at all, because I was freaking exhausted all day, and my wife and I had a meeting scheduled after work on Tuesday that I could not sleep through. She was in bed by 8;30, and I almost went too, but I decided to watch the game, but it was clearly not their night from the jump.
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Expecting the Celtics to come out and fight tonight, but I wouldn't be surprised if the season is over by the end of the day. Should be a good game.
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I'm heading into Boston tonight for a concert. I won't be able to watch the game. Hopefully the C's win so we get a game 7.
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From the interview clips I have heard, Tatum and Brown seem pretty defeated. If the Celtics get behind early, I can see the two of them phoning it in, and Smart getting frustrated with them.
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From the interview clips I have heard, Tatum and Brown seem pretty defeated. If the Celtics get behind early, I can see the two of them phoning it in, and Smart getting frustrated with them.
I wouldn't say that bosk1. Tatum in interviews has never been a demonstrative person in interviews. Brown as well but a little more firm. They are not one to joust with other teams through the media.
A lot of local writers complain about Tatum's demeanor all the time.
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Fair enough. I don't really know either of them or their interview history. They just sound defeated to me.
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I definitely could see your side though. It's weird to have the 2 leaders of your team not boisterous.
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Fair enough. I don't really know either of them or their interview history. They just sound defeated to me.
They very well could be. It is really hard to tell with them. They both speak in a very underwhelming monotone manor.
That said, it would not surprise me in the least if the Warriors blow them out tonight. I can see them going into the fetal position early.
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They both speak in a very underwhelming monotone manor.
I've never seen a house I would describe that way, King. But anyway...
But it isn't their tone of voice. It was more what they were actually saying that made me feel that way. Seemed very pessimistic rather than what I would expect of a team that is down 3-2, along the lines of: "We know we need to come out and play our game on Thursday to get the win. And then it's a 1 game series, winner take all. We have a good team, and we've been here before, and we know we can do that. Or something like that."
That said, it would not surprise me in the least if the Warriors blow them out tonight. I can see them going into the fetal position early.
I hope not. But if the Warriors get out to a fast start and hold a sizable lead a few minutes into the 3rd quarter, I can see it happening.
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They both speak in a very underwhelming monotone manor.
I've never seen a house I would describe that way, King. But anyway...
Well, if the walls could talk, Webster.
I'm expecting the Celts to get blown out tonight.
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Sorry, man. I hate that feeling. I wish I could say I didn't want that to happen, but I do. Nothing has been easy for the Warriors this season. I wouldn't mind seeing them dominate the final game from wire to wire.
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Not going to lie, I’ve been in draft mode the last couple of weeks and really haven’t watched much of the Finals.
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Sorry, man. I hate that feeling. I wish I could say I didn't want that to happen, but I do. Nothing has been easy for the Warriors this season. I wouldn't mind seeing them dominate the final game from wire to wire.
No worries Bosk. Of course it'd be great for the Celts to win, but if they don't, I'm not too stuffed. It's not like the Bruins where I literally want to puke every time the Blues are on TV.
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Congrats Bosk! I knew the Celts were getting blown out tonight.
The Warriors are like the Patriots, where if they stayed cool, the upstart opponent would eventually puke all over themselves. I said the Warriors experience would be the key.
Going to bed at halftime.
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Draymond 50% from 3. Yikes.
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Should be a good 4th
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Dubs :metal
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The second half was really entertaining, and that was with Thompson having a bad game offensively.
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I enjoyed my year as champs, congrats to the Warriors and their fans.
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Congrats to RJ & Bosk1 fir the victory. Got out of the concert to find the C's down 10.
RJ, you are up first to pick my avatar. Bosk1, you have the second week.
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I'm out until after the Fourth, so either RJ can pick for me, you can pick your own (honor system), or just wait til I get back.
Good series. As I've said before, I can't claim to be a lifelong Warriors fan. When it comes to NBA, I tend to root for players. I've loved this Warriors lineup since day 1, so they're my team for now, but I'm admittedly "bandwagon" and may or may not root for them when Steph, Klay, and Draymond are gone. The one team I keep coming back to since the '80s is Boston, and I'm glad I got to see them with players I can get behind (I had to take a Celtics hiatus when Kyrie was their alpha player). Truth be told, I don't like Brown or Tatum very much and would have been bummed to have to sport pics of them as my avatar if it came to that. But I can definitely get behind players like Smart, R. Williams, and White. I hope they can keep their core together and continue to grow.
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This year's playoffs were quite interesting and sort of memorable for me in some weird ways. Interesting as in we've got so many blowouts, and then you have hyped up teams like the Nets, Suns just gone frigid and were out rather early. On second thought, "Memorable" might not be the best word to describe my feelings. I recently have relocated into the UK, so I had to catch most of the games literally at 3 or 4am my time. In many cases I either couldn't watch the whole game or I could only catch most of the second half. So really, I remember I "don't remember much" of the details at all.
Anyway, congrats to the Warriors. :biggrin:
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I tuned in partway into the 2nd last night, and instantly heard "and that's 21 straight for Golden State". I was like "are you fucking kidding me". I'm no fan of Boston, but that's terrible in an elimination game to be dominated THAT much. Another comment I caught was that this was the "weakest" GS team that Kerr has coached to a title. Kudos to everyone involved.
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I'm something of a bandwagon Warriors fan myself, and really more of a Steph fan. I'm not from the bay area, though I did have a great vacation there a couple decades ago that probably helps a bit. But Steph is basically the reason I started watching basketball again after losing interest in it after high school for a long time. For reasons I might mention at some other point I had started paying very casual attention to playoff results in the early 10s, but it was hearing about the 24-0 run the Warriors had to start the '15-'16 season that really started sucking me back in, and I actually started watching occasional full games again. Not much in the regular season, but I still keep up with results, news, rumors and such decently, and then ramp it up more in the playoffs.
Particularly memorable was the night Steph broke the 3-point record against the Grizzlies (also caught a bit of Kobe's last game that night since the station feed switched to it). Steph just had this fascinating playstyle that remains endlessly entertaining to watch. But if Steph retires or (god forbid) goes to another team my interest will likely diminish or shift.
I'm sure there's going to be an excessive amount of all-time ranking talk in the media for days to come and more, so here's my small contribution to get ahead of the curve before it gets exhausting. I think there is tier 1 which is MJ, KAJ, and LBJ in some order. After that I think it's a relatively level playing field for tier 2, with some ordering of Duncan, Hakeem, Bird, Magic, Russell, Wilt, Shaq, Kobe, and now, Steph. Everyone else is a tier below. Depending upon what it is you value, you could put that 9 in almost any order and I wouldn't complain too much.
So yeah, there's some recency bias and glow at work, but I can see a possible argument for Steph at #4, though I could also be talked out of it. Probably more reasonable to have him on the lower end of the tier since he's arguably just moved into it, and reevaluate when his career is over. It's just been so intriguing to see how at an age where a lot of players are in a steep decline (heck, just look at Westbrook and Harden this year), he's continued to be dazzling with the ball, and even when he doesn't have it he seems to make players like Wiggins and Looney look like superstars at times, when they would probably just be good role players if they weren't playing with him.
It's curious how Wiggins and Looney have arguably been more impactful than Klay and Dray. Klay is just too inconsistent right now, and it's hard to say how much is the rust of not playing for two years, age-related decline, or just that'll he'll never be back fully to what he used to be because of the two serious injuries he'd had to come back from. We'll have a better idea next season. Draymond has pissed me off at various points in the playoffs, but he's had some redemptive moments in the last few games.
So rather than a big three, the Warriors' roster this playoffs has really been a big one with just a rotating cast of players stepping up at key times to contribute. Poole and Payton particularly as well. I'd have to think/read more about it, but it has to be somewhere up there with carry jobs like Hakeem in '94 or Dirk in '11. Maybe a bit below those for a variety of reasons, but still really impressive. The offseason and next year will be fascinating to see what happens with Kuminga, Moody, and Wiseman as well. Crazy to think that the Warriors might be even better next year.
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I still don't know why seemingly everyone automatically puts Magic ahead of Bird. Okay, I get it, Magic won more titles (and needed Kareem for all five; Bird never had a player close to Kareem on all-time level), but if titles were all that mattered, Russell would be the GOAT, not Jordan or James, right?
Kevin Wildes' made a great point on FS1 this morning about how a Curry 3 is the most devastating offensive play in sports today (to an opponent). Anyone else hits a 3, you move on, but when Curry hits one, you can almost feel the other team thinking, "Oh shit, if he heats up, there is nothing we can do and we are screwed."
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I'm not sure what's left to say about Steph Curry. The guy's an all-time great who revolutionized the sport and just had perhaps his best playoff series. I've also come to really appreciate his attitude and leadership style. You simply won't find a single teammate who has a bad word to say about him. I hope he can stay healthy and keep this up for many years to come.
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I'm not sure what's left to say about Steph Curry. The guy's an all-time great who revolutionized the sport and just had perhaps his best playoff series. I've also come to really appreciate his attitude and leadership style. You simply won't find a single teammate who has a bad word to say about him. I hope he can stay healthy and keep this up for many years to come.
Yup, he's just in general such a solid person. A few years back, he and another teammate (can't remember right now) went into SF for a night of fun, and took the public transportation in. They had a blast just socializing with the peeps, and local media was flooded with them taking selfies with fans, and just being grateful to be a part of the city's vibe.
He was a regular at my brother's old restaurant, and would just chill at the bar by himself, chat with the bartender and guests, just being a human without any real overblown ego. His and Ayesha's social programs, the Eat Learn Play foundation, are tremendous as well, delivering over 15 million meals to local families during the pandemic.
It's really impossible to find a bad thing to say about the guy.
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Well congrats to the Warriors as they certainly deserved the Title. And Boston played horribly! The story of this series is that Boston either couldn't make layups or they flat turned the ball over and everytime they looked to make a go of it - turnovers and missed layups and GS just took the game over. Last night's game was decided in the 2nd quarter as the other games were decided in the 3rd quarter.
When it was halftime, my wife and I went to bed and I was watching the 3rd quarter. GS came out on fire and decided the game was done. Good night Boston.
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I'm not sure what's left to say about Steph Curry. The guy's an all-time great who revolutionized the sport and just had perhaps his best playoff series. I've also come to really appreciate his attitude and leadership style. You simply won't find a single teammate who has a bad word to say about him. I hope he can stay healthy and keep this up for many years to come.
Yup, he's just in general such a solid person. A few years back, he and another teammate (can't remember right now) went into SF for a night of fun, and took the public transportation in. They had a blast just socializing with the peeps, and local media was flooded with them taking selfies with fans, and just being grateful to be a part of the city's vibe.
He was a regular at my brother's old restaurant, and would just chill at the bar by himself, chat with the bartender and guests, just being a human without any real overblown ego. His and Ayesha's social programs, the Eat Learn Play foundation, are tremendous as well, delivering over 15 million meals to local families during the pandemic.
It's really impossible to find a bad thing to say about the guy.
What's also amazing is how improbable his success is. When he was in high school, he was barely even a college prospect. A work buddy of mine grew up in Charlotte and used to play pickup with both Curry brothers. They weren't heads and shoulders above everyone else or anything. Then he went to another level at Davidson and then in the NBA. To think he almost didn't make it because people thought he was "too small" or "shoots from the chest" or "takes too many threes". The game wasn't built for him so he decided to break it and make it work his way. :metal
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I was just thinking that the big regular season awards are really starting to becoming curses more than accomplishment. Most Valuable Player Jokic is almost swept in the first round. Coach of the Year Williams has a historic collapse in the semis. Defensive Player of the Year Smart plays relatively poorly in the finals. Rookie of the Year Barnes gets injured. Most Improved Player Morant gets injured. Sixth Man of the Year Herro gets injured. Of the All-NBA First Team (Giannis, Jokic, Booker, Doncic, Tatum), only Tatum makes the finals, who severely underperforms, Booker gets injured and plays terribly in the semis).
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I don't really view them as a curse rather that an accomplishment. I think the whole point of most of those is to honor players that deserve recognition that might not otherwise get that recognition because of the fact that only a small percentage of players win the NBA finals.
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Another comment I caught was that this was the "weakest" GS team that Kerr has coached to a title.
I heard that too and didn't agree with that at all. I mean, maybe if you tried to rank them all on a points system or something, this one might barely be last. But if so, not by much. The first one with Durant was a solid roster. The two with Durant, I guess it's hard to argue that it's a "weak" team when you are adding Durant to the combo of Curry/Thompson/Green. But while the starting lineup for those teams was formidable, they had to clean house to make room for K.D., so they had very little depth. And arguably, (Wiggins + 2022 Loony) > (K.D. + K.D.-era Loony). But as far as the bench, with Durant gone now, the depth off the bench is back. So while the starting lineup may not be as scary as their core 3 + Durant, they are far deeper this season. They had 3 solid bench players that got substantial minutes every game, plus some decent (albeit short) time from two others (Iguodala and Bjelica). And if Kerr was pressed, he could have played Kuminga, Lee, and/or Moddy. They all contributed substantially during the regular season and were solid in their limited minutes earlier in the playoffs.
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It's doesn't matter if you're a juggernaut or a very good team that wins it all. It matters if you won it. People want to justify why a team they do not like won it all. Their wrong.
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Warriors had good depth, yes, but Klay* and Green** aren't the players they were 5-8 years ago, which is why their depth plus the additions of Wiggins and Poole mattered in a big way.
*Klay can still shoot it as well as almost anyone, as his game was always catch and shoot, but a lot of analysts who watch tape say his defense has really tailed off since his injuries.
**Green can still rebound and play D, but he looked pretty slow and lumbering at times in the later rounds. Age gets us all.
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I don't really view them as a curse rather that an accomplishment. I think the whole point of most of those is to honor players that deserve recognition that might not otherwise get that recognition because of the fact that only a small percentage of players win the NBA finals.
I know that, it's just kind of ironic how often it seems to backfire. Five coaches of the year have been fired after winning. Budenholzer was probably a Durant big toe away from being fired last year. It's possible that Williams gets fired this one. Even MVP, which ostensibly is often supposed to be the best player on the best team, has only matched up with the finals winner in five of the last 24 post-MJ seasons.
Another comment I caught was that this was the "weakest" GS team that Kerr has coached to a title.
But while the starting lineup for those teams was formidable, they had to clean house to make room for K.D., so they had very little depth.
The closing five was really the key thing though. Klay, Draymond, and Iguadola were all considerably better in '17. Steph is close, but I'm not sure his improved defense makes up for his drop off in shooting. As impressive as Wiggins is, he's not Durant. The '22 bench is probably better, but don't sleep on '17, they had Livingstone, West, McGee, McCaw, Clark, and Barnes having moments from time to time. Also, Zaza starting had its limitations, but he gave them a bit more size and was a decent passer in their system.
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^Yeah, I can't really argue with any of that (other than using "considerably" with respect to Green*). But still, calling this lineup the weakest, even if technically true, implies a big disparity rather than an arguable case, doesn't it? And I just don't see it as being anywhere near clear cut.
*He isn't the player he was then. But he still had a great playoff run. And while his stats in the finals seemed pretty pedestrian, and he was not good in the two games they lost, they probably don't win 3 or 4 of the other games without him. As you probably know, he does a LOT more for that team than what shows up on the stat sheets.
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They are the Champs. Whatever others say to lesson what they did is wrong.
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They are the Champs. Whatever others say to lesson what they did is wrong.
They are definitely Champs, you've got the avatar to prove it..
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I say this with all the love in the world.
You bastard. I know!! :lol
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:-*
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:kingshmeg:
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Get a room.
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Shut it you Felger lover.
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Nice avatar fool.
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Sure. I'm a man of my word. Unlike fools who never return carts.
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Only a suckah would do The Man's work.
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Unfortunately those in charge like store managers and assistant managers do not do their jobs managing those shagging carriages.
Prove me wrong.
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Tim you pussy. Answer the question before I go to bed. I know you are still up
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Bruh? I'm going to bed soon
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PUSSSSSYYYYY!
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^Yeah, I can't really argue with any of that (other than using "considerably" with respect to Green*). But still, calling this lineup the weakest, even if technically true, implies a big disparity rather than an arguable case, doesn't it? And I just don't see it as being anywhere near clear cut.
*He isn't the player he was then. But he still had a great playoff run. And while his stats in the finals seemed pretty pedestrian, and he was not good in the two games they lost, they probably don't win 3 or 4 of the other games without him. As you probably know, he does a LOT more for that team than what shows up on the stat sheets.
Yeah, most of that is true. GS has been underrated by a lot of people for much of the year. Even as recently as 2-3 days ago I lost track of how many analysts I heard calling Boston "the better team". But still, the '17 Warriors would have a chance of beating other all-time greats like the '96 Bulls and '01 Lakers. I wouldn't feel very confident about this version doing that. "Considerably" with regards to Draymond is actually more compared to his '16 incarnation, who was a 14 PPG scorer and 39% 3-point shooter in addition to DPOY candidate and elite playmaker. He shot poorly the next year, but teams didn't treat him like he did yet, in contrast to how they cheat off of him now, which has been an issue in spacing for GS this season.
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Not as much relatability to the draft because of one and done. It used to be that most players stayed in college for more than a year, so you got to know them more (and their respective teams/teammates)....which translated to a more engaging draft when their time finally did come.
That said, there were some interesting items in this year's draft. Most notably....the Magic messing with everyone and NOT choosing the pre-draft favorite, Jabari Smith. Instead going with the more flamboyant forward from Duke. Paolo Banchero. Who did your team select, and how do you feel about him (them) as a prospect(s)?
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I am a little surprised my Lakers actually did something and got themselves into the draft party for the #35 pick. On paper Max Christie is a solid 6’6” (with a 6’9” wingspans) guy who can develop into a reliable 3 and D player. Then again, know LBJ who doesn’t enjoy playing alongside rookies, Christie will have to work super hard to get into the rotation.
Speaking of Christie, the Lakers signed Shareef O’Neal to the summer league roster, and also Scotty Pippen Jr. to a 2-way contract. Maybe some sort of sons of former players theme is brewing? I am not sure if O’Neal is good enough to make the team, and I think Pippen Jr. is too small to become a factor.
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Bucks got what they needed, an athletic wing who is defense first. Lacks a three point shot currently which is why he was available at pick #24, but like every other pick you hope they develop into the player you believe they’ll be.
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Speaking of Christie, the Lakers signed Shareef O’Neal to the summer league roster, and also Scotty Pippen Jr. to a 2-way contract. Maybe some sort of sons of former players theme is brewing? I am not sure if O’Neal is good enough to make the team, and I think Pippen Jr. is too small to become a factor.
There's at least a little to be said for genetic pedigree in sports.
NBA there is quite a history....
Dell and Steph/Seth Curry
Joe and Kobe Bryant
Rick Barry and Brent Barry/Jon Barry/Drew Barry.
Bill Walton and Luke Walton.
Tim Hardaway and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Arvydas Sabonis and Domantas Sabonis.
Gary Payton and Gary Payton II.
Larry Nance and Larry Nance Jr.
Doc Rivers and Austin Rivers.
Best examples of all time GREAT players who were the offspring....probably start in baseball. Ken Griffey and Jr., Bobby and Barry Bonds. In both cases, the son turned out to be a better player by a significant margin. Though both Ken Griffey Sr. and Bobby Bonds were excellent players. Now you've got Vlad Jr., Biggio, Yaz, and Bichette. They all look good for young players....particularly Guererro and Bichette. Cecil and Prince Fielder. Felipe and Moises Alou.
Then football you have two of the all time greats....Peyton, Eli Manning and Christian McCaffrey (Peyton and Eli "all time" for sure....Christian on that trajectory, but definitely great NOW). Both had good to very good NFL dads. But like Bonds and Griffey....these sons were/are way better than their respective dads. Terry and Eric Metcalf. Both excellent players. Howie and Chris Long. Clay Matthews and company.
A few other athletes of former professionals that played different sports than their dads.....Ken Norton Jr.....his dad was a very good heavyweight boxer. Calvin and Grant Hill. Calvin played RB for the Cowboys....fantastic runner.
Then in boxing you had Muhammad and Laila Ali. Probably some others who are glaring....that I am missing. Oh, yeah Dale Earnhardt and Jr. (if you are calling them athletes....the genetic skill went through the genes to be sure). Then Bobby and Brett Hull in hockey.
And there are others. But I'm not mentioning guys who are back and forth from amateur leagues....or just had a cup of coffee at the pro levels (either son or dad).
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Wait, Christian McCaffrey is on an all-time great trajectory? Is this the same guy who has played 10 of a possible 33 games in the last two seasons?
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Wait, Christian McCaffrey is on an all-time great trajectory? Is this the same guy who has played 10 of a possible 33 games in the last two seasons?
Well....I'm glad you read that far! :lol
Yes....just going by the talent, not the injury history. Point taken. But as the Miracle once said...."I think that there's still time". :biggrin:
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WTF?! KD just asked to be traded. And the Nets are trying to find a trade partner. Kyrie is almost definitely going to be a goner next.
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I think they knew that. Kyrie exercising the one year option would set up sign and trade for him.
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WTF?! KD just asked to be traded. And the Nets are trying to find a trade partner. Kyrie is almost definitely going to be a goner next.
So Kyrie for Westbrook? Or AD for Durant?
I saw wetsbtook opt in which seeing the salary, who wouldn't
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WTF?! KD just asked to be traded. And the Nets are trying to find a trade partner. Kyrie is almost definitely going to be a goner next.
So Kyrie for Westbrook? Or AD for Durant?
I saw wetsbtook opt in which seeing the salary, who wouldn't
AD for KD, huh? Hmm, that’s an interesting idea… but seriously though, KD’s age is a concern, and I wouldn’t give up AD for him; when AD can still perform at a very high level for years to come.
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I think that LeBron signing with Miami and then Cleveland and then Los Angeles definitely felt a bit chaotic, and I understand people being a bit frustrated with it for certain reasons. However, what Durant has done is truly next level. Signing with the 73-win Warriors and then requesting a trade to the two number one seeds, Miami and Phoenix. :lol
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I think KD's biggest problem is that he needs to be on a team with other superstars who will willingly defer to him or a team of lesser players who will naturally defer. The latter will not get him to the top of the mountain because, as good as he is, he can't do it alone. The former is hard to come by, and there needs to be just the right chemistry. He had that in Golden State, but ultimately couldn't get comfortable long-term because it didn't fulfill his personal need for it to be "his team." I'm not sure he will find it elsewhere, at least not to a degree that will get him a championship.
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He wants it to be his team, but quits as soon as the going gets tough. Fuck Kevin Durant. I wouldn't touch him.
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There is just something off about Durant and never mind his age that makes me shy away from wanting him on a team I follow. Kyrie on the other hand is a team destroyer who is so self centered and I live for him failing and failing again.
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There is just something off about Durant and never mind his age that makes me shy away from wanting him on a team I follow. Kyrie on the other hand is a team destroyer who is so self centered and I live for him failing and failing again.
Yeah, I can't disagree with any of that.
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I'm so tired of KD, Kyrie, and their drama. Not to mention Harden.
There's no denying their talent. Both are future HOFers. But KD is such a drama queen and sensitive AF. Kyrie is just a team killer. He's a nutjob who destroys every squad he goes to. Harden - ditto.
I love this era of free agency, but absolutely hate how empowered the players are.
Anyway...after some reflection. I am thrilled by the Wolves getting Gobert. The players...they are all bench players, and the Wolves are still deep 1-10 if you know their roster. My worry is the picks and swaps. But, if you're going to go for it, go for it. I see the league starting to trend back to big men, and the Warriors win aside, I think the Wolves are right at the forefront of that shift back to a larger front line. I have a ton of faith in Chris Finch to devise a system that really works well for them. Huge thumbs up from this OG Timberwolves fanatic.
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Would love to see them in contention.
Not sure the big man model is a model for getting ring until the current Warriors lineup is done, but we'll see. The Dubs have gone small and now been in six of the last eight Finals, winning four. So the small model is not something new. With Klay having a full offseason to get back to himself, I think they will still be a problem for a lot of teams for the next few years, provided they can stay healthy.
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Gonna be hilarious if the Nets end up not trading Durant and Irving, and both of those clowns get stuck in Brooklyn. If I am the Nets, no way am I giving Durant away just because he wants out. He signed a contract, so I wouldn't trade him unless I got an absolute haul back, and what teams will be able to give them what they will want.
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Would love to see them in contention.
Not sure the big man model is a model for getting ring until the current Warriors lineup is done, but we'll see. The Dubs have gone small and now been in six of the last eight Finals, winning three Four. So the small model is not something new. With Klay having a full offseason to get back to himself, I think they will still be a problem for a lot of teams for the next few years, provided they can stay healthy.
FTFY
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Oops. Yes.
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But speaking of Durant, I just can't see a good trade for him, at least not for a team with a chance to win a title.
I actually liked Brooklyn, but it feels like they just had a trail of bad decisions in the past decade, starting with the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trade.
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I'll root against Brooklyn so long as Kyrie is there. As far as Durant, I really want to root for him even after leaving the Warriors. But the problem is, although he hasn't really done anything to make me dislike him, he hasn't done a lot since going to Brooklyn to make me like him either.
Overall, I'm mostly glad he is no longer on the Warriors. When he was there, I think they had one of the scariest, most potent offenses ever. But they just couldn't afford any depth off the bench with him on the payroll, and I think it caught up with them that last season with him. I just wonder whether he will come to realize just how good he had it there, and that he will not likely find that again with any other team as far as being surrounded by superstars while simultaneously having said superstars give him plenty of room to shine individually, and having a system in place where that actually works.
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I'll root against Brooklyn so long as Kyrie is there.
Or do you root against him anywhere? As a Lakers fan I am not sure if I want him in LA.
As far as Durant, I really want to root for him even after leaving the Warriors. But the problem is, although he hasn't really done anything to make me dislike him, he hasn't done a lot since going to Brooklyn to make me like him either.
Overall, I'm mostly glad he is no longer on the Warriors. When he was there, I think they had one of the scariest, most potent offenses ever. But they just couldn't afford any depth off the bench with him on the payroll, and I think it caught up with them that last season with him. I just wonder whether he will come to realize just how good he had it there, and that he will not likely find that again with any other team as far as being surrounded by superstars while simultaneously having said superstars give him plenty of room to shine individually, and having a system in place where that actually works.
Agreed, but I don't think he will acknowledge he had a good thing going in the Bay Area to save face.
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I'll root against Brooklyn so long as Kyrie is there.
Or do you root against him anywhere?
Yeah, sorry, I thought that was relatively clear. I just root against him. It would be tough if he were to go to a team I actually like.
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I don't think it's hard to imagine a large % of NBA fans root against Kyrie as he derails his 3rd team.
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I don't think it's hard to imagine a large % of NBA fans root against Kyrie as he derails his 3rd team.
Yep, that is why I don't know if I want him at all. He is also as "part-time" player as you can get.
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I don't think it's hard to imagine a large % of NBA fans root against Kyrie as he derails his 3rd team.
Yep, that is why I don't know if I want him at all. He is also as "part-time" player as you can get.
His ego is the biggest problem. He's a guy that's his own worst enemy that affects all around him.
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His ego is the biggest problem. He's a guy that's his own worst enemy that affects all around him.
I don't think it's ego as much as it is selfishness. It always has to be about him. He doesn't try to make anyone better. It's all about how can others can take heat off him so he can win.
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His ego is the biggest problem. He's a guy that's his own worst enemy that affects all around him.
I don't think it's ego as much as it is selfishness. It always has to be about him. He doesn't try to make anyone better. It's all about how can others can take heat off him so he can win.
For sure he's selfish. No doubt. He also has a sense of entitlement and looks down at others.
I love hearing him pontificate. He wants to come off as a smart man but sound like a guy who isn't that smart. Not articulate for a smart guy.
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For sure he's selfish. No doubt. He also has a sense of entitlement and looks down at others.
I love hearing him pontificate. He wants to come off as a smart man but sound like a guy who isn't that smart. Not articulate for a smart guy.
No man believes the Earth is flat is a smart individual. :loser:
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You and I know that. :lol
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I had this friend (keyword "had") who was always a bit of a slacker but as an adult graduated to an even higher level of sloth. Long story short, he basically spends his days living in his Mom's basement where he tries to make YouTube videos about living life to the fullest. He's an aspiring professional life coach whose life is in complete shambles, and every couple of years, he gets "inspired" (i.e., money from his Mom) to embark on a "personal growth adventure" (i.e., a vacation) that just happens to occur at some tropical getaway. The best part is how each one of these episodes results in 1,000-word Instagram dissertation about "discovering what's important in life" and the "power of personal choice".
Kyrie is basically just my old friend except he's absolutely filthy at basketball. :lol
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:lol
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Gonna be hilarious if the Nets end up not trading Durant and Irving, and both of those clowns get stuck in Brooklyn. If I am the Nets, no way am I giving Durant away just because he wants out. He signed a contract, so I wouldn't trade him unless I got an absolute haul back, and what teams will be able to give them what they will want.
Two deadweights who don't want to be there. Great. ::) They'll probably find excuses not to play.
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It sucks being a Nets fan now. You not only have two stars who don't want to be there, and beyond those two you only have Ben Simmons left. Oh, and I feel bad for Seth Curry too.
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So sorry, man. I feel for you.
Honestly, I think Durant is just the wrong guy to guild a team around. As good as he is, he not only needs good pieces around him, but he needs the right pieces. I think it's telling that, while he was with the Warriors and shortly after (while he was still riding the wave of success from there), the narrative surrounding him was couched in terms of him being in discussions for "the best player in the NBA." Now, it is back to him being "one of the best." Sure, a narrative is just a narrative, and they oftentimes aren't worth a hill of beans. But I think there's a truth hidden in there. As good as Durant is, he's not a LeBron that can take a team on his back and lead them to a championship. (and neither is Irving, but I'm focusing on Durant at the moment) It almost worked a couple of times when he was at OKC and had Westbrook. He had it at Golden State, within their system. Outside of Golden State, I don't see him getting back unless he teams up with LeBron. I'm not sure what other player can provide the simultaneous leadership, skill, and deference to allow KD to shine. Not saying he can never win again. He might catch lightning in a bottle and get a one-off ring. But it's hard for me to imagine him having sustained success. That's what I see for him. But all that being said, guys a lot smarter than me don't have it figured out, so what do I know?
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Lebron said this weekend that Boston is racist. Glad an owner for the Red Sox is willing to except money from racists.
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Lebron said this weekend that Boston is racist. Glad an owner for the Red Sox is willing to except money from racists.
As more times goes on, LeBron comes off like a guy who sounds like an idiot any time he speaks. Unbelievable player, with great basketball smarts, but not a very bright guy otherwise, apparently.
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I know there is racism in Boston. Just like anywhere in America. It's disgusting.
The fact that most think the epicenter of racism is in Boston is so far off.
You only hear of racism from sport stars. When was the last time you saw racism in Boston in the media?
I can rail off so many other cities but blame Boston. I'm tired of it. It's everywhere and they are assholes.
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I'm actually shocked that LBJ would come out and flat say that he hates playing in Boston because of it. I am sure he gets booed loudly there anyway, but he's gonna get the Draymond Green treatment now going forward after saying that. And all it will take is one idiot yelling something he takes the wrong way for the race card to be played, and Boston will be the villain and James the victim. Just wait.
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If LBJ put a little more nuance into his words, I don't think he would get as much criticism as he does.
For example, "Of all the cities I have played in during my career, I have had more problems with racism in Boston than any other" is not something anyone can really get mad about if that's truly his experience. "Boston is racist" is just :facepalm:.
He's said so many things like that over the past couple of years. He also operates almost exclusively within his own media bubble and almost never does interviews in any setting where he's not 100% in control, so he never truly has to explain his thoughts. I'm not an MJ fan but he's at least done a few interviews where he actually had to elaborate and think about what he was saying. :lol
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Listen to is. The question wasn't even about racism. He brought it up. Funny though, 2 years ago he said he never heard anything racist.
That's what upsets fans.
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It was a lazy insult.
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I'd much rather he stays quiet and just play ball. He sounds either biased or completely uneducated on the topic most of the time. Oh, yet he never once talked about China. I guess the taste of RMB must be so damn good :\
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One year ago today the Milwaukee Bucks became NBA Champions.
That is all.
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Looking at the list of NBA championships since 1947, a few observations:
-I never realized how many teams have NOT won it. Only 20 teams have rings (counting different iterations of the same team, such as counting the Seattle Supersonics and OKC Thunder as the same team), and only 11 have more than one.
-The Lakers and Celtics historically dominated. I was already kind of aware of that, but only as far back as the late '70s and into the '80s. Each had basically two big runs during that time when they were back in the finals repeatedly, with the Lakers doing it with the Magic/Kareem and Kobe/Shaq teams, and the Celtics doing it with the Bird and Pierce/Garnett teams. But that, literally, isn't the half of it. 32 total appearances with17 wins for the Lakers and 22 appearances with 17 wins for the Celtics. No other team is even close to that (the Warriors are next with 7 wins out of 12 appearances). That's pretty amazing.
-Looking at players that have won multiple titles, I was floor by the ludicrous number that Bill Russell and a few others have. Obviously, he was before my time, so I never actually watched him play. But related to point #2, I wasn't really aware of how dominant the Celtics were early on. Looking at players with more than Jordan's six rings, almost everybody on that list was part of that early Celtics run, with Russell topping the list at 11. Horry is the only other person [with 7], who lucked into playing on three different teams to win multiple rings each. I guess the stat about him being the only non-Celtic to win that many is commonly known, but it was news to me.
-When you look at teams that had sustained Finals appearance runs, I tend to think of certain pairings where teams faced off against the same opponent repeatedly, such as Lakers/Celtics in the '80s or Warriors/Cavs recently. It was interesting to note that the Spurs didn't really have that repeat Finals nemesis, and beat 5 different teams. Then I realized that the Bulls' run with Jordan was kinda similar in that the only team they faced more than once out of their six appearances was Utah, and that was only twice.
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Predictably, Nick Wright (of FS1) put Michael Jordan at number 3 on his list of 50 greatest NBA players of the last 50 years, and his name ended up trending all day on Twitter because MJ fans are so irrational any time anyone doesn't drop to their knees and genuflect to the actual number 23 that they were trashing him all day.
Wright's main point makes total sense, though: MJ, LeBron and Kareem all have a strong argument to be the GOAT, so when listing them as the top 3 of the last 50 years, one of them has to finish at 3.
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Reports the Celtics have offered Jaylen Brown and more for Durant.
Interesting.
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I think the deal is dead for now. The Nets also want Marcus Smart to be included.
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My worry is Jalen wants to control his destiny and that is in2 years. I wonder if he's telling the C's, I want to see what's out there.
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Maybe not a bad move if they could leave Smart out of it. But I think sending both of them for Durant is a bad move for Boston.
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Predictably, Nick Wright (of FS1) put Michael Jordan at number 3 on his list of 50 greatest NBA players of the last 50 years, and his name ended up trending all day on Twitter because MJ fans are so irrational any time anyone doesn't drop to their knees and genuflect to the actual number 23 that they were trashing him all day.
Wright's main point makes total sense, though: MJ, LeBron and Kareem all have a strong argument to be the GOAT, so when listing them as the top 3 of the last 50 years, one of them has to finish at 3.
As I've gotten older, my opinion on the GOAT argument is that there really isn't one. There are so many ways to look at it. If you're talking about which player was the best at his absolute best (maybe pick a season), then I'd probably choose Jordan. If you widen that to 5-10 years, it becomes more debatable, but still probably Jordan. If you're focusing more on longevity and career impact, then it's probably Abdul-Jabbar or James. If you're focusing on winning or even just who dominated their league the most, then it's probably Russell. Those four are the gold standard and whoever you want to come out on top, you can just tweak the criteria to land where you want to land.
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Predictably, Nick Wright (of FS1) put Michael Jordan at number 3 on his list of 50 greatest NBA players of the last 50 years, and his name ended up trending all day on Twitter because MJ fans are so irrational any time anyone doesn't drop to their knees and genuflect to the actual number 23 that they were trashing him all day.
Wright's main point makes total sense, though: MJ, LeBron and Kareem all have a strong argument to be the GOAT, so when listing them as the top 3 of the last 50 years, one of them has to finish at 3.
As I've gotten older, my opinion on the GOAT argument is that there really isn't one. There are so many ways to look at it. If you're talking about which player was the best at his absolute best (maybe pick a season), then I'd probably choose Jordan. If you widen that to 5-10 years, it becomes more debatable, but still probably Jordan. If you're focusing more on longevity and career impact, then it's probably Abdul-Jabbar or James. If you're focusing on winning or even just who dominated their league the most, then it's probably Russell. Those four are the gold standard and whoever you want to come out on top, you can just tweak the criteria to land where you want to land.
I never saw Russell play, so it is hard for me to judge him.
If I could take one player at their very best for one game, I am taking Jordan without question, but I still think he is neck and neck with James in the GOAT conversation. James has him beat when it comes to longevity, degree of difficulty and in the doing more with less regard. Once Jordan had a great coach and very good team around him, there was almost no stopping him, but when he had average teammates and coaches not named Phil Jackson, he was getting booted out of the 1st and 2nd rounds every year.
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That sounds very much like LeBron early career as well.
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That sounds very much like LeBron early career as well.
Early on, yes, but Jordan never made it to the finals with a supporting cast as putrid as the ones James had in '07 with the Cavs.
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I get that but he really needed a cast to win. 2 in Miami, one with Kyrie hitting the winning shot and the bubble one which was easier I personally though.
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I get that but he really needed a cast to win. 2 in Miami, one with Kyrie hitting the winning shot and the bubble one which was easier I personally though.
Oh, come on, you are smarter than this. Repeating a silly narrative that clowns like Skip Bayless come up is beneath you, sir. :)
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Can't a guy rile up a friend? :lol
I do think it's close buy I'll give the Goat to Jordan for a little bit of humility. Lol
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Reports the Celtics have offered Jaylen Brown and more for Durant.
Interesting.
If I am the Celtics I am pissed this got out. The Celts had us under the impression they weren't in on Durant.
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Can't a guy rile up a friend? :lol
I do think it's close buy I'll give the Goat to Jordan for a little bit of humility. Lol
Wait, wait, Michael Jordan has humility? Is this opposite day? :P :lol
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I said a little. Thats not much. :lol
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Reports are saying NBA Legend, Hall of Famer, Bill Russell, passed away peacefully today. He was 88. RIP.
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Yeah. A man admired off the court as he was on the court. R.I.P.
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greatest winner in the history of Team Sports in North America.
R.I.P.
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A legend who still somehow doesn't feel as legendary as he deserves. RIP.
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What I posted in the Queen discography:
"Wow! As a sports fan, if there was anyone who deserved a song titled 'We Are The Champions' after themselves, on and off an NCAA, Olympic, or NBA court, ...
it was Bill Russell.
I thought he was immortal (just like Nichelle Nichols)."
I'm old enough to remember seeing him win titles before he became player-coach. And then seeing grainy film of him and K.C. Jones going undefeated two years in a row while winning NCAA titles at San Francisco. And an Olympic title. He wasn't the best analyst, but I loved that laugh of his.
Oh, and I was never a Celtics fan.
So many of the aimless and tiresome discussions (arguments) about 'GOAT this' and 'GOAT that', and all I would think of at those times was...
Bill Russell: 'Here, hold my beer!'
Such a class man on and off the court, for all he did, and all he needlessly had to endure. RIP.
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RIP Bill Russell
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11 titles in 13 years, and sometimes going against Wilt to do it, playing both sides of the ball. Why the people of Boston prefer Brady over him I still have no idea. The greatest run of dominance and championships ever.
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Is it time for a new thread or still too far from the new season?
Anyways, Reports are that Durant is giving the Nets and ultimatum: Trade him, or fire Nash and the GM :corn The Nets should look into trading him to a desperate team for a couple of role players and a few first round picks.
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Is it time for a new thread or still too far from the new season?
I kinda feel like we're still too far from the season, but I won't be bothered if people want to start a new one. When it gets started, I'll just lock this one.
Anyways, Reports are that Durant is giving the Nets and ultimatum: Trade him, or fire Nash and the GM :corn The Nets should look into trading him to a desperate team for a couple of role players and a few first round picks.
On the surface, in context of Durant's history, I think this is a very bad look for him. But that said, I was listening to a commentator this morning who made some good points on the other side.
First off, there's more to it than just "I want out; trade me or else." It was more, "I'm not satisfied with the direction of this team and have no confidence in ownership's/management's vision and direction for the team, nor ability to carry out a successful vision, so trade me." And that's not entirely unfair. They have made a LOT of poor decisions that can rightly be laid at their feet.
Second, aside from ownership, the most glaring problem with the team is all the baggage associated with Irving.
Putting those two together, the commentator's point was that the best look for Durant, the team, and the league would be for ownership to sit down with Durant and have a give-and-take heart-to-heart conversation that gets down to brass tacks and says something along the lines of the following: "No, we're not going to just trade you. But you raise some valid points. You want changes at the top, and we hear you. Those guys have cost the organization, and we agree that they need to go. But here's the quid pro quo: We need your buy-in and trust if we make those changes. And part of that is, despite that you and Kyrie are friends and came as a package deal, he's also a problem, whether you see it or not. We can build a team around you that can seriously contend for a few years to come, as long as that team doesn't have Kyrie on it. So get onboard and let's do this."
I don't think that's an unfair take.
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From what I understood, Durant and Kyrie signed off on Nash. His real issue is that he decided to play with Kyrie. That's what's sidetracked his career.
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Putting those two together, the commentator's point was that the best look for Durant, the team, and the league would be for ownership to sit down with Durant and have a give-and-take heart-to-heart conversation that gets down to brass tacks and says something along the lines of the following: "No, we're not going to just trade you. But you raise some valid points. You want changes at the top, and we hear you. Those guys have cost the organization, and we agree that they need to go. But here's the quid pro quo: We need your buy-in and trust if we make those changes. And part of that is, despite that you and Kyrie are friends and came as a package deal, he's also a problem, whether you see it or not. We can build a team around you that can seriously contend for a few years to come, as long as that team doesn't have Kyrie on it. So get onboard and let's do this."
I don't think that's an unfair take.
That not unfair at all. When he first asked to be traded, I took that as "I'm done here" from KD. However, something to keep in mind is that Durant passed his prime. While building a team around him is a smart move, I do wonder how many years he has in him of great performance.
From what I understood, Durant and Kyrie signed off on Nash. His real issue is that he decided to play with Kyrie. That's what's sidetracked his career.
As good as Kyrie is, I think he is best as a second option, and I don't think Durant has the leadership to bring out the best of Kyrie.
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...I don't think Durant has the leadership to bring out the best of Kyrie.
Honestly, I don't think anyone does. Seems like Kyrie does what Kyrie wants, and it doesn't matter who tells him otherwise. He won a championship with LeBron, and I think it's telling that LeBron has never pushed to get him.
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I agree with you Victor, no doubt. But in 2 years you couldn't get both on the court at the same time to really find out and that's Kyrie's fault.
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...I don't think Durant has the leadership to bring out the best of Kyrie.
Honestly, I don't think anyone does. Seems like Kyrie does what Kyrie wants, and it doesn't matter who tells him otherwise. He won a championship with LeBron, and I think it's telling that LeBron has never pushed to get him.
So where did it all go wrong with Kyrie mentally? Was he like that at Duke? You would think, for example, that Coach K would have the leadership swag to get the best out of him (and not just on the court).
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So we finally have someone who plays D :lol ... seriously, as a Lakers fan I am somewhat at a lost... I am not exactly a LBJ fan, and now Beverley is on my team? :facepalm: anyway, according to ESPN...
Beverley's arrival on an expiring $13 million contract essentially leaves only LeBron James ($46.7 million) and Anthony Davis ($40.6 million) on the Lakers' books in 2023-24, delivering them significant salary-cap space to remake the roster around those two All-NBA stars.
For cap reason alone, it ain't a bad move. Let's just sort of get through this season, and see who to sign next year...
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Beverley is old enough that it could go south real quick if his body finally fails him, but if he plays at the level he did last year, this is a good move for them. This adds even more pressure to unload Westbrook, because Beverley is a way better fit with AD and LBJ.
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Just like that, OKC's Chet Holmgren is out for the season with a Lisfranc injury... I was really looking forward to see him play, that hurts... are these big guys just too fragile? Or the competition at the pro level is just that much tougher? It feels like many young bigs just get hurt rather easily.
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Just like that, OKC's Chet Holmgren is out for the season with a Lisfranc injury... I was really looking forward to see him play, that hurts... are these big guys just too fragile? Or the competition at the pro level is just that much tougher? It feels like many young bigs just get hurt rather easily.
He should never have been playing that Pro Am. The court was slick, and unlike Lebron, who has made all his money, Holmgren has his whole future in front of him. He got hurt just a couple minutes in, slipping on the floor.
On another note - so happy with the moves my Timberwolves made. People laughed at me when I said they'd post over 45 wins last year. And look what they did...46. And quite frankly, they COULD HAVE, and SHOULD HAVE beaten the Grizzlies. They didn't know how to close. Great season. With the addition of Gobert, they have exactly what they need to take another leap.
I feel like they are in position now to be around 50 wins, another seed or two higher in the West, and should be a contender to come out of the West for the next three to four years.
I know people think the Wolves gave up too much for Rudy Gobert. But those people don't know the team like those of us who live Timberwolves basketball. We gave up career bench players, we have tons of depth to replace them, and the draft picks - our team is young anyway, and with us likely being a legitimate 45-55 win team probably for the next 4-7 years, none of those picks are going to be anything high. They'll be high teens, low 20s.
So bench guys, and a host of low first round picks for a guy who is an All NBA center, defensive monster, and huge presence that makes our front line the tallest and most athletic in the NBA? Yeah, I'm good.
And wait til you all see Anthony Edwards. Saying it now... 26+ ppg next season, NBA All Star. Towns is the centerpiece, and he'll do his usual 25/10/5. But Edwards is going to make a leap that will have people drooling.
Absolutely impressed by the moves Tim Connelly has made.
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Both Danilo Gallinari & Gary Harris suffers torn meniscus in their left knee. The silver lining for Gallo is, at least he just signed a 2-year deal with the Celtics; and it is fully guaranteed.
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Just like that, OKC's Chet Holmgren is out for the season with a Lisfranc injury... I was really looking forward to see him play, that hurts... are these big guys just too fragile? Or the competition at the pro level is just that much tougher? It feels like many young bigs just get hurt rather easily.
He should never have been playing that Pro Am. The court was slick, and unlike Lebron, who has made all his money, Holmgren has his whole future in front of him. He got hurt just a couple minutes in, slipping on the floor.
On another note - so happy with the moves my Timberwolves made. People laughed at me when I said they'd post over 45 wins last year. And look what they did...46. And quite frankly, they COULD HAVE, and SHOULD HAVE beaten the Grizzlies. They didn't know how to close. Great season. With the addition of Gobert, they have exactly what they need to take another leap.
I feel like they are in position now to be around 50 wins, another seed or two higher in the West, and should be a contender to come out of the West for the next three to four years.
I know people think the Wolves gave up too much for Rudy Gobert. But those people don't know the team like those of us who live Timberwolves basketball. We gave up career bench players, we have tons of depth to replace them, and the draft picks - our team is young anyway, and with us likely being a legitimate 45-55 win team probably for the next 4-7 years, none of those picks are going to be anything high. They'll be high teens, low 20s.
So bench guys, and a host of low first round picks for a guy who is an All NBA center, defensive monster, and huge presence that makes our front line the tallest and most athletic in the NBA? Yeah, I'm good.
And wait til you all see Anthony Edwards. Saying it now... 26+ ppg next season, NBA All Star. Towns is the centerpiece, and he'll do his usual 25/10/5. But Edwards is going to make a leap that will have people drooling.
Absolutely impressed by the moves Tim Connelly has made.
Gobert gets way too much crap from people. If his team doesn't completely shut down the opposition, then it's immediately his fault, even if everyone else besides him is clearly playing terrible and he's the only one actually making a difference out there. :lol I loved that acquisition for the T'Wolves!
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Yeah, I loved it. And I was a critic of Gobert, but it was more because I felt, and still do, that Towns is superior. So when Gobert was getting love in the All-NBA talk, it pissed me off because Towns is better. And now we have both of them, so... :lol
re: Knicks
My friends here know my story about how I became a Timberwolves fanatic - I'm an OG with them from the 1989 expansion team. But my hometown team, which I still root for (in addition to the Wolves), is the Knicks. I love the signing of R.J. Great deal, a non-max deal for flexibility, and I'm really bullish on them getting Donovan Mitchell...without losing Barrett, Randle and Brunson. Once Leon Rose relents a little bit on the picks, and maybe it requires a third team getting involved like the Lakers, it's going to happen. And when it does, man:
C - Mitchell Robinson
PF - Randle
SF - Barrett
SG - Mitchell
PG - Brunson
Sure...the bench is a question mark, as is defense. But Madison Square Garden will be rocking.
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Well, screw my last post. Donovan Mitchell is now a Cleveland Cavalier. :rollin
Wow.
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The Cavs will be fun to watch for sure. If anything at all, I am not exactly sure why the Cavs traded for Mitchell though, especially when he said his preferred teams are the Nets, Heat or Knicks.
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The Cavs will be fun to watch for sure. If anything at all, I am not exactly sure why the Cavs traded for Mitchell though, especially when he said his preferred teams are the Nets, Heat or Knicks.
Because Mitchell is locked up for three full seasons and then has a player option for a fourth. They are going for it. Their core is locked up. Garland, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen. All of them are locked in for at least three full seasons. That's the window. And now that Cleveland has Mitchell, they can sell him on playing there.
Great move by the Cavs. It really was. They will challenge in the East for sure.
Milwaukee
Boston
Jersey
Philly
Chicago
ATL
Miami
Cleveland
Those are your eight playoff teams. Clearly better than the rest, with Toronto perhaps in the mix. The Knicks were dumb. VERY dumb. Three unprotected picks, which will likely be in the late teens, early-to-mid 20s? You make that trade for Mitchell. Dumb non-move, IMO for Leon Rose and the Knicks. If Mitchell was 29, then no. But he's TWENTY-FIVE (25). He's young! So silly.
Cleveland really improved, and kudos to Ainge...13 first rounders in the next 6 drafts. Utah may not be good this year, but they have reset themselves for the future completely.
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I think that Mitchell may be a tad overrated but the Cavaliers still look awesome. A bit of a missed opportunity by LeBron, he could have just let his old contract expire then sign back with Cleveland on a discount and I don't think anyone would have cared. This team with LeBron would be a force to reckon with. That said, I do think that without LeBron, they're a lot more fun and honestly their younger core probably wouldn't want him. More fun to do it on your own.
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I like this trade more for the Jazz to be honest. Mitchell is a good, not great, player. He tends to become a black hole on offense and is a below average defender. It’s no secret Mitchell and Gobert didn’t get along in Utah and I’d be concerned about that possibly happening in Cleveland, where it seems that young core has good chemistry.
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I think that Mitchell may be a tad overrated but the Cavaliers still look awesome. A bit of a missed opportunity by LeBron, he could have just let his old contract expire then sign back with Cleveland on a discount and I don't think anyone would have cared. This team with LeBron would be a force to reckon with. That said, I do think that without LeBron, they're a lot more fun and honestly their younger core probably wouldn't want him. More fun to do it on your own.
LBJ - he's not leaving LA until his final year to just go play on a minimum deal with his son for one season. All his business/entertainment stuff is more easily accessible in LA. I get why he did it. Honestly, he's done with the Cavs. He hates the owner. Wouldn't surprise me if he tried to buy that franchise when Gilbert decides to sell.
re: trade - T-ski, not sure I agree. Mitchell is a *special* scorer. Yes, I agree he becomes a bit of a black hole on offense. But he's that gifted that it doesn't matter. Defensively, he's usually guarding a SG, who generally have four inches in height and about 25 lbs. on him. So he's exposed. Frankly, Cleveland should be concerned about that. Garland and Mitchell are great, but they aren't Thomas and Dumars defensively.
The chemistry thing. I guess we'll see. I thought Gobert was the issue in Utah. That is one thing that worries me about him in Minnesota. The Wolves has TREMENDOUS chemistry last year. I'm hoping Gobert transitions in well...
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I agree Mitchell has "special" capabilities. I remember the "bubble" playoff series with Denver in 2020.....he and Jamal Murray put on a DISPLAY. One game in particular...I think they both scored 50+ points....it was ridiculous. And it wasn't bad defense....both of those guys were just locked in and literally unstoppable. They were shooting Dame Lillard/Steph Curry range 3's....and off balance and guys hanging all over them.
That said, I also see why some think he is a bit overrated. He can be VERY streaky shooting from the field....and has some stretches where he shoots like 3-15 or 4-14 for a few games. Scorers have that mentality to shoot themselves out of that, and eventually he does. And once in awhile, even the best scorers will struggle. But having several of those kind of games a season....or worse, in the playoffs.....can really be detrimental.
Of course, not always his fault 100%. He's not that selfish per se, I think he just feels like sometimes he needs to be the guy....and other players just stand around and watch. When he's on, he can carry you. If not, the Jazz were beatable....and that's a large part of why they busted this thing up with a fire sale.
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Durant crying that he got a 96 rating in NBA 2K23 video game and he called it, laughable. Only higher was Giannis at 97.
KD is a tall baby.
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KD is a whiny little POOOO SAAAAAY. And while I would need a ladder, i'd say it to his face. He's exactly what's wrong with today's nba player.
From my Timberwolves fan perspective, I still don't understand why Karl-Anthony Towns is rated an 89. The guy was all-nba and had yet ANOTHER incredible season, for a playoff team. I just don't get it. The rest of the Wolves rankings I think are fair. Gobert - 88, Anthony Edwards - 86, DLO - 82. I think Edwards will be 90 next season. Wait til you guys see the leap he's made. Been following him all summer. He looks INCREDIBLE.
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Durant crying that he got a 96 rating in NBA 2K23 video game and he called it, laughable. Only higher was Giannis at 97.
KD is a tall baby.
I feel like this comes up every year. There is some player who is not happy with his rating in a video game...talk about ego.
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It's the second highest rating this year. He's equal with Curry and James at 96. What a whinny, selfish person.
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Klay Thompson only got a 86 in 3-pt rating (only 83 overall), while Curry got a 96. Now that's laughable.
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Klay Thompson only got a 86 in 3-pt rating (only 83 overall), while Curry got a 96. Now that's laughable.
Not really. He shot 38.5 percent from 3 last year, and is coming off an injury. I fully expect Klay to improve this year, and probably be an 86 next year. But he's also going to be 33.
I probably would have kept his 3 pt rating the same, but made his overall about the same as that - 85ish.
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Great news! Sarver says he is starting the selling process of the Suns and Mercury... I can come up with about $4000... you guys come up with another $1B or so, cool?
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34636682/robert-sarver-says-starting-process-sell-nba-phoenix-suns-wnba-phoenix-mercury (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34636682/robert-sarver-says-starting-process-sell-nba-phoenix-suns-wnba-phoenix-mercury)
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I'm in for 10 large. But we gotta trade for Towns and Edwards. :lol
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Uh oh, Ime Udoka got some explaining to do.
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Uh oh, Ime Udoka got some explaining to do.
Idiot. Did he not pay attention to the Gerrson Rosas debacle in Minny? :facepalm: :loser:
As much as Rosas is raked over the coals (and deservedly so) for cheating on his wife with a Wolves employee, I do have to credit him - he made all the right moves to get the Wolves in the position they find themselves in today. I haven't forgotten that, and he deserves the credit for it. But he's obviously a scumbag on the personal front, and apparently he made life miserable for the front office staff. The vibe is so much better today, I'm told.
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It has to be more than just breaking a clause for dating a work staff employee. To talk a full year there has to be more to it. Especially when the team is on the cusp of winning it all.
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It has to be more than just breaking a clause for dating a work staff employee. To talk a full year there has to be more to it. Especially when the team is on the cusp of winning it all.
Not necessarily. Rosas did the same thing. Cheated on his wife with a team employee. There is precedent. Minnesota outright fired Rosas. Boston is doing its coach a favor by only suspending him a year (if that is indeed the case).
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So, this Udoka story has been a strange one. Nothing happened today. Zero news after the Woj Bomb last night.
I wonder if they've spent the day negotiating a termination settlement, be it a team term or a resignation/agreement.
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Sounds like he doesn't want to leave. We need more info.
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Sounds like he doesn't want to leave. We need more info.
Or he wants his money.
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I need more info. It's all speculation right now.
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It's official. Suspended for the season.
WOW!
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Talk about fucking up your career.
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I'm torn on this.
First off - scumbag for cheating on his wife. There's no getting around that.
BUT...while I can appreciate there was allegedly a policy in place to not get involved romantically with staff, that's really personal business and has no impact on his ability to coach. Rosas was terminated not only because he cheated on his wife with a team employee, but because he was allegedly a tyrant and bully to his staff and threatened them to keep them quiet.
Udoka, however, if all he did was sleep with another team employee...I get violating a policy. But it seems a bit over the top from a basketball perspective. How is that going to impact things from a team/basketball standpoint. I mean, you hear of office romances all the time. It generally doesn't impact things.
I don't know. I mean, yes, he's a scumbag for cheating on his wife. But to suspend him just because that cheating was with a team employee? That seems fishy. I mean, if he's off banging a stripper on the side, not affiliated with the Celtics, this suspension doesn't happen...
See below.
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He's not married. There seems to be more to it.
(https://i.postimg.cc/RVJqX568/Screenshot-20220923-104142-Twitter.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/w7H6jrkc)
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Brian, this isn’t some small thing about an office affair. No way in hell he gets suspended for that. I think what we’ll find is that there was something a lot uglier than that going on. I think the only reason he’s not fired is that his and their lawyers haven’t been able to hammer out an exit/ settlement. The suspension buys them time to do just that.
The Code Of Conduct thing is really just a blanket statement. He don’t just break a simple rule.
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He's not married. There seems to be more to it.
(https://i.postimg.cc/RVJqX568/Screenshot-20220923-104142-Twitter.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/w7H6jrkc)
Ah, okay. That's good to know then. I retract my comment. Unwanted is a big deal. Glad he got suspended.
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The media day was barely completed and I've already found more issues on the NBA app across all platforms than the Lakers' roster. And I spent a good 35 mins doing a live chat with their customer support last night, and as expected they couldn't resolve it right there. :\ First of all, they have once again changed the entire interface of the app, I think they have been doing that 4 years in a row already. This time the app is built by Microsoft... double :\
AppleTV:
- NBA TV channel doesn't play
- Older games say they are the full game, but in fact they are just full game highlights; and I could not figure out how to switch between game recaps, highlights and full games
- The game schedule goes as far back as the 90's (per my testing), and you could see scores and all, but obviously those games ain't available
Android phone app:
Maybe the more "stable version" of all, but I still have to uninstall and reinstall it before it works properly. At least I figured out how to switch between condensed games and full length games; and they play like normal.
iPad app:
- Uninstalled and reinstalled, but it still works funny.
- Didn't check NBA TV channel
- Some older games (I randomly checked like 4) play fine, and I could switch between condensed and full game. But, there are other random games from the same season just would NOT play whatsoever, and the error message looks weird. It either says there is an error, or it would say country restrictions (what?). But the same exactly game plays fine on my phone app!
Browser version:
It simply looks too ugly and I didn't even bother to explore too much, but at first glance some features on the app ain't available on the browser. :\
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I know it is just the pre-season and the starters all barely played 20 minutes each; but how could the Suns lost to the Adelaide 36ers at home? :lol
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My NBA season pass renewed, and I'm terrified to open the app tomorrow for the first preseason game. Absolutely terrified. :lol
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My NBA season pass renewed, and I'm terrified to open the app tomorrow for the first preseason game. Absolutely terrified. :lol
Don't be afraid, just know this new app sucks! Sure, they have done some updates since I complained last week, but there are still various minor issues on both the iPad and AppleTV versions. For example, you can never turn OFF captions on the iPad, nor scroll the stats freely when the game is on like in the last version. For AppleTV, I still cannot figure out or find out how you can choose between "Home" and "Away" broadcast. I just sent them my THIRD email in a week just now. Microsoft sucks at building apps, why don't y'all just stick with making PC OS and Office? :lol
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I get home a half-hour before the Wolves tip in Miami tonight. Hoping it'll be pain-free getting things going again. :lol
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Love Giannis…
https://twitter.com/ballislife/status/1577287731217981440?s=61&t=aycGbYRep7LF6wqwuoQ0pw
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Maybe that's why everyone needs the pre-season :lol The Nuggets announcer mistakenly introduced DeAndre Jordan as DeAndre Ayton. :facepalm:
https://bit.ly/3ytorNy
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His reaction :rollin
Surprised there hasn't been much talk about Green's punch. I think I'm more annoyed that it seems the warriors were trying to keep it hidden and were annoyed the video got out. If it was just an argument sure, but it was physical, and I honestly think Green should be suspended for a few games there.
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Green should be suspended more than a few games, he flat out sucker punched Poole. And the Warriors focusing on the video leak more than the punch itself is some real bullshit.
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There isn't much to say. Green is a POS and that has been obvious to anyone paying attention for years now. I wasn't the least bit surprised when I saw the video.
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Green is the odd man out for a contract extension in the Bay Area before this incident. Whatever he did was not right, but I bet he just felt frustrated at the management for possibly giving Poole a healthy extension, and took it out on JP.
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There isn't much to say. Green is a POS and that has been obvious to anyone paying attention for years now. I wasn't the least bit surprised when I saw the video.
Green is a dirty player we all know that, and he likes to talk a lot of crap, but that's usually against opponents. I wasn't surprised to hear he did something stupid again, but I was shocked it was against his own teammate. I'm sure they'll be fine once the season starts.
On that note, I used to try an go to NBA games at least once or twice a year. It's been a while though since I've been to a game (last game I went to was Knicks Vs. Bucks in 2017/18 season), and damn tickets prices are ridiculous. I know I checked in previous years and it was already getting pricey but pretty much any Knicks or Nets game you are looking to spend a minimum of $150 for horrible seats. Any descent seats are $300 and up.
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Not going to comment on the punch itself, since drawing conclusions and making judgments about something we know very little about isn't really beneficial to anyone. But I am a bit confused about anyone having a beef with the Warriors taking issue with the leak. What happened within the team during a closed team practice isn't anyone's business outside the team. That is 100% a private team matter and only a team matter. Why shouldn't the team and the Warriors organization be concerned about the leak? ???
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While a key cog on the Warriors, Draymond Green is an average NBA player at best. All this talk about him being a "HOFer" is ridiculous. Should he have his number retired by the Warriors? Yes. Is he one of the key players on their championship teams? Absolutely. But when he doesn't have HOF players around him, he's honestly not much more than a role player.
...and I say all that to illustrate the point Poole made. "Mr. Triple-Single." Poole wasn't wrong. Should he have said it? Probably not, but that's what young guys do. Draymond, who obviously knows he's not all that, and he's trying to get a pay day (and BTW, they should absolutely pay Poole before they even think about paying Draymond), got heated and snapped.
Yes, back in the day, stuff like that happened all the time in NBA locker rooms and practices. Guys wrestled on the floor at some point. But here in 2022, that stuff is a big no-no with all the money invested in players. Draymond likes to think of himself as a smart player. Well, his reaction was not smart at all.
Frankly, I hope the Warriors suspend him without pay for a 1/4 of the season. They won't, but they should. And they absolutely SHOULD NOT resign Green. Just let him walk when his contract is up. One of the most overrated players in NBA history.
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While a key cog on the Warriors, Draymond Green is an average NBA player at best. All this talk about him being a "HOFer" is ridiculous. Should he have his number retired by the Warriors? Yes. Is he one of the key players on their championship teams? Absolutely. But when he doesn't have HOF players around him, he's honestly not much more than a role player.
Hard to say exactly where he's at now, but at his peak, he was one of the top-five defenders in the league and a 40% three-point shooter. In the modern era, there are few players more valuable than that, IMO. I think he's a weird example of someone who is invaluable to good teams but kind of useless to bad ones, partly because you know he's going to mail it in and gain 20 pounds like the did in 2020. :lol
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While a key cog on the Warriors, Draymond Green is an average NBA player at best. All this talk about him being a "HOFer" is ridiculous. Should he have his number retired by the Warriors? Yes. Is he one of the key players on their championship teams? Absolutely. But when he doesn't have HOF players around him, he's honestly not much more than a role player.
Hard to say exactly where he's at now, but at his peak, he was one of the top-five defenders in the league and a 40% three-point shooter. In the modern era, there are few players more valuable than that, IMO. I think he's a weird example of someone who is invaluable to good teams but kind of useless to bad ones, partly because you know he's going to mail it in and gain 20 pounds like the did in 2020. :lol
He was a good three-point shooter in 2015-2016, at 38.8 percent. That was the highest of his career. Here are the seasons SINCE that:
30.8
30.1
28.5
27.9
27.0
29.6
He is worthless from an offensive standpoint, except as an offense initiator. And to be honest, they have four other guys (Steph, Klay, Wiggins, Poole) who at this point, can do it way better.
As for defense, again, he was a good defender six years ago. No one is scared of Draymond Green's defense in the last several years.
OVER. RATED.
From 2014-2018, he was a really good defender and a plus, offensively. But since then, quite frankly, he's been trash.
I've seen him play a LOT these past few years. He's just not that good. Not anymore.
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Yes, back in the day, stuff like that happened all the time in NBA locker rooms and practices. Guys wrestled on the floor at some point. But here in 2022, that stuff is a big no-no with all the money invested in players. Draymond likes to think of himself as a smart player. Well, his reaction was not smart at all.
While I acknowledge that things are different now than in the past in MANY respects, I disagree with the implication that things that happened all the time "back in the day" don't still happen regularly today. Quite a few players have come forward in the past few days and either implied or outright said that fistfights among teammates happen all the time and typically are not a big deal. We just don't hear about them because that kind of dirty laundry happens behind closed doors. I'm not condoning it, and I'm not saying these players do either (I think most of them don't). Just saying, it has always happened and still does, and it isn't nearly as shocking as a lot of fan reaction might suggest.
As far as him being "smart," I'll just say that really smart people do really stupid things all the time. For all that I've seen and heard from Green, I think he has FAR above average basketball smarts and above average street smarts. But he also does some really stupid things. And agreed that this is one of them.
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There isn't much to say. Green is a POS and that has been obvious to anyone paying attention for years now. I wasn't the least bit surprised when I saw the video.
Green is a dirty player we all know that, and he likes to talk a lot of crap, but that's usually against opponents. I wasn't surprised to hear he did something stupid again, but I was shocked it was against his own teammate. I'm sure they'll be fine once the season starts.
Well, let's not forget that he pretty much drove Kevin Durant, his teammate at the time, out of Golden St. by running his mouth, so teammates are not immune to his absurdity, although I doubt he'd ever go at Steph or Klay. Granted, Durant is soft as Charmin, so it doesn't much to send him away pouting, but with Durant and now Poole, it's a trend.
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Not going to comment on the punch itself, since drawing conclusions and making judgments about something we know very little about isn't really beneficial to anyone. But I am a bit confused about anyone having a beef with the Warriors taking issue with the leak. What happened within the team during a closed team practice isn't anyone's business outside the team. That is 100% a private team matter and only a team matter. Why shouldn't the team and the Warriors organization be concerned about the leak? ???
because it seems to be the organization deflecting from the actual punch, which in a lot of peoples eyes is a much worse offense than the leaked video.
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There's an awful lot wrapped up in that kind of thinking that is strange and out of place, so I'll just leave it at that.
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Not going to comment on the punch itself, since drawing conclusions and making judgments about something we know very little about isn't really beneficial to anyone. But I am a bit confused about anyone having a beef with the Warriors taking issue with the leak. What happened within the team during a closed team practice isn't anyone's business outside the team. That is 100% a private team matter and only a team matter. Why shouldn't the team and the Warriors organization be concerned about the leak? ???
because it seems to be the organization deflecting from the actual punch, which in a lot of peoples eyes is a much worse offense than the leaked video.
Well, yeah, assault is obviously way worse than the leaking of the video. The Warriors are just mad because now the public saw what happened, so they can't blow it off with "it was a minor altercation that we are handling internally" anymore since everyone with two eyes saw that it was Green literally assaulting someone, something that would get most people fired from their jobs and placed under arrest, but the entitled NBA star will get a slap on the wrist as if nothing happened. Count on it.
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That's a pretty disingenuous distortion of the facts.
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Well, Green is expected to play in tomorrow's preseason game (last before the season starts), so I as mentioned above, I'm sure they'll be fine once the season starts.
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Timberwolves World Champs 2023!!!
:lol
Preseason is preseason. It means nothing. Wolves 4-0, with their starting lineup yet to play a game together. I also noticed...they aren't revealing their offense. It has pretty much been a free-for-all except for a few minutes to start each half.
What I love about the Wolves is how under-the-radar, but incredibly deep, their bench is. EVERYONE thinks they gave up all their bench depth. ha ha ha. The bench is BETTER this year. The team is legit 11-guys deep. Guys like Naz Reid should be starting this year, but he's going to struggle to get over 20-25 minutes because of Towns and Gobert. What a great problem to have. Taurean Prince can do everything asked of him. Jaylen Nowell, a guy most people haven't heard of, is a legit sixth man who is incredibly versatile.
I mean:
C -Gobert
PF - Towns
SF - McDaniels (he will be incredible this year with his defense and shooting)
SG - Edwards
PG - Russell
C - Naz Reid
PF - Kyle Anderson
SF - Taurean Prince
SG - Jaylen Nowell
PG - Jordan McLaughlin (incredible ball handler, passer, and intense defender)
11th - Bryn Forbes (Chris Finch needs to find him time because of his shooting - just not sure whose minutes will suffer for it)
I could go deeper, but the point is...it is an exciting time to be a Timberwolves fan. I've been a fan since the expansion season of 89-90 and my guy, Tony Campbell. This is, to my eyes, the deepest squad the Timberwolves have ever had, including the KG-playoffs teams.
They won't win the chip this year, but they are going to turn a lot of heads. By next season, if these 11 guys are retained (Russell needs to be resigned, as does Naz Reid and Jaylen Nowell), a run at the title isn't far off.
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And the season is here, might stay up tonight to watch the Lakers-GSW game. As long as he plays 55 games, I think we'll see Lebron break the all-time scoring record this season. I expect Klay Thompson to have a comeback year, and probably make the all-star team again. Should be a fun season :corn
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#BucksInSix
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And the season is here, might stay up tonight to watch the Lakers-GSW game. As long as he plays 55 games, I think we'll see Lebron break the all-time scoring record this season. I expect Klay Thompson to have a comeback year, and probably make the all-star team again. Should be a fun season :corn
Such a LONG season. Sitting here getting ready for the Dubs to kick it off. Just had an awesome ring/banner raising ceremony pre-game, and it was awesome to see Steph and Draymond arm in arm, posing for the camera with their rings, and smiling. With all the vets healthy and the youngsters having developed a LOT during the summer, it's hard not to have big expectations for these guys. I like Warriors v. Bucks in the finals.
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Bucks aren't going to the finals.
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Bucks aren't going to the finals.
I hope to revisit this in June.
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Bucks aren't going to the finals.
I hope to revisit this in June.
Game 3 pregame meetup at your place? I'll bring the snacks.
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James Harden shimmied before taking a three and then missed everything! :lol
Then when my Lakers couldn’t sink a 3 in the 1st qtr and barely tying the game after 1, I just knew we would lose and I decided to go to sleep (it was 4am here in the UK). Best decision I made this week, lol. :lol
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Bucks aren't going to the finals.
I hope to revisit this in June.
Game 3 pregame meetup at your place? I'll bring the snacks.
I’ll have some legendary Spotted Cow chilling in the fridge.
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Don't ask Tim to bring beers. He'll disappoint you.
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Okay, as we start the season, here are my predictions for the Wolves:
51-31 - will lose in WC semi-finals
Karl Anthony Towns - 24/9/6
Anthony Edwards - 26/4/4
Both will be all stars.
Chris Finch will finish runner-up for Coach of the Year.
D'Angelo Russell will average 17 pts/9 asts
Rudy Gobert will average 11 pts/13 rbs/2.5 blocks
Go Wolves!
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That would be a good outcome for them.
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Going to be a great battle for the #1 seed in the East between the Bucks and the C's.
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Going to be a great battle for the #1 seed in the East between the Bucks and the C's.
Agreed. Those are looking to be two really good teams again. Should be a fun season.
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And...congrats to your first place Timberwolves, currently tied for an NBA best record with the world championship Golden State Warriors! :victorydance:
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And...congrats to your first place Timberwolves, currently tied for an NBA best record with the world championship Golden State Warriors! :victorydance:
A tale of two halves. At the end of Q2, the Timberwolves looked like a juggernaut. Just pure domination on both ends of the floor. Then they got outscored 35-22 in Q3 and had to fight off the scrappy Thunder for the W. No one could shoot in the second half. Wolves got lucky. Gobert was dominant, and while he only got credited with one block, he altered probably 10 shots that ended up missing. Sadly, Towns and Edwards had off nights shooting. But passing-wise, my goodness. Towns had 7 dimes and so did Edwards.
Hoping we can fend off Utah on Friday and get to 2-0 to start the year. But the Jazz are another scrappy team with a couple of guys (Beasley and Vanderbilt) who have an axe to grind about getting traded this summer. So I am sure it will be another dogfight.
This experiment is really going to work though with the Wolves and two centers. After watching the clunky last preseason game, and then the opening half (the second half was all about poor Wolves shooting), Finch has it figured out. If those second half shots drop at a 45 percent clip, we blow the Thunder out by 20+. If the team stays healthy, it's going to be a lot better than people think.