NBA/ Basketball thread

[SerenityNigh]

Mike and Kobe were dominant forces with great players behind them. Lebron Is.

My priors (again), you have to have an elite HOF (top-20 all time, more or less) to win a ring these days. Often it's the best HOF on the court that wins the ring, but obviously we've seen great battles (Magic-Bird, Kobe-Duncan, Lebron-the World).

The Spurs have a system that generally works, though we'll see if they can do it without Duncan in the middle. The '04 Pistons were a thing (admittedly rules have changed since then). So were the Mavs when the Heat failed so spectacularly to begin with. Speaking of, wasn't Wade a shoot-first PG in '06?

Always exceptions, but I'm not sure the Spurs quite fit. My man crush on Kawhi is strong, but he needs another player if he wants to win more rings. That team this year is not good enough.

I agree Russ is unlikely to be the centerpiece of a dynasty. He seems too iconoclastic. But I also wouldn't bet against him stealing a ring in a down year if he ends up on a team that works with him.

Always a chance, but if he can get good talent on the Lakers he'll have his best chance.

Let's not forget he took a team with 73 wins to 7 games with Durant and Ibaka. Outside of those three, it was by no means a great team, as seen this year. We shouldn't downplay how incredible that GS team was, and by proxy how good OKC was, just because LeBron decided that everything mortals wanted was immaterial because it was time for Cleveland to get their ring.

They had some good teams in OKC, just think they had a really good 1-2 with Russ and Durant.

 

[mmmmsnouts]

Speaking of, wasn't Wade a shoot-first PG in '06?

He was a "fly down the lane recklessly and dive into a player and get bailed out with free throws" player in '06. NOT THAT I'M STILL UPSET ABOUT THAT SERIES OR ANYTHING.

 

[RaleighBlue]

He was a "fly down the lane recklessly and dive into a player and get bailed out with free throws" player in '06. NOT THAT I'M STILL UPSET ABOUT THAT SERIES OR ANYTHING.

So...if James Harden existed before we realized that the 3 is the best play in basketball (currently)?

(Not that Harden isn't also amazing, just I hate the throwing himself into people on the 3 pt line and getting gifts...Russ does this as well, but not as effectively.)

 

[SerenityNigh]

So...if James Harden existed before we realized that the 3 is the best play in basketball (currently)?

(Not that Harden isn't also amazing, just I hate the throwing himself into people on the 3 pt line and getting gifts...Russ does this as well, but not as effectively.)

I'm not a fan of the non foul shooting foul.

 

[mmmmsnouts]

So...if James Harden existed before we realized that the 3 is the best play in basketball (currently)?

(Not that Harden isn't also amazing, just I hate the throwing himself into people on the 3 pt line and getting gifts...Russ does this as well, but not as effectively.)

Wade was a poor 3-point shooter, not enough people would guard him out there.

I think the mid-00s with Iverson and Kobe and Wade was the peak of diving down the lane for free throws. The defense couldn't deck them like you could in the old days and refs still gave the big names all the calls no matter what. After Donaghy that started to fade away. It still happens now (Harden) but it was much worse then.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Is Round 2 going to shape up like we expect, or are there any upsets we will see before reaching the Conference Finals?

 

[Azzurri]

Is Round 2 going to shape up like we expect, or are there any upsets we will see before reaching the Conference Finals?

I'm well into this now.

Cavs will sweep the Raptors, maybe drop one game at most. Warriors sweep the Jazz. Spurs beat the Rockets 4-2. Celtics beat the Wizards 4-2.

Is that about right?

 

[Azzurri]

Also, what's the deal with all playoffs being 7 game series? Didn't some used to be 5? And I saw Kenny Smith the other day mention the Knicks beating the Suns 3-0 when Charles Barkley was playing.

What happened there?

 

[SerenityNigh]

I'm well into this now.

Cavs will sweep the Raptors, maybe drop one game at most. Warriors sweep the Jazz. Spurs beat the Rockets 4-2. Celtics beat the Wizards 4-2.

Is that about right?

I think Wizards are better than Celtics, but not confident about that. And these are the closest in talent (and not that great, either.) Celtics had trouble with Bulls' defense, but Wizards don't usually play D, so maybe they'll match up better.

 

[ilikecheese]

Also, what's the deal with all playoffs being 7 game series? Didn't some used to be 5? And I saw Kenny Smith the other day mention the Knicks beating the Suns 3-0 when Charles Barkley was playing.

What happened there?

Changed from 5 game series to 7 game series back in the early 2000's.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Also, what's the deal with all playoffs being 7 game series? Didn't some used to be 5? And I saw Kenny Smith the other day mention the Knicks beating the Suns 3-0 when Charles Barkley was playing.

What happened there?

NBA did 5-game opening/first round series years ago, but it was the old format 1-2-2 (and 2-3-2) in which the higher seed/home team had the first game at home, then went on the road. Turns out several higher seeds would lose the opener and then lose the series going 2 more on the lower seeds' court, so they ditched that and went to 7 games for all rounds.

NBA also moved the 7 game format to 2-2-1-1-1 to give better balance on home court/momentum swings.

 

[Azzurri]

I think Wizards are better than Celtics, but not confident about that. And these are the closest in talent (and not that great, either.) Celtics had trouble with Bulls' defense, but Wizards don't usually play D, so maybe they'll match up better.

I feel like the Wizards have a slightly better back court but aside from maybe Gortat the Celtics are better all round, especially off the bench. Impressed by Thomas last night as I have been all year. Can't see anyone getting near the Cavs, like.

NBA did 5-game opening/first round series years ago, but it was the old format 1-2-2 (and 2-3-2) in which the higher seed/home team had the first game at home, then went on the road. Turns out several higher seeds would lose the opener and then lose the series going 2 more on the lower seeds' court, so they ditched that and went to 7 games for all rounds.

NBA also moved the 7 game format to 2-2-1-1-1 to give better balance on home court/momentum swings.

Ahh I see. That makes sense. Cheers for the info.

 

[iamEverton]

I'm well into this now.

Cavs will sweep the Raptors, maybe drop one game at most. Warriors sweep the Jazz. Spurs beat the Rockets 4-2. Celtics beat the Wizards 4-2.

Is that about right?

Wouldn't count out the Wiz or Rockets. This might be their years
.

.


.

To lose in the conference finals.
Warriors cavs rematch can't wait.

 

[SerenityNigh]

NBA did 5-game opening/first round series years ago, but it was the old format 1-2-2 (and 2-3-2) in which the higher seed/home team had the first game at home, then went on the road. Turns out several higher seeds would lose the opener and then lose the series going 2 more on the lower seeds' court, so they ditched that and went to 7 games for all rounds.

NBA also moved the 7 game format to 2-2-1-1-1 to give better balance on home court/momentum swings.

*not sure what I was thinking, but the 5-game series was 2-2-1 (not 1-2-2). Still, I think what happened is that if the lower seed was able to split the first two games, they had 2 at home and it was thought that this produced more upsets than a 7-game series.

Also, there was less time between games in these series (in part because of fewer travel days).

@Azzurri

 

[ilikecheese]

What the hell happened last night @SerenityNigh? I didn't see the game.