Man, a playoff where both Lakers and Clippers could potentially be out in the first round and Embiid tears a meniscus, basically makes this a championship that's the Nets' to lose. Hopefully the Bucks give them a run for their money.
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Man, a playoff where both Lakers and Clippers could potentially be out in the first round and Embiid tears a meniscus, basically makes this a championship that's the Nets' to lose. Hopefully the Bucks give them a run for their money.
A lot of injuries this season and playoffs. Have to wonder if short turnaround time between last year's playoffs and new season along with condensed schedule had something to do with it. Is it a coincidence that this year's top seeds (Utah, Phx, Bklyn) either didn't even make playoffs or were eliminated in 1st round last year? I don't ever recall a season where the top seeds from both conferences jumping from 8th seed or no playoffs the season before. Heat and lakers going from finals to potential first round exits further proves that point. Finals didn't finish til October!
While I thought the play in tourney was fun and made things interesting the timing of introducing that tourney in a condensed and short turnaround season wasn't the smartest idea.
For these reasons the people that claim Laker/Heat finals last year was a fluke (Bubble heat, Lemickey, etc) need to check themselves.
I like the play in, gives the end of the season some meaning. Otherwise, teams have been taking the last month~ of the season off forever.
Could be some close out games tonight!
Well last year Utah was a .5 game away from being the 4th seed, instead they were the 6th and got to face a pretty deep Nuggets team. Not to mention they overall are a young team and each year the stars keep improving more. Mitchell/Goberts play is shown in the record.
Suns picked up CP3 who carried that awful Thunder team last year, and he brought not only talent but helped that team so huge. Booker was played like a disgruntled all-star, now he's not cause he has talent. Also, young team like above, players keep improving.
And I really can't believe you included the Nets in that "coincidence". I'd say having a guy many have argued for the last 5 years as the 1A/1B best player in the NBA discussion not be on the bench injured, plus a healthy Kyrie, oh and that other guy that has an MVP to his name.
Fluke, not a word I'd use over a stretch of time. A fortunate set of circumstances... yes. Heat got very lucky with who they were matched up on, and a few guys played the games of their life for a stretch (Herro is an easy target, considering Miami wouldn't trade him for Harden, that one must hurt Riley watching now). LeBitchflop at his older age got a ton of rest in so he was primed for a run, same with AD who when healthy is a monster but clearly has a track record for injuries, much like Embiid. Also add in that the Heats big deadline transaction is out for the season and the Bucks roster was changed enough that the Heat couldn't lock down Greek like they did last year.
I don't have the full statistics of injuries but I don't really see this season being too much different than the norm, it seems every year a few major stars are hurt, this one being not much different except that if its LeBitchflop all eyes are on him and the lakers so it gets blown up big.
Injuries are always a factor during playoffs. The only real surprise is the Jamal Murray injury really hurts their chances of being a serious threat. Everyone else who's gotten hurt are the same guys who've had a history of getting hurt. Embiid, Davis and Paul (especially noted in the playoffs) are all guys that have missed extended periods throughout their careers.
Y'all crazy if you don't think ~6 week offseason + condensed schedule doesn't affect the quality of games. Lebron getting older but he's never been out as long as he has this past regular season. Luka, Mitchell, Morant, Murray, Jaylen Brown all young players with serious injuries at some points of the season.
On a different topic I don't understand the Lebron hate. Undeniably one of the best players ever and people still bashing him at the tail end of his career. I was a hater as much as anyone during his 'decison' and Miami years cuz it was just anticompetitive behavior but going back to win a ring in Cleveland was incredible. I understand the drama and stories are a part of the game but at some point you gotta appreciate the greatness in front of you instead of treating it like its WWE.
When I think of serious injury, I'm thinking like half a season + or out indefinitely so yes. Jamal counts and Jaylen one later in the season. But the other guys didn't miss too much time. Also Morants play reminds me of D.Rose back in the day, he's bound to get hurt with his style and lots of people already warned him. The condensed offseason + schedule for sure threw some things off but they also had a huge time off prior to etc. It'll be back to roughly normal next season. But he's also 36 years old 18 seasons deep, even a specimen like he is will eventually break down its inevitable.
As for the hate on him, I could post so much shit over the years. I liked him when he was younger but basically since the decision and his ego inflated, nah. Guy manufactured all his championships by jumping ship and every time leaving the team in a bad spot with all the transactions he forced upon management (Cavs got screwed with so many contracts and zero picks). Dude is a beast but flops and cries for calls all the time. I could paste up many memes from his champion speech vs Toews of times he said I/me. His self proclaimed goat clip etc. but no point in wasting anymore time. Guy is top 5 all time, won't argue it, he's had huge impact on the game and is a challenge for tons of teams/players. But those are some of your common why do I hate LBJ comments from the majority of people.
I'll toss just these recent ones cause the guy chat is divided having a major LBJ homer, some middles and some haters. We brought these up and that's just going back a week or two.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPO8qD-t...dium=copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPQvt-6p...dium=copy_link
LBJ will just recruit Kawhi for next season and Demar will replace Kawhi across town lol
I was really hoping the Mavs would win, but the Clippers were the better team.
I was hoping the Mavs would also win. Luka is a very special player, and the Mavs have some real work to do in the offseason. Already more rumors about KP not happy about his role etc.
Nets were pretty dominate in game one, even with Harden out. I think the Bucks can win that series though but they'll have to play better than game 1.
Suns / Nuggets should be a good series. No way Ayton is stopping Joker but they have multiple wings to throw at MPJ.
Really enjoying the playoffs this year.
That was Raptors Kawhi out there for game 6 and 7, legendary performance. I am also sad that the Mavs are out as I picked them to win in my bracket. Get Luka some help on that team and get rid of KP, he's a bum haha.
most exciting playoffs in a while
https://i.postimg.cc/3J6Qcxkc/unnamed-2.jpg
Harden is going to miss another game but hopefully they win again today against the Bucks.
Doncic and Porzingis chemistry doesn't look to be doing well although P didnt perform very well the last 2 games.
If the Mavs got the KP that played for the Knicks, things would be different but they didn't.
I don't like Trae Young very much but he's been playing very well throughout these playoffs, even though the Hawks almost gave game 1 away. That Trae / Luka draft trade doesn't look as terrible now considering how the Hawks have been built. They're a better team than the Mavs.
Durant playing 48 minutes and having an all time game last night.
Bucks gave the game away, when the Bucks lose this series coach bud is gone.
insane game by Durant yesterday, glad to see Harden back as well, with Kyrie injured the team needed the morale boost of Harden showing up as well.
sad to see the Nuggets getting swept by the Suns but Jokic didn't really get much help from the team.
Hawk vs 76ers and Clippers vs Jazz are getting spicy, don't know who to cheer for as in the end I want the Nets to win with Suns and Clippers next.
76ers have the tools to go further than the Hawks I think. Nets vs 76ers eastern conference would be really good.
Suns vs Clippers would be a great series but I'd rather have the Jazz take out the clippers.
Looks like Kawhi is out next game so they don't have their clutch player at least for one game, possibly the whole series.
76ers need Joel to be healthy but I want them to beat the Hawks. As good as Trae is, I dislike him. Imagine how good the Hawks would be if that Luka/Trae trade never happened.
Mike might be back for the Jazz tonight, they could really use another creator to get Donovan off the ball and in actions.
Paul out with health and safety protocols too, could be something to watch for the WCF.
Crazy playoffs :nut: So many injuries.
Told all you keyboard warriors that we're getting an inferior product this season. How do you not appreciate the strain of a normal season + playoffs and then compound that with 6 week offseason and condensed schedule? Now its Kawhi, Harden, Irving, Embiid, Conley and it keeps going. IF you're gonna say bubble season was a fluke then this season is even more so.
Lebron just went on a twitter rant about the same topic. His message aside the people calling out his ability to construct a proper English sentence is :rofl: Its funny cuz when you read it in James' voice it makes sense but if you read it in anyone else's voice its pure illiteracy. What the hell is RIM REST? :rofl::rofl::rofl:
Still really on the fence about this.
Kyrie's injury is a freak accident. Shit like that happens all the time.
Embiid, Davis and Paul (for his shoulder not the new COVID issue) have a history of injury problems. Paul, moreso during the playoffs.
Lebron can be chalked up to mileage. Yeah, he spends $1M every year on maintenance but he's increasingly asked to do more for longer periods by his teams. That shit is bound to catch up regardless of how much money he spends. Harden is very much in the same boat, though there's no news on how much he spends on body maintenance. He's a very durable guy (and plays practically every game), but he also shouldered a very heavy load for the majority of his career in Houston.
WCF Suns vs Clippers, LAC team stepped up especially PG while Kawhi is injured.
EC are all going to game 7, will be an exciting weekend
Wild. KD oh so close (not the air ball) The Bucks should steam roll the rest of the way? :nut:
Bucks vs Suns final I'm hoping for
2 game 7's on the weekend were instant classics with the favorites in both series lost on their home floor. With how unpredictable this playoffs has been nothing is a lock. One of the few silver linings of so many injuries knocking out the favorites has been the unpredictability of the playoffs. My least favorite part of NBA is the predictability of the season. You typically know who's going to play in the finals at the start of the season and there's only a small handful of interesting/meaningful games in the playoffs. The last championship of the remaining 4 teams was 50 years ago.
What a disaster Simmons has been but its been fascinating to watch arguably one of the best players in the league afraid to shoot or even dunk the ball. That guy needs a new city and some counselling.
That makes sense. I just don't like him, he's talented though. Maybe I'll like him more when he can't hunt for fouls with "unnatural movements" anymore.
Raps should sign and trade Lowry for Simmons since his value hasn't been this low ever haha.
Draft lottery night, along with game 2 suns / clips
Lol so clippers gonna try to come back from 0-2 again, again? What an ending tho
Drafts are notorious for being a crapshoot. You used to be guaranteed a franchise star with the 1st pick every other year or so but its been even more unpredictable lately. Last couple years you had #1 picks like Fultz and Ayton drafted over Tatum and Doncic. There's a star somewhere in the draft but nearly impossible to say where. Raps' thing is drafting and developing under the radar int'l prospects anyway.
David Stern must be rolling in his grave with all these small market teams in the conf finals. Clips are a small market to me since very few ppl in LA follow them.
That's basically sports in general though. There's a huge amount of luck in determining how a player's career plays out. Factor in that bad teams/organizations get the best prospect, it can be a stacked deck against a prospect to actually succeed. The best thing a top prospect can ask for is that a good team gets decimated by injury that forces them to tank for the year (like the Raptors, for example) and end up in the lottery.
FVV is an allstar!
Trade season is upon us:
Clips get - Norman Powell & Robert Covington
Portland - gets Keon Johnson, Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, 2025 second-round pick (via DET)
Does Ben Simmons finally get traded?
Just under a week left before the deadline.
Wow nice upgrade for the clips. None of those players were in their rotation. Looks like Portland are starting a tank job for a draft pick or Lillard gets traded at some point.
- - - Updated - - -
David Stern :bigpimp:
official now? Nets getting Simmons and Sixers getting Harden?
Raps are rolling, went 5-1 on their road trip. Hoping they can at least jump the cavs for the 6 seed and stay out of the play in.
Tons of big individual scoring lately, Lebron, Irving, Towns etc all going for 50+
Lakers such crap, how did they get so bad with a decent roster?
That's what happens when you put a bunch of old/fragile prima donna's together.
Recently was in LA to watch a couple games. Lakers are indeed trash, their effort is like a roller coaster ride with the highs and lows. They shouldn't of ever traded for Westbrook. That killed what depth they had for a player that will never work with how they play, regardless of Davis being hurt or not.
Westbrook is getting so much hate and deservedly so. The worst player with good stats ever. Horrible attitude too and refuses to change his playing style (just stop shooting 3's). By all accounts he's had a horrendous year but if you look back he's on par with his career stats in terms of efficiency (FG%, 3PT%, TO's). Very surprised when they traded for him in how bad it looked on paper and its played out exactly like everyone thought it would. AD signing was slightly better but he doesn't seem to be a franchise guy either. His teams have always been awful before coming to LA. If I had to pick between AD and RW I'd still go with AD but neither are players to build a franchise around. At least LA won a ring with AD so you could call it a success.
Melo and Westbrook are also both toxic prima donnas that never won anything.
Westbrook to Knicks in the offseason or another team like that, that isn't going to compete for anything but a play-in type spot at best.
If AD could stay healthy the Lakers would be much better, he's an elite type player but I agree he's not a franchise kind of guy. In all honesty, there are not many true franchise guys.
I think the biggest mistake the Lakers made was letting Caillou walk, great for the Bulls though.
Makes you wonder if management is earning their pay when they sign dudes like this.
Westbrook is a brutal fit on this team and just not to be showing any effort, making over 40m this year. Crazy.
His market value is tanking this year.
Unfortunately he showed up for few minutes last night and beat the Raps last night :thumbsdow
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Playoffs basically locked in minus play-in stuff.
I like the raps playing 76ers. Convincing win the other night without FVV & OG.
Best option in for the Raps playing 76ers, they seem to have issues with the Celtics.
Sixers are the best matchups out of all the potential. Like any team, they're terrified of what happens if Embiid and Harden get hot. Embiid is virtually guaranteed to go off, but Harden has struggled more than you'd since he joined the Sixers. Plus, the federal vaccine requirement is probably one of the more odd, but kinda funny, competitive edges a team could have.
It's going to keep their best perimeter defender out of the games in Toronto. As long as Harden doesn't regain form, I really think the Raps can win the series and even if he does they have multiple guys to show different looks. Raps have no one to guard Embiid 1 on 1, see if the regular season success carries over. (3-1 in favor of Raps)
Bucks sweep Bulls?
Celtics should take Nets
If Luka isn't 100%, Jazz should win.
Grizz & Twolves will be fun - Grizz should win
GS & Nuggets - Steph is apparently good to go, Joker will dominate.. picking GS to win
Raps got rolled last night.
Jazz won, Mavs were close all game without Luka.
Twolves looked like the better team, still will be a good series.
GS wins, Joker has too much of a burden without the other top players (Murray / MPJ).
didnt get to watch the game but Suns lost game 2? nice
Booker left in 3rd quarter and didn't come back, hamstring injury.
dayum Nets got swept, Boston is a really good team this year. Raptors doing well. With Booker injured, Pelicans are hanging on.
The Raptors are so funny to watch because there's so little emotion coming from it's core 7-8 players. Barnes is the only person showing any kind of hype and everyone else is just like "zero-fun, sir". Like you'd think Boucher would have some kind of energy after any one of his handful of dunks when Young finds him on the backdoor cut, but it doesn't even seem like Boucher's heart rate went up (I love Boucher by the way).
All business to get back to Toronto!
I hope they make history :D
Boucher isn't my favorite, he generally does okay stuff but he bites too much on D with fakes going for blocks. He's definitely improved with that but still more to go. I don't think the raps resign him unless it's at a market discount.
Boston sweep Nets, can't say I saw that coming before the games started. Tatum playing unreal.
Luka was awesome last night. I think the Jazz blow it up after they lose the series.
Every time Boucher shoots a 3 it looks like he's shooting for the first time in his life.
Does it ever. Weird form, release and terrible spin on the ball. But hey, he's a pro at the highest level, so he's doing something right. :rofl:
Giannis and the Bucks eliminated, there will be a new champ this year. Heat vs Celtics should be good, I think Celtics prevail.
Big game starting soon. I really like Luka but I also want CP3 to win it all....
See what happens!
wtf suns, just wtf