Official NBA Thread

[sexualbanana]

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AD needs to dominate Draymond and Looney and put up bigger numbers than he did vs MEM. He outplayed JJJ who's a much bigger and better defensive player than anybody GSW has. MEM was such a physical team I think it prepares them well to outmuscle GSW.

50/50 chance Draymond does something dirty again this series and gets suspended again.

I think the Grizz were sorely missing Adams in those games against the Lakers.

[Manhattan]

Lakers defense is reliably good. Probably best in the league. It'll come down to how aggressive AD is scoring and how their role players shoot 3's.

It's crazy how much 3 pt shooting affects games. In LAL and GSW first round series the team that shot better % and/or made more 3's won just about every game. Bball analytics revolves around it. GSW isn't nearly the 3 pt shooting team it was a few years ago. LA's game plan will be to contain & chase the shooters, going over screens, and making their own 3's. GSW's plan as always will be movement, movement, movement to get open looks.

[sexualbanana]

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Lakers defense is reliably good. Probably best in the league. It'll come down to how aggressive AD is scoring and how their role players shoot 3's.

It's crazy how much 3 pt shooting affects games. In LAL and GSW first round series the team that shot better % and/or made more 3's won just about every game. Bball analytics revolves around it. GSW isn't nearly the 3 pt shooting team it was a few years ago. LA's game plan will be to contain & chase the shooters, going over screens, and making their own 3's. GSW's plan as always will be movement, movement, movement to get open looks.

That's just measuring efficiency during the playoffs though, right? Because I don't think it's hard to see that relationship when the Grizzlies have an almost playoff-worst offensive efficiency that the Lakers, shockingly, have a playoff-best defensive efficiency.

I would argue that GSW's defensive efficiency is far more impressive given the Kings' lead-leading offense with a season-long sample.

The Lakers have a not-so-great combination of not shooting 3's a lot (8th of the 16 playoff teams) and don't make many either (13th and 14th in %). Meanwhile the Warriors, particularly Steph, have shown that, although they're not world beating shooters from the beyond the arc anymore (10th in %), they still have a million ways to score (Dubs are 4th in points-scored averaging 115.9 per game, Lakers are 10th average 112.2).

There aren't a whole lot of areas where the Lakers have outperformed the Dubs (from a sheer stats perspective, mind you) in these playoffs. For even GSW's turnover-heavy tendencies, the Lakers still turn the ball over more on average (14.8 vs 14.4). The areas where the Lakers are outperforming the Dubs are FT% (they average less attempts but make more), blocks and 2P%. So to your point, it probably comes down to how Looney and Draymond are defending the interior.

[Manhattan]

Super interesting GM1. Total contrast in styles. Basically LAL old school ball vs GSW run & gun 3's. I don't remember ever seeing a box score like this game. GSW loses after shooting 40% on 3's and making 21 of them vs LAL only making 6. I think they even tied a franchise record for 3's made in 1st half. LA won cuz they got whatever they wanted in the paint. I don't know what their effective FG % was after taking FT's into account but they probably shot better than 60% on that stat. That's just as good as making 40% on 3's.

LAL with a game plan to concede certain amount of 3's by keeping AD under the basket on defense vs coming out to challenge. Gets them more rebounds and saves a lot of backdoor cuts to the rim GSW likes to run. Darvin Ham is an underrated HC

Forgot how fun GSW is to watch on offense. They're the only team where I watch just as much off ball action as the ball handler. Had to rewind a bunch of plays because I'm watching the off ball action while the ball's being launched from elsewhere.

Couple other tidbits:

- LA did the smart thing by doubling Curry on the last shot. Not sure why more teams don't do it more often
- DLo shoots A LOT better while being closely defended. He's an awful wide open catch & shoot player. Must be a rhythm thing
- Heat giving the Knicks the business without Jimmy with a team of retirees and G Leaguers. Almost stole another one

[Manhattan]

[max_boost]

Dang 3-1 leads

Adios knicks and warriors??

[Manhattan]

That was a crazy game that could’ve gone either way. LA has best defence in league. Too tough to win 3 in a row against that. Lebron and AD both had relatively bad games and LA still won. Defence wins championships and ugly games.

Strange how LA stays the underdogs in each series having best record since trade deadline with their new roster. It was Walker this game but someone always steps up…Rui, Reeves, Russell,etc cuz they got ballers now.

Knicks are terrible. Cavs lost that series more than knicks won it. Heat and LA both going to Conference finals so that’ll put some bubble fluke champion talk to rest.

[taemo]

As much as I don't like LBJ, the team has gotten good after the trade deadline and I like Reeves and Rui
A Heat vs Lakers repeat would be interesting but would prefer the Nuggets to advance.

[Manhattan]

Dennis the menance

[jabjab]

Lakers Warriors series is exciting! If they end up winning the championship then I think AD will get finals MVP if he keeps playing the way he does

[sexualbanana]

I didn't catch any of the games last night, but Lakers sound like they're doing good and I'm eating my words.

[Manhattan]

GSW actually played a great game for 3Q's with a well designed game plan to get AD away from the basket on pick & rolls with Curry. They were up by 12 late in 3Q. It was on the verge of a blowout.

Walker IV came outta nowhere in 4Q and saved them with 15 pts. GSW still had a chance to overcome that but beat themselves with bad shot selection and not running the same play that was working all game.

[max_boost]

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GSW actually played a great game for 3Q's with a well designed game plan to get AD away from the basket on pick & rolls with Curry. They were up by 12 late in 3Q. It was on the verge of a blowout.

Walker IV came outta nowhere in 4Q and saved them with 15 pts. GSW still had a chance to overcome that but beat themselves with bad shot selection and not running the same play that was working all game.

that curry in and out dang but that's how it goes!

who ya like? suns or nuggets? cp3 out could work out in the suns favor, can go faster pace - first take

[brucebanner]

Can't count out GSW but 3-1 real tough to overcome. I still like Denver coming out of the west but Lakers have the best chance to beat Denver I think.

Curry is so special, the degree of difficulty of shots he can create and make on the regular is other worldly. Best shooter ever.

Can really see LeBron pacing himself through the games, which makes total sense given age etc.

Playoff Jimmy just might come out of the east, Miami just don't make mistakes and keep getting contributions from multiple people on the roster. It should be Boston but they keep getting in their own way.

2023 playoffs have been great so far.

[sexualbanana]

Some very notable coaching candidates already out there with Budz, Williams and Nurse available.

I've long thought KD was a big Nick Nurse guy, so I think that is going to be a good chance that will happen. If the Suns and Raps basically did a coach swap, I think both teams would be extraordinarily happy.

[brucebanner]

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Some very notable coaching candidates already out there with Budz, Williams and Nurse available.

I've long thought KD was a big Nick Nurse guy, so I think that is going to be a good chance that will happen. If the Suns and Raps basically did a coach swap, I think both teams would be extraordinarily happy.

I agree with this.

I heard that JJ Reddick interviewed for the raps gig and I think he could be a good coach (I've been listening to his podcasts for a long time, I think he's a smart basketball person), I would rather have a known coach like Williams. Doc could be on the way out after the 76ers laid an egg in that game 7.

There's potential for lots of changes come this offseason.

[bigboom]

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I agree with this.

I heard that JJ Reddick interviewed for the raps gig and I think he could be a good coach (I've been listening to his podcasts for a long time, I think he's a smart basketball person), I would rather have a known coach like Williams. Doc could be on the way out after the 76ers laid an egg in that game 7.

There's potential for lots of changes come this offseason.

To be honest not sure how Doc lasted this long in Philly. Ben Simmons wasn't great but the lack of Sixers success in the post season had to rest with Doc and now that he has no scape goat I think he has to go, guy couldn't get it done in LA either, got lucky with his super team.

[max_boost]

Jokic is something man lol dang he’s good

In 20 years they gonna say he stat padded against scrubs lol

[sexualbanana]

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Jokic is something man lol dang he’s good

In 20 years they gonna say he stat padded against scrubs lol

Yeah. Scrubs like Lebron.

[jabjab]

Exciting game last night, Lakers almost came back. They need to steal one in Denver to have a chance now