OT: 2021 NBA Playoffs

[superjohn]

Samson Johnson refuses to ever give teammates credit for anything. You must have been a pleasure to play hoops with.

"The Bucks are the better team" -Nelson

 

[nelsonmuntz]

"The Bucks are the better team" -Nelson

Barkley agrees with me. Who agrees with whatever pretzel position you are going to come up with?

 

[superjohn]

Barkley agrees with me. Who agrees with whatever pretzel position you are going to come up with?

You're a caricature.

"Lakers are going to finish 10th in the West" -Nelson

 

[aceboon]

Jrue's been a massive disappointment on offense this series, they got him to be an upgrade over Bledsoe.

 

[JimCtheGOAT]

Barkley agrees with me. Who agrees with whatever pretzel position you are going to come up with?

“Barkley agrees with me”. lmao

Now that is a bold and never before used piece of supporting evidence for someone trying to prove they are right. Charles Barkley. The intellectual, well known for his brilliant takes.

 

[eebmg]

Bucks from coach to players are the most low basketball IQ bunch ever. Ever hear of game plans and taking advantage of matchups.

Oh and Durant is unbelievable and Green is a stud.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Post game TNT analysis was spot on. Barkley pointed out that Giannis dropped the ball b/c he was rushing to avoid getting fouled. This was after Kenny arguing the difference in the game was Durant could close at the line & by making shots whereas the Bucks needed the ball in someone other than Giannis' hands. More than anything else that's the Bucks fatal flaw, in close games their best player can't reliably create crunch time buckets and now is unreliable at the stripe.

I think the series goes 7, but if either of the next two games are one possession in the final minute its an uphill battle for the Bucks.

 

[aceboon]

So now Kawhi is out tonight due to the knee injury he suffered in Game 4 and CP3 is in covid protocols, I've never seen a playoffs like this

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Post game TNT analysis was spot on. Barkley pointed out that Giannis dropped the ball b/c he was rushing to avoid getting fouled. This was after Kenny arguing the difference in the game was Durant could close at the line & by making shots whereas the Bucks needed the ball in someone other than Giannis' hands. More than anything else that's the Bucks fatal flaw, in close games their best player can't reliably create crunch time buckets and now is unreliable at the stripe.

I think the series goes 7, but if either of the next two games are one possession in the final minute its an uphill battle for the Bucks.

They added a wrinkle in that other stars that struggle from the line often have a second top player that can be the free throw shooter at the end of the game. The Bucks have that player in Holiday and Middleton. I don't think this is the team's biggest issue.

Barkley held his fire when he said "we don't like to talk about firing people", but they were all basically bashing Budenholzer without bashing Budenholzer. The offense grinds to a halt in big games, and the defense is not as good as it should be with this talent. It is too bad that Kidd was such an abrasive personality, because he would be so much tougher mentally than Budenholzer in a series like this. Budenholzer has 1 or 2 games left in his Bucks coaching career, and then the team has to let him go. They should probably let the GM Jon Horst go too. The team has gotten worse as the salary cap situation has also gotten worse.

Milwaukee is a small market that has one of the most dynamic players of the last 20 years. Their window to be more than playoff fodder is small and closing. They have to do something.

 

[eebmg]

Chris Paul enters COVID protocol. Geez.

 

[Dogdeacon]

They added a wrinkle in that other stars that struggle from the line often have a second top player that can be the free throw shooter at the end of the game. The Bucks have that player in Holiday and Middleton. I don't think this is the team's biggest issue.

Barkley held his fire when he said "we don't like to talk about firing people", but they were all basically bashing Budenholzer without bashing Budenholzer. The offense grinds to a halt in big games, and the defense is not as good as it should be with this talent. It is too bad that Kidd was such an abrasive personality, because he would be so much tougher mentally than Budenholzer in a series like this. Budenholzer has 1 or 2 games left in his Bucks coaching career, and then the team has to let him go. They should probably let the GM Jon Horst go too. The team has gotten worse as the salary cap situation has also gotten worse.

Milwaukee is a small market that has one of the most dynamic players of the last 20 years. Their window to be more than playoff fodder is small and closing. They have to do something.

Yeah I saw that too, they were 100% right that the Bucks should have been up +20 at half time. Then played way too much 1-on-1 in second half although sometimes this was to correctly attack Blake Griffin (who they played off the court) and Harden.

TNT's point was Shaq had a 2nd in Kobe and then Wade. I wouldn't exactly call either Middleton or Holiday equivalent, even combined. The Bucks problem is Giannis is their best scoring option, but under 2 minutes he cannot always create his own shot. Sure Holiday or Middleton can make free throws, but neither is an All-NBA multi-dimensional offensive player that can equally score or assist. To wit Middleton's rushed pass to Giannis though a good play was unexpected. We are comparing the combined very good ability of the Bucks 3 to the excellence of who they are playing in this series: Durant > Bucks 3, Irving > Bucks 3, IF/When Healthy Harden > Bucks 3. Against 75% of teams in league Bucks are fine, but this again is their fatal flaw in the playoffs against elite players & their teams.

 

[Chuck]

I believe Nelson commented that the playoffs are coming down to injuries. Next one up is Clippers.

Kawhi Out

 

[Lefty2one]

Incredibly frustrating as a fan. Injuries are the damn worst.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I believe Nelson commented that the playoffs are coming down to injuries. Next one up is Clippers.

Kawhi Out

Moreso than ever before. The two true title contenders out each lost one of their top 2 & its a battle of attrition between remaining squads trying to keep their top 2-3 healthy
INJURIES:
OUT Lakers - AD
OUT Denver - Murray
Philly - Embid on watch
BKLN - Kyrie & Harden
Clips - Kawhi out could mean they are done
Utah - Mitchell on watch
PHX - CP3 always on watch, currently add Covid complications
Healthy:
Bucks - lost 4th or 5th best player, might have a better chance if their coach gets hurt

 

[bballgrda]

Moreso than ever before. The two true title contenders out each lost one of their top 2 & its a battle of attrition between remaining squads trying to keep their top 2-3 healthy
INJURIES:
OUT Lakers - AD
OUT Denver - Murray
Philly - Embid on watch
BKLN - Kyrie & Harden
Clips - Kawhi out could mean they are done
Utah - Mitchell on watch
PHX - CP3 always on watch, currently add Covid complications
Healthy:
Bucks - lost 4th or 5th best player, might have a better chance if their coach gets hurt

Conley has missed the whole series for Utah as well. Jeff Green and Ibaka aren't on the same level as the other guys mentioned but are also high impact role players that have missed time.

 

[Lefty2one]

I'm surprised that Van Gundy is out in NO after a single season, especially since he unlocked Zion as a playmaker. Wonder what happened behind the scenes.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I'm surprised that Van Gundy is out in NO after a single season, especially since he unlocked Zion as a playmaker. Wonder what happened behind the scenes.

Um, it wasn't behind the scenes. They missed the playoffs, didn't play defense all year (ranked bottom quarter) and it took wayyy too long for Van Gundy to give the ball to Zion yet still often ended games with 46% shooting Brandon Ingram thinking he was the man instead of +60% shooting Zion. That said had they kept Holliday they'd probably at least make the play-in game & VG still would have the job.

 

[Lefty2one]

Um, it wasn't behind the scenes. They missed the playoffs, didn't play defense all year (ranked bottom quarter) and it took wayyy too long for Van Gundy to give the ball to Zion yet still often ended games with 46% shooting Brandon Ingram thinking he was the man instead of +60% shooting Zion. That said had they kept Holliday they'd probably at least make the play-in game & VG still would have the job.

It's the NBA, it's rare that coaches get fired after a single season. They got worse (lost Jrue) and finished with a better record and Van Gundy got nice improvement out of Zion.

It's probably as simple as Zion didn't like him and wanted him out. That, or the Pels are going for a longer development plan and Van Gundy wanted win-now moves.

 

[polycom]

Are we sure about Giannis? Are we sure? He continues to show he is a low BBIQ player who is a freak of nature that doesn't bode well to his long term success when it comes to winning championships. Why are you guarding Joe Harris when KD is going off? Why are you taking fadeaways on Harden? We know that Coach Bud has single digit brain cells but what his Giannis excuse?

 

[auror]

It's the NBA, it's rare that coaches get fired after a single season. They got worse (lost Jrue) and finished with a better record and Van Gundy got nice improvement out of Zion.

They finished 1 whole game better in record and had no longer a rookie Zion for 37 more games.

 

[Dogdeacon]

They finished 1 whole game better in record and had no longer a rookie Zion for 37 more games.

Yeah, it was a debacle. They were 10 games under 500 & Van Gundy never looked any less lost than he was during similar 'has the game passed me by' debacle with Pistons, he's bound for the broadcast booth.

 

[M.S.G.]

ACL for Kawhi.............. YIKES

 

[bendm]

Philly - Embid (on watch- partially torn meniscus), Green (out- 2 weeks)
BKLN - Kyrie (out-sprained ankle)
Clips - Kawhi (out- sprained acl), Ibaka (out- back surgery)
Utah - Conley (out- hamstring)
PHX - CP3 (out- Covid protocols)
Hawks- Hunter (out)
Bucks - Divincenzo (out)

FIFY

 

[UofCT]

Are we sure about Giannis? Are we sure? He continues to show he is a low BBQ player who is a freak of nature that doesn't bode well to his long term success when it comes to winning championships. Why are you guarding Joe Harris when KD is going off? Why are you taking fadeaways on Harden? We know that Coach Bud has single digit brain cells but what his Giannis excuse?

The turnover at the very end was hard to watch.

 

[auror]

ACL for Kawhi.............. YIKES

Jeeeeeez. It's really anyone's year. Literally any team left could win it.