NBA Playoffs 2023

[JohnFSilver]

I’m going to keep saying that the Lakers are winning this.

They’ve been getting it done and Lebron hasn’t even had to go for 25. If the Celtics go down you can book it.

I think 76ers will win it if they best Boston, which they should .

What an awful strategic series for Boston. Attention to detail matters. When you give away games because of attention to detail, you can’t then have bad games.

Celtics, at worst, should be up 3-2. In reality. This was a 4 game sweep that was turns into a 3-2 deficit because in two games the Celtics didn’t play with effort and detail - and that is coaching staff.

Game 5? Games like that happen. Especially when you aren’t a team that is devoted to the details

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I think 76ers will win it if they best Boston, which they should .

What an awful strategic series for Boston. Attention to detail matters. When you give away games because of attention to detail, you can’t then have bad games.

Celtics, at worst, should be up 3-2. In reality. This was a 4 game sweep that was turns into a 3-2 deficit because in two games the Celtics didn’t play with effort and detail - and that is coaching staff.

Game 5? Games like that happen. Especially when you aren’t a team that is devoted to the details

I think the 4 teams in the west would beat 76ers.

 

[Matrim55]

I think the 4 teams in the west would beat 76ers.

Lakers/Dubs definitely would, and I think I'd favor the Suns & Nuggets, but it'd be close.

Not 100% convinced that the Sixers will get by the Heat, fwiw.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I think 76ers will win it if they best Boston, which they should .

What an awful strategic series for Boston. Attention to detail matters. When you give away games because of attention to detail, you can’t then have bad games.

Celtics, at worst, should be up 3-2. In reality. This was a 4 game sweep that was turns into a 3-2 deficit because in two games the Celtics didn’t play with effort and detail - and that is coaching staff.

Game 5? Games like that happen. Especially when you aren’t a team that is devoted to the details

Embiid and AD would have a chance to be such a fun matchup to watch. Both really good two way bigs.

I’m not sure if he’d be able to do it by himself though cause Vanderbilt would put Harden in a torture rack. He made GSW turn Steph into a PG he was having so many problems with him. Lol

 

[HuskyHawk]

As someone who would prefer to see the Celtics win, that play where Smart ran into Tucker and fell down to draw FTs was such a joke.

On another note I’m not a fan of NBA teams wearing these random alternatives in the playoffs. Celtics have such nice clean classic jerseys and are wearing these abominations.

Come on. Tucker is a defensive moving screen waiting to happen. He does nothing but run into guys like that all game long. I'm not sure he does anything else but run into people and pretend it's not to disrupt offensive movement off the ball. The Celtics main problem on offense (aside from missing everything) is lack of movement off the ball, and the 76ers are clearly intentionally disrupting it. Embiid does it too, impeding offensive players as they move without the ball. He mostly sticks his legs out in a wide stance to do it. In hockey it's "interference".

Celtics were awful, deserved the loss, but that was no flop. That was PJ wrecking a guy cutting across the lane to disrupt the motion. It's Doc's whole defensive strategy and it's working. White and Brown have been knocked down or hip checked a bunch of times the same way. It keeps resulting in these bad ISO drives into traffic. Credit to Doc, Joe needs to find out how to counter it.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The 76ers with Embiid at 100% is a little better than anyone in the West. Make your own call on whether Embiid is at 100%.

The Bucks and Celtics are much better than anyone in the West. The Bucks have already wasted their season, and the Celtics better get it together quickly or they will have wasted their season too.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

The 76ers with Embiid at 100% is a little better than anyone in the West. Make your own call on whether Embiid is at 100%.

The Bucks and Celtics are much better than anyone in the West. The Bucks have already wasted their season, and the Celtics better get it together quickly or they will have wasted their season too.

I respectfully disagree. Besides the Nuggets, everyone in the west has been there.

 

[Dogdeacon]

People are totally asleep on Denver & Jokic even though the dude has 2 MVP's, he is easily the best offensive player in the league. Denver will maul LA or the Warriors. The Jokic v Embid matchup would be interesting but sets up as a Jordan over KMalone who is the real MVP reversal for Jokic.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I respectfully disagree. Besides the Nuggets, everyone in the west has been there.

Yeah, fine. Lots of guys who are borderline washed up have been there, and that pretty much describes the West minus Denver. If you want to pretend those guys are in their prime, fine. Unfortuantely, they still have the most "star power" and the NBA tends to make sure the refs reward that.

 

[HU5KIES]

Yeah, fine. Lots of guys who are borderline washed up have been there, and that pretty much describes the West minus Denver. If you want to pretend those guys are in their prime, fine. Unfortuantely, they still have the most "star power" and the NBA tends to make sure the refs reward that.

Who is 'borderline washed up' in your eyes?

 

[Rocktheworld]

He did some great things before (the Pistons win, the Orlando series), but he had some major clunkers (2010 vs. Celtics, 2011 vs. Dallas) that are—fairly—a part of his narrative. Some people have let that narrative stick with them.

Jordan nostalgia is the main/lone driver of that. The Venn diagram of Jordan fanboys and those who stick to that narrative is a perfect circle.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Who is 'borderline washed up' in your eyes?

LeBron, Chris Paul. Coming soon: Steph, Draymond then KD, Klay. Don't get me wrong. All are capable of doing amazing things at times. But none of them are what they were in their prime. I won't even mention Carmelo Anthony, he's all the way gone.

The window is closing on those guys. Klay and Durant more due to durability issues. I'm not sure how long AD will last either given his injury history. Maybe one of them wins it this year, it's possible. But I read "those guys have been there" as "those guys need major help from the trainer game to game".

 

[CardiacAndre7]

LeBron, Chris Paul. Coming soon: Steph, Draymond then KD, Klay. Don't get me wrong. All are capable of doing amazing things at times. But none of them are what they were in their prime. I won't even mention Carmelo Anthony, he's all the way gone.

The window is closing on those guys. Klay and Durant more due to durability issues. I'm not sure how long AD will last either given his injury history. Maybe one of them wins it this year, it's possible. But I read "those guys have been there" as "those guys need major help from the trainer game to game".

That’s an insane take. Please do explain how KD, LeBron, Klay and Steph are borderline washed up. Does that mean Harden is too?

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Yeah, fine. Lots of guys who are borderline washed up have been there, and that pretty much describes the West minus Denver. If you want to pretend those guys are in their prime, fine. Unfortuantely, they still have the most "star power" and the NBA tends to make sure the refs reward that.

Crazy to talk about ref advantage when Harden and Embiid’s games are significantly impacted by drawing questionable foul calls and living at the line. The Lakers specifically have been screwed by the refs a ton this season.

 

[HuskyHawk]

That’s an insane take. Please do explain how KD, LeBron, Klay and Steph are borderline washed up. Does that mean Harden is too?

Of course he is. How is that debatable? Two great games, one good game, two lousy games. That's what you get now. He's not remotely close to being what he was (further from it than LeBron for sure). He averaged over 30 a game for 3 seasons in a row in Houston. I'd say the same for Al Horford but he was never really a star. Still, Al is a big reason why Boston is behind.

LeBron defies age based reality, like Tom Brady. But it comes for everyone eventually.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Of course he is. How is that debatable? Two great games, one good game, two lousy games. That's what you get now. He's not remotely close to being what he was (further from it than LeBron for sure). He averaged over 30 a game for 3 seasons in a row in Houston. I'd say the same for Al Horford but he was never really a star. Still, Al is a big reason why Boston is behind.

LeBron defies age based reality, like Tom Brady. But it comes for everyone eventually.

Yeah but then where does the argument lie about Philly being better suited to win than the west? Just Embiid?

 

[August_West]

Yeah but then where does the argument lie about Philly being better suited to win than the west? Just Embiid?

Embiid went to Kansas. look no further. Lol

 

[gioff2323]

Come on. Tucker is a defensive moving screen waiting to happen. He does nothing but run into guys like that all game long. I'm not sure he does anything else but run into people and pretend it's not to disrupt offensive movement off the ball. The Celtics main problem on offense (aside from missing everything) is lack of movement off the ball, and the 76ers are clearly intentionally disrupting it. Embiid does it too, impeding offensive players as they move without the ball. He mostly sticks his legs out in a wide stance to do it. In hockey it's "interference".

Celtics were awful, deserved the loss, but that was no flop. That was PJ wrecking a guy cutting across the lane to disrupt the motion. It's Doc's whole defensive strategy and it's working. White and Brown have been knocked down or hip checked a bunch of times the same way. It keeps resulting in these bad ISO drives into traffic. Credit to Doc, Joe needs to find out how to counter it.

Good lord you constantly whine about what happens to your team. Tatum pushes off on every shot, smart would be a euro league superstar with his flopping like a fish on a boat, blah, blah.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Embiid went to Kansas. look no further. Lol

Fair enough. And I am fully on the Embiid train, I think he deserved the MVP. But the West just seeks so much stronger and seasoned for me.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Yeah but then where does the argument lie about Philly being better suited to win than the west? Just Embiid?

I didn't make the claim, but I'd say Philly and Denver are a wash. Philly won 54 games. Denver won 53. The east was simply stronger all year long. Look at the head to head. By way of example, a lot of GS losses came against East playoff teams. Yes, Embiid is damned good, but so is Jokic.

@August_West So did Wiggins. Both one and dones, so not much attachment there. Plus I hate Philly teams. I'll root against Philly unless they play the Lakers (only bc I don't want LeBron to win another). Christian Braun plays for Denver.

 

[Rocktheworld]

LeBron, Chris Paul. Coming soon: Steph, Draymond then KD, Klay. Don't get me wrong. All are capable of doing amazing things at times. But none of them are what they were in their prime. I won't even mention Carmelo Anthony, he's all the way gone.

The window is closing on those guys. Klay and Durant more due to durability issues. I'm not sure how long AD will last either given his injury history. Maybe one of them wins it this year, it's possible. But I read "those guys have been there" as "those guys need major help from the trainer game to game".

Lmaooo the guy who averaged 35 points for the month of January is “borderline washed”? Dude has an injured foot for which he’s putting off surgery for this playoff run.

Steph won’t be “washed” for a long time. Draymond has already been esoterically valuable for the Warriors for a long time. We’ll see about KD. Klay has definitely lost his value with his defense.

 

[REB1094]

Julius Randle is the king of making the ugliest stepback jumpers in history

 

[Mr. French]

Sheeesh that shot by Curry…

 

[auror]

Can't believe no one commented about who was in the right spot on that list.

 

[REB1094]

Time to go to bed?