NBA Playoffs

[husky429]

Top 5 point guard? Can't see how you can put him ahead of Magic, Oscar, West, Curry, and Zeke. Then you have guys like Stockton, Kidd, Nash...

Ahead of west and zeke.

Behind everyone else.

 

[superjohn]

If you don't like the numbers, how about awards voting?

Paul has better MVP voting numbers, 3 more All-NBA teams (including more 1sts and 2nds). He actually made all defense teams (9 of them to be exact).

You want to do awards, then put Nash and Iverson ahead of Paul.

 

[auror]

You want to do awards, then put Nash and Iverson ahead of Paul.

You consider both and put Paul in there.

Even if you don't, Paul has more 1st team All NBA (and All League selections total) than either of those guys. Plus 9 All Defense selections to 0 for those guys combined. Only difference is he finished 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th in MVP voting and they both won one. In fact, Paul has more top 5 MVP finishes than either. Paul 4, Nash 3, Iverson 1.

 

[husky429]

You want to do awards, then put Nash and Iverson ahead of Paul.

Iverson isnt a PG.

Nash was good, but I believe overrated in his MVP years

 

[superjohn]

You consider both and put Paul in there.

Paul isn't in my top 5, probably not in my top 8.

 

[auror]

Paul isn't in my top 5, probably not in my top 8.

I'm okay being on this side of your opinion, no problem.

 

[superjohn]

You consider both and put Paul in there.

Even if you don't, Paul has more 1st team All NBA (and All League selections total) than either of those guys. Plus 9 All Defense selections to 0 for those guys combined. Only difference is he finished 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th in MVP voting and they both won one. In fact, Paul has more top 5 MVP finishes than either. Paul 4, Nash 3, Iverson 1.

That's awesome, and it's amounted to his stacked Clippers teams doing nothing when it mattered.

 

[champs99and04]

That's awesome, and it's amounted to his stacked Clippers teams doing nothing when it mattered.

^finally acknowledges how good Redick was.

 

[superjohn]

I'm okay being on this side of your opinion, no problem.

Not many are going to agree with you on Paul being a top 5 all-time point guard but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

 

[superjohn]

^finally acknowledges how good Redick was.

Ha, he was their 5th best player, IMO. Stats are probably the same or better than Crawford but I'm putting the ball in Crawford's hands at the end of the game over Redick every time.

 

[superjohn]

Iverson isnt a PG.

Nash was good, but I believe overrated in his MVP years

Iverson was a scoring point guard/combo guard. You can call him a shooting guard, a point guard, or a combo guard if you like but he ran everything for Philly. He led us to Curry, Westbrook, Harden etc. Jerry West was doing what they're doing 50 years before.

 

[Dove]

C's are f'in' relentless!!

 

[auror]

Marcus Smart is incredible. They need to re-sign him.

 

[auror]

I posted that right before he backed up his teammate. What a baller.

 

[superjohn]

JR should be out of the game.

 

[superjohn]

Celtics just play so much harder.

 

[champs99and04]

Boston broke Cleveland. Granted, Cleveland has been teetering on the edge of self-destruction all season, but this game lived up to all the stereotypes at once. Cleveland either flat out quit or yielded to fatigue.

Granted, it wouldn't surprise me to see the series return 2-2, and I'm not blind to the limitations that have made it impressive for Cleveland to even be here. But having watched this Celtics team against Milwaukee, Philly, and now Cleveland, I can't tell you that this is about anything other than toughness. Their mental stamina and will to win is unlike anything I've seen in this league at this age. Yeah, they have talent, more than Cleveland top to bottom, but the three aforementioned teams haven't been able to take a game from them in that building simply because they don't have the balls to do it. I don't want to sit here and regurgitate cliches about adversity revealing character, but there comes a time when you can't fake it any longer. Either you put in the time to get in shape or you didn't. Either you trust your teammates or you don't. Mark Jackson did a good job of spilling it out for all of us - Cleveland had a game plan but not one with enough conviction to stop the pouting and the shrugging and the eyerolls. I can't blame LeBron for his teammates sucking, but this is a trend with his teams.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Celtics just play so much harder.

Its unbelievable. Cavs look like they wanna go home. Lebron had a great first half, but looks like he has decided to pack it in on defense. Guy's attitude is evident in how he plays on that end of the floor. He generally isnt even guarding the Cs best offensive players, which makes zero sense

 

[nomar]

Cavs are 17-1 in their last 18 games reffed by Mike Callahan, including 6 straight playoff wins.

Guess who's reffing tonight. The NBA does not care about perception at all.

Welp

 

[husky429]

Celts are killing. Amazing stuff.

Rozier deserves a starting PG spot.

Smart better stay in Boston. Hes a consummate stevens player

And JR should have been sent packing and fined 50k. You learn not to do that in the park at 8 years old.

 

[auror]

Boston broke Cleveland. Granted, Cleveland has been teetering on the edge of self-destruction all season, but this game lived up to all the stereotypes at once. Cleveland either flat out quit or yielded to fatigue.

Granted, it wouldn't surprise me to see the series return 2-2, and I'm not blind to the limitations that have made it impressive for Cleveland to even be here. But having watched this Celtics team against Milwaukee, Philly, and now Cleveland, I can't tell you that this is about anything other than toughness. Their mental stamina and will to win is unlike anything I've seen in this league at this age. Yeah, they have talent, more than Cleveland top to bottom, but the three aforementioned teams haven't been able to take a game from them in that building simply because they don't have the balls to do it. I don't want to sit here and regurgitate cliches about adversity revealing character, but there comes a time when you can't fake it any longer. Either you put in the time to get in shape or you didn't. Either you trust your teammates or you don't. Mark Jackson did a good job of spilling it out for all of us - Cleveland had a game plan but not one with enough conviction to stop the pouting and the shrugging and the eyerolls. I can't blame LeBron for his teammates sucking, but this is a trend with his teams.

You have to wonder about LeBron post "neck" injury. He made a couple nice passes and drives, but I'm not convinced he didn't suffer a concussion.

Other than that, the Cavs were 7/14 from 3 in the first half and the Celtics locked it down in the 2nd (3/17), forced some turnovers and misses, got out in transition, and when
they weren't in transition, they broke their man off the dribble and got into the paint. Cavs 1v1 D is garbage. Celtics were taking easier shots on almost every possession.

Marcus Smart gets the game ball though, He made every play they needed him to when the game was close.

 

[superjohn]

Ahead of west and zeke.

Behind everyone else.

Chris Paul ahead of Jerry West. What the???

 

[auror]

Chris Paul...

More Chris Paul playoffs...

(Points/Assists/Rebounds/Turnovers/Steals/eFG%, x is not available, per game playoffs stats)
Big 'O' - 22 / 9 / 7 / x / x / 46% (no 3s)
Magic - 20 / 12 / 8 / 3.7 / 1.9 / 52%
Zeke - 14 / 7 / 5 / 3.3 / 2.1 / 46%
Curry - 26 / 7 / 5 / 3.7 / 1.8 / 56%
West - 29 / 6 / 5 /x / x / 47% (no 3s)
Nash - 17 / 9 / 4 / 3.2 / 0.6 / 53%
Iverson - 30 / 6 /4 / 3.1 / 2.1 / 43%
Stockton - 13 / 10 / 3 / 2.8 / 1.9 / 50%

Paul - 25 / 10 / 5 / 2.6 / 2.2 / 54%

So in that group: 4th most points, tied 2nd most assists, tied for 3rd most rebounds, fewest turnovers, most steals, and 2nd best shooting %.

Definitely not top 5 though because his team never won anything.

 

[intlzncster]

Welp

Even Mike Callahan can't save em. sheesh

 

[superjohn]

More Chris Paul playoffs...

(Points/Assists/Rebounds/Turnovers/Steals/eFG%, x is not available, per game playoffs stats)
Big 'O' - 22 / 9 / 7 / x / x / 46% (no 3s)
Magic - 20 / 12 / 8 / 3.7 / 1.9 / 52%
Zeke - 14 / 7 / 5 / 3.3 / 2.1 / 46%
Curry - 26 / 7 / 5 / 3.7 / 1.8 / 56%
West - 29 / 6 / 5 /x / x / 47% (no 3s)
Nash - 17 / 9 / 4 / 3.2 / 0.6 / 53%
Iverson - 30 / 6 /4 / 3.1 / 2.1 / 43%
Stockton - 13 / 10 / 3 / 2.8 / 1.9 / 50%

Paul - 25 / 10 / 5 / 2.6 / 2.2 / 54%

So in that group: 4th most points, tied 2nd most assists, tied for 3rd most rebounds, fewest turnovers, most steals, and 2nd best shooting %.

Definitely not top 5 though because his team never won anything.

I don't know why you keep posting fake playoff career averages for Chris Paul and Isiah Thomas. Paul's playoff averages- 21.5 ppg, 9 assists, and 4.9 rebs. Isiah Thomas playoff averages. 20.4 ppg, 8.9, assists, and 4.7 rebs.

No matter how you slice it, Chris Paul just isn't going to stack up to Zeke as a playoff performer. Isiah was going through yearly playoff wars against Bird and Jordan. I watched him score 16 points in 90 seconds at the end of the playpff game against the Knicks. I watched him drop 25 in the third quarter in the NBA finals against the Lakers on one ankle. I can't stand Isiah but he was a beast. Heart and Soul of the Pistons and brought them 2 championships.

I'll just assume you are a teenager and never watched Isiah. This really shouldn't be a hill you choose to die on.