NBA playoffs

[superjohn]

Warriors are in major trouble against the Grizzlies, I just don't see how they can win this series. Nobody can guard Gasol and Randolph and Tony Allen is just destroying both Klay and Curry on defense. The only team possibly playing better than the Grizzlies is the Clippers, they seem to be getting stronger every game. Everyone says it's a guards league but the teams kicking the most butt have at least two really good big men.

 

[JSM1970]

You need elite players to win in the NBA. The Clippers have a top 5 PG and top 5 3pt shooter with Redick.

If the 8 teams playing probably 6-7 of the top 10 PGs in league with Steph, CP3, Conley, Teague, Kyrie, DRose, Teague

Warriors are in major trouble against the Grizzlies, I just don't see how they can win this series. Nobody can guard Gasol and Randolph and Tony Allen is just destroying both Klay and Curry on defense. The only team possibly playing better than the Grizzlies is the Clippers, they seem to be getting stronger every game. Everyone says it's a guards league but the teams kicking the most butt have at least two really good big men.

 

[superjohn]

You need elite players to win in the NBA. The Clippers have a top 5 PG and top 5 3pt shooter with Redick.

If the 8 teams playing probably 6-7 of the top 10 PGs in league with Steph, CP3, Conley, Teague, Kyrie, DRose, Teague

Of course you need elite players to win. As for top point guards that's true but Steph is getting his butt handed to him, John Wall is out and Teague can't even win his matchup against Ramon Sessions and The Clippers are destroying the Rockets without Chris Paul. Memphis is just physically overwhelming Golden State.

 

[Walker11]

I think you are overreacting when you say you can't see how the Warriors win. Nonetheless, I love these second round series'.

 

[JSM1970]

Yes, meaning coaching and effort doesn't offset talent gaps. Like the Celtics, their roster is awful. Stevens gets a lot from them, but they don't have a single player who would start for any of these 8 teams right now.

When healthy, 7 of the top 10 PGs are on these 8 teams and the other has a top 5 player and top 3 center.

Game 4 will be big for warriors-Griz, I don't see the Griz winning another game at Oracle.

Of course you need elite players to win. As for top point guards that's true but Steph is getting his butt handed to him, John Wall is out and Teague can't even win his matchup against Ramon Sessions and The Clippers are destroying the Rockets without Chris Paul. Memphis is just physically overwhelming Golden State.

 

[Tampahusky]

Just a bump in the road. Warriors will win the series as bad as the Warriors played game 3, they still had a chance to win.

 

[Gurleyman]

Of course you need elite players to win. As for top point guards that's true but Steph is getting his butt handed to him, John Wall is out and Teague can't even win his matchup against Ramon Sessions and The Clippers are destroying the Rockets without Chris Paul. Memphis is just physically overwhelming Golden State.

What do you call it when someone is getting his butt handed to him and does a 180? Would you say that he hands his butt back to the team that previously handed it to him? Or does he return his butt back to its original location?

The 60-footer is getting the air time - but the three threes in a row in the fourth was just stone cold killer material. Allen's injury didn't help, but Memphis just was overwhelmed once Curry and GS found their stride. The big guys were inefficient and Curry put a 30-10 on them on 8-13 from 3. You just can't keep up with that going less than 50-50 on twos.

 

[TasteofUConn]

Memphis just was overwhelmed once Curry and GS found their stride. The big guys were inefficient and Curry put a 30-10 on them on 8-13 from 3.

Curry is otherworldly, no doubt, but I couldn't believe how many shots he had where no defender was within 3 or 4 feet of him. Not sure if the screening was that great or if Memphis just wasn't committed to playing tight D.
The key to beating the GSW is to contain Curry - can't see GSW being successful without Curry playing like the MVP. Need to put your best defender or two on him and try to rattle him. Unlike LeBron or Jordan or some of the other greats who can/could impose their will with drives, defense, rebounding, and all around court leadership, Curry is going to live and die by his distance shot. If it's not falling, he goes from being the MVP to just another guy out there. If it is falling, he's a one man Spartan army.

 

[champs99and04]

Curry is otherworldly, no doubt, but I couldn't believe how many shots he had where no defender was within 3 or 4 feet of him. Not sure if the screening was that great or if Memphis just wasn't committed to playing tight D.
The key to beating the GSW is to contain Curry - can't see GSW being successful without Curry playing like the MVP. Need to put your best defender or two on him and try to rattle him. Unlike LeBron or Jordan or some of the other greats who can/could impose their will with drives, defense, rebounding, and all around court leadership, Curry is going to live and die by his distance shot. If it's not falling, he goes from being the MVP to just another guy out there. If it is falling, he's a one man Spartan army.

It's not that simple. Curry applies so much pressure on the defense with his ball-handing and passing creativity and historically fast and accurate release. Even if you defend the pick and roll perfectly, you still get the sense he can draw two defenders and kick to a wide open shooter whenever he wants to.

 

[TasteofUConn]

Even if you defend the pick and roll perfectly, you still get the sense he can draw two defenders and kick to a wide open shooter whenever he wants to.

You certainly could be right, which is why I'm fascinated to see how he does going forward. I'll stick to my null hypothesis for now, which is, 'if he's not shooting hot from 3, he goes from MVP level of play to very good player," which is a big drop. Contrarily, a guy like James can go 1 for 7 from 3 and dominate the game with 8 boards and 12 assists along with going 7 of 11 from 2 and 7 for 9 from the line. Sometimes LBJ is not vested in a game - that's his only weakness, far as I can see.

For the two losses for the GSW to Memphis, Curry went:
8-21 (2-10 from 3), 2 boards, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 4 turnovers.
7-19 (2-11 from 3), 5 boards, 6 assists, 3 turnovers.

Those numbers are not stellar, obviously. It will be very interesting to see if the number of these kind of games increases as we get deeper into the playoffs. It's one thing to rain threes when you're up 20 in December and you're playing the Knicks.
It's another thing when you've got a committed defender in your grill for the entire game. I'm truly fascinated.

 

[BluffCityHsky]

It's not that simple. Curry applies so much pressure on the defense with his ball-handing and passing creativity and historically fast and accurate release. Even if you defend the pick and roll perfectly, you still get the sense he can draw two defenders and kick to a wide open shooter whenever he wants to.

All true. We were talking about it last night. Even if you force him into the lane his court awareness is so good he just distributed to one of the other guys on the court who are burying threes. As much as the grizz pissed me off last night with their rotational defense the reality is the ball movement by GS is too quick and consistent. Couple of times marc and Jeff green didn't pickup or lapsed for 2 seconds they were dead. Got to play the entire 24 seconds with GS. Wasn't just the threes. Fast break points and loose balls as well. I wish them luck and will be rooting for them the rest of the way. Warriors are way more than just Curry. I think Grizz toughened them up in the long haul. We need to address our outside shooting woes now Zach and TA9 ain't get younger. Pera and front office committed to getting us further. Looking forward to next year

 

[James]

redick is having 04 flashbacks. dude has been hot garbage this half. clippers still in this game though which is interesting, gotta give crawford credit. and blake. kinda rooting for the clippers since the rockets would get swept by the warriors, and my favorite players in the series are blake + jamal.

 

[traitor71]

redick is having 04 flashbacks. dude has been hot garbage this half. clippers still in this game though which is interesting, gotta give crawford credit. and blake. kinda rooting for the clippers since the rockets would get swept by the warriors, and my favorite players in the series are blake + jamal.

The Clippers won't fare much better, if at all. Houston and LA are basically the same team to me, each has two front line players and a bunch of guys that may or may not show up on a given night. Both of them are really good teams, but the Warriors have dominated the league all year and I see no reason why either of these teams would be able to stop them.

 

[aceboon]

Neither team has a chance against GSW but I would have rather seen the Clips advance due to the rivalry and Blake vs Green and CP3 vs Steph. Given how terrible they've played its amazing the Clips are only down by 10 at the half but they look spent and it seems they blew their opportunity with the Game 6 collapse.

 

[superjohn]

Once they were down 2-1 Curry took over the series and played like the MVP, Warriors are really clicking again. I still can't wrap my head around the Clippers being in this position, they had the series in the bag. Crawford made a few shots that half but he's been really bad, Redick has completely lost his stroke and Barnes has been a disaster. Hope the Clippers can get something going this half, if not it will go down as one of the worst series chokes. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin's legacies are on the line here.

 

[aceboon]

here come the Clips, alot more energy in the 2nd half, CP3 coming out more aggressive on both ends

 

[champs99and04]

If the Clippers lose this series it's one of the biggest choke jobs I've seen in the NBA playoffs. Not only to blow a 3-1 lead, but to have things spiral out of control like that against the scrap heap list at the end of game six.

 

[James]

The clippers roster is not built for this level of basketball, but houstons isn't either really. Cavs vs GSW finals should be something else; the new mvp vs an aging all time great grasping onto the last years of his 'post prime' ( a la jordan in the mid 90s). If kyrie gets healthly i can see bron willing himself to a title.

 

[UConn990411]

I don't think Cleveland would have much a chance against Golden State without Love.

Just not enough talent to hang with the Warriors.

 

[aceboon]

Prigioni stretch killed the Clippers, Griffin was really bad today, slow on closeouts, slow on help, slow getting to rebounds, dude looks whipped

 

[superjohn]

The clippers roster is not built for this level of basketball, but houstons isn't either really. Cavs vs GSW finals should be something else; the new mvp vs an aging all time great grasping onto the last years of his 'post prime' ( a la jordan in the mid 90s). If kyrie gets healthly i can see bron willing himself to a title.

I know Lebron is 30 but you are making him sound almost ancient, you really think he's grasping onto the last years of his post prime?

 

[traitor71]

I know Lebron is 30 but you are making him sound almost ancient, you really think he's grasping onto the last years of his post prime?

He looks a little worn. Remember, he has had to carry the water for a long time and I would think he has played more basketball in the last 5 seasons (including this one) than anyone.

 

[James]

I know Lebron is 30 but you are making him sound almost ancient, you really think he's grasping onto the last years of his post prime?

he is different than 09 bron thats all i'm saying. still probably the best player in the nba, and will be until he is in his mid 30s a la jordan

 

[superjohn]

I've never been a big Paul or Griffin fan but I kind of feel badly for them, they got nothing out of Barnes, Crawford and Redick the last few games. DeAndre is a beast but he adds nothing on offense outside of dunks. The whole offense was Paul and Griffin the last couple.

 

[Matrim55]

Reddick's career in a nutshell:

Nobody has missed more potential game-changing shots over the last decade.