OT- NBA playoffs Lillard

[tzznandrew]

What I do know is the Warriors play great with Durant and they play great without Durant. The Warriors don't play great without Steph. Warriors don't play great without Klay or Draymond as well.

Durant is the best player on the team and may even be the best player in the league but the Warriors are still a juggernaut without him. Both things can be true.

I agree with this.

I think they are still a really good team without Durant. I just don't think they have the same ceiling without him because he's the best player, and they need him for those series, like the Bucks one coming up, where there're going to need to get tough buckets.

 

[superjohn]

I agree with this.

I think they are still a really good team without Durant. I just don't think they have the same ceiling without him because he's the best player, and they need him for those series, like the Bucks one coming up, where there're going to need to get tough buckets.

I agree, would imagine they'll need him for the Bucks. His length can maybe give Giannis some problems too.

Would imagine he'll be back for that considering if the Warriors close out the Blazers next game they'll have a 10 day layoff.

 

[the Q]

What???

KD signed in 2016

Paul was traded in 2017.

The pre kd warriors never faced a single team as good as last years rockets team.

 

[Lefty2one]

Did Lillard run out of gas this playoffs? He's been up and down since the first game of the Denver series and has sucked the past 4 games.

It's who he is. He isn't matchup-proof like a true superstar is. He was dreadful against NOP last year in the playoffs--I believe he shot 35% on the series--as Rondo and Jrue controlled the series. Klay is making his life miserable this series. I heard last night on the postgame that he only has two FG in the paint all series. Pretty remarkable.

 

[Walker11]

Kawhi is truly incredible. He is at worst the 3rd player in the league. Those 2 steals and dunks were killer. He is going to be so good on the Clippers surrounded by their awesome role players.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Middleton and Bledsoe have been hot garbage the whole series, while Hill and Brogdan have been playing great.

 

[superjohn]

Meyers Leonard goes for 25 pts. in the first half and the Blazers are still gonna lose.

 

[superjohn]

No Durant, no Iggy, no Boogie, no problem.

Warriors 30-1 without Durant.

 

[polycom]

No Durant, no Iggy, no Boogie, no problem.

Warriors 30-1 without Durant.

The blazers match up horribly to the warriors. I don’t think it changes the fact that they still need KD.

 

[Rocktheworld]

No Durant, no Iggy, no Boogie, no problem.

Warriors 30-1 without Durant.

I mean they needed 3 total OT these last two games, against an injured and mismatched Portland team...

If KD isn’t back for the finals GS shouldn’t be a prohibitive favorite

 

[Dogdeacon]

Now THAT was a bad shot by Lillard.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

As most experts predicted, Portland had no answer for Kevon Looney.

 

[Rocktheworld]

As most experts predicted, Portland had no answer for Kevon Looney.

Kanter is known to be a massive liability on defense to the point where he is unplayable

 

[superjohn]

I mean they needed 3 total OT these last two games, against an injured and mismatched Portland team...

If KD isn’t back for the finals GS shouldn’t be a prohibitive favorite

Overtimes on the road to close out a sweep is nothing to sneeze at and the only Portland injury is Nurkic who has been out for a while and they got through the Thunder and Nuggets without. Warriors are missing Durant, Cousins, and no Iggy the last game.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Overtimes on the road to close out a sweep is nothing to sneeze at and the only Portland injury is Nurkic who has been out for a while and they got through the Thunder and Nuggets without. Warriors are missing Durant, Cousins, and no Iggy the last game.

I just wouldn’t call 2OT and OT, along with multiple needed second half double-digit comebacks, “no problem”. Portland was already little more than a nice story with Nurkic, and that was a way bigger loss for Portland than the loss of KD/boogie we’re for GS. Those two are luxuries, clearly.

If KD doesn’t come back, how would you call a GS-Milwaukee series? I’d still say GS, but in 7 games, and wouldn’t be very confident.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I just wouldn’t call 2OT and OT, along with multiple needed second half double-digit comebacks, “no problem”. Portland was already little more than a nice story with Nurkic, and that was a way bigger loss for Portland than the loss of KD/boogie we’re for GS. Those two are luxuries, clearly.

If KD doesn’t come back, how would you call a GS-Milwaukee series? I’d still say GS, but in 7 games, and wouldn’t be very confident.

Without KD - GState in 5 or 6
If Iggy goes down again then maybe the series is interesting as presumably Draymond & Iggie shared duties guarding Giannis - so with only 1 available foul trouble and a diminished DGreen hurts. But Golden States backcourt is going to eat Bledsoe alive. There need to be multiple injuries to Warriors for the Bucks to have a legit chance.

With KD - GState in 4

 

[superjohn]

I just wouldn’t call 2OT and OT, along with multiple needed second half double-digit comebacks, “no problem”. Portland was already little more than a nice story with Nurkic, and that was a way bigger loss for Portland than the loss of KD/boogie we’re for GS. Those two are luxuries, clearly.

If KD doesn’t come back, how would you call a GS-Milwaukee series? I’d still say GS, but in 7 games, and wouldn’t be very confident.

I think either with or without Durant it's a long series, Warriors will pull it out though IMO.

As good as Durant is I honestly think if you plug in some other athletic smart small forward/power forward in his place and they probably struggle less beating the Rockets. There is no denying that everyone else plays better without him in there. You can say they're better with him but there is no denying the others play a lot better without him.

It may sound crazy but I see the health of Iggy being more important to them than the the health of Durant.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Milwaukee looks like a talented, inexperienced team that is a year away from really challenging for a title. If Nurse didn't screw up the subs so badly in game 1, the Raptors would be 2-1 right now. Bledsoe and Middleton look like career "bad team" stars that are not ready for the spotlight. The Bucks have their hands full.

 

[superjohn]

Giannis can't shoot at all.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Raptors are the better team. They move the ball better and make fewer mistakes on defense. Bucks are lucky to be tied 2-2 heading back to Milwaukee.

 

[polycom]

People saying this bucks team would give the warriors a series need to watch these games. Yes Toronto is an elite defensive team but they can’t score like the warriors

 

[superjohn]

Raptors are the better team. They move the ball better and make fewer mistakes on defense. Bucks are lucky to be tied 2-2 heading back to Milwaukee.

Bledsoe kind of sucks and Giannis is a way freakier Harden who can't shoot. His entire game is predicated on driving and getting fouled. Refs can tire of that over a 7 game series and good coaching and players can figure it out over a 7 game series. I still think they'll win the series but this makes it interesting.

I really like the guy and he's so freaky but I'm realizing I don't really like watching Giannis play, similar to how I don't like watching Harden.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Raptors are the better team. They move the ball better and make fewer mistakes on defense. Bucks are lucky to be tied 2-2 heading back to Milwaukee.

At first I was getting worried because I initially wanted Milwaukee to win, as I figured they would be a tougher match-up against GS, who I'd love to lose.

But not that I think, you have Lowry/Curry, Green/Klay, Kawhi/Durant, Siakam/Green, and Gasol/Looney. I don't see any huge defensive mismatches against Toronto there. Lowry may have a tough time keeping up with Steph, wonder if they have VanVleet bother him. If GS goes small, you put Ibaka in at the 5.

Then you have each team's respective bench, which is an advantage to Toronto. And Toronto has home field advantage too.

 

[superjohn]

People saying this bucks team would give the warriors a series need to watch these games. Yes Toronto is an elite defensive team but they can’t score like the warriors

I'm changing my thinking on what I said earlier. They should be able to figure put Giannis. Warriors have an embarrassment of long good defenders in Draymond, Iggy, Durant, and Klay and if you're relying on 3 point shooting from guys like Lopez and Brogdon to carry you there is no chance.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Bledsoe kind of sucks and Giannis is a way freakier Harden who can't shoot. His entire game is predicated on driving and getting fouled. Refs can tire of that over a 7 game series and good coaching and players can figure it out over a 7 game series. I still think they'll win the series but this makes it interesting.

I really like the guy and he's so freaky but I'm realizing I don't really like watching Giannis play, similar to how I don't like watching Harden.

The Bucks are a collection of guys that have never been there before (Giannis, Middleton, Brogdon, Mirotic) and ex-star players of bad teams (Bledsoe, Lopez). Put Ilyasova in either bucket, and he is 3 years past his prime anyway. George Hill may be the only player on the team that has played in a second round game, and he is playing the best of any of the Bucks top 8.

I know everyone likes to play rotisserie basketball when comparing teams, or look at matchups, but basketball is a team game and experience matters. The Bucks may be more talented than anyone else, but we are watching an epic choke by Bledsoe, and while Middleton had 30 points tonight, he sucked on D and has struggled on offense the first three games of this series. The whole Bucks team is playing tight and simply not making plays. Home court in the best of remaining 3 gives the Bucks a decent shot to win it, but the Raptors have to like this series so far.