OT- NBA playoffs Lillard

[Walker11]

He's awesome but Durant and Jokic have been better.

You are right - Jokic breeds to be mentioned as well. I still like Kawhi out of the 3 especially if you consider both sides of the ball. We need @Crank to utilize his scientific comparative tool.

 

[superjohn]

You are right - Jokic breeds to be mentioned as well. I still like Kawhi out of the 3 especially if you consider both sides of the ball. We need @Crank to utilize his scientific comparative tool.

I didn't see the Raptors game today but sounds like Kawhi was amazing.

On the offensive end I don't think any team relies on a player as much as Denver does with Jokic, everything they do runs through him. He's legit the best passer in the league.

 

[Walker11]

I didn't see the Raptors game today but sounds like Kawhi was amazing.

On the offensive end I don't think any team relies on a player as much as Denver does with Jokic, everything they do runs through him. He's legit the best passer in the league.

Yup. Jokic touches the ball 30 times more per game in the playoffs than #2.

Kawhi is putting up something like 30 per game on over 60% shooting all while playing lockdown on D. Insane.

 

[the Q]

I didn't see the Raptors game today but sounds like Kawhi was amazing.

On the offensive end I don't think any team relies on a player as much as Denver does with Jokic, everything they do runs through him. He's legit the best passer in the league.

Yeah, we’ve had some great passing big man in the league. Sabonis. Divac. Webber. Shaq. But this Jokic kid is insanely good.

 

[superjohn]

Yup. Jokic touches the ball 30 times more per game in the playoffs than #2.

Kawhi is putting up something like 30 per game on over 60% shooting all while playing lockdown on D. Insane.

Wow, those are amazing stats.

The NBA is pretty special right now in terms of talent. You have the Hall of fame vets like Lebron, Durant, Harden, Curry, Westbrook who are all pretty much still in their prime. Then you have the young beasts in Giannis, Kawhi, Embiid, Jokic, Anthony Davis etc. Then the crazy young in Doncic.

There are basically so many great players it's almost impossible to do a top 5 or even top 10. Klay Thompson is a guaranteed Hall of Famer and one of the 3 best shooters ever and he's probably nowhere near the top 10.

 

[superjohn]

Yeah, we’ve had some great passing big man in the league. Sabonis. Divac. Webber. Shaq. But this Jokic kid is insanely good.

Yep. Those are all the great passing big men I think of and Jokic is just at another level to me. He does it in every facet. Crazy full court outlets, touch passes from the top of the 3 point line for layups, finds the three point shooters, flashy behind the back and through the legs. His vision and touch is just crazy.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You are preposterously absurd. A last second shot might be different than a game. But you can only tell if you aren't a .

It didn't have to be a last second shot but Lillard dribbled the clock out before taking it.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

This may be the best second round of a playoffs in my lifetime. You can make a credible case for any of the 4 eastern teams to make the finals, and you could do the same with the west. You could also make a case for any of the 8 teams to win it all. Years like this don't come along very often.

 

[joober jones]

I'd enjoy it more if Bazz had stayed in Portland

 

[Crank]

ROUND 4 -
Jokic - 21/12/11/2/0, 1 of 1 from 3, 3 TOs, +17.
Lillard - 28/3/7/2/0, 3 of 7 from 3, 2 TOs, -8.

Round 4 - JOKIC!

FINISH HIM!!!!

 

[Dogdeacon]

It didn't have to be a last second shot but Lillard dribbled the clock out before taking it.

That's one of the objectives for your opponent to not get another shot - try viewing the game on gamecast so that you can see the opponent's winning % decrease as the seconds tick away. Regardless of drive, running a play etc, if the game is tied you don't leave time for even your own rebound b/c defensive team rebounds at a higher rate.

 

[the Q]

That's one of the objectives for your opponent to not get another shot - try viewing the game on gamecast so that you can see the opponent's winning % decrease as the seconds tick away. Regardless of drive, running a play etc, if the game is tied you don't leave time for even your own rebound b/c defensive team rebounds at a higher rate.

You don’t do it because of one of the worst rules in professional sports.

It’s some wwe type stuff...

 

[Dogdeacon]

You don’t do it because of one of the worst rules in professional sports.

It’s some wwe type stuff...

Right, the advance the ball thing via a timeout is essentially allowing a time warp. Can't risk shooting even with 3 seconds left as a result which makes the one-on-one move the only way to perfectly time the shot with game clock absent clockwork efficiency in execution.
I think one of the two series is getting decided tonight, but not both. GSt should have had a chance to win last game and IF Durant plays the way he did for all but the end of game 3 I like the Warriors. Yet the Rockets haven't had a hot shooting game yet and presumably are therefore due.

RE: Celtics, I don't think they have an answer for Giannis. They succumbed to both him & the whistles in game 3. It will REALLY help their intensity, defense, stopping runs and end-game big plays IF Smart is back & at full strength. But Smart doesn't help the Celtics tendencies to go to hero ball whenever the Bucks make a run. I just don't think they are capable of correcting that fatal flaw this late in year. Kyrie as their best guy often thrives in that one-on-one. Using Kyrie's skills to their advantage seems to also mean the other less effective one-on-one guys feel entitled to their turn as 'the man'. Good chance they win tonight, but ultimately the problem is very close to un-fixable and they are too inconsistent to be a conference finals, much less NBA finals team.

Interesting that both the Celtics and the Sixers have shown a higher upside than their opponent in these semis and yet both may lose. Poor chemistry is the commonality.

 

[the Q]

Right, the advance the ball thing via a timeout is essentially allowing a time warp. Can't risk shooting even with 3 seconds left as a result which makes the one-on-one move the only way to perfectly time the shot with game clock absent clockwork efficiency in execution.
I think one of the two series is getting decided tonight, but not both. GSt should have had a chance to win last game and IF Durant plays the way he did for all but the end of game 3 I like the Warriors. Yet the Rockets haven't had a hot shooting game yet and presumably are therefore due.

RE: Celtics, I don't think they have an answer for Giannis. They succumbed to both him & the whistles in game 3. It will REALLY help their intensity, defense, stopping runs and end-game big plays IF Smart is back & at full strength. But Smart doesn't help the Celtics tendencies to go to hero ball whenever the Bucks make a run. I just don't think they are capable of correcting that fatal flaw this late in year. Kyrie as their best guy often thrives in that one-on-one. Using Kyrie's skills to their advantage seems to also mean the other less effective one-on-one guys feel entitled to their turn as 'the man'. Good chance they win tonight, but ultimately the problem is very close to un-fixable and they are too inconsistent to be a conference finals, much less NBA finals team.

Interesting that both the Celtics and the Sixers have shown a higher upside than their opponent in these semis and yet both may lose. Poor chemistry is the commonality.

Sixers bench is a big issue too.

Celtics are gonna need to figure out how to get brow. Period.

 

[the Q]

To be fair, there is a widely accepted academic paper that found the “hot hand” thing for shooting to be a total myth. So trying to use a sss like a game or even a series isn’t a good argument at all for taking that shot.

 

[the Q]

Yep. Those are all the great passing big men I think of and Jokic is just at another level to me. He does it in every facet. Crazy full court outlets, touch passes from the top of the 3 point line for layups, finds the three point shooters, flashy behind the back and through the legs. His vision and touch is just crazy.

Yeah, you could include Kevin loves outlet passes but I don’t think his full passing repotoire is on Parm with the rest. But those outlet passes were sick.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Sixers bench is a big issue too.

Celtics are gonna need to figure out how to get brow. Period.

Horford is good enough to win if 3/4 Kyrie, Tatum, Brown AND Hayward are firing on all cylinders. But its rare that even 2 outta 4 are. I'd even run it back with the same top 6 (Kyrie, Smart, Hayward, Tatum, Horford, Brown) and dump Rozier & Morris as bad fits. Both Morris & Rozier think they are the man at times and this is just un-workable with 5 better other guys that also want to score & need the ball.

They don't need Davis if they can keep Kyrie. They've still got a chance this season and games to play so I'd rather figure out how to beat the Bucks and Stevens may solve them on both offense and D.

 

[Walker11]

Yup. Jokic touches the ball 30 times more per game in the playoffs than #2.

Kawhi is putting up something like 30 per game on over 60% shooting all while playing lockdown on D. Insane.

Kudos to the got on Reddit who took 2 minutes and looked up Kawhis playoff stats. 58 47 90. The 50 40 90 club is elite territory and Kawhi is bordering 60 50 90. I'm going to stand by him having the best playoffs so far.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Kudos to the got on Reddit who took 2 minutes and looked up Kawhis playoff stats. 58 47 90. The 50 40 90 club is elite territory and Kawhi is bordering 60 50 90. I'm going to stand by him having the best playoffs so far.

Its subjective and of course based on opponent. Top spot is close between Kawhi vs. Jokic vs. Giannis vs Durant right now. Dame fading, Butler & Murray looming. Kyrie, Embid & Harden suffering. All on a relative basis of course vs the other superstars. But where it stands today is almost irrelevant. I.e. at end of round 1 it was Dame, we are only halfway thru rd 2 with two more decisive rounds to come.
It is amazing that there are so many great and different superstars right now.
Curry & LeBron - inarguably the two most popular players over the past 5 years aren't among the top 10 above.

 

[AdamaNation]

Yeah, we’ve had some great passing big man in the league. Sabonis. Divac. Webber. Shaq. But this Jokic kid is insanely good.

Don’t forget very under estimated Brad miller and Daugherty

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Horford is good enough to win if 3/4 Kyrie, Tatum, Brown AND Hayward are firing on all cylinders. But its rare that even 2 outta 4 are. I'd even run it back with the same top 6 (Kyrie, Smart, Hayward, Tatum, Horford, Brown) and dump Rozier & Morris as bad fits. Both Morris & Rozier think they are the man at times and this is just un-workable with 5 better other guys that also want to score & need the ball.

They don't need Davis if they can keep Kyrie. They've still got a chance this season and games to play so I'd rather figure out how to beat the Bucks and Stevens may solve them on both offense and D.

Kyrie is killing the Celtics. The best move they can make in the offseason is just letting him walk out the door.

 

[superjohn]

I don't understand Kerr's rotations at all and why is Looney always guarding Harden?

 

[superjohn]

Kyrie is killing the Celtics. The best move they can make in the offseason is just letting him walk out the door.

And have Rozier run the point?

 

[polycom]

I don't understand Kerr's rotations at all and why is Looney always guarding Harden?

It’s more the defense they are switching and collapsing. He has no other choice they can’t fight over the screen or over hedge because that’s wide open 3 talk

 

[Crank]

Kyrie and Kawhi to Lakers.