OT- NBA playoffs Lillard

[Huskyforlife]

To take it back to an earlier series, when a guy has made 9 of his last 13 of a certain shot, it's a quality look, no matter what the "get off my lawn" crowd says.

If he missed, everyone would be asking why he dribbled the clock down into that shot. Taking a fade-away, deep 3 in Paul Georges face, will never be a quality shot. We'll agree to disagree.

 

[Dogdeacon]

This is so obvious. The average strategy over the course of a game varies from the optimal strategy in individual situations, especially in the playoffs. This is mostly related to the anti analytics uproar re: CJ and his mid range shot, especially LeBron's tweet. In a tie game last shot scenario, shoot whatever shot gives you the highest probability of scoring, not the shot with the highest average point per possession.

Once again, two game 7s came down to which team had better ISO players.

First paragraph 100% true.
I don't know that Toronto had the better ISO players, Philly had 3-4 guys pretty good in isolation - Toronto just had THE best player. Not sure its worth distinguishing if they are the best iso players or just the best players. And analytics be damned, there were plenty of guys playing yesterday who wanted no part of shooting/making plays in the game 7 environment.
Maybe the 2018 NCAA tournament which had a lot of hero ball late game failures sparked a backlash amongst college hoop fans that they are now trying to apply to the NBA. This doesn't work as these are the best players in the world. And watching KD vs Harden mano-a-mano is what you want, just like yesterday we watched Kawhi sink the game winner over the Sixers' best player. Can't ask for more than that.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Are we sure portland wont get swept? I don't see how they stop a warriors team that decides to try...

MIL/TOR - Depends on how MIL will shoot the ball. TOR..I mean Leonard is playoff tested he'll be fine and drag them to the finals if MIL doesn't show up every game. TOR also plays incredible defense.

I think we had a historically great quarterfinals and both semis will be duds. GState in 4 or 5 and Bucks in 6.

I feel less confident picking against a very good Toronto team and Kawhi. My guess is he runs out of gas a little bit and Kawhi needs to get 30-ish every game for them to win. I suppose Giannis also needs 30+, but he gets that almost effortlessly. Supporting cast seems to be improving for the Bucks.

 

[Walker11]

First paragraph 100% true.
I don't know that Toronto had the better ISO players, Philly had 3-4 guys pretty good in isolation - Toronto just had THE best player. Not sure its worth distinguishing if they are the best iso players or just the best players. And analytics be damned, there were plenty of guys playing yesterday who wanted no part of shooting/making plays in the game 7 environment.
Maybe the 2018 NCAA tournament which had a lot of hero ball late game failures sparked a backlash amongst college hoop fans that they are now trying to apply to the NBA. This doesn't work as these are the best players in the world. And watching KD vs Harden mano-a-mano is what you want, just like yesterday we watched Kawhi sink the game winner over the Sixers' best player. Can't ask for more than that.

Kawhi is both the best player and best iso player in the series. Both Harris and Butler are good, but not as good as Kawhi, both by the eye test and point per possession. The reason it is so important is because how often offense bogs down in the playoffs with all the scheming and lack of scrub minutes. I do agree that a lot of Raptors were scared to shoot. And it was beautiful to watch.

 

[the Q]

First paragraph 100% true.
I don't know that Toronto had the better ISO players, Philly had 3-4 guys pretty good in isolation - Toronto just had THE best player. Not sure its worth distinguishing if they are the best iso players or just the best players. And analytics be damned, there were plenty of guys playing yesterday who wanted no part of shooting/making plays in the game 7 environment.
Maybe the 2018 NCAA tournament which had a lot of hero ball late game failures sparked a backlash amongst college hoop fans that they are now trying to apply to the NBA. This doesn't work as these are the best players in the world. And watching KD vs Harden mano-a-mano is what you want, just like yesterday we watched Kawhi sink the game winner over the Sixers' best player. Can't ask for more than that.

Culver’s atrocious plays at the end of regulation versus the Virginia play to the tie the game is a perfect example.

 

[Walker11]

Bucks in 7 and Warriors in 5 or 6. KD looks like he will miss the first 2 games, at least. Their bench is so garbage that I think Portland steals 1 or 2 games. GSW is just so much more talented when fully healthy. Either East team will be a huge challenge for the Warriors if they don't come out of the ECF physically and mentally exhausted and if the Warriors don't breeze through. However, both situations are likely.

 

[superjohn]

Warriors will win but it will be a tough series, ya'll are selling the Blazers short. Bucks in a tough series. Finals should be awesome.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Mil/Tor will be a battle. The Bucks are the better team, but they have very little playoff experience. After George Hill, the Bucks have almost no playoff experience. Lopez played 13 playoff games in 10 years prior to this season. Bledsoe has 24 games in 8 seasons. Ilyasova was in 33 games.

 

[polycom]

Warriors will win but it will be a tough series, ya'll are selling the Blazers short. Bucks in a tough series. Finals should be awesome.

The way the Blazers are playing pNr is an embarrassment to basketball fans, Steph's ability and every other coach that has come up with a game plan against Steph.

 

[superjohn]

The way the Blazers are playing pNr is an embarrassment to basketball fans, Steph's ability and every other coach that has come up with a game plan against Steph.

Awful showing by Blazers and Warriors often play as good or better without Durant. KD is probably the best player in the league now but they still go as Curry goes.

 

[Rocktheworld]

My guess is he runs out of gas a little bit and Kawhi needs to get 30-ish every game for them to win. I suppose Giannis also needs 30+, but he gets that almost effortlessly. Supporting cast seems to be improving for the Bucks.

Exactly. Giannis has been putting up these numbers averaging what, 32-36 minutes a game?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Bucks defense has been brutal tonight. Toronto is getting one open 3 look after another. Bucks are lucky to not be down 15.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Nurse lost that game by only playing his bench 40 minutes combined. He had 4 starters with over 40 minutes. That kind of coaching could cost the Raptors in the next game too because fatigue is cumulative. They just ran out of gas against a much fresher team in the last 6 minutes.

Reggie Miller picked up on the Raptors' lack of substitutions issue late in the 3rd, and it was a great observation.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

First time seeing Giannis up close and in person last night. He makes the court look like a postage stamp.

 

[superjohn]

First time seeing Giannis up close and in person last night. He makes the court look like a postage stamp.

In a league of extraterrestrials Giannis still looks freaky.

You were at the game last night?

 

[Mano]

This is pretty fun watching the Curry's go at it.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Nurse lost that game by only playing his bench 40 minutes combined. He had 4 starters with over 40 minutes. That kind of coaching could cost the Raptors in the next game too because fatigue is cumulative. They just ran out of gas against a much fresher team in the last 6 minutes.

Reggie Miller picked up on the Raptors' lack of substitutions issue late in the 3rd, and it was a great observation.

In a shocking development, Raptors look flat and tired, and Gasol is basically useless, after Toronto played the starters 40+ minutes in game 1.

 

[superjohn]

Finals should be awesome. Can the Warriors beat the Bucks with our without Durant?

 

[navery12]

Finals should be awesome. Can the Warriors beat the Bucks with our without Durant?

Without Durant they have a very good chance. No Durant I think it goes 7 and who knows

 

[Scoe]

Not looking good for the Lakers letting Brook Lopez and Julius Randle leaving and getting absolutely nothing in return.

 

[the Q]

Not looking good for the Lakers letting Brook Lopez and Julius Randle leaving and getting absolutely nothing in return.

They replaced Lopez with McGee who was just named by Forbes as one of the 10 most underpaid players this year.

They did fine replacing Lopez and kuz needed more run as well. The problem was they missed out on a star.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

They replaced Lopez with McGee who was just named by Forbes as one of the 10 most underpaid players this year.

They did fine replacing Lopez and kuz needed more run as well. The problem was they missed out on a star.

What are you talking about? There is no way the short bus of idiots that the Lakers brought in was close to as good as Randle and Lopez. Why would you even make that argument?

 

[Walker11]

What are you talking about? There is no way the short bus of idiots that the Lakers brought in was close to as good as Randle and Lopez. Why would you even make that argument?

Not to mention how desperately the Lakers needed shooting. What a bad take. And who gives a what Forbes says about basketball.

 

[the Q]

Not to mention how desperately the Lakers needed shooting. What a bad take. And who gives a what Forbes says about basketball.

If they get Paul George or some other max guy, we aren’t even having this conversation.

They couldn’t keep randle and sign a second max player.

They had a built in replacement In kuz ready for more minutes.

You wanna debate the rondo and lance moves in there with you.

While I’d prefer brook, McGee was a good enough replacement

 

[Walker11]

If they get Paul George or some other max guy, we aren’t even having this conversation.

They couldn’t keep randle and sign a second max player.

They had a built in replacement In kuz ready for more minutes.

You wanna debate the rondo and lance moves in there with you.

While I’d prefer brook, McGee was a good enough replacement

McGee definitely wasn't the main problem. I agree with you on that. But LeBron ideally will be surrounded by 3 shooters and a complementary scorer. Lopez was so perfect. Dave McMenamin is their great beat writer and he wrote last week that contrary to all the AD nonsense the real reason they struggled because how low their open 3 point percentage was, which makes sense based on their signings. Fwiw, according to the front office, it wasn't really McGee vs Brook...it was Beasley vs Brook. All you can say about that is yikes.