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I think the Spurs just became the overwhelming favorites to win the title. No news on Curry's MRI yet, but you have to believe he's out at least 2-3 weeks. I think the Warriors make it past Houston, but they'll likely get beat by the Clippers in the next round without Curry.

Spurs then beat the Clippers and then destroy the Cavaliers in the Finals.

Music City posted:

Yeah, they'll be tough but without Curry to tilt the scales it seems impossible for them to get by the Spurs. 

Not so sure about the Clippers... I cannot stand the mental makeup of that team. They complain incessantly to officials, Paul gets away with a lot of flopping, and Jordan just offends my basketball sensibilities. 

I agree on  Jordan. As a purist, I sure hope the NBA doesn't fold and give these guys that can't hit free throws a free pass. If they can't hit 55-60% of their free throws, then it's a weakness the other team should be able to exploit. My fear is the NBA will come up with some hack-a-Deandre/Capella/Howard rule and protect these guys. What's the difference between that a rule that you can't force James Harden to play one on one defense because he's so bad at it? Or post up a guy like Chris Paul because he's too short to be able to guard bigger PGs? Learn to shoot the FTS - do it Rick Barry style if you have to.

Now Chris Paul breaks his hand and is out for the playoffs. I'm not a Clippers fan, but that franchise is snake bit (even if they might have deserved it during the Sterling years).

The Blazers-Clippers series will at least go 6 games now which pushes back the start of the likely Warriors Blazers/Clippers series to Monday or Tuesday. Gives Curry a few extra days.

Now Blake Griffin is out too. The Clippers are toast.

Which leads to a different discussion- are the Clippers done done? Has their window closed? Personally, I think so. And here is where an up and coming team has a chance to improve. Blake Griffin to the Bucks? Chris Paul? What kind of deal would it take to get one of them? Would Griffin fit in? Monroe and Griffin are more or less identical- signed through next year with a player option for '17-18 (Griffin with $4M more). Neither appears happy to be where they are. The Bucks don't need any more 21 year olds... They need shooting. Monroe, MCW, and their 1st for Reddick and Griffin? The Clippers can start their rebuild with an extra 1, MCW to develop, and the Bucks get better defensively and upgrade their shooting? 

Speaking of windows, wonder how much different things would look if the Chris Paul trade to the Lakers had gone through in 2011? 

"The Lakers and New Orleans Hornets had agreed on a deal that would send Paul to LA, Pau Gasol to Houston, and Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Lamar Odom, Goran Dragic and a first-round pick to New Orleans. But David Stern vetoed the trade by the Hornets, which the league owned at the time."

http://nypost.com/2015/12/09/h...changed-nba-forever/

Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, and probably Dwight Howard on the Lakers. 

Jason Terry is going to take a lot of crap, but at least he's delivered in the playoffs in the past. Jason Terry is not the problem.

The Rockets are a team built around two flawed players who appear to not give a sh!t. Dwight Howard has an excuse - he's clearly not the same player he was before his back problems and in the right situation he could be an exceptionally good role player - basically he's Andrew Bogut at this state of his career.

The Rockets real problem is that they are built around a player whose defensive effort makes Glenn (Big Dog) Robinson's defense look like an in-his-prime Scottie Pippen. James Harden might be the worst defensive player I've ever seen. You can't win with a guy like that as your star player.

Great moments in James Harden Defense

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=14921784

 

 

Music -

If I'm the Warriors I sit Curry as long as they keep winning against Portland. The next game will be key. If they go up 2-0 over the Blazers, there is no need to rush Curry back for game 3. If they go up 3-0, I'd hold him out and then if they need him play him in Game 5 at home up 3-1. Don't play Curry until you lose a game.

In the long run, the knee injury might have been a blessing in disguise as long as it turned out to be as minor as it appeared. The MCL sprain forced them to shut him down for at least 2 weeks, which should help the ankle heal as well. If he keeps playing on that ankle, it probably isn't "right" for the rest of the playoffs. Now he may be fairly healthy for the Spurs.

Spurs-Warriors may be the best non-championship game series in NBA history. Warriors won 73 and the Spurs would have easily won over 70 (67 isn't bad) had Popovich not rested guys regularly. A top 10 player in NBA history (Duncan) plus some borderline Hall of Famers on the Spurs (Aldridge, Parker, Ginobili, Leonard) against a potential top 10 player all time (Curry) playing alongside multiple all stars (Thompson, Iguodala, Green).

If everyone's healthy, I'd take the Spurs. The Spurs have 6 guys in their 8-9 man rotation who have been or will be to multiple all-star games (Duncan, Aldridge, Parker, Ginobili, West, and Leonard) combined with a top 3 coach in history.

It's almost unbelievable that the top regular season team of all-time might be an underdog in the conference finals.

 

Music City posted:

Unbelievable he has the $$$ he has...

 

You know he came into the league with a rep as a defender...

Harden is the latest example of what the league's front offices pay for - it's mostly offense. The frustrating thing for his coaches must be that, as you said based on his rep coming out, he is a capable defender. He just doesn't care to try at this point. He averaged 29 a game this year and his advanced defensive stats don't look that bad, but his indifference on that end is just a team killer many times. He's like World B. Free was 35 years ago, a high-volume shooter/great offensive player that it is difficult to win with. He's basically a max player - he's due 50 million over the next 3 years. He and Carmelo Anthony have the same problem - great offensive players that don't make the guys around them better and should be better defenders.

If Harden stays in Oklahoma for 75% of the money, OKC is a threat to compete against the Spurs and the Warriors. I can't blame him for taking the money though.

 

Music City posted:

The Warriors are fortunate to have an overmatched Portland team instead of a fully healthy Clippers team. They're going to sweep them and then have plenty of time to get Curry back in shape...

Golden State vs Portland in the Regular Season 3-1
Golden State vs Clippers in the Regular Season 4-0 (2 of which were a "fully healthy" Clippers team)

 

Last edited by Timpranillo
CAPackFan95 posted:
Music City posted:

The Warriors are fortunate to have an overmatched Portland team instead of a fully healthy Clippers team. They're going to sweep them and then have plenty of time to get Curry back in shape...

Golden State vs Portland in the Regular Season 3-1
Golden State vs Clippers in the Regular Season 4-0 (2 of which were a "fully healthy" Clippers team)

 

They won 73 games, so that's the line against just about everyone yeah? What's your point? My point is that in a 7 game series LAC stood more of a chance to win a couple games than what Portland does now. It would take another 50+ from Lilliard, and an off night from GS for Portland to get one. They most certainly won't win the series. 

And maybe this is where the conspiracy theories start- the royal f job that the Spurs experienced prolongs what was already going to be a pretty competitive series. Wouldn't be surprised if that one goes 6 or 7. Meanwhile GS has theirs wrapped up by next week and get Curry more time. The NBA needs to showcase its new poster boy...

When Curry gets going, it's an amazing thing to watch. Most of the time when he gets in those zones, the ball doesn't even touch the inside of the rim when it goes through the net.  I can't remember anything like it. Ray Allen probably comes the closest, but Curry has more range. You have to guard him from about 35 feet in.

Now we get the comments from Tracy McGrady basically downplaying what Curry has done. McGrady may be partially right in that the new rules on handchecking, etc. have opened things up. If Curry was playing 25 years ago teams like Pat Riley's Knicks or the Alonzo Mourning-era Heat would have made it a point to physically beat the sh!T out of him. I like watching this type of game much more than the Bad Boy Pistons, Knicks, and Heat from 80s and 90s and the games that ended with scores like 78-75.

Those slugfests cost the NBA many casual fans. The Pistons and those Pacers/Knicks/Heat series' were everything that was wrong with basketball. Blatant acts of thuggery have simply no place in the game, and it came really close to ruining it. If you can't win with quality basketball, crumple the guy in the lane. It friggin sucked to watch the game I love. 

Then in the 2000s the answer was flop city.  Equally unwatchable, but more because it insulted the viewers intelligence. 

Now we have a brand of basketball that's amazing to watch. A player like Curry has made the game fun again. 

But if there is anything to worry about, it's the officiating. Once again, the officials swallow their whistles on a Spurs foul, allowed by a Thunder player to play through an obvious foul to get an and-one at the basket when the whole arena knew the Spurs were going to foul to put the Thunder on the line. 

The officials in this series have been horrific. And the Hawks/Cavs was horrific, letting LeBron push and shove his way into the paint. 

It's horrible. 

Last edited by Music City

Music - I'm dreading the inevitable Cavs-Warriors (or Cavs-Thunder/Spurs) series. To win, Cleveland will have to slow it down and we'll end up with Lebron holding the ball until about 6 seconds are left on the shot clock and then barreling his way towards the rim to force a foul call or a kick out pass for a 3.

Adam Silver should just announce that the NBA has decided that the Warriors, Thunder, and Spurs are clearly the best 3 teams and they've decided to alter the playoffs.  Either the Spurs or Thunder will take on the Cavs in one semi-final and the other team will take on the Warriors in the other semi-final. Those would be great to watch (rather than Raptors-Cavs).

I actually enjoy watching these Western conference games as much as any basketball I've ever watched. Great offensive players and a lot of points, but it's not like there's not great defensive players also. Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green, Bogut, Duncan, Klay Thompson and others all play defense. It's just that the ball movement is so good and the players are so good, even great defense can't stop it.  On the other hand, I don't even watch the Eastern conference games.

I'm looking forward to a Cavs/Warriors rematch. 

Can't  help but think the Spurs are old and done. Didn't look that way to start- really looked like the Spurs were going to handle them. But Duncan's done, Ginobli and Parker sure look done too, and the Thunder seem to have solved the LA riddle. 

Warriors will beat either of them. And then it's on. Greatness vs Greatness (Curry/LeBron)... that's the way it really should be. Green vs Love, Kyrie and Curry, LeBron and Igoudala rematch, Clay and JR... That's going to be a friggin GREAT series...

Last edited by Music City

They ran out of gas.you could see it. In that comeback they had a 2 possession span where could have gone in a 6-0 run and cut the lead to 4 (thanks to a flagrant). They scored 1 point. Missed 2 close shots in the paint and an open jumper. 

Unless Curry gets hurt again, the conference Finals go 5 games, IMO. OKC just out-gunned a tired team full of older players in beating the Spurs. GS is going make them 2 dimensional and it'll be blowout city. 

Last edited by Music City

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