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The Bucks were horrendous tonight, and yet I also have to pay tribute to the Nets too.  Those guys came out and played damn hard right from the start, they were aggressive, smart, and they also hit most of the open looks they had.  The biggest shock to me is how well Brooklyn has played defensively, they're in guys' faces and not letting anyone get too comfortable. 

It's hard to say which series was worse, the Heat series of 2020 or this one so far.  I'll only say the Heat series was worse because that Heat team truly was a flash in the pan.  This Brooklyn team legitimately looks like they can win it all and I don't think it would be any fluke if they did. 

The Nets have been missing a first ballot Hall of Famer, one of the greatest perimeter shooters of the last quarter century, for all but one minute of the two games, and the Nets are shooting 44.4% (36 for 81) from behind the arc. The Nets are shooting better from 3-pt range than our two-time MVP is shooting from the free throw line. He’s 2 for 10. 20%.

As I said before. I am done with Bud. Absolutely done. No arguments, please. His team is mentally soft, maybe the softest team I’ve seen as a Wisconsin sports fan. The Bucks get punched in the mouth, snd they go sit down, suck their thumbs, and have a good cry.

And Middleton? He’s utterly worthless. Giannis hasn’t played well, but anybody that’s contended KM is a good #2 is kidding themselves. He’s good about once every three games against the true top tier teams, and when he’s off, Stevie Wonder could outshoot him. So expect him to have a bang up game 3. The Bucks will win somehow, playing just well enough to give Bucks fans a false hope. Then, Lucy will pull the football away, and we’ll land flat on our ass. Good grief.

Middleton is 13 for 43 from the floor (30%), and 3 for 13 from 3. That’s 23%. He’s as predictable as the atomic clock.

I won’t waste any of my time watching the rest of the series. I know how this ends, and my hopes of seeing a Milwaukee sports team win a title in my lifetime heads into year #50 of futility.

I agree with most of this, but Middleton is not worthless. He's a borderline all-star that gets misused by Bud against elite teams.

Bud's schemes work against crappy teams, but it's really just iso ball. Middleton would be most effective if you used him like Klay Thompson is used and not like Kevin Durant. Let him run off picks or put him in screen and roll. Limit his dribbling. He's a great shooter, but when they get to the playoffs every play called for him is isolation. He's not an elite athlete by NBA standards, so he really has to work to get open against good defensive players.

As for Giannis on offense, I mean what can you even say at this point? Most of this game was him standing outside of 15 feet and when he got the ball he just settled for jump shots over and over. He was stoned by Blake Griffin. The same guy who he dominated when he was with the Pistons and even at the beginning of Game 1 of this series.

How many times did Jrue Holiday initiate offense tonight? Why not use him to initiate the offense, back his guy down low, and force double teams?

What happened to the pick and roll with Giannis/Khris, Giannis/Holiday, etc? How many times did the Bucks actually swing the ball tonight? Force Durant to work on defense? It was like if you were going to design a defense to make one of the greatest players in history as comfortable as possible, this is what you'd do. Durant could sit and rest on defense with no ball reversal or forcing him into pick and rolls and he could stand around on offense until he got the ball in a space against the zone and shoot uncontested shots. Any uncontested shot within 25 feet is like a layup for most players, and yet he got about 6-8 of those tonight.

I agree with most of this, but Middleton is not worthless. He's a borderline all-star that gets misused by Bud against elite teams.

Bud's schemes work against crappy teams, but it's really just iso ball. Middleton would be most effective if you used him like Klay Thompson is used and not like Kevin Durant. Let him run off picks or put him in screen and roll. Limit his dribbling. He's a great shooter, but when they get to the playoffs every play called for him is isolation. He's not an elite athlete by NBA standards, so he really has to work to get open against good defensive players.

As for Giannis on offense, I mean what can you even say at this point? Most of this game was him standing outside of 15 feet and when he got the ball he just settled for jump shots over and over. He was stoned by Blake Griffin. The same guy who he dominated when he was with the Pistons and even at the beginning of Game 1 of this series.

How many times did Jrue Holiday initiate offense tonight? Why not use him to initiate the offense, back his guy down low, and force double teams?

What happened to the pick and roll with Giannis/Khris, Giannis/Holiday, etc? How many times did the Bucks actually swing the ball tonight? Force Durant to work on defense? It was like if you were going to design a defense to make one of the greatest players in history as comfortable as possible, this is what you'd do. Durant could sit and rest on defense with no ball reversal or forcing him into pick and rolls and he could stand around on offense until he got the ball in a space against the zone and shoot uncontested shots. Any uncontested shot within 25 feet is like a layup for most players, and yet he got about 6-8 of those tonight.

He's shooting 30% in the series. We can talk about Bud's misusing him until we're blue in the face. When the ball is in Khris' hands, and he's tossing the little brownish-orange sphere in the air, trying to put it into the little ring, he's failing miserably. That's on him. He doesn't have Dennis Rodman on him. He's getting open looks, and doinking 7 out of 10 shots he takes. He gets paid millions to be a shooter. His job is to get separation, and put the ball in the hole.

I'm sorry. I'm just pissed. I'm blowing off a bit of steam, and probably not thinking too clearly.

When the Bucks slink off the court after game 5, because somehow, the basketball gods will toss betters a cookie, we'll have Packers camp, and all the bullshit with Aaron Rodgers, and the Brewers with their historically inept offense, to look forward to. Yet still, I'm a fan. I have to believe that in the end, something good will happen. Because I'm a sucker.

I try to be a glass half full guy. Instead of saying, "we've had two of the greatest quarterbacks-the hardest position in professional sports to fill- in NFL history under center for three decades, and have only three Super Bowl appearances, and two wins, to show for it." I try to say,"hey, I've seen my team win the trophy named after our greatest coach twice in my lifetime." I don't look at our utter collapses three years in a row. I think that we've got a dominant big man, and at least one star complimentary piece in Jrue Holiday. Some wunderkin Head Coach is going to want to come here, coach these guys, and play games in this beautiful new facility, in front of a passionate fan base just thirsting for an NBA title. Whatever HC comes into Milwaukee, and gets us a parade down Wisconsin avenue, is going to eat for free the rest of his life.

Oh yeah, and I'm excited about Jordan Nwora's potential. So, there's that.

Right now, everything just kind of hurts. I've suffered for so long with this team.  I've been on the Bucks bandwagon since I was a little kid going to games at the Mecca, sitting up in the nosebleed seats, hearing "technical foul, too many honkies on the court". Right now, I'd be happy with just getting to the Finals. Something new.

At the beginning of this series, I thought that the Nets were the likely NBA champs this year, but that the Bucks had a puncher's chance of upsetting them. That was based on them having 3 first-ballot HOFers on the same team. I thought the most likely outcome was that the Bucks would push them to 6 for 7 games, but the Nets offensive firepower would be too much to overcome. In that situation, you could still feel good about the Bucks' season.

But..... then Harden gets hurt 30 seconds into the series. If you'd have told me that before the series, I'd have predicted Bucks in 5 games. Instead, the Bucks looked like a team that gave up tonight. The coaching was terrible and Bud should be gone, but these guys gave up, no ifs, ands, or buts. I don't care if your coach sucks, a team with three top-50 guys in the league does not fall behind by 49 points against anybody, ever.

Kevin Durant is a top 10 player all-time and he's been outstanding (24 for 43). But they are missing Harden, and Kyrie Irving has been good, not great. He's 20 for 43 from the floor and 7 for 19 from three. He's not the one beating them. The Bucks are getting their asses handed to them because has-beens like Blake Griffin and never-wasses like Mike James are lighting them up, outworking them, and outhustling them. They've just scored 86 points against a team that doesn't have a single defensive player as good as Giannis, Holiday, or Tucker. Heck, if Middleton played for them, he'd probably guard the best opposing player.

This is just a team failing to show up. That's on the coach and the players. Bobby Portis turned into a pumpkin against a team he should score at will against. Middleton's been terrible and Giannis is a deer in the headlights in another playoff series.

If they still had Bledsoe and Harden was playing, imagine what this would look like?

The part that’s really frustrating is we all know how good Irving and KD are, but to allow a has been like Blake Griffin and a nobody like Mike James have an impact is inexcusable.

Pat C and Jeff Teague and Bobby Portis have a combined 13 points through the first 2 games of this series.  I mean, how is that even possible?   Forbes played better in game 2 but the bench has been a non factor in this series.

I’m not exactly sure what plan Bud came up with in game 2, but the Bucks appeared disinterested and outmatched from the openly tip.  It’s like they quit 5 minutes into the game.  Where’s the killer instinct from the Miami series?

I don’t think the series is over, but do the Bucks have the ability to become the Raptors from 2 years ago?  I have my doubts given Bud is no Nick Nurse.

Milwaukee needs to come out and punch the Nets in the mouth and impose their will on them in the paint.  If they don’t, then this is likely a sweep or 5 game series.

Last edited by Tschmack

Bud is a lot like Mike McCarthy or Bo Ryan. Their common strength is establishing a strong structure and sticking to their principles not matter what. It's this attitude that your success is based on using the same principles long-term and too many short-term adjustments reflects hitting the panic button.

Bo Ryan almost never called plays at the end of close games. McCarthy was basically line your guys up and have them beat the guy across form them. Bud develops a system that is good enough to win 60% of games across an NBA season and never wavers from it.

Giannis is such a unicorn, it's hard to play against him if you see him every two months. In a series, guys get used to him and he's a painfully limited offensive halfcourt player. He needs to be used like a Clint Capela who also gets the ball down low. He should be a monster on offensive rebounds. Instead, he's used like he's Kevin Durant. The frustrating thing with the Nets is they don't have anyone like Adebayo or Kawhi that should have any chance of guarding him.

@Tschmack posted:

The part that’s really frustrating is we all know how good Irving and KD are, but to allow a has been like Blake Griffin and a nobody like Mike James have an impact is inexcusable.

Pat C and Jeff Teague and Bobby Portis have a combined 13 points through the first 2 games of this series.  I mean, how is that even possible?   Forbes played better in game 2 but the bench has been a non factor in this series.

I think this is the message the coaches need to pound into these guys the next 2 days. The iso-heavy approach has neutralized the bench- and going into this series, I would have said the Bucks bench was better than the Nets.

It is possible that the Bucks stars, in particular Giannis and Middleton, are trying too hard to match Durant and Irving basket for basket. They’re trying too hard to prove themselves worthy- and maybe that’s the β€œpanic” we’re seeing that Barkley talked about. The Bucks aren’t moving the ball, they’re not making them work at all.

Thursday is the biggest game of their careers. To succeed, they need to trust their teammates and instill confidence that they can beat these guys. Then they need to make the plays. Toronto looked dead in the water in 2019… then they won 4 straight.

Middleton was terrible the first two games of this series, no doubt about it. But the bigger problem is Giannis. He's being locked up on offense by guys that he used to dominate. This isn't Kawhi or Adebayo. Griffin and Durant have no business stopping him. And the part that isn't talked about is that he wasn't exactly that good on offense against Miami. He played an elite defensive series against Jimmy Butler, but his offense was just average.

We know he's 23 for 43 from the line in the playoffs. I heard the stat this morning that he's 6 for 35 in the playoffs outside the paint. He's 3 for 24 from the 3-point line and 3 for 11 on other shots outside. Almost none of those shots outside the paint are contested. If you add the FTs together with these uncontested jump shots, he's made 29 of 78 shots that are the equivalent of shots you get in warmups. That is obviously terrible for a generational superstar and it's clearly all in his head. Mentally, he's just done on anything outside of a dunk on offense.

His FT routine is a 10-second violation every time and now that's in his head, too. Whoever allowed him to develop a routine that maximizes the amount of time he freezes with the ball should be convicted of coaching malpractice. It's the exact opposite of what he needs. A 3-dribbles and shoot routine would be much better - it's less time for him to think. He had some almost airballs last night. It's almost like it is a semi-win in his mind if he doesn't throw up an airball from the line.

If he takes another outside shot with more than 5 seconds left on the shot clock the rest of the series, Bud should sit him down to send a message. It's just not smart basketball. Giannis has now entered Bledsoe playoff territory on offense.

As bad as Middleton has been, Jrue Holiday hasn’t been much better.  He shot nearly 40% from 3 during the regular season, but is shooting a Bledsoe like so far in the playoffs.  At least in the Miami series he was exceptional on defense and averaged almost 10 assists per game.  Against the Nets?    Not even 5 assists per game and honestly he’s been below average defending against Kyrie Irving.  

The simple fact is the Bucks Big 3 is getting outplayed but the Bucks Big 2 + Joe Harris and Blake Griffin.

Yes, KD is arguably the best pure scorer in the world and Irving might be one of the toughest guys in the league to defend off the dribble, but Milwaukee has guys that should at least be able to make them work.  

@Tschmack posted:

As bad as Middleton has been, Jrue Holiday hasn’t been much better.  He shot nearly 40% from 3 during the regular season, but is shooting a Bledsoe like so far in the playoffs.  At least in the Miami series he was exceptional on defense and averaged almost 10 assists per game.  Against the Nets?    Not even 5 assists per game and honestly he’s been below average defending against Kyrie Irving.  

The simple fact is the Bucks Big 3 is getting outplayed but the Bucks Big 2 + Joe Harris and Blake Griffin.

Yes, KD is arguably the best pure scorer in the world and Irving might be one of the toughest guys in the league to defend off the dribble, but Milwaukee has guys that should at least be able to make them work.  

You expect the Nets to score, but they will never be considered a defensive juggernaut. After the first half of Game 1, the score was 63-61. In the 6 quarters since then, the Bucks have 23, 23, 19, 22, 24, and 21 points. Their offensive ineptitude against a relatively poor defensive team is a shock. I expected the Bucks to lose some games in this series where the Nets would put up 125 points like last night. I just expected those losses to be something like 125-120, not 125-86.

I thought I heard that Brooklyn was rated like the 20th best defensive team in the NBA.  Think about that.   They aren’t a mediocre defense team; they are terrible on defense.

Having Giannis take long range shots or having anyone not named Jrue Holiday set up the offense is just plain stupid.   Don’t get me started on Bud going to a zone defense.   I mean, it’s one thing to lose like they did in game 1.  The shots just weren’t falling and they had plenty of open looks.  They also competed and played hard on defense.   Game 2 was like a summer league game.  I mean, WTF.  

Someone posted that game 3 might be the most important games for Bud and the players in their entire careers.  Teams can come back from 2-0.  The Clippers just did it against Dallas.   It’s not impossible.   But you know Brooklyn wants it badly.  They do not want to get into a physical, long, drawn out series with a team like Milwaukee.  Given the fact that Irving and KD and Harden can’t seem to stay on the court very long if I’m them I go full bore and try to close out the Bucks in 4 or 5 games.

@Tschmack posted:

As bad as Middleton has been, Jrue Holiday hasn’t been much better.  He shot nearly 40% from 3 during the regular season, but is shooting a Bledsoe like so far in the playoffs.  At least in the Miami series he was exceptional on defense and averaged almost 10 assists per game.  Against the Nets?    Not even 5 assists per game and honestly he’s been below average defending against Kyrie Irving.  



Holiday's offensive disappearance in the playoffs has been Bledsoe-like. Like Giannis, Holiday played great defensively against the Heat, but he was below average on offense. The Bucks swept the Heat because their defense was outstanding and Bryn Forbes and Pat Connaughton got off a lot of open shots from 3 and hit them. Together, they were 24-52 in that series. 18 points a game off of 3s for those guys really opens things up.

The Heat's two best players are worse 3-point shooters than Giannis. Butler and Adebayo both shot under 25% from deep over the course of the year. The Bucks may have the best interior defense in the NBA and just throttled those two and the Heats elite shooters (Robinson and Herro) can't generate their own shots. Irving and Durant can create good open looks on their own from anywhere within 25 feet. The Bucks interior defense really doesn't matter against a team like the Nets.

The Nets have decided they aren't going to let guys like Forbes and Connaughton get open looks. They've only gotten off 11 threes in two games and hit 3 of them. They were getting off 13 open 3s between them every game in the Heat series. Instead, their strategy is to make sure every Middleton shot is contested, dare Giannis to beat them from outside of 5 feet, and assume that the third guy won't hurt them. Middleton has struggled, we are all fooling ourselves thinking that after 8 years in the league Giannis is going to somehow turn into a competent midrange guy, and Holiday has turned into a more expensive version of Bledsoe. Look at these statistics, they are eerie.

2019 Bledsoe playoff stats: 15 games, 17-72 from 3 (24%), 33 turnovers, 36-51 FT (71%)

2020 Bledsoe playoffs: 9 games, 8-32 from 3 (25%), 23 turnovers, 21-26 FT (81%)

2021 Holiday playoffs: 6 games, 6-24 from 3 (25%), 16 turnovers, 9-15 FT (60%)

So Holiday has shot as atrociously as Bledsoe did from 3, been averaging a similar number of turnovers, and has been very shaky at the FT line. Even worse, Bledsoe was largely responsible for shutting down Kyrie Irving in the 2019 Celtics series. Holiday has really struggled against Kyrie. Of all the developments in a tight series, what Middleton and Giannis are doing is what we've come to expect. The difference this year was that our 3rd guy wasn't supposed to collapse in a whimpering mess on offense. Unfortunately, he's been statistically worse than Bledsoe was. If Holiday contributes what we expect, I bet the Bucks win Game 1.

@Tschmack posted:

I thought I heard that Brooklyn was rated like the 20th best defensive team in the NBA.  Think about that.   They aren’t a mediocre defense team; they are terrible on defense.

Having Giannis take long range shots or having anyone not named Jrue Holiday set up the offense is just plain stupid.   Don’t get me started on Bud going to a zone defense.   I mean, it’s one thing to lose like they did in game 1.  The shots just weren’t falling and they had plenty of open looks.  They also competed and played hard on defense.   Game 2 was like a summer league game.  I mean, WTF.  

Someone posted that game 3 might be the most important games for Bud and the players in their entire careers.  Teams can come back from 2-0.  The Clippers just did it against Dallas.   It’s not impossible.   But you know Brooklyn wants it badly.  They do not want to get into a physical, long, drawn out series with a team like Milwaukee.  Given the fact that Irving and KD and Harden can’t seem to stay on the court very long if I’m them I go full bore and try to close out the Bucks in 4 or 5 games.

I am in my 50s now and very rarely yell at the TV anymore like I did when I was younger. I yelled at the TV last night when they played zone for an extended period of time. They were playing Kevin f'ing Durant along with Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris (the leading 3 point % shooter in the NBA this year). Zone? Maybe as a change of pace after a timeout, but not for half a quarter. There were 3-4 times where Durant caught the ball with no one near him at three-point line and no one even tried to close out to contest. Durant even looked shocked that he was that open. It seemed like drop defense or zone were Bud's two options. The Bucks have three elite defenders (Giannis, Holiday, and Tucker) and they act like they have to protect an entire lineup of Kyle Korvers?

I'm just disappointed Bud never got to the Finals to try that zone against the Curry-Klay-Durant Warriors. That's about the only team in history you'd have wanted to play zone less against than this year's Nets.

I was hoping that this second game was just a bad dream. Nope.

I just checked the ESPN app, and Stephen A Smith called Milwaukee’s performance a National embarrassment. He’s right. Most of the time, I put little credence in anything he says. But he showed more fire than any of the Bucks did on the floor. And after the game, Giannis is, β€œI don’t get too high, I don’t get too low.” Being cool in front of the reporters is one thing. But if you’re walking around the locker room not tossing chairs around, something is wrong. You’re a two-time MVP and reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and your team went down nearly 50 at one point before finally losing by 39. You’d fucking better be showing some fire.

Our bench has been out scored by I think it was 23 points through the two games. And the Nets are goading Giannis into taking outside shots. He’s not a shooter. How is Bud sitting there watching this, and not calling a timeout.

”what the fuck are you doing?”

The Bucks defense has just been atrocious.  At one point, they went more than 36 minutes without committing a shooting foul. How is that even possible?

Love the last line: if Budenholzer was coaching the Nets, would Jordan have played?

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/...into-the-nets-hands/

Nash made the one chess move to start by taking Jordan completely out of the lineup, and the Bucks didn’t know how to make them pay for it. They were fooled into thinking Lopez in the paint was the key- but whenever the Bucks get reliant on Lopez in the post, they have to leave Giannis as a shooter- advantage Nets.

And this is also why I don’t like PJ Tucker in the starting lineup. It accomplishes nothing. You put Giannis on Durant like they put Giannis on Butler. Then Tucker harasses him when Giannis is resting.

The natural move I make is if you’re going to not play Jordan, Giannis in the paint all day all night. And not even necessarily always as a post guy- just there all night. Not Durant, not Clayton, not Griffin- no one should be able to stop the MVP in the paint. Offensive boards, dunker’s spot, then a few post ups… Giannis does not take a shot outside of 5 feet in that scenario. And you destroy them with the MVP making them pay for not having their biggest, strongest guy in the paint. Then the more you help, the more open shooters.

Nash has been coaching 6 months and he knows more how to create a mismatch than Budenholzer. That’s why he needs to be gone. He’s already cost this team too much…

Last edited by Music City
@Tschmack posted:

While Lopez thrived against Miami, I don’t like him as much against Brooklyn because it tends to draw Giannis away from the paint where he is obviously much less effective.

I also like the idea of Giannis defending Durant.   Tucker is better served coming off the bench.

The other problem they have is that I think the loss of DDV was underestimated in terms of the impact it would have. He doesn't make a 40 point difference obviously, but he completely changes the floor spacing in that starting group relative to Tucker. Tucker is virtually no threat on offense. He made himself into a viable NBA player by being a tenacious defender, getting extra possessions on hustle plays, and developing one offensive skill to keep himself on the court (an awkward-looking corner 3). It takes him a long time to load up to shoot that corner 3 and good defenders can recover and challenge him on a close out. If he's on a team with Chris Paul and Harden (like he was with the Rockets) he gets those shots off more easily. On the Bucks, if he's on the court with Giannis, that means you have at least 2 guys you can back off of and let them try to beat you from outside. It becomes the Bledsoe problem all over again. It's compounded by playing Lopez too. While he's a competent 3-point shooter, teams are still fine with making him beat you from 3 as well. Holidays decent too, but he's not lights out. Middleton is the only guy you really prioritize making sure he never gets a look from the three-point line that is uncontested. Besides the Giannis wall, the priority for teams that beat the Bucks is to make sure Middleton never gets uncontested looks. The reason he dropped to the second round is that he's not an elite athlete by NBA standards. Good defenders can bother him one-on-one.

Of course, you could run Forbes out there in the starting unit, but he's a such a defensive liability that they headhunt him immediately. He's liable to give up 12 points for every 10 he scores, but that's better than still giving up the equivalent of 8 and scoring 2 (Tucker). Connaughton is the compromise guy to start, but his strength is that he's adequate at almost everything but his weakness is that he's great at almost nothing.

I'm sorry. I'm just pissed. I'm blowing off a bit of steam, and probably not thinking too clearly.

When the Bucks slink off the court after game 5, because somehow, the basketball gods will toss betters a cookie, we'll have Packers camp, and all the bullshit with Aaron Rodgers, and the Brewers with their historically inept offense, to look forward to. Yet still, I'm a fan. I have to believe that in the end, something good will happen. Because I'm a sucker.

I try to be a glass half full guy. Instead of saying, "we've had two of the greatest quarterbacks-the hardest position in professional sports to fill- in NFL history under center for three decades, and have only three Super Bowl appearances, and two wins, to show for it." I try to say,"hey, I've seen my team win the trophy named after our greatest coach twice in my lifetime." I don't look at our utter collapses three years in a row. I think that we've got a dominant big man, and at least one star complimentary piece in Jrue Holiday. Some wunderkin Head Coach is going to want to come here, coach these guys, and play games in this beautiful new facility, in front of a passionate fan base just thirsting for an NBA title. Whatever HC comes into Milwaukee, and gets us a parade down Wisconsin avenue, is going to eat for free the rest of his life.

I hear you. But I turn 70 this year and I’ve seen:

-4 Super bowl wins for the Packers

-7 championships for the Pack

-1 championship for the Bucks with Kareem aka Alcindor

-1 World Series championship for the Milwaukee Braves

But I’ve gotta be honest, I am really, really getting tired of watching the Bucks go nowhere.

The Bucks, Nuggets, Suns, Hawks, and Jazz have probably assembled the best teams you can possibly assemble without signing a max free agent away from someone else.  None of the are particularly dependent on a top 3 pick. I know Ayton was first overall, but the Suns win because of Booker/Paul. Trae Young was a #5 pick for the Hawks, but it's not like they were getting Zion or LeBron at the top of the draft. All five front offices maximized talent from later draft picks, shrewd trades, and mid-level free agents. For any true fan's sake, I hope one of those 5 wins the title.

The Sixers are good because they lost on purpose for several years and turned those draft picks into Embiid and Simmons. If they wouldn't have completely botched the Fultz/Tatum draft , they'd likely be a multi-title dynasty. If you put Tatum on that team, I'm not sure anyone (including the Nets) beats them. If they win a title, it will validate putting out a crappy project for several years to eventually win down the road.

The Nets and Clippers are glorified AAU teams. After the Lakers win last year, the Durant Warriors teams, and the James/Bosh/Wade Heat, another win from a mercenary-led team will push the league even further towards this model. Either of these teams winning would be worse than the LeBron Heat or the Durant Warriors winning. At least LeBron, Bosh, and Durant never purposely half-assed a season while playing for a team. Last year's Lakers had AD, who decided he just wasn't going to play hard for the Pelicans. This year's Clippers are lead by Kawhi, who did win a title in Toronto, but also just decided he was going to blow off one of the most successful franchises in pro sports (Spurs). The Nets are the worst example of this ever. Durant always played hard for every team he was on, but the Nets have 3 other starters who half-assed their way out of other teams. Kyrie Irving has basically quit on both the Celtics and the Cavs. Harden decided to go clubbing publicly during COVID and force his way off a team that built their entire team and philosophy around him. Blake Griffin magically looks like he can jump again after sleepwalking for the Pistons the last few years.

Sadly, I think the Nets are going to win it all. Especially, if they put away the Bucks fast and can rest guys and get Harden back.

@Music City posted:

Tonight is such a big moment for this organization… Budenholzer is coaching for his life. The front office moves this off-season on full trial. With Bogdanovic a key contributor to Atlanta’s rise and competitive series on the other side of the bracket.

The Bogdanovic stuff is so depressing now that's he's clearly risen to the occasion in the playoffs. Someday, maybe someone will explain to me how you can get penalized for tampering with someone you never directly contacted and didn't end up trading for. Yet, LeBron and Kawhi can call up their buddies who are under contract and tell them to requests trades and nothing happens.

Bud is on his last gasps as Bucks coach right now. I'm not sure what else you can do next year unless you assume just switching coaches would be enough. Giannis isn't going anywhere unless he forces his way out so you'd have to move Holiday or Middleton to do anything. I'm not sure you can get guys that good back for them.