Marcus Smart out 4-6 weeks with torn oblique.
His loss is going to hurt them IMO. His defensive presence(read : major ****ing irritant) is big, especially at playoff time.
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Yeah this could be a big plus for the Bucks in round 2 if he's not back. Sure hope Brogdon is ready to go....
Here you go - tell your wife you'll see her in June.
Packdog posted:Marcus Smart out 4-6 weeks with torn oblique.
His loss is going to hurt them IMO. His defensive presence(read : major ****ing irritant) is big, especially at playoff time.
Rodgers would play with it
Celtics are a total wild card. If Kyrie is preoccupied by picking out his next house in NYC or LA, they could be beaten by Indy in the first round. If everyone is invested, they could win the Eastern conference.
Kyrie, Tatum, Hayward (if healthy), and Horford would all be the second best player on the Bucks. Marcus Morris is a really solid player as well. There is a lot of depth.
Philly falls flat at Brooklyn and the Nets are up 1-0... Embiid definitely labored through this one. If he’s less than 100%, Philly’s in trouble.
WTF is Embiid doing checking his phone on the sideline during a playoff game??? Holy moly...
Orlando puts up 57 on The North... if not for a Danny Green clutch 3 to finish the half they’re down 11 at the half. DJ Augustine having a day... 7-9 FG, 3-3 from three, 19 points in the first half.
Philly is such a fraud. They are lucky this is a 7 game series as it will likely protect them from being ousted in round 1. People are scared of the Sixers why? They have no mental toughness whatsoever. Punch them in the mouth and they fold.
Orlando is pesky. Think they beat Milwaukee by 20 in one game as well as some other good teams.
The Barneys take the lead after a 20-2 run. The officiating is allowing a awful lot of physical play.
MCW having a great game... 2-3 from 3, tough D on Lowry. and Kyle Lowry forearms him in the face, no whistle. He’s bleeding all over the place and starts to go after the ref. How do not call that???
Wow... Barney’s getting away with a lot of shoving and contact. Totally shifting the momentum and now Barney’s up 4.
8-2 Orlando run and they’re back of 2... pretty tough game. MCW back from the locker room with plugs in his nose.
WOW!!! DJ Augustine with the clutch 3!!! Kawhi Leonard tosses an air ball!
The 2 and 3 seeds both drop game one at home... wow!
Music City posted:WTF is Embiid doing checking his phone on the sideline during a playoff game??? Holy moly...
Facetime with his doctor?
Embiid is a headcase
You can have him Philly
Music City posted:WTF is Embiid doing checking his phone on the sideline during a playoff game??? Holy moly...
Looking for Ben Simmons. He clearly didn't show up today.
It was actually Amir Johnson (who was inactive) checking his phone because his daughter is sick (that's what they said anyway)
Holy shit- the only home team to win game one was the Warriors...
If Embiid isn’t healthy the Sixers are in trouble. Maybe not in round 1, but I just don’t see them advancing very well.
The pieces on that team just don’t fit well together.
Was more surprised Orlando won. The Nets have an intriguing team and if you are KD and Kyrie that’s where you should go (not the Knicks).
There's a reason the Knocks traded Porzingis.
I'm guessing KD & Kyrie in NY is already a done deal once they "win the lotto" & draft Zion
Boris posted:There's a reason the Knocks traded Porzingis.
I'm guessing KD & Kyrie in NY is already a done deal once they "win the lotto" & draft Zion
I think it's more likely the Lakers "win the lotto" and Zion ends up playing with LeBron next year.
So of the top seeds, the Bucks, Celtics, Warriors, and Rockets really showed out. Portland also has a better path to the WCF because they won’t have to play the Warriors or Rockets in the second round.
Toronto and Philly better get right quick. If Embiid is hurt, and Lowry continues to look as bad as he did, they both could be in very big trouble. Lowry went scoreless... that’s unbelievable. Both Orlando and Brooklyn looked more athletic.
Brooklyn is pesky because when they go to their 3 guard lineup the only good perimeter defender Philly has is Butler and he can’t cover everyone. Plus, it’s clear to me that Embiid is not close to 100% and he’s the person that makes that team what they are. I still think the Sixers should win but could go to 6 or 7 games.
I do not like the fact the Bucks could draw Boston in round 2. Offensively they are having some issues but man they are tough and physical and can defend and they’ve played the Bucks really close this year. Plus they are tested and have a really good coach.
Utah tried to employ the Bucks defense vs. the Rockets using Rubio instead of BledSHOW. Ummm......that didn't quite work out.
First, let's get the Bucks past the Pissstons
I want Boston! I said it before....To BE the man...You gotta BEAT the man
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This Bucks team is a different animal from what they’ve seen last year or even this year early. Lopez evens the playing field with Horford. He’s always been a Bucks killer- now he has someone he has to defend away from the basket. Brown has always played tough against the Bucks, and Irving is what he is. No one can really guard him one on one, but you can limit him with rim protection and limiting the kick opportunities. For Kyrie it’s about rhythm- if he gets going no one can defend him. You can’t even double him. And who know what they’ll get from Hayward... I think the Bucks can defend him.
They're a threat, but the Bucks are playing for the Finals. They’re playing it to win it all. The only team to me that really stands in their way is Golden State.
I think Lopez changes the dynamic a bit v Boston. I also think Coach Buds evens the playing field with his strategy and substitutions.
The issue with Boston is they are so deep and talented. Good example is Morris. He goes for 20 last night. Brown and Rozier are capable as well.
Brooklyn is surviving Philly haymakers and their 56% shooting, and still down just 4
That’s absolutely the right call- I would even say that it easily could have been a flagrant 2.
Embiid is lucky he didn’t get booted..
That is some weak assed bullshit... Brooklyn get the flagrant back. If the little tap to the face that didn’t even draw blood on Simmons is a flagrant 1, Embiid should be out of the game. Embiid full power threw his whole upper body into Allen’s face, like an MMA move.
That ref was afraid of the ****ing hoodlums in the crowd if he didn’t give it back.
The Sixers are so mentally weak it’s not even funny. Simmons is a pussy. Embiid is a fake gangster. **** that team bunch of posers.
Philly blowing it open 21-2 to start the second half. Nets can throw it in the ocean on the dock right now..
Music City posted:This Bucks team is a different animal from what they’ve seen last year or even this year early. Lopez evens the playing field with Horford. He’s always been a Bucks killer- now he has someone he has to defend away from the basket. Brown has always played tough against the Bucks, and Irving is what he is. No one can really guard him one on one, but you can limit him with rim protection and limiting the kick opportunities. For Kyrie it’s about rhythm- if he gets going no one can defend him. You can’t even double him. And who know what they’ll get from Hayward... I think the Bucks can defend him.
They're a threat, but the Bucks are playing for the Finals. They’re playing it to win it all. The only team to me that really stands in their way is Golden State.
Whether Brogdon is healthy enough to be effective will probably be the determining factor for a potential Celtics series.
Holy shit... the Clippers came back?!?!?!?!?
And Boogie might have a torn quad. Uh oh in “The Town”....
MichiganPacker2:
Whether Brogdon is healthy enough to be effective will probably be the determining factor for a potential Celtics series.
I hate to think the Bucks need Brogdon in order to beat the Celtics though I think they can certainly be a challenge. Boston does scare me.
As a whole, I think the three main points are most important.
- Middleton and Bledsoe historically have had quite a spread about their average game. Some poor games as well as some really good ones. Gotta limit the poor games.
- Brogdon's health.
- 3 point shooting
The Bucks are much better from a depth perspective to play Boston without Brogdon than last year. George Hill is a huge upgrade over Delladova, just for one.
Last year it was Giannis, Middleton, Bledsoe, and Brogdon, but I think I've even lost track of the other guys that had to play big minutes in that series. Look at what some of these guys averaged in terms of minutes played during that series:
John Henson (37), Jabari Parker (24), Dellavadova (13), Thon Maker (22), Tony Snell (21), Tyler Zeller (10), Jason Terry (3 games at an average of 15 minutes in those games).
That's a lot of minutes from guys who we have massively upgraded from. Tony Snell at 12-14 minutes is fine, but at 21- that's too much. Brook Lopez compared to Henson? George Hill compared to Delly? Mirotic instead of Parker? Do we all remember Jason Terry trying to play in that series last year? 40 year old Jason Terry played 20 minutes in a Game 7 for the Bucks last year.
I should be more confident. Teams should be scared of playing the Bucks. It's just after 30 years of mostly being in the position to compete for the 8th seed and get stuck in purgatory year after year, I expect the worst.