Playoffs started today.
Good to see playoff Grayson Allen showed up today. 0 for 3 from the floor in 26 minutes in a Suns loss.
4 year, 70 million dollar extension last week.
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Wasn’t he injured during the game?
By the way, the Wolves looked pretty good.
The Embiid injury didn’t look good at all.
Then again, him getting hurt is about as common and predictable as a sunrise and sunset.
Wolves looked really good. Lakers looked old. Denver IMO is clearly the team to beat even more so than Boston.
Watching Game 2 of Knicks-Sixers. Embiid is dragging his leg up and down the court and still putting up 34 and 11 in what will be about 38 minutes.
There is a zero percent chance he can play more than one or two series even if they win.
Knicks getting a lot of calls.
If the Bucks do get to the 2nd round, they'll almost just have to accept that the Knicks are going to get almost every call. It's Adam Silver's wet dream to advance as far as possible.
Why didn't DDV play like that for the Bucks?
@MichiganPacker2 posted:Knicks getting a lot of calls.
If the Bucks do get to the 2nd round, they'll almost just have to accept that the Knicks are going to get almost every call. It's Adam Silver's wet dream to advance as far as possible.
Yup, no sense in even watching
@Tschmack posted:LeBron complaining about officiating lol
And ESPN is wetting their pants with the potential of their guy Laflop not in the playoffs.
I do agree with him about the Sixers and Knicks game. That last sequence prior to the game winning DDV shot it was obvious Josh Hart grabbed Maxey to force the turnover. And when he was on the ground (Maxey) it looked like Hart fouled him a second time.
Doesn’t excuse Nick Nurse for not calling a timeout there before the inbound play but man that was brutal.
The NBA loves their big market teams so you know they would love to see a Lakers or Clippers v Knicks Finals. I don’t think there’s any chance the Lakers get there but clearly the officiating is working in New York’s favor.
The sad thing is both New York and Boston got really lucky in that Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid aren’t close to 100%. And we still don’t know the Giannis status. Injuries and overall health play such a big part in which teams advance and which teams don’t advance.
@Tschmack posted:I do agree with him about the Sixers and Knicks game. That last sequence prior to the game winning DDV shot it was obvious Josh Hart grabbed Maxey to force the turnover. And when he was on the ground (Maxey) it looked like Hart fouled him a second time.
Doesn’t excuse Nick Nurse for not calling a timeout there before the inbound play but man that was brutal.
The NBA loves their big market teams so you know they would love to see a Lakers or Clippers v Knicks Finals. I don’t think there’s any chance the Lakers get there but clearly the officiating is working in New York’s favor.
The sad thing is both New York and Boston got really lucky in that Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid aren’t close to 100%. And we still don’t know the Giannis status. Injuries and overall health play such a big part in which teams advance and which teams don’t advance.
NBA admitted today that Maxey was fouled twice on the inbounds play and that Nurse should have been granted the timeout he was trying to call.
in some ways the NBA is lucky LA got jobbed by the officials last night as Adam Silvers wet dream is a Knicks-Lakers final. If the Bucks do get to play the Knicks I’m worried about the Bucks getting a fair whistle. A deep playoff run by the Knicks is exactly what Silver wants before the next TV negotiations.
Celtics fans got to experience playoff Jrue Holiday tonight. 4 for 12 from the field for him and Miami going 23 for 43 from three.
The Bucks loss was disappointing, but they are playing without Giannis against a team mostly at full strength.
The Celtics just lost at home at full strength against a Miami team missing Jimmy Butler.
Celtics probably still easily win the series, but not a good look.
@Pikes Peak posted:How did LA get jobbed?
They didn't. The Sixers got jobbed.
@MNPackman posted:Why didn't DDV play like that for the Bucks?
I think he's a guy who benefitted from being in an NBA weight room for a few years and finally being healthy. He really hadn't been healthy since the spring of 2021 until this year. Before he got hurt in the spring of 2021, he was playing well for the Bucks too.
The Porzingis injury really raises the chances of the Knicks being in the Finals (even without their second best player, Julius Randle).
Because of a combination of injuries or poor play, here are the guys that won't even make the second round of the playoffs this year. The guys crossed out are already eliminated or about to be (any Bucks, Heat, or Sixers player).
Based on the ratings at Theringer.com, 8 of the top 12 ranked NBA players will not even make the second round (7 are already eliminated or on the verge and either Doncic or Kawhi is going home in Round 1).
And 23 of the top 33 players in the league will not make Round 2. 20 are eliminated or on the verge and at least three others will be gone due to the current matchup (either Kyrie/Doncic or Kawhi/PG will be out and either D. Mitchell or Banchero).
That level of star power missing by the second round hasn't happened in a long time.
The Ringer's NBA player rankings.
1. Jokic
2. Doncic
3. Giannis
4. SGA
5. Embiid
6. Kawhi
7. Tatum
8. Curry
9. Durant
10. AD
11. Booker
12. LeBron
13. Brunson
14. Edwards
15. Wembenyama
16. Butler
17. Haliburton
18. Murray
19. Mitchell
20. Zion
21. Paul George
22. D. Fox
23. Adebayo
24. Sabonis
25. Jaylen Brown
26. Dame
27. KAT
28. Markkenen
29. Ingram
30. Irving
31. Morant
32. Maxey
33. Banchero
Pacers are submitting complaints to the league and Rick Carlisle went there in terms of publicly saying that the NBA wants the Knicks to win because they are a large market team. I could imagine Carlisle will be hit with a fine for this, but it will put a big spotlight on the officiating for the remainder of the series.
https://www.wthr.com/article/s...5b-9c35-bf4c67e4e153
“Small-market deserve an equal shot,” Carlisle said after Game 2. “They deserve a fair shot, no matter where they’re playing.”
Small market teams are doing just fine in these playoffs. Play some D, the Knicks scored 130 with a debilitated team not noted for O when at full strength.
So much for the Knicks boatracing the Pacers.
I think that has a lot more to do with the Knicks being worn out and injured than Indiana playing like some dominant team.
The Pacers got to play a Bucks team with no Giannis, a Damian Lillard that wasn’t close to 100%, and Khris Middleton that was playing on an injured ankle.
Against the Knicks, no Randle, no Bojan Bogdonavic, and a banged up Brunson and OG Anonoby the last two games.
This is on top of an Eastern Conference that had a Jimmy Butler less Miami Heat team and a Sixers team with a banged up Joel Embiid.
This version of the Knicks is trash and the Pacers still are trash. The East the rest of the way isn’t great at all.
On top of what Tschmack posted earlier today, we learn that D. Mitchell is missing tonight for the Cavs (who were already missing Jarret Allen). Celtics might as well have a bye to the Finals.
@MichiganPacker2 posted:Celtics might as well have a bye to the Finals.
Once Giannis was out, there was nobody in the East going to stop Boston
Game....they were (Denver) up by 10 with 9:22 left now they're up by 18 with 7:12 left.
Don't think Denver will blow this lead.
Jokic just abusing Gobert this game. KCP making threes
3:00 left Jokic with the dagger 3 in the face of Gobert
Even as a Nuggets fan, I can't believe the turnaround from game 2 to game 3 Nuggets did not play well in the Lakers series and looked lost at home in the two games against the TWolves. They did not look like a legit contender. But damn, everything changed in game 3 and they look flat out dominant. Can't remember a team flipping the switch like that.
Ant is going to be amazing, he's just a little young to compete for a title. But Gobert is becoming a liability and will only get worse, and KAT isn't a legit #2 on a championship contender. Connelly has his work cut out b/c those two need to be moved to set up Ant for a title. Just not sure how he does that and who he brings in.
Anthony Towns seems a lot more interested in getting points than winning games. As for Gobert, he’s far too one dimensional as a player and can be exposed by teams that want to spread you out and make you defend in space.
Denver is rolling right now.
KAT just seems like one of those players who is destined to rack up stats and convince everyone he's a max player but never actually be a key piece on a championship team. What has to be infuriating is that KAT actually has the kind of game that works well with Ant. He just doesn't have that winning mentality.
Funny how the Gobert trade went form the dumbest trade ever, to a really good trade, and now it's back to a trainwreck.
@CUPackFan posted:KAT just seems like one of those players who is destined to rack up stats and convince everyone he's a max player but never actually be a key piece on a championship team. What has to be infuriating is that KAT actually has the kind of game that works well with Ant. He just doesn't have that winning mentality.
Funny how the Gobert trade went form the dumbest trade ever, to a really good trade, and now it's back to a trainwreck.
Let's say the Wolves wanted to move KAT after the season. This trade works. Would you do it? (It's never going to happen because the Wolves would get a lot better offers for KAT and Lopez isn't a good fit with Gobert).
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@Tschmack posted:Anthony Towns seems a lot more interested in getting points than winning games. As for Gobert, he’s far too one dimensional as a player and can be exposed by teams that want to spread you out and make you defend in space.
Denver is rolling right now.
What's interesting is that KAT has played well statistically in these games.
His shooting splits are 51/52/69 and he's shot very well in 4 of the 5 games. He's at 19-8-3 with only 9 turnovers in the 5 games of the series.
The reason they have lost the last 3 games is that they can't stop Jokic, and Jokic dominated Gobert who should be a guy who can give him some trouble. It's not that they are getting beat because they are isolated Gobert on smaller guys on the perimeter and making him defend those guys. Jokic is just lighting him up - which has nothing to do with foot speed.
Yup, Rudy was not terrible last night. Joker was just too freakin good.
Rudy Gobert, like Brook Lopez, isn’t quick or instinctive enough on their own to defend a guy like Joker. He’s too good of a passer and will just carve you up even if he’s being defended by a taller player in close space.
When you combine his scoring and assists the only guy I can think of that compares is a guy like Magic Johnson. He’s really a unique player and incredibly tough to defend.
Any trade that gets rid of Connaughton is a good trade.
Boston gets to eliminate the Cavs tonight with D. Mitchell, J. Allen, and C. LaVert all out.
Not sure I can recall a time when a team like Boston has had an easier path to the Finals than this year.
No Jimmy Butler, no Giannis, a banged up Knicks and Cavs and Philly team and arguably the most overrated and overhyped playoff team ever in the 6 seed Pacers.
If Boston doesn’t win the title this year they should just give up their franchise.
@MichiganPacker2 posted:Let's say the Wolves wanted to move KAT after the season. This trade works. Would you do it? (It's never going to happen because the Wolves would get a lot better offers for KAT and Lopez isn't a good fit with Gobert).
If this trade actually happened, the Bucks would instantly become the worst defensive team in the NBA.
I do wonder if the Bucks consider making a trade with Phoenix - specifically Lopez. The Suns need a lot of help defensively and we all know Bud likes his bigs that can shoot.
Indiana can kiss my ass. Brunson breaks his hand. Of course he did.
Cant recall a less deserving flawed team like the Pacers making the conference finals. Can’t recall an easier path to the NBA Finals than Boston. Fuck this year!
@Tschmack posted:Indiana can kiss my ass. Brunson breaks his hand. Of course he did.
Cant recall a less deserving flawed team like the Pacers making the conference finals. Can’t recall an easier path to the NBA Finals than Boston. Fuck this year!
The Pacers might be the worst team in a Conference Finals since the Hawks in 2021.
Watch Jayson Tatum get hurt in Game 1 of the ECF and the Pacers advance.