Playoffs Thread

PJ Tucker locking down AD like he's Covid-19.

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Originally Posted by luckyman

Imagine that 19 year old rookie Zion was roasting this same PJ Tucker...looking like an all world defender tonight...:D

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Ehhhh...


Playoff defense is a whole different thing than regular season defense. I'd think Zion would struggle. Playoff is baptism by fire. For every AD playoff 30 ppg in his 1st playoff run... There is like 9 players getting the playoff baptism.

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Originally Posted by Taker597

Ehhhh...


Playoff defense is a whole different thing than regular season defense. I'd think Zion would struggle. Playoff is baptism by fire. For every AD playoff 30 ppg in his 1st playoff run... There is like 9 players getting the playoff baptism.

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Playoff defense differs in scheming. Meaning you'd likely see Houston double Zion more.

That doesn't negate the fact that Zion ate PJ's lunch one-on-one and would do it again without a double team.

Raptors defense has dug in... We got a series now.

Outcomes of this postseason and what they would mean to me:

Bucks championship: Cool to see Giannis win one, a testament to his greatness that the Bucks overcame Bud's massive coaching blunders. Coming back down 0-3 is incredible.
Heat Championship: Funniest possible outcome cause of Butler leaving Philly and them immediately crumpling as he cruises to a win with Spo. Lowkey rooting for this one.
Celtics Championship: Neat, wouldn't be mad. Great for Kemba.
Raptors Championship: Nick Nurse genius combined with padding out Kyle Lowry's HoF resume? Nice.

Lakers Championship: Nice to see Lebron add a 4th ring to his resume, but mad that AD would get one despite everything.
Clippers Championship: Kawhi becoming the first player in NBA history to win finals MVP on 3 different teams would be nuts, kinda want to see that.
Denver Championship: I'd love to see it since I like Jokic, but this would be the Murray story so far since Jokic has been mediocre. Unlikely.
Houston Championship: Possibly the one outcome that would legitimately annoy me this year. Harden is one of the least likeable and entertaining players in the NBA, the Rockets franchise has been incredibly lame for years now, and I've been saying for a long time that D'Antoni's style won't win rings: would suck to be proven wrong.

Order of the teams that I want to see win:

Heat
Raptors
Nuggets
Celtics
Bucks
Clippers
Lakers
Rockets

Celtics/Raptors game tonight.

Celtics:
Jayson Tatum: 42 minutes, 34 seconds
Marcus Smart: 41 minutes, 6 seconds
Kemba Walker: 40 minutes, 48 seconds
Jaylen Brown: 37 minutes, 21 seconds

Raptors:
Pascal Siakam: 45 minutes, 35 seconds
Fred Van Vleet: 44 minutes, 49 seconds
Kyle Lowry: 43 minutes, 47 seconds
OG Anunoby: 35 minutes, 11 seconds.

Coach Budenholzer: this is what minutes look like from teams in the playoffs when they're playing close games. The best players on the floor as much as possible. 40+ minutes isn't weird in these circumstances.

Draymond really lit up Jokic's putrid defense the other night. He's not bad on the tv. lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEEg...seofHighlights

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Celtics/Raptors game tonight.

Celtics:
Jayson Tatum: 42 minutes, 34 seconds
Marcus Smart: 41 minutes, 6 seconds
Kemba Walker: 40 minutes, 48 seconds
Jaylen Brown: 37 minutes, 21 seconds

Raptors:
Pascal Siakam: 45 minutes, 35 seconds
Fred Van Vleet: 44 minutes, 49 seconds
Kyle Lowry: 43 minutes, 47 seconds
OG Anunoby: 35 minutes, 11 seconds.

Coach Budenholzer: this is what minutes look like from teams in the playoffs when they're playing close games. The best players on the floor as much as possible. 40+ minutes isn't weird in these circumstances.

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It's such a weird coaching thing. Watch Giannis only play 32 minutes tomorrow. Bucks should of fired Bud after going down 0-2 and refusing to play playoff minutes.

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Originally Posted by Taker597

It's such a weird coaching thing. Watch Giannis only play 32 minutes tomorrow. Bucks should of fired Bud after going down 0-2 and refusing to play playoff minutes.

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Here's the full transcript of VanVleet's answer about his heavy minutes:

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''I mean, if you're ever going to do it, now's the time to do it. There's nothing to be resting for. There's no tomorrow. There's really no way to manage it and coach is putting his trust in us and communicating to a level where you get a rest if you need one. If you need him to call a time out, you get on. But right now, he's rolling with the big guns and that's the way we like it, and obviously, we're going to need more guys at some point. There's gonna be like, Serge shot the ball well tonight, and there's gonna be a Norman game, there's gonna be games where guys off the bench will us and give us the spark, but for the most part I think we've gotta be on the court and continuing to play at a high level. Until that drop off, you're going to see us in high doses.

It's conditioning. It's what you work for. We had a good three month layoff, and we're feeling as good as we can in the circumstances. There's no other option at this point.''

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Maybe Bud needs to listen to what players are saying. VanVleet says this tonight. Last night Giannis says he felt like he could have played more minutes. Other teams are gunning it.

There's zero point in being well rested, if you're resting up and losing. Cause then you go home, and your load management gets wasted on your fishing trip. You just have to play your best players together for as much time as possible, and go out swinging if you're going to go out. Bud doesn't get it.

He has his game plan. He knows what he wants to do. And nothing, nothing, is going to change his mind.

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Originally Posted by Taker597

PJ Tucker locking down AD like he's Covid-19.

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People always joke about PJ Tucker being small, but they forget that he's 250lbs with a 7'1 wingspan. Dude's not small in the ways that matter: you don't play defense with the top of your skull.

MPJs defense

Still no bueno

Nikola Jokic is so fun

Denver trying to blow this game But Leonard and Paul are super unclutch tonight

Minutes in Denver/Clips

Denver:
Jerami Grant: 40 minutes
Jamal Murray: 40 minutes
Nikola Jokic: 38 minutes

Clippers
Paul George: 42 minutes
Kawhi Leonard: 39 minutes

Crazy how literally every team that isn't the Bucks has guys playing at or around 40 minutes a night, every game. Weird. No idea why.

So uhh... I know I'm getting way ahead of myself here...

But what happens if both the Nuggets AND the Rockets advance?

Like... what do we do? What does ANYONE do? What does the WORLD do?

??????

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Originally Posted by JunkHead

So uhh... I know I'm getting way ahead of myself here...

But what happens if both the Nuggets AND the Rockets advance?

Like... what do we do? What does ANYONE do? What does the WORLD do?

??????

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Then I'm happy cause I feel like the Nuggets beat the Rockets in a playoff context and it means Jokic is goin to the finals

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Originally Posted by luckyman

Draymond really lit up Jokic's putrid defense the other night. He's not bad on the tv. lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEEgLO2B9hU&ab_channel=HouseofHighlights

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it's only a matter of time till he becomes a full time studio analyst. Dude is a Chris Paul level basketball savant.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Outcomes of this postseason and what they would mean to me:

Bucks championship: Cool to see Giannis win one, a testament to his greatness that the Bucks overcame Bud's massive coaching blunders. Coming back down 0-3 is incredible.
Heat Championship: Funniest possible outcome cause of Butler leaving Philly and them immediately crumpling as he cruises to a win with Spo. Lowkey rooting for this one.
Celtics Championship: Neat, wouldn't be mad. Great for Kemba.
Raptors Championship: Nick Nurse genius combined with padding out Kyle Lowry's HoF resume? Nice.

Lakers Championship: Nice to see Lebron add a 4th ring to his resume, but mad that AD would get one despite everything.
Clippers Championship: Kawhi becoming the first player in NBA history to win finals MVP on 3 different teams would be nuts, kinda want to see that.
Denver Championship: I'd love to see it since I like Jokic, but this would be the Murray story so far since Jokic has been mediocre. Unlikely.
Houston Championship: Possibly the one outcome that would legitimately annoy me this year. Harden is one of the least likeable and entertaining players in the NBA, the Rockets franchise has been incredibly lame for years now, and I've been saying for a long time that D'Antoni's style won't win rings: would suck to be proven wrong.

Order of the teams that I want to see win:

Heat
Raptors
Nuggets
Celtics
Bucks
Clippers
Lakers
Rockets

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I think for me it's Rocket, Heat, or Raptors. No order. Westbrook has always been a not great but super entertaining player to watch. So, I have a hard time not rooting for him. Harden has actually really been entertaining this post season.

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Originally Posted by Funcrusher

it's only a matter of time till he becomes a full time studio analyst. Dude is a Chris Paul level basketball savant.

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He should be a coach.

I mean that in all seriousness. A lot of the time, players who have a high on court IQ are terrible communicators of that IQ to other people. They can't explain their thought processes, because it's so internalised on court they don't even know how to be aware of it.

Draymond isn't like that. Every time he's on TV, or even just tweeting sometimes, he explains in legitimate detail his processes and he's such a high level thinker. He should be a coach.

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Originally Posted by Taker597

I think for me it's Rocket, Heat, or Raptors. No order. Westbrook has always been a not great but super entertaining player to watch. So, I have a hard time not rooting for him. Harden has actually really been entertaining this post season.

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He's also one of the nicest men in the game. A consummate gentleman off the court.

Giannis doubtful with an ankle injury

Bud was playing him too much

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Originally Posted by AusPel

Giannis doubtful with an ankle injury

Bud was playing him too much

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Yeah if only Giannis was young enough. Kyle Lowry's been playing on a a bum ankle for the last 3 games 40+ minutes a night, but he's a spring chicken compared to Giannis who is 49 years old and has had two hip transplants. Gotta be careful.

Kawhi Leonard has a long term muscle issue and looked like his legs were in a cast during last year's playoffs and played real minutes, thank god he's not 25 with a mild ankle tweak. Then it would be the end of him.

Butler is a top 5 player when it counts

Change my mind

so now AD is agreeing to play center for the lakers against houston lol....AD should have a big game tonight plus getting harden in foul trouble when harden is guarding the center position....its a good game plan for the lakers but a lil part of me say that AD is running from pj tucker lol.....

tonight houston will have to play against the lakers and refs because i dont see the league letting the lakers go down 2-0 to houston....

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Originally Posted by 6warddude

so now AD is agreeing to play center for the lakers against houston lol....AD should have a big game tonight plus getting harden in foul trouble when harden is guarding the center position....its a good game plan for the lakers but a lil part of me say that AD is running from pj tucker lol.....

tonight houston will have to play against the lakers and refs because i dont see the league letting the lakers go down 2-0 to houston....

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PJ tucker still gonna be on him..

Atleast Middleton is getting playoff minutes

What I wouldn't give to have a point guard like Dragic on the Pelicans team.

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Originally Posted by As I See It

What I wouldn't give to have a point guard like Dragic on the Pelicans team.

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I rather Jimmy Butler's Never Die Championship mentality Culture.

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Originally Posted by Taker597

I rather Jimmy Butler's Never Die Championship mentality Culture.

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True Dat!!

Note that when AD finally says he'll play the 5 its

1) Against a team with no legitimate bigs, so he doesn't have to actually do that part of being a centre
2) Against pretty much the only team where he shouldn't be playing centre. Through the regular season and the first post season game, LA has been far better against Houston when they use 2 bigs than with one.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Note that when AD finally says he'll play the 5 its

1) Against a team with no legitimate bigs, so he doesn't have to actually do that part of being a centre
2) Against pretty much the only team where he shouldn't be playing centre. Through the regular season and the first post season game, LA has been far better against Houston when they use 2 bigs than with one.

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And it's really not gonna stop him from getting son by PJ Tucker. You really have another acoring big that would actually make that a mismatch. It's just rearranging the chairs on the Titanic.

Bubble Playoff has provided the best games since the 2016 playoffs.

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Originally Posted by Taker597

PJ tucker still gonna be on him..

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yeah but houston switch on defense and majority of the time harden guards the paint so he should be on AD alot tonight if the lakers dont play iso ball.....i just dont want to see harden get 2 quick fouls in the first period and has to sit out almost the first half....

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Note that when AD finally says he'll play the 5 its

1) Against a team with no legitimate bigs, so he doesn't have to actually do that part of being a centre
2) Against pretty much the only team where he shouldn't be playing centre. Through the regular season and the first post season game, LA has been far better against Houston when they use 2 bigs than with one.

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what you say is true but its also better for the lakers to play AD at the 5 so they can have another perimeter defender on the court to better cover houston 3pt shooters.....

it should be a better game tonight but i just see pj getting 3 early fouls and houston playing against the lakers and refs in this game...

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Originally Posted by 6warddude

what you say is true but its also better for the lakers to play AD at the 5 so they can have another perimeter defender on the court to better cover houston 3pt shooters.....

it should be a better game tonight but i just see pj getting 3 early fouls and houston playing against the lakers and refs in this game...

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It's better for AD to play the 5 most of the time for that reason, but on defense it really hurts the Lakers a lot more than what they gain on the other side. They lose so much because the Rockets don't respect any of the Lakers shooters (which they shouldn't, because the Lakers don't have a variety of reliable shooters) which means they feel free to pack the paint on defense. The best way to mitigate that when you don't have better shooters to put out there is to utilise the vertical gravity of a lob threat to create functional spacing since it introduces another figure you can't help off.

That's why every time LA plays Houston, in the regular season and so far in game 1, they've been better with 2 bigs on than with just AD. So naturally, this is when AD decides that playing the 5 is okay.

High tier genius brain Anthony Davis.

Rocket true MVP is PJ Tucker

I remember a while ago when Russ got that gargantuan contract and most people said ''that's gonna be a bad deal pretty soon''.

And there were a few people who said ''no, he's only going to be [X] age when it ends, if CP3 can still be good at that age, Russ will still be okay, he's such a megastar''. Not many, but there were a few.

31 years old, 3 more years on his deal, dude looks washed about 70% of the time already. Hasn't shot league average TS% since 2016-17, defense was never all there but what existed has largely gone out of the window, and he's such an inconsistent decision maker.

34 year old Westbrook is gonna be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

Lebron with the 28/11/9 with 4 steals and 2 blocks on 10/17 shooting to level the series is pretty neat tho.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

I remember a while ago when Russ got that gargantuan contract and most people said ''that's gonna be a bad deal pretty soon''.

And there were a few people who said ''no, he's only going to be [X] age when it ends, if CP3 can still be good at that age, Russ will still be okay, he's such a megastar''. Not many, but there were a few.

31 years old, 3 more years on his deal, dude looks washed about 70% of the time already. Hasn't shot league average TS% since 2016-17, defense was never all there but what existed has largely gone out of the window, and he's such an inconsistent decision maker.

34 year old Westbrook is gonna be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

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He's just a terrible fit with this Rockets team and more specifically James Harden. I thought Morey was insane for trading Paul for Westbrook. And I thought trading for Paul was a bad enough move by itself. Westbrook needs a team completely designed around his skillset. The last thing he needs is a team that requires him to take 3's. For him to be a net positive it requires him to have the ball in high volume which means less touches for Harden. And Harden is the better player so that makes zero sense.

I don't see how Morey fixes this roster unless the Knicks are desperate enough to take Westbrook after striking out else where.

Jokic is just so so good. Even if they end up losing this game, Denver has been putting LAC through the ringer tonight. Jokic has had everything.

I get that Jokic is a mediocre defender whereas a locked in Embiid is a really good one, but Jokic's power as an offensive engine is so massive that I cannot understand the Jokic/Embiid debate. Joker is clearly the better player.

Clippers’ Patrick Beverley on Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic after Game 3 win: “He presents the same thing Luka Doncic presents: a lot of flailing. He puts a lot of pressure on the referees to make the right calls.” pic.twitter.com/KB7Hs8dTsr

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 8, 2020

This is so ridiculous.

First off, who is PatBev to criticise people for flopping? He flails around all the time.

Secondly, Jokic has shot 10 free throws combined in the first 3 games of this series. Montrezl Harrell shot 10 free throws tonight alone. Acting like Jokic is flailing around getting to the line all the time is just ridiculous. If anything, he's been getting a harsh whistle.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Jokic is just so so good. Even if they end up losing this game, Denver has been putting LAC through the ringer tonight. Jokic has had everything.

I get that Jokic is a mediocre defender whereas a locked in Embiid is a really good one, but Jokic's power as an offensive engine is so massive that I cannot understand the Jokic/Embiid debate. Joker is clearly the better player.

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The real debate is Jokic v AD

Why do we have 5/1 odds to land Giannis? The hell does Vegas think?

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Jokic is just so so good. Even if they end up losing this game, Denver has been putting LAC through the ringer tonight. Jokic has had everything.

I get that Jokic is a mediocre defender whereas a locked in Embiid is a really good one, but Jokic's power as an offensive engine is so massive that I cannot understand the Jokic/Embiid debate. Joker is clearly the better player.

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Lest we forget, Jah scored 26 on the Joker on Halloween earlier this season (I think the Joker scored 13 or 14). I say this not as a 'put down' on Jokic, but as further evidence that there are two sides to a basketball court. For the record, Pelicans won.

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Originally Posted by Eman5805

Why do we have 5/1 odds to land Giannis? The hell does Vegas think?

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That would be an ugly squad. Jrue, Lonzo, Ingram, Zion, and Giannis on the court... Somebody got to be coked out their mind to wanna do something like that.

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Originally Posted by As I See It

Lest we forget, Jah scored 26 on the Joker on Halloween earlier this season (I think the Joker scored 13 or 14). I say this not as a 'put down' on Jokic, but as further evidence that there are two sides to a basketball court. For the record, Pelicans won.

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I literally mentioned the fact that Jokic is a very meh defender in my post, and that Embiid is superior. I don't need reminding that there are two sides to a basketball court, especially not when it's covered in the very thing you're answering.

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Originally Posted by Taker597

That would be an ugly squad. Jrue, Lonzo, Ingram, Zion, and Giannis on the court... Somebody got to be coked out their mind to wanna do something like that.

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Yeah if we were acquiring Giannis (which I have absolutely no reason to assume we are) then Lonzo would definitely have to go, and probably Jrue as well. Ingram you can get away with because he's a good catch and shoot guy.

Not really sure how you'd reconcile Zion and Giannis together on offense.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Yeah if we were acquiring Giannis (which I have absolutely no reason to assume we are) then Lonzo would definitely have to go, and probably Jrue as well. Ingram you can get away with because he's a good catch and shoot guy.

Not really sure how you'd reconcile Zion and Giannis together on offense.

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I can see Giannis and AD Super teaming up before ever seeing that.

Who plays the 5... IDK lol

Looks like MVP westbrook is in attendance.

Lebron is so good it's kind of absurd.

Shame he has team mates.