2021 NBA PLAYOFFS THREAD

[AusPel]

I mentioned it earlier in this thread, but the Bucks starters only logged 13 minutes together the entire game. They won those minutes, even with Jrue and Middleton shooting like garbage.

The minute Harden went down, it should have been like blood in the water. Bud should have immediately realised the importance of stealing this game, and piled those minutes on. Those starters should have logged 25 minutes together, and the Bucks should be up, having stolen one on the road.

But this is the difference between regular season and post-season coaching. Post season coaches desperately need to be able to adjust on the fly, improvise, change game plans, take advantage of anything that comes up. You can't just walk in with your game plan set in stone before opening tip off, that's how you lose winnable games. That's all Bud does.

Sometimes it feels like Bud could just send in a piece of paper to the refs detailing when in the game clock he'd like to make substitutions and not even show up to the game. He's about as inventive and dynamic as the paper would be.

Buck stops with Bud. Pun intended.

[13 - 3]

[AusPel]

Ice Trae is redic

[luckyman]

Trae Young once again camping out on defense. Danny Green incapable of anything but shooting.

This is why I want decent iso players 1 - 4. Not one dimensional shooters. This is annoying to watch.

[Pelicanidae]

Trae Young flames.

John Collins lookin good

Okongwu doing that Versatile Coverage Big thing that's so valuable in the postseason

Meanwhile Doc is just Bud part 2, the Sixers have nothing to target poor guard defense and cannot force switches, and Simmons is just not taking on the Trae assignment.

[13 - 3]

Trae is your MVP not Jokic

[AusPel]

Trae is your MVP not Jokic

Nah, the moment they started defending him properly he's done nothing. He's too short and he's not Curry or CP3. Nor Dame

Quietly enjoying Hill's game

[13 - 3]

Embiid has 28 and I think he is playing injured

[Taker597]

Philly really struggle against an obvious match up. Ben Simmons been a growing disappointment by the second.

[Pelicanidae]

Doc going 11 deep in a playoff game when their team is not 11 playoff calibre guys deep is a huge problem.

No Trae or Capela on the floor and they don't immediately go to Embiid; wild

ATL is shooting really well, that's true, they won't go 19/44 from 3 every game, but part of that is just Philly giving them really wide open looks. Give Trae, Huerter, Gallo, and Bogdan this much room on 3s and they will hit them, you can't just do that.

Simmons just has so many obvious holes in his game and has not worked to fix almost any of them. In his 5th season and, though he's become more effective at some things just due to experience and such, he's added basically nothing new to his game.

[RUFshreve]

Trae is a dawg, man. I can't stop imagining the offense with him and Zion. That dude had that killer instinct. Atlanta has a nice squad. I think they could surprise some people in these playoffs, even with the loss tonight.

Anyone else starting to believe these Hawks are legit? They're taking it to the 76ers, in their house, with Embiid playing. Damn impressive.

[13 - 3]

It would be so Atlanta if they choke this

[DaFranchise80]

Would love to see Collins or Heurter in a Pelicans uniform.

[MichaelMcNamara]

Anyone else starting to believe these Hawks are legit? They're taking it to the 76ers, in their house, with Embiid playing. Damn impressive.

Legit as in what? They have a REAL chance to get to the NBA Finals and/or win them? I would say no. But are thry on the same level as say Denver? Sure

[As I See It]

Young is all that, but it was Collins and Huerter who were money down the stretch.

[13 - 3]

Young is all that, but it was Collins and Huerter who were money down the stretch.

Yep. Hawks dodged a bullet today. This will be a long series .

[Taker597]

Doc going 11 deep in a playoff game when their team is not 11 playoff calibre guys deep is a huge problem.

No Trae or Capela on the floor and they don't immediately go to Embiid; wild

ATL is shooting really well, that's true, they won't go 19/44 from 3 every game, but part of that is just Philly giving them really wide open looks. Give Trae, Huerter, Gallo, and Bogdan this much room on 3s and they will hit them, you can't just do that.

Simmons just has so many obvious holes in his game and has not worked to fix almost any of them. In his 5th season and, though he's become more effective at some things just due to experience and such, he's added basically nothing new to his game.

Ben is such a weird player. I don't think I've ever seen such a high floor/ ceiling dude to show no growth. It's wild Zion made more career 3s in his 1st game than Ben. Zion has 16 career made 3s to Ben's 5.

[Pelicanidae]

Ben is such a weird player. I don't think I've ever seen such a high floor/ ceiling dude to show no growth. It's wild Zion made more career 3s in his 1st game than Ben. Zion has 16 career made 3s to Ben's 5.

Zion's also flashed that turnaround jumper on the baseline a few times, even if it's not a regular occurrence yet, and a lot of his on ball distribution was (if not new new) a growing skill throughout his short career thus far.

Simmons on the other hand is, in most material ways, the exact same player today as he was in 2018. Like you say, it's super weird.

He's an elite defender, but he was already a good defender: he's not added new defensive tricks to his game, he's just polished what was already there. This is very good, of course, no disrespect intended, but it's not a new skillset.

He joined the league as a great full-court offensive guy who was a fantastic passer for his size but struggled in the half-court due to a lack of on ball versatility and the complete lack of a jumper, who struggled at the line.

He is now, 5 years in, a great full-court offensive guy who is a fantastic passer for this size but struggles in the half-court due to a lack of on ball versatility and lacks any semblance of a jumper, and he still struggles at the line.

His 2pt% is basically identical this year to what it was his first year (55.1% then, 56.2% now). His FT% has increased slightly, from 56% as a rookie to 61% now. Couldn't shoot 3s then, can't/won't shoot 3s now. TOV% his rookie year of 19.5%, TOV% this year of 19.6%.

His PER as a rookie was 20.0, and it has never been more than 1.7 different to that in any year. His rookie REB% was 13.0%, and it's never been more than 1% different than that.

It's wild how much of an identical player he is after nearly 300 games played, especially during the years that players are supposed to be making those big strides. You're meant to plateau when you're like 28, not 18.

[Pelicanidae]

Watching the Mavs/Clippers series has been a joy.

Honestly, every time I see people in the media complaining that Lebron has been knocked out or that NYC isn't in the 2nd round, I just get baffled.

I've seen so many people talking about how sad it is for the ratings that we're going to get the 2nd round matchups we have. These people are nuts.

So many fantastic players, so many great matchups. I feel like a broken record but these playoffs have been incredibly fun so far and the matchups promise more. It's brilliant basketball.

[Pelicanidae]

Luka is ridiculous.

[Pelicanidae]

I know he complains a lot to the refs, I know he whines, but how can you not find watching Luka a joyful experience?

He just has it on a level that so few guys have. He's special special.

[Pelicanidae]

The Clippers have the better, deeper team overall.

Kawhi is shooting 70% from the floor. PG13 isn't shooting well but he's been facilitating at a high level and has played good defense. Batum is shooting 66.6%FG, and Terence Mann has contributed good minutes with efficient scoring (2/2 from 3!). The Clippers have turned it over fewer times, are shooting better from 3 and from the FT line.

In this same game, Porzingis is 0/4 from 3, Tim Hardaway Jr is 1/8 from 3, and the Mavericks bench has contributed 9 points total and have more fouls than made baskets.

Yet the game is close because Luka is legitimately absurd.

[Pelicanidae]

Luka hitting front rim on a few of these shots. You can see he's starting to get tired. Has been carrying the Mavs for huge stretches of this entire series so far; needs one more guy to just step it up a bit over the last 15 minutes.

Hardaway? Can Porzingis hit a shot or two? Anyone?

[Pelicanidae]

Porzingis is 5'27''

[Pelicanidae]

Outside of Luka, the Mavs are 4/22 from 3.

That's it, that about sums it up.