2015-16 NBA Season

[dubc47834]

I know they've been on a brutal stretch and were in the 2nd of a b2b in the thin air in Utah last night, but the Warriors look exhausted. They've been not as Warriors like for a little while now.

I know they want the regular season record and all, but yea everyone else is resting up and getting ready for the playoffs right now.

Steph has a lot of games this year where he has sat out the 4th quarter because of huge leads. They play a ton of guys off the bench. I'm not worried about rest right now!

[Boston Red]

Even if they are the #8 seed, I doubt that the Warriors would be scared. In the playoffs there are no back to backs and there is more rest. My guess would be Utah wins at most 1 game in that series...if that!!!

I'm just being silly. The Warriors would sweep the Jazz with a 20 point average margin of victory.

[improbus]

This has been a really lackluster NBA season. There are two juggernauts, two really good teams, the Clippers, and everyone else. It would be more intriguing if one of those teams was in the East so they could meet in the Finals.

[Stray]

Denver should lose draft picks or something for losing to the roster NO ran out there tonight. I'm not sure that the Pels are running out a single legitimate NBA caliber player these days.

[Chip R]

The Celtics beat the Warriors last night breaking their home court winning streak.

[Stray]

Whenever I watch the Celtics they look great. Surprised their record is what it is.

Brad Stevens stock has never been higher.

[Tom Servo]

Marc Stein
ESPNSteinLine
ESPN sources say Sam Hinkie has stepped down from his posts in Philadelphial


The Process is Dead. Long Live the Process.

[M2]

I pay exceedingly little attention to NBA, but I just noticed 76ers GM Sam Hinkie stepped down after purposefully blowing up a young playoff team in 2012, getting lousy on purpose and posting four seasons of progressively worse records. Worst GM ever in any sport? Could be.

[Revering4Blue]

Marc Stein
ESPNSteinLine
ESPN sources say Sam Hinkie has stepped down from his posts in Philadelphial


The Process is Dead. Long Live the Process.

If Bryan Colangelo, as rumored, is Hinkie's replacement, this franchise is doomed and deserves it.

He'll do something stupid like trade a #1 for Jose Calderon and/or max out Eric Gordon. A return to the treadmill days beckons, I'm afraid.

[Revering4Blue]

I pay exceedingly little attention to NBA, but I just noticed 76ers GM Sam Hinkie stepped down after purposefully blowing up a young playoff team in 2012, getting lousy on purpose and posting four seasons of progressively worse records. Worst GM ever in any sport? Could be.

2012 was smoke and mirrors, as Rose was injured for the Bulls, that's why they advanced. Then, they traded away a young center and Iquadala (sp?) and several #1s for Andrew Bynum, believing that they were that close - thank you, Doug Collins.

All you had left were Spencer Hawes, Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner. Who other than Billy King would build around that?

[Chip R]

Speaking of bad, Kurt Rambis has Phil Jackson's endorsement for the permanent Knicks job.

[Tom Servo]

I go back and forth on Hinkie and The Process. I think ultimately that the idea was valid while the execution was lacking, which happens when part of your strategy is crossing your fingers and hoping for the best in the Lottery. I certainly think they'd have been better off seeing it through with Hinkie than hiring Bryan Colangelo in order to compete for the #7 seed in the East.

[Revering4Blue]

I go back and forth on Hinkie and The Process. I think ultimately that the idea was valid while the execution was lacking, which happens when part of your strategy is crossing your fingers and hoping for the best in the Lottery. I certainly think they'd have been better off seeing it through with Hinkie than hiring Bryan Colangelo in order to compete for the #7 seed in the East.

This is where I am for the most part.

True, some mistakes occurred with the execution, but I do not believe that the mistakes were of great magnitude. Trading wise, I'm with Hinkie 100 per cent, even with the Michael Carter "I can't shoot" Williams deal, who is a decent complimentary player, but not a cornerstone. Hinkie was hand-picked by ownership - which, apparently is changing majority-wise. Hence, the resignation - to pay off the debts, so to speak, of the previous organization's failed deals. Mission accomplished. Just as Billy King was hand-picked to build a roster in Brooklyn to contend for the whole enchilada. Hard to say he failed when you consider that Lopez missed most of the '14 season and playoffs.

Anyway, I had totally forgotten that Bryan Colangelo was GM In Phoenix when Marion and Stoudamire were drafted, and deadwood was cleared, enabling the Suns to sign Steve Nash, and fleeced the Hawks in the Joe Johnson deal. He also made some solid moves early in his Toronto tenure, and is largely responsible for the acquisition of at least three of Toronto's current starters, IIRC. But he also made bad moves like the disastrous deal with Indiana for banged-up, past-his-prime Jermaine O'Neal.

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have Hinkie, at least for two more seasons, but if it is in fact, Bryan Colangelo, it's not as if they're bringing in David Kahn. And, yes, they need to avoid the perpetual 7th, 8th seed treadmill. That's virtually a death sentence since the NBA made, IMHO, a mistake by going to the best of 7 in the first roundinstead of best of five, when upsets of top seeds actually occurred with at least semi-regularity.

[Revering4Blue]

Speaking of bad, Kurt Rambis has Phil Jackson's endorsement for the permanent Knicks job.
Yeah, this is a head-scratcher, as this roster is a tweak or two - given good health - away from realistic playoff contention next year.


IMHO, Jackson has done a better job with the Knicks than given credit for. For example: He walked into last June's draft with one first round pick and wound up with three first round talents, all without mortgaging the future. Still, I wouldn't doubt for a second that Phil's got one foot out the door for LA when Jeannie Buss inevitably fires, er, reassigns her brother as team prez. NY will back to square one, and they sure don't need another Scott Layden disaster.

Yes, the Knicks experienced a playoff run three seasons ago, but that seems like a lifetime ago.

Knicks' Fans have suffered long enough.

[KronoRed]

Anyone else read Hinkie's resignation letter in full? saw the perfect description elsewhere, "word salad"

[Tom Servo]

Colangelo isn't bad, I was coming around to the possibility of him as Nets GM before they hired Marks, but he strikes me as like the basketball equivalent of a Kevin Towers.

[texasdave]

I am beginning to worry about Kingspoint. It has been nearly a month since he posted. Very unlike him, especially with his Trailblazers playing so well down the stretch. Hope all is well with him.

[Chip R]

Yeah, this is a head-scratcher, as this roster is a tweak or two - given good health - away from realistic playoff contention next year.


IMHO, Jackson has done a better job with the Knicks than given credit for. For example: He walked into last June's draft with one first round pick and wound up with three first round talents, all without mortgaging the future. Still, I wouldn't doubt for a second that Phil's got one foot out the door for LA when Jeannie Buss inevitably fires, er, reassigns her brother as team prez. NY will back to square one, and they sure don't need another Scott Layden disaster.

Yes, the Knicks experienced a playoff run three seasons ago, but that seems like a lifetime ago.

Knicks' Fans have suffered long enough.

Conventional wisdom says Rambis is there because he will coach the Triangle offense. Methinks Phil is a little too married to the idea of the Triangle as a cure-all. It worked great in CHI when he had Jordan and Pippen and in LA when he had Shaq and Kobe. I don't know if the Knicks have the talent to be a good team no matter what kind of offense they run.

I'm not so sure Phil would go back to the Lakers. There's a story out there about Bear Bryant leaving Texas A&M to go coach at Alabama where he played. People asked him why he came there and he said, "Momma called." I think that's why Phil took the Knicks job. He was a player there when they won it all and they were one of the best teams in the league. I think he just wants to get the Knicks back to that level. Plus he's 70 and that's not exactly the age to be taking over another team even if the owner is your girlfriend. So I think this is his last job.

[Stray]

Next time I make a big life decision I will announce it with a 13 page memo.


Watch what’s happening with the collaboration between IBM’s Watson and M.D. Anderson or
Google DeepMind’s AlphaGo. It won’t be just an ancient board game that’s disrupted. It’s also
anything but a game to Lee Sedol.

http://espn.go.com/pdf/2016/0406/nba_hinkie_redact.pdf

[texasdave]

Team Headcase, otherwise known as the Houston Rockets, self-explodes its way out of playoff contention. Has a team ever underachieved as badly as these Rockets?

[Stray]

Team Headcase, otherwise known as the Houston Rockets, self-explodes its way out of playoff contention. Has a team ever underachieved as badly as these Rockets?

Losing to Phoenix in their situation is brutal man. I mean I know they've been messed up at the 4 all year, but Dwight and Harden missing the playoffs is bad.

And i know ppl love to pile on Harden for his defense, but he's been amazing on both ends down the stretch. He just hasn't had a whole lot of help.

But if they're missing out while Utah (and their injuries) and Memphis (and that roster LOL) get in...yikes.

[Kingspoint]

I am beginning to worry about Kingspoint. It has been nearly a month since he posted. Very unlike him, especially with his Trailblazers playing so well down the stretch. Hope all is well with him.

REDS are 3-0!!!

:thumbup:

[Kingspoint]

Blazers get Moe Harkless for a future second rounder.

Great deal for Portland. He can play either wing and is a very good defender (something the Blazers look like they're focusing on, Kanter notwithstanding). Too, two years ago, he shot well from deep (38%) before regressing in limited games and minutes last year. (Injuries hurt.) He's still only 22 as well.


.....just call him "Swami" (Zee, not Moe)

[Kingspoint]

Utah loses at home to the Clippers who rested Paul, Blake, Riddick and Mr. Freethrow. Alex Burks returns scoring 12 points in 14 minutes and hitting all 3 of his 3-arrempts.

Miami hiccups against Orlando.

[improbus]

I'm sure Jerry Colangelo did a worldwide search for the best possible candidate to be the next Sixers GM. And that worldwide search led him to...

[texasdave]

The only thing that I want from the next 76ers GM is that he stops all the tanking. How many years is enough?

[Chip R]

The only thing that I want from the next 76ers GM is that he stops all the tanking. How many years is enough?

They are so bad now that even if they don't continue to tank, it will be difficult to tell.

[Boston Red]

Here's hoping the Jazz can beat the Lakers by 40+ again in Kobe's farewell. Unfortunately, I doubt it will matter, as I'm sure Houston will win tonight. This Jazz team choked hard down the stretch. And this draft is gonna be awful, so there's not even a benefit to being in the lottery this year.

[Kingspoint]

Miami vs Boston for seeding in tonight's final. Batum still out, limping into the playoffs. Batum plays poorly when he plays hurt....plays way too passively on both ends of the floor.

Blazers should beat the Nuggets, holding onto the 5th seed, and then face the Clippers. (Lillard has shot poorly for 3-4 weeks, now).

[Stray]

Man that was seriously one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Amazing.

Kobe going out with 60 I mean. Tho the Wars getting 73 is awesome too.

[Kingspoint]

Absolutely the strangest thing that the 3-6 seeds all finish with identical records in the East.

[Kingspoint]

You know, even if Kobe was the enemy in Portland, the emotions in those games ran the gamut of what one feels in life. I miss the Lakers being competitive. Winning (not that the Blazers are) isn't the same unless you can beat the best. I want the Lakers to be great again so that winning the West means something.

As a Bengals fan, I want to beat New England and Pittsburgh and Denver on the way to the Super Bowl.

[Kingspoint]

One of the most emotional games ever was the Walton doll giveaway Night about 18 years ago.

Kobe was getting foul call after foul call, as the Blazers fought back every momentum sucker that the refs employed to continue to take the lead. After 10 times of blatant "fixed" calls by the refs, we couldn't take it anymore. I swear I was the first, but we peppered the floor with the giveaways (never before or since have Blazer fans acted that way). We stopped play as a 1000 or more had to be picked up. In the end, Kobe hit a game-winning 3 in clutch fashion as he rose to the occasion when it mattered...a rare win for Kobe in Portland (Phil got so used to losing there that he started finding excuses for not being there). Man, I miss the Sonics.

[Revering4Blue]

Team Headcase, otherwise known as the Houston Rockets, self-explodes its way out of playoff contention. Has a team ever underachieved as badly as these Rockets?

The Wizards this year, perhaps. Granted, they didn't have - among others - Beal for long stretches of time. But many had the Wiz pegged for the upper half of the conference. That's no excuse, virtually every team from Golden state down to Philadelphia sustained several player games lost to injury.

As for the Rockets, well, they reached the playoffs, and this time they're not missing two starters as they were during last year's playoffs..so there's that.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Here's hoping the Jazz can beat the Lakers by 40+ again in Kobe's farewell. Unfortunately, I doubt it will matter, as I'm sure Houston will win tonight. This Jazz team choked hard down the stretch. And this draft is gonna be awful, so there's not even a benefit to being in the lottery this year.

The last couple weeks as a Jazz fan has been super frustrating. Could and should have beat the Warriors, Spurs, and Clippers and then just choked hard at home against the Mavs. This team being so young could have really used the playoff experience, even if that experience would have at best been 5 games and likely 3 blow outs against the Warriors. Hopefully the team stays healthy next year and Exum doesn't need a year to come back from that injury.

[Revering4Blue]

Here's hoping the Jazz can beat the Lakers by 40+ again in Kobe's farewell. Unfortunately, I doubt it will matter, as I'm sure Houston will win tonight. This Jazz team choked hard down the stretch. And this draft is gonna be awful, so there's not even a benefit to being in the lottery this year.

The Jazz, as a franchise, are on an upward trajectory with a relatively young core - some of which either missed the entire season or great deal of it. While your obviously not going to gain a transcendent talent in this draft, you could end up with someone like Denzel Valentine, who can contribute right away to the core to ensure that the upward swing continues, so "you" don't wind up on that perpetual 7 - 9th seed death Playoff sentence cycle.

[Revering4Blue]

You know, even if Kobe was the enemy in Portland, the emotions in those games ran the gamut of what one feels in life. I miss the Lakers being competitive. Winning (not that the Blazers are) isn't the same unless you can beat the best. I want the Lakers to be great again so that winning the West means something.

As a Bengals fan, I want to beat New England and Pittsburgh and Denver on the way to the Super Bowl.
Times change.

If you've beaten the Warriors and/or Spurs, you've beaten the best.

Just as we found out with the Celtics franchise through much of the 90's until the early aughts, franchise mystique means nothing if you don't have the players. The Lakers are going through that phase now,


Man, I miss the Sonics.

So do I..along with the San Diego Clippers. Along with those two cities (Seattle and San Diego) getting hosed, the situation with George Shinn and then-Charlotte Hornets incarnation was also bungled by the NBA powers-that-be, so it's no wonder that I, for one, wasn't sorry to see David Stern exit stage left.

[Kingspoint]

Blazers are the 6th seed last year, lose 10 players, including Aldridge, Batum, Matthews, Lopez and Lafflalo. They finish 5th. Go figure.

Portland has for years been a soft franchise. I think that's changed. They should do better in the playoffs under Lillard's leadership than anything LaMarcus and Batum gave them, two uber-talented players, but soft when it counts.

[Kingspoint]

The Jazz, as a franchise, are on an upward trajectory with a relatively young core - some of which either missed the entire season or great deal of it. While your obviously not going to gain a transcendent talent in this draft, you could end up with someone like Denzel Valentine, who can contribute right away to the core to ensure that the upward swing continues, so "you" don't wind up on that perpetual 7 - 9th seed death Playoff sentence cycle.

The Jazz GM has done a great job fixing the post-Deron Williams/Jerry Sloan exits. But, I don't understand how you can go into the season with the Point Guards they had. PG is the easiest position to obtain through Free Agency and trades. The rest of the team deserved to be much higher seeded. They were still the 2nd or 3rd best Defensive team in the league this year.

A lot of Head Coaches did great jobs this season. I wouldn't put any blame on the Jazz' Coach for not getting his team to the playoffs in this case.

[Kingspoint]

While your obviously not going to gain a transcendent talent in this draft, you could end up with someone like Denzel Valentine, who can contribute right away to the core to ensure that the upward swing continues, so "you" don't wind up on that perpetual 7 - 9th seed death Playoff sentence cycle.

Olshey did not have a 1st Round pick last Summer, while adding 9 new players and a 10th at the trade deadline. The talent to improve a team quickly is out there and available, though getting home-court in the playoffs generally takes Top-7 of the draft talent. Team play only goes so far. In the end, you need talent. Though when was Stephen Curry taken? Olshey is going to want to use his cap money this Summer to add one of those Top-7 of the draft talents. Can Stotts work with Cousins? Boy, that would be a challenge. But, maybe winning would take care of a lot of Cousins' issues.

[Chip R]

Just as we found out with the Celtics franchise through much of the 90's until the early aughts, franchise mystique means nothing if you don't have the players. The Lakers are going through that phase now,

The difference with the Lakers is that they can use their mystique to their advantage more than any other team. They play in L.A. in front of Jack, Dyan, Kanye and a host of other celebrities. The weather is great and if you're any good you can be a marquee player not only for the Lakers but for the league. There are endorsement opportunities as well as acting opportunities. Kobe retiring may work to their advantage not only financially but on the court as well. Guys won't have to worry about playing with Kobe anymore. As great as he was he could be difficult to play with.

[Stray]

Gonna always remember this one. Seeing an icon go out like this was special.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlGIkwX4GiE

[Kingspoint]

The NBA logo is still the shadow of a Laker (after a brief stint of using a Bull for a while). I actually liked the Lakers and had a lot of respect for their franchise until Stern took over the league.

The Warriors used to be on equal status as an elite franchise as the Lakers throughout the 60's, including their first few years in Portland. After Rick Barry led them to the Finals in 74-75 (did the Bullets beat them or lose to them that year...I think GS won),....the Warriors front office went on the worst string of bad decisions for almost 20 years until Run DMC brought back some respect. Donald Sterling matched the Warriors incompetence for prolonged purgatory for it's fans. Stern tried to help that franchise by giving it Chris Paul (under what scenario is that fair to the other clubs?...that's alright, though, as we got the Clippers' GM Olshey). But, the great Chris Paul can't even get this loaded club to the Conference Finals.

There will be fighting and technicals and hard fouls (I wish we had Leonard as he would lay a hard foul on a Clipper) in the Blazers/Clippers series. Leonard was the only player on the team who could defend a player who weighs 235 or more. Plumlee's limit is about 220. Same with Davis. Vonleh can guard 235+, but Myers Leonard would get in their heads while holding his ground.

Griffin will be able to do whatever he wants. Stotts will start Harkless on him, play Aminu on him, put Vonleh on him, and Ed Davis on him Harkless will probably do the best as he can keep him from putting back his own missed shot on a curl to the basket. Aminu won't prevent this. Griffin will just shoot 15-18 ft jumpers over Davis. Vonleh could frustrate him as Griffin hasn't seen this better version, who plays much better 1-on-1 Defense.

Aminu is shooting well over the last three weeks.There may only be 2 or 3 better defenders of Small Forwards in the league.

Blazers are going to be in foul trouble for much of the series, but they have the depth to handle it. What they don't have is anyone to hold their own in the paint.

Moe Harkless is going to surprise a lot of people. He could easily average 15 & 10 in the series, and be their 3rd leading scorer and leading rebounder. He'll also block at least one shot a game, get at least one batted pass and one Steal per game.

Dame has been in a month-long shooting slump. He doesn't force it,...usually, but he's just not shooting well, and there's been no sign of it ending having to go up against the team that has held him to his lowest FG percentage in his career. He does a lot of other things though...like throwing the ball away a lot lately with stupid passes...4 or 5 per game of those. He's just not using his head and is committing his passes when nobody's open. I personally think it's his Plantar Fasciitis. When Stotts sat him down for 7 games in December, it did the trick. Then we were home without back-to-backs the entire month of February. That did the trick. Now, we've had a ton of time off (games Wednesday, Saturday and Wednesday while resting at home and now we don't play until Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Monday.) That should do the trick. I think Lillard's foot and body will feel refreshed and he'll shoot 45% for the series instead of his career 35% vs the Clippers or his worse sub-30% he's been shooting in April and the last part of March.

Forgot to mention that McCollum is on fire and Crabbe and Henderson are playing very well on both ends of the floor. Crabbe knocks loose 3 or 4 passes every game. Henderson and Crabbe are mid-range jumper Kings.

I think we lose in 6. Some think we can take it to 7. Clippers will average 40 points in the paint every game. We can't stop it. We can do a lot of other things to end up with more points than them a couple of times.

It's the only 1st Rd series in the West that should last more than 5 games, but Dallas might surprise as OKC is good for a couple of 4th Qtr meltdowns. Spurs and Warriors sweep.

[Stray]

Atlanta and Boston should be a great opening series. Pretty sure the higher seeds take the rest of them in the 1st round, tho Charlotte should be able to make Miami work for it.

[Eric from NC]

One things that I just realized after talking with the Hornets beat reporter is that the team's regional sports network has the right televise any of the team's 1st round games but some teams televise all the games locally and others don't. For example, the Hornets are only televising the one game on NBA.TV. I was kind of surprised because few of the national NBA broadcasters do much for me. The only two that I enjoy are Reggie Miller and Marv Albert.

In comparison, I can't imagine the Reds having the right to televise the 1 game wildcard game and saying no thanks sounds like it's more trouble than it's worth.

[Stray]

I'll say this about the Warriors... The NBA protects them from teams getting too physical with Curry while at the same time allowing the Warriors to play the most physical defense in the NBA. Not to mention, Bogut's role is to essentially set 2 or 3 moving screens on every offensive possession.

It's not usually over the top favorable for the Warriors, but the first half against the Rockets was. And they didn't even need it since they'd have been up 20 regardless. But if they're gonna be able to guard the bejesus outta teams while those teams can't do the same to Curry on and off the ball, they're gonna go 16-0.

[texasdave]

I'll say this about the Warriors... The NBA protects them from teams getting too physical with Curry while at the same time allowing the Warriors to play the most physical defense in the NBA. Not to mention, Bogut's role is to essentially set 2 or 3 moving screens on every offensive possession.

It's not usually over the top favorable for the Warriors, but the first half against the Rockets was. And they didn't even need it since they'd have been up 20 regardless. But if they're gonna be able to guard the bejesus outta teams while those teams can't do the same to Curry on and off the ball, they're gonna go 16-0.

QFT. There is not a team in the league that beats the Warriors, if the refs call it like this every game. And the sad part is that the Warriors don't need any help to dismiss this fractured Rockets squad.

[texasdave]

I was driving home today and this sports host hung up on a caller. Not unusual. They were talking about the NBA playoffs. They were talking about the Spurs, and the caller said that Tim Duncan was not a star. The host hung up on him at this point, and stated that they could not have a conversation if they could not agree that Duncan was a star. My question is this: Is he still a star? I agreed with the caller. 8 points and 7 rebounds a game is star material? He has played, I think, about 27 minutes a game. Per 36 minutes that works out to about 12.2 and 10.8. I don't know. I guess my standard for stardom is a little higher. Any thoughts?

[Chip R]

I was driving home today and this sports host hung up on a caller. Not unusual. They were talking about the NBA playoffs. They were talking about the Spurs, and the caller said that Tim Duncan was not a star. The host hung up on him at this point, and stated that they could not have a conversation if they could not agree that Duncan was a star. My question is this: Is he still a star? I agreed with the caller. 8 points and 7 rebounds a game is star material? He has played, I think, about 27 minutes a game. Per 36 minutes that works out to about 12.2 and 10.8. I don't know. I guess my standard for stardom is a little higher. Any thoughts?

I think there's a little more than just current stats to judge whether or not a player is a star. Look at Kobe for example. He's been treated like a star for the past few years even though his numbers have been pedestrian. If Michael Jordan decided to come back next year and only play a few minutes a game he'd still get star treatment.

[Cooper]

Duncan is not a star anymore -that's silly. He efficient but not a star.

What i don't understand is why on the pick n roll with Bogurt setting the pick--why doesn't hs man hedge more often and weakside defender stay with his man and make Bogurt (the weakside defender is taught to rotate to Bogurt but the Warriors swing the ball and usually end up with a lob to him). I'd let him try to finish -if he can then you live with it. I know Curry will go around the big guy but thing could get clogged up and it may ruin their spacing. Good lord--the longer i type the more i see where this is going --the warriors are going to get a man open. I'll shut up now.

[Eric from NC]

I'll say this about the Warriors... The NBA protects them from teams getting too physical with Curry while at the same time allowing the Warriors to play the most physical defense in the NBA. Not to mention, Bogut's role is to essentially set 2 or 3 moving screens on every offensive possession.

It's not usually over the top favorable for the Warriors, but the first half against the Rockets was. And they didn't even need it since they'd have been up 20 regardless. But if they're gonna be able to guard the bejesus outta teams while those teams can't do the same to Curry on and off the ball, they're gonna go 16-0.

Anyone old enough to remember Jordan getting basically being tackled in the lane so he could not elevate by the Celtics and Pistons is kind of amazed how fouls all called against the Warriors. I'm Davidson grad (so do pull for Steph), but the Southern Conference defenses were much more physical and brought more effort than what he sees in the NBA.

To me the Warriors win record is similar the Bonds single season home run record: kind of unimpressive when you examine the details.

[BillDoran]

Anyone old enough to remember Jordan getting basically being tackled in the lane so he could not elevate by the Celtics and Pistons is kind of amazed how fouls all called against the Warriors. I'm Davidson grad (so do pull for Steph), but the Southern Conference defenses were much more physical and brought more effort than what he sees in the NBA.

To me the Warriors win record is similar the Bonds single season home run record: kind of unimpressive when you examine the details.

Agree that Curry is definitely a product of his era, but so are all other players. His skillset (and body type) happens to capitalize on the way Silver is pushing the rules and officiating.

And there's no denigrating that shot. It's an absolute marvel. The shooting percentage, the number of makes; it truly is incredible. Late in the season, I heard a shocking stat, Curry had yet to have a 3-pt. attempt blocked. Not sure if it held, but that in and of itself is remarkable when you're jacking 800+ attempts.

[Eric from NC]

I usually enjoy the NCAAMB announcers more than NBA, but I have really enjoyed Ian Eagle and Brent (or is Brett) Berry. They have done a great job on Hornets-Heat on TNT. Wish game was better.

[Boston Red]

Jordan may have been tackled early on in his career, but once he won his first title it was a foul to look at Jordan without enough admiration and awe. And that last shot against the Jazz was a complete joke of a no call.

What Curry is doing right now is nothing short of amazing and is as impressive as anything anyone has ever done in NBA history.

[Bourgeois Zee]

What Curry is doing right now is nothing short of amazing and is as impressive as anything anyone has ever done in NBA history.

His shooting is remarkable.

Were he to have played in another era, he's Tiny Archibald or Calvin Murphy.

[RedTeamGo!]

Were he to have played in another era, he's Tiny Archibald or Calvin Murphy.

Why do you think that?

[Boston Red]

Were he to have played in another era, he's Tiny Archibald or Calvin Murphy.


Is that an era sometime in the future where some guy named Tiny Archibald or Calvin Murphy is the paradigm-shifting best player in the universe?

[Stray]

Curry has had an all time great couple of years, but if you look at his career he's been hurt so much that anything beyond that is a bit much. The greats did it for many many years in a row.

While I don't really see the point in talking about Curry in a different era, he's absolutely not the Stephen Curry we are seeing right now if he's playing in the old days where bigs would lay the wood to you when you worked the baseline or took it in the paint. Common fouls in those days are literally flag 2s atm. But the greats from the old days wouldn't be so great in today's NBA either.

But I do think it's safe to say we've never seen a shooter like him before.

[Chip R]

His shooting is remarkable.

Were he to have played in another era, he's Tiny Archibald or Calvin Murphy.

Seems to me more of a Pete Maravich player without the crazy passing.

[RedTeamGo!]

The Rockets are awful.

[texasdave]

Another lackluster effort from a team that has been specializing in same all season long. Boo!

[BillDoran]

Curry has had an all time great couple of years, but if you look at his career he's been hurt so much that anything beyond that is a bit much. The greats did it for many many years in a row.

While I don't really see the point in talking about Curry in a different era, he's absolutely not the Stephen Curry we are seeing right now if he's playing in the old days where bigs would lay the wood to you when you worked the baseline or took it in the paint. Common fouls in those days are literally flag 2s atm. But the greats from the old days wouldn't be so great in today's NBA either.

But I do think it's safe to say we've never seen a shooter like him before.

Not sure this is where you're intending this conversation to go, but I definitely prefer the modern game than the roughhousing of the Van Gundy-era Knicks. I think basketball works best as a finesse game. We get nostalgic because that's what we do, but I'm not sure I get people pining for days when it was closer to wrestling than a game a skill.

This disparaging of Curry in this thread is odd. The only knock on him right now is longevity. His past two seasons have been transcendent. Carping about the toughness and the preferential treatment by refs is nonsense. What Curry can control he does, and he does it damn well. He made 402 three point shots this season, 41 percent more than the previous record (which he also happened to have set).

[Stray]

Not sure this is where you're intending this conversation to go, but I definitely prefer the modern game than the roughhousing of the Van Gundy-era Knicks. I think basketball works best as a finesse game. We get nostalgic because that's what we do, but I'm not sure I get people pining for days when it was closer to wrestling than a game a skill.

This disparaging of Curry in this thread is odd. The only knock on him right now is longevity. His past two seasons have been transcendent. Carping about the toughness and the preferential treatment by refs is nonsense. What Curry can control he does, and he does it damn well. He made 402 three point shots this season, 41 percent more than the previous record (which he also happened to have set).

Hmm, good question, but I think I would prefer the game somewhere in between where it's at currently and the rougher days 2 or 3 decades ago.

The current game with the rules devalues bigs in a lot of ways. A lot of teams are opting to play small ball more, too.

[Revering4Blue]

Hmm, good question, but I think I would prefer the game somewhere in between where it's at currently and the rougher days 2 or 3 decades ago.

The current game with the rules devalues bigs in a lot of ways. A lot of teams are opting to play small ball more, too.

Devalued, or just not enough quality, traditional low post centers? I suspect it's the latter.

Dwight Howard, considered the Creme De La Creme of today's centers, isn't exactly '83 Moses Malone or '94 Hakeem Olajuwon - forces in ANY era.

[Chip R]

Devalued, or just not enough quality, traditional low post centers? I suspect it's the latter.

Dwight Howard, consider the Creme De La Creme of today's centers, isn't exactly '83 Moses Malone or '94 Hakeem Olajuwon - forces in ANY era.

True. The traditional center position has really gone by the wayside in the last 30 years. The center who gets the ball in the low post and shoots a sky hook like Kareem or bulls his way to the hoop like Shaq is very rare. My pet theory is that even the big guys want to handle the ball like Magic did. The really tall players (7-2 and above) are usually very challenged when it comes to basketball skills and are there to block shots and rebound. On offense they set picks or stand out by the 3 point line because you don't want them mucking up the offense. Giannis Antetokounmpo is 6-11 and plays point guard. Kristaps Porzingis is 7-3 and plays power forward. Of course both players came from Europe where they let the big guys play on the perimeter. I don't know why you couldn't get some big kid and show him some Kevin McHale videos and have him be a viable low post option.

[Stray]

Devalued, or just not enough quality, traditional low post centers? I suspect it's the latter.

Dwight Howard, considered the Creme De La Creme of today's centers, isn't exactly '83 Moses Malone or '94 Hakeem Olajuwon - forces in ANY era.

Eh, Dwight isn't so good anymore. Gasols, KAT, the Lopez twins, Deandre Jordan, Boogie, Hasan Whiteside, Drummond...etc.

It's not that there aren't good post players, it's that with more analytics minded FO personnel (3s, driving, freethrows) and the rule changes to allow wings to flourish, the deck is just stacked for drivers and shooters.

[Kingspoint]

What was Durant? 7 for 33? Talk about stupidity.

[Big Red Smokey]

Today is one of the handful of days over the past 13 years it's been fun being a Twolves fan....

Time to Party like it's 1989!

10638

[Kingspoint]

They made a mistake with Thibadoux (sp?). Sam Mitchell should have been the choice.

[WVRed]

They made a mistake with Thibadoux (sp?). Sam Mitchell should have been the choice.

Mitchell had a year and underachieved. Thibodeau will get the most out of this team. If they can get Jamal Murray or Buddy Hield look out.

[KoryMac5]

For 10 million a season for a coach, Thibodeau needs to get these young Wolves to the Playoffs. Anything less than that is a disappointment.

[Stray]

They made a mistake with Thibadoux (sp?). Sam Mitchell should have been the choice.

Disagree with ya here. I don't think Sam Mitchell is awful, but I don't think he's qualified to keep the reins on THIS ride. He was clueless on several fronts while he had them this year, if he was following orders idk.

Truth be told, I'm worried Thibs is gonna play KAT and Wiggins 45 mins a game and ruin them in 3 years...but if he doesn't...man this could be something special brewing. Thibs can really coach.

And if the Wolves can get Jamal Murray or Buddy Heild look out.

[Stray]

Houston should have absolutely won game 2. If they win tonight it'll be a coulda been 2-1 lead.

Don't understand Houston in a lotta ways, but I really don't understand the infatuation with Donatas Motiejunas this series, he's really not that good. I mean they're like making a point to not only start him, but open up every scripted possession with him going at Draymond 1v1. For like the last 2 games. And it's not ended great.

Ride your wings and play the defensive minded Capela instead maybe? Just don't know what Moteijunas brings that's so important....

[Big Red Smokey]

For 10 million a season for a coach, Thibodeau needs to get these young Wolves to the Playoffs. Anything less than that is a disappointment.

$8 Million

Meanwhile, the Wizards gave Scott Brooks $7 mil

[Kingspoint]

Franchises or businesses that give Coaches/Operations Managers one-year deals are rudderless and clueless.

If they believe they made a mistake in the hiring, then they are inept in their ability to evaluate their business/team, direction, and decision-making process. They are impatient and rash to judgement. They are fundamentally flawed at the very top and no new Head Coach will change this flaw. They are prone to making more similar rash judgements.

[Kingspoint]

Celtics and Rockets turn it into a series.

NBA comes out and says the officiating crew of the last Hou/Gsw game were totally inept, making five incorrect calls in the last two minutes, failing to give Igoudala a Flagrant-2 foul (which gets you tossed, gives Hou 2 FT's and the ball back), and failed to call Harden for an Offensive foul on the winning shot against a defender (Igoudala) who shouldn't have been in the game. The league is giving Igoudala the Flagrant post-game.

[Big Red Smokey]

Franchises or businesses that give Coaches/Operations Managers one-year deals are rudderless and clueless.

If they believe they made a mistake in the hiring, then they are inept in their ability to evaluate their business/team, direction, and decision-making process. They are impatient and rash to judgement. They are fundamentally flawed at the very top and no new Head Coach will change this flaw. They are prone to making more similar rash judgements.

Mitchell was never hired as HC.

[Stray]

Pretty sure the NBA has to suspend Isaiah Thomas for throwing a punch.

[cincrazy]

I LOVE the NBA. But the first round of the NBA playoffs are awful. Too long and not competitive enough. I know this will never happen, but I wish they'd shave the number of postseason teams that get in. The same number of teams get into the NHL playoffs, but their first round series are always MUCH more competitive.

[Stray]

As far as I understood, a closed fist intentional punch to the head is an automatic suspension. I'm not sure how anyone can watch what Thomas did and come to any other conclusion.

[Stray]

I LOVE the NBA. But the first round of the NBA playoffs are awful. Too long and not competitive enough. I know this will never happen, but I wish they'd shave the number of postseason teams that get in. The same number of teams get into the NHL playoffs, but their first round series are always MUCH more competitive.

There's usually a few of the matchups that are good enough to keep us into it, but yea this year has been awful. Maybe Bos/Atl can do it.

Looking ahead to the Clippers with a healthy Blake against the Warriors in round 2 looks like a lot of fun tho. Actually a lot of juicy 2nd round matchups.

[Kingspoint]

Mitchell was never hired as HC.

So, in this instance, what I said doesn't apply.

So many franchises struggle with stability and direction.

[Kingspoint]

Toronto and Indiana have a good series going.

[texasdave]

Houston goes into halftime tied at 56. Steph Curry can't play the second half. No problem for the Warriors, as Houston 'Tin Mans' the second half. What a gutless, wretched effort. Boo!!

[RedTeamGo!]

I honestly don't know why anyone would sign Dwight Howard

[Stray]

I don't think the Warriors can beat the Clippers without Curry.

[Chip R]

Byron Scott will not be returning as Lakers coach.

[Kingspoint]

Byron Scott will not be returning as Lakers coach.

That's what you get for holding Kobe's cape all season. Bryant is the gift that keeps on giving.

[Kingspoint]

Marcus Smart had a great game, taking over at critical times to help tie the series.

An absent Curry would make Paul's and Rivers' (the Son) jobs a heck of a lot easier. But, first, Lillard, Moe, CJ, Plumlee and Company are going to see if they can tie this series up tonight. It's a Monday game, which brings a different crowd than a Saturday, but it should still be rockin'.

[Stray]

Grade 1 MCL sprain for Curry. He'll be reevaluated in 2 weeks. The West just got pretty interesting.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Grade 1 MCL sprain for Curry. He'll be reevaluated in 2 weeks. The West just got pretty interesting.

Yeah he's the one guy they can't lose. If he's only out 2 weeks he will be back before the end of the Clippers series and they do get the first 2 games at home, but that is a tough task.

[Stray]

I don't think it's realistic to come back from a MCL sprain in 2 weeks. Time table for that injury is usually like 4-6 weeks.

They're just saying they're gonna re evaluate him in 2 weeks. Tho I guess he could try to come back on a gimpy knee for the WCF...but idk why GSW would even risk him injuring it worse by rushing him back.

[Stray]

Who woulda thunk that Motiejunas' back sweat would totally change the NBA playoffs.

[texasdave]

Who woulda thunk that Motiejunas' back sweat would totally change the NBA playoffs.

And you said that Motiejunas wasn't a difference maker. :laugh:

- - - Updated - - -

Is it too late for the Rockets to stop all of that fake hustling, and actually try?

[Kingspoint]

right hand fracture for paul

[texasdave]

right hand fracture for paul

Elite point guards are dropping like flies. First Curry, and now Paul.

[Kingspoint]

Thomas should miss one game, right?

[Kingspoint]

Couple of 10-pt wins at home for the Blazers...a road win will be harder, but it just got a heck of a lot easier.

[Stray]

Man what a killer injury for the Clippers. Things finally looked to be going their way and then that. And now Blake's hamstring injury is back...

Portland should finish this series off.

[dubc47834]

That's what you get for holding Kobe's cape all season. Bryant is the gift that keeps on giving.

That had nothing to do with Kobe. Scott was gone after this year regardless!

[dubc47834]

right hand fracture for paul

This series just became interesting!!!

[Stray]

And now Blake is done for the rest of the postseason with the quad that kept him out most of the season.

Talk about the basketball gods hating you. Geez man 24 hours ago people were thinking Clippers could win it all with Curry injury. Then just like that it's over lol.

[Kingspoint]

When the season began after watching the Blazers in pre-season, I would have taken the under on the 26.5 wins. Now they have a best of three series against a Clippers team that's missing it's two best players. There's still more basketball in Portland.

Lillard has always been bad against Paul. Now he'll face Rivers. The inside game of the Clippers just disappeared.

[Kingspoint]

That had nothing to do with Kobe. Scott was gone after this year regardless!

I'm looking forward to a new Laker era where they can compete again. Durant should go there and make $200M in endorsements.

[Kingspoint]

When Paul grabbed his hand, I thought it was just a dislocated finger. They would fix it in the lockerroom, get a painkiller, and he'd be back in 5 minutes. But, when 10 minutes had passed, I said that it must be a metacarpal. You don't stay in the lockerroom that long for a dislocated finger. Harkless had just left the game at the 7:00 mark of the third with his 4th foul. I didn't know how we were going to guard Paul for the next 12 minutes. Putting Harkless on Paul for the last two games changed the series (including running all the Offense through Plumlee), until the broadside from the basketball Gods. The Blazers have still shot like doo-doo all 4 games. They just played better Defense than the Clippers the last two games, controlling the boards and getting the ball out of Paul's hands.

Clippers should be inspired the first quarter Wednesday. Blazers need to weather it and then even it up in the 2nd. Lillard can take over in the 4th.

[BuckeyeRed27]

I'm sure this happens a lot, but this is the second year in a row where injuries are playing a major role in the playoffs...which is a bummer.

[Roy Tucker]

Yeah, it is a shame. You want everyone to be at their best.

But things are looking brighter for the Cavs. I didn't think they could get past whoever came out of the West but now they have a good shot. Spurs are still formidable.

[westofyou]

It's a game of attrition too


No Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Stray]

Expected so much more from Boston in these Playoffs. They've been good at home, but it's been eggs in Atlanta...which has to be the easiest road environment to ever play in.

Love BS as a coach but they need to get a go to guy/leader. Durant would fit so well there but idk if it's even anywhere he'd consider.

[Kingspoint]

And, if Memphis had stayed healthy, they would have been the 4-seed...or 3. Griffin's dumb move of hitting the employee cost the Clippers a chance at the 3-seed. Utah had injuries that cost them a ton of games, and that Defense could have made a noise in the playoffs.

The Blazers have been healthy except for Dames' Plantar Fasciitis (the playoff schedule helps).

I can't even keep track of the injuries in the East, but Butler's was huge.

I'm rooting for Indiana to get to the next round. They keep proving people wrong this year.

[dubc47834]

I'm looking forward to a new Laker era where they can compete again. Durant should go there and make $200M in endorsements.

Me too, the NBA is a better place when it's elite franchises are good. As far as the Kobe era, there aren't many franchises that get it right when it comes to dealing with the exit of it's star players. I would say the Spurs have handled it best over recent years.

[dubc47834]

Yeah, it is a shame. You want everyone to be at their best.

But things are looking brighter for the Cavs. I didn't think they could get past whoever came out of the West but now they have a good shot. Spurs are still formidable.

To be honest, I don't think the Cavs have a shot versus the top 3 in the west. Maybe they do against the Warriors if Steph is completely healthy by then!

[cincrazy]

And, if Memphis had stayed healthy, they would have been the 4-seed...or 3. Griffin's dumb move of hitting the employee cost the Clippers a chance at the 3-seed. Utah had injuries that cost them a ton of games, and that Defense could have made a noise in the playoffs.

The Blazers have been healthy except for Dames' Plantar Fasciitis (the playoff schedule helps).

I can't even keep track of the injuries in the East, but Butler's was huge.

I'm rooting for Indiana to get to the next round. They keep proving people wrong this year.

The Blazers did lose Meyers Leonard to a shoulder injury.Not a great player, but pretty solid rotational piece.

[texasdave]

Jason Terry guarantees (yawn) a victory in Game 5. Is there anything more tired, hackneyed and trite in sports? Hey, Jason, why don't you gaurantee a series victory for the Rockets? I mean, go big or go home. Right?

78-47 Golden State. How we lookin', Jason?

[Kingspoint]

Me too, the NBA is a better place when it's elite franchises are good. As far as the Kobe era, there aren't many franchises that get it right when it comes to dealing with the exit of it's star players. I would say the Spurs have handled it best over recent years.

So true. Now, I'm aging myself, but I remember going into the '75 World Series how the improper usage of Yaz in dealing with his Superstar status would have an impact on the series...and it did. It's just hard to get that right. It's often better to just let them spend the last two years on another franchise.

Reds and Larkin went so-so, I thought, because I did complain heavily about that $30M contract, and that it handcuffed the team from adding enough parts at the time (along with Junior's, who wisely deferred much of it into future years....I think we're still paying him). Larkin was worth it...just not if the REDS wanted to legitimately compete. It is very difficult to deal with aging Superstars. Then there's players like Westbrook, Cousins and Harden, who are difficult to deal with in their prime.

[Kingspoint]

The Blazers did lose Meyers Leonard to a shoulder injury.Not a great player, but pretty solid rotational piece.

Yes. Leonard is the only rotational player who could hold his ground against 230+ # players. He would also aggravate them for whatever reason. His shooting could also pull out the opposing Center which would open up lanes to the basket. He had roles that were lost when he went down.

[Kingspoint]

It's interesting that in approximately 50 playoff series since the '76-'77 season the Blazers have never faced the Warriors. They had never faced the Clippers before either. The Clippers and Warriors were so bad for so long that it was pretty easy not to face them in the playoffs. New Orleans will now be the only Western Conference team that they haven't faced.

On a side note, the Blazers played their best defensive game of the season in Game 4. Add that to the first 3 quarters of Game 2, all of Game 3, and the second half of Game 5, they have found their Defense that allowed them to go 20-4 in Jan/Feb. They have also won 20 of 22 at home now. Their Offense has stunk for all five games, but at least Stotts came up with something by having Plumlee direct the Offense. At the beginning of the year, Plumlee would make 5-6 stupid passes every game. We'd shrug our shoulders and figure that Stott's trusts his future enough that he's going to let him make his mistakes as he improves. Now, he's averaging about 7 Assists per contest in this series.

[Stray]

Celtics need a #1 option to be legitimate title contenders. If they get KD they are the favs to come out of the East next year.

[Stray]

The Clippers' battered, bloody remains put up an impressive effort those last two games. Doc Rivers should be proud.

Oh and Charlotte should prolly go ahead and ban Purple Shirt Guy. He got Wade fired up in the last couple mins.

[Stray]

Feels like the Spurs have already swept OKC and it isn't even halftime of game 1.

40 point lead in the 4th. OKC might get Boban'd in game 1.

Did not expect this at all...I know Pop>>>Billy D, but wow OKC has been thoroughly slapped around tonight. Thunder look lost.

[Kingspoint]

Feels like the Spurs have already swept OKC and it isn't even halftime of game 1.

40 point lead in the 4th. OKC might get Boban'd in game 1.

Did not expect this at all...I know Pop>>>Billy D, but wow OKC has been thoroughly slapped around tonight. Thunder look lost.

The best Defense in the NBA all season, perhaps the best the Spurs have ever had, turns it up even another notch in the 2nd round.

[Stray]

OKC can't guard a pick and roll to save their life.

[Stray]

Holy crap. I can't help but feel there aren't nearly enough Cincy fans experiencing NBA basketball.

I hate to give OKC credit cuz I hate so much about the way they play, but they hung on barely tonight. Spurs gonna be mad after this one. They played awful.

[Revering4Blue]

Holy crap. I can't help but feel there aren't nearly enough Cincy fans experiencing NBA basketball.

I hate to give OKC credit cuz I hate so much about the way they play, but they hung on barely tonight. Spurs gonna be mad after this one. They played awful.

And as awful as the Spurs, save for Aldridge, played, they were one thoroughly blown call away from the chance to set up a game winning play/shot.

Not that the obviously blown call at the end of both last night's game, as well at the Pacers/Raptors game 7, cost the Pacers and Spurs their respective games - just as in football, you need to score points when you have a chance, so you you don't place yourself in a position where the ref apparently "determines" the game.

OKC lost at home in game two of the their last series against a beaten-up Mavericks team, so there's no telling how they'll perform the rest of this series.

[Kingspoint]

A team that has Westbrook AND Durant is guaranteed to self-implode the last 3 minutes, mostly due to ill-advised shots. Those two uber-stars can have great games and pull out a couple of wins in the series, but against a disciplined, well-coached team, they're dead meat.

[Kingspoint]

Stotts needs to start Crabbe against Thompson (they match up in size while Crabbe is a plus defender). A minor adjustement would be to start Vonleh against Green (for various reasons) and move Aminu over to Barnes.

[texasdave]

No Curry? No problem. I wonder if the Warriors would be slicing and dicing through the playoffs if Draymond Green was out instead out Curry?

[Kingspoint]

That was the worst collapse I've seen since Game 7 of the '99-'00 Western Conference Final.

At one point I thought I was going to see Blazers squatting in the middle of the court with a thumb in their mouth, crying "Mommy!"

The pressure of the games as they become more important are damagingly effecting the Blazers. Stotts has been outcoached in both games by Kerr. They haven't had a good Defensive Qtr since the 3rd and 4th Qtrs of Game 5 against the Clippers. That's 12 straight Qtrs without being able to mentally resolve themselves to intensify their Defense. Golden State certainly did last night.

This is an experience that's invaluable to the team. When I see the Defense, I'll know they've taken another step forward. After they got by Houston two years ago, San Antonio treated them to a 2nd Rd ass-whooping telling them that this is a Round of the playoffs for real men.

Those reserves on the Warriors have 10, 12, 13 years of NBA experience. Even Curry has 4 more years than Lillard. It gets really tough in the 2nd Rd...double that in the Conference Finals. Then double that pressure in the Finals. You have to have battle-tested Veterans to get through those last three rounds. Any surprise that Wade is shining once again in the playoffs?

Stotts made an adjustment for Game 2, but it was the wrong one. He understood that CJ shouldn't be defending Thompson. Having him guard Barnes or Livingston instead was not the answer, while starting the halves with Harkless on Thompson, predictably led to foul trouble for Moe, and then unavailable when we needed him in the 2nd half. Barnes predictably had an Offensive impact against Lillard with 11 in the 2nd as GS cut the lead from 17 to 8. McCollum, had only 2 Rebounds, while Lillard, playing SF defensively, had only 4. McCollum, for the 2nd straight game, did not keep the ball moving. It stopped when it came to him, as he had only 2 Assists. When players don't touch the ball on Offense, they have an inate difficulty playing Defense.

It will never happen, but McCollum should come off the bench in this series, and Stotts should not worry about injuring his ego. Had Crabbe started instead, Moe would not have had foul trouble, and he's a player who needs to be out there as he can switch and guard anyone. Since we're going to lose anyway, Vonleh needs to get a taste of playoff experience while it's available. If he's committed to putting Harkless on Thompson, he should move Aminu to Barnes and start Vonleh vs Green. Vonleh improved leaps and bounds defensively since the start of the year as his 1000 minutes of experience in the starting lineup against starting PF's allowed Portland to give him the maximum opportunity for growth they could get him. He was never intended to play in the playoffs, but he should be given some experience there, too. Portland got destroyed again by GS' Offensive Rebounding enabling them to make their comeback. CJ played the most minutes of any Blazer yesterday. He shouldn't. The defenders...Henderson, Crabbe and Harkless need to be out there.

I hope Stotts will cut down on McCollum's minutes.

[Stray]

No Curry? No problem. I wonder if the Warriors would be slicing and dicing through the playoffs if Draymond Green was out instead out Curry?

Good question tbh. I actually think Dray is what makes them go. He is an out of this world defender and pretty much all their offense runs through him in crunch time.

I don't watch a lot of Michigan State, but I honestly never expected him to be this good. He's in the Kawhi/Lebron territory for best all around players in the NBA.

I think it's a lot easier for them to be missing Steph than it would be to be missing Dray.

[Stray]

I don't think the Hawks should take anyone out like Chuck suggested, but I kinda agree with his line of thinking. Atl was getting the bejesus kicked out of them tonight so they pulled their starters and watched Cleveland chuck up 3 after 3 to chase a record.

I mean I get it, if you don't like it stop em, but if I can't stop em I at least wanna send a scrub in to foul the crap outta one of em to at least let Cleveland know I'm not gonna just lie there and take it.

If it were the other way around, Coach Lebron is 100% sending in Dahntay Jones in to tackle the next Hawk that took a 3.

[texasdave]

Frank Vogel is out in Indianapolis. Someone is going to get a solid coach.

[Revering4Blue]

Frank Vogel is out in Indianapolis. Someone is going to get a solid coach.
By all accounts, Bird could have handled this whole ordeal in a more tactful manner, and it my well play out as a be careful what you wish for situation from the Pacer's organizational standpoint. But after perusing Pacer / NBA message boards, I have one thing to say to my fellow Pacer fans:

Back from the ledge.

It's not like Bird let Popovich go, and it's not as patently ridiculous and indefensible as the Cavs firing Blatt.

Vogel, IMO, is a good, but not elite, NBA coach, and while the positives with him outweigh the negative, I, unlike, apparently, most Pacer fans, am inclined to believe that the franchise has hit the proverbial wall with him.

OTTOMH:

* Vogel's complete mismanagement of the rotation - resting both Ellis and George - in what amounted to a nine point 4th quarter of game five in this year's first round matchup at Toronto, is the main reason that the Pacers are now home instead of facing the Heat as I type this.

* Who can forget Vogel's '13 ECF game one blunder - LeBron's uncontested, game-winning layup - of keeping Hibbert on the bench in addition to guarding the in-bounds passer with only two seconds left in the game.

* The '14 edition, despite holding homecourt advantage throughout the Playoffs, reportedly, due to infighting, proceeded to sleepwalk through the first two rounds of the Playoffs before flat-out quitting in the East Conference finals. The head coach has to bear at least some responsibility for that, doesn't he?

* Former Pacers Gerald Green, Evan Turner and Miles Plumlee, to name a few, were effective players elsewhere, but virtually worthless as Pacers.

* Instead of misguided faith in the likes of Chase Budinger and C.J Miles, why didn't we see more of Paul George and Solomon Hill paired together at forward for the duration of the season, likely costing the Pacers several games and valuable Playoff seeding position?

The offense has been sub-par ever since the conclusion of Danny Granger's last healthy season of '12, and Bird, himself, is obviously not without fault. In fact, he may need to also walk the plank if the franchise wastes away the remaining two years of control over Paul George before he likely opts out.

The Pacers could have easily sported a lineup with, including a healthy Danny Granger for '12, Paul George, Jeff Teague and Kawhi Leonard. Sorry, not even the Heatles are beating that team.

* The '09 draft passing on Jeff Teague in favor of Tyler Hansbrough was a bad move. Granted, there is the outside chance that the '10 Pacers with Teague win enough games to take them out of contention for drafting George at #10 in '10, but still...

* Let me preface this by stating that George Hill has helped the pacers immensely, but let's not sugarcoat it...the Spurs won by that Hill/Leonard trade by a landslide.

* Bird electing not pick up Solomon Hill's option year is likely to come back to haunt them/him.

Bottom line: From the standpoint of impact, Bird's going to need more George and Turner-like drafts/trades, no matter the coach. As far as the coaching vacancy is concerned, don't over-think it, Larry...Go...Get...Blatt!

[texasdave]

I don't recall anyone picking the Pacers to be a .500 team, much less make the playoffs. So, Vogel gets credit for that.
Also, how many 7-seeds beat 2-seeds? I imagine that is relatively rare.

I don't think the coach should take the blame for team disunity, unless they are directly the cause. It's a player's league in almost all cases.

You follow the Pacers (and the NBA) much more closely than I do. So, I respect your opinions. I still feel like a team could do much worse than to hire Frank Vogel.

[RedTeamGo!]

Why does Golden State have 3 full days of rest between games? The Cavs played Monday, Wednesday, and now Friday. No extra day for travel or anything.

NBA is shady.

[Stray]

This is a really good Spurs/Thunder game on ESPN. Both teams playing very well.

And credit to Billy D. After G1 where he was embarrassed he's been prepared for whatever Pop throws at him.

[Stray]

This is a massive win for the Spurs. They took a good shot from OKC tonight. I mean sure down the stretch OKC made some idiotic plays, but they mixed in some great plays which is typical OKC. Spurs weathered it all and kept answering over and over again.

Thunder are so talented but they're terrible decision makers in crunch time.

[Revering4Blue]

]Why does Golden State have 3 full days of rest between games? [/B]The Cavs played Monday, Wednesday, and now Friday. No extra day for travel or anything.

NBA is shady.


Because a healthy Curry - which they were/are obviously hoping for - produces higher ratings, even though, without him, the series against Portland likely lasts longer.

No matter, the only question is who faces the Cavs in the ECF. If Whiteside is out for any length of time, the Heat are done.

[Revering4Blue]

I don't recall anyone picking the Pacers to be a .500 team, much less make the playoffs. So, Vogel gets credit for that.
Also, how many 7-seeds beat 2-seeds? I imagine that is relatively rare.

I don't think the coach should take the blame for team disunity, unless they are directly the cause. It's a player's league in almost all cases.

You follow the Pacers (and the NBA) much more closely than I do. So, I respect your opinions. I still feel like a team could do much worse than to hire Frank Vogel.

Any team - Pacers included - could do MUCH, MUCH worse than Vogel. That isn't in question. The question, given the roster transition away from Smashmouth Basketball - with Hibbert and West - was/is whether or not Vogel was/is the one to lead the team going forward. That remains to be seen And, as I stated earlier, Bird needs to step it up or step aside, or it won't matter.

Anyway, Vogel won't be out of a job for long; Memphis or Houston are pursuing him. Given the roster uncertainty in Memphis, the Rockets - with a defensively challenged, solid offensively roster - are the perfect fit for Vogel. IMO, with even minor roster tweaking, he can lead the Rockets back to where they were even last year...deep into the Playoffs.

[Revering4Blue]

Folks, I started a 2016 NBA Draft thread.

http://www.redszone.com/forums/showthread.php?111384-2016-NBA-Draft&p=3463457#post3463457

[Kingspoint]

Well, the Blazers managed to get by the Warriors without their most important defensive player, Moe Harkless. Harkless played the first 5 minutes, but his hip strain that he received in Game 2 when he hit the floor was too painful for him to continue. He tried it again for the final 1-1/2 minutes of the 3rd Qtr, but he couldn't go any further. Draymond Green was just as hot as Lillard (8-12 vs 8-13 from 3), while Klay Thompson continued to shoot well (14-28 and 5-9 from 3). The Blazers' reserves gave them more production, though, while Bogut wasn't allowed to continue to shove people around underneath as he clears space for drivers, cutters and rebounding efforts. Some of the continuous moving picks of the Warriors have been getting called the last couple of games. The refs balanced out the calls by giving Plumlee some quick fouls after Bogut got his 5th. In the end, it was a case of home-court advantage allowing the Blazers to make more shots than the Warriors. Blazers also didn't collapse in the 3rd 4th when the Warriors made repeated attempts to get back into the game (a barrage of 3's by Green and Thompson).

[Stray]

So the Heat are without Bosh and Whiteside is in a knee brace and walking boot. Valanciunas has an injured knee. Curry is dealing with the second injury of this postseason. OKC and SAS in a series that looks like it'll go 7.

Life is good for the Cavs right now.

[Revering4Blue]

So the Heat are without Bosh and Whiteside is in a knee brace and walking boot. Valanciunas has an injured knee. Curry is dealing with the second injury of this postseason. OKC and SAS in a series that looks like it'll go 7.

Life is good for the Cavs right now.

To the Cavs credit they've been playing well enough lately to foster the belief that they can beat anyone - even a healthy Warriors team - anywhere. They've seemingly solved their spacing problems with fewer time spent with conventional line-ups, and Kevin Love has no longer been reduced to a standstill jump-shooter.

[Revering4Blue]

Dave Joerger to sign three-year deal to be new Kings head coach.

Well done, Sacto!

He guided a battered-beyond-belief Grizzlies to the Playoffs. Taken in a vacuum, he probably should have been given a lifetime Memphis contract for that alone.

[Stray]

To the Cavs credit they've been playing well enough lately to foster the belief that they can beat anyone - even a healthy Warriors team - anywhere. They've seemingly solved their spacing problems with fewer time spent with conventional line-ups, and Kevin Love has no longer been reduced to a standstill jump-shooter.

Oh I know, I didn't mean it like that. Just that while everyone is going through the ups and downs of these playoffs, Cavs may as well take a vacation and relax for a while. They've taken care of business and shouldn't get much of a challenge in the ECF.

[Stray]

Heat and Raptors playing one of the worst playoff games ever played tonight. Lowry and Derozan are all timer postseason bricklayers, and Toronto is relying on both. Not the best strat in my opinion.

[Stray]

Steph just crushed Portland's hopes and dreams last night. 17 in OT is cold blooded.

Trailblazers could easily be up 3-1 in this series but instead it's the other way around. Tough game.

[Chip R]

Steph Curry named MVP unanimously. The first player ever to be named unanimously.

[Chip R]

The Thunder had a big road win tonight in San Antonio to go up 3-2.

[Kingspoint]

When McCollum was drafted (he's proven to be a natural shooter who can make those all too tough 4th Qtr FG's), I, like many others, questioned the pick for the simple reason that two small Guards have never proven to be anything but a liability when you play the elite teams in the playoffs. So far, it's proving to be true. Either McCollum or Lillard (or both) were easily exploited by both the Clippers and Golden State. Trying to outshoot the opponent with two small Guards isn't going to work in a 7-game series. Defense still leads to easier shots, and in the case of CJ and Dame on the floor at the same time, it's one thing to do it for 16 minutes a game, a number that would give CJ 28 minutes if he came off the bench. It's another to play them together for 28 minutes a game (the same minutes that their opponent's best players are also out there to take advantage of it, where the 16 minutes would only see 10-12 of them against the opponent's best players). Since it seems to be sacrilege at this point for Stotts to bring McCollum off the bench, the Blazers are stuck trying to play Defense with two Little People against an elite, ball-moving, intelligent Offense. Not only can't they individually guard their own man (Stott's philosophy not to double-team, despite seeing how effective it is against both Dame and CJ every game causing game after game of turnovers, poor ball movement, desperation and forced shots by both of them, poor effective FG percentages, lot's of standing around by teammates who don't cut and move because they know that Dame and CJ are going to try split the double-team (leading to out of control efforts), but their lack of size makes them poor helpers either as weakside help, trying to switch down low and block out for a rebound when a frontline player has to come to the aid of another, or handle the larger size of the new player they have been switched to. One short player on the court can be compensated for as four others, if they are versatile enough, can switch and make up all of the ground. But, two on the floor leaves not one hole, or two holes, but weak spots all over the half-court, and then heavily decreases the chances of preventing an Offensive Rebound. Because Aminu had to help out on cutters and get rebounds that CJ and Dame weren't getting, it left Green to shoot 20 wide open 3's of which he made more than half of them.

Most of Curry's points were uncontested because the Blazers were constantly left scrambling trying to cover up for voids that CJ and Dame had left as they moved around the court.

It's a thing of beauty to watch Harkless, Aminu, Crabbe and Henderson play Defense.

I just can't see a McCollum-Lillard combo ever getting past the 2nd Round. Those top-3 (or more) teams in the West are always going to be too smart, too big, and too talented. I'm sure the plan is to bring Howard in to play 28 minutes a game as a Starter while CJ and Dame are on the floor with Moe and Aminu on the Wings. But, that still doesn't stop the outside shot (anyone can shoot right over them) or fill the voids left on blocking out when Howard has to come over and help out on a forward's man. Howard would allow both CJ and Lillard to pick up their player sooner and play closer to the vest with them.

I'll wait and see if Olshey and Stotts can prove me wrong. They did it time and time again in 2015-16. And Howard can't be in the game when it matters if he continues to shoot in the .400's. He gets worse every year. Maybe he can get his head on straight in Portland and get it back to the mid-.500's, or even near .600, where he was above the first 5-6 years in the league. Davis and Plumlee both improved this year. No reason Howard can't if he dedicates himself to a team that's void of selfish players. It would be very difficult to go from Kobe for one year to Harden for two years. A lot of pouting happened whether Howard wants to admit it or not.

[Kingspoint]

The Thunder had a big road win tonight in San Antonio to go up 3-2.

Yes. Aldridge went to team where he is option A, Leonard is option B, and Patty Mills is option C. The dropoff is huge. OKC is three-deep at every position. San Antonio has their great team Defense. But, San Antonio has shown to be lacking enough firepower to win even when they get the good Defense, which is almost every time. Duncan is so old, he can skip a transition period and go straight to the Legends' games with Oscar, Isaiah and Dominic. Can Ginobili do anything other than put his shoulder into an opponent and then flop to the ground screaming for a foul? Parker can still do his little twists and turns to make baskets inside the key. But, there isn't anyone in the playoffs he can guard, starters or bench, except maybe Ginobili.

OKC's bigs hit and hammer their opponents more than any other team. Westbrook is a human wrecking-ball. Aldridge is beat up and exhausted. He's got nothing left.

OKC wins Game 6, 102-88.

Then GS whips them in 4.

[Kingspoint]

Steph Curry named MVP unanimously. The first player ever to be named unanimously.

That he's shooting some crazy .540 or something on shots 40-65 ft, and he has about 25 attempts, is just crazy.

[BuckeyeRed27]

I wouldn't be so sure GS is going to make easy work of OKC. I think they will win the series, but I don't think it will be a cake walk.

[texasdave]

OKC has to win the series first. That is far from a given.

[texasdave]

DeRozan to the locker room. The entire city of Toronto to the liquor room.

[Kingspoint]

Meant to say this after Game 2, but the Toronto fans have been great during the playoffs...filling up their new 30,000 seat arena, in addition to packing viewing areas at various venues. Don't believe that is matched anywhere in the NBA.

[Kingspoint]

Hoping upon hope that Stotts wakes up and brings McCollum off of the bench. We can only win if we dedicate ourselves teamwise defensively.

[dabvu2498]

Meant to say this after Game 2, but the Toronto fans have been great during the playoffs...filling up their new 30,000 seat arena, in addition to packing viewing areas at various venues. Don't believe that is matched anywhere in the NBA.

Toronto doesn't have a new arena.

[Stray]

I can't tell if it's the Raptors being bad or the Heat pulling a rabbit out of a hat, but that their series is even competitive is beyond me. Miami is totally destroyed by injuries. The 6ers should beat this team.

But credit to Spo and the Heat. I can't imagine Cleveland is worried about either of these teams.

[Kingspoint]

Toronto doesn't have a new arena.

I read that it's only 2 years old.

[dabvu2498]

I read that it's only 2 years old.

Since 1999. Only 20k seats also.

[Revering4Blue]

Who's the team masquerading as the Spurs tonight.

Looks like Popovich coached-teams are going to be, astoundingly enough, 2-11 in elimination games.

[Revering4Blue]

Meant to say this after Game 2, but the Toronto fans have been great during the playoffs...filling up their new 30,000 seat arena, in addition to packing viewing areas at various venues. Don't believe that is matched anywhere in the NBA.

Yet, you can bet your last $ that the league is hoping and praying for a Heat/Cavs ECF final. Gotta continue to milk the tired Lebron vs his old team storyline as long as you can.

[KronoRed]

Kind of disappointing, I don't think the Warriors will have any trouble with OKC.

[Revering4Blue]

Kind of disappointing, I don't think the Warriors will have any trouble with OKC.

With the smaller lineups GS will throw out there, OKC will likely need over a combined 20 ppg from wings/guards not named Durrant or Westbrook. That may require Morrow, Payne, and possibly Singler getting playing time. Roberson looked like Iquodala tonight; can he keep it up?

[Kingspoint]

Who's the team masquerading as the Spurs tonight.

Looks like Popovich coached-teams are going to be, astoundingly enough, 2-11 in elimination games.

2-11 in elimination games on the road in San Antonio history. The importance of getting the #1 seed. You don't want to give another team a chance of an elimination game at home. Portland is 10-0 all-time in chances to eliminate a team in front of it's fans. If we didn't have the meltdown in Game 6 of the WCC in 2000 against the Lakers, we would have won Game 7 and Chicago would have one less Championship.

[Revering4Blue]

2-11 in elimination games on the road in San Antonio history. The importance of getting the #1 seed. You don't want to give another team a chance of an elimination game at home. Portland is 10-0 all-time in chances to eliminate a team in front of it's fans. If we didn't have the meltdown in Game 6 of the WCC in 2000 against the Lakers, we would have won Game 7 and Chicago would have one less Championship.

I assume you mean game 6 of the 91 WCF, where a loaded Blazers team fell short against Magic's Lakers, who lost to the Bulls for MJs first championship.

2000 was Indiana vs LA finals. Regardless, the 2000 game 7 WCF between Portland and LA - much like the 2002 Kings/Lakers WCF game 6 - were as close as possible to lending credence to the fixed NBA mantra, as both endings to the respective games appeared to come straight from the WWF playbook.

Unless one wore Royal Blue and Gold underwear, it was difficult not to believe that there was some phony baloney going on.

[Roy Tucker]

Spurs looked old.

[redhawkfish]

Spurs looked old.

They sure did look old, but what a hell of a run they had with Duncan!

[Stray]

Heck of a job by Billy D. The Kanter/Adams lineup won the series. Spurs needed a younger Duncan or a younger Diaw to match it, they had neither heh.

[Kingspoint]

I assume you mean game 6 of the 91 WCF, where a loaded Blazers team fell short against Magic's Lakers, who lost to the Bulls for MJs first championship.

2000 was Indiana vs LA finals. Regardless, the 2000 game 7 WCF between Portland and LA - much like the 2002 Kings/Lakers WCF game 6 - were as close as possible to lending credence to the fixed NBA mantra, as both endings to the respective games appeared to come straight from the WWF playbook.

Unless one wore Royal Blue and Gold underwear, it was difficult not to believe that there was some phony baloney going on.

Yes. It was Duckworth's errant pass to Divac that cost us that matchup vs Chicago. The 2000 4th Qtr meltdown would have meant a victory over Indiana in the Finals.

And, yes...I've seen so many fixed games, it nearly compares with horse-racing, dog-racing and boxing as corrupt sports.

[Stray]

Thunder and Warriors is so much fun. Hope this goes 7.

[Roy Tucker]

Big OKC win on the road. Westbrooke was awesome.

The 3 failed the Warriors tonight.

[Stray]

Thunder kept em in it late. Durant just kept missing shots that could get it outta reach.

Not gonna catch the Warriors on a night where they miss that many in the 4th, but OKC won at Oracle and didn't even play that great.

This is gonna be an awesome series. Probably more entertaining than the Finals will be.

[Stray]

Since getting embarrassed in g1 vs. the Spurs, Billy D has been a maestro out there. He found the LU that SAS couldn't cover, and he was on point all night tonight. Loved how hard they guarded and switched everything. There were a handful of trips where Kanter ended up on Curry and GSW didn't get anything out of it.

Warriors will adjust, but Donovan's ability to adapt on the fly is impressive. Crazy cuz we never really saw any of that in the regular season lol.

[Stray]

draft lottery tonight. aka the shadiest process in all of sports.

[Revering4Blue]

draft lottery tonight. aka the shadiest process in all of sports.

5 Times People Thought The NBA Draft Lottery Was Rigged.

http://sports.cbslocal.com/2014/05/27/5-times-people-thought-the-nba-draft-lottery-was-rigged/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX1kMlG8c7Y

Watch for the one card to be thrown into the side of the drum, folding the corner. You can also see Stern giving a big exhale before he draws out the card.

[Stray]

Expected performance from the Wars tonight, but I can't help but kinda feel like OKC has more than just a puncher's chance in this series. Their defense, Adams especially, and bench, Waiters and Kanter, have really kinda threw the Warriors outta rhythm so far...for like every quarter but 1? Bogut for the first time looks like a victim out there...Adams is some unkillable Kiwi monster that seemingly nobody can handle or take down, including Drays knee to the satchel. Adams seems like he'd give you a hug and crack a few vertebrae.

I have no idea what to make of this series, but if I were a Thunder fan I'd be happy. Curry went nuclear tonight sure....you know that can happen at any time. But the Thunder have really bothered what the Warriors do for pretty much all of these 2 games. And we haven't even played a game in OKC yet.

I hope it matters enough to push this baby 7.

[Stray]

5 Times People Thought The NBA Draft Lottery Was Rigged.

Watch for the one card to be thrown into the side of the drum, folding the corner. You can also see Stern giving a big exhale before he draws out the card.

I question everything on Stern's watch. I do appreciate Adam Silver's transparency, even when it annoys me.

Also, but that's not to say I fully trust the NBA cuz nah man. But it's closer...and their product is just so entertaining.

[Kingspoint]

The Thunder can't let the Warriors win the rebound battle and they did tonight. Too many extra shots for the Warriors, though it was a lot more than just that tonight. Ball movement, as usual, was excellent for the Warriors.

[Kingspoint]

On Nate McMillan being hired to be Coach....

Kevin Pritchard, General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations, had to obviously approve of this move. He wouldn't let Bird make this decision without his approval, and Bird would not make it without wanting it.

It's interesting because Pritchard wanted McMillan gone as soon as possible in Portland. Their bassketball philosophies were polar opposite. (Bird hired Pritchard because Kevin's is the same as Larry's, as you can see it in the type of personnel they try to acquire.)

George Karl was a crappy Coach in Golden State and Cleveland, and it took his stint with Gary Payton (and Nate McMillan as his 6th Man) in Seattle to coincide with his learning curve as a Coach. McMillan brought nothing of what made Karl successful as a Coach with him to Portland. Instead of giving his players the freedom to make mistakes (as Karl did in Seattle and afterwards, and as Stotts does now), he micromanaged every detail of every player not named Brandon Roy. It messed with Batum and permanently damaged him, made Aldridge take longer to develop than necessary and created a team that had zero ball movement making every offensive possession a struggle to get a good shot.

McMillan is a great person, but he must have humbled himself since Portland and agreed in principle and action that Pritchard's and Bird's style of slashing and ball movement (see the Warriors), while pushing the ball up the floor at all opportunities, is a better recipe for winning than Iso-half-court controlled posesssions. McMillan has to let his players make mistakes and not yank them in and out of the starting lineups when they have a bad couple of games. And, if he allows a prima-donna atmosphere in the locker room as he did with Roy on and off the court, the players will go their separate ways after the games. To get great ball movement, players need to trust each other and have a comraderie on and off the court. That's a tall task, but it's what made Pop so great. He nurtured that culture in San Antonio (though Aldridge did not do this under Stotts in Portland, but Damian did it this year himself), Kerr has in Golden State.

I want to see a bunch of Pacers games next year and see the flow that McMillan sets up for that team. I don't see many Coaches change as much as Nate needs to change very often. Karl was one. Pete Carroll is one in football. Lou changed when he went from Cincinnati to Seattle. I wish Nate the best, but I hated it when he was Head Coach in Portland. He was better than Cheeks and P. J., though.

[Razor Shines]

I don't know what kind of charade the NBA is trying to pull, those guys on the Thunder will never make it past the second round.

[texasdave]

Congratulations go out to Draymond Green - Punk of the Month.

[Stray]

So somehow, the NBA is able to justify suspending notable scrub, Dahntay Jones, while letting Draymond literally kick a guy in his coin purse.

On some level I get it. Draymond is a star, he's important...Dahntay Jones is not.

On the other hand, this is EXACTLY the kinda thing David Stern would have done. And EXACTLY the kinda thing Adam Silver has spent months trying to distance himself from.

So maybe Adam Silver really is just the next David Stern. I mean that's not terrible, but the conflicting signals are confusing.

Be pro money or pro fairness, it isn't that difficult.

[Stray]

Cavs are getting tested which is ultimately just a good thing for the Cavs. I can't imagine Toronto winning this series. They're just not that good.

Kevin Love can't be like YMCA terrible in the finals tho. Cuz he's been really bad for a couple games now. They need him.

[KronoRed]

Still don't think it will happen but I would find it hilarious for the NBA to end up with a Toronto/OKC series :laugh:

[Kingspoint]

So, Toronto goes the entire 4th Qtr in Game 3 without a free throw even though Biyombo was getting hit repeatedly. Dwayne Casey gets fined $25K by the league for complaining about it.

What does the league and the refs do in Game 4? They don't give Toronto a single free throw in the first half. Toronto responds, "We don't need no stinkin' free throws" and opens up a 20-pt lead in the 1st half, settling for a 15-pt lead going into the lockerroom.

Cleveland comes back and takes the lead in the 4th, but Biyombo personally denied the comeback bid as Cleveland once again played street-ball down the stretch taking stupid shot after stupid shot with no Coach in control on their side to keep them from imploding. The talents of Irving and James can win most games, but James is seemingly the only one on the team that understands that playing together gets better results than playing East Coast street ball. It's why he almost beat Golden State without Irving and Love last season in the Finals.

Cleveland and OKC play some really ugly basketball. It's a Final I doubt if I'd watch even one game, but for 5 minutes at the end of some games.

I'd like to see GS and Toronto in the Finals. GS and Cleveland would be good, too, as Irving has shot great this post-season. Toronto got away from how they played during the season for all of these playoffs, letting their Guards determine all of their wins and losses. But, Biyombo just made himself a $100M the last two games. His rejection of James at the end of Game 4 was a great block, but the incompetent (or competent if they are trying to get James into the Finals) refs gave James 2 free throws to give them a chance to win. They weren't going to make any buckets to win the game. Biyombo would not let them get a Defensive Rebound half the time down the stretch.

[Chip R]

So somehow, the NBA is able to justify suspending notable scrub, Dahntay Jones, while letting Draymond literally kick a guy in his coin purse.

On some level I get it. Draymond is a star, he's important...Dahntay Jones is not.

On the other hand, this is EXACTLY the kinda thing David Stern would have done. And EXACTLY the kinda thing Adam Silver has spent months trying to distance himself from.

So maybe Adam Silver really is just the next David Stern. I mean that's not terrible, but the conflicting signals are confusing.

Be pro money or pro fairness, it isn't that difficult.

Stars get preferential treatment. Always have. Always will. It's one of the things that has helped the NBA grow from a glorified minor league to the multi-national beast that it is now. Is it fair? No. But that's how it is.

[Kingspoint]

Great Defense and Rebounding by OKC to open up Game 4. Bogut is once again absent. I'd put Verajao in just for some toughness inside.

[Kingspoint]

Ezeli for Bogut made the difference as they cut a 13-pt lead to 4 to end the 1st. Kerr puts Bogut back in in the 2nd and it's the same problems. He's got to stop using Bogut.

[Kingspoint]

Love that pass by Adams!

[Stray]

OKC has been the better team in this series. By a large margin.

[texasdave]

Did Golden State expend too much energy chasing 73?

[Roy Tucker]

Impressive OKC win. That's a good comment about expending too much getting to 73. But I think OKC is just that good.

[KronoRed]

Did Golden State expend too much energy chasing 73?

Tank sure looks empty.

[Revering4Blue]

Impressive OKC win. That's a good comment about expending too much getting to 73. But I think OKC is just that good.

This about where I am.

OKC is doing what many, yours truly included, didn't believe was possible: Beating the Warriors at their own game with a small lineup - Russell Westbrook, Dion Waiters, Andre Roberson, Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka - that has outscored the Warriors 91-35 the past two games.

[Stray]

This about where I am.

OKC is doing what many, yours truly included, didn't believe was possible: Beating the Warriors at their own game with a small lineup - Russell Westbrook, Dion Waiters, Andre Roberson, Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka - that has outscored the Warriors 91-35 the past two games.

That is a crazy number wow. But yeah, the Warriors look totally clueless now that their go to lineup doesn't work. It's not like they can play bigger all game, they don't really have the personnel.

Billy Donovan has made a believer outta me in these playoffs. He's been fantastic.

[Kingspoint]

Curry played like dog doo-doo yesterday. Most of his shot attempts were horrible and unforced, except by him. He repeatedly (along with the rest of the Warriors) threw the ball away without any pressure being applied by the Thunder. The Warriors for the 2nd game in a row collapsed under pressure. The home crowd made a huge difference.

I totally expect the Warriors to feed off of their home crowd while the Thunder folds under the pressure in Oakland for Game 5.

Final in Game 5: GSW 128, OKC 95

[Roy Tucker]

Raptors forget to show up. Embarrassing.

[Kingspoint]

3rd Round, Game 5's are hiighly stressful for the visiting teams. It will be different in Toronto. But, if there's a Game 7, what we saw tonight is likely what we see then, too.

[dubc47834]

I'm probly going to be wrong on this, but I'm saying that the Warriors come back and win this series. I saw somewhere that the last 25 teams who were up 3-1 went on to win the series, until now I think. I know call me crazy!!!

[Revering4Blue]

I'm probly going to be wrong on this, but I'm saying that the Warriors come back and win this series. I saw somewhere that the last 25 teams who were up 3-1 went on to win the series, until now I think. I know call me crazy!!!

That would surprise me much less than Toronto pulling out the ECF series.

[Kingspoint]

I'm probly going to be wrong on this, but I'm saying that the Warriors come back and win this series. I saw somewhere that the last 25 teams who were up 3-1 went on to win the series, until now I think. I know call me crazy!!!

No way does OKC win a Game 7 in Oakland. It's also not likely they win tonight. So, it's really going to come down to one game....Game 6 in OKC, and whether or not GS can play better on the road. So far in the playoffs, they haven't played that well in most of their road games....Houston, Portland or OKC.

[dubc47834]

Just have a feeling that Steph Curry is going to do something special tonite

[Kingspoint]

GS continues to have no answer for keeping OKC off of the Offensive Rebounds.

[Razor Shines]

Reggie Miller is not a great commentator but I grew up loving him, I was a ball boy for the Pacers when I was a kid and he's a super nice guy, so I like watching games he calls. I'm going a long way to say that I'll never forgive him for having a baby and leaving Chris Webber with an increased roll in the broadcast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kingspoint]

Reggie Miller is the best right now, and for the last five years. Webber has usually been terrible, but he's doing a very good job tonight.

[dabvu2498]

Reggie Miller is not a great commentator but I grew up loving him, I was a ball boy for the Pacers when I was a kid and he's a super nice guy, so I like watching games he calls. I'm going a long way to say that I'll never forgive him for having a baby and leaving Chris Webber with an increased roll in the broadcast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't mind Webber too bad. Kinda like him during March Madness, actually. But he's so totally outclassed by Marv Albert, that he doesn't even belong on the air.

[Kingspoint]

Let's see who can make a FG in the 4th Qtr. 4th Qtrs of Game 5's are for Closers.

[Kingspoint]

Two huge 3's by Ibaka in th 4th to give them a chance.

[Kingspoint]

GS solved the rebounding issue after the 1st. But, can they do it in the last 5 minutes?

[Kingspoint]

OKC showed pretty well. Game 6 should be a good one.

[Kingspoint]

Golden State's in trouble. If the performances are the same in OKC, Golden State's season is over. GS needs to find another gear. Curry needs one of those 45-pt games.

[Chip R]

But he's so totally outclassed by Marv Albert, that he doesn't even belong on the air.

To be fair, most are.

[Stray]

Golden State's in trouble. If the performances are the same in OKC, Golden State's season is over. GS needs to find another gear. Curry needs one of those 45-pt games.

Agreed. Warriors played a good game at home and OKC still had their chances to win without playing their A game.

Kerr stayed big and played Bogut huge mins, but I don't know if that'll work again in OKC.

Curry is gonna need to have one of those games in OKC to push it to 7. If not OKC should take care of business at home.

[Razor Shines]

Reggie Miller is the best right now, and for the last five years. Webber has usually been terrible, but he's doing a very good job tonight.

Is he? Seems like I'm always told that Reggie sucks as a commentator but like I said I always enjoy his games, I guess I kinda just accepted it and assumed I was biased.


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[Kingspoint]

Is he? Seems like I'm always told that Reggie sucks as a commentator but like I said I always enjoy his games, I guess I kinda just accepted it and assumed I was biased.


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I have never heard Reggie Miller comment on something that wasn't spot on. His insight is surpassed by no one that's on the air.

I love Brent Barry's work. You can tell he really has put in the effort every year to get better and he shows a lot of humbleness, understanding that he doesn't have the clout of an ex-superstar player to fall back on...that he has to earn it with his ability as a broadcaster. Barry offers great insight repeatedly, but he doesn't try to brag about it, having the tact for when to introduce it and when not to.

Reggie Miller has the clout to speak his mind and say anything he wants even if it hurts the league's image. Barry doesn't have that luxury.

[Kingspoint]

Philly will have Simmons, Noel, Embiid and Okafor. Reports are that they have to trade someone simply in order to space the floor better. Noel is supposedly the leading candidate with Okafor next.

I need an unbiased opinion here. What would it take, in addition to McCollum, for the Blazers to acquire Okafor?

[Revering4Blue]

Philly will have Simmons, Noel, Embiid and Okafor. Reports are that they have to trade someone simply in order to space the floor better. Noel is supposedly the leading candidate with Okafor next.

I need an unbiased opinion here. What would it take, in addition to McCollum, for the Blazers to acquire Okafor?

Something along the lines of Okafor, Richaun Holmes and Isaiah Canaan for McCollum, Vonleh and Luis Montero. But, if you deal McCollum, you're going to need more than a re-signed Crabbe to replace his production.

Were I Bryan Colangelo, Noel seems the logical big to deal first - a package centered around a re-signed Crabbe instead of McCollum, should net Noel - as he's due an extension first, though Okafor will garner a larger return.

[Kingspoint]

Something along the lines of Okafor, Richaun Holmes and Isaiah Canaan for McCollum, Vonleh and Luis Montero. But, if you deal McCollum, you're going to need more than a re-signed Crabbe to replace his production.

Were I Bryan Colangelo, Noel seems the logical big to deal first - a package centered around a re-signed Crabbe instead of McCollum, should net Noel - as he's due an extension first, though Okafor will garner a larger return.

Thanks. I can't honestly put a value on McCollum. I heard you can't package a sign-and-trade with another player, and Crabbe alone shouldn't be enough for Noel, right? I would think any trade for either Philly big would have to start with CJ.

Harkless and Aminu can play 2-4, while Henderson would love to resign.

Ideally we keep McCollum, add Whiteside/Biyombo/Howard in FA, and then match offers for Harkless, Crabbe and Leonard. We would have to renounce rights to Henderson to get the cap space for the FA Center.

[BillDoran]

Ideally we keep McCollum, add Whiteside/Biyombo/Howard in FA, and then match offers for Harkless, Crabbe and Leonard. We would have to renounce rights to Henderson to get the cap space for the FA Center.

Does that offseason move the needle for the Blazers? Maybe get you to 50 wins?

I guess this underscores the concern of most Blazers fans right now. The 2015-2016 campaign was pretty great, but how are they going to get better. It's really hard to envision them moving into the upper tier of the Western Conference.

[Kingspoint]

Does that offseason move the needle for the Blazers? Maybe get you to 50 wins?

I guess this underscores the concern of most Blazers fans right now. The 2015-2016 campaign was pretty great, but how are they going to get better. It's really hard to envision them moving into the upper tier of the Western Conference.

First off...congrats to OKC for having another 4th Qtr meltdown, that this time cost them a trip to the Finals. Thompson was on fire. Curry hit back-to-back clutch 3's to tie the game late, while Durant and Westbrook miss 39 of their 59 attempts, while getting sloppy with the ball late. OKC misses 20 of 23 three's. Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka missed 17 of 19....in their building. Lady Gaga.

Getting a Defensive Center would move the needle by itself. Every Blazer will be better than they were this season, as they all played significant minutes, are all very young, and every one of them improved as the year went on. The same thing will happen next year. They will improve as the season goes along, but they will start off lightyears ahead of where they were last year.

I think if we add Whiteside, Biyombo or Howard we'll be a 54-57 win team, playing for that 3-seed. If we have to deal (get to) McCollum, (and a future 1st, or whatever it takes) for Okafor or Noel, then we are still a 52-57 win team. I don't see a huge dropoff by giving McCollum's minutes to other Blazers, such as Crabbe, Harkless, Okafor/Noel, Vonleh, Plumlee, (Mystery backup PG), Connaughton (he needs 800+ minutes this year so he can improve and we can evaluate him, as he took one for the organization this season cheering on the bench all season, as did Montero, who can play point as well as McCollum, who also needs an 800+ minute season to develop.) Ed Davis is still here and Meyers Leonard might come cheap as a RFA because of the shoulder surgey. We're well-balanced enough that we can handle injuries, as it just means other players get more opportunity to improve. But, we need muscle under the basket. It's the #1 goal, though Harkless and Crabbe will get matched on almost any offer given to them. Leonard, probably, too. Too much potential for Leonard. He can be that muscle guy Defensively underneath, but he needs more time. He's getting there.

[Kingspoint]

Memphis won't have the injuries.

Utah will fix their Guard problem.

Houston and Dallas are in transition.

New Orleans has to get better, yes?

Lakers will be much, much better.

Minnesota could explode.

Phoenix looks to be the worst team in the West.

Clippers have major chips on their shoulders.

San Antonio will replace Parker, Ginobili and Duncan.

[texasdave]

Thunder by 11. 119-108. Durant and Westbrook have to hit some shots some time, don't they?

[dubc47834]

Thunder by 11. 119-108. Durant and Westbrook have to hit some shots some time, don't they?

Not gonna happen, I called this before game 5, GSW win by 10 plus tonite!!!

[M2]

Curry just dribbled through the entire OKC team, crossed under the basket and then went back out beyond the 3-point arc to put a dagger into the Thunder. Crazy.

[Tom Servo]

Man, the Durant-Westbrook era OKC team will go down as one of the greatest to never win a title.

[Boston Red]

Man, the Durant-Westbrook era OKC team will go down as one of the greatest to never win a title.

At least Seattle gets a minor chuckle. But very minor, because I'm sure it was fun to watch in OKC.

[RedTeamGo!]

Why is Igoudala allowed to blatantly hack opposing players forearms when they go up for layups?

[Kingspoint]

Man, the Durant-Westbrook era OKC team will go down as one of the greatest to never win a title.

That's because they always choke when it matters and are two of the dumbest, biggest egos to play the game. As predicted before the playoffs began, they were horrible again in this area. Going into this last game (of which they continued to suck), they were a combined 8 for 39 in the last 5 minutes when they were within 5 points either way during the entire 2016 post-season. And that doesn't even cover the turnovers. They will never win a title. Maybe they get a chance to play for one.

Whether it's the regular season or the post season they will always take dumb shots late in close games, and will miss the majority of them. I hope they stay together for a couple of more years. Westbrook is worse than Durant. Wasted talents.

[Kingspoint]

A team that has Westbrook AND Durant is guaranteed to self-implode the last 3 minutes, mostly due to ill-advised shots. Those two uber-stars can have great games and pull out a couple of wins in the series, but against a disciplined, well-coached team, they're dead meat.

This.

[Stray]

Still not sold that this is the same Warriors team we saw in the regular season. Something is just a little off. I think Cleveland has a really good chance in this series.

[Chip R]

Still not sold that this is the same Warriors team we saw in the regular season. Something is just a little off. I think Cleveland has a really good chance in this series.

Maybe it's because they are playing better teams night after night.

[dubc47834]

Maybe it's because they are playing better teams night after night.

This exactly...when you play a team up to 7 times in a row you get to make adjustments. Also, OKC is a REEEEAAAAALLLLY good team. I think OKC wins in 5 against Cleveland.

[BillDoran]

This exactly...when you play a team up to 7 times in a row you get to make adjustments. Also, OKC is a REEEEAAAAALLLLY good team. I think OKC wins in 5 against Cleveland.

Agree with this. I think folks underestimate how good OKC is/was. For all their late-game struggles, that's a really good team. Presti did a great job building that roster. I've always been especially impressed with his ability to source solid big men. In a league starved for them, the Thunder have real depth at the position (and I think even Mitch McGary could become a credible role player if he ever gets healthy). Say what you want about the choice between Ibaka and Harden, he's been able to identify skill players that he was able to shop for more complementary talent, when you take into account both Harden and Reggie Jackson. You look down that roster and it's difficult to find a guy unable to contribute. Not many teams can say that.

[RedTeamGo!]

I think OKC wins in 5 against Cleveland.

This is crazy talk.

Cleveland took GSW to 6 games last year giving significant minutes to Mike Miller, James Jones, Matthew Delevedova as a starter, and Mozgov as a starter. It was basically LeBron vs the Warriors.

This year they have a healthy Love, Irving and a much better bench with the additions of Frye and Jefferson.

I think this series will go 6 at the minimum and probably 7.

With regard to OKC. Durant and Westbrook are elite talents, but they choke like crazy in late game situations.

[Revering4Blue]

Agree with this. I think folks underestimate how good OKC is/was. For all their late-game struggles, that's a really good team. Presti did a great job building that roster. I've always been especially impressed with his ability to source solid big men. In a league starved for them, the Thunder have real depth at the position (and I think even Mitch McGary could become a credible role player if he ever gets healthy). Say what you want about the choice between Ibaka and Harden, he's been able to identify skill players that he was able to shop for more complementary talent, when you take into account both Harden and Reggie Jackson. You look down that roster and it's difficult to find a guy unable to contribute. Not many teams can say that.

True.

But Presti completely whiffed on filling that proverbial hole at 2G, and it was only a matter of time until the void came back to bite them. Hard to believe with the resources available - to both deal and acquire - that Randy Foye was the best that Presti could do. I also question paying Kanter superstar money, when it's obvious that there is a great deal of concern about his defense in late game situations, which is why he rarely, if ever, saw time then. With McGary and Dakari Johnson waiting in the wings I'd explore dealing Kanter for wing help.

[texasdave]

I just want to see a game 7.

[Revering4Blue]

This is crazy talk.

Cleveland took GSW to 6 games last year giving significant minutes to Mike Miller, James Jones, Matthew Delevedova as a starter, and Mozgov as a starter. It was basically LeBron vs the Warriors.

This year they have a healthy Love, Irving and a much better bench with the additions of Frye and Jefferson.

I think this series will go 6 at the minimum and probably 7.

With regard to OKC. Durant and Westbrook are elite talents, but they choke like crazy in late game situations.

The addition of Frye was huge and completely changes the equation, as the court can now be spread/spaced at either the four or five spots at all times.

The perimeter looks will be there - Heck, OKC had many, many good looks the past two games and proceeded to brick them - and, assuming Lebron is operating as a facilitator, I have more faith in Irving, Smith, Dellevadova, Frye and Love to bury the shots compared with the OKC bunch.

The Cavs will be fine.

[BillDoran]

True.

But Presti completely whiffed on filling that proverbial hole at 2G, and it was only a matter of time until the void came back to bite them. Hard to believe with the resources available - to both deal and acquire - that Randy Foye was the best that Presti could do. I also question paying Kanter superstar money, when it's obvious that there is a great deal of concern about his defense in late game situations, which is why he rarely, if ever, saw time then. With McGary and Dakari Johnson waiting in the wings I'd explore dealing Kanter for wing help.

It is not a perfect roster, but I would argue it is one of the more complete in the league.

They were put in a tough spot with Kanter. With the Durant-Westbrook window slowly closing, they had to match the RFA offer to Kanter both in an effort to win now and demonstrate good faith to Durant. It will be interesting to see how they handle the Kanter contract going forward, because it certainly looks like an overpay. Then again, with the salary cap exploding this summer, perhaps it'll become negligible.

[Revering4Blue]

It is not a perfect roster, but I would argue it is one of the more complete in the league.

They were put in a tough spot with Kanter. With the Durant-Westbrook window slowly closing, they had to match the RFA offer to Kanter both in an effort to win now and demonstrate good faith to Durant. It will be interesting to see how they handle the Kanter contract going forward, because it certainly looks like an overpay. Then again, with the salary cap exploding this summer, perhaps it'll become negligible.

That's a good point about the salary cap. It's just that Kanter is, IMO, the Thunder's best trading chip, and I can see Kanter prospering as a starter elsewhere. For example, next to Myles Turner and Paul George in Indy. Just a thought.

[BillDoran]

That's a good point about the salary cap. It's just that Kanter is, IMO, the Thunder's best trading chip, and I can see Kanter prospering as a starter elsewhere. For example, next to Myles Turner and Paul George in Indy. Just a thought.

Being based here in Indiana as well, I often wonder how the Pacers could make a jump (other than Turner's continued development). A trade for Kanter may well do it. Offensively, that trio would seem to work well together. It would go against Bird's determination to go up-tempo, though hiring McMillian doesn't seem a real obvious step in that direction either.

[Revering4Blue]

Being based here in Indiana as well, I often wonder how the Pacers could make a jump (other than Turner's continued development). A trade for Kanter may well do it. Offensively, that trio would seem to work well together. It would go against Bird's determination to go up-tempo, though hiring McMillian doesn't seem a real obvious step in that direction either.

At this point, Bird may well be more concerned with the Pacers scoring more points, which doesn't necessarily entail a faster tempo, and a front-line of George, Kanter and Turner, while providing sufficient spacing, would more than likely bury opposing front-lines in an avalanche of points.

[Kingspoint]

It is not a perfect roster, but I would argue it is one of the more complete in the league.

They were put in a tough spot with Kanter. With the Durant-Westbrook window slowly closing, they had to match the RFA offer to Kanter both in an effort to win now and demonstrate good faith to Durant. It will be interesting to see how they handle the Kanter contract going forward, because it certainly looks like an overpay. Then again, with the salary cap exploding this summer, perhaps it'll become negligible.

Olshey made the offer to Kanter knowing OKC had to match in order to both justify the trade and prove to Durant that they are serious about giving him support. He was trying to hurt OKC, knowing that in the past they have balked when it came to paying that luxury tax, something they'll be knee-deep in when they resign Durant. Portland really didn't want Kanter as his Defense is bottom-5 in the league for his position, not a good match with CJ and Dame. Worst-case scenario is that they end up with a better version of David Lee.

I'm also glad that Greg Monroe has spurned Olshey not once, but twice, as he seems to have a major problem with self-motivation.

Olshey has shown repeatedly that he'll overpay for a big man in FA. He'll try it again this Summer.

True that OKC is 5-deep in decent bigs. They wasted money on Kanter.

[Revering4Blue]

Thanks. I can't honestly put a value on McCollum. I heard you can't package a sign-and-trade with another player, and Crabbe alone shouldn't be enough for Noel, right? I would think any trade for either Philly big would have to start with CJ.

Harkless and Aminu can play 2-4, while Henderson would love to resign.

Ideally we keep McCollum, add Whiteside/Biyombo/Howard in FA, and then match offers for Harkless, Crabbe and Leonard. We would have to renounce rights to Henderson to get the cap space for the FA Center.

The more that I think about it, no way do I trade McCollum. I totally agree with matching offers for Harkless, Crabbe and Leonard. IMO, there are more cost-efficient means of acquiring a defensive center than trading for Noel or breaking the bank for any of the aforementioned free agent centers.

1)Sign Ian Mahinmi for much less than the above.

2)Purchase a second rounder from one of several teams with multiple second rounders, as several big men, though possibly limited offensively at the next level, projected as rim-protectors with large wing-spans, are projected to drop well into the second round....7-6 Mamadou Ndiaye, for example.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Cavs in 6.

[Stray]

Wild shot in the dark...Warriors in 5.

Hope it goes 7 tho.

[Kingspoint]

Irving is the difference. Cavs in 5.

[Stray]

So the Warriors have 6 dudes in double figures. And Curry and Thompson aren't one of them. And Golden State is winning.

This is the game for Cleveland to steal on the road, but they just haven't played that great either.

Tough decision for the Cavs will be lineups. I don't know that Love and Kyrie work as a closing lineup. Something with Shumpert and Delly working with Lebron, TT and one of either Kyrie or Love seems to make more sense. I almost think Lebron could guard Dray straight up against GSW's smallball. But finding the balance between giving up defense for offense and vice versa will decide whether Cleveland wins in this series or not.

[Stray]

But yea, if GSW's bench shows up like they did tonight the Warriors are unbeatable lol. Cleveland will make adjustments for game 2.

[Stray]

Doesn't sound so good when put this way.

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