goreds2 (05-07-2021)
Kyrie Irving is amazing. Most underrated player in the NBA.
How is anyone going to stop him, Durant and Harden?
"One problem with people who have no vices is that they're pretty sure to have some annoying virtues."
texasdave (05-07-2021)
BillDoran (05-07-2021),Kingspoint (05-06-2021),Revering4Blue (05-06-2021),texasdave (05-07-2021)
Again, much doings in the standings from today's results.
EAST
The Nets lost to the Mavericks, which drops Brooklyn 3 games behind the Sixers in the loss column. I sincerely doubt the Sixers are going to lose 3 more games, so they're looking like they've got #1 in the East sewn up. The Nets also are now tied with the Bucks in the loss. I'm too lazy to look up who holds the tiebreaker there.
The Hawks lost to the Pacers, which puts them a full game behind the Knicks for the #4 seed and even with the Celtics and Heat in the loss column. Lots to be decided for those 4-7 slots.
The Pacers win combined with the Hornets getting starched by the Bulls puts Indiana only 1 game back for the #8 slot. And the red hot Wizards are only a half game behind them. Also going to be a tight finish for those places. Though none of them have to worry about someone coming up from behind them. All three will be in play-in games.
WEST
The Mavericks got their noses in front of the Lakers and Blazers for the #5 slot. If the Lakers beat the Clips tonight, they'll be tied with Dallas. If they lose, they're tied with Portland. One of those three is going to wind up in the play-in game and they are going to be pissed off.
The Grizzlies spit the bit against the Pistons. They're momentarily tied with the Warriors for the #8 slot, but Golden State is playing OKC. If the Dubs take care of business, they're facing the unhappy loser of the Dallas/Portland/Lakers derby in the easy entry play-in game.
The Clippers either move half a game ahead or behind the Nuggets dependent on how they do against the Lakers.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
goreds2 (05-07-2021),Revering4Blue (05-06-2021)
I think it’s good for the Nets to be #2 or #3, so they avoid the Knicks. NY vrs NY has built in perils.
The Knicks will be kryptonite for some higher seed for one round, and if they play the Sixers the first round and the media pressure is on ... somehow you know Embiid will miss a game or two.
The Knicks look bound for that 4-5 matchup. They're playing well, they've got a slight lead on the others and it's hard to imagine two of those teams jumping past them. As for the Nets, the matchup I'd love to see is them vs. the Heat in the 1st round. That would be a test. And if we get the Sixers vs. the Wizards in the 1st round, that has some potential for drama. Philly has the beef to win it, but Beal and Russ are a problem.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
Oooh, i want in on that action. I suspect the Knicks will be a rather easy first-round opponent for Boston or Miami. (Less so Atlanta.) They're happy to be in the playoffs and don't shoot all that well. They're also ultra-dependent on one guy-- and every team around them (except Atlanta) has a stopper who can man him up.
I just don't buy Washington's resurgence. They're the best of a bad lot of seven and eight seeded teams, I guess. But if Embiid's going to miss a game or three, you know Westbrook will give at least one of them back. And Philly's got ridiculous length and sticky D. I say it's a Sixers' sweep, even with a missed Embiid game cooked in.
goreds2 (05-07-2021)
I don't buy it as they're suddenly a contender, but they're a headache. Their pace is absurd. They're basically playing at a sprint. First to 150 wins. That's not likely to go far in the playoffs, but if the Sixers get them, Embiid is going to need oxygen (maybe blood doping) and they don't like chasing mobile guards. They probably have to play Thybulle just to slow down Russ/Beal. Philly will beat them, but it might be like a Hagler-Hearns series. Like Beal scores 70 and Russ goes 20-20-20 and they lose.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
goreds2 (05-08-2021)
And both have relatively heavy remaining schedules. Portland's in better form at the moment. It just dusted itself off and went 5-1 on the road. The x factor is the Lakers' health. LeBron maybe returns tonight, though AD might be on the shelf again and Schroder's on a COVID timeout. And tonight they play Portland. So I guess I'll go with whoever wins tonight will get the #6 seed. That team will hold a one game lead with five to play and it will have the tiebreaker, which means it's more like a two-game lead.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
Zion broken finger. Ouch. Not going to help their playoff chances.
Speaking of monsters, if folks haven't been watching the Sixers, they may not have noticed that Matisse Thybulle has recently advanced to beast mode defensively:
"The problem with strikeouts isn't that they hurt your team, it's that they hurt your feelings..." --Rob Neyer
"The single most important thing for a hitter is to get a good pitch to hit. A good hitter can hit a pitch that’s over the plate three times better than a great hitter with a ball in a tough spot.”
--Ted Williams
Revering4Blue (05-07-2021)
Scott Foster AND Lauren Holtzkamp officiating tonight are doing their best to completely screw the Sixers out of a win. The ineptitude over the last minute has been frightening.
Having those two officials on the same court together and you can just feel the pull of the black hole of stupid.
"The problem with strikeouts isn't that they hurt your team, it's that they hurt your feelings..." --Rob Neyer
"The single most important thing for a hitter is to get a good pitch to hit. A good hitter can hit a pitch that’s over the plate three times better than a great hitter with a ball in a tough spot.”
--Ted Williams
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