NBA 2021: 3rd Time's the Charm

[Kingspoint]

Season needs to end right now, tonight. POR is sitting where I need them and set to play the teams in order that I need them.

Announced that Schroeder returns Saturday for the Lakers, LeBron tomorrow, of course.

That just changes everything.

So, If MEM doesn't catch GSW, and it looks like GSW isn't going to let that happen, then MEM plays the loser of the LAL/GSW winner-gets-the-7th-seed and the inexperienced PHO team in the 1st Round. MEM can beat either of them in a 1-game series. They made Doncic look like he should go back to Europe tonight.

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And I don't disagree with that. Westbrook has entertainment value and sometimes does a bunch of things in a row that make you go "Wow. That's incredible." But then you look up and see that his team just lost again.

Sure you're not talking about Kemba Walker? Walker again had all of these meaningless stats tonight that look good on a basketball card or on your fantasy team, but the most important one, +/- when you're on the floor and off the floor was not good again. He had the 3rd worst +/- on the team tonight at -8. I might not have been proven right, but when I said at the beginning of his trade to BOS, "we'll see", and well, we've seen. The team he's supposed to be leading in BOS is getting the same results as all of the teams he was supposed to be leading in CHA. CHA isn't any worse for not having him, either. Walker just doesn't make his teammates better,...like Westbrook for most of his career, but Westbrook has changed since January of last season with HOU. He makes his teammates better now. So, there's still hope for Walker that under Brad Stevens, he can figure it out with a full camp. Walker just makes the wrong play too often. A play that results in a score isn't always the right play.

Too bad about Beal. Washington would have been interesting to watch.

[Kingspoint]

I'd give the MVP this year to Embiid. Randle would be my second choice. Butler my 3rd. George my 4th. Paul 5th.

[Kingspoint]

Wow! Wesley Matthews really showed how valuable he is to this team.

The playoffs have begun for some. Lakers/Knicks was a playoff game.

[Kingspoint]

Friday Night was the first time Blazers fans saw Nurkic on the court in two years. That has been a long wait. Seeing what Dame and C.J. can do with an excellent Defensive Center who protects the rim, blocks shots to teammates, makes the proper double-team when needed, comes out past the 3-pt line at opportunistic times, and can run the Offense from the top of the key with great vision, great passes, and he sets about the best picks in the entire NBA. Over the last nine games, the Blazers have given up the fewest points-in-the-paint thanks to what Nurkic does when he's in there. It's more impressive when you consider how many points in the paint the Kanter/Melo combo gives up. Nurkic shuts the paint down better than Gobert does.

Last nine games, POR still has a lot of work to do Defensively, ranking 9th in DEF Rating, but with their OFF Rating being #1, they have a NET Rating of 14.7, slightly below PHI's 15.4. UTA, impressively without Conley and Mitchell, are 3rd at a distant 9.3. This is the time of year you want to be playing great going into the playoffs. Teams just can't turn it on when the playoffs begin. That light needs to be switched a month (12-14 games) before the playoffs start. DAL is 4th at 7.3, making that huge loss to MEM more impressive. That game's results have not been included, so DAL will definitely fall from 4th. No surprise Golden State is 5th (tonight's Jazz game not included) at 6.4. The surprise? MIN told GSW that they can have their 1st Rd pick and decided to set a tone of winning. They are 6th, probably jumping to 5th as DAL drops a few spots, at 5.9. DEN has guys (Milsap and Porter) stepping up for the loss of Murray and is 7th.

Paschall comes back for the Warriors after missing a month. Maybe the next game. UTA's depth has shown itself all season (they've never had a bench), but it's really proving itself now. Still, Conley and Mitchell are going to come into the playoffs cold, possibly with no games. You never want that. As A.D. said tonight, even if you miss just two games, there's a transition period. Missing a month or two and the transition takes longer. That's one of the things that happened with POR. Nurk and C.J. were both out two months. It took a few weeks to get going. Then when those two returned, Dame was injured with about 5 injuries he'd been playing through and finally had to take a couple of games off. They finally got healthy.

Harden is supposed to be back.

Getting exciting.

[Kingspoint]

Guess I misunderstood the report on Beal. Thought that he'd miss the 1st round, but he's just going to miss the next two games before getting reevaluated (left hamstring strain). Probably wise as healthy is the most important thing.

[Kingspoint]

DEN is toast whoever they play in the 1st Rd. Porter is not going to be making 3's the last five minutes of the playoff games when it counts. He will choke to below 25% from '3' in those situations. Murray would be hitting them at over 50%. Porter is just too inexperienced for him to help Jokic during clutch time in the playoffs. Milsap might hit some, but Porter will end up being the one taking them, and missing them.

[adkindo]

A clutch THT 3 in OT allows the Lakers to keep their chase to avoid the play in games alive! Lebron is expected to return against Houston and Schröder should be back the following game.....but now AD is questionable against Houston! Right now in the #7 spot, 1 game behind Portland and Dallas with 3 games remaining. It is simple, the Lakers have to win all 3 (@ Houston, vs. Pacers and vs. Pels) and need Portland (@ Utah, @ PHX and vs. Nuggets) or Dallas (vs. Pels, vs. Raptors and @ Minnesota) to lose 2 of their final 3 games.

The Lakers should be favorites in each of their final 3 games with Houston out of playoff picture (but wins will not hurt draft positioning), the Pacers still jockeying for play in position, and the Pels will likely be bound for the lottery when game takes place. Portland has 3 tough games with road games against Utah and Phoenix who are fighting for the #1 Seed...and the Nuggets still in play for the #3 Seed. Dallas should be safe with a decimated Pelican team...and both the Raptors and Minnesota are not in the playoff picture.

It should be fun, but it is really hard to see this Lakers team remaining healthy enough to make a Finals run in the playoffs.

[Bourgeois Zee]

I'd give the MVP this year to Embiid. Randle would be my second choice. Butler my 3rd. George my 4th. Paul 5th.

LOL "forgetting" Jokic. (And Steph.)

[M2]

I'd give the MVP this year to Embiid. Randle would be my second choice. Butler my 3rd. George my 4th. Paul 5th.

I'll be shocked if it doesn't go to Jokic.

[M2]

Sure you're not talking about Kemba Walker? Walker again had all of these meaningless stats tonight that look good on a basketball card or on your fantasy team, but the most important one, +/- when you're on the floor and off the floor was not good again. He had the 3rd worst +/- on the team tonight at -8. I might not have been proven right, but when I said at the beginning of his trade to BOS, "we'll see", and well, we've seen. The team he's supposed to be leading in BOS is getting the same results as all of the teams he was supposed to be leading in CHA. CHA isn't any worse for not having him, either. Walker just doesn't make his teammates better,...like Westbrook for most of his career, but Westbrook has changed since January of last season with HOU. He makes his teammates better now. So, there's still hope for Walker that under Brad Stevens, he can figure it out with a full camp. Walker just makes the wrong play too often. A play that results in a score isn't always the right play.

Looks up Kemba Walker's +/-, sees positive numbers, realizes it's just Kingspoint being petty again.

[M2]

DEN is toast whoever they play in the 1st Rd. Porter is not going to be making 3's the last five minutes of the playoff games when it counts. He will choke to below 25% from '3' in those situations. Murray would be hitting them at over 50%. Porter is just too inexperienced for him to help Jokic during clutch time in the playoffs. Milsap might hit some, but Porter will end up being the one taking them, and missing them.

Porter's young, and young guys often bonk in the playoffs. So it's possible. That said, he can shoot over pretty much anyone who's checking him on the perimeter. Denver's big thing is getting their guards back. Morris returned last night. Dozier should be back before the playoffs start. Seems like Barton might be out for a longer spell. Yet Morris and Dozier give them a backcourt (along with Facu and, in case of emergency, Austin Rivers). Denver was clobbering everybody, even after Murray went out, until they lost all their guards. Dozier's of particular importance if they play Dallas. Somebody's got to check Luka.

[Rojo Rijo]

A clutch THT 3 in OT allows the Lakers to keep their chase to avoid the play in games alive! Lebron is expected to return against Houston and Schröder should be back the following game.....but now AD is questionable against Houston! Right now in the #7 spot, 1 game behind Portland and Dallas with 3 games remaining. It is simple, the Lakers have to win all 3 (@ Houston, vs. Pacers and vs. Pels) and need Portland (@ Utah, @ PHX and vs. Nuggets) or Dallas (vs. Pels, vs. Raptors and @ Minnesota) to lose 2 of their final 3 games.

The Lakers should be favorites in each of their final 3 games with Houston out of playoff picture (but wins will not hurt draft positioning), the Pacers still jockeying for play in position, and the Pels will likely be bound for the lottery when game takes place. Portland has 3 tough games with road games against Utah and Phoenix who are fighting for the #1 Seed...and the Nuggets still in play for the #3 Seed. Dallas should be safe with a decimated Pelican team...and both the Raptors and Minnesota are not in the playoff picture.

It should be fun, but it is really hard to see this Lakers team remaining healthy enough to make a Finals run in the playoffs.

Might sound crazy but I think the play-ins are the safer path for the Lakers. Even if they get beat by GS in the first game I would almost guarantee they beat the winner of SA/Memphis. While I think Utah is a phenomenal team the playoffs are where the big dogs eat and Utahs star scorer hasnt played in almost a month. Phoenix is also new to the playoffs with only CP3 and Crowder as players with any real postseason experience. I think the Lakers are safer in 7th or 8th than having to take on a near fully healthy Clippers team in round 1. That's the matchup the Lakers need to avoid in round 1.

[Rojo Rijo]

I'm all for equal opportunity employment, but I find it surprising that the NBA decided to hire blind officials to call the Sixers/Pacers game tonight. They should probably rethink that going into the playoffs.

I'm really worried the Sixers are going to lock into the #1 seed and drop one of the last two games to Orlando which would kick us out of the 3 way tie for 3rd worst record with Cleveland and OKC.

[Betterread]

I'm really worried the Sixers are going to lock into the #1 seed and drop one of the last two games to Orlando which would kick us out of the 3 way tie for 3rd worst record with Cleveland and OKC.

I wouldn’t worry. Orlando is tanking with military precision. If you field the 8-9 players that played vrs The Twolves you are trying to make sure you lose to any team.

[klw]

Without doing all the math I can't say with 100% certainty but I am pretty sure I was wrong:

https://www.redszone.com/forums/show...=1#post4198446