2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

Post by Pruitt »

I read the book "Boom Town" about Oklahoma City (interesting book by the way), and it is incredible how Durant's behaviour (or at least people's perception of that behaviour) has changed since he left OKC.

He was seen as being a real sweetheart of a guy back then.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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A_B wrote: Tue May 21, 2019 9:03 am I agree with some of the criticisms of KD messing up their spacing. While he gives them a cheat code, he also changes how they play. It's like they have a Super Carmelo. He's going to take some shots that aren't in the "Flow" but hes so good you live with it.
It’s a bit strange because KD is one of their better defenders and he should help their spacing with his shooting range. I think the biggest issue is that, for whatever reason, Curry plays far better when Durant is out and he gets to be the undisputed #1 option. The 2017 Warriors that went 16-1 in the playoffs with KD was the best they’ve ever been. But I suspect there have been some significant internal tensions between Durant and Curry the last two seasons, and that the team has done a good job keeping that under wraps. Curry was well on his way to being the biggest sports star in America before LeBron broke his spirit over the last 3 games of the 2016 Finals. Although the addition of Durant gave them their cheat code against LeBron, it also has unquestionably weakened Curry’s standing in the sport the last few years. You’re not going to get many MVP votes when there’s another highly efficient scoring machine on your team.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

Post by DSafetyGuy »

Durant's "cheat code" ability in a direct contrast of Golden State's player and ball movement without him.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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DSafetyGuy wrote: Tue May 21, 2019 2:32 pm Durant's "cheat code" ability in a direct contrast of Golden State's player and ball movement without him.
In Durant’s defense, the Warriors offensive efficiency has been better with him in both the regular season and the postseason than it was in 2014-16 before he joined. But they obviously don’t need him to compete for championships and it’s clear that some of their other guys tend to play better when he’s out.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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I am drained by that first half. Crazy basketball.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Pruitt wrote: Tue May 21, 2019 8:48 pm I am drained by that first half. Crazy basketball.
Impressive bounce back wins by the Raptors. I just hope Kawhi’s legs hold up. He’s been hands down the best and most valuable player this postseason.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Packers’ OT David Bakhtiari firing up the Bucks’ fans. (I’ve always liked him because he is a San Mateo kid who played for Colorado.)
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Chris Webber is such a bad announcer. He was killing Giannis for subbing out for a late offensive possession, thinking that he was just tired. It never even crossed his mind that it could be strategic substitution because the Bucks were down 4 and Giannis has been struggling from the line. Reggie Miller is also quite bad.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Crazy stat, but making 18 3s and 25 FTs can make up for a lot of missed 2s.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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That inbounds play where Gasol and Siakam were uncovered was very strange indeed.

Saturday night is going to be nuts in Toronto. This is hard to believe!
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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I love Giannis but I would love to see Toronto somehow beat GS as unlikely as that is to see Pruitt’s reaction.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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brian wrote: Thu May 23, 2019 10:49 pm I love Giannis but I would love to see Toronto somehow beat GS as unlikely as that is to see Pruitt’s reaction.
My reaction wouldn't top the incoherent gurgling and rolling around that happened when Spurs beat Ajax...

But multiply that sort of reaction by a few million and that's what could happen here.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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brian wrote: Thu May 23, 2019 10:49 pm I love Giannis but I would love to see Toronto somehow beat GS as unlikely as that is to see Pruitt’s reaction.
Drake is annoying and Lowry is a flopper but otherwise the Raptors are a pretty likable team. Kawhi is an incredible player and I find his complete lack of self-promotion (New Balance deal aside) to be respectable. Masai Ujiri also may be the best front office exec in the NBA. Even before this year, he turned an NBA version of Siberia into a perennial top-4 team in the East. And he made two very ballsy all-in moves this past offseason with firing the reigning Coach of the Year and making the Kawhi trade. Regardless of what happens the rest of the way those were clearly good gambles.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Boston's refusal to pony up for Kwahi looks absolutely insane now.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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tennbengal wrote: Fri May 24, 2019 7:37 am Boston's refusal to pony up for Kwahi looks absolutely insane now.
You don’t think Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum can score an efficient 30+ nightly while playing lockdown defense on All-Stars, like Kawhi has been doing for the last 12 games?

Danny Ainge must have a lot of friends in the NBA media because he’s convinced an awful lot of people that the young guys he’s drafted are much better than they actually are. Kyrie got almost all of the criticism for this season but as you pointed out, Ainge deserves criticism for standing pat while the two other good teams in the Atlantic Division made ultra-aggressive moves and got much better.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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For damn sure.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

Post by HaulCitgo »

Just plain wrong. Dude did the right thing by sitting tight and really ought to do it again if Kyrie walks. I have zero problem with their current team less Kyrie. Yeah you still more pieces, mostly because Horford is getting old but they still have the stack to do it.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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tennbengal wrote: Fri May 24, 2019 7:37 am Boston's refusal to pony up for Kwahi looks absolutely insane now.
Is it still insane if you feel Kwahi is leaving after one year?
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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EdRomero wrote: Fri May 24, 2019 6:57 pm
tennbengal wrote: Fri May 24, 2019 7:37 am Boston's refusal to pony up for Kwahi looks absolutely insane now.
Is it still insane if you feel Kwahi is leaving after one year?
Yes.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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tennbengal wrote: Fri May 24, 2019 8:01 pm
EdRomero wrote: Fri May 24, 2019 6:57 pm
tennbengal wrote: Fri May 24, 2019 7:37 am Boston's refusal to pony up for Kwahi looks absolutely insane now.
Is it still insane if you feel Kwahi is leaving after one year?
Yes.
I’m with Bengal here. Kawhi has been outrageously good this year. You get a chance to add an actual basketball-playing cyborg, for any amount of time, you take it.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

Post by Johnnie »

So that you can lose in the final to Golden State? I mean, a Kyrie/Hayward-less Celtics team almost got there last year. Why would you blow that up for a year of Kawhi and then lose Kawhi and Kyrie the following off season? It's not like teams get something for losing the final.

If and only if the Raptors win it all can we start saying "Boston blew it by not getting Kawhi." Otherwise, "finals loser" is the same result as "2nd round loser."
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Building off of what Johnnie said, the Celtics making a major shakeup trade seemed to be more of a long term risk for them than for Toronto who just had several good but extremely frustrating seasons. In hindsight, Toronto struck gold with their gamble, but there was a lot of risk -- Kawhi was an injured?/malcontent for a great coach who brings out the best of his players. I'm also wondering if Ainge wanted to hold his chips for Anthony Davis, make another run at KD, or someone else. With all that said, it would have been real nice to see Kyrie, Kawhi, and Horford play together, and to see the defense Smart and Kawhi could pull off together...so maybe tenn and Joe are right. But if Tatum keeps improving and Ainge can fix the Kyrie/Rosier mess he made, and Kawhi takes off to the Clippers, it won't look as bad.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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The moment my head exploded...

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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Giannis is gonna want back leaving that presser early. I’m sure it was tough to sit there but you have to earn the right to leave and I don’t think he’s there yet. Maybe I’m just being an asshole. Likely.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Here’s a pretty cool thread. Deciding who to root for in Toronto vs Silicon Valley/San Francisco as cities is an absolute no-brainer.

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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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brian wrote: Sun May 26, 2019 2:46 pm Here’s a pretty cool thread. Deciding who to root for in Toronto vs Silicon Valley/San Francisco as cities is an absolute no-brainer.

You can be a hater if you want, but the Warriors are still based in Oakland at the moment.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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I don't think that's 18,000 people from Oakland sitting in the stands. Looks on TV like a lot of Silicon Valley techbros enjoying three hours of bandwagoning in between figuring out how to fuck over the economy of the rest of the country.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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A_B wrote: Sun May 26, 2019 2:27 pm Giannis is gonna want back leaving that presser early. I’m sure it was tough to sit there but you have to earn the right to leave and I don’t think he’s there yet. Maybe I’m just being an asshole. Likely.
I'll give the kid a break - that's got to be a terrible experience for any player, especially after this...

Image

This city is giddy today! A great day to be a Torontonian.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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sancarlos wrote: Sun May 26, 2019 3:29 pm
brian wrote: Sun May 26, 2019 2:46 pm Here’s a pretty cool thread. Deciding who to root for in Toronto vs Silicon Valley/San Francisco as cities is an absolute no-brainer.

You can be a hater if you want, but the Warriors are still based in Oakland at the moment.
No offence, but fuck the Warriors!



And not a single arrest last night. Not one!
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Guy is a legend in the city. Could be part of the reason why the South Asian community in this city are Raps fanatics.

I could keep going and going, but that thread is giving me goosebumps!
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Okay, just one more thing.

We all know deep down that Leonard is not going to sign here. It's just too much to ask for. (even though his wife gave birth here a few months ago so his daughter is Canadian!)

But people are still trying to get him to stay...

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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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I don't really have a dog in the fight, but I'm not sure I'll just concede that Toronto is more diverse - especially in regards to SE Asians - than the Bay area.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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Toronto is possibly the most diverse city in the world. That’s not just me saying that.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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I love Toronto. I love the Bay Area. It’s a playoff between basketball teams, not cities.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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brian wrote: Sun May 26, 2019 3:33 pm I don't think that's 18,000 people from Oakland sitting in the stands. Looks on TV like a lot of Silicon Valley techbros enjoying three hours of bandwagoning in between figuring out how to fuck over the economy of the rest of the country.
(Sigh). Actually, During the debates over moving the Warriors from Oakland to San Francisco, the news media made references to where their ticket holders live. In short, it was East Bay first, San Francisco second. The Warriors were selling out the arena long before the team got good. But, don’t let that stop your prejudice. Tickets are expensive for all teams. It ain’t poor people in any NBA arenas. And of course, their fan base crosses all socio-economic and ethnic groups, just like any other team.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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sancarlos wrote: Sun May 26, 2019 4:48 pm I love Toronto. I love the Bay Area. It’s a playoff between basketball teams, not cities.
I’ll stay out of the Toronto v. Bay Area debates. But if we’re talking about which basketball team is more likeable, it’s an absolute no-brainer in favor of the Raptors.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

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I'm just teasing anyway.

In terms of diversity, I think Toronto is right up there with New York and London.
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

Post by Rex »

Um, did Toronto not give us Blackberry?
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