2020 NBA Playoffs

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Sat Oct 03, 2020 8:12 pm

This Finals is a wipeout from a competitive standpoint with Dragic and Adebayo hurt, but I've been thinking that this Lakers team is a good example for the "sports strategy is cyclical" school of thought. As a consequence of the Warriors' 2014-2019 reign of terror, so many teams built their rosters around smallball and being able to switch every pick on defense. In contrast, this Lakers team was constructed along a more traditional, two big man strategy and is just destroying teams with their size advantage. (Other than Rondo, every rotation player they play is at least 6'5", and LeBron is often only their third-tallest player on the floor.) Obviously it helps to be able to have two of the all-time genetic freaks in LBJ and AD, but you can see how ill-equipped other good teams are to deal with a team as big as the Lakers.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Sat Oct 03, 2020 8:18 pm

The thing I see is AD is so big but he can do things smaller guys can do as well. If lebron had him on Cleveland instead of love I think those four series end up differently.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Sat Oct 03, 2020 9:11 pm

A_B wrote: ↑Sat Oct 03, 2020 8:18 pm The thing I see is AD is so big but he can do things smaller guys can do as well. If lebron had him on Cleveland instead of love I think those four series end up differently.

For sure. Davis is an incredible player. He’s (at worst) the second best offensive big man and single best defensive big man in the game. Davis always was an amazing defender (his year at Kentucky he singlehandedly destroyed teams’ offenses) and he’s also developed into a dominant scorer. It’s borderline unfair to pair him with LeBron because LeBron is so damn good about putting his teammates in positions to succeed on offense.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Sat Oct 03, 2020 9:40 pm

Joe K wrote: ↑Sat Oct 03, 2020 9:11 pm
A_B wrote: ↑Sat Oct 03, 2020 8:18 pm The thing I see is AD is so big but he can do things smaller guys can do as well. If lebron had him on Cleveland instead of love I think those four series end up differently.
For sure. Davis is an incredible player. He’s (at worst) the second best offensive big man and single best defensive big man in the game. Davis always was an amazing defender (his year at Kentucky he singlehandedly destroyed teams’ offenses) and he’s also developed into a dominant scorer. It’s borderline unfair to pair him with LeBron because LeBron is so damn good about putting his teammates in positions to succeed on offense.

I also think lebron really wants AD to win the finals MVP. Then lebron can play several more years and turn the team over but still be lebron.

Because is AD wins mvp it motivates home to stay in la.

L-Jam3 · Post by **L-Jam3** » Sun Oct 04, 2020 8:19 am

Couple that with the fact that AD is now two wins away from becoming part of a good potential SwampCrash question.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun Oct 04, 2020 9:05 pm

Heat get one back. Butler carried the team on his back. 46 minutes and a triple-double.

Post by **brian** » Sun Oct 04, 2020 9:12 pm

Laker fan at the bar left a $1 tip after sitting there for two hours and that sounds about right. The absolute fucking worst fans. A perfect storm.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:09 pm

LeBron is playing really poorly tonight. Lakers should be up double digits at half the way the rest of their team is playing, but he’s been a turnover machine and isn’t taking on any of the key defensive assignments.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:13 pm

I think both him and AD are playing bad. Lethargic. Settling.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:34 pm

I don’t think bam is well enough to be in.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:40 pm

A_B wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:34 pm I don’t think bam is well enough to be in.

I think he's looked decent but they were saying during one of the earlier games that Bam hates needles, so I'm not sure what if any painkiller injections he's been taking. I feel bad from Dragic. It sounds like he desperately wants to play but I just don't see how a point guard can play on a torn plantar fascia.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:43 pm

Joe K wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:40 pm
A_B wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:34 pm I don’t think bam is well enough to be in.
I think he's looked decent but they were saying during one of the earlier games that Bam hates needles, so I'm not sure what if any painkiller injections he's been taking. I feel bad from Dragic. It sounds like he desperately wants to play but I just don't see how a point guard can play on a torn plantar fascia.

He just seems hesitant to jump and challenge. Certainly not 100 percent.

Lebron came out engaged and Davis is definitely doing the defensive thing but this game is weird.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:27 pm

"A hero is more than a sandwich."

Can someone please either punch Mark Jackson in the face or give him a head coaching job? Just get him off the TV. He's the fucking worst.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:38 pm

A_B wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:13 pm I think both him and AD are playing bad. Lethargic. Settling.

Well they woke up in the second half. Davis had a really, really good game overall. An efficient 22 points and excellent defense. LeBron was also much more engaged after the break.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:40 pm

Johnnie wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:27 pm "A hero is more than a sandwich."

Can someone please either punch Mark Jackson in the face or give him a head coaching job? Just get him off the TV. He's the fucking worst.

Once the story came out a couple of years ago about Mark Jackson having Steph Curry come to his church so he could "cure" his ankle injury with holy water, I'm pretty sure he's never getting another head coaching job. So we're stuck with his terrible announcing for good.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:45 pm

Joe K wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:40 pm
Johnnie wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:27 pm "A hero is more than a sandwich."

Can someone please either punch Mark Jackson in the face or give him a head coaching job? Just get him off the TV. He's the fucking worst.
Once the story came out a couple of years ago about Mark Jackson having Steph Curry come to his church so he could "cure" his ankle injury with holy water, I'm pretty sure he's never getting another head coaching job. So we're stuck with his terrible announcing for good.

MAMA. THERE GOES THAT MAN.

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Wed Oct 07, 2020 11:44 am

Joe K wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:40 pm
Johnnie wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:27 pm "A hero is more than a sandwich."

Can someone please either punch Mark Jackson in the face or give him a head coaching job? Just get him off the TV. He's the fucking worst.
Once the story came out a couple of years ago about Mark Jackson having Steph Curry come to his church so he could "cure" his ankle injury with holy water, I'm pretty sure he's never getting another head coaching job. So we're stuck with his terrible announcing for good.

I hope that is not the case. Both he and Jeff Van Gundy need to get hired as coaches. Van Gundy is such a defender of coaches, it is brutal and I feel like Jackson just makes him worse.

I also hate Mike Breen, but a better color commentator could make him palatable.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Wed Oct 07, 2020 1:25 pm

JVG is going to be the Rockets coach, I think. There's got to be a reason they're taking their time here.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Oct 07, 2020 1:31 pm

Maybe James Harden is in ISO with the candidate list???!?!?

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Wed Oct 07, 2020 3:15 pm

Hating Mike Breen is worse than hating LeBron

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Thu Oct 08, 2020 8:49 am

Ryan wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2020 3:15 pm Hating Mike Breen is worse than hating LeBron

His reliance on "puts it in" for a basket grates on me. A couple years ago, in either a conference finals or NBA finals game, somebody swished about a 28-foot three over a strong close-out in a big moment late in the game and... "puts it in".

A child puts a block in a box. There are a thousand ways to describe a made basket. "Puts it in" is the worst.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:01 am

DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 8:49 am
Ryan wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2020 3:15 pm Hating Mike Breen is worse than hating LeBron
His reliance on "puts it in" for a basket grates on me. A couple years ago, in either a conference finals or NBA finals game, somebody swished about a 28-foot three over a strong close-out in a big moment late in the game and... "puts it in".

A child puts a block in a box. There are a thousand ways to describe a made basket. "Puts it in" is the worst.

BANG

Post by **Sabo** » Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:31 am

A_B wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:01 am
DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 8:49 am
Ryan wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2020 3:15 pm Hating Mike Breen is worse than hating LeBron
His reliance on "puts it in" for a basket grates on me. A couple years ago, in either a conference finals or NBA finals game, somebody swished about a 28-foot three over a strong close-out in a big moment late in the game and... "puts it in".

A child puts a block in a box. There are a thousand ways to describe a made basket. "Puts it in" is the worst.
BANG

No, ONIONS!

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Thu Oct 08, 2020 10:25 am

Sabo wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:31 am
A_B wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:01 am
DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 8:49 am
Ryan wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2020 3:15 pm Hating Mike Breen is worse than hating LeBron
His reliance on "puts it in" for a basket grates on me. A couple years ago, in either a conference finals or NBA finals game, somebody swished about a 28-foot three over a strong close-out in a big moment late in the game and... "puts it in".

A child puts a block in a box. There are a thousand ways to describe a made basket. "Puts it in" is the worst.
BANG
No, ONIONS!

Chuck Swirsky who was the Raptor play by play guy for their first decade and then went to Chicago used to say that all the time.

The worst could be Matt Devlin, the current Raptors TV play by play guy. EVERY 3-pointer the Raps make, even when up or down by 20 gets a shout out to a different town in Canada.

"It's good from Swift Current!"

"Got it! From Chicoutimi."

It was cute for a while, but man is it grating.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 8:40 pm

AD reaching for his Achilles. I think he’s probably ok but who knows. He’s always been a little dramatic on injuries.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 9:37 pm

This is a fun game.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 10:18 pm

I know I’m a lebron Stan but this game is great. I can’t be mad either way. Fun stuff.

Butler has been great but Lakers keying on him in fourth.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 10:18 pm

I know it's a broken record at this point but man, is Mark Jackson intolerable. The quality of play in the NBA has been great for years now but they have the single most annoying color commentator possible for all the marquee games.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 10:19 pm

Joe K wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 10:18 pm I know it's a broken record at this point but man, is Mark Jackson intolerable. The quality of play in the NBA has been great for years now but they have the single most annoying color commentator possible for all the marquee games.

He’s bad real bad.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 10:22 pm

A_B wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 10:18 pm I know I’m a lebron Stan but this game is great. I can’t be mad either way. Fun stuff.

Butler has been great but Lakers keying on him in fourth.

He can overly dramatic at times but for appreciation of sheer athletic excellence it's hard not to be a LeBron Stan. He's both the most physically gifted and mentally brilliant team sports athlete I've ever seen. An absolute basketball genius to go with his absurd athleticism.

L-Jam3 · Post by **L-Jam3** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 10:34 pm

What a game. Butler is so gutty.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 10:43 pm

That was a great basketball game. Full stop.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 10:51 pm

The non-AD/LBJ Lakers don't have to be very good for them to win, but they were Butler v. UConn level bad tonight. I don't think Danny Green has hit a pressure shot since 2013.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 10:53 pm

Epic game, absolutely fantastic.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 11:01 pm

Hot take: Lakers are currently drenched in champagne if they subbed in JR Smith instead of Green for that last offensive possession.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 11:15 pm

Morris is garbage. He didn't adjust on the screen and he threw the ball out of bounds. What a liability.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Sun Oct 11, 2020 8:07 pm

Lakers currently up 32. Yeesh!

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Sun Oct 11, 2020 9:03 pm

And somehow, inexplicably, for the first time a John Calipari player has an NBA title.

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Sun Oct 11, 2020 9:09 pm

Marcus Camby was robbed in ‘99!

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Sun Oct 11, 2020 9:11 pm