NBA Playoffs 2018

Okay . . . let's try this again.

Moderators: Shirley, Sabo, brian, rass, DaveInSeattle

Post Reply
User avatar
Pruitt
The Dude
Posts: 18105
Joined: Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:02 am
Location: North Shore of Lake Ontario

NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Pruitt »

"beautiful, with an exotic-yet-familiar facial structure and an arresting gaze."
Joe K
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 4754
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:37 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Joe K »

I hope I’m wrong but I really think we’re once again headed for a lopsided Warriors-Cavs Finals. I’d love to see someone beat Golden State but I just don’t see it happening. They got a near ideal draw, as they should be able to beat San Antonio, Portland or New Orleans even without Curry. Then if Curry can be close to full speed for the West Finals, I think they will beat Houston. In the East, I still don’t think any team can handle playoff LeBron. The Cavs suck at defense, and have no chance against a healthy Warriors team for that reason, but their offense alone should get them to the Finals.
User avatar
sancarlos
The Dude
Posts: 18060
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 1:46 pm
Location: NorCal via Colorado

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by sancarlos »

Joe K wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 10:29 am I hope I’m wrong but I really think we’re once again headed for a lopsided Warriors-Cavs Finals. I’d love to see someone beat Golden State but I just don’t see it happening. They got a near ideal draw, as they should be able to beat San Antonio, Portland or New Orleans even without Curry. Then if Curry can be close to full speed for the West Finals, I think they will beat Houston. In the East, I still don’t think any team can handle playoff LeBron. The Cavs suck at defense, and have no chance against a healthy Warriors team for that reason, but their offense alone should get them to the Finals.
I'm glad to see you so confident in the Warriors. Out here, people are very concerned about all the injuries and don't seem nearly as cocky as in past years.
"What a bunch of pedantic pricks." - sybian
User avatar
duff
Donny
Posts: 2745
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 3:36 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by duff »

Pacers beating Cavs in round one.
To quote both Bruce Prichard and Tony Schiavone, "Fuck Duff Meltzer."
Joe K
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 4754
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:37 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Joe K »

I think it’s obvious the Warriors were coasting this year and have another gear if they are able to get healthy. I think I compared them earlier this season to the 2000-01 Shaq/Kobe Lakers team that lost a bunch of regular season games and then went on a 15-1 rampage in the postseason. And really, the only injury of any significance is Curry’s. They will need Curry to beat Houston but probably don’t need to rush him back before then. Even without Curry, they still have one of the 10 best players of all-time and 2 other All-Stars.
User avatar
sancarlos
The Dude
Posts: 18060
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 1:46 pm
Location: NorCal via Colorado

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by sancarlos »

I’m at a coffee shop and there’s a guy sitting nearby wearing a Trail Blazers shirt and a Warriors cap.

Pick a team, dude!
"What a bunch of pedantic pricks." - sybian
Joe K
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 4754
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:37 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Joe K »

sancarlos wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 4:44 pm I’m at a coffee shop and there’s a guy sitting nearby wearing a Trail Blazers shirt and a Warriors cap.

Pick a team, dude!
Especially since the Blazers and Warriors are expected to face off in a couple of weeks. Only justification I can think of is that Damian Lillard is from Oakland.
Joe K
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 4754
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:37 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Joe K »

FWIW, here are my postseason award picks:

MVP
1. Harden
2. LeBron
3. Anthony Davis

This should be close to unanimous. Obviously, LeBron is still the league's best player when he's motivated. But the Cavs were completely dysfunctional for a significant portion of the season, and he had a significant role in that.

Coach of the Year
1. D'Antoni
2. Stevens
3. Casey

I doubt MDA will win this again, but the Rockets were such a machine this year that he's my pick. Stevens has also had a sneaky great year. I don't think many analytics-based predictions had the Celtics down for 55 wins even with a healthy Hayward and Irving.

Defensive Player of the Year
1. Gobert
2. Embiid
3. Davis

This is hard only because Gobert only played 56/82 games and Embiid only played 63/82. Otherwise, they'd be the slam-dunk top-2 picks, in that order. But Gobert's defense was so great, and the Jazz played such great team defense when he played that I think he should win even with missing nearly 1/3 of the season.

Rookie of the Year
1. Simmons
2. Mitchell
3. Tatum

Mitchell had a great year, but this shouldn't be close.

Sixth Man
Lou Williams
No one else is in the running.

Executive of the Year
Kevin Pritchard -- At the time, I thought he got robbed in the Paul George trade, but Oladipo has been awesome and Indiana wound up getting great value in that deal.

All-NBA Teams
First Team: Harden, Westbrook, LeBron, Giannis, Davis
Second Team: Lillard, Oladipo, Durant, Aldridge, Towns
Third Team: Paul, DeRozan, George, Horford, Embiid

Curry and Irving don't make it for me due to missing too many games due to injury. I still picked Paul and Embiid, but I could see either missing the cut for the same reason.
User avatar
Pruitt
The Dude
Posts: 18105
Joined: Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:02 am
Location: North Shore of Lake Ontario

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Pruitt »

Coach of the Year
1. D'Antoni
2. Stevens
3. Casey

I doubt MDA will win this again, but the Rockets were such a machine this year that he's my pick. Stevens has also had a sneaky great year. I don't think many analytics-based predictions had the Celtics down for 55 wins even with a healthy Hayward and Irving.
Casey's done a great job, but it wasn't until I saw the Rockets a couple of months ago that I realized their lineup is full of guys on their 4th team.

I'd give D'Antonio my vote.
"beautiful, with an exotic-yet-familiar facial structure and an arresting gaze."
Avram
Brandt
Posts: 230
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:28 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Avram »

Pruitt wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 7:03 pm
Coach of the Year
1. D'Antoni
2. Stevens
3. Casey

I doubt MDA will win this again, but the Rockets were such a machine this year that he's my pick. Stevens has also had a sneaky great year. I don't think many analytics-based predictions had the Celtics down for 55 wins even with a healthy Hayward and Irving.
Casey's done a great job, but it wasn't until I saw the Rockets a couple of months ago that I realized their lineup is full of guys on their 4th team.

I'd give D'Antonio my vote.
Brett Brown. IMHO not even close. team won 10 games 2 years ago. 16 game streak to finish the season, half of it without hteir best player
Joe K
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 4754
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:37 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Joe K »

Avram wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 7:07 pm
Pruitt wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 7:03 pm
Coach of the Year
1. D'Antoni
2. Stevens
3. Casey

I doubt MDA will win this again, but the Rockets were such a machine this year that he's my pick. Stevens has also had a sneaky great year. I don't think many analytics-based predictions had the Celtics down for 55 wins even with a healthy Hayward and Irving.
Casey's done a great job, but it wasn't until I saw the Rockets a couple of months ago that I realized their lineup is full of guys on their 4th team.

I'd give D'Antonio my vote.
Brett Brown. IMHO not even close. team won 10 games 2 years ago. 16 game streak to finish the season, half of it without hteir best player
I could totally see an argument for Brown based in part on the amazing, multi-year job he’s done with player development. Guys like Saric and Covington have gotten a lot better over the years and he helped Embiid weather the early injury problems. Simmons has also gotten a lot better as the year progressed. It’s a really strong year for coaching jobs and Brown, Quin Snyder, Terry Stotts, Alvin Gentry and Nate McMillan could all get a bunch of votes in addition to my top-3. It’s probably the deepest category this year as I think there’s a clear winner (or at least top-2) for some of the other categories.
tennbengal
The Dude
Posts: 11975
Joined: Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:07 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by tennbengal »

I’ve adopted the 76ers as my playoff rooting interest team.
User avatar
Johnny Carwash
The Dude
Posts: 5952
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 8:57 am
Location: Land of 10,000 Sununus

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Johnny Carwash »

P.J. Carlesimo keeps making me momentarily think Super Dave Osborne is in the announcers' booth.
Fanniebug wrote: P.S. rass! Dont write me again, dude! You're in ignore list!
User avatar
Pruitt
The Dude
Posts: 18105
Joined: Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:02 am
Location: North Shore of Lake Ontario

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Pruitt »

Raptors didn't choke away a game 1!
"beautiful, with an exotic-yet-familiar facial structure and an arresting gaze."
TT2.0
The Big Lebowski
Posts: 1339
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by TT2.0 »

Joe K wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 6:10 pm FWIW, here are my postseason award picks:

MVP
1. Harden
2. LeBron
3. Anthony Davis

This should be close to unanimous. Obviously, LeBron is still the league's best player when he's motivated. But the Cavs were completely dysfunctional for a significant portion of the season, and he had a significant role in that.

Coach of the Year
1. D'Antoni
2. Stevens
3. Casey

I doubt MDA will win this again, but the Rockets were such a machine this year that he's my pick. Stevens has also had a sneaky great year. I don't think many analytics-based predictions had the Celtics down for 55 wins even with a healthy Hayward and Irving.

Defensive Player of the Year
1. Gobert
2. Embiid
3. Davis

This is hard only because Gobert only played 56/82 games and Embiid only played 63/82. Otherwise, they'd be the slam-dunk top-2 picks, in that order. But Gobert's defense was so great, and the Jazz played such great team defense when he played that I think he should win even with missing nearly 1/3 of the season.

Rookie of the Year
1. Simmons
2. Mitchell
3. Tatum

Mitchell had a great year, but this shouldn't be close.

Sixth Man
Lou Williams
No one else is in the running.

Executive of the Year
Kevin Pritchard -- At the time, I thought he got robbed in the Paul George trade, but Oladipo has been awesome and Indiana wound up getting great value in that deal.

All-NBA Teams
First Team: Harden, Westbrook, LeBron, Giannis, Davis
Second Team: Lillard, Oladipo, Durant, Aldridge, Towns
Third Team: Paul, DeRozan, George, Horford, Embiid

Curry and Irving don't make it for me due to missing too many games due to injury. I still picked Paul and Embiid, but I could see either missing the cut for the same reason.

Why is Eric Gordon not in the running for sixth man?
Gunpowder wrote:you transcend douchedom.
MOTHERFUCKING 2017 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!
Johnnie
The Dude
Posts: 16730
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:31 pm
Location: TUCSON, BITCH!

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Johnnie »

Not exactly playoffs specific, but...

mister d wrote:Couldn't have pegged me better.
EnochRoot wrote:I mean, whatever. Johnnie's all hot cuz I ride him.
Joe K
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 4754
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:37 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Joe K »

TT2.0 wrote:Why is Eric Gordon not in the running for sixth man?
Williams averaged about 4.5 more points and 3 more assists than Gordon per game, with almost the same shooting efficiency. Also, if you want to be over- technical, Gordon started a significantly higher percentage of his games than Williams.
tennbengal
The Dude
Posts: 11975
Joined: Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:07 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by tennbengal »

Turns out being a 76ers fan is fun.
Joe K
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 4754
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:37 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Joe K »

tennbengal wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 6:44 am Turns out being a 76ers fan is fun.
The Belinelli and Ilyasova signings were really great mid-season pickups (made possible by the Hawks' own Process-inspired teardown). Simmons is like LeBron in that his driving and passing is so good that if you surround him with enough shooters the offense can be virtually unstoppable. Between signing those two guys and Fultz returning, the Sixers basically added 3 rotation players without having to give up any assets.
Avram
Brandt
Posts: 230
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:28 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Avram »

Joe K wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:50 am
tennbengal wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 6:44 am Turns out being a 76ers fan is fun.
The Belinelli and Ilyasova signings were really great mid-season pickups (made possible by the Hawks' own Process-inspired teardown). Simmons is like LeBron in that his driving and passing is so good that if you surround him with enough shooters the offense can be virtually unstoppable. Between signing those two guys and Fultz returning, the Sixers basically added 3 rotation players without having to give up any assets.
And if Simmons gets a jumpshot, Whoa Nellie!
User avatar
A_B
The Dude
Posts: 23319
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:36 am
Location: Getting them boards like a wolf in the chicken pen.

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by A_B »

Oof.
You know what you need? A lyrical sucker punch to the face.
User avatar
Pruitt
The Dude
Posts: 18105
Joined: Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:02 am
Location: North Shore of Lake Ontario

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Pruitt »

duff wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 10:39 am Pacers beating Cavs in round one.
Only one game, but...
"beautiful, with an exotic-yet-familiar facial structure and an arresting gaze."
TT2.0
The Big Lebowski
Posts: 1339
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by TT2.0 »

rough game for the rockets. chris pqul sucked but harden was god tier and capella was worlds better then towns. take the win and hope you dont shoot 27% from 3 all playoffs. also if harden doesnt get his mvp this year it would be a joke
Gunpowder wrote:you transcend douchedom.
MOTHERFUCKING 2017 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!
Joe K
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 4754
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:37 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Joe K »

TT2.0 wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:46 am rough game for the rockets. chris pqul sucked but harden was god tier and capella was worlds better then towns. take the win and hope you dont shoot 27% from 3 all playoffs. also if harden doesnt get his mvp this year it would be a joke
Harden will win it, easily. There’s an effort by the usual hot take artists to create a Harden-LeBron debate but among actual awards voters Harden is the runaway choice. As he should be. The Cavs’ effort level has been pathetic at times this season and LeBron (along with Ty Lue) certainly deserves criticism for that. Hell, the Cavs just lost homecourt advantage to the Pacers because they completely no-showed the first quarter of a playoff game.
User avatar
duff
Donny
Posts: 2745
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 3:36 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by duff »

Pruitt wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 5:54 pm
duff wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 10:39 am Pacers beating Cavs in round one.
Only one game, but...
Don't sell the Pacers short, especially against the Cavs. I believe the season series wins have given the Pacers a needed edge for the playoffs. Add to the fact that Cleveland needs someone else to show besides James.
To quote both Bruce Prichard and Tony Schiavone, "Fuck Duff Meltzer."
User avatar
DSafetyGuy
The Dude
Posts: 8728
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 12:29 pm
Location: Behind the high school

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by DSafetyGuy »

“All I'm sayin' is, he comes near me, I'll put him in the wall.”
User avatar
L-Jam3
The Dude
Posts: 5949
Joined: Wed Mar 13, 2013 8:43 am

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by L-Jam3 »

There’s at least one silver lining from last night, and it’s that for the first time in a few years I can say “man, fuck Dwyane Wade with a crowbar. Fuck him and his first name.”
My avatar corresponds on my place in the Swamp posting list with the all-time Home Run list. Number 45 is Paul Konerko with 439.
Joe K
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 4754
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:37 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Joe K »

L-Jam3 wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 8:38 am There’s at least one silver lining from last night, and it’s that for the first time in a few years I can say “man, fuck Dwyane Wade with a crowbar. Fuck him and his first name.”
Hopefully Wade’s game last night ends up just being a historical footnote by the end of the series like the 2011 Brandon Roy Resurrection game against Dallas. That was one of the all-time incredible performances that will be forgotten due to the series outcome.
Avram
Brandt
Posts: 230
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:28 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Avram »

Joe K wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:11 am
L-Jam3 wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 8:38 am There’s at least one silver lining from last night, and it’s that for the first time in a few years I can say “man, fuck Dwyane Wade with a crowbar. Fuck him and his first name.”
Hopefully Wade’s game last night ends up just being a historical footnote by the end of the series like the 2011 Brandon Roy Resurrection game against Dallas. That was one of the all-time incredible performances that will be forgotten due to the series outcome.
Embiid coming back changes the whole thing. Miami played out of their minds last night (at least Wade did) and played really good D, but who stops Embiid? Whiteside?
User avatar
mister d
The Dude
Posts: 29045
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:15 am

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by mister d »

Have people tired of Embiid's shtick yet or is it still getting giggles?
Johnnie wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 8:13 pmOh shit, you just reminded me about toilet paper.
Avram
Brandt
Posts: 230
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:28 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Avram »

mister d wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:30 am Have people tired of Embiid's shtick yet or is it still getting giggles?
iF you are a Sixers fan like me, it never gets tiresome
He is an absolute joy
User avatar
mister d
The Dude
Posts: 29045
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:15 am

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by mister d »

He's Dwight Howard.
Johnnie wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 8:13 pmOh shit, you just reminded me about toilet paper.
User avatar
Giff
The Dude
Posts: 10794
Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2013 3:26 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Giff »

mister d wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:35 am He's Dwight Howard.
WTF did he ever do to you, jesus.
well this is gonna be someone's new signature - bronto
Joe K
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 4754
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:37 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Joe K »

mister d wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:35 am He's Dwight Howard.
That’s a pretty bad comp. The main issues with Howard are that he’s rubbed a lot of teammates the wrong way and that his effort has been inconsistent in the latter part of his career. I don’t think you anyone could say either of those things about Embiid. By all accounts, his teammates love him and he played his ass off on the court. And while I don’t fault Kawhi for he’s handling his injury issues this year, is Embiid expressing frustration about *not* returning from an injury quickly really going to bother Philly fans, coaches or execs?
Avram
Brandt
Posts: 230
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:28 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Avram »

Joe K wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:50 am
mister d wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:35 am He's Dwight Howard.
That’s a pretty bad comp. The main issues with Howard are that he’s rubbed a lot of teammates the wrong way and that his effort has been inconsistent in the latter part of his career. I don’t think you anyone could say either of those things about Embiid. By all accounts, his teammates love him and he played his ass off on the court. And while I don’t fault Kawhi for he’s handling his injury issues this year, is Embiid expressing frustration about *not* returning from an injury quickly really going to bother Philly fans, coaches or execs?
Absolutely. As far as I can tell, there is pretty good chemistry on this team, and they all get along well. If anything, Embiid tries too hard on the court sometimes.
Joe K
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 4754
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:37 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Joe K »

Avram wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 10:02 am
Joe K wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:50 am
mister d wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:35 am He's Dwight Howard.
That’s a pretty bad comp. The main issues with Howard are that he’s rubbed a lot of teammates the wrong way and that his effort has been inconsistent in the latter part of his career. I don’t think you anyone could say either of those things about Embiid. By all accounts, his teammates love him and he played his ass off on the court. And while I don’t fault Kawhi for he’s handling his injury issues this year, is Embiid expressing frustration about *not* returning from an injury quickly really going to bother Philly fans, coaches or execs?
Absolutely. As far as I can tell, there is pretty good chemistry on this team, and they all get along well. If anything, Embiid tries too hard on the court sometimes.
Also, All-NBA caliber players are really hard to find! If you have one who’s 24 years old and under contract for several more years, they can do whatever the hell they want on social media.
User avatar
mister d
The Dude
Posts: 29045
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:15 am

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by mister d »

Oh, its nothing about his on court performance. (Howard is probably a Hall of Famer?) They just both seem irritating as fuck.
Johnnie wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 8:13 pmOh shit, you just reminded me about toilet paper.
Joe K
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 4754
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:37 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by Joe K »

mister d wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 10:09 am Oh, its nothing about his on court performance. (Howard is probably a Hall of Famer?) They just both seem irritating as fuck.
Howard is 100% a Hall of Famer. Although the way the game is played has somewhat passed him by, he was first-team All-NBA five years in a row, made second or third team 3 other times, and has 3 DPOY awards. That’s easily enough to make him a lock.
tennbengal
The Dude
Posts: 11975
Joined: Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:07 pm

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by tennbengal »

Delaware, are you doing a Cowherd bit?
User avatar
mister d
The Dude
Posts: 29045
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:15 am

Re: NBA Playoffs 2018

Post by mister d »

I'm not, I'm doing a "nonstop attempts to be cutesy-goofy by adults wears on me quickly" bit. And I'm pretty certain people will eventually come around on this one.
Johnnie wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 8:13 pmOh shit, you just reminded me about toilet paper.
Post Reply