NBA Playoffs 2017

[jon abbey]

predictions should be a different thread, I think...

Clippers choked again last night, they must be such a super frustrating team to root for.

[walto]

Watching washington/atlanta, I don't see either of these teams beating Boston. Milwaukee could maybe, but Cleveland's prolly too good for the Bucks. I don't know who wins the Wash series. But, either way,I see cleveland beating Boston in the East final.

[Captain Hate]

Maybe at least part of the problem with the Clip Joint is Doc isn't that good of a coach.

[jon abbey]

Maybe at least part of the problem with the Clip Joint is Doc isn't that good of a coach.

I kind of blame Chris Paul, they flamed out the two years he was a Clipper before Doc showed up also. Paul is amazing, but somehow his teams lose big games way more than they should. he should be a better game manager than he is for how good he is supposed to be, I think.

[Captain Hate]

Oh he definitely gets his share of the blame. They're a good team who has been stuck on early exits forever and it's probably time to break it up and start fresh. I think a lot of their guys are free agents so it will probably resolve itself.

[The G Man]

Maybe at least part of the problem with the Clip Joint is Doc isn't that good of a coach.

I kind of blame Chris Paul, they flamed out the two years he was a Clipper before Doc showed up also. Paul is amazing, but somehow his teams lose big games way more than they should. he should be a better game manager than he is for how good he is supposed to be, I think.

Doc has been coach of the LAC for four years.
Year 1 - Lost a close second round series to OKC.
Year 2- Beat the Spurs but then collapsed against Houston in game 6 and lost in 7.
Year 3- Paul got hurt.
Year 4- We'll see.

I think their problem for four years has been a weak bench. Jamal Crawford is one of the most overrated players in the game. He's a high usage guy who is awful on defense.

SqSteve- I was happy that Kerr played Ian Clark and left McCaw on the bench though I wasn't surprised at all.

KP blew off his exit meeting with Phil and went home to Latvia, critical of the Knicks culture. If Phil offers him to the Celtics right now for the 2017 Nets pick, should the C's bite?
I say yes. There is only a 25% chance it's #1 and 64.3% chance of being top three and KP in a great organization might become a great player so it's a no-brainer for the Celtics, IMO.

[Harold Baines]

Bobby Portis showed up just for walto.

[Steve Minkin]

SqSteve- I was happy that Kerr played Ian Clark and left McCaw on the bench though I wasn't surprised at all.

I agree, although I think McCaw's ultimate ceiling will be considerably higher than Clark's in the long run. But Clark is delivering a scoring punch off the bench, and you have to be happy for the undrafted guard with his 3rd team who has (I'm pretty sure) spent more time in the D-League than in the NBA.

What surprises me is that McGee is still getting playing time, and producing! I thought Kerr might lose confidence in him during the playoffs, given his history of unforced errors. McGee is justifying the coach's faith in him.

Draymond's defense was off the charts today (one assist short of a triple double and two steals short of a 5x5), and KD looked awesome on offense. Portland's backcourt was superhuman in the first half. Makes me remember last year's series with them -- Dubs won 4-1 but all but one of the games were very competitive (Steph missed three of them with the first of his playoff injuries).

Good start to the series. Edge of-the-seat game for three-plus quarters.

[walto]

Bobby Portis showed up just for walto.

He was great yesterday: best I've ever seen him. Carol was happy--although she's rooting for Boston (and didn't think IT should have played).

[Captain Hate]

Not to sound too much like an OWG, which I am, but have the zebras given up on calling palming the ball while dribbling? I was watching the Cavs/Pacers and Paul George was backing down somebody, Jefferson iirc, along the baseline when all of a sudden the dribbling sound stopped and then started again enough to get my attention to think WTF just happened. They showed it on replay and George's hand completely cradled the basketball before he started dribbling again but the funny thing was that it went completely unnoticed by the announcers.

[The G Man]

Too funny.
https://twitter.com/AthletesTexts/statu ... 0124727297

Durant has a calf strain and is questionable for tomorrow night as well as Barnes and Livingston.

Had a conversation today about most of the great two-way players being SF's. In no particular order:

LeBron
Kawhi
Butler
KD
Giannis
George

Draymond on a different team might also be a three.

[Captain Hate]

The Hornster and Dupre must be so happy.

[jon abbey]

Brad Stevens is 2-10 now in career playoff games, not that I really blame him. the teams that win in the regular season on effort always have trouble in the playoffs when everyone is presumably giving max effort, they remind me a little of the Thibodeau Bulls, although those teams had way way more talent than these Celtics.

[Steve Minkin]

Well I'm a little shocked. I think Boston has more, and will be surprised if they don't show something between now and the round's end.

[walto]

The Hornster and Dupre must be so happy.

I don't mind the Celtics anymore. I don't root for them, but I don't hate them. I like Stevens and IT is fun to watch. They'll probably pick up a stud or two during this off-season and win the East next year.

I've been surprised by these two games, but having only one guy who can create off the dribble is a problem when your threes aren't falling. Also, I thought Stevens might try Zeller since their other bigs obviously can't keep anybody off the glass.

I actually wanted to watch the Milwaukee game, but I couldn't find a decent feed.

Speaking of Boston teams I DO hate, I see (the just-acquitted) Hernandez has hanged himself.

[Captain Hate]

I actually wanted to watch the Milwaukee game, but I couldn't find a decent feed.

Speaking of Boston teams I DO hate, I see (the just-acquitted) Hernandez has hanged himself.

Maybe it dawned on that evil cocksucker that even though he won that trial he was still gonna die in prison. I'd like to see the Milwaukee series too since the NBA seems intent on keeping Giannis the league's best kept secret.

[Harold Baines]

If you had told me that one Chicago winter sports team was on the brink of elimination and one had its early series going all its way, I could not have guessed the outcome correctly.

Too bad the whole series can't be on TNT.

Rondo has changed my perception of him. He took his early season woes in stride and went to work. Butler has been great, Robin Lopez is dominating the Celts' smaller interior guys, and Wade has accepted his role. Hoiberg also has been deft in substitutions and defensive looks.

Bulls learned something from the days when LeBron would bully Rose late in playoff games. There was one play where Thomas drove the lane, Butler held his ground and rejected the shot, and Thomas flew off him. Have to give IT credit for soldiering through in the face of grief.

I'm surprised how weak Horford has been.

[jon abbey]

I'm surprised how weak Horford has been.

I have been thinking how just two seasons ago, Atlanta had four All-Stars. now three of them (Horford, Teague, Korver) have moved on, none super-old. and all look pretty ordinary in their new environs. so was Millsap really their main guy? did these guys just wear down this much in two years? it's a little odd.

[Steve Minkin]

Thunder fading into a whisper.

KD, Livingston, and Barnes out for tonight. Dubs with 5 bigs + 6 others tonight. Unless the Splash Brothers go nuclear, some of the kids are going to have to produce.

[The G Man]

Houston vs. OKC was fascinating last night. Westbrook played out of this world for three quarters but when he was off the court, Houston came back from large deficits as OKC played awful offense. Westbrook exited with approximately three minutes left in the third quarter with a 12 point lead. Houston immediately went on a 9-0 run. Russ pleaded with Donovan to go back in. The quarter ended with OKC still up three. Russ played the entire fourth quarter but took one bad shot after another, ignoring an open McDermott twice from beyond the arc and forcing up shots, even when he was triple-teamed. He couldn't finish at the rim, either, indications of being gassed. A brilliant game turned nightmarish and the Rockets won. Westbrook's usage for the game was the second highest since the 1983-4 season.

OKC with Westbrook off the court has a worse offensive efficiency than any team in the league.

The Warriors won despite poor shooting by Curry and Thompson and Durant, Livingston, and Barnes all out with injury. The Dubs' centers combined for 32 points with McGee's alley oops leading the way.