thanks...my hoops prediction success rate is pretty bad.
I just don't believe in GSW anymore....they folded...and they added a player who was part of an epic collapse in the WCF when his team folded.I think Durant is a great regular season player...but I've seen smaller guys guard him in key stretches in playoffs and give him problems.
Cavs lollygag through the reg. season because the East is weak. Eastern Conference is full of pretenders..and when Cavs are forced to actually play...they step up tie and time again against Raptors,Hawks or whoever is supposed to upset them in playoffs.
Cavs are your team, so I believe you when you say they've taken a step back and are bad on defense. If it were a few years ago with the best of five opening round...maybe some team could catch them sleeping and knock them off, but I just don't see any team in East being able to beat them 4 times.
Re: NBA Season 2015-16
[Re: goombah]
#910903 04/18/1710:24 PM04/18/1710:24 PM
That's a tough situation that Thomas is in. Bulls have quietly built a very solid team. They make playoffs every year...even when Rose was there and injured..they'll be a tough out.
Last times #1 lost in first round were Dirk's Mavs one year to pre-Curry GSW...and Spurs to Memphis a few years back.
I mention Dirk's name because he got his MVP award at a podium, during the second round after Mavs got bounced.
Spurs losing to Grizz was a huge upset..and Spurs haven't loss a single game to them in playoffs since then
Re: NBA Season 2015-16
[Re: goombah]
#910912 04/18/1711:26 PM04/18/1711:26 PM
You're right Getthesenets. I feel horribly for Isaiah Thomas. Chicago looks to be matching up extremely well with Boston. Wade, Butler, & of course Rondo are making things tough on Boston.
Thanks for the correction - I figured that couldn't be right. It's almost impossible to fathom a Pop/Duncan team getting ousted in 1st round.
Re: NBA Season 2015-16
[Re: goombah]
#910945 04/19/1701:47 PM04/19/1701:47 PM
Wow the Bulls took two in Boston to put all kinds of pressure on the Celtics. When was last time an 8th seed won? I'm guessing Knicks in '99?
I agree. I'm very surprised they're going back to Chicago down 0-2. I know Thomas is dealing with his personal issues. I'm just surprised nobody else has stepped up. And this was a team who before the playoffs began said they were being disrespected as a #1 seed. Here's the reason why. I would love to see Chicago finish them off at home!
pacers are chumps....i turned off the game when they were running cavs out of the gym..up by 20...at home....and somehow lost?
I had the first half on in the background and didn't really sit down to watch until late 3rd quarter. Pacers were unconscious shooting in 1st half and went cold 2nd half. Cavs played no def 1st half and played well 2nd half.
Getthesenets, the most interesting thing was that Lu benched Kyrie & Love for the 4th quarter. They're all saying the right thing now, but I wonder if there will be a long-term impact of this decision. Hopefully it will be a wake-up call that those two need to play defense.
Re: NBA Season 2015-16
[Re: goombah]
#911114 04/21/1712:57 PM04/21/1712:57 PM
Blonde, if Cavs closed out the game without Kyrie and Love.. then LeBron pulled another rabbit out of a hat.
Goombah, I like the move by Lue.He yells at and sits LeBron sometimes,so surely Ky and Love aren't untouchable.Coach just reminded them that they need to commit on both sides of the ball.I think since they won last year that it's an easier pill to swallow for those guys.
Re: NBA Season 2015-16
[Re: goombah]
#911639 05/01/1702:19 PM05/01/1702:19 PM
I thought the Grizz could upset, but I pick them against Spurs almost every year and they lose again and again.
Haven't seen much basketball this year, so maybe basing this on past years....but I like Wizards backcourt and always liked Gortart....Celtics are gonna have problems
SHAME on the Thunder....they live and die by whether Westbrook's jumper is falling....
I HATE the modern NBA....what ever happened to post play?
low post....even the mid post....and running actual plays?
I like Coach Pop, but I think he sent the goons out there last night to try to draw techs or get Rockets ejected/suspended.
Spurs are a class act 99.99% of the time but , if you recall...another D'antoni team was giving them fits and about to win a series,The Suns...and then Robert Horry cheapshots Steve Nash....Stoudemire leaves the bench...suspended..and Spurs turn the series around.
Don't send scrubs out there to injure players or get them tossed.
I HATE the modern NBA....what ever happened to post play?
low post....even the mid post....and running actual plays?
You and me both. The league and the game have really gone down hill for me since Michael Jordan retired for the second time in 1998. Ever since then, it just hasn't been the same for me. My beefs are:
1) Centers have no outside game. I remember growing up watching Patrick Ewing, Rik Smits, David Robertson, etc. These guys could shoot and even make free throws.
2) The Hack-a-Shaq that puts the worst free throw shooter on the line and slows the game down to a crawl. Not to mention all of the timeouts during the last 5 minutes of a game. The last 5 minutes of a game can last up to 45 minutes with all of that crap!
3) Little changes like a backcourt violation is only 8 seconds now, rather than 10.
4) Ugly uniforms. What infuriates me more than anything is how more and more, the away team wears a white jersey and the home team wears a dark jersey. I have to figure out who's the home team based on the logo at center court, rather than what jersey the team is wearing. Football is the only game where a home team wears a dark color and the visitors wear a white color. Now the NBA has so many of the stupid, ugly jerseys that they want to sell, more times than not, they have the home team wearing a dark color. And don't even get me started on those horrendous volleyball jerseys too!
5) Sponsors on jerseys. Yes, beginning next year, NBA jersey's are no longer sacred. They will allow advertisers to put their logo on all of the teams jerseys. I mean really, how much is enough? It'll roll out slowly, but before long, they'll wind up looking like NASCAR drivers and will look absolutely ridiculous. This is NOT the league I remember watching growing up. It has done a lot to expand itself, especially globally, but due to these items above, these are just some of the reasons why I really only watch during the playoffs (and it's usually either the conference or NBA Finals).
I HATE the modern NBA....what ever happened to post play?
low post....even the mid post....and running actual plays?
You and me both. The league and the game have really gone down hill for me since Michael Jordan retired for the second time in 1998. Ever since then, it just hasn't been the same for me. My beefs are:
1) Centers have no outside game. I remember growing up watching Patrick Ewing, Rik Smits, David Robertson, etc. These guys could shoot and even make free throws.
2) The Hack-a-Shaq that puts the worst free throw shooter on the line and slows the game down to a crawl. Not to mention all of the timeouts during the last 5 minutes of a game. The last 5 minutes of a game can last up to 45 minutes with all of that crap!
3) Little changes like a backcourt violation is only 8 seconds now, rather than 10.
4) Ugly uniforms. What infuriates me more than anything is how more and more, the away team wears a white jersey and the home team wears a dark jersey. I have to figure out who's the home team based on the logo at center court, rather than what jersey the team is wearing. Football is the only game where a home team wears a dark color and the visitors wear a white color. Now the NBA has so many of the stupid, ugly jerseys that they want to sell, more times than not, they have the home team wearing a dark color. And don't even get me started on those horrendous volleyball jerseys too!
5) Sponsors on jerseys. Yes, beginning next year, NBA jersey's are no longer sacred. They will allow advertisers to put their logo on all of the teams jerseys. I mean really, how much is enough? It'll roll out slowly, but before long, they'll wind up looking like NASCAR drivers and will look absolutely ridiculous. This is NOT the league I remember watching growing up. It has done a lot to expand itself, especially globally, but due to these items above, these are just some of the reasons why I really only watch during the playoffs (and it's usually either the conference or NBA Finals).
1) To a large degree, I agree the NBA started its decline when Jordan left in '98. But the other major contributing factor was when David Stern started to allow players to enter the draft after 1 year of college. Players are still raw with their talent and many are not ready for the NBA. This, more than anything else, has contributed to the decline in play IMHO.
2) I also cannot stand the friendship shown between players on different teams. I loved the 80s/90s when the NBA had fights between Dr. J and Boston, Tree Rollins biting Danny Ainge, and fill-in-the-blank incidents with Detroit.
3) I hate that players feel they have to shake hands with their teammate after every free throw.
4) I watched about 20 minutes of Game 1 of the Cavs-Raptors. Nearly the entire time neither team ran offense. The only approach was to chuck 3-pointers.
I know that I sound like "get off my lawn" guy. But the quality has gone down immensely. Right now, I think MLB is the best thing going. I thought the NFL really declined last year and will continue declining because 1/2 the league has medicore-to-bad QB play. This stems from QBs running the spread and from the shotgun in college. The learning curve from the NCAA to the NFL is too great for many of them.
Re: NBA Season 2015-16
[Re: goombah]
#911934 05/05/1702:34 PM05/05/1702:34 PM
I too have switched loves to baseball (love my Yankees). And yes, there's no more rivalries in the NBA any more and it's a shame. I never agreed with the NBA's rule to not allow high schoolers to jump pro anymore. My attitude has always been, if a team wants to take a chance and draft them, let them. They're hurting/limiting the players earning potential. What happens if the player goes to college and suffers a career threatening injury? The same could happen in the NBA but at least they're getting paid for it.
Also, I never agreed with capping players salaries. You're going to tell me a player like DeAndre Jordan should be making the same amount of money LeBron is!? No way! They're limiting them with these max contracts. Another reason I like baseball. If a team wants to spend $300+ million on a contract for one player, let them. It's up to them to figure out how to field the rest of their team and how to spend their money. I just don't agree with telling a player, ok, you can only make this much money. It's insane while the owners and the league are making out like fat cats.
last night...Rockets/Spurs....I kept forgetting which team was which...Rockets had grey volleyball jerseys as the home team...and only way I remembered who they were was because of Harden's beard.
NBA should be ashamed for grossing so much money globally and STILL placing team logos on jerseys in the future.Only justification is greed. And I wonder what kinds of conflicts it will cause with existing endorsements. Some of the Dream Team members famously covered up the corporate logo of the team usa warmups as they got their gold medals because it wasn't the sneaker they wore/endorsed.
Goombah,
I think the lack of college experience has contributed, and that teams no longer apprentice players. John Stockton,Gary Payton...did not start right away...they sat behind vets and had better understanding of the game when they became starters. Now you have guys with maybe 2 years of division 1 experience becoming NBA starters right away, and overall play suffers.
as for your point about reliance on 3 pointers, which I couldn't agree with more, watch this clip where tv show shows Steve Kerr's comments about 3 pointers BEFORE he came a coach....and the footage they added to it.
I didn't. If the Finals are Golden State and Cleveland again I'll watch but I haven't watched any of the playoffs thus far. It just hasn't interested me much.
I saw the last 7-8 minutes at the restaurant we were at. IMO that SA blew that lead & Khawo is hurt, this will not be much of a series. I like Pop, but he's overmatched having two of his stars hurt.
Re: NBA Season 2015-16
[Re: goombah]
#912921 05/16/1702:12 PM05/16/1702:12 PM
Have you seen enough of the Cavs so far to make a prediction about the Boston series? Do you think Kelly O. is going to try the goon tactics again?
Irish, for a guy who doesn't watch many games, you're doing well with the predictions. I didn't think Celtics were for real.
Have any of you seen the play that injured Leonard for good? I like an respect Coach Pop, but Bruce Bowen was NOTORIOUS for doing the exact same thing, so it's funny to see Pop call out another player for it.
I saw the replays and based on what I saw from SportsCenter this morning, it's looks like LaMarcus Aldridge tried to pull the same thing on Kevin Durant last night.
Have you seen enough of the Cavs so far to make a prediction about the Boston series? Do you think Kelly O. is going to try the goon tactics again?
Irish, for a guy who doesn't watch many games, you're doing well with the predictions. I didn't think Celtics were for real.
Have any of you seen the play that injured Leonard for good? I like an respect Coach Pop, but Bruce Bowen was NOTORIOUS for doing the exact same thing, so it's funny to see Pop call out another player for it.
A healthy Cavs will be a nightmare matchup for Boston. Thomas is their biggest threat and I think Cavs will contain him. The scary thing for opponents is Smith & Kyrie have not really found their shot yet.
Yes I am very concerned about Boston thuggery especially in Game 2. Olynk never was adequately punished IMO for what he did to Love two years ago.
Your thoughts Getthesenets?
Re: NBA Season 2015-16
[Re: goombah]
#913213 05/19/1712:01 PM05/19/1712:01 PM
Irish, Yeah L.A. did that on purpose.Spurs are a class organization 99% of the time, and because of that...press gives them a pass for the dirty stuff. Aldridge has some kind of heart condition and actually shouldn't still be playing, so I kind of cringe when I see him on the floor. He's not a prime time player though, even when he was healthy...and the frustration of not being able to live up to expectations lead him to do goon tactics.
Goombah, I agree with you....that we haven't even seen the Cavs running on all cylinders. If Love continues to show up....they can sweep Boston. I think there will be some type of ugly fan incident in Bean town if the Cavs get up by a lot early.
Weird seeing Deron Williams come off the bench. He fell off as a player, but I think he's a natural pg...would like to see him and KI on floor together
Re: NBA Season 2015-16
[Re: goombah]
#913222 05/19/1702:21 PM05/19/1702:21 PM
Really depressing that Kawhi got injured, pretty much guaranteed to be Cavs-Warriors 3 now. I'm a Celtics fan so would of course prefer them to make the Finals but i know they have no chance unless injuries were to suddenly pile up for the Cavs, the Spurs were the only hope for something different.
Oddly this will be the first time the same NBA Finals has happened 3 years in a row. It nearly happened a few times: from 57-61 the Russell Celtics played the Pettit Hawks four times in five years but the Lakers played the Celtics in the middle of that to stop three in a row. Then directly after that the Celtics played the Baylor/West Lakers four times in five years yet again the Celtics played the Wilt Warriors in the middle of that. Then in the 80s the Celtics played the Lakers three times in four years from 84-87 with the Rockets stopping three in a row in 86. So this has been the most repetitive time in NBA history pretty much. Hopefully i'm jumping the gun and either the Celtics or Spurs can somehow pull out the win but i doubt it.
Not been crazy about the playoffs this year, there has been some high quality play/series but it's just felt like it was set on a path and barely deviated from it; the Rockets Game 1 against the Spurs got me excited but then that fizzled out...meh. It's a shame as i thought the regular season was very good.
Re: NBA Season 2015-16
[Re: goombah]
#913236 05/19/1706:07 PM05/19/1706:07 PM
It's funny. If two 16-0 teams in different conferences were to enter the NFL playoffs, it would make the whole postseason electric with the possibility of them meeting in the Super Bowl OR the possibility of a massive upset. Yet the opposite is happening in the NBA - the two most dominant teams (regardless of record) in their likely clash in the finals is making the road to the finals anti-climatic. Difference between single elimination vs best-of-seven.
Good comeback by the Celtics, but if the NBA doesn't GTFOH with the bad refs trying to extend the series....I'm gonna go nuts.
During the comeback,Bron drove the rim multiple times to force refs to call the obvious fouls...refs want another game check for their buddies.....so they swallowed their whistles.
Goombah, I agree with you....that we haven't even seen the Cavs running on all cylinders. If Love continues to show up....they can sweep Boston. I think there will be some type of ugly fan incident in Bean town if the Cavs get up by a lot early.
Weird seeing Deron Williams come off the bench. He fell off as a player, but I think he's a natural pg...would like to see him and KI on floor together
I was at the Q for the watch party of Friday's game. I've never seen anything like that. Everything the Cavs shot went in and nothing Boston shot went in. It looked like an 8th grade team playing the 3rd grade intermural team.
The Cavs played down to the level of their competition much of the year. Game 3 was an example of that and it cost them a very winnable game at home. The Cavs did not run offense all that much and relied too heavily on the three pointer. But as Getthesenets said, LeBron drove expecting to be fouled and there were some no calls. No excuse to blow a 20 point lead at home when your opposition is minus its best player, regardless of refs.
Deron Williams and Irving will likely never be on the floor together because of their defensive liabilities. That's why LeBron is in with the 2nd unit, although I'd rather see him get a few more minutes of rest.
I have tickets for Game 4 and had been hoping to see them clinch. But I fully expect the Cavs to take it back to Boston up 3-1. Love has been on fire.
Re: NBA Season 2015-16
[Re: goombah]
#913441 05/22/1707:31 PM05/22/1707:31 PM
Enjoy the game,Goombah!!! Hopefully Cavs close them out in Boston. For the quest for the ring, I guess the loss was a good thing...wakes the entire team back up.
This was the most of a game I watched of the Cavs during these playoffs. You are ABSOLUTELY right about DWill and KI backcourt,
In fact, you probably laughed when I wrote it, because you know their weaknesses
D. Williams and Irving don't commit on defense. Williams has no excuse because he's not logging major minutes. As for their perimeter defenders....? Shumpert and Smith are STILL making brainlock defensive mistakes in clutch moments. Those guys are decent defensive players who commit,BUT those bad moments must make Cavs fans go crazy.
I agree with your point about the reliance on 3s....that's a league wide problem. So once your shooting touch drops, and you keep firing 3s early in the shot clock ..with no plays called, you open up the door for the other team to creep in the game
