2016 NBA Playoffs Thread

[Kanyewest]

I give sympathy to the Warriors and whoever else is injured. Injuries stink.

[FAH1223]

I hope the young Blazers can even up the series.

[FAH1223]

WOW
[tweet]https://twitter.com/CauldronICYMI/status/724820146007728129[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/jadande/status/724828864338350080[/tweet]

[thricethefun]

Chris Paul's injury sucks even more than John's did last year because it's on his shooting hand.

[dckingsfan]

Huge break for the Warriors - series probably goes 7 games now and lets Curry have time to heal. I think GSW beat either team now without Steph.

[dckingsfan]

Also interesting how even the East is 3-6. Plus Toronto is just a bad playoff team. Cleveland is going to end up playing back to back beat up teams.

[payitforward]

I note that Boston has come back to tie Atlanta. They looked great in the 4th quarter of this most recent game. They have a reasonably good shot to win the series.

[Ruzious]

The Toronto/Indiana series might be the most compelling for its competitiveness. Felt bad for Solly Hill - his 3 pointer would have tied it, but time ran out as the ball was on his fingertips. As mediocre as Lowry's stats were, he made an awful lot of plays at both ends in the 4th quarter to help Toronto win. And they don't win without Norman Powell's all-out defense on George in the 4th quarter- despite his height disadvantage. And Biyombo was a monster on the boards. Other than Solly Hill, Indy's bench was putrid - to be kind.

[Kanyewest]

It looked like the Clippers/Blazers series was heading towards 6 games minimum before Paul/Griffin were injured- as they already had a significant lead in game 4. Portland did beat the Warriors earlier in the season by 33 points so the Warriors could have their hands full. That being said, the Warriors have homecourt and should most likely have Curry back by game 5.

[queridiculo]

If the Heat don't make it out of the first round the Whiteside situation may not turn out favorable for them. He's got to look around him and figure there isn't much of a future there from a competitive perspective.

Wade and Bosh can't stay healthy and there isn't much else coming down the pipeline from a talent perspective.

[pcbothwel]

The best players on the Heat this year in order were:
Whiteside - FA and making 900k
Deng - FA
Bosh - Who knows
Wade - FA

I see now real way they can argue to be the best team for Whiteside.

[LyricalRico]

Boston HAS to get a #1 option guy in the offseason. People have talked about them maybe going after Dwight Howard or Al Horford, but I'm not sure that solves their problems. They need a go-to guy in crunch time. But who's gonna be out there that they could get?

[thricethefun]

Boston HAS to get a #1 option guy in the offseason. People have talked about them maybe going after Dwight Howard or Al Horford, but I'm not sure that solves their problems. They need a go-to guy in crunch time. But who's gonna be out there that they could get?

Joe Johnson

[Kanyewest]

The Celtics can be patient if they want to since they could get a number 1 option through the draft and need to improve the quality of their depth anyways. They have 3 first round draft picks including the Brooklyn Nets pick and 4-5 2nd rounders in the upcoming 2016 draft. They could roll-over those picks into perhaps something better in a trade or future assets.

While it is true that the Celtics do not really have a number 1 option, they did win 2 of the 3 games which were close down the stretch against Atlanta; and it could have been 3 had it not been for a 1 point loss in game 1. The Celtics lost to the Hawks primarily because they were less talented than the Hawks although the gap may have been closer if Bradley and Olynyk didn't miss games due to injuries or if Crowder/Thomas didn't play injured. Still, the Celtics need a good two way big and more consistent perimeter shooting. A player like Howard or Al Horford could have actually helped the Celtics win this series.

From a basketball standpoint, Kevin Durant could consider going to the Celtics although it would seem odd to for Durant to leave Westbrook behind. Other than that, it is still probably going to take some time for the Celtics to overtake LeBron but I do like what they are building.

[LyricalRico]

Boston HAS to get a #1 option guy in the offseason. People have talked about them maybe going after Dwight Howard or Al Horford, but I'm not sure that solves their problems. They need a go-to guy in crunch time. But who's gonna be out there that they could get?

Joe Johnson

If they have a time machine to get the Joe Johnson from circa 2008-09, that would do it.

[payitforward]

Boston HAS to get a #1 option guy in the offseason. People have talked about them maybe going after Dwight Howard or Al Horford, but I'm not sure that solves their problems. They need a go-to guy in crunch time. But who's gonna be out there that they could get?

I have no idea if this is possible, but why is Boston not a very solid destination for Durant? If you're talking about a team that's already quite good and has a roster with a long run in front of it -- not to mention a ton of assets to use in building the future -- at least on paper they seem a great choice for KD? Plus, he'd be joining the franchise with the greatest basketball legacy in the history of the league (along w/ the Lakers I guess...).

They also have enough cap room that they could absorb both Durant and Whiteside (at least I think that's true).

[dckingsfan]

I just have this feeling that Toronto is going to choke this in game 7 the way they are playing.

[CobraCommander]

Hope you watching Portland against Clippers. Lillard yelling "No Good Clipper". But this game is goooooddddd

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Mason Plumlee has turned out to be very good for Portland.

[FAH1223]

Mason Plumlee has turned out to be very good for Portland.

Aminu also has been very good defensively all year and has developed his shot OK