Around the NBA: Playoff Edition #2

[DASMACKDOWN]

Boston is probably going to start Green next game but its not going to matter. It makes one less guy to slow down Thompson and Lebron. All the Celtcs can hope for is what everyone else hopes for when they play the Cavs. Hope they miss and you hit everything.

[kingkirk]

They don't typically give out trophies for that.

They also don’t give out trophies for your bull but here we are, still, years later.

[Chicago-Bull-E]

Kenny Smith was on the Score touting the Celtics and especially Horford. And Tristan wasn't going to get jack.

Oh Kenny Kenny Kenny.

Tristan is about as underrated as it gets. He abuses just about every center he goes against, and never gets any pub.

best player on planet + kyrie + love + massively underrated big = 51 wins?

i hope you're referring to offensive rebounding and putbacks, because outside of that there's nothing remarkable about thompson's game

bolded part above is hilarious. cleveland had the #21 defense in the league this season and horford is significantly better than thompson

We are in the playoffs now, your regular season numbers are meaningless. Cavs don't take that part seriously.

I guess we'll see how laughable those notions are at the end of this series and the end of the finals.

[kodo]

That was probably one of the most brutal examples of Morey-ball at work.

117 Cleveland Points.
52 points in the paint.
33 points on 3 pointers.
28 points on free throws.

4 mid range points.

[kyrv]

Tristan is about as underrated as it gets. He abuses just about every center he goes against, and never gets any pub.

best player on planet + kyrie + love + massively underrated big = 51 wins?

i hope you're referring to offensive rebounding and putbacks, because outside of that there's nothing remarkable about thompson's game

bolded part above is hilarious. cleveland had the #21 defense in the league this season and horford is significantly better than thompson

We are in the playoffs now, your regular season numbers are meaningless. Cavs don't take that part seriously.

I guess we'll see how laughable those notions are at the end of this series and the end of the finals.

The Cavs looked very beatable, but they have flipped the vitamin switch. Not sure anyone saw 9-0 coming even in the not so great East.

Dice - Horford is definitely better, but gets paid a lot more and leaves one wanting. He's in the group photo for most overrated big here and has been for many years. My point was Kenny Smith telling us how the Boston bigs, led by Big Al, were going to shut Tristan down...not even close.

[kyrv]

That was probably one of the most brutal examples of Morey-ball at work.

117 Cleveland Points.
52 points in the paint.
33 points on 3 pointers.
28 points on free throws.

4 mid range points.

Wow. That has to be some kind of record, or close?

[LikeABosh]

i hope you're referring to offensive rebounding and putbacks, because outside of that there's nothing remarkable about thompson's game

Thompson is so much better than your oversimplification

[Mk0]

Al Horford is the New Boozer, right?

[Rerisen]

lebron is not a better player today then he was 4 years ago, but reading twitter you would think so. The fact is his team is stacked and his competition is weaker. The cavs and warriors were able to make moves at an opportune time that resulted in their super teams. Had there been no cap increase these teams would look different today.

I think he's better. Well, offensively he is IMO. I also think the Heat had more talent with him. IMO both Wade and Bosh were better than anyone he has on the Cavs.

Cavs are built to enhance LeBron much better than the Heatles regardless of raw talent. Primarily because Wade was just a slightly lesser version of LeBron that created redundancy.

[Minalt]

These teams are so **** good. Maybe we should just rebuild... Hate saying that because I think Jimmy is a beast. But most of the team just isn't good enough to compete with these guys while Jimmy is still young.

I'll never say Jimmy will ever slow down because the guy always surprises. But still... DAMN

[HomoSapien]

They don't typically give out trophies for that.

They also don’t give out trophies for your bull but here we are, still, years later.

Alright, both of you, let's try and have a productive conversation rather than the one liners and insults.

[JimmyPippen]

These teams are so **** good. Maybe we should just rebuild... Hate saying that because I think Jimmy is a beast. But most of the team just isn't good enough to compete with these guys while Jimmy is still young.

I'll never say Jimmy will ever slow down because the guy always surprises. But still... DAMN

I'm honestly not sure what the Bulls expect to do with Jimmy Butler. We have him for two more seasons. He'll be pushing 30 then. Either build around him (which we've seen they are incapable of doing) or trade him now that he is valuable. He is arguably a Top 10 player. And trading Jimmy to say Boston will entice other free agents to sign with Boston. Hayward will probably even consider it now.

The Bulls though. They need to start from the ground up. We're not competing with Cavs & Warriors. We're competing for the 8th seed in the east with team like Hornets and Pistons. We're irrelevant. Jimmy can only carry this team by himself so far. As we saw in the playoffs. I see him as a perfect fit for Boston. Can play defense and also out right score and take the pressure off of Thomas.

Lets just rebuild. What better way to do it with Fultz & our 16th pick.

[League Circles]

lebron is not a better player today then he was 4 years ago, but reading twitter you would think so. The fact is his team is stacked and his competition is weaker. The cavs and warriors were able to make moves at an opportune time that resulted in their super teams. Had there been no cap increase these teams would look different today.

I think he's better. Well, offensively he is IMO. I also think the Heat had more talent with him. IMO both Wade and Bosh were better than anyone he has on the Cavs.

Cavs are built to enhance LeBron much better than the Heatles regardless of raw talent. Primarily because Wade was just a slightly lesser version of LeBron that created redundancy.

I disagree. Your point about Wade is true, but there is more to it than that. For example, Wade and Bosh were MUCH better defenders than Love amd Kyrie.

I just see his post game as improved and most of thr rest of his offensive game hasn't declined.

[Mech Engineer]

lebron is not a better player today then he was 4 years ago, but reading twitter you would think so. The fact is his team is stacked and his competition is weaker. The cavs and warriors were able to make moves at an opportune time that resulted in their super teams. Had there been no cap increase these teams would look different today.

I think he's better. Well, offensively he is IMO. I also think the Heat had more talent with him. IMO both Wade and Bosh were better than anyone he has on the Cavs.

Cavs are built to enhance LeBron much better than the Heatles regardless of raw talent. Primarily because Wade was just a slightly lesser version of LeBron that created redundancy.

And, Bosh had to learn to play the Stretch 4(which he did well) rather than a natural fit like Love who grew up more as a Stretch 4. And, the Heat never had a offensive rebounder like Tristan. And, the Cavs have a better cast of 3 pt shooters like Korver, Kyrie, Love, Frye, JR etc... while the Heat had Allen and a bunch of average guys who were more grinder type guys. No wonder the Cavs defense has been iffy but offensively a superior team than the Heat teams.

The Cavs team is like an Heatles Version 2 where LeBron figured out what needs to be tweaked/added and upgraded it.

[ATRAIN53]

I would start Brown in games 3/4 after they get blown out in game 2 at home again.

Let Brown start on the road in CLE and give him that confidence boost.
He was really playing well last night to end the 3rd and into the 4th. Grabbed boards and stood in his corner spot waiting for a shot. It's too bad the 3 he took bricked, if he had hit that it would have put BOS within 15 going into the 4th and that place would have errupted. He showed some emotin instead of that regular deer in headlights look he has.

If he puts int hat effort in a game 2 blowout, I'd reward him with start in game 3.

BOS ain't winning this series so might as well use it as a teaching/confidence boosting opp for the kid.

[Jcool0]

Read on Twitter

[MC3]

Read on Twitter

[MC3]

Al Horford is the New Boozer, right?

Not yet. Give it a year

[Rerisen]

I disagree. Your point about Wade is true, but there is more to it than that. For example, Wade and Bosh were MUCH better defenders than Love amd Kyrie.

Heat had better defenders I agree, but I'm talking about the fit of the cast in terms of making his offensive statistics look great, and therefore, people being fooled into thinking he can run as fast or jump as high as he could at 27.

[League Circles]

I disagree. Your point about Wade is true, but there is more to it than that. For example, Wade and Bosh were MUCH better defenders than Love amd Kyrie.

Heat had better defenders I agree, but I'm talking about the fit of the cast in terms of making his offensive statistics look great, and therefore, people being fooled into thinking he can run as fast or jump as high as he could at 27.

I am not going by offensive stats. I am unaware if they have gone up or down. I'm going by watching him play as well as anyone has ever played the game.

Most players physical peak is probably about 22 - 25 years old or so. Most players "production peak" is probably like 27ish or so. Most players "actual peak", as I would call it, meaning the peak of their ability to exert their will on opponents to win playoff games, is honestly probably like 29-32. The mental game maxes out at retirement, so say 36 for great players. So IMO roughly 29-32 is the typical peak where knowledge/IQ and physical ability are maxed on a cumulative level, with the benefits of chemistry with teammates mixed in.

Also, FWIW, Wade and Lebron ran a 2-way transition clinic together. I disagree that they were excessively redundant.