Around the NBA V: Live and Let Die

[Coxy]

Doncic is a ball dominant thinker of the game, and doesn't rely on athleticism at all. Those types always tend to try and find advantages wherever they can.

[ILOVEIT]

Huge game tonight for Celtics v Bucks. If Bucks win the series then Giannis is the most amazing player ever!!!!
If they lose....Giannis is sooooooooo overated lol

[Quazza]

Jrue Holiday, man. What a player

[wco81]

Marcus Not So Smart attempts the shot on the next to the last possession for the Celtics?

Can't believe they would have drawn it up for him instead of Tatum or Brown.

Then he's the one fighting Brown for the rebound off the missed FT by Giannis and the ball goes right to Portis for the short basket to put the Bucks up ahead.

Then the last possession, he dribbles into a tray right by the sideline and the half court line and gets picked clean.

[Frozzy]

I'm getting jealous of watching the Mavs let Luka do his thing and simply dominate match ups. Meanwhile we got Steph running around screens while JJJ and Adams pack the paint as Draymond desperately tries to direct traffic from the high post unguarded.

[DAWill1128]

I'm getting jealous of watching the Mavs let Luka do his thing and simply dominate match ups. Meanwhile we got Steph running around screens while JJJ and Adams pack the paint as Draymond desperately tries to direct traffic from the high post unguarded.

Exactly. Strategically it's the biggest issue we have right now.

With that being said people have also said the Sun's will crush us easily as they've lost 3 of the last 4. Not sure why Phoenix isn't dealing with more skepticism from the media and fans.

[Quazza]

I'm getting jealous of watching the Mavs let Luka do his thing and simply dominate match ups. Meanwhile we got Steph running around screens while JJJ and Adams pack the paint as Draymond desperately tries to direct traffic from the high post unguarded.

Exactly. Strategically it's the biggest issue we have right now.

With that being said people have also said the Sun's will crush us easily as they've lost 3 of the last 4. Not sure why Phoenix isn't dealing with more skepticism from the media and fans.

people forget that we're not even the #2 seed

[and1GS]

I'm getting jealous of watching the Mavs let Luka do his thing and simply dominate match ups. Meanwhile we got Steph running around screens while JJJ and Adams pack the paint as Draymond desperately tries to direct traffic from the high post unguarded.

Exactly. Strategically it's the biggest issue we have right now.

With that being said people have also said the Sun's will crush us easily as they've lost 3 of the last 4. Not sure why Phoenix isn't dealing with more skepticism from the media and fans.

people forget that we're not even the #2 seed

Yeah I think it's pretty wild that we limp into the playoffs somehow as the 3 seed. Gentlemen's sweep round 1. Close round 2 in 6. And people act like the narrative is we're title favorites about to be upset by the scrappy Suns. The 1 seed suns who were pushed to 6 by NO, an objectively horrible team, and are now in game 7 against the Mavs. They have had the easiest path to a conference final and should get way more hate for how unreliable they've been.

That said...we match up great against them. I am cool with either opponent.

[wco81]

NO has some nice pieces. Would love to have Herb Jones and UDFA Alvarado on the Warriors. Both are 23 or older so most teams may not even bother drafting or signing them?

[watch1958]

NO has some nice pieces. Would love to have Herb Jones and UDFA Alvarado on the Warriors. Both are 23 or older so most teams may not even bother drafting or signing them?

I would have loved them getting an early second and snagging Jones. He really plays defense, and has a decent floor game on offense.

If they had him instead of JTA, he would be playing right now,

[Mob Byers]

I wanted Herb so bad

[FNQ]

Alvarado was UDFA that I wanted right behind Ayayi.. we never had a shot at Herb Jones so thats a bit of handwringing for nothing. There's a lot of players with his template in the 2nd round of drafts that teams often pass up. Hell, Ayayi was that type as a guard. Its really hard to predict which pan out or not, because a lot of it is system based, and you'd have to really do a deep dive on the college system to determine whether or not they'd work in your team's current NBA system.

FWIW, Ayayi's still a great fit for our defensive system if we ever get a shot at him. Can play bigger than he is and is background noise on offense, but can hit a wide open 3 if you let him. Call him a poor man's GP2

[FNQ]

Q1 in the books, Bucks beating Celts

4 minutes with only 1 big on the court, +3
8 minutes with 2 bigs on the court, -9

hmm

going into the game, Celtics are +38 with only 1 big on the court and -11 with 2 bigs on the court. Logical conclusion - Bucks bigs are better at big-manning, Celtics counter with quickness and Bucks have trouble matching it with one of their best wings out (Middleton)

We'll see if Udoka works it all out. Losing to MIL at home would be a tough pill to swallow after that game 6 where he seemed to figure it out

[wco81]

Giannis isn't getting much help, poor 3-point shooting.

They can't fall behind too much because they're not going to have another miracle comeback like game 5.

[FNQ]

Giannis isn't getting much help, poor 3-point shooting.

They can't fall behind too much because they're not going to have another miracle comeback like game 5.

Grant Williams has fired off an insane amount of 3s.. he's hit a few but good god he's firing them up like Klay (4-11 early after halftime)

Its working though, Bucks are shooting terribly from distance. Funny enough, only their PF/Cs have made 3s so far. Bucks are on the ropes here unless one of their scrubs (Hill, Matthews, Allen, Connaughton, Portis) starts giving them meaningful points. When Brook Lopez is your 3rd option.. thats rough

[FNQ]

Grant is now 7-16 from deep and the Celtics are going to win.. up 19 w/9 minutes to go

Celtics top 6 are great, but they are running them into the ground a lot. Every starter over 30 minutes early in the 4th

[Coxy]

What a find he is for Boston though. I had to google how he even arrived in the NBA and who he was. He plays great D as well. Great drafting there.

This is a mauling. The Bucks look big, slow and have been blitzed off the court. Boston are the real deal.

[wco81]

They put up a wall and Giannis tries to force it a few times. But the Bucks shooters aren't getting clean looks either.

Celtics role players are playing great. They've done it through 2 series and no reason they won't continue. White looked bad on his 3-point shots but now he's getting confidence too.

And Horford has rolled back the clock though the theory is that he didn't play much at OKC before being traded back to the Celtics.


Bucks picked up a lot of discarded role players who've done okay in their system but they have a top-heavy roster with 3 max contracts.

[Onus]

lmao at that gb thread that cp3 was more clutch than curry

[FNQ]

The Suns would be the easier match for us, fwiw, but the Mavs one is gonna be so much more fun