Around The League

Ron Swanson · Post #201 » by **Ron Swanson** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 2:21 pm

All this talk about "Player X from yesteryear would never be able to hang in today's league", yet people ignore that dudes like current Kevin Love would never see the court if you transported him to any pre-2010 era of basketball where the ability to play man-defense was actually required.

skbucks1985 · Post #202 » by **skbucks1985** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 3:24 pm

5-8 in the East are separated by 0.5 games and 4-8 are separated by 2 games. The Heat and the Magic are the teams playing the best in that group. I don't think the Bulls or the Hawks are playing well enough to make any of those teams drop to 9 or 10 and maybe the Heat can play well enough to threaten for the 2 or 3 seed, but I'm skeptical of that.

Ron Swanson · Post #203 » by **Ron Swanson** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 3:35 pm

Miami was still one 4th quarter away vs. the Bulls from missing the playoffs entirely last year. And that was with a healthier roster than they've had this season. Could easily see them falling into the play-in again, and once you're there, anything's possible.

skbucks1985 · Post #204 » by **skbucks1985** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 3:52 pm

The Heat look like they are a better regular season team than they were a year ago. They're on pace to win 46-47 games up from 44 last season, and have the 4h easiest schedule in the league so it could well be higher than that. Are they better on paper, I'd say its largely a wash but that comparison doesn't take into account Duncan Robinson playing a lot better than he did a year ago.

None of that is to say that I expect them to make a similar postseason run because that would require Jimmy Butler turning into prime MJ again.

Ron Swanson · Post #205 » by **Ron Swanson** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 4:19 pm

Eh, they're a +0.8 net-rating whereas they were a -0.3 net-rating last season. Negligible difference. I think this might be the worst season to be in the play-in since it was implemented too. Orlando and Indiana are two teams I absolutely would not wanna play in a one-game playoff if I'm Miami.

Ron Swanson · Post #206 » by **Ron Swanson** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 4:26 pm

Read on Twitter

Some people keep their promises Charlie....

:noway:

skbucks1985 · Post #207 » by **skbucks1985** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 4:42 pm

The gap between the Heat this year and last year is not huge, I'd guess it ends up being somewhere around +3 wins. And my guess is they avoid the play-in. Indiana can't stop anyone and of those 5 teams have the toughest remaining schedule and Philly is 4-8 since Embiid has been out and are 7-17 overall when he doesn't play.

BUCKnation · Post #208 » by **BUCKnation** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 5:20 pm

Ron Swanson wrote:Miami was still one 4th quarter away vs. the Bulls from missing the playoffs entirely last year. And that was with a healthier roster than they've had this season. Could easily see them falling into the play-in again, and once you're there, anything's possible.

One 3 minute stretch. Chicago was leading with less than 3 min left and lost by 9 or 10.

Plossum · Post #209 » by **Plossum** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 10:22 pm

Are we really trying to downplay again how good the Heat are?

They're not some unstoppable juggernaut, but come playoff time they're gonna be just a tough an out as the Celtics imo. Celtics, Heat and (maybe) Bucks are tier 1, Cavs, Knicks tier 2, the rest are making up the numbers.

Ron Swanson · Post #210 » by **Ron Swanson** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 10:36 pm

Plossum wrote:Are we really trying to downplay again how good the Heat are?

They're not some unstoppable juggernaut, but come playoff time they're gonna be just a tough an out as the Celtics imo. Celtics, Heat and (maybe) Bucks are tier 1, Cavs, Knicks tier 2, the rest are making up the numbers.

You guys need to stop doing this.

Plossum · Post #211 » by **Plossum** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 10:49 pm

Saying Miami is good?

Post #212 » by **ReasonablySober** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 10:50 pm

I'll start dismissing the Heat when they stop making Finals appearances.

Ron Swanson · Post #213 » by **Ron Swanson** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 11:07 pm

Saying that they should be worried about facing Orlando, Indiana, or a Sixers team with Embiid back in the play-in is "dismissing/down-playing" Miami? Hell, you guys wouldn't be worried facing Indiana in a 1-game playoff with our season on the line? Cool.

Plossum · Post #214 » by **Plossum** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 11:17 pm

I think we're getting our wires crossed. The play-in is certainly a crapshoot given it's 1 game but Miami is in 5th atm and has a pretty soft schedule the rest of the way. Pretty unlikely they're going to be 7th or worse.

All I'm trying to say is Miami is starting to look very good heading into the Playoffs and are going to be a very tough out if we play them.

Ron Swanson · Post #215 » by **Ron Swanson** » Wed Feb 28, 2024 11:41 pm

I don't think anyone's saying they're not gonna be a tough out in the playoffs. I'm saying it's weird to act like they're some automatic bet to even make the playoffs or that it's disrespectful to them when they were literally a play-in team last season. Especially when seeds 5-8 are all separated by a half game. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if Indiana and Orlando outpace them down the stretch (Orlando actually has the easiest remaining SOS in the league) and they find themselves in the 7th-8th seed once again. They could make a Conference Finals run, or they could completely miss the playoffs. Neither would surprise me.

stellation · Post #216 » by **stellation** » Thu Feb 29, 2024 2:33 am

Everybody's fave High Schooler Dante back from a stint out with injury today, hope he can string together another run of games.

Post #217 » by **Prez** » Thu Feb 29, 2024 2:43 am

Jevon just passed up wide freaking open layup lol. Like comically open. Looked it up to confirm, but dude is shooting 27% from the restricted area this area lmao. 27%.

The Giannis boost for role players is real.

Edit:

Read on Twitter

PintSizedBox10 · Post #218 » by **PintSizedBox10** » Thu Feb 29, 2024 2:44 am

Prez wrote:Jevon just passed up wide freaking open layup lol. Like comically open. Looked it up to confirm, but dude is shooting 27% from the restricted area this area lmao. 27%.

The Giannis boost for role players is real.

Read on Twitter

Plossum · Post #219 » by **Plossum** » Thu Feb 29, 2024 2:59 am

Ben Simmons would be proud of that one.

HKPackFan · Post #220 » by **HKPackFan** » Thu Feb 29, 2024 3:31 am

PintSizedBox10 wrote:
Prez wrote:Jevon just passed up wide freaking open layup lol. Like comically open. Looked it up to confirm, but dude is shooting 27% from the restricted area this area lmao. 27%.

The Giannis boost for role players is real.

Read on Twitter

Credit to bud for knowing how to use him. Credit to giannis for making dudes life so easy he got a nice pay check.

Credit to horst for finding him and then credit for not paying him.

Well done all around.

I watched that 3 times from all angles :lol:

Edit: holy crap I forgot he ave $6.5 million per year with the bulls 3 years with a player option at the end. Wowowowoow. Almost $20 million for JC. Good for him! So glad it's not us.