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[BlacJacMac]

Nope I'm sticking with $hit happens as the reason for Dallas advancing.

"I can't understand why this is happening and it contradicts my world view and it means I would have to admit I'm wrong so I'm going to discredit it even though the results are in my face".

We will see how this looks at the end of the next series and the next season. Dallas is a fluke.

What makes them a fluke?

They have a Top 5 player, a second elite scorer and they went 22-9 to end the season after making the trades for Gafford and PJ.

[KGdaBom]

"I can't understand why this is happening and it contradicts my world view and it means I would have to admit I'm wrong so I'm going to discredit it even though the results are in my face".

We will see how this looks at the end of the next series and the next season. Dallas is a fluke.

What makes them a fluke?

They have a Top 5 player, a second elite scorer and they went 22-9 to end the season after making the trades for Gafford and PJ.

I wouldn't count on Kyrie. He tends to disappear at the least opportune times. If you believe in them fine. I don't.

[KGdaBom]

My target is to get this game within 5 or less by half time.

[KGdaBom]

Our comeback coincided with the despised Kyle Anderson entering the game for Ant.

[KGdaBom]

Noooooooooooo KAT.

[KGdaBom]

Our comeback coincided with the despised Kyle Anderson entering the game for Ant.

That was short lived. Back down 11 soon to be 12. Damn it.

[Note30]

We will see how this looks at the end of the next series and the next season. Dallas is a fluke.

What makes them a fluke?

They have a Top 5 player, a second elite scorer and they went 22-9 to end the season after making the trades for Gafford and PJ.

I wouldn't count on Kyrie. He tends to disappear at the least opportune times. If you believe in them fine. I don't.

He literally has hit one of the biggest shots of all time.

[KGdaBom]

What makes them a fluke?

They have a Top 5 player, a second elite scorer and they went 22-9 to end the season after making the trades for Gafford and PJ.

I wouldn't count on Kyrie. He tends to disappear at the least opportune times. If you believe in them fine. I don't.

He literally has hit one of the biggest shots of all time.

Ages ago. He's done nothing since leaving LeBron.

[KGdaBom]

OOPS lot of my posts here intended for Game thread.

[BlacJacMac]

I guess making the WCF is nothing?

So if we lose tonight than this season was less than nothing?

[KGdaBom]

I guess making the WCF is nothing?

So if we lose tonight than this season was less than nothing?

Nope. I don't agree with that, but Kyree since leaving LeBron has been nothing special IMO. Your's can vary. That's OK.

[BlacJacMac]

I guess making the WCF is nothing?

So if we lose tonight than this season was less than nothing?

Nope. I don't agree with that, but Kyree since leaving LeBron has been nothing special IMO. Your's can vary. That's OK.

If that’s what you need to tell yourself…

[Note30]

I guess making the WCF is nothing?

So if we lose tonight than this season was less than nothing?

He just doesn't like to admit when he's wrong and challenges then rejects anything that doesn't coincide with what he believes even when there's proof, its pointless to argue. I keep hoping that every time he'll give an inch, but it's nearly impossible.

[KGdaBom]

Showing signs of life. Come on Wolves.

[KGdaBom]

If ANT can pull his head out of his ass we can win.

[KGdaBom]

I guess making the WCF is nothing?

So if we lose tonight than this season was less than nothing?

He just doesn't like to admit when he's wrong and challenges then rejects anything that doesn't coincide with what he believes even when there's proof, its pointless to argue. I keep hoping that every time he'll give an inch, but it's nearly impossible.

You're making up $hit. I admitted to being wrong about the who would win the Mavericks/Thunder series. That doesn't in any way require my believing that the Mavericks are the better team. There is no proof they are better just by winning a series. What has Kyree accomplished since leaving LeBron despite constantly being on Super Teams? Stop with the personal attacks. I don't have you on ignore I'm trying limit that, but do I really want to see your attacks on me? No I don't.

[younggunsmn]

Thunder's lack of size really bit them.
They needed Dort to be more of a jae Crowder type who can rebound like a big man, but they had him out on the perimeter on Luka a lot and little guys trying to box out.

Chet got worked really bad even by guys like Lively who is light in the behind too.

The other thing that hurt them was that their secondary scoring dried up.
Shai was good, not great. They needed Jalen Williams to be that 2nd scorer and he and Chet didn't measure up.

Dallas has much the same formula as Denver, 2 big-time scorers you have to game plan to stop, surrounded by defensive minded roleplayers.
I expect the same kind of series Denver gave us, with constant double teaming of Ant.
Our ability to defend Luka and Kyrie without a lot of double teaming is going to be critical, because none of their other players are dangerous if they aren't fed open looks.

[Klomp]

I think I finally found a perfect comparison to Nikola Jokic...and it's not a basketball comp.

He's the modern day Babe Ruth.

[Klomp]

Dallas has much the same formula as Denver, 2 big-time scorers you have to game plan to stop, surrounded by defensive minded roleplayers.
I expect the same kind of series Denver gave us, with constant double teaming of Ant.
Our ability to defend Luka and Kyrie without a lot of double teaming is going to be critical, because none of their other players are dangerous if they aren't fed open looks.

Similar formula. But I think their best guy being a guard and not a unicorn big works in our favor.

With the moves they made at the deadline, are they really going to abandon the big lineups? No. And is any of their bigs as good as Jokic? No.
The biggest hesitation I have is Jaden's potential foul trouble. As big as he was offensively this series, I think he's huge on defense against Dallas.

[younggunsmn]

Yeah as much as I hate to say it Kyle Anderson is a much better fit for a series against Dallas because he is another big wing we can throw at Doncic.

KAT's going to have to be able to close out on PJ Washington and Jones Jr, and the less we get caught helping and rotating, the better the series will go for us as Dallas should be forced to try to beat us from the perimeter if we are playing our game.

We have to come up with some better countermeasures for these schemes trapping Ant though.
We got him moving off the ball a bit more in the 2nd half, but if he spends the whole game trying to ISO into a trap like he did in game 7, he's going to keep having a bad time.

The good thing is that they have no one near Aaron Gordon's caliber to throw at us defensively, and their bigs are all either too light or too short so KAT and Rudy should be much more effective than they were against Gordon and Jokic.