"Around the NBA": 2020-21 Season Thread

[MrDollarBills]

Eh... Giannis is great, but I wouldn't go overboard. He's who he's always been he / the Bucks were just the extreme beneficiaries of injuries to other teams... Ditto for the Suns.

I'd feel very comfortable putting big money down that neither of these teams sniff the finals next year.

I think that is banking on us being healthy. I'd say the early favorite to win it next year, just like this year, is the winner of the Nets-Bucks series. I believe they're the two best teams barring league altering changes.

The Bucks aren't on our level at full health. It took them 7 games to barely squeak out a win in a series where Harden suffered a grade 2 hamstring and Giannis undercut Kyrie on a dirty play to beat us. This is with Jeff Green banged up and Joe Harris playing like crap. They are frauds.

If we are healthy next playoffs, combined with the roster upgrades Marks performs, we will be the dominant team of the conference.

[MrDollarBills]

CotY runner up Monty Williams, the coach far superior to "mediocrity" like Steve Nash, managed to lose 4 straight to the Milwaukee Bucks with a relatively healthy team. Grass is always greener on the other side...

Suns **** the bed. Ayton played like a bitch, Chris Paul pissed his pants in the biggest moment of his life. I'd still take Monty over Nash with the weapons we have. The only reason Nash can say he didn't get beat 4 straight games is because of KD lifting this team on his back.

[ecuhus1981]

Kudos to Milwaukee. Let's heal, get hungry and get after it next season.

[Hello Brooklyn]

The Bucks won't be as hungry next season now that they have won.

I already think we proved we are better than them. I do think we need to add some size though.

Should look to add someone who can at least guard Giannis.

[Karate Diop]

Eh... Giannis is great, but I wouldn't go overboard. He's who he's always been he / the Bucks were just the extreme beneficiaries of injuries to other teams... Ditto for the Suns.

I'd feel very comfortable putting big money down that neither of these teams sniff the finals next year.

I think that is banking on us being healthy. I'd say the early favorite to win it next year, just like this year, is the winner of the Nets-Bucks series. I believe they're the two best teams barring league altering changes.

The Bucks aren't on our level at full health. It took them 7 games to barely squeak out a win in a series where Harden suffered a grade 2 hamstring and Giannis undercut Kyrie on a dirty play to beat us. This is with Jeff Green banged up and Joe Harris playing like crap. They are frauds.

If we are healthy next playoffs, combined with the roster upgrades Marks performs, we will be the dominant team of the conference.

I'll also add that it's not just us, but the Sixers as well... And all the teams out West that would have been better than the Suns were it not for injuries. The Bucks had nothing to do withwho came out of the West but it's hard to imagine a team Wesker than the Suns coming out next year...

[gigantes]

Tucker, Holiday and Portis were certainly key pickups gotten relatively cheaply, and I can only hope the Nets have similar fortune this offseason. Not so much being able to pick up ring-chasing quality vets, but being able to somehow deal with contracts like Brown, Jordan, etc.

Pretty amazing as a bball fan to see three brothers win a championship all in the space of a single year(!)

I believe Olajuwon was saying they share the same tribe / ethnicity (Yoruba from Nigeria), which apparently includes Kareem (i.e. Alcindor), Oladipo, Adebayo and... a couple more good players I can't remember right now.

Also, to go from stateless, close to the poverty level, and not even playing bball until age 13, to NBA MVP only ten years later is just... phew. What a story.

[TheNetsFan]

I think that is banking on us being healthy. I'd say the early favorite to win it next year, just like this year, is the winner of the Nets-Bucks series. I believe they're the two best teams barring league altering changes.

The Bucks aren't on our level at full health. It took them 7 games to barely squeak out a win in a series where Harden suffered a grade 2 hamstring and Giannis undercut Kyrie on a dirty play to beat us. This is with Jeff Green banged up and Joe Harris playing like crap. They are frauds.

If we are healthy next playoffs, combined with the roster upgrades Marks performs, we will be the dominant team of the conference.

I'll also add that it's not just us, but the Sixers as well... And all the teams out West that would have been better than the Suns were it not for injuries. The Bucks had nothing to do withwho came out of the West but it's hard to imagine a team Wesker than the Suns coming out next year...

I think the top of the west is very overrated. While the Bucks benefitted greatly from opponents' injuries, I still think they're better than the WC teams.

[MrDollarBills]

I think what can be taken from this is that the Bucks added an infusion of toughness from Holiday, Tucker, and Portis.

Marks needs to inject this roster with some of that mentality. We have elite talent. But we need some dogs that are willing to get nasty.

[JoseRizal]

I think what can be taken from this is that the Bucks added an infusion of toughness from Holiday, Tucker, and Portis.

Marks needs to inject this roster with some of that mentality. We have elite talent. But we need some dogs that are willing to get nasty.

Agree. Only Blake provided that for us. This team needs defenders badly...

[Karate Diop]

I think what can be taken from this is that the Bucks added an infusion of toughness from Holiday, Tucker, and Portis.

Marks needs to inject this roster with some of that mentality. We have elite talent. But we need some dogs that are willing to get nasty.

The moves they made were largely positive, but I don't know if there's anything that can convince me that their success this season was more right place right time / fortunate breaks than anything else... I guess we'll see next year.

[DarkXaero]

CotY runner up Monty Williams, the coach far superior to "mediocrity" like Steve Nash, managed to lose 4 straight to the Milwaukee Bucks with a relatively healthy team. Grass is always greener on the other side...

Suns **** the bed. Ayton played like a bitch, Chris Paul pissed his pants in the biggest moment of his life. I'd still take Monty over Nash with the weapons we have. The only reason Nash can say he didn't get beat 4 straight games is because of KD lifting this team on his back.

The only reason why we didn't win that series is Joe Harris unable to make to open shots games 3-7. If Joe makes his wide open look in game 3, Nets even win in less than 7. You can't use players severely underperforming to bail out one head coach, while bash the other one when a key player of his underperformed that badly. That's a double standard.

[DarkXaero]

I think what can be taken from this is that the Bucks added an infusion of toughness from Holiday, Tucker, and Portis.

Marks needs to inject this roster with some of that mentality. We have elite talent. But we need some dogs that are willing to get nasty.

What can we taken from this is that luck can play a massive part in championship success. It was literally the difference this year between Bucks being a 2nd round sweep and the NBA champions this year. "Toughness, grit", all that **** is irrelevant when circumstances were this huge of a factor.

[therealbig3]

CotY runner up Monty Williams, the coach far superior to "mediocrity" like Steve Nash, managed to lose 4 straight to the Milwaukee Bucks with a relatively healthy team. Grass is always greener on the other side...

Suns **** the bed. Ayton played like a bitch, Chris Paul pissed his pants in the biggest moment of his life. I'd still take Monty over Nash with the weapons we have. The only reason Nash can say he didn't get beat 4 straight games is because of KD lifting this team on his back.

The only reason why we didn't win that series is Joe Harris unable to make to open shots games 3-7. If Joe makes his wide open look in game 3, Nets even win in less than 7. You can't use players severely underperforming to bail out one head coach, while bash the other one when a key player of his underperformed that badly. That's a double standard.

And had injuries to 2 of his 3 best players. Kyrie didn't play for the 2nd half of that series, and Harden might as well have not.

Key injuries + severe underperformance out of one of your best role players...we overachieved if anything.

[Prokorov]

Suns **** the bed. Ayton played like a bitch, Chris Paul pissed his pants in the biggest moment of his life. I'd still take Monty over Nash with the weapons we have. The only reason Nash can say he didn't get beat 4 straight games is because of KD lifting this team on his back.

The only reason why we didn't win that series is Joe Harris unable to make to open shots games 3-7. If Joe makes his wide open look in game 3, Nets even win in less than 7. You can't use players severely underperforming to bail out one head coach, while bash the other one when a key player of his underperformed that badly. That's a double standard.

And had injuries to 2 of his 3 best players. Kyrie didn't play for the 2nd half of that series, and Harden might as well have not.

Key injuries + severe underperformance out of one of your best role players...we overachieved if anything.

Why we lost the bucks series

60% Coaching
30% injuries
5% officiating
5% luck

I dont think joe is anywhere near the reasons we lost imo. It shouldnt hvae come down to relying on him to hit a shot. You cant expect him to be elevated to a top 2 option and play 40+ minutes and become a larger forcus for an outstanding defense and not drop off a cliff once you get to game 6/7

[therealbig3]

Except Joe was getting plenty of wide open looks that he normally makes and just kept missing them, it wasn't like he was taking contested shots that he isn't used to making.

He wasn't getting defended any tighter imo, he was getting the same looks he was getting all year. The minutes thing is just an excuse too, he played 31 mpg in the RS, this isn't a 15-20 mpg bench player that all of a sudden got 40+ mpg in the playoffs because we were down healthy bodies. He was playing big minutes all season long.

[MrDollarBills]

CotY runner up Monty Williams, the coach far superior to "mediocrity" like Steve Nash, managed to lose 4 straight to the Milwaukee Bucks with a relatively healthy team. Grass is always greener on the other side...

Suns **** the bed. Ayton played like a bitch, Chris Paul pissed his pants in the biggest moment of his life. I'd still take Monty over Nash with the weapons we have. The only reason Nash can say he didn't get beat 4 straight games is because of KD lifting this team on his back.

The only reason why we didn't win that series is Joe Harris unable to make to open shots games 3-7. If Joe makes his wide open look in game 3, Nets even win in less than 7. You can't use players severely underperforming to bail out one head coach, while bash the other one when a key player of his underperformed that badly. That's a double standard.

Fair point, I concede.

I still take Monty over Nash though

[MrDollarBills]

I think what can be taken from this is that the Bucks added an infusion of toughness from Holiday, Tucker, and Portis.

Marks needs to inject this roster with some of that mentality. We have elite talent. But we need some dogs that are willing to get nasty.

What can we taken from this is that luck can play a massive part in championship success. It was literally the difference this year between Bucks being a 2nd round sweep and the NBA champions this year. "Toughness, grit", all that **** is irrelevant when circumstances were this huge of a factor.

The Bucks were extremely lucky that Harden pulled his hamstring and Giannis decided to throw his body under Kyrie while he was in mid air, I agree. This is why I laughed when I saw Giannis talking about how he won without a super team. What a **** ing joke. We sweep them easily at 100%.


However, it doesn't negate the fact that we need to add another dog or two to the roster defensively.

[DarkXaero]

I think what can be taken from this is that the Bucks added an infusion of toughness from Holiday, Tucker, and Portis.

Marks needs to inject this roster with some of that mentality. We have elite talent. But we need some dogs that are willing to get nasty.

What can we taken from this is that luck can play a massive part in championship success. It was literally the difference this year between Bucks being a 2nd round sweep and the NBA champions this year. "Toughness, grit", all that **** is irrelevant when circumstances were this huge of a factor.

The Bucks were extremely lucky that Harden pulled his hamstring and Giannis decided to throw his body under Kyrie while he was in mid air, I agree. This is why I laughed when I saw Giannis talking about how he won without a super team. What a **** ing joke. We sweep them easily at 100%.


However, it doesn't negate the fact that we need to add another dog or two to the roster defensively.

I thought Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown showed a lot of grit and toughness. Jeff Green also played with plantar fasciitis. I think we could use more size on the roster for specific situations but I never saw this team as soft. We were designed to lose on rebounds because we simply lacked size, it wasn't a toughness thing.

[MrDollarBills]

Except Joe was getting plenty of wide open looks that he normally makes and just kept missing them, it wasn't like he was taking contested shots that he isn't used to making.

He wasn't getting defended any tighter imo, he was getting the same looks he was getting all year. The minutes thing is just an excuse too, he played 31 mpg in the RS, this isn't a 15-20 mpg bench player that all of a sudden got 40+ mpg in the playoffs because we were down healthy bodies. He was playing big minutes all season long.

Joe sucking was just one aspect of it. Injuries to Harden and Kyrie were the obvious culprits, and then there is Nash's inexplicable decision to not have the guys set screens to attack Lopez with KD in Game 6.

Then there's the fact that Green was not healthy either. It was just a perfect storm against the Nets.

I am happy for Brook Lopez. He's a good guy. But other than that, I cannot take the Bucks seriously at all. They were basically gifted a title the moment that Giannis decided to take Kyrie out in mid air. Dude puts on an act of humility but the guy is a dirty player to the core and I hope the Nets make sure he never sees an NBA title again for a good few years. That's why I hope Marks adds a goon or two to this roster.

[DarkXaero]

Except Joe was getting plenty of wide open looks that he normally makes and just kept missing them, it wasn't like he was taking contested shots that he isn't used to making.

He wasn't getting defended any tighter imo, he was getting the same looks he was getting all year. The minutes thing is just an excuse too, he played 31 mpg in the RS, this isn't a 15-20 mpg bench player that all of a sudden got 40+ mpg in the playoffs because we were down healthy bodies. He was playing big minutes all season long.

Yeah, all this "top 2 option" talk is crap. Joe's role remained the same before and after the injuries. He was getting the same looks and being asked to do the same exact thing. The only thing that really changed was the pressure, and that is what Joe crumbled under. He was no longer a luxury and that scared him.