Around the League: 2024-25 Season

Post #2061 » by **Bensational** » Wed May 14, 2025 1:56 am

Idiosyncratic wrote:
Bensational wrote:This could break the Cavs. Do they just run it back next season and think they do better in a different matchup in another year? Boston won’t be a contender with Tatum being out for 12 months, so the east is up for grabs - but are Cleveland good enough to grab it?

Tatum being out means the Cavs have very good reason to blame this series on injuries and run it back IMO. Good chance they would have anyway.

Yeah I was just thinking that the East will be arguably wide open next season with Tatum and possibly Giannis. Meanwhile the WCF had 11th and 12th best teams which would’ve qualified for play-in in the east. Ring chasing vets would be smart to migrate East this summer.

thelead · Post #2062 » by **thelead** » Wed May 14, 2025 1:58 am

Cavs' cap situation is ugly and I fear we're headed towards the same financial situation with a worse roster...

Post #2063 » by **FFBlitzace** » Wed May 14, 2025 2:04 am

Allow me to indulge as I quote myself from back when we beat the Cavs towards the end of the season:

FFBlitzace wrote:This Cavs team won't win the championship. I don't say that just because they lost today. Everybody's gotta lose sometimes, and they haven't lost many this season. No, I say it because I don't think they're serious enough. Things have gone right for them this year without too much adversity. They spend way too much time grandstanding and showing off. When a good team really comes at them in the playoffs, I see them crumbling.

OrlandoDream · Post #2064 » by **OrlandoDream** » Wed May 14, 2025 2:08 am

FFBlitzace wrote:Allow me to indulge as I quote myself from back when we beat the Cavs towards the end of the season:

FFBlitzace wrote:This Cavs team won't win the championship. I don't say that just because they lost today. Everybody's gotta lose sometimes, and they haven't lost many this season. No, I say it because I don't think they're serious enough. Things have gone right for them this year without too much adversity. They spend way too much time grandstanding and showing off. When a good team really comes at them in the playoffs, I see them crumbling.

They are playing ICU level health out there. Its hard to not ignore that.

Optimus_Steel · Post #2065 » by **Optimus_Steel** » Wed May 14, 2025 2:14 am

What an embarrassing performance by Cleveland. Paper tigers.

Post #2066 » by **eyriq** » Wed May 14, 2025 2:48 am

FFBlitzace wrote:Allow me to indulge as I quote myself from back when we beat the Cavs towards the end of the season:

FFBlitzace wrote:This Cavs team won't win the championship. I don't say that just because they lost today. Everybody's gotta lose sometimes, and they haven't lost many this season. No, I say it because I don't think they're serious enough. Things have gone right for them this year without too much adversity. They spend way too much time grandstanding and showing off. When a good team really comes at them in the playoffs, I see them crumbling.

Damn, you called it

pepe1991 · Post #2067 » by **pepe1991** » Wed May 14, 2025 4:02 am

Okc vs Nuggets is best basketball nba had to offer in past 5 years

Post #2068 » by **SOUL** » Wed May 14, 2025 4:06 am

thelead wrote:Cavs' cap situation is ugly and I fear we're headed towards the same financial situation with a worse roster...

I don't think it's even close. Magic have a few descending contracts and tradable role players and picks to get off of contracts if need be. And if we did need to trade someone we're paying a lot of money for (Paolo/Franz not working or something) - it's not like they wouldn't be attractive to a lot of teams in the league.

ORLMagicGirl15 · Post #2069 » by **ORLMagicGirl15** » Wed May 14, 2025 4:21 am

pepe1991 wrote:Okc vs Nuggets is best basketball nba had to offer in past 5 years

The Nuggets shot 41% from the field and 28% from 3, their depth was non-existence, had one player they completely depended on in Jokic and Murray helped out but the other starters didn’t show up and the bench gave them 10 points.

When we do that you say we’re inept. :lol:

pepe1991 · Post #2070 » by **pepe1991** » Wed May 14, 2025 5:00 am

ORLMagicGirl15 wrote:
pepe1991 wrote:Okc vs Nuggets is best basketball nba had to offer in past 5 years

The Nuggets shot 41% from the field and 28% from 3, their depth was non-existence, had one player they completely depended on in Jokic and Murray helped out but the other starters didn’t show up and the bench gave them 10 points.

When we do that you say we’re inept.

Yea. It's crazy. In years when you have somebody as elite as Jokić, who plays like actual GOAT, and you can't scrap more than 3 and half -4 nba level players around him.
And somehow, he still is enough to give you fighting shot against 68-14 team, who has MVP, DPOY candidates, all stars on their team.

Jokić 17-25 FG (68% FG)
Rest of a team: 23-72 ( 34%)

Jokić 15 rebounds
Rest of a team 34

Jokić 5 assists
rest of a team 15

Jokić 2 TOs
Rest of a team 13

That man has been best player in the world ( by huge margin) for 4 years at least, they are yet to find him 1 all star player, aside from Murray.

Fact that they are still paying mistakes from maxing out Porter is brutal.

pepe1991 · Post #2071 » by **pepe1991** » Wed May 14, 2025 5:13 am

FFBlitzace wrote:Allow me to indulge as I quote myself from back when we beat the Cavs towards the end of the season:

FFBlitzace wrote:This Cavs team won't win the championship. I don't say that just because they lost today. Everybody's gotta lose sometimes, and they haven't lost many this season. No, I say it because I don't think they're serious enough. Things have gone right for them this year without too much adversity. They spend way too much time grandstanding and showing off. When a good team really comes at them in the playoffs, I see them crumbling.

I think their biggest issue is roster make up.
I think that modern basketball will always have issues with 2 Cs playing along each other and that puts even more pressure on ball handlers. Also I Hart and Chet are better passers/ more fluid with ball and better passers than Mobley & Allen.

OKC has similar issues with Denver when they play Holmgren and I Hart, but OKC has SGA and army of solid guards as pressure relief.

Whole season long they were staggering min between Allen and Mobley, and once playoff start you simply can't separate them that much.

In this game in particular they got nothing from Strus and Garland and it is hard to overcome it.

But in reality, series ended after those two historical collapses, because mentally, they could never recover, and on other side, Pacers gained so much momentum and opportunity to go home with 2-0 lead.

Both Pacers and Knicks have one thing in common that Cavs & Celtics don't. That's uber-elite PG who draws so much attention and wracks havoc in pick&rolls, forces switches and punishes mistakes. Brunson has been best player in Celtics- Knicks series, Hali has been best player in Cavs- Pacers series.
If you have PG who can pass, set plays and shoot off the dribble, and he can do it on near- Steph level, you just need to scrap enough offense and defense around him to be good. On other side, Jrue and Garland both kind a sucked whole series.

Haliburton tonight had 4 threes in second quarter being two huge steps behind 3 point line.

Your brain simply isn't trained to defend those shots.

RookieStar · Post #2072 » by **RookieStar** » Wed May 14, 2025 5:16 am

MPJ shat the bed...

cedric76 · Post #2073 » by **cedric76** » Wed May 14, 2025 5:46 am

JoshuaPotter wrote:Dallas getting a 1st is one of the many reasons I left the NBA. I'm not sure we are watching a sport as much as we are a space opera.

Lol, people still think the draft is rigged, how do you convince the 29 other teams and media in that room to agree to not say anything?

RookieStar · Post #2074 » by **RookieStar** » Wed May 14, 2025 6:04 am

Man... with Tatum injured and might miss the entire next season, plus Cavs showing their vulnerability...

East is sooooo wide open.

pepe1991 · Post #2075 » by **pepe1991** » Wed May 14, 2025 6:44 am

RookieStar wrote:Man... with Tatum injured and might miss the entire next season, plus Cavs showing their vulnerability...

East is sooooo wide open.

And Giannis leaving to West probably, i quote some instagram comment " it will be easier to be allstar on East than get into Ukrainian army"

We actually might get top 3 seed next year.

Bakomagic · Post #2076 » by **Bakomagic** » Wed May 14, 2025 7:16 am

pepe1991 wrote:Okc vs Nuggets is best basketball nba had to offer in past 5 years

Is it, I mean I don’t think I have ever seen so many wide open 3s air balled and layups missed in a playoff game.

Jokic has been a little up and down this series for his standards.

Definitely been fun to watch but “best basketball” seems aggressive.

Post #2077 » by **Bensational** » Wed May 14, 2025 7:24 am

pepe1991 wrote:
RookieStar wrote:Man... with Tatum injured and might miss the entire next season, plus Cavs showing their vulnerability...

East is sooooo wide open.

And Giannis leaving to West probably, i quote some instagram comment " it will be easier to be allstar on East than get into Ukrainian army"

We actually might get top 3 seed next year.

Is this the most glowing outlook on the Magic from pepe of all time?

2026 - strap in!

drsd · Post #2078 » by **drsd** » Wed May 14, 2025 7:32 am

thelead wrote:Cavs' cap situation is ugly and I fear we're headed towards the same financial situation with a worse roster...

The Magic's finances from 2027 and on are just fine. Just two years of moneyball. No big concerns as the team needs ocnsolidation trades anyhow.

pepe1991 · Post #2079 » by **pepe1991** » Wed May 14, 2025 7:48 am

Bensational wrote:
pepe1991 wrote:
RookieStar wrote:Man... with Tatum injured and might miss the entire next season, plus Cavs showing their vulnerability...

East is sooooo wide open.

And Giannis leaving to West probably, i quote some instagram comment " it will be easier to be allstar on East than get into Ukrainian army"

We actually might get top 3 seed next year.

Is this the most glowing outlook on the Magic from pepe of all time?

2026 - strap in!

But yea, East looks wide open and talent depleted, if Giannis goes West, all 8 best players nba has will be in one conference. Probably for first time ever?

One of most interesting off seasons is ahead. Most teams are capped out and only trades can get them out of bad situations.

Optimus_Steel · Post #2080 » by **Optimus_Steel** » Wed May 14, 2025 9:58 am

eyriq wrote:
FFBlitzace wrote:Allow me to indulge as I quote myself from back when we beat the Cavs towards the end of the season:

FFBlitzace wrote:This Cavs team won't win the championship. I don't say that just because they lost today. Everybody's gotta lose sometimes, and they haven't lost many this season. No, I say it because I don't think they're serious enough. Things have gone right for them this year without too much adversity. They spend way too much time grandstanding and showing off. When a good team really comes at them in the playoffs, I see them crumbling.
Damn, you called it

When we played them in the playoffs last year and Allen got injured I was disappointed because they were easier to defend when he was on the floor. He is not a threat, other than offensive rebounds but if you shore that he is non threat. Two center thing is just hard to pull off these days.