Official NBA General Discussion 2024-25 V2.0

[Scizzup]

I’ve still gotta say, OKC is rightfully the favourite, but it wouldn’t be totally shocking if they didn’t win the championship this year.

It seems like everyone is not only taking them
vs the field, but awarding them multiple championships already. Has the last few years taught us nothing? Eventually a team will repeat again, but it’s very difficult in this era.

OKC not winning a title this year would be very shocking (if healthy). It would be as close to 16 GSW losing to Cavs imo.

They just won 68 games 2nd best net rating EVER and best SRS EVER. Accounting for w/l and other analytic indicators, they are a top 5 RS ever and better than last year Celtics. If Shai was a Paul George level player then I could understand but he is playing as well as peak KD/Harden/Kobe etc have played with a top 10 defense ever behind him.

I am not saying be as dominant as 17 GSW or 00 Lakers but no team in the nba right now should beat them 4x in 7 games.

They are extremely young and inexperienced though. JDub is 24 (in his third NBA season). Chet is 23 (in his second NBA season).

In 2016, Steph was in his seventh season, Klay in his fifth, and Draymond in his fourth. SGA is the only member of the OKC core with any real NBA experience.

when people talk about youth or experience" like this, its always confirmation bias. OKC is not just a regular great team, its an all time team. Young team lose because they are never EVER this good, not because they were young. SGA just had a game he was +51, he was special but that also speaks to the roster. You can rotate any of their top 8 and those lineups would be good. Celtics before last year were losing because they were not much better than their competition not because of youth. As soon as they became a +10 net rating team, guess what? OKC is a +12.8 net rating this year.

If 2012 OKC had Tyson Chandler instead of Perkins, they beat Miami in 2012 with peak Bron despite being younger than this OKC trio. I think Boston could beat OKC at their best, but no other team should imo. If Denver had 2 more decent pieces off the bench then I could see it but they have 6 playable players and one of them is 36 year old Russ.

Last year OKC, you could have made that argument about youth hurting them since they were not heads and shoulders better than Wolves/Dallas/Nuggets... but this year?

[Raps in 4]

OKC not winning a title this year would be very shocking (if healthy). It would be as close to 16 GSW losing to Cavs imo.

They just won 68 games 2nd best net rating EVER and best SRS EVER. Accounting for w/l and other analytic indicators, they are a top 5 RS ever and better than last year Celtics. If Shai was a Paul George level player then I could understand but he is playing as well as peak KD/Harden/Kobe etc have played with a top 10 defense ever behind him.

I am not saying be as dominant as 17 GSW or 00 Lakers but no team in the nba right now should beat them 4x in 7 games.

They are extremely young and inexperienced though. JDub is 24 (in his third NBA season). Chet is 23 (in his second NBA season).

In 2016, Steph was in his seventh season, Klay in his fifth, and Draymond in his fourth. SGA is the only member of the OKC core with any real NBA experience.

when people talk about youth or experience" like this, its always confirmation bias. OKC is not just a regular great team, its an all time team. Young team lose because they are never EVER this good, not because they were young. SGA just had a game he was +51, he was special but that also speaks to the roster. You can rotate any of their top 8 and those lineups would be good. Celtics before last year were losing because they were not much better than their competition not because of youth. As soon as they became a +10 net rating team, guess what? OKC is a +12.8 net rating this year.

If 2012 OKC had Tyson Chandler instead of Perkins, they beat Miami in 2012 with peak Bron despite being younger than this OKC trio. I think Boston could beat OKC at their best, but no other team should imo. If Denver had 2 more decent pieces off the bench then I could see it but they have 6 playable players and one of them is 36 year old Russ.

Last year OKC, you could have made that argument about youth hurting them since they were not heads and shoulders better than Wolves/Dallas/Nuggets... but this year?

That OKC team didn't beat Miami lol. They lost 4-1, despite having three future MVPs on the roster. I feel you're discounting the importance of experience.

[Scizzup]

They are extremely young and inexperienced though. JDub is 24 (in his third NBA season). Chet is 23 (in his second NBA season).

In 2016, Steph was in his seventh season, Klay in his fifth, and Draymond in his fourth. SGA is the only member of the OKC core with any real NBA experience.

when people talk about youth or experience" like this, its always confirmation bias. OKC is not just a regular great team, its an all time team. Young team lose because they are never EVER this good, not because they were young. SGA just had a game he was +51, he was special but that also speaks to the roster. You can rotate any of their top 8 and those lineups would be good. Celtics before last year were losing because they were not much better than their competition not because of youth. As soon as they became a +10 net rating team, guess what? OKC is a +12.8 net rating this year.

If 2012 OKC had Tyson Chandler instead of Perkins, they beat Miami in 2012 with peak Bron despite being younger than this OKC trio. I think Boston could beat OKC at their best, but no other team should imo. If Denver had 2 more decent pieces off the bench then I could see it but they have 6 playable players and one of them is 36 year old Russ.

Last year OKC, you could have made that argument about youth hurting them since they were not heads and shoulders better than Wolves/Dallas/Nuggets... but this year?

That OKC team didn't beat Miami lol. They lost 4-1, despite having three future MVPs on the roster. I feel you're discounting the importance of experience.

Please read again, I said if they had Tyson Chandler (much better player) instead of Perkins they win that series instead of losing it. The point is that 12 OKC did not lose due to youth, they lost because OKC was a slightly better team all year and Perkins was hurt and a terrible matchup.

huge talent gap matters more than experience, OKC this year is a top 5 team all time in terms of dominance, maybe higher. This does not mean they cant lose to a team like Celtics (also a great team) but it would be a choke if they lost to any other team.

There is no young team in history even close to this OKC, this is because young teams roster ain't as fully built nor as talented. OKC is an anomaly, their bench players are better than older "vets" on other contenders. lack of experience only matters so much in trying to bridge the talent advantage OKC has on almost every team.

so far, OKC is a +20 net rating and 5-1 through playoffs. At their best no one is **** with them. OKC is 19 Raptors on steroids.

[Clutch0z24]

OKC is the fav to win it all and then you look at all their future 1sts. sheesh.. then you factor in their rookies haven't even played much this year
Mitchell has looked good, Dillon Jones? and Topic

Yeah its kinda insane....They have potential to win the NBA title, Pick 7th, 15th, 24th in this upcoming draft, While having the MVP on their roster...

They are set up too good to fail....

[Brinbe]

kevin knox playoff minutes in 2025. kerr, you madman

[MainEvent]

how does draymond not get a 2nd T there, guy gets away with waaaaaay more than the average player

[mihaic]

I think Minnesota can give okc some trouble. They are long, athletic, and strong. Nuggets have Jokic, but overall wolves are a more complete, deeper team.

[Scizzup]

I think Minnesota can give okc some trouble. They are long, athletic, and strong. Nuggets have Jokic, but overall wolves are a more complete, deeper team.

defensively, Wolves can give OKC issues. But Ant or Randle wont have any "fun" going against this defense. If Gobert and Randle play a lot of minutes together against OKC that series might be over in 5. OKC would just shrink the court and destroy them forcing turnovers. They would have to hope Naz can hold up as a spacing center with his defense.

Even factoring Jalen Williams/Chet against Wolves defense, I cannot see it it going past 6 games. Wolves offense isn't great to begin with and they are going against a buzzsaw defense. Ant having to deal with Dort/Caruso/Cason rotation is very nasty.

[WaltFrazier]

how does draymond not get a 2nd T there, guy gets away with waaaaaay more than the average player

He knows when he gets one early they're afraid to give him a second. Any other player would get one arguing like he does, except Lebron and few others

[mihaic]

I think Minnesota can give okc some trouble. They are long, athletic, and strong. Nuggets have Jokic, but overall wolves are a more complete, deeper team.

defensively, Wolves can give OKC issues. But Ant or Randle wont have any "fun" going against this defense. If Gobert and Randle play a lot of minutes together against OKC that series might be over in 5. OKC would just shrink the court and destroy them forcing turnovers. They would have to hope Naz can hold up as a spacing center with his defense.

Even factoring Jalen Williams/Chet against Wolves defense, I cannot see it it going past 6 games. Wolves offense isn't great to begin with and they are going against a buzzsaw defense. Ant having to deal with Dort/Caruso/Cason rotation is very nasty.

It will all depend offensively for Wolves if someone other than Ant can hit 3s. Ant will penetrate and draw defence.

On D Gobert will match Hartenstein, Naz will have to hold his own vs Chet. It will be interesting. Cause Okc will have both simultaneously.

[mdenny]

Man we should all be rejoicing in these playoffs.

Injuries aren't playing a central role. Tons of games going down to the wire. For all those times when we (myself included) wonder about the quality of the viewing going forward....we should recognize when the viewership is great.

Knicks making me eat crow and I love it. Pacers playing a really entertaining style of ball. It's hard for me to admit in regards to the knicks....but a pacer/knick series would be fascinating. So would a cavs/knicks series.

I'm pleased that Boston's boring ass style is losing. That 5 man out offense is brutal viewing.

Great playoffs so far.

The toronto hockey media is insane. There is like a 50% chance the maple leaves lose the next 4 straight. I don't know how ppl can watch those games and not see that they are getting dominated and bailed out by bad goal-tending from Bobrovsky.

I hope they win for the good of all the city pubs and small business owners....but it's crazy to me that ppl think they are actually deserving of the lead.

[Clutch0z24]

Love that Cavs look healthy now....If Pacers can beat a fully healthy Cavs team they will get more credit...

[Pointgod]

Love that Cavs look healthy now....If Pacers can beat a fully healthy Cavs team they will get more credit...

Everyone back for the Cavs? It would be amazing if they made a full comeback and won the series

[Brinbe]

cavs playing for their season. should be a great game

[Clutch0z24]

Love that Cavs look healthy now....If Pacers can beat a fully healthy Cavs team they will get more credit...

Everyone back for the Cavs? It would be amazing if they made a full comeback and won the series

Yep and they actually look like a team now....The amount of pressure the other players being back takes off of Mitchells shoulders will be the difference maker....

[Pointgod]

What a finish by Mitchell!

[Pointgod]

Love that Cavs look healthy now....If Pacers can beat a fully healthy Cavs team they will get more credit...

Everyone back for the Cavs? It would be amazing if they made a full comeback and won the series

Yep and they actually look like a team now....The amount of pressure the other players being back takes off of Mitchells shoulders will be the difference maker....

Love the pace from both teams. This is what playoff basketball should be about.

[Brinbe]

very entertaining quarter

[Boogie!]

Oh no cavs healthy idk if pacers can pull it off

[Clutch0z24]

Donovan Mitchell is so good man.