Official NBA General Discussion 2024-25 V2.0

[WaltFrazier]

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[UnderdogRaptors]

What a storyline that’d be.

Indy/NYK will be a very fun series. I’m leaning towards the Knicks there.

Pacers and Knicks are two teams that don’t have your prototypical superstar but they built good, well balanced teams and are now in the ECF.

Tatum injury can’t be used as an excuse. Knicks were well on their way to going up 3-1 in that series before the injury. They did what they needed to do. Boston has always been a team that played with its food and it backfired against Miami two years ago and again this year against the Knicks. Knicks deserve this.

Neither team tanked and their best players with the exception of Towns were drafted outside of the top 10.

If we have learned anything from these playoffs, it’s that you need to build a well balanced roster. Two superstars with no pieces around them doesn’t work anymore.

The wc team will stomp on both those trash teams east is so bad

Celtics stomped on the best from the West last year and now they are heading to Cancun.

Pacers and Knicks are great teams.

Knicks are the worst franchise in the nba. Let's hope pacers win this then back to reality for Knicks fans

[Los_29]

Too early to say, Indy will be tough.

But if Knicks did meet Wolves in the Finals, has there ever been a scenario like that after a major trade? It would be the ultimate win - win trade.

What a storyline that’d be.

Indy/NYK will be a very fun series. I’m leaning towards the Knicks there.

Pacers and Knicks are two teams that don’t have your prototypical superstar but they built good, well balanced teams and are now in the ECF.

Tatum injury can’t be used as an excuse. Knicks were well on their way to going up 3-1 in that series before the injury. They did what they needed to do. Boston has always been a team that played with its food and it backfired against Miami two years ago and again this year against the Knicks. Knicks deserve this.

Neither team tanked and their best players with the exception of Towns were drafted outside of the top 10.

If we have learned anything from these playoffs, it’s that you need to build a well balanced roster. Two superstars with no pieces around them doesn’t work anymore.

Yeah the third win in game 4 was sealed on the very play Tatum got hurt, OG's steal and dunk.

Indy series should be very good. I agree Knicks should have an edge, if both teams stay healthy. Last year Randle and Robinson were out, OG went down in game 3. I think Knicks match up better than Cavs did, with OG on Pascal, Bridges on Hali, Towns vs Turner. Pacers offense is relentless though, won't be easy.

Yeah and Knicks aren’t as good defensively as last year. But they have good balance in their lineup. Pacers have more depth and they keep coming at you. I just feel like the Knicks are a tad better. Hopefully OG can get his shot going.

Going to be a great series.

[Basketball_Jones]

Pacers just look too good and smart for the Knicks. We’ll see though, Knicks are healthy but still one trick pony with their lineup rotations. Thibs has nothing else up his sleeve other then play Brunson/OG/Bridges/Hart into the ground.

[Yeezus_]

Crazy how the Pacers have a real shot at the NBA finals. I think they can beat the Knicks.

[Spates]

Two-way guards are central features of the best eastern conference teams. The teams without have been eliminated.

White and Jrue aren't two way guards?

Should I time stamp my posts to limit confusion?

[PushDaRock]

Knicks opening at -150 fav is interesting, I would have thought closer to even maybe slight edge to the Pacers.

[WaltFrazier]

Two-way guards are central features of the best eastern conference teams. The teams without have been eliminated.

White and Jrue aren't two way guards?

Should I time stamp my posts to limit confusion?

I didn't look closely at the time, thought you posted after Celtics were out

[WaltFrazier]

Knicks opening at -150 fav is interesting, I would have thought closer to even maybe slight edge to the Pacers.

Which of the two teams is worried they gave up too much for OG/Pascal?

[Tor_Raps]

I remember many people making fun of Siakam/Indiana by downplaying their success. To those people who argued against me, eat it lol.

[Spates]

White and Jrue aren't two way guards?

Should I time stamp my posts to limit confusion?

I didn't look closely at the time, thought you posted after Celtics were out

Understood, king. White and Jrue are legit btw

[Pointgod]

The cap crunch problem is not specific to OKC, it's a reality for every single team. Denver lost KCP/Brown, had to make do with cheaper options and basically roll a 7 man roster. Boston will see big changes this summer, Jrue/Porzingis are probably gone. Sengun and Green's extensions will soon kick in for Houston. Mobley is about to get a supermax and Cleveland will need to make cuts at some point. The new CBA makes it basically impossible to keep a roster intact beyond a 3 or 4 core guys. Hell even the Raptors are right up against the luxury tax and we are what, a fringe playoff team? Lol.

OKC definitely has some difficult decisions to make, esp if they blow it this year. The difference is they do have their massive asset base to flesh out the back end of their roster and to use in trades. And they've already locked in a couple role players for cheap, cost-controlled years in Wiggins/Joe which is huge. They've managed it quite well so far and that should continue going forward.

Even if they win a championship OKC should trade for Giannis. They’ve been hella shaky during this run. Just look at the Celtics, they were cooked even before Tatum got injured

[Pointgod]

Knicks opening at -150 fav is interesting, I would have thought closer to even maybe slight edge to the Pacers.

Which of the two teams is worried they gave up too much for OG/Pascal?

Pacers laughing at getting a Range Rover for 2 dollars

[Agimat]

Knicks opening at -150 fav is interesting, I would have thought closer to even maybe slight edge to the Pacers.

Which of the two teams is worried they gave up too much for OG/Pascal?

Pacers laughing at getting a Range Rover for 2 dollars

[Agimat]

I remember many people making fun of Siakam/Indiana by downplaying their success. To those people who argued against me, eat it lol.

Regardless of the outcome both OG/Siakam haters took an L

[Boogie!]

I remember many people making fun of Siakam/Indiana by downplaying their success. To those people who argued against me, eat it lol.

Regardless of the outcome both OG/Siakam haters took an L

Og is still the same player though… it’s not like anyone thought og sucked, he just wasn’t gonna get any better and was a role player on a team that was capped out. Not like he turned into kawhi.

Siakam on the other hand people wanted out because apparently he was holding Scottie back and Scottie was apparently the much better player…

[ash_k]

OG and Pascal in the conference finals, Masai must be so proud...
FVV|OG|Barnes|Siakam|Turner/Yak and then some still wonder why Masai, myself and many others stuck with those guys..with a bit more luck!?!? .........winning ain't easy, finding guys that can handle playoffs pressure ain't easy at all..just ask those Leafs fan ( though the box score tells me Auston finally had a moment).
At the beginning of the season, i picked the Knicks to come out...sticking with my pick

[ATLTimekeeper]

Knicks opening at -150 fav is interesting, I would have thought closer to even maybe slight edge to the Pacers.

The Knicks are pretty stacked, I think that's accurate. One thing is that Thibs is not a champ as HC and Carlisle is. Carlisle is one of the better spoilers in the league and Thibs has build a lot of favourites on paper that fizzle out.

[AkelaLoneWolf]

Knicks opening at -150 fav is interesting, I would have thought closer to even maybe slight edge to the Pacers.

Which of the two teams is worried they gave up too much for OG/Pascal?

Pacers laughing at getting a Range Rover for 2 dollars

50M every year plus 2 dollars.

[LBJKB24MJ23]

If you watch the press conference with Tyrese Halliburton and Pascal, you can really see that Tyrese respects Pascal, and is open to his guidance.

I think a common narrative was that Pascal was selfish and didn't fit in with Scottie. I'm beginning to think that perhaps Scottie didn't respect Pascal enough, and wasn't open to his guidance in the same way that Tyrese is.

So perhaps we've been asking the wrong questions. Maybe the real point is that Pascal is great with young players, and it's one of the central reasons the Pacers are in the Eastern Conference finals for the second year in a row.

Maybe Scottie needs to learn to take feedback? Perhaps if he did, then. Scottie would have been a better player and our team with both Scottie and Pascal would be excelling right now?

https://youtu.be/PuVR4wPnfeg?si=cOKX0CLrF4zbns0g

Jeeez. This Pacers team fits Pascal just better than the trash Masai builded. There was never stuff going on between Siakam and Barnes. Casual Raptors stan being overdramatic.

If Masai had gotten Turner instead of Poeltl, the team dynamics offensively would have looked much better. he was available but noone moved on him.