2019 NBA Playoffs Discussion

[Clyde Frazier]

EAST

1 MIL (8.04 SRS, 1st) vs. 8 DET (-0.56 SRS, 17th)

2 TOR (5.49 SRS, 3rd) vs. 7 ORL (0.28 SRS, 14th)

3 PHI (2.25 SRS, 11th) vs. 6 BKN (-0.40 SRS, 15th)

4 BOS (3.90 SRS, 8th) vs. 5 IND (2.76 SRS, 10th)


WEST

1 GSW (6.42 SRS, 2nd) vs. 8 LAC (1.09 SRS, 13th)

2 DEN (4.19 SRS, 7th) vs. 7 SAS (1.80 SRS, 12th)

3 POR (4.43 SRS, 6th) vs. 6 OKC (3.56 SRS, 9th)

4 HOU (4.96 SRS, 5th) vs. 5 UTA (5.28 SRS, 4th)

Have at it! Warriors still the favorites to me, but overall this looks to be a much more exciting playoffs than in recent years. Pulling for the bucks to come out of the east, but any of the top 4 would be interesting. That 4/5 matchup in the west is brutal for a 1st round series. Reminds me of spurs/clippers a few years back.

[Narigo]

Watch on YouTube

[Texas Chuck]

Not really excited about any of these series except Indy/Boston. POR/OKC and HOU/UTH could be alright as well but the rest just seem meh.

Really wanted SAS to end up 8th to see what Pop came up with against GSW.

[Clyde Frazier]

Not really excited about any of these series except Indy/Boston. POR/OKC and HOU/UTH could be alright as well but the rest just seem meh.

Really wanted SAS to end up 8th to see what Pop came up with against GSW.

Yeah I mean it's more the east semis that really intrigue me. They'd all have the potential to go 7 games, and while I'm sure Indiana will put up a good fight, I still expect Boston to advance. Out west I'd at least call each first round series watchable.

[HeartBreakKid]

Marcus Smart is a pretty big hit, I wouldn't underestimate Indiana even without Oladipo.

I'm mainly watching Portland vs OKC to see if one of the teams **** the bed - I personally don't get why people like Portland so much every year, they're the quinessential gatekeepers.

[ShotCreator]

Watch on YouTube

This is why I’m higher on Harden than most compared to other guards in league history. Harden would at-worst regress down to other guys levels offensively.

Harden was putting out some really high impact last years playoffs as well. Even with a broken 3-pt shot in later rounds, he was absolutely the engine for most of their dominance. Though I still don’t like AuPM.

[GildedState]

I personally don't get why people like Portland so much every year, they're the quinessential gatekeepers.

Just like the Boston Celtics?

[bondom34]

Not really excited about any of these series except Indy/Boston. POR/OKC and HOU/UTH could be alright as well but the rest just seem meh.

Really wanted SAS to end up 8th to see what Pop came up with against GSW.

Yeah I mean it's more the east semis that really intrigue me. They'd all have the potential to go 7 games, and while I'm sure Indiana will put up a good fight, I still expect Boston to advance. Out west I'd at least call each first round series watchable.

Mostly the same, I think Urah is improved and the Spurs I have a feeling may win that series though. I'm much more interested in the 2nd round with how the bracket fell now though.

[Clyde Frazier]

Marcus Smart is a pretty big hit, I wouldn't underestimate Indiana even without Oladipo.

I'm mainly watching Portland vs OKC to see if one of the teams **** the bed - I personally don't get why people like Portland so much every year, they're the quinessential gatekeepers.

Good call re: smart. Totally forgot about that. And Portland is really the 3 seed in name only after losing nurkic. Having homecourt probably helps even out that series a bit more, though.

[CKRT]

Having Nurkic healthy for this OKC series would've been real interesting.

[HeartBreakKid]

I personally don't get why people like Portland so much every year, they're the quinessential gatekeepers.

Just like the Boston Celtics?

They were the 2nd best team in the conference last year arguably the best where as the Blazers were swept by a mediocre team - so no, not like the Celtics...

And that's ignoring that y'know, the Blazers core has been in tact for a long time and with a couple of them already peaking - where the Celtics were a rebuilding team that improved literally every year with new additions until this one, among adding high lotto pieces (Blazers did not have this), signing all star free agents (Blazers did not do this), and trading for all-stars (Blazers did not do this). So actually, Portland is nothing like the Celtics.

Nice bait though.

[bondom34]

Really think people are sleeping on Portland. Even without Nurk they've been really good and OKC has...not

[GSP]

Marcus Smart is a pretty big hit, I wouldn't underestimate Indiana even without Oladipo.

I'm mainly watching Portland vs OKC to see if one of the teams **** the bed - I personally don't get why people like Portland so much every year, they're the quinessential gatekeepers.

I dont feel like ppl like Portland a lot every year. If anything many thought they werent even gonna make the playoffs this year or had them as an 8th seed (Warriors, Rockets, Thunder, Lakers, Jazz, Nuggets and Pelicans were def ahead of them in preseason rankings by most, then there was some love for the Wolves and i think the Spurs too). They seem to just overperform in the regular season

seems like most are expecting Okc to win it too

[GSP]

I personally don't get why people like Portland so much every year, they're the quinessential gatekeepers.

Just like the Boston Celtics?

They were the 2nd best team in the conference last year arguably the best where as the Blazers were swept by a mediocre team - so no, not like the Celtics...

And that's ignoring that y'know, the Blazers core has been in tact for a long time and with a couple of them already peaking - where the Celtics were a rebuilding team that improved literally every year with new additions until this one, among adding high lotto pieces (Blazers did not have this), signing all star free agents (Blazers did not do this), and trading for all-stars (Blazers did not do this). So actually, Portland is nothing like the Celtics.

Nice bait though.

How were the Pelicans a mediocre team? They were better than any Eastern conference team in last years playoffs. They did better against the Warriors than the Cavs did too

The Pacers were just as impressive against the Cavs as the Celtics too. Celtics also struggled with a mediocre Kidd/Prunty coached team

[HeartBreakKid]

How were the Pelicans a mediocre team?

Middling roster, middling record, middling SRS. There is nothing special about the Pelicans.

They were better than any Eastern conference team in last years playoffs.

Yeah..I don't see them winning the East if they were there.

They did better against the Warriors than the Cavs did too

Stephen Curry was healthy versus the Cavs - he was not healthy vs the Pelicans. The one game the Pelicans won (and really, a gentelmen sweep is nothing to brag about) Steph Curry played dreadfully.

You realize the dominance a team has to have over another to defeat a team 4-0? The Pelicans were nowhere near good enough to justify a sweep over the Blazers.

The Pacers were just as impressive against the Cavs as the Celtics too

The Pacers are a good team.

Celtics also struggled with a mediocre Kidd/Prunty coached team

The Bucks are a good team and have a superstar...they were tough to beat despite Jason Kidd - also, the Celtics were not at full strength during the playoffs.

Comparing the Blazers to the Celtics is laughable. Not only are the Celtics better than the Blazers, but over the past few years they have had totally different situations - so for someone to call the Celtics, a rising and improving rebuilding team gatekeepers like the Blazers is beyond me. The Blazers have no ceiling, and haven't had one for years, and they totally went all in with this core that isn't that great (nurkic is there only hope of ever improving).

And no, no one thinks the Blazers will win it all - but every year people do say things like "Damian Lillard is taking a new leaf! He's a force now" - and usually during the off season people come back to earth and go the opposite direction and say the Blazers are trash and won't make the playoffs.

[GSP]

How were the Pelicans a mediocre team?

Middling roster, middling record, middling SRS. There is nothing special about the Pelicans.

They were better than any Eastern conference team in last years playoffs.

Yeah..I don't see them winning the East if they were there.

They did better against the Warriors than the Cavs did too

Stephen Curry was healthy versus the Cavs - he was not healthy vs the Pelicans. The one game the Pelicans won (and really, a gentelmen sweep is nothing to brag about) Steph Curry played dreadfully.

You realize the dominance a team has to have over another to defeat a team 4-0? The Pelicans were nowhere near good enough to justify a sweep over the Blazers.

The Pacers were just as impressive against the Cavs as the Celtics too

The Pacers are a good team.

Celtics also struggled with a mediocre Kidd/Prunty coached team

The Bucks are a good team and have a superstar...they were tough to beat despite Jason Kidd - also, the Celtics were not at full strength during the playoffs.

Comparing the Blazers to the Celtics is laughable. Not only are the Celtics better than the Blazers, but over the past few years they have had totally different situations - so for someone to call the Celtics, a rising and improving rebuilding team gatekeepers like the Blazers is beyond me. The Blazers have no ceiling, and haven't had one for years, and they totally went all in with this core that isn't that great (nurkic is there only hope of ever improving).

And no, no one thinks the Blazers will win it all - but every year people do say things like "Damian Lillard is taking a new leaf! He's a force now" - and usually during the off season people come back to earth and go the opposite direction and say the Blazers are trash and won't make the playoffs.

The Pelicans had a better Srs than the Cavs and only 2 less wins. This is with playing in the far superior conference too. Mirotic was injured alot of the year too. In those 30 games he played the Pelicans were a level above any East team in the playoffs. And he was healthy for the playoffs so the games he played is relevant. And u can narrow it down to the post Cousins games too since he was done.

I dont buy the Steph injury excuse that much for that series. In the game he came back he complete tore up the Pelicans. He played bad in the next game but nowhere near as bad as game 3 against the Cavs. Steph always has at least that one stinker in a series.

The Celtics were not a full strength but thats the point. The fact that a team led by Horford, Rozier and Tatum were a game away from making the finals just shows how **** the conference was.

Im not sure how u can say the Pelicans were a mediocre team and then say the Bucks were good. Pelicans had a better record, 12th best Srs (VS 20th and negative for the Bucks) and they were better on both ends of the court. Davis/Jrue were among the best duos in the league that season. And they were playing great ball with them, Niko, Rondo and Moore. Their depth after that sucked but having a superstar, fringe all-Nba and all defense guard, one of the best spacers/shooters among bigs, Rondo stepping u in the playoffs made them deadly. I think theyd beat anyone in the East in a series.

Pacers werent the same team they are this year. Their depth was far worse as the players didnt develop yet. They were 0-7 without Dipo and in general lived and died depending on if he was on the court or not. Its similar to the Bucks who were just bad outside of Giannis and Middleton. Nowhere near the same team they are now

[bondom34]

Portland won 4 more games with a better SRS. Don't see what's laughable. Dame's been the 3rd best guard in the NBA this year.

[Dr Spaceman]

The way the seeding shook out hurt the Rockets title odds for sure. Right now I’d have GSW as very slight favorites with HCA and thus very slight favorites to come out of the West. I actually think the road to the Finals will be easier for the Warriors than whoever wins the east which will be a first in a long long time.

Out East I have the Raptors as slight favorites over the Bucks because I’m not sure about the Bucks with all the injuries and I just believe the Raptors talent is more tested and proven.

Overall it’s a four team race for me. I’d have Warriors as slight favorites over the East champions and East champions as slight favorites over the Rockets due to their harder SOS and 3 consecutive road series.

People are far too deferential to GSW this year. They are not good enough to be heavy title favorites. I have them as overall favorites due to how east the 1st and third rounds will be for them, but any of the other top 4 teams beating them would not be a surprise. I’d currently have HOU beating GSW as about a 45% outcome (last year I had HOU as favorites at about 53%).

[Jim Naismith]

Portland won 4 more games with a better SRS. Don't see what's laughable. Dame's been the 3rd best guard in the NBA this year.

Was 2nd best in 2018 RS.

[bondom34]

Portland won 4 more games with a better SRS. Don't see what's laughable. Dame's been the 3rd best guard in the NBA this year.

Was 2nd best in 2018 RS.

I'd still take Curry.