Around the NBA (and other Sports) 2022-23, Part 2

[Darthlukey]

Westbrook shooting 3-18

Clipps were +9 with him on the bench

Bunch of winning plays here in the fourth. Before he chucked up a three lol.

He was amazing in the final minute: 2 offensive rebounds, 2/2 fts, a block and a hustle play to regain possession vs book. Amazing. But, would they have even needed the heroics if he didnt shoot 3/19 from the field?

[threrf23]

I mean, don't get me wrong, Russ has always been a remarkable player in his own right.

But like, even in the closing minutes tonight, bricked a three and then forced a drive/shot with 20 seconds left (drew a whistle but it could have easily backfired). Clippers have better options, particularly on a night where he is not effective as a scorer.

[ConstableGeneva]

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What was the point of trading for him? Decoy? Lol. Suns fans turning on Monty quicker than Cs fans do on Joe.

[flintsky21]

Call me crazy but I think the Lakers are the favorites to come out of the West. Grizzlies with a hobbled Morant is done. Davis is gonna feast on either Sacramento or Golden State's frontcourt in the next round. If the Suns get to the West Finals, they got the best chance of beating the Lakers, because I don't think the Clippers or Nuggets have enough. Lakers is the only team with two top 10-ish players right now, and they've got depth and firepower behind them with Reaves, Russell, Hachimura, and Schroder.

Boston vs LA for banner 18 could be fitting, and hopefully Silver doesn't play god on that one.

[Feed Your Head]

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[zoyathedestroya]

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Too bad Brogs won’t get the ovation until game 1 of ECSF.

[Smart2Nesmith43]

Call me crazy but I think the Lakers are the favorites to come out of the West. Grizzlies with a hobbled Morant is done. Davis is gonna feast on either Sacramento or Golden State's frontcourt in the next round. If the Suns get to the West Finals, they got the best chance of beating the Lakers, because I don't think the Clippers or Nuggets have enough. Lakers is the only team with two top 10-ish players right now, and they've got depth and firepower behind them with Reaves, Russell, Hachimura, and Schroder.

Boston vs LA for banner 18 could be fitting, and hopefully Silver doesn't play god on that one.

Russell got benched in the fourth quarter of playoff games last season. Celtics fans should be well aware of Schröder's shortcomings and Hachimura is a bad shooter who just had the hottest night of his career. Reaves is solid but let's not act like the Lakers supporting cast is anything special. They have a lot of bad shooters in their rotation and just because they made their shots in one game doesn't mean that it will hold over the three series they need to win to get to the finals.

[fallguy]

Call me crazy but I think the Lakers are the favorites to come out of the West. Grizzlies with a hobbled Morant is done. Davis is gonna feast on either Sacramento or Golden State's frontcourt in the next round. If the Suns get to the West Finals, they got the best chance of beating the Lakers, because I don't think the Clippers or Nuggets have enough. Lakers is the only team with two top 10-ish players right now, and they've got depth and firepower behind them with Reaves, Russell, Hachimura, and Schroder.

Boston vs LA for banner 18 could be fitting, and hopefully Silver doesn't play god on that one.

Russell got benched in the fourth quarter of playoff games last season. Celtics fans should be well aware of Schröder's shortcomings and Hachimura is a bad shooter who just had the hottest night of his career. Reaves is solid but let's not act like the Lakers supporting cast is anything special. They have a lot of bad shooters in their rotation and just because they made their shots in one game doesn't mean that it will hold over the three series they need to win to get to the finals.

I think LeBron or AD will break down. But the path is there for them in a super flawed west.

[sam_I_am]

Call me crazy but I think the Lakers are the favorites to come out of the West. Grizzlies with a hobbled Morant is done. Davis is gonna feast on either Sacramento or Golden State's frontcourt in the next round. If the Suns get to the West Finals, they got the best chance of beating the Lakers, because I don't think the Clippers or Nuggets have enough. Lakers is the only team with two top 10-ish players right now, and they've got depth and firepower behind them with Reaves, Russell, Hachimura, and Schroder.

Boston vs LA for banner 18 could be fitting, and hopefully Silver doesn't play god on that one.

Russell got benched in the fourth quarter of playoff games last season. Celtics fans should be well aware of Schröder's shortcomings and Hachimura is a bad shooter who just had the hottest night of his career. Reaves is solid but let's not act like the Lakers supporting cast is anything special. They have a lot of bad shooters in their rotation and just because they made their shots in one game doesn't mean that it will hold over the three series they need to win to get to the finals.

I think LeBron or AD will break down. But the path is there for them in a super flawed west.

If Jokic is a legit 3-peat MVP, Denver should cruise to finals. Everybody knows he may not be able impact at that level in playoffs with the team that’s around him which is why we all think the west is so wide open.

Durant on the Suns is the wildcard. Game 1 however suggests that the subtle signs of age related slide seen last year are real. The guy put up historic shooting numbers (with a huge asterisk because of games played) and remember……he is 25-3 in his last 28 games. However, no FG attempts in last 5 min, 0-7 in last 7 playoffs, the blocked shots and steals all too common now in crunch time that never happened in his peak suggest that age has reduced his ability to be the guy he was against Milwaukee 2 years ago.

It might also just be a lack of familiarity with his teammates and rust. I could also see KD asserting himself and the Suns winning 10 straight with KD playing like an MVP.

[flintsky21]

Call me crazy but I think the Lakers are the favorites to come out of the West. Grizzlies with a hobbled Morant is done. Davis is gonna feast on either Sacramento or Golden State's frontcourt in the next round. If the Suns get to the West Finals, they got the best chance of beating the Lakers, because I don't think the Clippers or Nuggets have enough. Lakers is the only team with two top 10-ish players right now, and they've got depth and firepower behind them with Reaves, Russell, Hachimura, and Schroder.

Boston vs LA for banner 18 could be fitting, and hopefully Silver doesn't play god on that one.

Russell got benched in the fourth quarter of playoff games last season. Celtics fans should be well aware of Schröder's shortcomings and Hachimura is a bad shooter who just had the hottest night of his career. Reaves is solid but let's not act like the Lakers supporting cast is anything special. They have a lot of bad shooters in their rotation and just because they made their shots in one game doesn't mean that it will hold over the three series they need to win to get to the finals.

Russell has been miscast as a 2nd or even 1st option his whole career. As a third guy playing behind 2 All-NBAers, he's perfect. Same with Schroder. He's bad a main PG, but is quite valuable as someone who comes off the bench to put up points and apply pressure against opposing defenses. Hachimura, for all his flaws, is another reliable double digit scorer off the bench. AD, Reaves, Vando, Troy Brown and a locked-in LeBron gives them good enough D.

The Lakers as a 7th seed is misleading since they're a whole different team since trading Westbrook. They had the 2nd best record in the West after the trade and they didn't even have Lebron for most of those games.

I hate the Lakers with all my heart and I'll be rooting for any Western team (heck even GSW) to take them down but as of now, they're looking pretty legit.

[shackles10]

The Lakers look fairly legit in the West (not favorites imo but legit). Stick them in the East and I think they’re probably 5-6th on a “legit scale”.

[sam_I_am]

Giannis fall looked a lot like Tatum although Tatum landed more on hip than flat of back. Tatum played through that game and next before taking a game off. I think Giannis will be fine for game 2.

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[Parliament10]

Did I really see that Game last night?
Correct me, if I'm wrong. But, did the Heat beat the Bucks?

[Shak_Celts]

Not guessing on outcomes of series, but are we not putting any stock in the teams who won on the road, were the teams who didn't have time off? They came out well oiled because they weren't sitting at home for a week.

Memphis doesn't look like the defensive team they should be, that may be their problem tho. Lakers aren't good and IDC if they best Memphis! I think any other team will beat them. Not even sure Memphis won't but I'm not holding out hope.

Rui can't do that many more times because no one really can, when their name isn't Curry! Reaves has been on my radar most of the season, he reminds me of Pritch, cocky asl and will go into unexpected beast mode now and then. Tough dudes. COCKY! Chip on their shoulders like they been working in the coal mines all their life and no one believed in them. LBJ and Davis are going to eat, but they gotta stop the others. I knew Lakers were going to win when Ja got hot and they couldn't extend their lead, every time he scored the Lakers scored the same! Lakers blew it open in the last couple minutes but they trailed a lot. It wasn't dominant as the score ended up.

[Feed Your Head]

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[London2Boston]

I don’t think Lakers beat Suns or Clippers and Warriors a toss up. They probably beat the rest in the West though.

[zoyathedestroya]

The 2nd best defense didn’t get a single vote for any of their players for DPoY.

[BRUNiNHO91]

Watching these games, maybe I’m talking **** or in for a shock but we just look so much better than everybody else.

[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

Watching these games, maybe I’m talking **** or in for a shock but we just look so much better than everybody else.

We're good for sure, but I think the disparity says more about Atlanta than us IMO.

[Marvel]

Watching these games, maybe I’m talking **** or in for a shock but we just look so much better than everybody else.

It is the Hawks.