RD 1 GAME 7: LAC (3-3) @ DEN (3-3)—SAT 5/3 4:30 PM, TNT

[KL2]

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[esqtvd]

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Ass.



Then they went a combined 11-34 and 2-16 from 3, as the Clippers were eliminated in Game 6, 114-101. Ass.

[Ballings7]

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Ass.



Then they went a combined 11-34 and 2-16 from 3, as the Clippers were eliminated in Game 6, 114-101. Ass.

I can see where PG13's coming from, but its been pretty routine for Harden to under deliver or, just not at all in bigger playoff games. From OKC to now.

Harden was a dynamo in the Spurs series in 2012, then was largely a non-factor in the finals against Miami. This was as a 6th man.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/james-harden-2012-playoff-stats-vs-spurs

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/james-harden-2012-finals-stats

Its just unfortunate how its continued on for so long, in nearly all the final-series he's played in.

[MartinToVaught]

He was also horrible in the NCAA Tournament at ASU. 1-8 with 4 turnovers in a win against Temple, followed by 2-10 (0-5 from three) in a double-digit loss to Syracuse. The red flags were always there.

[KL2]

Of course

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[Bobbymcgee]

Frustrating seeing Jokic struggle against Alex Caruso after seeing how much the Clippers role players struggled against him.

[esqtvd]

Frustrating seeing Jokic struggle against Alex Caruso after seeing how much the Clippers role players struggled against him.

Out of gas, I think. They were out of it early. Just got run off the court.

Clippers did well against Joker. Held him at or below his season averages. It was the rest who beat us, and really, just Game 7.

Code: Select all

REGULAR SEASON
M         FGs        FG%     3-pt   3-pt%     FTs      FT%   REB   AST    BLK   STL   PF    TO    PTS         
36.7   11.2-19.5   57.6   2.0-4.7   41.7   5.2-6.4   80.0   12.7   10.2   0.6   1.8   2.3   3.3   29.6
VS CLIPS, QUARTERFINALS
40.0    9.1-18.3   50.0   2.0-4.4   45.2   3.7-5.3   70.3   11.6   10.1   0.9   2.3   2.9   3.4   24.0

[esqtvd]

Of course

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Russ be Russ. But MPJ was pretty much as bad vs OKC. 7.4 ppg, 32%/25%. For 36 MILLION dollars a year. Playing alongside Joker and Murray. Russ playing for close to the minimum, with the crap bench. Can't hang it on him.

https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/4278104/michael-porter-jr

[clipperlover]

If anything, the Denver-OKC series should show we weren't as bad as people think. Their series with OKC was almost exactly like our series vs them. We both blew opportunities to go up 3-1 and then lost Game 5, won Game 6 at Home and then crushed in Game 7.

We got Denver when they were fresher. OKC got Denver with a one armed MPJ and a Game 7 where Gordon was toughing it out with a pulled hammy. Their series like ours though was impacted by role players not stepping up when the team had a chance to go up 3-1. Batum and Dunn were a combined 2-15 from the field (2-12 from 3) in the first weekend home playoff Game in Intuit. Should have been a time for them to shine.

Wonder if anyone is still lamenting not having Kenny Atkinson as the coach?

I actually wonder if Ballmer would move Ty Lue upstairs and go out and get Mike Malone? Malone had issues with the last 2 owners and that led to his firing, so don't know if he could hang with Ballmer.

[clipperlover]

Of course

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Russ be Russ. But MPJ was pretty much as bad vs OKC. 7.4 ppg, 32%/25%. For 36 MILLION dollars a year. Playing alongside Joker and Murray. Russ playing for close to the minimum, with the crap bench. Can't hang it on him.

https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/4278104/michael-porter-jr

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[MartinToVaught]

If anything, the Denver-OKC series should show we weren't as bad as people think. Their series with OKC was almost exactly like our series vs them. We both blew opportunities to go up 3-1 and then lost Game 5, won Game 6 at Home and then crushed in Game 7.

It'd be easier to accept this logic if this isn't how the playoffs go for us every year regardless of the opponent, including the team that beat us losing in the next round. It's the same old story and it's obviously never going to change until the organization finally decides it's had enough of being perennial losers and makes real substantive changes.

Wonder if anyone is still lamenting not having Kenny Atkinson as the coach?

Kenny isn't the Cavs' problem. They have a poorly constructed roster with no true #1 and fit issues in both the frontcourt and backcourt. If anything, it's impressive he won 64 games with that team. J.B. Bickerstaff, who just finished second to Atkinson in CotY voting, couldn't even crack 50 wins with the same team.

I still wish we had kept Kenny over Lue. The downgrade in coaching quality since he left has been glaring.

I actually wonder if Ballmer would move Ty Lue upstairs

To do what? Scout all the players 38 and older? If Ballmer ever loses faith in Lue, the only rational move is to fire him.

[clipperlover]

Kenny isn't the Cavs' problem. They have a poorly constructed roster with no true #1 and fit issues in both the frontcourt and backcourt. If anything, it's impressive he won 64 games with that team. J.B. Bickerstaff, who just finished second to Atkinson in CotY voting, couldn't even crack 50 wins with the same team.

2022-2023 - Cavs 51 wins 1st round exist
2023-2024 - Cavs 48 wins Semis exit against the eventual NBA champion. Lost Jarrett Allen for the entire Boston series and Mitchell for games 4-5. Started series on road and won Game in Boston. Pacers won no games vs Boston in ECF and Dallas didn't win until down 3-0.

2024-2025 - Cavs brought in DeAndre Huenter.

Bickerstaff had more playoff wins with that team last year than Atkinson had career playoff games coached before this season. Bickerstaff took over a 14 win team and had them going toe to toe with a very good Knicks team. Atkinson led Cavs to 64 wins, but got booted in the second round while losing all 3 home games in the semis.

[MartinToVaught]

You're right, I don't know how I missed Bickerstaff barely clearing the 50-win milestone in '23 before regressing the following year. It still doesn't change my point that Kenny got a much better regular season out of the same flawed roster than Bickerstaff ever could.

The Knicks series in 2023 was an embarrassment that you're glossing over. The Cavs were overwhelmingly picked to win that series and they got their asses kicked in five games while only having the lead for 48 total minutes. IIRC, Jarrett Allen's infamous quote that "the lights were brighter than expected" came from the aftermath of that chokejob. You're also ignoring how much they struggled to put away an offensively-limited Magic team in the first round the following year. I don't see how their playoff performance was any better under Bickerstaff than it was this year. The only reason it feels that way is because Bickerstaff didn't get them to overachieve in the regular season and make people think they were much better than they truly are. Coaching is important, but it can only do so much when you're reliant on regular-season-only players like Allen, Garland, and Ty Jerome and your #1 would be more of a #2 or 3 on an actual contender.