Around the NBA - Conference Finals and Finals

[8516knicks]

You cannot lose the rebounds by 11 with Gobert, Randle and Naz. Also Mcdaniels is mad tall for a forward and Ant is the most athletic SG. How the **** is this team losing any rebounds battle ever???

OKC moves quicker to the ball. Youth?

[Wildcat]

Got around to watching the T-Wolves/OKC game. Randle and ANT seemed utterly disconnected to the game. Good to see DDV continue his good play in the WCF. OKC seemed like they got all of the 50/50 balls.

What a brutal loss for the Wolves, man. Hopefully we don't have to experience that tonight. 2-2.... let's go!

Yeah, very easily could have been the Knicks down 3-0 if KAT didn't come alive with JB playing like trash through three quarters.

[Wildcat]

You cannot lose the rebounds by 11 with Gobert, Randle and Naz. Also Mcdaniels is mad tall for a forward and Ant is the most athletic SG. How the **** is this team losing any rebounds battle ever???

OKC moves quicker to the ball. Youth?

Yeah, I mentioned that. OKC just got their hands on 50/50 balls more than T-Wolves. T-Wolves had a golden opportunity last night and the blew it. Just one of those 50/50 balls was the difference between a W and a L.

[mpharris36]

Listen, the rest of the forum would like to read certain threads without he same back and forth over the same player(s) all the time.

If you want to take it to the next level go to the Hamsterdam thread where you can call out anyone you would like but keep it in there please.

Obviously the performance of a player still in the playoffs is well within the around the NBA conversation I understand that but the personal baiting and overrunning of every thread simply has to stop. And this goes for both sides! You know who you are.

[HopelessKnick]

Damn Randle

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He wasn't built for NY. Out of his own mouth.

Hopefully this will help his Stans have some closure so they can get off the fence about which team they are supporting right now.

Whether one likes it or not, the statement itself likely rings true for a majority of players---hence why we have over and over been baffled by players dodging playing for the Knicks when we thought they'd embrace the opportunity.

[Guano]

Imagine if Karl posted 5 points. I can only think about what would be said about him on here.

Smh. Very sad.

Idk what you mean were a pretty forgiving group who freely gives grace.

[Guano]

Damn Randle

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The audacity of him saying it wasn't fun when most of the time it wasn't fun for US!

[Iron Mantis]

I doubt the Timberwolves role players have another night like that. Wasted opportunity. 3-1 deficit is extremely tough to overcome.

Ant not getting up at least 20 shots is crazy.

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[HopelessKnick]

What some already said: Inexcusable for the T-Wolves to lose the rebounding battle like that. That to me was the biggest difference in the game. All their role players played pretty well. Everyone except Edwards and Randle. This type of game is exactly why I don't 100% trust Edwards yet. He is still a level below the alltime greats really. Imagine Jordan or Kobe or so in a crucial game 4 with only 2 shots at the half. Unimaginable. I love Edwards and if it was up to me he'd be the best player in the league but he seems so tentative sometimes.

The difference between someone like Finch and Thibs: Finch throws Shannon in there and I thought Shannon really shifted the energy of the game in a way where things got even between the two teams. I mean we are talking a 24 year old rookie that barely played during the regular season. You just know that Thibs would not be capable or creative enough to pull off something like this in a million million years.

But overall give it up for OKC. They approach everything the right way and will be the deserving champions. Presti has done a masterclass really rebuilding that team and they are set up to contend for multiple titles. Their success is very deserving.

[Guano]

Not to go full chanel here, cause I didnt watch the game, but how does ant only habe 16 points in that must win game. I saw he only had 2 shots in the first half. Thats inexcusable. Disappointing.

[robillionaire]

It’s me I’m both sides lol

If Randle wasn’t built for NY he’d never have upped his game to the point of winning most improved player and making 3 all star teams and 2 all nba teams when he was a mid bench player before he got here. So all things considered he was pretty successful in NY. But at the same time he wasn’t good enough to lead us to a championship nor was he mentally strong enough to be the fall guy for everything that goes wrong with the Knicks. It’s not that bad to play here when you aren’t the designated fall guy like he was. I’m not sure who it is now. Maybe 50/50 split on Thibs or Towns. Which is hilarious since we’re in the conference finals and defeated the nba champs and towns just carried us to our only ECF win in a quarter century. Anyway whatever glad we got towns and best of luck to juju in game 5 he’ll need it

Edwards is also a bit overrated imo. I’m amazed they only lost by 2 points given the Thunder scored a ton of points and the wolves top guys didn’t show up

[god shammgod]

speaking of...is melo back from suspension yet

[god shammgod]

ant is 23. he's not supposed to be good enough yet. guys like bron who make the finals that young are outliers.

[3toheadmelo]

speaking of...is melo back from suspension yet

[HopelessKnick]

Not to go full chanel here, cause I didnt watch the game, but how does ant only habe 16 points in that must win game. I saw he only had 2 shots in the first half. Thats inexcusable. Disappointing.

He sometimes just gets passive. He really does not seem to like to take contested shots but I feel what was most dissapointing was his lack of aggression going to the basket. With his explosiveness and athleticism he ought to force the action more. You put a Kobe or Jordan in that same game and have their bench deliver 50points and there is no way they are losing this game.

Ant should look into developing more of a midrange game as well. When his 3 pointer is not dropping or taken away he does not have that much to go to...the sporadic drive and that's it. On the flip side he made two consecutive WCFs which is a good accomplishment.

[HopelessKnick]

ant is 23. he's not supposed to be good enough yet. guys like bron who make the finals that young are outliers.

That's certainly true to a degree but the difference to me is that Lebron at that age really was unable to hit an outside shot in a playoff situation under almost any circumstances. Like at some point he missed 16 straight open midrange jumpers against the Spurs in the finals. Ant is already a great shooter and a freak athlete...he can draw fouls and everything...and he can demand the ball right away and bring it up...it remains to me unclear why he sometimes completely dissapears.

[god shammgod]

ant is 23. he's not supposed to be good enough yet. guys like bron who make the finals that young are outliers.

That's certainly true to a degree but the difference to me is that Lebron at that age really was unable to hit an outside shot in a playoff situation under almost any circumstances. Like at some point he missed 16 straight open midrange jumpers against the Spurs in the finals. Ant is already a great shooter and a freak athlete...he can draw fouls and everything...and he can demand the ball right away and bring it up...it remains to me unclear why he sometimes completely dissapears.

you grow mentally too though, not just your game. he's still in the last year of his rookie deal. got a whole career ahead of him yet.

[Guano]

Not to go full chanel here, cause I didnt watch the game, but how does ant only habe 16 points in that must win game. I saw he only had 2 shots in the first half. Thats inexcusable. Disappointing.

He sometimes just gets passive. He really does not seem to like to take contested shots but I feel what was most dissapointing was his lack of aggression going to the basket. With his explosiveness and athleticism he ought to force the action more. You put a Kobe or Jordan in that same game and have their bench deliver 50points and there is no way they are losing this game.

Ant should look into developing more of a midrange game as well. When his 3 pointer is not dropping or taken away he does not have that much to go to...the sporadic drive and that's it. On the flip side he made two consecutive WCFs which is a good accomplishment.

Agree with the lack of aggression. Seems like he lets the gameplan or what the defense is giving him dictate his game too much.

That few attempts in a must win game is inexcusable. Take it to them force some action.

But also like you said he is still really young and already making his mark. It takes the greats some time to complete the task. He will eventually get there.

[sol537]

Not to go full chanel here, cause I didnt watch the game, but how does ant only habe 16 points in that must win game. I saw he only had 2 shots in the first half. Thats inexcusable. Disappointing.

He sometimes just gets passive. He really does not seem to like to take contested shots but I feel what was most dissapointing was his lack of aggression going to the basket. With his explosiveness and athleticism he ought to force the action more. You put a Kobe or Jordan in that same game and have their bench deliver 50points and there is no way they are losing this game.

Ant should look into developing more of a midrange game as well. When his 3 pointer is not dropping or taken away he does not have that much to go to...the sporadic drive and that's it. On the flip side he made two consecutive WCFs which is a good accomplishment.

OKC has Dort draped over him all game and then they always have help ready for quick traps on any drives or picks he gets. It's a smothering style of defense but it was one of the reasons why all the role players got lots of good looks (and they knocked most of them down). So it's a strategic risk by OKC... if OKC wasn't blazing hot themselves, they probably lose this game with this strategy. They didn't expect the Wolves role players to shoot 50% from three. Also, Randle was a negative this game so that helped OKC's game plan.

I like the plan. Sell out to slow down Ant and Randle... let everyone else try to beat you.

[Capn'O]

ant is 23. he's not supposed to be good enough yet. guys like bron who make the finals that young are outliers.

That's certainly true to a degree but the difference to me is that Lebron at that age really was unable to hit an outside shot in a playoff situation under almost any circumstances. Like at some point he missed 16 straight open midrange jumpers against the Spurs in the finals. Ant is already a great shooter and a freak athlete...he can draw fouls and everything...and he can demand the ball right away and bring it up...it remains to me unclear why he sometimes completely dissapears.

you grow mentally too though, not just your game. he's still in the last year of his rookie deal. got a whole career ahead of him yet.

While I agree generally, I'm less sold on Ant than I now am on say, Cade Cunningham. Ant's approach is pretty wildly inconsistent and tends to settle when things turn on him. Cade's approach is consistent but the results aren't always there.

Cade keeps attacking and he's developing a midrange.