NBA Games Discussion Thread - Part 4

[FAH1223]

They weren't shooting well during the regular season. Also, National TV Rondo is a real thing.

No. Isaiah Thomas is still awful on defense and basically allows Rondo to score when he wants and pick out guys to pass to. The Wizards would slaughter the Bulls in the 2nd round. That's another 5 game series.

I don't think the Wizards slaughter this Chicago. Nope.

Perhaps the Wizards have too much speed for the Bulls in transition. Wall and Beal have young legs compared with Rondo and Wade. Otto would at least make Butler have to defend.

I think the Bulls right now are playing like a totally different team. Washington would have trouble defending Mirotic, Zipser, and Portis on the perimeter.

The good news is the only way Washington plays the Bulls is if they get past Atlanta and Cleveland. Washington would likely be Finals bound.

Actually the winner of ATL/WAS will play the winner of BOS/CHI

Cavs will play Raptors or Bucks in Round 2

[Meliorus]

They weren't shooting well during the regular season. Also, National TV Rondo is a real thing.

No. Isaiah Thomas is still awful on defense and basically allows Rondo to score when he wants and pick out guys to pass to. The Wizards would slaughter the Bulls in the 2nd round. That's another 5 game series.

I don't think the Wizards slaughter this Chicago. Nope.

Perhaps the Wizards have too much speed for the Bulls in transition. Wall and Beal have young legs compared with Rondo and Wade. Otto would at least make Butler have to defend.

I think the Bulls right now are playing like a totally different team. Washington would have trouble defending Mirotic, Zipser, and Portis on the perimeter.

The good news is the only way Washington plays the Bulls is if they get past Atlanta and Cleveland. Washington would likely be Finals bound.

Except Mirotic (34%), Zipser (33%), and Portis (33%) are not good 3 point shooters. I mean come on, those 3 are catastrophically mediocre 3 point shooters. If we can't even defend those 3, then by that logic we should get completely destroyed by Millsap, Hardaway Jr., Dunelavy, Bazemore, Muscala, and Illyasova.

The Bulls are really bad. Offensively, they're a train-wreck. The Celtics have not been a good playoff team and their weakness of rebounding has just been magnified x100 in the playoffs. We don't suffer from the same problem. That's a 5 game series, and should be a sweep but I don't want to get too cocky. These matchups are really falling in the favor of the Wizards. But getting to the ECF was always the optimistic expectation, beating Cleveland is what we should strive for.

Also, we play the Bulls in the 2nd round if we beat Atlanta.

[pineappleheadindc]

Let's go Utah!

[Sluggerface]

How in the world is this Bulls team an eighth seed in the East?

They shoot well, rebound well, and have solid veteran leadership. Rondo, Wade, with Butler is a tough perimeter group.

I think this series is more about Boston's flaw's being magnified in a playoff setting (They have no true center + IT's size disadvantage). They also don't have a particularly strong bench. Chicago is beating them on the boards and finding ways to get into the paint (50 AST in 2 games) and that's been the key difference.

[NatP4]

Before the playoffs, people were starting to talk about how the bulls would make the ECF, I paid no attention to those comments and haven't watched them play at all so far, maybe there is something to those comments. Their fans seem to think they have had some huge turnaround like the Miami heat.

[Jimmy Recard]

What is most disguisting the refs home cooking second game in a row. I really hate IT plays. Guy basicly jumps on defenders and acting like he was shoot of a cannon.
Now if boston lose this series, I can't wait for excuses
IT was in grief, not enough talent, etc
If I ever hear Brad Stevens is top 3 best coaches I will puke. This guy didn't proove he is above average coach.

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Didn't think the refs were that bad to be honest. They're not falling for his crap as much like they were during the season. Guys like Thomas, Derozen and Lou Will just aren't the same players in the playoffs when the officials put their whistles away and stop bailing them out.

[Tricky_Kid]

What is most disguisting the refs home cooking second game in a row. I really hate IT plays. Guy basicly jumps on defenders and acting like he was shoot of a cannon.
Now if boston lose this series, I can't wait for excuses
IT was in grief, not enough talent, etc
If I ever hear Brad Stevens is top 3 best coaches I will puke. This guy didn't proove he is above average coach.

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Didn't think the refs were that bad to be honest. They're not falling for his crap as much like they were during the season. Guys like Thomas, Derozen and Lou Will just aren't the same players in the playoffs when the officials put their whistles away and stop bailing them out.

Speaking of Lou Williams 3-11 in first playoff game I feel a little bit better with Bojan no show in first game

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[Sluggerface]

They weren't shooting well during the regular season. Also, National TV Rondo is a real thing.

No. Isaiah Thomas is still awful on defense and basically allows Rondo to score when he wants and pick out guys to pass to. The Wizards would slaughter the Bulls in the 2nd round. That's another 5 game series.

I don't think the Wizards slaughter this Chicago. Nope.

Perhaps the Wizards have too much speed for the Bulls in transition. Wall and Beal have young legs compared with Rondo and Wade. Otto would at least make Butler have to defend.

I think the Bulls right now are playing like a totally different team. Washington would have trouble defending Mirotic, Zipser, and Portis on the perimeter.

The good news is the only way Washington plays the Bulls is if they get past Atlanta and Cleveland. Washington would likely be Finals bound.

Eh, I don't see it. Boston's achilles heel all season has been their rebounding. They've gotten more rebounds than us during the reg season due to having a slightly better defense, but as a percentage of available rebounds? They're quite low in the league. Chicago is a bit high (top 10) and like I said they're exploiting match up advantages so the issue is even further compounded by Boston's defense evaporating.

I don't see Chicago having their way on the boards against Washington unless Gortat gets injured and Mahinmi isn't healthy enough for a return. I still give them the edge due to rebounding talent, but they don't have the match up advantage like they have against Boston.

[Sluggerface]

Before the playoffs, people were starting to talk about how the bulls would make the ECF, I paid no attention to those comments and haven't watched them play at all so far, maybe there is something to those comments. Their fans seem to think they have had some huge turnaround like the Miami heat.

TBH I would call whoever was making those comments delusional. The Bulls bench is still pretty bad and they went 7-3 to close the season against a completely cupcake schedule (6 games to close the season against tanking teams)

[nate33]

If I ever hear Brad Stevens is top 3 best coaches I will puke. This guy didn't proove he is above average coach.

I see it the other way around. The fact that Brad Stevens coached that mediocre roster up to the #1 seed in the East is damn impressive.

[Meliorus]

If I ever hear Brad Stevens is top 3 best coaches I will puke. This guy didn't proove he is above average coach.

I see it the other way around. The fact that Brad Stevens coached that mediocre roster up to the #1 seed in the East is damn impressive.

Yea, people forget, IT was a no-defense inefficient chucker in Sacramento. He was simply a bad player. Stevens somehow made the guy into an offensive savant and hid his defensive weaknesses to a brilliant degree.

The only good player on that team is a washed up Al Horford who is not even playing the right position. Every other player on that roster can be argued as a product of Brad Stevens's coaching.

[Mojo Amok]

Boston's roster is really gross - almost every player there has their strengths mitigated by borderline catastrophic weaknesses. The physicality of their interior in particular is disgusting.

Chicago made them look like the Washington Generals. Paul Zipser would be one of Boston's absolute top guys.

[sfam]

How in the world is this Bulls team an eighth seed in the East?

They shoot well, rebound well, and have solid veteran leadership. Rondo, Wade, with Butler is a tough perimeter group.

I think this series is more about Boston's flaw's being magnified in a playoff setting (They have no true center + IT's size disadvantage). They also don't have a particularly strong bench. Chicago is beating them on the boards and finding ways to get into the paint (50 AST in 2 games) and that's been the key difference.

That and ChiTown's starting line-up is filled with playoff tested closers. Wade and Butler is not who you want to see on the other side in a close 4th quarter. Rondo is playing like he did back on the Celtics.

In the same way Atlanta is a great series for us in that Gortat is engaged by Howard, Morris wants to beat up the Stretch 4 and Wall wants revenge, this series is gold for Rondo. He clearly relishes playing well in the garden.

They have the right strategy - make someone other than Thomas beat them. Boston's other players can suck hard for stretches. Horford at least looked like someone lit a match under him at halftime.

[Tricky_Kid]

This Bulls-Wizards series will be dog fight. Can't wait

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[CobraCommander]

Meh, Wade hasn't done much, but Rondo has been amazing.

He's played very well in my eyes (of course when you don't compare it to Miami Wade). He went way above the rim last game for a block. Shocked me.

He has the old man Jordan vibe going on.

Wade certainly put them away late in the 4th. Impressive.

Yep....rondo wade and butler is gellin

[CobraCommander]

Before the playoffs, people were starting to talk about how the bulls would make the ECF, I paid no attention to those comments and haven't watched them play at all so far, maybe there is something to those comments. Their fans seem to think they have had some huge turnaround like the Miami heat.

They are going to get swept by the Wiz. I saw them play against the Wiz and they dont have an answer for our team. Man for Man (apart from Porter vs Butler) we have better players and a significantly better coach. Thier only possible advantage is experience. They are beating the celtics because Isiah is being exposed defensively as we knew he would in the playoffs- they are not getting rebounds when it matters and honestly Isiah seems to be there only reliable offensive threat. They Bulls put Jimmy Butler on Isiah and Isiah had trouble. I dare them try that with Wall and leave Wade or Rondo on Beal -

[CobraCommander]

This Bulls-Wizards series will be dog fight. Can't wait

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CANT WAIT!!!!

[Mojo Amok]

They are going to get swept by the Wiz. I saw them play against the Wiz and they dont have an answer for our team. Man for Man (apart from Porter vs Butler) we have better players and a significantly better coach. Their only possible advantage is experience. They are beating the celtics because Isiah is being exposed defensively as we knew he would in the playoffs- they are not getting rebounds when it matters and honestly Isiah seems to be there only reliable offensive threat. They Bulls put Jimmy Butler on Isiah and Isiah had trouble. I dare them try that with Wall and leave Wade or Rondo on Beal -

Yeah, Thomas wasn't even all that reliable as an offensive threat either. He did get a number of free throws, but he went all out for some more in a manner that was going to be a turnover or a really bad miss if he didn't get the call - those blew up in his face.

Celtics were a mess - Thomas yelling at Smart on the court, Smart flicks off the crowd , Rondo repeatedly says "they're quitting" within earshot of Avery Bradley, who agrees, noting guys were hanging heads (not faulting Bradley specifically; he was being candid to the media).

Now at least some portion of the team is about to travel to Washington State for a really depressing and emotional funeral?

This is going so badly that you can't really bring back the same team and Free Agency shopping looks grim.

They've got loads of guys up for new contracts in the next two seasons too.....disasters don't get much bigger than this. Their only real solace is the Brooklyn pick.

[I_Like_Dirt]

If I ever hear Brad Stevens is top 3 best coaches I will puke. This guy didn't proove he is above average coach.

In Stevens' defense, I'm not sure what more he's supposed to do. Without him, I think that Celtics team is struggling to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, the tricks he uses to get his sub-par teams to the playoffs don't work in the playoffs, where back to backs don't happen and your ability to coach your depth players doesn't matter nearly as much as the top end quality of the stars you have on your roster.

[closg00]

We would be wise not to look-past ATL just yet, we've won one game. Looks like anything can happen in this ECF race.