2018 -- NBA Games Thread

Post #721 » by **Jamaaliver** » Tue May 15, 2018 3:50 pm

There’s Nothing Average About Al Horford’s Postseason

He may not be thought of as a superstar, but the Celtics’ veteran leader and defensive ace has raised his game in the playoffs. Will the self-effacing big man win over his critics and finally get his due?

What happens when a surprising team’s best player is a self-effacing, defense-first big man? One who is consistently excellent, but doesn’t consistently produce excellent highlights. Who always seems to be in the right spot, but who you don’t always notice unless you make a point to look. Handsome, but not a trendsetter; quotable, but not memorably so.

“I think Al [Horford] set the tone,” Maxwell said of Sunday’s blowout Celtics win. “And to me, he will set the tone for the series. Because if he wins that particular battle [with Kevin Love], I think the Celtics will win the series. Because you’re not gonna stop LeBron James, not for a seven-game series. But what you can do is try to contain him. It’s gonna be the other guys who’ll have to step forward.”

In Game One, Horford was a plus-17, finishing with 20 points, on 8-for-10 shooting, four rebounds, six assists, and two blocks. With Boston in control, he didn’t play in the fourth quarter.

Until this postseason, Horford was perhaps the definition of an other guy. He may be the most underrated star player in the NBA today, and the only one knocked for it. A five-time All-Star, but one who may be thought of as much for being the last pick on his team as for undeniably earning a spot in the game in the first place. He’s averaging 14.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks a game in his 11-year career. His averages went down in the 2017-18 regular season, his first next to Kyrie Irving and second in Boston, yet he may be having his biggest impact.

Horford is top-four in four of eight “hustle” stats during the playoffs, according to NBA.com/Stats, and he’s averaging 17.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. He’s forcing Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, a former teammate in Atlanta, to consider inserting Tristan Thompson into the starting lineup in an attempt to slow him down.

The Ringer

Post #722 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed May 16, 2018 11:42 am

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Post #723 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed May 16, 2018 2:33 pm

Man this is eye-opening

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Post #724 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed May 16, 2018 2:34 pm

Tweet of the day:

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Spud2nique · Post #725 » by **Spud2nique** » Wed May 16, 2018 2:44 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:Tweet of the day:

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Sadly, nobody misses Kyrie...including the league..

macd-gm · Post #726 » by **macd-gm** » Wed May 16, 2018 2:45 pm

Spud2nique wrote:
Jamaaliver wrote:Tweet of the day:

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Sadly, nobody misses Kyrie...including the league..

Hmm. Trying a new angle?

Spud2nique · Post #727 » by **Spud2nique** » Wed May 16, 2018 3:01 pm

macd-gm wrote:
Spud2nique wrote:
Jamaaliver wrote:Tweet of the day:

Read on Twitter

Sadly, nobody misses Kyrie...including the league..

Hmm. Trying a new angle?

Hey, I try all angles all the time. Makes me a good player on the court and a decent poster of realgm!

I still like my..uh our chances-Lebroney

Cavs win 4-3! Book it! They will say the Celtics did a masterful job and this is the team to fear for many years..blah blah blah..u and Jamal will feel warm and fuzzy inside, maybe call and ask Mace for Consuela’s weekend services and we move on with our lives.

Post #728 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed May 16, 2018 6:07 pm

Spud2nique wrote:Sadly, nobody misses Kyrie...including the league..

macd-gm wrote:Hmm. Trying a new angle?

A Cavaliers player called Danny Ainge 'a [expletive] thief' for the Kyrie Irving trade

Before George Hill, Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson combined for exactly five more points in Game 2 of the ECF than Irving, the Cavs learned that the unprotected Brooklyn pick that was the prize of the Irving deal had remained in the eighth spot in what many consider a six- or seven-player draft.

Danny Ainge is a f***ing thief,” he said. No explanation needed. -- Anonymous Cavs Player

What, exactly, did the Cavaliers get for Irving?

the Cavaliers sent him to the Celtics in late August for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, Brooklyn’s 2019 first-round pick and Miami’s 2020 second-round pick.

Zizic is still there. He and Clarkson each earned the “DNP — Coach’s Decision” designation in Tuesday’s loss, and the other three might as well have, combining for five points on seven shots in 56 minutes.

Yahoo Sports

macd-gm · Post #729 » by **macd-gm** » Thu May 17, 2018 4:00 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:
Spud2nique wrote:Sadly, nobody misses Kyrie...including the league..

macd-gm wrote:Hmm. Trying a new angle?

A Cavaliers player called Danny Ainge 'a [expletive] thief' for the Kyrie Irving trade

Before George Hill, Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson combined for exactly five more points in Game 2 of the ECF than Irving, the Cavs learned that the unprotected Brooklyn pick that was the prize of the Irving deal had remained in the eighth spot in what many consider a six- or seven-player draft.

Danny Ainge is a f***ing thief,” he said. No explanation needed. -- Anonymous Cavs Player

What, exactly, did the Cavaliers get for Irving?

the Cavaliers sent him to the Celtics in late August for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, Brooklyn’s 2019 first-round pick and Miami’s 2020 second-round pick.

Zizic is still there. He and Clarkson each earned the “DNP — Coach’s Decision” designation in Tuesday’s loss, and the other three might as well have, combining for five points on seven shots in 56 minutes.
Yahoo Sports

well put

Post #730 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu May 17, 2018 4:51 pm

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Spud2nique · Post #731 » by **Spud2nique** » Fri May 18, 2018 3:30 pm

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?s=20

Spud2nique · Post #732 » by **Spud2nique** » Fri May 18, 2018 3:33 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:
Spud2nique wrote:Sadly, nobody misses Kyrie...including the league..

macd-gm wrote:Hmm. Trying a new angle?

A Cavaliers player called Danny Ainge 'a [expletive] thief' for the Kyrie Irving trade

Before George Hill, Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson combined for exactly five more points in Game 2 of the ECF than Irving, the Cavs learned that the unprotected Brooklyn pick that was the prize of the Irving deal had remained in the eighth spot in what many consider a six- or seven-player draft.

Danny Ainge is a f***ing thief,” he said. No explanation needed. -- Anonymous Cavs Player

What, exactly, did the Cavaliers get for Irving?

the Cavaliers sent him to the Celtics in late August for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, Brooklyn’s 2019 first-round pick and Miami’s 2020 second-round pick.

Zizic is still there. He and Clarkson each earned the “DNP — Coach’s Decision” designation in Tuesday’s loss, and the other three might as well have, combining for five points on seven shots in 56 minutes.
Yahoo Sports

Replace the word “thief” with “Richard”....

Cuz that’s what Danny Ainge really is! I’m sorry if a lot of Hawks fans memory fade but Ainge is a punk.

#lovetreerolls

Post #733 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri May 18, 2018 3:35 pm

Spud2nique wrote:Replace the word “thief” with “Richard”....

Cuz that’s what Danny Ainge really is! I’m sorry if a lot of Hawks fans memory fade but Ainge is a punk.

#lovetreerolls

Now on this we agree.

I respect his acumen as a front office exec.

But dude is incredibly slimy and disingenuous.

kg01 · Post #734 » by **kg01** » Sun May 20, 2018 3:33 am

So on ESPN's awful pregame show, Billups was talking about BOS execution sans Irving and Heyward.

Said stte, "All 5 Selltics could get the last second shot since they don't have a go to guy, blah, blah..."

Isn't it cute how that was considered a weakness for us but now it's a strength when we're talkin Smelltics?

Spud2nique · Post #735 » by **Spud2nique** » Sun May 20, 2018 5:24 am

kg01 wrote:So on ESPN's awful pregame show, Billups was talking about BOS execution sans Irving and Heyward.

Said stte, "All 5 Selltics could get the last second shot since they don't have a go to guy, blah, blah..."

Isn't it cute how that was considered a weakness for us but now it's a strength when we're talkin Smelltics?

Indeed...also Alice only 2 mad fg in 30 min..

7 points
7 rebounds (0 offensive)
4 assists
(-23) (second worse on team, Morris -28)

Post #736 » by **ATL Boy** » Sun May 20, 2018 9:39 am

Cavs in 6. I never doubted Lebron's ability to make it out of the east, dude would be able to take the Hawks to the finals if you inserted him into our current roster (along with the draft picks).

I actually thought they'd sweep Boston going in.

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

Post #737 » by **Jamaaliver** » Sun May 20, 2018 5:49 pm

This was an old fashioned beatdown. Game was largely decided in the 1st quarter.

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Post #738 » by **Jamaaliver** » Sun May 20, 2018 6:00 pm

Tweet of the day:

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__________________________________________________________________
What an oddly specific set of stats:

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Spud2nique · Post #739 » by **Spud2nique** » Sun May 20, 2018 6:10 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:Tweet of the day:

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__________________________________________________________________
What an oddly specific set of stats:

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Post #740 » by **Jamaaliver** » Sun May 20, 2018 6:17 pm

Is it choking?

Maybe.

I see it as his biggest flaw as a Hawk. He's so friggin' passive.