Around The NBA: 2019-20 RESTART

MrSparkle · Post #741 » by **MrSparkle** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 2:50 am

dice wrote:
MrSparkle wrote:Uhm. What a terrible call.

both terrible, cancelled each other out, fortunately

Middleton is such a chump for the max money. Terrible 3P shot with a bail-out. But hey, he sank the 3 FTs.

huh? he's a terrific shooter and got a clean look w/ the clock winding down. was there a comparable shooter wide open or something?

Eh. He's a very solid player but the last 2 years watching him in post-season, I get Hinrich vibes when it comes to making the clutch shot (as in, 'no chance'). It's not his fault he's being asked to essentially be the #1 option at the end of games (though atleast he's paid to do it).

Post #742 » by **DASMACKDOWN** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 3:06 am

Im starting to really think Harden gets tight when it comes to the playoffs.

The excuse the last few years was he had so much scoring load he was tired when it came to the playoffs. But this season he has non of those excuses.

Harden with another stinker for game 7 so far.

Post #743 » by **DuckIII** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 3:39 am

DASMACKDOWN wrote:Im starting to really think Harden gets tight when it comes to the playoffs.

The excuse the last few years was he had so much scoring load he was tired when it came to the playoffs. But this season he has non of those excuses.

Harden with another stinker for game 7 so far.

He’s a choke artist bum. The Rockets are such a fraud team. Nothing would make me happier than them losing to the team they traded their future to in order to “contend” now.

Post #744 » by **DuckIII** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 3:40 am

Not to be, sadly.

dice · Post #745 » by **dice** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 3:49 am

i know he came down with it, but was dort the first to touch the ball in the air? 'cause both he and harden contested from out of bounds. if harden grazed it first the ball should have gone to OKC

and why didn't dort turn to shoot when he came down with the ball in bounds?

Grodoboldo · Post #746 » by **Grodoboldo** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 3:53 am

So many blunders by OKC to finish this game. What a pity.

dice · Post #747 » by **dice** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 3:54 am

DuckIII wrote:Not to be, sadly.

i take it you want lebron to get to the WCF now?

kodo · Post #748 » by **kodo** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 3:56 am

Two great games tonight and the endings of both were unwatchable whistle fests.

"Both games not the finest night for whistle blowers." One of the only times I have to agree with Mark Jackson.

Post #749 » by **DASMACKDOWN** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 3:56 am

I give Harden credit for the defensive play of the game. Dort was meant to hit that game winning 3.

PaKii94 · Post #750 » by **PaKii94** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 3:57 am

Man I miss Jimmy so much

:cry:

Post #751 » by **DASMACKDOWN** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 3:57 am

Well Dantoni and Morey, you survive to play another series.

MrFortune3 · Post #752 » by **MrFortune3** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 4:50 am

DASMACKDOWN wrote:Well Dantoni and Morey, you survive to play another series.

It will be really interesting to see the series between the Lakers and Rockets. I don't think small ball is going to go well vs the Lakers if AD and LeBron play up to their abilities but we will see.

BullsFTW · Post #753 » by **BullsFTW** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 4:57 am

PaKii94 wrote:Man I miss Jimmy so much

It’s just sad we couldn’t build around him.

I love the way the Heat are playing. Everyone engaged sharing the ball and playing defense. It’s the culture they’ve built. Hopefully things will change in Chicago.

Dresden · Post #754 » by **Dresden** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 5:52 am

Grodoboldo wrote:So many blunders by OKC to finish this game. What a pity.

Yeah, they made a mess of their final few possessions. What are they doing inbounding to Adams, with his back to the basket, 20' from the basket, with 1.1 sec left? Completely pointless.

Dresden · Post #755 » by **Dresden** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 5:53 am

BullsFTW wrote:
PaKii94 wrote:Man I miss Jimmy so much

It’s just sad we couldn’t build around him.

I love the way the Heat are playing. Everyone engaged sharing the ball and playing defense. It’s the culture they’ve built. Hopefully things will change in Chicago.

To me, it looks like another "little engine that could" sort of team. They have to play very hard every game to win. Sooner or later that catches up to you. Although kudos to them if they do beat MIL.

MrFortune3 · Post #756 » by **MrFortune3** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 5:59 am

Dresden wrote:
BullsFTW wrote:
PaKii94 wrote:Man I miss Jimmy so much

It’s just sad we couldn’t build around him.

I love the way the Heat are playing. Everyone engaged sharing the ball and playing defense. It’s the culture they’ve built. Hopefully things will change in Chicago.

To me, it looks like another "little engine that could" sort of team. They have to play very hard every game to win. Sooner or later that catches up to you. Although kudos to them if they do beat MIL.

Maybe but that's the recipe that worked for the Raptors last year.

Post #757 » by **DASMACKDOWN** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 12:14 pm

Read on Twitter

What do you think of this?

I dont necessarily think he is a Pippen. But he needs a closer. This is no different then Embiid. Jimmy was the closer that was needed.

To me Giannis and Mid arent a perfect pairing in my opinion. No disrespect to Khris Middletn but to me he is more like a rich mans #3 guy. And Giannis obviously is a #1 but he is flawed because he isnt a shooter.

Shaq and Kobe was alltime great together, because when the game was on the line, Kobe could be the one that was clutch and deliver. Shaq during the title runs was a better player but in the final moments, you couldnt trust Shaq the same way you trust Kobe.

The rest of the guys are just solid role players. One needs to be the closer with Giannis.

Post #758 » by **dougthonus** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 12:24 pm

dice wrote:
DuckIII wrote:Not to be, sadly.

i take it you want lebron to get to the WCF now?

I'm firmly in the "anyone but LA" camp, so I'll pull for the Nuggets and Rockets. Though, to be honest, I don't like any of the teams left in the west really. Would have loved to see Blazers, Thunder, or Mavs advance. Nuggets are probably my favorite team left on that side of the bracket.

Both LA teams feature things you generally don't root for as a neutral fan: Mercenary super stars and guys who've already won a bunch.

Leslie Forman · Post #759 » by **Leslie Forman** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 1:42 pm

DASMACKDOWN wrote:To me Giannis and Mid arent a perfect pairing in my opinion. No disrespect to Khris Middletn but to me he is more like a rich mans #3 guy. And Giannis obviously is a #1 but he is flawed because he isnt a shooter.

MIddleton has been good. The problem is that Giannis has absolutely no gravity, which is really unusual for a supposed #1 option today. So your role players like Matthews, Lopez, Connaughton, etc. are not going to have an easy time.

Of course, this could have been negated by having at least another Middleton-ish guy who can dribble/pass/shoot to lessen the reliance on Giannis, like, oh I don't know, a Malcolm Brogdon or something. If only Milwaukee could have ever had a guy like that…

FriedRise · Post #760 » by **FriedRise** » Thu Sep 3, 2020 2:04 pm

Man Milwaukee's in trouble. Miami is mostly doing single coverage on Giannis (and collapsing for some help defense when he gets too deep) and daring him to shoot or sending him to the line, but they are very diligent at staying home on all the Bucks shooters. Nobody can get in a rhythm. It's kinda the same strategy that you'd use against LeBron; never double him so he can't be a playmaker. Your team has a better chance to win if the #1 option is doing most of the scoring damage while no one else is doing much.

They're throwing different guys too at him. Butler, Crowder, Jones, sometimes Adebayo... everyone's an elite defender. Miami has so many of these 6'6-6'9 2-way forwards (while we have... Otto? maybe?). That's how you build a team in 2020 and why we're so far from contending.