2020 NBA Playoff discussion

[Bogyo]

Bucks fans want Budenholzer gone. He's exactly the type of coach who has a system, that works if you have the right players to spread the floor, and especially if you have a superstar (Milwaukee) or multiple stars (Atlanta), but he's not an adjustment coach, and I don't think he necessarily makes his players better as players. Sure their stats may look better because he does have a good offensive system, but compare him to Spoelstra, Stevens, Nurse, etc, and you can see how those guys are very good at molding and developing their players, getting them to have the right mindset for a playoff atmosphere, are good at game adjustments, and just all the things that are really important when you face a team in a series and can learn their tendencies, adjust, get your players to dig deep by having that connection with them because you helped develop and mold them into the players they are today.

Change of coach might be a good thing, but I'm not sure you could do a LOT better with that group of guys. I mean who is going to make Bledsoe a top 15 PG now in this league with those knees? Who will turn back time for Matthews or Korver? How will he make the Lopez bros better (and younger?)... I don't really see it. If Giannis learns to hit a jumper, maybe they can win it next year if they are healthy and have a bit of luck, but that is a tall order imho.

Well they had the best record in the NBA the last couple of years. They just don't' make the necessary adjustments, but Miami is very tough. Giannis should have played more than 34 minutes in a must win game too. They should have kept Brogdon though. He was perfect for that team.

Regular season record in the weak east is one thing, winning it all is another. It can be achieved on the back of one physically gifted star for sure - see: Shaq, Orlando days. I do not like ONE other player (other than Giannis) for what they do, at what position, at that salary in the role they play for that team - especially going forward. They are all just whatever, meh, just another guy, or overpaid for their role, or old and washed.

*edit: DiVicenzo is the exemption to this rule, but he ain't a world beater either, maybe a lesser version of Herro... should I be excited about this going forward? Don't think so...

[SlovenianDragon]

Its fun watching Dragic and Bledsoe go against each other. Also Dragic winning

[Blonde]

I always believed Tyler Herro would be a very good player. Didn’t think it would be this soon though. He’s in a great situation to develop and play meaningful minutes in Miami.

[Bogyo]

I always believed Tyler Herro would be a very good player. Didn’t think it would be this soon though. He’s in a great situation to develop and play meaningful minutes in Miami.

Same. Seen him as a Booker-lite even at draft time. Good for him, and the Heat.

[Bogyo]

New Simmons Ringer podcast is up on the playoffs - pretty good I think, worth a listen on the long weekend.

(also - they have pretty much the same view on Giannis and the Bucks and the Heat as well as I said a couple days ago one page back... not to toot my own horn, but it kinda feels nice when an "expert/insider" comes to the same conclusion that you do, only a couple days later, and puts it out on national media )

[bwgood77]

New Simmons Ringer podcast is up on the playoffs - pretty good I think, worth a listen on the long weekend.

(also - they have pretty much the same view on Giannis and the Bucks and the Heat as well as I said a couple days ago one page back... not to toot my own horn, but it kinda feels nice when an "expert/insider" comes to the same conclusion that you do, only a couple days later, and puts it out on national media )

What did he say (that you said)? The headlines for a few days about him leaving are that it would likely be between the Heat and the Raptors. Is that what you are talking about?

[bwgood77]

I was looking at the game preview of the Raptors/Celtics and where it said "Players to watch" I was surprised at how close their stats were:

It had their points/rebounds and assists. Look how close they are. Even their TS% is close. Tatum has the edge in 3 pt shooting, but Siakam has it in 2 pt shooting and getting to the line.



https://stathead.com/tiny/XASqe

[Bogyo]

New Simmons Ringer podcast is up on the playoffs - pretty good I think, worth a listen on the long weekend.

(also - they have pretty much the same view on Giannis and the Bucks and the Heat as well as I said a couple days ago one page back... not to toot my own horn, but it kinda feels nice when an "expert/insider" comes to the same conclusion that you do, only a couple days later, and puts it out on national media )

What did he say (that you said)? The headlines for a few days about him leaving are that it would likely be between the Heat and the Raptors. Is that what you are talking about?

And general unhappyness with the Buck players, plus the role/playing style of Giannis. Also compared him to young Shaq in some ways, etc... He might have been a bit more punctual than I'am, but he had a 2 hour podcast, and he is a professional sports writer, while I'm just some dude on a forum who watches basketball in his spare time, which I have a lot less of than I would like.
( So it still feels good sometimes when I "get it right", ie: have a fairly strong opinion about something then hear a "professional" say the same things a couple days later. )

[sunskerr]

Ugh the suspense for Rockets and Lakers is killing me!! I hope the Rockets and D'Antoni can win, even though I know fully well they're probably going to lose. They're playing the best player on the planet and it's probably hopeless, but you can do it coach!! Go Rockets

[NapoleonII]

Giannis was never meant to be a superstar IMO.

He lacks the skills to play on the perimeter/close out games and the size/unstoppable-ness to be a Shaq or even a Duncan.

And it's a guard's league anyways.

They should just play him as a supersaiyan Shawn Marion sort of player. He'd still get you 25/12 every game.

Giannis needs a Booker/Lebron/Luka/Kawhi.

[suns12345]

These flagrants for shooters landing on the defenders foot are sooooooo dumb. Indicative of everything wrong with NBA officiating.

FVV extended his foot to land on smart, sure its a foul maybe, but what can Smart do? not allowed to play defence anymore.

[Slim Charless]

Giannis was never meant to be a superstar IMO.

He lacks the skills to play on the perimeter/close out games and the size/unstoppable-ness to be a Shaq or even a Duncan.

And it's a guard's league anyways.

They should just play him as a supersaiyan Shawn Marion sort of player. He'd still get you 25/12 every game.

Giannis needs a Booker/Lebron/Luka/Kawhi.

That's why the rumors of him going to Canada is surprising to me. Him and Pasqual have the same weaknesses and play the same position. Giannis is better obviously but playing those 2 at the same offers no spacing unless they clone JJ Reddick or something. Either player would be better served as a Pippen to another player's Jordan.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Giannis was never meant to be a superstar IMO.

He lacks the skills to play on the perimeter/close out games and the size/unstoppable-ness to be a Shaq or even a Duncan.

And it's a guard's league anyways.

They should just play him as a supersaiyan Shawn Marion sort of player. He'd still get you 25/12 every game.

Giannis needs a Booker/Lebron/Luka/Kawhi.

That's why the rumors of him going to Canada is surprising to me. Him and Pasqual have the same weaknesses and play the same position. Giannis is better obviously but playing those 2 at the same offers no spacing unless they clone JJ Reddick or something. Either player would be better served as a Pippen to another player's Jordan.

I was talking about this with my buddy yesterday. I'm not sure there's a player in the league who would look better next to Giannis than Booker. I also don't see why Phoenix would not be an attractive destination. Biggest problem I see is that it's out west. My buddy threw out some trade packages other teams could offer, but he had to admit - Ayton, Oubre and picks is probably about as good a package as the Bucks could get.

Don't think he's leaving, though. I just think we'd be in the sweepstakes were he to be moved.

[Slim Charless]

Giannis was never meant to be a superstar IMO.

He lacks the skills to play on the perimeter/close out games and the size/unstoppable-ness to be a Shaq or even a Duncan.

And it's a guard's league anyways.

They should just play him as a supersaiyan Shawn Marion sort of player. He'd still get you 25/12 every game.

Giannis needs a Booker/Lebron/Luka/Kawhi.

That's why the rumors of him going to Canada is surprising to me. Him and Pasqual have the same weaknesses and play the same position. Giannis is better obviously but playing those 2 at the same offers no spacing unless they clone JJ Reddick or something. Either player would be better served as a Pippen to another player's Jordan.

I was talking about this with my buddy yesterday. I'm not sure there's a player in the league who would look better next to Giannis than Booker. I also don't see why Phoenix would not be an attractive destination. Biggest problem I see is that it's out west. My buddy threw out some trade packages other teams could offer, but he had to admit - Ayton, Oubre and picks is probably about as good a package as the Bucks could get.

Don't think he's leaving, though. I just think we'd be in the sweepstakes were he to be moved.

Ya I agree. That package pretty much tops any other that might come up. That's one of the reasons that I don't want us to make big moves this off-season, we can hold onto our guys and see how they play. If things go wrong for MIL by trade deadline than they might see the writing on the wall and pull the trigger. I'd add that if it looks like Giannis is going to Canada than I wonder if the Raps could be talked out of Pasqual? He'd be way cheaper than Giannis and they play the same position making him somewhat expandable...

[darealjuice]

Tough series for Pascal. Brown and Smart are very good defenders that can match up with his size, athleticism,, and physicality, so it got pretty ugly for him when the outside shots weren't falling and he started forcing awkward shots and turning it over. I like his game a lot, but he's more Robin than Batman.

Pascal, Lowry, and FVV are all good players, Raptors just don't have anyone that can create a good look for themselves at any given time. Credit to Boston too though, even Theis was doing a good job staying in front of FVV and Lowry on switches.

I'm curious if we've seen the Raptors' peak with this group. FVV, Gasol, and Ibaka are free agents now, and Lowry is up the next year. No shame in being a strong playoff team year after year, but it'll cost a pretty penny to keep this group together and their upward trajectory is limited with OG as the only player that I see continuing to significantly improve at this point in their careers. They'll obviously want to be in the Giannis sweepstakes though.

[Revived]

I think the Raptors championship window closed as soon as Kawhi left. Many of their fans didn’t want to believe it but it was obvious. They don’t have a player who can get them a bucket in moments where they desperately need one. Lowry is nice but he’s always been a #2/#3 guy not a #1. I like Siakam’s game but he’s not a #1 option type player either.

Raptors will remain being a playoff team because they have excellent coaching staff and front office but I doubt we see them in the finals again barring a trade for a star perimeter wing. Or someone like OG Anunoby develops into one.

[Saberestar]

What a fantastic game from Jokic!

[SunsRback4Good]

"No offense, you guys are an excellent team, but the Nuggets will push this to 7 games. Therefore, with proper calculations I am placing $1600 on the Nuggets to win. No hard feelings fellas but I've done my research accordingly."


^^^^^ I posted this on the Clippers gamethread at 8:30am, an hour and a half before the game started.

The Nuggets are now 5-0 in do or die games very impressing how they wont quit.

[Bogyo]

Rooting for the Nuggets! What a good underdog story - and they are even missing a key bench player.

[NapoleonII]

Clippers desperately need a floor-manager type guard. They're way too easy to shut down for long stretches over 48 minutes.

Rubio or Rondo would thrive in their system.