2021 Playoffs thread

[Scoots1994]

KCP and Kuzma figures are considered good numbers by some.

I think LeBron can still get downhill, still dunk on people at age 40. But maybe not do it as often as now or certainly a couple of years ago.

So he can maintain all-NBA/MVP candidate level play for the rest of his contract.

All barring catastrophic injuries of course.

Remember even after Kobe's injury, his main complaint was his body overall wasn't holding up. He said that at age 36 so Lebron is some mutant.

KCP and Kuzma are NBA players, not sure they are #3 and #4 on a title team. Some people like KAT on a super-max contracts ... what some people think doesn't make me agree

The issue with LeBron is not how he's going to play when he's healthy. The issue is that to get to his normal level of play he's got to use up more of his margin, and that makes little niggling injuries more likely to happen and they will take longer to heal. LeBron is playing injured every game, he just doesn't talk about it much. That bubble title was huge for his health. Even without a catastrophic injury he's clearly on the way down already. Still great, but the range is a lot smaller than it once was.

[wco81]

KCP and Kuzma are good rotation players and starters. Whether they're good enough for a title team, who knows. KCP did make some big shots and plays in the Bubble.

Miami obviously played well above their heads in the Bubble. But Dragic, who was playing out of his mind, was hurt in the Lakers series so what little margin the Heat had to contend in that series was gone.

I agree that Lebron isn't the downhill force, high energy player he was in his seasons with the Heat. Yeah he's no longer in his late 20s, entering his prime.

But I remember in the 2016-17 season, he had shot very poorly outside the paint and there were articles about whether he logged too many hours in his career and no longer had legs to have decent efficiency from 3-point range or midrange jump shots.

Then he had a couple of crucial big shooting games in that Finals series along with Kyrie getting hot. Since then you can see he is more comfortable taking 3s and he's taking more of them in the last couple of seasons than he has in his career.

He's also worked on a couple of good turnaround jumpers from the elbow range as well as baseline.

Plus he has improved on playmaking so his overall impact is still good, even if he's not as great a defensive force as he used to be.

[Scoots1994]

KCP and Kuzma are good rotation players and starters. Whether they're good enough for a title team, who knows. KCP did make some big shots and plays in the Bubble.

Miami obviously played well above their heads in the Bubble. But Dragic, who was playing out of his mind, was hurt in the Lakers series so what little margin the Heat had to contend in that series was gone.

I agree that Lebron isn't the downhill force, high energy player he was in his seasons with the Heat. Yeah he's no longer in his late 20s, entering his prime.

But I remember in the 2016-17 season, he had shot very poorly outside the paint and there were articles about whether he logged too many hours in his career and no longer had legs to have decent efficiency from 3-point range or midrange jump shots.

Then he had a couple of crucial big shooting games in that Finals series along with Kyrie getting hot. Since then you can see he is more comfortable taking 3s and he's taking more of them in the last couple of seasons than he has in his career.

He's also worked on a couple of good turnaround jumpers from the elbow range as well as baseline.

Plus he has improved on playmaking so his overall impact is still good, even if he's not as great a defensive force as he used to be.

Ian Clark hit some big shots in the playoffs too

I wasn't saying LeBron isn't great anymore, but he has to push harder and closer to his limits to get there, and that is going to get harder and harder. LeBron himself said he'd never be fully healthy again. And it's not the highlights that defines the state of a player's game, it's the plays in between.

[Sleepy51]

Dame is violently awesome

[cpower]

Dame has his best game of the career. but denver never doubles him and let him scores like 6 straight threes. wtf?

[tal57]

If Denver looses this series, the entire Denver coaching staff has to be ran out of town. You know who is going to take the shot, you are up by 3 Don't you want to foul him before he takes the shot? Don't you want to triple team him. I don't care who takes another 3. I don't care if 3 Portland players are standing alone under the basket. Please, I had never seen such a stupidity not ones but multiple times.

[Sleepy51]

Wow, literally everyone around Dame has choked away his downright Curry’esq playoff record performance. He should demand a trade to the Warriors

[cpower]

If Denver looses this series, the entire Denver coaching staff has to be ran out of town. You know who is going to take the shot, you are up by 3 Don't you want to foul him before he takes the shot? Don't you want to triple team him. I don't care who takes another 3. I don't care if 3 Portland players are standing alone under the basket. Please, I had never seen such a stupidity not ones but multiple times.

imgine if Curry never gets doubled.. lmao cant believe what I saw right there, its like Malone is putting all the money on Dame.

[wco81]

Yeah Dame hit at least 3 3-pointers when his team was down 3 and needed a three with little time left in the first and second OT periods.

Malone stubbornly won't foul a team which needs a 3 to tie.

Dame had the game of his life but still lost. He's only been to the WCF once, and that incidentally was when they upset Denver at Denver in game 7 and CJ, who was the goat of this game, got hot.

I think most of the time, the Blazers didn't get out of the first round during his career so they've always had problems surrounding him with a strong cast during his career there.


How about the Lakers getting blown out?

[HiRez]

Dame had the game of his life but still lost. He's only been to the WCF once, and that incidentally was when they upset Denver at Denver in game 7 and CJ, who was the goat of this game, got hot.

I think most of the time, the Blazers didn't get out of the first round during his career so they've always had problems surrounding him with a strong cast during his career there.

Portland always the bridesmaid but never the bride, it's a shame but it doesn't look like it's ever going to change with this group. They're good but not quite good enough. And being a really good treadmill team is not a great place to be because you're still not getting good draft picks. This would be a great year to make a run with almost all the top teams in the West struggling at times and their greatest nemesis the Warriors not even in the playoff picture.

[Impuniti]

Yeah Dame hit at least 3 3-pointers when his team was down 3 and needed a three with little time left in the first and second OT periods.

Malone stubbornly won't foul a team which needs a 3 to tie.

Dame had the game of his life but still lost. He's only been to the WCF once, and that incidentally was when they upset Denver at Denver in game 7 and CJ, who was the goat of this game, got hot.

I think most of the time, the Blazers didn't get out of the first round during his career so they've always had problems surrounding him with a strong cast during his career there.


How about the Lakers getting blown out?

Malone is an idiot. Imagine having someone like him instead of Kerr coaching the warriors.

[Scoots1994]

KCP and Kuzma are good rotation players and starters.

Watching that game was kind of brutal. KCP and Kuzma ($26M salary) combined for 38 minutes, 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. (actually a better than average game from Kuzma and bad from KCP)

That was a rough game

[wco81]

KCP and Kuzma are good rotation players and starters.

Watching that game was kind of brutal. KCP and Kuzma ($26M salary) combined for 38 minutes, 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. (actually a better than average game from Kuzma and bad from KCP)

That was a rough game

I'm just saying Kuzma as a sub and part time starter is capable of getting 30 in a given game. That is why he's making that salary.

KCP was on several 1-year deals in the $10 million range and then finally played well in the Bubble playoffs and that is why the Lakers gave him that money.

Actually the Lakers got off to a great start this season and a big part of it was that KCP and a couple of others shot over 40% from 3. That's tailed off a lot though.

[Scoots1994]

KCP and Kuzma are good rotation players and starters.

Watching that game was kind of brutal. KCP and Kuzma ($26M salary) combined for 38 minutes, 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. (actually a better than average game from Kuzma and bad from KCP)

That was a rough game

I'm just saying Kuzma as a sub and part time starter is capable of getting 30 in a given game. That is why he's making that salary.

KCP was on several 1-year deals in the $10 million range and then finally played well in the Bubble playoffs and that is why the Lakers gave him that money.

Actually the Lakers got off to a great start this season and a big part of it was that KCP and a couple of others shot over 40% from 3. That's tailed off a lot though.

The number of players who can get 30 points in a game is pretty long. Most of them are not worth $60M contracts. KCP got that money because, for whatever reason, LeBron gets the people he plays with paid a lot of money regularly.

Heck in 20-21 alone Terry Rozier, Norman Powell, Caris LeVert, Jerami Grant, and Gary Trent Jr all had games over 40 points.

I don't think KCP and Kuzma are bad, I just don't think they are worth the money they are getting paid. They are good enough that their team is always going to be looking to upgrade with that roster spot. Of course Wiggins is paid far more and he's not worth his money either.

[wco81]

I'm just saying I wouldn't mind having them as the Warriors 7th or 8th or 9th players rather than the players they have now.

Though obviously they are taking up more money in the cap than the Warriors would probably like.

[Scoots1994]

I'm just saying I wouldn't mind having them as the Warriors 7th or 8th or 9th players rather than the players they have now.

Though obviously they are taking up more money in the cap than the Warriors would probably like.

8th and 9th would be fine. On the Lakers next year they are 3 and 4 right now.

[ILOVEIT]

LeBron looks so cooked...

Watching him TRY and do it...and then just realize he's just not a very good shooter and his attempts to drive are now being blocked in his face by younger dudes....

I wouldn't be surprised AT ALL if someone takes another cheap shot at CP3 to try and take him out of the series.

[Scoots1994]

LeBron looks so cooked...

Watching him TRY and do it...and then just realize he's just not a very good shooter and his attempts to drive are now being blocked in his face by younger dudes....

I wouldn't be surprised AT ALL if someone takes another cheap shot at CP3 to try and take him out of the series.

CP3 getting cheap shot is just poetic.

That said I would rather the Suns win.

[wco81]

Luka comes back, wins pivotal game 5 at Staples to lead the Mavs to 3-2 lead with game 6 at Dallas.

OK, small sample size but in 199 career regular season games, he's only shooting 33% from 3. But in 10 playoffs game not including tonite, he's shooting 38.6% from 3.

Tonight he shot 6-12 so maybe around 40% in 11 playoffs games.

Thing is, he's not catching and shooting. He's pulling up off the dribble most of the time, including well beyond the arc. At 6-8 with great handle, he can launch a good step back on just about anybody, because he can drive inside and finish too.

He does it in slow mo though. It's not like Curry or Lillard or other guards who have to create separation on their pull-up 3s off quick moves, because they don't have the margin to shoot over bigger defenders.

If his age is accurate -- who knows with people from some of these countries -- he's got like 5-6 years before he hits his prime.

And he doesn't even have to necessarily optimize his fitness and optimize his core strength, like Curry did, or try to just be more quicker than he is now. He just has to develop consistency in his shooting mechanics, including from FT. He's going to keep practicing those 30-foot step back shots and he's going to be okay.

They compare him to Harden but Harden goes at full speed and of course, he baits fouls if guarded closely. Luka has the hesitation dribble and change of pace, never has to go at full speed.

Dallas gets another bucket-getter and they're going to be a problem for a long time.

[Scoots1994]

Luka is good at basketball. Some of us saw it before the draft. Some teams avoided him. 'Twas it ever thus.