NBA Finals: (2) Suns vs (3) Bucks, Part 1 | Suns lead 2-0

[DCasey91]

The Portis/Lopez pairing has the potential to be a problem for Phoenix without Giannis, and it's something to watch. Team's don't employ frontlines with that type of beef, height, and ability to bully down low while being wholly capable of knocking down threes. It's pretty unique and a look teams haven't seen during the regular season. Phoenix will have to figure it out on the fly. If Ayton is going to stay home, he's going to be giving a wide open look to one of them, if he steps out, the rim is clear. Milwaukee doesn't have the downhill, "build a wall otherwise you can't stop this" going on for them without Giannis, but they do have four guys who can hang 20+ on any given night who are capable of doing it from all over the floor.

Bobby has been overlooked in the shuffle of the season, but shouldn't have been. He's been excellent.

With Giannis out Ayton is going to feast, small ball lineups or with Lopez whose not a great rebounder Ayton will monster the boards.

I actually have him winning finals MVP just on impact. He’s set for a huuuuuuge one

[DrWood]

The Portis/Lopez pairing has the potential to be a problem for Phoenix without Giannis, and it's something to watch. Team's don't employ frontlines with that type of beef, height, and ability to bully down low while being wholly capable of knocking down threes. It's pretty unique and a look teams haven't seen during the regular season. Phoenix will have to figure it out on the fly. If Ayton is going to stay home, he's going to be giving a wide open look to one of them, if he steps out, the rim is clear. Milwaukee doesn't have the downhill, "build a wall otherwise you can't stop this" going on for them without Giannis, but they do have four guys who can hang 20+ on any given night who are capable of doing it from all over the floor.

Bobby has been overlooked in the shuffle of the season, but shouldn't have been. He's been excellent.

With Giannis out Ayton is going to feast, small ball lineups or with Lopez whose not a great rebounder Ayton will monster the boards.

I actually have him winning finals MVP just on impact. He’s set for a huuuuuuge one

What Lopez does well is block out. that's why the bucks' guards get a lot of rebounds. bucks consistently rebound better when he's on the floor.

[DrWood]

Either way, I'll be majorly happy that a success-starved franchise (and fanbase) will finally taste GLORY!

Phoenix has 7th best and Milwaukee has 10th best win percentage, all time, among NBA franchises.

[ThomYorke]

I know Chris Paul doesn’t have any integrity and that the Suns have been a nothing franchise for most of their existence, but if they really respected the game, they wouldn’t accept this championship.

We’ve never seen anything even approaching this in league history, it’s a joke.

What nonsense.

The Lakers and Nets decided to build their team around superstars, so it’s on them that things fell apart when those superstars got injured.

Phoenix built a solid all around team, and when they were dealt with adversity they could overcome it.

[Clyde Frazier]

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[Doranku]

I know Chris Paul doesn’t have any integrity and that the Suns have been a nothing franchise for most of their existence, but if they really respected the game, they wouldn’t accept this championship.

We’ve never seen anything even approaching this in league history, it’s a joke.

What nonsense.

The Lakers and Nets decided to build their team around superstars, so it’s on them that things fell apart when those superstars got injured.

Phoenix built a solid all around team, and when they were dealt with adversity they could overcome it.

Agreed. Never seen a team like the Suns capable of overcoming the adversity of facing 4 straight teams in the playoffs missing either their best or 2nd best player. They should receive two rings this year for this epic feat.

[ThomYorke]

Lol like when our point guard was injured for 3 games in series one?

Or how he missed the first two games of the WCF?

Or do injuries only matter if a team loses?

[jsierra1985]

I know Chris Paul doesn’t have any integrity and that the Suns have been a nothing franchise for most of their existence, but if they really respected the game, they wouldn’t accept this championship.

We’ve never seen anything even approaching this in league history, it’s a joke.

LOL....

Robby is big mad........

hahaha

[sunstrooper]

I know Chris Paul doesn’t have any integrity and that the Suns have been a nothing franchise for most of their existence, but if they really respected the game, they wouldn’t accept this championship.

We’ve never seen anything even approaching this in league history, it’s a joke.

LOL....

Robby is big mad........

hahaha

The embodiment of a Lakers' fan - the whole all-star roster should be on the Lakers, the title should be given to them in October and then teams could play the RS for giggles and if any of the above doesn't happen, the season should be canceled

[jsierra1985]

I know Chris Paul doesn’t have any integrity and that the Suns have been a nothing franchise for most of their existence, but if they really respected the game, they wouldn’t accept this championship.

We’ve never seen anything even approaching this in league history, it’s a joke.

LOL....

Robby is big mad........

hahaha

The embodiment of a Lakers' fan - the whole all-star roster should be on the Lakers, the title should be given to them in October and then teams could play the RS for giggles and if any of the above doesn't happen, the season should be canceled

ill never understand how fans can be this salty about other teams ...rival or not....its weird

[ElectricMayhem]

Suns versus Bucks. You ready for this?

[hauntedcomputer]

I know Chris Paul doesn’t have any integrity and that the Suns have been a nothing franchise for most of their existence, but if they really respected the game, they wouldn’t accept this championship.

We’ve never seen anything even approaching this in league history, it’s a joke.

How much joy do you get out of being a troll who regurgitates the same drivel over and over again?

I gain 0 joy from watching the sport I love get desecrated by this money-grab season.

Okay, I get it, your SooperDooperStar was injured and your team lost, but why are you here then? Gaining 100 joy from whining?

[Childs]

I know Chris Paul doesn’t have any integrity and that the Suns have been a nothing franchise for most of their existence, but if they really respected the game, they wouldn’t accept this championship.

We’ve never seen anything even approaching this in league history, it’s a joke.

[FinnTheHuman]

The Portis/Lopez pairing has the potential to be a problem for Phoenix without Giannis, and it's something to watch. Team's don't employ frontlines with that type of beef, height, and ability to bully down low while being wholly capable of knocking down threes. It's pretty unique and a look teams haven't seen during the regular season. Phoenix will have to figure it out on the fly. If Ayton is going to stay home, he's going to be giving a wide open look to one of them, if he steps out, the rim is clear. Milwaukee doesn't have the downhill, "build a wall otherwise you can't stop this" going on for them without Giannis, but they do have four guys who can hang 20+ on any given night who are capable of doing it from all over the floor.

Bobby has been overlooked in the shuffle of the season, but shouldn't have been. He's been excellent.

With Giannis out Ayton is going to feast, small ball lineups or with Lopez whose not a great rebounder Ayton will monster the boards.

I actually have him winning finals MVP just on impact. He’s set for a huuuuuuge one

That 'Brook Lopez is not a good rebounder' argument is a top 3 casual alert. You, sir, are a casual.

[garrick]

I know Chris Paul doesn’t have any integrity and that the Suns have been a nothing franchise for most of their existence, but if they really respected the game, they wouldn’t accept this championship.

We’ve never seen anything even approaching this in league history, it’s a joke.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2002-nba-finals-nets-vs-lakers.html

https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2003-nba-finals-nets-vs-spurs.html

Lakers and Spurs had a very weak opponent with the Kidd led Nets that had a front court of Kenyon Martin and Keith Van Horn.

Should both teams give up their rings because they had such an easy finals round?

Lakers swept the Nets and the Spurs beat the Nets in 6 games.

[DCasey91]

The Portis/Lopez pairing has the potential to be a problem for Phoenix without Giannis, and it's something to watch. Team's don't employ frontlines with that type of beef, height, and ability to bully down low while being wholly capable of knocking down threes. It's pretty unique and a look teams haven't seen during the regular season. Phoenix will have to figure it out on the fly. If Ayton is going to stay home, he's going to be giving a wide open look to one of them, if he steps out, the rim is clear. Milwaukee doesn't have the downhill, "build a wall otherwise you can't stop this" going on for them without Giannis, but they do have four guys who can hang 20+ on any given night who are capable of doing it from all over the floor.

Bobby has been overlooked in the shuffle of the season, but shouldn't have been. He's been excellent.

With Giannis out Ayton is going to feast, small ball lineups or with Lopez whose not a great rebounder Ayton will monster the boards.

I actually have him winning finals MVP just on impact. He’s set for a huuuuuuge one

That 'Brook Lopez is not a good rebounder' argument is a top 3 casual alert. You, sir, are a casual.

What? I don’t think Embiid is a great rebounder either and I watch all of his games.

[skones]

With Giannis out Ayton is going to feast, small ball lineups or with Lopez whose not a great rebounder Ayton will monster the boards.

I actually have him winning finals MVP just on impact. He’s set for a huuuuuuge one

That 'Brook Lopez is not a good rebounder' argument is a top 3 casual alert. You, sir, are a casual.

What? I don’t think Embiid is a great rebounder either and I watch all of his games.

I think assuming Ayton will be a monster on the boards because of Lopez is way off base and that's what you insinuated. Milwaukee was +32 on the glass against Atlanta on the series and +7 without Giannis while going against the NBA's leading regular season rebounder. Milwaukee has been a top 3 rebounding team in the league for three seasons and it's because Lopez is superb on the defensive glass. The gaudy Giannis rebound numbers include a lot of Russell Westbrook, box it out so he can go boards.

[DCasey91]

That 'Brook Lopez is not a good rebounder' argument is a top 3 casual alert. You, sir, are a casual.

What? I don’t think Embiid is a great rebounder either and I watch all of his games.

I think assuming Ayton will be a monster on the boards because of Lopez is way off base and that's what you insinuated. Milwaukee was +32 on the glass against Atlanta on the series and +7 without Giannis while going against the NBA's leading regular season rebounder. Milwaukee has been a top 3 rebounding team in the league for three seasons and it's because Lopez is superb on the defensive glass. The gaudy Giannis rebound numbers include a lot of Russell Westbrook, box it out so he can go boards.

Hawks play very small size wise. I just don’t think Lopez is a great rebounder that’s pretty much it.
We out rebounded them too, we just forgot that we were big lol

We’ll see how this finals series go.

[skones]

Hawks play very small size wise. I just don’t think Lopez is a great rebounder that’s pretty much it.
We out rebounded them too, we just forgot that we were big lol

We’ll see how this finals series go.

One, Lopez, again, is superb on the defensive glass, and this can't really be debated at this point.

On/Off DRB%
20-21: +2
19-20: +1.9
18-19: +1.5
17-18: +1.7
16-17: +3.2
15-16: +3.9
14-15: +2.7
13-14: +2.8
12-13: +1.5
11-12: +.6
10-11: -.2
09-10: +.5
08-09: +4.6

Ayton, meanwhile, was -4.2 DRB% this season. He grabs offensive rebounds which make him look better, and that happens to be a major strength for Milwaukee. You're just not making a whole lot of sense here.

Re: Atlanta, they start two traditionally sized frontcourt players when most teams have gone smaller. They certainly do not play "very small size wise." Meanwhile, the Sixers are started a guy the size of a traditional wing at the 4 in Harris. What?

[DCasey91]

Bucks are a spam 3 ball team. Bridges, Crowder, Johnson, plenty there for Holi/Middleton.

Suns just played a gritty Clippers team.

Watch 4-2 easy if that.

CP3 will cut through them.