2020-21 NBA Season Discussion

MO12msu · Post #4901 » by **MO12msu** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:23 am

Fadeaway_J wrote:
Fadeaway_J wrote:
MO12msu wrote:So I think everyone can agree that Frank Kaminsky shouldn't play another second in this finals.

For some reason I thought we already had enough evidence to make that determination, but I guess we needed a bit more.

Aaaaand he's back!

Gotta take Ayton out with 5 fouls so he can finish the last 5 min of a 20 point game...

falcolombardi · Post #4902 » by **falcolombardi** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:27 am

according to espn giannis is the third player to score 40 in consecutive finals games after shaq in 2000 and lebron in 2016

surprised jordan is not there tbh

TheGOATRises007 · Post #4903 » by **TheGOATRises007** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:34 am

falcolombardi wrote:according to espn giannis is the third player to score 40 in consecutive finals games after shaq in 2000 and lebron in 2016

surprised jordan is not there tbh

Because it was the last 25 years in the finals for that graphic.

Jordan had 4 straight 40 point games in the 1993 finals.

TheGOATRises007 · Post #4904 » by **TheGOATRises007** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:34 am

Phoenix can't stop Giannis

This might be his year

GSP · Post #4905 » by **GSP** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:37 am

Miami, Atlanta and BROOKLYN of all teams did far better jobs guarding Giannis. How has Phoenix been so bad at defending him?

MO12msu · Post #4906 » by **MO12msu** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:38 am

We have a series.

The Suns do not have any kind of answer for Giannis. He's been a positive on the court in all 3 games and Ayton has showed zero ability to slow him down. Suns don't really have any other front court players with the physicality to match him.

Post #4907 » by **Fadeaway_J** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:39 am

GSP wrote:Miami, Atlanta and BROOKLYN of all teams did far better jobs guarding Giannis. How has Phoenix been so bad at defending him?

Doesn't help that they literally have one playable big on their roster.

Post #4908 » by **Prez** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:40 am

If the rest of the team didn't poop their pants before tonight Giannis would be looking at a likely historic title winning finals including back to back 40/10 games in wins. Think dropping game 2 and the 0-2 hole proves too difficult to overcome

GSP · Post #4909 » by **GSP** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:45 am

Fadeaway_J wrote:
GSP wrote:Miami, Atlanta and BROOKLYN of all teams did far better jobs guarding Giannis. How has Phoenix been so bad at defending him?

Doesn't help that they literally have one playable big on their roster.

I mean so did Brooklyn. Blake was their only big that series and Nets are just a far worse defensive team.

Phoenix has done a horrible job.

MartinToVaught · Post #4910 » by **MartinToVaught** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:54 am

GSP wrote:Miami, Atlanta and BROOKLYN of all teams did far better jobs guarding Giannis. How has Phoenix been so bad at defending him?

Maybe the Suns' injury-filled path to the Finals didn't adequately prepare them for how to guard the best players. :dontknow:

falcolombardi · Post #4911 » by **falcolombardi** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 3:09 am

Prez wrote:If the rest of the team didn't poop their pants before tonight Giannis would be looking at a likely historic title winning finals including back to back 40/10 games in wins. Think dropping game 2 and the 0-2 hole proves too difficult to overcome

all it takes is winning game 4 then is all tied again and with bucks momentum

that is the thingh when it comes to leads and odds, previous results dont take part in future results

Post #4912 » by **Texas Chuck** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 3:31 am

Monty benching Booker for the 4th is fascinating to me. Booker was missing shots, but it wasn't just that. He was settling a lot, was worse than normal on defense. So this is either an injury they are trying to hide or Monty realized Booker wasn't engaged tonight for whatever reason and this is a motivational ploy.

Booker seems like the wrong guy for tough love. Seems much more like a guy who implodes rather than explodes and comes out and tries to be the hero instead of letting Paul get him good looks. But Monty knows his guy way better than me and he's pushed all the right buttons to this point.

But that fascinated me. Because he clearly wasn't conceding the game, just going without a main guy.

And the Bucks seemed content to let Ayton get his touches/shots early and didn't once overreact to that and then really worked him at the other end. Ayton's gotten a ton of love this playoffs and most of it deserved. Will be interesting to me as well to see how he adjusts and comes back especially defensively where he just can't deal with Giannis really at all. Too slow of foot and thought.

70sFan · Post #4913 » by **70sFan** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 9:40 am

Anyone else loves the new version of Giannis who posts up and attack the rim off-ball? No more point-forward stupid startegy, let Khris and Jrue handle the ball and do bigman things.

I said that Bucks can adjust and they did. Their defense looked lethal this night and I hope they won't stop and keep doing their job.

RSCD3_ · Post #4914 » by **RSCD3_** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 1:19 pm

falcolombardi wrote:according to espn giannis is the third player to score 40 in consecutive finals games after shaq in 2000 and lebron in 2016

surprised jordan is not there tbh

Lebron didn’t do it In 2016, in game 6 he had 8 rebounds and 11 assists but they messed up the format

Post #4915 » by **Goudelock** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:36 pm

70sFan wrote:Anyone else loves the new version of Giannis who posts up and attack the rim off-ball? No more point-forward stupid startegy, let Khris and Jrue handle the ball and do bigman things.

I said that Bucks can adjust and they did. Their defense looked lethal this night and I hope they won't stop and keep doing their job.

The play later in the game where he had the ball on the left wing, looked like he was going to try to ram his way to the paint, but then turned it into a dribble-handoff made me so happy. You're not alone in enjoying watching Giannis embrace being a big-man who operates in the mid-post and off-ball. He's getting 40-10 and aside from the free throw shooting (fwiw it looks like he's changed up his form an is doing a little fade at the line like Karl Malone used to do), Giannis isn't exactly hitting crazy shots. I feel like what he's doing is replicable.

MartinToVaught · Post #4916 » by **MartinToVaught** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:58 pm

Read on Twitter

Remember when Harden claimed Giannis had no skill and just ran around and dunked? Maybe Harden should try that.

Post #4917 » by **Texas Chuck** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 3:33 pm

I hate to be I told you so guy, but I have been pointing out Giannis is an elite scorer even without any shooting. He's like the modern day Amare in just overwhelming you with physicality only he also rebounds and plays defense at an elite level and doesn't need Steve Nash to set him up.

He's just too much for Phoenix. I love Crowder and how he has taken on the challenge and doesn't back down, but he's just too small and too slow. And Ayton is too slow and too weak. He's an absolute problem right now and I think Phoenix needs to think long and hard about giving that zone another look. Giannis was getting whatever he wanted and if he is making his FT's.....

Post #4918 » by **Doctor MJ** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 3:54 pm

Texas Chuck wrote:I hate to be I told you so guy, but I have been pointing out Giannis is an elite scorer even without any shooting. He's like the modern day Amare in just overwhelming you with physicality only he also rebounds and plays defense at an elite level and doesn't need Steve Nash to set him up.

He's just too much for Phoenix. I love Crowder and how he has taken on the challenge and doesn't back down, but he's just too small and too slow. And Ayton is too slow and too weak. He's an absolute problem right now and I think Phoenix needs to think long and hard about giving that zone another look. Giannis was getting whatever he wanted and if he is making his FT's.....

I mean, Crowder is literally the last man defender to stymy Giannis and cause the Bucks to get upset, and he's certainly a better overall defender than Blake Griffin. I don't think an explanation that this is just "Giannis being Giannis" makes any sense.

I think it's going to be extremely telling what the Suns try to do on defense in Game 4, and how successful it is.

But yeah, if the Suns clearly do a competent pack the paint strategy and it doesn't seem to phase Giannis any more, it would seem likely that he and Bud figured something out. That's not weird - it's what we expect - I just don't know why it took humiliating post-season upsets and a near defeat by a crippled Nets team for it to happen.

Post #4919 » by **Texas Chuck** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 3:58 pm

Doctor MJ wrote:I just don't know why it took humiliating post-season upsets and a near defeat by a crippled Nets team for it to happen.

Don't want to re-litigate this again, but its worth noting Giannis was great in almost every series the Bucks have lost in his tenure. I get the best player is easy to blame, but we don't do this with KG or Dirk or Kobe when they've played well but their teammates let them down. Middleton having terrible offensive series shouldn't be humiliating for Giannis.

ShotCreator · Post #4920 » by **ShotCreator** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 4:09 pm

There’s no way Phoenix can’t prevent this level of abuse from Giannis.

This is over the top, horrible demoralizing punishment he’s giving them.

They have way too much speed, good hands, and just solid overall athleticism to let a blunt object kill them like this.

But I hope what Blake Griffin did to Giannis, on volume. On absolutely massive freaking volume guarding him, gets fully appreciated now.

Absolutely the anchor for Brooklyn. No scheme exists without him.