The Finals Game 6: We are the Champions my friend(s)!

[mediocrityrules]

Ah good, I can post again now we're past page 100. I was avoiding it in case anyone else wanted in. Didn't want to hog the real estate.

[BradMKE]

Cyber Monday discount on the newly released official championship coffee table book:

https://skyboxpress.com/collections/books/products/bucks?variant=39431541555287

$35 + $6 shipping.

Bucks Pro Shop sells it for $50.

[buckboy]

Where do we purchase our repeat champions gears and Boogie finals MVP merch?

Won't lie, im regretting buying a bunch of stuff that says 2x NBA champions. After watching the Nets play this week, I'm feeling more confident.

They may get there, but if Golden State is healthy I don’t see anyone beating them 4 times

I'd much rather play Golden St than Phoenix.

[sidney lanier]

Maybe it isn't fair to expect that much from him but dude is getting paid the max (22nd highest paid guy in the league). You can't have a guy making that much money being so inconsistent when it matters.

When it mattered, he showed up. And his salary ranks right behind that of Ben Simmons, so be happy with what we have.

Those of us who follow the NBA closely sometimes fall into the trap of expecting flat, consistent performance game in and game out. That's not a realistic expectation, and it's probably based on an overreliance on the statistical record.

The NBA's highest paid player, Steph Curry, shot 4 for 21 last night with two or three airballs.

[Ruzious]

Won't lie, im regretting buying a bunch of stuff that says 2x NBA champions. After watching the Nets play this week, I'm feeling more confident.

They may get there, but if Golden State is healthy I don’t see anyone beating them 4 times

I'd much rather play Golden St than Phoenix.

We handled Phoenix pretty well last season. Why should it be different this season?

[drew881]

They may get there, but if Golden State is healthy I don’t see anyone beating them 4 times

I'd much rather play Golden St than Phoenix.

We handled Phoenix pretty well last season. Why should it be different this season?

I imagine guys like Ayton, Bridges, and Johnson with a year of finals experience will be improved.

Getting way ahead of myself, but I can’t decide which would be more fun:

1. Beating Curry in the finals and gaining that legitimacy of beating a big market.
2. Demoralizing Paul by beating him again in the finals. It would be very Bulls like where they squashed Stockton/Malone’s chances at the tail end of their careers.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

Maybe it isn't fair to expect that much from him but dude is getting paid the max (22nd highest paid guy in the league). You can't have a guy making that much money being so inconsistent when it matters.

When it mattered, he showed up. And his salary ranks right behind that of Ben Simmons, so be happy with what we have.

Those of us who follow the NBA closely sometimes fall into the trap of expecting flat, consistent performance game in and game out. That's not a realistic expectation, and it's probably based on an overreliance on the statistical record.

The NBA's highest paid player, Steph Curry, shot 4 for 21 last night with two or three airballs.

I think you ignored most of my points cause I don't understand how key games in round 2 and 3 aren't "When it mattered"

And again, I wasn't the one cherry picking. I was pointing out he had a lot of bad games and his performance overall wasn't good enough. It wasn't just one game like Curry.

He shot 41% from the field and 30% from 3 on 17 shots a game as the 3rd option. That just isn't good enough.

[sidney lanier]

Maybe it isn't fair to expect that much from him but dude is getting paid the max (22nd highest paid guy in the league). You can't have a guy making that much money being so inconsistent when it matters.

When it mattered, he showed up. And his salary ranks right behind that of Ben Simmons, so be happy with what we have.

Those of us who follow the NBA closely sometimes fall into the trap of expecting flat, consistent performance game in and game out. That's not a realistic expectation, and it's probably based on an overreliance on the statistical record.

The NBA's highest paid player, Steph Curry, shot 4 for 21 last night with two or three airballs.

I think you ignored most of my points cause I don't understand how key games in round 2 and 3 aren't "When it mattered"

And again, I wasn't the one cherry picking. I was pointing out he had a lot of bad games and his performance overall wasn't good enough. It wasn't just one game like Curry.

He shot 41% from the field and 30% from 3 on 17 shots a game as the 3rd option. That just isn't good enough.

Absolutely true that Holiday sucked eggs at times during the playoff run. I'm not disputing that. But if you're going to play the "when it mattered" card, you must acknowledge that he was instrumental in achieving the only outcome that really mattered.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

I'd much rather play Golden St than Phoenix.

We handled Phoenix pretty well last season. Why should it be different this season?

Reasons for it being different:
-Ayton will be better/stronger-
-they had no backup big once saric went down
-they seem to gel even better this year (went from like 25->4th in pace)
-they played us pretty damn well. Down 6 going into the 4th in Game 4 down 2-1. We were down big in game 5 and who knows how it would have turned out if Jrue's strip was called a foul on booker instead of a Giannis dunk. It's not like we swept there ass like the Heat.
-Don't think Paul was 100% (Is he ever?)

Add in that even if the Suns are the same, I'm not sold on GSW. Feel when things get tight Giannis can score at will. Who would stop him.

I don't think there is a clear link weak when you are talking contenders (all are good teams), but teams can have preferences.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

Absolutely true that Holiday sucked eggs at times during the playoff run. I'm not disputing that. But if you're going to play the "when it mattered" card, you must acknowledge that he was instrumental in achieving the only outcome that really mattered.

Yeah, I said we probably don't win without him. Probably arguing in circles but we had several games that really, really mattered that could have easily ended our season where Jrue just didn't play well enough. He just lucked out that our season didn't end in round 2/3. I'm just not going overweight him being 'clutch' play like him stripping Booker when he was 5/23 in a Game 7 of the de facto ECF a couple weeks earlier. To me, "When it matters" isn't just the last second shot or last game, it was the whole run vs the Nets/Suns when our season was on the line.

[Jimmmycrackcorn]

So the league went hard at the Bucks last year for tampering....and the Bulls and Heat get lesser penalties

And nothing to the Pels and Raps for their part in this

[Jimmmycrackcorn]

I thought the league sent a memo to all teams after they hit the Bucks last year that next offenses will be penalized harsher....

[buckboy]

They may get there, but if Golden State is healthy I don’t see anyone beating them 4 times

I'd much rather play Golden St than Phoenix.

We handled Phoenix pretty well last season. Why should it be different this season?

Because I think they're better than Golden St. Especially against Giannis. Golden has absolutely no hope for guarding him.

It really comes down to the Bucks' health though. There is zero doubt in my mind that the Bucks are the best team in the NBA if healthy. Big if though.

[Ruzious]

I'd much rather play Golden St than Phoenix.

We handled Phoenix pretty well last season. Why should it be different this season?

Because I think they're better than Golden St. Especially against Giannis. Golden has absolutely no hope for guarding him.

It really comes down to the Bucks' health though. There is zero doubt in my mind that the Bucks are the best team in the NBA if healthy. Big if though.

Interesting responses. I would bet on Green (and then Looney) having a better chance of slowing down Giannis than Ayton or anyone else on Phoenix. Giannis had his best series and best game against Phoenix. And Klay Thompson's return is going to make GSW that much better.

[Pachinko_]

I thought the league sent a memo to all teams after they hit the Bucks last year that next offenses will be penalized harsher....

yes, and by harsher they meant softer of course.

[buckboy]

We handled Phoenix pretty well last season. Why should it be different this season?

Because I think they're better than Golden St. Especially against Giannis. Golden has absolutely no hope for guarding him.

It really comes down to the Bucks' health though. There is zero doubt in my mind that the Bucks are the best team in the NBA if healthy. Big if though.

Interesting responses. I would bet on Green (and then Looney) having a better chance of slowing down Giannis than Ayton or anyone else on Phoenix. Giannis had his best series and best game against Phoenix. And Klay Thompson's return is going to make GSW that much better.

I personally don't see GS keeping this up. Health will be an issue for them as well.

Also, Ayton has a far better chance guarding Giannis than anyone on GS. I know he destroyed him last year, but Phoenix is a better team than they were last year. Fortunately, so are the Bucks (assuming health again).

[Ruzious]

Because I think they're better than Golden St. Especially against Giannis. Golden has absolutely no hope for guarding him.

It really comes down to the Bucks' health though. There is zero doubt in my mind that the Bucks are the best team in the NBA if healthy. Big if though.

Interesting responses. I would bet on Green (and then Looney) having a better chance of slowing down Giannis than Ayton or anyone else on Phoenix. Giannis had his best series and best game against Phoenix. And Klay Thompson's return is going to make GSW that much better.

I personally don't see GS keeping this up. Health will be an issue for them as well.

Also, Ayton has a far better chance guarding Giannis than anyone on GS. I know he destroyed him last year, but Phoenix is a better team than they were last year. Fortunately, so are the Bucks (assuming health again).

We agree on most things, but that's one that we'll have to agree to disagree. Green's on a mission to win DPOY, and I think he's got a good chance to finish second to Giannis, and Looney is a heckuva defender.

[buckboy]

Interesting responses. I would bet on Green (and then Looney) having a better chance of slowing down Giannis than Ayton or anyone else on Phoenix. Giannis had his best series and best game against Phoenix. And Klay Thompson's return is going to make GSW that much better.

I personally don't see GS keeping this up. Health will be an issue for them as well.

Also, Ayton has a far better chance guarding Giannis than anyone on GS. I know he destroyed him last year, but Phoenix is a better team than they were last year. Fortunately, so are the Bucks (assuming health again).

We agree on most things, but that's one that we'll have to agree to disagree. Green's on a mission to win DPOY, and I think he's got a good chance to finish second to Giannis, and Looney is a heckuva defender.

I hear ya on Green. I think he's clearly a better defender than Ayton, but not on Giannis. That's all I'm saying with those 2.

I also just don't buy GS. I don't anticipate them staying at this win rate because I don't think they're this good and I think there'll be injuries.

Time will tell.

[old skool]

Last year I thought 2020-21 would be the Bucks season to assimilate Holiday into their team. I thought 2021-22 would be their best chance at a title.

Winning last year was great, but in many ways I think they are better positioned to win in 2022, ignoring the physical toll of a late playoff run last year.

Holiday's value is not just what he does or did not do on the court. Holiday is a player who can take a secondary role, or who can step up to be a primary scorer. When Giannis went down with injury in the ECF against Atlanta, Holiday, Lopez and Portis all stepped up and had huge scoring games in his absence. Not every NBA PG can seamlessly change roles like that.

[midranger]

Winning last year was great

Whoa. Calm down on the hot takes.