Western Conference | Round 1 | (1) Phoenix Suns VS. (8) New Orleans Pelicans (PHX 3-2)

Kurtz · Post #1641 » by **Kurtz** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:29 am

GSP wrote:So **** happy Smart won Dpoy.....

Ingram making Bridges look like a can

Jjj fouls out in 30 mins a game

We already know Rudys problems

Draymond, Bam, Jimmy missed too many games

Smart now anchoring one of the defensive clinics of alltime

Is Smart a higher impact defender than Robert Williams?

Post #1642 » by **Duke4life831** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:30 am

Man I really hope the Pels have a great off-season this summer.

I think the ideal scenario is getting a guard that can shoot, get Zion in his best shape since Duke and ideally slide CJ to the 6th man spot. BI/Zion/CJ is probably over kill on the offensive end and too many defensive question marks (even though BI has improved a lot). CJ can be the best 6th man in the game.

sunsbum · Post #1643 » by **sunsbum** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:30 am

PrinceAli wrote:
sunsbum wrote:
PrinceAli wrote:Let’s be real. They were lucky to reach the finals last year even. Didn’t face a single healthy team
Easy to say on the heels of a loss in a series that we still have home court on. Great take.

It’s not really a “take” but rather what actually happened last year lol. And I would say the same if they had won tonight too. The Suns don’t really look all that scary

Ya'll won a championship playing against an injured Iggy and no KD, I mean lets play tit for tat here, you were lucky to win the finals.

skones · Post #1644 » by **skones** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:30 am

hardenASG13 wrote:
skones wrote:
PrinceAli wrote:Let’s be real. They were lucky to reach the finals last year even. Didn’t face a single healthy team

The NBA is a league of attrition and long has been. There's a level of luck in every single championship run, but to consider them luckier than any of the others? I don't buy it. Everyone wants to look for asterisks in the immediate, and they fade over time.

Every team they played along the way was badly injured, with star/superstar players out. Not one series, all of them. They were a group who had never been to the playoffs. Name me the last team that went from never making the playoffs to the NBA finals.

Erm, the 2020 Lakers literally the year before.

JoeyLightYears · Post #1645 » by **JoeyLightYears** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:30 am

Kurtz wrote:Bowen might be the 2nd dirtiest guy in the history of the league (behind only Lambeer by reputation). Him constantly sticking his leg under star shooter's jumpers had nothing to do with playing hard - he was simply trying to injure guys. I wager he's the main reason that rule is in the league today.

That's fair.

But "pesky" defenders like Pat Bev aren't inherently dirty IMO. Their style leads to injuries though. I'm getting the same vibes from Alvarado.

Bruin · Post #1646 » by **Bruin** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:31 am

sunsbum wrote:
PrinceAli wrote:
sunsbum wrote: Easy to say on the heels of a loss in a series that we still have home court on. Great take.

It’s not really a “take” but rather what actually happened last year lol. And I would say the same if they had won tonight too. The Suns don’t really look all that scary

Ya'll won a championship playing against an injured Iggy and no KD, I mean lets play tit for tat here, you were lucky to win the finals.

Playing 1 round with injuries vs every round with injuries. Yeah a fantastic comparison man

JoeyLightYears · Post #1647 » by **JoeyLightYears** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:31 am

sunsbum wrote:
PrinceAli wrote:
sunsbum wrote: Easy to say on the heels of a loss in a series that we still have home court on. Great take.

It’s not really a “take” but rather what actually happened last year lol. And I would say the same if they had won tonight too. The Suns don’t really look all that scary

Ya'll won a championship playing against an injured Iggy and no KD, I mean lets play tit for tat here, you were lucky to win the finals.

Yep. It's ridiculous when people try to imply that certain titles are garbage because of injury. I don't think a single title has been won where injury wasn't a factor.

CIN-C-STAR · Post #1648 » by **CIN-C-STAR** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:32 am

Pels with great energy and focus and intensity tonight. The Suns were not ready to match it and got their asses handed to them as a result, and melted down with frustration at the end to boot.
Impressive performance. Really looking forward to game 5.

JoeyLightYears · Post #1649 » by **JoeyLightYears** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:32 am

PrinceAli wrote:
sunsbum wrote:
PrinceAli wrote:It’s not really a “take” but rather what actually happened last year lol. And I would say the same if they had won tonight too. The Suns don’t really look all that scary

Ya'll won a championship playing against an injured Iggy and no KD, I mean lets play tit for tat here, you were lucky to win the finals.

Playing 1 round with injuries vs every round with injuries. Yeah a fantastic comparison man

2015 Warriors played every round with injuries and I don't think their title is illegitimate

LBJKB24MJ23 · Post #1650 » by **LBJKB24MJ23** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:32 am

sunsbum wrote:
PrinceAli wrote:
sunsbum wrote: Easy to say on the heels of a loss in a series that we still have home court on. Great take.

It’s not really a “take” but rather what actually happened last year lol. And I would say the same if they had won tonight too. The Suns don’t really look all that scary

Ya'll won a championship playing against an injured Iggy and no KD, I mean lets play tit for tat here, you were lucky to win the finals.

I would say it evened out the odds if anything.

Curry vs Kawhi
Siakam vs Green

then a whole bunch of role players against each other.

Post #1651 » by **Harry Garris** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:32 am

Duke4life831 wrote:Man I really hope the Pels have a great off-season this summer.

I think the ideal scenario is getting a guard that can shoot, get Zion in his best shape since Duke and ideally slide CJ to the 6th man spot. BI/Zion/CJ is probably over kill on the offensive end and too many defensive question marks (even though BI has improved a lot). CJ can be the best 6th man in the game.

I think their best case scenario is Herb Jones developing his shot. I'd way rather have that guy on the floor with a better jump shot than some shooter who's whatever on defense.

perempe20 · Post #1652 » by **perempe20** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:33 am

hardenASG13 wrote:[list=][/list]
skones wrote:This series feels like New Orleans smells blood and Phoenix is just trying to survive. For a team off of a finals appearance last year and 64 wins this year in a 1-8 matchup? That's troubling. You'd think they'd respond with more "we're still those guys without Booker" confidence.

This is the only healthy team they have played in the playoffs, except the bucks who they lost too. Maybe this will end the narrative that cp3 makes everything go for them. Without booker they are being outplayed by an 8 seed.

voted for Pels in 6 after game 3.

GSP · Post #1653 » by **GSP** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:33 am

Kurtz wrote:
GSP wrote:So **** happy Smart won Dpoy.....

Ingram making Bridges look like a can

Jjj fouls out in 30 mins a game

We already know Rudys problems

Draymond, Bam, Jimmy missed too many games

Smart now anchoring one of the defensive clinics of alltime

Is Smart a higher impact defender than Robert Williams?

Per minute prolly not but Smart plays way more and weve shut down a great offense without Rob. Smart coordinates our defense alot like Draymond does for Warriors he just doesnt have Draymonds size, length or rim protection so hes not as impactful a defender

Bruin · Post #1654 » by **Bruin** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:34 am

JoeyLightYears wrote:
PrinceAli wrote:
sunsbum wrote:Ya'll won a championship playing against an injured Iggy and no KD, I mean lets play tit for tat here, you were lucky to win the finals.

Playing 1 round with injuries vs every round with injuries. Yeah a fantastic comparison man

2015 Warriors played every round with injuries and I don't think their title is illegitimate

I’m not saying their run was illegitimate and I’m not saying the Suns aren’t good. I’m just saying that them reaching the finals last year had a lot to do with injuries so we can’t just assume they’re good enough to go right back to the finals

SkyBill40 · Post #1655 » by **SkyBill40** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:34 am

Suns playing 5 on 8 all series. The officiating has been a straight up joke.

Funcrusher · Post #1656 » by **Funcrusher** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:34 am

Kurtz wrote:
GSP wrote:So **** happy Smart won Dpoy.....

Ingram making Bridges look like a can

Jjj fouls out in 30 mins a game

We already know Rudys problems

Draymond, Bam, Jimmy missed too many games

Smart now anchoring one of the defensive clinics of alltime

Is Smart a higher impact defender than Robert Williams?

what i was gonna say lmao. might not be the highest defensive impact guy on his team

Roscoe Sheed · Post #1657 » by **Roscoe Sheed** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:35 am

Kurtz wrote:
JoeyLightYears wrote:
Roscoe Sheed wrote:perhaps so- but he doesn't seem as dirty as Beverley- he just hustles.

Bev didn't really earn his rep by being dirty.. it was more that he plays so aggressive and annoying that he ends up injuring people. Bruce Bowen was the same way. These guys lay it all on the line and if people get injured so be it.

Bowen might be the 2nd dirtiest guy in the history of the league (behind only Lambeer by reputation). Him constantly sticking his leg under star shooter's jumpers had nothing to do with playing hard - he was simply trying to injure guys. I wager he's the main reason that rule is in the league today.

Bowen for sure and then Pachulia took it to a new level- great way to take out the best player on the other team

garrick · Post #1658 » by **garrick** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:35 am

The Suns bench didn't come out with energy and made some bone headed plays especially in the second half. The free throw disparity is a worrying concern as well all season long and something Monty should have spoken out about earlier in the season but it seems he holds his tongue and tries not to get too emotional.

This series isn't over yet and I still see the Suns winning this one but it won't be an easy series for sure.

kombayn · Post #1659 » by **kombayn** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:35 am

The referees are not calling good games.

AussieRules · Post #1660 » by **AussieRules** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:35 am

Duke4life831 wrote:Man I really hope the Pels have a great off-season this summer.

I think the ideal scenario is getting a guard that can shoot, get Zion in his best shape since Duke and ideally slide CJ to the 6th man spot. BI/Zion/CJ is probably over kill on the offensive end and too many defensive question marks (even though BI has improved a lot). CJ can be the best 6th man in the game.

This would be ideal when Zion gets back but I’m not sure if CJ accepts a 6th man role. I still believe he can learn how to be a lead guard, but it really hasn’t worked out for him this playoffs

Who wins the series?