2021-22 NBA Season Discussion

[TheGOATRises007]

Interesting that Poole always starts a series well and progressively gets worse and worse.

He looks like a potential all-star to start a series and regresses into a mere sparkplug from the bench towards the end.

I wonder if he'll bounce back for game 5.

[jalengreen]

this could be an absolutely legendary choke. oh man

[Texas Chuck]

this could be an absolutely legendary choke. oh man

Looks like they are going to survive....maybe?

[jalengreen]

this could be an absolutely legendary choke. oh man

Looks like they are going to survive....maybe?

yeah up 10 with 1:20 left should be it.. but man it was scary

[GSP]

Elimination game Luka is real...........POLAR opposite of Harden in that regard even with the similarities in their game. Harden is one of the worst elimination game players ever

30/14/9/2/2. Way better defensive effort by him. Unfortunately I dont see any way Warriors dont close this out next game

This really should be a 2-2 series if Mavs didnt commit a massive choke in game 2 where they shot the lights out as well

[falcolombardi]

Elimination game Luka is real...........POLAR opposite of Harden in that regard even with the similarities in their game. Harden is one of the worst elimination game players ever

30/14/9/2/2. Way better defensive effort by him. Unfortunately I dont see any way Warriors dont close this out next game

This really should be a 2-2 series if Mavs didnt commit a massive choke in game 2 where they shot the lights out as well

this is why i honestly think being better in the first half od a series is more valuable than being better at closing it in games 4-7

if you dig yourself into a 3-1 or 3-0 hole you are most likely done regardless of how well you play after that

[Doctor MJ]

Good game from the Mavs.

There's never going to be a time where a team down 0-3 is likely to come back and win the series, but Luka is exactly the kind of threat I could see doing it. Warriors need to not sleep on this opponent.

[ardee]

Good game from the Mavs.

There's never going to be a time where a team down 0-3 is likely to come back and win the series, but Luka is exactly the kind of threat I could see doing it. Warriors need to not sleep on this opponent.

Never say never.

With more and more teams becoming dependent on the 3, variance plays a much higher role in the game today than it used to. All you need is one team to get hot and one team to go cold at the same time for a 4 game stretch. It's not likely but it can absolutely happen.

Injuries can play a role too.

I think the Suns/Mavs series is absolutely the kind of series that under different circumstances I could visualize ending that way.

[tsherkin]

Good game from the Mavs.

There's never going to be a time where a team down 0-3 is likely to come back and win the series, but Luka is exactly the kind of threat I could see doing it. Warriors need to not sleep on this opponent.

Never say never.

With more and more teams becoming dependent on the 3, variance plays a much higher role in the game today than it used to. All you need is one team to get hot and one team to go cold at the same time for a 4 game stretch. It's not likely but it can absolutely happen.

Injuries can play a role too.

I think the Suns/Mavs series is absolutely the kind of series that under different circumstances I could visualize ending that way.

He didnt say it would never happen. He said it would never be likely...

[70sFan]

I missed the game, it seems that Dallas put up the fight. Still, wouldn't expect them to win another game. Warriors likely want to close it out at home.

[70sFan]

normally i would advise against taking games off as somethingh that can bite you later

but a 3-0 lead is a exception has any 0-3 team even got close to a comeback?

51 Knicks VS Royals
94 Nuggets VS Jazz
03 Blazers VS Mavs

only teams to force game 7 after being down 0-3........................its actually WIIILDDDDDDD its only been done 3 times in over SEVENTY years..........

Man, 1994 Nuggets were special. People should look closer at what Mutombo did that year, he was unbelievable.

Even they didn't make it though. There's no hope for Dallas...

[GSP]

normally i would advise against taking games off as somethingh that can bite you later

but a 3-0 lead is a exception has any 0-3 team even got close to a comeback?

51 Knicks VS Royals
94 Nuggets VS Jazz
03 Blazers VS Mavs

only teams to force game 7 after being down 0-3........................its actually WIIILDDDDDDD its only been done 3 times in over SEVENTY years..........

Man, 1994 Nuggets were special. People should look closer at what Mutombo did that year, he was unbelievable.

Even they didn't make it though. There's no hope for Dallas...

They were incredible in playoffs. It doesn't make sense how good they were. They are prolly the Goat "average" team. Srs, point differential, win/loss everything points to them being dead average....... Yet they gave 2 top contenders everything they could handle. Sonics might've even been the favorite heading to playoffs. It was maybe the biggest upset in Nba history.

It wasn't even like they had a midseason trade or different roster in playoffs compared to Rs or injured players being healthy and available in playoffs that might understate level by regular season metrics...... All their main rotation was same in Rs and playoffs and they all played over 70 games in Rs too.........

[jalengreen]

51 Knicks VS Royals
94 Nuggets VS Jazz
03 Blazers VS Mavs

only teams to force game 7 after being down 0-3........................its actually WIIILDDDDDDD its only been done 3 times in over SEVENTY years..........

Man, 1994 Nuggets were special. People should look closer at what Mutombo did that year, he was unbelievable.

Even they didn't make it though. There's no hope for Dallas...

They were incredible in playoffs. It doesn't make sense how good they were. They are prolly the Goat "average" team. Srs, point differential, win/loss everything points to them being dead average....... Yet they gave 2 top contenders everything they could handle. Sonics might've even been the favorite heading to playoffs. It was maybe the biggest upset in Nba history.

It wasn't even like they had a midseason trade or different roster in playoffs compared to Rs or injured players being healthy and available in playoffs that might understate level by regular season metrics...... All their main rotation was same in Rs and playoffs and they all played over 70 games in Rs too.........

https://www.sportsoddshistory.com/nba-main/?y=1993-1994&sa=nba&a=finals&o=r

according to this source, the sonics were in fact the favorites heading into the playoffs.

[parsnips33]

Man I started doing laundry after the 3rd quarter

Did that comeback look for real or Mavs were just playing around?

[falcolombardi]

off topic (kind of) but is curious how much more benefit of the doubt jokic got for defense than doncic is getting

both players share the distinction of "other team scored a bajillion points in ultra efficiency in possesions guarded by them

this is not to say that jokic defense was not better thab doncic, it probably was, but with nikola he was kinda given a pass and there was very little serious discussion of his defense

this is not to criticize jokic, just to comment that it felt like people were much more willing to handwave away conversation on it cause he had weaker defense teammates or warriors were a bad matchup

while with luka we saw similar "this is how often and efficiently warriors scored on him" numbers and called it a day that luka defense sucks and he and him alone deserves all the blame for it

[parsnips33]

off topic (kind of) but is curious how much more benefit of the doubt jokic got for defense than doncic is getting

both players share the distinction of "other team scored a bajillion points in ultra efficiency in possesions guarded by them

this is not to say that jokic defense was not better thab doncic, it probably was, but with nikola he was kinda given a pass and there was very little serious discussion of his defense

this is not to criticize jokic, just to comment that it felt like people were much more willing to handwave away conversation on it cause he had weaker defense teammates or warriors were a bad matchup

while with luka we saw similar "this is how often and efficiently warriors scored on him" numbers and called it a day that luka defense sucks and he and him alone deserves all the blame for it

I definitely saw people questioning Jokic's D, feel like that was the main narrative of that series.

I do think Jokic has more of a fan contingent on here than Luka, especially after a season that had the very statistically inclined salivating

I think in general the most annoying thing about basketball discussion is the all-or-nothing nature. People are so hesitant to acknowledge that even the best players have weaknesses and that's what makes them unique just as much as their strengths

[Colbinii]

off topic (kind of) but is curious how much more benefit of the doubt jokic got for defense than doncic is getting

both players share the distinction of "other team scored a bajillion points in ultra efficiency in possesions guarded by them

this is not to say that jokic defense was not better thab doncic, it probably was, but with nikola he was kinda given a pass and there was very little serious discussion of his defense

this is not to criticize jokic, just to comment that it felt like people were much more willing to handwave away conversation on it cause he had weaker defense teammates or warriors were a bad matchup

while with luka we saw similar "this is how often and efficiently warriors scored on him" numbers and called it a day that luka defense sucks and he and him alone deserves all the blame for it

It is difficult to separate.

In one hand, Jokic plays a position which historically has more impact defensively [I would argue the gap between defensive impact of Center and other positions has receded in recent years].

On the other hand, Luka has a better defensive supporting cast than Jokic.

[Texas Chuck]

I missed the game, it seems that Dallas put up the fight. Still, wouldn't expect them to win another game. Warriors likely want to close it out at home.

Au contraire mon ami. Dallas is now 25% of their way through the greatest comeback in NBA history. GSW is shook. They don't really have a core or coach who has been through big games and they are going to collapse under the immense pressure they are now under to somehow win 3 straight against a team of unprecedented caliber.

Spoiler:

I wonder if my friend will call me delusional again, or if I dripped enough sarcasm here to be obvious?

[parsnips33]

I don't like all this assuming the Warriors are gonna win energy, feels like a jinx

I for one won't feel comfortable until Luka is on a beach in Europe hitting the hookah

[Doctor MJ]

off topic (kind of) but is curious how much more benefit of the doubt jokic got for defense than doncic is getting

both players share the distinction of "other team scored a bajillion points in ultra efficiency in possesions guarded by them

this is not to say that jokic defense was not better thab doncic, it probably was, but with nikola he was kinda given a pass and there was very little serious discussion of his defense

this is not to criticize jokic, just to comment that it felt like people were much more willing to handwave away conversation on it cause he had weaker defense teammates or warriors were a bad matchup

while with luka we saw similar "this is how often and efficiently warriors scored on him" numbers and called it a day that luka defense sucks and he and him alone deserves all the blame for it

So I'll say that my perception is that Jokic not only got criticism about his defense, but that people were waiting with knives out to criticize his defense as soon as GS thrived offensively against the Nuggets, just like they were with Luka.

I'm not necessarily saying it was as bad with Jokic as it is with Luka - to be honest I don't have a sense of this that I'd like to stand by - but I definitely see the same sort of thing for both guys.

To the extent it is worse for Luka, if the explanation is something other than this being deeper in the playoffs, then it would seem to mean Luka's just a higher profile player than Jokic. That statement seems odd given that Jokic older and has won the last two MVPs while Luka hasn't won any, but nevertheless, I think it's true.