2021 NBA Playoffs

[ztejas 43418]

6 hours ago, HookEm said:

I disagree. These playoffs have more of an unpredictable “March Madness” quality that I am enjoying.  And even though the stars are out, the quality of basketball has been pretty good. 

I would MUCH rather the finals be Suns vs Hawks than Suns can Bucks.  If Trae comes back that would be a fun matchup with CP3.

The playoffs as a whole have been great. Last night without Giannis or Trae was awful. 

[Vic Mackey 47023]

2 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

that was no different this year, the injuries just happened.

Yep. Had the Nets been fully healthy, no team is touching them at all in the East. The parody these playoffs happened because all the stars went down. The new blood is fun but not when it comes at the expense of taking away the stars. Suns had almost no competition in the West this run. Once AD went down, Lakers were down. They constructed that roster around 2 guys and not much after. Take away one of them and that ship sinks. Before those injuries, they were rolling at the top of the West. Suns capitalized off Lakers and Nuggets injuries to climb to the 1 seed in the West. And once AD went down, their path to the Finals was easy. 

The height of the playoffs for me was game 7 of Nets/Bucks. The rest of the playoffs does not even come close.

[Vic Mackey 47023]

...

[Message Board User 12395]

10 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

nobody in the East is touching a healthy Nets team, for one. two, there's no way you can seriously consider the clippers contenders with their history and assuming a healthy Lakers. GSW was a play-in team with a garbage roster, so again, it was pretty much LAL and BK and then everybody else. then the injuries happened.

Looking at their big 3, "healthy Nets team" is as elusive a concept as sane Nick Van Exel, svelte Mel Turpin, or sober Roy Tarpley.

Edited July 3, 2021 by Message Board User

[Wulaw Horn 19069]

1 hour ago, Message Board User said:

Looking at their big 3, "healthy Nets team" is as elusive a concept as sane Nick Van Exel, svelte Mel Turpin, or sober Roy Tarpley.

Except KD was healthy, and Harden, who in his career has been virtually indestructible was the guy who got hurt. KD and either of Harden or Kyrie makes the playoffs a wrap. Bad luck to lose both at the same time. 

[ztejas 43418]

1 hour ago, Message Board User said:

Looking at their big 3, "healthy Nets team" is as elusive a concept as sane Nick Van Exel, svelte Mel Turpin, or sober Roy Tarpley.

What a stupid fucking comment. Harden has never been hurt in his career. KD recovered beautifully from his Achilles injury. Kyrie got undercut by Giannis and sprained his ankle - totally preventable injury. 

It's not like they were the 2004 Lakers trying to squeeze extra juice out of Karl Malone and Gary Payton. 

[Mitch Cumsteen 18547]

Don't give my this Harden bullshit. He showed up 20 lbs overweight. Shocking that he suffered a soft tissue injury. 

I still don't get the rockets fans sticking up for him. It's like Stockholm syndrome or something. 

[ztejas 43418]

5 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Don't give my this Harden bullshit. He showed up 20 lbs overweight. Shocking that he suffered a soft tissue injury. 

I still don't get the rockets fans sticking up for him. It's like Stockholm syndrome or something. 

He's been huge for like 5 years now. Maybe it caught up to him. It's still besides the point. Are we going to criticize MIL's roster construction because Giannis got hurt? No. Then don't act like the Nets should have known Kyrie would shatter his ankle on a reckless play. Shit happens. 

I mean fuck, if Joe Harris shoots a little better KD might have still won the title this year. 

[Wulaw Horn 19069]

7 hours ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Don't give my this Harden bullshit. He showed up 20 lbs overweight. Shocking that he suffered a soft tissue injury. 

I still don't get the rockets fans sticking up for him. It's like Stockholm syndrome or something. 

He has literally never been hurt before in any kind of consequence. Which is what I said. 
And maybe, you know, if the Rockets fans, who are closest to the situation and know it the best have no problem with him it’s because nobody with any sense should have any problem with him and that this is completely different than the Leonard situation. 
 

shit man, this is a town that booed Carlos Beltran every time he got I. The batter box for 12 ducking years, through 3 different teams and changing leagues, and Beltran signed elsewhere as a free agent. We are perfectly capable of (and do) carry a grudge when appropriate. It isn’t appropriate here. It’s not Stockholm syndrome. We can look at the awfulness of Tilman Ferntits, we can see that literally every single person in the organization wanted out, we can know that the championship window was closed for good especially with a cheap ass owner that was never going to spend into the tax and made Moves to actively worsen us 3 years in a row in Hardens prime for luxury tax savings and we can be rational about what actually happened. 

[Underdog 28612]

Pretty sure Dinner Bell Mel (Turpin) is svelte these days.  

[Message Board User 12395]

1 hour ago, Underdog said:

Pretty sure Dinner Bell Mel (Turpin) is svelte these days.  

And Tarpley is stone cold sober.  But you know what I mean.

[Underdog 28612]

Sober along with Rush?  

[Machinator 32099]

[SilasCoade 2622]

One game? Pffff

[Mitch Cumsteen 18547]

13 hours ago, ztejas said:

He's been huge for like 5 years now. Maybe it caught up to him. It's still besides the point. Are we going to criticize MIL's roster construction because Giannis got hurt? No. Then don't act like the Nets should have known Kyrie would shatter his ankle on a reckless play. Shit happens. 

I mean fuck, if Joe Harris shoots a little better KD might have still won the title this year. 

Harden was particularly and notably out of shape this year. It was a meme for godsakes. And while his injury against Milwaukee was a bit fluky and of the shit happens variety, Kyrie has an extremely long injury history going all the way back to his days at Duke. The fact that their best player was a guy coming off an Achilles injury shows you how tenuous their situation was to begin with.

It's not like any of this is news. We were talking about this before the season even started. Then we talked about it during the season when all three of those dudes missed extended time for one injury or another. That was always the risk with the Nets. If they are healthy, nobody is stopping them. If not, we are going to be treated to a finals with a big three of Kevin Huerter, John Collins, and Lemon Pepper Lou. 

[ztejas 43418]

3 hours ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Harden was particularly and notably out of shape this year. It was a meme for godsakes. And while his injury against Milwaukee was a bit fluky and of the shit happens variety, Kyrie has an extremely long injury history going all the way back to his days at Duke. The fact that their best player was a guy coming off an Achilles injury shows you how tenuous their situation was to begin with.

It's not like any of this is news. We were talking about this before the season even started. Then we talked about it during the season when all three of those dudes missed extended time for one injury or another. That was always the risk with the Nets. If they are healthy, nobody is stopping them. If not, we are going to be treated to a finals with a big three of Kevin Huerter, John Collins, and Lemon Pepper Lou. 

People questioned how Durant would look coming back. He came back better than ever. He did miss some of the regular season but he was fully healthy in the playoffs. People questioned Kyrie's commitment and off the court distractions and I suppose there was some concern with his injury history but he played 54 games and I think missed 6 or 7 due to non injury related reasons and was healthy up until not being given space to land on a play in transition. 

The only one I will give you might be Harden - but then again he was still able to play hobbled out there and was on the mend by game 7. 

It's ridiculous to act like we knew this would happen with the Nets but when it comes to AD or Jamaal Murray or Kawhi or Jaylen Brown or Giannis it's "oh man that's just unfortunate". No - it's all unfortunate. Injury history or not with these guys. 

[Machinator 32099]

 

[Machinator 32099]

Ugly game, feels like a game 7.

[Esque 135]

2 minutes ago, Machinator said:

Ugly game, feels like a game 7.

Bucks should be up by 15.  No matter what happens, coach has to go.  This is some idiotic basketball.

[staboner 4969]

holiday looks good out there. like he has found another gear of intensity. good for him. i think having tucker is a big + for him on the defensive end. he is more free and more aggressive out there. 

tucker is very underrated as a teammate. but we know that. 

[ztejas 43418]

17 minutes ago, Esque said:

Bucks should be up by 15.  No matter what happens, coach has to go.  This is some idiotic basketball.

Seeing the Bucks be just fine without Giannis compared to what Durant was working with should get Bud fired for almost losing that series. 

[Loch Ness Monster 3533]

Jrue Holiday has been more aggressive since Giannis went down.

[pops 6983]

On 7/1/2021 at 7:11 PM, ztejas said:

This game sucks. What else is on.

I feel like I'm watching a game in January between two middling playoff contenders.

Band of brothers on history

[ztejas 43418]

Bucks/Suns Finals.

Yay?

[Machinator 32099]

Sun hasn't set on Atlanta yet.

[Machinator 32099]

Reddish has picked a good time to have a career game.

[Machinator 32099]

Trae wasn't in any kind of game shape today. Jrue dominated on defense the entire game and has kept things from going off the rails late.

[Machinator 32099]

And PJ with the likely dagger to get to his first NBA finals.

[Message Board User 12395]

1 minute ago, Machinator said:

Trae wasn't in any kind of game shape today. Jrue dominated on defense the entire game and has kept things from going off the rails late.

Yep Trae was a net negative and probably shouldn't have played.  

[Loch Ness Monster 3533]

Trae was horrible. 4/17 FG

0/6 from 3 and five turnovers.

He should have been on the bench and Hawks might have won.

[Esque 135]

So PHX in 5?

[Machinator 32099]

 

[Machinator 32099]

This also marks the end of Marv Albert's NBA broadcasting career.

[Loch Ness Monster 3533]

Marv Albert's had an awesome career. I loved many of his calls.

[totallynotabuttpirate 5396]

Sodomite Marv was one of the best.

[UpperWestside 6162]

I will stick with the Bucks to win the title. I’ll say in seven. Milwaukee has some tough-minded dudes on that team.

[SilasCoade 2622]

1 hour ago, ztejas said:

Seeing the Bucks be just fine without Giannis compared to what Durant was working with should get Bud fired for almost losing that series. 

They're playing the Hawks, man. I know they were a pretty good story for the playoffs, but it's a mirage.

  

5 minutes ago, UpperWestside said:

I will stick with the Bucks to win the title. I’ll say in seven. Milwaukee has some tough-minded dudes on that team.

Suns with the gentleman's sweep if they stay healthy and no Giannis.

Edited July 4, 2021 by Llogg

[Machinator 32099]

 

[conVINCEd 21469]

26 minutes ago, Loch Ness Monster said:

Marv Albert's had an awesome career. I loved many of his calls.

I wonder what sort of undergarments he was wearing this evening.

[UpperWestside 6162]

10 minutes ago, Llogg said:

Suns with the gentleman's sweep if they stay healthy and no Giannis.

For sure it could go that way as well.

[Machinator 32099]

 

[Machinator 32099]

 

[youdunnf'dup 2147]

Definitely team Suns for these finals. I’m ready to see this city have a parade. 

[Loch Ness Monster 3533]

First NBA finals where I didn't hate either team

[tbone_ 14115]

Go suns. Eat a bag bucks.

[Braff Zacklin 13558]

40 minutes ago, Machinator said:

 

Seems there are more announcers who grate upon the fastidious ear these days than good ones, so it's a shame that a legend like Marv is hanging it up. Who else but he could turn a simple "YEESSS!" into a personal catchphrase?

[ztejas 43418]

2 hours ago, Llogg said:

They're playing the Hawks, man. I know they were a pretty good story for the playoffs, but it's a mirage.

Right but could you imagine the KDless Nets against Atlanta? 

Point being Giannis is a legit top 7-8 guy and has a phenomenal supporting cast and they've had a ton of games this playoffs where they've dicked around and not asserted themselves. 

Edited July 4, 2021 by ztejas

[shadow_operative 15932]

10 hours ago, Machinator said:

 

god damn it, why does nobody know what the word "ironic" means?!?!?! there is nothing ironic about that referee working this game. it's borderline coincidental, but it is nowhere near being "ironic", and it blows my mind that 99% of adults still have no clue how to use that word. 

edit: just went and looked up this illiterate clown's credentials:

Education: St. Bonaventure University, BA in journalism/mass communication, 2007

so you went to a good school where you studied to be someone who writes for a living, you're employed by one of the biggest papers in America, and you have no idea what the word "ironic" means. fantastic. 

Edited July 4, 2021 by shadow_operative

[ztejas 43418]

9 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

god damn it, why does nobody know what the word "ironic" means?!?!?! there is nothing ironic about that referee working this game. it's borderline coincidental, but it is nowhere near being "ironic", and it blows my mind that 99% of adults still have no clue how to use that word. 

edit: just went and looked up this illiterate clown's credentials:

Education: St. Bonaventure University, BA in journalism/mass communication, 2007

so you went to a good school where you studied to be someone who writes for a living, you're employed by one of the biggest papers in America, and you have no idea what the word "ironic" means. fantastic. 

I like you because sometimes you write out in 600 words what I simply didn't feel like commenting.

[Braff Zacklin 13558]

4 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

god damn it, why does nobody know what the word "ironic" means?!?!?! there is nothing ironic about that referee working this game. it's borderline coincidental, but it is nowhere near being "ironic", and it blows my mind that 99% of adults still have no clue how to use that word. 

edit: just went and looked up this illiterate clown's credentials:

Education: St. Bonaventure University, BA in journalism/mass communication, 2007

so you went to a good school where you studied to be someone who writes for a living, you're employed by one of the biggest papers in America, and you have no idea what the word "ironic" means. fantastic. 

What blows my mind is how polarizing the word "irony" and its various forms are. There are basically two camps, and they both get worked up into a lather over the other's usage.

Per any dictionary you will find, ironic means:

• using words in a way that convey the opposite of their literal meaning (so, basically, a form of sarcasm)
• a coincidental, unintended or unexpected outcome

So, in conclusion: