2019 NBA FInals - Warriors vs. Raptors

[youdunnf'dup 2147]

40 minutes ago, NowThis said:

last night was the defining moment in the 5 year GS dynasty.  Lose and people will say  they can't win it without the KD mercenary or they need Kyrie to be out (2015). Now they did it without KD and Klay for a big chuck of crunchtime, did it with Steph being average, did it with Cousins, Cook and Iggy hitting a key 3. A loss last night would have been much more important than people realize. 

I get what you’re saying, but a loss last night means Toronto protected home court. They had so many excuses last night, I think everyone in America would’ve understood that one. A lot of people would’ve said they’re in trouble, yada yada, but I feel like last night was a lot more about Toronto choking. 

[Vic Mackey 47959]

Might not be the defining game in their dynasty and honestly not sure what that would be but if they win it all this year, that stretch from the end of the 2nd into the 3rd and then the end sequence will be the most important part of these playoffs for them given all the circumstances. They had no business being in that game with how they played and Toronto could not put them away.

[TommyGufano 6023]

15 hours ago, Newdoc said:

Color commentators were a beating this game. How in the hell was Van Gundy a head coach? 

Well, he immediately recognized the box-and-1 (no huge achievement, but work with me here) and suggested what Kerr ought to do to counter (use Steph as a screener: it never happened), while the other former hc in the booth talked about strempf and lempf and mixed in a few empty platitudes (and in all likelihood attributed the missed shots down the stretch to players being possessed by demons, though that's purely conjecture, admittedly)

 

Off the top of my head, very beginning of this vid is another instance where JVG recognizes what is happening and communicates it to the audience. Helps us appreciate what Dallas/Carlisle are dialing up in the moment. Bonus pts to JVG for the fact that Dallas runs the set in every non-transition- or run clock down iso possession the rest of the game and rides it to a W.

 

So give me JVG. He actually processes the game beyond what is happening with the player who has the ball in his hands. If we're just scratching our heads over former coaches, he's immeasurably superior to Hubie and Mark Jackson.

[Michael Knight 13223]

15 hours ago, NowThis said:

if GS closes out @ Gm 5 in Canada, they'll be the only team to win on US and foreign soil .  We won't ever see that again in our lifetime.

if you're dying next year maybe

Edited June 3, 2019 by Michael Knight

[NowThis 931]

2 minutes ago, Michael Knight said:

if you're dying next year maybe

Toronto - GS might meet again, but the same results. 

[Vic Mackey 47959]

20 minutes ago, NowThis said:

Toronto - GS might meet again, but the same results. 

If Kawhi leaves ( and by many accounts he will), Toronto won't even sniff the Finals.

[hobbes2702 13477]

I think JvG is one of the best color guys in the biz. He gets too worked up about officials and occasionally gets lost in conversation but generally his game analysis is spot on

[ztejas 44227]

1 hour ago, Goo Punch said:

uh, no, game 2 of the 2019 Finals was not the defining moment of the GS Warriors dynasty. 

Dude, quit playing. They've only won (stops to count on fingers) 15 other games in the Finals. 12 of which contributed to championships. 

[Patrick Bateman 3980]

Beware of SSS, but....

Loved this risk by Nick Nurse.... got them back into it.  Again, Raptors offense was fucking awful.  They were bricking wide open looks.

 

[XYZ 2154]

Is Lowry supposed to be the #2 scorer for Toronto? If he is, he sure isn’t playing like it.

[CurlyDumps 4659]

38 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

I think JvG is one of the best color guys in the biz. He gets too worked up about officials and occasionally gets lost in conversation but generally his game analysis is spot on

I like him too.  One of my favorite JVG moments was years ago when he went on a rant about having to pay full price for a haircut. 

Both Van Gundy bros are good media personalities.  Stan is a regular guest host on the Lebatard show. He’s honest, self-deprecating, has a good sense of humor.

[youdunnf'dup 2147]

1 hour ago, Vic Mackey said:

Might not be the defining game in their dynasty and honestly not sure what that would be but if they win it all this year, that stretch from the end of the 2nd into the 3rd and then the end sequence will be the most important part of these playoffs for them given all the circumstances. They had no business being in that game with how they played and Toronto could not put them away.

Funny thing is, they don’t really have a “defining moment” since KD got there. There was nothing to define. There was no real adversity. It was always really easy for them. My only guess would be their defining moment was the tickets not having CP3 and going 0-20 or whatever to start the game from 3 last year. Other than that, what was there to define? 

[TommyGufano 6023]

6 minutes ago, youdunnf'dup said:

Funny thing is, they don’t really have a “defining moment” since KD got there. There was nothing to define. There was no real adversity. It was always really easy for them. My only guess would be their defining moment was the tickets not having CP3 and going 0-20 or whatever to start the game from 3 last year. Other than that, what was there to define? 

KD's 3 in game 3 2017  or JR Smith (not that the 2018 series wasn't going to end 4-1) or Zaza.

But it's the KD 3.

Edited June 3, 2019 by TommyGufano

[MoJames 8258]

6 minutes ago, youdunnf'dup said:

Funny thing is, they don’t really have a “defining moment” since KD got there. There was nothing to define. There was no real adversity. It was always really easy for them. My only guess would be their defining moment was the tickets not having CP3 and going 0-20 or whatever to start the game from 3 last year. Other than that, what was there to define? 

I bet every player who has been working their asses off over the past 3 years would disagree with you.

[youdunnf'dup 2147]

2 minutes ago, MoJames said:

I bet every player who has been working their asses off over the past 3 years would disagree with you.

Oh I don’t doubt that they’ve worked really hard. That’s why they are where they are. But who besides the rockets last year has given them any real resistance since KD has been there? What we’re seeing this year with KD being out is kind of proving my point. No team in the history of the league could lose a player the caliber of a KD and still be, if nothing else, a top end contender. It’s never happened and it probably won’t ever happen again. Having KD makes it to where nothing else really matters. Maybe “easy” was the wrong way to word it. It just makes it borderline impossible for any team to beat this team in a 7 game series. Their defining moments are things that other teams have done (ie Houston going toe to toe, JR smith having a brain fart, etc)

[Underdog 29189]

1 hour ago, TommyGufano said:

KD's 3 in game 3 2017  or JR Smith (not that the 2018 series wasn't going to end 4-1) or Zaza.

But it's the KD 3.

In LBJ’s face at that. 

[Newdoc 3511]

3 hours ago, TommyGufano said:

Well, he immediately recognized the box-and-1 (no huge achievement, but work with me here) and suggested what Kerr ought to do to counter (use Steph as a screener: it never happened), while the other former hc in the booth talked about strempf and lempf and mixed in a few empty platitudes (and in all likelihood attributed the missed shots down the stretch to players being possessed by demons, though that's purely conjecture, admittedly)

 

Off the top of my head, very beginning of this vid is another instance where JVG recognizes what is happening and communicates it to the audience. Helps us appreciate what Dallas/Carlisle are dialing up in the moment. Bonus pts to JVG for the fact that Dallas runs the set in every non-transition- or run clock down iso possession the rest of the game and rides it to a W.

 

So give me JVG. He actually processes the game beyond what is happening with the player who has the ball in his hands. If we're just scratching our heads over former coaches, he's immeasurably superior to Hubie and Mark Jackson.

I’ll give you that but some observation points off the cuff are head scratchers. Especially when it comes to personnel on the court. Plus he sticks with an opinion when replay shows it completely different just to save face. Maybe it’s the Yin yang schtick everyone does these days.

[Goo Punch 4275]

Kevan Looney has a fractured collarbone and is done for the playoffs.

[aggie08 21800]

Well, that sucks.

[youdunnf'dup 2147]

And the hits keep coming. Fuck, man. Sucks for him, and for the warriors. Is this really how they’re going to go out? With the entire team on a stretcher? 

As for Klay, MRI tonight. The series hinges on that fucking MRI. Unless KD actually comes back at 80% or better. The “this team desperately needs KD” camp is about to get their wish. They desperately need him if Klay isn’t right. 

[youdunnf'dup 2147]

 

 

[NowThis 931]

5 hours ago, TommyGufano said:

KD's 3 in game 3 2017  or JR Smith (not that the 2018 series wasn't going to end 4-1) or Zaza.

But it's the KD 3.

GS wasn't going to lose that series.  Last night's game was a do or die for GS, down 2-0 jacks up TOR's confidence where they could easily take it. 

You see, history will look at a 4-1 GS much better than a 3-2 with the 3 wins as a * (Kyries out *; KD the hired gun **).

** KD not really part of the 'core', just a ringer you bring in to make your YMCA team the champ. 

Now when/if GS wins this, history will smile on the 4-1, mostly because the 5th one had the most adversity. 

[youdunnf'dup 2147]

27 minutes ago, NowThis said:

GS wasn't going to lose that series.  Last night's game was a do or die for GS, down 2-0 jacks up TOR's confidence where they could easily take it. 

You see, history will look at a 4-1 GS much better than a 3-2 with the 3 wins as a * (Kyries out *; KD the hired gun **).

** KD not really part of the 'core', just a ringer you bring in to make your YMCA team the champ. 

Now when/if GS wins this, history will smile on the 4-1, mostly because the 5th one had the most adversity. 

That’s why that one was tough for me. There was never a doubt in anyone’s mind the warriors were going to win that series. In fact, I wonder what kind of odds you would’ve gotten if you bet on the warriors to win the next 3 championships from the moment KD signed. Cause I feel like the payout wouldn’t be that good for something that should be considered a long shot. 

[aggie08 21800]

Golden State's 7 best players:

KD - out for the past month

Steph - minor shit, to be expected for June basketball

Green - healthy

Klay - pulled hammy

Iggy - old as balls, just squeezing in a little basketball between trips to the MRI

Boogie - working himself back into shape after his 2nd major injury on the same leg

Looney - out

And they're still probably going to win (with as assist from Kawhi's bum leg and Anunoby's absence).

 

But maybe it's time that Silver reconsidered the arbitrary 82 game schedule and Best-of-7 first round.

[Thatguy 9366]

16 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

which coach that he got fired went on to coach a championship caliber team? which coach that he got fired ever got another legit chance at winning? how does your question absolve LeBron of (poorly) trying to play GM everywhere he goes? 

 

   Hmm...let's see. Lebron went to 8 straight finals and won 3 of them. How did those franchises do outside of that? How did those coaches do outside of that? Maybe his pushing for better coaching is warranted. It would be different if he went to SA and pushed for a new coach. He has largely had hot garbage his whole career.

[immortal13 4059]

Lebron was a terrible coach

[aggie08 21800]

KD still hasn't been cleared for practice, so no KD in Game 3.  Iggy will play.  Klay is listed as questionable (so he's going to play).

[youdunnf'dup 2147]

I know what they're saying, but I don't see how he can be expected to play on Friday after being out this long when he hasn't even been cleared to practice yet. 

[Patrick Bateman 3980]

 

[goatsaag 281]

On 6/3/2019 at 3:31 PM, TommyGufano said:

KD's 3 in game 3 2017  or JR Smith (not that the 2018 series wasn't going to end 4-1) or Zaza.

But it's the KD 3.

The KD 3 was definitely the "nope, no one is going to beat this team" moment.

[youdunnf'dup 2147]

1 hour ago, goatsaag said:

The KD 3 was definitely the "nope, no one is going to beat this team" moment.

You sure it wasn’t the moment you got the nba twitter notification that he signed with GS?

[UTDD 362]

22 hours ago, Thatguy said:

   Hmm...let's see. Lebron went to 8 straight finals and won 3 of them. How did those franchises do outside of that? How did those coaches do outside of that? Maybe his pushing for better coaching is warranted. It would be different if he went to SA and pushed for a new coach. He has largely had hot garbage his whole career.

Partially arguable, but I doubt most would disagree that LeBron's passive aggressive nature at times has not been the right way to approach things.  LeBron maybe more than any other true great player (Top 20 types all time) I believe really missed out having a truly strong coach that could have served as a great mentor/even father figure when he was early in his career. His career has still been great and he's easily a Top 5 player all-time (most intelligent analysts probably have him Top 3 worst and I agree with this 100%) but I still think he missed out badly on that kind of coach and how it could have helped him avoid say the 2011 problems he had in the Finals and some of the subtle antics he has employed even later in his career. 

[Patrick Bateman 3980]

If he has to sit or comes out and tries it out and can't move the way you want him to, I probably lift him and Iggy tonight and see if you can get back to full power in game 4 with KD, Klay and Iggy on Friday.  Maybe Steph could go crazy nuts and will them to victory.  If he could, then it would be a signature moment he's been searching for in the Finals.

 

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by Patrick Bateman

[youdunnf'dup 2147]

Is there a reason to watch tonight lol? Seriously. According to Ethan Strauss, who has always been really connected with the warriors, Klay was in more pain than he’s ever seen anyone on this team have since he’s been there after last game. 

KD still not practicing.

This is it. It has to be it. They aren’t coming back from this. A lot of my posts in this thread aren’t going to age well based on these injuries haha 

[aggie08 21800]

Feels like the kind of game that you take a stab at early, see if anybody is red hot, and play fast and loose with nothing to lose; but, the second it gets away from you (and it almost certainly will), everyone goes to the bench, and you don't waste any effort trying to mount a comeback.

Still, the idea of essentially punting an NBA Finals game at home is crazy to me.

[TommyGufano 6023]

Is Damion Lee active? Trying to find anyone healthy outside of Curry/Cook who can shoot

[Vic Mackey 47959]

Absolutely zero excuse for the Raptors not to win tonight.

[Patrick Bateman 3980]

If Klay can't go, then GSW still have Steph and Draymond along with Iggy, so they'd still have a chance, they'd just need some major bench contributions.  This is Toronto, it's not like it's Cleveland with Lebron, Kyrie, and Love.  Toronto has a long track record of coming up short in the biggest of moments and although Kawhi will probably play reasonably well, you never know what you may get with guys like Lowry (an epic underachiever in the playoffs), Gasol, Ibaka, and Siakam.  They may play great, they may all stink.  If they can get two other guys to score, then they should take this but the Warriors will still have a decent opportunity to steal one if a guy like Cook or McKinnie can play over their heads and Bogut turns back the clock offensively.

 

[totallynotabuttpirate 5484]

8 minutes ago, Patrick Bateman said:

If Klay can't go, then GSW still have Steph and Draymond along with Iggy, so they'd still have a chance, they'd just need some major bench contributions.  This is Toronto, it's not like it's Cleveland with Lebron, Kyrie, and Love.  Toronto has a long track record of coming up short in the biggest of moments and although Kawhi will probably play reasonably well, you never know what you may get with guys like Lowry (an epic underachiever in the playoffs), Gasol, Ibaka, and Siakam.  They may play great, they may all stink.  If they can get two other guys to score, then they should take this but the Warriors will still have a decent opportunity to steal one if a guy like Cook or McKinnie can play over their heads and Bogut turns back the clock offensively.

  

You forgot Boogie..... 

[BradInATX 9208]

Yeah this whole thing about the Warriors mailing in the game is crazy talk. There's no way. They still have the best weapon in the league and two other all stars. Cousins flashed last game and seems like he might be able to contribute some. They have some decent bench players, are well coached, and are at home and it's going to be crazy in that arena tonight.

The Warriors are 5 point favorites ffs. They are probably going to win.

Edited June 5, 2019 by BradInATX

[TexasMan 11456]

 

[Vic Mackey 47959]

Feels like the kind of game that you take a stab at early, see if anybody is red hot, and play fast and loose with nothing to lose; but, the second it gets away from you (and it almost certainly will), everyone goes to the bench, and you don't waste any effort trying to mount a comeback.
Still, the idea of essentially punting an NBA Finals game at home is crazy to me.

It's crazy because it isn't going to happen. GSW is at home. They aren't mailing anything in at all.

[Vic Mackey 47959]

Maybe it's the lighting but Kirk Hammetts face looks orange as fuck.

[housious 468]

Metallica should stick to Metallica songs 

[MoJames 8258]

Maybe it's the lighting but Kirk Hammetts face looks orange as fuck.

They both look old as fuck.

[housious 468]

So Steph is going for 50 tonight, right?

[TommyGufano 6023]

1 minute ago, housious said:

So Steph is going for 50 tonight, right?

gonna be tough against triangle and 2. We'll see tho

[aggie08 21800]

3 minutes ago, housious said:

So Steph is going for 50 tonight, right?

Steph doesn't have KD's luxury of just being able to shoot over any defense. There's really nothing he can do if he's bracketed by two or three guys all game. Someone else is going to have to step up offensively pretty much from the jump to potentially get Steph loose. Otherwise, Toronto can just sell out on him like they did at the end of Game 2, knowing no one else can really hurt them.

[BradInATX 9208]

I didn't watch a lot of non-Spurs basketball this year due to general life stuff, but what happened to Draymond's jumper? He went from serviceable to just downright awful. Space Jammed?

[SilasCoade 2622]

Nah that shit always been broke.