NBA playoffs 2021

Discussion in 'Men’s Basketball' started by VYFan, May 17, 2021.

  1. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Surprisingly, I am very excited about the upcoming playoffs. Several teams can legitimately win, there are lots of unique superstars, and with the injuries and resting, we haven’t seen the teams at full strength much yet. So, there is a mystery.

    KLeonard, LJames, ADavis, CP3, Doncic, Jokic, Giannis, Embiid, Steph—each so amazing at completely different niches. Then you have the Nets—will they pull it together at the end and be perhaps one of the best offensive teams of all time apart from the Dream Team?

    There’s interesting talent on Miami, Portland, Washington, New Orleans, and even Atlanta. Really every series is interesting to me. Utah is the best regular season team and I didn’t even mention them yet.

    So, bring it on!!
     
  2. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Interesting listening to late Sunday night sportscasters wondering how far the Mavs will go in the playoffs. All blew off the Clip Joint. Big mistake, see 2020.
     
  3. bystander

    bystander 10,000+ Posts

    Apparently the Clips tanked their last two games to give them a shot at the Mavs. There are two players on the Clips that will decide it: Morris and Ibaka. Both OWN the Mavs from a physical standpoint.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  4. X Misn Tx

    X Misn Tx 2,500+ Posts

    I think they tanked their last two games to get on the opposite side of the bracket from the Lakers.

    The play in games so far...
    Lakers and warriors were a fantastic game imo.

    I'm also excited about the playoffs this year. Lots of great players and stories
     
  5. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Lebron for the win. I guess they are better, but LeBron isn’t 100%. He’s won a couple of titles with help from opponents’ stars limping; I think he is on the flip side this year. Now it’s Steph v Morrant for elimination. Two very fast guys. I think with Klay added back in, GSW is a good team again. Not sure how degraded he is, but his style of play could carry some age/slowness and be great anyway, since he doesn’t rely on much gymnastics-ish movement.
     
  6. bystander

    bystander 10,000+ Posts

    I'm not a Rockets fan, but in the 2018 Western Conference finals they had GS on the ropes being up 3-2 but then lost Chris Paul for the last two games due to injury.
     
  7. X Misn Tx

    X Misn Tx 2,500+ Posts

    LeBron is limited physically. But he still a giant Yoda out there.
     
  8. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    I suppose I won’t misspell “Morant” again. 47 points (in a loss).

    Doncic. Wow. Chris Paul injured again, just when it matters. A 90% LeBron is still an overwhelming force. The Nets will be an all-time great team if they stay healthy. They are already very good just playing all-star style, but as this goes on, the chemistry will meld, and their big 3 will keep legs and energy for defense because they can pace themselves—I think in crucial half-court sets, those guys will actually be very good in defense. It is unique that three guys that accomplished actually feel that they haven’t done “it” yet, and are willing to sell out to a team concept to win. Harden has never won, and needs no more individual recognition, just a championship. Durant never got full credit for the GSW wins because of how good they already were before. Kyrie with LeBron is a similar story—a win with the Nets would put him in a category of Kawhi Leonard as opposed to all the other dozens of LeBron teammates who have rings.
    The Bucks are really a good team. Jrue Holiday is really good to go along with what they had.
     
  9. X Misn Tx

    X Misn Tx 2,500+ Posts

    I'd like to see Morant have to play good defense in the playoffs. But he's gifted offensively.

    Going to Game 3 in Dallas tomorrow.

    I've never "liked" Chris Paul. I don't like Westbrook. But I respect their game. I was rooting for Pho to beat the Lakers and Den/Por. CP3 is good enough that he needs credit for turning a ,410 winning percentage to a .708 winning percentage.

    In the east all I want to see is good play from Mil and KD. Jrue was a great pickup
     
  10. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Nets win the series. The next series with the Bucks probably is the virtual conference final. Both teams are a hard out, but I think the Nets win in 5 or 6.
    The west is still wide open.
     
  11. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Lakers down 66-36. I’ve never seen a LeBron team look this bad. Melt down.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  12. Horns11

    Horns11 10,000+ Posts

    It's his lowest output in a playoff series since the 2011 Finals. His age might not be Karl Malone comparable, but he's definitely getting there with 18 seasons under his belt.

    I can't really fault him for what Buss put out on the floor. When you sign Davis to the same megadeal, there's just not enough money to go around for a complete team. The Bubble did wonders for his (and Davis's) health, but this season has been a world of hurt for the Lakers and nowhere to hide their flaws.

    The PHX/DEN and BKN/MIL series should be fun to watch.
     
  13. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    There are videos out there showing LeBron being a lazy bum in transition play letting the team play defense while he just hangs out at the other end of the court. He may be good but he's a piece of crap teammate.
     
  14. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Mavs take out Clippers. Doncic 42pts/14assts. He says he played terrible.
     
  15. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

    Clippers become an object lesson for the wisdom of the saying "careful what you wish for".
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  16. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    He was doing that in this last game. And I am not a big fan of LeBron.
    However——he is not overall lazy I don’t think. He does so much for the teams he is on. He’s the complete focal point on offens and defense. Realistically, he has to pick some times in the game to not go all out, and chasing 5 seconds behind a fast break the other way is not a bad time to jog it out. For one thing, in case of a turnover, he’s actually in the forward undefended offensive position.
    In this last game, with his age, injuries, with ADavis out and down 30 points, I think he really wanted out of the game to rest for the next one. You could tell he was disgusted with the low level of play of his teammates. But you could kind of see his wheels turning: “my image is important to me, and if I quit right now, somebody might say I’m not as good as Michael Jordan, so I’m trapped in this nightmare.”

    So, it was the worst of all worlds: he’s trying to act like he is trying, but try to not put energy out or risk injury, but just look horrible and try not to look as miserable as he was. Mainly, he just passed a lot and jacked up 3s. I almost felt sorry for him, but then that passed by and I was back to enjoying his misery.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  17. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Ok so the Lakers look even worse tonight. Down 48-19 in 2nd quarter. Wait! Now 48-27. Still, they look awful.

    so, only down 21 at the half. Thus, still with a chance to save their season.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2021
  18. bystander

    bystander 10,000+ Posts

    Mavs getting crushed in the 3rd quarter. That jerk Morris is 6-7 from 3-point and that horrendous contract aka Porzingis is 0-5. Hardaway is 1-9 from the 3.

    Just get rid of them. They are losers. It's obvious.
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2021
  19. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Yeah, either of those guys hit a few, and the mavs would be moving on
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  20. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Nets crush the Bucks. Even without Harden, when Kyrie and Kevin are on, the offense just flows, and they have good role players. Blake Griffin is a great role player. Also, their defense is, as I suspected, much better in the playoffs than in the season.
     
  21. p_town_horn

    p_town_horn 1,000+ Posts

    Never forget Kevin Durant is a bad bad man

    49 pts 17 rebounds and 10 assists

    :bevo::hookem:
     
    • Like Like x 2
  22. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    yep... everyone kept saying "legendary."

    btw--he outscored PJ Tucker by 49 points. That's gotta hurt.

    They have to have some more healthy players to win it all, though. Jeff Green helps a lot.
     
  23. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Game 7 Nets-Bucks. Close in 4th quarter. These guys are exhausted. Interesting.
     
  24. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Nets lose. That surprises me, but by the end of everything, Durant didn’t really have much help.
     
  25. Statalyzer

    Statalyzer 10,000+ Posts

    Phoenix is so fun to watch. They have to be considered the favorite over Milwaukee or Atlanta at this point.
     
  26. Statalyzer

    Statalyzer 10,000+ Posts

    If the suns win this championship they will be the first Western Conference team not from Texas or California to win an NBA Title in the past 42 years, since the Seattle Supersonics did it in 1979.
     
    • WTF? WTF? x 1
  27. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    That’s a very interesting statistic. I just looked, and at least now, 7/15 Western Conference teams are in Texas and California.
     

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