NBA Regular Season & Playoffs 2017-18

ButtersSuki

Itssoeasy wrote: »

Al horford looks like he's back tonight for the celtics. Kyrie is still out. Jaylen Brown is still in the concussion protocol(although given how bad it could have been) and next week update. Coach Brad stevens will give an update on Marcus Smart at 9pm irish time on his injury and status.

Almost as bad as GS at the moment from an injury perspective. I'm a little worried about Steph's ankles again - he's had 4 separate ankle injuries this year :eek:. Lose him for even 1 game and that could be the difference in the Houston series.

I posted the article at the time but there was a great piece from a few years ago about the rehab he underwent to strengthen his core, hips, legs and ankles in si.com. Worth a google.

Osmosis Jones

ButtersSuki wrote: »

The way the league is going we'll see 2 point guards and 3 shooting guards/small forward line ups soon enough - kinda joking but not really at the same time!

Sure LeBron spent a lot of last night playing center.

Carcharodon

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Itssoeasy wrote: »

Al horford looks like he's back tonight for the celtics. Kyrie is still out. Jaylen Brown is still in the concussion protocol(although given how bad it could have been) and next week update. Coach Brad stevens will give an update on Marcus Smart at 9pm irish time on his injury and status.

Almost as bad as GS at the moment from an injury perspective. I'm a little worried about Steph's ankles again - he's had 4 separate ankle injuries this year :eek:. Lose him for even 1 game and that could be the difference in the Houston series.

I posted the article at the time but there was a great piece from a few years ago about the rehab he underwent to strengthen his core, hips, legs and ankles in si.com. Worth a google.

Ankle injuries are slightly concerning, he could easily play right now if he had to but they are just being extra cautious and rightfully so.

I’ll be honest, it’s kind of refreshing watching this team right now, watching two teams tonight compete at full tilt with not much between them. No KD or Steph to bail them out

Itssoeasy

The Toronto raptors are just winning. I mean they aren't blowing teams away and a few games recently and they're like a runner waiting on the leaders shoulder and then they kick for home and pull away. It's working.

ButtersSuki

Couple of strange results the last few days - GS (admittedly depleted...but still) lose to Sacramento for the 2nd time this year, Denver (looking to make the 8 seed) lose to Memphis who win for the first time in ages.

Though not by any means safe San An look ok now as they have a 3 game buffer on the 9 with 12 games to play.

There'll be some crazy games in the next few weeks.

Itssoeasy

The thunder and raptors are off to a flyer. 29-27 thunder with 3:00 minutes left in the 1st quarter.

Itssoeasy

Thunder 40 raptors 34 end of first quarter.

Meatyfubu

Itssoeasy wrote: »

The thunder and raptors are off to a flyer. 29-27 thunder with 3:00 minutes left in the 1st quarter.

Adams has improved so much. He really epitomizes a role player who maximises his potential. He's the only currently active player I've met.
I met him last summer after the playoffs in a coffee shop in Auckland. Flip flops and a baggy tracksuit, very casual laid back as you'd expect.
I was in front of him and thankfully it was very quiet otherwise I wouldn't have said anything but lovely guy, asked was I over for the Lions tour etc. I think he'll be OKC for life

Itssoeasy

64 raptors thunder 66 HT.

LOL at that loose ball foul called on Lowry there, absolutely disgraceful decision

Itssoeasy

98-97 raptors after three.

Meatyfubu

Brewer has made a great contribution to OKC, Ferguson/Abrines just wasn't plugging the gap left by Roberson.
Very little about this Raptors team fills me with confidence they'll make much an impact in the playoffs

Entertaining game but the officiating has been dreadful

an utter disgrace, hopefully the Raptors don't see Marc Davis again

Itssoeasy

Deleted User wrote: »

an utter disgrace, hopefully the Raptors don't see Marc Davis again

The refs at the end have ruined a otherwise great game as you said.

Now they wrongfully throw coach Casey out of the game for something a fan shouted! Even Cory Brewer is laughing saying it wasn't him. Absolute shambles

Meatyfubu

You don't often shoot 57% from the field and 50% from deep on 30 attempts and lose.
I think OKC are a good example of a team who will have a very similar MPG in the playoffs as they do now.
Raptors give 20 MPG to 4 guys who have been in the league 2 seasons or less. I think Casey has a job on his hand figuring out post-season rotations.

Paully D

23 (an apt number!) years ago to the day:



Could you imagine how many tweets, retweets etc that would have generated in today's digital age?

stuchyg

I wonder if it even made the news on this side of the world

Itssoeasy

stuchyg wrote: »

I wonder if it even made the news on this side of the world

I know his comeback with the wizards did and his last game in MSG was shown on the BBC live.

The initial comeback I don't know but I'm sure it didn't just pass by on the basketball community here.

At least the celtics lost to nullify that earlier loss by the raps

ButtersSuki

Ok, saying straight up that I didn't see the game but having said that you can look at this a few ways:

• West v East debate - middle of the West beats the East Conf. Leaders away in Play Off atmosphere type game
• OKC can (and in fairness to them have done this all season) beat anyone on their day

ButtersSuki

Meatyfubu wrote: »

Adams has improved so much. He really epitomizes a role player who maximises his potential. He's the only currently active player I've met.
I met him last summer after the playoffs in a coffee shop in Auckland. Flip flops and a baggy tracksuit, very casual laid back as you'd expect.
I was in front of him and thankfully it was very quiet otherwise I wouldn't have said anything but lovely guy, asked was I over for the Lions tour etc. I think he'll be OKC for life

How big (tall and wide) did Adams look in real life that close? I saw him play a few times over the last few years and he looks huge. Closest I've been to him I'd say was 50ft away.......but you lose a bit of perspective when he's surrounded by other NBA players.

ButtersSuki

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Ok, saying straight up that I didn't see the game but having said that you can look at this a few ways:

• West v East debate - middle of the West beats the East Conf. Leaders away in Play Off atmosphere type game
• OKC can (and in fairness to them have done this all season) beat anyone on their day

I hate to keep going on about the refs but they robbed the raptors today. Granted they destroyed them on the boards but other than that...

I am all for open and hard basketball but when one teams players are getting contact and there are no calls and the other team goes down and gets breathed on and its a foul it is tough to watch, I know a few coaches have been voicing their displeasure especially aggressively this week too, it really is a joke.

Even OKC fans couldn't deny it:

https://twitter.com/thunderousint/status/975451711195222016

https://twitter.com/TheThunderGuys/status/975453941675823104

ButtersSuki

Wow, lots of anger for a regular season game that in reality means SFA for the Raptors! They'll take the 1 seed in the East with the lead they have over Boston and the injuries Boston currnently have regardless of this loss.

Yeah you are prob right but still I have seen this in previous years with the Raptors in big (playoff) games where they get the short end of the stick for refs was hoping those days were over now they seem to have slightly more respect.

Here is a bit of a recap article if you missed the drama!

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/raptors-win-streak-ends-controversy-chaos-225855539.html

Meatyfubu

ButtersSuki wrote: »

How big (tall and wide) did Adams look in real life that close? I saw him play a few times over the last few years and he looks huge. Closest I've been to him I'd say was 50ft away.......but you lose a bit of perspective when he's surrounded by other NBA players.

I've been around a few 7-footers from my time playing but Adams was certainly the widest looking to me. It's rare to find an athletic 7-footer in lower league bball so I don't have lots to compare him to.
To me he looked like a 6ft 3 centre in rugby who had been blown up to 7 foot.
You often find such tall players at least the ones I played with have quite poor posture but his posture struck me straight away as excellent so he looked even bigger and more athletic.
His family are crazy athletic. There's a ridiculous pic of his sister and Sonny Bill Williams who's 6ft 4in and 110kg and Valerie Adams makes him look tiny.

Meatyfubu

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22778062/how-lebron-james-fixed-back-track-play-all-82-games-nba

Brief insight into LeBrons routine and how he's fixed his back

Paully D

LeBron has pulled the trigger:

https://twitter.com/mcten/status/975747054726275072?s=21

Meatyfubu

Paully D wrote: »

LeBron has pulled the trigger:

https://twitter.com/mcten/status/975747054726275072?s=21

He's due back next week. He's not been fired nor is he resigning. He's been sidelined at 3 different stages this season due to ill-health. I don't see how LBJ is forcing him to sit out, maybe I'm missing something.