2020/21 NBA season + Olympics

eagle eye

I like the Jazz a lot. Like the Bucks too.

This Nets vs Bucks one is very interesting. If Giannis can stifle Durant then Harden and Irving have to step up and both haven't a great history in the playoffs when they are really needed.

ButtersSuki

eagle eye wrote: »

I like the Jazz a lot. Like the Bucks too.

This Nets vs Bucks one is very interesting. If Giannis can stifle Durant then Harden and Irving have to step up and both haven't a great history in the playoffs when they are really needed.

Well, except for the 3 Kyrie hit in Game 7 of the Finals........;)

Gregk961

eagle eye wrote: »

I like the Jazz a lot. Like the Bucks too.

This Nets vs Bucks one is very interesting. If Giannis can stifle Durant then Harden and Irving have to step up and both haven't a great history in the playoffs when they are really needed.

Pretty unfair on Kyrie, haven't seen him have too many bad playoff games. Takes the odd defensive play off but that's par for the course.

LuckyLloyd

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Ah here. The NBA is 85% an African American League. You’re not comparing like with like.

LeBron has a billion dollar lifetime deal with Nike, amongst his many other endorsements. He could play for the minimum (actually he could play for free) and still be one of the highest earners in sports. But his enormous ego won’t allow him not to be the highest earner on the team.

We all get you’re a LeBron Stan, but some of the stuff you come out with is utterly ridiculous.

I even see the “LeBron needs more help” crap is starting already in certain sections of the US media (the usual suspects). The Lakers have 2 of the Top 5 players in the league. Fact. The reason they’re not progressing this year is because of those players not being 100% fit, not because of a lack of talent, it’s laughable.

My position on this is not ridiculous. Nobody should have an expectation for LeBron to take less. And yes, it is extremely unlikely that he would be well received if he took less.

As it is, I agree that injuries to LeBron and AD are the vast majority of the story here. I'm sure they'd say the same themselves.

Their supporting cast is more than good enough on paper though if LeBron and AD are healthy, as a I said a few weeks ago, I think it was good enough last year and the changes they made in the offseason didn't make them better. At the same time Schroeder, Kuzma, Caruso and Drummond really should be getting more than they have this series. These players are not responding well to pressure and adversity and not doing anything to bridge the gap between LeBron / AD and injured LeBron / AD.

Sweet.Science

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

It’s almost like there’s an important difference between Tom Brady and LeBron James. That may influence their degree of cultural flexibility on this topic.

Jaysis

2smiggy

Danny Ainge retiring with Brad Stephens taking over from him. Glad something happened. Something did not seem right for a while. If it makes a positive difference , only time will tell. Something had to change going into next year.

2smiggy

https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1400146290294640646

nerd69

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

It’s almost like there’s an important difference between Tom Brady and LeBron James. That may influence their degree of cultural flexibility on this topic.

What difference they both have hundreds of millions in the bank

nerd69

2smiggy wrote: »

https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1400146290294640646

I could see him go the pop route eventually.

jk23

Clippers lose at home again! I don't think it matters who wins this series anyway neither are beating Utah

py

jk23 wrote: »

Clippers lose at home again! I don't think it matters who wins this series anyway neither are beating Utah

PG passing to Mann within the final minute was a poor decision. Should've held it and got a better shot. Kawhi rushed his 3 point attempt too.

Mavericks have a better chance against Jazz imo. Have little faith in Clippers right now.

ButtersSuki

Luka with another crazy stats night. To think someone so young can do that is unreal.

Corvo

Trae Young decides that during the MSG standing ovation for the Knicks that he would pull up at the logo, sink it and give a little bow gave a lot of Reggie Miller vibes.

ButtersSuki

I’m a Celtics fan, but I’m scratching my head at taking Stevens away from coaching at age 44. This makes very little sense to me. Everyone talks about how good a coach he is, why move him to a non coaching role?

It’s a little sad to see it end like this for Danny too. Boston needed to do something different, and I’m not sure they’ve improved with this. I’m old enough to have watched Ainge play so I go back a long way with him.

For such a storied franchise they’re clearly not a destination for Free Agents which is bizarre. Boston is a sports city too, athletes are real stars there. And yet they can’t attract basketball talent. A lot of that is on the Isiah Thomas contract issue no doubt, and not helped by 3 All Stars walking for free in the last few years. The alarm bells must have been ringing shall we say “culturally” within the organization on that.

I do agree Ainge had to be sacrificed to signal change at the top and organization wide, but why Stevens? Why not go out and try and get an experienced GM and keep Stevens as coach?

Sweet.Science

4 playoff games now in which Luka has scored 40 points. Simply extraordinary. We are looking at an all time great who plays better the bigger the stage . I think all his play off games to date have been against the Clippers aswel

34 more to go to catch MJ (scary considering NBA now is you shoot we shoot)

jk23

AD a game time decision tonight. Chris Paul is struggling with his shoulder, surely the Lakers can't play as bad as in game 5?

pjohnson

jk23 wrote: »

AD a game time decision tonight. Chris Paul is struggling with his shoulder, surely the Lakers can't play as bad as in game 5?

If they start an unfit Davis that has to leave early they're done for.

jk23

I hope the Celtics hire Mark Jackson just so he is gone from commentary!!

ButtersSuki

jk23 wrote: »

I hope the Celtics hire Mark Jackson just so he is gone from commentary!!

Oh Jesus Christ No!!!!!!!!!!

That will not be happening. The one thing I can say is Brad Stevens is way too smart for that. I also think Jackson's stock is very low in the coaching circles.

I would like to see them give Jay Larranaga a chance but I don't think that will happen either because this season was such a disaster. I played with Jay...........now I feel old.

I thought Knicks would put up more resistance to Atlanta.

jk23

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Oh Jesus Christ No!!!!!!!!!!

That will not be happening. The one thing I can say is Brad Stevens is way too smart for that. I also think Jackson's stock is very low in the coaching circles.

I would like to see them give Jay Larranaga a chance but I don't think that will happen either because this season was such a disaster. I played with Jay...........now I feel old.

You must have been a very good basketball player yourself? , I did a google on him and he was player/coach of the Ireland mens basketball team?

Stevens could end up hiring a college coach he likes the look of..

BrentMused

ButtersSuki wrote: »

For such a storied franchise they’re clearly not a destination for Free Agents which is bizarre. Boston is a sports city too, athletes are real stars there. And yet they can’t attract basketball talent.

Same as Chicago.

Haven't signed a big name free agent in 2006 and have missed on every one they've targeted since then.

For a franchise like the Bulls to go 15 years without landing a big free agent in his prime is unforgivable really.

2smiggy

not sure why it all went so wrong with Kyrie and Boston. Maybe because he was just a wierdo ? who knows. But it seems that players think that Boston is not very 'black friendly'. Maybe that's why a change is needed

BrentMused

BrentMused wrote: »

Same as Chicago.

Haven't signed a big name free agent in 2006 and have missed on every one they've targeted since then.

For a franchise like the Bulls to go 15 years without landing a big free agent in his prime is unforgivable really.

The joys of the conservative GarPax era.

Arturas showed more bite and ambition on trade deadline day than GarPax did in their entire time.

2smiggy

2smiggy wrote: »

But it seems that players think that Boston is not very 'black friendly'. Maybe that's why a change is needed

Boston has that undesirable reputation alright.

https://www.wbur.org/news/2021/04/15/poll-boston-issues-racism-hostility

Coneygree

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I thought Knicks would put up more resistance to Atlanta.

Knicks messed up trying to bully Trae Young with the spitting and the chants. He thrives off the abuse and made a fool out of them. A few Knicks players got too caught up in it too and were made look silly. Such a satisfying win.

Jizique

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Boston has that undesirable reputation alright.

https://www.wbur.org/news/2021/04/15/poll-boston-issues-racism-hostility

Fairly undeserved by US standards; there are many places and cities where the situation for coloureds is significantly more difficult

eagle eye

ButtersSuki wrote:

I would like to see them give Jay Larranaga a chance but I don't think that will happen either because this season was such a disaster. I played with Jay...........now I feel old.

Johnnie Bryant for me if they could get him. I think he's going to be a great one.

jk23

Two big games tonight...Portland and Lakers both facing elimination

I think both will win...Lakers will have a fired up LeBron, home crowd and will get 50/50 calls at home from the refs.

Portland have a tricker game vs Denver but I think they take this game tonight after the OT classic in game 5

ButtersSuki

jk23 wrote: »

Two big games tonight...Portland and Lakers both facing elimination

I think both will win...Lakers will have a fired up LeBron, home crowd and will get 50/50 calls at home from the refs.

Portland have a tricker game vs Denver but I think they take this game tonight after the OT classic in game 5

Agree, I think both win tonight,