2023 NBA playoffs will be starting soon.
SanctionII
Posts: 12,117 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
Who do you think will win the title?
And why.
1
Comments
The way the refs give Denvers Nokic a foul call everytime he's even breathed on by the defender - I could see them winning it.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Cavs slated 4rth seed vs NY Kniicks 5th seed - This may not be a series win for the Cavs - Should be a very good series.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
I honestly think that Boston has as good of a shot as anyone. They're pretty much fully healthy heading into this last weekend of the regular season and then they'll have a full 5 days off before the postseason starts.
Their bench is so much deeper than last season and Malcolm Brogdon is the favorite to win 6th man of the year. Boston sat three starters tonight against Toronto and Brogdon went for 29 off the bench.
In last year's playoffs they were so prone to turning the ball over and this year they'll finish 2nd best in turnovers per game.
Not to mention that their offense is so much more efficient this time around as well in large part due to rookie head coach,Joe Mazzula.
There's most likely going to be some great series in the East in round one, probably Boston/Miami and Cleveland/NY plus the potential for a Boston/Milwaukee matchup down the line.
Out west its been much harder to pick out a legit favorite. Denver has been #1 for awhile now but after Joker I'm not to sure I'd trust most of their roster over a 7 game series. Memphis will go as Ja goes. The Kings haven't made the playoffs in forever so who knows how they'll look. The Suns could make it to the Finals but I could also see them losing in round one. Golden State has the experience to make another run but they're currently 9-30 on the road this year. The Clippers need both Kawhi & Paul George fully healthy,same for the Lakers with Lebron & AD.
No matter what happens, I'm just glad the playoffs have finally arrived.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Go Warriors!!!
Matt
Painfully not my Blazers. I like Milwaukie, because they have the best player, a solid core around him, they have been there before. I pray it is not the Warriors but you can never rule out a team coached by Steve Kerr.....
The Western Conference is so balanced this year that seeding spots #5 - #9 will most likely not be determined until tomorrow's slate of Game #82 of the regular season is played. Five teams (Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, Pelicans and Timberwolves) could all land in these spots.
Very strange indeed.
I just logged in and thought I would share this moment in time with all of you. Hockey is at the forefront of discussion here.
I just thought it interesting. And I didn't want to start a new thread to share it, so I put it here ...in the NBA playoffs thread.
🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀...
Hockey is at the forefront of discussion here.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Boston Brui> @Steven59 said:
....
No, thank you, but I am more at home here. I skate on through the hockey threads a little, but...
Seems this season just won't end - STILL one more game tommorow - then have to wait through the play in games so they can get into the playoffs!
HEY CUBAN, How'd that Irving trade work out for you?????????
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Having to wait another week before the real games start sucks but if you're a playoff team not in the play-in then its one more week of rest so I'll take it.
edit: That Irving trade likely cost the Mavs Luka in the end. On a sidenote, if they lose tomorrow and stay in the 10th worst position for the draft they likely get to keep their first round pick(providing the 11-14 teams in the lottery don't jump ahead of them.) They started the season coming off a WCF appearance and now they're ending it hoping to land top 10 in the draft,if not they owe their 1st rounder to NY.
If they lose that pick on top of losing Brunson last offseason, then losing Luka's two best teammates in Dinwiddie & Finney-Smith in the Kyrie trade at midseason then seeing Kyrie leave this offseason, that's gonna pretty much guarantee that Luka will want out.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Luka has made it known, through whoever to the media, that next summer he will request a trade if things aren't better.
On 2/11 Mavs were 96% were going to make the Playoffs.
I have watched the Mavs front office make mistake after mistake with both Dirk and Luka.
They finally got it right, one time, and they win it that season with Dirk.
Luka isn't Dirk. He won't stick around in Dallas for over twenty years just waiting for things to come together if they never do.
I’m seeing a MB vs GS finals. They are both defensively strong. Both offensively talented on the inside or outside.
Celtics will be tough as will the Suns.
I feel a bit sorry for the Kings having to play the red hot Golden State team first round!
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
https://www.nba.com/news/nba-fines-dallas-mavericks-750000-for-league-violation
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
.....
There are a lot of talking points around this. Including, but not limited to ...
Why are they in this position in the first place? What will actually happen with this pick? If things go the Mavs way, one way or another, will they just screw it up again anyway? Will the league make sure (conspiracy) that it falls a certain way as a punishment?
For all of the times over the years that we've heard that the NBA draft has been rigged numerous times since its inception, this will be a good chance to see if its true or not. Will Dallas stay in that 10th spot after the lottery or will they be penalized by seeing one of the 11-14 teams jump ahead?
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
...
If they stay in that 10 spot, it won't prove that past conspiracies were wrong. However, if they are penalized, it will be assumed that this was in fact done conspiratorially. 🙃 🏀
The first one I remember from my lifetime was the Ewing draft.
Thats what I was trying to say,if they make it look like one of the later teams jumped into the top 4,it could be construed as rigged. Not getting the pick will be the penalty.
That Ewing draft was their first NBA lottery overall and was always thought questionable,as were Orlando winning b2b w/Shaq/Chris Webber, Lebron going to his hometown team, Derrick Rose too, Lebron has an ugly exit from Cleveland and they land the top overall pick in 3 out of 4 drafts. Not all of these are true but some can be questioned.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
we'll see how idiotic or prescient i am, but i have a funny feeling about the Sixers this postseason
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
Lebron has an ugly exit from Cleveland and they land the top overall pick in 3 out of 4 drafts.
But those 3 picks only produced one championship - (2011 pick) 2016 with Irving. And he was traded.
2013 - Anthony Bennet - AKA Anthony WHO? No idea what happened to him
2014 - Andrew Wiggins - Traded because LeBron didn't like him
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
.....
You need to be be more specific, or else we will not allow this to become sig-line material.
i think Philly has the requisite inside (Embiid) / outside/facilitator (Harden) game + complementary players (Maxey, Tobias) to wreak some serious havoc in the playoffs
we. shall. see.
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
...
Are you willing to say, right now in front of the entire forum, that you think they will win it all this year? If so, then you will have called a magical shot...balls in your court, no pressure.
Nah let people enjoy the sport (s) they like. If it is NBA basketball then enjoy it!!!
....
I probably worded it wrong. I was actually trying to make a joke. I had just never seen so much hockey action here (which I like).
True but thats on Cleveland/Lebron once he came back. I'm just going off stuff I read at the time, Lebron had arguably the ugliest free agent departures in NBA history and it was thought the NBA thew them a bone over the next few years with some 1st overall picks.
We're talking some tinfoil hat type of stuff here so take it with a grain of salt lol. Its just every so often in the NBA weird stuff happens around those first overall picks. Lebron & Anthony Davis try to strong arm the Pelicans into dealing AD to the Lakers and only the Lakers,everyone knows the Pelicans are in a no-win situation then they just happen to win the next lottery for Zion,the next generational talent.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
I was actually trying to make a joke.
This little emoji is what you forgot then - LOL!
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Yes, I did. Thank you, sir.
everyone knows the Pelicans are in a no-win situation then they just happen to win the next lottery for Zion,the next generational talent.
Zion - An injury prone bust - he was a monster in college but his body was just too big for the rigors of NBA - should've became a WWE wrestler.......
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
@PillarDollarCollector I am an admitted bandwagon fan when it comes to the Bruins & Red Sox and I usually don't tune into their games until I see that they've made into rounds 2-3 of the playoffs. If it weren't for your hockey threads I would have missed watching the B's get the wins/points records so thanks for posting about them!
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
He's a monster when on the court in the NBA too but thats literally,never, which is too bad. When he was healthy this year,the Pelicans were fighting for the #1 seed and looked like they'd be a force to reckon with come playoff time. Without him,they landed in the 9/10 seed for the play-in which they lost.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
I truly believe that the Celtics are going to win it all. However, I was disappointed in their efforts to close out today's game. I know that my friend @erikthredd will poo-poo my concerns, but...
I was disappointed in their efforts to close out today's game.
Well they won today so everything is fine in Beantown tonight! On the other hand - the knicks are leading the Cavs 30-24 after the 1st period. For some reason the knicks have had the Cavs number this season - but still plenty of game to go..............
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Jeez - nicks now up ~~~~ 12 - so far the refs are giving all the calls to the knicks. Would somebodey remind them the Cavs are the home team??? Looks like NO home cooking for them tonight.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
No matter what the opposing team's record is they're still did something well enough to get into the playoffs. Well, Atlanta had the 3rd highest scoring offense in the NBA this season at 118ppg and were going to make a run at some point, they did and Boston still held them under 100.
Put that cousin of yours on mute until the playoffs are over. 😎
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
You're funny. I actually texted my cousin after the game to say the same thing I did here, and he responded by saying that when you are up by 30 it's not always easy to keep your foot in the gas. So this time I was the one. Lol. But yes, I'll try to avoid any F&M takes until the off-season.
My cousin did say one thing I thought interesting. He said that with the Bruins, he has confidence in their makeup over their talent. The talent is there, but their makeup is so good he doesn't worry. With the C's he said it's the opposite.
They dominated in the paint in that first half while going 11/16 from three then took their foot off the gas a bit on offense in the 2nd half going just 2/17 from three but still killing it in the paint.
That being said their defense never really wavered much throughout the game. Once they got up big Atlanta got the lead down to 12 once but could never get any closer. After the first 5mins of the game the Hawks came close to winning this game.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
They got crazy hot in the 2nd going 7/8 from three that gave them such a huge lead,that shooting was always going to drop off a bit later on.
The Bruins/Celtics debate is pointless,imo, two entirely different sports. Good to great hockey teams can win the Cup without having a true superstar,in the NBA you absolutely need true superstars but they also need to play like one when it matters most.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
I guess the point is that I personally don't trust the Celtics to have the killer instinct. I remember last year, and then what I saw today felt a bit icky. Lol. I never thought we would lose. I will be shocked if don't win it all.
I just want to see up (figuratively) step on some necks on a nightly basis.
Go Celtics!!
I see this all the time on CB and all I can say is respect your opponent. Sure,they may have games like that but the competition in the NBA is to good to expect that every game no matter how good you are.
They led the NBA in net rating and average point differential this year and only lost the top seed because Milwaukee won like 16 games in a row at one point during a time of the season when we had multiple 9 game winning streaks. That's as dominating as it got this season by any team.
Great teams don't win every game by 30 especially in the playoffs,that just doesn't happen.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
...
You're right, it's dominant. My point stands. Lol. 😂😂
They led the NBA with a 6.7 Net Rating and doubled that tonight in a 13pt win and it still not enough?
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
...
I'm not really complaining. I love the team. I've admitted to not watching much this season. Usually playoffs I try to watch every Celtics game and others when I can.
It's like this...think about 80s Larry, getting KC to promise the team three extra days off if they sweep the series. So Bird has plans to go back to Indiana and drink beer on his tractor for those three days, so he gets the team focussed and makes sure they are in it for 48 minutes. 😂
That's all.
It was a great win. We will probably sweep.
Hats off to the Kings for their first playoff win in 17yrs. I only caught the final 8mins but it looks like this is going to be a great series.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Some big names with some serious injuries today...
Ja Morant with a hand injury that Xrays came back negative.
Tyler Herro with a break in his shooting hand.
Giannis driving to the hoop and falling flat on his back. Sat out the rest of their game with a lower back contusion.
Anthony Davis came out of his game with an arm injury in the first half looking like it was serious. Starts the second half then falls and hurt his hand on the landing but stayed in and finished with a monster game. The Lakers looked really good beating the Griz,if AD stays healthy not many teams will want to play them,imo.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486