2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[Phantom255x]

Watching some of this OKC-MIL game, man OKC gets abused by teams with size. They better hope they don't draw the Lakers/Kings first round, or even a bracket where they play Denver 2nd round. Guys like AD, Sabonis, Jokic will just manhandle them inside.

This has been their problem all season too, and why I'm not as sold on them as the other West elites (although KAT going down for MIN recently definitely changes the picture a bit)

[celticinorlando]

I’m not sure okc survives one round. Just bullied


And the cavs look cooked

[Moranis]

The Jazz were 26-26 pre-deadline with a positive point differential and are 3-16 with a -9.63 differential since the deadline.

Amazing swing.

The Jazz traded three rotation players for late first, early second round picks and have barely played Lauri Markkanen since the deadline (and Markkanen hasn't played very well since then either).

Fontecchio to DET who was their only SF. The rest of the team is small guards and big guys.

Olynyk who was their 6th man. I thought Olynyk was a big part of their success. Having two seven footers (Markkanen) who can shoot like that was a major weapon and then Kessler as a defensive option. I don't think John Collins has worked out for them.

I am not sure who the 3rd guy is. Oh, Agbaji. He never made much of an impression on me. I don't see him as much of a swing factor. The other two were significant losses though.

Markkanen has only played 2 of the last 10 games. He is listed as day to day. It looks like he was playing regularly before that.

The reason for this is that the Jazz owe a top 10 protected pick to OKC and would like to keep that pick.

Tanking for the 9th pick in one of the worst drafts of all time... I don't know.

the pick becomes 2nd rounders if it doesn't transfer and even if they win in the play in they weren't winning in the 1st round. They need a clear #1 and they are only getting that by being bad in the draft.

[SparzWizard]

I’m not sure okc survives one round. Just bullied


And the cavs look cooked

Cavs suddenly look like they're coming back down to earth. May lose that #3 seed to the Knicks or Magic.

[Who]

Miami getting a little play out of that micro-backcourt of Patty Mills & Terry Rozier.

[Birdman]

Lakers had 43 FTs…Pacers had 16 FTs…hmmmmm

[scaryjerry]

Watching some of this OKC-MIL game, man OKC gets abused by teams with size. They better hope they don't draw the Lakers/Kings first round, or even a bracket where they play Denver 2nd round. Guys like AD, Sabonis, Jokic will just manhandle them inside.

This has been their problem all season too, and why I'm not as sold on them as the other West elites (although KAT going down for MIN recently definitely changes the picture a bit)

OKC isn’t exactly in the “championship or bust” phase like the Celtics, is anyone actually expecting them to make it out of the west playoffs? That would be incredible. I just see them as a really good young team with a high trajectory in the future, any success they may have in this years playoffs is just a cherry on top to a really good season.
Oh and there’s also the fact they played Milwaukee who is starting to look incredibly scary and has 4 guys that have been all stars and 2 first ballot hall of fame players. I know everyone around here thinks they stink….they don’t.

[scaryjerry]

I’m not sure okc survives one round. Just bullied

They play there worst game of the season and now they’re not making it out of the first round?
Are they playing Milwaukee in the first round?
They’ll be just fine. Milwaukee is coming on at the right time of the season and starting to look dominant.

[celticinorlando]

I’m not sure okc survives one round. Just bullied

They play there worst game of the season and now they’re not making it out of the first round?
Are they playing Milwaukee in the first round?
They’ll be just fine. Milwaukee is coming on at the right time of the season and starting to look dominant.

You are giddy about the Bucks aren't you? Dominant? Sure thing sport.

You seem to praise the Bucks on this board more than you do the Celtics. I find that odd. When Boston loses, you are beyond critical of them. When Boston wins, you are beyond critical of them.

When the Bucks lose, you make excuses for them. When the Bucks win your hyperbole for them is off the charts.

I have never seen a post from you giving the Celtics any credit, which is strange for a so called "Celtics fan".

No one thinks the Bucks stink. I just believe they aren't as good as Boston. But even if the Cs beat the Bucks in a series, it won't be enough for you.

OKC will have their hands full in the first round. Young and not physical.

[Celtics2021]

I’m not sure okc survives one round. Just bullied

They play there worst game of the season and now they’re not making it out of the first round?
Are they playing Milwaukee in the first round?
They’ll be just fine. Milwaukee is coming on at the right time of the season and starting to look dominant.

Milwaukee is 6-4 over their last 10 games and has been outscored over that time.  They have had only two double-digit victories in that period.  11 teams in the NBA have a better record in their last 10 games, and 16 teams have a better scoring differential.  They have not looked anything resembling dominant over this recent stretch.

[bdm860]

While the exact order of the top 3 in the West is still to be determined, it seems pretty much guaranteed that DEN, MIN, OKC will all finish with the top 3 seeds in the West.

Interesting to think about the old world though, as they're all in the same division.  Prior to the '07 season, two of those three would have ended up with the #4 and #5 seeds because division winners were guaranteed 1-3, and prior to the '16 season (when division winners were still guaranteed a top 4 seed), one of them would have still ended up #5.

[Roy H.]

I’m not sure okc survives one round. Just bullied

They play there worst game of the season and now they’re not making it out of the first round?
Are they playing Milwaukee in the first round?
They’ll be just fine. Milwaukee is coming on at the right time of the season and starting to look dominant.

Milwaukee is 6-4 over their last 10 games and has been outscored over that time.  They have had only two double-digit victories in that period.  11 teams in the NBA have a better record in their last 10 games, and 16 teams have a better scoring differential.  They have not looked anything resembling dominant over this recent stretch.

Yeah, and Giannis only missed three of those games, in which the Bucks went 2-1.  So, 4-3 with him, including two 35 point losses.

[Vermont Green]

I’m not sure okc survives one round. Just bullied

They play there worst game of the season and now they’re not making it out of the first round?
Are they playing Milwaukee in the first round?
They’ll be just fine. Milwaukee is coming on at the right time of the season and starting to look dominant.

Milwaukee is 6-4 over their last 10 games and has been outscored over that time.  They have had only two double-digit victories in that period.  11 teams in the NBA have a better record in their last 10 games, and 16 teams have a better scoring differential.  They have not looked anything resembling dominant over this recent stretch.

Yeah, and Giannis only missed three of those games, in which the Bucks went 2-1.  So, 4-3 with him, including two 35 point losses.

MIL's 4 recent loses are @GSW (blowout), @LAL, @SAC (blowout), and @BOS.  I thought MIL looked much improved vs BOS last game, over earlier in the season.  Middleton looks to be healthy and playing well, Lillard seems to have settled in.  Crowder also has settled in.  Beverley gives them some depth.  The coaching change seems to have created that spark that you hope for.

I don't know what happened to them in these blowouts and other losses, but they are generally against good teams and these last 4 all on the road.  I expect MIL to be a tough team in the playoffs.  I am less familiar with the west teams, don't see them play as much.  But if Shai is the second best player in the game now, as many have argued in another thread, there is no reason to doubt their chances in the west.  DEN is still clearly the favorite in the west in my view, but I don't know how to rank OKC, MIN, LAC and the other top teams.  I wouldn't surprise me if OKC got past MIN and/or LAC.

[celticsclay]

I’m not sure okc survives one round. Just bullied

They play there worst game of the season and now they’re not making it out of the first round?
Are they playing Milwaukee in the first round?
They’ll be just fine. Milwaukee is coming on at the right time of the season and starting to look dominant.

Milwaukee is 6-4 over their last 10 games and has been outscored over that time.  They have had only two double-digit victories in that period.  11 teams in the NBA have a better record in their last 10 games, and 16 teams have a better scoring differential.  They have not looked anything resembling dominant over this recent stretch.

Yeah, and Giannis only missed three of those games, in which the Bucks went 2-1.  So, 4-3 with him, including two 35 point losses.

MIL's 4 recent loses are @GSW (blowout), @LAL, @SAC (blowout), and @BOS.  I thought MIL looked much improved vs BOS last game, over earlier in the season.  Middleton looks to be healthy and playing well, Lillard seems to have settled in.  Crowder also has settled in.  Beverley gives them some depth.  The coaching change seems to have created that spark that you hope for.

I don't know what happened to them in these blowouts and other losses, but they are generally against good teams and these last 4 all on the road.  I expect MIL to be a tough team in the playoffs.  I am less familiar with the west teams, don't see them play as much.  But if Shai is the second best player in the game now, as many have argued in another thread, there is no reason to doubt their chances in the west.  DEN is still clearly the favorite in the west in my view, but I don't know how to rank OKC, MIN, LAC and the other top teams.  I wouldn't surprise me if OKC got past MIN and/or LAC.

When a team is 14-11 under a new coach and were 31-13 under the previous coach. I think it is fair to say things like Beverly was a good addition or that Middleton is looking healthier, but I've yet to see one person explain to me all this Doc helps them or gave them a spark stuff (and it is not like they have even been dominant lately with a 6-4 in their last ten while being outscored.

[Vermont Green]

When a team is 14-11 under a new coach and were 31-13 under the previous coach. I think it is fair to say things like Beverly was a good addition or that Middleton is looking healthier, but I've yet to see one person explain to me all this Doc helps them or gave them a spark stuff (and it is not like they have even been dominant lately with a 6-4 in their last ten while being outscored.

That is fair, the impact of the coach is very hard to quantify.  To me, it just looks like they are trying harder on defense.  Just seem to be playing with more energy.  Seem more connected on offense.  It may not have anything to do with the coach.  And even if I think it does and you think it doesn't, there is no way I can prove it either way.