NBA 2019 Playoffs Thread

[footey]

It is a historic travesty that Westbrook got that MVP award. Even though Kawhi and Harden were more deserving, are and were better players and made their teams better and truly relevant in terms of playoff (real) basketball. It set up a really bad example that such a selfish, unskilled and most importantly, a player displaying such unsportsmanlike conduct was "our" (never mine) MVP.

Did we fight the war for that?

For the selfish?
For the unskilled?
For sore losers that don't respect anyone?
For complainers to the refs who rather whine than run back on D?
For the uncoachable and the narcissistic?
For the undisciplined?
For the guys who repel real MVPs out of town(KD)?
A guy that has a period every time he is confronted with the media? BTW, the media that gave him his MVP?

That's our Most Valuable Player?
Those are the values we promote and try to instill in our future MVPS?

One huge basketball travesty.
A dark cloud of historic shame is raining over those voters and people who support these values.
It doesn't look like it will stop soon.

Not a fan, huh?

[Vox_Populi]

Westbrook needs to delete Twitter, hit the gym and shooting coach up.

[Birdman]

I pick OKC to go to Western Finals 😳.. and i know Lillard hit that shot but should have driven in instead standing out there..lot of teams in college and pros do that..just drives me nuts 😝

[gift]

It is a historic travesty that Westbrook got that MVP award. Even though Kawhi and Harden were more deserving, are and were better players and made their teams better and truly relevant in terms of playoff (real) basketball. It set up a really bad example that such a selfish, unskilled and most importantly, a player displaying such unsportsmanlike conduct was "our" (never mine) MVP.

Did we fight the war for that?

For the selfish?
For the unskilled?
For sore losers that don't respect anyone?
For complainers to the refs who rather whine than run back on D?
For the uncoachable and the narcissistic?
For the undisciplined?
For the guys who repel real MVPs out of town(KD)?
A guy that has a period every time he is confronted with the media? BTW, the media that gave him his MVP?

That's our Most Valuable Player?
Those are the values we promote and try to instill in our future MVPS?

One huge basketball travesty.
A dark cloud of historic shame is raining over those voters and people who support these values.
It doesn't look like it will stop soon.

I don't consider it a historic travesty because the MVP award has never been exclusively about who is the best player or who helps their team win the most. It's always been about a narrative on the season. If it wasn't, we'd have only like 4 MVP winners for every 20 seasons.

[Phantom255x]

The only competitive series so far in these NBA playoffs is Denver-San Antonio. Good chance literally every other series ends in 4-5 games with the higher seeds winning (I expect Houston and Golden State to wrap up their series rather easily tonight)

[indeedproceed]

The only competitive series so far in these NBA playoffs is Denver-San Antonio. Good chance literally every other series ends in 4-5 games with the higher seeds winning (I expect Houston and Golden State to wrap up their series rather easily tonight)

I don't think just because a series only goes 4 or 5 games it's not competitive. 5 close games that could've gone either way is entertaining as hell.

[Phantom255x]

The only competitive series so far in these NBA playoffs is Denver-San Antonio. Good chance literally every other series ends in 4-5 games with the higher seeds winning (I expect Houston and Golden State to wrap up their series rather easily tonight)

I don't think just because a series only goes 4 or 5 games it's not competitive. 5 close games that could've gone either way is entertaining as hell.

Yeah that's fair but I probably should have been clearer. Most of these series has had maybe 1, at most 2 close games but the rest are blowouts 

OKC-POR has probably been the 2nd best series so far behind DEN-SAS which I think is a fantastic battle from both sides.

[indeedproceed]

If you thought the finish to last night's POR/OKC couldn't have gotten better, watch this:

https://twitter.com/ComplexSports/status/1121042735786541056

[Atzar]

I’ve never been a fan of Westbrook’s game, and I think his attitude to everybody but his teammates has gotten toxic.  Kerr is right; for a league that connects players with fans possibly better than any other pro sport, Russ’s hostile attitude is a blemish.

Having said that, I think Westbrook has become something of a scapegoat for Presti.  That roster is a joke.  PG and Jerami Grant are their only above average shooters, and Grant had to significantly outperform his career 3P% to do that - jury’s out on whether that is sustainable.  Most of their players have no ability to create offense. 

When you put together a group like that, I feel like you’re implicitly condoning Westbrook’s stupid shot selection.  So if RW gets slammed for this, Presti should get it right along with him.

[jpd985]

I’ve never been a fan of Westbrook’s game, and I think his attitude to everybody but his teammates has gotten toxic.  Kerr is right; for a league that connects players with fans possibly better than any other pro sport, Russ’s hostile attitude is a blemish.

Having said that, I think Westbrook has become something of a scapegoat for Presti.  That roster is a joke.  PG and Jerami Grant are their only above average shooters, and Grant had to significantly outperform his career 3P% to do that - jury’s out on whether that is sustainable.  Most of their players have no ability to create offense. 

When you put together a group like that, I feel like you’re implicitly condoning Westbrook’s stupid shot selection.  So if RW gets slammed for this, Presti should get it right along with him.

I would add Steven Adams as a valuable player for them.

[Phantom255x]

Paul George might want to reconsider living in OKC and playing for them.

Paul George said after the game in the post-game interview that it was a "bad shot" Lillard took.

Maybe that's true, but how can you say that with Westbrook sitting next to you 

[Androslav]

It is a historic travesty that Westbrook got that MVP award. Even though Kawhi and Harden were more deserving, are and were better players and made their teams better and truly relevant in terms of playoff (real) basketball. It set up a really bad example that such a selfish, unskilled and most importantly, a player displaying such unsportsmanlike conduct was "our" (never mine) MVP.

Did we fight the war for that?

For the selfish?
For the unskilled?
For sore losers that don't respect anyone?
For complainers to the refs who rather whine than run back on D?
For the uncoachable and the narcissistic?
For the undisciplined?
For the guys who repel real MVPs out of town(KD)?
A guy that has a period every time he is confronted with the media? BTW, the media that gave him his MVP?

That's our Most Valuable Player?
Those are the values we promote and try to instill in our future MVPS?

One huge basketball travesty.
A dark cloud of historic shame is raining over those voters and people who support these values.
It doesn't look like it will stop soon.

I don't consider it a historic travesty because the MVP award has never been exclusively about who is the best player or who helps their team win the most. It's always been about a narrative on the season. If it wasn't, we'd have only like 4 MVP winners for every 20 seasons.

Then they should have named it
TBNWCTO
The best narative we could think of.

I don't think that we would have 4 in 20. We just have to value basketball things not unreleated ones. Like human fascination with decimal system and round numbers.

[Atzar]

I’ve never been a fan of Westbrook’s game, and I think his attitude to everybody but his teammates has gotten toxic.  Kerr is right; for a league that connects players with fans possibly better than any other pro sport, Russ’s hostile attitude is a blemish.

Having said that, I think Westbrook has become something of a scapegoat for Presti.  That roster is a joke.  PG and Jerami Grant are their only above average shooters, and Grant had to significantly outperform his career 3P% to do that - jury’s out on whether that is sustainable.  Most of their players have no ability to create offense. 

When you put together a group like that, I feel like you’re implicitly condoning Westbrook’s stupid shot selection.  So if RW gets slammed for this, Presti should get it right along with him.

I would add Steven Adams as a valuable player for them.

Agreed but he’s not a shooter or a creator, which is what I’m getting at.  Westbrook and PG are the only guys who can create shots.  And Shroeder, I guess, but he’s probably even worse than Westbrook.

[gift]

I’ve never been a fan of Westbrook’s game, and I think his attitude to everybody but his teammates has gotten toxic.  Kerr is right; for a league that connects players with fans possibly better than any other pro sport, Russ’s hostile attitude is a blemish.

Having said that, I think Westbrook has become something of a scapegoat for Presti.  That roster is a joke.  PG and Jerami Grant are their only above average shooters, and Grant had to significantly outperform his career 3P% to do that - jury’s out on whether that is sustainable.  Most of their players have no ability to create offense. 

When you put together a group like that, I feel like you’re implicitly condoning Westbrook’s stupid shot selection.  So if RW gets slammed for this, Presti should get it right along with him.

Agreed. Westbrook got a pass the year after Durant left. But Presti hasn't really forced Westbrook to look around at better options. The best he did was replicate the two-man team by bringing in PG. Westbrook gets most of the blame, but I haven't liked the overall talent or construction of that team dating back to before Durant left. And I've never liked their coaches either. It's probably too late for Westbrook to change now, but I do wonder if they got rid of Brooks sooner, if maybe another coach could've gotten him to buy into better habits. Maybe could have even prevented Durant leaving, who knows?

[indeedproceed]

Lillard's game winner, properly scored:

https://twitter.com/BerdjOdabachian/status/1120920966916235264