NBA Playoffs 2021

[slamtheking]

seriously hoping for a Bucks win tonight.  thought they'd give the Nets more than they could handle but it's been far from that. 

[Moranis]

This is sad. End of the road for the short-handed Nuggets.

Phoenix getting two injury riddled teams in the first and second rounds.

Yeah, Phoenix' success has nothing to do with the fact they're actually good.

They are really good. Personally, I have them 4th or 5th in the West behind Utah, LAL and Denver with the Clippers jostling with them for one of the next two spots. With Dallas in 6th. 

I just wish we were seeing Phoenix go up against some full strength teams here. Sucks seeing them get a bye to the Conference Finals because they have met two injury hit teams.

At full strength, I think they are better than Utah and probably Denver and I wouldn't be surprised to see them beat the Clippers either.  The Suns are very well put together, and while they don't have true top end talent, CP3 is a regular All NBA guy, Booker will be soon, and Ayton looks like he will as well.  Plus they have lots of depth with a core that fits well and plays well together.

Yeah, I can see putting Phoenix ahead of Denver given the development of Ayton this season. I had Denver ahead of Phoenix to start the season but Ayton's growth has altered that landscape. I'll go Phoenix at 3rd best in the West. 

I am sold on Utah though. I wasn't to start the year but I am now. Their offense is super-impressive as is their top 8 guys (8 starters).  3 quasi-stars in Gobert, Mitchell and Conley. Loads of 3 point shooting in the 3 ball era (I don't think this team works as well in any other era, only today's league).

I wasn't convinced by them earlier in the year because of their lack of high end talent (plus Conley's poor performance last year and Clarkson's breakout year shooting wise) but their depth, balance, shooting and the offensive reliability of Donovan Mitchell as a primary creator (unstoppable good but not elite off the dribble game) separates them from all the other pretenders we've seen in year's past that resemble them (like the 60 win Hawks a few years back).

Utah, like Phoenix, was also very healthy (Mitchell 52, Conley 51, but everyone else in the upper 60's or 70's).  That stuff matters.  They have looked very good thus far this playoffs.  I'm very interested to see how game 2 goes as I think pretty much everyone figured they'd win game 1 with the LA/Dal series having just ended in that tough 7 game series.  Game 2 will probably be a good gauge of how the rest of that series will play out. 

[Surferdad]

seriously hoping for a Bucks win tonight.  thought they'd give the Nets more than they could handle but it's been far from that.

Yeah, kind of shocked how bad the Bucks look, even w/o needing to cover Harden.  They are not THAT bad.

[Phantom255x]

seriously hoping for a Bucks win tonight.  thought they'd give the Nets more than they could handle but it's been far from that.

Yeah, kind of shocked how bad the Bucks look, even w/o needing to cover Harden.  They are not THAT bad.

In a way it kind of makes what the C's did more impressive. Tatum almost single-handedly won us a game against their healthy Big 3, and I actually thought our frontcourt for the most part did fine against BKN. Just a shame Timelord got hurt.

But I mean the Bucks have Giannis, Lopez, Portis in their frontcourt. They should in theory be dominating BKN yet Blake Griffin actually looks good lol.

[PhoSita]

I really can't explain the ineptitude of the Bucks.  Yes, the Nets are an impossible to cover team.  But the Nets don't even have Harden right now.  The Bucks have a team that seems tailor made to at least give a team like the Nets a difficult time.

On the other end, the Bucks have multiple guys who should be able to get inside, punish mismatches, and attack the porous Nets defense.  The Nets are playing Blake Griffin at center! 

It's absolutely maddening that the Bucks aren't repeatedly pounding the Nets inside.

[Moranis]

I really can't explain the ineptitude of the Bucks.  Yes, the Nets are an impossible to cover team.  But the Nets don't even have Harden right now.  The Bucks have a team that seems tailor made to at least give a team like the Nets a difficult time.

On the other end, the Bucks have multiple guys who should be able to get inside, punish mismatches, and attack the porous Nets defense.  The Nets are playing Blake Griffin at center! 

It's absolutely maddening that the Bucks aren't repeatedly pounding the Nets inside.

The entire series at this point has been the Bucks complete and utter failure to shoot the ball.  14 of 57 from 3 is atrocious.  15 of 28 from the line is atrocious.  Middleton, in particular, has epically failed through 2 games.

[Who]

I really can't explain the ineptitude of the Bucks.  Yes, the Nets are an impossible to cover team.  But the Nets don't even have Harden right now.  The Bucks have a team that seems tailor made to at least give a team like the Nets a difficult time.

On the other end, the Bucks have multiple guys who should be able to get inside, punish mismatches, and attack the porous Nets defense.  The Nets are playing Blake Griffin at center! 

It's absolutely maddening that the Bucks aren't repeatedly pounding the Nets inside.

The entire series at this point has been the Bucks complete and utter failure to shoot the ball.  14 of 57 from 3 is atrocious.  15 of 28 from the line is atrocious.  Middleton, in particular, has epically failed through 2 games.

It hurts to see Middleton struggle like this. He has played so well during the last few seasons but he laid an egg two years in a row in the postseason. I would hate to see him continue on like he is right now. I am pulling badly for him to come good.

He is too skilled to be missing this many shots.

[ozgod]

I really can't explain the ineptitude of the Bucks.  Yes, the Nets are an impossible to cover team.  But the Nets don't even have Harden right now.  The Bucks have a team that seems tailor made to at least give a team like the Nets a difficult time.

On the other end, the Bucks have multiple guys who should be able to get inside, punish mismatches, and attack the porous Nets defense.  The Nets are playing Blake Griffin at center! 

It's absolutely maddening that the Bucks aren't repeatedly pounding the Nets inside.

The entire series at this point has been the Bucks complete and utter failure to shoot the ball.  14 of 57 from 3 is atrocious.  15 of 28 from the line is atrocious.  Middleton, in particular, has epically failed through 2 games.

They're shooting the ball horribly and everything else is cascading from that - assists are down because they're missing shots, turnovers are up and they're shooting 44% overall, 28% from 3 and 53% from the line. It's hard enough to beat the Nets shooting well, let alone with that level of inefficiency.



Middleton is having a shocker. The table below is sorted by FGA 25+ feet.

[Goldstar88]

Hopefully the Bucks just need some home Cookin’.

[ozgod]

Hopefully the Bucks just need some home Cookin’.

They've started with some spice at least

[hpantazo]

Middleton shows up and suddenly the Nets look very beatable.

[Goldstar88]

Giannis.... stop shooting 3’s!

[tazzmaniac]

 

Middleton shows up and suddenly the Nets look very beatable.

The Nets are very beatable if you have the right players to take advantage of their defense and if you don't get in a jump shooting contest with them. 

Also make your [dang] free throws. 

[Kiorrik]

What the heck. 11-30 first quarter for the Bucks

[footey]

Now down to 6. Welcome to the NBA.