NBA Playoffs 2019-2020

[Birdman]

As long as the Lakers don’t win it all, I don’t care who wins..I knew Portland would give them a rough go

[GreenFaith1819]

LOVED the new Laker Hats



Appropriate and keeping the right amount of attention on this.

Would Donald Trump wear one?

[KGs Knee]

This Lakers team really is lacking in talent outside of LeBron and Davis.  I expect they'll eventually get serious and dispatch the Blazers but it does seem hard to envision them getting by some of the better teams out west.  I think I've underestimated just how deficient they are beyond their 'big 2'.

Losing Bradley hurts them defensively big time.  He was the one guard they had that could pressure the opposition at the point of attack.  Danny Green is just a shell of himself on that end these days.

[GreenFaith1819]

This Lakers team really is lacking in talent outside of LeBron and Davis.  I expect they'll eventually get serious and dispatch the Blazers but it does seem hard to envision them getting by some of the better teams out west.  I think I've underestimated just how deficient they are beyond their 'big 2'.

Losing Bradley hurts them defensively big time.  He was the one guard they had that could pressure the opposition at the point of attack.  Danny Green is just a shell of himself on that end these days.

Additionally - Rajon Rondo took pressure off of LeBron as far as ball-handling and running the offense.

He was also still a good defender.

With BOTH him and AB gone the Lakers are in trouble....I really believe this.

Lakers are going to mess around and be down 3-1 to POR and THEN things get interesting.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Lebron teams are always better when he is a scorer first, not when he is a distributor. I know he would prefer to become a distributor at this point in his career, but offenses built around him are not consistent enough if he is a distributor.

Thing is, I'm not 100% sure he can score like he used to. He lost a half a step, and his explosiveness off one foot is way less than it used to be. He's still a really good scorer, and I don't completely understand why he couldn't take better advantage of the guys who were defending him last night, but this is a real question about their offense. If he's content to be a distributor, is it a good enough offense? If he takes a scorer's mindset, can he score like he used to?

These are real questions about his game that he's not had to deal with in his entire career.

[GreenFaith1819]

Lebron teams are always better when he is a scorer first, not when he is a distributor. I know he would prefer to become a distributor at this point in his career, but offenses built around him are not consistent enough if he is a distributor.

Thing is, I'm not 100% sure he can score like he used to. He lost a half a step, and his explosiveness off one foot is way less than it used to be. He's still a really good scorer, and I don't completely understand why he couldn't take better advantage of the guys who were defending him last night, but this is a real question about their offense. If he's content to be a distributor, is it a good enough offense? If he takes a scorer's mindset, can he score like he used to?

These are real questions about his game that he's not had to deal with in his entire career.

AD has covered up much of LeBron's decline. It has been small, granted - but it IS there, the decline.

It is CRITICAL that LAL wins a championship THIS YEAR....for LeBron AND for LAL to have ANY hope of catching BOS's Banners.

That window IS closing - while OURS is seemingly wide open.



BOS "WILL" need a few more pieces....need Kemba to stay healthy...need GH to resign and STAY in BOS.

But what better cornerstones for our franchise than THOSE two?

[RPGenerate]

Have Bud's schemes finally been figured out? Losing to the Magic in game 1 may be a fluke, but the Bucks have been pretty meh for several games now. In the bubble they're 3-5, and before the season was canceled they were 1-4 on a 3 game losing streak. That's a good chunk of games where this team that was dominate throughout the season has looked very vulnerable.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Have Bud's schemes finally been figured out? Losing to the Magic in game 1 may be a fluke, but the Bucks have been pretty meh for several games now. In the bubble they're 3-5, and before the season was canceled they were 1-4 on a 3 game losing streak. That's a good chunk of games where this team that was dominate throughout the season has looked very vulnerable.

There's always been some questions about Bud's schemes. They seemed like floor-raisers rather than ceiling-raisers. He's a great regular season coach. But his teams, including this one, are normally filled with guys who can't create for themselves but rely three point shooting to contribute. When you play a team that is quicker and longer than you at several positions on the court, it makes it tougher for those guys to go off, and they can't create on their own.

[SparzWizard]

Brooklyn up 53-50 over the Raptors at the half.

It would be nice if they can extend their series to 7 games, but doubtful.

[SparzWizard]

Lebron teams are always better when he is a scorer first, not when he is a distributor. I know he would prefer to become a distributor at this point in his career, but offenses built around him are not consistent enough if he is a distributor.

Thing is, I'm not 100% sure he can score like he used to. He lost a half a step, and his explosiveness off one foot is way less than it used to be. He's still a really good scorer, and I don't completely understand why he couldn't take better advantage of the guys who were defending him last night, but this is a real question about their offense. If he's content to be a distributor, is it a good enough offense? If he takes a scorer's mindset, can he score like he used to?

These are real questions about his game that he's not had to deal with in his entire career.

AD has covered up much of LeBron's decline. It has been small, granted - but it IS there, the decline.

It is CRITICAL that LAL wins a championship THIS YEAR....for LeBron AND for LAL to have ANY hope of catching BOS's Banners.

That window IS closing - while OURS is seemingly wide open.



BOS "WILL" need a few more pieces....need Kemba to stay healthy...need GH to resign and STAY in BOS.

But what better cornerstones for our franchise than THOSE two?

Seemingly wide open but always come down with a major injury or some other superteams form in the East. Don't forget, once Durant/Irving return for Brooklyn the east will eventually have to go through them and not Milwaukee.

[tstorey_97]

Have Bud's schemes finally been figured out? Losing to the Magic in game 1 may be a fluke, but the Bucks have been pretty meh for several games now. In the bubble they're 3-5, and before the season was canceled they were 1-4 on a 3 game losing streak. That's a good chunk of games where this team that was dominate throughout the season has looked very vulnerable.

The Bux are deer...they like walking around in the northern woods of Milwaukee. Look at'em now. They have six more away games against the Orlando, Florida Magic. They are not and have never been a great away team. Bud can always point to all of their banners and inspire them....oh, wait a minute, ignore the banner talk, my mistake.

[blink]

oh man, I thought the Nets had a shot at the end there...down 3 with the ball 15 sec left.
then a bad turnover leads to a Toronto dunk and game over.

[wiley]

Have Bud's schemes finally been figured out? Losing to the Magic in game 1 may be a fluke, but the Bucks have been pretty meh for several games now. In the bubble they're 3-5, and before the season was canceled they were 1-4 on a 3 game losing streak. That's a good chunk of games where this team that was dominate throughout the season has looked very vulnerable.

I think its hard to win with only one superstar, more than an issue with Bud.  When the threes fall for Milwaukee they're close to unbeatable....but reliance on that makes them very vulnerable.  The best teams can still win when the threes don't fall....but for Milwaukee it's the lifeblood of their hopes.  And will stay that way until they add another stud of at least Middleton's level if not greater.

[SparzWizard]

Raptors up 2-0. I think this is as close Brooklyn is going to get in trying to beat Toronto.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Utah-Denver Game 2 first half key: Rudy Gobert's ability to act to draw fouls while not be called for the same level of contact on the other side.