NBA Playoffs 2021

[Moranis]

Kawhi hasn’t looked like Kawhi this season....

He was absolutely elite this season. 25/7/5 on near-50/40/90 shooting with good defence. Problem is the weird role players who don't fit alongside him. They need more Danny Green types and less Marcus Morris types

Kawhi is not a do everything offensive player in the mold of guys like Lebron, Durant, Harden, or Giannis or even lesser players like Tatum.  Leonard has always been a more off the ball type offensive player.  An elite scorer, but not the engine of the offense.  He doesn't bring the ball up, he isn't an iso kind of player, etc.  The Clippers don't have that sort of player.  In San Antonio he was playing with Parker and Manu and he had Lowry in Toronto.  He needs that sort of player for his team to reach full potential.  I actually think Kemba would make a lot of sense there so I keep coming back to some iteration of my Beverley, Zubac, and Morris trade proposal for Walker and Edwards.  I think that makes some level of sense for both Boston and LA.

[Birdman]

I said all season long that Portland is the team to watch..I wouldn’t be surprise to see them come out of the West..

[Somebody]

Kawhi hasn’t looked like Kawhi this season....

He was absolutely elite this season. 25/7/5 on near-50/40/90 shooting with good defence. Problem is the weird role players who don't fit alongside him. They need more Danny Green types and less Marcus Morris types

Kawhi is not a do everything offensive player in the mold of guys like Lebron, Durant, Harden, or Giannis or even lesser players like Tatum.  Leonard has always been a more off the ball type offensive player.  An elite scorer, but not the engine of the offense.  He doesn't bring the ball up, he isn't an iso kind of player, etc.  The Clippers don't have that sort of player.  In San Antonio he was playing with Parker and Manu and he had Lowry in Toronto.  He needs that sort of player for his team to reach full potential.  I actually think Kemba would make a lot of sense there so I keep coming back to some iteration of my Beverley, Zubac, and Morris trade proposal for Walker and Edwards.  I think that makes some level of sense for both Boston and LA.

You've probably missed his playmaking jump in LA - he's become a real on-ball engine since last season.

[SparzWizard]

I said all season long that Portland is the team to watch..I wouldn’t be surprise to see them come out of the West..

Portland should be feasting on the short-handed Denver Nuggets and should be the favorites in the series.

Blazers will be a second-round exit when they lose to the Lakers again, sadly. No one is stopping healthy AD and LeBron in the West

[Goldstar88]

Simmons is so soft on the offensive end. Beal is guarding Ben and he won’t go at him. Even with no jump shot he should still be dominating getting to the rim and scoring in the paint with a hook shot.

[Atzar]

I'd have a lot less of a problem with that T on Neto if the refs called it that way for everybody.  But as it is, some of these players can shout the refs down with no repercussions (Simmons has been whining at them since I turned the game on) while nobodies like Neto get dinged.  Garbage. 

[Goldstar88]

Wizards leading at the half. Really wish the C’s would have dropped into that 8 spot. Think a series with the 76ers would have gone 6 or 7 games. Really not impressed with Simmons and Harris is streaky. Embiid is an issue, but I’d rather have one problem to deal with vs 3 with the Nets. Ugh.

[SparzWizard]

Wizards leading at the half. Really wish the C’s would have dropped into that 8 spot. Think a series with the 76ers would have gone 6 or 7 games. Really not impressed with Simmons and Harris is streaky. Embiid is an issue, but I’d rather have one problem to deal with vs 3 with the Nets. Ugh.

The route to the ECF would've been a little better if they dropped to the 8th seed. Could potentially upset 76ers and then take out the 4/5 seed.

C's logic just love to win meaningless games to get a meaningless sweep lol

[PhoSita]

 I watch the Sixers and can't help thinking

"Maybe it really is as simple as putting two elite knockdown shooters next to your two stars, plus one guy who doesn't get in the way."

I mean .... keep Fournier, get Rob healthy, find one more guy who is a true knock down shooter, and one more low usage player who can defend multiple spots and pass a little .... that could work?

Oh, and also ... fix your bench so it doesn't lose by double digits in 3-5 minute stretches.

Is that all doable without paying a $50 million tax bill or giving up multiple first round picks?

[Atzar]

Philly hasn't done much to put this game away down the stretch, but the mountain of turnovers by Westbrook and Beal have just been a backbreaker.  Starting at about the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter, the two of them have coughed it up over and over and over again.  It is costing them a very winnable game.

[hpantazo]

I watch the Sixers and can't help thinking

"Maybe it really is as simple as putting two elite knockdown shooters next to your two stars, plus one guy who doesn't get in the way."

I mean .... keep Fournier, get Rob healthy, find one more guy who is a true knock down shooter, and one more low usage player who can defend multiple spots and pass a little .... that could work?

Oh, and also ... fix your bench so it doesn't lose by double digits in 3-5 minute stretches.

Is that all doable without paying a $50 million tax bill or giving up multiple first round picks?

Just fixing the bench would do wonders for the Celtics. I mean, why is our bench always a collection of our recent non-lottery draft picks and journeymen from overseas all with little or no NBA experience? Our bench is practically a summer league team every year.

[liam]

I watch the Sixers and can't help thinking

"Maybe it really is as simple as putting two elite knockdown shooters next to your two stars, plus one guy who doesn't get in the way."

I mean .... keep Fournier, get Rob healthy, find one more guy who is a true knock down shooter, and one more low usage player who can defend multiple spots and pass a little .... that could work?

Oh, and also ... fix your bench so it doesn't lose by double digits in 3-5 minute stretches.

Is that all doable without paying a $50 million tax bill or giving up multiple first round picks?

Just fixing the bench would do wonders for the Celtics. I mean, why is our bench always a collection of our recent non-lottery draft picks and journeymen from overseas all with little or no NBA experience? Our bench is practically a summer league team every year.

You're preaching to the choir! Too true!

[Atzar]

I watch the Sixers and can't help thinking

"Maybe it really is as simple as putting two elite knockdown shooters next to your two stars, plus one guy who doesn't get in the way."

I mean .... keep Fournier, get Rob healthy, find one more guy who is a true knock down shooter, and one more low usage player who can defend multiple spots and pass a little .... that could work?

Oh, and also ... fix your bench so it doesn't lose by double digits in 3-5 minute stretches.

Is that all doable without paying a $50 million tax bill or giving up multiple first round picks?

Just fixing the bench would do wonders for the Celtics. I mean, why is our bench always a collection of our recent non-lottery draft picks and journeymen from overseas all with little or no NBA experience? Our bench is practically a summer league team every year.

We haven't had the cap space to fill out the bench through free agency and we have decided, rightly or wrongly, to draft young projects rather than trading the picks for veterans.  Or hell... maybe nobody wanted our mediocre picks, for all we know.  Anyway, maybe the youth movement pans out in two or three years.  It sure isn't panning out now. 

It's frustrating.  I agree with you there.  We haven't had a bench since that Kyrie team blew up.  Irving/Brown/Hayward/Tatum/Horford with Rozier/Smart/Morris/Baynes should have been competing for championships.  Instead it exploded and took our flexibility with it. 

[RMO]

Did the Sun's really not shoot any free throws in the first half?

[liam]

Did the Sun's really not shoot any free throws in the first half?

Yeah, 17 to 0 in free throws. Doesn't seem posible.