NBA Playoffs 2021

[Kernewek]

It's one game, but it doesn't look particularly good for Milwaukee.

[Somebody]

Confident that Budenholzer will adjust - he did plenty of that in the Brooklyn series (mostly defensively, I'll admit that his offensive coaching hasn't been the greatest), eg. bringing Lopez up in defending the Durant/Brown PnR.

[Somebody]

Trae Young is a BEAST.

Are we sure the Mavericks robbed the Hawks? Doncic is phenomenal though Young is also really making a statement now. Hawks also built the team to fit Young's skillset and it's showing now and coming together.

I thought the Hawks fleeced the Mavericks back then . Obviously it doesn't look that way now (picking Reddish was a head-scratcher), but I think the Hawks are still quite happy with the move in hindsight.

[Moranis]

It's one game, but it doesn't look particularly good for Milwaukee.

I may be in the minority, but this sort of feels like Iverson's Sixers against the Lakers or Irving's Celtics against the Bucks.  The lesser team picks up the first game based on an epic performance by their star and then just falls apart and gets blitzed off the court.  I certainly could be wrong on that feeling and maybe Atlanta is the real deal, but I still think Milwaukee wins in 5 or maybe 6 games and is generally not challenged that much.

[nyceltsfan]

I know the series just started, but it is a little eerie that the 5th seed in the east has performed way above expectations the last 2 seasons and may represent the east in the finals.

[jambr380]

Phoenix is going to the Finals.  Was really looking forward to the Suns/Clips matchup too. Oh, well....

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul listed as probable for Game 3; LA Clippers' Kawhi Leonard remains out-Per Espn

Hoping Bucks can pull it out. I guess it is just sour grapes with all that we've been through in recent years, but I really don't like the idea of PHX or ATL winning the Title this year. PHX being able to play a Murray-less DEN team and a Kawhi-less LAC team is kind-of lame. Super-thankful they took out the lowly Lakers, though. Definitely will push for them over the Hawks if it comes to it, who just seem to have gotten hot at the right time. At least PHX was actually good this season.

[Phantom255x]

Phoenix is going to the Finals.  Was really looking forward to the Suns/Clips matchup too. Oh, well....

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul listed as probable for Game 3; LA Clippers' Kawhi Leonard remains out-Per Espn

Hoping Bucks can pull it out. I guess it is just sour grapes with all that we've been through in recent years, but I really don't like the idea of PHX or ATL winning the Title this year. PHX being able to play a Murray-less DEN team and a Kawhi-less LAC team is kind-of lame. Super-thankful they took out the lowly Lakers, though. Definitely will push for them over the Hawks if it comes to it, who just seem to have gotten hot at the right time. At least PHX was actually good this season.

Are you kidding? This alone would make me happy if the Suns won it all lol! 

To be honest I actually don't mind whoever wins it all, even if it's the Clippers. I went in just hoping it wouldn't be any of the Lakers, Sixers or Nets. Odds seemed slim but thankfully it happened that way

[CptZoogs]

I think a Suns-Hawks finals would be really entertaining.

[LilRip]

The Hawks definitely concern me as a Celtics fan.  Is there hope for the C's to be better than these Hawks any time soon?

They're playing without DeAndre Hunter and Cam Reddish, who likely will improve a lot though he's started slow.  They have pick 20 to get a nice back up PG...

Several teams (unfortunately) shot past the Celtics this season:

Hawks: 20-47 last season, at least ECF this season
Suns: 34-39 last season, at least WCF this season
Knicks: 21-45 last season, 41-31 and the No. 4 seed this season
Blazers: 35-39 last season, 42-30 this season

Granted, Boston had a LOT of injuries and covid-related absences, but they had plenty of non-health-related problems too. It stinks that these teams that were mediocre or terrible last season had an amazing one-season turnaround while the Celtics were thoroughly mediocre, even when they had most of their players available. Boston seems to be on a very slow, very incremental path.

I wouldn’t say “shot past” but I agree with the overall sentiment. At the very least, many teams have “caught up” or moved ahead and yours is a pretty solid list (although I don’t agree with the Portland one).

This hawks run is just as impressive as our ECF runs. Trae Young is a superstar much like Tatum is one too. Is Collins a star? Or at least all star level talent? Maybe! Plus they have a lot of pretty good role players too

[Who]

that was a pretty big upset as far as I am concerned.

it just feels like Atlanta just has 'it' this season.  They seem to have a bit of luck / good fortune, and the ball is just bouncing their way.

Are we really looking at ATL being in the Finals?  Wow, I thought we were better than the Hawks a lot of the season.
I guess I was really really wrong.

Nah.  You were right. Celtics were better than Atlanta most of the season. And Atlanta are not that good. It is just the teams around them are falling apart and they look good as a result.

Atlanta are your typical 47-52 win type team. Good squad but nowhere near the top. A 2nd round and out type team.

But this is a strange season and some teams are benefiting from that - Atlanta is one of those teams.


Edit: Atlanta had a fair bit of trouble themselves this season. Injuries to role players (wings/swings). Then self-inflicted trouble by an ill-fitting roster. Which is also part of the reason why Boston felt better than Atlanta for much of the year despite our own struggles.

I hate seeing this Atlanta team talked as a well built team. It is not. They continue to have trouble dealing with Collins / Capela. And trouble getting the most out of their offensive orientated role players who need the ball next to their ball dominant offensive orientated star.

It is just everyone else is either hurt (2/3rds of the playoff teams it feels like) or crapped the bed (Philly, Milwaukee). And Atlanta is one of the last standing.

[BudweiserCeltic]

that was a pretty big upset as far as I am concerned.

it just feels like Atlanta just has 'it' this season.  They seem to have a bit of luck / good fortune, and the ball is just bouncing their way.

Are we really looking at ATL being in the Finals?  Wow, I thought we were better than the Hawks a lot of the season.
I guess I was really really wrong.

Nah.  You were right. Celtics were better than Atlanta most of the season. And Atlanta are not that good. It is just the teams around them are falling apart and they look good as a result.

Atlanta are your typical 47-52 win type team. Good squad but nowhere near the top. A 2nd round and out type team.

But this is a strange season and some teams are benefiting from that - Atlanta is one of those teams.


Edit: Atlanta had a fair bit of trouble themselves this season. Injuries to role players (wings/swings). Then self-inflicted trouble by an ill-fitting roster. Which is also part of the reason why Boston felt better than Atlanta for much of the year despite our own struggles.

I hate seeing this Atlanta team talked as a well built team. It is not. They continue to have trouble dealing with Collins / Capela. And trouble getting the most out of their offensive orientated role players who need the ball next to their ball dominant offensive orientated star.

It is just everyone else is either hurt (2/3rds of the playoff teams it feels like) or crapped the bed (Philly, Milwaukee). And Atlanta is one of the last standing.

Agreed with much of this, I'll add though that they have a lot of cap flexibility going forward so they have avenues to improve while keeping their main guys. But pretty much agree with your assessment.

[Rondo9]

that was a pretty big upset as far as I am concerned.

it just feels like Atlanta just has 'it' this season.  They seem to have a bit of luck / good fortune, and the ball is just bouncing their way.

Are we really looking at ATL being in the Finals?  Wow, I thought we were better than the Hawks a lot of the season.
I guess I was really really wrong.

Nah.  You were right. Celtics were better than Atlanta most of the season. And Atlanta are not that good. It is just the teams around them are falling apart and they look good as a result.

Atlanta are your typical 47-52 win type team. Good squad but nowhere near the top. A 2nd round and out type team.

But this is a strange season and some teams are benefiting from that - Atlanta is one of those teams.


Edit: Atlanta had a fair bit of trouble themselves this season. Injuries to role players (wings/swings). Then self-inflicted trouble by an ill-fitting roster. Which is also part of the reason why Boston felt better than Atlanta for much of the year despite our own struggles.

I hate seeing this Atlanta team talked as a well built team. It is not. They continue to have trouble dealing with Collins / Capela. And trouble getting the most out of their offensive orientated role players who need the ball next to their ball dominant offensive orientated star.

It is just everyone else is either hurt (2/3rds of the playoff teams it feels like) or crapped the bed (Philly, Milwaukee). And Atlanta is one of the last standing.

It's not the Hawks' fault that the Sixers have a star that doesn't want to shoot or is facing a team that is shockingly displaying low IQ Basketball at the worst possible moments. At least they're facing healthy teams unlike the Suns.

[Moranis]

that was a pretty big upset as far as I am concerned.

it just feels like Atlanta just has 'it' this season.  They seem to have a bit of luck / good fortune, and the ball is just bouncing their way.

Are we really looking at ATL being in the Finals?  Wow, I thought we were better than the Hawks a lot of the season.
I guess I was really really wrong.

Nah.  You were right. Celtics were better than Atlanta most of the season. And Atlanta are not that good. It is just the teams around them are falling apart and they look good as a result.

Atlanta are your typical 47-52 win type team. Good squad but nowhere near the top. A 2nd round and out type team.

But this is a strange season and some teams are benefiting from that - Atlanta is one of those teams.


Edit: Atlanta had a fair bit of trouble themselves this season. Injuries to role players (wings/swings). Then self-inflicted trouble by an ill-fitting roster. Which is also part of the reason why Boston felt better than Atlanta for much of the year despite our own struggles.

I hate seeing this Atlanta team talked as a well built team. It is not. They continue to have trouble dealing with Collins / Capela. And trouble getting the most out of their offensive orientated role players who need the ball next to their ball dominant offensive orientated star.

It is just everyone else is either hurt (2/3rds of the playoff teams it feels like) or crapped the bed (Philly, Milwaukee). And Atlanta is one of the last standing.

I feel pretty confident that Milwaukee will still win the series, but I don't think you are correct at all with Atlanta.  Bogdanovic had by far his most efficient and effective season in his career so did Capela.  Gallinari's totals are down, but his efficiency is inline or better than his career numbers.  Collins totals are down, but like Gallinari is inline with his career numbers from an efficiency standpoint.  Hunter, who is currently hurt, improved significantly from his rookie year to this year.  Huerter seems to be doing just fine.  Reddish seemed to regress some from his rookie to 2nd year before he got hurt.  Okongwu showed some flashes as a rookie this year. 

The Hawks were 14-20 under Pierce.  They went 27-11 the rest of the regular season under McMillan and are 9-4 thus far in the playoffs.  McMillan seemingly unlocked their potential.  And given just how young they are and how much high lottery level talent they have, they could be really good for a really long time.  This run is earlier than is should be and they've been aided significantly by Embiid tearing his knee and the Sixers otherwise imploding, but the Hawks are also a deep talented team and perhaps this is just the start of a multi-year run at contending. 

[gouki88]

Trae Young is a BEAST.

Are we sure the Mavericks robbed the Hawks? Doncic is phenomenal though Young is also really making a statement now. Hawks also built the team to fit Young's skillset and it's showing now and coming together.

I thought the Hawks fleeced the Mavericks back then . Obviously it doesn't look that way now (picking Reddish was a head-scratcher), but I think the Hawks are still quite happy with the move in hindsight.

Imagine if they'd picked PJ Washington. Would have been an awesome core of youth

[Goldstar88]

Devin Booker doing his best Rip Hamilton impersonation.

Rachel Nichols: Devin Booker told me his nose was in fact broken in THREE places but that doctors reset it yesterday & the swelling has gone down significantly. Still, he will wear a mask tonight. I asked if the mask limited his peripheral vision; he told me “all I need to see is the basket.”