« Reply #2452 on: March 17, 2022, 08:01:27 PM »
Raptors have now moved into a tie for 6th with Cleveland. Cavs are fading fast with the injuries.
Id like to see Cavs hold on to 6th and the Raptors in 7th. Make Nets travel to Toronto for play-in.
Agreed. Although I still think the Nets might fall to 9th.
Do you really think Charlotte or Atlanta is going to pass Brooklyn? I don't see it at all. Brooklyn's schedule is pretty easy down the stretch and Durant it back and playing. With the Cavs in free fall mode, I actually think Brooklyn has a better shot at passing them for 7th then they do of falling to 9th.
Unless NY changes it’s rules around Kyrie in the next few days, I do. 5 of Brooklyn’s next 7 are at home, thus no Kyrie, and the two road games are at Memphis and Miami. If the Hornets beat the Nets in Brooklyn, then they’d hold the tiebreaker, and thus only have to play equal with the Nets in their other 11 games. Meanwhile, Atlanta has the third easiest schedule left, with Houston, Detroit, OKC, Indiana, and the Knicks still to come (and also a game against Brooklyn). I’m not sure which of those two will pass the Nets, but I think one will.
If Brooklyn, with Kevin Durant, can't beat teams like Portland (or even Charlotte) at home without Irving, then they don't deserve to be in the playoffs at all and Durant can no longer be called an all time great player. Either Durant is an all time great or he is not. He keeps getting passes for not having an all star like Irving, but Durant is supposed to be an all time great. He is BY FAR the best player on any of those teams and is arguably the best player in the world. The Nets should finish 9-3 at worst with their schedule and Durant. Now if Durant gets hurt again, that changes things, but even if Irving doesn't play another game this year, Durant should be good enough to carry the Nets to a very good record with the schedule they have left.
Does this same sort of logic apply to Lebron and his Lakers?
Sure, 5 years ago when he was in year 14 and a top 2 player in the world.
How does it make any sense whatsoever that a player declining with age (as Durant is, chiefly in terms of durability) somehow invalidates their all-time achievements? That is pure nonsense
I said the Nets would be at least 9-3 with Durant and their schedule.. I obviously believe he is still a top tier player, but Durant has never really been the man alone. He was complaining about getting doubled last night and not being able to adjust to it (probably because he hasn't faced that). Now is the time for him to play like the all time great most people think he is
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2025 Historical Draft - Cleveland Cavaliers - 1st pick
Starters - Luka, JB, Lebron, Wemby, Shaq
Rotation - D. Daniels, Mitchell, G. Wallace, Melo, Noah
Deep Bench - Korver, Turner
