NBA Season 2021-22

[Moranis]

I actually got an upset tonight. I think Dallas wins Game 2.

Dallas is just like the C's in that when there's some adversity, they are resilient and bounce back. Doncic leads the charge and I think he'll do the same tonight. I'd be shocked if Doncic had two rough games in a row

They are not like us- We got One Superstar- Tatum. One star brown- One 2 way beast in Smart- We are Far more Physical- and Our bigs are wayyy better.

I think defining what Dallas is is still very much TBD.  Same for GSW.  The thing with GSW is that they are not the team now that they were all season.  They won 53 games, same as MIA, but are clearly better now than at any point in the season due to Thompson and Green being healthy.  Dallas has pretty much the same personnel that they had all season but somehow found a way to beat PHO.  They seemed to play better as the season went along and as the playoffs have gone on, but I am not sure I can explain why.

I don't think the point with Dallas is that they are the same as us in terms of matching personnel or roster or whatever.  What is similar is that they seem to have the ability to play better than is expected.  To be resilient, to respond to adversity.  We shall see how well that resiliency holds up against GSW.

Dallas is not the same team they were in the beginning of the year.  They are the same team from a lot of 2022 when they were the 2nd best team in basketball (only Phoenix was better, Dallas had the same losses and 1 more win than Boston).  This idea that Dallas came out of nowhere isn't really born in reality.  They have been on fire all of 2022, playing elite defense and with an uber-talent at the top. 

[kraidstar]

I wouldn't give up on Dallas just yet. Their guards and wings can really light it up, and they overachieve on defense.

The Warriors are not the same team that won 3 titles. They have older legs and less depth.

With that being said, CP3 looked cooked in that last series. A massive defensive liability that caused breakdowns that led to open 3s.

We've seen that here, unfortunately, with IT and Kemba. It is a death sentence against elite teams.

Dallas will have to work much harder here. Both teams are thin inside. Draymond will be the key to the series. I think he anchors that defense well enough to win.

Both teams are going to have trouble inside against the Celtics though,  which is a big reason why we should be championship favorites. Rob and Al are unbelievable together when they are healthy.

Yeah, after one game it seems quick to give up on a team that just came back from down 2-0.

And Dallas was riding an emotional high after that game 7, just like us, and was due for a letdown. I think in general you see a lot of outlier results in the first game of a series.

It takes a while for teams to find themselves and settle in.

[Phantom255x]

If we're being honest, I think Miami lucked out drawing the Sixers with a compromised Embiid. I think if Embiid played the first two games, they split that set and PHI probably wins in 6 games.

I mean a lot of people are saying the Celtics lucked out last round not having Middleton play. Miami avoided Embiid for two games and tbh he probably wasn't close to 100% but still gutted it out. Maybe people will bring up Lowry for Miami but is he really that much of a difference-maker?

[liam]

If we're being honest, I think Miami lucked out drawing the Sixers with a compromised Embiid. I think if Embiid played the first two games, they split that set and PHI probably wins in 6 games.

I mean a lot of people are saying the Celtics lucked out last round not having Middleton play. Miami avoided Embiid for two games and tbh he probably wasn't close to 100% but still gutted it out. Maybe people will bring up Lowry for Miami but is he really that much of a difference-maker?

Healthy Lowery would make a difference but you can only play the team that's on the floor. I don't really remember a playoffs that weren't affected by injuries. It's part of the game.

[Phantom255x]

If we're being honest, I think Miami lucked out drawing the Sixers with a compromised Embiid. I think if Embiid played the first two games, they split that set and PHI probably wins in 6 games.

I mean a lot of people are saying the Celtics lucked out last round not having Middleton play. Miami avoided Embiid for two games and tbh he probably wasn't close to 100% but still gutted it out. Maybe people will bring up Lowry for Miami but is he really that much of a difference-maker?

Healthy Lowery would make a difference but you can only play the team that's on the floor. I don't really remember a playoffs that weren't affected by injuries. It's part of the game.

Yep, and with all the BS the C's have dealt with over the years involving injuries I'm fine with us being on the luckier side of things lol

[SparzWizard]

If we're being honest, I think Miami lucked out drawing the Sixers with a compromised Embiid. I think if Embiid played the first two games, they split that set and PHI probably wins in 6 games.

I mean a lot of people are saying the Celtics lucked out last round not having Middleton play. Miami avoided Embiid for two games and tbh he probably wasn't close to 100% but still gutted it out. Maybe people will bring up Lowry for Miami but is he really that much of a difference-maker?

Last year the Bucks lucked out with Irving and Harden banged up and was about 3 inches shy of losing to Durant.

[Vermont Green]

I actually got an upset tonight. I think Dallas wins Game 2.

Dallas is just like the C's in that when there's some adversity, they are resilient and bounce back. Doncic leads the charge and I think he'll do the same tonight. I'd be shocked if Doncic had two rough games in a row

They are not like us- We got One Superstar- Tatum. One star brown- One 2 way beast in Smart- We are Far more Physical- and Our bigs are wayyy better.

I think defining what Dallas is is still very much TBD.  Same for GSW.  The thing with GSW is that they are not the team now that they were all season.  They won 53 games, same as MIA, but are clearly better now than at any point in the season due to Thompson and Green being healthy.  Dallas has pretty much the same personnel that they had all season but somehow found a way to beat PHO.  They seemed to play better as the season went along and as the playoffs have gone on, but I am not sure I can explain why.

I don't think the point with Dallas is that they are the same as us in terms of matching personnel or roster or whatever.  What is similar is that they seem to have the ability to play better than is expected.  To be resilient, to respond to adversity.  We shall see how well that resiliency holds up against GSW.

Dallas is not the same team they were in the beginning of the year.  They are the same team from a lot of 2022 when they were the 2nd best team in basketball (only Phoenix was better, Dallas had the same losses and 1 more win than Boston).  This idea that Dallas came out of nowhere isn't really born in reality.  They have been on fire all of 2022, playing elite defense and with an uber-talent at the top.

I guess they had the Porzingis trade so the team did change along the way.  But my main point is not that they have come out of nowhere but rather they seem to keep playing better and better as the season and playoffs have gone on.  And if not out of nowhere, certainly out of the middle of the pack.  But I am having a hard time gauging just how good they actually are.  I look at the roster and don't see how they beat PHO but they did.

Usually in basketball, there is a clearer hierarchy of teams.  It is pretty clear who the best teams, the title favorites are, certainly by this point.  There are upsets along the way of course but in the end, the teams you expect to see in the finals tend to be the teams that make it to the finals.

This season, I don't know what to expect.  I would not have expected any of the final 4 to have made it, even as deep into the season as say December.  But here we are.  I went back to the ESPN preseason power rankings.  They had:

Miami     #6
GSW     #10
Dallas    #11
Boston   #13

On December 27, the power rankings were:

GSW       #1
Miami      #7
Boston   #16
Dallas    #17

So I am clearly not alone in being surprised by how these teams have done.  None of these teams were expected to be in the final 4 at the start of the season and only 1 was trending that way at the end of December.  And I am not sure how much consensus there was around GSW being the top team.

Boston and Dallas were not even ranked top 15 in December and they may meet in the finals.  Teams come out of nowhere in baseball and win titles but I have not seen that very often in the NBA.

[Donoghus]

Adrian Wojnarowski
@wojespn
Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts are among candidates who've advanced to the final round of interviews for the Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching job, sources tell ESPN.

[Phantom255x]

It's early but Mavericks up 13. Doncic and Brunson with a combined 17 so far.

[Phantom255x]

It's early but Mavericks up 13. Doncic and Brunson with a combined 17 so far.

Wow, Mavs were up 26-10 but Warriors respond with a 13-0 run

[SparzWizard]

Cmon Dallas pull out the win

[Phantom255x]

Great response by Dallas! Back up 13, and Doncic has 18

[footey]

It's early but Mavericks up 13. Doncic and Brunson with a combined 17 so far.

Am I alone preferring to play Warriors in finals rather than Mavs? Feel a better match up for Celtics.

Let’s beat Heat first LOL.

[radiohead]

It's early but Mavericks up 13. Doncic and Brunson with a combined 17 so far.

Am I alone preferring to play Warriors in finals rather than Mavs? Feel a better match up for Celtics.

Let’s beat Heat first LOL.

I’m very wary of those game winning buckets by Luka. He loves doing those to the Celtics.

[JSD]

Wonder how Wizards fans feel watching Bertrands playing well in the WCF smh