NBA Playoffs 2023

[kraidstar]

Golden State barely made the playoffs this year. They almost lost to a highly fraudulent Kings team that would have been a low seed in any other season. They are worse than last year and are tailing off athletically.

And people really are underselling the Nuggets. They've been the most complete team in the West and will be a very tough out for anyone, including the Lakers. The Lakers' bigs are not as good as the bubble season. No Dwight Howard to physically assault Jokic with no recourse.

It is certainly disheartening that the Lakers have received an easier path than rhey deserve, but let's not crown them just yet.

[Kernewek]

Agreed kraid - the Nuggets will lose because the Nuggets do not win is a tautology at this point.

[Larry for 3]

Golden State barely made the playoffs this year. They almost lost to a highly fraudulent Kings team that would have been a low seed in any other season. They are worse than last year and are tailing off athletically.

And people really are underselling the Nuggets. They've been the most complete team in the West and will be a very tough out for anyone, including the Lakers. The Lakers' bigs are not as good as the bubble season. No Dwight Howard to physically assault Jokic with no recourse.

It is certainly disheartening that the Lakers have received an easier path than rhey deserve, but let's not crown them just yet.

Barely made the playoffs doesn’t matter in todays nba any longer. ( see Miami )—With load management and guys sitting out, teams aren’t even trying sometimes. They just throw away game to be healthy in May. Almost lost doesnt matter either. Warriors still the best team until some1 beats them 4 times. That’s why I’m rooting for the Lakers or Denver next round. We don’t want any part of the warriors. I don’t think Denver is that good. They just had a good record. So what? I hope they beat GS, but I’m not betting on it.

[Who]

I think it's because the Nuggets usually underperform at some point. They've been good in recent seasons, but they reached the WCF only once.

Yeah, I'm not sold on the Nuggets until they actually make the Finals. They a one-trick pony. They're basically like a mini-CP3 or another LA Clippers; always falling short in the postseason and unable to make the Finals

So far they played the Wolves, and now they're playing a slightly banged up Suns team

The Nuggets have been massacred by injuries the last 2 postseasons.

They made a surprising run to the WCF the year before that with Jamal Murray having a breakout campaign. The next year Michael Porter Jr started to breakout and Denver was one of the most dominant teams in the league with the three of them (MPJ, Murray, Jokic) on the floor together. Then Murray gets hurt and misses the next two postseasons.

Even worse their guards would get hurt as well and Denver ended up starting a pair of 3rd stringers in the playoffs in Austin Rivers and Campazzo. Neither of whom are in the league anymore.

The following season, last season, MPJ gets hurt so Denver loses their 3rd best player along with their 2nd best player. Monte Morris  started for them. Will Barton who could barely get off the bench this year started for them. Old man Jeff Green started for them.

This is the 1st season since their surprise run to the WCF 3 years ago that they have had a healthy roster heading into the postseason. This is the 1st time in three years they have their 2nd best player in Jamal Murray alongside Jokic. They have their 3rd best player in MPJ back after him missing last season.

And to top it all off they have added KCP and Bruce Brown to make their wing corps tougher defensively and can provide two-way play.

[gouki88]

Not one of the 7 teams should be able to beat us, but here we are nervous thanks to boston looking AAU.

This is just blatant homerism.
So the warriors, the exact team that beat us last season, shouldn’t be able to beat us?
A team with Lebron James and Anthony Davis shouldn’t be able to beat us?
No one in the east should beat us I guess, but cmon man.

Not homerism at all. We have by far the most talented roster in the league. We ought to be afraid of nobody, except Coach Mazzulla

[Who]

Shams reporting that CP3 is out for 1 week and will be reevaluated at that time. So at least 1 week maybe longer.

PHO and DEN play again on Saturday (gm 3) and Monday (gm 4). Again on Tuesday (gm 5) which will be one week since CP3 got injured in Game 2. Gm 6 would be Thursday and Game 6 would be Sunday.

I wonder if they will reevaluate CP3 on the Gm 5 or do it on the Monday before Gm 4. Man, if they lose Gm 3, do you even risk bringing CP3 back?

That Gm 3 without CP3 could be the knockout blow.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Not one of the 7 teams should be able to beat us, but here we are nervous thanks to boston looking AAU.

This is just blatant homerism.
So the warriors, the exact team that beat us last season, shouldn’t be able to beat us?
A team with Lebron James and Anthony Davis shouldn’t be able to beat us?
No one in the east should beat us I guess, but cmon man.

Not homerism at all. We have by far the most talented roster in the league. We ought to be afraid of nobody, except Coach Mazzulla

And our own players shooting themselves in the foot yet again.

[Phantom255x]

The path is open for the C's. It just really sucks that they are not taking advantage.

Yeah they may win this series anyways, but if it takes 6-7 games instead of the 5 it should have, that'll have an effect on us still possibly in the later rounds with fatigue/injury risks.

[SparzWizard]

Curry, Klay, and Poole each shot and made six 3-pointers.

The Lakers hit six 3's total and the Warriors still lost. Goes to show that having interior presence and dominating the paint wins you games even when the opposing 3s were falling.

Enough with the mad 3-ball and change up the offense and shoot some 2s and score inside more!

[Who]

I am excited for today's game GSW vs LAL. I want to see if LAL can reproduce Gm 1's performance or not. They have been so inconsistent; I have little trust in their ability to maintain this quality of performance.

I also want to see if GSW can rise to the challenge. They have floundered most of the year. Disappointed everyone with their mediocre play. Will they show their true class? Or will they continue to play below par ball for a team of their quality?

Anyway, this looks the most exciting series of the 2nd round especially now with CP3 injured.

[Neurotic Guy]

I am excited for today's game GSW vs LAL. I want to see if LAL can reproduce Gm 1's performance or not. They have been so inconsistent; I have little trust in their ability to maintain this quality of performance.

I also want to see if GSW can rise to the challenge. They have floundered most of the year. Disappointed everyone with their mediocre play. Will they show their true class? Or will they continue to play below par ball for a team of their quality?

Anyway, this looks the most exciting series of the 2nd round especially now with CP3 injured.

Hope very strongly that LAL remains inconsistent and that GSW rises to the occasion.  The Warriors need this one.

[SparzWizard]

I am excited for today's game GSW vs LAL. I want to see if LAL can reproduce Gm 1's performance or not. They have been so inconsistent; I have little trust in their ability to maintain this quality of performance.

I also want to see if GSW can rise to the challenge. They have floundered most of the year. Disappointed everyone with their mediocre play. Will they show their true class? Or will they continue to play below par ball for a team of their quality?

Anyway, this looks the most exciting series of the 2nd round especially now with CP3 injured.

Hope very strongly that LAL remains inconsistent and that GSW rises to the occasion.  The Warriors need this one.

I know this series one of them needs to lose and we're sick of both teams. If GSW advances they'll still be a threat in the finals. I think in the Steve Kerr era they haven't been bounced out by a western conference opponent. They've either won NBA finals or lost NBA finals or missed the playoffs completely.

Lakers OTOH...can't let them sniff banner 18 before us. It would be in our best interests to hope GSW takes them out and then Denver or Phoenix can clean out the Warriors.

[Who]

AD's last five games

His last 5 games in terms of scoring:
31 points on 11-24 shooting
12 points on 4-13 shooting
31 points on 14-23 shooting
16 points on 6-9 shooting
30 points on 11-19 shooting

AD has been playing great D and doing great work on the boards but his scoring is still up and down like a yo-yo.

[Celtics2021]

I am excited for today's game GSW vs LAL. I want to see if LAL can reproduce Gm 1's performance or not. They have been so inconsistent; I have little trust in their ability to maintain this quality of performance.

I also want to see if GSW can rise to the challenge. They have floundered most of the year. Disappointed everyone with their mediocre play. Will they show their true class? Or will they continue to play below par ball for a team of their quality?

Anyway, this looks the most exciting series of the 2nd round especially now with CP3 injured.

Hope very strongly that LAL remains inconsistent and that GSW rises to the occasion.  The Warriors need this one.

I know this series one of them needs to lose and we're sick of both teams. If GSW advances they'll still be a threat in the finals. I think in the Steve Kerr era they haven't been bounced out by a western conference opponent. They've either won NBA finals or lost NBA finals or missed the playoffs completely.

Lakers OTOH...can't let them sniff banner 18 before us. It would be in our best interests to hope GSW takes them out and then Denver or Phoenix can clean out the Warriors.

Phoenix will be lucky to send their series back to Denver.  They wouldn't get through GSW or Lakers.  Denver is definitely the favorite to get to the Finals from the West, on the other hand.

[Vermont Green]

AD's last five games

His last 5 games in terms of scoring:
31 points on 11-24 shooting
12 points on 4-13 shooting
31 points on 14-23 shooting
16 points on 6-9 shooting
30 points on 11-19 shooting

AD has been playing great D and doing great work on the boards but his scoring is still up and down like a yo-yo.

Not sure what conclusion you want us to draw from this.  In those 5 playoff games, Davis has averaged 24.5 pts, 16.8 rebs, and 3.6 blocks.  He is +47 overall and his team is 4-1.

One game you note he was 4-13 for 12 pts, an off game statistically but the Lakers won the game.  The other low scoring game he was 6-9 for 16 points, also a win.  I am guessing he was doubled a lot if he only got 9 shots.

There are a number of people who seem to want to argue that Davis isn't that good.  I think he is still a dominant big.  I don't know if he is top 10 or top 15 or what, but when healthy, he is very good.  His problem is durability.  I am not sure he will hold up for a full playoff run.  He has held up so far and the Lakers are winning.  Connecting those dots is not that hard to do.