NBA Playoffs 2023

[Vermont Green]

I had to watch the stomping video.  Ejection was certainly warranted.  I am not so sure about a further suspension, I just don't know the nuances of the rules.  Wouldn't hurt my feelings if he was suspended, that is for sure.  It really is as dangerous as throwing a punch.

I only saw a little bit of the first quarter of the game.  Neither team looked very good to me, but it was a small sample size.  SAC being up 2-0 is big.  GWS plays a lot better at home though (at least they did in the regular season), could easily get back to 2-2.  But neither team is looking like a champion to me.

[Donoghus]

Scott Foster working Clippers/Suns tonight.

[Who]

Crazy CP3 stat

PJ Tucker has played 1,898 minutes and only has 21 FGM at the rim this season

Chris Paul is the only player with fewer made shots at the rim with 1500+ minutes played. In 1,851 minutes, CP only has 12 (!!!) shots made at the rim. 1 bucket at the rim every 154 minutes played…

Highlights just how much his game has fallen off this year. How much CP3 is struggling to get to the rim and finish around the basket.

[Phantom255x]

Scott Foster working Clippers/Suns tonight.

2-0 Clippers 

[Mike Pemulis]

His reactions to stuff like this is a bad look. It’s clear he’s grabbed and stomped but the guy jumped off of him. This would be messed up in a street fight. You’ve already stomped or stumbled okay, but if he’d punched pool and then rubbed his fist into pool’s head after knocking him down, most sane people could agree that it’s not okay to leap off someone’s chest as they writhe on the ground.
The nba has suspended players for using offensive language. Some have lost their jobs completely. It’s a matter of opinion whether or not to agree with those penalties. Certainly physical penalties can’t be written off to emotion or whatever. Then watching him provoke the crowd like he’s Gladiator was disgusting to watch. Why even broadcast that? He’s more or less being enabled by his team and the nba to not change. I’d argue he keeps getting worse. Yet tnt had him on the desk. I really hope the nba suspends and condemns his stepping on someone’s ribs with all of his fat ass. Basketball is a great game. Plenty of people endure moments like draymond in games and have enough impulse control to not repeatedly but-punch or whatever. Watching him yell at refs after that was nasty to watch. This is all after he punched his scrawny teammate a few months ago. Sorry for the long post. It’s in no way intended to disagree or upset posters. At bare minimum draymond ruined a good tv show last night

[SparzWizard]

Scott Foster working Clippers/Suns tonight.

2-0 Clippers 

Nah he'll make sure Suns win Game 2. Gotta drag this out as long as possible! 

[Phantom255x]

Scott Foster working Clippers/Suns tonight.

2-0 Clippers 

Nah he'll make sure Suns win Game 2. Gotta drag this out as long as possible! 

Scott Foster is 14-0 against CP3 in the last 14 games

Lot on the line tonight for both sides!

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

His reactions to stuff like this is a bad look. It’s clear he’s grabbed and stomped but the guy jumped off of him. This would be messed up in a street fight. You’ve already stomped or stumbled okay, but if he’d punched pool and then rubbed his fist into pool’s head after knocking him down, most sane people could agree that it’s not okay to leap off someone’s chest as they writhe on the ground.
The nba has suspended players for using offensive language. Some have lost their jobs completely. It’s a matter of opinion whether or not to agree with those penalties. Certainly physical penalties can’t be written off to emotion or whatever. Then watching him provoke the crowd like he’s Gladiator was disgusting to watch. Why even broadcast that? He’s more or less being enabled by his team and the nba to not change. I’d argue he keeps getting worse. Yet tnt had him on the desk. I really hope the nba suspends and condemns his stepping on someone’s ribs with all of his fat ass. Basketball is a great game. Plenty of people endure moments like draymond in games and have enough impulse control to not repeatedly but-punch or whatever. Watching him yell at refs after that was nasty to watch. This is all after he punched his scrawny teammate a few months ago. Sorry for the long post. It’s in no way intended to disagree or upset posters. At bare minimum draymond ruined a good tv show last night

The schadenfreude if he gets a 2 game ban and the the Warriors get swept   

[Vermont Green]

During the post game press conference, a reporter asked Green what happened and he said, “My leg got grabbed. Second time in two nights. Referees just watching.”

Obviously, the referees were not just watching. They also gave Sabonis a technical. But was the stomping on Sabonis’ chest just a result of that leg grab?

“I gotta land my foot somewhere. And I’m not the most flexible person, so it’s not stretching that far,” said Green. “I can only step so far. He was pulling my leg away. It is what it is.”

Green was asked what the referees said about the stomp and why it warranted a flagrant-2 foul and Green said they told him he “stomped too hard”. After the play, the Sacramento crowd was riled up and booing Green, which just prompted him to wave his hands and egg them on.

“I was just having fun,” said Green. “It’s a fun game, fun atmosphere to play in. So it’s just fun.”

Green's defense is pretty feeble.  Now it is true that Sabonis kind of grabbed his foot.  It didn't look like much to me but the Refs did assess a technical foul for it from what I have read.  If Sabonis had grabbed Green's arm under a similar situation, I am not sure it would even be a technical foul.  But stomping on someone's chest is in my mind similar to throwing an elbow.  If Sabonis had grabbed Green's arm and then Green swung an elbow and hit Sabonis in the chest, I wonder what would be called for that.

I predict he will not be suspended.  It is too bad they can't just assess him another technical and apply it in the next game.  Start the game with a FT for SAC and Green starts the game with 1 assessed T.  Then if he does anything else, it would be his second T and he is done.

[Who]

If Draymond is suspended, how do GSW lineup against D Sabonis and the Kings?

On the bright side, SAC plays only one big two SFs and two guards in their starting lineup. They do not play twin big lineups. On the downside, this leaves Looney as the only big man who can check Sabonis. If Looney gets into foul trouble, they have no other big man that they trust to put into the game. JayMychal Green is next man up but he has struggled throughout the season in GSW.

SAC do have a good backup center in Richaun Holmes but he does not have much of an offensive game. GSW could get away with going small against him. However, their small guys are small. They are not PFs playing C. They are SFs playing PF who will now be playing C. Guys like Wiggins or Kuminga. Next biggest wings are Moody or DiVincenzo who are big SGs. That is a team with a serious lack of rim protection & rebounding.

GSW were playing well with DiVincenzo starting while A Wiggins was out so I guess he'd get the nod to start instead of Draymond. Will they go Kuminga as backup center? Or play a guy who has been terrible for them in Jay Green?

Man, if Sabonis can get Looney in foul trouble he'll feast on the Warriors inside.

[Vermont Green]

Looking at tonight's games, I am a little surprised that both CLE (-5.5) and PHO (-8.0) are pretty heavy favorites after losing the first games of the series.  The Celtics are -10 for comparison.  I guess they are figuring that CLE and PHO will come out with their backs against the wall.  I am not so sure that the second games will be all that different than the first games.

I definitely thought CLE and PHO in these two series but NYK looked really good in game 1.  They have looked good for a while.  And PHO did not look good to me at all in game 1.  I didn't think LAC looked all that great either.  What became clear to me is PHO really has no depth.  It isn't supposed to matter as much in the playoffs but I think it still matters, especially since it means major minutes for Durant and Chris Paul.  PHO may snap out of it and start to play like I think they can play.  But they don't have much time left to figure this out.

[Phantom255x]

If Draymond is suspended, how do GSW lineup against D Sabonis and the Kings?

On the bright side, SAC plays only one big two SFs and two guards in their starting lineup. They do not play twin big lineups. On the downside, this leaves Looney as the only big man who can check Sabonis. If Looney gets into foul trouble, they have no other big man that they trust to put into the game. JayMychal Green is next man up but he has struggled throughout the season in GSW.

SAC do have a good backup center in Richaun Holmes but he does not have much of an offensive game. GSW could get away with going small against him. However, their small guys are small. They are not PFs playing C. They are SFs playing PF who will now be playing C. Guys like Wiggins or Kuminga. Next biggest wings are Moody or DiVincenzo who are big SGs. That is a team with a serious lack of rim protection & rebounding.

GSW were playing well with DiVincenzo starting while A Wiggins was out so I guess he'd get the nod to start instead of Draymond. Will they go Kuminga as backup center? Or play a guy who has been terrible for them in Jay Green?

Man, if Sabonis can get Looney in foul trouble he'll feast on the Warriors inside.

Draymond would be a massive loss in any game for them. I don't think Looney and Kuminga can hold their own against Sabonis, Len, etc. Plus he's still one of their best defenders all-around, so without him that can still make life a bit easier for Sacramento's guards and wings.

[Vermont Green]

I checked the Nate Silver 538 rankings.  A couple of interesting changes.  The Bucks are now 4th in terms of likelihood to win the title at 12% (RAPTOR rating).  PHI and DEN are 2nd and 3rd.  MIL was second at 19% a week ago.  The Celtics are still the favorite at 26% now, up from 20% a week ago.

The other interesting thing is that they still have GSW having a better chance to win the finals than SAC (6% vs. 0.4%).  A week ago, GSW were at 8% and SAC at 0.1% so not a whole lot of change.  Of course, RAPTOR liked GSW in both the first games too.

RAPTOR likes PHO and CLE in the games tonight (and the Celtics of course).

[footey]

I've been pleasantly surprised by Alex Len for the Kings.  Wouldn't mind signing him in off season as back up center. He'll be an UFA, and makes only $4mm currently. 

[Phantom255x]

I've been pleasantly surprised by Alex Len for the Kings.  Wouldn't mind signing him in off season as back up center. He'll be an UFA, and makes only $4mm currently.

Yeah, he kind of feels like an Aron Baynes for us in the past. I'd happily dump Kornet, keep Griffin as like the 4th big on the minimum, and sign Len