NBA Season 2024-25

[Who]

Adam Mares on the Tim Legler podcast argued that Caruso was the 3rd most impactful player in the series after Jokic and SGA. Legler agreed.

Legler didn't think Caruso would have as much impact versus the Wolves. He thinks Ant and Randle can do a better job of handling Caruso's defense than J Murray or other Nuggets did.

It is interesting where Caruso would rank in terms of performers in this series. He certainly was terrific. The co-stars like J-Dub and J Murray were inconsistent. Hartenstein was okay but not great. MPJ was injured and not so good. Chet and A Gordon would have the strongest arguments against Caruso.

Amazing that Caruso played so well and had such a large impact. He was brilliant. He had a star-like impact despite coming off the bench and despite only scoring around 10ppg or whatever it was. He was that disruptive defensively. And offensively really good with his shooting and supplementary ball-handling and passing.

[Who]

I was looking at the Minny vs OKC regular season matchups. They had a 2-2 split. 3 close games. 1 double digit OKC win.

But Randle played only 1 game.
And Gobert played only 1 game.

Naz Reid was huge against OKC. He had 22ppg 11rpg 2bpg. I can see Minny going to him and their 2nd unit lineups a lot in order to provide better spacing to cope with OKC's harassing defenses.

Ant struggled in the season series. He averaged 22ppg but only 36% FG 32% 3PT. He did live at the FT line getting 9 FTAs per game to 18 FGAs. He added 9rpg 6apg.

Shai terrorized Minnesota. 35ppg 51% FG. 12 FTAs to 22 FGA per game. 7rpg 7apg. J-Dub played well 20ppg 7apg 5rpg. Chet played only 2 games but looked like he did well in those games 15ppg 8rpg 2.5bpg. Caruso played 2 games missed 2 games. Hartenstein 10ppg 9rpg 25mpg. OKC scored over 110 points in all 4 games.

I was curious how Shai did against Minnesota the previous season given that Gobert only played OKC once this season. Did Shai have huge numbers because Gobert wasn't around to protect the basket?

Again, he went for 34ppg. 7apg 5rpg. He shot 58% FG and averaged 10.5 FTA on 20.5 FGA. Remarkably similar numbers.

The Wolves roster has been fairly steady over the last two years. Jaden McDaniels will still be the main defender on Shai. Ant and NAW are the secondary defenders. Conley at PG. Gobert at C. Naz 6th man. Towns swapped out for Randle. And an extra wing player in DiVincenzo. So I think Shai's dominance over the Wolves last year as well as this year matters - due to the roster consistency for Minnesota.

[Who]

On the subject of last season, I was having a look at the Pacers vs Knicks battle last year in the ECSF. It went 7 games. Indy pipped through thanks to an injury crisis that hit NY. I fully believe NY would have beaten them otherwise.

That said, it is quite a different Knicks squad. Hartenstein was very good for them in that series 7ppg 9rpg 4apg. DiVincenzo was lethal with 23ppg 5rpg. He was taking almost 10 threes a game and making 4 during that 7 game series. So those two guys were both difference makers and they are no longer around.

On the positive side for NY. Anunoby only played 3 games and played well against them (15ppg 5rpg good shooting numbers). Randle missed the whole series and is replaced by Towns. Mikal Bridges will replace DiVincenzo but will likely be a downgrade given how well DiVincenzo played.

For Indiana, they were without Mathurin. Mathurin had 3 big games against NY this season with 38pts, 20pts, and 18pts.

Brunson had a big series against Indy last year. He averaged 29ppg 6apg. He shot 46% from the field and 31% from 3. Tim Legler was talking about Nembhard did not defend Brunson well. He wasn't strong enough to disrupt Brunson. Neither was Haliburton. That Indy has to start the series with Nesmith on Brunson otherwise NY will have an upper hand to begin the series.

Tim Legler also talked about Towns. He averaged 30ppg and 12rpg against Indiana in the regular season. He did well against Myles Turner. They did not have a good defensive option for Towns. Too physically strong down low and his shooting ability makes him tough to check on the perimeter.

Siakam had a good series against NY last year but was not as successful in the regular season this year. NY had to go extremely small in the playoffs after Anunoby went down given that Randle was already out. Siakam had a big advantage in that series. In the regular season, he had to face Anunoby. He didn't do as well.

Tyrese Haliburton played well in the playoffs against NY. He didn't shoot the ball well in the regular season meetings but I am not sure there is much to read into there.

[celticinorlando]

OKC in 5 or 6

Pacers in 6

[perks-a-beast]

Sixers are being linked to Markkanen and Durant in trade talks.

Id stay away from Durant if i were Morey. Too old and chronically unsatified.

Love the fit of Markkanen for them, though.

Maybe something like George + 3rd pick for LM? Jazz draft Edgecombe who seems like a Danny guy.

[Birdman]

OKC in 5 or 6

Pacers in 6

I agree

[keevsnick]

Sixers are being linked to Markkanen and Durant in trade talks.

Id stay away from Durant if i were Morey. Too old and chronically unsatified.

Love the fit of Markkanen for them, though.

Maybe something like George + 3rd pick for LM? Jazz draft Edgecombe who seems like a Danny guy.

22-23 Markkanen was incredible. But he's played 55 and 47 games the last two years and has declined a bit. I don't know if that's just malaise of being on a tanking team, but it feels like Utah may have missed their window for getting max value in a trade.

[Goldstar88]

T-Wolves in 6.

Pacers in 6.

[Who]

I was surprised to hear NY was a favourite over Indiana on draft kings.

Indiana look the much better team to me.

[Who]

Jason Timpf said that DiVincenzo & Naz have been in the closing lineup for Minnesota twice as much as Conley & Gobert during the playoffs.

That 5 out offense Minnesota likes when Gobert goes to the bench. That should help them deal with OKC's trapping defenses.

[Who]

Perk, R Jefferson and C Frye dogging out the Cavs. Calling them soft. Saying it starts at the top with D Mitchell. But all those dudes are soft. J Allen is a soft big. E Mobley and D Hunter sitting out game 2 was soft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQSlECVQpPU

[Phantom255x]

I was surprised to hear NY was a favourite over Indiana on draft kings.

Indiana look the much better team to me.

Gonna be nice to win money on Indiana 

[Larry for 3]

I was surprised to hear NY was a favourite over Indiana on draft kings.

Indiana look the much better team to me.

Gonna be nice to win money on Indiana 

Yes but a buddy did bring up the refs and getting New York in the finals- if it goes deep, especially game 7, I would begin to wonder.

[Who]

Westbrook's stats versus OKC

* 22.7mpg 9.9ppg 2.7rpg 2.4apg
* 34.8% FG 21.9% 3PT 69.6% FT 45.3% TS%
* More turnovers (18) than assists (17)
* A -92 in plus minus in 7 games playing half a game. That works out to a -13 per game when he is playing only 22.7mpg.

[Donoghus]

Saw a ridiculous stat.

This will be the first Western Conference Finals in 29 years to not feature a team from either California or Texas.   The last one was Sonics-Jazz in '96.