NBA 2019 Playoffs Thread

[Fafnir]

Yoki:

You don't blow it up when you have an MVP caliber player under contract for three more years. Retool, sure, but no way do you blow it up. Its not like they're getting blown out of the water, they're competitive with the GSW.

But how?

Chris Paul is older. Eric Gordon will be 32. They have no cap space to add something significant to this team. Who can they add to make this team better and beat the Warriors, especially if KD somehow stays?

And that's just the Warriors, can they even beat the upcoming teams in the East. Milwaukee is the best team in the league right now, and they are only going to get better.

I get retooling, but do they have the means to do so? With the Taxpayer MLE? Minimum contracts? Their draft picks that are in the mid 20s?

Star hunt, work trades, etc, etc.

You have an MVP caliber player in his prime locked in. you maximize his window. Like I said its not like they're losing in the first round like OKC. They've only lost to the champs the past two years. And both times have pushed them harder than any other team.

[Ogaju]

Lol I kept telling people here that Houston was overrated and there was no way they were beating GS. Couldn’t even do it when they caught a huge break with KD going down.

It is clear now that KD is a ring chaser and it does not appear that GSW needs him to be eilte. This team is Steph's team. That scheme they run overloading the weak side and running the pick and roll on the strong side with Steph and Green is INDEFENSIBLE. Meaning it cannot be defended, not with the kind of shooters they have.

[mr. dee]

Lol I kept telling people here that Houston was overrated and there was no way they were beating GS. Couldn’t even do it when they caught a huge break with KD going down.

It is clear now that KD is a ring chaser and it does not appear that GSW needs him to be eilte. This team is Steph's team. That scheme they run overloading the weak side and running the pick and roll on the strong side with Steph and Green is INDEFENSIBLE. Meaning it cannot be defended, not with the kind of shooters they have.

We used to have the schemes to fight these. Unfortunately, it has been abandoned for abysmal basketball this season.

[PhoSita]

Warriors still the best with or without KD.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Yoki:

You don't blow it up when you have an MVP caliber player under contract for three more years. Retool, sure, but no way do you blow it up. Its not like they're getting blown out of the water, they're competitive with the GSW.

But how?

Chris Paul is older. Eric Gordon will be 32. They have no cap space to add something significant to this team. Who can they add to make this team better and beat the Warriors, especially if KD somehow stays?

And that's just the Warriors, can they even beat the upcoming teams in the East. Milwaukee is the best team in the league right now, and they are only going to get better.

I get retooling, but do they have the means to do so? With the Taxpayer MLE? Minimum contracts? Their draft picks that are in the mid 20s?

Star hunt, work trades, etc, etc.

You have an MVP caliber player in his prime locked in. you maximize his window. Like I said its not like they're losing in the first round like OKC. They've only lost to the champs the past two years. And both times have pushed them harder than any other team.

I don't see any good tradeable assets in that team, unless they want to mortgage their future and trade their future draft picks to get help. Even then, who can they get? Will it be enough?

Who from the free agent market, with their cap limitations, can they get.

I know it's counter-intuitive, but really, where else do they go. It's not just the Warriors they are trying to beat now, too. They now have to worry about Milwaukee, maybe Toronto, and maybe us (if we get the offseason that everybody predicts). Is it really worth taking another shot and risk wasting James Harden's prime, with an aging support system and little to no means to add anything significant?

[rondofan1255]

Warriors easily beat the rockets without Durant.

“Shocking”.

 

Most stacked team in nba history


Would be hilarious to see them win the title again without Durant and prove how unnecessary he was to their success.

Warriors still the best with or without KD.

This. Rooting for them to win it with Durant sitting out, but apparently he might be back for WCF

[Who]

It's not just the Warriors they are trying to beat now, too. They now have to worry about Milwaukee, maybe Toronto, and maybe us (if we get the offseason that everybody predicts).

Houston shouldn't worry about teams from the East. Only with winning their own conference.

Ditto for Boston worrying about Western teams.

[Who]

Via RealGM

Ratings for the 2019 NBA Playoffs is down almost nine percent through the same period last season (excluding Wednesday's games).

The average game this season is drawing 3.19 million viewers compared to 3.75 million viewers last season.

The estimates come from Nielsen and doesn't include people watching on their phones or via illegal streams.

[SparzWizard]

Wow, I am shocked. The Rockets failed to beat the Warriors in the playoffs and without Kevin Durant. And I originally had them winning the championship too.

I felt they were ready. I felt Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker, Clint Capela, and James Harden could take them to the promise land. I thought CP3 healthy would give them a major lift. But I guess CP3 will always do what he does best- missing the Western Conference Finals. Looks like they are going to have to retool because that squad doesn't look like they're getting it done.

And it seems like Golden State is bound for a 3peat. As I have said, the winner of this series will win the championship (Houston predicted, Golden State easily second)

[LarBrd33]

wArRiOrS aRe BeTtEr wItHoUt DuRaNt

[CelticsElite]

Father time won against Chris Paul

[mr. dee]

Father time won against Chris Paul

And Rockets are stuck with his hellish contract. No one would want to take that albatros contract, unless they include multiple draft picks with it.

[rondofan1255]

Father time won against Chris Paul

And Rockets are stuck with his hellish contract. No one would want to take that albatros contract, unless they include multiple draft picks with it.

Capela also looked overmatched throughout the series. Bullied around, he even looked bad against Kevon Looney. 

[Green-18]

It was nice to see a flashback to the pre-Durant Warriors.  Such a fun team to watch on both ends of the floor.  As expected, Houston couldn't get over the hump with their style of play.  I always believed last years 7 game series was a bit of a fluke, mostly due to a lack of interest from Golden State and the absence of Iguodala for most of the series.   

I will never buy into Houston unless Harden and the coaching staff is willing to add some new wrinkles to their offense.  Harden has proven that his iso style of basketball can be competitive for the first 44 minutes of a game.  That said, the Rockets need an actual offensive system to help them close out tough games in the playoffs.

[nickagneta]

Yoki:

You don't blow it up when you have an MVP caliber player under contract for three more years. Retool, sure, but no way do you blow it up. Its not like they're getting blown out of the water, they're competitive with the GSW.

But how?

Chris Paul is older. Eric Gordon will be 32. They have no cap space to add something significant to this team. Who can they add to make this team better and beat the Warriors, especially if KD somehow stays?

And that's just the Warriors, can they even beat the upcoming teams in the East. Milwaukee is the best team in the league right now, and they are only going to get better.

I get retooling, but do they have the means to do so? With the Taxpayer MLE? Minimum contracts? Their draft picks that are in the mid 20s?

The Rockets basically have a three guard starting lineup with no power forward. PJ Tucker at 6'6" is no big. Maybe he is a great defensive wing that has strength to kind of cover PFs but he is no power forward. But there is no way PJ Tucker should be the guy leading the Rockets in minutes during the playoffs.

I would start by keeping Harden and Capella. The decide on whether keeping CP3 around so he can miss 30 games a year while on a max contract is a good idea. I think you need more balance and should try to move CP3 or Gordon for a stretch 4 that can play defense. I think they could really use a Mirotic like player in their starting lineup.

And then that bench needs revamping. Rivers, House, Faried, Nene, and Gerald Green is an awful bench.