The NBA Thread.

No Uni meltdowns?

 

Regular season NBA stuff has a different feel. Regardless, the refs are terrible, almost as bad as Eric Bledsoe.

 

Lakers had two stars show up, the Bucks only one did as their #2 was invisible and the $20+ million PG might as well have played for LA. Refs didn't help, but the 18-0 run was shades of Toronto last year and the game in the end.

Still, 3-1 vs. the LA teams this year is not bad and the Bucks played awful, yet still cut it to four late.

And, damn, the Lakers are [uck fay]ing annoying, [itch bay]ing about every [dadgum] call. It worked, I guess. Eventually, it became throw the ball at the goal and get the call, shoot free throws. Go Clippers.

 

Didn't Leonard and PG sit out for I one of those 3 wins? Not sure that one counts.

Lakers shot 18% from 3 and still won by 10.

 

Don't worry, the refs made up for it by giving them 38 free throws. Plus, the Bucks only hit 27% on threes.

Otherwise, the Clips played the Bucks twice, lost twice.

 

If that win with their two best players sitting out helps you sleep at night, more power to ya.

 

I don't know why you are worried about it, but, if it makes you feel better we are 2 1/2 - 1 against LA teams. Is this more considerate of your sensibilities?

 

I don’t really care that much one way or the other. I just don’t think the Bucks are as good as you think, so I’m going to point it out when you claim a “good” win” that’s not as good once you have the details. No one would be pointing to anyone beating the Bucks if Giannis didn’t play. It’s common sense.

 

So, when George and Leonard did play, how did that go?

They are 53-10. They'll, likely, finish with about 68-70 wins with a season average margin of victory in the double digits. I think I view them appropriately.

 

Yeah, so count that one and not the other. I didn’t say they’re 0-1 against LA teams - just that 3-1 is misleading.

When has the NBA regular season ever mattered? The Bucks were really good in the regular season last year as well, and then they hit a wall in the playoffs, for similar reasons as why they lost last night. Giannis is phenomenal, but they have to have other players that can step up in the biggest moments or when he struggles. They couldn’t do it last year, and last night makes me wonder if they’ll be able to do it this year.

 

So, the regular season means nothing, but one regular season game tells you something? 3-1 isn't misusing in that it is the actual record.


Last year they had the Eastern Finals in hand and then blew it, yes. Toronto also got onto a ridiculous roll at just the right time.

They are a legit contender. Pretty much every team which was successful had a learning patch to go through. They are among 3 teams who could win it. However, yes not making the Finals would be a failure, an underachievement.

 

The regular season, as a whole, doesn’t matter. Individual games between fully healthy title contenders right before the playoffs do matter. Saying 3-1 isn’t telling the full story.

Saying they “blew it” suggests that they did it to themselves. Kawhi and the Raptors shut Giannis down, and the Bucks didn’t have an answer. There was no choke job or blowing it. The Raptors were just better.

Of course they’re a title contender. No one is stating the contrary. I just don’t think they’ll win it, or even threaten to do so. And obviously not making the finals would be an underachievement. There’s no one else even close to ready to make that jump yet.

 

You win something like 70 games, I don’t care what conference you’re in.

 

It’s always fun when Indy drops in for 1 game and starts saying “everything doesn’t count bc regular season, but also here are a bunch of arguments based on watching one regular season game”

 

Threaten?? They’ve steamrolled the entire NBA and will only play one team that’s particularly close to their level

 

Look at the East this season, aside from the Bucks.

It's known for being very top heavy this year, but even the number 2 and number 3 team right now both lost their best player from last season. The Pacers are 5th and played what, half the season without their best player? The Nets are 7th and just fired their coach. And they've been without their best player (KD) all season and their second best player (Kyrie) for about a month. I mean the [uck fay]ing Wizards are the first team out of the playoffs, for [uck fay] sake.

 

Most NBA fans would agree that the regular season, as a whole, doesn't matter a ton and that winning the largest number of regular season games does not mean you are the best team or will win the championship. I'd be curious to see the numbers for how many teams with the most wins in a regular season go on to win the NBA finals.

At the same time, those same fans would also agree that certain games down the stretch matter more and feel like precursors to the upcoming playoffs. How many people commented on how the latest Lakers/Bucks and Lakers/Clippers games "felt" like playoff games? A ton. The playoffs are almost here, and all 3 teams were at full strength. Those games say a lot more about what to expect during the playoffs than the Bucks' 5 point win over the Clippers back in early November without Paul George and Kawhi. Yet Uni continues to prop up that win as if it means anything at all.

 

Glad you're admitting that the East is weak and not producing a team particularly close to their level. Can we now agree that that has something to do with their record being as good as it is?

Do you expect to see the Bucks beat either the Clippers or the Lakers? After seeing what Toronto did to Giannis last year, and after seeing what LeBron did this past Friday, can you honestly say that you expect the Bucks to threaten for the title?

I fully expect the Lakers or Clippers, whichever one makes it to the Finals, beat the Bucks in 6.

 

That's a pretty disingenuous way to describe Boston, as Kemba has been better for them than Kyrie was and Tatum has been the best of the three. The top 6 in the East have been legitimately good, with the occasional exception of Philly.

 

There are probably 3 championship-level teams in the NBA and the West has two of them. The West is better, but the gap isn't as large as you're making it seem. Beyond the championship teams, they probably each have 5 other good teams, and everyone else is mediocre.

I would take the LA team, mainly because of superstar volume and championship experience, but I'd give the Bucks more than a 40% chance of winning. They have the MVP having a historically great season, a bunch of smart players around him, a great defense and a good coach, and Middleton has played at an All-NBA level this year too. There are some parallels to the Spurs and their coach was an assistant there. They probably do deserve more publicity.