The NBA Thread.

7-7 from three, [uck fay] off. Lucky ass middling player Green. Just [uck fay] off if this is how it's going to be.

 

Giannis' basketball IQ is really, really low. Under two minutes, tied up with a smaller guy on you and you shoot a 10 foot fadeaway. Just dumb.

 

I feel like a team could draw a charge against him every possession. Especially when he gets his little back step, running start drive going. he just barrels straight ahead no matter what.

 

Oh, give me a [uck fay]ing break.

 

He's amazingly athletic, which is how that works. But, the offense isn't set up for him to do much else.

 

Giannis, the least clutch superstar ever.

 

If there's one thing that you can take to the bank, it's a Wisconsin based or Georgia team choking when it matters. Outscored 33-21 in the fourth quarter. I suffer in different, but ultimately equal, ways with my dual Wisconsin based and Vol loyalties.

I just hope this gets Budenholzer out of there. He did alright to bring them up a level, but, damn, dude is total garbage in the playoffs, here and in Atlanta.

 

He’s just so disappointing in the playoffs year after year after year. It’s hard to believe people were calling him the best player in the NBA at one point.

The series isn’t over, but I don’t have a ton of confidence he will turn it around.

 

What a gut punch of a loss.

 

And, I knew it was coming. I have the vibe on this team and they just don't have the mental wherewithal or coaching acumen to get it done when it counts. If they aren't going to win this year, I don't know when they ever could.

Plus, I didn't think losing Kyrie and a hobbled Harden was as significant a problem for the Nets this late in the series as opposed to Game 2 or so. Just like the NCAA tournament, you can ride one hot guy for a game, maybe two, and Durant can get hot. Over a series, the Nets would be screwed, but for one night, they can have Durant killing it, plus Green shooting out of his ass, and get the victory.

 

Coaching was a huge issue. How do you let Brooklyn get away with playing a hobbled Harden 40+ minutes?

I’m really impressed with Durant. I expected him to score a ton, but he did way more than that. He controlled the entire game. He showed how wide the gap between him and Giannis truly is.

 

Durant had a great game tonight and outplayed Antetekuonpo down the stretch, for sure. I'm not overly sure I'd want him over Giannis on my team as I think Giannis does more stuff in multiple areas, especially with a better coach. If the Bucks do get a new coach, then rule #1 should be to sit Giannis any time he decides to take more than 1-2 threes a game. Give him a mulligan or two for his status, but that isn't his game. The Greek Freak shooting a top of the circle three with under five minutes to go and the Bucks down three in the conference semis is a sort of idiocy which should be fireable.

 

Idk how you could watch last night’s game and then make that comment about Durant/Giannis. The only thing, at this point, that would even make me consider taking Giannis over Durant, is injuries. Durant is just a different level player.

 

Oh look, another injury. I hate this season.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...rs-kawhi-leonard-miss-rest-series-knee-injury

 

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...definitely-placed-nba-health-safety-protocols

Would love to know more details about the above. If the dude is vaccinated and has just come into contact with someone who had COVID, get him on the court. If he's not vaccinated and came in contact with someone who had COVID, test him for a week and then let him play if the results are negative.

 

Didn't even realize that KD played every single minute of that game last night. He will be exhausted tomorrow night, and with Harden hobbled, there's no reason the Bucks can't push this series to a game 7.

And, honestly, it just further highlights how much of a missed opportunity last night was. The Bucks win that game, and they probably wrap the series up in 6.

 

Who will win the 2021 health and fitness championship?

 

Because it's just one game and basing your opinion on one game is reactionary silliness. Giannis outplayed Durant in games 3 and 4, but I'm not basing my opinion on that small sample, either. If I'm the GM for the Bucks, I know I'm not getting a trio of superstars like the Nets, which might make me consider getting Durant over Giannis. But, on a consistent basis, Giannis is doing more for me on both ends of the floor than Durant does and I feel confident I would use him better than Budenholzer does in the current setup. I know Giannis can carry a franchise on his back in a way Durant never really has had to do.

Perhaps if I needed one win, I would choose Durant because he's more capable of doing what he did last night, but over the course of a season, I'd rather have the production in all areas of Giannis.

 

Stan van Gundy fired.

Is there anyone who thought that would work?

 

You said:

Just so we are clear, I read that and assumed 2 things:

1. When you said "my team" I took that as a generalized team, rather than the Bucks specifically.
2. I assume the goal of "your team" is to win championships.

Assuming those 2 things, I don't see how anyone could ever want Giannis over Durant. Giannis is obviously a better defender than Durant, but Durant isn't a slouch on the defensive end either. And Durant's offensive game is so much more versatile than Giannis's. Durant has had quite a bit of postseason success (yeah yeah, he won his titles with the Warriors, but he had plenty of success even before then as well), whereas Giannis hasn't even won an Eastern Conference Finals yet. Giannis is a regular season god, but come playoff time, he's limited and can be stopped/slowed down. There isn't really an answer for Durant, regular season or postseason. You just have to get after him and hope he has an off night or gets worn down.

Also, I don't think the "it's just one game" argument really works here. This wasn't just a really good playoff game. There aren't a ton of wing playoff performances that top it, and the ones that do all have names like MJ, LeBron, Kobe, and maybe Bird attached to them. Giannis just can't do what Durant did last night and may never be able to do it. Durant showed he had an extra gear to elevate his game to a level that Giannis just can't reach.

If I'm trying to win a championship right now, the only thing that even gives me pause is injuries. If that's not a factor, I'm taking Durant 100/100 times and not even really thinking twice about it.