Around The League

[jschligs]

Personally I think both the east and west is an absolute crapshoot for who comes out. Boston obviously the favorite, but Bucks, Heat, 76ers and heck even Indy could make a run. On the other side it's the old heads in LA and Golden State, but Denver/OKC/Minny/Clippers/Suns all have talent.

[emunney]

I can't buy into the 76ers having a chance until Embiid comes back and is playing to his ability. If we're about to see some quasi-injured, less-than-fit Embiid once again limping into the playoffs, not sure what could convince me to expect a new result.

[GoldenAntlers]

You're not supposed to lose more games after drafting an instant All-NBA talent. They **** up.

They tanked for a top pick just like the 6ers and OKC? Both are now contenders (if healthy).

[AntetokounmBros]

Tatum a few years back talked about how after a long/physical series against the Raptors the team was just exhausted by the time they played the heat and then subsequently lost to them. That's my concern for the Bucks, they're an old team and if they have a difficult couple of series (Philly + NY/Miami) they may not have enough left in the tank for Boston. Give me the easiest path to ECF all day.

Agreed. It's true that we can't be afraid of any matchup if we're a true contender, but a) it wears you down physically and mentally playing tougher teams, and b) there's less room for error against teams/coaches like Miami and Philly. I'd rather have a little room for error, especially with the team chemistry still in progress.

The counterargument I guess is that beating a team like Miami can boost morale and confidence. Revenge would be fun, but it's definitely risky, and may not go the way it did in 2021.

[Ron Swanson]

Winning 16-games in a physical playoff atmosphere is gonna be tough no matter who you face. Ironically it was the two weakest defenses we faced in the championship run (Brooklyn, Atlanta) that took the biggest physical toll on the team, with us being taken to 7-games and Giannis nearly wrecking his knee, respectively. Fans can wish for the easiest path all they want, but especially now with teh play-in, I think it's pointless when so much of that is out of your control. Also, "loser mentality" certainly applies, so obviously you hope that nobody in the locker room is actually thinking that.

[emunney]

You're not supposed to lose more games after drafting an instant All-NBA talent. They **** up.

On the opposite end, we have seen teams **** up by becoming decent too soon. I don't think anyone will care that the Spurs won 20 games instead of 35 games in July when they have the draft rights to either Risacher, Topic or Sarr; cap space, possibly the 7th pick from the Raptors; 3 firsts in 2025; the bird rights to mamu; a swap with the Hawks in 2026; Vassell/Johnson locked up in their prime, etc.

They kept Wemby healthy as he adapted to the NBA game limiting his minutes and gave him rests days instead of winning games and got a big asset.

I wonder if Sarr could play along side Wemby:

Sarr
Wemby
Johnson
Vassell
Trae (Say for 4 firsts and give back the swaps - Don't like Trae but think he would be a good fit there)

Or another 200 ways you could build around Wemby with that many assets. They could be a contender next year.

Bird rights to Mamu observing the list

[Prez]

The Celtics and Bucks’ rewards for finishing top 2 in the conference (possibly) being the healthy Heat and Sixers in the first round is pretty funny honestly. Will definitely be watching that Thunder/Sixers game for Embiid’s return, if he’s still more or less Joel Embiid that’s a stupid first round matchup for either top seed.

[Baddy Chuck]

19/19 for Nurk. .

[skbucks1985]

If I were to try to game out how I think things will play out and trying to achieve the path of least resistance I think there'd be an argument to be made for trying to fall to 3. The obvious problem with this is that there's just so much uncertainty about this. All of these teams are so bunched together that trying to game this out is dependent on so many factors out of the team's control.

But I think while that's the most obvious issue with it, I think the bigger issue is that falling to 3 would probably require losing 1 or more of the next 3 games which are against teams that are a combined 100 games under 500 and even that would probably not be enough. If they enter Sunday at 50-27, NY or Cleveland are almost certainly not catching them and looking at both teams' schedules, I think there's a very real possibility the Bucks clinch the 2 seed on Sunday. And so as up and down as this team has been this season, losing to one of the worst teams in the league in the last 2 weeks is the kind of thing that they should avoid at all costs.

[ReasonablySober]

So the NBA got Sterling out of the league, and brought in someone worse.

Watch on YouTube

Nicely done, NBA!

[blazza18]

Embiid back and so is his bs foul drawing.

[BUCKnation]

Thunder pissed down their pants to end that game.

I thought Embiid was scrimmaging for a couple of weeks now? He was pretty awful, didnt look like he wanted to dribble at all and was dead tired after like a 3 minute stretch. Still baits fouls like crazy though.

[MickeyDavis]

I thought Embiid looked decent considering he was out for 8 weeks. He's never been in good shape. Sixers will be a handful in the playoffs.

[CharityStripe34]

I never was afraid of Embiid in a playoff series, personally. Great player, no doubt, but he's never looked consistently awesome (or in shape, or healthy) in a playoff series. It's actually the one series where Brook can have a consistently major impact as he does a decent job guarding him. It's when the other teams, especially Boston, go "smaller" that's always been the Mt. Everest of this team.

[paulpressey25]

So the NBA got Sterling out of the league, and brought in someone worse.

We dodged a bullet with keeping Ishbia out of Milwaukee.

He had bad owner written all over him from day one, when he immediately inserted himself into their Durant trade talks, and said ‘give up the store, I want KD’

[BUCKnation]

So the NBA got Sterling out of the league, and brought in someone worse.

We dodged a bullet with keeping Ishbia out of Milwaukee.

He had bad owner written all over him from day one, when he immediately inserted himself into their Durant trade talks, and said ‘give up the store, I want KD’

I think it’s pretty telling how he seemed to be in the good graces of Bill Simmons early on, even had him on the show, and now constantly talks bad about him in terms of his poor early ownership.

[Milbucks96]

I never was afraid of Embiid in a playoff series, personally. Great player, no doubt, but he's never looked consistently awesome (or in shape, or healthy) in a playoff series. It's actually the one series where Brook can have a consistently major impact as he does a decent job guarding him. It's when the other teams, especially Boston, go "smaller" that's always been the Mt. Everest of this team.

I don’t think Brook does a decent job against Embiid at all. He leaves him open from the mid range too much because Embiid would blow by him. We guard Embiid the best when we throw everything at him as soon as he catches with his back to the basket.

I don’t really care who we play because we might have a tough time in every series but this is probably the best Embiid will look off a long break and right at the beginning of the playoffs.

[MickeyDavis]

Thunder/Celtics could have been a fun game but SGA and Williams are out.

[ReasonablySober]

Who the **** is Malachi Flynn.

[MikeIsGood]

Who the **** is Malachi Flynn.

I knew his name, but I couldn't have picked him out of a lineup of told you if he played in the 00s or now.