2024 Playoffs Discussion Thread

MiamiSPX · Post #1101 » by **MiamiSPX** » Wed May 1, 2024 11:52 am

Tough for an inexperienced team to win a closeout game on the road. Having said that, Indy plays such stupid basketball and squandered a great opportunity last night. If no Giannis in Game 6, Indy will win for sure but now have to play an extra high-stakes, high-stress game.

I still can't believe a veteran coach like Carlisle just went rogue like that with his D is optional philosophy. There is no way they can just fix that in one offseason.

The best way Siakam can help Haliburton is to get him in the weight room with him this summer, a place he obviously has never visited. Siakam used to be underweight and scrawny like that too.

Siakam's playoff FT yips continue to be a thing....12/26 from the line in this series.

Raptorfan2012 · Post #1102 » by **Raptorfan2012** » Wed May 1, 2024 12:12 pm

Scase wrote:Now that is the Siakam I am used to, 12/4/2 on 41% shooting in a closeout game. Getting blown out with Dame and Giannis on the bench lmao.

Imagine squeezing out 3 first round draft picks so that we don’t have to pay him max contract this summer :lol:

sidsid · Post #1103 » by **sidsid** » Wed May 1, 2024 12:41 pm

UnderdogRaptors wrote:
MiamiSPX wrote:Brunson is averaging 30 FG attempts per game in this series lol. That's not a contender.

Everyone knew the Knicks were trash except there fans lol

Maxey's in that shot range too. Both the Knicks and Sixers have pretty much abandoned running an offense by the second half now, if not earlier. This tends to happen late in a playoff series, although these teams are exhausted so you see openings they should be exploiting.

The Knicks have more of an excuse for it as they lack that second advantage creator now, and I think they've just said "F it, we'll just out rebound them". And Brunson was feeling his oats a little too much at the end there.

The Sixers still have options to leverage with Embiid in the passing game, but Nurse just doesn't trust what they were doing in the regular season. Reverting to old habits.

JB7 · Post #1104 » by **JB7** » Wed May 1, 2024 1:59 pm

sofargone wrote:

Read on Twitter

Would be hilarious if Giannis and Dame come back and they win game 6 & 7.

The East is seriously horrible. So many teams exposed in the first round of these playoffs.

MiamiSPX · Post #1105 » by **MiamiSPX** » Wed May 1, 2024 2:16 pm

JB7 wrote:The East is seriously horrible. So many teams exposed in the first round of these playoffs.

I sound like a broken record but all these series have shown me is how easy the path is for Boston to get to the Finals. I think a healthy Bucks team would have given them the toughest series. The rest of then have some serious flaws that I just can't take them seriously as contenders.

So yeah, I agree that we can flirt with a play-in spot next season, but it would be directly as a result of how awful the East continues to be. Plus you can also count on the Bulls and Hawks somehow making the wrong moves this summer. But again, that shouldn't be our goal. If we organically make the play-in, great. We just shouldn't force the issue.

OakleyDokely · Post #1106 » by **OakleyDokely** » Wed May 1, 2024 2:21 pm

The NBA as a whole just has a lot more parity. The lack of superteams helps with that. Other than maybe DEN and BOS, you can mix up all the current playoff teams and each team would have a shot at beating the other team. There are just a whole bunch of 45-50 win teams that aren't separated by much.

Los_29 · Post #1107 » by **Los_29** » Wed May 1, 2024 2:33 pm

Knicks or Pacers could potentially face each other in the 2nd round. The fact one of those teams could advance to the ECF is frightening. Both those teams would lose quite comfortably in the first round if they were in the West.

WuTang_OG · Post #1108 » by **WuTang_OG** » Wed May 1, 2024 2:50 pm

Give me this DEN-MINNY series and pump it in my veins
These are the 2 best teams in the NBA imo. Shame its in 2nd round

sidsid · Post #1109 » by **sidsid** » Wed May 1, 2024 2:51 pm

OakleyDokely wrote:The NBA as a whole just has a lot more parity. The lack of superteams helps with that. Other than maybe DEN and BOS, you can mix up all the current playoff teams and each team would have a shot at beating the other team. There are just a whole bunch of 45-50 win teams that aren't separated by much.

The Celtics exposed themselves once again in game two to being able to easily lose when they can't do the one thing they can do well.

I don't think anyone would give them good odds of coming out of the second round if they were in the west.

It's more a factor that the west is filled with actual playoff teams (good enough D, enough O and closing O) even if they are not all full blown contenders.

The east is filled with teams with no chance and fatal flaws. Pacers, Magic, Cavs (who are a stealth Atlanta). The Knicks play playoff ball, but would be in the healthy Pelicans tier of teams in the west at best. It's just the Celts, Sixers, Bucks and the Jimmy Butlers (which may now be over after this year).

Fairview4Life · Post #1110 » by **Fairview4Life** » Wed May 1, 2024 3:03 pm

JB7 wrote:
sofargone wrote:

Read on Twitter

Would be hilarious if Giannis and Dame come back and they win game 6 & 7.

The East is seriously horrible. So many teams exposed in the first round of these playoffs.

I mean, the funnier option is they come back and lose.

MiamiSPX · Post #1111 » by **MiamiSPX** » Wed May 1, 2024 3:06 pm

Los_29 wrote:Knicks or Pacers could potentially face each other in the 2nd round. The fact one of those teams could advance to the ECF is frightening. Both those teams would lose quite comfortably in the first round if they were in the West.

The NY-slanted media would have us believing Brunson is putting up an all time performance. He's getting his points, sure, but his %s and efficiency numbers in this series are actually awful (TS% of 51).

Not bashing him at all, he's doing what he has to do. It's just confirming what most of us said, they have nobody else that can be relied on to score. Brunson knows this too, judging by the hero ball he was playing last night towards the end. It's just Brunson and a bunch of glorified role players. Not a bad position to be in, but they are not even remotely close to contending IMO.

Badonkadonk · Post #1112 » by **Badonkadonk** » Wed May 1, 2024 3:23 pm

Chandan wrote:has banchero passed barnes?

idk, he looked ready for the big stage 2 years ago vs. the Sixers. His debut was such a complete game, and he wasn't the focal point of the offence like Banchero is.

Watch on YouTube

Of course, Embiid did dirty Embiid things and hurt Barnes in that series.

I look forward to seeing Barnes get back as the centerpiece, with guys like IQ and RJ complementing him instead of Scottie fitting in to a veteran team with an established hierarchy.

earth007 · Post #1113 » by **earth007** » Wed May 1, 2024 3:23 pm

WuTang_OG wrote:Give me this DEN-MINNY series and pump it in my veins
These are the 2 best teams in the NBA imo. Shame its in 2nd round

Yeah, that should be the WCF series imo. And both teams have very likable players. Antman has MJ level potential imo.

Los_29 · Post #1114 » by **Los_29** » Wed May 1, 2024 3:24 pm

MiamiSPX wrote:
Los_29 wrote:Knicks or Pacers could potentially face each other in the 2nd round. The fact one of those teams could advance to the ECF is frightening. Both those teams would lose quite comfortably in the first round if they were in the West.

The NY-slanted media would have us believing Brunson is putting up an all time performance. He's getting his points, sure, but his %s and efficiency numbers in this series are actually awful (TS% of 51).

Not bashing him at all, he's doing what he has to do. It's just confirming what most of us said, they have nobody else that can be relied on to score. Brunson knows this too, judging by the hero ball he was playing last night towards the end. It's just Brunson and a bunch of glorified role players. Not a bad position to be in, but they are not even remotely close to contending IMO.

Their offense has been ugly to watch. I just can’t see that working against good teams. I’m not a fan of the Sixers but it is a shame Embiid isn’t healthy because they would at least put up a fight against the Celtics. Bucks as well.

A 51% TS% on that kind of volume can’t be conducive to winning especially in this era.

OakleyDokely · Post #1115 » by **OakleyDokely** » Wed May 1, 2024 3:27 pm

If it weren't for all those missed calls in game 2, PHI would be up 3-2. I still think they can win this series.

Scase · Post #1116 » by **Scase** » Wed May 1, 2024 3:54 pm

mdenny wrote:
Scase wrote:Now that is the Siakam I am used to, 12/4/2 on 41% shooting in a closeout game. Getting blown out with Dame and Giannis on the bench lmao.

Better numbers than OG lol....yet who floats thru life and who gets the hate. They finna make pretty much the same money.

Casual fans LOVE role players who don't touch the ball because hey, they never make big mistakes!

I've said this multiple times.....there is no such thing as a bad OG game. Must be nice.

Who cares about OG? Does he play for the Pacers, is he being treated as the first option? The guy with a 25% USG% is averaging "better" numbers than the guy with a 15% USG%, wow that's insane right?

It's pretty telling that you bring up an unrelated player, with a completely different role, in a different series for no reason.

JB7 · Post #1117 » by **JB7** » Wed May 1, 2024 4:03 pm

Los_29 wrote:Knicks or Pacers could potentially face each other in the 2nd round. The fact one of those teams could advance to the ECF is frightening. Both those teams would lose quite comfortably in the first round if they were in the West.

Any of the East teams, outside of Boston, would lose in the 1st round if they were in the West.

JB7 · Post #1118 » by **JB7** » Wed May 1, 2024 4:04 pm

WuTang_OG wrote:Give me this DEN-MINNY series and pump it in my veins
These are the 2 best teams in the NBA imo. Shame its in 2nd round

Yep. I have a feeling that is the NBA finals right there. Unfortunately it is happening in the 2nd round. I think both of these teams could beat Boston.

JB7 · Post #1119 » by **JB7** » Wed May 1, 2024 4:05 pm

Fairview4Life wrote:
JB7 wrote:
sofargone wrote:

Read on Twitter

Would be hilarious if Giannis and Dame come back and they win game 6 & 7.

The East is seriously horrible. So many teams exposed in the first round of these playoffs.

I mean, the funnier option is they come back and lose.

True. Seeing Doc choke another game 7 would be very funny

WuTang_OG · Post #1120 » by **WuTang_OG** » Wed May 1, 2024 4:10 pm

JB7 wrote:
WuTang_OG wrote:Give me this DEN-MINNY series and pump it in my veins
These are the 2 best teams in the NBA imo. Shame its in 2nd round

Yep. I have a feeling that is the NBA finals right there. Unfortunately it is happening in the 2nd round. I think both of these teams could beat Boston.

Their bigs would be the factor