2023-2024 NBA Thread

[ProphetFlume]

Lakers are fun to watch; Lebron really makes his teams do some serious tight end passes all around the court that don't become turnovers near as much as they should.

[StillMcfuu]

Imagine making a big deal out of "small ball" line up, only to get run off the court by another team's small ball line up they threw together to play you.
Caruso and Rondo are lowkey one of the best defensive backcourts and just an all around pain in the ass to deal with for the Rockets. And the 2 of them just seem eager to burn the Rockets for any defensive mistakes.

The Rockets are struggling, and the team is still living and dying on Harden's back and he is struggling for any kind of consistency. I think a part of the Westbrook move was to get him to fill the gap for Harden struggling, but Westbrook is unfortunately a perennial poor playoff performer.

[xskarma]

Close fought series. Thought for a minute that Theis fouling out would be too much, but rookie Grant Williams did an amazing job in his absence to at least keep things level.

GG Raptors. On to the Heat. Going to be an entirely different, but probably just as close and interesting series.

[StillMcfuu]

I'm pretty down on Westbrook, I really don't think he is that great of a player. But I think he was the only person on the Rockets wanted to and played like they could win for the past 2 1/2 games. He has heart for days.

[ProphetFlume]

Wow Nuggets came back. I checked in for a minute mid third and clippers were up 16, checked the final and nuggets won by 13.

[Blueobelisk]

Seems like the ECF of MIA @ BOS is starting tomorrow. (Idk why the NBA wouldn't rotate game days. Tomorrow is also the DEN LAC Game 7.)

Is Miami actually good or did Bucks choke? What's the deal?

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Is Miami actually good or did Bucks choke? What's the deal?

Miami was the team Bucks fans were always most afraid of, just matched up well with the Bucks even before Giannis got hurt. And they definitely choked one of those games.

I'd say Boston sadly probably matches up better but I'd say either team could win that one. It's certainly not a cupcake matchup.

[xskarma]

I'd say Boston sadly probably matches up better but I'd say either team could win that one. It's certainly not a cupcake matchup.

Miami Heat - Boston Celtics will be a 7 game series I suspect. Both teams have good coaching and good game plans and enough excellent players that an off night for one player isn't going to suddenly tank that game for the team.

Keys are probably if Boston can handle BOTH of Jimmy Butler and Adebayo enough and for the Heat if they can handle BOTH of Tatum and Kemba enough. Both teams have enough quality defenders to cover one, but potentially not both, which would be bad news for that team.

Much also depends on Gordon Hayward, if he can return on time to still make an impact in the series and not come in in the last game or 2 and if he can return and be at even a somewhat good level of play after missing a month+. If he returns and is at somewhat his usual level then the Heat are in trouble, I think.

[ProphetFlume]

Goddamn. What a game-winning dunk block. In double overtime. I only watched the last 2.5 seconds of the game and it was ridiculous.

[xskarma]

Goddamn. What a game-winning dunk block. In double overtime. I only watched the last 2.5 seconds of the game and it was ridiculous.

Single OT, but yeah. THat's the best block I have ever seen. Sucks that it's against the Celtics when the make would have meant a likely game win.


Shouldn't have come to that though. Celtics were up double digits in the 4th and then got ticky tacky foul calls 3 times in a row, which meant Miami was in the bonus for like 7 min. That killed us, and can't happen again. Should have won in regulation.

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Nuggets man, holy shit. I hope they make the Finals. Best underdog story since the Mavs way back when.

[StillMcfuu]

Unfreakingbelivable. Nuggets are out of their minds right now.

[ProphetFlume]

Nuggets are giving off Mavericks vibes from the year they beat the heat.

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Nuggets man, holy shit. I hope they make the Finals. Best underdog story since the Mavs way back when.

Guess i shouldve read the full comment before replying.

[Crissi]

lolololol Clippers not only blew a 3-1 lead, but they had double digit leads the last 3 games too.

Go Denver!

[ProphetFlume]

"The Nuggets came out of the locker room playing some stupid basketball, with Murray pulling the trigger on a deep 3-pointer early in the shot clock in transition and Millsap committing an illegal screen foul. Grant hit back-to-back 3-pointers, as a fat pig flew through the air over the court, and the Clippers had to call a timeout"

[Espo]

Pretty amazing that Butler has gotten farther with the collection of nobodies on the Heat than he did with Embiid, Simmons, Harris, and Redick.

Not sure if "amazing" is how I'd describe this comparison. You're maybe downplaying the Heat roster a bit--they aren't nobodies. Absolutely less star-packed than the Sixers were last year, but certainly a more thoughtfully constructed roster (not shocking from Riley). And I think we've learned through the years (even just from the Sixers) that you can't just throw stars together and make it work--there needs to be some consideration to their skillset (but I think you're probably implying that in what you're saying anyway).

Maybe you're also downplaying that he pushed the eventual NBA champions closer to the brink than anyone else--to game 7, only to lose on a pretty ridiculous last-second shot from a player having one of the more dominant postseasons in a while in Kawhi Leonard. Certainly can't argue that he's literally gotten further by being in the conference finals, but not all paths are created equal in their difficulty. The real eye test is how this series goes.

[Blueobelisk]

Goddamn Denver is the underdog of the century. I can't believe Clippers choked like that, I honestly expected Clippers to win the championship without Bucks around.

I wonder who is to blame for this failure. Coach Doc Rivers? Kawhi? The supporting cast?

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Miami beat Boston?! Goddamn.

[StillMcfuu]

I'm torn... first I'd like to say that... damn... is this the greatest post season in the history of the nba, at least so far?

Secondly... I'm a huge Joker fan, have been since I caught on to him last season. Part of Nuggets success is the Jazz and Clips have had no answer for the fattest PG. I think that changes with the Lakers, multiple players on the Lakers can defend Joker. And several players, both in the starting line up (Danny Green) and off the bench (Rondo and Caruso) absolutely excel at seeing plays unfold and stepping into the lane to disrupt it.
I low key want Nuggets to win it all... because God damn it feels like they deserve it. But I want to see the Lakers win it, because... they fucking grind and adjust and they look like the showtime lakers, but they are humble and hungry. I also want the Heat and the Celtics to win it. Jimmy Buckets is still announcing to the world that he isn't a problem, he is an answer. And Celtics just play ball man, they get it, they are young and hungry, and Kemba gave Charlotte his whole career and now is getting to prove the hype on a big stage...


This is such a good post season. I'm still amped from last night, bunch of people at the bar with Clippers jerseys, I know they just hopped the bandwagon, this is NJ, no one moved from Cali to NJ or vice versa both are the same place....


Fuck it, I'm being a bit self righteous after watching their disappointment after buying 150 dollar jerseys.

Outside of Clips in Game 7, there hasn't been a choke, just the best team winning.

[Blueobelisk]

KEKW bandwagon fans buying a Clippers jersey of all things.

I'm actually trying to buy some Nikes. I'm jelly, I just read that all NBA players basically have contracts and get custom fit sneakers.

[ProphetFlume]

Boston's defense is doing well this game but they're rebounding on both sides is killing the Heat; lots of second and third chances per possession.

KEKW bandwagon fans buying a Clippers jersey of all things.

I'm actually trying to buy some Nikes. I'm jelly, I just read that all NBA players basically have contracts and get custom fit sneakers.

Could get some New Balance.

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Third quarter officiating was awful. Celtics played poorly but it's hard when you're getting smacked around with no calls while the heat get do get them on the other side.

[xskarma]

Third quarter officiating was awful. Celtics played poorly but it's hard when you're getting smacked around with no calls while the heat get do get them on the other side.

We didn't deserve to win after blowing that lead and with how we played in the 3rd. Can't do that in the ECF against a solid team like the Heat.

Celtics have all the talent in the world but what they lack is consistency. Not just game to game, but quarter to quarter. Can't have these huge up and down swings this late in the playoffs.

Apparently Gordon Hayward is going to be back for next game, but I fail to see how Hayward is going to make a difference coming back from injury and not having played organized basketball in a month+. If anything I fear it may screw up the chemistry and rotations that have developed with him gone in the past month.

But, down 2-0, you have to try something, so this is either going to work beautifully or fail spectacularly in the next game and seal the Celtics fate.

I will say that Hayward is often the one that is instrumental in the Celtics dealing with Zone defenses, so in that regard he may indeed flip this series. But that's assuming he can play significant minutes and play well, right from the start. Tall task.