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NBA Playoffs Thread

I understand Cook probably had to take that open shot and certainly has the ability to make it...but that’s a tough miss with Steph, Klay and KD on the court.

At the same time...Houston has made KD look really bad offensively.

I’m actually more surprised when GS gets a stop against Houston’s offense right now. Harden is due for a great shooting night...even without Paul next game...I think they’re better.
 
I am an idiot for saying GS is gonna roll in this series, and I am very happy to be an idiot.
 
If you go back and look at the replay, Quinn also had Curry wide-open coming around a screen.
You da man Quinn!
 
I jumped off my chair and wanted that shot to go down so stinking bad for him. So bad. As said, he’s going to replay that shot 1,000,000,000 times in his head. Dangit.
 
jwill133 said:
I am an idiot for saying GS is gonna roll in this series, and I am very happy to be an idiot.
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No, you weren't. The last two games have been incredibly close. With Iggy on the bench. If he plays, which was the expectation when you and I predicted that GSW would roll, then last night would have closed out the game for GSW.
 
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REALLY hard to imagine they will beat GSW at GS without Chris Paul....


But sometimes in sports....
 
Was going to pick Golden State in game 6 regardless of CP3's health, but his availability has huge implications for game 7.
 
I thought last night was pretty predictable....expecting the same tonight in GS.

Lebron, like him or not, is pretty incredible. He was outstanding again last night. I still think Jordan has the edge, but those denying it’s even up for discussion are just close-minded fools.

I won’t put anything past Lebron, but I feel the Celtics somehow, someway get past the Cavs tomorrow.
 
If they don't have Love, all the pieces are there for the Celtics. Pulling for GSW tonight.
 
Alaskan_Assassin_21 said:
Popovich is a shell of his former self. Puts in question just how much credit Duncan should get for "the Spurs way"

I frequent a Spurs forum and they have been questioning him for a few seasons now. When the team struggles and more precisely his tactics are rightfully questioned, he defaults to passive aggressive arrogance & ranting about political/social commentary.
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I can see that. He’s definitely in the last 3-5 years of his good coaching years. Maybe even less. And his inability to handle the Kawhi situation and the Aldridge snafu last season epitomizes that his grumpy old man is showing.

There’s some new coaches coming up that are starting to be the changing of the guard.

Luke Walton, Stevens, Fizdale, Budenholzer.

Those four to me represent the best up and coming coaches outside of the established types.
 
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dukiejay said:
I thought last night was pretty predictable....expecting the same tonight in GS.

Lebron, like him or not, is pretty incredible. He was outstanding again last night. I still think Jordan has the edge, but those denying it’s even up for discussion are just close-minded fools.

I won’t put anything past Lebron, but I feel the Celtics somehow, someway get past the Cavs tomorrow.
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I’d like to see the C’s in the finals, but I think as long as LeBron plays in the east, no one else makes the finals.
 
I think the Cavs play better without Kevin Love and win a close one tomorrow night.

Lebron goes for around 44, 8, and 7.
 
dukehokie said:
I can see that. He’s definitely in the last 3-5 years of his goos coaching years. Maybe even less. And his inability to handle the Kawhi situation and the Aldridge snafu last season epitomizes that his grumpy old man is showing.

There’s some new coaches coming up that are starting to be the changing of the guard.

Luke Walton, Stevens, Fizdale, Budenholzer.

Those four to me represent the best up and coming coaches outside of the established types.
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All of these coaches in their 60's and up aren't as good as they were. Not just the pro ones either. They can try to say they have plenty left in the tank, but that's not true.
You're not as sharp at 65 or 70 as you were at 45 or 50. Then throw in the changing of the times, kids are different now than they were 10 years ago. We all need to face the fact that K isn't what he once was. Doesn't mean he's not good anymore, but even though the recruiting is great, he isn't the K on the sidelines he used to be.
 
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dukehokie said:
I can see that. He’s definitely in the last 3-5 years of his good coaching years. Maybe even less. And his inability to handle the Kawhi situation and the Aldridge snafu last season epitomizes that his grumpy old man is showing.

There’s some new coaches coming up that are starting to be the changing of the guard.

Luke Walton, Stevens, Fizdale, Budenholzer.

Those four to me represent the best up and coming coaches outside of the established types.
Click to expand...
Interesting list. Curious to your selections of Luke Walton and Fizdale specifically. Walton has had success as an interim head coach, but has a well below .500 record as a head coach. Obviously he’s been coaching a very young team in LA, but I think the jury is still out on him. Fizdale has already been fired after a short head coaching stint in which he was at odds with his best player. There are reports that some players don't consider him genuine and a guy that plays up his coaching once the cameras turn on. He had success in Miami, but I’m not sure I see anything that qualifies him as a difference maker in the future.
 
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Mac9192 said:
All of these coaches in their 60's and up aren't as good as they were. Not just the pro ones either. They can try to say they have plenty left in the tank, but that's not true.
You're not as sharp at 65 or 70 as you were at 45 or 50. Then throw in the changing of the times, kids are different now than they were 10 years ago. We all need to face the fact that K isn't what he once was. Doesn't mean he's not good anymore, but even though the recruiting is great, he isn't the K on the sidelines he used to be.
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I'd say theres some definite validity to your post. Coach K is a warrior, I mean how many surgeries has he been thru the last few years, right? I saw him walk in some pain this year. And of course your K now cant be the one he once was. The mind and thought processes just wear down. Still as you say the recruiting has been great, and a Coach K at his advanced age is EXCELLENT. I would imagine though it takes more time to adjust your bench coaching style in your 70s as opposed to say your 40s and 50s....OFC
 
Yes K is older, but we've seen him make adjustments that turned around our season. Going zone mid season in 2015 and 2018 saved the season. Heck in just those two seasons alone, I doubt a younger K would make those type of adjustments. Now those adjustments did come with Capel on the bench and I know Capel talked K into making in-season adjuments but give K the credit for actually listening to his assistance.
 
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Quavarius said:
Yes K is older, but we've seen him make adjustments that turned around our season. Going zone mid season in 2015 and 2018 saved the season. Heck in just those two seasons alone, I doubt a younger K would make those type of adjustments. Now those adjustments did come with Capel on the bench and I know Capel talked K into making in-season adjuments but give K the credit for actually listening to his assistance.
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K also out-coached Bo Ryan in the 2015 title game. If that was just a scrimmage game without coaches, Wisconsin beats us.

K created a smart defensive game-plan to take Decker completely out of the game by having our 4 (Winslow-best defender) guard him, then our 3-man (Matt Jones) guarded the bigger Nigel Hayes.
K also pulled all the right strings: unleashing Grayson in the 2nd half, having Amile guard Kaminsky, sitting Okafor until the end when we needed a bucket (which Okafor delivered on back to back buckets.)
 
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jwill133 said:
K also out-coached Bo Ryan in the 2015 title game. If that was just a scrimmage game without coaches, Wisconsin beats us.

K created a smart defensive game-plan to take Decker completely out of the game by having our 4 (Winslow-best defender) guard him, then our 3-man (Matt Jones) guarded the bigger Nigel Hayes.
K also pulled all the right strings: unleashing Grayson in the 2nd half, having Amile guard Kaminsky, sitting Okafor until the end when we needed a bucket (which Okafor delivered on back to back buckets.)
Click to expand...

And what's so crazy is in the regular season game at Wisconsin, K switched everything 1-5 and it really threw Wisconsin off. Go back and listen to Jay Bilas call that game and he was even shocked. It also helped that Duke shot like 100% from the field as well.
 
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Quavarius said:
Yes K is older, but we've seen him make adjustments that turned around our season. Going zone mid season in 2015 and 2018 saved the season. Heck in just those two seasons alone, I doubt a younger K would make those type of adjustments. Now those adjustments did come with Capel on the bench and I know Capel talked K into making in-season adjuments but give K the credit for actually listening to his assistance.
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Agree with you Q. A 70 year old K is still a better coach than most 20 years younger, and having the staff beside him is a smart move.
It doesn't change the fact that a man's energy level and fire isn't going to be there quite like it was. Outsmarting Bo Ryan is one thing, outsmarting Bill Self is another. And honestly, Self outcoached K. His halftime adjustments offensively made Duke look disoriented defensively. We win that ballgame fouling on Kansas last possession. Our talent was better than Kansas. We had fouls to give, and let them tie it up. Will never understand why we didn't foul and why on our inbounds play, the ball winds up in our worst free throw shooters hands.
 
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Mac9192 said:
Agree with you Q. A 70 year old K is still a better coach than most 20 years younger, and having the staff beside him is a smart move.
It doesn't change the fact that a man's energy level and fire isn't going to be there quite like it was. Outsmarting Bo Ryan is one thing, outsmarting Bill Self is another. And honestly, Self outcoached K. His halftime adjustments offensively made Duke look disoriented defensively. We win that ballgame fouling on Kansas last possession. Our talent was better than Kansas. We had fouls to give, and let them tie it up. Will never understand why we didn't foul and why on our inbounds play, the ball winds up in our worst free throw shooters hands.
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What helped Self as well was the fact he knew he was going to face a zone team (either us or Syracuse). They practiced zone all week and was more than prepared for it and we will almost won. I agree, K could've did some things differently (like go man to man a few possessions late in the half). But Duke wins that game--even in zone--with Carter out of foul trouble and if Trent/Allen make a few more 3's. When Carter came back late in the second half after being on the bench in foul trouble, Duke was in control and headed to the Final Four. Still almost won had Grayson's shot gone down in regulation. I give Self credit, but I wouldn't say he outcoached K. His team--older than Duke's--were prepared because they knew what was coming.
 
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We actually played well in the zone in many games, but only got out of sync when it became almost like a 4-1 alignment and it opened up that dang corner 3. Perhaps the key this year is employing the zone earlier in season to really fine tune it. We never could adjust our zone and/or execution thereof vs Kansas. Perhaps that falls on K or a couple guys in particular who never grasped zone prinicples....OFC
 
Celts just made too many mistakes at the end of the game. Tatum is going to be a big time player for along time. With Kyrie and Gordon back next year they may be the best. We'll just have to wait and see. OFC
 
MyDudeG said:
Interesting list. Curious to your selections of Luke Walton and Fizdale specifically. Walton has had success as an interim head coach, but has a well below .500 record as a head coach. Obviously he’s been coaching a very young team in LA, but I think the jury is still out on him. Fizdale has already been fired after a short head coaching stint in which he was at odds with his best player. There are reports that some players don't consider him genuine and a guy that plays up his coaching once the cameras turn on. He had success in Miami, but I’m not sure I see anything that qualifies him as a difference maker in the future.
Click to expand...

I hear you, but with Fizdale, he had the rest of the team, he just didn’t have Gasol. And if you don’t have Gasol, you don’t have the management either. He was 7-1 I believe before the Grizz went on the big slide that ultimately lead to his firing. But his management skills outside of Gasol were great, and he’s already doing a lot to ease Porzingis’s worries of “he doesn’t like Euro bigs.” I think you’ll see him turn the Knicks around and his name will be hot.

Walton was given a team that was in “trust the process” mode. The Lakers are recovering from some bad contracts including Kobe’s and if they can make the most of the 25th pick either with a pick or with a trade, they could be in position next season to grow up and challenge for a playoff spot. Walton will be a big part of that, because I think he does have a good grasp of what his team is, and how to best utilize their talents. They were 11th in ppg, 15th in effective field goal %, 5th in team rebounding believe it or not, and maybe most surprising to me, 10th in field goal percentage D and effective field goal percentage D. Their stats suggest a team better than 35-47 and 11th in the West. Another year older and you’ll see Luke and his guys winning tough games. He has a nice grasp on his system.

I didn’t include him as a younger up and comer but I also like the possibilities of what Alvin Gentry has going on New Orleans. That could be a really nice nucleus and big man renaissance if Boogie returns.
 
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Congratulations to Lebron and the Cavs,Celtics caved at the end,couldnt make a shot,their future is extremely bright,as a Celtic fan,i'm looking forward to being serious contenders for years to come
 
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