AROUND the NBA:

[KillerLeft]

Not a fan of OKC, myself. I respect the way the team was built, to an extent, but their fans (especially the ones I know in my personal life) are just the worst.

I'll be rooting for Coach Carlisle as long as he's in it, and I think Haliburton is a very likable player, too. If Brunson beats them, I'll root for him.

[cow]

Can't cheer for the Zombie Supersonics. Can't cheer for Carlisle or Brunson. Just hoping Anthony Edwards take a big step towards being the face of the league and I've always kind of liked Julius Randle. It's also nice to see him destroying teams other than our own.

[Knutsen]

Whoever can stay healthy is probably the biggest factor.  Golden State's, Boston's, and to a lesser extent, Denver's hopes got sniped by injuries.

Kind of want Minny to win it all but I think that's the least likely outcome.

You have to add Cleveland and also the Mavs, the Spurs and the Bucks to the list - who wouldn’t have won the title, but who all could have won a series against a top team and changed the outcome.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

You have to add Cleveland and also the Mavs, the Spurs and the Bucks to the list - who wouldn’t have won the title, but who all could have won a series against a top team and changed the outcome.

Not so sure about the Spurs and Bucks winning a series vs the top teams. Spurs and the Bucks lacked the necessary depth I feel. Mavs with a healthy Kyrie, Gaf, DLive, and AD possibly. Cleveland blew their chance losing the first 2 games at home vs a Pacer team that had their number this year.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

You have to add Cleveland and also the Mavs, the Spurs and the Bucks to the list - who wouldn’t have won the title, but who all could have won a series against a top team and changed the outcome.

Not so sure about the Spurs and Bucks winning a series vs the top teams. Spurs and the Bucks lacked the necessary depth I feel. Mavs with a healthy Kyrie, Gaf, DLive, and AD possibly. Cleveland blew their chance losing the first 2 games at home vs a Pacer team that had their number this year going 7-2 against them.

[Knutsen]

Not so sure about the Spurs and Bucks winning a series vs the top teams. Spurs and the Bucks lacked the necessary depth I feel. Mavs with a healthy Kyrie, Gaf, DLive, and AD possibly. Cleveland blew their chance losing the first 2 games at home vs a Pacer team that had their number this year.

I don‘t know, they can’t beat every good team in a first round series, but the talent level of Giannis and Dame or Wemby, Fox and Cassell is high enough to beat any team in a series where the matchups are favorable, read the other team has a clear disadvantage against their „superpowers“. Cleveland lost these two games because they were severely decimated, so that falls right in line with the rest of the teams.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4521...ng-players


Denver retaining David Adelman as HC?

[vfromlmf]

The final four will be an interesting test of Big vs Small

You have two teams that play a big 3-man rotation at 4/5. MIN Gobert-Randal-Naz and NYK Anunoby-KAT-Robinson. DAL matches up well with these teams with a playoff rotation of AD-Lively-PJW

IND plays medium with the starters getting heavy minutes. Bryant and Toppin are low minute guys and they play some wings off the bench. Siakam-Turner-Bryant

OKC can start decent size but their bench is all guards plus Jaylin Williams who barely plays. Chet-Hartenstein-Williams

The Thunder are obviously a difficult matchup when they go small. You need great guard play to beat their ball hawking point of attack defenders, and you need bigs who can both stay on the floor defensively and punish smalls in the paint.

No surprise but the playoffs seem to be telling us PJW's positional versatility makes him a guy DAL absolutely needs to retain, while Gafford is a valuable luxury that should be shopped for guard help.

[F Gump]

The final four will be an interesting test of Big vs Small

.......

No surprise but the playoffs seem to be telling us PJW's positional versatility makes him a guy DAL absolutely needs to retain, while Gafford is a valuable luxury that should be shopped for guard help.

Thanks for the analysis. I am not sure I quite buy the conclusion, though.

The more we get in the weeds about the various styles of play with various teams, I wonder if the best route is to be yourself, and play to YOUR strengths, rather than trying to look like others.

The only caveat I would put on that is that we do have to recognize there are very real salary limits to deal with, and if for example the strength is at C/PF, you certainly can't use all your payroll there.

But if the money is similarly workable either way, I  dont see the value in trading Gafford (who is a valuable presence on the court) for someone else's spare PG they are willing to let go of. Same goes for PJW. With the money caveat for both, of course, I see no future in trading away good players for some who are mediocre.

[cow]

They have their lapses, but OKC is going to be a tough out.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

They have their lapses, but OKC is going to be a tough out.

Correct. They have lulls, but their on-the-ball defense, rotations, steals, and deflections are so outstanding that it keeps them in games when they struggle. Turn the ball over at your own peril. They're definitely the team to beat.  Even though SGA is a great player and the presumptive MVP, he embellishes and gets too many calls IMO.

[FireNicoHarrison]

Minny is too limited for this level.

Gobert is a bust
McDaniels plays well 1 game every 3
Conley is done
Randle is Randle
The bench is mediocre

However we smoked them 4-1 with a gentlemen sweep last year...

[vfromlmf]

Conley was the only plus on the floor. MIN backup guards shot them out of the game. ANT needs 2x shot attempts. They're not out yet ... but OKC has been doing this to teams all year. DAL would average 25 TO per game. Mavs definitely need to add a guard or two while Kyrie is out.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Minny is too limited for this level.

Gobert is a bust
McDaniels plays well 1 game every 3
Conley is done
Randle is Randle
The bench is mediocre

However we smoked them 4-1 with a gentlemen sweep last year...

That's ancient history now. They still made the conference finals two straight years. That's progress for the T-Pups.

[FireNicoHarrison]

That's ancient history now. They still made the conference finals two straight years. That's progress for the T-Pups.

And that's incredible honestly.

NBA level is not elite in those years and that's why Luka Mavs have had a great opportunity.

[omahen]

Klutch pro day in LA, looks like most of the league was there. Mavs with particularly strong attendance, as I noticed Nico, Kidd, Sweeney, Finley besides two Klutch players Davis and Lively.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMFHKZ2NW60

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://bsky.app/profile/keerthikau.bsky...np2eszq226


OKC averages 25.3 ppg off turnovers this postseason. Crazy stat.


https://bsky.app/profile/keerthikau.bsky...nqdcpqos26


Minnesota also took 30 more 3's than the Thunder last night.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Ar...he-future/


Interesting story on former super-agent, David Falk.
Who takes a swipe at Lebron James.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1925280718206509139


According to Shams, SGA has won the MVP award.


https://x.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1925282001411539451

[cow]

Words can't describe how much I hate KAT's own court persona.