AROUND the NBA: MIN Sweeps PHX!

[Knutsen]

If both OKC and Minnesota win out, who has the tie-breaker?

Depends on Denver - if Denver wins as well OKC has the three-way-tiebreaker and wins the conference. If Denver loses Minnesota wins the two-way-tiebreaker against OKC and the conference.

It‘s a situation that never existed before - no single team has its destiny in its own hands to end up first.

[Winter]

Well OKC is going to win, we can bank on that one!

Denver should win.

I'd be OK with that result

[Scott41theMavs]

Sucks to be the Kings. Top 6 for much of the season. Look at those four play-in teams - zero way they get out of it. Even if they played way over their heads, the league wouldn't allow it (cf. refs for Lakers last night). So now they're a lottery team in an historically awful draft year.

Point is, the West is absolutely brutal. The Mavs have no laurels to sit on this offseason, no matter how deep their run is this year. Gotta improve some way, and, as pointed out in the other thread, not by trading for some overrated vet.

[SleepingHero]

@HPbasketball


If Wolves win and Thunder win and Nuggets win,

1. OKC
2. MIN
3. DEN

If Wolves win and Thunder win and Nuggets lose

1. MIN
2. OKC
3. DEN

if Wolves win and Thunder lose and Nuggets lose
1. Wolves
2. Thunder
3. Nuggets

If Wolves win and Thunder lose and Nuggets win
1. Wolves
2. Nuggets
3. Thunder

If Wolves lose and Thunder win and Nuggets win

1. OKC
2. DEN
3. MIN

if Wolves lose and Thunder lose and Nuggets win

1. DEN
2. MIN
3. OKC

If Wolves lose and Thunder lose and Nuggets lose

1. OKC
2. MIN
3. DEN

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

https://twitter.com/WillGuillory/status/...9678501098


Pelicans finish with the best road record in franchise history and the best road record in the NBA.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

https://twitter.com/Jo_GotGame/status/17...6322059605


Allen Iverson gets a statue. Well deserved.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

https://twitter.com/_Andrew_Lopez/status...00?ref_src=

The scenarios and tie-breakers for the 1 seed.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

https://twitter.com/zhedrickTV/status/17...4023938153


Wemby leads the Spurs comeback against the Nuggets.

[mvossman]

The usuals minus Embiid and Jokic. Giannis, KD, LeBron, Steph, Luka, Dame, Devin, Kawhi when he tries. I’d put Luka and Steph at the top if they played defense. Maybe Luka is doing that now.

This is such a crazy take.  So if Jokic was playing PF he would join your list?  I mean he has been the best offensive force in the NBA for the last 4 years and its not close.  The opponents are sending everything at him, not just whatever center might be on the other side.  The entire defensive game plan for opponents are about limiting him.  Dame and Booker are not even close, and most of the other guys are past their prime.  You didn't even mention Shai, who is probably the only smaller player that belongs in the group with Jokic, Embiid, Giannis and Luka.

[TurkishMFFL]

Is there any news on Kawhi’s injury. The Clippers always keep it secret when it comes to injuries. Lue said that he would probably be playing in the first game of the series but is there an official statement on his type of injury?

[dirkfansince1998]

Not trying to be an ass. I really don’t know what to say. Jokic doesn’t have to play against guys his size hardly ever, unlike in previous eras. How is that hard to understand?

When he plays AD and performs well, I’m impressed, though AD isn’t really quite big enough. I’m a little impressed when he embarrasses Gobert. On the other hand, who doesn’t. Against Embiid this year, he went for 25 and 19, 11 of em offensive boards. But that was only one game. And in it, he gave up 41/7/10 to Embiid on the way to the loss. So how impressed am I supposed to be? 

Let me turn the question around on you. How well do you think Jokic would do against prime Mutumbo, who was never even the best center in the league? My guess, it would be a great contest. How well did Shaq (a three-time MVP) do by that measure? Hint: he dominated https://www.landofbasketball.com/games_b..._oneal.htm.

So your case is about post up dominance. But that's not the only way for Jokic to dominate a game. I would assume that a matchup against Mutombo would look similar to games against bigger bodies in the current NBA. Less low post touches. More high post action and pick and roll. Forcing the rim protector to defend the perimeter. Creating space for his teammates. Relying on his passing and midrange game. Something the Nuggets love to do and the reason why most teams aren't willing to defend Jokic with their primary rim protector. Jokic is going to find the open cutter every single time and there won't be any help defense at the rim. And if he cannot find an opening he can still rely on his Dirk-like midrange shooting.
Or to completly mess with the defender. Reverse pick and roll. Jokic as the primary ballhandler with guards screening for him. Nuggets ultimate weapon because most bigs have no clue how to play on ball defense in the pick and roll.
That's why we rarely see the matchups that you are mentioning. The Mavs put PJ or Kleber on Jokic. Lakers Hachimura. 76ers Tucker. The center is shadowing the play and playing off the worst shooter. 

But to get back to the initial question about his numbers. Why is Jokic as good as the numbers suggest? I recently watched the Redick/LBJ podcast and they talked about the difference between good players and all time greats. Elite scorers in the modern NBA cannot be defended 1v1. Teams are forced to make adjustments. Greatness in todays game comes down to the ability to read and react to the mentioned adjustments. Embiid can create a 4v3. But he isn't nearly as good of a decision maker as Jokic. Booker or SGA are getting doubled but they aren't on LBJs or Luka's level when it comes to reads out of the double team.
I think that is a good explanation for Jokic's all time great impact metrics. Among the few elite scorers that cannot be defended 1v1 he is the best decision maker. Luka is almost there. In my opinion the 2nd best player in the league when it comes to this but Jokic is more consistent.

[SleepingHero]

Is there any news on Kawhi’s injury. The Clippers always keep it secret when it comes to injuries. Lue said that he would probably be playing in the first game of the series but is there an official statement on his type of injury?

@NotoriousOHM

Asked by@BA_Turner if Kawhi Leonard will be playing in Game 1, Ty Lue responded, “That is what we want to see.” Asked again by BT, Lue replied, “Hopefully, he will be playing.”

Latest tweet by a Clips reporter. I think there is zero chance Kawhi misses any time. He always plays against the Mavs

[SleepingHero]

Complete Western Conference Playoff scenarios.

[Knutsen]

@NotoriousOHM

Asked by@BA_Turner if Kawhi Leonard will be playing in Game 1, Ty Lue responded, “That is what we want to see.” Asked again by BT, Lue replied, “Hopefully, he will be playing.”

Latest tweet by a Clips reporter. I think there is zero chance Kawhi misses any time. He always plays against the Mavs

Will be interesting how rusty he might be - and how the knee responds to playoff intensity basketball. I think with Kawhi at full strength it‘s a pretty even series, but without him we would have a clear advantage.

Biggest challenge will be that there‘s no real place to hide either Luka or Kyrie on defense against the Clippers because they have 5 attack players in Harden, George, Leonard, Westbrook and Powell, which could wear them out.

[Winter]

Grant Afseth
@GrantAfseth
·
39m
The Dallas Mavericks list Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Maxi Kleber, Dereck Lively II, Dante Exum, Daniel Gafford, Derrick Jones Jr., and P.J. Washington as out for Sunday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.


Gotta Love the all-in approach.

[MFFL]

We might lose by 50

[SleepingHero]

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Indiana has 125 pts at the end of the 3rd qtr vs Atlanta.

[omahen]

Interesting finale in the East. Looks like Philly, Indy and Orlando will all register convincing wins, meaning Philly will be in the play-in and (if they beat Miami in game 1) playing against 2nd best team. Milwaukee without Giannis is losing by 20 while NY is more or less tight with Chicago. If NY wins, they beat Milwaukee for 2nd spot and likely face Philly, while Milwaukee will face Indy in round 1.

[Scott41theMavs]

Interesting finale in the East. Looks like Philly, Indy and Orlando will all register convincing wins, meaning Philly will be in the play-in and (if they beat Miami in game 1) playing against 2nd best team. Milwaukee without Giannis is losing by 20 while NY is more or less tight with Chicago. If NY wins, they beat Milwaukee for 2nd spot and likely face Philly, while Milwaukee will face Indy in round 1.

Rick against Rivers, lol. That's just not fair. Poor Giannis.