'21-'22 NBA Playoffs Games/Series

[Superbone]

I was thinking during the game that if Jalen Brunson is your go to player, you're in trouble but props to him for pulling it off.

I've had an eye on him all season because of his pending free agency. I've always kinda hoped the Suns could lure him in to be Paul's back up and reunite with Mikal. OTOH, Mikal and Cam Payne appear to be close, so who knows how Mikal would feel about that swap.

I think Brunson has secured himself a starting job somewhere at this point if he wants it. I don't think he gets a team very far in the playoffs as the best guard on a team, but I expect his next deal to pay him like FVV or Terry Rozier and that's too much for a sixth man.

I still remember when we passed on him in the draft.

[Superbone]

Nuggets just aren’t good. They had a good regular season but this team just isn’t built for the playoffs without Murray and Porter. Not sure if they beat any of the playoff west teams in a 7 game series. Probably the Pelicans but everyone else is sweep or a 5 game series.

The Jazz haven’t looked very strong either.

[Superbone]

Nuggets aren’t good, but I agree Jokic got a terrible whistle. Refs are letting the warriors mug him constantly.

I keep reminding myself we did this to Denver last year too because the warriors look scary.

The last time we played the Warriors they allowed them to do the same thing to Ayton.

[Superbone]

Denver's now lost six straight playoff games, and most of them haven't been close.

I know Jokic has been operating for over a year now without some of his most important costars, and that the MVP award is designated as a regular season award, but I still think it looks kind of bad for the guy who's going to be back-to-back Most Valuable Player of the league to have his team flame out so badly thus far.

Ya this was why I didn’t like Jokic as mvp, I know it’s a regular season award, but I wish we considered the playoffs more. Game changes in the playoffs and teams scheme better. The better talents stand out and Jokic has not stood out in the playoffs. He’s gonna get swept for the 2nd year in a row and I can gaurantee he won’t win the mvp next year…

It seems like the MVP is awarded to a guy with the worst surrounding cast. That’s why no Suns gets any real consideration. Plus, we’ve got two MVPs.

[Nodack]

The Warriors are looking pretty scary.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I watched the second half of Mavs/Jazz and Utah got a pretty bad whistle in the 3rd with really weird technical fouls on Clarkson and Whiteside. It was in Dallas, so I get it to some degree.

Speaking of Clarkson, he and Mitchell were absolutely terrible in defending the perimeter. Might as well have put a traffic cone out there. Brunson played really well, but I don't think there's a better opportunity to put up those scoring numbers against any other playoff team.

The Jazz are just checked out. They should be embarrassed to be pushed to 6 or 7 games against this Mavs team without Luka. Letting Maxi Kleber hit 8 wide open three pointers is ridiculous. Their whole scheme is based on Gobert protecting the rim, but their guards are a turnstile and then they won't even rotate in time to at least force the extra pass.

If all The Fellas are healthy, it's starting to look like they'll play a max of 10 games before the WCF.

[Mori Chu]

The Warriors are looking pretty scary.

I don't think we're learning much about the Warriors. The Nuggets are really bad. We swept a better version of this same team last year.

[In2ition]

The Nuggets are bad, but that Warriors team is scary. Poole looks like a mirror image of Curry, while both Klay and Draymond are looking like their old selves again. On top of that, they made some nice signings in Otto Porter Jr and Bjelica, Wiggins might be coming out of his post All-Star slump and they still have guys like Gary Payton Jr and Juan Toscano-Anderson, while having guys like Iguodala, Looney, Kuminga, Moody and some day Wiseman waiting in the wings.

Their off ball screens are pick your poison and can very easily get you to mess up your coverages, leaving one of them open because you've prioritized one over the other, leading to either a wide open 3 or an easy wide open cut to the basket. Sometimes those setting the screen are as big of a threat as the ones they are screening for. They have many guys that have very quick, clean and consistent shooting forms that make at high levels. They are also masters of reading the defense and moving off the ball. They will make you wrong with what you do to stop them. And guys like both Poole and Curry can break about any player down off the dribble and finish at the rim. While you are focused on that, the other guys are crashing the offensive boards while your back is to them.

Then on the defensive end, even their superstars act like a pest on defense and quickly swarm, rotate and recover quickly. Draymond does such a great job of holding his own against bigs without help, while then controlling and reading the offensive sets to help. Then they can bring in a guy like GPJ who is both strong and very athletic that will harass your main perimeter threat without worrying about holding back their energy for offense, but can hit the wide open 3 from the corners if needed.

This is a very scary team this yr, and for years to come. Especially if Wiseman starts to figure things out and develops.

[In2ition]

I know it's going to sound like "Old man yelling at the cloud", but it would really irritate me if I played the Warriors and after every single three or backdoor cut that got them an easy layup, they would celebrate and taunt me. They don't do it to the opposing teams face, and they play to the crowd, but it's still taunting, imo. Yet, the refs(because of the rules they are given) give out techs to silly things like frustration shown by slamming a ball down. If I had to see Poole and Curry shimmy every single time, it would annoy me to the point, that in all honesty, I might snap into a full on Aaron Donald back crushing driving sack into the floor or stanchion. They are the most disrespectful team I think I've ever seen. Even Denver fans, that absolutely hate the Suns for beating them in a sweep last yr, want the Suns to crush them in 4. That's how much hate they elicit from the opposing teams fans. Yet, many people think they are fun and cute. Barf.

[bajanguy008]

Without having seen the full game
Kleber is who probably had the outlier performance because Fantasy Leaguers know that Brunson when Luka out been big time stats all season

[Split T]

Same old same old with the Jazz. Mavs used the clippers model to beat them from last year and Jazz have no answer for it. That team will be drastically different next year I think

[Superbone]

I know it's going to sound like "Old man yelling at the cloud", but it would really irritate me if I played the Warriors and after every single three or backdoor cut that got them an easy layup, they would celebrate and taunt me. They don't do it to the opposing teams face, and they play to the crowd, but it's still taunting, imo. Yet, the refs(because of the rules they are given) give out techs to silly things like frustration shown by slamming a ball down. If I had to see Poole and Curry shimmy every single time, it would annoy me to the point, that in all honesty, I might snap into a full on Aaron Donald back crushing driving sack into the floor or stanchion. They are the most disrespectful team I think I've ever seen. Even Denver fans, that absolutely hate the Suns for beating them in a sweep last yr, want the Suns to crush them in 4. That's how much hate they elicit from the opposing teams fans. Yet, many people think they are fun and cute. Barf.

I agree. I was watching the highlights last night and all their in-game celebrations are obnoxious. What happened to acting like they've been there before? I'm driving to Vegas today with a big Warriors fan. I'm going to ask him about that as he's always talking about other teams celebrating against the Warriors when they have a big night.

[Mori Chu]

The Nuggets are bad, but that Warriors team is scary. Poole looks like a mirror image of Curry, while both Klay and Draymond are looking like their old selves again. On top of that, they made some nice signings in Otto Porter Jr and Bjelica, Wiggins might be coming out of his post All-Star slump and they still have guys like Gary Payton Jr and Juan Toscano-Anderson, while having guys like Iguodala, Looney, Kuminga, Moody and some day Wiseman waiting in the wings.

Their off ball screens are pick your poison and can very easily get you to mess up your coverages, leaving one of them open because you've prioritized one over the other, leading to either a wide open 3 or an easy wide open cut to the basket. Sometimes those setting the screen are as big of a threat as the ones they are screening for. They have many guys that have very quick, clean and consistent shooting forms that make at high levels. They are also masters of reading the defense and moving off the ball. They will make you wrong with what you do to stop them. And guys like both Poole and Curry can break about any player down off the dribble and finish at the rim. While you are focused on that, the other guys are crashing the offensive boards while your back is to them.

Then on the defensive end, even their superstars act like a pest on defense and quickly swarm, rotate and recover quickly. Draymond does such a great job of holding his own against bigs without help, while then controlling and reading the offensive sets to help. Then they can bring in a guy like GPJ who is both strong and very athletic that will harass your main perimeter threat without worrying about holding back their energy for offense, but can hit the wide open 3 from the corners if needed.

This is a very scary team this yr, and for years to come. Especially if Wiseman starts to figure things out and develops.

I know it's going to sound like "Old man yelling at the cloud", but it would really irritate me if I played the Warriors and after every single three or backdoor cut that got them an easy layup, they would celebrate and taunt me. They don't do it to the opposing teams face, and they play to the crowd, but it's still taunting, imo. Yet, the refs(because of the rules they are given) give out techs to silly things like frustration shown by slamming a ball down. If I had to see Poole and Curry shimmy every single time, it would annoy me to the point, that in all honesty, I might snap into a full on Aaron Donald back crushing driving sack into the floor or stanchion. They are the most disrespectful team I think I've ever seen. Even Denver fans, that absolutely hate the Suns for beating them in a sweep last yr, want the Suns to crush them in 4. That's how much hate they elicit from the opposing teams fans. Yet, many people think they are fun and cute. Barf.

I appreciated both of these posts; insightful analysis about what the Warriors have been doing. At their best, the Warriors can be nearly unbeatable with their crazy shooting. I do have faith in the Suns defense to make every shot tough for them. I have way more faith in the Suns to win an "ugly" or "gritty" game than the Warriors, which is why I think we can take them in a series.

As for the celebrating and taunting, I absolutely agree. They've always been this way to some degree, but I think it used to be a little more reserved than it is now. My opinion is that Steph celebrates just the right amount, but it's led to the new younger guys kind of imitating and amplifying it to a level where it's too much. I absolutely agree that in the 80s/90s somebody would have just clotheslined them and shut them the hell up. Nowadays they'd eject and suspend a guy for doing that, but back then it would have just been a hard common foul.

[In2ition]

The Nuggets are bad, but that Warriors team is scary. Poole looks like a mirror image of Curry, while both Klay and Draymond are looking like their old selves again. On top of that, they made some nice signings in Otto Porter Jr and Bjelica, Wiggins might be coming out of his post All-Star slump and they still have guys like Gary Payton Jr and Juan Toscano-Anderson, while having guys like Iguodala, Looney, Kuminga, Moody and some day Wiseman waiting in the wings.

Their off ball screens are pick your poison and can very easily get you to mess up your coverages, leaving one of them open because you've prioritized one over the other, leading to either a wide open 3 or an easy wide open cut to the basket. Sometimes those setting the screen are as big of a threat as the ones they are screening for. They have many guys that have very quick, clean and consistent shooting forms that make at high levels. They are also masters of reading the defense and moving off the ball. They will make you wrong with what you do to stop them. And guys like both Poole and Curry can break about any player down off the dribble and finish at the rim. While you are focused on that, the other guys are crashing the offensive boards while your back is to them.

Then on the defensive end, even their superstars act like a pest on defense and quickly swarm, rotate and recover quickly. Draymond does such a great job of holding his own against bigs without help, while then controlling and reading the offensive sets to help. Then they can bring in a guy like GPJ who is both strong and very athletic that will harass your main perimeter threat without worrying about holding back their energy for offense, but can hit the wide open 3 from the corners if needed.

This is a very scary team this yr, and for years to come. Especially if Wiseman starts to figure things out and develops.

I know it's going to sound like "Old man yelling at the cloud", but it would really irritate me if I played the Warriors and after every single three or backdoor cut that got them an easy layup, they would celebrate and taunt me. They don't do it to the opposing teams face, and they play to the crowd, but it's still taunting, imo. Yet, the refs(because of the rules they are given) give out techs to silly things like frustration shown by slamming a ball down. If I had to see Poole and Curry shimmy every single time, it would annoy me to the point, that in all honesty, I might snap into a full on Aaron Donald back crushing driving sack into the floor or stanchion. They are the most disrespectful team I think I've ever seen. Even Denver fans, that absolutely hate the Suns for beating them in a sweep last yr, want the Suns to crush them in 4. That's how much hate they elicit from the opposing teams fans. Yet, many people think they are fun and cute. Barf.

I appreciated both of these posts; insightful analysis about what the Warriors have been doing. At their best, the Warriors can be nearly unbeatable with their crazy shooting. I do have faith in the Suns defense to make every shot tough for them. I have way more faith in the Suns to win an "ugly" or "gritty" game than the Warriors, which is why I think we can take them in a series.

As for the celebrating and taunting, I absolutely agree. They've always been this way to some degree, but I think it used to be a little more reserved than it is now. My opinion is that Steph celebrates just the right amount, but it's led to the new younger guys kind of imitating and amplifying it to a level where it's too much. I absolutely agree that in the 80s/90s somebody would have just clotheslined them and shut them the hell up. Nowadays they'd eject and suspend a guy for doing that, but back then it would have just been a hard common foul.

Thanks.

Idk about Curry. He seems to be the kingpin of this behavior, tbh. And he does it no matter the situation or if he's involved in the play or not, or even in the game. People have a lot of respect for him, so he doesn't get called out, but it's gone over the top of being classy to just overtly obnoxious and unsportsmanlike, IMO.

[Wally_West]

Memphis whoopin dat ass.

[Superbone]

The Nuggets are bad, but that Warriors team is scary. Poole looks like a mirror image of Curry, while both Klay and Draymond are looking like their old selves again. On top of that, they made some nice signings in Otto Porter Jr and Bjelica, Wiggins might be coming out of his post All-Star slump and they still have guys like Gary Payton Jr and Juan Toscano-Anderson, while having guys like Iguodala, Looney, Kuminga, Moody and some day Wiseman waiting in the wings.

Their off ball screens are pick your poison and can very easily get you to mess up your coverages, leaving one of them open because you've prioritized one over the other, leading to either a wide open 3 or an easy wide open cut to the basket. Sometimes those setting the screen are as big of a threat as the ones they are screening for. They have many guys that have very quick, clean and consistent shooting forms that make at high levels. They are also masters of reading the defense and moving off the ball. They will make you wrong with what you do to stop them. And guys like both Poole and Curry can break about any player down off the dribble and finish at the rim. While you are focused on that, the other guys are crashing the offensive boards while your back is to them.

Then on the defensive end, even their superstars act like a pest on defense and quickly swarm, rotate and recover quickly. Draymond does such a great job of holding his own against bigs without help, while then controlling and reading the offensive sets to help. Then they can bring in a guy like GPJ who is both strong and very athletic that will harass your main perimeter threat without worrying about holding back their energy for offense, but can hit the wide open 3 from the corners if needed.

This is a very scary team this yr, and for years to come. Especially if Wiseman starts to figure things out and develops.

I know it's going to sound like "Old man yelling at the cloud", but it would really irritate me if I played the Warriors and after every single three or backdoor cut that got them an easy layup, they would celebrate and taunt me. They don't do it to the opposing teams face, and they play to the crowd, but it's still taunting, imo. Yet, the refs(because of the rules they are given) give out techs to silly things like frustration shown by slamming a ball down. If I had to see Poole and Curry shimmy every single time, it would annoy me to the point, that in all honesty, I might snap into a full on Aaron Donald back crushing driving sack into the floor or stanchion. They are the most disrespectful team I think I've ever seen. Even Denver fans, that absolutely hate the Suns for beating them in a sweep last yr, want the Suns to crush them in 4. That's how much hate they elicit from the opposing teams fans. Yet, many people think they are fun and cute. Barf.

I appreciated both of these posts; insightful analysis about what the Warriors have been doing. At their best, the Warriors can be nearly unbeatable with their crazy shooting. I do have faith in the Suns defense to make every shot tough for them. I have way more faith in the Suns to win an "ugly" or "gritty" game than the Warriors, which is why I think we can take them in a series.

As for the celebrating and taunting, I absolutely agree. They've always been this way to some degree, but I think it used to be a little more reserved than it is now. My opinion is that Steph celebrates just the right amount, but it's led to the new younger guys kind of imitating and amplifying it to a level where it's too much. I absolutely agree that in the 80s/90s somebody would have just clotheslined them and shut them the hell up. Nowadays they'd eject and suspend a guy for doing that, but back then it would have just been a hard common foul.

Thanks.

Idk about Curry. He seems to be the kingpin of this behavior, tbh. And he does it no matter the situation or if he's involved in the play or not, or even in the game. People have a lot of respect for him, so he doesn't get called out, but it's gone over the top of being classy to just overtly obnoxious and unsportsmanlike, IMO.

Agreed. His dancing around is obnoxious.

[specialsauce]

I’m waiting for someone to clobber one of them so hard that they think twice about ever doing that shit again. It’ll only take one time.

Absolutely worth a suspension.

[Wally_West]

Embiid with one of the worst last second shots I’ve seen in awhile. Wtf.

[Wally_West]

Raptors with just horrible execution here at the end.

[Wally_West]

Embiid redeems himself