Eastern Conference Finals: Hawks vs Bucks

[Vladimir_Taltos]

It's crazy how this series is so uncertain all the sudden. And I don't know even know who we would rather face at this point, especially with all the unknowns with regard to the injuries.

Agreed. I mean I think we have the best chance of winning against the Bucks if Giannis isn't playing. But you have a hard time planning for the unknowns. Same thing with Atlanta and the Trae whistles.

(And can you imagine the narrative of AD/Murray/Kawhi/Giannis all missing in our wins?)

I have already unfortunately seen the narrative on the internet, it's not pretty.

But I guess after Kevin Johnson, Cedric ceballos, Danny Manning, Joe Johnson, Kurt Thomas, Raja Bell... I wonder how much I will care about said narrative.

I'm with you...who cares...a banner is a banner...win it all...worry about it being pretty some other day! The ghost of Paxson must be exorcised!

[Shabazz]

This game is garbage. Without their best players, neither of these teams would make the playoffs in either conference.

[pickle]

Lopez played well. Hawks tried to attack him but didn’t know how. They had a chance but their key players were all tentative in the second half.

[bajanguy008]

Yea Brook was out there looking like NBA Jam

[Superbone]

I don't care about any narratives.

I've had a lifetime of guys like Alvan Adams, Joe Johnson, Cedric Ceballos, Amare Stoudamire, etc. being out during parts of (if not all of) the playoffs and the Suns didn't get any participation ribbons.

You play who you're matched up against, and if they don't stay healthy, you do your best to kick the crap out of them and move on.

Thank you! I could give a flying F about any narratives. Every year these things happen. No teams are fully healthy. It is a war of attrition. Whoever comes out on top at the end is the winner. No ifs, ands, or buts. There is no such thing as asterisks on a championship. Only in losing team fans' minds. And they are long forgotten over the years.

[JeremyG]

I don't care about any narratives.

I've had a lifetime of guys like Alvan Adams, Joe Johnson, Cedric Ceballos, Amare Stoudamire, etc. being out during parts of (if not all of) the playoffs and the Suns didn't get any participation ribbons.

You play who you're matched up against, and if they don't stay healthy, you do your best to kick the crap out of them and move on.

Thank you! I could give a flying F about any narratives. Every year these things happen. No teams are fully healthy. It is a war of attrition. Whoever comes out on top at the end is the winner. No ifs, ands, or buts. There is no such thing as asterisks on a championship. Only in losing team fans' minds. And they are long forgotten over the years.

And the "narrative" is conveniently leaving out the fact that Chris Paul was hurting us more than helping us in much of that Lakers series, and was not his usual self in the WCF until game 6. We were missing our MVP for the first 2 games of the WCF for goodness' sakes. The Clippers could have taken a 2-0 lead on us if they were the better team.

Plus Booker was playing with a broken face (thanks to Beverley) which was clearly affecting him.

The "narrative" pretends like the Suns have had perfect health the entire postseason.

[Cap]

[Superbone]

Now, just need to hear about Young...

[Cap]

[pickle]

I’m probably biased but I find the officiating in this game quite tolerable other than that inexplicable tech on Young. I think the refs are going overboard with trying to control the games.

[pickle]

Young just lost that game for the Hawks.

[Wally_West]

It’s the Bucks…how we feeling about the match up?

[pickle]

Solid to good.

[Superbone]

It’s the Bucks…how we feeling about the match up?

We’ve got this!

[BAMF]

NBA FINALS III
Revenge of the Coin Flip

[Superbone]

NBA FINALS III
Revenge of the Coin Flip

Except there will be no coin flip…just revenge.

[dragickingdom]

Inside the NBA just had Shaq, Chuck, and EJ having the Bucks win and Kenny has the Suns.
I'm wondering if Barkley and Shaq both have sour grapes from both being in the Suns and not able to win it all. Both have huge egos that can't handle someone else able to do it when neither of them could.
Kenny had the best argument the Suns don't make mistakes and you'll have to beat them and he didn't think the Bucks can do it.

[pickle]

Those guys are talking heads. I look forward to the actual games!

One key to this matchup is I think our top 8 are all reasonably useful players at both ends of the court. Booker isn’t the greatest defender but he gives plenty of effort and he has reasonable size, while CP3 is small he uses his cunning to make up for it as much as possible. We don’t have guys we need to hide, and that will go a long way towards wearing them down.

[Superbone]

Inside the NBA just had Shaq, Chuck, and EJ having the Bucks win and Kenny has the Suns.
I'm wondering if Barkley and Shaq both have sour grapes from both being in the Suns and not able to win it all. Both have huge egos that can't handle someone else able to do it when neither of them could.
Kenny had the best argument the Suns don't make mistakes and you'll have to beat them and he didn't think the Bucks can do it.

Shaq will never forgive Steve Nash for winning back-to-back MVPs. He thinks he was slighted.

[Oatmeal]

Inside the NBA just had Shaq, Chuck, and EJ having the Bucks win and Kenny has the Suns.
I'm wondering if Barkley and Shaq both have sour grapes from both being in the Suns and not able to win it all. Both have huge egos that can't handle someone else able to do it when neither of them could.
Kenny had the best argument the Suns don't make mistakes and you'll have to beat them and he didn't think the Bucks can do it.

Shaq will never forgive Steve Nash for winning back-to-back MVPs. He thinks he was slighted.

He probably was. Love Nash, he was never more valuable than Shaq.