'21-'22 NBA Playoffs Games/Series

[bajanguy008]

[Wally_West]

Yeesh

[Wally_West]

…

[Flagrant Fowl]

I was busy during the second half but sat down to watch the last 2 minutes. I thought Russell must've fouled out when I didn't see him on the court to close the game. Turns out he didn't foul out, he's just completely unreliable in the clutch like his buddy KAT.

[BKinSJC]

KAT doing so many things to kill his own team in the clutch. Bad shots, bad passes, dumb flagrant foul. Finch almost sat his ass for Greg Monroe.

He did sit D'Angelo Russell for essentially all of crunch time. Not great that their two max-level guys both played so poorly down the stretch - and Russell was really pretty bad for the whole series.

I'm glad that the whole "get Book's friends together and make a superteam in Phoenix" thing never happened. I think there's a real possibility that it would have been a disaster.

[virtual9mm]

Glad we got Book to develop in his own way. Unselfish Mamba is pretty awesome.

[Mori Chu]

Wolves were a fun end-of-season story, but boy are they stupid. Their best players routinely make stupid decisions that cost them leads and lost them games. I would imagine it must be super frustrating to be a Wolves fan and watch your team blow it over and over, but maybe they're just happy to be back in the playoffs at all. KAT and DAR are both knuckleheads, and KAT especially made some really questionable decisions late in games. That video you posted summarizes it nicely. I remember the last clip in the video, him taking a 3 from 10 feet behind the line with 18 seconds left on the shot clock. I was like, what is this guy thinking? KAT has been in the league long enough that he should know better than that, and it's hard to unlearn stupid decision-making like that at this point in his career. To me he just feels like a player who isn't conducive to winning basketball. I'm so glad we didn't trade Ayton for him.

[Superbone]

Wolves were a fun end-of-season story, but boy are they stupid. Their best players routinely make stupid decisions that cost them leads and lost them games. I would imagine it must be super frustrating to be a Wolves fan and watch your team blow it over and over, but maybe they're just happy to be back in the playoffs at all. KAT and DAR are both knuckleheads, and KAT especially made some really questionable decisions late in games. That video you posted summarizes it nicely. I remember the last clip in the video, him taking a 3 from 10 feet behind the line with 18 seconds left on the shot clock. I was like, what is this guy thinking? KAT has been in the league long enough that he should know better than that, and it's hard to unlearn stupid decision-making like that at this point in his career. To me he just feels like a player who isn't conducive to winning basketball. I'm so glad we didn't trade Ayton for him.

I wouldn't expect anything different from a Pat Bev led team.

[LazarusLong]

I think it was Barkley on TNT who said something to the effect that Minnesota was the dumbest team in the playoffs.
Towns shooting (and missing badly) a deep three with about a minute left in a close game is an example of that.

[Mori Chu]

I wouldn't expect anything different from a Pat Bev led team.

It sure was sweet to see Pat Bev booted out of the playoffs after just one round. Have a great summer, Beverley!

[iLLmatic]

I'm not sure I'd make that DA for KAT trade anymore.

[iLLmatic]

Those jump shots he was taking were really stupid. Either they're a poorly coached team or they have some really bad habits they need to iron out. Either way, they're still a pretty young team so perhaps this series was a learning lesson for them.

[specialsauce]

I'm not sure I'd make that DA for KAT trade anymore.

I’m sure that I wouldn’t. Especially because DA is already getting traded for Lebron

[Aztec Sunsfan]

I wouldn't expect anything different from a Pat Bev led team.

It sure was sweet to see Pat Bev booted out of the playoffs after just one round. Have a great summer, Beverley!

Guys like Beverley, overcome his lack of almost everything and survive on the league by playing all out with a huge chip on their shoulders. They feel overlooked by the opponent, specially the stars and try to “show them”, so coaches usually use them to pest a key opponent player out of their comfort zone.

But once they found some success, even referees bail them out with deep BS, because we all like to root for the little guy. At this point, they start to believe they are a truly important player, and start doing things out of their range, like deep threes and crazy drives to the basket. What was unexpected becomes gold for the opponent, who will always prefer Beverley having the ball instead of Edwards. We had Tucker following that path a few years ago, going heroball, remember?

For all the noise Alvarado got, he still was a net negative on game six. The perfect game by Paul dropped premature comments about him being a Paul stopper, and that “he now knows my name” declaration sum it all up. Poor guy wants to be recognized, but guess what, you are one of perhaps 200 guys on Paul’s career trying to make him look bad, but he will forget your name long before next Monday, and the Dallas series tip off. Everybody on the Suns skipped saluting Alvarado, because he didn’t earn any respect, he played dirty and as soon as the referees started calling it fair, he had nothing else to show.

A Beverley led team, it’s doomed to follow collectively the very same arc of overachieving, surprising people, overplay his hand, forcing heroic moments that really were dumb choices, then finally, falling way short, defeated and bait by teams playing smart instead of “passionate”

As simple as telling them “yeah, lucky shot, I bet you can’t hit two threes in a row”. They will step out of the game plan, just to show you. Would not be surprised if something like this happened to KAT, an All Star dwarfed into a big Beverley.

[virtual9mm]

I wouldn't expect anything different from a Pat Bev led team.

It sure was sweet to see Pat Bev booted out of the playoffs after just one round. Have a great summer, Beverley!

Guys like Beverley, overcome his lack of almost everything and survive on the league by playing all out with a huge chip on their shoulders. They feel overlooked by the opponent, specially the stars and try to “show them”, so coaches usually use them to pest a key opponent player out of their comfort zone.

But once they found some success, even referees bail them out with deep BS, because we all like to root for the little guy. At this point, they start to believe they are a truly important player, and start doing things out of their range, like deep threes and crazy drives to the basket. What was unexpected becomes gold for the opponent, who will always prefer Beverley having the ball instead of Edwards. We had Tucker following that path a few years ago, going heroball, remember?

For all the noise Alvarado got, he still was a net negative on game six. The perfect game by Paul dropped premature comments about him being a Paul stopper, and that “he now knows my name” declaration sum it all up. Poor guy wants to be recognized, but guess what, you are one of perhaps 200 guys on Paul’s career trying to make him look bad, but he will forget your name long before next Monday, and the Dallas series tip off. Everybody on the Suns skipped saluting Alvarado, because he didn’t earn any respect, he played dirty and as soon as the referees started calling it fair, he had nothing else to show.

A Beverley led team, it’s doomed to follow collectively the very same arc of overachieving, surprising people, overplay his hand, forcing heroic moments that really were dumb choices, then finally, falling way short, defeated and bait by teams playing smart instead of “passionate”

As simple as telling them “yeah, lucky shot, I bet you can’t hit two threes in a row”. They will step out of the game plan, just to show you. Would not be surprised if something like this happened to KAT, an All Star dwarfed into a big Beverley.

Incredibly insightful post, thank you.

[AmareIsGod]

I'm not sure I'd make that DA for KAT trade anymore.

Anymore? The fact that it was considered before this postseason is mind boggling.

[TOO]

CP3, Book, and Monty would whip KAT into shape just like they did with Ayton. Minnesota has no idea how to win or close games out, Suns do, ill make that trade all day personally.

[Split T]

Ayton has shown enough that I’d hesitate on that trade now. Ayton is a better defensive player and slightly more efficient, but KAT is much more advanced as an offensive player right now. With CP3 and Book it’s not super critical, but I do think having another offensive player that can get their own shot would help. He’d make more sense post-CP3 if Ayton doesn’t advance as a self creator.

[Indy]

I'm not sure I'd make that DA for KAT trade anymore.

Anymore? The fact that it was considered before this postseason is mind boggling.

Spivey-->Amare--Ayton

[Superbone]

Ayton has shown enough that I’d hesitate on that trade now. Ayton is a better defensive player and slightly more efficient, but KAT is much more advanced as an offensive player right now. With CP3 and Book it’s not super critical, but I do think having another offensive player that can get their own shot would help. He’d make more sense post-CP3 if Ayton doesn’t advance as a self creator.

Plus Ayton is showing more and more offensive moves as his career progresses. It really is true that big men take longer to develop. Ayton is just coming into his own. One thing fans aren't is patient. I was ready to make that trade before but no longer.