2024 Playoffs: Around the League Round 3 (Conf Finals) News Thread

[Gladiator]

I've seen the internet try to say Ant has surpassed Luka, no, no he hasn't.

Also watching these 2 teams with their stars, it's so painfully obvious that their stars trust their role players while ours obviously did not.

Except Eubanks for post-ups late in the shot clock!!

[Flagrant Fowl]

Only goofballs would put Edwards over Luka right now. That’s not a slight to Edwards, either.

This type of game is why the Mavs were my Finals pick, but this series is far from over.

[Mori Chu]

I've seen the internet try to say Ant has surpassed Luka, no, no he hasn't.

Also watching these 2 teams with their stars, it's so painfully obvious that their stars trust their role players while ours obviously did not.

This is a really good point. Book and KD need to learn to throw the ball to their role players with confidence. And those role players need to take the shot when they're open without hesitation.

[Flagrant Fowl]

It would really help if Booker and KD were somewhere near the caliber of passer as Luka and Kyrie.

[TOO]

It would really help if Booker and KD were somewhere near the caliber of passer as Luka and Kyrie.

Yeah, it's really disheartening to see Luka complete the same passes KD and Book fail miserably at.

[Drewsprocket]

Luka dagger. Damn.

[Mori Chu]

Wow, Mavs with a huge 3 by Luka with 3 seconds left to beat Minny by one point. They took both games on Minnesota's home court. They go back to Dallas up 2-0, heavily favored to win the series now I'm sure.

[TOO]

Those deadline trades really gave Luka all he needed. Gafford and Lively have outplayed Gobert and they still have the best player in the series. Ant looks like he's running outta steam.

[Mori Chu]

We drafted Deandre Ayton over this guy.

[Flagrant Fowl]

The Suns drafted Deandre Ayton. I'll never get over it.

[TOO]

The Suns drafted Deandre Ayton. I'll never get over it.

When we had his fuckin national team coach. It's the dumbest thing this franchise has ever done.

[Mori Chu]

The shot.

[JeremyG]

Y’all are acting like Ayton never made a game-winning shot to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals.

[Drewsprocket]

Y’all are acting like Ayton never made a game-winning shot to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals.

And here we go…

[Flagrant Fowl]

That’s bait.

[TOO]

That’s bait.

Not if you act like it doesn't exist

[Superbone]

That’s bait.

Not if you act like it doesn't exist

What doesn't exist?

[ShelC]

Not gonna lie, it kinda (really) bothers me that the Mavs are having this much success while we're playing the superstar game and flailing around.

[Split T]

They’re a really good team. Luka has had his issues in the past, but I think it’s clear he’s a top 2-3 player in the league now. I’d probably put him 2 behind Jokic. Kyrie when he doesn’t cause problems is about as good of a 2nd banana as they come. Then they are pretty loaded with good role players(Gafford, Lively, PJ, DJJ, Green, Exum)

[Mori Chu]

They’re a really good team. Luka has had his issues in the past, but I think it’s clear he’s a top 2-3 player in the league now. I’d probably put him 2 behind Jokic. Kyrie when he doesn’t cause problems is about as good of a 2nd banana as they come. Then they are pretty loaded with good role players(Gafford, Lively, PJ, DJJ, Green, Exum)

Have to tip my hat to them. They did what we theoretically have tried to do, but better: get a few offensive superstars ("big 2" or "big 3") and surround them with great 3-and-D role players. Except they picked a "big 2" who both can facilitate as well as score, and they were smarter and more patient about the kind of role players they put around them. It's a much better constructed roster than ours. They deserve the success they're having.