Was it an out of bounds play? I’m probably the biggest hater of NBA replay on the planet, so you can take anything I say on the matter with a grain of salt, but I think every non-obvious oob call should just go to whoever had inside position, because if the outside guy makes a move on the ball he’s usually committing a foul anyway.It's a drag. Same as the NCAA tourney. And Portland on its last legs here.
Can't sustain it. Losing now in the thirdTWolves playing at home like the Bucks did yesterday.
Or not...Wolves up 12 after three.Can't sustain it. Losing now in the third
I love Rondo. I love the playoffs. I really love Playoff Rondo. Seriously, for all his faults and epic saltiness, he's such a brilliant and hard-assed floor general, that combined with his unique personality, I just find him to be one of the most interesting guys in a league filled with them.In other news, Playoff Rondo, ladies and gentlemen.
Harden, Paul, Lowry, DeRozan, pre-injury Isaiah.......there are a lot of guards who have historically struggled against the game planning and defensive intensity of a playoff series.is playoff harden a real thing?
Jordan and Woolridge combined for 87 against the Celtics in 86. Or am I misreading you?The combined 88 points Davis and Holiday scored is highest ever in playoff history. Previous high was Baylor and West with 86 in 1962.
guessing it's non-OT game?Jordan and Woolridge combined for 87 against the Celtics in 86. Or am I misreading you?
They're hideousI guess I don't watch enough Jazz basketball, this is the first I am seeing these uniforms....wow
I'm rooting for Utah because they're fun to watch. Neither J or J are doing much to help them though.are we rooting for utah because of Jae?
And jerebeko!
Those uniforms are horrendous.They're hideous
I guess I don't understand you since 88 (Davis and Holiday)) > 87. One thing I'm noticing that I didn't mention is that lists I'm seeing requires each player to score at least 30, though I'm not sure that ultimately makes a difference.Jordan and Woolridge combined for 87 against the Celtics in 86. Or am I misreading you?
They were -11 and -10 respectively in a 13-point win.I'm rooting for Utah because they're fun to watch. Neither J or J are doing much to help them though.
Warriors still have some work to do today, but hypothetically: probably? Jrue gives up 3 inches to Klay, but he’s long, strong and quick, so should be able to hang with him.Do the Pels go Jrue on Klay if Steph is still out?
Trade them the name SaintsAwesome. A Pelicans v Jazz conference finals could really push that issue to a head.
Davis playing defacto Center on offense really shouldn’t impact who he guards on defense. Ben Simmons is the PG for Philadelphia but he mostly guards opposing wings. If New Orleans thinks Davis has the best chance at stopping Durant (and he definitely does) than that is who he will guard.Warriors still have some work to do today, but hypothetically: probably? Jrue gives up 3 inches to Klay, but he’s long, strong and quick, so should be able to hang with him.
Much more problematic (again, hypothetically) is the Durant matchup. KD’s a problem for most teams, but with AD now a full-time C, I don’t see anyone on New Orleans who seems like they could even pretend to defend Durant. Mirotic, I guess? Or Solomon Hill?
Meanwhile (knocking wood) Curry’s apparently progressing well and looks like he may be back for Game 1, or soon thereafter.
But again, the Spurs may not want to go gently into that good night on their home floor (where they’ve been beastly all year), so first things first.
Agreed — I was talking more about the fact that he's also, more importantly, their full-time C on defense. Their current defense is built around his ability to defend the rim; without him patrolling the paint, it risks being a total layup line for the Warriors. JaVale in particular is averaging 22.3 points pr 36 on .765 true shooting this playoffs, after putting up 23.0 on .732 ts in last year's playoffs. It's entirely debatable whether NO can "live with" guarding him with Mirotic and 6'-7" Hill.Davis playing defacto Center on offense really shouldn’t impact who he guards on defense.
The Pelicans can live with Mirotic on McGee; Javale is basically a scrub. Your always good for pulling out stats that make Warrior’s bench players look like all stars though.Agreed — I was talking more about the fact that he's also, more importantly, their full-time C on defense. Their current defense is built around his ability to defend the rim; without him patrolling the paint, it risks being a total layup line for the Warriors. JaVale in particular is averaging 22.3 points pr 36 on .765 true shooting this playoffs, after putting up 23.0 on .732 ts in last year's playoffs. It's entirely debatable whether NO can "live with" guarding him with Mirotic and 6'-7" Hill.
The Warriors are now 18-0 in the playoffs against the western conference with the KD/JaVale combo, the vast majority of those games blowouts, so if NO is able to live with them, I'll tip my cap. (And honestly, if it weren't for the Ws, I'd be all over the Pels, cos I really like AD, Jrue, Rondo, not to mention Warriors-for-life Alvin Gentry and Ian Clark...)
My general sense though is that AD is not really quick enough to be chasing KD around the perimeter all day in the first place. He may end up doing it because of their absence of long, defensively versatile wings, but with KD's passing skills (6.6 assists per 36 in the playoffs so far) it could easily destroy any semblance of defensive integrity for the Pels, especially when Steph returns.
Haha, JaVale's their starting center, last I checked. He can't play big minutes, both because he has occasional issues with asthma and foul trouble, and because Kerr likes to mix it up by going small/switchable for stretches with Looney/Draymond at C. Also, his shock-and-awe style tends to work best in small 15-18 mpg doses. But man, if you think he's been a "scrub" in his limited minutes, you haven't been paying very close attention (or you're trolling?). His huge fingerprints were all over last year's beatdowns of Portland and Utah, and are all over their dominance of the Spurs through three games.Your [sic] always good for pulling out stats that make Warrior’s [sic] bench players look like all stars though.
17 mpg in the playoffs, which is the relevant sample v. NO. On a per minute basis, he's been one of the most productive and efficient bench players in the league over the last couple seasons, including the playoffs. "Everyone in the NBA who doesn't play starters' minutes" doesn't seem like a very useful definition of "scrub," but okay.Somebody that plays under ten minutes per game is not that far removed from being a scrub; yes.
Sorry; I’d argue the 9.5 mpg he played this season is a more relevant sample than four games; particularly considering San Antonio plays big and New Orleans will play more small ball. He’s been a low-impact player for most of his career and has played a couple of decent games; he is still not a particularly good NBA player and is compensated as such.17 mpg in the playoffs, which is the relevant sample v. NO. On a per minute basis, he's been one of the most productive and efficient bench players in the league over the last couple seasons, including the playoffs. "Everyone in the NBA who doesn't play starters' minutes" doesn't seem like a very useful definition of "scrub," but okay.
Anyway, good show Spurs! Not going gentle into that good night. Huge props to the ageless Manu and co.
I gave a clear disclaimer that it was in limited minutes. But if it were that easy to be as productive and efficient on a per minute basis as JaVale is, everyone would do it; and yet very, very few players do. (I’d give you the complete BB-Ref list, but you’d probably mock me for doing so, lol). His early career when he was far less productive and efficient doesn’t make him a “scrub” now, nor does his vet min contract,Sorry; I’d argue the 9.5 mpg he played this season is a more relevant sample than four games; particularly considering San Antonio plays big and New Orleans will play more small ball. He’s been a low-impact player for most of his career and has played a couple of decent games; he is still not a particularly good NBA player and is compensated as such.
My original point is that McGee is not someone New Orleans is going to worry about on offense; and they can get away with Mirotic playing him because he isn’t going to be able to take advantage of a mismatch the way Durant would on a smaller defender.
You know, when I made the original post about Davis being the logical option to guard Durant, I joked to myself that you would jump into a counterpoint that New Orleans has to worry about Javale, and of course, here we are. Do you ever feel ridiculous when you post the per 36 numbers like that? Like you know they are not really relevant when someone plays 10 minutes, right?
KD scored 41 points in 35 minutes on 16-26 fg that game, which may partially support Kliq’s plan to put AD on him (a bit more, anyway), but may also support my original claim that he’s a massive matchup problem for them — even more so than for Utah, OKC or Houston, who at least have long wing defenders in PG, Brewer, Ariza, LMaM, Ingles et al. to bother him while the big men anchor the interior.Those teams did play a few weeks ago without Cousins, and AD rarely guarded Durant. Yes, KD got his, but Davis had a big game, and the Pels snapped an 11-game losing streak against GSW. I'd be surprised if they didn't start out the series at least the same way.
If the Warriors get by San Antonio, of course.
I agree that taking Davis away from the paint is a big factor in how well their defense is going to perform.I gave a clear disclaimer that it was in limited minutes. But if it were that easy to be as productive and efficient on a per minute basis as JaVale is, everyone would do it; and yet very, very few players do. (I’d give you the complete BB-Ref list, but you’d probably mock me for doing so, lol). His early career when he was far less productive and efficient doesn’t make him a “scrub” now, nor does his vet min contract,
In the context of the Pels series, I also noted that JaVale is one of the problems — not the only one — that the Pels would have to deal with AD spending most of his time out on the perimeter. The layup line of rim runners could also include Klay, Andre, Shaun, Draymond, Looney, et al. Basically, I disagree with your central point that they can “live with” AD guarding Durant full-time. I think they’ll need to keep AD at home in the paint a lot of the time if they don’t want to get wrecked defensively. Am I allowed to disagree with you without all the personal shots?
Initially I agreed with you. But he did stick his leg out. It wasn't a great call, but it wasn't a travesty, either. Beal's got 5 fouls, he can't trip someone rolling into him.What a horrible call to foul Beal out.
I think so too, but he did stick his leg out.What a horrible call to foul Beal out.
I don't think he intentionally stuck his leg out. DeRozan(I think it was him) initiated the contact and to me they got tangled up inadvertently.Initially I agreed with you. But he did stick his leg out. It wasn't a great call, but it wasn't a travesty, either. Beal's got 5 fouls, he can't trip someone rolling into him.
Agreed on DeRozan initiating, but I think Beal definitely kept his leg extended. He didn't stick it out because it was already stuck out, so it was still a trip. In my opinion, of course.I don't think he intentionally stuck his leg out. DeRozan(I think it was him) initiated the contact and to me they got tangled up inadvertently.