NBA 2014-2015 Game Thread

Tony C

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
 
...That said, he constantly talks at refs, opposing players and even his own coaches so I can see how he might irritate people.  But I cannot agree at all that he is an asshole.  He is loud but I think he is a good sport.  He isn't perfect but I wouldn't characterize him as a jerk at all.  
 
And frankly the same can be said for Matt Barnes.   I am not sure what that guy does wrong - he is the quintessential NBA lunch-pail guy who took a limited skill set, worked hard and carved a credible career out of hard work and hustle.  ...
 
I used the word "asshole," but I obviously didn't mean it literally. For all I know they are both saints off the court and Barnes, I know, has been dealing with a difficult family situtation this year (and has the cutest son who looks a lot like him). Ass-hole in the offhand "instigator jerk on the court" sort of way...not only does every team have one, every team needs one. Which is why digging down deep into how your rival's team is somehow the worst is usually if not always just seeing things through partisan glasses.
 
If CP3 was in a Dubs uni you'd love him, in other words. It's about nothing more than the laundry...
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Kliq said:
The Jazz/Timberwolves game has been great for one reason: Rudy Gobert vs Andrew Wiggins
 
Wiggins crushed Gobert twice already, but Gobert hung in there and got a huge stuff at the rim:
http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/3/30/8317097/andrew-wiggins-rudy-gobert-dunk-block-raptors-jazz-omg-this-is-awesome#ooid=8yMHI5dDpA48PbJJPOmVsloKZSRcDPpu
 
I love how they went after each other.  The Stifel Tower is a beast but Wiggins is going to be all that he was built up to be...
 

Kliq

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Simmons said it best in his podcast "Flip Saunders traded Kevin Love for Andrew Wiggins, so he is allowed to make 15 bad trades and nobody can say anything."
 

Jed Zeppelin

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The Hawks top 9 all played exactly 24 minutes tonight in a loss to the Pistons. C's don't have the benefit of playing against them while they coast to the finish line.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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You can call me a homer but I stand by my statement earlier - the Clippers are a miserable collection of very good basketball players. I would be bummed out rooting for this team.
 

ElUno20

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Great game last night. Blake could have used a little bit of help but the warriors D was solid in the 2nd half.
 

ElUno20

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
You can call me a homer but I stand by my statement earlier - the Clippers are a miserable collection of very good basketball players. I would be bummed out rooting for this team.
What exactly stood out about last night? I'm not trolling, i just watched every second of that game and don't know what happened that wasn't normal nba players whining you'd see in every other nba arena.
 

ElUno20

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
 
That said, the Clips always seem to be joyless and as much as I love Doc (again, I am a Dubs band-wagoner since the We Believe team back in '07 but a C's fan for a lot longer), his DocFace (tm) can be a bit tiresome at times.  I feel for guys like you because if you are Clippers fan, you deserve a team to love after everything you've put up with over the years.
While they annoy the shit out of me, i saw years and years and years and years...of horrible, inept basketball. I could care less if they ran the grand wizard out there, winning basketball games and losing in the 1st or 2nd round is infinitely better than an annual lottery watch
 

Tony C

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ElUno20 said:
What exactly stood out about last night? I'm not trolling, i just watched every second of that game and don't know what happened that wasn't normal nba players whining you'd see in every other nba arena.
 
It's just partisan stuff. Steph Curry was whining more than anyone on the floor last night -- doesn't override his sick move on CP3, though, any more than a CP3 scowl means anyone but the hyped up hyper partisan fan can't enjoy his play.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Isn't it funny how the winning teams whine and the losing teams don't? When you are competing for the playoffs and championships players tend to care much more than simply playing out the string to their summer vacation.

Caring = Passion = Competing = Reacting more to questionable calls.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Tony C said:
 
It's just partisan stuff. Steph Curry was whining more than anyone on the floor last night -- doesn't override his sick move on CP3, though, any more than a CP3 scowl means anyone but the hyped up hyper partisan fan can't enjoy his play.
Stop. Its not partisan - I think Paul, Griffin and Jordan are all excellent players. And to be clear I said nothing about whining. The Clips just look to me like they hate playing with one another. Hell Utah, the 76ers and TWolves all look like they enjoy basketball more than LAC and yet none of those teams are going to make the dance.

I would submit that you are being as much if not more "partisan" than me in your defense of Paul et al.

And I totally get it from El Uno's perspective - but I think Clips fans deserve even more after the shit they have put up with over the years.
 

Cellar-Door

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Rondo had probably his best game as a Mav. Locked up Westbrook and was productive on offense
 

Kliq

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41-17-5 with 4 steals tonight from CP3. He had one turnover.
 

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Kliq said:
41-17-5 with 4 steals tonight from CP3. He had one turnover.
If memory serves me well CP3 had his way with Lillard the last couple times they matched up as well.
 

DJnVa

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Westbrook had another triple-double last night.
 
They were talking on ESPN Radio this morning about how Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double one year and they had numbers that said it you adjust Westbrook's numbers for the pace of play in Robertson's time and for the minutes Robertson played, Westbrook's numbers would be something like 41/12/15
 

The Social Chair

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DrewDawg said:
Westbrook had another triple-double last night.
 
They were talking on ESPN Radio this morning about how Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double one year and they had numbers that said it you adjust Westbrook's numbers for the pace of play in Robertson's time and for the minutes Robertson played, Westbrook's numbers would be something like 41/12/15
 
SI has a really good Westbrook profile and Robertson is effusive in his praise for Westbrook. 
 
http://www.si.com/nba/2015/04/01/russell-westbrook-oklahoma-city-thunder-sports-illustrated
 

jon abbey

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This is why I've been saying all year that GS would prefer not to see SA in the playoffs if possible, SA has even won in GS this season (admittedly it was really early on). 
 

HomeRunBaker

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Curry has just dropped 12 points in about 90 seconds to cut it to 14. Timeout Spurs.
 

Kliq

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The only hole I think GS has is that they don't get to the FT line that much, so when they have games where they are not really stroking it from outside (which is rare of course) they struggle to score. When the good teams know they don't have it, they try to grit out points in the paint and get to the line. GS only went 5-10 from the line, just something to keep an eye on.
 

ifmanis5

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Spurs look like bosses again. And if there's one thing the Clippers can do, it's pound the crap out of the Lakers. Up by 40 in the 4th.
 

Tony C

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Man alive, the 2 through 6 seeds are a total jumble....impossible to guess what the match-ups will be -- hard to believe SA could end up at #2 if they sweep the Rockets. Can't wait to have all that settled, match-ups are going to determine a lot.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Tony C said:
Man alive, the 2 through 6 seeds are a total jumble....impossible to guess what the match-ups will be -- hard to believe SA could end up at #2 if they sweep the Rockets. Can't wait to have all that settled, match-ups are going to determine a lot.
When you factor in a division winner bunched up in the middle for seeding purposes and it gets even less predictable. Crazy.
 

Tony C

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The rules mean that Portland is guaranteed the 4th seed, right? So at least for the 1st round the 5th seed would be desirable unless Portland regains health and mojo. The 2nd seed would be good, too, in that Dallas as a first round match up and missing GS in the 2nd round is preferable.
 

ElUno20

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Well portland has made up their mind.

Whats the scenario where my clipps can avoid the warriors and spurs?
 

theapportioner

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The Maine Red Claws - Fort Wayne Mad Ants playoff game is on one of the ESPN channels. There are like, 200 people in the stadium (including players, coaches, media). 
 

ifmanis5

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Spurs crushing the Thunder tonight. I just love the way they play basketball. Literally a model organization top to bottom. Sure, they were handed Duncan, but I just admire the shit out of everything they do.
 

Kliq

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I got back from work hoping to watch some basketball before I head to bed, and the fucking Lakers are on AGAIN. Every single game they play is miserable to watch. Why doesn't NBA flex these games?
 

jon abbey

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Waiters has got to be the dumbest guy in the league:
 
 
Dion Waiters on the playoff race: "We control our own destiny, they control their own destiny."
 

jon abbey

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Man, you are lucky I can't figure out how to ban people currently or you and your tiny balls would be history already. Consider this a very public warning to stop being a douche, on your first day here, no less. 
 

HomeRunBaker

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Kliq said:
I got back from work hoping to watch some basketball before I head to bed, and the fucking Lakers are on AGAIN. Every single game they play is miserable to watch. Why doesn't NBA flex these games?
Ratings. People actually watch the Lakers as ridiculous as that sounds.
 

HomeRunBaker

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jon abbey said:
Man, you are lucky I can't figure out how to ban people currently or you and your tiny balls would be history already. Consider this a very public warning to stop being a douche, on your first day here, no less. 
Who will have the longer career......

a) Chris Babb as a Celtic
b) GraysonWhatever as a SoSHer

And down the stretch they come!!!!!
 

Grin&MartyBarret

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BigSoxFan said:
The Spurs have quietly won 18 out of their last 21 games. And they're still currently only the 6 seed. The WC is a beast this year.
 
As good as the West's been during the regular season, going into the playoffs it's actually really hard to envision more than 2 teams winning the championship. For a while there Memphis seemed like a good pick, but they've fallen off. The Clippers just seem off and lack the depth necessary. Houston's been surprisingly good, but it's hard to envision them getting through either the Spurs or Golden State, the Blazers without Wes Matthews aren't a real threat, nor is OKC without Durant, and Dallas just isn't very good. 
 
Really, it looks like a two team race between San Antonio and Golden State. There will certainly be tough series involving other teams, but those two are head and shoulders above the rest right now. 
 

Apisith

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The Clippers seem off? They're ridiculously strong, their points differential is one of the best in the league and they're getting Crawford back very soon.
 
Any of Warriors, Spurs, Rockets and Clippers can win it.
 

Tony C

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Yeah, I agree that Memphis and Portland have trailed off into "tough opponent but can't win it all" territory. But crazy to write off the Rockets and Clippers with the way they're closing out the season while, simultaneously, getting healthy. For the Clippers, they've been doing it without Crawford and a key will be if he can round into form over the next few days and the first round of the playoffs. If so, his return and shorter rotations during the playoffs really will help their bench, which is their big problem. Their starting 5 is arguably as good (or close enough, anyway, that they can't be written off in advance) as any in the league, and their top 6 with Crawford included is as well. As Apisith points out, their point differential tells a tale there. Where the Warriors and other clubs blow them out of the water is the crappy bench Doc has built. The Rockets don't have the same point differential, but if Jones and Howard are in form by the time of the playoffs, man that team can beat anyone. Beverley is a defensive loss that will hurt, in particular, against the Warriors (Curry) and Clippers (Paul), but in terms of overall team defense Howard more than makes up for that and then some. And Harden just looks like a guy who is ready to put his playoff blues behind him and go on a run. Their home-and-home series with the Spurs this week will be telling, both in re chances in the playoffs and, more immediately, playoff seeding. A sweep by the Spurs and they'd have a shot to go all the way to the #2 seed.
 
I'm chomping at the bit for the playoffs to start. The Griz-Clips game later this week should be key in terms of seeding. If the Griz lose it's likely they fall from #3 to #6 in the seedings, and would set up a Griz-Clips playoff series that would be a death match. Of course, the Spurs could easily grab that #3 seed, too, even if they don't sweep the Rockets. Who knows, will all play out in the wash.
 
Interesting, as well, that the Pelicans are now in the 8th slot. If they can hold on to it, be fun to watch Davis vs the Dubs -- not that they'll stand a chance to win, but I'd love to see what Davis does, anyway.
 

Grin&MartyBarret

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Apisith said:
The Clippers seem off? They're ridiculously strong, their points differential is one of the best in the league and they're getting Crawford back very soon.
 
Any of Warriors, Spurs, Rockets and Clippers can win it.
 
Their defense doesn't strike me as a championship level defense, and their offense hasn't been elite against good teams. In 4 games against Golden State this year, the Clippers points per 100 possessions fell from their season average of 110 to 100. Their numbers against the Spurs are better, but the Spurs really didn't "flip the switch" until the last month or so. Could very well be wrong, but I don't think LAC is on the same level as SA/GS right now. 
 
I also don't think the Rockets have much of a chance. They're a smart team who has maximized the value of their roster, but in crunch time teams are going force anybody but Harden to beat them and I just don't see who is going to step up and become a reliable second scoring option for them. Further, Beverley's injury is going to kill them when it comes to matching up with Curry, Parker, Paul, etc.