Holiday, Tucker, and Portis are, to use today’s vernacular to describe physically tough, mentally strong players, dogs. Holiday allow the Bucks to get Giannis out of the middle of the floor as the primary initiator. He also can lockdown on 1-3. Forbes is a long range sniper off the bench. I really like this year’s version of the Bucks
Yes, you're right. But Atlanta took control of the game right back and never relinquished it.
They don't know. It was apparently a crash of some sort - he was found lying in the middle of the road - but authorities do not believe a car was involved. Not sure what else it could be.
Harden and Durant, while younger, couldn't win together with Russ and Ibaka. I still have hope.
Weird to say, but the Bucks are a little under the radar, at least compared to the past couple of years. I like their chances against the Nets quite a bit.
It would be a typical 76ers heartbreak to have former Sixers guard Jrue Holliday kill their title chances. IIRC, he was the first asset traded when Hinkie came aboard. I think they got a chance to draft Michael Carter-Williams in that transaction.
I do, too. Seen the Celtics do this too many times in my life. They turn a series around in Boston and then the other team turns to jelly. Ideally, get it to Game 7. I just don’t see much toughness in the Nets.
Yup. Maybe Jordan gets more run in later series, but this Nets team is super soft in the middle. This Celtics team even at full strength would have had a real hard time, but either the Bucks (Giannis) or Sixers (Embiid) are capable of absolutely dominating the paint against this team. For Boston to have a chance their greatest hope isn't Tatum scoring 50 again (although that helps), it's Thompson/Williams dominating inside and on the boards.
The Sixers traded Holliday for two 1st round picks, which were used to select Nerlens Noel and Elfrid Payton. Payton was then dealt in a draft night trade for Dario Saric and another 1st, which eventually yielded Landry Shamet.
Thanks. I’ll still take Jrue but the 76ers are doing fine without him. When the Bucks got Jrue, I could see this coming. Bucks-76ers in ECF.
Yup. I remember people killing New Orleans for passing up a chance to pair Noel with Davis.
I remember when people were seriously considering trading our #3 (ended up JB) for Saric and Noel (seperate possible trades). Good times.
Nobody expected Jrue to play into his 30s. Not many NBA guards do, except the great ones. Where do you guys place him among the current guards still competing in these playoffs?
Is that true of taller PGs too? Although I'm guessing it's true of most NBA players, except the great ones.
I’m not sure I agree with that sentiment. Jrue isn’t your sub-6 ft PG who ages poorly either by losing a step due to age or from injuries derived from having to play at Max effort for all those years.
Jrue had knee problems in his first two seasons with New Orleans that cost him a lot of playing time but he fought through. Still only 30. I never thought he would get past the early health issues.
They are stacked with so much young talent. It'll be a shame if Collins just walks rather than Atlanta consolidate their talent.
I was going to say probably since they were in St. Louis? They've never been sexy in my Atlanta-supporting lifetime.
I'm not convinced he's essential to this team. Not sure how else his spot in the team could be filled, though.
He's also missed a lot of them today. But he's never short of confidence to keep trying.
I'm not either but losing him for nothing hurts. With normal growth from a lot of their youth, they probably won't even miss Collins much when it comes to overall record. They might even be better. That doesn't mean they wouldn't have been even better with Collins or assets acquired for Collins.
While the Hawks seemingly were fine allowing Collins to sign a Max elsewhere when this was a sub-.500 team it is very possible that positions have changed now that this group is showing potential under Nate. As an armshair GM this is precisely my position.
Yup, try-hard teams with no offensive talent look a lot worse when everyone else is trying hard.
