2022 NBA Playoffs Gamethread
- Thread starter JohnnyTheBone
- Start date
Morant has a super egregious carry every time he stutter steps during a drive to the hoop. Everyone else sees that, right?
I think a lot of it has to do with him being supremely confident with his left hand.. is he ambidextrous?
Yeah, I think the Warriors will win because Steph and Klay aren't going to be this bad from three the rest of the series. But, IMO Ja is the best player on the court and you can win a lot of series by having the best player on the court.
Which scorer doesn’t do this when launching into a drive? They call carries very loosely, right or wrong.
Yeah, yeah, travels and carries are loosely enforced. I get it. But I mean, I watch the NBA. I don't see anyone doing what he does every possession.
"Ja Morant is the 3rd player in NBA history to have multiple 45-point games in the playoffs before turning 23 years old, joining LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. "
View: https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1521704006892113920
View: https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1521704006892113920
I mean, if you’re saying it’s a carry if you dribble, then stop and put your hand under the ball and hold it by your shoulder for a beat, then rotate your hand so it’s on top of the ball and dribble again...then sure it is a carry.
Just like how Memphis was unfortunate to have not won Game 1, after Draymond was ejected and getting a career-game from JJJ; Golden State is unfortunate to not win Game 2. Bane is banged up, JJJ crashes back to earth, Brooks ejected after a few minutes; but Ja puts Memphis on his back. Should be a great series.
Dillion Brooks, fake NBA tough guy routine is boring, completely wound up. Deserved the ejection.
That's a shame, really like GP2, hope to see him in Green next season.
Less than 1% chance of happening, but who says no to a Wiggins for Gobert swap? GSW probably says no, contract and all. Can't help but feel Rudy would erase all those Ja rim attacks
That's a shame, really like GP2, hope to see him in Green next season.
Less than 1% chance of happening, but who says no to a Wiggins for Gobert swap? GSW probably says no, contract and all. Can't help but feel Rudy would erase all those Ja rim attacks
WRT the Brooks play on Payton, I'm with the TNT studio guy [can't remember who said it] - I don't think there was any intent to injure specifically, it was more inexperience/adrenaline from the playoffs that caused the foul to occur that way. "No layups" sentiment is fine, but there is a better way to do it. It's obvious to say it was dangerous, and a foul that doesn't belong in the league. You can't be in the NBA without knowing the guy receiving it is going to get absolutely thumped at a minimum, and therefore, if someone in my circle calls it dirty I'm not going to say much. It wouldn't surprise me to see Brooks suspended, though I don't think he should be.
Here's the thing though - I don't think that foul occurs (that way?) if Draymond Green doesn't do what he did the game before. Green was setting the tone, trying to intimidate - telling Memphis "you aren't getting anything easy, we are going to hit you, claw at you, whatever it takes, stay out of the paint, etc.". Green is a master at making an intentional, dirty, or messaging play look accidental (how many pokes in the eye does he deliver over the course of a season?). Green did his late in a close game, there was no opportunity for a response in kind. The Brooks play was a returned message. The message had to be returned, or Memphis was going to get pushed around all series. It should have been done in a more safe way of course.
So I've got an issue with Kerr allowing his mercenary to run amok over the league for years (in a time where the NBA doesn't want that sort of play) and then calling out another team because they tried to respond in kind and simply didn't do it with as much finesse as his guy did. It's hypocritical for him to not rein Green in, and then act all virtuous when his guy is on the receiving end. To be clear, if he had simply said "that's the type of unnecessary play the NBA is trying to take out of the game" I'd be fine with it. But for Kerr as Greens coach to be reaching right for "dirty" (like he also did with Smart) is what gets my hackles up.
Here's the thing though - I don't think that foul occurs (that way?) if Draymond Green doesn't do what he did the game before. Green was setting the tone, trying to intimidate - telling Memphis "you aren't getting anything easy, we are going to hit you, claw at you, whatever it takes, stay out of the paint, etc.". Green is a master at making an intentional, dirty, or messaging play look accidental (how many pokes in the eye does he deliver over the course of a season?). Green did his late in a close game, there was no opportunity for a response in kind. The Brooks play was a returned message. The message had to be returned, or Memphis was going to get pushed around all series. It should have been done in a more safe way of course.
So I've got an issue with Kerr allowing his mercenary to run amok over the league for years (in a time where the NBA doesn't want that sort of play) and then calling out another team because they tried to respond in kind and simply didn't do it with as much finesse as his guy did. It's hypocritical for him to not rein Green in, and then act all virtuous when his guy is on the receiving end. To be clear, if he had simply said "that's the type of unnecessary play the NBA is trying to take out of the game" I'd be fine with it. But for Kerr as Greens coach to be reaching right for "dirty" (like he also did with Smart) is what gets my hackles up.
Yeah, I didn't see it as dirty or intentionally hard but the look isn't great for sure.
I do think Kerr has a disappointing track record of both calling other teams 'dirty' and defending Draymond, who is among if not the dirtiest player in the league. I get he should defend his guys, what I'm saying is he's tops on the 'hypocrisy' scale even above Miami...he could just tone it down on other teams and it'd be fine.
But that doesn't change that it's a major bummer for GS to lose GP2, and that losing a guy on a hard foul is never a good look.
I do think Kerr has a disappointing track record of both calling other teams 'dirty' and defending Draymond, who is among if not the dirtiest player in the league. I get he should defend his guys, what I'm saying is he's tops on the 'hypocrisy' scale even above Miami...he could just tone it down on other teams and it'd be fine.
But that doesn't change that it's a major bummer for GS to lose GP2, and that losing a guy on a hard foul is never a good look.
I have no problem with Kerr calling out the other team while also sticking up for his players. He isn't supposed to be an impartial evaluator of these kinds of things; he is supposed to defend his player and team, while also trying to work some leverage in to try and hamper his opponents. This is all part of the gamesmanship of the NBA playoffs, and Kerr is very experienced at it. Phil Jackson used to do this stuff all the time and it would be annoying if you were playing him in a series, but it was always a savvy move. Red Auerbach was by all accounts, the king of it.
My feel on Kerr is this:
1. Almost nobody calls out their own guys for being dirty, BUT.. Kerr never even does the "we have to play more under control" thing which is the accepted coach code for "yeah my guy fucked up"
2. Kerr has a quick trigger to call any play where his guy gets hurt dirty, far more quickly than most coaches.
On the other hand... coming in hard to the body on a guy who is in the air has been pretty much legislated out by both the league and a general agreement of the players. Even a little hand to the back on a breakaway once the guy is in the air is a no-no within player circles, a full on arm swing hard contact through the body like Brooks did is very dirty by NBA player standards.
1. Almost nobody calls out their own guys for being dirty, BUT.. Kerr never even does the "we have to play more under control" thing which is the accepted coach code for "yeah my guy fucked up"
2. Kerr has a quick trigger to call any play where his guy gets hurt dirty, far more quickly than most coaches.
On the other hand... coming in hard to the body on a guy who is in the air has been pretty much legislated out by both the league and a general agreement of the players. Even a little hand to the back on a breakaway once the guy is in the air is a no-no within player circles, a full on arm swing hard contact through the body like Brooks did is very dirty by NBA player standards.
Kerr aside, Dillon Brooks has always been a bit of a thug and a fraud. This is my favorite moment from his college highlight reel…
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JaqGtuxfLbY
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JaqGtuxfLbY
It's funny, Coach K came under a lot of scrutiny for talking to Brooks after the 2016 Sweet 16 game (and probably rightfully so - he wasn't Brooks' coach) - but what got lost in the shuffle was that Brooks is a dirty player.
I just posted about it. It was after the game that K pulled him aside. But watching videos of it, I think it was because took a 3 up by 11 with 8 seconds left, and not some dirty play.
I don’t really have a problem with Green (or Kyrie) flipping off the fans.
I do have a problem with this comment:
“And I'm assuming the cheers was because they know I'll get fined. Great. I make $25 million a year. I should be just fine.”
https://sports.yahoo.com/draymond-green-flipping-off-grizzlies-120318871.html
Horrible. Just shut up.
edit - I am still rooting for GSW in the west but between Green’s comments and Kerr’s Maddonesque unwritten rules preachiness they are making it tough.
I do have a problem with this comment:
“And I'm assuming the cheers was because they know I'll get fined. Great. I make $25 million a year. I should be just fine.”
https://sports.yahoo.com/draymond-green-flipping-off-grizzlies-120318871.html
Horrible. Just shut up.
edit - I am still rooting for GSW in the west but between Green’s comments and Kerr’s Maddonesque unwritten rules preachiness they are making it tough.
I posted it at the time of the foul, but I think Memphis is a better team without Dillon Brooks right now.
If Brooks doesn't get ejected, Ja Morant loses probably 5-10 shot attempts last night. I've watched a dozen or so games where Ja is just taking over a game, and all of a sudden, the ball gets into Brooks' hands and stops and he starts trying to think he's Ja on offense. I don't know enough about Brooks' defense to say whether or not it makes up for it, but Dillon Brooks thinks he's Jaylen Brown offensively, and he's not. He's a role player that thinks he's the 2nd best offensive player on his team, when in reality, on most nights, Bane, Morant and JJJ should all be taking more shots than he does. Dude averaged 16.4fga/game, and shot 43.2% from the field, and 30.9% from deep.
Brooks getting ejected early was a blessing in disguise for Ja and Memphis, IMO.
The incident would have probably blown over if K hadn’t decide to lie about it ever happening to the press, despite knowing the whole thing was on video. Brooks on the other hand apologized to K directly and to the media.
Yes there is a clear rule on what is and isn’t a carry. He was called for one the other night when the ball came to a rotation pause with his hand resting under it but for the most part his handle is so quick to at the rotation never comes to a complete pause to trigger the violation.
Philly is painful to watch
Hoping Embiid can come back and make this a series
Otherwise, Miami will have had a bye for 2 rounds
Hoping Embiid can come back and make this a series
Otherwise, Miami will have had a bye for 2 rounds
I don't get this ad...Why is this guy driving 60 mph on a beach collecting trash with a rake that could just as likely grab a turtle that he's supposedly protecting I guess? Is there a reason he has to be in such a hurry to collect this trash and can't just.. i dunno.. pick it up by hand given he's in a turtle breeding area?
Maybe that’s a good thing? If the Celts get there they’ll be much more battle tested. Silver linings?!
Fun game between the Suns and Mavs. Luka is so good offensively (26 points and 6 assists on 15 shots just 3 minutes into the 3rd quarter) but he is SO SO bad defensively. He occasionally flashes quick hands defensively (similar to prime Harden), but anyone and everyone goes around him with the tiniest bit of effort.
The narrative of "Chris Paul is great, but fades when it really matters"... might have to be retired.
Better than when Jae Crowder was cooking him. At least Paul is a future HOF'er.
Booker and Paul combine for 23 4th quarter points, and both are out of the game with 4 minutes left. Dallas is in deep trouble going forward.
I didn't watch but when you score 35 and give up POINTZ does that still make you a TOP5 player?
file Luka's defense in the 85% bucket, #defensedoesn'tmatter
file Luka's defense in the 85% bucket, #defensedoesn'tmatter
View: https://twitter.com/haralabob/status/1522077205748084738?s=20&t=_jD6YjgLQn_KHBHjvODQFw
So looks like defensively, Doncic gave up 86 points?
So looks like defensively, Doncic gave up 86 points?