I mean, it's weird but LeBron adjusting to running uphill on the stairs like that reminds you just how superhuman athletic these guys are, in a non-basketball specific way. Incredible.
2023 NBA Playoffs
- Thread starter BaseballJones
- Start date
Really? I think it's a great game, some high level playmaking both ways. AD putting on a dominant defensive clinic.
Lakers led the league in FTA and the Warriors were last. That said, its hard to argue with the thought that LeBron and his teammates get a favorable whistle.
He's on an ironman streak. Hasn't been injured in this calendar year. Unreal.
Lakers have had two runs totaling 30-8 in just over 4 minutes of game time. Truly a game of runs.
And also rushing, low IQ pressing, turnover-heavy hoops from GS all night, atypically so.
And also rushing, low IQ pressing, turnover-heavy hoops from GS all night, atypically so.
Are these Lakers going to go to the NBA Finals?
I don’t see the Warriors beating them three times over the next four games.
I’ve had my money on Denver, but can they handle LeBron and a healthy AD?
I don’t see the Warriors beating them three times over the next four games.
I’ve had my money on Denver, but can they handle LeBron and a healthy AD?
The Lakers D has been decent but the story of the game is really the FT disparity and the Dubs getting nothing out of their others (Poole).
healthy AD is maybe the best defensive player in the league and he is looking real feisty
They have been the best team in the WC since the deadline. If they can handle this Warrior matchup I don't see why they can't handle the Nuggets fairly easily.
Beaten to it but firm agree. Winner of this wins the West and fairly handily.
You can thank the Jazz and Wild for this disaster. They should have let LA sink with Westbrook.
folks think the lakers ft advantage is some kinda ref thing but... these are all easy fouls to me
Warriors are playing beyond lazy defense.. feels like a lot of the FTs have actually been legit.
And on the other end they really haven't been going all that strong to the hoop. Their big men have been invisible tonite...other than that one monster dunk of course.
I haven't seen all that many that were close to questionable... and most of the Warriors shots are fallaways or threes.
Reeves and Eli Manning could do an hours long podcast about haircuts and what they say about a person.
Did the refs seriously just call 5 fouls on the Lakers in a minute to "even it up" in garbage time? Some things never change.
Maybe, but they aren't gonna get it. The bigger the moment, the less important he becomes because he can't be on the court with Curry when it really counts. It's frustrating that the Warriors were able to win again despite hanging onto all their shitty young "talent."
I love Poole's offensive game and he is showing overall improvement (TS for example) but he feels like in addition to improving his consistency, he needs to mature emotionally. I watch a lot of Dubs basketball and he seems to wear his heart on his sleeve. Its like he sags when things aren't going his way and his defense, such that it is, goes away.
Part of it is also that the Warriors have been beyond awful on the road this year.
I do also really dislike the Lakers, but after watching SAS on the pregame saying how Curry is better than Bird, I am not too unhappy watching tonight's game.
Would it surprise anyone if Golden State won Game 4 by double digits and this is just how this series will go until Game 7?
sports fandom has evolved to be so much more rational in the past few decades but somehow so many baksetball fans haven let go of this unspoken premise that all teams generate and draw fouls at identical rates and differences can only be explained by referees being bad
Where do you place each on your GOAT list? I think most people would feel that Curry has bypassed Bird. I'm obv a huge Larry fan having grown up watching him, he and Magic literally saved the NBA. but I have Curry ahead of him.
I have Magic ahead of Bird and Bird ahead of Curry. I mean I am a Celtics fan so I could overrate Bird. But I think Curry is one of the best shooters ever, but I am not sure his overall game was a good as Larry's. I would think people ranking Curry ahead of Bird either have recency bias or never saw Bird play. I mean even Jalen Rose on the pregame show pushed back on SAS with his Curry take. I also feel pretty good being on the opposite side of SAS.
Edit - I could be wrong and maybe everyone has Curry ahead, but I thought he was still behind Bird on more lists. So if I am wrong, just ignore me.
2nd Edit - Here are some stats - https://stathead.com/basketball/pcm_finder.cgi?player_id2=birdla01&player_id1=curryst01&sum=0&request=1&utm_campaign=2023_01_wdgt_player_comparison&utm_source=bbr&utm_medium=sr_xsite&utm_id=curryst01
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No it's not about being right or wrong I was genuinely curious espeically from a Celtics fan. The fact that you rate Magic ahead of Larry speaks volumes to your lack of bias which is awesome to me. Curry no doubt wasn't the overall player that Bird was but he also is unmatched in certain offensive areas which I rate extremely high. I can see a case for him being in the conversation for GOAT3 behind LeBron and Jordan.
The Athletic's NBA top 75 player rankings from last February had Bird 7th and Curry 15th. The title may have bumped Curry up a bit, but he's got a steep hill to climb to pass Bird in the eyes of those not just looking for hot takes.
Right? I think the level of commentary here is very high, but the insistent pissing and moaning about FT differential is mind-numbingly dumb. Game 2 was unlike games 1 and 3 because - guess what? - the Lakers settled for outside shots. And, coincidence?, the FT differential disappeared. Grand NBA conspiracy or a function of how the games were played? Obviously the latter.
This series is so weird, Curry is a superstar still, LeBron isn't himself but he'll give you a B+ most nights with the occasional A. Anthony Davis plays like a Superstar or a scrub on alternating nights, and Klay is the old version of himself 1 in every 3-5.
That's why we have opinions. There are a shit ton of Steph Goat discussions on how high he belongs and many have him just below the obvious two. Someone joked recently when a commentator called Curry underrated.....if the consensus is that he's 15th I would be of the opinion that this commentary was accurate.
Steph is strange to evaluate, because his primary skill is just so overwhelmingly valuable that you stop caring whether Bird is a better passer or whatever.
Playing against other greats feels like playing basketball against someone who is way better at basketball than you. Playing against Steph feels like encountering a magician who can invoke the Three Point Spell at will from anywhere at any time.
(I don't mean to downplay the rest of Steph's game; he's really good at a lot of things.)
Oh for sure. I am certain that I undervalued him throughout his career until he was injured. I thought it was the team that was great and he was a part of that unit. It wasn't until he returned and really what he did to the Celtics last year once we went up 2-1 that I began to truly appreciate his greatness that goes far beyond shooting.
Curry is a prime candidate for his reputation to regress after he retires. What people focus on now is his ability to stress and break defenses through his shooting and his will to win. What is quantifiable; points assists and 3 point percentages, are great but not otherworldly. For example, his career 3 point percentage is below that of his brother and his coach. (FWIW, Pistol Pete Maravitch’s 3 point percentage in the last three years of his career was in the 600s. He only took a three point shot every 4-5 games.)
If will to win and ability to break down other teams were measurable, then Curry would be in the conversation with Jordan and LeBron (and Bird) for 2nd GOAT after Bill Russell.
Yup. The joy of winning their first title in 15 years (and second in 35+) is more than enough, I don't need the added boost from it coming against the Lakers. The pain of losing to LA is stronger than the joy of beating them, I'll happily take a matchup against Phoenix or Denver where a win is a win and a loss is a loss.
You don't credit him with forcing defenses to gameplan 2-3 high wings that opens up the entire floor for 3-on-2's with Draymond as the receptor and initiator which opens up the floor for all those uncontested 3's? THAT is where his value is aside from being the greatest shooter with the most range ever to play the game.
We have to learn to not live and die with each game during these playoffs. As we know from history, the 7-game series is known for the zig-zags and very few 4 or 5-game series espeically once you get out of the first round. I've seen Warrior fans lose their minds today and I know this board will do same if we continue to lose by double digits. This is the playoffs...everyone here is real good. The G6 and G7's are where we need to be our best as the zig-zag aligns us for that.
All true, but it's still agonizing to come so close today—and have chances to win at the end of regulation and at the end of OT—and come away with the series tied 2-2.
Bush league by the new owner to hold the ball like that but Joker needs to be a little smarter there. Guessing he just thought it was some rando millionaire sitting courtside and not the guy who owns the home team.