2023 NBA Playoffs
- Thread starter BaseballJones
- Start date
Disagree. Joker will dismantle Hachimura in Game 2. No way he accepts getting shut down by a scrub.
In games where teams are regularly cracking 130 points, that isn't as impressive of a statline. Dirty secret about LeBron this year; his counting stats are pretty much even with his career averages, but it's largely a symptom of the increase pace and scoring across the league. If you watch him it's clear he isn't nearly the same kind of dominant force that he was in his prime, even if his counting stats are basically the same.
Yeah he seemed to be in a weird mood for this one.
Reaves is going to get paid.
It’s not so much that Rui shut him down but how Davis played when he was off Jokic. Jokic was back down Rui into a double and getting himself discombobulated. He should play that scrub face up and blow by him then pass when Davis closes.
Winning Game 1 cannot win a 7-game series, especially when you're talking about a team as good as the Nuggets with what should be a 3-time MVP. I guess we fundamentally disagree there.
Yeah, and I didn’t see anything from Aaron Gordon to make me think Davis can’t play free safety.
I dont think this is any kind of secret.
No one talks about him in remotely the same way as they did in his prime.
Dude was terrible tonight, but reasonable expectation that he could have better games in this series.
We can disagree. The Nuggets were 19-22 on the road. They threw a Sunday punch at home in Game 1. To lose after that performance would have been devastating to a team that is facing an assassin in LeBron. I’m glad we won’t find out what impact a loss would have had.
They had him locked into the dunkers spot offensively, which allowed Davis to just camp in the lane and contest. Gotta at least move him around, if not you've got to find someone who can spread the floor. Porter at the 4 solves that but makes you small at the other end.
I'm guessing the answer is no. If Phil Jackson lost game 1, you wouldn't say series over.
This fight might be a little tough to watch so, maybe skip to 2:00. Well, why would you do that? So you can laugh with me. I kept thinking of Jokic giving the exact same answers as Remco after Nugs drown the Lakers. it would be a great interview
View: https://youtu.be/gFGKdCIH7IQ
View: https://youtu.be/gFGKdCIH7IQ
Staple of every Lebron team, going all the way back to when they quit late in his last game in Cleveland the first time against Boston
It's not just Hachimura. It's Hachimura on ball, with AD playing free safety.
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at least JVG basically called him a shill
the NBA replay system really needs fixin', what a time suck, while the Lakers were making a heated comeback
man you guys say some crazy shit with little basis in reality just cause it’s LBJ and teh Lakers. I get it tho.
Rui will not limit Jokic. He’ll drop 40+ on Rui if he needs to. Feel like for LA it’s just about throwing different things at Jokić to do anything they can to slow him down, while preventing everyone else from going off (duh, I guess). Having ADas the last line of defense helps there. Felt like the Nuggets made a ton of jumpers tn, didn’t get a ton at the rim in the half-court. They have great shooters but even guys like that can go cold..
don’t think it’s reasonable for LAL to expect to play any better on offense though. 7 turnovers, 47% from 3, making a ton of jumpers. AD with an efficient 40. They found traction going at Murray as often as possible on D in the 4th, and could probably go at MPJ more. Rui will not continue to make everything- if he’s gonna be out there 30+ minutes LAL needs him to contribute on the offensive glass (only 5 o-rebs for the lakers). I will say Denver’s rim protection is no bueno. If it comes to it I like the idea ofJaylen and JT getting to attack Jokic at the rim instead of Embiid or Adebayo…
can see why both fanbases feel like there are positives to take from this, but Nuggets get the win which is what matters. Rui will not materially change the series. It’s still going to come down to AD trying to slow down the best offensive player in the world.
Rui will not limit Jokic. He’ll drop 40+ on Rui if he needs to. Feel like for LA it’s just about throwing different things at Jokić to do anything they can to slow him down, while preventing everyone else from going off (duh, I guess). Having ADas the last line of defense helps there. Felt like the Nuggets made a ton of jumpers tn, didn’t get a ton at the rim in the half-court. They have great shooters but even guys like that can go cold..
don’t think it’s reasonable for LAL to expect to play any better on offense though. 7 turnovers, 47% from 3, making a ton of jumpers. AD with an efficient 40. They found traction going at Murray as often as possible on D in the 4th, and could probably go at MPJ more. Rui will not continue to make everything- if he’s gonna be out there 30+ minutes LAL needs him to contribute on the offensive glass (only 5 o-rebs for the lakers). I will say Denver’s rim protection is no bueno. If it comes to it I like the idea ofJaylen and JT getting to attack Jokic at the rim instead of Embiid or Adebayo…
can see why both fanbases feel like there are positives to take from this, but Nuggets get the win which is what matters. Rui will not materially change the series. It’s still going to come down to AD trying to slow down the best offensive player in the world.
In a series when you make come up with a tactic that gives your opponent trouble and you still, lose it is tough.You hope the new look wins you a game because the other team will adjust. Denver has 48 hours to figure out what to do, and are up 1-0.
A bigger concern is in looks like good AD is here, and that means the Alkers could roll through to the title.
To be fair to Javie, he has Van Gundy hyperventilating about obvious handchecks not being fouls. A pox on all their houses.
They need to space better. So Gordon can't stand in the dunker's spot or, as Van Gundy said on the broadcast, they can use Gordon as a screener to keep AD out of the paint a little more. Gordon is a good enough 3PT shooter and, perhaps more importantly, is a willing 3PT shooter to keep AD from having two feet in the paint when Joker takes his second or third post dribble.
Had the same thought myself.
On the one hand, the Lakes might have kind of figured something out in the 2nd half.
On the other hand, the Lakers got a great AD game and still lost. How many more of those will they get over the next six games?
Personal take: the game 2 winner will win this series.
Not that they have fine head to head but Jokic has played sooooo much better in these playoffs than Embiid. I know the MVP is a regular season award but there’s still a gap between them…in Jokic’s favor. He’s the real MVP.
The Lakers made some great adjustments on the fly. If this had gone like a normal game 1, Denver would have won by 22, LA would have gone to those adjustments in game 2 and won, and then we go from there.
It's a bit weird now with the big cards having been played, because Denver can prep a lot harder for them. I don't know how that plays out, but it's a different dynamic.
Does it need fixin’? Or do they just need to not justify every foul call by noting marginal contact?
You're talking about the Schroeder / Murray foul review? I can understand why someone would think that was marginal. It's just not how refs have been calling it for 15 years. Because he did graze Murray's arm on the way up to make a shot. But I'm not sure I'd call it "obvious".
I have sympathy for the refs, because this is the hardest sport to officiate, and the NBA makes it harder for them in trying to find an entertaining balance, while foreign leagues make it easier with their rules and points of emphasis even if it would shut down, say, the Giannis style of play.
Yes, I meant that play, and specifically how Schroeder's right hand was into Murray llw.
That is always always called a foul if the ref sees it, and is the reason teams teach their guys to show their hands on D.
People can like the rule or not, but it's an extremely consistent and, yes, obvious call. Van Gundy was being a moron.
JVG is a clown, that's part of his schtick. BUT what's the point of having Steve Javie in there if he is going to wait for the replay outcome, and then back the floor Refs 100% of the time. If it was as open & shut as Javie makes it sound ex-post, why does it take Zach Zarba 5-minutes to come to a conclusion (besides Zachs' interest in more camera time). Just doesn't add up, and I'd rather have someone in the booth with JVG/MJ that's a little more impartial.
I would be happy with 3 more Lakers moral victories. Preferably in a row.
The nuggets role players vs the lakers role players is the series, imo. KCP, Porter, Brown and Gordon have to outplay Reaves, Rui, etc. It will put more pressure on Lebron and AD similar to what they did with Durant/Booker.
The nuggets role players vs the lakers role players is the series, imo. KCP, Porter, Brown and Gordon have to outplay Reaves, Rui, etc. It will put more pressure on Lebron and AD similar to what they did with Durant/Booker.
I'm replying to this for a second time with a question: given that the Lakers fell behind by so much in game 1, should they have waited on the adjustments in order to try to surprise the Nuggets in game 2? They almost came all the way back, so if they had won, obviously that answer would be a no. But I do wonder if they somewhat reduced their chances in game 2.
Winning game 1 is so important, in the moment you have to go all out to try to steal it (and they almost did). Worry about everything else after.
Lebron has definitely paced himself enough in the first two rounds but i wonder if the 1 day off between all the games doesnt get to him at some point.
They were down by about 12-15 at the time, so no way. Teams come back from that all the time. They definitely could have won the game. It's also not a given that Denver will be able to execute on whatever they do to counter going forward.
That's fair. I think my question was more geared toward the impact in game 2. Malone said something along the lines of I'd rather clean some things up after a win than a loss.
Sure, in hindsight, knowing that LA lost (and that the adjustment worked well), they would prefer to have it saved for game 2, definitely. This isn't the first time teams have put a strong guy on Jokic and left their center as a rover to clean up: Boston did this successfully with Grant. But Jokic has seen it before, and Denver will have counters now.
Wait... we did? Against Denver? IIRC we lost decisively in Denver on new year's day with everyone available (Grant Williams: 27'31", Denver eFG% .677!), and earlier in the season beat them at home when we shot the lights out without Timelord (Grant: 32'16", eFG% was BOS .644, DEN .522). I guess Grant did play a lot those games, but I'd have thought he was switching more than just trying to stay in front of NJ.
I don't think Rui on Jokic was much of a wrinkle. The Celtics under Udoka and Stevens used a similar system with Grant Williams guarding Jokic and Robert Williams cheating off Aaron Gordon. It seemed like a fairly predictable adjustment and one that the Nuggets should have been better prepared for. Here are some Twitter clips from 2021 and 2022.
View: https://twitter.com/nbcsceltics/status/1505711696358293509
View: https://twitter.com/chrisforsberg_/status/1381642573366890500
View: https://twitter.com/nbcsceltics/status/1505711696358293509
View: https://twitter.com/chrisforsberg_/status/1381642573366890500
It’s obviously a matter of execution but the Denver counter to what they were doing is incredibly obvious. Van Gundy was calling it out in game. They will have to move Gordon out of the dunker spot and into the corner so Davis can’t patrol in front of the basket arms extended. Once they do this, it’s Rui guarding Jokic head up. Rui did a great job in the last game but that definitely sont last. Jokic is just too big for him
I am pretty disappointed with you. How do you think Grant got his (self given) nickname of Batman?!
….it was because he has done a good job on Jokic so he stops The Joker..
wow, ok guys, thanks for bringing me up to speed.
I am at least 3% less nervous about a prospective Denver matchup now.
I am at least 3% less nervous about a prospective Denver matchup now.
With regard to the bolded, I'm pretty sure that LAL will be happy to see if Aaron Gordon can win a series from the 3P line. But there are other adjustments DEN could make I'm sure.
Maybe they could a run a system where they press full-court all the time and then once the ball is inbounded, everyone can just gamble for steals and/or protect the 3P line (while giving up lots of layups) . . . . ?
Nah. No one would ever run something that dumb.
You have to put Gordon's three point game in context; he attempts 22.7% of his shots from three, but that is only 59% of league average (3PAr+ of 59). His make rate of 34.7% is almost exactly league average (3P+ of 97) but a little worse when you consider volume.
By comparison, Grant (3PAr+ of 158, 3P+ of 110) and Horford (3PAr+ of 175, 3P+ of 124) are much bigger threats from beyond the arc.
The thing is, with a guy like Jokic on your team there are probably a million ways to scheme Gordon open but it's not like you can just park him in the corner and have him let fly.
By comparison, Grant (3PAr+ of 158, 3P+ of 110) and Horford (3PAr+ of 175, 3P+ of 124) are much bigger threats from beyond the arc.
The thing is, with a guy like Jokic on your team there are probably a million ways to scheme Gordon open but it's not like you can just park him in the corner and have him let fly.
With just slightly better execution, Gordon might have had two dunks instead of two turnovers in the dunker spot against that defense from LA.
100% agree on this. As a 3 point shooter, Aaron Gordon is essentially Marcus Smart but more hesitant to shoot when contested, so his % looks a tiny bit better. I think the Lakers are happy to make him win the series from behind the arc, as opposed to letting Jokic go 1v1 or give open shots to any of Murray/Porter/KCP.