How Do You Want The WCF to End?
- Thread starter riboflav
- Start date
I think I want the Wolves to win one so I don't have to go quite as long without basketball. Want a Mavs win though. With the caveat that generally whoever is losing always looks like the worse team and easier to beat, I think Boston matches up exceptionally well with Dallas. I think a Wolves team that managed to get their endgame offense unstuck would be tougher.
I'm sticking with the Mavs. Twolves size could be a problem with KP on the mend, Kornet's wrist and Al's mileage. I think the match-up with the Mavs works for the Cs.
But maybe Minny steals a road game and pushes this to 5-6.
I think a skills contest with the Mavs could lead to some fun hoops.
But maybe Minny steals a road game and pushes this to 5-6.
I think a skills contest with the Mavs could lead to some fun hoops.
Mavs in 5 or 6. I think they're the better matchup for the Celtics, but I also think the Celtics are better than both teams by enough to win.
Mavs. I like to watch Luka play. And Kyrie, though he is an idiot, is a superb basketball player. Destroy both of them.
I want Dallas, because the two most satisfying outcomes a Finals could possibly provide are (in order): (1) Celtics raising another banner (2) dominant two-way players proving more impactful once and for all than POINTZ-oriented stars. A Dallas-Boston series could potentially deliver both.
This is where my son is at. He thinks that so long as the series doesn’t go 7, the Mavs will get plenty of rest, so he’d rather keep the rust equal.
I’m rooting for Minnesota. If they win tonight, they’ll probably win Game 5 at home too. Dallas will still get a nice rest if they close out in Game 6, but cumulative wear and tear matters.
At the end of the day, I refuse to believe a team running out Luka and Kyrie isn't going to have defensive problems, regardless of the last month.
I like drives to the basket, and I’m a little afraid a series vs Minnesota will just be a three point shooting contest. I’d much rather see Brown and Tatum breaking Luka’s ankles.
I'd like to see Minnesota put a few more miles on Luka and the rest of the Mavs, and have the Mavs ultimately prevail. So give me Mavs in 6.
My prediction though is Mavs in 4. I think they have broken Minnesota.
My prediction though is Mavs in 4. I think they have broken Minnesota.
The ECF and WCF have really been pretty similar so far. I expect the WCF to end like the ECF. Another tight game, Wolves might have a slim lead late, Mavs pull it off.
I don't particularly care though how long it goes. Pluses and minuses.
I don't particularly care though how long it goes. Pluses and minuses.
I don't care at all. With a 90% KP, this team can and should beat MIN or DAL, regardless of how rested the opponent is.
Kyrie has been legitimately good at defense during the playoffs. Not like, good for Kyrie - good good.
If the Wolves were to complete the historic comeback, they might be a hard-to-stop freight train at the start of the Finals while our guys could be a bit rusty. Not that I think it would ultimately make a difference because I believe the Celtics would still win, but I'm sure the Celtics would prefer facing a team that's not brimming with confidence. So best case scenario for me is a Mavs win in 6 or 7, with the Wolves putting some more miles on Luka and Kyrie's legs and some doubts in the Mavs' minds.
And then a bench clearing brawl leading to 4 game suspensions for the major players.
I want Dallas to wrap it up tonight. They'll have just as much rest - or rust - as Boston, but they don't have someone who needs the rest like Porzingis. Worst case in my view is if Dallas has to play a couple more games and then gets a number of days off. They'd still be in rhythm and in game shape, but with enough rest to be ready to rock & roll for the finals. If they're going to win I want them either to have a bloodbath that goes 7, or they just wrap it up tonight and have a long layoff too.
I agree with this, with the caveat that it could also be a very unsatisfying outcome it would provide.
But I really don't see that happening. Dallas is definitely firing on all cylinders right now, but that could obviously change. Especially against Boston.
I think they are the preferred matchup. I have never been really concerned playing them. I think it will be a highly entertaining finals, that result in banner 18.
I’m not sure what Luka’s knee issue is but he feels like a guy who could certainly benefit from the rest.
Mavs in 4
Want them to be just as "rusty" as us (1 day is de minimis). We're better. Given everything the same, we win. Also want them to be more confident than they should.
Want them to be just as "rusty" as us (1 day is de minimis). We're better. Given everything the same, we win. Also want them to be more confident than they should.
Once the Nuggets lost it was never about the WCF winner. It's all about the Celtics. They should Mollywomp both these teams. So I don't care.
I want the Wolves to win in 7.
Dallas scares the piss out of me, though I suppose if the Wolves really were able to beat them 4 for 4 they would scare the piss out of me. But it's not going to happen. I like the matchup against the Wolves better. I know this is unusual, and I'm always wrong so, whatever.
Dallas scares the piss out of me, though I suppose if the Wolves really were able to beat them 4 for 4 they would scare the piss out of me. But it's not going to happen. I like the matchup against the Wolves better. I know this is unusual, and I'm always wrong so, whatever.
Since it’s been invoked in a several media circles already, I have to say that the Kyrie/Boston subplot is a bit overrated. So, Kyrie had a terrible end to his Celtics career and left for Brooklyn, another utter failure for him, and that pissed Boston fans off to varying degrees. Not only has it been quite a few years since that happened, but what exactly is Kyrie’s beef with the Celtics organization or its fans? The fans boo him? So what? I think this is more one way than not and I don’t think there is some truly venomous hatred for Kyrie still permeating the Celtics’ fanbase at large. Star players are gonna get booed at TDGarden. To wit, I think Luka will draw a ton of ire too because he’s the grand champion of whiners in all of major pro sports right now.
Kyrie did the Celtics a favor by leaving. If he had re-signed with Boston the team would look significantly different today. This year's Celtics have been a joy to follow and root for. I generally root for the laundry but Kyrie would make that extremely difficult. Good riddance. I'm glad he moved on. And if the Mavs advance (which seems highly likely) I hope he gets booed relentlessly by the Garden crowd every time he touches the ball. Celtics fans should boo Kidd as well.
I want Dallas to win, dragging it out another game or two if possible. A buddy from grade school and I are meeting in Dallas for game 4. As he said over the weekend "well, worst-case, we're watching the Celtics play the Timberwolves from a brewery in Dallas." I prefer the best case.
My semi-irrational dislike of all teams Texas (except the Spurs) is the tiebreaker. Go wolves!
(and that would mean a 7 game series hence fatigue).
(and that would mean a 7 game series hence fatigue).
I’m so glad Kyrie wasn’t a Celtic during his anti-semitism stuff. On that note, it’s remarkable he’s kept his mouth shut on Gaza for awhile now. You’d think he wouldn’t be able to help himself.
Denver certainly wasn’t rusty playing on nine days rest last season, winning the first half against the Heat, 59-42, on the way to a comfortable victory. Boston wasn’t rusty after six days rest against the Cavs, going for 40 first quarter points in an easy win, and weren’t rusty on five days rest in the game one win against the Pacers. Their defensive struggles to me were not about being rusty, since they continued throughout most of the series.
The Celtics have experience dealing with long layoffs between series. I’m hoping the WCF goes at least six games, and if Minny can cut down on the stupidity, that could easily happen. The more games the Mavs have to play, the more mileage on the oft injured Kyrie, and the already gimpy Doncic, who looks like he’s being held together with duct tape.
Regarding the Minnesota stupidity, KAT was fortunate to catch fire from three late in game four. If they got swept, his boneheaded play would have become part of Wolves lore. How many stupid fouls can one player take in an elimination game? KAT answered that question. Six. Also, why does Anthony Edwards think dribbling sideways against a locked in Dallas defense is a good idea? If Minnesota lost, he would have had a lot to answer for, with his crunch time play: turnover in traffic in the lane, missed layup, missed mid-range jumper, fouling a three point shooter up six with 13 seconds left. AE’s clutch 22 foot jumper up three with 39 seconds helped save him and his teammates from another confounding loss, and even that was a dumb shot, right inside the three point line. But it went in, and now he has an opportunity to show out at home in game five.
The Celtics have experience dealing with long layoffs between series. I’m hoping the WCF goes at least six games, and if Minny can cut down on the stupidity, that could easily happen. The more games the Mavs have to play, the more mileage on the oft injured Kyrie, and the already gimpy Doncic, who looks like he’s being held together with duct tape.
Regarding the Minnesota stupidity, KAT was fortunate to catch fire from three late in game four. If they got swept, his boneheaded play would have become part of Wolves lore. How many stupid fouls can one player take in an elimination game? KAT answered that question. Six. Also, why does Anthony Edwards think dribbling sideways against a locked in Dallas defense is a good idea? If Minnesota lost, he would have had a lot to answer for, with his crunch time play: turnover in traffic in the lane, missed layup, missed mid-range jumper, fouling a three point shooter up six with 13 seconds left. AE’s clutch 22 foot jumper up three with 39 seconds helped save him and his teammates from another confounding loss, and even that was a dumb shot, right inside the three point line. But it went in, and now he has an opportunity to show out at home in game five.
At least three of Towns’ fouls were questionable. The two charges were very borderline.. I don’t think the defender was set on either. There was another that I thought was a very weak call as well.. especially given the amount of contact Ant was taking on a number of drives.
Setting aside the obvious of "a long 7 game series", I still have no idea who I would prefer. The Wolves are inconsistent - sometimes they put it all together and look like a legit contender, then other nights it looks like they all just learned to play basketball 18 hours ago when they first met. On the other hand Dallas has bigs that I am a little worried about, plus the nuclear takes if Kyrie beats the Cs, plus Luka doing Luka things then making me dislike him by hunting for fouls and smirking the entire game. So... I'm not sure but at this rate I *think* I would rather Dallas because I think the matchup is slightly better for the Cs.
Towns fucks himself with one or two dumb ones a game though, which makes these other 50/50 calls much more impactful. His reach in 50 feet from the basket and his over the back on a rebound he had no chance of getting in the 3rd quarter were the really bad ones last night. On the upside, he should be well rested for Thursday!