NBA playoffs 2018
- Thread starter DeJesus Built My Hotrod
- Start date
Is this the most humiliating sweep ever? Just an epic de-pantsing. Even Drake got schooled by Perk.
You gotta torpedo the Chickens at this point. Blow it up and tank or trade for some players with some fortitude. If you tank, hopefully Lebron will be retired by the time the bb!Raps grow up.
And yeah they're the no.1 seed and all that but that didn't stop DA last year and DA didn't even have a headcase problem. Kyle Lowry going ghost was predictable as hell and all the wishing & hoping in the world can't dislodge squirrels in the brain.
And yeah they're the no.1 seed and all that but that didn't stop DA last year and DA didn't even have a headcase problem. Kyle Lowry going ghost was predictable as hell and all the wishing & hoping in the world can't dislodge squirrels in the brain.
Not sure they can bring this team back after this. Or Casey. I’ll never get fooled by regular season LeBron again, ever.
Cavs can hang with anyone when they’re playing like this. Not beat Golden State/Houston, but hang with them.
They don't look like a team the Celtics can beat right now. Pains me to say that.
I don't know who can or cannot beat the Cavs because the match-ups for the Cleveland/Toronto series were so lopsided. I admit to being fooled by Toronto too but the reality is they didn't have anyone who could offer any sort of defense for LeBron or Love. Furthermore, Lowry and DeRozan both played to the perception that they shrink on the big stage which is unfortunate.
It strikes me that a team with the right depth of defensive-minded wings and a good scheme could still slow Cleveland but of the two remaining contenders in the East, one doesn't have that depth and the other has it but not the type of scoring that wins shoot-outs. And Cleveland is built to win shoot-outs.
Back to Toronto, not sure what they do here but, at this point, Ujiri has to at least consider moving one or the other of those guys. Their value is down but either one of Lowry or DeRozan would look good as a second or third banana elsewhere with a team looking to improve. Denver maybe?
It strikes me that a team with the right depth of defensive-minded wings and a good scheme could still slow Cleveland but of the two remaining contenders in the East, one doesn't have that depth and the other has it but not the type of scoring that wins shoot-outs. And Cleveland is built to win shoot-outs.
Back to Toronto, not sure what they do here but, at this point, Ujiri has to at least consider moving one or the other of those guys. Their value is down but either one of Lowry or DeRozan would look good as a second or third banana elsewhere with a team looking to improve. Denver maybe?
The decisive factor is that Cleveland’s supporting cast has sprung to life during the Toronto series. LeBron was brilliant; but he always is. The reason Cleveland crushed Toronto but squeaked by Indiana is that Love looks like a real second banana again; Korver had a great series, and Smith/Green/Clarkson/Hood/Nance/Thompson cobble together enough support. Will Cleveland’s next cast continue to support LeBron in the next round, or will a savvier opponent be able to bottle up those role players?
Lowry and DeRozan just no showing huge portions of this series when the spotlight was on them to prove they could handle the Cavs is very troubling for Toronto. The Raptors were a better team than Cleveland this season; but they are not a better team when their two stars are turtling.
Lowry and DeRozan just no showing huge portions of this series when the spotlight was on them to prove they could handle the Cavs is very troubling for Toronto. The Raptors were a better team than Cleveland this season; but they are not a better team when their two stars are turtling.
It doesn't take much for the wheels to fall off the wagon in pro sports. If Toronto converted a putback at the end of regulation in Game 1, and handled crunch time a bit better in Game 2, they'd be feeling OK about winning two of three at home after failing badly in Cleveland (like a lot of teams do on the road in the playoffs).
But they didn't make the plays they needed to make at home, and now their most successful regular season in team history will be tarnished by this horrible performance in the second round.
But they didn't make the plays they needed to make at home, and now their most successful regular season in team history will be tarnished by this horrible performance in the second round.
Apparently Rodney Hood refused to come into last night's Collapsors/Cavs game during garbage time. Kind of surprising given that he is free agent this offseason.
Looking kinda like the 2010 Celtics will remain the last non-LeBron team to rep the East in the Finals.
If the Celtics somehow make it through, the last non-LeBron, non-Celtics team will be ... the 2009 Orlando Magic.
If the Celtics somehow make it through, the last non-LeBron, non-Celtics team will be ... the 2009 Orlando Magic.
He’ll make a nice reclamation project for Brad. Get it done, Theo.
I find GS to be pretty likable, other than Draymond. Durant has his whiny moments, but he's such an incredible player that I forgive him pretty readily. I'd have to say I dislike Miami, OKC and a few others far more than GS.
I don't like the idea of a league hegemon building a superteam and just crushing everybody for a period (unless it's my team!), so they got that going against them.
This is why they pay you the big poster bucks, this right here.
Well, I think the 2010 Lakers qualify, but you clearly knew that when editing this out shortly after posting. But the fact that it's nearly true is still impressive.
TOR's success was built a great deal on the effectiveness of their bench and in retrospect, it's probably not a great recipe for playoff success. (We had the same conversation about the Cs last year.)
I don't know what TOR can do. DeRozen has 3/$84M and Lowry has 2/$64M left on their respective contracts. Ibaka has 2 years and over $40M left on this. TOR apparently has $126M in guaranteed contracts for next year and $121M for 2019-20.
This article suggests that DeRozen might be movable for a bad contract such as Deng or 'Melo or Blake Griffin. I don't think that moves the needle.
Probably the best they can do is keep everyone together; try to find someone on the cheap; hope Anunoby makes a Jaylen Brown-type leap and try not to meet LBJ in the playoffs. Of course, the most PR friendly way to do this would be to fire the coach. Life in the NBA - win coach of the year; get fired.
Or just avoid LeBron in the playoffs if possible. Because they're in a good spot against pretty much anyone else in the East.
I think its less overall results based, but a culture change after the worst week in their franchise history. LBJ basically cost him his job.
You're probably right, but their playoff results seem to have a lot to do with roster construction.
Maybe but in game 4, season on the line, the team completely gave up. Once the Cavs went on that run to end the half, the Raptors were the walking dead. Contrast that to the Sixers yesterday, who were playing with their hearts on their sleeves, going hard at everything.
That might be a roster issue but you can't fire the entire team.
Masai Ujiri is supposed to be wonder boy, but giving those huge deals to DeRozan, Ibaka and Lowry did not turn out well. The Raptors are in luxury tax territory in both 2018-19 and 2019-20, and that's before paying VanVleet, who will be a restricted free agent.
The hottest of all takes, but I think I'd take Mitchell long term over Ben Simmons. It is a game thread.
I don't know if it's that crazy. It's the playoffs, and he's playing like a seasoned veteran superstar against a great Rockets team.
He's special.
He has the same Jordan/Kobe mentality. He is an alpha. He wants to be the guy and doesn't shy away from it at all.
I kind of like Donovan. Is it necessary to compare him to 2 talented flaming assholes
We'll see if he can keep it up. He's play considerably more minutes than everyone else. Mitchell scored 22 in the 3rd, one more than the entire Rockets team.
edit: Also, Chris Paul is a ridiculously good basketball player.
edit: Also, Chris Paul is a ridiculously good basketball player.
Doesn't look like he's going to be able to keep it up. Limped to the locker room with assistance.
At a certain point after losing Rubio, then Exum, then Mitchell (to an uncalled hack by Harden), I can see why they might want to say "fvck this sh*t." Still, they battled right up to the end and showed ten times the gumption of the gutless Raptors.