The NBA Thread

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Buscemi
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by Buscemi »

Not sure if I agree with the Chris Paul trade. Sure, the Clippers get seven players and a first round pick next year but Paul was the leader of the Clippers. They would have been better off letting Blake Griffin walk instead of making a play to keep him while seemingly rebuilding (though I expect the Thunder to make a deal for Griffin if they have the money, Westbrook can't keep carrying the team by himself).
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by W »

Paul told them he was opting out so they'd have nothing. Reportedly this is all because Doc Rivers gives preferential treatment to his son. By opting in and being traded Paul was able to retain his Bird Rights while going to a team he wanted to play for and then signing a longer, more expensive contract ($200-something million over five instead of $150-something million over four). Everyone loves paying an oft injured 37 year old point guard $40-ish million in their final year.

So the Clippers get nothing or a couple very serviceable guards (that go off the payroll in one and two years), a mid-first rounder that was basically a rookie last year (so some upside possible), and a pick that will probably be late but always has the chance to be decent (a Harden injury would absolutely make them miss the playoffs and Paul is injury prone). That or nothing from what I can tell. They aren't taking anything that will hurt the rebuilding process.

They could certainly try to call Paul's bluff that he'd leave a bunch of cash on the table to sign somewhere else. Paul seems more like the guy to do it than most, though.
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by W »

Went to the Mavs @ Pacers last night. Didn’t expect a win, but was hoping for a few Luka plays and one last highlight from Dirk. Instead it was a blowout, Luka was ejected in the third because of two idiotic techs, and Dirk was 0 for 7. Whenever he was in the game even the Pacers fans wanted to see him hit a three. At the end of the game the building was chanting “We want Dirk! We want Dirk!” That part was fun.
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by Buscemi2 »

Obviously, there will be no NBA Finals this year. But luckily, we can simulate an outcome because WhatIf? Sports got the 2019-20 rosters.

Damn COVID deprived us of some good matchups.

First Round

Orlando vs. Milwaukee (Milwaukee wins 4-2)

Game 1: Orlando 101, Milwaukee 86
Game 2: Milwaukee 120, Orlando 87
Game 3: Orlando 115, Milwaukee 114
Game 4: Milwaukee 117, Orlando 91
Game 5: Milwaukee 110, Orlando 88
Game 6: Milwaukee 115, Orlando 96

Brooklyn vs. Toronto (Toronto wins 4-1)

Game 1: Toronto 103, Brooklyn 100
Game 2: Toronto 104, Brooklyn 78
Game 3: Brooklyn 112, Toronto 110 (OT)
Game 4: Toronto 104, Brooklyn 102
Game 5: Toronto 100, Brooklyn 90

Philadelphia vs. Boston (Philadelphia wins 4-1)

Game 1: Philadelphia 120, Boston 115
Game 2: Philadelphia 105, Boston 95
Game 3: Boston 122, Philadelphia 115
Game 4: Philadelphia 107, Boston 103
Game 5: Philadelphia 116, Boston 92

Indiana vs. Miami (Miami wins 4-1)

Game 1: Miami 114, Indiana 93
Game 2: Indiana 104, Miami 91
Game 3: Miami 118, Indiana 110
Game 4: Miami 106, Indiana 91
Game 5: Miami 104, Indiana 96

Memphis vs. L.A. Lakers (L.A. Lakers win 4-3)

Game 1: Lakers 108, Memphis 102
Game 2: Memphis 101, Lakers 99
Game 3: Lakers 107, Memphis 98
Game 4: Lakers 120, Memphis 97
Game 5: Memphis 115, Lakers 101
Game 6: Memphis 107, Lakers 98
Game 7: Lakers 106, Memphis 100 (OT) (Lakers came back from 16 down at half to win)

Dallas vs. L.A. Clippers (L.A. Clippers win 4-3)

Game 1: Clippers 114, Dallas 109
Game 2: Dallas 127, Clippers 124
Game 3: Dallas 108, Clippers 99
Game 4: Dallas 112, Clippers 103
Game 5: Clippers 106, Dallas 93
Game 6: Clippers 120, Dallas 111
Game 7: Clippers 108, Dallas 105

Houston vs. Denver (Houston wins 4-1)

Game 1: Houston 109, Denver 107
Game 2: Houston 120, Denver 105
Game 3: Houston 113, Denver 104
Game 4: Denver 103, Houston 100 (OT)
Game 5: Houston 123, Denver 117

Oklahoma City vs. Utah (Utah wins 4-3)

Game 1: Oklahoma City 105, Utah 99
Game 2: Utah 94, Oklahoma City 90
Game 3: Oklahoma City 99, Utah 86
Game 4: Oklahoma City 107, Utah 77
Game 5: Utah 115, Oklahoma City 106
Game 6: Utah 112, Oklahoma City 106
Game 7: Utah 121, Oklahoma City 77

Conference Semifinals

Miami vs. Milwaukee (Miami wins 4-3)

Game 1: Milwaukee 121, Miami 111
Game 2: Miami 120, Milwaukee 102
Game 3: Miami 109, Milwaukee 91
Game 4: Milwaukee 110, Miami 103
Game 5: Milwaukee 111, Miami 107
Game 6: Miami 113, Milwaukee 101
Game 7: Miami 130, Milwaukee 122 (OT) (Miami comes back from 15-point third quarter deficit to force overtime)

Philadelphia vs. Toronto (Toronto wins 4-3)

Game 1: Philadelphia 106, Toronto 95
Game 2: Toronto 127, Philadelphia 120
Game 3: Toronto 114, Philadelphia 91
Game 4: Philadelphia 97, Toronto 85
Game 5: Philadelphia 110, Toronto 106
Game 6: Toronto 113, Philadelphia 104
Game 7: Toronto 91, Philadelphia 90

Utah vs. L.A. Lakers (Lakers win 4-2)

Game 1: Lakers 120, Utah 100
Game 2: Utah 133, Lakers 103
Game 3: Lakers 117, Utah 100
Game 4: Utah 99, Lakers 97
Game 5: Lakers 113, Utah 94
Game 6: Lakers 103, Utah 90

Houston vs. L.A. Clippers (Houston wins 4-1)

Game 1: Houston 110, Clippers 106
Game 2: Houston 131, Clippers 126
Game 3: Clippers 103, Houston 94
Game 4: Houston 117, Clippers 105
Game 5: Houston 126, Clippers 123

--
Conference Finals

Miami vs. Toronto (Miami wins 4-0)

Game 1: Miami 100, Toronto 90
Game 2: Miami 102, Toronto 94
Game 3: Miami 113, Toronto 92
Game 4: Miami 105, Toronto 88

Houston vs. L.A. Lakers (Lakers win 4-3)

Game 1: Lakers 113, Houston 101
Game 2: Lakers 104, Houston 101
Game 3: Lakers 95, Houston 93
Game 4: Houston 115, Lakers 111 (OT)
Game 5: Houston 107, Lakers 98
Game 6: Houston 109, Lakers 106
Game 7: Lakers 112, Houston 108

--
NBA Finals

Miami vs. L.A. Lakers

Game 1: Lakers 121, Miami 104
Game 2: Lakers 96, Miami 77
Game 3: Miami 109, Lakers 101
Game 4: Lakers 103, Miami 83
Game 5: Lakers 123, Miami 96

Finals MVP: LeBron James, Lakers

Had there been a playoffs, it would have been a very inspirational one for the Lakers. Even the haters would have wanted them to win one for Kobe.

I'll try to see if the NHL ones are up in the next few days. I have a feeling the Blues would have repeated as champs.
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by W »

I got a 100% profit boost (up to $500) on DraftKings and figured a $12.50 bet on the Mavs to win was worth $1012.50. I figure with everything going on there's gotta be a better than a 1/81 chance. At least one major player is going to go down to injury from rust and/or Corona. With two stars, both getting noticeably better from month to month, they've got a puncher's chance in any matchup.
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by Shrykespeare »

So fucking pissed.

The Phoenix Suns got invited to the Orlando playoff bubble tournament, specifically because they were within range of the eighth/ninth spot. They went fucking undefeated, 8-0, demolishing most of their opponents along the way. They ended up tied for ninth with a team that's running on fumes, and with a better record than several teams in the Eastern Conference. They are the hottest team in the NBA right now.

And they missed the playoffs anyway.

The NBA is supposed to be about entertainment. Yes, a spot would likely have seen them get demolished in the first round by the #1 seed, but not providing an exception to the letter of the law that they had to make up on the fly anyway is just stupid. What was the point of inviting them in the first place if they could achieve perfection and still not make it.

Bullshit.
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by transformers2 »

The Suns did catch a brutal break. Odds were stacked against them since they had the worst record of the Western Conference teams invited to the bubble and it sucked that their electric run ended because the Grizzlies won a game against the Bucks bench. A single elimination play-in tournament with the Blazers, Grizzlies, Suns and Spurs would've been a better solution to determining the #8 seed. That being said, there's a lot of reason to be excited about the Suns right now (has that sentence been uttered since the Steve Nash/Am'are Stoudmaire/Joe Johnson-era ended?). Mikal Bridges is quickly becoming one of the best defenders in the league, Deandre Ayton can be a serious factor in the paint when he's on and Devin Booker is an elite scorer that is still just 23.
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by Buscemi2 »

I didn't expect to correctly predict the two Finals teams. But of course, I didn't even think it would happen five months ago.
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by W »

History says Lakers, but I'm hoping for a Piston-esque run for Miami. That's really the only team with zero superstars to ever win an NBA championship. That said, Ben Wallace should be a Hall of Famer. He was a finalist last year and this year was brutal with KG, Duncan, and Kobe. He may have missed his chance.
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by transformers2 »

Yeah I honestly forgot how good Ben Wallace was until relatively recently. His rebounding/blocks/steals output during his prime run with the Pistons are silly. Paul Pierce is the only huge name whose entering the HOF eligibility pool in 2021, so Wallace should have a legit chance of making it in.
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by Buscemi2 »

Wallace should get in. The Basketball Hall of Fame is usually pretty easy to get into (unless you're Chris Webber).
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by W »

The one I'm watching is Derek Rose. No NBA MVP has been excluded from the Hall (Dirk is the only retired one our after KG/Timmy/Kobe were announced), but Rose's career is closer to Dana Barros and he's listed with an 11.9% chance (basketball-reference).
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by JohnErle »

All this NBA talk, but no one cares that the Tampa Bay Lightning just won the Stanley Cup?

Yeah, me neither.

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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by Buscemi2 »

I only was interested in that Pat Maroon was on the Lightning.
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Re: The NBA Thread

Post by W »

With everything going on at the same time (NBA Finals, MLB playoffs, NFL...). The NHL is even more buried than normal. Everything gets eaten by the NFL here. I got into hockey a little bit before everything crashed just because I'm now legally allowed to place bets on it. But even my twitter name is Star Wars mixed with my favorite basketball player.
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