NBA Playoffs 2018

[Acymetric]

Do you enjoy the Rockets style of play? Chris Paul constantly pushes off, grabs, purposely runs into people and has a total punk personality. And Harden might be even worse in some ways. He basically invented the ‘explode forward into your defender to try and draw a cheap foul’ gimmick play. It’s disgusting, frankly. The most boring and annoying thing in the world is watching James Harden shoot FT after FT. I honestly don’t see how anyone can root for these two basketball charlatans. And their weasel of a coach sanctions all of it. Coach D’Antoni: “Hey guys, let’s pretend there is no allowable shot in basketball other than a 3-pointer or layup.” Nauseating.

I like D'Antoni (really enjoyed watching the Suns play) but do not like this Rockets team (in basketball style or personality). I am still not over the Spurs stealing that series with a Robert Horry hockey style check into the scorer's table on Steve Nash.

[Steven43]

I like D'Antoni (really enjoyed watching the Suns play) but do not like this Rockets team (in basketball style or personality). I am still not over the Spurs stealing that series with a Robert Horry hockey style check into the scorer's table on Steve Nash.

Hey, I’m with you 100% in regard to Houston. Phoenix did not play this way under D’Antoni. That Suns team was sooo exciting. Houston DOES NOT play like the Suns did. Phoenix did not have anyone nearly as annoying and cheap as Harden and Paul.

Steve Nash was a wizard with the ball and he played with much more class than Paul ever has or will. And Harden? Geez, no one on Phoenix played that way, thank goodness. Phoenix was just very good and played straight up. No cheap gimmicks like these two Houston clowns. If a couple of breaks had gone Phoenix’ way they could easily have won at least two titles. Nash to Stoudemire (prior to Amare’s terrible knee injury) was perhaps the most unstoppable combo ever in the NBA. If he had not gotten hurt I feel the Suns would have won a minimum of two titles. It will be shameful if Houston is able to win a title playing the way they do.

[Acymetric]

Hey, I’m with you 100% in regard to Houston. Phoenix did not play this way under D’Antoni. That Suns team was sooo exciting. Houston DOES NOT play like the Suns did. Phoenix did not have anyone nearly as annoying and cheap as Harden and Paul.

Steve Nash was a wizard with the ball and he played with much more class than Paul ever has or will. And Harden? Geez, no one on Phoenix played that way, thank goodness. Phoenix was just very good and played straight up. No cheap gimmicks like these two Houston clowns. If a couple of breaks had gone Phoenix’ way they could easily have won at least two titles. Nash to Stoudemire (prior to Amare’s terrible knee injury) was perhaps the most unstoppable combo ever in the NBA. If he had not gotten hurt I feel the Suns would have won a minimum of two titles. It will be shameful if Houston is able to win a title playing the way they do.

Yeah, the Nash to Staudemire combo was something to watch. Only thing similar that I can recall recently was Deron Williams to Boozer with the Jazz several years ago (there may have actually been some overlap but it seems like that Jazz team was a little more recent).

That 2006-2007 Suns squad was a seriously impressive collection of guys in their prime:

Steve Nash
Amar'e Stoudemire
Shawn Marion
Raja Bell
Boris Diaw
Leandro Barbosa

I would be tempted to take that team over any team except the Warriors this year (and think they would have matched up better with the Warriors than anyone else has during their run, including when they lost to the Cavs).

[JasonEvans]

I'm not sure what the number is, but I would probably bet the farm on the Cavs at anything less than about 6 or 7 points tonight. Feels like the kind of game the Cavs win easily as the Celtics will have zero urgency while Cleveland will be turned to 11. Meanwhile, Boston has been very mediocre on the road thus far in the playoffs.

[Acymetric]

I'm not sure what the number is, but I would probably bet the farm on the Cavs at anything less than about 6 or 7 points tonight. Feels like the kind of game the Cavs win easily as the Celtics will have zero urgency while Cleveland will be turned to 11. Meanwhile, Boston has been very mediocre on the road thus far in the playoffs.

A bold prediction given the current score

[Furniture]

I don’t think the Cavs are winning this it’s more like the Celtics losing it.
Can the Celtics play any worse?

[rsvman]

I don’t think the Cavs are winning this it’s more like the Celtics losing it.
Can the Celtics play any worse?

Probably not.

[Furniture]

I have decided to not watch the second half so the Celtics can play better.

[darthur]

Do you enjoy the Rockets style of play? Chris Paul constantly pushes off, grabs, purposely runs into people and has a total punk personality. And Harden might be even worse in some ways. He basically invented the ‘explode forward into your defender to try and draw a cheap foul’ gimmick play. It’s disgusting, frankly. The most boring and annoying thing in the world is watching James Harden shoot FT after FT. I honestly don’t see how anyone can root for these two basketball charlatans. And their weasel of a coach sanctions all of it. Coach D’Antoni: “Hey guys, let’s pretend there is no allowable shot in basketball other than a 3-pointer or layup.” Nauseating.

The 3-or-layup philosophy comes from Morey, not D'Antoni. And don't kid yourself, no coach in the game (including Kerr) would tell Paul/Harden to stop doing what they're doing when it's working. I'm with Acymetric -- like D'Antoni a lot from his Phoenix days and nothing he's done with Houston makes me dislike him. I still don't like the Rockets as a whole though.

Btw, as much as we all hate Harden and CP3 for their foul-baiting, don't forget that KD more-or-less invented the rip-through.

[DangerDevil]

I'm not sure what the number is, but I would probably bet the farm on the Cavs at anything less than about 6 or 7 points tonight. Feels like the kind of game the Cavs win easily as the Celtics will have zero urgency while Cleveland will be turned to 11. Meanwhile, Boston has been very mediocre on the road thus far in the playoffs.

The final spread was 6.5, we should add bookmaker to your list of accolades.

[kshepinthehouse]

The Cavs may win, but I don't see any reason to believe they could win easy, including you condition above.

Was I right or was I right?

[dukelifer]

Was I right or was I right?

Brad Stevens is no longer a genius.

[Furniture]

Brad Stevens is no longer a genius.

Its over...

[ice-9]

This game illustrates why you need a Kyrie or Hayward. Someone who can get buckets all by himself if needed to get the team going.

[moonpie23]

hood might wind up with a DNP tonight...it's garbage time already

[flyingdutchdevil]

hood might wind up with a DNP tonight...it's garbage time already

Correlation between hood playing and cavs losing?

[elvis14]

Do you enjoy the Rockets style of play? Chris Paul constantly pushes off, grabs, purposely runs into people and has a total punk personality. And Harden might be even worse in some ways. He basically invented the ‘explode forward into your defender to try and draw a cheap foul’ gimmick play. It’s disgusting, frankly. The most boring and annoying thing in the world is watching James Harden shoot FT after FT. I honestly don’t see how anyone can root for these two basketball charlatans. And their weasel of a coach sanctions all of it. Coach D’Antoni: “Hey guys, let’s pretend there is no allowable shot in basketball other than a 3-pointer or layup.” Nauseating.

I've been trying not to make the post Steven43 made. In particular the points about Paul and Harden. I keep saying to myself during Rockets games "wow, these guys are walking offensive fouls and they aren't being called". I didn't care so much when they were playing teams that I was apathetic about but now that they are playing a team I like, I'm annoyed.

The 3-or-layup philosophy comes from Morey, not D'Antoni. And don't kid yourself, no coach in the game (including Kerr) would tell Paul/Harden to stop doing what they're doing when it's working. I'm with Acymetric -- like D'Antoni a lot from his Phoenix days and nothing he's done with Houston makes me dislike him. I still don't like the Rockets as a whole though.

Btw, as much as we all hate Harden and CP3 for their foul-baiting, don't forget that KD more-or-less invented the rip-through.

If by "rip-through" you mean hitting the defenders arms on purpose as you chuck up a weak/fake jumper...KD would have learned that from watching Paul Pierce. PP did it automatically anytime a defender extended an arm anywhere near him.

[darthur]

I've been trying not to make the post Steven43 made. In particular the points about Paul and Harden. I keep saying to myself during Rockets games "wow, these guys are walking offensive fouls and they aren't being called". I didn't care so much when they were playing teams that I was apathetic about but now that they are playing a team I like, I'm annoyed.

The play-style is absolutely horrible, but the general consensus is what they do is entirely legal. A problem with the rules, not with the refs.

If by "rip-through" you mean hitting the defenders arms on purpose as you chuck up a weak/fake jumper...KD would have learned that from watching Paul Pierce. PP did it automatically anytime a defender extended an arm anywhere near him.

KD took it quite a bit further than anything Pierce did: sweeping arms side-to-side through a defender and *then* up for the shot. They actually had to change the rules for KD to make it a non-shooting foul. Just like they did with Harden initiating contact on 3s while the defender is caught on a screen.

Here's a nice rant on it that specifically talks about Pierce: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/ri...a-rule-change/
And an example in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvhzJLgDJWQ

[devildeac]

I've been trying not to make the post Steven43 made. In particular the points about Paul and Harden. I keep saying to myself during Rockets games "wow, these guys are walking offensive fouls and they aren't being called". I didn't care so much when they were playing teams that I was apathetic about but now that they are playing a team I like, I'm annoyed.



If by "rip-through" you mean hitting the defenders arms on purpose as you chuck up a weak/fake jumper...KD would have learned that from watching Paul Pierce. PP did it automatically anytime a defender extended an arm anywhere near him.

Sounds like some things they could have learned from dean's myth.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Sounds like some things they could have learned from dean's myth.

Sporks - this never gets old
Ed: no more sporks in my quiver