2019 NBA Playoffs

[JasonEvans]

Eh idk the Lakers when they were healthy were a 4 seed and probably only getting better. The injuries took them down and chemistry put them out of their misery.

I would much rather have the Lakers roster.

I'm not sure anyone on the Lakers (other than Lebron) is as good as Lou or Harrell. I know none of them play as hard as those two warriors (lowercase W). Lebron would love, love, love to play with those guys.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I'm not sure anyone on the Lakers (other than Lebron) is as good as Lou or Harrell. I know none of them play as hard as those two warriors (lowercase W). Lebron would love, love, love to play with those guys.

I think there are 2-4 players better than Lou and Harrell (Ball, Ingram, maybe Kuzma/Hart). The issue is the Lakers are HORRIBLE at player development. Look at throw away D'Angelo Russell. He went from a solid rookie season to sophomore year stagnation to getting traded and more stagnation in Brooklyn to All-Star this year.

The Lakers and the Knicks are basically the same franchise: huge market, so why focus on player development?

[JasonEvans]

I think there are 2-4 players better than Lou and Harrell (Ball, Ingram, maybe Kuzma/Hart).

I know stats aren't everything but you'd be hard pressed to find any stat that shows Ball, Ingram, Kuzma, or Hart are better than Lou Williams or Montrezl Harrell. Lou and Harrell have more than double the win shares/48 than any of those Laker youngsters.

[Steven43]

No they're not. Clippers played their hearts out. This is another - of many - wake up calls for the most talented team in the country. Dubs won't lose another game this series.

Hmmm. A wake-up call, huh? They weren’t awoken when the Clippers came back from over 30 points down to get within a few points? Why didn’t the Warriors stem the tide then if it’s so easy for them to just turn it on when they need it? We’ll see.

[wilson]

Color me quite surprised at the Warriors' loss last night, even setting aside the shocking circumstances of such a huge comeback...I did not at all expect them to lose a first-round game in any fashion, especially at home. Coupled with the Cousins injury, I think it shows a(nother) crack in the Golden State foundation. I would still consider them the favorites, but with an even narrower gap than before (one that, as I said to open the thread, I already believed was narrower than in years past). Last night's events, to me, made the whole playoffs a bit more intriguing.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I know stats aren't everything but you'd be hard pressed to find any stat that shows Ball, Ingram, Kuzma, or Hart are better than Lou Williams or Montrezl Harrell. Lou and Harrell have more than double the win shares/48 than any of those Laker youngsters.

I think you're missing my main point. These young Lakers have incredible potential; the Lakers just suck at player development. I'd be shocked if, in the next 3 years, Ball and Ingram's play is higher than Williams/Harrell (when they get traded for a veteran).

I agree that, right now, Lou and Harrell are better players.

[JasonEvans]

I think you're missing my main point. These young Lakers have incredible potential; the Lakers just suck at player development. I'd be shocked if, in the next 3 years, Ball and Ingram's play is higher than Williams/Harrell (when they get traded for a veteran).

I agree that, right now, Lou and Harrell are better players.

Ahhh, I getcha now. you were saying the Laker guys are better players but the Lakers have done a wretched job at developing them which is why Lou and Montrezl are better NBA contributors at this point. Makes sense and I fully agree. It is a problem for the Lakers that all their young stars seem to regress year to year... a big problem.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Ahhh, I getcha now. you were saying the Laker guys are better players but the Lakers have done a wretched job at developing them which is why Lou and Montrezl are better NBA contributors at this point. Makes sense and I fully agree. It is a problem for the Lakers that all their young stars seem to regress year to year... a big problem.

The Lakers front office are a bunch of morons. I'm really happy for Luke Walton; he'll have the reigns to an up-and-coming team without a front office that makes career-ending choices (I mean, how the hell do you not have data showing that BBB sneakers are horrible for a player's feet and ankles? And how do you let the Anthony Davis saga play out like that? And how do you trade Russell - an All Star - for 1 year of Brook Lopez and the 27th pick in the draft?).

The Lakers front office is closing the gap on how terrible Billy King was as a GM...

[Reilly]

... I think it shows a(nother) crack in the Golden State foundation. I would still consider them the favorites ...

For what it's worth, and I'm not sure what it's based on: the NBA Playoff Forecast showing the percentage of times winning The Finals shows Milwaukee at 45.4% and Golden State at 15.6%. It's included in the daily Pro Basketball Stathead email from sports-reference.com.

[arnie]

The Lakers front office are a bunch of morons. I'm really happy for Luke Walton; he'll have the reigns to an up-and-coming team without a front office that makes career-ending choices (I mean, how the hell do you not have data showing that BBB sneakers are horrible for a player's feet and ankles? And how do you let the Anthony Davis saga play out like that? And how do you trade Russell - an All Star - for 1 year of Brook Lopez and the 27th pick in the draft?).

The Lakers front office is closing the gap on how terrible Billy King was as a GM...

But they got rid of Kupchack in 2017- would have thought that in itself would’ve improved the team? Of course the Jordan’s picked him up quickly in order to draft early 1st round picks for decades.

[bundabergdevil]

Sources beginning to confirm Cousins tore his quad.

Warriors have obviously won without Cousins and he hasn't been a perfect fit in their system so expect they'll be fine. I have to imagine they respond to what happened last night by coming out with a vengeance in Game 3. Loved seeing the Clippers pull that off, particularly after the disassembly of 'Lob City'. Wouldn't mind seeing them take a few more!

[DukieInBrasil]

is there a good reddit community to stream NBA playoff games thru?

[darthur]

For what it's worth, and I'm not sure what it's based on: the NBA Playoff Forecast showing the percentage of times winning The Finals shows Milwaukee at 45.4% and Golden State at 15.6%. It's included in the daily Pro Basketball Stathead email from sports-reference.com.

What did they say was the chance that the Cavs would make the finals last few years? A lot of these sites tend to completely ignore the very real and very large effect of top teams playing below themselves during the regular season. 538, which tries to account for that and is the source I trust most, has Golden State at 41% to Milwaukee's 21%. I personally think GS is far from a sure thing, but I also thought that last year. So shrug.

Against the Clippers, I think Durant has handled Beverly very very poorly all series and the team completely imploded when Curry went to the bench in the 3rd with 4 fouls. Then Curry came back cold in the 4th and the Warriors couldn't defend anything all half. For a collapse as bad as this, a few different things have to go wrong, and they did. But I do expect the Warriors to look better in Game 3 and right themselves. For sure part of the problem here was not taking the Clippers seriously, especially Durant who has been snickering at Beverly all series. Just a brutally frustrating game to watch as a Warriors fan though regardless.

As for the Cousins injury: I feel really bad for Boogie and it hurts the team to lose center depth, but I personally think Looney is a better center for the team right now than Cousins. Which is funny since I specifically remember talking Looney down during the playoffs last year. He's really grown on me.

[Gooch]

Random thoughts while watching Thunder-Blazers from a hotel bar in Seattle:
1. Is this the worst possible matchup for any Seattle NBA fans? West-Coast rival Portland vs. the city that stole their team!
2. Fun to watch Rodney Hood and Seth Curry get some run. They are playing OK on the second unit so far.
3. Seeing CJ McCollum reminds me of my daughter’s recent college visit to Lehigh. Three of the students mentioned how Lehigh beat duke 7 years ago even though they were all in elementary school when it happened. Pretty wild how Duke influences all of college basketball...

[Gooch]

Random thoughts while watching Thunder-Blazers from a hotel bar in Seattle:
1. Is this the worst possible matchup for any Seattle NBA fans? West-Coast rival Portland vs. the city that stole their team!
2. Fun to watch Rodney Hood and Seth Curry get some run. They are playing OK on the second unit so far.
3. Seeing CJ McCollum reminds me of my daughter’s recent college visit to Lehigh. Three of the students mentioned how Lehigh beat duke 7 years ago even though they were all in elementary school when it happened. Pretty wild how Duke influences all of college basketball...

Yes I’m replying to my own post but they just showed Seth’s mom...deja vu

[richardjackson199]

Kyrie is good

[richardjackson199]

and Tatum ain't bad

[arnie]

and Tatum ain't bad

And Kennard with a big 1st half.

[moonpie23]

does james harden charge every time he has the ball?

[Steven43]

does james harden charge every time he has the ball?

Yes.