2021 NBA Playoffs Thread

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Best news of the day!

I liked SVG. I don't follow the Pels (or NBA) all that closely, but thought he did satisfactory with the jumble of pieces he was given. Would have liked to see him get another season, but I also realized New Orleans is probably not looking to waste any Zion years if it doesn't seem like a good fit.

They better make hay this off-season to get things in place for a real run.

[SouthernDukie]

I liked SVG. I don't follow the Pels (or NBA) all that closely, but thought he did satisfactory with the jumble of pieces he was given. Would have liked to see him get another season, but I also realized New Orleans is probably not looking to waste any Zion years if it doesn't seem like a good fit.

They better make hay this off-season to get things in place for a real run.

The problem is they made absolutely no improvements (in terms of making the playoffs or finding ways to win close games) from the year before. And that was with a healthy Zion.

On the negative, this is five coaches for Zion in five years. Not exactly a model of consistency.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I liked SVG. I don't follow the Pels (or NBA) all that closely, but thought he did satisfactory with the jumble of pieces he was given. Would have liked to see him get another season, but I also realized New Orleans is probably not looking to waste any Zion years if it doesn't seem like a good fit.

They better make hay this off-season to get things in place for a real run.

I'm in the same boat as you - don't follow the NBA as closely as others here but it seems like he didn't do a great job but he also was handed a somewhat odd collection of players. I go the sense there was definitely some underperforming of potential, but this was a very unique season. I'm also not sure what was being said behind the scenes.

That being said, one would hope that the Pelicans front office has a very short list of realistic candidates for this job. Too often a team will fire a coach because they think they need a change but it ends up they don't know what they are looking for and/or can't find what they are looking for and end up settling for a new coach who might not be any better.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I liked SVG. I don't follow the Pels (or NBA) all that closely, but thought he did satisfactory with the jumble of pieces he was given. Would have liked to see him get another season, but I also realized New Orleans is probably not looking to waste any Zion years if it doesn't seem like a good fit.

They better make hay this off-season to get things in place for a real run.

Agreed. van Gundy got a raw deal. Pieces didn't fit that well in NO. Cant blame him for that. He is accountable for the late game breakdowns and not making Zion/Ingram work well together.

I think Griffin is a very competent GM, but he has zero patience. Not sure I'd want to be the NO coach, knowing that I only have one year to make the playoffs or else I'm out.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Agreed. van Gundy got a raw deal. Pieces didn't fit that well in NO. Cant blame him for that. He is accountable for the late game breakdowns and not making Zion/Ingram work well together.

I think Griffin is a very competent GM, but he has zero patience. Not sure I'd want to be the NO coach, knowing that I only have one year to make the playoffs or else I'm out.

Well, I sort of understand Griffin's sense of urgency. After failing to do ANYTHING with Anthony Davis, the clock is ticking on Zion. You aren't likely to get a third shot at a generational talent for a long, long time.

But yeah, you gotta find the right pieces. I liked the Adams acquisition. Thought it would free up Zion to roam the floor more. I can't figure out whether Ball works on this team or not. Selfishly, I'm bummed the dumped JJ.

Again, gonna be a big off-season. Will determine what direction this franchise heads in.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Well, I sort of understand Griffin's sense of urgency. After failing to do ANYTHING with Anthony Davis, the clock is ticking on Zion. You aren't likely to get a third shot at a generational talent for a long, long time.

But yeah, you gotta find the right pieces. I liked the Adams acquisition. Thought it would free up Zion to roam the floor more. I can't figure out whether Ball works on this team or not. Selfishly, I'm bummed the dumped JJ.

Again, gonna be a big off-season. Will determine what direction this franchise heads in.

I don't. Davis spent 7 years with the Pelicans. Cousins spent 6.5 years with the Kings.

The superstar rule of thumb is you're going to spend your first contract with your drafted team and then sign an extension. At the end of that extension, you get antsy and ask for a trade with 1.5 years left on the contract (and then get traded in the 0ff-season).

The Pelicans have 4 years left with Zion. And Zion will not care about not making the playoffs in years 3 and 4 if the Pelicans are going far in years 5 and 6. Patience is needed, especially with the insane number of draft picks NO has to use as trade bait.

[SouthernDukie]

I’m assuming Stan had a say in trading Holiday for Bledsoe and signing Adams, among other tweaks. He clearly had a say in letting JJ go. I think it’s funny that JJ played better under last year‘s coach than Stan, whom he theoretically should’ve played very well under. But it just didn’t pan out. I’m not as high on SVG as some of you guys are. When you listen to some of his former great players, they don’t always give him high marks on everything. Especially end of game situations where they are trying to nurse a lead.

And MD is exactly right - the clock is ticking on Zion. Gotta make hay while it’s daytime.

[SouthernDukie]

The Pelicans have 4 years left with Zion. And Zion will not care about not making the playoffs in years 3 and 4 if the Pelicans are going far in years 5 and 6. Patience is needed, especially with the insane number of draft picks NO has to use as trade bait.

Perhaps you personally know Zion. I don’t. But he certainly doesn’t impress me as the type of young man that will be OK with missing the playoffs two more years in a row. Especially seeing guys like Ja (among many other young stars) creating a name for themselves in the playoffs. I think he’s too competitive for that.

[moonpie23]

Chris Paul on getting vaccinated:


“We’ll address that when it comes as far as a union and players,” Paul told USA Today in December. “But when it comes to all different types of vaccines, a lot of that stuff is personal.”

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Chris Paul on getting vaccinated:


“We’ll address that when it comes as far as a union and players,” Paul told USA Today in December. “But when it comes to all different types of vaccines, a lot of that stuff is personal.”

It's absolutely personal. Right up until it isn't.

Ask John Rahm.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

It's absolutely personal. Right up until it isn't.

Ask John Rahm.

Yup. As we discussed with Rahm, anyone who says "I don't want to talk about it" didn't get the vaccine. Rahm primarily let down himself. Paul might be letting down a lot more people. I wonder how Jake and the folks at State Farm feel about this.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Yup. As we discussed with Rahm, anyone who says "I don't want to talk about it" didn't get the vaccine. Rahm primarily let down himself. Paul might be letting down a lot more people. I wonder how Jake and the folks at State Farm feel about this.

I have a lot of compassion for the injuries CP3 has accumulated at unfortunate moments of his career. If this is what it seems to be - not so much this go around.

I wish him a speedy and full recovery. I bet the Suns fans, players, and staff are apoplectic.

[Duke79UNLV77]

Donovan Mitchell didn’t make an All-NBA team. I like Kyrie but no way he should have made it ahead of Mitchell. Being the best player, the guy they count on to generate offense, on the team with the best regular season record has to count for something.

Tatum and Zion were denied so Paul George and Jimmy Butler could be on the third team. LeBron made the second team even though he only played in 45 games this season, missing close to 40% of the season. Absurd.

Kyrie was 11th in the NBA in PER. Mitchell was 26th. Chris Paul was 25th. Kyrie's team won almost as many games, and he was the biggest reason, with him playing almost 20 more games for the Nets than either Durant or Harden did. Kyrie also played 1 more game than Mitchell. Utah and Phoenix are not as strong 1-3 as Brooklyn, but they are more balanced with talent 1-5, and didn't miss as much with injuries. Was Mitchell the most valuable player for Utah or Gobert? Paul for Phoenix or Booker? Sometimes, a top team just doesn't have a very, very top individual player, like the Rip Hamilton Pistons or 2010 Duke. I think Kyrie easily deserved to be on an All-NBA team.

I would have put Zion on a team, even ahead of Tatum. Zion was 4th, and Tatum 27th in PER. While it seems odd for a 20 year old, Zion was more consistent. Tatum was more likely to go for 50, but also more likely to have an occasional terrible shooting night, as he did with both in the playoffs. I'm pretty confident that this won't be Zion's last shot at an All-NBA team, though.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I have a lot of compassion for the injuries CP3 has accumulated at unfortunate moments of his career. If this is what it seems to be - not so much this go around.

I wish him a speedy and full recovery. I bet the Suns fans, players, and staff are apoplectic.

Lots of talk on Twitter and TV about Chris Paul already being vaccinated: https://twitter.com/Gambo987/status/...7Ctwgr%5Etweet

May be a breakthrough case or a false positive. Wouldn't say anything about Paul's character on this matter. Now, punching players in the groin or playing dirty? Different story

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Lots of talk on Twitter and TV about Chris Paul already being vaccinated: https://twitter.com/Gambo987/status/...7Ctwgr%5Etweet

May be a breakthrough case or a false positive. Wouldn't say anything about Paul's character on this matter. Now, punching players in the groin or playing dirty? Different story

If that's the case, obviously I would feel differently.

[SouthernDukie]

If that's the case, obviously I would feel differently.

As would I. But if he didn’t take it, I have no sympathy for him.

[cato]

I don't. Davis spent 7 years with the Pelicans. Cousins spent 6.5 years with the Kings.

The superstar rule of thumb is you're going to spend your first contract with your drafted team and then sign an extension. At the end of that extension, you get antsy and ask for a trade with 1.5 years left on the contract (and then get traded in the 0ff-season).

The Pelicans have 4 years left with Zion. And Zion will not care about not making the playoffs in years 3 and 4 if the Pelicans are going far in years 5 and 6. Patience is needed, especially with the insane number of draft picks NO has to use as trade bait.

Patience for what though? Stan Van didn’t show any promise as a long term solution. Might as well move on and find that long term solution now.

[Rich]

Chris Paul on getting vaccinated:


“We’ll address that when it comes as far as a union and players,” Paul told USA Today in December. “But when it comes to all different types of vaccines, a lot of that stuff is personal.”

I wonder what they thought about HepB, RV, DTaP, Hib, PCV13, and IPV when they got them before they were 6 months old.

[rsvman]

I wonder what they thought about HepB, RV, DTaP, Hib, PCV13, and IPV when they got them before they were 6 months old.

I hate to be "that guy"...nah, who am I kidding? I LOVE to be that guy.


Chris Paul was born in 1985. Of the vaccines you mention, it is likely that Chris Paul got either ONE or NONE of them.

I ran the nursery at Silas B. Hays hospital from 1991-1994, and my hospital was the very first hospital in the state of California to introduce routine hepB vaccination.

My youngest son was enrolled in clinical trials of the first rotavirus vaccine, and my son was born in 1997. (By the way, this was of the vaccine that was later removed from the market and replaced by a newer one. The latter vaccine, mentioned in your list, wasn't put into routine use until at least 2006.)

PCV13 was licensed in 2010.

The United States changed from oral polio vaccine (OPV) to inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) in the year 2000.

The first Hib vaccine, which was unconjugated and not very effective, was licensed in 1985, so he MAY have received that one.

DTaP was licensed in 1991. Prior to that we used a vaccine called DTP, which had whole-cell pertussis in it.


Jus' sayin.'

[Rich]

I wonder what they thought about HepB, RV, DTaP, Hib, PCV13, and IPV when they got them before they were 6 months old.

I hate to be "that guy"...nah, who am I kidding? I LOVE to be that guy.


Chris Paul was born in 1985. Of the vaccines you mention, it is likely that Chris Paul got either ONE or NONE of them.

I ran the nursery at Silas B. Hays hospital from 1991-1994, and my hospital was the very first hospital in the state of California to introduce routine hepB vaccination.

My youngest son was enrolled in clinical trials of the first rotavirus vaccine, and my son was born in 1997. (By the way, this was of the vaccine that was later removed from the market and replaced by a newer one. The latter vaccine, mentioned in your list, wasn't put into routine use until at least 2006.)

PCV13 was licensed in 2010.

The United States changed from oral polio vaccine (OPV) to inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) in the year 2000.

The first Hib vaccine, which was unconjugated and not very effective, was licensed in 1985, so he MAY have received that one.

DTaP was licensed in 1991. Prior to that we used a vaccine called DTP, which had whole-cell pertussis in it.


Jus' sayin.'

Point taken, and I appreciate you being "that guy," so I'll retract and update my comment:

I wonder what they thought about HepB, RV, DTaP, Hib, PCV13, and IPV when almost assuredly their kids got them before they were 6 months old.