2019 NBA Playoffs Poll

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Who is going to win the NBA Championship?

Warriors
7
41%
Rockets
1
6%
Bucks
3
18%
Raptors
2
12%
Nuggets
2
12%
Sixers
0
No votes
Other
2
12%
 
Total votes: 17

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33anda3rd
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Poll

Post by 33anda3rd »

Curry was in God Mode last night. All those threes. 15 boards. Curry is the most entertaining player I've ever seen. If he shot as much as Harden he'd averaged more points per game than anyone not named Wilt. He's spectacular, he very quietly had another 40/50/90 Club season en route to leading the best team in the West by record (and best in the NBA despite record) yet Harden is in the MVP conversation, which is insane.

On top of that, PatBev tried so hard to get under KD's skin, physically trying to move KD all night with KD laughing at him the whole time, and yeah, KD got tossed, but he got tossed with the game decided for riding PatBev face-first into the scorer's table then laughing and jawing at PatBev, reminding him that one of them is a MVP/Finals MVP and one of them is a pesky little fella on the losing end of a country ass-kicking, while being ejected.

That was a fun goddamn game of basketball last night.

Socnorb11
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Poll

Post by Socnorb11 »

There were entire teams full of Beverlys back in the 80's.

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33anda3rd
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Poll

Post by 33anda3rd »

Right and now there are teams full of guys who pass and shoot and handle the ball better than Beverly and the league is less tackle football and more athleticism and skill and the league, the players, the owners, and the fans are way better off because of that.

Guys like Anthony Mason and Charles Oakley and Dale Davis who couldn’t shoot 3s and shot FT around 70% and whose defense had nothing to do with blocks or steals and everything to do with grabbing and pushing would have a very hard time getting minutes nowadays when the men playing their position are required to run the floor, shoot 3s, make free throws, participate in good ball movement, set clean screens, roll and/or pop an open jumper out of those picks, and so on.

The old thinking is that LeBron and this wave couldn’t play in the 80s-90s. In reality, it’s the other way around.

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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Poll

Post by Socnorb11 »

Eh. I think you can look at it both ways. Players wouldn't pass and shoot and handle the ball as easily if they were being grabbed & pushed for 48 minutes. Setting clean screens wouldn't be as easy with guys muscling through them. Older era basketball didn't entail crossing half court and looking for the open shooter. There was more penetration........ and guys like Curry would have to defend that for 48 minutes, and somehow keep their legs fresh enough to do the only thing that they do really well..... shoot the rock from downtown. Flopping used to be an art, now it's a SNL skit. As far as athleticism, some of the best players in the NBA now are European players, who aren't remotely the most athletic players in the league. I think rivalries were far more fierce in the 80's/90's. Magic & Bird weren't texting each other before the Lakers/Celtics game, to figure out how they could play together next year.

Both eras were/are great, in their own way. Some will tell you that they liked old school physical basketball, and some will tell you that they enjoy modern era players that rely mostly on their athleticism. Personally, I enjoy both.

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33anda3rd
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Poll

Post by 33anda3rd »

I enjoy both as well, but I'm glad the game has more metaphysical beauty now and that skill is more important than grabbing and pushing and pulling.

Curry's game would have played in the 80s and 90s, I'm confident. Anyone who can routinely make 35% of shots from 30-34 feet is going to be a weapon in any era. He would have arguably had to defend less, because there would be a rim-protecting old school C behind him, along with an old-school PF who can't shoot but can knock guys down and grab 8 boards/game in the event the opposing PG got past him.

Socnorb11
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Poll

Post by Socnorb11 »

Curry..... yeah. Best shooter ever. That's hard to defend in any era.

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BottenFieldofDreams
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Poll

Post by BottenFieldofDreams »

Jocephus wrote:as an uber casual fan, can some explain why it wouldn't be the warriors again?
Remember how God got really pissed at the Israelites, when Moses came down the mountain and they were praying to golden cows? Well my theory is the Basketball Gods are going to get back from this very long vacation they've been on while things like Kawhi and Chris Paul getting hurt have been happening even as Durant, Chess Move Boogie and the Golden State Super Courageous-ors are urinating all over the concept of meaningful competition and proving anything whatsoever at all. They are going to be PISSED, the Basketball Gods. Even though Golden State passes a lot, which according to so many makes it okay that the league is a joke: PISSED.

That's why it wouldn't be.

And then there will be one thing religion didn't poison.

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Jocephus
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Poll

Post by Jocephus »

hmm. i think you might be biased.

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BottenFieldofDreams
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Poll

Post by BottenFieldofDreams »

Objectively, there is no reasonable excuse for this GS team to lose (sure the Bucks have Giannis, but what about four more All-NBA first teamers?). All they have to do is not sleepwalk for 2-3 quarters a game like they did in the regular season (hell, maybe they could still do that). ...and keep Draymond from punching KD in the emotional nuts.

The one and only thing they can prove this playoffs is that they are failures. But I don't think that will happen. Then hopefully this miserable, pointless (two biased terms subject to those who like sports to be competitive--at least if you squint really hard-- between catastrophic Blazers injuries and/or failures) chapter will come to an end.

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33anda3rd
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Re: 2019 NBA Playoffs Poll

Post by 33anda3rd »

How could this one year prove that a team that's won 3 of the last 4 titles and who has 2 of the best 4 players in the history of the game are "failures"?

Really, the things this team can prove are:
1. they're in a league with the 90s bulls and Russell Celtics
2. irrational sports fans schadenfreude can boil higher than any other emotion they possess

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