2022-2023 NBA Season Thread

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

He was worn down. He was gassed towards the end.

I am not trying to excuse Milwaukee. It was a terrible collapse. And they are in a real hole now.

If they cannot advance then that changes the east a lot, and this horrible Miami team will advance.

Nix v Heat doesn't have the same feel from 30 yrs ago.

[thehef]

Major wasted opportunity by the Grizz. Interesting how a game that went into overtime could've put Memphis back in control of series (tied 2-2 with HC advantage) but ended up putting them in desperation mode, down 3-1.

[Cobra Mgr]

I posted the same in the NHL thread.........

Once more, the Stanley Cup playoffs are kicking the NBA playoffs in rear end. After 4 games in each series, 2 are tied @ 2. Fla/Bos is the only series w/o an OT. And there have been 10 of those this round out of 32 matches. Also, road teams are 20-12 so far.

At the same point in the NBA, there has already been a sweep & only one series is tied @ 2. Just 2 games have gone into OT. Home team is 22-10.

[rudel.dietrich]

I need more Gus Johnson in my life.

[rudel.dietrich]

And every Atlanta win gives the 76ers training and medical staff two more days to work on Embiid and Harden.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

And every Atlanta win gives the 76ers training and medical staff two more days to work on Embiid and Harden.

Gotta give the Hawks mucho props.

[thehef]

Celtics el-foldo in the 4th quarter is kinda emblematic of their season... not taking lesser teams seriously. In all five games, they've either let the Hawks back into the game, or let them hang around. And in the only two games that truly went down the wire, the Celtics performed miserably at crunch time.

Not good indicators for a team that claims to have championship aspirations. And definitely not a good reflection on what is looking to be a rookie coach in over his head.

All of that magnified is by events elsewhere in the Eastern Conference that seemed to have things falling into place for Boston. (Just one little problem, fellas: You're not taking care of your business.)

Never going to happen, but I'd bench Smart and start Brogden. And while I wouldn't exactly put Smart at the end of the bench, I'd give Hauser more of those bench minutes... Smart has just been terrible, too focused on complaining to the refs (who are terrible btw, as usual, but not the cause of Boston's problems), and not focused on simply playing well.

[rudel.dietrich]

It was messy, but Denver puts away the Wolves

Two series are finished

[thehef]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

It was messy, but Denver puts away the Wolves

Two series are finished

Three teams with championship aspirations went into last night with very similar circumstances: 3-1 series leads, attempting to close out at home against vastly inferior teams. In all three cases, the inferior teams "showed up" and fought hard. Denver and Phoenix eventually took care of business. The absolute "choke" that my Celtics offered up, however, really makes me wonder: Is it heart or brains that this team is lacking? Tempting to at least partially blame the rookie coach, whose decisions down the stretch were questionable at best (terrible, IMO).

After all, this isn't a one-off. Ever since January, this team has been playing down to the level of competition. On Jan 21st they were 35-12, a 61-win pace that would've locked up home court throughout the playoffs. Since then they went 22-13 - a 51-win pace that is good but not typically contender-level ball - losing at least 10 games that they should've won... It's who they are...

I picked them to win the title because they are the deepest team in the association, and when they are on they are simply unbeatable. However, I can't say I feel real good about that pick, even though a) I don't really have any concern about the series vs Atlanta, b) they still should beat Philly (esp. w questions about Embiid's health), and c) there's a very real chance that Miami would be the team that awaits Boston (or Philly) in the EC finals (though the Bucks taking the next three against the Heat would not at all surprise me).

[rudel.dietrich]

Very disappointing by Cleveland. I expected more out of them. Their offense just looked so stagnant. Especially in the half court.

They need to upgrade that Okoro spot and either play with more pace or find some more shot creators.
I love their defense and Mobley is on pace to be the best player on the team.
I liked them this season, but that was a playoff disappointment.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

Very disappointing by Cleveland. I expected more out of them. Their offense just looked so stagnant. Especially in the half court.

They need to upgrade that Okoro spot and either play with more pace or find some more shot creators.
I love their defense and Mobley is on pace to be the best player on the team.
I liked them this season, but that was a playoff disappointment.

HUGE disappointment. Surprised they lost the series? No. Shocked they won just once? Very. So much so I think they have to advance next year or Bickerstaff gets fired. Team needs to build the bench up.

[Cobra Mgr]

How did the Bux let Butler get the ball to tie it @ OT? How did the refs not call the shove by Butler so he could get the ball?

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

HUGE disappointment. Surprised they lost the series? No. Shocked they won just once? Very. So much so I think they have to advance next year or Bickerstaff gets fired. Team needs to build the bench up.

I mean, much, much lower key disappointment than another team in their “division” so for now at least the spotlight is off of them.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

I mean, much, much lower key disappointment than another team in their “division” so for now at least the spotlight is off of them.

Spotlight is on Boldenhozer(sp?). There is absolutely no way they could allows Miami to beat them w/33 shots & 4 assists. It would have to be 18 shots & 14-15 assists. You have to make Miami beat you in another besides Butler scoring 40+. That is a coaching failure. Despite how Giannis eloquently described what is failure to him.

[Cobra Mgr]

Now having said that & giving tremendous props to JB's clutch performance..........How in the world do the refs swallow their whistle on the obvious shove Butler gave Coughnatan (sp?) to make the tying shot to end regulation?

[Déjà Bru]

Please excuse the expression of a personal sentiment. I spent years in that "Anybody else watching the Knicks?" thread, bemoaning how bad that organization was year after year after year. Now that the Knicks have finally shown some excellence, I find myself unable to commit to them. It's as if something is permanently broken.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Please excuse the expression of a personal sentiment. I spent years in that "Anybody else watching the Knicks?" thread, bemoaning how bad that organization was year after year after year. Now that the Knicks have finally shown some excellence, I find myself unable to commit to them. It's as if something is permanently broken.

If Boston doesn't get their act together, the Nix might go from 1st round underdog to E Conf faves if Embiid's health is a question mark.

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

You have intrigued me, sir.

Edit: Unless it was a different Englishman, he wasn't traumatized at all & wants to try it again. He only stopped cause the bus stopped due to a blizzard ahead & he didn't have the time to wait it out. At the end he says he wants to try again.

I watched the entire series. I believe he used the excuse of the storm ahead in Springfield, Missouri.

His voice, and body language, and a few of his comments shows just how freaked out he was. Subjective, to be sure.

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

You have intrigued me, sir.

Edit: Unless it was a different Englishman, he wasn't traumatized at all & wants to try it again. He only stopped cause the bus stopped due to a blizzard ahead & he didn't have the time to wait it out. At the end he says he wants to try again.

I watched the entire series. I believe he used the excuse of the storm ahead in Springfield, Missouri.

His voice, and body language, and a few of his comments shows just how freaked out he was. Subjective, to be sure.

I live in Missouri, and was a weather forecaster here for decades. At no point was Interstate 44 closed down.

[Antonin]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Please excuse the expression of a personal sentiment. I spent years in that "Anybody else watching the Knicks?" thread, bemoaning how bad that organization was year after year after year. Now that the Knicks have finally shown some excellence, I find myself unable to commit to them. It's as if something is permanently broken.

Well, they looked pretty good against my Cavaliers!

Once again, the Knicks just beat us in every way possible. Cleveland sports talk radio was a blizzard of criticism this morning, some of it valid, some of it (as is to be expected on sports talk radio) nonsense.

During the locker room interviews, Evan Mobley, who is usually very low-key anyway, was so soft spoken you could hardly hear him. Donovan Mitchell took responsibility for his personal failure. Darius Garland did also.

We should not have done so poorly, but we did. I'm sure changes are coming, but I hope we don't draw the wrong conclusions and make the wrong changes.