NBA Playoffs

[NovaHoops2002]

Huge games tonight for playoff implications in the West

Pelicans vs Spurs 8pm
Timberwolves vs Thunder 8 pm

Pelicans own the tiebreaker. Everyone wants to see the Thunder vs the Warriors in the first round and it would be an absolute crime if Russell Westbrook does not get to play in the playoffs. For my money, he is the most entertaining player to watch in all of sports. A Westbrook vs Warriors series would be really fun to watch.

You would think the Thunder have the inside track since the Spurs are playing their best right now, but the interesting thing is that if the Spurs win they lock in as the 2 seed and will be playing the Mavericks who have given them some trouble.

I am going with a Spurs and Thunder win.

Westbrook is the MVP in my book, but it will probably come down to Curry or Harden. It's amazing that LeBron is sort of an afterthought in the MVP race when he had another outstanding season, but he won't win because of, let's call it voter fatigue.

 

[wcburrs87]

A OKC/GS matchup would be fun to watch from an entertainment standpoint, but from a competitive one not so much. GS will smash this version of OKC. The Thunder MIGHT win a game if Westbrook goes super crazy nuts one game, opposed to the just crazy good that he typically applies. Look for GS to approach 500 total points in their four wins if this series happens. OKC is awful, I mean really awful, defensively.

 

[gldendog]

Well we know the Thunder will win. Minny is trying to have the most ping pong balls. So it's a must win vs a must loss there.

And yes OKC's D sucks without Ibaka. They hope to have him back if they make playoffs but it won't matter. No shot vs GSW without KD.

 

[NorCalVU10]

OKC-Warriors would be a bloodbath. Warriors would average 120/game and sweep. NO is playing much better basketball and Davis is a much more effective player than Westbrook, and NO has a roster of borderline all stars that can hurt you on any given night.

Essentially the seeding is in the Spurs hands, and don't think they Popovich doesn't take this into account. He probably doesn't care too much who he plays, but he must love the fact that he can determine who the Warriors play-keeping in line with his mental and on court domination of the Warriors. Call me crazy but I will not be at all surprised if the Spurs game goes into overtime-just so Popovich can let the other games finish to figure out if they should win or lose. This might sound crazy, but I have this much faith in the Spur/Popovich.

 

[gldendog]

For the record I'm expecting the Spurs to win it all. Again.

Truly a remarkable franchise. All time great franchise.

 

[NorCalVU10]

Originally posted by gldendog:
For the record I'm expecting the Spurs to win it all. Again.

Truly a remarkable franchise. All time great franchise.

As a Warriors fan I appreciate this post!

 

[gldendog]

Originally posted by NorCalVU10:

Originally posted by gldendog:
For the record I'm expecting the Spurs to win it all. Again.

Truly a remarkable franchise. All time great franchise.

As a Warriors fan I appreciate this post!

Do you appreciate the beatdowns the Spurs regularly give to your team?As in wins in 6 of the last 7 meetings, and 23-4 in the last 27?
This post was edited on 4/15 12:35 PM by gldendog

 

[NorCalVU10]

Originally posted by gldendog:

Originally posted by NorCalVU10:

Originally posted by gldendog:
For the record I'm expecting the Spurs to win it all. Again.

Truly a remarkable franchise. All time great franchise.

As a Warriors fan I appreciate this post!

Do you appreciate the beatdowns the Spurs regularly give to your team?As in wins in 6 of the last 7 meetings, and 23-4 in the last 27?

This post was edited on 4/15 12:35 PM by gldendog

Not sure what your point is here. I've already acknowledged the Spurs dominance of the Warriors in this thread. They are truly remarkable and I'd never bet against them. I also know that taking into account the warriors history beyond the last 2-3 years is meaningless, and that two years ago the Warriors gave the Spurs everything they could handle in the playoffs. Who knows what could have happened if Warriors don't blow game 1, granted Curry and Bogut's bodies just gave up down the stretch in that series. But if given the option of which side of a gdog pick I would prefer to be on, its definitely the opposite.

 

[wcburrs87]

Golden State is the favorite in the West based off an unbelievable display during the RS that saw them lead the league in both offensive/defensive efficiency. Some of the season ending numbers bode very well towards winning a title, based on previous teams who did something similar. With that said, I will never count out the Spurs, as they are unbelievable, too. I'll say this, but I'm far less confident that the Warriors win the West today then I was a month a ago. And that is 100% because of the Spurs. The only other team in the West that can make it interesting IMO are the Clippers. Paul has quietly had a remarkable year. With that said, I expect the most of the series to be filled with intrigue and excitement. Some really good teams out there.

I'm a little less sure of things in the East. Can ATL carry over their RS performance? Are they for real? Is that oil I see leaking with them? They play a great team game, but are a little nicked up right now. I still think CHI can make it interesting, as their style is conducive to playoff success, but they need Rose, Noah, and Butler to be at least 85-90%. A lot of people jumping back on CLV. We'll see with them. I guess that depends if LeBron feels like taking the bull by the horn this time and playing like the best player in the world. One of TOR/WAS might surprise us and unexpectedly steal a series, but I don't think either as enough.

 

[gldendog]

NorCal. I have forgotten more about basketball than you know. Please believe and tell the kids and grandkids too.

 

[NorCalVU10]

Originally posted by wcburrs87:
Golden State is the favorite in the West based off an unbelievable display during the RS that saw them lead the league in both offensive/defensive efficiency. Some of the season ending numbers bode very well towards winning a title, based on previous teams who did something similar. With that said, I will never count out the Spurs, as they are unbelievable, too. I'll say this, but I'm far less confident that the Warriors win the West today then I was a month a ago. And that is 100% because of the Spurs. The only other team in the West that can make it interesting IMO are the Clippers. Paul has quietly had a remarkable year. With that said, I expect the most of the series to be filled with intrigue and excitement. Some really good teams out there.

I'm a little less sure of things in the East. Can ATL carry over their RS performance? Are they for real? Is that oil I see leaking with them? They play a great team game, but are a little nicked up right now. I still think CHI can make it interesting, as their style is conducive to playoff success, but they need Rose, Noah, and Butler to be at least 85-90%. A lot of people jumping back on CLV. We'll see with them. I guess that depends if LeBron feels like taking the bull by the horn this time and playing like the best player in the world. One of TOR/WAS might surprise us and unexpectedly steal a series, but I don't think either as enough.

I think its the Cavs and everyone else. If they aren't representing the East in the finals its because Lebron, Irving, or Mozgov gets hurts.

 

[gldendog]

And yes as has been stated the Spurs aren't even favored to win the their own conference let alone the title so it's not as if I'm toeing the public line here. For someone who gambles if you want to give them the Spurs and solid + $ it's not a bad idea to take it until proven otherwise. Still the team to beat for me until someone does it. This ain't college hoops where you can't have 1 bad night. Tough to beat those guys 4 times.

 

[NovaNation1188]

NBA needs to cut out the 1st round of the playoffs, and make the 2nd round best of 5. There's no reason playoffs in any sport should take 2 months. Same goes for the NHL.

Seeds 5 and below are 26% and under to win. 7-8 seeds apparently have virtually no shot.

NBA Stats

 

[TwoDecks]

Very excited for the playoffs this year and really hope Spurs don't win - excellent but been there done that.

Pacers game last night was a lot of fun as they fight for the final spot. My friends who are celtics fans up here are bittersweet on their playoffs - but the ownership did not make season ticket holders buy a full playoff package - just the first round
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[NorCalVU10]

Originally posted by NovaNation1188:
NBA needs to cut out the 1st round of the playoffs, and make the 2nd round best of 5. There's no reason playoffs in any sport should take 2 months. Same goes for the NHL.

Seeds 5 and below are 26% and under to win. 7-8 seeds apparently have virtually no shot.

in this scenario one of the Clippers/Spurs/Memphis/Rockets teams would miss the playoffs. You are out of your mind to suggest that one of those teams is diluting the playoffs (under the current system 2 of those teams would be left out based on Portland winning their division). 8 teams is fine. Best of 5 for at least the first series should happen-playoffs are too long.

 

[NovaNation1188]

Originally posted by NorCalVU10:

Originally posted by NovaNation1188:
NBA needs to cut out the 1st round of the playoffs, and make the 2nd round best of 5. There's no reason playoffs in any sport should take 2 months. Same goes for the NHL.

Seeds 5 and below are 26% and under to win. 7-8 seeds apparently have virtually no shot.

in this scenario one of the Clippers/Spurs/Memphis/Rockets teams would miss the playoffs. You are out of your mind to suggest that one of those teams is diluting the playoffs (under the current system 2 of those teams would be left out based on Portland winning their division). 8 teams is fine. Best of 5 for at least the first series should happen-playoffs are too long.

If they need to keep all 4 rounds of playoffs, they should at least make the 1st round best of 3, 2nd round best of 5, 3rd round best of 7. Then have the finals. The reason why it takes so long is teams sweep the first 4 games and then others take it to 7 games. Eliminate that waiting period.

 

[NickleDimer]

Originally posted by NovaNation1188:
NBA needs to cut out the 1st round of the playoffs, and make the 2nd round best of 5. There's no reason playoffs in any sport should take 2 months. Same goes for the NHL.

Seeds 5 and below are 26% and under to win. 7-8 seeds apparently have virtually no shot.

I like this idea. No need for barely above .500 teams to make the playoffs in any sport.
But it will never happen. You would be excluding another 8 teams from the playoff race and kill their late season ticket sales.
Tanking would probably be more pronounced, too.

 

[novabball2]

NBA playoffs are awful until the conf finals. the 1st rd games are spread so far apart so tnt can do the 40 games in 40 nights. some teams have two and three days off in between first rd games. its too much. drags way too long. especially the east.

 

[wcburrs87]

Keep it the way it is. If you like sports then more is better. If you're not a sports fan then don't watch. Can't stand dudes who regularly bitch about the length of games, how long a series is, and how many teams make the playoffs. No one is forcing anyone to watch. Seven game series ensures that the better team wins most of the time. The WC playoffs last year in the first round were fantastic (FACT!!) and the EC weren't that bad either.

If it weren't for weather/time of year considerations then baseball would be the same way in terms of them all being a 7-game series. How long before they add another team to the playoffs in each league?

 

[novabball2]

the Pacers needed 2 OTs to get to 99 points last night, not sure how that is fun basketball to watch.

The inside the NBA crew called the games the most boring double overtime game in NBA history.

 

[NovaNation1188]

Originally posted by wcburrs87:
Keep it the way it is. If you like sports then more is better. If you're not a sports fan then don't watch. Can't stand dudes who regularly bitch about the length of games, how long a series is, and how many teams make the playoffs. No one is forcing anyone to watch. Seven game series ensures that the better team wins most of the time. The WC playoffs last year in the first round were fantastic (FACT!!) and the EC weren't that bad either.

If it weren't for weather/time of year considerations then baseball would be the same way in terms of them all being a 7-game series. How long before they add another team to the playoffs in each league?

I don't like it so I don't watch. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't care. It's effing annoying that at the gym in the morning ESPN has to cover 30+ minutes of NBA first round action when it's baseball season. I know VERY few people who actually care about the NBA (and I believe it's representative to the US Population), it's frustrating. I can put up with a month of playoff coverage, but it's just ridiculous. Why can't they play:

Game 1
Game 2
Travel
Game 3
Game 4
Game 5
Travel
Game 6
Game 7

There's no reason for there to be extra rest.

 

[selmore1]

I know by Philadelphia standards what the Celtics did was idiotic because if you're not going to win the title, you might as well put a horrible product on the floor and make your fans pay to watch a bunch of d league players, but I LOVE how they gutted out the second half of the season and got into the playoffs. Don't care that they lose their 3% chance in the lottery and pick a few slots lower, the fans get to see Clev in the playoffs, the young players are learning how to win and will get playoff experience and just as a whole, you can see them really growing as a team. I loved the Isiah Thomas trade because they gave up basically nothing for, IMO, the best sparkplug in the NBA on a ridiculously low salary for his skill level. Also, Brad Stevens is a god damn genius as a coach. I know the East was bad, but that roster has no business being in the playoffs and getting the Celtics to have the 2nd best record in the East since the All Star break is remarkable. Hopefully this little bit of success shows potential free agents/trade targets that they have something cooking up there and they can get a real number 1 and 2 because with Stevens at the helm the sky's the limit.

 

[gldendog]

The NBA and NHL series are always ridiculously stretched out but we know why this is. TV dollars.

 

[NickleDimer]

Originally posted by wcburrs87:
If you're not a sports fan then don't watch. Can't stand dudes who regularly bitch about the length of games, how long a series is, and how many teams make the playoffs.

So being a sports fan means cheering on while the product is dilluted in order to increase revenue?

 

[wcburrs87]

NN1188, the leagues don't dictate the schedule the TV people do. Like everything in the world it's because of money. Would I like less time between games? Sure, but it's out of our control, so no sense in worrying about it. I'm not going to judge the product/sport on how long the playoffs take.

Also, tell your gym to put MLB Network on the TV or listen to music while you workout. Otherwise, it's a stupid reason to be annoyed by something.

 

[NovaNation1188]

Originally posted by wcburrs87:
NN1188, the leagues don't dictate the schedule the TV people do. Like everything in the world it's because of money. Would I like less time between games? Sure, but it's out of our control, so no sense in worrying about it. I'm not going to judge the product/sport on how long the playoffs take.

Also, tell your gym to put MLB Network on the TV or listen to music while you workout. Otherwise, it's a stupid reason to be annoyed by something.

I suppose it's more for selfish reasons because I think the NBA sucks. I go in the morning so TVs usually have Sports Center and Mike and Mike. I listen to music, but I like watching it in the background. I'd rather see baseball on the tubes than meaningless 1/2nd round NBA playoff "action".

 

[novabball2]

pro NBA fans are hard to have reasonable discussions with, if you say you dont like the NBA they get so mad. almost as bad as gun freaks who try and justify the second amendment.

NBA blows.

 

[wcburrs87]

Actually, NBA haters are hard to have reasonable conversations with. They hate something and pretty much don't watch it, but they think they have all the answers on what can make it better. How is that even possible? Clearly when you hate it or say it blows, then you can't have an objective conversation about it. How can you really know or understand something without watching it? Makes no sense.

 

[LizReed]

There are two kinds of people in this world---those who love the NBA and those who don't.

 

[gldendog]

The NBA playoffs are of high quality. There is actual defense played every game. Or attempted. Unlike the regular season when these jackasses only care or attempt to care about half the time.

As for NHL. Reg season sucks bc home ice doesn't mean dick. You just need to qualify.

Both NBA and NHL playoffs are each as excellent as their regular seasons are awful.

 

[Ninetynine5.0]

Originally posted by LizReed:
There are two kinds of people in this world---those who love the NBA and those who don't.

Also, those who love Neil Diamond and those who don't.

 

[wcburrs87]

Originally posted by LizReed:
There are two kinds of people in this world---those who love the NBA and those who don't.

And then there are those who fondle themselves over the college game (It's near a low point right now) and in the next breath bash the NBA. Strange.,

gdog, saying there is no defense played in the NBA RS is borderline idiotic. I thought you were better than that.

 

[LizReed]

There are two kinds of people in this world----those who fondle themselves over the college game and those who don't.

 

[gldendog]

Originally posted by wcburrs87:

Originally posted by LizReed:
There are two kinds of people in this world---those who love the NBA and those who don't.

And then there are those who fondle themselves over the college game (It's near a low point right now) and in the next breath bash the NBA. Strange.,

gdog, saying there is no defense played in the NBA RS is borderline idiotic. I thought you were better than that.

True. They play it in the 4th quarter. Sometimes.

 

[NovaHoops2002]

To clarify, i think the Warriors win the first round easy no matter who the opponent is. I just want to see more Russell Westbrook. Plus it would be a highly entertaining offensive series.

I'm hoping the Warriors make it to the Finals, I love watching them play. But I can't see anything but a Spurs-Cavs matchup. Maybe the Bulls give the Cavs a hard time, but I don't see anyone else challenging them.

 

[CWertz]

Originally posted by NovaHoops2002:
To clarify, i think the Warriors win the first round easy no matter who the opponent is. I just want to see more Russell Westbrook. Plus it would be a highly entertaining offensive series.

I'm hoping the Warriors make it to the Finals, I love watching them play. But I can't see anything but a Spurs-Cavs matchup. Maybe the Bulls give the Cavs a hard time, but I don't see anyone else challenging them.

You are going to see Anthony Davis instead of Westbrook, Spurs going down tonight.

 

[gldendog]

GSW first round opponent wasnt gonna matter either way. Both squash jobs.

Only the Spurs can beat Golden St in the West without home court.

 

[bmoneynova]

so did the Sixers seriously just miss out on both OKC and MIA 1sts? am I reading that right?

 

[gldendog]

But the 20th pick of Miami and 30th of OKC are gonna be future all-stars out of the '16 draft!!

 

[SnottieDrippen]

Still a 9.1% chance at the Heat pick! Haha.

Last year the 1st round of the Western Conf playoffs were my favorite 2 weeks of 2014" incredible games every night.

If ya don't like it don't watch it.