2018 Playoffs Thread

[JCSunsfan]

I think the Celtics win tonight. It's almost like they're TOO YOUNG to feel the pressure here, especially at home where the crowd will be rabid.

And LeBron just has NOTHING on that team. He might be able to singlehandedly win like that at home where one or two guys might actually score double-digits, but they just showed Hill/Smith Jr. stats on the road, averaging 7 points... COMBINED PER GAME.

That doesn't get it done and the Finals FINALLY have someone from the East besides LeBron for the first time in 8 years.

Crazy thing is the last time it happened was the older than dirt Celtics. Now it's their fresh faces.

Man, Ainge has just KILLED it up there.

The Nets helped.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The Nets helped.

Yup. That was a smart GM taking advantage of a bunch of morons.

 

[Cheesebeef]

This is just LeBron v. Boston.

 

[Mainstreet]

It wasn't just here, Barkley and the like were just as bad (actually, worse). I don't mind people commenting about Mike or ripping him but to completely ignore the talent advantage is absurd IMO. Short of arming Tucker and Ariza with baseball bats, there's not much a coach could do that would level the field between these two teams.

This was what I was getting too about the 3 stars vs. the 2 star comparison. Now the Rockets are down to 1 star. Ripping D'Antoni is easier than comparing the talent and giving credit where credit is due.

 

[Mainstreet]

I won't be rooting for the Celtics next season because they will be saturated with talent. However,this season I want to see a new team in the Finals so I find myself wanting the Celtics to win. It will be interesting to see where Lebron goes.

 

[Finito]

You get the feeling Boston should be up 20 and here we are neck and neck at the half. This is where Lebron shines and these young guys have never been here. Gonna be interesting

 

[Phrazbit]

The Nets helped.

Billy King is probably the worst GM in NBA history.

That trade with the Celtics isn't even the stupidest trade King made.

In 2012 he traded two players and a 1st round pick for Gerald Wallace... Wallace was about to hit unrestricted free agency and the Nets were well out of the playoff hunt. That pick became Damian Lillard a couple months later. He then gave Wallace a 4 year 40 million dollar contract (when the cap was at like 52 mil).

There is no question that the Celtics-Nets trade was one of the most disastrous in NBA history, and while it looked stupid at the time... at least you could see some semblance of logic to it... even if it was terrible logic. While this Wallace trade was like if we had traded Warren, Ulis and our 1st round pick for Tyreke Evans and then tossed Evans a 120 million dollar contract this summer to keep him.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Billy King is probably the worst GM in NBA history.

That trade with the Celtics isn't even the stupidest trade King made.

In 2012 he traded two players and a 1st round pick for Gerald Wallace... Wallace was about to hit unrestricted free agency and the Nets were well out of the playoff hunt. That pick became Damian Lillard a couple months later. He then gave Wallace a 40 year 4 million dollar contract (when the cap was at like 52 mil).

There is no question that the Celtics-Nets trade was one of the most disastrous in NBA history, and while it looked stupid at the time... at least you could see some semblance of logic to it... even if it was terrible logic. While this Wallace trade was like if we had traded Warren, Ulis and our 1st round pick for Tyreke Evans and then tossed Evans a 120 million dollar contract this summer to keep him.

40 year contract! That’s career longevity!!’

 

[Phrazbit]

40 year contract! That’s career longevity!!’

Whoops! My bad.

But does make me think of Bobby Bonilla's contract with the Mets... he's still getting paid 1.2 mil a year... and will continue to get paid at that rate until 2035 when he'll be 72 years old.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Billy King is probably the worst GM in NBA history.

That trade with the Celtics isn't even the stupidest trade King made.

In 2012 he traded two players and a 1st round pick for Gerald Wallace... Wallace was about to hit unrestricted free agency and the Nets were well out of the playoff hunt. That pick became Damian Lillard a couple months later. He then gave Wallace a 40 year 4 million dollar contract (when the cap was at like 52 mil).

There is no question that the Celtics-Nets trade was one of the most disastrous in NBA history, and while it looked stupid at the time... at least you could see some semblance of logic to it... even if it was terrible logic. While this Wallace trade was like if we had traded Warren, Ulis and our 1st round pick for Tyreke Evans and then tossed Evans a 120 million dollar contract this summer to keep him.

He made several really bad deals but I disagree. None can match the folly of trading for those two over the hill players. Ainge was probably sitting there wondering how he could get rid of those old guys and what it would cost him, the next thing you know he's cashing in draft pick after draft pick for several years. The bad news for Brooklyn fans, King has enough ridiculous trades on his resume to keep the "worst trade ever" debate going for a long time.

 

[Finito]

Whoops! My bad.

But does make me think of Bobby Bonilla's contract with the Mets... he's still getting paid 1.2 mil a year... and will continue to get paid at that rate until 2035 when he'll be 72 years old.

That's amazing ain't it

 

[Russ Smith]

I apologize to Harden, he's got nothing on that flop by marcus Smart. My god if they can't give him a T for that at least fine him after the game for it. LeBron didn't touch him and he went back pretending he got an elbow on the chin.

I honestly think at some point the NBA is going to have to start doing in game reviews and penalizing flops with a T. And yes I know LeBron acted like he died on a flop during these same playoffs.

 

[SirStefan32]

I apologize to Harden, he's got nothing on that flop by marcus Smart. My god if they can't give him a T for that at least fine him after the game for it. LeBron didn't touch him and he went back pretending he got an elbow on the chin.

I honestly think at some point the NBA is going to have to start doing in game reviews and penalizing flops with a T. And yes I know LeBron acted like he died on a flop during these same playoffs.

On the replay from the side, you can see that LeBron hit him in the chin with his elbow on the way up.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I apologize to Harden, he's got nothing on that flop by marcus Smart. My god if they can't give him a T for that at least fine him after the game for it. LeBron didn't touch him and he went back pretending he got an elbow on the chin.

I honestly think at some point the NBA is going to have to start doing in game reviews and penalizing flops with a T. And yes I know LeBron acted like he died on a flop during these same playoffs.

I've said before that money is the only way to put a stop to it and it has to be done after the fact. If it's determined to be "acting", fine the team. Increase the fine each time a flop occurs (by team). Start the postseason flops at a million bucks for the first one and then double it each time. Do this and the players union won't have any standing (I think) as it's the teams getting fined. I'm pretty sure the first time a team gets fined a hundred plus million for a flop, they'll put an end to this crap.

 

[Russ Smith]

On the replay from the side, you can see that LeBron hit him in the chin with his elbow on the way up.

True but the way he reacted he clearly was flopping the initial move by LeBron didn't knock him down he just flopped. But you are right there was contact.

 

[SirStefan32]

True but the way he reacted he clearly was flopping the initial move by LeBron didn't knock him down he just flopped. But you are right there was contact.

Yeah, he exaggerated the contact for sure, but it was a foul.

 

[Mainstreet]

It's amazing how good Tatum is as a first year player.

 

[Phrazbit]

He made several really bad deals but I disagree. None can match the folly of trading for those two over the hill players. Ainge was probably sitting there wondering how he could get rid of those old guys and what it would cost him, the next thing you know he's cashing in draft pick after draft pick for several years. The bad news for Brooklyn fans, King has enough ridiculous trades on his resume to keep the "worst trade ever" debate going for a long time.

I agree, the consequences are waaaaaaaaaaaaaay worse and it was obviously a really short sighted trade from day one.

But a trading for a guy who is about to be a free agent... while you're team is going to be well under the cap... and using a 1st round pick with no protection to do so... and your team is 20 games under .500 at the time... it was a trade that made no sense from any perspective, it was essentially sabotage.

I cannot even think of an analogy for it...

Maybe this... it was like spending 10 bucks to buy a 2 dollar powerball ticket... for a drawing that already happened... and lighting that ticket on fire, using several 20 dollar bills as kindling.

 

[Phrazbit]

Marcus Smart is the worst flopper in the league.

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[AzStevenCal]

I agree, the consequences are waaaaaaaaaaaaaay worse and it was obviously a really short sighted trade from day one.

But a trading for a guy who is about to be a free agent... while you're team is going to be well under the cap... and using a 1st round pick with no protection to do so... and your team is 20 games under .500 at the time... it was a trade that made no sense from any perspective, it was essentially sabotage.

I cannot even think of an analogy for it...

Maybe this... it was like spending 10 bucks to buy a 2 dollar powerball ticket... for a drawing that already happened... and lighting that ticket on fire, using several 20 dollar bills as kindling.

Lol. Yeah, Billy King is that rare GM that makes you happy to be a Suns fan. Or even a Kings fan.

 

[Mainstreet]

Marcus Smart is the worst flopper in the league.

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Extra points for a jumping flop. LOL

 

[Hoop Head]

How can you argue an 8 second call? Either the time past or it didn't. There's no debate.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Marcus Smart is the worst flopper in the league.

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You should be suspended a game for that crap. I mean you’re making an overt mockery of the rules for even the most casual Celtics fan to see.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Celts just jacking up threes. Foolish.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Wow. LeBron is still the King of the East. Unreal.