2019 NBA Playoff Discussion

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Dubs in 5

 

[Finito]

I disagree. I think the Raptors were the only team in the East that could beat the Warriors. I like their chances better than Milwaukee, for sure.

Just comparing starting 5's,

Marc Gasol, Siakam, Kawhi, Danny Green, Kyle Lowry vs
Bogut?, Draymond, Iggy?, Klay, and Curry.

Key bench players for Toronto, Ibaka, Norman Powell, and VanVleet. The Warriors are thin without Cousins or Durant, they have Livingston and Looney, maybe? If they get KD or Cousins back that will help their depth but I'm not sure how much it'll help them overall. Kawhi can shutdown KD, especially an injured KD.

That’s great but GS has 3 of the 4 best players in this series and if KD comes back they have 4 of the 5 best.

You got Lowry but then I’d rather have Iggy over everyone else. Those role players are cute but that star power at the top is what wins championships.

Your looking at GS at full power having 5 of the top 7 players in this series and make no mistake Lowry ain’t a Kyrie type player or talent.

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

GS already huge favorites in Vegas. Toronto is facing same odds as Cavs did last year...when they got swept.

 

[elindholm]

I'll be pulling for Toronto, but I wouldn't take them at 10:1. Checking the odds now... 5:2, yeah, not a chance.

 

[mjb21aztd]

I hate to say it but glad Bledsoe and the bucks had a successful season they will be good for a while. But Bledsoe didn't put up great num in playoffs.... so not hating the suns in letting him go

Should be a fun finals of course warriors will win again.... but looking forward to watching Leonard vs warriors

Go Raptors!

 

[Russ Smith]

Really happy for Norman Powell I first saw him play as a junior in HS and was thrilled to find out UCLA was recruiting him. His first 2 years were tantalizing physical tools but raw and you could just see he was miserable playing for howland. It all culminated in the game at Pauley where Powell so beaten down by Howland's yelling misinterpreted an assistant telling him to not foul, and fouled a guy with UCLA ahead, the guy made the FT"s, UCLA lost and Howland benched him. Powell was going to transfer after that year but luckily for him Howland got fired and he became a key guy.

He was actually a track star in HS, a long jumper, still a better athlete than player but he has become a good defender and improved his shot enough to be a valuable bench guy for Toronto. Obviously the series is about Kawhi and Steph but when the Raptors go 3 guards it will probably be Powell guarding Klay. And the Warriors will guard them the same way everyone else does which tends to leave Powell open for 3's and hope he misses.

Gasol has always been a Warriors killer as has Danny Green so I'm not quite as confident as Vegas is but I think the Warriors should win if they can find a way to slow down Kawhi. Hopefully iggy is healthy, he and Draymond are a nice combo to throw at Kawhi.

 

[Mainstreet]

I found myself rooting for the Raptors in the series because I want the Raptors to be able to keep Leonard and I think this helps their cause. Also I am not a fan of Bledsoe.

As a side note, Giannis seems to travel a lot on his drives to the basket. I guess the referees swallow their whistle because he is the next big star.

 

[Mainstreet]

Dubs in 5

I suspect your prognostication is close to right. It would be good for the NBA though if the Raptors make it a series. It would be so exciting. A lot more fans would tune-in to watch the games.

 

[Hoop Head]

Game 1 in this series should be huge. The Raptors need to win that game to show they can keep up and make things competitive. That will also be the first time an NBA finals game is not played in the US so I suspect the NBA will up their marketing for this series as well. Toronto having homecourt is one of the only reasons I think they might be able to win the series. I wouldn't bet on them winning but I think they have somewhere between and 10-20% chance.

 

[Mainstreet]

Game 1 in this series should be huge. The Raptors need to win that game to show they can keep up and make things competitive. That will also be the first time an NBA finals game is not played in the US so I suspect the NBA will up their marketing for this series as well. Toronto having homecourt is one of the only reasons I think they might be able to win the series. I wouldn't bet on them winning but I think they have somewhere between and 10-20% chance.

If the Raptors have a chance, I think their bench needs to play a huge role.

VanVleet gives the Raptors dynamic scoring off the bench.

 

[Cheesebeef]

loved watching Bledsoe just be awful in that series. bet there is a TON of regret giving him that 70 million dollar extension right about now...

 

[Ronin]

A former NMSU Aggie is playing in the NBA finals.
Congrats Pascal Siakam.
#aggieup

 

[Mainstreet]

A former NMSU Aggie is playing in the NBA finals.
Congrats Pascal Siakam.
#aggieup

He was drafted 27th by the Raptors. It's hard to believe he was there that late in the 2016 draft.

 

[Ronin]

He was drafted 27th by the Raptors. It's hard to believe he was there that late in the 2016 draft.

Playing for a small school in a weak conference probably hurt his draft stock.
He didn’t exactly dominate in the WAC.IIRC
Good for him for turning into the player that he is today.

 

[leclerc]

Great to see Bledsoe stink it up. Maybe he didn't want to be there.

I hope the Raptors win a couple to make it interesting, but the Warriors are just too much. Mickey Mouse Kevin Garnett joining GS destroyed the league even worse than Leflop orchestrating his decisions and putting teams together.

Dang millennials!

 

[Ronin]

Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater)
5/27/19, 2:34 PM
Kevin Durant is officially not playing in Game 1, Kerr says. DeMarcus Cousins is questionable.

 

[Finito]

Great to see Bledsoe stink it up. Maybe he didn't want to be there.

I hope the Raptors win a couple to make it interesting, but the Warriors are just too much. Mickey Mouse Kevin Garnett joining GS destroyed the league even worse than Leflop orchestrating his decisions and putting teams together.

Dang millennials!

They got Kevin Garnett to!!!

 

[hcsilla]

Leonard is looking like the best player in the league right now.

He is, no question.

I have never ever seen such a dominant, cold-blooded two-way player. It is just unbeliavable how he does everything on both ends of the floor.

 

[Yuma]

He is, no question.

I have never ever seen such a dominant, cold-blooded two-way player. It is just unbeliavable how he does everything on both ends of the floor.

I bet there will be some Draymond hard fouls on Leonard. It's going to be interesting to see how that plays out.

 

[elindholm]

loved watching Bledsoe just be awful in that series. bet there is a TON of regret giving him that 70 million dollar extension right about now...

He's still plenty moveable when Milwaukee decides to part ways, but his body language when he was on the floor was ... how do I put it ... familiar. And it was telling that he was on the bench more and more as the series got tight.

 

[Phrazbit]

He's still plenty moveable when Milwaukee decides to part ways, but his body language when he was on the floor was ... how do I put it ... familiar. And it was telling that he was on the bench more and more as the series got tight.

He’s a phenomenal defender and a solid offensive player too, but when the going gets tough he visits the salon.

 

[Hoop Head]

The NBA needs to quit allowing ABC/ESPN to dictate scheduling in the playoffs. They have advertised the finals start date since the semifinals, I believe, and I know that if the Bucks vs Raptors went to 7 games it wouldn't have changed that the finals were set to start on Thursday May 30th. I can see a 3 day break before the finals but 4 days is too much.

Then game 2 is on Sunday and game 3 on Wednesday. So there will be a 2 full day layoff in between each game, it seems. Game 4 will break that up by being Friday June 7th and then game 5 on Monday June 10th, game 6 will be Thursday June 13th and game 7 on Sunday June 16th.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The NBA needs to quit allowing ABC/ESPN to dictate scheduling in the playoffs. They have advertised the finals start date since the semifinals, I believe, and I know that if the Bucks vs Raptors went to 7 games it wouldn't have changed that the finals were set to start on Thursday May 30th. I can see a 3 day break before the finals but 4 days is too much.

Then game 2 is on Sunday and game 3 on Wednesday. So there will be a 2 full day layoff in between each game, it seems. Game 4 will break that up by being Friday June 7th and then game 5 on Monday June 10th, game 6 will be Thursday June 13th and game 7 on Sunday June 16th.

Well, that's simply not going to happen. ABC/ESPN is paying a lot of money to do this the way they want and no way will ABC agree to lose control of their prime time scheduling. Maybe in the next contract, if the big money isn't there, the NBA can re-take control of things like that but I'm quite sure the league would willingly forgo that kind of control to keep their huge TV deals in place.

 

[GatorAZ]

The NBA needs to quit allowing ABC/ESPN to dictate scheduling in the playoffs. They have advertised the finals start date since the semifinals, I believe, and I know that if the Bucks vs Raptors went to 7 games it wouldn't have changed that the finals were set to start on Thursday May 30th. I can see a 3 day break before the finals but 4 days is too much.

Then game 2 is on Sunday and game 3 on Wednesday. So there will be a 2 full day layoff in between each game, it seems. Game 4 will break that up by being Friday June 7th and then game 5 on Monday June 10th, game 6 will be Thursday June 13th and game 7 on Sunday June 16th.

I don’t mind the wait between the conference finals and finals. I just don’t like the two breaks between non-travel games. Idk why the NBA has a potential elimination game on Friday either where the next weekday for full coverage would be 3 days later.

 

[Yuma]

I can see a one game break between non-travel days, just for rest and to make adjustments in strategy. It gives the teams time to study film and rehab injuries. Multiple days off in the same local seems excessive. Two days so you have one day to travel, seems good when switching locals.