The 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament + Playoffs Thread

[JCSunsfan]

I would not have guessed it but Draymond is averaging 42 assists per "100 possessions used" which is apparently by far the best ratio in the playoffs. I assume they're talking about usage.

I honestly feel like his passing has been off way too many turnovers but statistically I'm wrong.

That is an odd stat. Basically notes how fast he gets it out of his hands without shooting. King of Hot Potato.

Of course, getting to a scorer, so that is good. I just have never really thought about that ratio much.

 

[Russ Smith]

That is an odd stat. Basically notes how fast he gets it out of his hands without shooting. King of Hot Potato.

Of course, getting to a scorer, so that is good. I just have never really thought about that ratio much.

Yeah most Warriors fans I know are of the opinion Draymond needs to shoot more. not 3's but when teams are just not guarding them he has to take up the slack. You see 10-12 possession a game where he keeps catching the ball and reverse pivoting trying to do a handoff to a shooter and then screen but the defense has it covered and he's holding the ball, with his back to the basket, 20 feet away. Sometimes Curry or Poole bails him out but in the last game for example I'd say 3-4 of the terrible shots Klay took were the result of Draymond doing that and then giving it to Klay with a short clock.

Their split action and fake handoff plays work quite well but there's a happy medium where if Draymond scores over a certain amount, they're close to unbeatable. But with Memphis the problem is he's having issues finishing because of Jackson, Clarke and company and the rim protection inside so he's passing up shots he normally takes.

 

[DJ Tabooh]

Yeah most Warriors fans I know are of the opinion Draymond needs to shoot more. not 3's but when teams are just not guarding them he has to take up the slack. You see 10-12 possession a game where he keeps catching the ball and reverse pivoting trying to do a handoff to a shooter and then screen but the defense has it covered and he's holding the ball, with his back to the basket, 20 feet away. Sometimes Curry or Poole bails him out but in the last game for example I'd say 3-4 of the terrible shots Klay took were the result of Draymond doing that and then giving it to Klay with a short clock.

Their split action and fake handoff plays work quite well but there's a happy medium where if Draymond scores over a certain amount, they're close to unbeatable. But with Memphis the problem is he's having issues finishing because of Jackson, Clarke and company and the rim protection inside so he's passing up shots he normally takes.

Ok I’m not here to bash Draymond, but how has he not developed some sort of floater or midrange shot? I feel like if it’s not at the rim or a wide open three, he doesn’t shoot it.

He’s been in the NBA long enough to develop that part of his game I feel like…unless Kerr wants him as the point forward exclusively and not worry about scoring. He scored 29 in game 7 of the Finals when the Warriors lost to the Cavs.

 

[Russ Smith]

Ok I’m not here to bash Draymond, but how has he not developed some sort of floater or midrange shot? I feel like if it’s not at the rim or a wide open three, he doesn’t shoot it.

He’s been in the NBA long enough to develop that part of his game I feel like…unless Kerr wants him as the point forward exclusively and not worry about scoring. He scored 29 in game 7 of the Finals when the Warriors lost to the Cavs.

he has a floater but it hasn't been going in much of late so it's a problem. He and Iggy both drive me nuts passing up layups to kick the ball out but I get they want 3's not 2's.

If he can make that stuff though yes the team would really benefit

 

[Chris_Sanders]

How are there no games tonight when we have to play every other day?

 

[Cheesebeef]

How are there no games tonight when we have to play every other day?

Gotta make sure the NBA’s darling Warriors got their rest and are front and center in their prime weekend games.

It’s crap.

 

[Ronin]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[somethingshesaid]

As for the Suns, they would certainly benefit from accepting that they just have to be good enough to beat two opponents: the other team, and the system. No choice.

It's been done at least once before, when the Mavericks beat the Heat in 2011. Then, surely the Heat were favored by the league, because they had Lebron James. I remember saying "The system has been beaten. The sneaker company that owns LeBron James can eat its own overpriced shoes." And perhaps when the Raptors won a championshipmore recently.

Probably someone else I'm not thinking of. Well, the entire set of Spurs championship teams, since it is widely believed that David Stern despised them.

 

[Mainstreet]

Joel Embiid will try to play game 3 against Miami after clearing concussion protocol.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[AzStevenCal]

As for the Suns, they would certainly benefit from accepting that they just have to be good enough to beat two opponents: the other team, and the system. No choice.

It's been done at least once before, when the Mavericks beat the Heat in 2011. Then, surely the Heat were favored by the league, because they had Lebron James. I remember saying "The system has been beaten. The sneaker company that owns LeBron James can eat its own overpriced shoes." And perhaps when the Raptors won a championshipmore recently.

Probably someone else I'm not thinking of. Well, the entire set of Spurs championship teams, since it is widely believed that David Stern despised them.

First off, I don't buy into any of the conspiracy theories nor that our schedule has anything to do with who the league wants to win. Secondly, I think you have your Spurs comment backwards, it was well known that he was close friends with the SA owner.

Rest at this time of the season is very important but so is rythym. IMO our guys are at their best with one day off in between games. An extra day would probably help Paul stay fresh but if it's a disservice to us it's very minor.

I'm sure the league's broadcast partner(s) had a lot to do with the schedules, not to give a team an extra day off for the team's advantage but to put the best selling product in the optimum viewing slots and the Warriors (and others) are simply a bigger draw.

 

[somethingshesaid]

First off, I don't buy into any of the conspiracy theories nor that our schedule has anything to do with who the league wants to win. Secondly, I think you have your Spurs comment backwards, it was well known that he was close friends with the SA owner.

Rest at this time of the season is very important but so is rythym. IMO our guys are at their best with one day off in between games. An extra day would probably help Paul stay fresh but if it's a disservice to us it's very minor.

I'm sure the league's broadcast partner(s) had a lot to do with the schedules, not to give a team an extra day off for the team's advantage but to put the best selling product in the optimum viewing slots and the Warriors (and others) are simply a bigger draw.

Fine. The Mavericks statement still stands. I don't have a problem believing that David Stern actually liked the Spurs just fine and could arrange a wink-wink in their favor every now and then, such as not significantly punishing Bruce Bowen for jump-kicking an opponent in the head. (That was when I really started getting wise to the league.)

 

[AzStevenCal]

Fine. The Mavericks statement still stands. I don't have a problem believing that David Stern actually liked the Spurs just fine and could arrange a wink-wink in their favor every now and then, such as not significantly punishing Bruce Bowen for jump-kicking an opponent in the head. (That was when I really started getting wise to the league.)

I think Stern was all about what he believed was best for the league and would have probably sold his kids and dogs if it helped the bottom line. I don't believe he would have outright cheated for the Spurs (or any team) but yeah, I could see him looking past minor things as long as it wouldn't work to the detriment of the NBA.

As bad as Bowen was, Karl Malone was far worse. And much more dangerous and as far as I know Stern had no particular love for the Jazz.

The league has it's hands tied to a certain extent when it comes to punishing players for what we all know is dirty play. But "knowing" it as a fan is different than being able to prove it and if you can't prove it you can't get it past the Players Association. So they punish within the league rules even though sometimes I'm sure they'd like to go well beyond.

 

[JCSunsfan]

First off, I don't buy into any of the conspiracy theories . . .

I am not sure there is any other way to explain Scott Foster.

Also, Al McCoy has alluded to the fact that there is more on the court this season that the Suns have to deal with beyond the refs. He said he will talk about it when the season is over. (I would not be surprised to see him retire this year.)

The Sarver thing is one of those things that the NBA office does not want people talking about in the playoffs. Easiest way to do that is for the Suns to not be in the playoffs, at least in the minds of some. I think the opposite. I think that once this playoff run is done, everyone will be talking about it again. Right now, they are just talking about basketball.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I am not sure there is any other way to explain Scott Foster.

I don't know if that's a conspiracy? I mean, who actually likes Scott Foster? He's probably the most hated in the league and has been for years now. Maybe Tony Brothers comes close but IMO that has more to do with technicals than the way he officiates the game, Foster reigns alone in that category.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I don't know if that's a conspiracy? I mean, who actually likes Scott Foster? He's probably the most hated in the league and has been for years now. Maybe Tony Brothers comes close but IMO that has more to do with technicals than the way he officiates the game, Foster reigns alone in that category.

BTW. Who is refereeing tonight?

 

[DJ Tabooh]

BTW. Who is refereeing tonight?

Marc Davis, Rodney Mott and John Goble.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Marc Davis, Rodney Mott and John Goble.

Marc Davis is also fairly high on my most disliked list but as I recall, he doesn't go overboard for the home team.

 

[Russ Smith]

The thur thing is not really weird to me if you go in assuming the idea is they want 2 games a night and they want to have all the teams at roughly the same point in the series, it made sense Phoenix played Wed game 2. So game 3 of Memphis GSW should have been Thur having played game 2 on Tue. They said last night on local tv that the NBA is giving an extra day when they change from one city to another which implies game 3 for Phoenix should be Sat, and game 3 for the Warriors should be tonight?

So it's that the Suns not Warriors play tonight that is odd to me. The Warriors played game 2 first, so they should have played game 3 first too.

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

Joel Embiid will try to play game 3 against Miami after clearing concussion protocol.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Ben Simmons would be out at least 2 years if he had any one of those injuries.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The thur thing is not really weird to me if you go in assuming the idea is they want 2 games a night and they want to have all the teams at roughly the same point in the series, it made sense Phoenix played Wed game 2. So game 3 of Memphis GSW should have been Thur having played game 2 on Tue. They said last night on local tv that the NBA is giving an extra day when they change from one city to another which implies game 3 for Phoenix should be Sat, and game 3 for the Warriors should be tonight?

So it's that the Suns not Warriors play tonight that is odd to me. The Warriors played game 2 first, so they should have played game 3 first too.

I think Saturday draws a bigger sports audience than a Friday would so it makes sense to me. Golden State is a bigger draw than Phoenix.

 

[Russ Smith]

I think Saturday draws a bigger sports audience than a Friday would so it makes sense to me. Golden State is a bigger draw than Phoenix.

I guess. It's just weird to me. If you asked me which series will be over first I'd say Phoenix, 4 or 5 games I think the Warriors goes 6 or 7. So it would make sense to me for the Warriors to play game 3 first. You don't want Phoenix sitting around waiting for the winner of Warriors and Memphis.

But they went the other way.

 

[Suns_fan69]

I think Saturday draws a bigger sports audience than a Friday would so it makes sense to me. Golden State is a bigger draw than Phoenix.

Aren't Sunday's the biggest draw usually? (At least after NFL is done)

 

[Cheesebeef]

Fine. The Mavericks statement still stands. I don't have a problem believing that David Stern actually liked the Spurs just fine and could arrange a wink-wink in their favor every now and then, such as not significantly punishing Bruce Bowen for jump-kicking an opponent in the head. (That was when I really started getting wise to the league.)

I’ll tell you what Stern probably loved about the Spurs… the AWFUL ratings every Finals matchup would grab during the overwhelming majority of their run until they finally played the Super Team Heat in 2013.

There’s no way Stern WANTED that team to win. They were incredibly efficient but an unbelievable bore to watch for the most part during their title runs in the 2000s

 

[Cheesebeef]

I am not sure there is any other way to explain Scott Foster.

Also, Al McCoy has alluded to the fact that there is more on the court this season that the Suns have to deal with beyond the refs. He said he will talk about it when the season is over. (I would not be surprised to see him retire this year.)

The Sarver thing is one of those things that the NBA office does not want people talking about in the playoffs. Easiest way to do that is for the Suns to not be in the playoffs, at least in the minds of some. I think the opposite. I think that once this playoff run is done, everyone will be talking about it again. Right now, they are just talking about basketball.

Literally no one mentions Sarver during these playoffs.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Aren't Sunday's the biggest draw usually? (At least after NFL is done)

Oh I'm sure they are. Still, I'd imagine that Friday is near the bottom.