The 2024 NBA playoffs thread

[Phrazbit]

This Wally Szczerbiak looking guy is Minnesota’s human victory cigar.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Man… they just curb-stomped the Nuggets.

 

[BirdGangThing]

defense wins championships - when one team can score and the other cannot it doesn't merely reflect on the scoreboard but in the mentals as well

 

[GatorAZ]

Yes, watching the Timberwolves manhandle the Nuggets in Denver takes a little sting out of the Suns losses

It makes it worse for me because they could look at the Wolves success as reason to change nothing.

 

[Cheesebeef]

It makes it worse for me because they could look at the Wolves success as reason to change nothing.

Yup.

 

[Dback Jon]

Yup.

If they do that, then they’re saying they’re don’t want to win

 

[clyde2tw]

This MIN team plays nasty defense with passion and smarts. KD and Book faced similar tight defense throughout the regular season but we never seemed to handle it good enough, nor tried to practise similar defense on our part. If they don't change this mentality, with the new NBA direction to allow physical defense, we have no business to win anything next season and beyond.

 

[Covert Rain]

It makes it worse for me because they could look at the Wolves success as reason to change nothing.

Our team is built nothing like theirs. If anything it should prompt the Suns to model how they built their team verses trying to buy yourself a super team.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Damn..... That was an annihilation. Good on you T-Wolves.

 

[Russ Smith]

I didn't see this coming at all. I'm also bad luck, Warriors out, then I was rooting for Kings, they're out. Now I'm rooting for Denver because I love Joker so they're getting taken apart.

Minnesota drafted and built the roster in a specific way, get length and defenders to put around Ant and Kat and man is it working. I remember thinking it was perfect for Jaylen Clark sit out the whole year rehabbing his injury and then has a chance to get immediate PT as a role playing defender next year, he's apparently on track health wise but man is he going to have a hard time cracking that rotation.

 

[95pro]

A healthy Naz is making a difference, he was out last year. Idr who else was injured last year as well.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

A healthy Naz is making a difference, he was out last year. Idr who else was injured last year as well.

He’s been a real find for them. I’ve been impressed with both his interior and perimeter defense.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I didn't see this coming at all. I'm also bad luck, Warriors out, then I was rooting for Kings, they're out. Now I'm rooting for Denver because I love Joker so they're getting taken apart.

Minnesota drafted and built the roster in a specific way, get length and defenders to put around Ant and Kat and man is it working. I remember thinking it was perfect for Jaylen Clark sit out the whole year rehabbing his injury and then has a chance to get immediate PT as a role playing defender next year, he's apparently on track health wise but man is he going to have a hard time cracking that rotation.

If you're truly bad luck, please cheer for the Celtics.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Didn't just curbstomp them, Nuggets are unraveling mentally:

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[Proximo]

If they do that, then they’re saying they’re don’t want to win

I think Ishbia's press conference already said that. He's more concerned with trying to convince people he hasn't screwed the team up.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Didn't just curbstomp them, Nuggets are unraveling mentally:

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I would think that’s heavy fines. A player can hurt stepping on objects thrown and slipping. That’s unacceptable. Personally I would suspend him.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I would think that’s heavy fines. A player can hurt stepping on objects thrown and slipping. That’s unacceptable. Personally I would suspend him.

Same. If a fan got caught throwing something on the court, they’d immediately get kicked out and probably banned from the stadium.

They obviously wouldn’t have to do that to a player but what Murray did was kinda dangerous and beyond stupid.

 

[95pro]

Dallas OKC commentary so bad

 

[Lorenzo]

Dallas OKC commentary so bad

I’m watching the stars game. When I turned on the OKC/dallas game it went from close, back to a 10 point lead for OKC. Dallas look slow in the parts I’ve watched.

 

[Lorenzo]

Same. If a fan got caught throwing something on the court, they’d immediately get kicked out and probably banned from the stadium.

They obviously wouldn’t have to do that to a player but what Murray did was kinda dangerous and beyond stupid.

David stern would have suspended him. It’s really dumb and i know no one wants to see it, but he is lucky he didn’t get suspended for that.

 

[Cheesebeef]

If the Wolves go on to win the title this year or next, does Gobert get into the HOF as a Four-Time DPOY/Champion? Does he get in even if they don’t win? He’s been the #2 bedrock of playoff teams his entire career, able to transform most of his teams into very good defensive squads, regardless of talent around him.

Interesting case for a defensive specialist.

 

[Suns_fan69]

If the Wolves go on to win the title this year or next, does Gobert get into the HOF as a Four-Time DPOY/Champion? Does he get in even if they don’t win? He’s been the #2 bedrock of playoff teams his entire career, able to transform most of his teams into very good defensive squads, regardless of talent around him.

Interesting case for a defensive specialist.

He might get in even without it. Dikembe Mutombo (closest comp I could think of) made it in and he doesn't have a championship. He has a Finals appearance, but other than that the rest of the accolades look pretty similar, including 4x DPOY and a bunch of defensive team awards.

 

[Cheesebeef]

He might get in even without it. Dikembe Mutombo (closest comp I could think of) made it in and he doesn't have a championship. He has a Finals appearance, but other than that the rest of the accolades look pretty similar, including 4x DPOY and a bunch of defensive team awards.

Dikembe’s a good comp.

 

[GatorAZ]

If the Wolves go on to win the title this year or next, does Gobert get into the HOF as a Four-Time DPOY/Champion? Does he get in even if they don’t win? He’s been the #2 bedrock of playoff teams his entire career, able to transform most of his teams into very good defensive squads, regardless of talent around him.

Interesting case for a defensive specialist.

He’s a HOF lock regardless IMO. Like you said he’s the backbone defensively and essentially guarantees you make the playoffs. He’s just never had a superstar taking the leap like Ant until now.

 

[clyde2tw]

OKC has endless young and athletic players who can defend and are confident to shoot and drive. They developed that for 2-3 years now.