Jostling for position

[Natebishop3]

I don't get this attitude. The Jazz are genuinely great and DO have superstars. Gobert has been much better than Kawhi this year and Donovan Mitchell was better in the playoffs last year than Paul George. Granted, everyone expects Playoff Kawhi to suddenly appear, but where was he in game 7 against the Nuggets last year?

Besides, Utah ALWAYS kills us.

Because Kawhi/Paul George/Ibaka/Rondo is a worst case scenario for Dame. Can you name a worse defense for him to play against?

 

[illmatic99]

"First, I didn't mean it. Second, I meant it because it's TRUE!!!"

Why cant both be correct? I wasnt being that serious but it does happen. We have proof. Not really some kinda pie in the sky conspiracy to think the league would love for LA and GS to be in the play in.

 

[Phatguysrule]

If I'm being honest, the way the league handled our conference finals and the Kings in the early 2000s really did hurt my love for the game. I used to be a HUGE fan. Lived and breathed NBA basketball. But after watching the favoritism and ridiculous reffing for 20 years, my love has greatly diminished.

Agreed. Me too.

 

[handiman]

Nuggets (they lost a lot when they lost Jamal Crawford, and a bunch of others are injured too.

Denver is one of the few teams Jamal Crawford didn't play for.

I know what you meant, though.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Denver is one of the few teams Jamal Crawford didn't play for.

I know what you meant, though.

D'oh

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Yup. I think the league got burned with horribly low ratings on the Nets/Spurs finals and they haven't really allowed another snorefest finals since then.

Spurs/Cavs in 2007 had worse ratings I believe.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Because Kawhi/Paul George/Ibaka/Rondo is a worst case scenario for Dame. Can you name a worse defense for him to play against?

Dame’s played against Wayoff P in the playoffs and waved him goodbye after 5 games. Clippers are weak mentally. They trailed Dallas by 50 points at HALFTIME of a game this season. I’m not worried about Clippers at all. Healthy Lakers is who I don’t want to play and that’s not going to happen so I’m good. The other teams are flawed.

 

[blazerkor]

Dame’s played against Wayoff P in the playoffs and waved him goodbye after 5 games. Clippers are weak mentally. They trailed Dallas by 50 points at HALFTIME of a game this season. I’m not worried about Clippers at all. Healthy Lakers is who I don’t want to play and that’s not going to happen so I’m good. The other teams are flawed.

If you think we'll beat the Clippers in a seven game series then you are possibly the one who is mentally weak (no personal attack implied). Unlike the teams that Dame killed with one shot, this team that has PG13 and PatBev also has more importantly Kawhi, Reggie Jackson, one of the Morris twins, Zubac, Nic, Rondo, Patrick Patterson and possibly Ibaka.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Ahh i thought this was a spousal bed game thread and was gonna ask why it isnt ot.
Id be more interested in an ot version of this topic.

 

[Orion Bailey]

A Tyrant get his space! That's all I'll say on that.

 

[illmatic99]

What a ridiculous theory

 

[KSF-ERIC]

If you think we'll beat the Clippers in a seven game series then you are possibly the one who is mentally weak (no personal attack implied). Unlike the teams that Dame killed with one shot, this team that has PG13 and PatBev also has more importantly Kawhi, Reggie Jackson, one of the Morris twins, Zubac, Nic, Rondo, Patrick Patterson and possibly Ibaka.

Not concerned about Wayoff P. We’ve beaten him before. They have no leader. Kawhi had Duncan and Lowry to lead. In that series against Denver, I saw all I needed to see. We are better than that Denver team. If they couldn’t stop Murray, how they stopping Dame? Sorry. Clippers are trash. We are in great position right now. Nuggets and Clippers (and the Lakers at this point) are the most beatable teams in the West. Last time, we played those guys , we lost by 1 point. We’ll beat them in playoffs.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Clippers vs. Lakers would be a banger 1st round.

Not happening

 

[Rastapopoulos]

 

[Pinwheel1]

I think that stat is more important than our record against the top 4 teams in the west throughout the season. What is important in my mind is how we are playing now. I mean if they started out great and had beaten all the top teams two months ago, but looked bad once they traded for NP, do you think we would be touting our record against the top teams as hope for success in the playoffs? Of course not because it would no longer be relevant.

I thought we started playing better in the loss against Boston on April 13th. Now we still lost a bunch of games after that, but you could still see they were playing a little better. In that stretch, they lost to the Clippers and the Nuggets by 1, but again there were signs that they were playing better. Granted the bar was set pretty low at that point, but still, there was progress. And they have continued to get better.

I am not saying they will win in the first round, just that in the last 15 games the Blazers look like a different team. Nurk is a big part of that as well. I have been hard on him but he is really making a difference now that he is getting healthier.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

am not saying we will win in the first round, just that in the last 15 games the Blazers look like a different team. Nurk is a big part of that as well. I have been hard on him but he is really making a difference now that he is getting healthier.

I know Tendex doesn't mean much (it's basically a version of PER that predates it by several years), but, in the last ten games:

 

[Cugel]

It's very good that Nurk is not seeing overwhelming usage by Terry.

 

[3putt]

Random jocking for position question, anybody know why the May 16th game with Denver is TBD? Is it schedule time tbd, or the actual game itself tbd?

 

[Pinwheel1]

Random jocking for position question, anybody know why the May 16th game with Denver is TBD? Is it schedule time tbd, or the actual game itself tbd?

More than likely the time. My guess is the Networks want to show the games with something on the line on the last day of the regular season. (And not the games where teams are resting players)

 

[THE HCP]

Random jocking for position question, anybody know why the May 16th game with Denver is TBD? Is it schedule time tbd, or the actual game itself tbd?

Waiting to see if the game gets picked up for a National broadcast.

 

[THE HCP]

 

[illmatic99]

Dropping to 7 is still a very clear possibility

 

[wizenheimer]

Dropping to 7 is still a very clear possibility

it's a possibility, but the window for the Lakers in pretty closed, and the one for Portland is pretty open

each team has 4 games left, so 8 game results lef. And, Portland's magic number is 3, as in Blazer wins or Laker losses. After tonight is should be down to 2, with 6 game results left

so, pretty good odds for the Blazers, although the schedule is pretty scary. Portland sure can't afford to lose to Houston though

 

[Natebishop3]

How the hell did the NBA think that it was even remotely fair to have the 7 and 8 teams face off first. Why would the two better records have to fight each other for a spot while the two crappier teams get to face each other?

 

[LayneStaley]

Do we keep our pick this coming draft if we miss the playoffs?

 

[RR7]

How the hell did the NBA think that it was even remotely fair to have the 7 and 8 teams face off first. Why would the two better records have to fight each other for a spot while the two crappier teams get to face each other?

To make it easier for one of 7 or 8 to claim the 7 seed. Winner of 7 and 8 is 7th. Winner of 9/10 plays the lower for 8th. If you had 7 play 10and 8 play 9, then the two winners face off, 7th seed would have to win 2.

 

[Hoopguru]

Do we keep our pick this coming draft if we miss the playoffs?

Lottery protected

 

[Natebishop3]

To make it easier for one of 7 or 8 to claim the 7 seed. Winner of 7 and 8 is 7th. Winner of 9/10 plays the lower for 8th. If you had 7 play 10and 8 play 9, then the two winners face off, 7th seed would have to win 2.

That still seems incredibly unfair to me.

 

[e_blazer]

That still seems incredibly unfair to me.

The 7 and 8th ranked teams play for the 7th seed.
The 9th and 10th teams play for the right to play the loser of the 7 vs 8 game and that game determines the 8th seed.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

That still seems incredibly unfair to me.

It's fair in that one of the 7/8 is guaranteed to get in, each of those teams can lose a game and still get into the playoffs, and the 9/10 teams each need to win 2 games to get into the playoffs. With a standard 7/10,8/9 tourney, each of the 7-8 teams could be one and done, and the 10 seed could win a playoff berth with a single victory.