NBA Playoffs Thread - Play-in and 1st round edition

[theprunetang]

Their youth is all lottery picks though right?

Some people aren't good with nuance.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Toronto could be sellers, and yes, Nurse is gone.

I'd only want to deal with them if Masai was gone too.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

CJ did just shoot the lowest % of anyone on his team as they lost to the puppy Thunder. All those vets lost at home to the young'ens. While the Thunder backcourt was pouring in 63 points, CJ was bricking away at a 33% clip while playing zero defense. CJ doesn't suck, but he also doesn't play winning basketball either.

I know everyone's going to squeal because this stat sets off irrational hatred, but the fact remains that CJ was the highest +/- on the Pels at +10. Maybe he was "stinking it up" because they made a decision to focus on him defensively - just like the Lakers did on Anthony Edwards, allowing the Wolves to build a 15 point lead because everybody else was open.

Still, must be hard to be a Pelicans fan. In the first half of the season they were at the top of the West, the Lakers were at the bottom (and owing them an unprotected pick swap) and Zion looked like an MVP (as @THE HCP kept gleefully pointing out).
Then it all went to shit.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Would you trade Simons and Sharpe for Siakam?

I probably would've 2 months ago.

Not now.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

You kind of gotta wonder why this guy was not playing tonight?

Because he's still way overweight and would probably have ruptured something?

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Siakam would be nice. But if I were Toronto I would pair him with Barnes and trade OG.

I really don't understand Toronto. It seems like they have all the pieces they need. What is the deal with Trent? It seems what they really need is 3 pt shooting and yet He's not doing it, I have read somewhere he stopped playing defense and his 3 pt is not really that good for a specialist.. They apparently don't have enough room on the first team for a shooter; Poetl, Siakam, Barnes Anunoby and Van Vleet. Only one three point threat there and he is gonna get a lot of attention. I would trade Barnes if I was them. Why trade the guy who has the best defensive stats in the league against all star players? If they could find a tallish, hot 3 pt shooter for him, I think they would really be a much better team.

 

[Shaboid]

I wonder if the Pels would of won had Zion played. That's probably something NO fans have asked themselves a lot over the past couple years.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Because he's still way overweight and would probably have ruptured something?

How much did he weigh yesterday?

 

[tykendo]

How much did he weigh yesterday?

looks around 320

 

[Fairly-Hard]

I really don't understand Toronto. It seems like they have all the pieces they need. What is the deal with Trent? It seems what they really need is 3 pt shooting and yet He's not doing it, I have read somewhere he stopped playing defense and his 3 pt is not really that good for a specialist.. They apparently don't have enough room on the first team for a shooter; Poetl, Siakam, Barnes Anunoby and Van Vleet. Only one three point threat there and he is gonna get a lot of attention. I would trade Barnes if I was them. Why trade the guy who has the best defensive stats in the league against all star players? If they could find a tallish, hot 3 pt shooter for him, I think they would really be a much better team.

He's in the same boat that he was playing for Portland. He was not good enough for a starting role and the team needed him to come off the bench and play defense while hitting a few threes. My thoughts on this and obviously I have nothing to back that up are he feels like he could be more? It seems to affect his play.

 

[KingSpeed]

He scored over 400 more points than any other Pelican this year and they got him for next to nothing.

I'm sure they regret it. Yep.

Josh Hart is next to nothing??

 

[Fairly-Hard]

looks around 320

I can't tell? He had pocket shorts and a hoodie on? Just not sure how to make that assessment?

 

[BlazerBeav]

How much did he weigh yesterday?

From the clip of him dunking pregame, he's definitely put some pounds back on.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

I mean this is Duke. Zion is a very big man.

 

[Ed O]

Stay off twitter if you don't want to see CJ regret takes all over.

Twitter is a toxic circle jerk. Avoiding it is easy for me.

As for the franchise. I doubt the Pels are too upset about having CJ, even though they know they'll never win a title with him. I'm sure some of their fans are saying that if you can't win a title with him, you have to trade him and rebuild though.

He's their third-best player and 31. They're a playoff team in spite of lots of injuries. They have much better prospects of making it to the Finals with their current team than the Blazers do. Of course, Zion is a walking injury but that's not CJ's fault.

 

[KingSpeed]

Twitter is a toxic circle jerk. Avoiding it is easy for me.



He's their third-best player and 31. They're a playoff team in spite of lots of injuries. They have much better prospects of making it to the Finals with their current team than the Blazers do. Of course, Zion is a walking injury but that's not CJ's fault.

They’re not a playoff team. They lost last night.

 

[Ed O]

They’re not a playoff team. They lost last night.

They're a play-in team. I should have said, "post-season".

That's not much of a difference, but thanks.

 

[tykendo]

They're a play-in team. I should have said, "post-season".

That's not much of a difference, but thanks.

Actually there is. One is playoffs and a chance to win it all. The other one is trying to achieve playoffs, and if you don't win, you go home like any other Lottery team.

 

[THE HCP]

CJ did just shoot the lowest % of anyone on his team as they lost to the puppy Thunder. All those vets lost at home to the young'ens. While the Thunder backcourt was pouring in 63 points, CJ was bricking away at a 33% clip while playing zero defense. CJ doesn't suck, but he also doesn't play winning basketball either.

Are you talking about one game? They wouldn’t have finished the season almost making the playoffs if it wasn’t for CJ. For NOLA, getting to the play in game was probably quite an accomplishment. In fact Coach Green, said them finishing above .500 was the best thing that could have happened. I know for “fans” around here this is laughable, because they expect 55 wins a season, but sometimes it’s the small battles. They are VERY happy having CJ on that roster.

 

[THE HCP]

Some people aren't good with nuance.

I’m going to have to go google that…..

 

[Tince]

He's their third-best player and 31. They're a playoff team in spite of lots of injuries.

They're not a playoff team though. They didn't even make the play-in game to make the playoffs.

 

[PCmor7]

I mean this is Duke. Zion is a very big man.

On my monitor, he's about 14 inches tall.

 

[illmatic99]

oh dear

 

[illmatic99]

say what you want about cj, dude is old school. won the first ever play-in for us with a literal broken back.

now this:

 

[blazerfan11]

oh dear

Is this the right type of diet?

 

[KingSpeed]

They're a play-in team. I should have said, "post-season".

That's not much of a difference, but thanks.

It’s a major difference.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Would you trade Simons and Sharpe for Siakam?

90% chance that lottery pick is going to be 1-7. Sharpe was the 7th pick.

What about going the other way? Say Toronto offers Van Vleet and Barnes for Dame-- how would you respond?

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

Is this the right type of diet?
View attachment 55559

Looks right to me!

 

[theprunetang]

What about going the other way? Say Toronto offers Van Vleet and Barnes for Dame-- how would you respond?

They would need to add a bundle of picks. We would then have to flip FVV later on.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

They would need to add a bundle of picks.

Their lottery pick this year would be about as much as I'd see them giving up if Barnes were also included.

We would then have to flip FVV later on.

Would we though? I mean, he's an expiring. If we were truly rebuilding, would it be so bad to let him walk?