The Lakers got one, and all it took was the Nuggets completely forgetting how to play basketball for minutes at a time.
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Sports NBA Thread: 2023-2024 Season
- Thread starter awyp
- Start date
as a knicks fan i love this season - i dont expect a chip - though i mean [obv not expected but if we went on a run and did it i'll lowkey admit i said this but enjoy it like i never did) but i just love finally being good enough that we can distract from the everlasting side eye to james dolan.
Its a very good year to be a Knicks fan for sure, and it would've been better if Randle didnt have to get injured.
Suns were a complete bust as I predicted, holy KD wants out or something but I don't care for them.
I think today is it for the Lakers personally.
I don't know what's up with the Mavs constantly opening up crazy leads for the Clippers like down 30 points for what reason exactly?
Looks over for the Bucks season especially since I thought they were starting to make strides but shit happens.
Suns were a complete bust as I predicted, holy KD wants out or something but I don't care for them.
I think today is it for the Lakers personally.
I don't know what's up with the Mavs constantly opening up crazy leads for the Clippers like down 30 points for what reason exactly?
Looks over for the Bucks season especially since I thought they were starting to make strides but shit happens.
From what I can see, I understand Mavericks to be a bottom 10 defensive 1st quarter team throughout the regular season.
With the Clippers making so many early 3 point shots, it doesn't allow the Mavs to run at their pace. George/Harden individual brilliance early could be a mix of variance but also they're just that offensively talented together, then other guys play off of it.
Clippers also aggregately have the better 3 point shooting team percentage wise. Mavericks gave up many looks, and they just couldn't keep up with the makes. Mavericks normally play faster, but if they're taking it out the basket on the other end over and over, they're more likely to be in a sludged offense depending on isos from Doncic/Kyrie. They aren't as prolific about looking for threes combined compared to Harden/George at least for one and a half quarters.
Tl;Dr Maverick's scoring has lower variance than the Clipper's.
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Today was, in fact, it for the Lakers.
As a Lebron hater I will say, there's never been a 39 year old in the history of the NBA this good. Bro's still playing easily at an All-Star level. Karl Malone might be close since he played 81 games averages 21 points 8 rebounds and 5 assists...but still
We are witnessing the greatest player of all time since Jordan
We are witnessing the greatest player of all time since Jordan
It's pretty crazy to think about. LeBron is putting up great numbers against dudes who were in elementary school when he entered the league. Even though he's not making it to the Finals anymore, you have to respect the longevity.
Or since Kobe. I say that because for like the first 8 or so years of lebrons career, Kobe was the #1 best player. I do think peak lebron was cavs but also I think Kobe accomplished more with less in the years that their careers overlapped
My bets today
I’m really sorry that the Knicks fucking sold today
The Heat have officially been banished to Cancun. As epic as it would have been for them to go on another deep run, they were too shorthanded for that to really be within the realm of plausibility. Still, I didn't expect such a vicious blowout. Bam can only do so much, I guess.
Mavs finally play with pace, but of course that is helped by Clippers being a high variance jumpshooting team. When the shots don't fall, their defense steadily left them in the middle portions of the game.
Luka/Kyrie were aggressive and challenged the Clippers bigs, and the Clippers rotations were pretty bad all night. They were slower in transition, they seemed hesistant in their traps, and just overall bad defensive miscues.
Luka/Kyrie were aggressive and challenged the Clippers bigs, and the Clippers rotations were pretty bad all night. They were slower in transition, they seemed hesistant in their traps, and just overall bad defensive miscues.
The Bucks are gone. The lack of Giannis was probably the biggest reason for their failure, but it's funnier to blame Doc Rivers.
bars, I was right again
ANOTHER BAR, LUKA IS THE DADDY OF THE CLIPS
This is funny Luka shot 40% for the series which is horrendous but was impactful in other ways...
As a Mavs fan it's so great to see the Mavericks finally taking a series against the clippers because it always felt like they could. And Luka was always close. Shoutout to Brunson but Brunson is not the same Brunson that played the Clippers. Kyrie is honestly probably hitting his prime right now @ me please, so you have a Luka Doncic who's not even hitting his prime yet and you have Kyrie who is literally at their prime and I felt like that's all the help Luka ever really needed was an All-Star caliber player.
That being said I'm worried about the OKC series but I literally think the Mavericks will win, they don't need Kleber for the series.
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I think Nuggets beat the Wolves (This I wouldn't put money on, I think it be an amazing series).
I don't care about the East, it will be Knicks vs Celtics Eastern Conference Final.
That being said I'm worried about the OKC series but I literally think the Mavericks will win, they don't need Kleber for the series.
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I think Nuggets beat the Wolves (This I wouldn't put money on, I think it be an amazing series).
I don't care about the East, it will be Knicks vs Celtics Eastern Conference Final.
Gotta appreciate the drive and willingness to play through both sickness and a sprained knee that had to be crazy taped in practice. He has a spine unlike anyone on the clippers and Kyrie stepping up to takeover was massive. I love and miss Brunson but kyrie is just the better fit for that role, JB was never going to take off here like he did in NY he needed to be the ball dominant 1. I hope Maxi isn't too hurt he was really starting to heat up and played well this series.
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I know you're riding the high of getting revenge on the Clippers but let's not get too hasty.
Chet/Shia pick and pop is one of the most underguardable plays. Klebi is one of your premiere options in containing that and being able to space the floor. He was also very key in the Clippers series.
I'm not saying he's needed, but he will be missed if he's missing.
Kleber is out for the playoffs... that sucks. He's in the Mavericks best lineups by net rating. It also removes the option of having both a Washington/Kleber frontcourt, the lineup that defensively helped in that post AS break run.
(2) Denver Nuggets versus (3) Minnesota Timberwolves
“They got KD, but we got Jaden McDaniels.” – Anthony Edwards
This is a very exciting matchup. Minnesota is the only team that has the size, length, speed, and rebounding across the roster to force Denver out of their comfort zone. This is expected to be one of the best series this year, and the winner of this series will represent the western conference in the Finals. It’s certain to be close.
Denver’s injuries are piling up on the perimeter, and they lack depth after their starting five as it is. Murray, KCP, and Jackson all had injuries after round 1. This doesn’t mean they won’t play, but it’s the worst time for your perimeter players to rack-up nagging injuries before they face what is likely the most physical team they will come across. It also doesn’t help that Murray was inefficient in round 1. Any slight hint of an injured Murray could mean lights out for Denver’s offense.
Rebounding is the first major factor that will decide the series. Both teams are top ten in defensive rebounding, but offensive rebounding is where Denver makes the positive difference. They ended up being +27 on the boards across their regular season matchups. Minnesota is bottom 10 in offensive rebounding.
The second major factor is turnovers. Minnesota wants to play fast. As good as they looked in round 1, I still don’t think they’ll ever be as good in the half court as Denver. They also have more athletes and depth. Denver had 20+ more turnovers than Minnesota during their regular season matchups, so Minnesota forced quite a bit. That’s even considering Denver having the 5th least turnovers in the league.
Rebounding and turnovers are major parts of these teams’ identities, and the winner will have to manage both stats in their favor to a certain extent. It doesn’t matter how well you beat a team on the glass if you are losing just as many live ball possessions, and vice-versa for forcing more turnovers on the opponent yet losing as many possessions through a lack of rebounding.
Denver will need their bench and role players to step up offensively. Minnesota is fast and long, so to space them out, guys need to make enough shots. Surely, Finch will do what he always does which is have KAT on Jokic (who has guarded him quite well throughout their careers) and Gobert roam off Gordon. Minnesota’s rotations will force guys like Gordon, KCP, Braun, and Watson to make shots. Jokic and Porter Jr. are their tallest and most efficient three-point shooters. Those two shooting a high percentage will go a long way, and it’s the best chance Denver has beating Minnesota’s half court defense.
Anything that can draw Gobert away from the basket will tank Minnesota’s defense, so Gordon has to find a way score off opportunities Gobert camps under the basket. Jokic can also directly attack Gobert whenever he’s switched on him. Gobert has length but not the strength to contain Jokic, so we should also expect Jokic to be more of an aggressive scorer in this series to balance out Denver's potential perimeter offensive struggles. KAT/Gobert may be capable of contesting Jokic at the three-point line, but Minnesota only has one McDaniel. The other perimeter player to end up on MPG may be Ant. Ant has the athleticism, but I don’t think he has the size. MPJ’s shooting can help tip the scales and space out Minnesota with size that can shoot over the top of length.
The only real decisive matchup advantage Minnesota has is through Ant. KCP’s ability to hold up defensively is going to be a challenge especially if he has lingering ankle issues. Braun/Watson are unproven. Gordon should be expected to guard Ant in spots, but Finch doesn’t want to do that too much because he’s the best backline defender if Jokic is screened high. Ant will certainly test Denver’s perimeter depth and rotations with pull-up jumpers. If Ant makes enough of them, Denver may be out of options then.
I favor Denver very slightly, and it’s all hunch. These teams can exploit many things from each other but how are they at the end of games? Minnesota has had clutch time issues all regular season, and the only times they truly succeed is when they aren’t forced to play clutch basketball. Unfortunately for Minnesota, their greatest weakness is Denver’s best strength. Minnesota’s defense is great enough to keep close with Denver for 48 minutes, but their clutch offense is what gets them in trouble. Denver is significantly better than Minnesota in the half court and can potentially get extra possessions. That means, if everyone is semi-healthy and all games are close, the better rebounding, clutch team should win.
Denver wins if: Denver takes care of the ball, win the glass, and keep Minnesota in the half court. Murray isn’t too hampered to score. Denver’s role players make their shots. MPJ and Jokic shoot enough to stretch Minnesota’s defense. Minnesota is turning it over and fouling Denver all over the place.
Minnesota wins if: They dominate the turnover battle, kept up with rebounding, and win the battle of attrition with Denver’s lack of depth and presence of injuries. Denver can’t keep Ant out of transition or the paint. Ant shoots an amazing jumpshooting percentage. Murray can’t solve Minnesota’s defense.
Denver in six.
(6) Indiana Pacers versus (2) New York Knicks
“If I was playing, Boston would be at home, New York damn sure would be at home. Josh Hart? C’mon man.” - Jimmy Butler
Indiana doesn’t have much of a chance in this series. There isn’t as much data in the regular season pertaining to Siakim and Haliburton both healthy in the same lineup, but as a team, Indiana’s weaknesses only seem to accentuate New York’s strengths.
Indiana’s defense leaves a lot to be desired, and that was still on display in round 1. That Milwaukee team should not have scored as well as they should have without Giannis and Dame. If you had the likes of a mid-30s Beverly picking your defense apart, something’s amiss.
Indiana will not get their desired pace against New York because New York excels them in almost every relevant defensive metric. Thibs is the master of old-school defense and pace, and you bet he took notes from that Milwaukee matchup. New York is the #1 offensive rebounding team with solid transition defense, paint defense, and 3-point % defense. They are stronger at almost every position and just got through with one of the most lethal pick-and-roll duos in Embiid/Maxey. I don’t think Indiana has a two-man game even comparable to that.
New York wins if: They pound the ball inside and remain physical. They won the glass, got back in transition, and slow Indiana’s offense to a halt.
Indiana wins if: They somehow manage to shoot a high percentage from three, Siakim shows us something we haven’t seen on offense, or Haliburton becomes completely unguardable.
New York in five.
(2) Denver Nuggets versus (3) Minnesota Timberwolves
“They got KD, but we got Jaden McDaniels.” – Anthony Edwards
This is a very exciting matchup. Minnesota is the only team that has the size, length, speed, and rebounding across the roster to force Denver out of their comfort zone. This is expected to be one of the best series this year, and the winner of this series will represent the western conference in the Finals. It’s certain to be close.
Denver’s injuries are piling up on the perimeter, and they lack depth after their starting five as it is. Murray, KCP, and Jackson all had injuries after round 1. This doesn’t mean they won’t play, but it’s the worst time for your perimeter players to rack-up nagging injuries before they face what is likely the most physical team they will come across. It also doesn’t help that Murray was inefficient in round 1. Any slight hint of an injured Murray could mean lights out for Denver’s offense.
Rebounding is the first major factor that will decide the series. Both teams are top ten in defensive rebounding, but offensive rebounding is where Denver makes the positive difference. They ended up being +27 on the boards across their regular season matchups. Minnesota is bottom 10 in offensive rebounding.
The second major factor is turnovers. Minnesota wants to play fast. As good as they looked in round 1, I still don’t think they’ll ever be as good in the half court as Denver. They also have more athletes and depth. Denver had 20+ more turnovers than Minnesota during their regular season matchups, so Minnesota forced quite a bit. That’s even considering Denver having the 5th least turnovers in the league.
Rebounding and turnovers are major parts of these teams’ identities, and the winner will have to manage both stats in their favor to a certain extent. It doesn’t matter how well you beat a team on the glass if you are losing just as many live ball possessions, and vice-versa for forcing more turnovers on the opponent yet losing as many possessions through a lack of rebounding.
Denver will need their bench and role players to step up offensively. Minnesota is fast and long, so to space them out, guys need to make enough shots. Surely, Finch will do what he always does which is have KAT on Jokic (who has guarded him quite well throughout their careers) and Gobert roam off Gordon. Minnesota’s rotations will force guys like Gordon, KCP, Braun, and Watson to make shots. Jokic and Porter Jr. are their tallest and most efficient three-point shooters. Those two shooting a high percentage will go a long way, and it’s the best chance Denver has beating Minnesota’s half court defense.
Anything that can draw Gobert away from the basket will tank Minnesota’s defense, so Gordon has to find a way score off opportunities Gobert camps under the basket. Jokic can also directly attack Gobert whenever he’s switched on him. Gobert has length but not the strength to contain Jokic, so we should also expect Jokic to be more of an aggressive scorer in this series to balance out Denver's potential perimeter offensive struggles. KAT/Gobert may be capable of contesting Jokic at the three-point line, but Minnesota only has one McDaniel. The other perimeter player to end up on MPG may be Ant. Ant has the athleticism, but I don’t think he has the size. MPJ’s shooting can help tip the scales and space out Minnesota with size that can shoot over the top of length.
The only real decisive matchup advantage Minnesota has is through Ant. KCP’s ability to hold up defensively is going to be a challenge especially if he has lingering ankle issues. Braun/Watson are unproven. Gordon should be expected to guard Ant in spots, but Finch doesn’t want to do that too much because he’s the best backline defender if Jokic is screened high. Ant will certainly test Denver’s perimeter depth and rotations with pull-up jumpers. If Ant makes enough of them, Denver may be out of options then.
I favor Denver very slightly, and it’s all hunch. These teams can exploit many things from each other but how are they at the end of games? Minnesota has had clutch time issues all regular season, and the only times they truly succeed is when they aren’t forced to play clutch basketball. Unfortunately for Minnesota, their greatest weakness is Denver’s best strength. Minnesota’s defense is great enough to keep close with Denver for 48 minutes, but their clutch offense is what gets them in trouble. Denver is significantly better than Minnesota in the half court and can potentially get extra possessions. That means, if everyone is semi-healthy and all games are close, the better rebounding, clutch team should win.
Denver wins if: Denver takes care of the ball, win the glass, and keep Minnesota in the half court. Murray isn’t too hampered to score. Denver’s role players make their shots. MPJ and Jokic shoot enough to stretch Minnesota’s defense. Minnesota is turning it over and fouling Denver all over the place.
Minnesota wins if: They dominate the turnover battle, kept up with rebounding, and win the battle of attrition with Denver’s lack of depth and presence of injuries. Denver can’t keep Ant out of transition or the paint. Ant shoots an amazing jumpshooting percentage. Murray can’t solve Minnesota’s defense.
Denver in six.
(6) Indiana Pacers versus (2) New York Knicks
“If I was playing, Boston would be at home, New York damn sure would be at home. Josh Hart? C’mon man.” - Jimmy Butler
Indiana doesn’t have much of a chance in this series. There isn’t as much data in the regular season pertaining to Siakim and Haliburton both healthy in the same lineup, but as a team, Indiana’s weaknesses only seem to accentuate New York’s strengths.
Indiana’s defense leaves a lot to be desired, and that was still on display in round 1. That Milwaukee team should not have scored as well as they should have without Giannis and Dame. If you had the likes of a mid-30s Beverly picking your defense apart, something’s amiss.
Indiana will not get their desired pace against New York because New York excels them in almost every relevant defensive metric. Thibs is the master of old-school defense and pace, and you bet he took notes from that Milwaukee matchup. New York is the #1 offensive rebounding team with solid transition defense, paint defense, and 3-point % defense. They are stronger at almost every position and just got through with one of the most lethal pick-and-roll duos in Embiid/Maxey. I don’t think Indiana has a two-man game even comparable to that.
New York wins if: They pound the ball inside and remain physical. They won the glass, got back in transition, and slow Indiana’s offense to a halt.
Indiana wins if: They somehow manage to shoot a high percentage from three, Siakim shows us something we haven’t seen on offense, or Haliburton becomes completely unguardable.
New York in five.
I want to get in on this predicting stuff, but I don't know ball well enough to justify my conclusions, so I flipped a coin to predict the outcome of each Celtics/Cavaliers game. The coin predicted Celtics in seven, which is actually pretty close to my hunch, so I'm going with that.
I'm fascinated by the potential adjustments of Denver in game 2. That's the 3rd time in 2 years they've been held under 100 points. This series may give birth to a historic defense in the running.
Okc vs dal maaaaan idk
Okc vs dal maaaaan idk
We just witnessed a defensive clinic by the Timberwolves without Gobert.
Okay so the Timberwolves officially look like the favorite to get to the NBA final, like Idk if anyone can stop them if they're going to be playing like that in the West. Boston is probably the only team to give them that work especially from a matchup perspective.