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aggie08

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Posts posted by aggie08

  1. Yeah, CP3 doesn't have as many playoff skeletons as Harden. He had 10 terrible seconds against OKC where he got too cute and tried to outsmart the game, and one mediocre Game 7 against Houston where he was unable to stop the bleeding after Josh Smith's Game 6 anomaly. Other than that, he's just been on a lot of injured teams that probably weren't good enough even if they were healthy. In Houston, he finally has teammates who actually like him (and he seems to have chilled from his no nonsense older brother persona), and who are talented enough to win 

    I'd put money on him having a monster series. He's pretty widely acknowledged at the top of the list of players who were/are envious/resentful of Steph's quick rise to fame. He had the "Best Point Guard of His Generation" title in his sights until Steph blew past him. I'm sure he views this series as a chance to change the narrative and rewrite history.

  2.  

    14 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

    Here’s a look at the fate of NBA coaches of the year over the past decade (excluding Popovich, honored after the 2011-12 and 2013-14 seasons):

    Avery Johnson, Mavericks (2005-06): Fired two seasons later during a year in which he became the fastest coach to reach 150 wins in NBA history.

    Sam Mitchell, Raptors (2006-07): Fired 17 games into 2008-09 season, one year after surpassing Lenny Wilkens for most wins in team history.

    Byron Scott, Hornets (2007-08): Fired nine games into 2009-10 season; like Mitchell, lasted barely more than one year after winning award.

    Mike Brown, Cavaliers (2008-09): Fired one season after leading team to franchise-best 66-16 record; he was 61-21.

    Scott Brooks, Thunder (2009-10): Fired last month despite .620 winning percentage with team over seven seasons.

    Tom Thibodeau, Bulls (2010-11): The only survivor of the group, though the yahoos have been calling for his head during dry stretches of this season.

    George Karl, Nuggets (2012-13): Took the team to playoffs all nine seasons as coach; Nuggets have missed playoffs in both seasons since he was fired.

    This Coach of the Year list also doubles as a list of Really Shitty Coaches. 

  3. Looks like Klay's about to put his money where his mouth is.  He's always maintained that it's more important for him to be a part of something special than "the man" somewhere else (something I'm sure he picked up from his dad).  Rumors are he's close to signing an extension, paying him ~$121M through 2023, about $24M per.  If he were to play out next season and become a FA, he'd be eligible for 5 years, $188M from Golden State, or 4 years, ~$135M anywhere else.  Probably going to give up almost $10M a season signing an extension.

  4. 13 hours ago, HookEm said:

    Boston in 5. Philly was better than the Cavs top to bottom and Boston dispatched them.

    People are continually underrating Horford. He has been great in these playoffs. Tatum is great. Brown is great. Their players rise to the occasion as a unit. One goes down, another steps right in.

    I fucking love me some Al Horford.  But he's 1-16 against LeBron in the playoffs in his career, and one of those years he was on a 60 win team.

    But this year's Celts team is absolutely better than last year's (Tatum > IT, Rozier > Bradley, Brown is better, Morris and Baynes bring a toughness they didn't have, etc.), and the Cavs are unequivocally worse.  So we'll see.

  5. 13 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

    I think Butler plays Harden the best in the league straight up. He’s a disruption. Like Iggy a few steps ago

    bit I’m a Houston homer looking at ways we don’t lose 4 by 20

    To be fair, all this talk about defense, and we're likely to get a bunch of 121-115 games.  Neither of these teams can be completely locked down by any defense, and you've got to think both offenses will be firing on all cylinders for this one.

    • Like 1
  6. 2 hours ago, ChickenSandwich said:

    Should be fun to watch. I disagree about the D only because  of the matchups. Houston comes close to matching length and doesn’t have a dead spot on the floor to hide a defender. Houston has been deadly in the half court all year, and the screens to force a mismatch allow them to control pace and set up the role players (this isn’t Steve Francis ISO ball). I believe that both Minny and the Jazz match up better defensively with the Rockets than GS (Butler and Gortat at two top 5 defenders).  Those teams rely on their D more so and focus on it all game, where as GS lacks elite paint D other than Green and runs hot and cold with their defensive effort.   I would say I don’t underestimate it, I just see the dedication, personnel and individual defenders on the two previous team as being more defensively inclined on defense  

    Attack Durant and get him on skates  

    Excite. 

    What in the actual fuck?  Minnesota fucking blows on defense.  They have one good defender, and a lot of hot garbage.  And, Utah, while in the argument for best defense in the league this season, is better suited against traditional offenses.  They don't want Gobert so much as stepping a toe above the free throw line, and Houston took advantage of that.  I like Gobert a lot, but he's a little overrated as a one-man defensive force in today's NBA (even though he's probably going to win DPOY in a weak field), and isn't exactly know for his mean streaks.  Capela's quickness and constant screen setting for the guards was a nightmare match-up for him.  Draymond doesn't have those same issues, obviously.  As great as Capela has become, he's a huge step down from having to handle AD in the post.

    Golden State has the reigning DPOY, a guy who's made an all-defense team and is as savvy as they come (Iggy), and two versatile perimeter defenders who have both received plenty of votes for all-defense (KD and Klay).  Their weak link is a smart team defender with quick hands who has led the league in steals.  Other than Steph, they can switch across every position, and they have a bunch more 6'7"-6'10" bodies coming off the bench.  Yeah, teams don't always get their 100% effort on that end for a full 48 because of their trust in their offense (and the need to conserve some energy), but frickin' Minnesota isn't in their ballpark.

  7. Just now, Tommy Nobis said:

    I’ve literally never heard of the concussion excuse ever. And I’m a rockets fan.

    The strip club excuse is a different story.

    You're right. My bad. I confused last season's exhaustion excuse.

  8. 9 minutes ago, Tommy Nobis said:

     

    Are you retarded or just slow?

     

    He’s averaging over 28 ppg in the post season this year.

     

    Which by the way is the second most in the NBA out of players still in the playoffs.

     

    He's had some great games, no doubt. And is well deserving of his MVP trophy. I expect him to ball out in this series. I just find it funny how, everytime he's had a bad game these past two postseasons, it must be a concussion...or exhaustion.

  9. 17 minutes ago, angryhomer said:

     


    You’re a moron. You keep saying when they give a fuck. I promise you they give a fuck and try to win every game when they step on the court.


    Sent from my cock to your mouth

     

    You seem swell.

    Last year, the Warriors were #1 in defensive efficiency, blocks, steals, turnovers forced, defensive 3pt%, defensive eFG%, and defensive True Shooting %. This season, with identical personnel, they're 10th. They cared about the regular season about as much as LeBron cares about January. Do you really think it's coincidence that Iggy is showing bounce and explosion for the first time all year?

    But, if we're insistent on the regular season truly mattering, here are the team stats on March 9, when Steph went out for the season (except for 3 quarters of one game).

    https://stats.nba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=NET_RATING&dir=-1&Season=2017-18&SeasonType=Regular Season&DateFrom=09%2F01%2F2017&DateTo=03%2F09%2F2018

    It's going to be a great series. Like I said, if Gordon outplays Klay, they have a hell of a chance to win. That's how close the teams are. But drawing conclusions from the regular season is just dumb.

  10. 15 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

    The don’t “just jack up threes”. They do have the best three point shooting role players in the NBA. They run the pick and role and exploit mismatches. When you Spread the floor and you leave open shooter or the rim. Draymond is not Gortat at the rim. He’s great but can be gotten at the rim. Capela can be huge in this series as GS has no one to match up with him. 

    Befor the injury to Luc, the rockets best line up was Paul, Harden, Capela, Tucker and Luc. That defensive lineup is capable of switching everyone and playing good D on Golden State who does not have a post player who can exploit the paint when Houston is small. 

    Harden hopefully will be recovered from the concussion they are not admitting to from the hard Gortat foul last Friday night in the third when the back of his head was slammed to the ground. It was obvious in the following two games. 

    If you watched the regular season matchup, Houston matches up extremely well with GS and if they can somehow win the first two at home they will take the series. The role players should have a much easier time as the Jazz guard all five spots at once better than GS can and has a true rim protector that forced Harden off the glass, free throw line and limited Capela’s dunks. GS doesn’t have the personnel to do that and the Rockets offense will run much smoother than the previous two series. 

    Zepol....I’ll take that bet anytime. 

    I don't mean to be a dick (okay, maybe a little), but how many playoff games does this make now that Harden has been "concussed" for?

  11. AI was my favorite post-MJ player until the 2010's. But now, 10+ years of looking at basketball a little more objectively, it's harder to ignore the many, many flaws. Still love the dude, but it's hard to even imagine the sheer number of "haters" he'd have today. A sub 6' tall 40% volume shooter who doesn't play defense, or practice, or watch film, or work out, and fights with his coaches. You can sorta see why his era almost killed the NBA, while simultaneously admiring the fuck out of his heart.

  12. 6 minutes ago, d2o said:

    Capela is better than that but it will be simiilar.    Just proposing a max contract to Biyombo should have gotten someone fired.     Even more so when they went and traded for a Ibaka right after.

    Psssh, you're just not seeing the big picture. The Sun's are playing the long game. They know that Houston will match and fuck up their cap, just in time for Phoenix's meteoric rise to title contender.

  13. The Lakers, if they strike out on LeBron and George, are about the only team that I could see being dumb/desperate enough to make a serious offer to OKC. That's not an anti-Westbrook thing either; it's just, how many teams would willingly take on a supermax contract right now, unless they believe that he's their missing piece? It's salary cap suicide.

    Not going to happen. But it is fun to imagine the league-wide backlash of trading Russ to some shit franchise like Phoenix or Sacramento (think the backlash of trading Blake to Detroit 4 months after fake hanging his jersey in the Staples' rafters X 1,000,000). Or Oklahoma burning down their city if Presti ships out their folk hero for a bunch of draft picks.

  14. 43 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

    I gotta say; all these predictions of the Cavs in 5 or 6 are kinda hilarious.

    Boston has issues, no doubt, but Cleveland struggled with Indiana.  

    Cleveland still has the same warts they had in that series.  Mind fucking Toronto didn't magically improve their defense, etc.

    I'd say the series is a tossup.

    To be fair, Boston also struggled with Milwaukee, and I'm pretty sure that you or I would have been a more competent coach than Prunty.

    I don't know if I'd go as far as to say this series is a toss-up (picture those two close games in Round 1 that Boston won with 4th quarter LeBron instead of Prunty and tripping all over himself Bledsoe), but Boston does have a puncher's chance.  LBJ had almost identical stats in rounds 1 and 2; the difference was the supporting cast.  And, like I said earlier, Boston has a pretty strong advantage in literally every other match-up.

  15. It's tough for me to picture this team, with only one fringe All-Star, being the team to finally dethrone LeBron in the East.

    BUT, they did allow Giannis and Middleton to combine for 50.4 points and 9.4 assists per game on 58% shooting in the first round...and they still won. So they can theoretically absorb LeBron doing LeBron things while locking up everyone else. No one besides LeBron has an advantageous matchup on either side of the court.

  16. 1 minute ago, Patrick Bateman said:

    Just need time and experience...... And a J for Simmons.

    I frickin' hate everyone saying, "Oh, he'll work on it in the offseason, and come back with a reliable shot." Based on what?! Kawhi? Kawhi had decent form and good balance...he just needed tweaking.

    Ben seriously doesn't know what hand he is.

  17. 1 hour ago, BigOrange1 said:

     

    Oh, Houston is easily the best team they're faced in this 4 year stretch. I'd rank it:

    1. 2018 Rockets

    2. 2017 Cavs

    3. 2016 Thunder

    4. 2016 Cavs

    5.: who cares

    • Like 1
  18. If you think that Golden State is the tenth best defense when they actually give a fuck, I have some waterfront property in Arizona to sell you.

    But, you're right, the Warriors were, by far, the best defense in the league last season, and Cleveland scored almost at will against them in the Finals. Great offense beats great defense. No one is getting shut down in this series.

  19. 18 minutes ago, d2o said:

    I really think that will be the case.  Gonna be awkward

    Maybe it will force the NBA to pull the plug on having their regular season awards show in fucking June.

    "And now, the 2017-2018 coach of the year winner is... ex-Raptors coach, Dwane Casey. Dwane couldn't make it tonight, but he has asked that we leave the trophy with Masai Ujiri, to be immediately deposited in his ass."

    It might literally give Jeff Van Gundy a stroke.

  20. Capela is amazing...he's not better than the best defensive player in the league who also leads one of the best passing teams in league history in assists.

  21. Maybe I'm missing the joke?  No team is taking on Melo's contract.  Shit, most teams wouldn't take Melo for free right now.  Boogie is an UFA.  If New Orleans doesn't want to pay Boogie--and nothing looks appealing as a sign and trade--then they just won't sign him.  No need to take on a bad contract and a completely delusional talent.

  22. 19 minutes ago, Patrick Bateman said:

    Of course the issue goes the other way too..... Who matches up with Curry?  We all know they can't matchup with KD.  I'd imagine Ariza goes on KD for length purposes but who tries to run around with Curry?  Paul?  Gordon?  God knows it ain't gonna be Harden but just like Houston will attack Paul, the Warriors will attack Harden on defense.  Nowhere to hide except maybe on Iggy but the mismatch is just a pick away....

     

    Harden will be on Iggy whenever they're on the court together, for sure.  That's the go-to hiding place for Love as well.  For whatever reason, they don't have Iggy set many ball screens, even when he's usually guarded by the other team's weakest link.  They may have to integrate more of those.

    Safe to say that Houston IS going to see a metric ton of KD/Steph ball screens.  Getting Steph on Ariza isn't a horrible match-up for Houston, but KD on CP3?  LAC used to have CP3 take shifts on KD against OKC, basically having him get under KD's arms and agitate the shit out of him using his low base, but that was in Paul's youth...and it didn't work particularly well then. 

    Eric Gordon is going to be huge in this series, offensively as the only other Rocket who can make his own play, and defensively as a guy that can chase around Steph, and still switch onto a taller wing.  Frankly, I think he's going to be the 'X' factor.  If Houston has any hope, he has to be huge.  Like severely outplaying Klay huge.

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