Celtics have travelled from and to Boston 9 times during the ECSF and the ECF. They had only 1-day break between the ECSF and the ECF and 3-day break between the ECF the NBA Finals before they travel to SF.
As for the Warriors:
SF -> Memphis (2 games) -> 3-day break -> SF (2 games) -> 1-day break -> Memphis (1 game) -> 1-day break -> SF (1 game) ---> 4-day break -> SF (2 games) -> 1-day break -> Dallas (2 games) -> 1-day break -> SF (1 game)
Warriors have travelled from and to SF 6 times during the WCSF and the WCF. They had a 4-day break between the two series and are currently in the middle of a 7-day break with no travels scheduled at the moment.
I've seen all the comments about putting GPII on Brown. I understand why ... Brown has a reputation of being a poor dribbler, and GPII would give him a lot of trouble.
I'm wondering if it makes more sense (when Steph is in the game) to put GPII on Smart, and Steph on Brown.
1. Steph also has good hands, he's just not in GPII's league. I think he could also give Brown problems, plus he's strong enough to stay with Brown everywhere but in the paint. And I assume there will be a rotator helping in that situation.
2. That frees up GPII to bother Smart, which I think could be very important. Smart seems to play much worse when he gets sped up and needs to make quick decisions. I think GPII's physicality on defense, and quick hands would be a problem for Smart.
Obviously this does not work when Poole is in the game, because Poole probably can't guard Brown very well. But, it seems an interesting option when Steph is in the game.
Edit: And yes, I understand they may target Steph. But the Warriors have come up with some defenses that allow them to switch out of those mismatches.
Brown would shoot over Steph way too easily. Brown plays big, and gets decent elevation on his jumper. I would not want him to get a rhythm going by shooting unbothered shots out of a diet of high post isos. These would Not be tough shots. Watching the Celtics obliterate the Nets, it seemed like Brown shot 7% from the arc*, but feasted on every smaller defender in the paint, either backing them down or putting his shoulder down and getting to his spots. I would rather have a physical dude on him that would keep him out of the paint and entice him to settle for Westbrookian threes. He can hit them, but you can win a 7 game series trading outside shots with Jaylen Brown.
*I'm sure it was more than 7 percent. But it was bad. And he kept shooting them.
Steph is a physical dude. Celtics won every Nets sweep by under 10 and all were within 5 late, it was not an obliteration, even though it was a sweep. If we’re looking at a bunch of decent midrange iso looks from Brown that take the rest of their team out of the offensive flow, I’d take that in a heartbeat.
Oh, I definitely am in favor of any iso hunting that takes them out of their rhythm; but I would make them hunt it - burn clock running multiple screens against our hedges, try unfamiliar actions against a veteran defense that is prepared for this, then settle for a rushed look late in the shot clock- but I wouldn't just start with giving them the matchup they're hunting for. Steph IS a good, physical defender, but that's a Lot of size and athleticism to give up, and we do need Steph to create all kinds of chaos on the other end.
Klay on Smart is my vote to start. First off it rhymes so it must be right. Secondly Smart is an avid flopper and that would likely lead to foul trouble for guys who tend to get handsy like GP2 and Steph.
GP2 on Brown makes total sense in the singular, but I think Steph would do fine on Brown and should actually be the primary there with GP2 messing with Tatum to keep him concerned about his handle.
But the Warriors will cycle guys so the challenge for the Celtics creator is constantly changing. None of the Boston guys are going Iso create at a series winning level for 7 games, so let’s just make them work for everything and keep them out of Rhythm. Dallas couldn’t win targeting Steph with Luca, let the Celtics try to do better.
Interesting idea. But let's be honest, they're going to try really hard to switch guys onto Steph, and that will include Brown. So I'm not sure how much an initial assignment will matter, other than giving them more clock to work with if they want Brown on Steph.
Yes, though that makes the GPII on Brown stuff less relevant, too.
Maybe the idea is just to have GPII just pick up whoever is the main ball handler, regardless. I do like the idea of GPII picking up in the backcourt. But, that's just basically what the Dubs do by default, anyway.
It’s always less of switching and trying to find the right matchup to attack in the playoffs on both sides. Will be interesting to see what the teams are looking for.
My prediction: If OPJ & GP2 (and all the other rotation guys) are healthy, Warriors in 5. If one of those two are out, Warriors in 6. If they’re both out, Warriors in 7.
I still can't believe that mini collapse Boston had yesterday. I mean they were up by 9 with a minute and a half left & legitimately could have lost if Jimmy made that 3. That probably would have been one of the worst meltdowns ever
Iguodala was very good in that December win against the Celtics. 12 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 1 turnover. And 2 steals underestimates how many turnovers he created, for instance he got a key strip on Brown near the end of the game that counted as a lost ball turnover since he hit it off Brown's leg. Didn't play in the March beatdown at home, of course.
Seeing Lowry flop so blatantly and often triggered bad memories of the Finals against Toronto. So much so I started to root for the Celtics. Oddly it was less stressful to remember Smarts take-out of Curry's foot than Lowry incessantly getting away with Chris Paul-like 'cheatball'.
Boston's defense is good. What will they look like against the Warriors' motion offense? None of the teams Boston beat in the playoffs base their offense around the passing game like the Warriors. Boston seems to be content letting the stars "get their" and containing everyone else (similar to what the Warriors have done). That's just not possible against the Warriors. And if they choose to let Steph get his, watch out!
How will Boston do against the Warriors' defense? Boston doesn't have any elite level ball handlers. They don't have any consistently elite scorers. They play solid, but not spectacular, on offense and rely on their defense to clamp down. Like the Warriors, they're best when their defense turns into offense (fast breaks, etc) which will certainly give us all ulcers if the Warriors turn the ball over a lot. I don't see them being effective in the half court against the Warriors though. Can they score enough to beat the Warriors? The only series they scored over 110 consistently was against the Nets who... Aren't exactly defensive juggernauts.
Who will win the rebound battle? This may end up being the series right here. Both teams team rebound well. The Celtics have more length, which should favor them, but the Warriors have done exceptionally well rebounding against taller teams. Whichever team stays more disciplined on the glass may end up winning.
Just some morning thoughts. Should be a fun series. I expect the Warriors to win, but I anyways do, so...
Judging from the regular season Celtics at Warriors game the Celtic's plan is to bait the Warriors into making terrible lazy passes, take Curry out of the game early, and then make a lot of difficult contested shots. I doubt it will work so well in the playoffs. GPII didn't play in that game (I don't remember why) nor did Bjelica or Iguodala so Lee, JTA, and Weatherspoon got significant minutes.
Will be interesting to see how Poole performs vs the Boston defense. Herro struggled, but he seems to wilt against elite defense. Poole struggled last 3 games of the Memphis series. But he’s also been electric against good defense at times. I think he might show us he’s a tier above players like Herro that he got lumped with this regular season.
I'm not entirely sure who out of the starters for Boston he could exploit. I think he might have trouble getting by smart, jaylen and Tatum. Maybe horford. I think Rob Williams will give him the same trouble that jjj did. Even if he blows by him, he'd be able to recover and disrupt pooles shot
Poole just needs to learn (as Steph did) what to do when teams double him, play him physically, try to intimidate him at the rim, etc. He's proven that he's good -- enough so that teams are game planning for him. Can he beat their counter with his own? Thankfully, he has the best in the business to learn from. They've done all of this stuff to Curry. He knows what has worked for him. Jordan just has to adapt that knowledge to his own situation.
I mean it’s pretty clear (to me at least) he can get by pretty much anyone. Not every time but a reasonable level of consistency. He can certainly be stopped in the second level of defense though, and then it’s about decision making not speed.
Williams was not moving well against the Heat… could have been from injury, but I also suspect he’s not the “on ball slide/turn and recover” defender that JJJ is.
“….You can win games in the regular season, that means nothing. We understand that. We don’t chase wins during the regular season, we chase improvement during the regular season."😉
Well, one thing...that was a smash-mouth 7 games and the Celtics will be feeling fatigue creeping up on them in a way the Warriors won't. Reminds me of the year the Dubs lost to the Cavs, the Dubs had to get through a Murderer's Row of Western Conference opponents just to get to the Finals, and that was the (very overlooked) edge that helped give the Cavs that championship.
That and the Cavs traveled a league-low ~30k miles while the Warriors traveled a league-high ~50k miles during the regular season… no I’m not still bitter why do you ask?
I predict that curry has a solid series, but the Celtics run a defense that dares Wiggins to beat them. (Similar to the 2016 cavs strategy). I think maple Jordan and JP put up monster numbers until they adjust in game 3. They take game 3 but then Steph puts them to bed in game 4 and 5 after we make our counters.
From your fingers to gods ears, this is how I picture the dubs taking it as well. WE ARE REALLY GOOD. REALLY REALLY GOOD. I personally grade teams based on a curve, and the Warriors are that curve. Their identity was set in stone at the beginning of the Kerr era. Idk who tf these Celtics are. They look like they've always looked under Brad Stevens. Yucky.
Also OT but Atlas was crowned bicampion de la liga mexicana tonight! I don't really follow but my pops and his entire side of the family are die hards and tonight was a fun one for the old man. Hopefully the bills can win a superb owl in their current era for him too 🤞
I think it just depends on the Celtics game plan. If the Celtics are trying to neutralize Steph’s offense as their primary focus on defense, Poole will go pool party mode. They are going to have smart on curry, and most likely brown on klay. To me that means they have to try to hide Tatum on Wiggins and prob instruct him and horford to cheat off their men to help/trap Steph. I think most likely they would prefer to not have draymond’s man (horford) help off him because that plays into our strengths. That leaves Tatum as their help man and I think Wiggins and JP BURN that coverage
Definitely possible. But last time Poole put up like 29 points in the game that Steph got injured, so I think he should be fine as long as he doesn't get burned on defence. Most likely Kerr will decide based on the game situation.
Depending on how games 1 and 2 go, I have a feeling that Kerr might consider putting Poole back in the starting lineup for Looney. Feel that with Dray and Looney on the floor at the same time, the offence might stagnate.
I was pissed for a bit at missing the Heat, who I think could have been a bit of a cakewalk in their banged-up state ... but I'm at peace with it now. If we had faced a banged-up Heat team, all the haters would have come out of the woodwork to chirp about our easy path. Now we get a legitimately worthy opponent, which would make a title that much sweeter.
Ah I want to be where you are right now. I still feel weird and, given a second shot, would gladly take the Heat and a Cakewalk and all the chirping that comes with it - the haters will never be satisfied anyways.
Having said that, I was really rooting for Minny to beat Memphis so we didn't have to play a rough and tumble team....
....but defeating Memphis felt great.....and yet on the other hand the injury to GP2 sucked.
There's just so much luck and randomness to these 7 game series that ANYTHING could happen to snatch victory away.
I think it might take me a couple more days but mannnnn....I don't think bummed it the right word.....just feel like it was a missed opportunity and I think it's mostly that weird overturned 3pter + the WAY the Heat lost with missed freethrows and coming out in both the beginning and the second half completely flat and lifeless. It was RIGHT THERE for the taking.
These are the two best teams. Instead of best team vs LeBron. Or the husk of a tired/injured Warriors team vs a nicely built Raptors team that added on Kawhi.
These are two teams who’ve built a real culture and style. If you like team building you like these two teams. And it’s a quintessentially East vs West matchup in what you think of the styles..
So yeah, I get it. Im so with you. I just want another chip for these guys. So badly. I’d take the easy path if it’s there (if there was a magic rule to add KD for the Finals I’d sign up).
But it’d be so sick to topple this matchup and have this one stand out in its own special way
I had to chuckle when I saw this from CBS Sports. Draw your own conclusions.
2019:
Kevin Durant leaves Warriors to join Nets
Kyrie Irving leaves Celtics to join Nets
2022:
Celtics and Warriors advanced to NBA Finals
Hilarious stuff right thurr
I can't help loving this.
Celtics have travelled a ton of miles during the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals and the Finals, haven't they?
Boston (2 games) -> 3-day break -> Milwaukee (2 games) -> 1-day break -> Boston (1 game) -> 1-day break -> Milwaukee (1 game) -> 1-day break -> Boston (1 game) ---> 1-day break -> Miami (2 games) -> 1-day break -> Boston (2 games) -> 1-day break -> Miami (1 game) -> 1-day break -> Boston (1 game) -> 1-day break -> Miami (1 game)
Celtics have travelled from and to Boston 9 times during the ECSF and the ECF. They had only 1-day break between the ECSF and the ECF and 3-day break between the ECF the NBA Finals before they travel to SF.
As for the Warriors:
SF -> Memphis (2 games) -> 3-day break -> SF (2 games) -> 1-day break -> Memphis (1 game) -> 1-day break -> SF (1 game) ---> 4-day break -> SF (2 games) -> 1-day break -> Dallas (2 games) -> 1-day break -> SF (1 game)
Warriors have travelled from and to SF 6 times during the WCSF and the WCF. They had a 4-day break between the two series and are currently in the middle of a 7-day break with no travels scheduled at the moment.
I've seen all the comments about putting GPII on Brown. I understand why ... Brown has a reputation of being a poor dribbler, and GPII would give him a lot of trouble.
I'm wondering if it makes more sense (when Steph is in the game) to put GPII on Smart, and Steph on Brown.
1. Steph also has good hands, he's just not in GPII's league. I think he could also give Brown problems, plus he's strong enough to stay with Brown everywhere but in the paint. And I assume there will be a rotator helping in that situation.
2. That frees up GPII to bother Smart, which I think could be very important. Smart seems to play much worse when he gets sped up and needs to make quick decisions. I think GPII's physicality on defense, and quick hands would be a problem for Smart.
Obviously this does not work when Poole is in the game, because Poole probably can't guard Brown very well. But, it seems an interesting option when Steph is in the game.
Edit: And yes, I understand they may target Steph. But the Warriors have come up with some defenses that allow them to switch out of those mismatches.
Brown would shoot over Steph way too easily. Brown plays big, and gets decent elevation on his jumper. I would not want him to get a rhythm going by shooting unbothered shots out of a diet of high post isos. These would Not be tough shots. Watching the Celtics obliterate the Nets, it seemed like Brown shot 7% from the arc*, but feasted on every smaller defender in the paint, either backing them down or putting his shoulder down and getting to his spots. I would rather have a physical dude on him that would keep him out of the paint and entice him to settle for Westbrookian threes. He can hit them, but you can win a 7 game series trading outside shots with Jaylen Brown.
*I'm sure it was more than 7 percent. But it was bad. And he kept shooting them.
Steph is a physical dude. Celtics won every Nets sweep by under 10 and all were within 5 late, it was not an obliteration, even though it was a sweep. If we’re looking at a bunch of decent midrange iso looks from Brown that take the rest of their team out of the offensive flow, I’d take that in a heartbeat.
Oh, I definitely am in favor of any iso hunting that takes them out of their rhythm; but I would make them hunt it - burn clock running multiple screens against our hedges, try unfamiliar actions against a veteran defense that is prepared for this, then settle for a rushed look late in the shot clock- but I wouldn't just start with giving them the matchup they're hunting for. Steph IS a good, physical defender, but that's a Lot of size and athleticism to give up, and we do need Steph to create all kinds of chaos on the other end.
Warriors in an obliteration! 😎
Klay on Smart is my vote to start. First off it rhymes so it must be right. Secondly Smart is an avid flopper and that would likely lead to foul trouble for guys who tend to get handsy like GP2 and Steph.
GP2 on Brown makes total sense in the singular, but I think Steph would do fine on Brown and should actually be the primary there with GP2 messing with Tatum to keep him concerned about his handle.
But the Warriors will cycle guys so the challenge for the Celtics creator is constantly changing. None of the Boston guys are going Iso create at a series winning level for 7 games, so let’s just make them work for everything and keep them out of Rhythm. Dallas couldn’t win targeting Steph with Luca, let the Celtics try to do better.
Ooohhh put Steph on Brown to make Brown think we’re disrespecting him and get him to take tough shots, lol
This could work lol
Gp2 on tatum Wiggins on brown curry on smart
Interesting idea. But let's be honest, they're going to try really hard to switch guys onto Steph, and that will include Brown. So I'm not sure how much an initial assignment will matter, other than giving them more clock to work with if they want Brown on Steph.
Yes, though that makes the GPII on Brown stuff less relevant, too.
Maybe the idea is just to have GPII just pick up whoever is the main ball handler, regardless. I do like the idea of GPII picking up in the backcourt. But, that's just basically what the Dubs do by default, anyway.
It’s always less of switching and trying to find the right matchup to attack in the playoffs on both sides. Will be interesting to see what the teams are looking for.
Interesting thought. The more defensive weapons we have, the better. In this series, I really think the defense is the key.
My prediction: If OPJ & GP2 (and all the other rotation guys) are healthy, Warriors in 5. If one of those two are out, Warriors in 6. If they’re both out, Warriors in 7.
I like your predictions.
I just think we have too many weapons on both sides of the ball.
Balls don't really have sides...unless you mean the inside and outside of the ball?
Yes, that's what he meant.
I still can't believe that mini collapse Boston had yesterday. I mean they were up by 9 with a minute and a half left & legitimately could have lost if Jimmy made that 3. That probably would have been one of the worst meltdowns ever
A shame it didn't happen. But Butler played 48 and was on fumes.
and offense
Iguodala was very good in that December win against the Celtics. 12 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 1 turnover. And 2 steals underestimates how many turnovers he created, for instance he got a key strip on Brown near the end of the game that counted as a lost ball turnover since he hit it off Brown's leg. Didn't play in the March beatdown at home, of course.
God I hope he can come back.
Rec x 💯
Having two of Andre, GP2, and Otto will be huge. They are so vital for the Celtics size.
Seeing Lowry flop so blatantly and often triggered bad memories of the Finals against Toronto. So much so I started to root for the Celtics. Oddly it was less stressful to remember Smarts take-out of Curry's foot than Lowry incessantly getting away with Chris Paul-like 'cheatball'.
> less stressful to remember Smarts take-out of Curry's foot
That came close to wiping out Curry for all the playoffs. So I can't really see it as "less stressful" to almost anything else.
And Smart is a Lowry level flopper in his own right while being a danger to those around him.
I mean, on the other hand, this was from just last game:
https://twitter.com/doubledworth/status/1531079100122529792
This needs to be on repeat on the Jumbotron while the refs are warming up. Do refs get warmup time?
Smart is to defensive flopping what Harden is to offensive flopping.
Don’t forget Smart’s exceptional loose ball flopping. He’s no 1 dimensional flopper.
What’s your favorite?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeJYRv8hDbc/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
I hope I get to see this dunk from GPII again.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeL8THQv_t6/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Boston will do their best to make this series very unfun to watch. It will work quite a bit.
Dubs in 7.
Questions:
Boston's defense is good. What will they look like against the Warriors' motion offense? None of the teams Boston beat in the playoffs base their offense around the passing game like the Warriors. Boston seems to be content letting the stars "get their" and containing everyone else (similar to what the Warriors have done). That's just not possible against the Warriors. And if they choose to let Steph get his, watch out!
How will Boston do against the Warriors' defense? Boston doesn't have any elite level ball handlers. They don't have any consistently elite scorers. They play solid, but not spectacular, on offense and rely on their defense to clamp down. Like the Warriors, they're best when their defense turns into offense (fast breaks, etc) which will certainly give us all ulcers if the Warriors turn the ball over a lot. I don't see them being effective in the half court against the Warriors though. Can they score enough to beat the Warriors? The only series they scored over 110 consistently was against the Nets who... Aren't exactly defensive juggernauts.
Who will win the rebound battle? This may end up being the series right here. Both teams team rebound well. The Celtics have more length, which should favor them, but the Warriors have done exceptionally well rebounding against taller teams. Whichever team stays more disciplined on the glass may end up winning.
Just some morning thoughts. Should be a fun series. I expect the Warriors to win, but I anyways do, so...
Yea an Achilles heel with motion offenses and the Warriors in general is that there are a lot more opportunities for turnovers…
Judging from the regular season Celtics at Warriors game the Celtic's plan is to bait the Warriors into making terrible lazy passes, take Curry out of the game early, and then make a lot of difficult contested shots. I doubt it will work so well in the playoffs. GPII didn't play in that game (I don't remember why) nor did Bjelica or Iguodala so Lee, JTA, and Weatherspoon got significant minutes.
Weatherspoon might be useful in this series, honestly. Too bad he can't play.
Not with that attitude he can't!
A lot of constant holding the refs will feel like they can’t consistently call (or half the Celtics would foul out in the early 4th quarter)
And annoyingly anomalous hot shooting for scrubs like White, Pritchard, Smart etc.
Yeah... Watching the heat series the Celtics definitely seemed to define being physical as fast as loose with the fouling.
Gonna be a lot of games that don’t get to 100 for both teams, I think.
Will be interesting to see how Poole performs vs the Boston defense. Herro struggled, but he seems to wilt against elite defense. Poole struggled last 3 games of the Memphis series. But he’s also been electric against good defense at times. I think he might show us he’s a tier above players like Herro that he got lumped with this regular season.
I'm not entirely sure who out of the starters for Boston he could exploit. I think he might have trouble getting by smart, jaylen and Tatum. Maybe horford. I think Rob Williams will give him the same trouble that jjj did. Even if he blows by him, he'd be able to recover and disrupt pooles shot
Poole just needs to learn (as Steph did) what to do when teams double him, play him physically, try to intimidate him at the rim, etc. He's proven that he's good -- enough so that teams are game planning for him. Can he beat their counter with his own? Thankfully, he has the best in the business to learn from. They've done all of this stuff to Curry. He knows what has worked for him. Jordan just has to adapt that knowledge to his own situation.
I mean it’s pretty clear (to me at least) he can get by pretty much anyone. Not every time but a reasonable level of consistency. He can certainly be stopped in the second level of defense though, and then it’s about decision making not speed.
He cooked smart last time they played for what its worth
Williams was not moving well against the Heat… could have been from injury, but I also suspect he’s not the “on ball slide/turn and recover” defender that JJJ is.
Denver must have felt good going into our series with a 3-1 regular season record.
Memphis must have felt good going into our series with a 3-1 regular season record.
Dallas must have felt good going into our series with a 3-1 regular season record.
Boston will feel good with their >50% winning percentage over the last ~7 years…
Kerr hasn’t game planned for them or run proper rotations in regular season matchups.
Dray$ said
“….You can win games in the regular season, that means nothing. We understand that. We don’t chase wins during the regular season, we chase improvement during the regular season."😉
I can't wait for game 1!!!
Well, one thing...that was a smash-mouth 7 games and the Celtics will be feeling fatigue creeping up on them in a way the Warriors won't. Reminds me of the year the Dubs lost to the Cavs, the Dubs had to get through a Murderer's Row of Western Conference opponents just to get to the Finals, and that was the (very overlooked) edge that helped give the Cavs that championship.
That and the Cavs traveled a league-low ~30k miles while the Warriors traveled a league-high ~50k miles during the regular season… no I’m not still bitter why do you ask?
Helps to be in the middle of the country -- not that I think the NBA schedule-makers are very helpful to the Dubs.
Draymond was right, Udonis
Sort of. Dray said Celtics in 6. But regardless, here they come...
Did he say Celtics in 6? All I heard was him saying they were going to play the Celtics.
When it was 3-2, he said that the Celtics would close it out that night. He was off by a game. I won't hold it against him.
I do wish he could have motivated the Heat to a series victory, but we get what we get and we don't get upset.
Dubs in 5
I predict that curry has a solid series, but the Celtics run a defense that dares Wiggins to beat them. (Similar to the 2016 cavs strategy). I think maple Jordan and JP put up monster numbers until they adjust in game 3. They take game 3 but then Steph puts them to bed in game 4 and 5 after we make our counters.
From your fingers to gods ears, this is how I picture the dubs taking it as well. WE ARE REALLY GOOD. REALLY REALLY GOOD. I personally grade teams based on a curve, and the Warriors are that curve. Their identity was set in stone at the beginning of the Kerr era. Idk who tf these Celtics are. They look like they've always looked under Brad Stevens. Yucky.
Also OT but Atlas was crowned bicampion de la liga mexicana tonight! I don't really follow but my pops and his entire side of the family are die hards and tonight was a fun one for the old man. Hopefully the bills can win a superb owl in their current era for him too 🤞
Jp might struggle with the celtics I think GP2 will play a bigger role
I think it just depends on the Celtics game plan. If the Celtics are trying to neutralize Steph’s offense as their primary focus on defense, Poole will go pool party mode. They are going to have smart on curry, and most likely brown on klay. To me that means they have to try to hide Tatum on Wiggins and prob instruct him and horford to cheat off their men to help/trap Steph. I think most likely they would prefer to not have draymond’s man (horford) help off him because that plays into our strengths. That leaves Tatum as their help man and I think Wiggins and JP BURN that coverage
Tatum is an excellent defender, idk if they’re really gonna be “hiding” him on defense
Lol yeah, more like try to conserve his energy
Definitely possible. But last time Poole put up like 29 points in the game that Steph got injured, so I think he should be fine as long as he doesn't get burned on defence. Most likely Kerr will decide based on the game situation.
In Kerr We Trust
Depending on how games 1 and 2 go, I have a feeling that Kerr might consider putting Poole back in the starting lineup for Looney. Feel that with Dray and Looney on the floor at the same time, the offence might stagnate.
I was pissed for a bit at missing the Heat, who I think could have been a bit of a cakewalk in their banged-up state ... but I'm at peace with it now. If we had faced a banged-up Heat team, all the haters would have come out of the woodwork to chirp about our easy path. Now we get a legitimately worthy opponent, which would make a title that much sweeter.
I’m just happy the Heat stretched it to 7 games.
Ah I want to be where you are right now. I still feel weird and, given a second shot, would gladly take the Heat and a Cakewalk and all the chirping that comes with it - the haters will never be satisfied anyways.
Having said that, I was really rooting for Minny to beat Memphis so we didn't have to play a rough and tumble team....
....but defeating Memphis felt great.....and yet on the other hand the injury to GP2 sucked.
There's just so much luck and randomness to these 7 game series that ANYTHING could happen to snatch victory away.
I think it might take me a couple more days but mannnnn....I don't think bummed it the right word.....just feel like it was a missed opportunity and I think it's mostly that weird overturned 3pter + the WAY the Heat lost with missed freethrows and coming out in both the beginning and the second half completely flat and lifeless. It was RIGHT THERE for the taking.
Blah.
These are the two best teams. Instead of best team vs LeBron. Or the husk of a tired/injured Warriors team vs a nicely built Raptors team that added on Kawhi.
These are two teams who’ve built a real culture and style. If you like team building you like these two teams. And it’s a quintessentially East vs West matchup in what you think of the styles..
So yeah, I get it. Im so with you. I just want another chip for these guys. So badly. I’d take the easy path if it’s there (if there was a magic rule to add KD for the Finals I’d sign up).
But it’d be so sick to topple this matchup and have this one stand out in its own special way
Nah more like The Warriors vs east team. Milwaukee's next after this one