I think we are seeing the development of generational players in Edwards and SGA. Reminds me of the advent of LBJ, Splash, Joker (quad-double-capable big man)...I avoid MJ comparisons as that was ALL-TIME extraordinary even before he came into the NBA....dude led USA Team to Olympic gold before he played a day in NBA....
I'm low-key happy with Minnesota taking it to Denver and OKC jumping out in front of Dallas. I don't dislike Jokic, but I'm glad for him to not repeat, and Kyrie going out is desirable.
In the East, I wish someone would take out the Celtics, but I don't think the Cavs can do it. I don't really care between the Knicks and Pacers.
In the end, I hope the champ is either Minnesota or OKC.
I’m high-key happy with both results in the West (so far). Love seeing young, small market teams on the upswing take that last big step into serious contention. So many nominally promising teams never quite get there. And I like almost all the main guys on MIN and OKC.
Luka may be the best basketball player ever for a guy who’s not a great shooter, overweight, not very athletic, and a poor defender. But he still has those issues.
I seriously don't know why the guy hasn't lost that pudge. He always looks exhausted at the end of games, and anyway as you say he's pretty slow. Shed 25 pounds. You were skinny in Eurobasket, looked great.
Although true: his overall size helps him drive. Timpf had a thing on why Harden sucks in the playoffs and Luka doesn't in which his claim (not mine) was that Harden doesn't have an option besides step back three or pass off the drive; that he can get overwhelmed on the drive by more aggressive physical playoff defense, whereas defenders tend to bounce off of Luka. Which is an interesting angle.
There’s also the fact that the Beard’s career playoff TS is a pretty decent .586 where Luka’s is now down to .564. (Luka has a significant advantage in volume, tho: 29.7 pts per 36 to 22.6).
Luka was skinny in Eurobasket because he was a physically immature kid. His body has matured and he has added a lot of muscle since then. Yeah, he also has problems staying in shape but he can't go back to looking like he did at age 18.
I've watched a fair amount of SGA, less of Ant, but more lately. I am ready to say: Ant is notably better. His on ball ferocity on defense is crazy, and he can take over on offense just as dynamically. Fight me.
Thats why the wolves are my team for this playoffs and till the dubs become better again. For some reason I just cant enjoy SGA or brunson even remotely. I like maxey too, another guy who looks like he is having fun.
Brunson I find tedious. He's such a fad right now but his constant ball hog herky jerky game is not appealing to me. I like Ant and Maxey. I also like Steph Curry if that's available.
Wolves are easy to root for. I like everyone on the team, except (maybe) Gobert. I really have no reason to dislike him though. Ant is also the only player on a team outside of the warriors I find really exciting. Maybe Butler too
Well there's the infamous mike touching and unpunished chokehold on Klay. Neither take away from his excellence as a defender though. And I'm eating my words that the trade of Gobert to Minnesota was ridiculous.
I know. Glaring difference in officiating day to day. Not that one team is being cheated, more like one crew is good with fouling and the other is not. Inconsistent vibes
Who do we give up for KD? Kuminga? He's already scoring about what KD would and he can defend which KD doesn't. But it would cost more than Kuminga I am sure.
Yeah, I don't think we are going to swing for the fences on KD. I think we see what the young crop are like in 3-4 years while seeing how much we can squeeze out of the OG's.
Agree, and, frankly, we patented the "HOMEGROWN" experiment with DYNASTIC results in an era that it seemed impossible, so, let's avoid the "mercenary" route....
Ideally the Celtics can take care of this in 4 so we don't have to continue wasting Cav's fans time and money to go to these games but they'll let the foot off the gas for a game and win in 5
Really interested in the two West Semi-Finals and Knicks-Pacers. Not too excited about the Celtics-Cavs. Refs appear to really be letting them hold, push and be physical.
Loving the Knicks Pacers rivalry rekindled. Love that Ant Edwards is leveling up into rarified air. I’m a fan. What if the dubs, who had the worst record, had picked first and drafted Ant? Sigh. What might have been.
Oh no, picking Wiseman first would have been a historic fail! Sam Bowie level. As I recall, Dubs were pretty clear if they had 1 they’d have taken Ant.
I think we are seeing the development of generational players in Edwards and SGA. Reminds me of the advent of LBJ, Splash, Joker (quad-double-capable big man)...I avoid MJ comparisons as that was ALL-TIME extraordinary even before he came into the NBA....dude led USA Team to Olympic gold before he played a day in NBA....
I'm low-key happy with Minnesota taking it to Denver and OKC jumping out in front of Dallas. I don't dislike Jokic, but I'm glad for him to not repeat, and Kyrie going out is desirable.
In the East, I wish someone would take out the Celtics, but I don't think the Cavs can do it. I don't really care between the Knicks and Pacers.
In the end, I hope the champ is either Minnesota or OKC.
I’m high-key happy with both results in the West (so far). Love seeing young, small market teams on the upswing take that last big step into serious contention. So many nominally promising teams never quite get there. And I like almost all the main guys on MIN and OKC.
Pacers ain't gonna do it... only hope is the Knicks. But watching the Wolves mash the Celtics would be fun to watch too...
Best regular season net ratings by a comfortable margin:
West: OKC, MIN
East: BOS, NYK
Moral of the story….?
.... Josh Hart is a BEAST
Seriously though that guy is turning into a 48-minute machine of effort and production
…until he breaks down a la Derrick Rose
Luka may be the best basketball player ever for a guy who’s not a great shooter, overweight, not very athletic, and a poor defender. But he still has those issues.
I seriously don't know why the guy hasn't lost that pudge. He always looks exhausted at the end of games, and anyway as you say he's pretty slow. Shed 25 pounds. You were skinny in Eurobasket, looked great.
Although true: his overall size helps him drive. Timpf had a thing on why Harden sucks in the playoffs and Luka doesn't in which his claim (not mine) was that Harden doesn't have an option besides step back three or pass off the drive; that he can get overwhelmed on the drive by more aggressive physical playoff defense, whereas defenders tend to bounce off of Luka. Which is an interesting angle.
There’s also the fact that the Beard’s career playoff TS is a pretty decent .586 where Luka’s is now down to .564. (Luka has a significant advantage in volume, tho: 29.7 pts per 36 to 22.6).
Don't forget Hardly has a flailing option which once got him a historic more fouls than made buckets...lol
Luka was skinny in Eurobasket because he was a physically immature kid. His body has matured and he has added a lot of muscle since then. Yeah, he also has problems staying in shape but he can't go back to looking like he did at age 18.
Not to mention most of that added weight was ball IQ....
I kinda like the OKC alternating blue and white sections of T-shirt (give away I assume).
Cant't tell from my small screen, but I hope that they gave them out to fans upstairs as well.
I was in Loud City, we also received tshirts. We got a water bottle after the game too.
Can we trade our Wiggins for OKC Wiggins? He’s really going all out tonight.
OKC looking pretty dominant *shrug*
Minnesota looking dominanter
They have Denver's numerator.
And Antman is now more quotientable than the Joker.
I wish I had a fraction of your pun.
Gafford can dunk but he CANNOT lay a ball in the basket. It's Looney-esque out there
I've watched a fair amount of SGA, less of Ant, but more lately. I am ready to say: Ant is notably better. His on ball ferocity on defense is crazy, and he can take over on offense just as dynamically. Fight me.
Ant is much better than SGA.
Ant is definitely more fun to watch
Thats why the wolves are my team for this playoffs and till the dubs become better again. For some reason I just cant enjoy SGA or brunson even remotely. I like maxey too, another guy who looks like he is having fun.
Brunson I find tedious. He's such a fad right now but his constant ball hog herky jerky game is not appealing to me. I like Ant and Maxey. I also like Steph Curry if that's available.
Well, with no Steph, we have to find someone else to root for, right:-)
Wolves are easy to root for. I like everyone on the team, except (maybe) Gobert. I really have no reason to dislike him though. Ant is also the only player on a team outside of the warriors I find really exciting. Maybe Butler too
Well there's the infamous mike touching and unpunished chokehold on Klay. Neither take away from his excellence as a defender though. And I'm eating my words that the trade of Gobert to Minnesota was ridiculous.
definitely something about the wolves that also makes it easy for me to root for them - maybe its Ant - I really like Naz Reid too.
By a million
Looks like a series full of fts, while wolves Denver they just let them play.
I know. Glaring difference in officiating day to day. Not that one team is being cheated, more like one crew is good with fouling and the other is not. Inconsistent vibes
Maxi Klieber's absence seems like a potentially big deal.
22-12 ft difference in the first half - OKC getting very call
Refs definitely trashing Dallas tonight
Effing SGa gets every foul call. Just dislike his style of play
Yeah - and Dallas making too many silly mistakes
What was that about OKC best player ending up on the Warriors? SGA? How?
KD callback.
And KD, call back.
Who do we give up for KD? Kuminga? He's already scoring about what KD would and he can defend which KD doesn't. But it would cost more than Kuminga I am sure.
Yeah, I don't think we are going to swing for the fences on KD. I think we see what the young crop are like in 3-4 years while seeing how much we can squeeze out of the OG's.
Agree, and, frankly, we patented the "HOMEGROWN" experiment with DYNASTIC results in an era that it seemed impossible, so, let's avoid the "mercenary" route....
Ideally the Celtics can take care of this in 4 so we don't have to continue wasting Cav's fans time and money to go to these games but they'll let the foot off the gas for a game and win in 5
Really interested in the two West Semi-Finals and Knicks-Pacers. Not too excited about the Celtics-Cavs. Refs appear to really be letting them hold, push and be physical.
I feel you, good time to be an NBA fan, but still can't get interested in the East. Too far away I guess
Just means I get to watch a game earlier in the day. Plus the Pacers are fun and the Knicks have been bad for so long.....
Loving the Knicks Pacers rivalry rekindled. Love that Ant Edwards is leveling up into rarified air. I’m a fan. What if the dubs, who had the worst record, had picked first and drafted Ant? Sigh. What might have been.
I think Warriors still pick Wiseman given that Ant would be stuck behind Klay for awhile and they were looking for a starting center of the future.
Klay's career was in doubt at that time, and at least what we were reading at the time was that the Dubs were high on Ant.
Oh no, picking Wiseman first would have been a historic fail! Sam Bowie level. As I recall, Dubs were pretty clear if they had 1 they’d have taken Ant.
While that is now just a fantasy I can certainly get guilty pleasure by adopting the wolves as my team for as long as the warriors suck!
And then there's the fact that the Warriors being in the "finals" or even in the "postseason" was a completely laughable concept back in 2002. ;-)
The Finals of the lottery?