2020 End of Season / Playoffs

[KeonClark]

I was thinking.. how is the 7th seed locked up for the Nets when there are 2 games remaining? Looked at the standings.. Magic have 3 more losses. So even if the Nets go 0-2 and Magic go 2-0... the best the Magic can do is be 34-39.. where as the worst the Nets can do is 34-38.

Weird how that worked. I think the Nets are a scrappy bunch.. but play absolutely no defense. LeVert will be a handful, and he was the last player to score over 30 against our team. Just have to find a way to stop him, and you stop the Nets.

But yeah beating them should not be an issue. If we can't sweep them I'll be pretty upset.

It would be the ultimate WWE villain move if KD and Kyrie showed up pre game game 1 lol

[A.I]

I was thinking.. how is the 7th seed locked up for the Nets when there are 2 games remaining? Looked at the standings.. Magic have 3 more losses. So even if the Nets go 0-2 and Magic go 2-0... the best the Magic can do is be 34-39.. where as the worst the Nets can do is 34-38.

Weird how that worked. I think the Nets are a scrappy bunch.. but play absolutely no defense. LeVert will be a handful, and he was the last player to score over 30 against our team. Just have to find a way to stop him, and you stop the Nets.

But yeah beating them should not be an issue. If we can't sweep them I'll be pretty upset.

Its the Raptors thing to do to lose Game 1 and then win the next 4. LeVert will be tough, he did have 27 points and 13 assists against the Clippers. Throw OG on him, defend Harris on the 3 point line and we should be good.

[chris]

new orleans needs a new coach... what a disappointing re-start for them. gentry seems to be universally well-liked but man his teams have consistently under-achieved with a significant amount of talent.

watched the end of their game yesterday. down five with two minutes to go and their season on the line, lonzo ball launched a step-back 3 with about 15 seconds left on the shot clock that would have made james harden blush. he was 1 for 9 in the game at the time of his decision. i nearly spat out my beer.

his teams are also completely unwilling or incapable of playing defense despite having had some all-nba caliber personnel on his teams.

[planetmars]

new orleans needs a new coach... what a disappointing re-start for them. gentry seems to be universally well-liked but man his teams have consistently under-achieved with a significant amount of talent.

watched the end of their game yesterday. down five with two minutes to go and their season on the line, lonzo ball launched a step-back 3 with about 15 seconds left on the shot clock that would have made james harden blush. he was 1 for 9 in the game at the time of his decision. i nearly spat out my beer.

his teams are also completely unwilling or incapable of playing defense despite having had some all-nba caliber personnel on his teams.

1 for 9 is about normal for Lonzo in the bubble. He's atrocious on offense. Ingram doesn't play defense. Zion can't play defense because he's too fat. Favors is not built for this era of basketball. And Jru I think just stopped caring.

That team needs work.. and the West is too stacked for them to just instantly be considered for the playoffs next season. Warriors will be healthy (knock on wood).. Blazers should get a fully healthy Nurkic for the year. Suns are rising.

[LJ2]

It has nothing to do with the the Suns 5 game run in the bubble. I've always been a fan of Booker. I said in his draft year that he's a top 5 talent. Looking at all the players that were drafted ahead of him, I think Booker will go down as the best player in that draft.

I can't think of another young player not named Luka and Tatum that are better than Book.

Booker is an elite scorer, but so is Beal and neither have been able to make their teammates better. Booker has time though, so will have to wait and see.

If I were to put another young player ahead of him on your list I'd go with Jamal Murray, who I think is super underrated. He reminds me of Lowry a bit...someone who does a lot of little things which helps his team win.

[MixxAOR]

I think it's unfair in modern NBA to judge a single player on his ability to bring team to playoffs. In modern NBA even having a good bench makes a huge difference. And in the West your whole team needs to be up to par. It's no wonder Draymond was tampering to bring Booker to Warriors lol

[Jclaw]

Finally a video from 6 years ago can be used again!

Isn’t it crazy how we’ve gone to scrappy misfit underdogs to defending champions over that stretch? What a ride. We will be talking about this for decades to come.

[G__Deane]

Isn’t it crazy how we’ve gone to scrappy misfit underdogs to defending champions over that stretch? What a ride. We will be talking about this for decades to come.

I'm kinda already over it and if we lose this year, certainly will be next season.
Long term celebrating and being satisfied with a single chip is Leafs/Jays territory. I'd sooner be Yankees*/Red Sox, Lakers/Celtics where you're pizzed every year you don't win and do everything every year to compete and actually expect to take home the hardware**.

*Without the roids
**Note that the Yankees/Red Sox, Lakers/Celtics are universally despised out of their fan base

[slaw]

Booker is an elite scorer, but so is Beal and neither have been able to make their teammates better. Booker has time though, so will have to wait and see.

If I were to put another young player ahead of him on your list I'd go with Jamal Murray, who I think is super underrated. He reminds me of Lowry a bit...someone who does a lot of little things which helps his team win.

What am I missing with Booker? The best of the rest under 25 after Doncic? There's a bunch of guys in that range who have done more than Booker and whose teams are better/successful because of them.

[DogeLover1234]

Booker is an elite scorer, but so is Beal and neither have been able to make their teammates better. Booker has time though, so will have to wait and see.

If I were to put another young player ahead of him on your list I'd go with Jamal Murray, who I think is super underrated. He reminds me of Lowry a bit...someone who does a lot of little things which helps his team win.

Hard to judge a guy for not improving teammates when the franchise has spent the last 5 years a revolving door for busts and washed vets a like. When I watch he looks as good as any 2 guard in the league - fantastic off ball movement and makes the right reads with the ball. Hes got quite a bit of good young skill now though - next year will be the judgement year I reckon.

[Sonny]

If you're Masai, would u bring DeRozan back next year?

https://mobile.twitter.com/Ballislif...84362413969413

[chris]

1 for 9 is about normal for Lonzo in the bubble. He's atrocious on offense. Ingram doesn't play defense. Zion can't play defense because he's too fat. Favors is not built for this era of basketball. And Jru I think just stopped caring.

That team needs work.. and the West is too stacked for them to just instantly be considered for the playoffs next season. Warriors will be healthy (knock on wood).. Blazers should get a fully healthy Nurkic for the year. Suns are rising.

i know it is. the fact that he took it in that spot is an indictment of gentry, is my point. they've approached every game with a preseason nonchalance for five years now, particularly at the defensive end.

yes west will be loaded next year. LA/LA/GS/houston/OKC/denver/dallas all pretty much playoff locks barring catastrophic health, with portland, utah, and ascending teams like suns, new orleans, and memphis fighting for last spot. san antonio a question mark but wouldn't count them out if pop sticks around another year.

[MixxAOR]

I'm kinda already over it and if we lose this year, certainly will be next season.
Long term celebrating and being satisfied with a single chip is Leafs/Jays territory. I'd sooner be Yankees*/Red Sox, Lakers/Celtics where you're pizzed every year you don't win and do everything every year to compete and actually expect to take home the hardware**.

*Without the roids
**Note that the Yankees/Red Sox, Lakers/Celtics are universally despised out of their fan base

Get ready to be really pissed in the next couple of years lol

[KeonClark]

If you're Masai, would u bring DeRozan back next year?

https://mobile.twitter.com/Ballislif...84362413969413

110% no

[DanH]

If you're Masai, would u bring DeRozan back next year?

https://mobile.twitter.com/Ballislif...84362413969413

LOL nope.