NBA Thread 2020-21 Season

[OrangeDW]

Jail Blazers:

PG Dame Lillard (2012- )
SG Clyde Drexler (1983-1995)
C Bill Walton (1974-1979)
PF Rasheed Wallace (1996- 2004)
SF Stan McKenzie (1970 - 1972)

Just because I want to do a different one:

Rod Strickland
Brandon Roy
Scottie Pippen
Mychal Thompson
Bill Walton

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Just because I want to do a different one:

Rod Strickland
Brandon Roy
Scottie Pippen
Mychal Thompson
Bill Walton

Brandon Roy could have been so, so good

 

[Day2]

The Suns are perfectly constructed. And it helps when you have backups stepping up, like Payne. Their depth took a hit a bit losing Saric and Craig, but they still have their top 7 core guys.

If the Bucks win this series it will be because Giannis goes nuclear (40/15 type stuff each game), Jrue and Khris provide some semblance of consistency (the up and down has been insane by both), and they shoot better from 3 like they've proven they can this season. It's obviously possible, but not likely imo.

They were on their way to losing to the Lakers and almost lost to the Clippers without Leonard. Don’t get me wrong, they’re a good team and I even picked them to win it all before the regular season ended. These superlatives are getting out of hand, though.

 

[NineOneSeven]

They were on their way to losing to the Lakers and almost lost to the Clippers without Leonard. Don’t get me wrong, they’re a good team and I even picked them to win it all before the regular season ended. These superlatives are getting out of hand, though.

But they didn't and neither went 7 games.

 

[MikeSU02]

They were on their way to losing to the Lakers and almost lost to the Clippers without Leonard. Don’t get me wrong, they’re a good team and I even picked them to win it all before the regular season ended. These superlatives are getting out of hand, though.

Agree. This team will be one of the worst to win a title in the last two decades, but it doesn't take away from them being a very good team.

They absolutely lose to the Lakers with AD and they absolutely lose to the Clips with Kawhi. And let's all be honest, if Brooklyn stays healthy, they are probably going 16-3 or something like en route to the chip.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Agree. This team will be one of the worst to win a title in the last two decades, but it doesn't take away from them being a very good team.

They absolutely lose to the Lakers with AD and they absolutely lose to the Clips with Kawhi. And let's all be honest, if Brooklyn stays healthy, they are probably going 16-3 or something like en route to the chip.

Meh.

 

[Day2]

But they didn't and neither went 7 games.

Neither would have gone 7 with a healthy AD or Leonard either, only the Suns would have lost.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Neither would have gone 7 with a healthy AD or Leonard either, only the Suns would have lost.

Meh.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Barkley?

I love Barkley but I think Malone had a better career.

 

[Arangeman]

Agree. This team will be one of the worst to win a title in the last two decades, but it doesn't take away from them being a very good team.

They absolutely lose to the Lakers with AD and they absolutely lose to the Clips with Kawhi. And let's all be honest, if Brooklyn stays healthy, they are probably going 16-3 or something like en route to the chip.

I think either the healthy Lakers or healthy Clips vs. healthy Nets goes 7.

The Lakers were in control of that Suns series before AD went down. The Suns are winning a war of attrition.

 

[Knicks411]

Agree. This team will be one of the worst to win a title in the last two decades, but it doesn't take away from them being a very good team.

They absolutely lose to the Lakers with AD and they absolutely lose to the Clips with Kawhi. And let's all be honest, if Brooklyn stays healthy, they are probably going 16-3 or something like en route to the chip.

Seth Partnow was on Ben Taylor's podcast and was talking a little about this.

It'll be interesting to look back at this Suns team in a few years, they have a lot of players early in their careers. If it turns out Booker is a constant all NBA guy, and Ayton/Bridges are fringe all star types, then I think this Suns team will end up looking a lot better in hindsight. Obviously I can't predict that is going to happen, but seems like because they have so many guys relatively early in their career maybe they don't seem as good as they are. Or maybe this is just the season where everything falls right for them and they really aren't an elite team.


I do agree a fully operational Net team would be the best team in the league and probably wins the title, but, well, they weren't. I'm not convinced they definitely lose to either LA team though.

 

[Day2]

Seth Partnow was on Ben Taylor's podcast and was talking a little about this.

It'll be interesting to look back at this Suns team in a few years, they have a lot of players early in their careers. If it turns out Booker is a constant all NBA guy, and Ayton/Bridges are fringe all star types, then I think this Suns team will end up looking a lot better in hindsight. Obviously I can't predict that is going to happen, but seems like because they have so many guys relatively early in their career maybe they don't seem as good as they are. Or maybe this is just the season where everything falls right for them and they really aren't an elite team.


I do agree a fully operational Net team would be the best team in the league and probably wins the title, but, well, they weren't. I'm not convinced they definitely lose to either LA team though.

Bridges isn’t even close to being on the fringe of the fringe of being an All-Star.

How are the Suns beating the Clippers with Leonard when they barely beat them without him? That series would have been a sweep, five at the most.

 

[Alsacs]

I go
KD-4
KG-3
Giannis-2
Kobe-5
Kidd-1

 

[OrangeDW]

I go
KD-4
KG-3
Giannis-2
Kobe-5
Kidd-1

Kidd -1
Iverson - 1
Kawhi - 3
Duncan - 5
Shaq - 5

Kidd and Iverson are wildly undervalued and are just as good as most of the higher priced guards.

Shaq and Duncan are in another league compared to the lower priced posts. Especially Shaq.

 

[kirbivore]

Kobe - 5
Dirk - 4
Nash - 3
Allen - 2
Gasol - 1

 

[Day2]

I go
KD-4
KG-3
Giannis-2
Kobe-5
Kidd-1

No Melo? Hard pass.

 

[Day2]

Although I will point out that you can get all six international players for exactly $15.

 

[Arangeman]

Kidd -1
Allen - 2
Kobe - 5
AD- 2
Shaq- 5

 

[Oakland]

Just watched game 1. Pretty good basketball. Liked the officiating except when Booker is involved. He never gets called for pushing off to clear space and, seemingly, every time he misses a shot the refs call a foul on the defense.

Nice to see the finals with two teams that don't get there often and aren't superstar teams.

 

[samspann1]

But they didn't and neither went 7 games.

If Beverley doesn't "accidentally" head butt Booker, I think the Suns sweep the Clippers.

 

[rrlbees]

Kidd
Kobe
Lebron
AD
Ming

 

[cliftonparksufan]

After watching the Bucks through three quarters on their home court, I give credit to the Suns fans in Phoenix for their vocal enthusiasm cheering their team to victory the 1st two games. No matter what happens in Milwaukee, unfortunately the Bucks will need to steal one in AZ. Not sure that is possible.

 

[Melancer46]

The Bucks are a lot better when they play a lot better IMO.

Seriously though, looks like a totally different team when Jrue and Khris aren’t scrubs.

Giannis has been insanely good these past two games without even considering the fact that he’s coming back from what originally looked like a season ending injury.

 

[Melancer46]

My basic take on each game so far is:

Game 1: Suns' shot quality was insanely good. Bucks shot the ball well to give them a chance for awhile but ultimately, the shot quality was too much to overcome.

Game 2: Bucks' shot quality was clearly better but they shot like crap and Phoenix made a ton of difficult shots to run away with it.

Game 3: More like Game 2 except the Suns didn't have the crazy shot-making and the Bucks shot a little more normal.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I think either the healthy Lakers or healthy Clips vs. healthy Nets goes 7.

The Lakers were in control of that Suns series before AD went down. The Suns are winning a war of attrition.

The best ability is availability. Teams that rely on injury prone players can’t whine when those players miss time in the playoffs.
Having guys that don’t miss time with injuries is part of building a winning roster.