NBA Thread 2021-22 Season

[Cusefan0307]

Pretty bad? Didnt see it

They ejected Draymond on a call that would have been a common foul for 70 years.

 

[Melancer46]

They ejected Draymond on a call that would have been a common foul for 70 years.

That was pretty surprising. He legitimately tried to hold him up. I was surprised they actually ejected him.

Having said that, guys shouldn't be grabbing people by the collar and yanking them to the ground. He obviously did what he could to prevent the fall from being too brutal, but I'm not really mad when the NBA tries to remove plays like that from the game.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

 

[OrangeDW]

Draymond deserved it. It’s a scrubby play. Grab me by my jersey and throw me to the ground while I’m trying to play basketball, and we’re going to be fighting.

 

[samspann1]

Bravo, officials

 

[OrangeDW]

Man. Should’ve been Warriors ball. Why can’t that be reviewed?

SMH at Klay missing both FTs.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Warriors ball but come on Klay!

 

[OrangeDW]

Smart defensive play by Klay there.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Bad loss for Memphis. Draymond ejected. Klay was bad. Steph was average for him. JJ plays out of his mind, Morant made spectacular plays and they still can’t pull it out.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Surprised Morant didn’t make that.

 

[OrangeDW]

Bad loss for Memphis. Draymond ejected. Klay was bad. Steph was average for him. JJ plays out of his mind, Morant made spectacular plays and they still can’t pull it out.

Yup. GS in 5, max. Might be a sweep. IMO.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

Bad loss for Memphis. Draymond ejected. Klay was bad. Steph was average for him. JJ plays out of his mind, Morant made spectacular plays and they still can’t pull it out.

Has all the stink of a game where if you lose it.. you get rolled the rest of the series

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Has all the stink of a game where if you lose it.. you get rolled the rest of the series

Maybe.

But also Morant seemingly has no awareness about the limits of basketball, so I also wouldn't be surprised if they take the series and are monsters.

 

[Oakland]

Has all the stink of a game where if you lose it.. you get rolled the rest of the series

I agree. Warriors are my home team but I mostly only pay attention in the playoffs. The ref's description of the Draymon foul was straight out of creative writing class. His hand got caught in the jersey and he tried to relieve the impact on the floor. Anyways, Memphis had everything going their way in this game, including the refs, and lost it. I'd bet GS wins in 5.

The thing I want to mention is Jalen Jackson. This guy is dribbling the ball towards the basketball and plows his shoulder into his defender, not once, not twice, but three times just like Shaq did with his butt in the bad old days - 3 offensive fouls and he makes the basket with no foul call - that is a remnant of the bad old NBA. And he launches 3pters like a shot putter - made 6-9 today, good for him but I think that is in miracle land.

The two best shooters in the history of basketball are Pete Maravich and S Curry - both of them were/are amazingly good. On the other hand, there are so many really good 3pt shooters now that it is hard to believe.

 

[MikeSU02]

I'm re-doing my top levels, slightly. I'm giving Giannis his own group.

The "Older insanely talented guys that can still hit that insane level from time to time but have been too injured or are getting a bit long in the tooth to do it for 82 games so I'm just setting them aside" group:
- Bron
- KD
- Steph

The "top level of talent in the league" group:
- Giannis

The "rest of the elite guys that aren't named Giannis" group:
- Jokic, Embiid, Luka, Tatum

The "knocking on the door" group:
- Ja
- Booker

Also, regardless of who got DPOY, Giannis is the best defensive player in the Cs/Bucks series. Jrue is the second best.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I'm re-doing my top levels, slightly. I'm giving Giannis his own group.

The "Older insanely talented guys that can still hit that insane level from time to time but have been too injured or are getting a bit long in the tooth to do it for 82 games so I'm just setting them aside" group:
- Bron
- KD
- Steph

The "top level of talent in the league" group:
- Giannis

The "rest of the elite guys that aren't named Giannis" group:
- Jokic, Embiid, Luka, Tatum

The "knocking on the door" group:
- Ja
- Booker

Also, regardless of who got DPOY, Giannis is the best defensive player in the Cs/Bucks series. Jrue is the second best.

My post below is from June 5, 2021. Obviously, this year we did not get Kawhi or Lillard. The clear drop out is Harden.
Tatum is the clear addition. I'd have to rethink my official rankings, but Giannis remains at #1.


1. Giannis- Combination of offensive and defensive impact puts him at #1 for me. Yes the shooting still limits him, but he does enough elsewhere to take the top spot for me. A win over the Nets will be huge too.
2. Durant- Unfortunately injuries have really taken him off the court a lot the last couple of seasons but when he's playing he is truly imo the best offensive player in the game (look at the efficiency numbers), and underrated on defense.
3. Jokic- Not known for his defense, but his playmaking ability really shined this year especially with Murray out. Incredibly unique talent, and he is quite durable.
4. Curry- I certainly have some bias here, but his season this year was at least top 2 in his career. Unbelievable efficiency (seriously, it's insane) and still leading the league in scoring while clearly the focal point of defenses. Again not known for his defense, but what he does on the offensive end is worthy of a top spot.
5. James- Not the same after the ankle injury and the Davis injury messed up the entire team chemistry imo, but still doing things at his age we've all clearly taken for granted over the years. Plus he saw 3 rims and shot at the middle one for a game winner (hehe).
6. Kawhi- Like Giannis, a great two way player, who already has rings. We will see if he can lead the Clippers to round 2 after that amazing game 6 performance.
7. Embiid- Career year. Another great 2 way player. Gets dinged up a lot, but he's certainly one of the top unstoppable players when he really commits to it (i.e. not settling, and posting up).
8. Luka- Another ridiculous offensive talent. He has the ability to get his shot, but would like the %s to improve a bit. Perennial MVP candidate very soon.
9. Harden- A historically great offensive player. Having him this low is more of a personal preference for me. I also think he's not nearly as bad on d as many claim. He's been great this year on the Nets in more of a playmaking role.
10. Lillard- Certainly a lot of news around him right now with his historic 2OT performance and the coaching drama in Portland. To this point has not had any notable postseason success, but winning is tough against other elite players. Again not known for defense but probably neck and neck with Steph for the ability to win games making long unguardable shots.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Also, regardless of who got DPOY, Giannis is the best defensive player in the Cs/Bucks series.

Especially when the goaltending rules no longer apply to you.

Yes, I’m salty.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I'm re-doing my top levels, slightly. I'm giving Giannis his own group.

The "Older insanely talented guys that can still hit that insane level from time to time but have been too injured or are getting a bit long in the tooth to do it for 82 games so I'm just setting them aside" group:
- Bron
- KD
- Steph

The "top level of talent in the league" group:
- Giannis

The "rest of the elite guys that aren't named Giannis" group:
- Jokic, Embiid, Luka, Tatum

The "knocking on the door" group:
- Ja
- Booker

Also, regardless of who got DPOY, Giannis is the best defensive player in the Cs/Bucks series. Jrue is the second best.

Agree with all of this. I like the grouping of the older dudes and would but Kuwhi in there too.

Also Jrue/ Giannis D combo.

 

[MikeSU02]

Agree with all of this. I like the grouping of the older dudes and would but Kuwhi in there too.

Also Jrue/ Giannis D combo.

I can't believe I forgot Kawhi. I love watching him when he's healthy. He's def in that set aside group. Hope he comes back and can be a force again.

 

[MikeSU02]

My post below is from June 5, 2021. Obviously, this year we did not get Kawhi or Lillard. The clear drop out is Harden.
Tatum is the clear addition. I'd have to rethink my official rankings, but Giannis remains at #1.


1. Giannis- Combination of offensive and defensive impact puts him at #1 for me. Yes the shooting still limits him, but he does enough elsewhere to take the top spot for me. A win over the Nets will be huge too.
2. Durant- Unfortunately injuries have really taken him off the court a lot the last couple of seasons but when he's playing he is truly imo the best offensive player in the game (look at the efficiency numbers), and underrated on defense.
3. Jokic- Not known for his defense, but his playmaking ability really shined this year especially with Murray out. Incredibly unique talent, and he is quite durable.
4. Curry- I certainly have some bias here, but his season this year was at least top 2 in his career. Unbelievable efficiency (seriously, it's insane) and still leading the league in scoring while clearly the focal point of defenses. Again not known for his defense, but what he does on the offensive end is worthy of a top spot.
5. James- Not the same after the ankle injury and the Davis injury messed up the entire team chemistry imo, but still doing things at his age we've all clearly taken for granted over the years. Plus he saw 3 rims and shot at the middle one for a game winner (hehe).
6. Kawhi- Like Giannis, a great two way player, who already has rings. We will see if he can lead the Clippers to round 2 after that amazing game 6 performance.
7. Embiid- Career year. Another great 2 way player. Gets dinged up a lot, but he's certainly one of the top unstoppable players when he really commits to it (i.e. not settling, and posting up).
8. Luka- Another ridiculous offensive talent. He has the ability to get his shot, but would like the %s to improve a bit. Perennial MVP candidate very soon.
9. Harden- A historically great offensive player. Having him this low is more of a personal preference for me. I also think he's not nearly as bad on d as many claim. He's been great this year on the Nets in more of a playmaking role.
10. Lillard- Certainly a lot of news around him right now with his historic 2OT performance and the coaching drama in Portland. To this point has not had any notable postseason success, but winning is tough against other elite players. Again not known for defense but probably neck and neck with Steph for the ability to win games making long unguardable shots.

Very solid list. Can't believe I forgot Kawhi. You're right about Harden, slot in Tatum (somewhere) and that's a strong list.

 

[kirbivore]

I know it's because they wanted the Warriors in that Sunday late afternoon spot but Memphis had a less than 48 hour turnaround from the Friday night clinch. Both Dallas and Phoenix wrapped up their series on Thursday night. Dallas/Phoenix should have been yesterday and Memphis/GS tonight. The Grizz got schedule intercoursed.

 

[Knicks411]

I know it's because they wanted the Warriors in that Sunday late afternoon spot but Memphis had a less than 48 hour turnaround from the Friday night clinch. Both Dallas and Phoenix wrapped up their series on Thursday night. Dallas/Phoenix should have been yesterday and Memphis/GS tonight. The Grizz got schedule intercoursed.

Yeah they probably got screwed by the way their series went? Pretty sure they finalized the schedule before Friday, which makes sense. Because you want to leave Sunday open for the Memphis/Minny game 7 if it happens. So Dallas and the Suns get a little extra rest

 

[Melancer46]

I'm re-doing my top levels, slightly. I'm giving Giannis his own group.

The "Older insanely talented guys that can still hit that insane level from time to time but have been too injured or are getting a bit long in the tooth to do it for 82 games so I'm just setting them aside" group:
- Bron
- KD
- Steph

The "top level of talent in the league" group:
- Giannis

The "rest of the elite guys that aren't named Giannis" group:
- Jokic, Embiid, Luka, Tatum

The "knocking on the door" group:
- Ja
- Booker

Also, regardless of who got DPOY, Giannis is the best defensive player in the Cs/Bucks series. Jrue is the second best.

Smart is a very good defender, but I genuinely think he might only be like the 4th or 5th best defender in this series. The defense in this series is just really really good.

It’s kinda going under the radar because Boston’s failure inside the 3 point line was wild, but Boston did a really good job defensively too. Milwaukee barely hit 100 points despite getting a lot in transition. Cut back on the turnovers or just up the take fouls to stop the transition buckets and Boston is probably in good shape to win this series IMO. I think Boston probably has more answers offensively than Milwaukee in this series. They just didn’t have it in Game 1.

 

[MikeSU02]

Smart is a very good defender, but I genuinely think he might only be like the 4th or 5th best defender in this series. The defense in this series is just really really good.

It’s kinda going under the radar because Boston’s failure inside the 3 point line was wild, but Boston did a really good job defensively too. Milwaukee barely hit 100 points despite getting a lot in transition. Cut back on the turnovers or just up the take fouls to stop the transition buckets and Boston is probably in good shape to win this series IMO. I think Boston probably has more answers offensively than Milwaukee in this series. They just didn’t have it in Game 1.

I know that Boston will counter, but that front court of Bobby, Lopez and Giannis is just ridiculously long. You can beat one guy off the dribble and then you are running right into giants, including Giannis, who might be the best defender in the league. This is after MKE was hounding the ballhandlers up the court. Boston absolutely has to hit jump shots to win this series.

Boston has a really good D, like you say, but it almost feels like Giannis is the defense breaker in that scenario. Even when he has a bad game (and Horford and others did really well on him), he still impacts the game with passing, boards and his mid range game is a serious jump from last year.

Giannis is such a force, that I just think his relentlessness that teams have to deal with on both ends just truly wears them down. It's almost like Giannis is the bad guy in a horror movie when the people are running away, but everyone knows that Freddy (or Jason, or whomever) will get them, no matter what, and every time some Boston player would think they have a free avenue, they'd be worried that Giannis was going to come out of nowhere and get them.

 

[Melancer46]

I know that Boston will counter, but that front court of Bobby, Lopez and Giannis is just ridiculously long. You can beat one guy off the dribble and then you are running right into giants, including Giannis, who might be the best defender in the league. This is after MKE was hounding the ballhandlers up the court. Boston absolutely has to hit jump shots to win this series.

Boston has a really good D, like you say, but it almost feels like Giannis is the defense breaker in that scenario. Even when he has a bad game (and Horford and others did really well on him), he still impacts the game with passing, boards and his mid range game is a serious jump from last year.

Giannis is such a force, that I just think his relentlessness that teams have to deal with on both ends just truly wears them down. It's almost like Giannis is the bad guy in a horror movie when the people are running away, but everyone knows that Freddy (or Jason, or whomever) will get them, no matter what, and every time some Boston player would think they have a free avenue, they'd be worried that Giannis was going to come out of nowhere and get them.

I was kinda surprised Boston didn’t try to target Lopez and especially Portis all that much. Honestly can do the same with Grayson Allen too. Idk. I feel like Milwaukee just kinda caught Boston a little unprepared but I think there’s plenty of counters to what Milwaukee was successful with in Game 1. Don’t get me wrong; Milwaukee is a really good team and Boston has to play well to win this series. But I still think they should be considered at least a slight favorite.

I’ve also seen people overreact to Milwaukee’s flat game 1 performances enough times to just not read that much into Boston doing the same this time around.

If Milwaukee is able to take game 2, then yeah, probably time to re-evaluate things lol.