NBA Regular Season & Playoffs 2018-19 Thread

simongurnick

Danny green has come alive tonight!!

Carcharodon

Can’t really argue with this result, serious difference in quality tonight bar curry

simongurnick

Freddie!!!!

kmart6

Just happened to wake up at the start of the 4th so turned it on, Warriors were very disjointed. Some terrible turnovers by Green forcing it too much, not much contribution from the lesser guys

simongurnick

Big performancr from toronto. All 5 starters in double digits. Fred and serge massive off the bench. Raps have won 6 of their last 7 now. Bring it!

SharpshooterTom

Klay and KD back for game 4 surely?

Carcharodon

Klay for sure, KD is very doubtful. Cousins may also be a injury concern.

Curry was so good tonight, have to give him credit for that performance even with the loss.

kmart6

Carcharodon wrote: »

Klay for sure, KD is very doubtful. Cousins may also be a injury concern.

Curry was so good tonight, have to give him credit for that performance even with the loss.

Sell your tickets for the game?

Angliru

Curry had a LeBron game. Credit to the guy he's really shown how great he is recently. Excited to see what level he can reach again when/if Durant leaves.

Fairytale lasts a little longer for Toronto

shamrock55

Only saw 1st qtr had to go bed then unfortunately, I seriously think raps have this now, win nxt 2 and that's it

leggo

shamrock55 wrote: »

Only saw 1st qtr had to go bed then unfortunately, I seriously think raps have this now, win nxt 2 and that's it

I dunno if beating the team who’ve won 3 out of the past 4 championships is as simple as that to be fair! I’d say we’re definitely getting a game 6 with a good chance at 7.

Every game of this series has seen something unsustainable happen: Siakam in game 1, Boogie in game 2, the Raptors shooting 45% from deep in game 3 (after being awful from 3 in game 2). We’ve no idea of either team’s true measure against each other yet because GSW’s injury situation makes it too unpredictable. Which is great: I think if Durant was healthy from the get-go you’re looking at it being 4-0 or 4-1 Warriors.

As a neutral, my ideal would be if Toronto beat a depleted Warriors Friday, THEN Durant comes back. If we’re getting possibly the final run of this dynasty, let them try re-live ghosts of their past! Last night Steph was LeBron in the 2015 Finals, trying to do everything himself while his team struggled with key injuries but falling short. Imagine they had to try do a LeBron in 2016 and come back from 3-1 down, but were fully healthy so it just MIGHT be possible...

Carcharodon

kmart6 wrote: »

Sell your tickets for the game?

Didn’t have last nights game, share the tickets so games are rotated. I was 100% going to Friday’s game but I sold my ticket last night for $1500, my friends sold theirs for $1200 each.
I just can’t help it..lol..it’s the easiest money you will ever make.

kmart6

Carcharodon wrote: »

Didn’t have last nights game, share the tickets so games are rotated. I was 100% going to Friday’s game but I sold my ticket last night for $1500, my friends sold theirs for $1200 each.
I just can’t help it..lol..it’s the easiest money you will ever make.

Fully understandable really.

LuckyLloyd

Curry was phenomenal, injuries have given us a series!

kmart6

If the Raptors do manage to win the series the narrative will always be it was only because of the injuries.

Blinky Plebum

kmart6 wrote: »

If the Raptors do manage to win the series the narrative will always be it was only because of the injuries.

Which will be true of course.

Can't see them not winning it now unless Klay and Durant are both back and both productive.

Angliru

kmart6 wrote: »

If the Raptors do manage to win the series the narrative will always be it was only because of the injuries.

I dunno Toronto are such a generally admired team I doubt too many will be sour besides the usuals. Skip will be relentless as it'll fit nicely with his Toronto's #2 narrative so maybe more will come out of the cave when that happens.

Amazingly most sportsbooks have it 50/50 as to who wins the series. Has to be some value in GSW there surely. I don't touch NBA betting as it is one of the sharpest sports around but it was surprising to see it that close.

leggo

kmart6 wrote: »

If the Raptors do manage to win the series the narrative will always be it was only because of the injuries.

Dunno about that. Do you look back on the 2015 Warriors as that? Kyrie and Kevin Love both went down during that series, which is pretty brutal for Cleveland. Besides, Golden State are so stacked but top heavy you could look at it as their own plan capitulating. Injuries happen and, if you're 1-2 short-term injuries away from your season falling apart without having cover, can you really claim you deserved it on merit? They don't even have homecourt advantage here from having the best regular season record when healthy like. Plus they've got great injury luck for Finals in the past that no doubt aided them to achieve as much as they did.

I still think this series is far from done to be formulating narratives. Just a few days ago people were saying Toronto blew it.

leggo

leggo wrote: »

Dunno about that. Do you look back on the 2015 Warriors as that? Kyrie and Kevin Love both went down during that series, which is pretty brutal for Cleveland. Besides, Golden State are so stacked but top heavy you could look at it as their own plan capitulating. Injuries happen and, if you're 1-2 short-term injuries away from your season falling apart without having cover, can you really claim you deserved it on merit? They don't even have homecourt advantage here from having the best regular season record when healthy like. Plus they've got great injury luck for Finals in the past that no doubt aided them to achieve as much as they did.

I still think this series is far from done to be formulating narratives. Just a few days ago people were saying Toronto blew it.

Yeah, a few tweets going around stating all the time the Warriors came up against depleted teams in the playoffs these last few years, not just the 2015 finals!

Also, that video of KD doing the rounds after last nights game with his calf/achilles iced up and him hobbling back to the dressing room means I would be shocked if he was back for Game 4 and if he is just play him hard and I wouldnt be worried

Angliru

Durant ruled out for game 4. Wow, huge opportunity for Toronto now.

Osmosis Jones

Nets have begun expanding their cap space early.

Brooklyn is trading Allen Crabbe and No. 17 pick in 2019 NBA Draft and protected first in 2020 to Atlanta for Taurean Prince and 2021 second-round pick, league sources tell ESPN.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1136731760887308288

Kyrie Irving is serious about the Nets -- and the Nets are serious about beating the Knicks -- and rest of league -- to the biggest free agents in the marketplace, per league sources.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1136733657186668544

nerd69

Brooklyn seem terrified at the prospect of picking someone in the first round

Hitch2222

Outside of the basketball itself which seems to be going quite well tbf, the Nets have a fantastic brand that maps on incredibly well to the current cultural trends.

They have mass appeal with significant support from a number of icons such as Jay-Z, their gear is fashionable with it being marketed more towards the casual street clothes than the specific bball fan with design and colour scheme.

I think a lot of free agents with their eye on endorsements etc could see the Nets as a fantastic gateway to build a significant brand.

Legion.

kmart6 wrote: »

If the Raptors do manage to win the series the narrative will always be it was only because of the injuries.

Narratives don't tend to stick so much in the Finals. You win, you deserve to win. I can tell you now I'll be as delighted if we beat a backcourt of Cook and McKinnie never mind Curry and Klay.

On the series though, I don't think KD plays at all. I think they played down his injury constantly, he tore his calf (badly) and for someone who is a Free Agent, who has had the odd injury and is a unique build in terms of size/length/width I can see there being genuine concern. Also, as good as KD is, I'm not sure how you jump right back into the Finals having not played any basketball whatsoever for a whole month.

On the Nets: Two max slots, suddenly big FA players. Wouldn't be shocked if they ended up with Kyrie and one of the Philly FAs, Butler or Tobi. Can also sign and trade Dlo too. Their front office has done a fantastic job after their draft pick fiasco.

leggo

I think even a restricted KD causes huge problems for Toronto. Part of the problem for Golden State now is they’re playing such unfamiliar rotations because of injuries, hence Curry trying to pretty much do it all himself on Wednesday. They overwhelm teams at full steam because they’re so well coached with talent in the right spot that it’s muscle memory on offence, teams can’t switch on time and are left to choose between bad decisions on the fly. Just having him out there as a shooting option, hanging out in the corner for example, makes the Raptors have to work harder when part of their success on defence is predicated on them being able to smother GSW’s shooting options and make them work for every basket.

The closest we’ve gotten to a true measure of these teams is game 2 and we learned that they’re pretty evenly matched without KD, with the edge perhaps falling to Toronto if they make their shots. But in a series this even KD at 50% is perhaps enough to swing a decisive advantage to GSW.

I think Golden State win tonight with Klay back. They’re going to step up because they have to and I don’t see Toronto being able to perform with the same intensity as Wednesday when they would’ve went into these road games knowing a split would’ve been a success. I hope we get my “Toronto go 3-1 up then KD comes back” scenario though for entertainment purposes.

simongurnick

Kendrick Perkins tweeted the comment below. Very telling on the Raptors mentality right now.


I witnessed something very scary tonight after the game! Toronto were walking back to their locker room after the game and nobody was celebrating and they weren’t smiling or nothing! They boys want the smoke! Take it from a former Champ!!!

They are not just playing well...they are fighting like dogs!

In other news, the twit that pushed Lowry has been banned for a year and fined 500k. He is a billionaire investor in the warriors. What a muppet.

kmart6

leggo wrote: »

Dunno about that. Do you look back on the 2015 Warriors as that? Kyrie and Kevin Love both went down during that series, which is pretty brutal for Cleveland.

It still gets talked about, so yes I do. KD and Klay are a bigger loss than Kyrie & Love IMO.

Blinky Plebum

simongurnick wrote: »

Kendrick Perkins tweeted the comment below. Very telling on the Raptors mentality right now.


I witnessed something very scary tonight after the game! Toronto were walking back to their locker room after the game and nobody was celebrating and they weren’t smiling or nothing! They boys want the smoke! Take it from a former Champ!!!

They are not just playing well...they are fighting like dogs!

In other news, the twit that pushed Lowry has been banned for a year and fined 500k. He is a billionaire investor in the warriors. What a muppet.

Not celebrating after being up half way through a series is hardly noteworthy is it. Maybe it's just me but I would have thought it should be fairly standard, it's like being up a set in a tennis match.

Carcharodon

Squeaky Bum Time

Carcharodon

Klay back and looney surprisingly back, looney is definitely injured but is going to give it a go, badly missed him.