Any NBA (US Basketball) fans?

[Jtlexington]

I'm a big fan of the NBA (college as well).  Just wondering if anyone else is?  Any predictions for the 2016-2017 championship?  Only a few days in some teams seem to be performing as expected (like my Phoenix Suns... they suck oh so bad). 

[GrinderBkk777]

Old thread but yeah im a huge basketball fan. Best sport to play and watch in the world. I'm a detroit pistons fan. As far as the title think anything outside of the Cavs vs Warriors would be shocking.

[lasam56]

Speaking of the NBA Finals,  Cavs and Dubs play on Christmas day at 2:30 EST which I believe is 2:30AM in Thailand.  Good time for a game for those in SEA.  Hopefully you all can find a good bar to watch the game.

 

Old thread but yeah im a huge basketball fan. Best sport to play and watch in the world. I'm a detroit pistons fan. As far as the title think anything outside of the Cavs vs Warriors would be shocking.

[GrinderBkk777]

Speaking of the NBA Finals,  Cavs and Dubs play on Christmas day at 2:30 EST which I believe is 2:30AM in Thailand.  Good time for a game for those in SEA.  Hopefully you all can find a good bar to watch the game.

 

Yeah i missed it but caught the highlights and seen Durant got a no call at the end that the nba said was a foul. I'm pretty sure were gonna be seeing a cavs-warrs finals which should be great again this year.

 

I stay in BKK, normally wake up between 6-7AM and start working on the computer. This works really well for catching the standard 7est basketball games but sucks for nfl football and afternoon bball. Clearly I stay up later when if I'm out in Pattaya in degen mode. 

[user305]

Sounds like there aren't many NBA fans on here but I've been a longtime fan with a bit of an addiction. Each year I find 3-5 teams interesting enough to follow and then watch several games between those teams. I usually pick a few actual contenders plus one or two teams that are seriously underperforming. This year is probably another race for runner up since we still have two outrageously overpowered super teams that are almost impossible for the rest of the league to match in terms of speed and effectiveness. I would prefer a bit more team parity than we currently have but I still watch the non-super teams that are interesting to me.

[Magic040]

Cavs-Warriors again in the finals again for the 3rd year in a row.

If everyone is healthy i don't think any team can beat the Warriors in the playoffs.

When was the last time we saw 2 top 3 players playing for the same team? Lakers era with Shaq-Kobe because Wade was not a top 3 player anymore when LeBron was in Miami.

[Baron of Beef]

Cavs-Warriors again in the finals again for the 3rd year in a row.

If everyone is healthy i don't think any team can beat the Warriors in the playoffs.

When was the last time we saw 2 top 3 players playing for the same team? Lakers era with Shaq-Kobe because Wade was not a top 3 player anymore when LeBron was in Miami.

 

this is even more extreme than shaq kobe though... you have 2 time reigning mvp steph curry, KD of course.... then you have Klay who on any other team is a superstar. Draymond who is a combination of dennis rodman and bill laimbeer.... and their sixth man is Iggy, who is an all star calibre player. Best collection of talent ever on one team in my opinion. But I hate them. so smug and cocky. I so enjoyed watching Lebron go full Hulk Smash mode on them last year. Which demonstrates the michael jordan effect. no matter who the opposition is, if the best player in the world is pissed off, you're losing. Cavs arent no slouch either though... 4 all stars in their starting 5.

[Magic040]

Cavs arent no slouch either though... 4 all stars in their starting 5.

True, i'm actually rooting for the Cavs because LeBron is my favorite player since the first day he stepped in the league. Wish he brought back the headband, made him look better imo.

[lasam56]

As a Lakers fan, I've always had a dislike for Lebron just like I did for Bird and Jordan.  Because you know these great players are in the way of a championship.  The Warriors, I can't hate them as I watched that franchise go through 30 years of dross and their fans always supported them through and through.  Terrific fan base, best in California.  

 

Cavs are guaranteed in the East.  In the West, I think the Spurs are too old at guard to keep up with Warriors.  Clippers seem are cursed.  Houston is a couple players away.  Seems destined for 3rd chapter of Cavs/Dubs.  As good as the Warriors are, they are lacking rim protection and Lebron and Kyrie are the two best penetrators in the Association.  Another fantastic series it should be.

[Bangkokbanjo]

I'm a big fan of the NBA (college as well).  Just wondering if anyone else is?  Any predictions for the 2016-2017 championship?  Only a few days in some teams seem to be performing as expected (like my Phoenix Suns... they suck oh so bad). 

 

dude im a knick fan so i feel your pain  more melo drama yesterday  we have sucked since 1972...just waiting for spring training for my mets

[Baron of Beef]

 As good as the Warriors are, they are lacking rim protection and Lebron and Kyrie are the two best penetrators in the Association.  Another fantastic series it should be.

 

Especially if the Cavs pick up a big man at the trade deadline. could crate some lineup mismatches that keeps GSW off balance.

 

But let's be real here. Warriors should win easily. But people aren't sure because they looked a bit soft last year, and like you said, the rim protection's just not there. Also, Curry hasn't stepped it up on the highest stage. He shit the bed in the finals 2 years in a row now.

[Baron of Beef]

dude im a knick fan so i feel your pain  more melo drama yesterday  we have sucked since 1972...just waiting for spring training for my mets

 

don't be hard on yourself, the knicks were a legit contender in the 90s with starks, ewing etc... they just had the misfortune of operating at a time when the GOAT owned the crown and wasn't letting anyone else play

[JustL]

I agree Cavs have easy road to the East but Toronto will give them a tough out. Warriors are the favortie but Curry not playing well in big moments doesn't scare me as much as their "we can kick into overdrive when we need to attitude" they collectively have. The rim protection is note worthy but they can work through that IMO. 

[lasam56]

I will give Curry a pass in both final series as he was injured for both.  Concussion the first, knee the second.  The problem with the Warriors is both final series(s) have been officiated like the game was played back in the 90's where the defense can just grab, grab, grab.  It completely nullifies the advantage they have of superior movement/passing/shooting.  But kudos to Cavs for exploiting their only advantage over the Dubs.  Patriots and Seahawks have done the same thing in the NFL where their DBs hold the receivers on every play.  Referees can't call it every down.

 

If I was Kerr, I would bring in some Oakland Raiders and have them pummel the team in practice so they get used to physicality of the finals.  Durant will help big time when the game breaks down into a physical battle.  Despite his build, he is very strong and can get his shot off while being raped unlike the splash bros.

[Baron of Beef]

The problem with the Warriors is both final series(s) have been officiated like the game was played back in the 90's where the defense can just grab, grab, grab.  It completely nullifies the advantage they have of superior movement/passing/shooting.

 

That's why I laugh my ass off when someone like Klay Thompson say shit like "this is a MAN's game" then go out and whine because the physical defense in the finals got the better of his team. The warriors like to pretend they're hardcore, but they're finesse players and historically those kinds of players wilt in the playoffs. Teams like san antonio, the pistons old school celtics etc usually batter them and steal their lunch money. Or players like Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe etc who play BETTER when it gets rough. There is no way in hell the Cavs should have won last year, but I have never seen anyone physically dominate a team like Lebron did those last 3 games. There's one sequence where as soon as i saw it I felt the Cavs were going to win was when Lebron easily swatted Curry twice and got in his face. Make no mistake. He was pissed off that people were saying curry was the best player in the league.... this was LBJ saying nope, i'm still the baddest man on the planet little fella and I'm going to punish you. Once i saw that, i felt they were in the warriors heads.

 

this is the video :

[lasam56]

San Antonio ain't physically dominating anyone anymore.   They've played finesse for last 3-4 years.  What people call finesse is the heart of the game.  Its one thing if people inside are banging for rebounds, its quite another, when defenders just grab and hold because they are too slow to keep up.  That is bullshit and needs to go.  

 

I think you will see NBA crack down on the holding this year in the playoffs.  Last year Cleveland winning was a good narrative so they didn't enforce their own rules.

 

You can talk about Kobe and MJ all you want.  They were a product of their times.  They grew up during thug ball ushered in by Chuck Daly's Pistons.  If they were young players today, they would be working on their 3pt shots as they both sucked at it.  

 

Warriors are dominating in a different game.  You may not like it.  Whatever.  

 

 
That's why I laugh my ass off when someone like Klay Thompson say shit like "this is a MAN's game" then go out and whine because the physical defense in the finals got the better of his team. The warriors like to pretend they're hardcore, but they're finesse players and historically those kinds of players wilt in the playoffs. Teams like san antonio, the pistons old school celtics etc usually batter them and steal their lunch money. Or players like Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe etc who play BETTER when it gets rough. There is no way in hell the Cavs should have won last year, but I have never seen anyone physically dominate a team like Lebron did those last 3 games. There's one sequence where as soon as i saw it I felt the Cavs were going to win was when Lebron easily swatted Curry twice and got in his face. Make no mistake. He was pissed off that people were saying curry was the best player in the league.... this was LBJ saying nope, i'm still the baddest man on the planet little fella and I'm going to punish you. Once i saw that, i felt they were in the warriors heads. 
 
 

[Baron of Beef]

San Antonio ain't physically dominating anyone anymore.   They've played finesse for last 3-4 years.

 

Exactly. And the couple years they've been watching the finals on TV. Hardly a ringing endorsement. Don't forget for all the pretty basketball they played when winning they always had slashers like Manu and then of course Timmy.

 

Warriors are dominating in a different game. You may not like it. Whatever.

 

Dude, winning 1 out of 2 finals isn't "dominating". If anything they are underperforming. They are kicking ass in the regular season yes, but they were shaky the year they won, and most experts agree if Kyrie and Love were healthy they wouldn't have won in 2015. and in 2016 when they were SUPPOSED to win, they almost got beat by size and toughness (OKC pre durant leaving) then wilted under pressure (aka "3-1") in the big boys series.

 

The three heavy philosophy is still unproven for playoff ball. When defences can spend 7 games adjusting you don't have the same success as in the regular season. You say that the Chuck Daly era was crap, but I would flip that and say the only thing that stops GSW from collapsing some times is the toughness of Draymond Green. He's a throwback to that era.

 

I'm not hating on Golden State; I'm just stating a proven fact - teams like Golden State (and the Phoenix Suns before them, and the Rockets this year) are far more vulnerable in the playoffs when defense is better and the pressure cooker heats up. In those situations getting to the rim is still the best way to win. You still need 3's of course. In the regular season though you can look for the 3 first and get away with it. In the playoffs you have to make the tough buckets first to spread the D and THEN have assasins who can hit from 3. The Warriors have to prove they have that toughness when the gme slows down. They didn't have it last year and looked vulnerable even when winning the year before.

 

The only real question in my mind though is this. Are the warriors just so historically talented that none of this matters? They just might be. But steph is not an alpha dog killer. If I'm Lebron, I fear Klay more than Steph. But the one who will decide if GSW wins or not is KD. If KD seizes control of the team and finds his inner bad mutha, it's goodnight NBA. If however he has a mediocre series? LBJ could go all hulk and win again. But this year's champ will be decided by KD. He is a bad bad man when he wants to be, but he needs to ratchet it up this year. And that's not guaranteed - in his only finals appearance he looked lost and got annhilated by lebron.

 

[phate]

On 18/1/2017 at 07:06, Magic040 said:

Cavs-Warriors again in the finals again for the 3rd year in a row.

If everyone is healthy i don't think any team can beat the Warriors in the playoffs.

When was the last time we saw 2 top 3 players playing for the same team? Lakers era with Shaq-Kobe because Wade was not a top 3 player anymore when LeBron was in Miami.

Nice prediction? do you think this year will be the same?
and in the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Beantown in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets' unprotected 2018 first-round draft pick who went better?

[lasam56]

I don't see the Celtics getting pass the Cavs.  Avery Bradley and Crowder will be missed dearly on defense.  Boston probably will be the 1 seed in the east but bow out to Cavs in 6.  

Warriors go 68-14 and cruise through West Conf 12-2.  Beat Cavs in 5 once again.  3 titles in 4 years.  67+ wins 4 years in a row.  I call that domination.

Houston, Lakers, Minnesota should be fun to watch.  

 

[Magic040]

On 18-9-2017 at 18:41, phate said:

Nice prediction? do you think this year will be the same?
and in the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Beantown in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets' unprotected 2018 first-round draft pick who went better?

 

Yes, Cavs-Warriors part 4.
Warriors will finish the regular season with the best record in the league, Cavs will finish 2nd in the Eastern Conference behind Boston but will beat them in the ECF.

Boston won that deal because Kyrie is a top 10 player and will be for at least the next 7 years.

[phate]

3-7 in the last 10 games? at par with Nets?

If they don't fire Tyronn Lue the situation is pretty hard.they need someone who can control Lebron

6 hours ago, Magic040 said:

 

Yes, Cavs-Warriors part 4.
Warriors will finish the regular season with the best record in the league, Cavs will finish 2nd in the Eastern Conference behind Boston but will beat them in the ECF.

Boston won that deal because Kyrie is a top 10 player and will be for at least the next 7 years.

 

[phate]

WTF???

[lasam56]

On 11/11/2017 at 06:56, phate said:

3-7 in the last 10 games? at par with Nets?

If they don't fire Tyronn Lue the situation is pretty hard.they need someone who can control Lebron

 

I wouldn't get too excited about the Cavs record.  They're undefeated against EC contenders (Celtics, Wiz, Bucks*2).  They know they aren't going to beat Warriors for best record so they are just going to coast through the year preserving their old bones. 

 

But I agree that Ty Lu is not a good coach.  I am not sure that Lebron would want to play for a good coach as he would have to cede power.   Also, I don't see any coaches sitting out there that could come in and "Sam Allardyce" it.  You can't install a Pop/Kerr system midseason.  Phil Jackson circa pre 2009 would have been great for Lebron, but that ship has sailed.

[Piece Corp]

I'm not a big NBA fan but I ordered the League Pass to watch Giannis Antetokounmpo.  He's 22 and hasn't reached his ceiling.

[great mooglie]

Bulls fan here, but it’s been somewhat depressing since the Jordan era.