2018 Playoffs Thread

[ColdPickleNachos]

I don't like those fouls either but that was clearly a foul and it would have been called had it taken place during the previous 47 minutes of the game. The refs swallowed their whistles there because the game was on the line and I don't agree with them deciding to call things differently on that play because the game was on the line. It might have been easier to accept had the clock been close to 0 and that truly was the last play/shot of the game but it wasn't. There were still 30 seconds left in regulation so not calling it was questionable at best. Had that game been in OKC then I think it would have been called but since it was in Utah they decided not to.

I agree. They should have called the foul. I just won't lose any sleep over Paul George using that tactic in the biggest moment of the season and not getting rewarded for it, and I think OKC had bigger problems than bad refs. That's all. But you're right that it was a bad no-call.

 

[Folster]

Gotta wonder what OKC does with their roster. I wonder if they'd even consider trading Westbrook. If we don't get the #1 pick where we could draft Ayton, I'd strongly consider cashing on our chips for him.

 

[Hoop Head]

He’s a superstar under contract for 5 years.

How much longer will he be productive? 3-4 years? Even if he is productive for the next 5, we'd be better off with the #1 pick. We'd have that player under control for the next 8-9 years and they'd be much cheaper than Westbrook. If that is Ayton, we'd be more balanced with Ayton, Booker, and Jackson compared to Westbrook, Booker, and Jackson. The Suns wouldn't be much better than the Thunder are right now also. We wouldn't have the money to add another superstar, or the assets, so we'd be like the Thunder now, first round fodder. Booker and Jackson will get better but Westbrook will start declining. Who is to say they'd be happy being Westbrook's sidekicks? You know Westbrook wouldn't accept being second to Booker on the Suns, nor should he at this point, but that would only make the Suns the #6-8 seed in the West.

I miss seeing the Suns in the playoffs like everyone else but I'd rather not see them try to take a shortcut to get back there at the expense of being able to truly compete in the playoffs. We would not be competitive with that roster in the postseason but we'd be just good enough to make an appearance. We'd be stuck drafting in the late teens and early twenties again, where it's hard to find top talent. We'll only get as far as Russ could take us and by the time he's regressing we'll need to hope that he's willing to take a backseat to Booker and Jackson, if they stay that long, and he lets them take the lead from him. There's no guarantee he'll do that or how productive he would be at that point and in that role.

The ceiling of a team with Booker, Jackson, and Ayton is greater than that of a team with Booker, Jackson, and Westbrook. The window for the team with Ayton would be open for longer than the team with Westbrook also, since Russ only has another 2-3 years of playing at the level he is. I'm fine with the Suns taking their chances to grow together rather than trying to jump into the postseason right away. We'd be more balanced with Ayton compared to Russ and we'd have more flexibility over the next couple of seasons without Westbrook's contract eating up 1/3 of the salary cap.

 

[Phrazbit]

Gotta wonder what OKC does with their roster. I wonder if they'd even consider trading Westbrook. If we don't get the #1 pick where we could draft Ayton, I'd strongly consider cashing on our chips for him.

IMO, Westbrook is a player that guarantees you winning 45-50 games... he also guarantees that you're not going to win a title, I don't know if he can function on a team that isn't 80-90% built on Westbrook doing what he does, and I also think that type of team cannot win when it matters.

I'd rather roll the dice and hope a guy like Doncic or Curry can become a superstar to build around than cash in our chips on a player that I don't think elevates his teammates and that his teammates don't particularly like playing with.

I'm not so myopic about him that I wouldn't take him at all (which is how I feel about Carmelo, I wouldn't give up a 2nd round pick for him), I think Westbrook is really really good, but I don't think I'd surrender the chance of getting a superstar who potentially could function in a system that isn't entirely based on them jacking up 25 shots and everyone boxing out so that guy can rack up rebounds.

 

[Phrazbit]

As for LeBron, first round exit or no, they're praying that Brooklyn pick comes up roses for them. If they land a potential star with that pick then I think LeBron stays put, if they whiff then I think he leaves for Philly.

 

[Adrian]

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[Brian in Mesa]

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[Adrian]

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[Adrian]

Zach Lowe‏Verified account@ZachLowe_NBA 3m3 minutes ago
Aside from missed FTAs, unsung hero of Jazz series win is Derrick Favors. Ingles was great, too. Mitchell absolutely bonkers for a rookie. Still processing that Russ stat line/OKC's overall offense.

 

[JCSunsfan]

IMO, Westbrook is a player that guarantees you winning 45-50 games... he also guarantees that you're not going to win a title, I don't know if he can function on a team that isn't 80-90% built on Westbrook doing what he does, and I also think that type of team cannot win when it matters.

I'd rather roll the dice and hope a guy like Doncic or Curry can become a superstar to build around than cash in our chips on a player that I don't think elevates his teammates and that his teammates don't particularly like playing with.

I'm not so myopic about him that I wouldn't take him at all (which is how I feel about Carmelo, I wouldn't give up a 2nd round pick for him), I think Westbrook is really really good, but I don't think I'd surrender the chance of getting a superstar who potentially could function in a system that isn't entirely based on them jacking up 25 shots and everyone boxing out so that guy can rack up rebounds.

I agree with this. And Westbrooks status of this type of player will make it more and more difficult to find good players to play with him.

 

[JCSunsfan]

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During a playoff series, fans are supposed to be respectful to the opposition? That's a new one. I hope Westbrook never has to play Philly or Boston in a playoff series. He will be a tad disillusioned.

 

[AzStevenCal]

During a playoff series, fans are supposed to be respectful to the opposition? That's a new one. I hope Westbrook never has to play Philly or Boston in a playoff series. He will be a tad disillusioned.

I'm not taking Westbrooks side but Jazz fans might be the worst in the league. It was one of the last away places I went to see the Suns play and I swore I'd never visit a road arena again (I lied, I went to a Suns/Clippers game in San Diego the next year). I think I would console Westbrook with these lines from Blazing Saddles.

Spoiler

What did you expect? "Welcome, sonny"? "Make yourself at home"? "Marry my daughter"? You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons.

 

[Cheesebeef]

During a playoff series, fans are supposed to be respectful to the opposition? That's a new one. I hope Westbrook never has to play Philly or Boston in a playoff series. He will be a tad disillusioned.

He's not wrong though. You think that Jazz fan walks up to Westbrook on the street and starts shouting in his face? God only knows what ugliness was spewed at him.

Buying a ticket for a game shouldn't give you the right to be an animal towards another person, whether it's someone in the crowd or on the court. i learned that the hard way when I was much younger and very drunk at a game and got belligerent... and then got my ass kicked!

Haven't drank at any sporting event since.

 

[Adrian]

Jason Lloyd‏Verified account@JasonLloydNBA 1m1 minute ago
George Hill is again listed as questionable for Game 7 with his injured back.

 

[GatorAZ]

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[JCSunsfan]

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Not condoning the behavior at all, but it there in a lot of cities.

On the other side of it all. There is some kid out there with THAT fat, red-faced, piece of crap as the lasting image in their mind as their grandfather.

 

[elindholm]

There is some kid out there with THAT fat, red-faced, piece of crap as the lasting image in their mind as their grandfather.

MAGA

 

[JCSunsfan]

MAGA

The guy is actually a urologist from north Philly. Maybe he was just offering Westbrook a complimentary office visit.

 

[elindholm]

The guy is actually a urologist from north Philly. Maybe he was just offering Westbrook a complimentary office visit.

Yeah, that seems like the kind of guy I'd want to talk to about how my equipment was doing.

 

[Adrian]

Adrian Wojnarowski‏Verified account@wojespn 34s35 seconds ago
Tough blow for Utah: Jazz guard Ricky Rubio could miss 10 days with left hamstring injury, league sources tell ESPN. His return could be sooner, based upon progression in rehabilitation.

 

[Adrian]

Tony Jones‏@tribjazz 10m10 minutes ago
League sources: Jazz PG Ricky Rubio is OUT for Game 1 against Houston, and could miss as much as a few weeks with a hamstring injury

 

[Adrian]

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[Superbone]

I'm not taking Westbrooks side but Jazz fans might be the worst in the league. It was one of the last away places I went to see the Suns play and I swore I'd never visit a road arena again (I lied, I went to a Suns/Clippers game in San Diego the next year). I think I would console Westbrook with these lines from Blazing Saddles.

Spoiler

What did you expect? "Welcome, sonny"? "Make yourself at home"? "Marry my daughter"? You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons.

I agree. The fan in particular after the game as Westbrook was walking out was a particularly sore winner. Have a little class. You just knocked his team out of the playoffs. Isn't that enough? Do you really need to insult him afterward on his way out?

 

[Adrian]

Jaylen Brown on Game 7 tonight: "We got nothing to lose. Everybody has been writing us off anyway." (link: http://slam.ly/jaylen-game7) slam.ly/jaylen-game7

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[Chaplin]

Is that true? Has everybody been writing the Celtics off?