Bucks or Hawks?

Bucks or Hawks? Who would you rather face?

  • Bucks

    Votes: 29 55.8%
  • Hawks

    Votes: 23 44.2%

  • Total voters
    52

Mainstreet

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Trae Young was clearly not himself tonight. He didn't have much lift on his shot and he couldn't hit his floater.
 

Lorenzo

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PJ Tucker with the nail. he deserved that shot with all those offensive rebounds he got. he is a tough dude.
 

Proximo

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Is it just me or is millwaukee not nearly as excited about going to the finals as the suns.
 

Proximo

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I honestly expect the suns to crush millwaukee unless giannis is back to near 100 percent.

if he somehow is it will be more difficult, but I still expect suns to win without o much trouble.
 

Germz249

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I honestly expect the suns to crush millwaukee unless giannis is back to near 100 percent.

if he somehow is it will be more difficult, but I still expect suns to win without o much trouble.

I don’t think he will be back and if he is he won’t be 100%
 

Lorenzo

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Is it just me or is millwaukee not nearly as excited about going to the finals as the suns.
I actually thought Chris Paul over celebrated the WCF win. I understand it because he's worked so hard to get there. but being the leader of that young team, I would be sending the message that they hadn't won anything yet. that's just me.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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I’ll be shocked if giannis isn’t back. How healthy is another story. As great a defender as he’s been, if he’s back I work him in defense. Make him switch onto Paul and book. Make him move A LOT.

people seem to be forgetting that this is a very good defensive bucks team. Giannis, Jrue, Middleton, Tucker, Lopez are all pretty good-to-great defenders.
 

Germz249

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Is it just me or is millwaukee not nearly as excited about going to the finals as the suns.

Right! Not knocker our guys but they are acting like they been there before.. hope we get focused on the task at hand.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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I actually thought Chris Paul over celebrated the WCF win. I understand it because he's worked so hard to get there. but being the leader of that young team, I would be sending the message that they hadn't won anything yet. that's just me.
I thought they all did other than book.
That said, with essentially a week between the clips series and the beginning of the finals it gives them a chance to put that celebration behind them and for Paul and book and Jae and Monty to refocus the team. I think we will be fine bc this is a team of competitors.
 

AzStevenCal

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I actually thought Chris Paul over celebrated the WCF win. I understand it because he's worked so hard to get there. but being the leader of that young team, I would be sending the message that they hadn't won anything yet. that's just me.
Maybe you didn't see all of it? He definitely sent that message, time and again. But that was a special situation for him. He was blamed for every failure the Clippers had and finally he had a chance to put those failures behind him and to do it in front of a crowd that once loved him.
 

Lorenzo

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I’ll be shocked if giannis isn’t back. How healthy is another story. As great a defender as he’s been, if he’s back I work him in defense. Make him switch onto Paul and book. Make him move A LOT.

people seem to be forgetting that this is a very good defensive bucks team. Giannis, Jrue, Middleton, Tucker, Lopez are all pretty good-to-great defenders.
I agree, I think this will be a tougher series for phoenix than they had against the clippers. The Bucks are good team and have been building for this for a long time. everyone just assumed that Brooklyn would beat them once they went up in that series, and certainly the injuries hurt Brooklyn, but the bucks are not a fluke just as the suns are not a fluke if people try to discount that Kawhi Leonard missed that series. Obviously the key is Giannis. I think with Giannis they have a chance, but the Suns would be my pick based on the uncertainty of Giannis' health.
 

Lorenzo

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Maybe you didn't see all of it? He definitely sent that message, time and again. But that was a special situation for him. He was blamed for every failure the Clippers had and finally he had a chance to put those failures behind him and to do it in front of a crowd that once loved him.
absolutely, I watched it. I think for him it was a release of emotions and you can't control that. so I'm not criticizing him at all. as a player you never know if you will be in the finals again so you need to celebrate and go all out. at the end of the day it has nothing to do with winning and losing the next series anyway. I'm definitely pulling for the suns.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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I agree, I think this will be a tougher series for phoenix than they had against the clippers. The Bucks are good team and have been building for this for a long time. everyone just assumed that Brooklyn would beat them once they went up in that series, and certainly the injuries hurt Brooklyn, but the bucks are not a fluke just as the suns are not a fluke if people try to discount that Kawhi Leonard missed that series. Obviously the key is Giannis. I think with Giannis they have a chance, but the Suns would be my pick based on the uncertainty of Giannis' health.
The only reason I don’t agree with you is the clippers (a) are much more physical and dirtier team; and (b) Lue is a MUCH better coach than bud. Also, the clips don’t have an odd Achilles like giannis free throw shooting. I wonder if we’ll hack-a-freak at all.

I see matchups like this:
Paul >> jrue
Book > middleton
Bridges > tucker
Giannis >>> crowder (if giannis healthy)
Ayton >> lopez

Payne > teague
Cam Johnson > connaughton
Portis >> saric
Craig = forbes

Some of these single “>” are slim advantages. But if everyone plays to form I believe there’s a distinct advantage on a player-by-player basis for the suns.
 

TJ

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Shoutout to Torrey Craig who doesn’t have to do **** this series to win a ring

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Hoop Head

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Maybe you didn't see all of it? He definitely sent that message, time and again. But that was a special situation for him. He was blamed for every failure the Clippers had and finally he had a chance to put those failures behind him and to do it in front of a crowd that once loved him.


I was going to mention pretty much everything you did. Paul also had a lot of family there as well and is nearing the end of his career.

To accomplish what he did in front of those people after such a gritty series, one that he almost missed because of Covid and then his hand injury, made it a perfect storm of sorts for him. You can't write a better trip for him than he's been through this offseason.
 

Lorenzo

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The only reason I don’t agree with you is the clippers (a) are much more physical and dirtier team; and (b) Lue is a MUCH better coach than bud. Also, the clips don’t have an odd Achilles like giannis free throw shooting. I wonder if we’ll hack-a-freak at all.

I see matchups like this:
Paul >> jrue
Book > middleton
Bridges > tucker
Giannis >>> crowder (if giannis healthy)
Ayton >> lopez

Payne > teague
Cam Johnson > connaughton
Portis >> saric
Craig = forbes

Some of these single “>” are slim advantages. But if everyone plays to form I believe there’s a distinct advantage on a player-by-player basis for the suns.
I agree with Paul, Booker and Ayton for sure. Lopez is still frustrating because you never know what to expect from him. he can shoot 3s or get easy points at the rim, or he could have a bad game.

I'll take your word for the rest of them because I don't know as much about either team other than what I've seen in the last couple series. compared to the Bucks I definitely think that the Clippers have more 3 point shooters and perhaps ball handlers that can attack the paint and/or dish the ball to other open shooters. the bucks are also like the clippers in the way that they have a lot of length. they shoot well and they rebound probably better than the Clippers? Giannis is obviously the key for the bucks. they need him to win this series.

regardless of Giannis' form, the bucks need to let holiday have more of the ball and let Giannis have some time in the paint. you are right about his free throw shooting. so far it hasn't cost them, but that is something that could be a factor.
 

Lorenzo

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I was going to mention pretty much everything you did. Paul also had a lot of family there as well and is nearing the end of his career.

To accomplish what he did in front of those people after such a gritty series, one that he almost missed because of Covid and then his hand injury, made it a perfect storm of sorts for him. You can't write a better trip for him than he's been through this offseason.
for sure and I remember Paul mentioning what the clippers meant to him and what it meant to win in that building. Looking at the Bucks, I don't think any of them are in that situation where they would be having that type of emotional outburst in tonights game. but they did look very calm considering they just won the eastern conference.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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I agree with Paul, Booker and Ayton for sure. Lopez is still frustrating because you never know what to expect from him. he can shoot 3s or get easy points at the rim, or he could have a bad game.

I'll take your word for the rest of them because I don't know as much about either team other than what I've seen in the last couple series. compared to the Bucks I definitely think that the Clippers have more 3 point shooters and perhaps ball handlers that can attack the paint and/or dish the ball to other open shooters. the bucks are also like the clippers in the way that they have a lot of length. they shoot well and they rebound probably better than the Clippers? Giannis is obviously the key for the bucks. they need him to win this series.

regardless of Giannis' form, the bucks need to let holiday have more of the ball and let Giannis have some time in the paint. you are right about his free throw shooting. so far it hasn't cost them, but that is something that could be a factor.
Good point on the rebounding as they have size and their guards are good rebounders. That’s hurt us in the past. We have to have team rebounding.
 

Lorenzo

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I think I was wrong to say Paul over celebrated given the circumstances of his career. originally I was just thinking of how he celebrated compared to the way the Bucks were celebrating tonight and that was not a good comparison to make. different players have different paths in their career and Paul has earned the right to celebrate his accomplishments. I am really pulling for him.
 

1Sun

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The only reason I don’t agree with you is the clippers (a) are much more physical and dirtier team; and (b) Lue is a MUCH better coach than bud. Also, the clips don’t have an odd Achilles like giannis free throw shooting. I wonder if we’ll hack-a-freak at all.

I see matchups like this:
Paul >> jrue
Book > middleton
Bridges > tucker
Giannis >>> crowder (if giannis healthy)
Ayton >> lopez

Payne > teague
Cam Johnson > connaughton
Portis >> saric
Craig = forbes

Some of these single “>” are slim advantages. But if everyone plays to form I believe there’s a distinct advantage on a player-by-player basis for the suns.

I see it slightly differently:

Giannis > Ayton (If Giannis is healthy or close to it, and otherwise this reverses)
Lopez >> Crowder
Bridges = Tucker
Booker > Middleton
Paul >> Jrue (but Paul's ligament damage could have Paul = Jrue, much like Giannis's health is a variable)

Payne = Teague (pretty much the same player with the same strengths and weaknesses...and no, this is NOT a knock on Payne...remember that Teague is a former All-Star)
Cam Johnson = Connaughton (both streaky outside shooters with not much else offensively, and both very willing and sometimes pesky defenders who are limited athletically)
Portis >> Saric (though it was much closer in the first half of the season, before Saric's game fell off a cliff)
Craig = Forbes (except Monty has basically been playing an 8 man rotation, so expect more from Forbes than from Craig)

As I post this, I am thinking more and more that the Finals will come down to the state of Giannis's knee and Paul's hand.

Since I have seen Paul play well despite the hand, while I have yet to see Giannis after the knee, I will still go Suns in 7.
 

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