So I guess your star recommending a challenge doesn’t always work out
The 2025 NBA playoffs
- Thread starter Ronin
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Jokic is great but I don't think he belongs in the Lebron/Curry/Kobe/Duncan level of generational stars until he learns or is able to lead his team to more success. Great player, no doubt, but I don't know if he's as deserving of 3+ MVP awards or being lauded as the best player on the planet until he can produce more wins for his team.
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The Timberwolves take care of business at home and eliminate the Warriors 4-1 advancing to the WCFs.
I give the Warriors credit for making the series competitive after losing Curry to injury.
I give the Warriors credit for making the series competitive after losing Curry to injury.
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NBA playoffs: Timberwolves close out Warriors to reach second straight Western Conference finals
The Warriors lost four straight games after losing Stephen Curry.
I can’t even take this serious.
You know how many combined all stars Lebron, Curry, Duncan and Kobe played with? Just off the top of my head I count 12
You know how many all stars Jokic has played with? 0
And before you pull any BS like Russ was an all star im talking an elite in there prime running mate to help carry the load. None of those guys you mentioned did it by themselves
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Knicks vs. Celtics: Derrick White, Luke Kornet keep Boston alive, force Game 6 with 127-102 win
Derrick White, Jaylen Brown and Luke Kornet did their best to make up for Jayson Tatum's absence to stay alive in the NBA playoffs.
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Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla on Kristaps Porziņģis sitting out second half of Game 5 vs. Knicks: 'He couldn't breathe'
Porziņģis has battled an upper respiratory illness since the end of the regular season and has been ineffective for much of the postseason.
“Soft”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla on Kristaps Porziņģis sitting out second half of Game 5 vs. Knicks: 'He couldn't breathe'
Porziņģis has battled an upper respiratory illness since the end of the regular season and has been ineffective for much of the postseason.sports.yahoo.com
/s/ Kobe
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He passed 3 times on ones that would have been overturned and then listens to Draymond on one that was not.
He seems to respect Draymond a lot more than most.
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Minnesota may lack depth but they're really dialed in. Rudy is playing as well as he ever has, even making FT's, Randle was brilliant, McDaniel was great, Conley was excellent and Ant is Ant. Naz off the bench, Alexander Walker, and DiVincenzo got it going the last 2 games. They're not the favorite but I think they CAN beat either Denver or OKC, not saying they will but they can.
For the W's, I guess the argument for run it back is there, Butler and Steph are not washed yet, Draymond is declining but not washed. If they can either integrate Kuminga, or trade him for value, they can still be very good. Podz had a big offensive game but was terrible on defense. Payton had his best game of the series and Kerr oddly yanked him, he'd literally forced turnovers on 3 straight possessions when Kerr pulled him never to return. My guess is he may not be back.
They need another shooter a 3 and D at the wing, and they need a real big but the argument can be made if everyone is healthy they're very good next year. But with the age of the big 3 staying healthy is iffy.
Ohh if they had just won the lottery that year and got Ant and not Wiseman
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Kerr seems to want to wait on challenges until later in games, saving them.
I was kidding and referencing Kerr saying people should be nicer to Draymond because Draymond is a father
BirdGangThing
Murd Watcher
i wouldn't trade kuminga - he is playoff basketball
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As a Warrior fan watching how good Ant is while we were 1 pick away on him is tough.
Kuminga is the other one I love the kid but you can readily argue they should have taken Franz Wagner and if you want to get 20/20 hindsight they passed on Sengun twice in that draft, Kuminga and then Moody at 14, Sengun went 16.
The scary thing, OKC took Sengun but traded him to Houston, imagine how good they would be with him
Kuminga is the other one I love the kid but you can readily argue they should have taken Franz Wagner and if you want to get 20/20 hindsight they passed on Sengun twice in that draft, Kuminga and then Moody at 14, Sengun went 16.
The scary thing, OKC took Sengun but traded him to Houston, imagine how good they would be with him
BirdGangThing
Murd Watcher
these playoffs - between the newly implemented financial restrictions and the league clearly going back to allowing more physicality - it's different - not to mention the older max players being out played by youth hunger and sheer teamwork
you need physically strong players who want the smoke because that's what the nba wants - we should focus on this during our rebuild - less league minimum players - less max players - just good players up and down the roster that fit and complement each other - time to toughen up
you need physically strong players who want the smoke because that's what the nba wants - we should focus on this during our rebuild - less league minimum players - less max players - just good players up and down the roster that fit and complement each other - time to toughen up
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Murray 'very confident' Nuggets can force Game 7, Thunder on verge of 1st West finals since 2016
Jamal Murray didn't quite guarantee a Game 7. Before then, there's the matter of Game 6, which is Thursday night in Denver. For the Nuggets, there's also the matter of finding a way to protect a fourth-quarter lead after the Thunder won the last two with late surges to take a 3-2 advantage in...
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I was thinking the Warriors might want to make some major changes. However, after doing a similar analysis, there are very good reasons for them to tweak the roster and run it back again.
Steve Kerr did an excellent job of coaching the Warriors without Curry. It's amazing how he plugs in players that might not produce on another team and gets production.
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As a fan I'm probably too close to be impartial but I thought Kerr made obvious mistakes. I called out not challenging plays last night, twice they hit it out, the refs called it out on us, he didn't challenge, and then they hit a 3. Gotta pick your spots I get it but we had to stay close, every point counts.
I thought the Kuminga thing was odd all along. I'm not saying he's great, but not playing him nearly at all against Houston was really weird. He put up 18, 30 and 22 in the last 3. 22 wasn't efficient but given how little he'd played to put up 70 points in 3 games was pretty impressive, without Curry. I think if they trade him they'll get less than they would have because of Kerr's lack of usage of him.
But overall I think he's a very good coach, I think the last title proved that I don't think people grasp how good that title was. Klay was past his prime, Draymond was injured and not in shape, Poole was a key guy on that team, Otto Porter at the end of his career, GP2 out of nowhere(got cut in camp). That was a REALLY good coaching job that year
My understanding is they plan to run it back, they will extend an offer to Kuminga that makes him an RFA and then see if they can do a sign and trade. No idea who they might get. I'll say it again put Steven Adams from the playoffs on the Warriors and they would be dangerous, but he makes too much and I don't think Houston will trade him
Ok. No one cut Lillard slack when he was doing it alone in Portland, for example. Jokic isn't the first guy who doesn't have All-Star's flanking him. I'm not even arguing it's hard to make an All-Star team next to Jokic. I'm asking for someone to name another top flight player who has failed to win consistently in the postseason without taking heat for it. Jokic stands alone. Why? Plenty of stars have led their team to 50 win seasons but eventually that's expected and analysts start overlooking it. Jokic has 1 ring, same as Dirk, and is around the same tier until he wins more. He's not above guys like Dirk and KG until he wins more. He's not in the same tier as Duncan, Kobe, Lebron, etc. You need multiple championships to get there. Bash his teammates, it doesn't change the results.
I really don't get this Jokic love here. He's a great player but I don't believe he's a guy who throws his team on his back and wins series. He did that one time vs an 8 seed, 4 seed, 7 seed, and 8th seed. People here still dismiss the Suns finals run due to who they played but laud Jokic for playing underdogs. Yes, they won and deserve credit for that but I'm not going to place Jokic or the Nuggets in a higher tier when they've failed to overcome any adversity since.
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Ouchie-Z-Clown
I'm better than Mulli!
Except that wasn’t bookers only lame elimination game was it?
Also, please remember that my brother and I are separate people. You can address without bringing him into the conversation or vice versa.
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Is he Kerr’s daddy?
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Guys. Don’t lump cheese beef and ouchie as one person. They are two different people.
And please don’t make it personal
And please don’t make it personal
You guys "borg" until someone else points it out then you take exception. In this case, you both repeatedly bring up game 7 vs Dallas as a reason why the old Suns should have been blown up. That was 1 game. Booker has shown up before and since. That doesn't keep that from being the prime example mentioned by both of you. I'm mentioning it because it's relevant. One game, off game, whatever. The same logic either applies or it doesn't. Bad games very much happen, they're unavoidable. That's why narratives shouldn't be created around 1 game.
I've said it repeatedly here, Jokic hasn't gotten it done when it matters which is why he has 1 title where the Nuggets faced the lowest seeded teams ever. Whenever the Nuggets face higher seeded teams they get sent packing. Suns and Wolves in round 2 in 2021 and 24, respectively. They lost in round 1 vs Warriors in round 1 in 22. They're on the verge of another 2nd round exit now.
Chris Paul, Damien Lillard, Joel Embiid, and many others are knocked for their failures to go further in the postseason. At some point it's fair to question the best player on the team. Especially when it's someone who is supposed to elevate the play of his teammates. Shai was the only All-Star in OKC and no one gave him passes for any road bumps they've faced, even when the road bump is Jokic.
