Around the NBA - March 2018

Wow

 

Yeah. And their "club level" seats were going from 30-40. It's literally the only bonus as a fan for a team that's tanking. Especially if you're a transplant from another NBA city.

 

Exactly. They shot 50 % from the field, 42% from 3pt range and 75% from the line......and lost.
They were healthy and they all shot well.

All that talent and all that length....and they got beat by a team missing their leading scorer while giving up 32 pts to a 5'11" PG.

 

Crazy.

 

Raptors have basically clinched the first spot in the East already. I think they are going to the finals this year, their first team have made a slight improvement this season (especially DeRozan who is even better) but the main difference comes from their bench which has been absolutely spectacular this season. VanVleet, Siakam, Poeltl, Nogueira, Wright and Powell have all stepped up greatly and have contributed a lot. Anunoby has been great draft pickup for them as well.

The Ringer guys mentioned this a while ago, the best thing about this team is that none of them suck. You can give any of them significant minutes and they will perform. Seems like they are all enjoying their time there too, which is important.

 

The Raptors’ Bench Is Destroying The NBA

BNM

 

Lovely. VanVleet is probably my favourite player of that bunch, he's running around and causing havoc all the time. And beyond that line-up there's still Powell and Nogueira who get minutes (Powell actually has 16 mpg this season) and are quite good.

Wish them well, their fans are super cool.

 

I think Toronto is def going to Finals and may win it all.

 

I would fancy them against the Rockets, they have beaten them fair and square twice this season. Not so sure about Warriors who have had the best of them for the last few seasons.

But then again you already said you would be shocked if Warriors won 1 game in the first round so I don't think they need to worry about meeting the Warriors.

 

I'm not sure they want that.

 

Are we rooting for Spurs or Pelicans tonight?

 

Both teams to simultaneously explode?

 

We’d beat any eastern conference team in a 7 game series.

Don’t @ me

 

Not sure if this has been posted already:

Dame on Inside Stuff:

 

Toronto would be difficult, I would have it as 50/50 and I think we would struggle against top form Cleveland but the rest we would beat comfortably IMO.

 

Pelicans. Much easier to beat in the playoffs.

 

But a Pelican loss knocks them down to 39 losses, puts us at least three losses ahead of everyone in West. But I want Spurs to lose too.

 

I don't think we'd beat Toronto sadly. Of all the teams we've played this season, that was the team that impressed me the most. They destroyed us like it was no big deal.

 

Is Kawhi a bitch or what?

 

Before @BlazerWookee says it, "Bleacher Report, lol".

Kyrie Irving May Need Another Surgery on Knee Injury, Danny Ainge Says

Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving eventually may need to have another surgical procedure done on his left knee.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said during Thursday's appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich (via Jay King of MassLive) that the team does expect Irving to be "fresh and healthy" for the postseason:

"We knew coming into this year that he probably wasn't going to be an 82-game guy. He was going to be a 72-, 75-game guy in order to keep him fresh for the playoffs. And that's what it's been. And we're just extra cautious. We have the good fortune of being extra cautious right now. And we want him fresh and healthy. And we think that he will be come playoff time."

Irving previously had surgery on the same knee in June 2015 after he fractured his kneecap with the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.

Ainge didn't specify when Irving would need surgery. He only said it could happen this summer or "maybe the following summer or maybe the summer after that."

Irving left Boston's March 11 game against the Indiana Pacers with knee soreness after playing 16 minutes. The next day, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Celtics are confident it's "no more than tendinitis" and he's considered day-to-day.

The Celtics have already clinched a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They trail the Toronto Raptors by 4.5 games for the No. 1 overall seed with 14 games remaining.

Irving leads the team with 24.4 points and 5.1 assists per game.