Around the NBA Playoffs - Round Two

Yeah I didn’t get that at all. Just grab the rebound and let them send your players to the free throw line. It’s the second game in a row they lose by completely choking.

The series are basically over. Nobody has ever come back from 3-0.

 

Agreed but that team has a lot of talent even without Hayward and Kyrie, maybe ainge for exec of the year too.

 

Would love to see Stotts coach the Celtics without Kyrie and Gordon and see if he can win just one playoff game.

 

That was a bad inbounds pass. He threw it to the wrong hand.

 

I swear the Celtics better make the ECF competitive.

 

"Process"?

 

Someone please shove a sweaty gym sock in Screamin A Smith's loud mouth. On camera, mid rant.

 

Then he can come on the air and say, "you don't want to make an enemy out of me", again.

 

I just hate the "they are at a certain age so they can't get better" argument. Anybody can add elements to their game at any age. He can play more off the ball. He can become a better passer. He can learn how to avoid getting trapped. He can improve his defense (which he has). If AD is so good why hasn't his teams been better than a team that obviously sucks like the Blazers before this season? Why didn't they finish higher than us during the season?

The playoffs are such a weird situation because it's such a small sample size. In 3 out of the 5 playoff appearances under Dame they've lost to a team that went to the Finals (Spurs and GS twice). The Memphis year the entire team checked out after the Wes injury so I don't really know what to make of that one other than to see the talent CJ and to a lesser extent Meyers had. This is the first year they've had home court advantage in those 5 playoff appearances and they absolutely laid an egg. The fact that they were the higher seed and had home court made it that more disappointing that they failed so miserably but it also doesn't doom them to never be able to figure it out. Like I said, the Pelicans made two moves that would be considered very minor for Blazer fans and has a big time improvement. Yes it is difficult but if you find the right fit that guy could change this team. Bag on Dame all you want but it is almost impossible to draft or trade for a player as good as him. We're talking about a player who is already the 3rd best (at worst) player in franchise history. I don't think it's in his DNA to just accept mediocrity and I certainly won't doubt his ability to make us better in the future.

 

I knew the Sixers would struggle in the playoffs, when you’re that young and not used to winning, closing is hard.

 

Not sure about that. It’s virtually two very young high picks that he has moulded (one of them is playing with injury), Horford and a bunch of scrubs. It’s not that great on paper yet they have performed well.

 

WWF Style. Two guys jump him and grab his arms, third guy stuffs his mouth. After, he goes into his enemy rant and vows revenge

 

This is why you draft the best player available. Can’t believe the Sixers Pick Fultz Over Tatum. Danny Ainge for GM if the year.

 

start buying real cheese damnit!

 

just look at his championship in Dallas as offensive coordinator..

 

4 year college guys are not coming into the NBA at Zach Collins age....big difference...

 

Let's hope Philly can stay healthy and live up to their potential, otherwise this one's going to hurt even more in the future.

 

So... those old greybeards on the Celtics (like Tatum, Brown and Rozier) have the upper hand?

 

Boston makes me jealous because they have so much good young talent and they are so set for future titles and brad Stevens is the best coach in the league.

 

It's not bagging on Dame. How many guys can you back to and say in their late 20's got significantly better? I mean sure they can continue to add things and get smarter, but the chances either of them come back next year and they look like Michael Jordan (yes that's hyperbole) isn't very high. Even before Lebron or Michael, won chips people knew they would eventually figure it out because it was obvious the ability was there. I don't really know if Dame will lead the Blazers to a championship (I hope he is, but it's not a given).
The Pelicans had more injury problems than the Blazers this year, had to integrate a new starter mid-season and finished a whole one game behind the Blazers... I don't know even know if AD will ever win a championship with the Pelicans. The goal isn't the Pelicans though, the goal is a championship, I think the Blazers are a couple major pieces away from really being ready to content. Could they maybe get those with small moves and internal improvement, sure they could, I mean I won't rule it out as a possibility.

Dame is really good, and I'm not bagging on him by saying another guy is better than him, and younger than him. If the Pelicans offered up AD for Dame straight up the Blazers would do it, and I don't think many fans would be upset about it, though we would all miss what Dame meant to the Blazers since he's been here.