NBA Playoffs Thread - 2nd round edition

Davis is insanely effective defending inside at the rim. If I'm the Lakers I tell him to keep that up, and yes just rest on offense with a few garbage buckets or scoring if the defense leaves him open.

Davis defense is way better than anyone else on the Lakers, but his offense can be replaced by others with little change in the teams effectiveness.

 

Looks like the Sixers will put themselves within one win of the ECF. It also looks like last season's defending Eastern Conference champions are very close to not making it to even try and get back to the Finals.

 

I hoping for a Nuggets/76ers finals.

 

Anyone else notice Sharpe on the draft Kings commercial? Dame has been on there for a while but recently they added Sharpe.

 

Rooting for Jokic and the Nuggets to win it all

 

When was the last time the NBA has had 2 dominant centers going at it in the finals?

 

I honestly think it was 1999 when the Spurs and David Robinson beat the Knicks and Patrick Ewing but neither of those guys were at the top of their game.

The last time there were two true centers at the top of their game going against each other in the Finals it was Shaq's Magic against Hakeem's Rockets. They even tried to do a PPV one on one against each other that off season and it was supposedly selling well but one of the guys pulled out with an injury. That's the last time two centers who were at an MVP level faced off in the Finals. 1995. The tag line for that pay per view was Shaq saying, "No excuses" and Hakeem retorting "No problem" it was pretty hilarious when it was canceled.

 

if you've been watching these playoff series in both conferences, and thinking about last summer:

* Denver - tax-MLE on Bruce Brown
* Warriors - part of tax-MLE on Donte DiVencenzo
* Lakers - tax-MLE on Lonnie Walker
* Miami - part of MLE on Caleb Martin
* Milwaukee - tax-MLE on Joe Ingles
* Philly - full-MLE on PJ Tucker
* Sacramento - MLE on Malik Monk

meanwhile, Portland used the full-MLE (most of) for 15 games and 61 points from Gary Payton

I think Cronin handled last season's trade deadline about as good as he could of. But he sure didn't do a good job last July

 

Blazers also had Bird rights on Ingels so could've just signed him plus done a tax MLE signing plus not been hard capped.

Have no fear though, we're still waiting to use all the "flexibility" we received from the Clippers trade so good things are on the horizon!

 

Never thought of the two center NBA finals possibility, really like that idea.

 

Why? Their fans are fucking awful. Fuck that team.

 

I’ll still take Boston over Philly.

 

Never expected to see the game go like this in Boston. The Celtics lost the lead for good 4 minutes into the game.

 

As opposed to what opposing fans that are so great? Lakes and Warriors have won plenty. Can't find myself rooting for KD bouncing around superteams.

Jokic is one of the most skilled players to watch since the original Sabonis. Its fun seeing a team use the mile high altitude to their advantage. They have a legit 5 man starting 5 that they've built patiently over many years.

Knicks are probably the fans I have the most sympathy for but their just not a legit contender.

 

Hakeem vs Shaq?

 

AD going back to the locker room.

 

The Warriors missed Looney. If Klay played even at his averages they would beat the Lakers easily.

 

1995? Shaq vs Akeem?

 

And Akeem vs Ewing the year before.