|
Post by nuraman00 on Apr 17, 2024 17:47:01 GMT -8
We're 3/3 on great play-in games.
I think we'll go 4/4.
|
|
|
Post by hitnrun24 on Apr 17, 2024 17:55:56 GMT -8
I think Boston would've loved to get Philly or one of the other crap teams from the 9/10 game. Embiid is great, but still 3-4 weeks away still from being close to what he was. He gasses so quickly.
|
|
|
Post by nuraman00 on Apr 17, 2024 18:00:52 GMT -8
So this game started at 8:45 local time.
In terms of the regular season, each of the past two years, the Bucks have had one regular season 9 PM local time home start.
|
|
|
Post by nuraman00 on Apr 17, 2024 18:02:12 GMT -8
I think Boston would've loved to get Philly or one of the other crap teams from the 9/10 game. Embiid is great, but still 3-4 weeks away still from being close to what he was. He gasses so quickly. Every year, he looks exhausted before the game is over.
His FG% for the playoffs is always down.
|
|
|
Post by nuraman00 on Apr 17, 2024 18:03:55 GMT -8
And I would say he's not great, because of that problem that he always has.
Great would be much better FG%'s.
|
|
|
Post by nuraman00 on Apr 17, 2024 18:08:54 GMT -8
I think that's meant to say not awful. If so I disagree. That's a really weak 6-8. Yes I meant not awful. Len is not good, but Lyles and Mitchell are OK. I think Len is fine for his role. He plays 9 minutes, grabs rebounds, shoots 60%.
Against the Clippers a few games ago, he had 7 rebounds in 11 minutes and changed the game late in the first. Clippers went from leading to trailing because they couldn't get a rebound.
He would not be fine for a 18 minute role, but for under 10 minutes he is fine.
Given that Sabonis is going to play 38 or 39 minutes, don't need much else.
|
|
|
Post by nuraman00 on Apr 17, 2024 18:32:56 GMT -8
I'm glad Murray is having a good game. It's nice to see an occasional star step up on a bigger stage.
|
|
|
Post by nuraman00 on Apr 17, 2024 19:09:57 GMT -8
I know travel plays a big part of it, but this is basically year 25 of the West being much more difficult than the East. It's ranged from slightly tougher to extremely tougher. Top 4 East teams get Magic, Pacers and 2 play ins (and if a team from the 9/10 passes through it's a sub .500 team). While the West top 4 plays Mavs, Suns and 2 play ins. And even the 9/10 teams are capable of pushing you in a series. Mavs/Suns would probably be as good a bet as anyone in the East outside of Boston. I think the West was bad last year.
The top team won 53 games. No great team. Top team also only had one All-Star.
2008 - 2009 was the other year I'll point out. The west had 5 teams that won less than 30% of their games.
The East had 1 team win less than 39% of their games.
Therefore, 1/3 of the West was bad.
If 1/3 of the West is winning less than 30% of their games, those are a lot of sweeps by other teams.
On top of that, a few teams in the West that year could not win against the East either. Sacramento had 1 win against the East, and didn't even get it until game 29 out of 30 against the East. I usually don't root for futility, but at that point I was rooting for 0-30.
Also, some years, there's some teams that struggle against the East. So it's not a blanket statement that in a year, even if the West is better, that every team does well against East, and loses to the West. Sometimes, for some teams, it's the opposite. They can barely beat the East. I recall a New Orleans Hornets (not Pelicans) team that had 11 wins against the East, and much more than 2x as many against the West.
In general I'll agree that the West is better most years.
As for your comment about the Suns, they are bad. They're a team with old declining starters, like the Bulls. Except the Bulls at least have a few young players to go along with those old guys, in Coby White and Dosumnu. Not that I am elevating the Bulls overall. Just saying that the Suns are old, have struggled all year, and aren't good. And are probably going to have health issues in the playoffs. They've spent about 92% of the season 7th or worse.
|
|
|
Post by hitnrun24 on Apr 17, 2024 21:13:33 GMT -8
I know travel plays a big part of it, but this is basically year 25 of the West being much more difficult than the East. It's ranged from slightly tougher to extremely tougher. Top 4 East teams get Magic, Pacers and 2 play ins (and if a team from the 9/10 passes through it's a sub .500 team). While the West top 4 plays Mavs, Suns and 2 play ins. And even the 9/10 teams are capable of pushing you in a series. Mavs/Suns would probably be as good a bet as anyone in the East outside of Boston. I think the West was bad last year.
The top team won 53 games. No great team. Top team also only had one All-Star.
2008 - 2009 was the other year I'll point out. The west had 5 teams that won less than 30% of their games.
The East had 1 team win less than 39% of their games.
Therefore, 1/3 of the West was bad.
If 1/3 of the West is winning less than 30% of their games, those are a lot of sweeps by other teams.
On top of that, a few teams in the West that year could not win against the East either. Sacramento had 1 win against the East, and didn't even get it until game 29 out of 30 against the East. I usually don't root for futility, but at that point I was rooting for 0-30.
Also, some years, there's some teams that struggle against the East. So it's not a blanket statement that in a year, even if the West is better, that every team does well against East, and loses to the West. Sometimes, for some teams, it's the opposite. They can barely beat the East. I recall a New Orleans Hornets (not Pelicans) team that had 11 wins against the East, and much more than 2x as many against the West.
In general I'll agree that the West is better most years.
As for your comment about the Suns, they are bad. They're a team with old declining starters, like the Bulls. Except the Bulls at least have a few young players to go along with those old guys, in Coby White and Dosumnu. Not that I am elevating the Bulls overall. Just saying that the Suns are old, have struggled all year, and aren't good. And are probably going to have health issues in the playoffs. They've spent about 92% of the season 7th or worse.
The West was a bit weaker last year, but that'd still probably qualify as a good year for the East. Plus Denver was the best team in the league pretty clearly even if they didn't go all out in the regular season. As for the Suns, I continue to think they're better than what they've shown. I could be wrong on this one. They're still too talented for me to completely write them off in any series. And if they were in the East I'd have them ahead of everyone but Boston.
|
|
|
Post by nuraman00 on Apr 17, 2024 21:58:29 GMT -8
]The West was a bit weaker last year, but that'd still probably qualify as a good year for the East. Plus Denver was the best team in the league pretty clearly even if they didn't go all out in the regular season. As for the Suns, I continue to think they're better than what they've shown. I could be wrong on this one. They're still too talented for me to completely write them off in any series. And if they were in the East I'd have them ahead of everyone but Boston. Fair enough, thanks. For the sake of discussion, where would you put a healthy Philadelphia and Phoenix? Is one better than the other, or are they about the same? I am generally down on Philadelphia dating back a few years. However, this year, I think Tyreke Maxey helps them a lot, especially when compared to the struggles they've had in the past. However, if I look at last year's series against Boston, a slightly worse Maxey still averaged 20 ppg, and they still lost 3 games by at least 9 points. So, maybe they need more than this year's improved Maxey. I've also never liked how they keep trying to put low rebounding bigs in their frontcourt. You also may be right that Denver doesn't go all out in the regular season. If that's what they're doing, I don't think they've earned that. I think only older teams can do that. And Denver isn't an old team, yet, given the age of their starters. I am assuming Denver is trying, but maybe you are right in that they are not.
|
|
|
Post by dane on Apr 18, 2024 2:48:26 GMT -8
Nice to see our old buddy Batum light it up last night for 20 points, shut down Jimmy B., and make the game-sealing block.
|
|
|
Post by mistwell on Apr 18, 2024 10:03:22 GMT -8
You know I gotta say, these playoffs, and the play-in, have been pretty entertaining so far.
I usually loose interest once the Clippers are out. Maybe that will happen again this season. Or maybe they will never go out this season, which is what I hope for but do not expect.
|
|
|
Post by htownfan on Apr 18, 2024 10:42:19 GMT -8
You know I gotta say, these playoffs, and the play-in, have been pretty entertaining so far. I usually loose interest once the Clippers are out. Maybe that will happen again this season. Or maybe they will never go out this season, which is what I hope for but do not expect. I am definitely watching even without my Rockets.....the drama..Can Lebron add to his legacy? Can he finally beat the Nuggets.? What is the new blood in OKC and Minnesota going to do? What stars are going to be mega-stars? What will be Boston's excuse? Can Embiid finally get to next level or will injuries riddle him again? Will Doncic finally get by the Clippers or is he still over-rated? What will Harden finally do when he isn't the best or 2nd best on his team? Can the Clippers stay healthy long enough to make a deep run or will they be 1st round flameout? Can Jokic stamp himself as a top 3 center all-time with another ring? Top 7 all-time player period? What about the Bucks and injured Greek Freak, can Dame Time carry them for a round? I think it will be some great entertainment for a couple of weeks now.....
|
|
|
Post by hitnrun24 on Apr 18, 2024 10:57:19 GMT -8
Big injuries swinging things already and maybe another warning for fans who might want their teams to tank into the play in. Pelicans and Heat are screwed now. Celtics road gets easier and easier, they're all but a lock for the finals. It might be up there with the biggest cakewalk in history.
|
|
|
Post by corkscrew on Apr 18, 2024 11:37:23 GMT -8
assuming kawhi plays (god only knows and that's a maybe), the seedings may have been the best thing the clippers could have asked for. of course, they have to first beat the mavs. but if they can, they play either okc or the lakers (likely). meanwhile somebody else gets a chance to hopefully knock off the nuggets before we see them. but will kawhi play? (see previous parenthetical.) Of all the predictions I am making, I am most confident of the prediction that he WILL indeed play. Now, will he play all the way through without getting injured, I think the odds on that are about the same as any other player's odds. That is, anybody can get injured in the playoffs, and very often do.
The 8th seed hasn't even been determined in either conference and already three teams will be going into the playoffs without their best player. I was predicting New Orleans and Miami to both be in the 8th slot and now they are both likely out, and I was predicting Milwaukee to go to the East conference finals, and now they're probably not going to get past the first round. Brutal.
|
|