2023 NBA Playoffs thread

[imbluestreak23]

Originally Posted by NeedChapmans

I think a lot of people will read into a lot of things over the next two days that won't matter. LA people will say they figured some things out / DEN people will say we took their best punch from AD and LeBron and still won ...

1-0 Denver. Next game Thursday. The rest is fodder for the masses.

Nicky will fill in the airwaves with just that.

I tuned him out after NFL season, the perfect takes ended in February after we packed up the pigskins for the spring.

[ninjacookies]

Originally Posted by NeedChapmans

Let me know if you need my BTC address to send the funds.

Respect.

[NeedChapmans]

Originally Posted by imbluestreak23

Nicky will fill in the airwaves with just that.

I tuned him out after NFL season, the perfect takes ended in February after we packed up the pigskins for the spring.

Everyone will. The takeaway from all media tomorrow will be the Lakers moral victory / and I think it plays too well into the Nuggets hands, which for all season has been 'what about us'.

If you treat Denver as the favorite, the pressure can get to them. When you treat them as the dog, you're going to lose.

[NeedChapmans]

Originally Posted by ninjacookies

Respect.

Yea, we good.

[daeve]

Originally Posted by alias21

Respect for the lakers making it close. Joker will figure out the rui adjustment by the time game 2 starts

Ham having AD lurk the paint+baseline as the help was the smartest bit of coaching all game. Malone will have no counter I assure you, but yes, Jokic may figure it out.

[daeve]

https://i.imgur.com/PzsHHoE.mp4
and to all a good night

[jcmel323]

just saw the stats and i dont see a way were lakers play better than this offensively.
FG% and 3pt% the same as Denver. Better FT%. Less TO than Denver. (lakers only 7 TO wow). Same fouls.

All the concentration going to game 2 has to be on defense, slowing the game, no fast pace and more bodies to rebound.

I'm gonna assume LAL are thinking starting RUI over DLO. That will put Rui in foul trouble fast.

Jamal Murray also seems to get in foul trouble fast if lebron attacks on him. That might be a future strategy.

Denver could slow LAL down the stretch if aaron gordon post Austin reaves early in the game. Austin had to much energy in the 4th.

[NeedChapmans]

Lakers 2nd half.

24/35 FG
6/11 3PT
18/20 FT
3 TO

That's incredible. Near perfect.

[pcptrade]

It will take a herculean effort by the Lakers to beat the Nuggets. Hopefully, they will make some adjustments like they did in the second half which almost worked. DLo was bad last night. Schroder and Lonnie were not good either. Bron should have played a little better. He is capable of giving 30 PPG. Great performance by Joker. Hopefully, he can get his (well deserved) ring this year. Go Nuggets!

[indyguy]

Originally Posted by ninjacookies

LA needs to dramatically improve on those Yoakur flat screens. Led to far too many wide open 3 point looks early.

They got better in the second half, but they're going to have to get AD more involved on those switch offs at the top.

I didn't understand why they didn't make the adjustment in the first quarter. Hedge the handoff. If Jokic keeps it and rolls, its 2 vs a wide open 3 that you are giving up. The defender running over the top needs to be much better too though. They gave up WAY too much space on that play repeatedly.

[pmatic]

This Jokic guy is mesmerizing. Might be the best big man since Shaq. I don't think it's a stretch either to say he was better than Shaq. He could create, hit the mid rang and 3 and is not a liability in the 4th quarter.

[pingbling23]

Lakers won the second half by 12 points after adjustments were made. I’ve got faith for game 2. This is going to be a long series. Lakers can’t come out with zero energy and give up easy points. Hopefully they learned that lesson from game 1.

[spurs50fan]

With AD and Lebron I think it's lost that this is still a 1 vs 7. The current team is still new, Ham a rookie HC and the starting lineup is a WIP omg Nuggets hit them with a flurry as expected from a 1 seed. The Lakers figured some things out but still have to adjust to how to defend Jokic. I say stay at home on the perimeter and try not to get beat on cuts. Discipline. Let Jokic wear himself out and don't let him hide on defense. But anyways with the altitude, atmosphere, unreal shots falling and historic performance it was still a 3 point game under a minute. It's going to be a long series.

[BlueXtreme]

The lack of effort in that one is so concerning. So is the coaching. Ham should have never started the second half with a small ball lineup seeing how it went in the first half. I don’t get it

[yiguiri2002]

Originally Posted by NeedChapmans

Lakers 2nd half.

24/35 FG
6/11 3PT
18/20 FT
3 TO

That's incredible. Near perfect.

No chance, they can easily replicate that every game but Denver will never be close to what they did. That's what I've been told.

[NYBBFAN]

Schroeder cannot be on the floor when Porter is on the floor. Too small.

[daeve]

Originally Posted by NYBBFAN

Schroeder cannot be on the floor when Porter is on the floor. Too small.

Murray repeatedly kept taking him to the woodshed - aka that little 10 ft baseline jumper that he hit 4 or 5x.

[daeve]

Pretty good company for something he should be able to keep up...

Players to average over 30 ppg and 8 apg while shooting at least 50% from the field in a single postseason: ‘91 Michael Jordan, ‘18 Lebron James, ‘23 Nikola Jokic.

‘91 Jordan (17 gp)- 31.1 ppg, 8.4 apg, 52.4 fg%

‘18 Lebron (22 gp)- 34 ppg, 9 apg, 53.9 fg%

‘23 Jokic (12 gp)- 31 ppg, 10.1 apg, 55.9 fg%

[indyguy]

Originally Posted by daeve

Pretty good company for something he should be able to keep up...

If the Lakers don't guard that handoff any better, that will be an easy task to match.

I'm more amazed at how quickly he racked up 12 rebounds in the first quarter last night. No energy on the glass for the Lakers to start the game.

[daeve]

Originally Posted by indyguy

If the Lakers don't guard that handoff any better, that will be an easy task to match.

I'm more amazed at how quickly he racked up 12 rebounds in the first quarter last night. No energy on the glass for the Lakers to start the game.

I think it's possible they were feeling out what energy Denver was going to bring, and Denver definitely brought it in the 1st. Could've been partly why they looked more lethargic in the 2nd half. [Aside from the AD/Rui switch and Gordon seemingly not wanting to guard Lebron any longer].

[indyguy]

Originally Posted by daeve

I think it's possible they were feeling out what energy Denver was going to bring, and Denver definitely brought it in the 1st. Could've been partly why they looked more lethargic in the 2nd half. [Aside from the AD/Rui switch and Gordon seemingly not wanting to guard Lebron any longer].

Seemed like it was...let's play out this string and get it over with...oh crap, they are trying again!

[blackbears86]

My thoughts on tonight.


Miami stretches the floor and peppers the Celtics with 3 point shots/attempts---will it be successful?

I think Bam is neutralized, but Jimmy will get his shots and do well.


I say the Heat surprise and pull out a game one win. (or at least cover) The Celtics don't play well until they are up against the wall.


Bovada has the Celtics at -8.5. I don't see it. I say this will be a tight, low scoring game.

[ninjacookies]

Originally Posted by indyguy

I didn't understand why they didn't make the adjustment in the first quarter. Hedge the handoff. If Jokic keeps it and rolls, its 2 vs a wide open 3 that you are giving up. The defender running over the top needs to be much better too though. They gave up WAY too much space on that play repeatedly.

That's the thing. I don't think I'd seen that particular 1st quarter version of the Fakers in a long, long time.

Zero activity on the defensive end. Nothing. Bunch of sedentary bodies huddled around watching Denver run laps and drive to the basket at will. I don't know if it was rust/nerves or what, but it was frustrating to watch.

In the end, things evened out. Denver started red hot, but LA flipped the script in the final 24. The mathematical law of averages will eventually bring things back down to earth for both squads. Then we'll really see who's who. I still trust them to hold home court, but it will be a chore to steal one in Mile High. However, last night gave me more confidence than ever that their resiliency will prevail once the smoke settles. Lebron being aggressive on the scoring end is paramount considering how incredibly unreliable the backcourt's been.

[ninjacookies]

Heatles in 7.


Don't overthink this.

[Dame]

Seen this movie last year. Celtics took them boys to 7 games while missing Smart, Time Lord and Horford for a few games.

Healthy Leprechauns vs Jimmy and the gang ain’t even a fair fight.