2020-2021 Season Discussion

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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Jeffx on Fri Jun 25, 2021 3:44 pm

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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Andrew on Fri Jun 25, 2021 3:52 pm

I wasn't expecting it, but I'm loving the clash of old school-style bigs.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Patr1ck on Fri Jun 25, 2021 6:58 pm

Jeffx wrote:You can't make this s*** up;

https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-jay-willi ... 08447.html


Was Jay secretly saying that Bill Russell and Doc Rivers are not of color?
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Andrew on Sun Jun 27, 2021 8:04 am

Jay Williams is notorious for some really bad takes. With that in mind, which is more likely: that he said something dumb and incorrect, or someone hacked his Twitter to post a dumb and incorrect statement that was written in perfect mimicry of his style and tone? As that article notes, most hackers post a combination of profanity, bigotry, NSFW content, product placement, and just plain gibberish. That sounded a lot like Williams.

It'd be more respectable if he just admitted he spaced on his history. I mean, we've all done it. Recalling his age as a rookie, I've mistakenly referred to Magic Johnson as a one-and-done college player in an old topic on here many years back (he did of course play two years of college ball). I mentioned LeBron and Melo clashing for the first time in the Playoffs last year, completely forgetting that they faced each other in the East in 2013. I wasn't hacked; I was going off my memory, when I should've double-checked.

Then again, I'm just a fan posting in a Forum. Rachel Nichols got on TV and said that the Suns have never made the NBA Finals before, when they were part of two very famous Finals series: the 1976 Finals with the thrilling game against the Celtics, and the 1993 Finals against the somewhat famous and noteworthy Michael Jordan. Again, we all make mistakes, but when you're a host/analyst with a fact-checking team at your disposal, that's pretty bad.

Kind of sums up discourse these days, though. Remembering facts is for "old heads" or "people with too much time on their hands", leading to a performative debate where doubling down on an incorrect statement is seen as less of a "gotcha" than admitting you were wrong and conceding to evidence. Anyway, that's my old man rant for the day.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Jeffx on Sun Jun 27, 2021 11:19 pm

Looks like an eventual wrap for the Suns. I give credit to the Clippers for hanging there, but damn, Paul George misses free throws at the wrong time.

Not feeling the Jason Kidd hire for Dallas, because of his past coaching history. It'll be interesting to see the relationship between him & Luka;

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/why- ... n-answers/

Going to miss Marv Albert. I'm 60, so I grew up on Marv during the Knicks glory years of the early 70s. He was synonymous with basketball....did a great job on football & hockey too. There'll never be another.

https://fansided.com/2021/06/25/reggie- ... phy-video/
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Andrew on Mon Jun 28, 2021 12:13 am

Unfortunately it's difficult for younger fans to really appreciate Marv, because he is getting up there in years and his performance hasn't been as sharp, forgetting player names and whatnot. It's a shame, because he was the voice of basketball for decades, and certainly the voice I heard growing up watching the NBA in the 90s. Truly one of the most legendary sportscasters.

The Suns/Clippers game was a bit frustrating at the end as it turned into a foul and free throw shootout, essentially delivering the same result it was on track to only with a slightly higher score and a much later finish time. I get the strategy, but like Hack-a-Shaq, it wasn't great sport. Cousins' intentional miss that hit all glass for a violation was hilariously bad though; George's intentional misses in the final seconds at least gave them a shot at the rebound and scoring opportunity, even if it didn't eventuate.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Phil89 on Tue Jun 29, 2021 5:23 pm

As expected, Ben Simmons has withdrawn from the Australian Olympic squad. I understand all of the pressure that he is currently under, but I am getting tired of him finding excuses to avoid playing for our national team. He has teased us for the last two Olympics and the 2019 World Cup, only to withdraw at the last minute each time.

I guess it just makes me appreciate guys like Patty Mills and Joe Ingles more. Matisse Thybulle seems committed to the team as well, which is nice.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Andrew on Wed Jun 30, 2021 12:35 am

I'm torn there. On one hand I completely agree, as it's frustrating to see him commit and then withdraw. On the other hand, after that performance in the Playoffs and seemingly being so out of sorts on the court, I'm not sure that he wouldn't be a liability. Given the choice, I'll definitely take Patty Mills over him right now.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Jeffx on Fri Jul 02, 2021 8:58 am

Ben needs time off to get his mind and game right.

EPIC performance by Chris Paul last night. Reminded me of Hakeem in '95 the way he was laser-focused. Dude just said, Clippers, it's not your night. The table is set for CP3 to win it all...it's now or never, because all those injured players will be back next season. And I expect the Warriors to be in the mix once Klay returns.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Andrew on Fri Jul 02, 2021 9:42 am

It's a shame so many people will probably write off the ring with an asterisk, despite the fact that if we're to do that, there are several other players throughout history that benefited from opponents suffering injuries at the most inopportune time of the year. CP3 himself has had some great seasons derailed by injuries, so it's perhaps only fitting that he's one of the few stars still standing as he enters his first NBA Finals.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Jeffx on Sat Jul 03, 2021 7:49 am

No such thing as an asterisk for me....you play with what you got. In 1983 & 1989, the Lakers were banged-up and got swept in both those finals. No asterisk there. Do we put an asterisk next to the 1999 Spurs championship (in a shortened season) or last year's Lakers in the bubble? Nope.

Great breakdown of CP3's mid-range game;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi2zD-5uu1o
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Andrew on Sat Jul 03, 2021 8:02 am

Well, if we go by what Nick Wright says, the Bubble championship was the most difficult ever and worth two rings. Fortunately, people who know basketball don't go by anything Nick Wright says.

Great examples with the 1983 and 1989 championships. I'm all for acknowledging circumstances and context, but let's not pretend that asterisks are often largely dependent on one's like or dislike of a team or a player.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Phil89 on Sun Jul 04, 2021 5:47 pm

This might be the first finals where I'm actually fine with either team winning. But I think Suns in 6. Booker MVP.

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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Andrew on Sun Jul 04, 2021 11:56 pm

I'll take the Suns in five, six if Giannis plays and is in any way effective. I think there's a chance CP3 picks up Finals MVP honours, though Booker's scoring certainly might net him the trophy instead.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Patr1ck on Mon Jul 05, 2021 1:32 pm

I think the Bucks are going to win. They have not been able to finish the games during the season with Phoenix, losing by 1 both times. They can't rely on Giannis if he isn't on the court, and if they can move the ball and play that scrappy defense like they did against Atlanta, they have a good chance. All the Superstars are going down, and the best team players will end up with a ship.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Jeffx on Tue Jul 06, 2021 10:54 am

Sixers turn a Simmons/Brogdon trade;

https://phillysportsnetwork.com/2021/07 ... s-brogdon/
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Andrew on Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:16 pm

Not a bad offer for the 76ers, but as the article noted, they don't need to be in a rush to make any deals when a better one might come along, or indeed they might decide to stick with him if he can put in work on his shooting and demonstrate significant progress this offseason.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Patr1ck on Tue Jul 06, 2021 1:42 pm

Smart move. The moment he is traded he will improve his shooting with their trainers.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Jeffx on Wed Jul 14, 2021 2:15 am

When the Bucks play to their strength and take advantage of their size, we saw the results last night. Problem is, they don't always do it, which falls on that idiot coach. Kyrie getting hurt saved that fool's ass.

Andrew, you're going to love this (regarding Team USA). It's what we've been talking about regarding the modern NBA;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oBWxnNeI9U
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Andrew on Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:47 pm

It's absolutely true. But try to point these things out, and you get written off as an "old head". it's what you get when you promote stats over in-depth basketball knowledge. It's frustrating, and only accelerating my cranky old man tendencies at the age of 36/37.

The NBA Finals have been pretty funny so far for an impartial fan. Game 4 got a bit sloppy and ugly with the officiating, and the tendency to launch threes indiscriminately is still there, but I've been enjoying the series for the most part. The defense has been most welcome; that block by Giannis is an all-time defensive play for the Finals, and basically sealed the game for the Bucks. Suns looked rattled down the stretch. CP3 had that great first game, but he's been racking up the turnovers in the last three. I was anticipating him going off in the second half, but outside of a couple of drives he didn't get it going. Bucks have to be feeling quite confident as the series goes back to Phoenix.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Patr1ck on Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:10 pm

It's looking like a series now. Even with the officiating, the Bucks were able to play through and pull out the win. Now they just have to do that on the road when it's even worse.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Breems on Sun Jul 18, 2021 7:34 am

Perhaps Team USA's struggles will open more eyes to the current state of the game. I finally heard more chatter this season about the entertainment value of the NBA suffering from 3PT/FTA contests. I really miss the nuances of the game when positions were a thing and there were more roles than 3&D and stretch big. Players are just too talented now.

I am enjoying the Finals a bit this year. I was at Arkansas when Bobby Portis was there, so it's nice to finally have Razorback representation. Booker and Paul are fun to watch from mid-range, and there's a little bit of post offense with Ayton.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Andrew on Sun Jul 18, 2021 10:25 am

Kendrick Perkins' "analysis" is the ultimate example of prisoner-of-the-moment thinking.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Andrew on Sun Jul 18, 2021 2:02 pm

Exciting finish to Game 5. Talk about your textbook "costly turnovers" by the Suns, though. Bucks have outplayed the Suns these past three games. Kind of hoping it goes to seven.
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Re: 2020-2021 Season Discussion

Postby Patr1ck on Sun Jul 18, 2021 2:47 pm

Booker should have pulled up at the freethrow line on that play where they were down by 1. What was he thinking driving deeper into more defenders? When he turned it over I think he got fouled a bit by Holiday, though. If they want to win, he has to step up like he did when Chris Paul was injured. They had so many extra chances with Giannis missing at the line.

I look at this finals as a tryout for the next face of the league. Giannis or Booker?
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