I think three out of the four teams did it the "right" way. I'm adding Miami to your Celtics/Denver group. They definitely have a unique culture that has permeated that entire franchise regardless of who is on the roster.
The Lakers did it the "wrong" way I guess, but I must admit I find it fascinating how they have made it to the WCF with two legit stars and a bunch of almost randomly thrown-together piece parts.
Fair point about Miami, Q. I’d characterize what the Heat did as the Miami Heat way. I think they have the best head coach in the NBA and I don’t think it’s even close. And let’s not forget Pat Riley. He has a great eye for tough-minded, winning players. I don’t think the Miami way is replicable. Similarly, I’d say the Lakers did it the LA Lakers way. The Hollywood allure landed the 2nd best player in NBA history and they knew they had the Hollywood/Southern California thing as a safety net when they decided to mortgage the future for a superstar player whose only limitation has been his ability to stay healthy. Again, the LA Laker way can work, but it’s not replicable for the vast majority of franchises. For me the right way is a replicable model for the vast majority of teams that don’t have allure of Hollywood and Southern California sunshine or the allure of Southbeach and south Florida sunshine. Like Golden State previously, the Nuggets and Celtics of today are the model for building a championship team without the special attractions that only a few franchises have to offer. Apparently, TC decided to try something different from what worked so well for him in Denver. There must be something in the water at 600 N. 1st Avenue that interferes with the synapses in the brain of front office executives.
Ha, definitely.
On the Lakers, they definitely don't get LeBron without the benefit of their brand and location. And that alone is probably enough to make most of us root against them.
However....it's been a struggle session for them since they won a title during the bubble season of '19-20. Since that year, it's been three straight very disappointing regular seasons, much to our delight. They didn't even make the playoffs last year! But they kind of pulled a rabbit out of their hat at the end of the regular season through a combination of trades and decent health. And now here they are in the WCF!
You’re right about the Lakers’ struggles. They did it the Lakers way and so far it’s only gotten them one NBA finals appearance, which resulted in a title. Otherwise, their way has been a failure and that failure has been a source of great joy to me. . I have to give the Lakers credit for what they’ve done down the stretch and in the playoffs this season. Credit their front office for making some savvy moves at the trade deadline. The Nuggets should beat them in five games, maybe six, but we’ll see. If the Lakers end up in finals, they’ll play the Celtics - much to the delight of the League and sports media. But it won’t be a throwback to the old Celtics-Lakers rivalry. Instead, it will be a one-sided Celtics sweep.
You can't ignore the directive that happened in January, where all of a sudden the Lakers started getting awarded with near ridiculous free throw advantages. Their run this postseason has a huge asterisk in my mind. I'm going to do some really hard thinking if Denver, a better team, doesn't get through to the finals.
Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 11:03 pm
You can't ignore the directive that happened in January, where all of a sudden the Lakers started getting awarded with near ridiculous free throw advantages. Their run this postseason has a huge asterisk in my mind. I'm going to do some really hard thinking if Denver, a better team, doesn't get through to the finals.
Good point, Cool. The NBA has an integrity problem in my view. NBA officiating has always favored stars and in come cases teams, but I think it’s gotten worse in the past 5 years. Or maybe I’m just less tolerant than I used to be.
The Nuggets have a tendency to play down to the level of their competition. It’s a serious flaw on an otherwise very talented team. They’re leading the Lakers by 10 right now, but they should be up by 20. Instead, we’ve seen the Nuggets make a number of lazy passes and play with a lack of urgency tonight. They had better be careful.
kekgeek wrote: ↑Tue May 16, 2023 8:07 pm
How happy is Jokic he’s not going against Kat and Gobert anymore
Jokic with a slash-line of 19/16/7 plus a couple blocks thrown in at the half. He is so damn good.
Jokic had 11 games this year including playoffs where he shot 50% or lower. 3 were against the wolves including his lowest of the year. He’s still so good though and ate up the wolves
kekgeek wrote: ↑Tue May 16, 2023 8:07 pm
How happy is Jokic he’s not going against Kat and Gobert anymore
Jokic with a slash-line of 19/16/7 plus a couple blocks thrown in at the half. He is so damn good.
Jokic had 11 games this year including playoffs where he shot 50% or lower. 3 were against the wolves including his lowest of the year. He’s still so good though and ate up the wolves
Yeah, to me the best thing about Jokic is he never has a bad game. Aaaaaand he just makes a quarter-ending heave. Unbelievable player. Just eye-popping stat line tonight.
Jokic with a slash-line of 19/16/7 plus a couple blocks thrown in at the half. He is so damn good.
Jokic had 11 games this year including playoffs where he shot 50% or lower. 3 were against the wolves including his lowest of the year. He’s still so good though and ate up the wolves
Yeah, to me the best thing about Jokic is he never has a bad game. Aaaaaand he just makes a quarter-ending heave. Unbelievable player. Just eye-popping stat line tonight.
What was flip thinking picking Glen Robinson III one pick before Jokic. (I’m joking)
. I have to give the Lakers credit for what they’ve done down the stretch and in the playoffs this season. Credit their front office for making some savvy moves at the trade deadline. The Nuggets should beat them in five games, maybe six, but we’ll see. If the Lakers end up in finals, they’ll play the Celtics - much to the delight of the League and sports media. But it won’t be a throwback to the old Celtics-Lakers rivalry. Instead, it will be a one-sided Celtics sweep.
