NBA Playoff Thread
Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:55 am
I thought it was past time to start a thread devoted solely to this year's NBA playoffs. So here are my top-10 take-always from the playoffs so far:
1. I love that the Lakers have been eliminated in the first round. I get double satisfaction because I've never liked the Lakers or LeBron.
2. The Suns are heroic in my eyes as the one who knocked the arrogant Laker organization and their Hollywood fans out in the first round. The Suns are a great story, having gone from terrible to great in two years. I'm a big Booker fan.
3. The Jazz took care of business as the top-seeded team in the West, in spite of a shaky start in the first game of the series. That loss in the opener, by the way, underscores the importance of Donovan Mitchell to that team and serves as a reminder that he's a great player.
4. Denver's an impressive story. They beat a tough Portland team without their star PG, Murray. But there aren't enough superlatives to describe Jokic. He's developed into a superstar this season and he carried his team to a series win over the Blazers. But I think it's worth noting that the Nuggets have a lot of under-appreciated talent. Morris is a heck of a PG. He's a backup on the Nuggets, but he'd be a starter for a lot of teams. Porter is an all-star caliber player.
5. The Sixers took care of business against an inferior, but hot and talented Washington team. The question is whether the Sixers can advance any further without their best player and superstar, Joel Embiid. As good as Beal and Westbrook are, this series illustrated fact that two great players won't get it done. You need another all-star or near all-star caliber player and you need talent coming off the bench.
6. The Bucks look like they could win it all this year. Giannis is a force of nature, though his poor perimeter and free-throw shooting can be highly problematic in a playoff series against an equally talented opponent. Nevertheless, the Bucks are really talented with Kris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday. The addition of Holiday was a brilliant move by the Bucks front office. There are other impressive players on Milwaukee's roster, including Jeff Teague, Bobby Portis and PJ Tucker.
7. The Knicks were fun to watch in their series against Atlanta. But ultimately, talent won out. Give Thibs credit for getting his team to overachieve. But truth is, they weren't good enough to win a first round series against the Hawks. They'll have to take and make more threes if they ever want to be a serious contender. And of course, they'll need to add some more talent. Nevertheless, they have some really talented young players in Quickley, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Obi Toppin. They also have a great vet in Derrick Rose and the League's most improved player in Julius Randle.
8. The Hawks were the better team so it's not surprise they ousted the Knicks in 5. I think the Hawks have a terrific head coach and are talented enough to knock off the Sixers if Embiid doesn't get back on the floor. Trae Young showed a lot of moxie in this series. And he really performed at a high level. He's no Luka, but the trade isn't looking as bad for Atlanta as it did a year ago. I'd say that both teams did well in that deal.
9. The Clippers are once again disappointing their fans. They definitely miss Lou Williams. But the biggest reason the Clippers are trailing the Mavs in this first series is Luka. He's a star in the mold of Larry Bird.
10. One lesson for Wolves fans from this year's playoffs is how fast a struggling team can transform itself in the course of a year. The Suns and Knicks are two great examples. The Wolves are bound to take a significant step forward based solely on the likely improvement of Edwards and McDaniels. We saw that they're both immensely talented and we know that most talented players improve markedly between their first and second seasons. We've seen what Donovan Mitchell can do and Edwards is the same type of player, only more talented. Naz Reid will keep getting better, Vanderbilt showed a lot of promise and the KAT/DLO duo was starting to gel. Finally, the Wolves substantially upgraded at the head coaching position.
1. I love that the Lakers have been eliminated in the first round. I get double satisfaction because I've never liked the Lakers or LeBron.
2. The Suns are heroic in my eyes as the one who knocked the arrogant Laker organization and their Hollywood fans out in the first round. The Suns are a great story, having gone from terrible to great in two years. I'm a big Booker fan.
3. The Jazz took care of business as the top-seeded team in the West, in spite of a shaky start in the first game of the series. That loss in the opener, by the way, underscores the importance of Donovan Mitchell to that team and serves as a reminder that he's a great player.
4. Denver's an impressive story. They beat a tough Portland team without their star PG, Murray. But there aren't enough superlatives to describe Jokic. He's developed into a superstar this season and he carried his team to a series win over the Blazers. But I think it's worth noting that the Nuggets have a lot of under-appreciated talent. Morris is a heck of a PG. He's a backup on the Nuggets, but he'd be a starter for a lot of teams. Porter is an all-star caliber player.
5. The Sixers took care of business against an inferior, but hot and talented Washington team. The question is whether the Sixers can advance any further without their best player and superstar, Joel Embiid. As good as Beal and Westbrook are, this series illustrated fact that two great players won't get it done. You need another all-star or near all-star caliber player and you need talent coming off the bench.
6. The Bucks look like they could win it all this year. Giannis is a force of nature, though his poor perimeter and free-throw shooting can be highly problematic in a playoff series against an equally talented opponent. Nevertheless, the Bucks are really talented with Kris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday. The addition of Holiday was a brilliant move by the Bucks front office. There are other impressive players on Milwaukee's roster, including Jeff Teague, Bobby Portis and PJ Tucker.
7. The Knicks were fun to watch in their series against Atlanta. But ultimately, talent won out. Give Thibs credit for getting his team to overachieve. But truth is, they weren't good enough to win a first round series against the Hawks. They'll have to take and make more threes if they ever want to be a serious contender. And of course, they'll need to add some more talent. Nevertheless, they have some really talented young players in Quickley, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Obi Toppin. They also have a great vet in Derrick Rose and the League's most improved player in Julius Randle.
8. The Hawks were the better team so it's not surprise they ousted the Knicks in 5. I think the Hawks have a terrific head coach and are talented enough to knock off the Sixers if Embiid doesn't get back on the floor. Trae Young showed a lot of moxie in this series. And he really performed at a high level. He's no Luka, but the trade isn't looking as bad for Atlanta as it did a year ago. I'd say that both teams did well in that deal.
9. The Clippers are once again disappointing their fans. They definitely miss Lou Williams. But the biggest reason the Clippers are trailing the Mavs in this first series is Luka. He's a star in the mold of Larry Bird.
10. One lesson for Wolves fans from this year's playoffs is how fast a struggling team can transform itself in the course of a year. The Suns and Knicks are two great examples. The Wolves are bound to take a significant step forward based solely on the likely improvement of Edwards and McDaniels. We saw that they're both immensely talented and we know that most talented players improve markedly between their first and second seasons. We've seen what Donovan Mitchell can do and Edwards is the same type of player, only more talented. Naz Reid will keep getting better, Vanderbilt showed a lot of promise and the KAT/DLO duo was starting to gel. Finally, the Wolves substantially upgraded at the head coaching position.