NBA 2014-2015 Season Discussion

Coach Nick was talking about OKC.

 

If you're referencing a post above yours but don't want to quote, you can use one of these, ^ .

Or if the post to which you refer is 2 spots up, just use 2 of these ^^ -- at least I think that's how that one works.

 

My Celtics are coming awfully close to starting off with some of the lowest expectations in the league, trading off all their best players, and still making the playoffs.

Sure, losing to the Hawks or Cavs in 5 instead of 4 would be heralded as a major accomplishment. But it's still freaking awesome. I remember one time like twenty years ago they made the playoffs with a 33-49 record, but there were like 23 teams in the league at the time.

It's also awesome having two of your last four games against a team that is already locked into a specific seed and having the head to head tiebreaker against the two teams competing with you for your playoff spot.

I don't know who I will be rooting for in the playoffs. Maybe just the teams that former Celtics people wound up on. Clippers, Wizards, Mavs, etc. Or I'll root for the Cavs because off the Heat Lebron is magically likable again.

 

Before this thread gets locked, I'd just like to note for the record how much I respect Paul George for coming back and playing this season. He clearly wasn't himself--a direct result of not having played 5-on-5 for seven months--but deserves credit for giving the Pacers everything he had.

--Sran

 

Two word explanation for it; the east.

Yes, very Kobe/Jordanesque. Kid has heart.

 

^Additional two-word explanation: Brad Stevens. There may not be a coach anywhere else in professional sports who gets more out of his players than Stevens. He got my alma' mater to back-to-back NCAA Championship Games, and now he's gotten a collection of scrubs and cast-offs into the NBA Playoffs.

David Blatt should get down on his knees and thank God he has LeBron James, because if this series hinged on who coached the best, he'd be royally screwed.

--Sran

 

Clips v Spurs is going to be interesting. Clippers played a lot better in the last 3rd of the season that I thought they would. Spurs closed the season out looking pretty good as well. The question to me is; have the Spurs finally developed the toughness to be a "dominant" champion -- one that bucks the odds and takes what they want 2 years in a row?

Clips are at least capable of winning this series so the Spurs are going to have to come out like champions.

From the rumors, they might also lose their coach, something I predicted would happen soon after that boneheaded trade a few years ago. The window of opportunity continues to slide down.

 

Suns players Markieff and Marcus Morris have been charged with felony aggravated assault.

 

^I'm not sure which set of basketball brothers is more stupid, these guys or the Harrison twins.

--Sran

 

Scottie Brooks fired by OKC Thunder. http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-scott-brooks-fired-thunder-20150422-story.html

Right on schedule. Had their doofus owner not traded Mike Harden, the Thunder would very likely have a championship, now so blowing up the team next season, if need be, would not be so painful and such a big step backward.

This is one reason the Lakers have won so many rings in the modern era, they have simply "gone for it" where other teams have been more concerned with saving money, setting themselves up for the future, etc.

The Thunder are one free agent defection away from returning to middling status (or worse).

Told you, Dorian.

 

An absolutely incredible comeback by the Golden State Warriors this evening! They entered the 4th quarter down twenty (89-69) and scored thirty nine points to send the game into overtime before ultimately prevailing in OT. Wow!

--Sran

 

Pel's inexperience showing up. They are usually a solid defensive team. But giving up 39 in the 4th quarter, at home and in the playoffs -- wow, indeed.

 

Through this afternoon's games, the Warriors and Cavs are moving on. The Grizzlies are on the verge of eliminating the Blazers (is tomorrow Aldridge's last game in Portland?) but won't have Mike Conley for Game 4. The Bulls are up 3-1 on the Bucks, and the Wizards have a chance to close out their series with the Raptors this evening--as do the Rockets in Dallas. The Spurs-Clippers and Hawks-Nets series are still in doubt.

Speaking of the Cavs, what the fuck was JR Smith thinking? I'm convinced that no team on which he plays a role of any significance will ever win a championship. He's too much of a knucklehead who doesn't understand the importance of putting his team first.

--Sran

 

Doc Rivers started his usual poor mouthing of his team a couple of days ago when he was quoted as saying that the two teams were evenly matched talent-wise. Doc is getting the old "excuse train" cranked up in the event that his team gets bounced once again, in the first round.

The Clips simply don't appear to have enough players who can make use of their talent when big games are on the line -- otherwise known as "choking".

We'll see if they can go back to SA and tough one out -- bwahaha!!! It really is just to difficult to see the Spurs letting a bloodied, staggering Clips team off the ropes at this point.

OTOH, teams that are trying to repeat, tend to do uncharacteristic things, like losing a close out game at home.