-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
NBA 2017 Playoffs |OT| WE DID IT
- Thread starter Jarate
- Start date
- Status
Bah Gawd Almighty, Bah Gawd Almighty!! That killed him!
LegendofDragoonLives
Member
He's been by far the 2nd best player in the playoffs the last 3 years. His reputation is based on that garbage finals last year and the overreaction that he wasn't the clear best player in the 2015 final for his team (he was). Dude has taken Lebron's mantle of getting shit on or ignored since Bron Bron won last year. I can't even take people seriously who think he was bad in 2015. Dude averaged like 30ppg on the 3 game run they won in a row and was 2nd to Shaq in all time ppg in the 4th quarter.
I hope Kawhi is at least 100% by game 3, though I do hope he gets fit 2 days from now.
-tetsuo-
Unlimited Capacity
No he hasn't. Just this year, even if you still think Curry is better, he has not been by far better than Kawhi or John Wall.
Javale Mcgee has been nothing but outstanding for the Warriors this postseason. What are you going on about?
beat
Member
"Intangibles" are kind of dumb, but... the team really does get energy from the kinds of alley-oops and blocks that McGee makes.
Plus, Pop and Kerr play their young guys. Whereas Mike D'Antoni, Mark Jackson, and Mike Brown have a rep for sticking to proven vets.....
And sometimes those veterans are washed. One indicator may be when the Clippers get rid of you. West is undersized in this series in a way that's going to be taken advantage of, he won't have easy assists to cutters either. McGee can actually finish in the paint and however dumb he is, getting a hand up a whole foot higher than West against Pau is better than not.
Fixed that for you.
Pop has that reputation in the playoffs too. He sticks to his vets to much at times. Only difference this year is injuries so he doesn't have a choice.
BlackNMild2k1
Member
More McGee time could have been a difference maker, especially during that terrible no rebound sequence that went on for like 5 real game minutes where the Spurs kept getting offensive rebounds and the Warriors were hopping around helpless like the Middle Schoolers on the court playing against the High School kids. it was a damn shame.
McGee needs to get in the game more. period.
Kerr needs to put a ear piece in Browns ear and coach from the locker room.
McGee needs to get in the game more. period.
Kerr needs to put a ear piece in Browns ear and coach from the locker room.
MugiwaraCole
Member
I didn't really get people getting mad at Lebron's reaction.
"He could never play back in the day." "They call each other bitches all the time at the Y." Them niggas come to blows over that too.
Lol seriously, most people don't take kindly to seriously being called a bitch by someone.
I guess. This is not a regular season opponent or even the Jazz or Blazers. This is Pop and the Spurs.
Pop plays young guys that are smart on the court and have bought into the system for a couple years. That is not McGee, and I don't think there's a team better equipped in the NBA to take advantage of his mental errors than the Spurs.
There's much more downside than upside, IMO. They don't need more McGee to beat the Spurs.
LegendofDragoonLives
Member
I'm talking overall in the lat 3 years, he is the 2nd best after Bron Bron. I agree with you that LeBron, Wall and Kawhi have been more impressive overall this year. It's just this narrative that the guy underperforms in the playoffs which is one of the dumbest popular hot takes in the NBA.
Can someone tell me what has happened to Klay? I feel like I should blame Brown. Kerr usually makes plays for Klay to get into the groove when he plays like ass, Brown has no sense for this.
McGee is not a good fit vs the Spurs, prob the worst match up for him. He can't overpower them with height since they have it as well, and they're all high IQ players that know when to stop him.
Maybe Spurs fans don't care right now, but LMA looks like his old self. I don't know if the knee thing was a TNT narrative more than anything, but he had his lift and touch today. I think the Warriors actually switched Zaza on him instead of Draymond at one point, which you just never see.
LyleLanley
Banned
Where's our lottery thread?
Aldridge goes through stretches where he's good/bad and you can generally tell which version you're getting by his first few field goal attempts. If he misses most of them, he seems to mentally check out.
The silver lining in Kawhi going out is that everyone else gets more touches and Aldridge becomes the primary scorer again. But I seriously don't know how the Spurs are going to deal with Durant with Kawhi out. There just aren't enough people to cover the entirety of Golden State.
The silver lining in Kawhi going out is that everyone else gets more touches and Aldridge becomes the primary scorer again. But I seriously don't know how the Spurs are going to deal with Durant with Kawhi out. There just aren't enough people to cover the entirety of Golden State.
There's no silver lining. This is a sweep if Kawhi is out the rest of the series.
Nah. LMA gets to show he's better than Kawhi now.
nogoodnamesleft
Banned
MugiwaraCole
Member
Kawhi could be 100% next game and I'd still be kinda convinced it's a sweep. Losing the game like that? I don't know.
Fuck Klay, and the entire Warriors squad by proxy based on that shit. Klay is a bitch for that. Pop shit when it all looks good then run your ass to the locker room after you eat that L.
Clown ass.
Dion Blaster
Member
The good thing is there's a huge break between game 2 and 3 for Kawhi to rest
I don't think that matters. He sat out last series, including the clinching game. Comes back and rolls his ankle twice immediately. It's clearly not right.
Spurs need to bench Kawhi for the series. If the Zaza play didn't happen I think they had a chance at taking the series. Chalk this one up as a loss. Let him heal, come back next year after spending some time developing the younger guys. He is still getting better so he'll be fire next year. There is a good young core to move forward with just need to figure out the LMA problem.
Does Pop though potentially risk losing the series to make sure that Kawhi is fine long term or put him in and roll the dice?
wouldn't go that far.
wordballoons
Member
MugiwaraCole
Member
The levels of absurdity following that exchange were crazy. Klay's pops and Warrior bench warmers all banded together to call the best player in the world a baby. And he went supernova in response.
friskykillface
Banned
I think pop would be wise to save Leonard for the long term
He's just 25 too, plenty of basketball left for him
LeBron shook
The dropoff from regular season numbers is actually pretty comparable in both cases.
LeBron 2011 Regular Season: 26.7/7.0/7.5 on .594 TS%
LeBron 2011 Finals: 17.8/6.8/7.2 on .541 TS%
Steph 2016 Regular Season: 30.1/6.7/5.4 on .669 TS%
Steph 2016 Finals: 22.6/3.7/4.9 on .580 TS%
Those are both pretty severe dips for generational talents.
the_batman
Banned
Cornbread78
Member
Why bother. Here is what is going to happen:
1) 76ers: Fultz
2) Lakers: Ball
3) Suns: Jackson
4) Celts: best guard available that can't shoot.
MetalFearSolid
Banned
Pau Gasol is so frustrating to watch when he thinks he can take anyone in the post. Dude is 36 year old.. this ain't 2009.
ftfy
RareFantasy64
Member
I want to see the Spurs bite back after this and take the Warriors to a frustrating 6 or 7 game series while the Cavs sweep their next opponent and prepare for the Warriors 
LyleLanley
Banned
My misery deserves its own thread.
Lionel Richie
Member
Honest question here, is there any way this injury could affect Kawhi long term? Ankle injuries can linger from now to the start of the next season and beyond? Knees, shoulder and back I know could fuck up a player pretty good, but ankles?
MetalFearSolid
Banned
Emm yeah look at Curry.
I'm dying for the Lakers to pass on Ball
Ask Grant Hill about playing through an injured ankle.
In my dreams, the lakers get the first overall pick and we get to watch Lavar Ball have a breakdown on live tv as they pass on Lonzo.
LyleLanley
Banned
I'm very curious about what would happen if Lonzo was drafted by Ainge.
Lionel Richie
Member
Shit, I didn't remember Hill had ankle issues. I think his injury and subsequent rehabilitation were so poorly handled that the whole situation almost looks barbarian in retrospect. I doubt the Spurs would screw Kawhi like that.
Cornbread78
Member
If that happened, I can already see the ESPN comment:
You know and I know......
Uggh. Tomorrow might be hard enough to handle...
Try to Eli Manning that shit.
He was lied to multiple times about that shit I mean jesus
LyleLanley
Banned
I guess he could try to push for a trade to the Bulls.
- Status