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Official NBA '17-18 Season Thread
- Thread starter trikx_insane
- Start date
- Status
It is what it is, yo. Being across the border doesn't help. Stable locker rooms? Before this year, Toronto was known as a franchise that constantly choked and housed chokers. There is no noble esteem there; you couldn't possibly compare it to other places.Bull of Heaven said:
Eastern Conference Finals
(2) Boston Celtics versus (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
*A new coaching staff hiree is about to sit down in his first coach staff meeting with the Boston Celtics*
Hiree: (Oh boy, I can't wait to learn the secrets of the great mind Brad Stevens. I'm finally going to learn what it takes to really stop the generational player LeBron James...)
Celtics Assistant Coach: You may all sit.
*Stevens enters and applause is given*
Stevens: Thank you.
Hiree: :)
Stevens: Now, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be a very hard team to beat. I and the coordinators have come up with a coaching plan we feel is sound. We want to discuss any possible tweaks or errors you all may have with it.
Hiree: Oh, are we going to stay home on the shooters and rely on LeBron's worst shooting zones?
Stevens: Nah.
Hiree: Oh, are we going to mix up defenders and coverages taking advantage of the team's athleticism?
Stevens: Not that either.
Hiree: (Wow, I can't believe it... I'm clearly no match for one of the greatest minds in history. I can't wait to hear the secret to ending LeBron James... I can't... wait for this moment... this is better than my wedding day...)
Stevens: So, Kyrie gave us a few things that emotionally triggers him...
Hiree: (The fuck)
Stevens: Dude has baldness insecurities.
Hiree: ?????
Stevens: We also know LeBron's allergies; allergies he doesn't even know himself, so our staff will make sure it's on every towel, on the basketball, in his shoe powder...
Hiree: Wait... these are your tactics?! I waited all my life to coach in the NBA and this is how one of the greatest minds succeeds?
Stevens: Ah... I see the new hiree isn't adjusting well...
Hiree: (I can't believe it... coaching is a fraud...)
Video scout: I know Kevin Love has certain mental disorders and insecurities that can be triggered by certain words.
Stevens: Oh, Morris will love this shit.
Assistant coach: Oh, remember how LeBron complained about the air conditioning in that one finals game in San Antonio?
Hiree: Does anyone in here actually have a coaching strategy to talk about?
Video Scout: Coach! I have Lance Stephenson on Skype video.
Hiree: ....
*Stephenson appears on a large screen, wearing a Lex Luthor outfit*
Stephenson: The Legion of Doom is now in session. It is the purpose of the Legion to align our infamous forces against the powers of good and defeat them leaving us the rulers of the world.
Hiree: Okay, now y'all wildin' up in here. I'll just settle for waterboy or something.
So once again, I underestimated Boston and Brad Steven's genius. Will it be enough to finally stop LeBron this time? I believe this is his third shot against LeBron thus far, and both times I've counted out versus Boston was due to talent. This match-up, believe it or not, isn't LeBron versus Boston; it's LeBron versus Stevens. Also, I think it's very underrated to have Kyrie's mind and insights combined with Stevens' tactical mind...
I am excited to see what tricks Stevens may have this time around because past Boston teams simply did not have this type of versatility, athleticism, and switch-heavy defense. His defensive scheming this year has been phenomenal. For example, putting Ojeleye on Giannis in Game 5 of round 1, or giving Horford access to essentially be the defensive orchestrator of both Simmons and Embiid. Stevens' smarts alone is guaranteed to take one game out of this series.
The central question is this: Can Boston not only emulate but improve upon what Indiana did in round 1?
Scheme-wise, they most certainly can. They have been top three in most relevant defensive categories throughout the regular season. Stevens has already formulated ideas around two other star players, yet none of those players truly come close to LeBron's gravity and impact.
Personnel-wise, they might be a bit lacking. Horford is not the physically imposing player Young was, but he makes it up with his offense. Also, Boston's frontcourt may be less experienced, less quick, but their perimeter players are very athletic. One concern for Cleveland is if Korver will be able to stay on the floor consistently. He simply has nowhere to hide, and you can expect Stevens to attack him whenever he possibly can. Korver is essentially in Cleveland's top lineups. Calderon is in the second one. One thing that annoyed me about Indiana is that they rarely made an effort to take advantage of Korver and Calderon.
If I am Stevens, I am focusing all my energy on taking Love out of the series but that is easier said than done. NBA stats seem to indicate that it's not exactly a tall task for Horford based on his 32 possessions guarding him. If Horford (and Baynes possibly) swing the frontcourt advantage alongside to Boston, it gives them that much of a better chance of withstanding LeBron's greatness.
Other than these notes, I can't find much else to help with deciding this series since this roster only had one regular season match-up after the big shakedown. It's a matter of how you feel about the frontcourt match-ups, will Korver's defense matter, and if LeBron can withstand it all. Cleveland certainly has the intangibles: LeBron James, the more experienced team, and the more talented team. The metrics give Boston less of a chance than Toronto actually but that's mainly because Boston's strength is less statistical and more variable. When there's unpredictability, I go the safer route.
Cleveland wins if: Kevin Love has a great series, Korver can stay in the line-ups, Cleveland's frontcourt manage to stay even.
Boston wins if: Korver can't manage to not be a net negative, Love struggles, Horford is exercising his LeBron demons after almost 10 years, Stevens tactics become the new coach's porn.
Cleveland in six.
Hiree: (Oh boy, I can't wait to learn the secrets of the great mind Brad Stevens. I'm finally going to learn what it takes to really stop the generational player LeBron James...)
Celtics Assistant Coach: You may all sit.
*Stevens enters and applause is given*
Stevens: Thank you.
Hiree: :)
Stevens: Now, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be a very hard team to beat. I and the coordinators have come up with a coaching plan we feel is sound. We want to discuss any possible tweaks or errors you all may have with it.
Hiree: Oh, are we going to stay home on the shooters and rely on LeBron's worst shooting zones?
Stevens: Nah.
Hiree: Oh, are we going to mix up defenders and coverages taking advantage of the team's athleticism?
Stevens: Not that either.
Hiree: (Wow, I can't believe it... I'm clearly no match for one of the greatest minds in history. I can't wait to hear the secret to ending LeBron James... I can't... wait for this moment... this is better than my wedding day...)
Stevens: So, Kyrie gave us a few things that emotionally triggers him...
Hiree: (The fuck)
Stevens: Dude has baldness insecurities.
Hiree: ?????
Stevens: We also know LeBron's allergies; allergies he doesn't even know himself, so our staff will make sure it's on every towel, on the basketball, in his shoe powder...
Hiree: Wait... these are your tactics?! I waited all my life to coach in the NBA and this is how one of the greatest minds succeeds?
Stevens: Ah... I see the new hiree isn't adjusting well...
Hiree: (I can't believe it... coaching is a fraud...)
Video scout: I know Kevin Love has certain mental disorders and insecurities that can be triggered by certain words.
Stevens: Oh, Morris will love this shit.
Assistant coach: Oh, remember how LeBron complained about the air conditioning in that one finals game in San Antonio?
Hiree: Does anyone in here actually have a coaching strategy to talk about?
Video Scout: Coach! I have Lance Stephenson on Skype video.
Hiree: ....
*Stephenson appears on a large screen, wearing a Lex Luthor outfit*
Stephenson: The Legion of Doom is now in session. It is the purpose of the Legion to align our infamous forces against the powers of good and defeat them leaving us the rulers of the world.
Hiree: Okay, now y'all wildin' up in here. I'll just settle for waterboy or something.
So once again, I underestimated Boston and Brad Steven's genius. Will it be enough to finally stop LeBron this time? I believe this is his third shot against LeBron thus far, and both times I've counted out versus Boston was due to talent. This match-up, believe it or not, isn't LeBron versus Boston; it's LeBron versus Stevens. Also, I think it's very underrated to have Kyrie's mind and insights combined with Stevens' tactical mind...
I am excited to see what tricks Stevens may have this time around because past Boston teams simply did not have this type of versatility, athleticism, and switch-heavy defense. His defensive scheming this year has been phenomenal. For example, putting Ojeleye on Giannis in Game 5 of round 1, or giving Horford access to essentially be the defensive orchestrator of both Simmons and Embiid. Stevens' smarts alone is guaranteed to take one game out of this series.
The central question is this: Can Boston not only emulate but improve upon what Indiana did in round 1?
Scheme-wise, they most certainly can. They have been top three in most relevant defensive categories throughout the regular season. Stevens has already formulated ideas around two other star players, yet none of those players truly come close to LeBron's gravity and impact.
Personnel-wise, they might be a bit lacking. Horford is not the physically imposing player Young was, but he makes it up with his offense. Also, Boston's frontcourt may be less experienced, less quick, but their perimeter players are very athletic. One concern for Cleveland is if Korver will be able to stay on the floor consistently. He simply has nowhere to hide, and you can expect Stevens to attack him whenever he possibly can. Korver is essentially in Cleveland's top lineups. Calderon is in the second one. One thing that annoyed me about Indiana is that they rarely made an effort to take advantage of Korver and Calderon.
If I am Stevens, I am focusing all my energy on taking Love out of the series but that is easier said than done. NBA stats seem to indicate that it's not exactly a tall task for Horford based on his 32 possessions guarding him. If Horford (and Baynes possibly) swing the frontcourt advantage alongside to Boston, it gives them that much of a better chance of withstanding LeBron's greatness.
Other than these notes, I can't find much else to help with deciding this series since this roster only had one regular season match-up after the big shakedown. It's a matter of how you feel about the frontcourt match-ups, will Korver's defense matter, and if LeBron can withstand it all. Cleveland certainly has the intangibles: LeBron James, the more experienced team, and the more talented team. The metrics give Boston less of a chance than Toronto actually but that's mainly because Boston's strength is less statistical and more variable. When there's unpredictability, I go the safer route.
Cleveland wins if: Kevin Love has a great series, Korver can stay in the line-ups, Cleveland's frontcourt manage to stay even.
Boston wins if: Korver can't manage to not be a net negative, Love struggles, Horford is exercising his LeBron demons after almost 10 years, Stevens tactics become the new coach's porn.
Cleveland in six.
The thing with Toronto is that prior to this year they were a very iso-heavy team, it was a miracle they even got DeMarre Carroll IMO, who was in a team-ball system with Atlanta, and obviously being in another country doesn't help. Their next hire will be key in whether or not they can lure free agents when Lowry and Ibaka expire (well, their contracts) in 2020. They'll have cap space then, but unfortunately for them, so do a lot of other teams. It'll be on their next coach to really develop their young players and turn DeRozan into a better player, should he opt in.
Personally I've lived in Toronto for a few years and I honestly hated it, though I haven't lived in other North American cities before so I can't compare it to others. I definitely would rather live in Toronto than New York, though.
Personally I've lived in Toronto for a few years and I honestly hated it, though I haven't lived in other North American cities before so I can't compare it to others. I definitely would rather live in Toronto than New York, though.
I had a feeling i was underestimating the celtics again.
Marcus Morris: 21 points, 11 rebounds, 1 turnover
LeBron James: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 7 turnovers
The possession stats didn't lie
These Celtics. Sheesh.
Definitely won't Luvdisc this, but sad to say I had the same thought.
Hopefully the way the Celtics played and decimated the Cavaliers made you feel better about the Casey firing, or at least showed you why.
Celtics might might win the finals next year
Western Conference Finals
(1) Houston Rockets versus (2) Golden State Warriors
So, this is the series everyone truly wants to watch because this is the unofficial finals.
These two teams are a whole tier above the rest and have been all season, and I've been thinking about this match-up for months. Regular season information is totally useless because Golden State played Pachulia in every single game, and each team missed a star the final two.
One of the central questions for me coming in this is if Houston has a line-up that can beat the Hampton Five (or, a line-up featuring a Durant/Green frontcourt)? Because if you can't beat the Hampton Five, you can't beat Golden State.
There's certainly a rush for D'Antoni here to find a great frontcourt combination. I theorize that if Capela can have big minutes and contributions, it would give Houston so many advantages in controlling the pace through rebounding, defense, and helping them play in a way they've essentially played all year. Yes, Tucker or Moute could play center; but I feel Houston is more lethal with Capela on the court because they then become a more all-around team and have a better chance of controlling the pace. History shows that Golden State's Hampton line-up is usually susceptible to offensive boards. Golden State also has an extreme lack of decent centers for this match-up. McGee would be trouble and Pachulia/West are old as balls. If Looney and Bell can't be effective, he may be forced to put the Hampton Five in overdrive.
Another way Houston has a better chance of controlling the pace is their amazing assist/turnover ratio all thanks to Paul. If Golden State has an inherent weakness, it's their massive amount of turnovers due to the sheer amount of passes they throw. The difference in turnovers could likely dictate the pace in the series if Harden/Paul don't seem phased; on the flipside, Houston's fastbreak defense is atrocious. If they play shitty possessions or turn the ball over anywhere close to Golden State's numbers, they lose one of the only innate advantages they have over this team.
Individual match-ups are likely to matter less in this series than we're all accustomed to since we're going to see a lot of switching. Curry and Harden's defense will be tested on a nightly basis and whoever can remain the most effective on that end gives their team the advantage. Last time Curry was tested like this with a similar injury, it was 2016 and they lost 3-1. I'm tempted to give Harden an edge over Curry in defense simply because I know 100% healthy, he's improved in that end through the eye test, and he has more help in ball-handling than in years past.
As for Kevin Durant...
Judging through the regular season possessions, Ariza, Tucker, and Moute will get the most minutes and they seemed to have done a fairly okay job although I want to say it'd be more indicative to see what Paul, Harden, and Capela to do once switched onto him. Yes, I said 6'0" Chris Paul and you'd be surprised how well he defends bigger defenders.
Klay Thompson is probably the absolute best defender Harden has ever seen. He hasn't fouled him in years, but as I said above, it's hard to predict how well say, Curry, Iguodala, or Durant will defend him in space. If anyone can though, it's the Hampton Five with Green and Durant's length and defense.
One small thing I'd like to mention as far as team stats is that Golden State's three-point shooting is something worth thinking about. Iguodala and Green are shooting fine now but against the best offensive team in by historical standards, is it enough? Heck, even Durant is shooting below his averages. Houston's been pretty disappointing too but they have an excuse in Gobert; Gordon has been bad though. Still, I'd trust most of Houston's shooters wide-open over Iguodala and Green in a series.
The series to me is essentially a toss-up if we ignore Golden State's history. They've lost a total of three playoff games up to this point. That is impressive, and they rarely use that Hampton Five line-up during the regular season (it's got some burn more this season which is interesting, have they been pushed to the ropes a bit maybe..?)
To me, it all comes down to how much you trust Capela to work in his match-ups because Golden State has no prayer in hell on keeping guys like Looney/Bell in for extended stretches. Can the Hampton Five play forever? Maybe, but is that something Green/Durant can do for extended stretches if they have to? Can Curry and Green stay out of foul trouble? Can Harden/Paul remain mostly efficient and as turnover-free as they have during these playoffs?
I'm telling everybody to favor Golden State, but my heart wants Houston so bad so I'll just make a fun pick.
Houston Rockets in seven.
Houston wins if: Capela is the most efficient frontcourt player in the series, Curry can't move laterally, Hampton Five can't play 30+ minutes effectively, Harden/Paul's assist/turnover rate was just enough, Golden State can't shoot in the ocean from three outside of Klay, Curry, Durant
Golden State wins if: Harden can't guard anybody again, Houston can't come up with a decent frontcourt combination in time, Harden/Paul can't score in isolation through the length of the Durant/Green, Green is too good on both ends of the floor. Green/Iguodala make their shots.
(1) Houston Rockets versus (2) Golden State Warriors
So, this is the series everyone truly wants to watch because this is the unofficial finals.
These two teams are a whole tier above the rest and have been all season, and I've been thinking about this match-up for months. Regular season information is totally useless because Golden State played Pachulia in every single game, and each team missed a star the final two.
One of the central questions for me coming in this is if Houston has a line-up that can beat the Hampton Five (or, a line-up featuring a Durant/Green frontcourt)? Because if you can't beat the Hampton Five, you can't beat Golden State.
There's certainly a rush for D'Antoni here to find a great frontcourt combination. I theorize that if Capela can have big minutes and contributions, it would give Houston so many advantages in controlling the pace through rebounding, defense, and helping them play in a way they've essentially played all year. Yes, Tucker or Moute could play center; but I feel Houston is more lethal with Capela on the court because they then become a more all-around team and have a better chance of controlling the pace. History shows that Golden State's Hampton line-up is usually susceptible to offensive boards. Golden State also has an extreme lack of decent centers for this match-up. McGee would be trouble and Pachulia/West are old as balls. If Looney and Bell can't be effective, he may be forced to put the Hampton Five in overdrive.
Another way Houston has a better chance of controlling the pace is their amazing assist/turnover ratio all thanks to Paul. If Golden State has an inherent weakness, it's their massive amount of turnovers due to the sheer amount of passes they throw. The difference in turnovers could likely dictate the pace in the series if Harden/Paul don't seem phased; on the flipside, Houston's fastbreak defense is atrocious. If they play shitty possessions or turn the ball over anywhere close to Golden State's numbers, they lose one of the only innate advantages they have over this team.
Individual match-ups are likely to matter less in this series than we're all accustomed to since we're going to see a lot of switching. Curry and Harden's defense will be tested on a nightly basis and whoever can remain the most effective on that end gives their team the advantage. Last time Curry was tested like this with a similar injury, it was 2016 and they lost 3-1. I'm tempted to give Harden an edge over Curry in defense simply because I know 100% healthy, he's improved in that end through the eye test, and he has more help in ball-handling than in years past.
As for Kevin Durant...
Judging through the regular season possessions, Ariza, Tucker, and Moute will get the most minutes and they seemed to have done a fairly okay job although I want to say it'd be more indicative to see what Paul, Harden, and Capela to do once switched onto him. Yes, I said 6'0" Chris Paul and you'd be surprised how well he defends bigger defenders.
Klay Thompson is probably the absolute best defender Harden has ever seen. He hasn't fouled him in years, but as I said above, it's hard to predict how well say, Curry, Iguodala, or Durant will defend him in space. If anyone can though, it's the Hampton Five with Green and Durant's length and defense.
One small thing I'd like to mention as far as team stats is that Golden State's three-point shooting is something worth thinking about. Iguodala and Green are shooting fine now but against the best offensive team in by historical standards, is it enough? Heck, even Durant is shooting below his averages. Houston's been pretty disappointing too but they have an excuse in Gobert; Gordon has been bad though. Still, I'd trust most of Houston's shooters wide-open over Iguodala and Green in a series.
The series to me is essentially a toss-up if we ignore Golden State's history. They've lost a total of three playoff games up to this point. That is impressive, and they rarely use that Hampton Five line-up during the regular season (it's got some burn more this season which is interesting, have they been pushed to the ropes a bit maybe..?)
To me, it all comes down to how much you trust Capela to work in his match-ups because Golden State has no prayer in hell on keeping guys like Looney/Bell in for extended stretches. Can the Hampton Five play forever? Maybe, but is that something Green/Durant can do for extended stretches if they have to? Can Curry and Green stay out of foul trouble? Can Harden/Paul remain mostly efficient and as turnover-free as they have during these playoffs?
I'm telling everybody to favor Golden State, but my heart wants Houston so bad so I'll just make a fun pick.
Houston Rockets in seven.
Houston wins if: Capela is the most efficient frontcourt player in the series, Curry can't move laterally, Hampton Five can't play 30+ minutes effectively, Harden/Paul's assist/turnover rate was just enough, Golden State can't shoot in the ocean from three outside of Klay, Curry, Durant
Golden State wins if: Harden can't guard anybody again, Houston can't come up with a decent frontcourt combination in time, Harden/Paul can't score in isolation through the length of the Durant/Green, Green is too good on both ends of the floor. Green/Iguodala make their shots.
Let's gooo. Was confused why Nene was even put into the game, KD just ate him.
Rockets adopted that tactics since minute 1: swap the defense against Curry and let Harden "exposes" him. But that was a calculated risk for Warriors, because "if Harden scores but the rest of Rockets don't, it'll be OK for us". And that was exacly the defense that the Dubs applied in game 1. Jamming the passing lanes, fight in the court to deny Ariza, Green, Gordon and others catch and shoot choices of Houston, making boxouts against Capela (which tied in rebounds WITH CURRY) and in the offense let Durant shoot at ease, exploring the backdoor opportunities, the freakout rush of Splash Brothers in the perimeter and jamming the Rockets' best defenders (Ariza and Tucker). D'Antoni is a master of offense, but Kerr and Adams are a wonder duo of offense and defense. And yeah, they have four All Stars.
Warriors stole WCF game 1. Houston have to work hard to ran away from the defensive trap which Kerr and Adams mounted against them.
Warriors stole WCF game 1. Houston have to work hard to ran away from the defensive trap which Kerr and Adams mounted against them.
D'Antoni doesnt show up in playoffs. I'll be surprised if any adjustments are made from Houston on the defensive side, except for making sure they rotate better on D and wont leave the 3 brothers wide open.
And I wanna see the Warriors use their bench more. Good for Looney to get so much playing time, he was noticeable on the glass.
Looney has improved so much throughout the season, he is absolutely amazing for a big guy switching out on guards too. I really hope we can keep him for the future.
James Harden needs to add my old anti-rebounding move to his repertoire and embrace the dark side
Too much iso but gsw goated them by keeping looney out there. All this iso causes a few things:
1) other than curry, none of the other all stars are really breaking a sweat standing around. They comcentrate on offense better
2) they lock and load as they sit around. Green is always a help defender in the paint. Even if you beat curry or looney, green will muck it up
3) harden clearly loses stamina doing this
D'Antoni... Please please adjust the way you know how.
1) other than curry, none of the other all stars are really breaking a sweat standing around. They comcentrate on offense better
2) they lock and load as they sit around. Green is always a help defender in the paint. Even if you beat curry or looney, green will muck it up
3) harden clearly loses stamina doing this
D'Antoni... Please please adjust the way you know how.
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