New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season

[jerrybj]

watching game 2 and LeBron in the second half throwing up bricks and missing most every shot, to me he looked gassed. He was sweating profusely and looked like he was running on half a tank as he has missed every three point attempt. He had so many unforced turnovers thatI wondered if he was suffering from mile high oxygen deprivation.......today I saw this read...

Is LeBron James fatigued? Valid questions arise as Game 3 approaches​

LeBron James' mileage continues to increase, and the ramifications could be unfolding during another deep postseason run.

Is LeBron James showing signs of fatigue?

LeBron James' mileage continues to increase, and the ramifications could be unfolding during another deep postseason run.

www.nba.com

It must be hard for James.
No AD to take over the game.

The difference though is Miami is saying, if we are going to win, it will be as a team.
Jimmy may keep us in it (unless he scores 50 again), but one or many or all of us will make the difference.

LeBron showed in Game 2, he was going to win it for them. Except he didn't.

 

[GSOphile]

IMHO, Boston is the better team.
But the Heat are playing better, and their coaching is better.

The small things matter. Statistically very even game.
The Heat had more offensive rebounds and less turnovers.

It's looking like Boston has the better players; Miami has the better team. It would be interesting to compare the two groups' roster salaries.

 

[Fishfood]

Going to Coach Riley was a big draw for Jimmy.
And Coach Spo has won, as well as over performed with Heat teams.

It seems Butler is looking for the highest of competitive teammates, above all else.

Best quote of the post season: from Butler when asked about Grant Williams trash talking said he appreciates the fire in Williams but “I just don’t know if I’m the best person to talk to”

 

[Gregadd]

In order for the nuggets to win they need to hit the tri-facta, again.
1. lackluster three point shooting from the lakers
2.great three point from the nuggets shot almost 100% three pointers down the stretch.
3. great defense.

 

[jadis]

It's looking like Boston has the better players; Miami has the better team. It would be interesting to compare the two groups' roster salaries.

I would just imagine if they swap coaches. Same roster. Boston should have been up 2-0.

The interesting fact is that the 2 starting guards of the heat earn $1.8m each. Maybe because they were undrafted. Celtics starting guards easily at the $20m mark each. I've been critical about teams with sky is the limit spending to win a title. Miami is number 13 in salaries and Boston at number 4. Lakers at 7th and Denver at 8th. Even if the Celtics don't win, I'd be happy to see my view of mega salaries proven correct.

 

[jadis]

Best quote of the post season: from Butler when asked about Grant Williams trash talking said he appreciates the fire in Williams but “I just don’t know if I’m the best person to talk to”

I was hoping Grant would play NOT for the reason of firing up Butler. Grant is just a kid.

 

[jadis]

Going to Coach Riley was a big draw for Jimmy.
And Coach Spo has won, as well as over performed with Heat teams.

It seems Butler is looking for the highest of competitive teammates, above all else.

He didn't find Townes and Embiid competitive. LOL.

 

[Steve williams]

Well Lakers finally met their match as the entire Niuggets game consisted of all outside shooting and sadly they couldn't miss a shot. LeBron was off his game in the first half and clearly looked winded and dragging. Jamal Murray was unstoppable as the Nuggets just kept drilling 3's. Lakers lead briefly but TBH they were never in the game.

Nuggs go up 3-0 and Lakers are a game from being swept

I see this as a Nuggs Heat final. Who would have thought except JackD201

Final Nuggs 119-108

Lakers are out shopping for fishing gear

 

[jadis]

If this trend continues, there will still be a Lakers Celtics series - fight for 3rd place. . Silver should look into that.

 

[jadis]

I honestly never believed in that Vegas odds placing the Celtics at first place to win the title. Vegas uses stats, but the problem is, Heat doesn't care about stats and rankings. They play with their hearts and their coach extract the best out of any player he wants to put on the court. No egos. I feel that Mazzulla is weary of hurting the feelings of Horford to replace him as starter with Grant Williams. Spo will not hesitate to do that. Celtics build big leads but Heat always comes back late and overtake them. It means their players can do it but the coach lacks adjustment during the comebacks.

 

[jerrybj]

I like that D'Angelo Russell sat on the bench.
He has no idea the effort required to win at this level.
I'd start Schroder over him.

 

[jadis]

It just dawned on me, now that the Nuggets are 1/4 serving of fish tacos away from being in the Finals, that the NEW heartbreak kid is my own Boston Celtics. What was it, 5 EC Finals in the last 6 years and won only 1 last year? I could blame a lot of things, but this year, I blame the Chicago Bulls in the last game of the play-in for not eliminating the Heat. All they needed to do is win by 1 point, and the miseries of the Bucks and the Knicks and the Celtics would not have happened. And that would have prevented the firing of Coach Bud of the Bucks, and most possibly that of Mazulla of the C's with in this week.

 

[JackD201]

I don't know why Boston won't continuously have two ball handlers at all times against the Heat. Didn't they learn from playing against the other pesky team, The Warriors, last year? They clearly do well with Brogdon and White in the game.

It's tough to watch Phil. I think they rely too much on Tatum. Give the guy some easy looks coach. You're running the kid into the ground. Let him catch his breath by playing him off the ball every 2 or 3 possessions at least. Sheesh.

 

[jadis]

I don't know why Boston won't continuously have two ball handlers at all times against the Heat. Didn't they learn from playing against the other pesky team, The Warriors, last year? They clearly do well with Brogdon and White in the game.

It's tough to watch Phil. I think they rely too much on Tatum. Give the guy some easy looks coach. You're running the kid into the ground. Let him catch his breath by playing him off the ball every 2 or 3 possessions at least. Sheesh.

Totally agree, Jack. Rookie coach. But rookie coach Udoka last year was bolder, using White and Pritchard as part of the rotation - the the Finals at that against the Warriors. The arrival of Brogdon may have been too big a manna from heaven that Mazulla couldn't handle. It was the prosperity of having such a high caliber player ( I've been a fan since his Bucks day, even in Indy, though often injured) that Mazulla had to move Brogdon down at the start of the season and move White up as a starter. Many C's fans thought it should have been the other way around, or at least give these 2 more playing time as a tandem, as you suggested. Heat has many many guards, with Herro and Ola even in the injured list, and one can even count Jimmy Butler as a 2 guard.

On to Tatum and again you're right, coach is giving him all the load. Notice Tatum loves to carry the ball down (shades of LeBron) and he often posts up HIGH, to take his step back 3 point shots (shades of Harden). He is neither. The coaching staff should have drawn lots of plays where he moves inside and cut while receiving the ball from the guards. Think James Worthy. Tatum loves to weave in and out and in again but his handle isn't that of Kyrie and often he loses the ball, jumps up with no receiver in sight, and makes bad passes. Worse, he gets blocked inside. So he decides his best move is to shoot the 3 against anybody, like in Game 7 against Philly. Boston fans have to pray that he has that kind of a night for even 3 games in a series. Tall order. Entering his 6th year now and he is best remembered for his poster dunk over LeBron in as a rookie in the ECF, which they lost. As I mentioned, Mazulla needs to do a Spoestra and be bold in trusting his players. Hauser is an automatic machine gun, fantastic during the regular season. I dare say he's a better shooter than Reaves. Lol. But, he's a bench warmer. 7-man rotation, that is the problem with Mazulla. And when they lose, I always check the box scores and see that Horford has 4 points and Smart with 9. To win, these 2 need to do at least 15 points each. And add Brogdon's and White's combined 30 points, and they usually win the game. That is the formula. Hope Mazulla can adjust. Or that Brad Stevens visits their hotel room and run some tapes and correct something.

 

[JackD201]

Thanks for the insights Phil. You're right there are trust issues at play.

 

[JackD201]

Well Lakers finally met their match as the entire Niuggets game consisted of all outside shooting and sadly they couldn't miss a shot. LeBron was off his game in the first half and clearly looked winded and dragging. Jamal Murray was unstoppable as the Nuggets just kept drilling 3's. Lakers lead briefly but TBH they were never in the game.

Nuggs go up 3-0 and Lakers are a game from being swept

I see this as a Nuggs Heat final. Who would have thought except JackD201

Final Nuggs 119-108

Lakers are out shopping for fishing gear

I still think the Lakers can at least hold court once and steal once. That was the jack's-a-quack prediction anyways.

 

[jadis]

Nuggets and Heat have answers when leads are threatened or when they needed points to overtake a deficit. That's CLUTCH.

 

[jadis]

So it's not a 3pm game (3am here) for the next bloodbath. One advantage of the 3am game is that I'll be sleeping and wake up to see the end results. No live tensions. But the problem is before I wake up I dreamed of the game and score. Like game 7 against the Sixers, the dream showed the Sixers winning by like 10 points. But in reality they were blown out.

 

[Steve williams]

This synopsis of last night's game and the series tells it all. Simply put the lakers and Lebron and AD are gassed and cannot keep up with the younger faster Nuggets team. The comments on D'angelo Russell were dead on. Are played well until this series but he too is a no show. What I found interesting is that Russell is a restricted free agent next season and he may be gone again from the Lakers.....oh and did you read about the Chris Paul scenario.......

5 takeaways from Nuggets' Game 3 victory over Lakers​

Nikola Jokic gets plenty of help, Jamal Murray continues to steal the spotlight and L.A. has a D'Angelo Russell problem.

5 takeaways from Nuggets' Game 3 victory over Lakers | NBA.com

Nikola Jokic gets plenty of help, Jamal Murray continues to steal the spotlight and L.A. has a D'Angelo Russell problem.

www.nba.com

 

[jadis]

This synopsis of last night's game and the series tells it all. Simply put the lakers and Lebron and AD are gassed and cannot keep up with the younger faster Nuggets team. The comments on D'angelo Russell were dead on. Are played well until this series but he too is a no show. What I found interesting is that Russell is a restricted free agent next season and he may be gone again from the Lakers.....oh and did you read about the Chris Paul scenario.......

5 takeaways from Nuggets' Game 3 victory over Lakers​

Nikola Jokic gets plenty of help, Jamal Murray continues to steal the spotlight and L.A. has a D'Angelo Russell problem.

5 takeaways from Nuggets' Game 3 victory over Lakers | NBA.com

Nikola Jokic gets plenty of help, Jamal Murray continues to steal the spotlight and L.A. has a D'Angelo Russell problem.

www.nba.com

Wow, Chris Paul, another Banana Boat recruitment after Carmelo. He's booked for 2 more years at $30m each. Russell earned $31m this season, from his old contract. Wonder who will pay him anything near that for another 4 years.