***2021-2022 NBA Season Thread***

[StillUnknown]

 

 

[Renegade7]

1 minute ago, Momma There Goes That Man said:

 

I don’t know how you can say that with KD out and Klay hobbled. This is very much a series 

 

I disagree. 

 

Raptors had 5 minutes to overcome a single digit lead with no KD or Klay on the floor and couldn't get it done.

 

They are done.

[Going Commando]

2 minutes ago, Momma There Goes That Man said:

 

I don’t know how you can say that with KD out and Klay hobbled. This is very much a series 

 

Both of them will be back.  They're going to be up 3-1 by the time this thing gets back to Toronto.

[Renegade7]

This was the Raptor's chicxulub

 

 

[Going Commando]

3 minutes ago, StillUnknown said:

 

not necessarily. Golden State doesn't have the ammo if Klay misses more than 1 game

 

I don't think he's going to miss any time.  He might have torn that hamstring a little, and it will hurt, but that didn't look like the sort of thing you miss games for.  Especially not when you know Cousins, Iggy, and Curry are all playing through some stuff.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Gotta wait till Wednesday?  When's Game 4, next Monday?

[Renegade7]

They just showed the Warriors had 20-0 run if you count before halftime, first time since the merger in the finals

[StillUnknown]

7 minutes ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

Gotta wait till Wednesday?  When's Game 4, next Monday?

 

I dont mind, its a long time before meaningful football. I love baseball, but the sports landscape is dry as hell after the finals

[Going Commando]

7 minutes ago, Destino said:

So how will the media make it seem like Steph was ****ty in this game?  I swear ESPN must be tight with Lebron and Durant.  They work very hard to diminish Curry.

 

He wasn't exactly great.  He got to the FT line and he hit his low hanging fruit, and made one Steph Curry deep three at a key moment, but this performance was not up to a typical Finals MVP standard.  Golden State's front court did the heavy lifting of shot creation tonight--another sign of their invincibility.

 

It's bizarre, but VanVleet can check Curry in the half court and he's not exploiting Siakim on the switches as much as you'd expect.  I think that'll change in Oakland though.  I have a hard time seeing him be so deferential on that court.  And I have a hard time seeing VanVleet continue to play so well on the road.

[StillUnknown]

 

[Mr. Sinister]

32 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Of all people, to see DeMarcus Cousins come out and break Toronto's back in the second half... that is disheartening.  Their versatility is unbeatable.

 

Makes you want to throw the controller, but then you look down and realize this is real life.

[Destino]

17 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

He wasn't exactly great.  He got to the FT line and he hit his low hanging fruit, and made one Steph Curry deep three at a key moment, but this performance was not up to a typical Finals MVP standard.  Golden State's front court did the heavy lifting of shot creation tonight--another sign of their invincibility.

 

It's bizarre, but VanVleet can check Curry in the half court and he's not exploiting Siakim on the switches as much as you'd expect.  I think that'll change in Oakland though.  I have a hard time seeing him be so deferential on that court.  And I have a hard time seeing VanVleet continue to play so well on the road.

Toronto committed two players to Curry, especially on pick n rolls, and struggled to recover.  Its the same thing that happened with Kawhi and Gasol in game 1.  Each team has a passing big man, but they shine brightest when they have space and easy open targets to hit with passes.  That is easier when the opposing team is forced to defend 4, with 3.  

 

Also Toronto just plain missed a ton of wide open shots.  And Lowry was butt, again.  Dude is the biggest fraud of a “star guard” in the league.  That’s saying something when the ghost known as Khris Middleton is still haunting Milwaukee.

[Dr. Do Itch Big]

Lowry played well against the Bucks. 

[Dr. Do Itch Big]

Rachel nichols a little busted but she can get it 

[Bozo the kKklown]

Draymond is amazing

[Going Commando]

7 hours ago, Mr. Sinister said:

Makes you want to throw the controller, but then you look down and realize this is real life.

 

They can play virtually any style.  They can run the iso offense through their small forward.  They can run a motion offense through their guards.  They can run an inside-out and high post offense through their bigs.

 

I think the thing that shocked me the most about Cousins last night is how much of a force he was on defense and on the glass.  The offensive stuff was pretty cool, but I've gotten used to seeing that with him.  It was his defensive presence that was so demoralizing.  Golden State played true centers the entire second half.  And there was no defensive drop off from Cousins to Bogut--the dropoff was with Jerebko/Looney.  They were able to seamlessly alternate the two in multiple substitutions, and they were able to play Cousins through foul trouble in the third and stay with his hot hand.  He was just a huge presence around the basket and he stymied Toronto's interior offense (especially Siakim's), and he allowed Draymond to play the PF position and focus on freelancing and helping, which he did to great effect.  It reminded me of the dominant defense they used to play back when Bogut was their center, only this time they can play the whole game that way.

 

The other thing that stood out was his work getting the tough rebounds.  Cousins has really good hands.  He finished off their defense getting those boards in situations where it was him alone with two or more Toronto guys competing for the ball, and he could just pull it down one handed.  That's huge for Golden State's ability to play small around him and run since Iggy and the guards can leak out.  He can run the break for them or he can throw outlets.

 

There has been a lot of focus on Durant and not a lot on Cousins, but I think we're seeing a peek at Golden State's future.  I think Klay is going to stay, and I think Cousins might stay too, and we're getting to see how their style of play will adapt and thrive with that super tasty line up of Curry-Thompson-Iggy-Green-Cousins.  They're going to stay a championship caliber team without Durant.

Edited June 3, 2019 by stevemcqueen1

[Going Commando]

I think a Cousins and Green front court looked amazingly compatible.  If you get like 12 & 8 & 7 from Draymond, and like 15 & 11 & 5 from Cousins, and both play defense up to their capabaility, then formula can beat anybody.  They got that kind of combined production from them last night, and were able to beat the second best team in the league on their own court.  On a night when Curry was cold and Thompson and Iggy got hurt.  And on a night when Toronto played well, all things considered.

 

This organization is head and shoulders above the rest of the league.  They are so rich in talent.  And they give their great players the space to come in and use their unique skill sets in the best way.  Curry and Thompson and Iggy being such good teammates is a real key to this.  So is Kerr's flexibility.  They've created a culture of putting the team above the individual and they're like the frickin 60's Celtics in how much smarter and tougher they are than everyone else.  They are much more like that dynasty than they are the 90's Bulls, who were about as rigid and hierarchical as it gets.

[TradeTheBeal!]

I fell asleep around halftime...too much manicotti.  Glad I didn’t miss anything fun.

 

Go Raptors!

[Barry.Randolphe]

The team played better with Looney out and Cousins/Bogut alternating.....I don't know if Bogut is better than Looney or if it's because he's a veteran, but I was shocked Kerr hasn't played him more. He's a solid vet with plenty left in the tank.

[Chew]

9 hours ago, BenningRoadSkin said:

Draymond is amazing

 

I love the dude.  And the fact that so many people hate him makes me love him even more LOL.  Dude's all effort, all the time.  His fellow warriors and coaching staff all say Draymond is a phenomenal teammate.  

I love it when he pushes it right after an "emotional" basket for the other team, he often catches opposing teammates busy high-fiving and it quiets the crowd.  9 times out of 10 he scores or gets fouled, he did it several times last night.  

[Hersh]

If Draymond always played like he is this playoffs, which includes not getting Techs for constant complaining and not kicking other dudes in the man zone, he'd be a lot more appreciated. All that other stuff over shadowed his play for those that don't regularly watch GS or even the NBA. 

[Going Commando]

Draymond is a lot easier to like from the outside. He's a great player who plays winning basketball, but he's an asshole and a dirty player and he causes needless drama.  Managing his moods is a full time job for Kerr.

1 minute ago, Hersh said:

If Draymond always played like he is this playoffs, which includes not getting Techs for constant complaining and not kicking other dudes in the man zone, he'd be a lot more appreciated. All that other stuff over shadowed his play for those that don't regularly watch GS or even the NBA. 

 

He's still complaining constantly.  But he's been defused enough to avoid a lot of the technicals that could have been called on him.

[Mr. Sinister]

4 hours ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

They can play virtually any style.  They can run the iso offense through their small forward.  They can run a motion offense through their guards.  They can run an inside-out and high post offense through their bigs.

 

I think the thing that shocked me the most about Cousins last night is how much of a force he was on defense and on the glass.  The offensive stuff was pretty cool, but I've gotten used to seeing that with him.  It was his defensive presence that was so demoralizing.  Golden State played true centers the entire second half.  And there was no defensive drop off from Cousins to Bogut--the dropoff was with Jerebko/Looney.  They were able to seamlessly alternate the two in multiple substitutions, and they were able to play Cousins through foul trouble in the third and stay with his hot hand.  He was just a huge presence around the basket and he stymied Toronto's interior offense (especially Siakim's), and he allowed Draymond to play the PF position and focus on freelancing and helping, which he did to great effect.  It reminded me of the dominant defense they used to play back when Bogut was their center, only this time they can play the whole game that way.

 

The other thing that stood out was his work getting the tough rebounds.  Cousins has really good hands.  He finished off their defense getting those boards in situations where it was him alone with two or more Toronto guys competing for the ball, and he could just pull it down one handed.  That's huge for Golden State's ability to play small around him and run since Iggy and the guards can leak out.  He can run the break for them or he can throw outlets.

 

There has been a lot of focus on Durant and not a lot on Cousins, but I think we're seeing a peek at Golden State's future.  I think Klay is going to stay, and I think Cousins might stay too, and we're getting to see how their style of play will adapt and thrive with that super tasty line up of Curry-Thompson-Iggy-Green-Cousins.  They're going to stay a championship caliber team without Durant.

 

Yeah, I saw that too. No one saw dead Boogie coming. He and Draymond got this W.

 

This series is over

[Hersh]

1 hour ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Draymond is a lot easier to like from the outside. He's a great player who plays winning basketball, but he's an asshole and a dirty player and he causes needless drama.  Managing his moods is a full time job for Kerr.

 

He's still complaining constantly.  But he's been defused enough to avoid a lot of the technicals that could have been called on him.

 

He also looks better by comparison after watching Harden and Paul flopping all around and complaining all the time. 

[Going Commando]

32 minutes ago, Hersh said:

 

He also looks better by comparison after watching Harden and Paul flopping all around and complaining all the time. 

 

That's true.  Draymond's histrionics over getting called for what are usually really obvious fouls is annoying.  But seeing Harden and Paul always begging and whining for foul calls is loathsome.