NBA Playoffs 2017: Kawhi Did You Injure Me?

[DunderMifflin]

I'm going the Beal route.

Lebron don't want none of me. He's lucky I got cut in tryouts for my college team and fucked up my draft stock or else. Lebron is scared of me, that's all there is to it.

[briantw]

9 minutes ago, DunderMifflin said:

I'm going the Beal route.

Lebron don't want none of me. He's lucky I got cut in tryouts for my college team and fucked up my draft stock or else. Lebron is scared of me, that's all there is to it.

Hey, at least Beal was smart enough to talk shit when there was no chance of it coming back to bite him.

Well, at least not this year.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

5 hours ago, DunderMifflin said:

I'm going the Beal route.

Lebron don't want none of me. He's lucky I got cut in tryouts for my college team and fucked up my draft stock or else. Lebron is scared of me, that's all there is to it.

Well in the case of this series, you might as well. That was an absolute genocide last night. Not sure bulletin board material could've possibly made it any worse.

So the Warriors pick up a ho-hum win on the road tonight against a Kawhiless Spurs. Really sloppy 4th quarter that would've likely resulted in a loss against the Cavs. 

[Relic]

Have the Warriors faced a healthy team in these playoffs yet? 

[sperry]

18 hours ago, Manhole Eunuchsbane said:

Yes! He's clearly not human. He's better, a year older, despite being in his 30's. Someone earlier posted that he's somehow faster now than he was at 25. 

You guys might want to consider the lack of competition here. The past two games he's walked into the paint and been given layups like they were blocks of gubmnint cheese. This is not going to happen against Golden State.  

The Celtics aren't exactly world beaters, but they're a damn sight better than SA minus Kawhi.

 

Also, LeBron didn't deserve the MVP this year. That 23-23 record down the stretch is pretty much proof positive that he was not exerting himself for over half the season.

[Slurktan]

19 hours ago, Manhole Eunuchsbane said:

 

You guys might want to consider the lack of competition here. The past two games he's walked into the paint and been given layups like they were blocks of gubmnint cheese. This is not going to happen against Golden State.  

Probably not.  But then again I'm sure Zaza will step under him on a jumpshot and try and take him out.

[sperry]

Also, Boston is garbage, but I think Toronto is quite good.

[David Selig]

The way these playoffs are going I almost expect LeBron to get the first serious injury of his career five minutes into Game 1 and the Finals to end up being a boring sweep and the cherry on top for the most boring playoffs in recent history. It's been quite ridiculous how all the opponents of Cavs and the Warriors except Indiana got key players injured early in the series against them and made the series even less of a contest. Not that they wouldn't have made it to the Finals anyway, but at least we might have seen less blowouts and some 4-1 or even 4-2 series.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

7 hours ago, Relic said:

Have the Warriors faced a healthy team in these playoffs yet? 

No. All three teams they've faced have had injuries to starters.

[sperry]

Went ahead and dropped $100 on Celtics at +1400. They aren't likely to win, but I think it's a good value. I don't think Isiah being out actually hurts the Celts in this series.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

16 minutes ago, sperry said:

Went ahead and dropped $100 on Celtics at +1400. They aren't likely to win, but I think it's a good value. I don't think Isiah being out actually hurts the Celts in this series.

Straight up to win? It is a nice payout, but I don't think they have any real chance here. That said, I hope you hit on it.

[sperry]

3 minutes ago, Manhole Eunuchsbane said:

Straight up to win? It is a nice payout, but I don't think they have any real chance here. That said, I hope you hit on it.

 

Think it's quite a bit higher than the 7.1% implied in that line. That is completely insane for an NBA money line. Historically, that would be about the odds for the Celts to win the whole series.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

13 minutes ago, sperry said:

 

Think it's quite a bit higher than the 7.1% implied in that line. That is completely insane for an NBA money line. Historically, that would be about the odds for the Celts to win the whole series.

Yeah, that's a crazy line, I just don't know if the Celts have any chance here. They looked shell-shocked before the half was even up last game.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

/Obligatory
 

Get to the finals already. These beat downs aren't even worth watching. It was mind blowing to turn on the Cavs-Celtics game in the middle of the second when I got home. It was like 65-26.

[Michael Seswatha Jordan]

@Manhole Eunuchsbane, I've been huffing Bron-Bron darts since 1999. Lol, that was good, I'm still crying.

Nah, I understand your point about the competition, but I don't see anyone beating the Cavs the way they're playing. I like GS and the way their team is put together, if LeBron stays on this tear, I don't see the Dubs standing a chance.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

10 minutes ago, Michael Seswatha Jordan said:

@Manhole Eunuchsbane, I've been huffing Bron-Bron darts since 1999. Lol, that was good, I'm still crying.

Nah, I understand your point about the competition, but I don't see anyone beating the Cavs the way they're playing. I like GS and the way their team is put together, if LeBron stays on this tear, I don't see the Dubs standing a chance.

It should be one hell of a series, for sure. And hell, it better be given the quality of these playoff games. Outside of the Wiz/Celtics series, these have all been stinkers.

 I think these teams are very evenly matched. Looking at the starting lineups, the Cavs obviously have the best player on the court. I think you have to give the Warriors #2-3. After that, I think it's a bit of a push. I give the Cavs a big advantage on the boards when LeBron, Thompson and Love are all on the floor. I think they are basically even on defense, and I give the Warriors a slight edge on offense.

As long as both teams avoid injury, this should be a really close series. I can see the Warriors taking it in 6, but I think it likely goes 7. Either way, I like the Warrior's chances. Home court here is huge. If Darymond can keep dumbass Day-Day in a box, the Warriors take this one.

[Michael Seswatha Jordan]

A reasonable assesment. If, and only if LeBron continues to play the way he has up until this point, my money is on the Cavs. He has the ability to get in Steph's head, we know this and seen it last year. He can also equalize KD. If I am Lue, I'm putting Bron at the 5 and letting him do his thing. I know GS can match that lineup and quite well, but I think it's when LeBron is at his best.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

2 minutes ago, Michael Seswatha Jordan said:

A reasonable assesment. If, and only if LeBron continues to play the way he has up until this point, my money is on the Cavs. He has the ability to get in Steph's head, we know this and seen it last year. He can also equalize KD. If I am Lue, I'm putting Bron at the 5 and letting him do his thing. I know GS can match that lineup and quite well, but I think it's when LeBron is at his best.

Steph was hurt last year at this time. He couldn't finish inside against either OKC or the Cavs. Not so, this year. That's not to say that he can necessarily score over LeBron in the paint (I'd say more often than not, that's going to be a losing proposition) That said, LeBron can't always be in the paint. And he can't equalize KD and Curry when they are both on the floor, And I don't think the Cavs have a backcourt player that can neutralize Curry or Klay. 

That said, when LeBron is at the next level, he is damn near unstoppable. If he plays with the same intensity that he has in the last two finals, he's going to give his team a chance, no doubt. I think he's going to be best served to try using his Jedi mind tricks on Draymond though. That was the key to their victory last season, I don't care what anyone says. If he can manage to drape his sack on Day-Day's neck again without drawing a flagrant, the Cavs chances will be greatly improved.

[Michael Seswatha Jordan]

Bron-Bron farts and Dray-Dray getting a nutsack helmet, I love it.

Stephen was hurt, forgot about that. I'd rather have a brick'n Steph than anything else. Your right, no one can guard Steph in Cavs back court, and no one can guard Kyrie, either. And he will be huge, make no mistake he'll have to showup. The past two finals, neither of the splash brothers have really showed all that well and rather like to keep it that way.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

4 minutes ago, Michael Seswatha Jordan said:

Bron-Bron farts and Dray-Dray getting a nutsack helmet, I love it.

Stephen was hurt, forgot about that. I'd rather have a brick'n Steph than anything else. Your right, no one can guard Steph in Cavs back court, and no one can guard Kyrie, either. And he will be huge, make no mistake he'll have to showup. The past two finals, neither of the splash brothers have really showed all that well and rather like to keep it that way.

Klay Thompson can stone Kyrie. The same can't be said the other way around. That said, I think you're right that Irving is key. When he's hot (like in Game 7 of last year's Finals) then the Cavs are really hard to beat.