NBA 2018 - Soup's on!

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

For all the moaning about how boring the 2017-18 NBA season will be before it started, this year has been fantastic.

Let’s start with the East:

The Toronto Raptors have been sensational. Most people outside of Toronto probably expected them to be the third or fourth seed and enjoy getting bounced in the second round. Instead they put together the deepest roster in the NBA, and Derozan has really improved his all around game, even if it doesn’t jump out on the stat sheet. They’ve also built a roster that can frustrate the preseason Eastern Conference frontrunner, and for the first time in years, it wouldn’t be shocking if they emerged out of the East. Yes, they still have to finally prove it in the playoffs, but Toronto fans can finally believe that this is their year.

The Boston Celtics have had one rollercoaster of a year. After dramatically upgrading their roster by acquiring Kyrie and Hayward, the sky was the limit. It actually felt like they could challenge the King for supremacy in the East. Then tragedy struck, and Hayward was lost before he could even get started. Still, reports are good that he will fully recover. And where there was suffering, there was also optimism for the future. Brown’s game has taken a big step forward, and Tatum looks like the real deal. They’ve struggled a bit down the stretch, but their futures are bright. Then tragedy struck again with Kyrie hurting his knee. It seems unlikely that they’ll do anything in the playoffs this year, but their young players will get early seasoning which should help them greatly next year. I know it doesn’t feel good now, but this team is perfectly built to be a monster over the next few seasons if their young guys keep making progress.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, the preseason favorite to win the East, have had one bizarre season. After losing their second best player, the person they acquired to replace him is already gone (and the story of IT is a sad one at that. He went from expecting a max deal to be hopeful to get a mid level contract, and it’s all because he decided to fight through a nasty injury). The Cavs completely revamped their roster, getting younger, faster and more versatile, but they still have holes, and for the first time in this decade, LeBron to the Finals is not guaranteed. They should still be the betting favorites, but it will be exciting to see what happens if LeBron and the Cavs find themselves with their backs against the wall.

The next tier of teams likely has no chance to make it out of the East (nor does Boston if Kyrie is not able to go), but there’s still so much to like. We all mocked Sam Hinkie and the Philadelphia 76ers, but it appears we really should have trusted the process. Embiid looks like a future MVP, and Simmons is amazing. If he learns how to shoot, game over. Plus we’ve all had a little fun at the unusual odyssey of Fultz. The Indiana Pacers have been a pleasant surprise with a bright future. The Washington Wizards have had a disappointing year, but they’re still in the hunt and with Embiid going down, they’re probably the most dangerous team below the third seed. The Miami Heat are a nice team. They won’t do anything, but at least they got their feel good story with the return of Wade. The Milwakee Bucks, on the other hand, are probably the most disappointing team in the East. I really thought they’d be the second best team after Boston’s misfortunes, but they have failed to live up to our expectations. Enjoy the Greek Freak while you have him, because he’s gone in a few years…..

None of the other Eastern Conference teams are worth mentioning, so now let’s talk about the Wild Wild West:

The Houston Rockets have been hands down the best team this season. Statistically speaking, they’re the best offense in league history. James Harden is running away with the MVP, and Chris Paul has reestablished himself as a premier player in the NBA. D'Antoni’s seven second or less offense has been vindicated, and he’s got the perfect team to run it. Their ability to score quickly is exactly like the Warriors in past years, and they’re playing good defense too. The Rockets should be seen as the favorites heading into the playoffs.

Before the season started I told ya’ll not to crown the Golden State Warriors again, because injuries can happen, and boy have they. All of their key players sans Green have spent extended time on the injury report, and worse, they’re banged up heading into the postseason. I know most people don’t expect that to matter in the first round, but there’s a team they should want nothing to do with, and I’ll discuss that later. If the Warriors can get healthy, which is a big if, then the Rockets favoritism should pump the breaks. But if they can’t, their dynasty is looking like it’s going to have to pump the breaks. I still think the championship will be determined in the Western Conference Finals, but for that to happen, we need the Warriors to be the Warriors. Basketball Gods, do not deny us this series!

The Portland Trailblazers might be the biggest positive surprise of the season. They were a fringe playoff team during the first half of the season, but they’ve been on fire as of late and I would want nothing to do with them. Damian Lillard has established himself as an absolute superstar, top 10 player and might come in second in the MVP voting. I must admit that I haven’t watched many of their games, but I cannot wait to see them in the playoffs.

After a bad start to the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are right where we thought they would be, in the top half of the West. Westbrook is still playing out of his mind, and George is finally living up to his role as Robin. Melo has been widely inconsistent, but I would still have faith in him come the post season. The one thing that would worry me if I was a Thunder fan is their lack of depth, but absent that they still have a chance to shock the West.

The New Orleans Pelicans have been a surprising team. I didn’t expect them to make the playoffs, and if they did, it would be as the last seed. When Cousins went out, I figured they were done. But Davis has put this team on his back and is playing like the guy we always thought he would be. If the standings hold, a first round Thunder-Pelicans matchup should be a blast. I doubt that they can get past the second round, regardless of their seating, but they’ve taken the steps forward needed to keep Davis happy and increase the likelihood that he won’t leave in FA when his contract is up.

The biggest disappointment in the West is unquestionably the San Antonio Spurs. Kawhi was widely considered to be the third best player on the planet, but he has hardly played this year and it seems like he’s done with the organization. This is a strange twist for the most stable franchise in the NBA over the last two decades. The Spurs won’t go anywhere without him, but it’s a testament to Pop’s coaching that he even has the team where it is. They really have no business being in the playoffs.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have had an interesting season to say the least. If everything holds, they will finally end their fourteen year playoff drought, but not how they expected. Before Butler went down, they were the third seed in the West and the fifth best team in the NBA. Since then, they’ve been in a dog fight to end their playoff drought. The bright side is that Karl Anthony-Towns has exploded in Butler’s absences, and has proven what all of us Wolves fans have known all along that he is the best player on the team. Still, the team’s chemistry in makeup is flawed. There are too many scorers and not enough playmakers. That said, if Butler can return before the start of the playoffs, and get back into playing shape, the Warriors should be terrified of this team if both hold at the second and seventh seeds. The Wolves matchup really well with the Warriors and KAT has always destroyed them. If the Warriors are healthy, they’ll be fine. But if Curry is out and KD and Klay are not at full strength, don’t be shocked if the world champions get bounced in the first round.

The Utah Jazz have so much to be proud of. Currently they’re the eight seed, and at the start of the season they had no business being here. But they’re fighters. Grinders. What they lack in talent they make up for in will, grit and determination. If they make the playoffs, they’ll be a quick out, but that’s nothing to hang their heads about. They’ve proven they belong, and when you’re expected to be a high lottery pick, that means something.

Unlike the East, the West has teams that are on the playoff bubble worth discussing. The L.A. Clippers, expected to be dogs after their two best players have left, have fought like hell. They still can make the playoffs, which is shocking. And the same can be said of the Denver Nuggets. They’ve had a disappointing season, but it’s not over yet. And even the L.A. Lakers, long in the basketball wilderness, have showing to hang their hats on. This team should have been straight garbage, but they are showing a lot of future upside, and maybe, just maybe, done enough to finally be successful in chasing an offseason whale.

The 2017-18 NBA season was supposed to be a dud. It’s been anything but. Littered with surprises, upsets, injuries and intrigues, both conferences have so much that are still up for grabs. In the East, little separates the three seed from the five, and furthermore, little separates the six from the eight. There are no guarantees, other than the eight teams listed above making the playoffs. And the West is even more volatile. The top two seeds are set, but the three seed is only three games ahead of the seven seed, and the four seed is only separated by four games from the ten seed. With less than ten games to go, anything can happen. What a crazy, exciting season it’s been to be a fan of basketball.

[James Arryn]

Great write up, Ty. Just for the record, though,, Toronto fans think that every year. And many of them believe it’s only been league conspiracies that have stopped it from happening before now. Basically, never cite Rap fans opinions on anything Raptors related. Writers and journalists who write anything remotely critical almost always do so saying they know the automatic shitstorm of angry emails and comments that will ensue, others do so openly counting on that inevitability to generate noise. We’re a weird bunch. 

[Jaime L]

2 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

For all the moaning about how boring the 2017-18 NBA season will be before it started, this year has been fantastic.

I agree. This season has been a lot of fun. Good summary - agree with pretty much all of it.

I can't tell if the Wizards are tanking for the 7th seed to face a diminished Celtics team or are just bad now. Think Bradley Beal who never had to carry this big of a load before wore himself out. At least John Wall should be back any day now. For as much talk about the wonders of ball movement and unselfishness, this team desperately needs another guy who can create right now. 

I do think injuries will make for a better first round than we've had in years. I don't see any obvious walkovers like prior years. Even unbeatable Houston...if they get the Jazz, that's a little scary. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

6 hours ago, James Arryn said:

Great write up, Ty. Just for the record, though,, Toronto fans think that every year. And many of them believe it’s only been league conspiracies that have stopped it from happening before now. Basically, never cite Rap fans opinions on anything Raptors related. Writers and journalists who write anything remotely critical almost always do so saying they know the automatic shitstorm of angry emails and comments that will ensue, others do so openly counting on that inevitability to generate noise. We’re a weird bunch. 

Lol. I never understood why you guys didn't win a ton of titles when you had Vince and Tracy. 12 year old me Was able to have perfect season with them on my Dreamcast, with Carter averaging over 100 ppg. 

6 hours ago, Jaime L said:

I do think injuries will make for a better first round than we've had in years. I don't see any obvious walkovers like prior years. Even unbeatable Houston...if they get the Jazz, that's a little scary. 

Yeah, that combined with a more equal distribution of talent among the lesser teams should make things interesting.

[IamMe90]

Not that anyone else here probably watched the Bucks/Nuggets game, but that had to be the most frustrating single game of any sport (as a fan) that I've ever seen. The officiating was of absurdly poor quality. They called Giannis for three offensive fouls, the last of which fouled him out of the game at a critical juncture and was obvious bullshit (IMO). They called a foul on Jason Terry when the Nuggets were going for a 3 pointer with 3 seconds left on the clock (that the player missed) when there was obviously no contact. And that foul allowed the Nuggets to tie up the game with 3 free throw shots and bring it into overtime, which they would ultimately win. 

And then it was doubly frustrating because the Bucks just so blatantly shat the bed in every clutch moment in the game. Khris Middleton shot at a putrid rate of 22.2%. Jabari Parker played the best ball of his season... except at the start of overtime when he flubbed receiving a pass and then fouled a Nugget player immediately thereafter. Bledsoe had 28 points, but also stepped out of bounds when Parker inbounded the ball to him with 2.6 seconds left on the block and the score tied. 

This has been my first year getting into the NBA, and I have learned that the Bucks are an excruciating team to be a fan of. Ugh 

 

[SkynJay]

52 minutes ago, IamMe90 said:

Not that anyone else here probably watched the Bucks/Nuggets game, but that had to be the most frustrating single game of any sport (as a fan) that I've ever seen. The officiating was of absurdly poor quality. They called Giannis for three offensive fouls, the last of which fouled him out of the game at a critical juncture and was obvious bullshit (IMO). They called a foul on Jason Terry when the Nuggets were going for a 3 pointer with 3 seconds left on the clock (that the player missed) when there was obviously no contact. And that foul allowed the Nuggets to tie up the game with 3 free throw shots and bring it into overtime, which they would ultimately win. 

And then it was doubly frustrating because the Bucks just so blatantly shat the bed in every clutch moment in the game. Khris Middleton shot at a putrid rate of 22.2%. Jabari Parker played the best ball of his season... except at the start of overtime when he flubbed receiving a pass and then fouled a Nugget player immediately thereafter. Bledsoe had 28 points, but also stepped out of bounds when Parker inbounded the ball to him with 2.6 seconds left on the block and the score tied. 

This has been my first year getting into the NBA, and I have learned that the Bucks are an excruciating team to be a fan of. Ugh 

 

I saw it.  It was fantastic as a Nugget fan still clinging to playoff hope.  I am used to the officiating being horrible (and usually against the nuggets and their lack of stars).  But lets not go overboard here.  I watched the replay just a bit ago and Murry got a hand in the side.  Ticky tacky maybe but a vet has to know when the shot is already off; how many threes are blocked from slightly behind and to the side?  And you better believe Terry knew Murry is the second best free throw shooter in the league, he just cant give the ref the opportunity to call it.

 Murry missed most the third on a 'maybe' call that stuck him with 4 and that is when the Bucks went on their run.  These calls go both ways.

Mostly the Bucks got sloppy with the ball and stopped making shots; i think they scored 10 whole points after Giannis fouled out (and went after the offical to get the double T and give away even more points).

[DMC]

On 3/30/2018 at 6:17 PM, Tywin et al. said:

I never understood why you guys didn't win a ton of titles when you had Vince and Tracy.

That's cuz the Magic snaked McGrady as the consolation price when they were trying to sign Hill and Duncan.  On my loneliest nights, I still imagine what a healthy Hill/McGrady/Miller trio could do at that time, with no true point guard.  Nowadays, they'd have a 1 and those three would play 2/3/4, but back then, that could've been something truly unique.

46 minutes ago, IamMe90 said:

Not that anyone else here probably watched the Bucks/Nuggets game, but that had to be the most frustrating single game of any sport (as a fan) that I've ever seen. The officiating was of absurdly poor quality. They called Giannis for three offensive fouls, the last of which fouled him out of the game at a critical juncture and was obvious bullshit (IMO). They called a foul on Jason Terry when the Nuggets were going for a 3 pointer with 3 seconds left on the clock (that the player missed) when there was obviously no contact. And that foul allowed the Nuggets to tie up the game with 3 free throw shots and bring it into overtime, which they would ultimately win. 

The most interesting part of this paragraph is that Jason Terry is still playing in the NBA.  Officiating in the NBA is the worst, bar none, but that's also in part because it's the most subjective.  At least ya got Giannis, who is poised to be one of the top five or even three best players in the league for the foreseeable future.  Trust me, regardless of the team's success, that's something to appreciate.

27 minutes ago, Triskele said:

How come none of you guys talked about it when Portland won 13 straight and stormed into 3rd place in the superior West?  Jerks. 

Because even the most interesting things in Portland turn out to be Not in Portland.

Alright, I didn't come here solely to be a smartass.  Just wanted to mention the Magic have acquitted themselves "well" recently by losing to the Nets, Bulls, and Hawks.  They still beat the Suns recently - who have separated themselves as the first seed in the lottery - but numbers 2 through 6 are only separated by three games.  It's gonna go down to the wire for those lottery balls!  And I really want one of them to have a shot at Ayton, Doncic, or Bagley, who seem to clearly be the most exciting top three talents in my estimation.

[Jaime L]

12 hours ago, Triskele said:

How come none of you guys talked about it when Portland won 13 straight and stormed into 3rd place in the superior West?  Jerks. 

Dude! At one point I legit had a post about Portland all written up because they'd really been impressing me but didn't post it because I figured no-one cared. There's been no evidence Frisky still posted in the NBA thread. 

But I've been pretty entertained watching Dame do his Steph Curry impression. Nurkic wrecks fools whenver I see him. And the rookie Collins looks like an overgrown 12 year old but I think he's going to be a player. Not sure how the Blazers D is so good with Lillard/McCollum out there but it's all kinda working.

Right now it'd be Blazers/Jazz in round 1 which would be really interesting. And I'm rooting for a Warriors/Blazers round two matchup. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

19 hours ago, Triskele said:

How come none of you guys talked about it when Portland won 13 straight and stormed into 3rd place in the superior West?  Jerks. 

Portland is a good team, but have you ever felt overwhelmed by them like you do with Houston and Golden State? 

[Slurktan]

On 4/2/2018 at 0:05 AM, dmc515 said:

That's cuz the Magic snaked McGrady as the consolation price when they were trying to sign Hill and Duncan.  On my loneliest nights, I still imagine what a healthy Hill/McGrady/Miller trio could do at that time, with no true point guard.  Nowadays, they'd have a 1 and those three would play 2/3/4, but back then, that could've been something truly unique.

I always found McGrady to Orlando weird.  He has said that at the time he wanted his own team(get away from Vince's star at the time) then goes to Orlando to be with Hill.  Weird.  Especially weird and bitter to long time Raptor fans as over the past few years he has publicly stated many, many, times that he never should have left the T-Dot and regrets it.

[Relic]

5 hours ago, Slurktan said:

I always found McGrady to Orlando weird.  He has said that at the time he wanted his own team(get away from Vince's star at the time) then goes to Orlando to be with Hill.  Weird.  Especially weird and bitter to long time Raptor fans as over the past few years he has publicly stated many, many, times that he never should have left the T-Dot and regrets it.

he was super young, right? like 22? It's a shame he left, but not hard to understand when you remember how immature he was back then. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

13 hours ago, Triskele said:

lol, no.

I am just really hoping that they don't draw San Antonio in the 1st round right when Leonard gets healthy (assuming he does).  That would be a really harsh draw for finishing 3rd.

Really? Even with Kawhi, that’s the team I’d want most. Your other options, given how close 4-8 are, would be a nasty OKC team, an equally nasty Wolves team if Butler is back, a NO team that can beat anyone outside of the top two and a Jazz team that can sneak up on you despite their lack of elite talent. The Spurs seem like the easiest team to beat over seven game.

[James Arryn]

The Carter/McGrady thing is an incredibly painful what-if scenario, made even more so by the fact that they were newly discovered cousins AND that Carter would have been totally happy with sharing the lead role and/or even giving it to McGrady if McGrady really wanted it...Carter was a weird lead guy in the sense that his athleticism/style of play propelled him to the lead role, but his personality didn’t really demand it, he was fine being a co-pilot or even Robin. I think over time it changed, but back then basketball was really his raison d’etre the way it is for most stars. He even expressed his willingness to let McGrady drive the bus at the time, and that was when his profile was in a different stratosphere than McGrady. 

T-Mac’s issues were more about how an earlier coach had treated him, plus playing in the shadow of the most popular player of that time, but the fact that he was willing to play with bigger stars than himself (at the time) in Orlando goes to show how doable it was, on paper.

Ah, well, what could have been.

 

[Jaime L]

On 4/1/2018 at 9:09 PM, IamMe90 said:

Not that anyone else here probably watched the Bucks/Nuggets game, but that had to be the most frustrating single game of any sport (as a fan) that I've ever seen. The officiating was of absurdly poor quality. They called Giannis for three offensive fouls, the last of which fouled him out of the game at a critical juncture and was obvious bullshit (IMO). They called a foul on Jason Terry when the Nuggets were going for a 3 pointer with 3 seconds left on the clock (that the player missed) when there was obviously no contact. And that foul allowed the Nuggets to tie up the game with 3 free throw shots and bring it into overtime, which they would ultimately win. 

And then it was doubly frustrating because the Bucks just so blatantly shat the bed in every clutch moment in the game. Khris Middleton shot at a putrid rate of 22.2%. Jabari Parker played the best ball of his season... except at the start of overtime when he flubbed receiving a pass and then fouled a Nugget player immediately thereafter. Bledsoe had 28 points, but also stepped out of bounds when Parker inbounded the ball to him with 2.6 seconds left on the block and the score tied. 

This has been my first year getting into the NBA, and I have learned that the Bucks are an excruciating team to be a fan of. Ugh 

 

I had that game on the background. Was rooting for the Bucks because I want the Wizards to fall to the 7 seed. Someone was getting their doors blown off all game but it kept flipping every time I looked up.

Excruciating is a good word for the Bucks in that game. Blowing an 8 point lead with a minute to go remains unreal. Still don't entirely get how that happened. 

The Bucks have a transcendent talent in Giannis but not sure the rest of the pieces make sense around him. John Henson in particular. If he continues to be start games in the playoffs, nuke this coaching staff into orbit. 

 

 

[briantw]

46 minutes ago, Triskele said:

Just goes to show how brutal the West is.  But if Leonard were back (and that appears to be a big if), surely San Antonio would all of the sudden be frightening.  People were talking last year like he was one of the three best players in the league.  Combine that with Aldridge and Pop...

Hard to forget that San Antonio was absolutely demolishing Golden State in game one last year before Leonard got hurt and Durant was then actually able to get something done.  

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

3 hours ago, Triskele said:

Just goes to show how brutal the West is.  But if Leonard were back (and that appears to be a big if), surely San Antonio would all of the sudden be frightening.  People were talking last year like he was one of the three best players in the league.  Combine that with Aldridge and Pop...

But either way Portland, if they can hang on to the 3 or 4 spot, should really relish that home court because they're likely to get quite a tough 1st round matchup.  

I would agree about the Spurs if Kawhi had came back like a month ago. I think he's played all of nine games this year, and bringing him back with eight days left in the season means he'd be rusty as hell, and we still don't know if he'd be 100%. I'm not writing the Spurs off as a first round threat, but they're more like the Jazz than any of the other playoff teams. Great system and coaching, but lacking in high end talent required to do major damage in the postseason.

2 hours ago, briantw said:

Hard to forget that San Antonio was absolutely demolishing Golden State in game one last year before Leonard got hurt and Durant was then actually able to get something done.  

Eh, the sample was pretty small though. I don't think that series would have gone past six games with a healthy Kawhi. Also, was that the same injury that's kept him out all year? It's been a really bizarre saga to say the least. 

[Relic]

After the first month of the season I said that as a Knick fan I would trade Porzingis for Tatum and Jalen Brown. Does everyone still think I'm crazy? Cuz from where I'm sitting Porzingis will never ever be able to stay on the court. 

[DMC]

So the Magic have somehow won two game over the past two nights, albeit against pretty bad opponents (Knicks and Mavs).  I feel responsible.

15 hours ago, Relic said:

After the first month of the season I said that as a Knick fan I would trade Porzingis for Tatum and Jalen Brown. Does everyone still think I'm crazy? Cuz from where I'm sitting Porzingis will never ever be able to stay on the court. 

Yes, I still think you're crazy.  Porzingis can change the way a game is played on both sides of the court.  Tatum and Brown, well, can't.  And he has plenty of time left to maintain health as he gets stronger.  Dude's only 22.

[DMC]

58 minutes ago, Triskele said:

Have there ever been two less "alpha" alphas than these two?  I hate that term, but I think everyone knows what I mean. 

"You take it!"  "No, you take it!"  

Not too typical of an NBA scenario.  

LeBron is the alpha non-alpha.  That's what separates him and Jordan.

[Matrim Fox Cauthon]

On 30.3.2018 at 3:44 PM, Tywin et al. said:

For all the moaning about how boring the 2017-18 NBA season will be before it started, this year has been fantastic.

Let’s start with the East:

None of the other Eastern Conference teams are worth mentioning,

My poor Hornets.