NBA Thread

[Hoosierhoopster]

^^ And he's a key building block for Toronto. They love him, there's just no reason they would trade him barring, as Gleas indicates, a blockbuster superstar trade.

[FW_Hoosier]

13 hours ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Yeah, and more than on  the surface.

He improved their record in 6 if the past 7 years,  took them to the number 1 seed in the East and won more games this season, I believe, than Toronto had ever won. 

And he just won COY. 

Then they fire him. 

Might’ve in part been due to benching DeRozan, but probably more just because they got embarrassed, again, by LeBron. 

Msybe the plan is like what GS did when they fired Mark J, who built that team into which Kerr just stepped, and then got all the glory. Still seems stupid to me, but time will tell 

Don’t think it was really a bad move to fire Casey.  I still don’t know why he won COTY, 59 wins in the weak East with an established all star backcourt and a lot of other talent really wasn’t that impressive.  I think D’Antoni, Stevens, Pop, Brown, Snyder, or even McMillan all deserved it more than him.  The Raptors have been a decent regular season team, but underachieved in the playoffs when it really matters for a number of years now.  Getting swept by that weak Cavs team when this supposed to be “their year” was unacceptable.  

On the other hand, I do think a lot of it falls on Lowry and especially DeRozan for being mentally weak and just rolling over for Lebron, but in the end the buck is going to stop with the coach.

[Hoosierhoopster]

16 minutes ago, FW_Hoosier said:

Don’t think it was really a bad move to fire Casey.  I still don’t know why he won COTY, 59 wins in the weak East with an established all star backcourt and a lot of other talent really wasn’t that impressive.  I think D’Antoni, Stevens, Pop, Brown, Snyder, or even McMillan all deserved it more than him.  The Raptors have been a decent regular season team, but underachieved in the playoffs when it really matters for a number of years now.  Getting swept by that weak Cavs team when this supposed to be “their year” was unacceptable.  

On the other hand, I do think a lot of it falls on Lowry and especially DeRozan for being mentally weak and just rolling over for Lebron, but in the end the buck is going to stop with the coach.

Time will tell. I agree much of how the Raptors failed against Cleveland falls on Lowry and DeRozan — and in that respect a new coach who is able to get more from them may help — but by the same token I don’t think the seeep by the Cavs can be laid at the feet of Casey. The Raps just aren’t good enough, and the Cavs are playing a lot better, as weak as they’ve been.

Casey clearly did a really good job this season and over the past 6-7, notwithstanding the Cavs / LeBron beat down 

[5fouls]

That was goaltending on LeBron against Vic.  

[rico]

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/masai-ujiris-frustration-with-dwane-casey-reached-boiling-point-after-lebron-james-sunk-raptors-in-game-3-per-report/

[SteveS]

2 hours ago, rico said:

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/masai-ujiris-frustration-with-dwane-casey-reached-boiling-point-after-lebron-james-sunk-raptors-in-game-3-per-report/

Ujiri did the same thing to George Karl in Denver. Karl was great regular season coach that just couldn’t ever get over the hump and win in the playoffs. I’m sure that whole experience had at least a little bit to do with this.

[Drroogh]

Got a feeling that after today, Lebron is going to make Morris wish he hadn't declared himself the second greatest Lebron defender! And since I can't stand anything making KU look good in anyway, I hope Lebron makes him look like the silliest player in the history of the NBA! That being said go Celtics, still remember the glory days of Bill Russell and Red Auerbach!

[Hoosierhoopster]

Cavs didn’t even show up. Game 2 will be interesting 

[KoB2011]

1 hour ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Cavs didn’t even show up. Game 2 will be interesting 

Third time in the playoffs they've done that. Great defense by the Celts but lots of missed shots, too. I think this series plays out similarly to the Pacers series. 

[BGleas]

32 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

Third time in the playoffs they've done that. Great defense by the Celts but lots of missed shots, too. I think this series plays out similarly to the Pacers series. 

I think it goes 7, though I don’t like facing LeBron in a game 7 even if it is at home. I thought today was a really big win just from a confidence perspective. 

[IU Scott]

14 hours ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Cavs didn’t even show up. Game 2 will be interesting 

After every loss Labron usually comes out and drops 40+ but it will be more difficult against the Celtcis.  The Pacers beat the Cavs pretty easily in the first game and then Labron came out and scored the first 16 points of the game for the Cavs.

[Hoosierhoopster]

1 hour ago, IU Scott said:

After every loss Labron usually comes out and drops 40+ but it will be more difficult against the Celtcis.  The Pacers beat the Cavs pretty easily in the first game and then Labron came out and scored the first 16 points of the game for the Cavs.

Yes, that's what I mean by interesting, will LeBron and the Cavs come out and throw it down, or are they in bad shape against Boston? I tend to think LeBron will take over, especially with the ridiculous "LeBron defender" statement (what an idiot, a direct vocal challenge to LeBron is about as stupid a thing as can be done in the playoffs). But the game planning by Stevens, and the Celtics' never-say-die play should make this more interesting. These Cavs are playing better, and LeBron is by far the best player on the floor, but the Cavs still aren't very good.

[BGleas]

3 hours ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Yes, that's what I mean by interesting, will LeBron and the Cavs come out and throw it down, or are they in bad shape against Boston? I tend to think LeBron will take over, especially with the ridiculous "LeBron defender" statement (what an idiot, a direct vocal challenge to LeBron is about as stupid a thing as can be done in the playoffs). But the game planning by Stevens, and the Celtics' never-say-die play should make this more interesting. These Cavs are playing better, and LeBron is by far the best player on the floor, but the Cavs still aren't very good.

Yeah, I completely expect LeBron to go off tomorrow night. I do think the Celtics are as well positioned to defend him as any team in the league, as Boston has numerous guys they can switch onto him, and Stevens is so good in that he won't let LeBron hitting some shots shake him off their plan, but nobody can stop LeBron when he's locked in and focused. You just hope the combination of Morris, Brown, Tatum, Horford and Smart can keep his outburst in check, like holding him to low 30's instead of letting him go for 40+.

This Cavs team is so hard to read. I agree outside of LeBron they're not that good, certainly the worst team he's been on since leaving Cleveland the first time, but LeBron is playing at such as insane level that I don't know if it matters. I'd love to see the pressure an 0-2 deficit would put on LeBron heading back to Cleveland. 

[Hoosierhoopster]

7 minutes ago, BGleas said:

Yeah, I completely expect LeBron to go off tomorrow night. I do think the Celtics are as well positioned to defend him as any team in the league, as Boston has numerous guys they can switch onto him, and Stevens is so good in that he won't let LeBron hitting some shots shake him off their plan, but nobody can stop LeBron when he's locked in and focused. You just hope the combination of Morris, Brown, Tatum, Horford and Smart can keep his outburst in check, like holding him to low 30's instead of letting him go for 40+.

This Cavs team is so hard to read. I agree outside of LeBron they're not that good, certainly the worst team he's been on since leaving Cleveland the first time, but LeBron is playing at such as insane level that I don't know if it matters. I'd love to see the pressure an 0-2 deficit would put on LeBron heading back to Cleveland. 

Agree on all points. LeBron has played his best basketball of his career, outside of the comeback from down 1-3 to beat GS for the Championship. When he brings it, he's just been unstoppable. But the Cavs are something of an enigma this year, they've played so badly including in the playoffs in some games and then turned around and blitzed the Raptors (who seemed to lose their mojo after that Game 1 loss). 

I've started thinking of the Cavs as the team example of "Good Troy Bad Troy" lol.

[KoB2011]

1 hour ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Agree on all points. LeBron has played his best basketball of his career, outside of the comeback from down 1-3 to beat GS for the Championship. When he brings it, he's just been unstoppable. But the Cavs are something of an enigma this year, they've played so badly including in the playoffs in some games and then turned around and blitzed the Raptors (who seemed to lose their mojo after that Game 1 loss). 

I've started thinking of the Cavs as the team example of "Good Troy Bad Troy" lol.

I actually thought his best finals performance was the first year back in Cleveland when they lost; Love and Kyrie were hurt. I thought he got screwed out of the Finals MVP. 

[5fouls]

Trying to decide whether to accept the Celtics/Cavs rickets offeted to me for Saturday night, or keep my reservations to attend the royal wedding in London.

Edited May 14, 2018 by 5fouls

[CauseThatsMyDJ]

24 minutes ago, 5fouls said:

Trying to decide whether to accept the Celtics/Cavs rickets offeted to me for Saturday night, or keep my reservations to attend the royal wedding in London.

Drinking some ovaltine should clear the rickets right up.

[Reacher]

1 hour ago, 5fouls said:

Trying to decide whether to accept the Celtics/Cavs rickets offeted to me for Saturday night, or keep my reservations to attend the royal wedding in London.

Might as well go to the game. We know you have been to plenty of weddings. Seen one wedding, seen em all. 

What we really want to know is how much you are going to bet on the game and how are you going to hedge that one.

[KoB2011]

Celts are clearly the better team, but I wish the Pacers series had been called this way. Frustrating, think the Cers could beat either of these teams if it is called straight up. 

[Seeking6]

7 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

Celts are clearly the better team, but I wish the Pacers series had been called this way. Frustrating, think the Cers could beat either of these teams if it is called straight up. 

Pacers series still ticks me off. Hats off at this point to Celtics. I thought and predicted(wrongly) Cavs in 5. Guess we have another series on our hands. If Houston doesn't show up tomorrow could be a scenario where Golden St would have at least a week off (if not more) if Celtics/Cavs go 7.

[BGleas]

22 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

Celts are clearly the better team, but I wish the Pacers series had been called this way. Frustrating, think the Cers could beat either of these teams if it is called straight up. 

You’re going to hate this, but I think the the Celtics would beat the Pacers in 5 or 6 games. Probably six and the games would be tight for the most part, but don’t see anyway the Pacers would beat them, especially given Celtics would have home court. 

[Hoosierhoopster]

C’s will go up 2-0. Things will get interesting in Cleveland 

[Hoosierhoopster]

3 minutes ago, BGleas said:

You’re going to hate this, but I think the the Celtics would beat the Pacers in 5 or 6 games. Probably six and the games would be tight for the most part, but don’t see anyway the Pacers would beat them, especially given Celtics would have home court. 

Your C’s are playing very well, but I don’t see them in 5 over the P’s, 6 yes, 5 no, not the way Vic was playing. That’s a little bit much on the homer scale there my friend! 

[BGleas]

2 minutes ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

C’s will go up 2-0. Things will get interesting in Cleveland 

After the first quarter I told my wife LeBron had 21 and she said “that’s not good”, I replied and said “I don’t mind, we took his punch and we’re only down 5, we’re in good shape.” 

[BGleas]

2 minutes ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Your C’s are playing very well, but I don’t see them in 5 over the P’s, 6 yes, 5 no, not the way Vic was playing. That’s a little bit much on the homer scale there my friend! 

Eh, I’m definitely a homer, but I don’t think 5 is outlandish. Is 6 more likely? Yes, but 5 wouldn’t be crazy. The Celtics haven’t lost a home playoff game yet, and certainly have the athletes to match up, and are more athletic overall, the experience and more talent. 

Again, I’d predict 6, but I think 5 would be more likely than 7.