KoB2011

They are good enough to win without Kawhi because of the injuries others have. You can make a pretty strong case this series should be 3-2 Clips or even over, but the Suns executed better (I’m being very kind with my phrasing) than the Clips in close games.

He was phenomenal. He’s actually been really good ever since Leonard went out in these playoffs, just had a couple really bad moments at really bad times.

People think this because they assume the NBA just rolls the ball out there and they take turns playing one on one, which you and I both know couldn’t be further form the truth.

Gotcha, then yeah we are on the same page. I do think Hunter can be that second guy for them, he just is hurt. He isn’t so much going to be the facilitator that Trae is, but he should be a guy who can go get a quality shot for himself. I thought last night Nate should have played Lou when Trae wasn’t 100%. Atlanta looked fine while Trae was out and Lou was running things, it fell apart when Trae came back at less than himself. Hate to say typical Nate, but if the shoe fits….

I just see it differently. I don’t think Atlanta is good enough to win it all yet, I just don’t see the fact that they lost a game that they had a lead prior to Trae getting hurt as some indictment on them. They have faced adversity. They were down 2-1 to Philly and got blown out in games 2 and 3. They probably aren’t good enough to beat Milwaukee, but Milwaukee is one of those teams that when they play their game is pretty dang hard for anyone to beat. When they’ve lost the pay few years (and almost this year) it was trying to play someone else’s game. And at time, I can’t even say their opponent forced it, it was just Milwaukee settling and trying to play a game that doesn’t suit them. When Giannis is shooting 90% of his shots in the paint/restricted area he is probably the most dominant interior scorer this side of Shaq.

I agree they’re in trouble, but I don’t think it’s remotely fair to just say “if they can’t win when their best player is hurt they don’t have what it takes”. They’re already down one of their best players in Hunter and Bogey is playing injured. Trae was having a great game prior to the injury then looked like a shell of himself. The Nets couldn’t overcome injuries. The Lakers couldn’t. The Jazz couldn’t. The Clippers probably won’t be able to. This isn’t a problem unique to the Hawks, it’s true of most teams in the history of basketball.

I mean they had the lead until Trae got hurt. Hard to ignore that IMO.

The only thing thinner than KD is his skin.

But it does really bring up an interesting discussion about how we should even use words like "shady" with regards to college sports. PSU, MSU, Louisville.... now that's SHADY! UK paying players? Maybe we should pick a new word 🤷‍♂️

It's like he wants to be KD. If he could just take open jumpers and drive he'd be such a more efficient scorer. I think perhaps his biggest problem as a player is that instead of maximizing the skills he does have (which he are plentiful) he wants to try to do things only a few people to have play the game can do consistently well. He still has the skillset to be a top ten player.

He didn't want to foul out. I have mixed feelings on him not giving the foul there. I am glad that the refs didn't review the out of bounds on that play.

The Lakers and Celtics were. You can't always use the Lakers and Celtics of your barometer for basketball in the 80s and then not use one of the historically great teams from this era as the comparison. None of the teams left in the playoffs will go down as a historically great team.

PG and missing clutch free throws - name a more iconic duo?!?

I'll add to this, he did give him a job and Roberts chose to leave for a job he liked better. Can't blame either party, but Roberts certainly wasn't kicked to the curb.

Do we really want to lock it 2 months before we draft?

Does it change the point at all?

You guys are right, if my goal was to make the NBA I would definitely go play for Matt Painter. How silly of me to think a guy with those aspirations may at least want to look at playing for someone with a better track record in that regard.

No, his job is to win games. But if you're a kid who wants to stick in the NBA you can't honestly look at Purdue and say you're getting as good of prep for being a pro as you would at several other schools. It's honestly possible Biggie would've been taught some of the traits he needed to stick around in the NBA at another school. It's somewhat telling a guy like Xavier Tillman can carve out a role in the NBA and Biggie couldn't.

Same, but if my kid was a high level recruit I don't think I'd send him to Painter. He's had one guy stick in the league ever. I just don't think a guy who played pro sports for a long time is going to make the highest priority for his kid with similar aspirations to be to go to the same school that he did.

I don't think any Pacer fans would be uspet about getting Sexton. He would be the go to scorer we desperately need and I don't know any Pacers fans that don't realize Sabonis is a flawed player. Don't get me wrong, I love Sabonis but there is a reason we all seen to agree you can't build a team around him.

I think we are overstating Sabonis by a lot. Yes, he made an ASG in the East on a team that's other options missed lot of time. He's actually made the same number of All-Star teams as Jaylen Brown and has a similarly team friendly contract. Do you think those two guys are valued the same? I sure don't.

Plus Okoro and Jarret Allen. That could be a really intriguing team.

I don't think Cleveland thinks they are far off. I think they look at Atlanta and Phoenix and think with one or two of the right moves and they can be a good team next year.

The Pacers path to contending now is the same it has always been and the same as three of the last four teams left(really all four, MIL just got a little lucky with how good Giannis is). We need a solid number one, but not necessarily one of the top 5-10 guys in the league which a bunch of guys that can be the second or third best player on a contender. That type of team, with the right breaks is the only way I can see us winning a title. When you look historically at when we have been successful and had teams that could have won a title, that's generally our formula.

I think you could potentially move Sabonis and our pick for Wiseman, but it's the inclusion of another lottery pick that really throws it off IMO. But at that point I don't think it's a good move for the Pacers. We need someone a little more ready to be the one now, even if the upside isn't the same as what Wiseman has. We aren't far enough off to completely punt on the next few years which is what we would be doing if we move Sabonis for Wiseman IMO.