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[Men_in_Boxes]

Nikola Jokic
Kristaps Porzingis
Gordon Hayward
Luka Doncic
Ricky Rubio

Does that starting 5 get you past the first round in the playoffs?

 

[Cutty Flam]

Nikola Jokic
Kristaps Porzingis
Gordon Hayward
Luka Doncic
Ricky Rubio

Does that starting 5 get you past the first round in the playoffs?

Zero on ball defense tbh, unlikely no matter how well they run the offense that they can take down a quality team in the West

 

[Lionel Richie]

Nikola Jokic
Kristaps Porzingis
Gordon Hayward
Luka Doncic
Ricky Rubio

Does that starting 5 get you past the first round in the playoffs?

Replace Ricky Rubio with Duncan Robinson and yeah I think it does. But like Cutty Flam said, zero defense on that squad.

 

[bender]

Replace Ricky Rubio with Duncan Robinson and yeah I think it does. But like Cutty Flam said, zero defense on that squad.

Can we ditch Hayward for Dragic?

 

[Lionel Richie]

Can we ditch Hayword for Dragic?

Hayward is probably the best defender in that team, not sure that would be a good idea.

 

[bender]

Hayward is probably the best defender in that team, not sure that would be a good idea.

Unicorn is the best defender. Hayward is great at guarding his teammates from the trainers and medical staff.

 

[Lionel Richie]

Unicorn is the best defender. Hayward is great at guarding his teammates from the trainers and medical staff.

Not like the Porzingod has been a paladine of durability either lol.

 

[bender]

Not like the Porzingod has been a paladine of durability either lol.

We are going to need the training staff to keep Luka, Unicorn and Dragic on the floor. Euros only baby. Add Maxi, You Rang and Zubac to the bench. And since it is Euro's only, Greek Freak.

 

[Oliade677]

How good is Doncic? Did anyone see this kid taking over this quickly?

 

[Knitted Knight]

Future best players in the league are European imports... Luka and Giannis. The league is changing indeed.

 

[bender]

Future best players in the league are European imports... Luka and Giannis. The league is changing indeed.

Cuban traded back and back for Shane Larkin to keep salary cap space in the Giannis draft. Donnie loved him too. We probably wouldn't have Luka if we had Giannis but Cuban sucks sometimes.

 

[Cutty Flam]

How good is Doncic? Did anyone see this kid taking over this quickly?

Good enough to shut out a top seed team, down his 2nd best player, while injured. This dude was balling hard in regular season. Seeing this in his first playoff games and series ever in NBA, at age 21, versus the Clippers of all teams? I've seen enough, he is a legend in the making. Luka is that dude

 

[EverythingsOverrated]

How good is Doncic? Did anyone see this kid taking over this quickly?

To be completely honest, I did not see him making the big steps that he's made over his first year. I thought he was impressive last year but I thought it was going to be another 2-3 years before he would really come into his own. I was wrong.

IMO to really "get" most players you have to see them play in person. There's certain things that are harder to judge on TV than when you're in the arena - overall court awareness being the big one. I didn't see Lebron play in person until his second year with the Heat and I just remember thinking, "OK I get it now" just after a couple quarters.

I saw Luka play in person once last year and once again this season before the lockdown and I was very impressed with the progress made. He obviously has a lot of room to improve on the defensive side of the ball but it's that court awareness that jumped off the page.

 

[bender]

Luka:

+Gifted court awareness. He's playing chess were most play checkers. Think Magic or LeBron.
+Great passers thanks to the above. Wants to get his teammates involved.
+Has Rodman's nose for rebounds. He can predict the carom off the rim like the Worm.
+Great size.
+Plays at his own pace and get can to the rim at will.
+Touch as nails, not afraid of the moment.
+Plays with joy, seems like a leader and he loves his teammates as much as his teammates love him.
=Average free throw shooter.
=Average athlete that gets by on his size, craftiness and know-how. Can struggle against elite defenders (Morris and Leonard have had some success defending him)
-Below average three point shooter (regressed this year). Relies too much on the step back which makes his percentages worse.
-Bad defender (hopefully he rounds into less of a liability thanks to his court awareness)
-A little injury prone

Oh yeah, he's still a kid.



Beyond his athleticism, I think he can bump those ='s and -'s up a notch. He's a generational talent. I was worried about drafting him to be honest but I"m happy to be wrong. I thought the trying to fill Dirk's shoes was a little unfair to another European prospect and Dallas has had a weird stigma about only being loyal to white players and thus had trouble attracting big free agents. Going from Dirk to Luka is pretty amazing. I just hope we can keep him long term. You can't expect Dirk level loyalty these days.

 

[caffeware]

 

[Orpheum]

Shaq apparently hates Luka. What's his problem lol

 

[Plies]

Shaq apparently hates Luka. What's his problem lol

Shaq is mad he's not on that list:

 

[bender]

Shaq apparently hates Luka. What's his problem lol

Shaq is just cranky from being hungry.

 

[EverythingsOverrated]

Shaq is just cranky from being hungry.

Someone get that man a double decker taco



Can't forget taco neck

 

[bender]

Someone get that man a double decker taco



Can't forget taco neck

He has an ownership stake in one of the largest pizza chains. Too bad Papa Johns is atrocious.

Also:

 

[Xaero Gravity]

If they die, they die.

 

[caffeware]

 

[Cutty Flam]

Blazers looking pathetic, Lakers playing very strong

2nd half Blazers need Lillard to spark something. This happened last year. He was shaken up due to injury (rib) and wasn't even close to performing how you would expect a superstar to perform

 

[Cutty Flam]

I've seen this before. Idk if Lillard has too much trust in his squad but he should know better. You can't let up if you're the alpha of the pack, not even for a second in-game. Can't let your teammates complain so often either. Shut the fuck up, stay alert and focused and make plays. Emotions might have been the true factor of this game. Blazers weren't in it at all in the 1st half

 

[Hinedorf]

I've seen this before. Idk if Lillard has too much trust in his squad but he should know better. You can't let up if you're the alpha of the pack, not even for a second in-game. Can't let your teammates complain so often either. Shut the fuck up, stay alert and focused and make plays. Emotions might have been the true factor of this game. Blazers weren't in it at all in the 1st half

I have to guess he's pretty gassed from playing at an MVP level pre-playoffs. LeBron just decided to show he's still King fucking Kong in this game. Dame-time stopped either due to aggressive double teams or it's in his head. Some of those previous games he was shooting from anywhere on any defense and right on point, that confidence is gone.

Key Stat: TWO 3 POINT ATTEMPTS by Dame. He's the best 3 shooter on the court and All of these people Kyle Kuzma, Markief Morries, JR Smith, Anthony Caruso, KCP, Danny Green, Lebron, Melo, CJ McCollum, Gary Trent Jr ALL TOOK MORE THREE SHOT ATTEMPTS.

 

[Lionel Richie]

I've seen this before. Idk if Lillard has too much trust in his squad but he should know better. You can't let up if you're the alpha of the pack, not even for a second in-game. Can't let your teammates complain so often either. Shut the fuck up, stay alert and focused and make plays. Emotions might have been the true factor of this game. Blazers weren't in it at all in the 1st half

Not trying to come up with excuses, just legit wondering if he's injured like really injured. He seems unable to get away from the double teams and the mighty Alex Caruso is shutting him down right now. Something's off.

The Blazers play some of the fugliest defenses I ever saw. A lot of options on offense, but the defense deserves a new word. It's COACHFIREDSOME.

 

[bender]

Blazers have needed to blow it up for a while.

 

[bender]

Unicorn out again.

 

[bender]

Jalen and Jacoby "the don" graphic...OMG.

 

[ZZZZ]

This is hilarious.

 

[Hinedorf]

This is hilarious.

That highlight at 2:13 where Luka blows by him with another gear is such a bad look. I expect him to bounce back tonight in a game they're expected to win. I just can't see him staying this ice cold....(rooting for the Mavs)

 

[Xaero Gravity]

Welp, Charles Barkley said the Raps are beating the Celtics. We're fucked.

 

[bender]

Let's see if the Clipps let off the gas. We love digging these holes for ourselves.

 

[Rickyiez]

Damn Kahwi is beasting again . So it's like an alternative between Luka and Kahwi .

 

[ZZZZ]

Are the refs going to give a call to the mavs today? jesus lol.

 

[bender]

Are the refs going to give a call to the mavs today? jesus lol.

 

[Lionel Richie]

Shame what happened in this series, give me the Porzingod and I think the Mavs could have won. Still not over though!

 

[ZZZZ]

LOL, the Clippers shooting numbers are out of this world, this must be a team record or something.



FG's and 3's
Holy shit.

 

[Xaero Gravity]

Fuck Marcus Morris

 

[Cutty Flam]

"It's the ultimate grueling test - to win a championship"

-Jerry West

 

[Cutty Flam]

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/nba-2017-playoffs-ot-we-did-it.1360202/page-412#post-238113234

^^^ I could barely believe it, what was NeoGAF like in 2017? There are 20,800 posts in that thread, and it's only one series....although, the NBA Finals, but still, almost 21,000 posts in one thread? That is incredible

 

[Horatius]

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/nba-2017-playoffs-ot-we-did-it.1360202/page-412#post-238113234

^^^ I could barely believe it, what was NeoGAF like in 2017? There are 20,800 posts in that thread, and it's only one series....although, the NBA Finals, but still, almost 21,000 posts in one thread? That is incredible

even that thread was well past nbaage's heyday. a few are around who remember.



ah man, looks like pg gonna try and blame his crapassery on "mental health" and "depression" and shit

trying to take the fun out of making fun of his baby ass

 

[Cutty Flam]

Horatius yeah that's why I'm confused. That series wasn't even that good, Cavs got rekt 4-1 and they weren't in it at all in game 5 so I'm just stunned that NeoGAF had that many posters, let alone that many posters that talked basketball. I've never seen a thread like that in my life, the NBA Finals last two weeks usually if both teams push it to game 7. That's a crazy amount of posts for just two weeks, never seen anything like that

 

[Lionel Richie]

Raptors, Celtics discuss also boycotting NBA playoff game in aftermath of Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin

The Bucks became the first NBA team to boycott a game when they didn't show up to the court for Game 5 on Wednesday

www.cbssports.com

Xaero Gravity we may never get that showdown

 

[bender]

Fuck Marcus Morris

Should be fined/suspended.

 

[Pumpkin Seeds]

America to the NBA:

 

[juliushandle]

entire season in jeopardy now

 

[Horatius]

entire season in jeopardy now

yeah feels like they're just done with the bubble period and angry enough to use this as a productive-seeming reason to get out of there

there is zero logic in boycotting the thing that gives you exposure if you actually want to achieve something unless you're trying to change the thing you're boycotting itself

 

[UltimaKilo]

I'm done with the NBA. I really am. Doc Rivers saying the country hates him, multi-millionaire Lebron claiming he's afraid to be in the US...

Did anyone see Wade say that the hate for Lebron when he left Cleveland was because white people hated seeing a power black man?

Someone should educate that dumbass on what happened when Figo left Barça for Real Madrid... his life was literally in danger.

 

[Horatius]

looks like logic might prevail, being off air doesn't benefit any cause