The 2017 NBA Playoffs: This Is A Recording

[Seadragon76]

I just saw the final score of Game 2... how often do you see a 1 seed get manhandled like that?!?

[FiddySicks]

1 hour ago, HedleyLamarr said:

Maybe the NBA would be better off if there were no free agency, or severely restrict player movement.

 

It goes against my "always side with the labor" stance, but something drastic needs to happen for the NBA to really have parity and make things more interesting.  Give each team the same amount to pay their players (for example, $90 million) and the team can divide that up however they choose, but all $90 million has to be dished out to the players.  Expand the rosters to 18 so you have a deep-enough pool, etc.

 

Its an interesting thought, but it'll never happen. There's already instability between the union and the owners, and taking away choice from the players sure ain't gonna help that. Also, that would probably stagnate the league pretty badly. The fans and players would probably both suffer if that happened.

[dfwabel]

41 minutes ago, Seadragon76 said:

I just saw the final score of Game 2... how often do you see a 1 seed get manhandled like that?!?

Spurs beat Miami in games 4&5 of the 2014 Finals by 31 and 27 respectively. Game 4 was in Miami.

[dfwabel]

1 hour ago, HedleyLamarr said:

Maybe the NBA would be better off if there were no free agency, or severely restrict player movement.

 

It goes against my "always side with the labor" stance, but something drastic needs to happen for the NBA to really have parity and make things more interesting.  Give each team the same amount to pay their players (for example, $90 million) and the team can divide that up however they choose, but all $90 million has to be dished out to the players.  Expand the rosters to 18 so you have a deep-enough pool, etc.

 

9 minutes ago, Bucfan56 said:

 

Its an interesting thought, but it'll never happen. There's already instability between the union and the owners, and taking away choice from the players sure ain't gonna help that. Also, that would probably stagnate the league pretty badly. The fans and players would probably both suffer if that happened.

If you don't have free agency, you best not have a draft if you don't want to spend years in court.

It's antitrust.

[dfwabel]

1 hour ago, HedleyLamarr said:

Maybe the NBA would be better off if there were no free agency, or severely restrict player movement.

 

It goes against my "always side with the labor" stance, but something drastic needs to happen for the NBA to really have parity and make things more interesting.  Give each team the same amount to pay their players (for example, $90 million) and the team can divide that up however they choose, but all $90 million has to be dished out to the players.  Expand the rosters to 18 so you have a deep-enough pool, etc.

Your plan would basically make the NBA the NFL as to fulfill your plan, no guaranteed contracts as that's the only way you could have a $90M cap with some the current CBA rules.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

15 minutes ago, dfwabel said:

Spurs beat Miami in games 4&5 of the 2014 Finals by 31 and 27 respectively. Game 4 was in Miami.

 

The Bulls beat the Jazz 96-54 in 1998. Blowouts happen.

 

A few things to note:

 

- The 2011 CBA hit the Thunder especially hard, forcing the Thunder to pay Kevin Durant more without any negotiation, and essentially led to Harden being traded away. The Thunder could have just paid the tax as Cleveland will, but they also had some misfortune imparted by the leage. Brian Windhorst explained it on a podcast last year, and it's complicated, but totally worth a read.

 

- In 2012, the Warriors signed Steph Curry to a 4-year, $44 million deal that took effect in 2013 and expires this year. He only signed this low a deal because of ill-timed ankle problems. If he signs anywhere near his actual value (he's the fourth-highest paid player on the team and was the sixth-highest paid after the 2015 season), maybe there isn't as much room to sign Draymond to his deal.

 

- The room was made for Durant in large part because of a one- (or maybe two) time major jump in the salary cap due to increased TV rights. Everybody's cap went up, and lots of teams had money for Durant. The Warriors were only there because of A.) the Steph Curry discount and B.) the cap jump. It was well-timed luck.

 

- LeBron James is the best player in the universe and there hasn't been a player so singularly important since Michael Jordan. At the same time, the team's non-LBJ core (Thompson, Love, Irving, Smith) all signed long-term deals through 2020 before the cap jump, so they're all ultimately cap-friendly deals.

 

- The Nets bet big on Pierce/Garnett/Williams and blew it.

 

- The Spurs have the best scouting and player development staff in the league, and they're a Zaza Pachulia hit away from being tied or even up 2 on the Warriors in their series. That said, the Warriors have had incredible injury luck over the past few playoffs, often playing their opponents at below strength.

 

All that to say that while it all feels dire, what we're really experiencing is the best player continuing to be the best player, while the best team has had incredible, unplannable luck that has increased their fortunes and decreased the fortunes of those around them.

 

Because individual players are so important, the NBA will always have a few teams concentrated at the top. This is true since the days of the Celtics. But players get injured. They get old. Contracts run out, and then you've got teams like the Lakers who hit rock bottom. It happened to the Cavs just a few years ago. It'll happen to the Warriors again too.

[Unocal]

I'd say the Celtics are frauds, but we'd probably be saying the same thing about the Wizards had they made it to round 3

[Dynasty]

Yeah, well the Wizards weren't the first seed (or even that close to it).

[Rockstar Matt]

I understand these playoffs have objectively boring, but I, for one, will always enjoy watching the Celtics get absolutely demolished. I could watch the first half of Game 2 for the whole summer and not get tired of it. Sorry, not sorry. I can't help it, it's the Lakers fan in me.

 

 

I must add this though: I have mad respect for the Celtics fans who stayed for all of that beating. Major props. Not many fanbases would stick around that long and begin a "Let's Go *insert team*!" when you're down 50 late in the game.

[dfwabel]

36 minutes ago, Rockstar Matt said:

I understand these playoffs have objectively boring, but I, for one, will always enjoy watching the Celtics get absolutely demolished. I could watch the first half of Game 2 for the whole summer and not get tired of it. Sorry, not sorry. I can't help it, it's the Lakers fan in me.

 

 

I must add this though: I have mad respect for the Celtics fans who stayed for all of that beating. Major props. Not many fanbases would stick around that long and begin a "Let's Go *insert team*!" when you're down 50 late in the game.

 

[Berlin Wall]

I know im being optimistic but I think that if the celtics really give their best they may force a game 4.

[dfwabel]

Angry LeBron seems to be the best LeBron.

 

Keep my boy upset. Thank you for calling him something off putting, Draymond.

 

[HedleyLamarr]

2 hours ago, Berlin Wall said:

I know im being optimistic but I think that if the celtics really give their best they may force a game 4.

I saw that tweet on TNT last night, too.

[JWhiz96]

7 hours ago, Rockstar Matt said:

I understand these playoffs have objectively boring, but I, for one, will always enjoy watching the Celtics get absolutely demolished. I could watch the first half of Game 2 for the whole summer and not get tired of it. Sorry, not sorry. I can't help it, it's the Lakers fan in me.

That's fine, fandom makes the world go 'round. I'd be saying the same if the tables were turned.

12 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

That was brutal. Makes me feel better about the Raptors' efforts against the Cavs.

To be fair, I don't think it was a lack of effort that cause these blowouts; I just think the Cavs are that much better. It doesn't help that the only bigs on the C's are Horford and Olynyk, and even then I'd put an asterisk by both of them. The Raptors were also overmatched (though I question the effort of Lowry) but at least they had two solidified bigs in Valenciunas and Ibaka. Still didn't amount to much, though.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Kawhi is out tonight. Eff Zaza.

[dfwabel]

32 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

Kawhi is out tonight. Eff Zaza.

Zaza Pachulia is out too, but will he sit on the bench or just watch the game in the locker room?

[HedleyLamarr]

13 hours ago, Bucfan56 said:

 

Its an interesting thought, but it'll never happen. There's already instability between the union and the owners, and taking away choice from the players sure ain't gonna help that. Also, that would probably stagnate the league pretty badly. The fans and players would probably both suffer if that happened.

The fans are already suffering now.

 

With all the exceptions and a soft salary cap, some markets can never compete with other markets.  Free agency is a sham because players are buddying-up years in advance to go play for X-team.  If your city isn't a big media market or a destination haven, you've got almost no chance to even talk to a big-name free agent, much less signing one.

12 hours ago, dfwabel said:

Your plan would basically make the NBA the NFL as to fulfill your plan, no guaranteed contracts as that's the only way you could have a $90M cap with some the current CBA rules.

I'm good with that.  I'm also good with eliminating the draft....45 of the 60 picks are pretty useless already.  Bring back the territorial rights, have the league hold some sort of player allocation, whatever.  Give teams like Minnesota or Sacramento or Charlotte a chance to retain players.  Eliminate the "We can't afford this guy" or "We know he's going to test free agency" that's plaguing the league now.

[Guest]

Just went back and checked a supposedly leaked all-NBA list, and it was pretty accurate.  The first team was spot on, second team was off by one (Wall ended up on the third team and Thomas ended up on the second team), and third team was off by two (one if you don't count the Wall-Thomas swap) and Deandre Jordan was voted in instead of Karl-Anthony Towns.

 

http://nba.nbcsports.com/2017/05/02/league-leaked-all-nba-teams-are-fake/

[See Red]

I can live with the terrible playoffs so far and these conference finals blowouts if the payoff is a great, seven game series between two juggernauts in the Finals.  I just have a hunch, though, that as great as Lebron is and as great as he's playing, the Warriors are going to win a decent, but not great series.

[BlackBolt3]

LeBron gonna be cooking burgers for the team on the sidelines these next 2 games.