2019 NBA Playoffs Thread

[PrimalCookie]

4 hours ago, AustinFomBoston said:

Why does it seem like Al Horford is the only player capable of shutting down Giannis? 

Ah, yes, the classic "Nikola Vucevic vs Marc Gasol" matchup.

 

On a serious note, it seems like every player has one guy who shuts them down every time they play, and one player they shut down every time they play. In Vucevic's example, he completely dominates Hassan Whiteside, to the point where the Heat won't start him vs the Magic. He is also consistently shut down by Marc Gasol, as we all saw on his first ever appearance in the national spotlight.

[Digby]

1 hour ago, dont care said:

Which is weird because he normally has a hard time shutting down anyone

 

Horford has quite successfully been the Celtics’ defensive weapon against the likes of Giannis, Embiid, etc in the playoffs the last couple years but thanks for that contribution.

[MDGP]

3 hours ago, Digby said:

 

Horford has quite successfully been the Celtics’ defensive weapon against the likes of Giannis, Embiid, etc in the playoffs the last couple years but thanks for that contribution.

Dude also was 2nd-Team All NBA Defense. A literal top 6 defending forward in the NBA on one of the best defensive teams the past few years.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

If you watched the 2018 Western Conference Finals and, like me, thought the calls were dramatically in favor of Golden State, the Rockets (I know, not an unbiased source), put in the work: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26634745/rockets-audited-18-game-7-say-finals-bid-taken

 

Quote

"The reason we are in this situation," the memo says, "is the efforts made to improve the referees have been too slow, not extensive enough, and have been held back by entrenched referees who are resisting reform." The Rockets recommended that referee assignments in the postseason should be determined "exclusively" by call accuracy without regard to experience level.

 

Hard to argue with that. The 2018 WCF (and game one of the Finals!) were infuriating if you wanted the game called fairly. Golden State has the greatest roster ever constructed for basketball; they don't need referee assistance on top of it.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

This isn't helpful either: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26634678/nba-curry-fouled-game-1

 

Quote

NBA: Curry should have fouled out in Game 1

 

SAN FRANCISCO -- The referees got two no-calls correct in the final seconds of the Golden State Warriors' 104-100 Game 1 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday, according to a review by the league.

But three calls that were deemed incorrect that went against the Rockets will only increase the furor from Houston, especially because the league ruled that Steph Curry should've fouled out with 1:10 left. Curry instead stayed in the game and hit a crucial 3-pointer with 24 seconds left.

The NBA's official last-two-minute report said that Curry got away with a personal foul on James Harden on a play that ended in a turnover with the Rockets down 100-95 when Harden stepped out of bounds after making contact with Curry.

 

I don't want to be one of those NBA conspiracy theorists that say the league is slanting games for ratings. But the Warriors sure do get some great breaks, over and over again.

[dfwabel]

11 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

If you watched the 2018 Western Conference Finals and, like me, thought the calls were dramatically in favor of Golden State, the Rockets (I know, not an unbiased source), put in the work: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26634745/rockets-audited-18-game-7-say-finals-bid-taken

 

 

Hard to argue with that. The 2018 WCF (and game one of the Finals!) were infuriating if you wanted the game called fairly. Golden State has the greatest roster ever constructed for basketball; they don't need referee assistance on top of it.

On his podcast today, Windhorst called that leaked report BS since they failed to take into account their flops or non-calls which should have been made too. Tim Bontemps and Goldsberry were on too.  It was the angriest/boisterous I've ever heard him and he was pretty wary of how the series will be officiated, especially with how many viewers the series is going to get. He thinks it's a bad look for the league. 

 

[dfwabel]

10 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

This isn't helpful either: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26634678/nba-curry-fouled-game-1

 

 

I don't want to be one of those NBA conspiracy theorists that say the league is slanting games for ratings. But the Warriors sure do get some great breaks, over and over again.

If you haven't seen it already, here is the HOU@GSW Last 2 Minutes Report.  

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I just started listening to the Windhorst pod. First time in a while for him -- these ESPN guys complain about their jobs too much.

 

I'm tired of the NBA punditry that spends so much of its time bitching about having to watch basketball.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

25 minutes ago, dfwabel said:

On his podcast today, Windhorst called that leaked report BS since they failed to take into account their flops or non-calls which should have been made too. Tim Bontemps and Goldsberry were on too.  It was the angriest/boisterous I've ever heard him and he was pretty wary of how the series will be officiated, especially with how many viewers the series is going to get. He thinks it's a bad look for the league. 

 

 

I'm listening to this and it's dumb. It's like people can't understand that if you're not getting contact foul calls, it forces you to chuck more threes. Like, 27 of them.

[Wings]

All of this is so petty & childish on everyone. Yeah the refs suck but just learn how to play damn basketball instead of NBA foul ball. 

[dfwabel]

15 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

 

I'm listening to this and it's dumb. It's like people can't understand that if you're not getting contact foul calls, it forces you to chuck more threes. Like, 27 of them.

On the flip side, don't proclaim, as HOU did, that while we missed 27 consecutive 3PT shots, we were fouled on two of those, so those six points from FTs mean we win Game 7. It's like Tillman Fertitta and Morey consulted with Jim Irsay and Bill Polian.

[AustinFromBoston]

I can understand being pissed at the idea of "Ref bias" or "no calls", but maybe the game where your team missed 27 straight 3 point attempts.....isn't the best example. 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

To be clear, the Rocket's gameplan is generally lots of three pointers, lots of inside shots, and lots of foul shots. For example, here's their shot chart from game 5 against Utah:

 

 

There's actually more mid-range here than it typical for Houston, but as you can see, they're pretty much way outside or way inside.

 

If they try to play inside, get hacked, and fouls aren't called, they can't reliably plan inside anymore. And that's part of what they were complaining about in 2018 -- not fouls beyond the three-point line (they said there were only two such plays, right?), but other fouls not called. If the players are getting hacked and can't play "normal" (for them) basketball, it throws off their whole rhythm. Yes, players need to adapt, but also, if they're getting contacted, that contact needs to be called.

[dfwabel]

19 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

To be clear, the Rocket's gameplan is generally lots of three pointers, lots of inside shots, and lots of foul shots. For example, here's their shot chart from game 5 against Utah:

 

 

There's actually more mid-range here than it typical for Houston, but as you can see, they're pretty much way outside or way inside.

 

If they try to play inside, get hacked, and fouls aren't called, they can't reliably plan inside anymore. And that's part of what they were complaining about in 2018 -- not fouls beyond the three-point line (they said there were only two such plays, right?), but other fouls not called. If the players are getting hacked and can't play "normal" (for them) basketball, it throws off their whole rhythm. Yes, players need to adapt, but also, if they're getting contacted, that contact needs to be called.

The Amick article (and Warriors podcast) on The Athletic basically went into how the Rockets used the NBA's game length version of the L2M report to get their numbers, but the NBA only provides individual teams their own data.  The Rockets have only presented half the story.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

So? It's not like they don't have a point.

 

Anyway, big win for Philadelphia. I didn't think they had it in them.

[FiddySicks]

Lol, the Rockets are such absolute clowns. Real smart idea to put out a hit report on the refs right in the middle of a series vs a team they already think they aren’t getting calls against. They’re never getting another call in their favor ever again

 

Seriously, this team is just embarrassing themselves at this point, somehow even more so than they already do. 

[dfwabel]

11 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

So? It's not like they don't have a point.

 

Anyway, big win for Philadelphia. I didn't think they had it in them.

They may have a point if Scott Foster and/or Tony Brothers work Game 2, but both teams hate Scott Foster.  Foster favors the road team, but Harden and CP3 don't like him at all as seen this February:

 

 

HOU has lost their last five playoff games worked by Tony Brothers and the Warriors don't like him either.

 

[dfwabel]

Scott Foster and Ed Malloy working tonight in Oakland.

 

GSW has won 16 consecutive playoff games worked by Ed Malloy, but Malloy and Foster are tied for second in playoff Technical Fouls given with seven each.

[FiddySicks]

"OH, ED MALLOY!".

[OaklandIsBack]

On 4/28/2019 at 4:41 PM, Magic Dynasty said:

 to the point where the Heat won't start him vs the Magic. 

That’s just not true