Digby Posted April 27, 2022 Share Posted April 27, 2022 For all the teeth-gnashing about the strategies and aesthetics of modern basketball, it's striking how the teams that are currently seeing the most success this year are actually all really balanced. Lots of raining 3's and ball movement, sure, but also if you're not pairing that with airtight, aggressive defense on the other side of the ball, you're headed for a first-round exit. Which I'd say was also true of the Big 3 Heat before now, I guess. But it's neither the all-threes-all-the-time shootout contest of recent years, but also not the post-Jordan/pre-LeBron bullyball game that was kinda miserable to watch. Maybe an effect of the refs easing up on "don't breathe on anyone shooting a 3" fouls this year. 4 Quote Fan Style ShirtsShowcasing fan-made sports apparel by artists and designers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digby Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 Suns close out an unexpectedly close first round series behind a perfect night from old-ass Chris Paul! Icon! 2 Quote Fan Style ShirtsShowcasing fan-made sports apparel by artists and designers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinsUp1214 Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 Weird, I had such low expectations for the Jazz in the playoffs that another underachieving bow-out isn’t really fazing me this time. I truly felt “whatever” about it. It goes to show much this underachieving has sapped my trust in this team’s core, system, philosophy, all the above. I’ve been as much a defender of Gobert-Mitchell-Snyder than anyone, but I’m at a point now where anything and everything is on the table. This isn’t working. They’re not learning from blatant, obvious mistakes. They’re not adjusting anything to match up right with other contenders. Something’s just incredibly off with this team, and I can’t imagine it’s magically going to click anytime soon. Last year’s team feels like the ceiling. I don’t know what the solution is, but Ryan Smith and Dwayne Wade need to decide soon how hard of a reset is necessary; standing pat or tweaking some pieces isn’t a viable option anymore. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DustDevil61 Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, FinsUp1214 said: Weird, I had such low expectations for the Jazz in the playoffs that another underachieving bow-out isn’t really fazing me this time. I truly felt “whatever” about it. It goes to show much this underachieving has sapped my trust in this team’s core, system, philosophy, all the above. I’ve been as much a defender of Gobert-Mitchell-Snyder than anyone, but I’m at a point now where anything and everything is in the table. This isn’t working. They’re not learning from blatant, obvious mistakes. They’re not adjusting anything to match up right with other contenders. Something’s just incredibly off with this team, and I can’t imagine it’s magically going to click anytime soon. Last year’s team feels like the ceiling. I don’t know what the solution is, but Ryan Smith and Dwayne Wade need to decide soon how hard of a reset is necessary; standing pat or tweaking some pieces isn’t a viable option anymore. Agreed. Part of me is wondering how much of it has to do with the Danny Ainge hiring (his official title is “Alternate Governor/CEO” or something—I thought he was Team President) and the overall transition from the Millers to Ryan Smith and Friends. When Ainge was hired on around January, things seemed to really start unraveling internally (yes, I know the schedule was tough, but if you want a championship-caliber organization, you can’t keep coming up with excuses, especially when you keep going back to said excuses repeatedly). It appears that other teams have cracked Quin Snyder’s code, and he’s got no Plan B (it also doesn’t help that one of his assistants got busted for fraud, which also brings into question what he and Jazz brass knew as well). Which all kind of brings me to one underlying thought: To me, this off-season for Utah will say a lot about Ryan Smith—is he really committed to building a championship team, even if that means going through a painful rebuild, or is he just a slick software salesman who knows the right thing to say, when to say it, and how to spin it when things go sideways? Given how he said that “Purple is who [the Utah Jazz] are,” despite staying away from it when he had the chance to go back (and going to a color scheme literally no Jazz fan asked for!), I wouldn’t be surprised if the latter were true. Edited April 29, 2022 by DustDevil61 Sideways spin and color schemes 1 Quote AKA @LanRovr0 on Twitter LED Sig Credits to packerfan21396 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiddySicks Posted April 30, 2022 Share Posted April 30, 2022 Philly just cannot catch a break. Yikes. https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/266753/Joel-Embiid-Out-Indefinitely-With-Orbital-Fracture-Mild-Concussion Quote On 11/19/2012 at 7:23 PM, oldschoolvikings said: She’s still half convinced “Chris Creamer” is a porn site.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMac Posted April 30, 2022 Share Posted April 30, 2022 10 hours ago, FiddySicks said: Philly just cannot catch a break. Yikes. https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/266753/Joel-Embiid-Out-Indefinitely-With-Orbital-Fracture-Mild-Concussion I didn't like their chances against the Heat as it was. This certainly won't help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted April 30, 2022 Author Share Posted April 30, 2022 On 4/28/2022 at 7:05 PM, Digby said: Suns close out an unexpectedly close first round series behind a perfect night from old-ass Chris Paul! Icon! Didn’t help that the Head Coach for the Pelicans was the Assistant Coach for the Suns a year earlier… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Wolf Posted May 1, 2022 Share Posted May 1, 2022 Grizzlies got a couple of really big breaks from the refs for once and still lost. Second chance points by the Warriors were absolute death for Memphis. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Wolf Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 If Memphis wins the title you will never see me here again because I will have literally died. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DG_ThenNowForever Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 17 minutes ago, Red Wolf said: If Memphis wins the title you will never see me here again because I will have literally died. I'm rooting for them! 1 Quote 1 hour ago, ShutUpLutz! said: and the drunken doodoobags jumping off the tops of SUV's/vans/RV's onto tables because, oh yeah, they are drunken drug abusing doodoobags Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Wolf Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 11 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said: I'm rooting for them! Welcome to the bandwagon! Best case scenario, I'm dead by the end of June from partying too hard. Also, man it's weird rooting for a Grizzlies team that's legit fun to watch. The previous Grit N Grind teams had their moments, but I could see a lot of people finding them off putting in the way the Spurs often were. But also the Spurs were more fun to watch than NBA dorks that were desperate for the Knicks to matter would have you believe. Ja is for real though. If you watch that dude play ball and don't get hyped you're either a nerd who hates sports or he's kicking your team's ass. In the case that it's the latter, I get it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorWhom Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 Grizzlies are one of those teams I know next to nothing about except for the fact they used to be the only NBA team to play in a Pyramid. That's cool. If they can beat the Dubs, that only makes things a lot more interesting. Celtics - Bucks is also looking like a good series too. Going to be a really physical, grind it out series. Without Embiid, 76ers will be lucky to win a game against Miami. like the 76ers, I'll be surprised if the Mavs can make it a series against the Suns. Maybe they can steal 2 wins at most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Wolf Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 31 minutes ago, DoctorWhom said: Grizzlies are one of those teams I know next to nothing about except for the fact they used to be the only NBA team to play in a Pyramid. That's cool. My first Grizzlies game was when they were still at the Pyramid. It was always unsettling how high up the ceiling was. I kind of wish they'd stuck with the teal, black, and red color scheme. Now it's a fancy-ass Bass Pro Shop because Memphis is the Redneck Nexus where Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi meet. The main thing to know about the Grizz is that Ja Morant is legitimately one of the most exciting players in basketball. I'd watch him play even if he were with a pointless franchise like the Knicks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wings2 Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 (edited) 16 hours ago, DG_ThenNowForever said: I'm rooting for them! [MOD EDIT: Again, knock off the name-calling.] Edited May 4, 2022 by officeglenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 (edited) 42 minutes ago, Wings2 said: [MOD EDIT: Again, knock off the name-calling.] Ja Morant is a captivating player to watch. He’s the new AI in both appeal and playstyle. Anyone who doesn’t like him either lives in Minnesota, doesn’t like basketball, or talks on First Take every morning. Edited May 4, 2022 by officeglenn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschoolvikings Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 I'm not the biggest NBA watcher in the world. I was really into it during the 80's with Bird vs Magic, but just kind of an occasional viewer now. So can someone tell me why I'm supposed to hate the Warriors so much? I don't get it. The quick passing and ridiculous three point shots are a lot of fun to watch... why shouldn't I root for them? I mean, of course I despise the Lakers and have my entire life. How is it that Golden State should be placed in with them? Seriously asking. 1 Quote http://dstewartpaint.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sky1324 Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 13 minutes ago, oldschoolvikings said: I'm not the biggest NBA watcher in the world. I was really into it during the 80's with Bird vs Magic, but just kind of an occasional viewer now. So can someone tell me why I'm supposed to hate the Warriors so much? I don't get it. The quick passing and ridiculous three point shots are a lot of fun to watch... why shouldn't I root for them? I mean, of course I despise the Lakers and have my entire life. How is it that Golden State should be placed in with them? Seriously asking. They won a lot. 3 Quote the user formerly known as cdclt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschoolvikings Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 29 minutes ago, CDCLT said: They won a lot. Um... Okay? I guess I kinda got it when Kevin Durant was there, and it seemed unfair when the best player joined the best team. I get why that would make someone dislike them. But that does seem to be how the NBA works now. Everybody just seems to try to recruit a super team and take their shot. It's pretty much what the Lakers did when they won the exhibition covid tournament championship. At least the Warriors actually drafted their superstars. That's the entire answer? They won a lot? 2 Quote http://dstewartpaint.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sky1324 Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 11 minutes ago, oldschoolvikings said: Um... Okay? I guess I kinda got it when Kevin Durant was there, and it seemed unfair when the best player joined the best team. I get why that would make someone dislike them. But that does seem to be how the NBA works now. Everybody just seems to try to recruit a super team and take their shot. It's pretty much what the Lakers did when they won the exhibition covid tournament championship. At least the Warriors actually drafted their superstars. That's the entire answer? They won a lot? Yeah. They won a lot and people generally don't like it when one team wins a lot and it's not their team. The hate definitely peaked during the Durant years. 1 1 Quote the user formerly known as cdclt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorWhom Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 The hate for the Warriors is mainly because they just destroyed the NBA when Durant joined them. It turned a great team into a very hateable team because they were just so fundamentally broken. It took a herculean effort by Lebron just to beat them in The Finals, and he only did it once. Without Durant, they aren't that loathsome (at least imo) because while they're still annoyingly good, they're at least beatable. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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