₦airaland Forum

Roland17:
I want to see Zion take more control of the trajectory his career because he does not have the longevity that Ja has because of recurring injuries associated with his size. He has to become more vocal with management about his playing time. He also has to spend a lot of time during the summer to workout and get his body in good shape before the season restarts in October. The sooner he gets the ground rolling, the better for him. He will be entering his 3rd season next year, time flies and waits for no one. He is the more talented player amongst both with the ability to dominate games offensively.

Excellent post. Reminds me of Blake Griffin actually. Physical specimen, with skills. Missed rookie season due to injury. When he came back , he was a highlight reel machine, but never stayed healthy enough for the post season. 10 years later no one remembers he was the top draft pick in a year Harden was picked 3rd, Curry in the top 10. We just know him as an old man playing on the bench for the Nets

Its not the best to be too muscly in the NBA imo. The nature of the game puts a lot of pressure on knees and ankles especially. I know its hard for big strong guys to want to lose some weight because it helps them muscle through in the paint, but its possible to stay just as strong at a lighter weight. Reduces injuries and you get faster.

Khanben:
It was larry brown . it was still ugly but very gritty. I remember losing sleep just to watch those games on STV. You could not tell who could win and they were classics

indeed it was. I meant JVG, ex rockets coach was the only one who enjoyed that finals. Kept salivating at the defense . I know the nba will never let those kind of teams meet in the finals again - set the nba back like 5 years

Khanben:
It is just like the last four nba finals IMHO while the games made for good TV, the conclusion was forgone b4 the series started. There was no way the Cav were beating KD and the GSW, the Raptors were given a cake walk as soon as both KD and Klay got injured. As for the 2020 finals it was just laughable people thinking the Heat had any chance especially after Dragic got injured.
I am seriously hoping this years finals give us some pretty even teams like we saw in some of the 2000s finals. I remember the lakers vs Celtics 2x, lakers vs Pistons, Spurs vs Pistons. Those finals were nail biters and were all crazy and enjoyable

You enjoyed Spurs vs Pistons . Is that you, Jeff van Gundy?

Android17:
Luka Doncic is extremely good and intelligent however his side pieces are balling out and I feel a lot of this is being overlooked. Every time they threw the box-and-one, he simply passed out of it. The receiving end showed a fellow teammate hit a huge 3. They had 50%+ on 3pt FG. My only issue with the Mavs right now is, their wins have depended on great 3pt shooting regardless of Luke's heroics. Which is why it is a problem. If their 3pt shooting dips in say game 3 and Clippers steal 1, they will be reenergerized. I know Skip Bayless has given up on his Clips but I will actually watch out for game 3 where the Mavs could let slip.

I agree. Luka is a stud no doubt. But people are underestimating the effects of a well coached team vs a team that really doesnt have an identity. Just a collection of stars. Unfortunately for clippers, next 2 games are away, so it will not get any easier.

They can still win this series but hard choices need to be made - especially regarding PG3 and Beverly. Clippers missed a chance to make Sam Cassell coach. He would have done better getting good mileage out of this mix

Thanos:
I see my mavs have started to put the whole nba on notice. I don't want to hear any more slander concerning doncic not being top 5 atm. And I stand by my prediction towards the end of the season. Both the nets and the lakers are not making the finals!!!

You could be right. Nets are balling right now, but its against the celtics that typically get outcoached come playoffs. We dont know how they will fare vs Bucks or 76ers. Nets havent seen adversity this playoffs, so its hard to tell.

Lakers look like old men trying to force the game. It worked for them last game, but even if they somehow beat the suns, what will they do vs Mavs or Jazz? The bright spots are Drummond putting up Detroit Drummond type numbers and AD waking up

Roland17:
Naaa.. That is not Monty’s D style.. The purpose for the aggression was simply because the Lakers were looking to sort of punk the Suns and send a message but he was having none of it.

Ironically, the Suns rank behind the Lakers in fouls per game committed.. He is aware the Lakers know he has a young and inexperienced postseason team and would want to go at them.

Either way, the game looked fairly called to me, even with the embellished flops. All 8 series this playoffs have been officiated pretty well imo. Even the flagrants are usually spot on. Slows the game down some though

A40:
I also notice say nobody dey talk about Lakers getting 16 more free throws but carry on

Ok. You have proof of 16 fouls that were unfairly called right? Lets have it

Lakers did not commit a foul in the fourth q until about 3 minutes left as I remember. They are very disciplined on defense and will rather you score that let you get a 3pt play.

Monty is the opposite. Old school d. As in make em pay every time. In that same 4q, they were already in the penalty 6mins in

donlittle25:
Doncic! That boy good

i hope you did not just jinx your team.

birdman:
this is how the jazz are playing when rusty? lmao . flogging loading. obviously warriors would have been a better matchup

inside life!

this is how the jazz are playing when rusty? lmao . flogging loading. obviously warriors would have been a better matchup

A40:
Nobody's fault that AD is not taking the next leap. This should be his team by now

E don tey wey I don dey question him mentality not today. Now I see you guys are already downgrading him to embellish LeNomad's status. Not so fast!

AD's skill set has never been in doubt his skillset is elite and is a top 3 defender and top 10 scorer in this league but right he looks and is playing compromised. DeAndre Ayton had more offensive Rebounds than AD had rebounds. Let that sink in

We will know what to expect from the Lakers game 2 but I guarantee you one thing. This Lakers will not go anywhere if a much better version of AD doesn't show up, no matter what LeNomad plays

some days he plays like a beast, looking like the best big in the game. Other days, he plays quiet. Like his mind is not there. Looks are deceiving for sure, because he doesnt look like that sort of chap. Like you said, they need him to snap out of it, otherwise they going home. Lebron is clearly trying not to re-injure anything, even his drives into the paint are like "no one step on my ankle abeg".

where is a40 btw. havent seen any of his posts lately

etidy:
Watching Drummond stink the joint today brings me back to this post.

I expect the lakers to make adjustments but losing athletic bigs like Howard and javale, and the genius of Rondo will hurt them in this playoffs.

AND PLEASE ANTHONY DAVIS WAS NEVER THE SECOND BEST PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE.

To be honest, none of those things lost them the game today. They really didnt come to play. Other than Lebron, the team stunk. Drummond was more valuable than AD in this game. At least he played like he wanted to be there. I feel like AD is sorta intimidated by a skilled big like Ayton.

We all know AD was never the second best player in the league. Its just a way for lebron haters to diminish his accomplishments. So they will wait until the day AD drops 40 to say, see, we told you its AD's team! Its ok, make dem dey hate dey go

steady986:
My analysis of the game.

This game had "blowout" written all over it. We attempted 10 fewer shots than Phoenix. We shot the ball poorly and weren't aggressive
LeBron attempted only 13 shots. For comparison, Booker attempted 26. LeBron and AD combined to shoot 38% from the field. And we couldn't take advantage from the free throw line. We literally could have won the game from there. We missed a whooping 11 free throws, shooting just 60%. Plus Booker and Ayton had the games of their lives.

And yet we lost by only 9. That's the reason I'm optimistic moving forward. I'd be more worried if we shot and played well and lost. There's ample room for improvement. At times it looked like we could claw our way back into the game, but poor decisions at crucial moments cost us. This game has last year Portland game 1 written all over it.

It's a long series. Many things for Vogel and LeBron to work out. We'll watch films and adjust. We might have to use Gasol in this series to drag Ayton out of that paint.

I change my mind. Lakers in 5.

I never got the feel lakers could win this game. It felt like they were down 20 even when they were down 10. I agree its a plus it was so close with Lakers playing badly. If they play with better energy and AD gets going, they should be able to steal one in phoenix. but make no mistake, the suns are very well coached, and they all carry that cp3 poise. you have to beat them to win this series, they aint making any mistakes.

lakers in 5 ke? This is going to game 7 optimistically. I worry about Lebron reinjuring

shey we can all agree now that its still lebron's team

I kept smirking when nba analysts were saying Jazz are easier than suns. do these guys watch the games, or they just look at the standings and all star names. The suns could easily come out of WCF imo. Im not saying that to excuse lebron and the lakers, thats just how deep the suns are.


floor general is back on d court

Playoff p!

He needs to stay aggressive like this though. Those shots will fall sooner or later

Like I said game 1 of the season. I dont understand how Jrue makes the bucks a better defensive team, somehow they just are

My predicshions


WCF:
1 Jazz vs 8 Grizzlies - I was hoping to see playoff Curry, but such is life. Jazz flogs the teenage mutant ninja turtles 4-0
2 Suns vs 7 Lakers - E be floor general tinz . This is going to go to game 7. Lakers edge out Suns 4-3. Hopefully Lebron stays healthy
3 Nuggets vs 6 Blazers - Nugs sweep 4-0. Accept it like dat, if you like shoot 20 parking lot 3s.
4 Clippers vs 5 Mavericks - poor clippers. This has upset written all over it. Playoff P disappears as usual, and Mavs win this 4-3

ECF:
1 76ers vs 8 Wizards - 76ers win 4-1, wether Westbrook triple double or not . Beal should be happy he smelled playoffs
2 Nets vs 7 Celtics - I really want celtics to pull upset here, buuuut, I see a Nets 4-0 sweep . Maybe Harden can break leg
3 Bucks vs 6 Heat - Smells like an upset, even if Giannis can rewrite his playoff history. Heat win 4-2. Baba God, I hope I am wrong. For Adetokunbos's sake
4 Knicks vs 5 Hawks - Im partial to Hawks here, but they look like the more consistent team. Hawks win 4-2. Give atlanta a real reason to party. not like they need any

Roland17:
This is what the Heat do and one of the easiest ways to beat the Bucks. Slow the game and convert it to a half court game. They are picking the ball handlers deep which makes it difficult for transition basketball, more so, they are set by the time the ball arrives their own half.
The Bucks want pace so Giannis can have that freedom to run through the Heat or kick out for a 3 but the Heat are dictating the pace of this game as they have also increased tempo a few times here.
Also, in Ariza/ Iggy/ Butler/ Bam they can go incredibly small but more importantly, they can defend the perimeter.

Still tho, the bucks have significant more firepower this year. They have missed some easy 3s that if they make at 50%, they would be up by 10. Heat should be worried

SmooshCHN:
Anyways, good thing the season is over. The Warriors clearly have lost focus. From the front office, coaches and down to the players especially Draymond. There's no reason he should be throwing a contested floater for game winner. He never practiced that or even worked on his offense. You're a facilitator doesn't mean you forget how to score. A well deserved loss. I'm just glad Steph and rest knowing he played one of the best basketball seasons in NBA history.

Warriors deserved that playoff spot. This play in nonsense is garbage. Best record enters playoffs. Period!

As for Draymonds chucking an illadvised floater, i told yall so. The leadership by committee is rubbish. There should be a team leader that can keep role players like Draymond in line. Currys leadership by example is good, but he needs more. He needs to be able to let Draymond know what time it is. You have 3 dead eye shooters on the
court why are you taking a floater? You are a role player on this team Draymond. Know your role!

Roland17:
I have to agree with you...For those who have not seen the video. Also, one of the more eloquent and intelligent ex players out there.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei6WE7GL82U

1 on 1, none of tough talking Stephen Jackson, Matt Barnes or even Sisi Arenas can stand Kwame

Thanks for finding the full vid. I only got to watch snippets

steady986:
Russell Westbrook though

Very interesting that Harden and Curry would fare so badly on this list. Perception is that I would want these guys taking that last shot. Reality is far different

The gory details of nairaleague 2020/2021. Till now, I no know how I take enter finals

Now that the season is over, congrats to killrhymz for winning this years nairalegue. This was the most vicious episode yet, and I am happy to report smooshchn no even see playoffs . Na joke i dey joke o, too many injuries this year.

Roland17:
The Wizards have the matchup I wanted for my Celtics.. They can win one or two games and make it a series..

I normally love to hate the celtics, but the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I want any team Harden is on to experience catastrophic playoffs failure. Bball gods, let Tatum drop 50 every game.

Roland17:
You are in essence saying the Suns will defeat the Lakers in the 2 vs 7 match up?

Nope didnt say that. Just ignore the records for a sec, and go look at the starting 5 for Jazz and Suns. And remember that Donovan has been out a month. For real, which has the better starting 5?

Jazz: Conley, Spyda(on Injury List), Gobert, oneal, bogdanovic
Suns: CP3, Booker, Ayton (also banged up but not like Spyda), Mikal, Crowder

Afromentalist:
The warriors are a difficult team for anyone to handle in one game. They can beat anyone in 1 game including the Nets / Lakers/clippers etc. In a serie though, I think the Jazz may have the upperhand.

I agree. Warriors are a tricky team to play. You want to win 2 home games against them and try to steal a third away, break the confidence of Wiggins and co. Interestingly, Jazz playoffs philosophy has always been to guard each player man on man and just play high IQ defense. I am interested to see if they keep this philosophy knowing Curry can get red hot. Also Spyda did not play for the last month or so, so I expect some rust there as well. Warriors actually have a shot here

Contrary to what everyone is saying I think Suns are harder to play than the Jazz. The Suns have what it takes to come out of the west. IMO they have more potent weapons, deeper roster, with fewer injuries.

steady986:
An average team cannot be 5th in defensive ratings. It's impossible. I see the Warriors as the Knicks. Not a lot of big name but guys who really know how to ball on both ends of the floor. The Knicks are not even as talented as the Warriors and yet they're 4th. Steph and Wiggins combined for 50 points per game this season. Bron and AD combined for 47. Wiggins is likely to make an all defensive team this year. Same with Draymond. So y'all can deny the facts all you want, but the Warriors are far above average.

no doubt! they took a while to gel, but if you look at their record in the last half of the year, memphis should be really worried playing these guys. As should the Jazz. Curry is for real, and Wiggins is starting to do what people thought he could do. I know some unfortunate haters will try to twist what I just wrote, thinking Im trying to make the lakers win last night look legit. Ol boy cam down

mattfeuter:
This thread and emotional n-words lol

They want to see bron lose so bad.

Na una eyes he go do again as una yarn dust all through last year.

Curry was a one man wrecking crew yesterday. On any given Sunday, Curry on any team will beat anybody. Lebron was really rusty yesterday. But he also showed up when it mattered. That clutch 3 reminds me of the AD's clutch 3 in the playoffs last year. This game was a confidence builder for Lakers. For warriors role players too.

I think any open minded bball fan can watch yesterdays game and give props to both teams. the game lived up to its billing. I dont understand all this wanking over lebron or seeding, blah blah blah.

Gotta show some love for Kwame Brown! Glad the dude stood up for himself. Matt Barnes (called him Becky with good hair ) and Steph Jackson (called him lil a** boy) crossed a line when they tried to diminish him while interviewing Jeanie Buss. As does SAS a lot. Maybe these guys will be a bit more humble when downing players. Even Jemele Hill caught some bullets. Everybody is either apologizing or keeping shut. I cant blame them. Arenas said it took 20 bodyguards to bring down Kwame and his brother in a club . Probably exaggerating, but nobody wants problems with Kwame.

Full story here: https://www.theroot.com/yall-gon-stop-playing-with-kwame-brown-1846917109

These news personalities, SAS especially need to be careful how they blast people. At least all Kwame did was respond on IG. Others may resort to violence instead

steady986:
LeBron just aggravated his ankle. That's it for the season.

I keep saying they need to shut the season down. But I guess there is some pride there, the champs want to at least get to the playoffs