₦airaland Forum

A40:
@Roland17
Did you see that all the wildcard teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs advanced ahead of the #1 and #2 seeds in the East and West? The NHL playoffs are far more competitive than the NBA playoffs

Sorry, the NHL playoffs are not more competitive, it's just that the format allows for surprise results. The NBA is the only sport where the championship rounds ensures that only the best team goes through because said team has to win 4 times.
In the NFL, NHL and UCL to name a few competitions, the 1or 2 game knockout nature allows for the underdog or the inferior team to sometimes shock the better team.
PS: If the NBA playoffs was a 1 game series, this year alone the nets and magic would have qualified beating out better teams like the sixers and raptors

Enjoy watching sweet Lou just out right ball. His 1-2 punch combo this season with Mont can sometimes be devastating to opponents. GSW got the latest taste of that PnR.
Average of 54 points from the bench for LAC this season just speaks volume of their players buying in and the great job Doc has done

ReysonDrabek:
The haters will say hes hating.

Bill is correct with his assertion about team basketball. Individually though MJ is still a better player

Just saw a stat that is incredible, Dame shoots 39% from beyond 30ft for this season. To put that into perspective PG13 shoots 39% from trey all season.

PS: Dame is 8 of 12 from beyond 30ft in the playoffs. Freaking 67% from way down town

A40:
Paul George really said that game-winning, series closing shot was a bad shot

Per Second Spectrum, Lillard is 8-of-12 from 30-plus feet this postseason, compared to 6-of-38 for everyone else.

He's right that it's a bad shot for anyone else but not the guy with the ball at the time

It was IMO a low percentage shot but not a bad shot given that it was lillard taking it and the circumstance at the time

Nurkic is flat out mental that shirt is hilarious

aliondo:
Please let's be honest...I watched OKC's games that season and Russ alone cannot be blamed for Oladipo's not-so-good performance. ..Oladipo is not a bad player but he didn't really play well for us...And besides nobody (including you) foresaw that he will be this great with the Pacers...

As for Harden, the same criteria that was used for Westbrook MVP's season was one of the criteria used this season for Harden winning MVP this season , in the sense that he carried the Rockets when CP3 and Capela were out.. I'm not really a fan of triple double but you can't take anything away from history that was created and a long-term record that was broken by Russ. The

How will Oladipo play when the ball hog Russ kept the ball to himself

chic2pimp:
Funny how these world beaters suddenly become "Past their prime" the season after Pep leaves. Same was said of the Bayern Players when we asked why they are yet to reach a CL semi(a feat Pep achieved back to back to back)since Pep left them. I 100% guarantee you that the same line of thought would be put forward once He leaves City.

The Bayern team has achieved the same level of success, quarter finals defeat to RM who became eventual champions is as good as Pep achieved when he was in charge

Eruditor:
Messi was never the best player in the world until Pep and in fact, Messi won 4 of his 5 WPOTY awards under Pep. So your best player in the world theory na pure zobo. Messi was fit first leg when they lost 3-0. I am a barcelona fan, I will tell you about my club. If Xavi and Ini were past their prime in 2013/14 why did they win it 2014/15 which is a year after?

What refereeing decisions again? Chelsea led by 1 goal, Barca had a player WRONGFULLY red carded and played a man down till the last second of the game. The winning goal was by sheer luck, surely if the ref wanted to help Barca, he would not give them a red card when they were a goal down abi?

Pep did not lose because of any arrogance. Aguero missed a penalty. Llorente's goal should have been disallowed besides, he beat Tottenham 3 times this season losing 1. He knows how to beat Tottenham his own way. In the last 6 meetings, Pep has won 5 to Tottenham's 1. He will be the one to teach you or any other manager how to beat Tottenham.

So in your words Messi was not the best player in the world during Pep's tenure in barca, That is really funny.
In 14/15 the team that won was more about the front 3 of MSN than the midfield.
So if he was not arrogant tell me why he benched KDB in the first leg. He specifically said himself that the second leg and matches against crystal palace, Tottenham in the EPL and man utd were of more importance.
Pep is a great manager but I see you adroitly ommited the 14/15 UCL games against RM where he elected to play a high line against the fastest attack line in Europe, same thing in both legs against Monaco with a speedster like Mbappe.
Every great coach has their flaws the issue who Pep is that in his barca days Messi's incredible finishing papered over those issues. Without Messi whose incredible conversion rate ensures that he can get away with making tactical mistakes

Eruditor:
Lewa joined Bayern 14/15 not 13/14. That Monaco team is like this Ajax team; Mendy, Fabinho, Bernardo Silva, Mbappe are all solid players today and the tie was 6-6 courtesy missed chances on Aguero. The same tactics that won 2 UCLs cannot be a downfall or else other managers who have coached longer should win more. Zizou is the only person that has more UCLs in a shorter time yet Pep still won more overall than Zizou then in 3 years.

Pep left Barca 2011/12. Barca won UCL again 2014/15 which means for 3 more years after Pep left they should have still been in their primes yet they lost 7-0 to Bayern and 2-1 to ATM in between. They even went trophyless in 13/14. So that decline theory no add up.

Pep won cause he had arguably the best player in the world at the time. Messi was not fit against Bayern and in 13/14 xavi and Iniesta were no longer in their prime and it was evident in Spain's performance in the world cup later in the year.
As for Aguero's missed chances, you have chosen to forget the lopsided referring decisions that got them into his second UCL final against Chelsea. So that does not hold water.
Pep has consistently lost knockout games due to the arrogance of his tactics, he has never learnt how to respect his opposition believing always that his tactics will always be superior. Imagine projecting a draw against Tottenham in the first leg where standing tradition is to try to get an away goal especially when the second leg is at your own home.

Eruditor:
Those teams are favourite simply because he is there for the most part. Only ATM 15/16 and 17/18 18/19 was his team truly the favourite in the ties they lost. Funny thing is, nobody will remember how many chances Bayern wasted including a penalty in 15/16 after they led 1-0 or how that VAR would have made Liverpool get a goal removed whlist City would have gotten 2 goals more over both ties. Football is funny like that.

BTW, other coaches have used the same Messi and only 1 person won 1 UCL with Messi. Pep won Twice in 3 years.

The Bayern team in 13/14 just came out from a treble season and added a Lewandoski, against a novice Monaco in 16/17, in both instances any other bayern and man city coach would have been favourite against those opposition. As for missing penalties and what might have been, that is all part of the game. He has grossly underachieved with the teams he has had in the UCL for 5 out of 6 years and his tactics has been his downfall.

PS: The reason only one coach has won a UCL since he has left is because the Trinity was never the same after he left barca. Xavi was past his prime and the Iniesta was on the decline.

Eruditor:
You were not the only one on the Westbrook hype train. In fact, only Birdman and SmooshCHN shared the same sentiment as me. My argument then as it is now is that his style was not letting other potential players do diddly squat but you guys said he needed to play that way for OKC to have a chance. Victor Oladipo has now gone on to be the star I contended that he was yet OKC are barely winning any games beyond what they did during the triple double euphoria which implies that the triple double was glossing over the fact that I was stressing then.

As per Pep, he is still shaking the ketchup bottle. It will soon Pop. It is a matter of time. I know how long RM sought the La Decima since 2002 and only found success in 2013. Good thing is the UCL is a competition he has already won twice so it is not like he does not know how to win it. The Benitez and co that someone else was mentioning have all gone to bigger clubs who had just previously won and failed miserably. Pep is only failing by winning everything else but it.

Pep is a great coach but we should stop with the hype. Pep has not made a UCL final without Messi in his team. Of the last 6 knockout defeats his team was favorite 5 times out of 6.
Any other coach with this type of record coupled with
the obvious tactical mistakes would have been labeled choker in Europe.

ReysonDrabek:
I'd throw Wardell in here somehow but otherwise solid list.

Thank you, I did not understand the little bust up about this list. All the players there are deserving of such recognition and like Chuck reiterated it is his personal list

The Bucks and Rockets can wrap up their series today

yomi96:
There is something fundamentally wrong with the okc. Can you imagine harden, Westbrook, kd have one time or the other won the MVP award oo.
The same thing the warriors did and their drafts became a success.

Oladipo also, they draft well and also make good trades. Their issue is one of player development and giving the keys to their franchise to Russ

Roland17:
The problem of the Thunder is compounded by the way Sam Presti has assembled the roster post-Durant and this exposes the problems with Westbrook.

I look at the roster and I can see 2-3 players who are styled the same and offer nothing different. A. Roberson, J. Grant, T. Ferguson are pretty much the same type of players who offer you nothing offensively and they can all be starters. In many instances 2 out of those 3 start games for the Thunder. How about the shooting guard position? That is where there is a serious deficiency. On the roster, the SGs of the Thunder are Ferguson, Roberson and draft pick Diallo. Now tell me, can either of those 3 player shoot to save their lives worth more their teams? None of those guys average double figures on offense, yet they are shooting guards for a serious team like OKC.
How about the C position? You technically have only Adams as the true center, however, we can slot Noel in that position and you ask, what have either offered the Thunder on both ends of the court? Absolutely nothing.

Sam Presti has to reshuffle this roster and create a roster that is flexible offensively and able to adapt defensively. I don't think trading Westbrook should be on the cards. All roads should lead to New Orleans for Jrue Holiday. The Thunder should speak with the Pelicans about Jrue Holiday seriously. Find a combination of Roberson, Grant, Ferguson, Noel, Felton, Schroeder and your draft picks to play for Jrue Holiday. I think the Pelicans will be inclined to listen to offers for Jrue Holiday considering A. Davies is leaving, so they may as well start rebuilding and you guys have the pieces. If Jrue comes, take the ball off Westbrook's hands and make his a SG with Jrue the PG or you play a double PG with Jrue controlling the pace and direction of play.

Agree with the trade idea but I don't think Jrue shoots it well enough. The only good shooter on a consistent basis on this team is PG. So IMO any new player even via draft should be a bonafide sniper.
The last draft class had at least 2 guys who fit that description so that might be the way to also go

OKC needs a coach that will do to Westbrook what Larry Brown did to AI in his MVP season (make him play winning basketball).
Fir this offseason, Russ should at least comeback with an improved set shot plus improvements in his FT shooting.That way he can play off the ball more, maybe as a slasher to the basket.
As for possible trades they can make, that team needs more consistent shooting at least two players with one of them capable of starting.

Westbrook's problem stems from the fact that he has never learnt what it means to be a great player.
Charles Barkley asked coach Pop about how Kwahi became a great player and his answer was,
'The day he finally understood that when I call a play for him, its not for him to score, but for the TEAM to score'. All the greats had to learn this at some point in their career even the great MJ.
So the fact that a 30 yr old Russ is still playing Hero ball in the playoffs continues to puzzle me.

A40:
You make a really really good point. There is nothing worse than overpaying for players that won't put you over the hill. That's the surest way to land in misery. Portland are still in salary cap hell for the deal they gave Evan Turner, The Raptors gave Kyle Lowry 30+mil so even if Kawhi leaves they would struggle to get any player worth a max without entering cap hell

The Hornets could lose Kemba and not be able to afford decent replacements because Nicholas freaking Batum is due $27m

Portland need to consider that. They are truly a good swingman from being a legit contender cos pound for pound they have the most explosive backcourt in the game behind Steph and Klay.

The Bucks too would have to pay Brogdon, Middleton and if they don't perform Giannis might wind up the new Garnett. I like Brogdon and if he could just stay healthy Milwaukee would be good regardless. Their pieces are so complementary that provided the likes of Middleton and Bledsoe don't completely fall off a cliff they should still be able to contend. Their competitive window is wider than the Sixers and the Raptors

Very good points, a lot has been said about the improvement of Giannis this season which has put the Bucks clearly on championship contender level. Cj and Dame have both also clearly improved albeit their improvement has not been as glaring as Nurkic's before his injury.
But Dame and CJ have improved on defense especially CJ add that to their exceptional scoring abilities plus them being younger than the folks at Oakland, I foresee good things if both management and players are on the same page for the blazers

next year Giannis and Dame will be eligible for the supermax contract. From what i am seeing this playoffs if they really want a ring without leaving their current franchises they will have to to take less money than they can get (when the supermax is offered) just like Duncan & Dirk did for most of their careers. IMO both sides have the building blocks of a serious contender, the Bucks just need an upgraded second option a player with the same skill set but more consistent than Middleton, while I think the blazers should follow the Pistons 08 formula and get a fourth option in the mold of Rasheed Wallace a player who plays D, can shoot and more importantly can creat their own shot.
Both scenarios will need both their stars to leave money on the table for their teams to work with.

Russell next question Westbrook again in brick mode.

It's the Bucks against the Celtics in the second round

Bucks and rockets in four

Celtics, Bucks and Rockets march on

Killrhymz:
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson has signed $140 million contract extension.

With the Oline in front of him. The dude deserves it.

The Clippers just keep surprising me this season. GSW in 5 now.

A40:
The Bucks should be made to play against the Pistons without Giannis. Just to make the series competitive

Giannis is playing Bully ball against them. 24 minutes of absolute dominance.

Its great to see the Tiger roar again. He truly deserves it

Giannis with 24 points 17 rebounds in just 24 minutes. This dude is just incredible

Eruditor:
Same things I have said here. Bucks were predicted to have 45-48 wins this season. They had 60 but people will turn around later and tell you the players were already All-stars. Just like Kerr took us from a 51 win team to 67-15 and a ring even when GSW were projected to be a 4th or 5th seeded team. Next they started claiming it was Alvin Gentry. He left, we won 73. They said it was Luke Walton, he left we won 67 again. Yet the only permanent fixture has been Kerr (apart from Curry, Klay and Draymond).

Kerr is already a first ballot HOF as a coach. Those who beef or devalue his success just pissed at his dominance

etidy:
I am not convinced the sixers and raptors can beat a focused Celtics in the playoffs. Well, it's just game 1. The raptors need to stop choking while the sixers don't look like a team and they have a leadership problem.

Meanwhile, I have a question for the house
If Mike buldenhozer takes the bucks to the finals and wins it, will he get the credit for turning the bucks around or would the jokers say Jason kidd and Joe prunty built the squad?

This question is actually for the Steve Kerr haters who argue that he's just lucky. Curry made a quantum leap and became MVP in kerr's first season now we are seeing the same thing with giannis and bud. There are inferences that can be made here.

Anyone who says Kerr is lucky does not understand basketball. Kerr took Curry from a borderline all-star to a MVP level baller with his system.
If Bud can also pull it off with the Bucks then he should be rightly credited for creating a system that brings out the best in Giannis.
A lot of greats would never have the reputations they have without one coach or the other creating and implementing a system that suits them perfectly.

The East is gonna be fun