donlittle25:
Brunson. Always hitting big shot man. Cuban, You do this one o

Cuban played stupid games and got the results

Blueelf:
I'll take Seth Curry over that fraud Jordan Poole anytime any day

We don't need another all star guard or big. Just a reliable one that knows his role and plays to instructions

I thought some GSW fans wanted to trade Klay and elevate Poole to the 2nd option.

If AD was Nigerian I will say he has gone to one baba and made a deal to only play great on odd numbered games, the performance gap between odd and even numbered games is just too much

Nick nurse to the Bucks, they need a top level x and o's coach down there

A40:
That might go down as the worst contract in league history. If the Warriors are smart this offseason they will package him for any half decent big they can get.

He will never have Steph's IQ or feel for the game. He's just a guy that can get hot once every 3 games but his floor is unacceptable for a $30m+ guy. They should jump out while there's still time

Some people here was saying Poole was a 2nd option at the beginning of this season if I remember correctly

birdman:
Many players have tried to copy Lebron, try to be a player/GM and recruit other stars to play with. Only Durant has been disciplined enough to play his part, and no other player has been succesful in getting a ring from it.

Kawhi is a huge flop imo. I cant tell if he is actually injured, or is just really selfish. Im thinking its the latter, because I noticed PG3 too now claimed he was injured and missed the playoffs. The old PG3 would play on one leg come playoff time!

Other players could start doing the same - if you are load managing one guy, what about me? Why should I get injured, risk my career while the highest paid cat on the team does nothing.

So you know that PG13 used to play with one leg, but now that he did not play instead of thinking that his injury is way worse than what he usually plays through, your assumption is that he decided not to play.
As for Kawhi information that was leaked boils down to, his knees are gone, he has an issue on par with what ended Brandon Roy career, yes he is trying to save himself for the playoffs like he did in Toronto, but anyone who knows about any health stuff that is classified as deneragative, know it gets worse over time not better.

PS: The only way I will blame Kawhi is, if he confirmed that his knees are this bad before he signed that extension.

Roland17:
@A40 did you see the Garcia v Tank fight. I am not even sure why it was marketed like it would be close because I knew Garcia was all mouth. Man was dropped in Round 2 and waved the white flag by kneeling in the 7th after suffering serious body shots who was just looking to punish him.

Also, your boy Cujedo is on the cards for next month…

Agree with every thing, Tank is a monster, he and inoue, both have power that is way stronger than their size.
Also big props to both guys for making the fight, we have seen too many toothless boxers in recent times protect their zero loss like it is a dragons hoard.

steady986:


I'm borrowing the words of some of our analysts here . Maybe that was reaching. But my point is, when you really expect him to have a foothold on a game, he defers. I'm not mad though. Age is catching up on him.

Okay now I get what you are saying. I have also noticed that deferring stuff too. I just take it as Ham telling him that is the way the Lakers has to play, because the Lakers are top 2 or 3 in pace and we all know Lebron prefers playing at a slower pace.

Is it me or is Westbrook somehow playing well enough that you can excuse any of his inevitable mistakes. The dude might end up getting good money in FA if one GM, thinks he can do what he his doing now for a whole season.

steady986:
And for LeBron, it's safe to say he's old. He doesn't impact the game as he used to. He scores points but more often than not you can't really feel the impact of those points. The efficiency has gone down mostly because he's taking too many threes. The IQ is there and the mind is willing but the body is letting him down. Look at the open dunk he missed today. He's also missing layups. For us to have any chance in this series or the rest of the playoffs, AD has to be our best player. You could see in game 2 that just a little more production on the offensive end and we could have won that game.

How can points not have impact. Everyone knows Lebron can't control a game the way he used to say 5 yrs ago, but to say 25pts on very good efficiency more often than not does not have any impact is reaching.
There're very few winning teams in history where what Lebron is doing right now would not make him at the very least the 2nd best player on said team.

PS: Even in his prime Lebron missed dunks, every single player in history has missed dunks, and layups.

A40:
I've never been one of those that believed Kawhi load managed just to load manage.

He plays too many minutes in big games to be given that label.

I think he's just managing what's left of his prime but his knees are just not cooperating. Like I said I realistically can see him retiring in the next couple of years

Agreed, now I know why he quickly signed that extension without any hullabaloo. That was his last big payday

A40:
Kawhi mehn damn. Something tells me he has debilitating knee condition. I can easily see a scenario where he retires before 35

According to Broussard, he was told by insiders that Kawhi isn't missing games when he can play. His knees are gone IMHO, the sad truth is that some people don't just have the body to survive the wear and tear of top level athletics pursuit.

steady986:
Kawhi out for Game 3. Load management in the mud.

Anyone who thinks Kawhi's issue is about load management is just shooting breeze. That dudes knee is gone, he in all probability has the same issues Brandon Roy has. Every single time it's always the knee, nothing else, something is fishy there

All this anonymous nba player quotes, might lead to increased animosity amongst teams, and I am loving it .

Skrrrrrrr:
Kerr is also part of the problem.
He has chosen not to increase stephs minutes. Curry is the only superstar that plays under 40 mins. The warriors are +14 with steph on the floor and -25 with him off, the game is basically lost when steph sits. Increase his damn minutes.
The second unit did not turn up during the regular season, they would not turn up during the playoffs.

With the way GSW plays, Steph has to be in like perpetual motion. This creates few chances for him to take plays off and rest while on the court. Kerr has no choice but to rest him during the game.

A40:
Mark Cuban I hope you're watching. These are the guys you get to play around Luka and you allow Kyrie walk

Caruso, Reaves are the two of the reasons I love that the nba expanded the 2-way contracts to 3 slots in the new CBA. These are the type of guys teams can get if their development program is doing its job. The Heat are also one of those teams that, do well with those contracts

steady986:
This was the analysis of my Lakers kn this group just a few days ago. Now yall want to twist the narrative. Ko le werk

People like to move goalposts instead of admitting that they are wrong, it's just a human thing.
For me personally, some of these playoffs matchups are wonky, that is why I have not made any predictions and will just enjoy the games. For instance GSW vs Kings, yes GSW has the experience but their away form this season has been atrocious, as for the Kings, they have been bad defensively all season and good on the offensive side of the ball, but their coach is a defensive guy with championship experience, which has to count for something, so that match-up is just somehow

Maynman:

Real football lol

Football narratives most of the time are a bit more nuanced, it has a culture of separating the individual players performance from the results.
The last world cup finals is a good example, nobody I heard blamed Mbappe for that loss, even though France did not win.
The only time I hear people making losses a one man issue in Football is when it come to Messi and Ronaldo.

Maynman:


I think that’s just how the thing goes even in football.

NFL or real Football?

steady986:
If Vegas says the Lakers are the underdogs, who are you that is in Oshogbo to say they aren't?

Some people just don't like to enjoy a game without adding their personal beef.
Although Vegas will readjust those odds a bit after today

Maynman:


If the team loses I’m sure they won’t blame reeves, the same energy should be matched when they win.

It's why I just don't like the one guy won/loss thing.
You are absolutely right, if the Lakers had lost the narrative would be that its all Lebron fault even if the game tells a different story. Also in today's scenario where the other guys came up big, he would still be given more credit that he deserves.
Media narrative is just annoying.

A40:
Sabonis butt clenching. Can't even hit free throws. This is a guy that would triple doubles for fun

Regular season basketball really is a joke

Playoffs basketball is for all the marbles, it's not in the same stratosphere as the regular season at all. It just like the knockout stage of the uefa champions league, no be Mai Mai.

PS: That is why it's always good for a player to taste it early in their career and get over the butt clenching and stomach butterflies, when they ate not necessarily expected to win

A40:
What type of hamstring takes 4 months to heal?

The truth is players are starting to use mental health and feelings as a crutch to just flat out not play.

I heard there's a weight clause in his contract and perhaps that is what is causing him all of this. How hard can it be to just eat lean and eat clean so you can maximize your talents?

No be person be Charles Barkley? Who was even heavier than Zion. What name didn't they call him? Round mound of rebound, Leaning Tower of Pizza, Boy Gorge, Wide load from Leeds

That's why I said previously that teams have to start evaluating beyond talent otherwise they will get burned like the Pelicans are being burned now.

Even Charles said he was never as heavy as Zion or as explosive. Zion excuse isn't mental health, he is just too big for his level of explosiveness and his body just breaks down. Sadly some people's body are just like that. There is more than one reason why Shaq was a freak of nature, but the main one was how he could carry that much weight, be explosive and still not get his body breakdown on him.
The issue now is I don't know if he's able to shed weight and keep it off easily. Sometimes it looks like most of his weight is muscle which means he can't cut the weight at all.
It just like with Chet and Victor, with their body type, foot injuries will always be a concern

Roland17:


Nobody is touching Zion even with a 10ft pole, especially on that contract. This isn't about wanting to be in a particular city or not, this is about Zion not having the discipline to be a professional.

When he went out in January, we were told it was a hamstring and he would be out a few weeks. As Zion confirmed, the hamstring is healed but Zion is claiming it is more mental but the Pelicans and other sources are saying his conditioning is bad, which is a kind way of saying, he is overweight again and can not be on the floor, else, he will reinjure the hamstring.

I remember saying it here that I would not give him the max and even if pushed will add injury protections. This dude has just made generational wealth and has done nothing to earn it.
Zion is another example of narratives just like Kyrie, these guys because of hype are handed all-star spots and sometimes all-nba slots which then means they qualify to be paid a huge amounts of money.
How Zion is a 2x all-star baffles me, he played 29 games in his 2nd all-star year.

A40:
That Heat team has just been weird. Only so much coaching can do

They lack high end talent

Roland17:


Nothing wrong with exploring a trade for Young and that’s the truth. He has value right now and the Hawks look like they are trying to rebuild. However, the timing of the report was poor considering they are in the play-in tournament. Trey knows it is a possibility when you look at the Hawks roster but the timing was horrible. Ownership could have waited until the season was over.

Absolutely, I could not have said it better

Capella is killing the heat on the board 19rbs and counting

There is a reason I will continue to insist that winning is just not on the court but also from top down.
A team is having a one game stand-off, and somehow, it's on that day that there is a leak that they want to trade their franchise player. How unprofessional can some front office be

Roland17:
I remember watching this kid Bey when he was with the Pistons and saying he is going to make it in the league.

Like what I am seeing from him, okongwu and the Johnson kid, length, quick feet and the willingness to play D

A40:
Denver have a shot. Just something about that team I don't trust. I don't think they match up well with the Lakers.

Then there's players like Aaron Gordon that I don't trust will not be completely useless in the playoffs

The X factor is Jamal Murray. If he can regain that bubble form then all bets are off

You nailed the Murray thing, if he is even 90% of his bubble form and MPJ is making shots they will be a though side to beat

steady986:


But this one he said he's not joining the draft this year. I hope he was joking.

Wait, are serious or is this late time April fool joke.
The guy should play with men dem ohh

As a less than serious aside, did Poole actually drop 500k on a date or is that another click bait head line