NBA Playoffs, Round Two

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

maybe he doesn't want to be Jordan? maybe he wants to just be Giannis.

I don't want Antetokounmpo to be like Jordan. I don't actually like Jordan: I'm part of the 0.000001 percent of people of my generation who saw Jordan in his prime, and still doesn't think that Jordan is the GOAT...

BUT...

I also think that a player who was MVP and DPOY, at the same time, should be willing to guard the best player on the other team, down the stretch of a "Win Or Go Home" playoff game. And hiding behind, "Well, I'll guard him, if Coach wants me to" doesn't cut it, for me.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Reason I ask is because I think if anything, Simmons replaces Barnes more than he does Buddy, though I get the argument that Buddy has already been replaced by Hali+TD. Realistically, you can find better shooters than Barnes (assuming he just had a good shooting year and will fall back slightly closer to his career average) - his value is more on the defensive end, being able to play the 4 and getting to the line.

Yeah, I'm working off the fact that Buddy is a bench player and we'd still need to fill a forward spot in this lineup if Barnes left.

On the other hand, if Buddy has a rebound year he could probably trade for a better player to fill that hole.

I'd be very intrigued by the ultra modern lineup but realize we'd have trouble with anyone who can bang inside.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

It does sorta feel like people are so busy dunking on poor Ben Simmons that they’re ignoring the fact that he’s a 6’11 dude with elite length and court vision that is also capable of defending every single position.

Just make him a center. Problem solved.

I actually kinda liked Barkley's idea, from the other night: every time Simmons passes up an open basket, his coach should stop practice, and run the play, again, until he gets the message.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1406803437984047105

 

[Tetsujin]

Just make him a center. Problem solved.

I actually kinda liked Barkley's idea, from the other night: every time Simmons passes up an open basket, his coach should stop practice, and run the play, again, until he gets the message.

While I wouldn't recommend it, Simmons would probably kill in Luke Walton’s stupid run everything through your center at the top of the key offense as a point center.

 

[206Fan]

Floor spacing between Simmons and Fox would be atrocious. Simmons needs to be THE pg for things to work out... but so does Fox, yeah no, it wouldn't work out.

 

[Joshoua]

I’m all aboard the Hield for Simmons wagon. That’s the type of massive swing a team like Sacramento needs to take.

If it works and we find CWebb magic, fantastic! If it doesn’t, we’d have sucked anyway so no harm in the try.

absolutely not! How do we trade for a guy who needs the ball and when he doesn’t have it he just stands on the block. Fox can’t shoot pairing them together is absurd teams would loving defending us nightly

 

[kingsboi]

I don't want Antetokounmpo to be like Jordan. I don't actually like Jordan: I'm part of the 0.000001 percent of people of my generation who saw Jordan in his prime, and still doesn't think that Jordan is the GOAT...

BUT...

I also think that a player who was MVP and DPOY, at the same time, should be willing to guard the best player on the other team, down the stretch of a "Win Or Go Home" playoff game. And hiding behind, "Well, I'll guard him, if Coach wants me to" doesn't cut it, for me.

I think you are nitpicking at Giannis because he isn't what you want him to be

 

[kingsboi]

Floor spacing between Simmons and Fox would be atrocious. Simmons needs to be THE pg for things to work out... but so does Fox, yeah no, it wouldn't work out.

yet so many Kings fans seem to think it would be worth the trial, which it's not and is simply desperate just to try to get into the playoffs to end the drought

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Seeing people nitpick Simmons game where they are saying they wouldn't take him in a lopsided to the Kings trade is what gives me hope we could actually make a reasonable offer. Dammit.

 

[Tetsujin]

Floor spacing between Simmons and Fox would be atrocious. Simmons needs to be THE pg for things to work out... but so does Fox, yeah no, it wouldn't work out.

Fox’s shoot has improved enough that teams aren’t going next to be leaving him open at the three point line to clog the paint. Plus if you play five out, there’s not going to be too much traffic inside anyways.

 

[Tetsujin]

Seeing people nitpick Simmons game where they are saying they wouldn't take him in a lopsided to the Kings trade is what gives me hope we could actually make a reasonable offer. Dammit.

Seriously, dudes were savaging Buddy all season and are now suddenly like “nope, wouldn’t trade him for the 6’11 guy who‘s always in the running for DPoY and has the BBIQ we always shout about”

 

[206Fan]

Watching the Hawks and Suns BOTH go from lotto teams to playing in the Conference Finals in the span of 1 year... I think the whole team should be shipped off to Virginia Beach if we don't make the playoffs next year. I think we have a lot of good individual talents. Bogdan is their 2nd/3rd best player on the Hawks, but he was only our 4th best here (Fox, Buddy, and Barnes ahead). We have players who would absolutely shine in the playoffs like Fox (ISO scoring), Buddy (3pt shooting), and Haliburton (3pt shooting).

 

[Joshoua]

It does sorta feel like people are so busy dunking on poor Ben Simmons that they’re ignoring the fact that he’s a 6’11 dude with elite length and court vision that is also capable of defending every single position.

Dudes literally scared to shoot he ain’t coming here and being some star player it’s fantasy land y’all living on. Fox better turn into prime curry if we traded for Ben you guys should go rewatch the games and just focus on Ben on offense it’s ****ing embarrassing

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Watching the Hawks and Suns BOTH go from lotto teams to playing in the Conference Finals in the span of 1 year... I think the whole team should be shipped off to Virginia Beach if we don't make the playoffs next year. I think we have a lot of good individual talents. Bogdan is their 2nd/3rd best player on the Hawks, but he was only our 4th best here (Fox, Buddy, and Barnes ahead). We have players who would absolutely shine in the playoffs like Fox (ISO scoring), Buddy (3pt shooting), and Haliburton (3pt shooting).

I think people forget that the Suns won every game after the restart last season and had Ayton suspended for a large chunk of the pre-shutdown. They were pretty good but it was hidden.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Watching the Hawks and Suns BOTH go from lotto teams to playing in the Conference Finals in the span of 1 year... I think the whole team should be shipped off to Virginia Beach if we don't make the playoffs next year. I think we have a lot of good individual talents. Bogdan is their 2nd/3rd best player on the Hawks, but he was only our 4th best here (Fox, Buddy, and Barnes ahead). We have players who would absolutely shine in the playoffs like Fox (ISO scoring), Buddy (3pt shooting), and Haliburton (3pt shooting).

I fully expect we will be competitive next year but man the West is tough!

Jazz
Lakers
Clips
Nuggs
Suns
Warriors
Mavs

Those teams are guaranteed for me barring major injury.
That leaves one spot for
Kings
Grizz
Blazers
Pels

Tough sledding.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Will the Lakers for sure have LeBron and AD next year?

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I think you are nitpicking at Giannis because he isn't what you want him to be

Right. I'm sure I'm the first fan in the history of basketball ever to do that...

 

[Tetsujin]

I fully expect we will be competitive next year but man the West is tough!

Jazz
Lakers
Clips
Nuggs
Suns
Warriors
Mavs

Those teams are guaranteed for me barring major injury.
That leaves one spot for
Kings
Grizz
Blazers
Pels

Tough sledding.

Considering the utterly demoralizing way the Mavs, Jazz, Warriors, Nuggets, Blazers, and Lakers ended their seasons, I’m not sure whether we should be slotting anyone in for the playoffs aside from the Suns and Clippers at this point.

 

[ESP47]

Watching the Hawks and Suns BOTH go from lotto teams to playing in the Conference Finals in the span of 1 year... I think the whole team should be shipped off to Virginia Beach if we don't make the playoffs next year. I think we have a lot of good individual talents. Bogdan is their 2nd/3rd best player on the Hawks, but he was only our 4th best here (Fox, Buddy, and Barnes ahead). We have players who would absolutely shine in the playoffs like Fox (ISO scoring), Buddy (3pt shooting), and Haliburton (3pt shooting).

Something big is going to have to happen for the Kings to be competitive next year. I don't think a Haliburton step forward and a Fox half step forward will be enough to make any real noise. Something needs to change. Buddy needs to be shipped out because the defensive pairing with Fox just isn't working. Some type of trade will need to be made or a coaching change with a Thibs type impact will have to happen. Hell, winning the lottery and drafting Cade at #1 could do it.

I think the Hawks are riding some hot play mixed with just being built better than us. Their star player, center and coach are better than ours and Collins is what Bagley would be at his ceiling. Not to mention Bogdan catching absolute fire at the end of the season.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Considering the utterly demoralizing way the Mavs, Jazz, Warriors, Nuggets, Blazers, and Lakers ended their seasons, I’m not sure whether we should be slotting anyone in for the playoffs aside from the Suns and Clippers at this point.

I think the Jazz and Warriors will be safe. Hard to imagine the Mavs missing out but their epic week seems like a total overreact after the Clips took out Utah and they still have the personnel issues that really hurt them and they burnt most of their assets to get their biggest problem on the team.

 

[Tetsujin]

I think the Jazz and Warriors will be safe. Hard to imagine the Mavs missing out but their epic week seems like a total overreact after the Clips took out Utah and they still have the personnel issues that really hurt them and they burnt most of their assets to get their biggest problem on the team.

The Warriors are banking on Klay being able to come back from two career ending leg injuries as a wing on the back end of his career and are in cap he’ll and going to lose Oubre and a couple of other guys this offseason purely because they can’t pay for them.

Steph is absolutely amazing but this year he had to freaking play like Kobe all season just to get them into the play in. Maybe they’ll be able to get back into the play in but it’s hard for me to trust in them getting back to being contenders when two-thirds of their stars are injured all the time and the other guy is Klay Thompson.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

The Warriors are banking on Klay being able to come back from two career ending leg injuries as a wing on the back end of his career and are in cap he’ll and going to lose Oubre and a couple of other guys this offseason purely because they can’t pay for them.

Steph is absolutely amazing but this year he had to freaking play like Kobe all season just to get them into the play in. Maybe they’ll be able to get back into the play in but it’s hard for me to trust in them getting back to being contenders when two-thirds of their stars are injured all the time and the other guy is Klay Thompson.

You may be right, I may be thinking Klay will return as a positive player when that may not be the reality. Hard to say.

 

[Tetsujin]

Josh Smith dunking on Doc on Instagram now for some reason.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Considering the utterly demoralizing way the Mavs, Jazz, Warriors, Nuggets, Blazers, and Lakers ended their seasons, I’m not sure whether we should be slotting anyone in for the playoffs aside from the Suns and Clippers at this point.

Hope you are right

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1406815311391768576

oh noooo Ben why’d you say this

 

[SLAB]

Considering the utterly demoralizing way the Mavs, Jazz, Warriors, Nuggets, Blazers, and Lakers ended their seasons, I’m not sure whether we should be slotting anyone in for the playoffs aside from the Suns and Clippers at this point.

Unless Luka just stays in Europe next season, it’s safe to pencil the Mavs in. Lmao

 

[iowamcnabb]

Steph is absolutely amazing but this year he had to freaking play like Kobe all season just to get them into the play in. Maybe they’ll be able to get back into the play in but it’s hard for me to trust in them getting back to being contenders when two-thirds of their stars are injured all the time and the other guy is Klay Thompson.

I figure the Warriors will be dangling Wiseman and some picks in a trade this summer or at the deadline. They have a small window to get back in contention and it would be silly to waste the last part of Curry's prime.

 

[iowamcnabb]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1406809655427407876

 

[iowamcnabb]

Good for Hotlanta, but I will be rooting hard for the Bucks. Cream City baby!