[NBA] The Finals

Who Ya Got?

  • Total voters
    20
  • Poll closed .
ppine said:
The Celtics appeared to be dominant and even somewhat invincible for the first 3 games. What happened? Did they start reading their press clippings? They did just get mentally worn out? Dallas displayed some new found intensity. Where was it the first three games?
Something does not add up. I think pro sports are mostly on the level, buy game 4 makes me wonder.
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Game 4 was very predictable. The team up 3-0 coasts while the team on the brink of elimination plays with desperation. This will often lead to a lopsided result. (See game 4 of Stanley Cup Finals as well) I would expect the Celtics to close out the series game 5 n front of their home crowd. It will probably be close though as Dallas will again be playing with their backs against the wall. Only way it ends up lopsided is if either team has a crazy outlier shooting game.
 
coolhandluke said:
Why are we bringing up Luka's draft day comps, all of which were woefully wrong even at that time? Some people were comparing him to Ricky Rubio. In this very forum, people were mocked for calling Luka a "generational talent" on draft day. The questions asked were was he "generational" or "transcendent"? We have a better idea now. It's not Luka's fault that only few people paid enough attention to see how he could be special.

Anyway, I'm talking about today. People are comparing him to Harden when he is more close to Magic. Luka raises his game in the playoffs and elevates his teammates, none of which Harden is known for.

In any case, if Luka is a loser, I'll be interested in knowing what people have to say about Fox and Webber. Can we get some perspective here, please?
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Your use of the term "has always been" in the previous post apparently means something different to you and me, then?

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with much of the other stuff, as he is great at times. But being a sieve on defense doesn't help. Again, I wanted us to draft him. I just think his gameplay is too one-sided (at least right now!) to be considered with some of the other greats you want to put him up there with.
 
Warhawk said:
Your use of the term "has always been" in the previous post apparently means something different to you and me, then?

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with much of the other stuff, as he is great at times. But being a sieve on defense doesn't help. Again, I wanted us to draft him. I just think his gameplay is too one-sided (at least right now!) to be considered with some of the other greats you want to put him up there with.
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I meant Luka has always been compared to Magic since his rookie season in the NBA. The draft day comps of European prospects have been more miss than hit as they're not scouted as well as those who played in USA.

He's not there in the pantheon yet but it's unwise to write him off so early in his career. He was drafted for his elite playmaking not scoring. He developed his scoring to elite level after coming to the league. He has already done exceptional things in his career that only first ballot hall of famers do. He is just 25 and he is great most times.
 
LoungeLizard said:
Game 4 was very predictable. The team up 3-0 coasts while the team on the brink of elimination plays with desperation. This will often lead to a lopsided result. (See game 4 of Stanley Cup Finals as well) I would expect the Celtics to close out the series game 5 n front of their home crowd. It will probably be close though as Dallas will again be playing with their backs against the wall. Only way it ends up lopsided is if either team has a crazy outlier shooting game.
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Not close so far. Mavs are gonna have to go on at least 2 different runs or chip away while playing stellar defense with Boston going ice cold - doubt it.....I think this game is over if the Mavs don't cut into the lead at least by half start of 4th quarter. Celtics defense is just too strong. Mavs got their consolation game.
 
The Gentleman's Sweep somehow feels inevitable in retrospect. Boston is just too good for Dallas and probably would have been too good for anyone in the West this year. This is probably the best outcome from a Kings point of view. Boston will coast into next season having already won their championship and nobody seems primed to take their place as the unstoppable juggernaut to beat.
 
Game and series is about done....Mavs have failed to make a meaningful run....and their offense has not shown enough in the tank. The Celtics only need to play even to win now.
 
Luka got called out for his crapty defense, decided to try hard for one game and actually looked good doing it, and then promptly decided to turn back into a pumpkin in game 5.
 
Tetsujin said:
Luka got called out for his crapty defense, decided to try hard for one game and actually looked good doing it, and then promptly decided to turn back into a pumpkin in game 5.
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Its not his defense this game- the Celtics have shut him down and he's looked like moss out there. Mavs have failed on offense - and look like the overachievers they are this year. They ought to very happy to be runners up.
 
kingdivac said:
Its not his defense this game- the Celtics have shut him down and he's looked like moss out there. Mavs have failed on offense - and look like the overachievers they are this year. They ought to very happy to be runners up.
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There was a time where I penciled us as shoe ins to have a better record than them, shoot it may have been right up to the moment Luka decided to sit on Monk. Very successful turnaround and got much farther than they had any business getting I just sorta think this is the ceiling and their head is already poking through the roof.
 
Great, dominating performance by the Celtics. Their defense has made Dallas abandon their offense and resort to hail mary shots. That's how you stomp the belief of your opponents.
 
pdxKingsFan said:
There was a time where I penciled us as shoe ins to have a better record than them, shoot it may have been right up to the moment Luka decided to sit on Monk. Very successful turnaround and got much farther than they had any business getting I just sorta think this is the ceiling and their head is already poking through the roof.
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Well I think had the Mavs drawn the Nuggets, they wouldn't gotten this far. Related, Twolves were by far the most disappointing team in the playoffs with that shrivel up play on offense. It shows that the Kings may be closer than people think to doing better. This play by the Mavs in the finals is about what I might'veexpected from the Kings in a hypothetical series vs the Celtics - 1 big offensive game and thats it.
 
kingdivac said:
Well I think had the Mavs drawn the Nuggets, they wouldn't gotten this far. Related, Twolves were by far the most disappointing team in the playoffs with that shrivel up play on offense. It shows that the Kings may be closer than people think to doing better. This play by the Mavs in the finals is about what I might'veexpected from the Kings in a hypothetical series vs the Celtics - 1 big offensive game and thats it.
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That's sort of the thing, had we not run into our kryptonite in NOP we may have had a WCF run in us. This year was all about matchups, and I guess streaky shooting as a secondary element. Very few series were actually compelling and it seems like the Celtics were the only Eastern Conference team that was remotely healthy.
 
Luka taking his conditioning to another level would be like going to the gym on Sundays.
 
kingdivac said:
Well I think had the Mavs drawn the Nuggets, they wouldn't gotten this far. Related, Twolves were by far the most disappointing team in the playoffs with that shrivel up play on offense. It shows that the Kings may be closer than people think to doing better. This play by the Mavs in the finals is about what I might'veexpected from the Kings in a hypothetical series vs the Celtics - 1 big offensive game and thats it.
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I feel like the season may have ended differently had the Kings not been missing their entire shooting guard rotation from 2022-2023 but I feel like this discussion has already been beaten into the ground haha

I think the West will remain a blood bath next year
But we’re going to start seeing the consequences of every single non-OKC/Grizzlies/Kings western conference team having absolutely no assets left to play with and being stuck in the second tax apron come trade deadline season and the Kings might finally be able to use their advantage.
 
Hey you are 2:37 from #18 but why not challenge an out of bounds play while you are already up 21?
 
pdxKingsFan said:
Luka taking his conditioning to another level would be like going to the gym on Sundays.
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I think the game just comes so effortlessly to the guy on offense that he just sorta assumed that the same would eventually happen defensively and that’s just not how that side of the ball works at all
 
Tetsujin said:
I think the game just comes so effortlessly to the guy on offense that he just sorta assumed that the same would eventually happen defensively and that’s just not how that side of the ball works at all
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How's that working for James Harden?
 
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