Some random thoughts I had as the 2nd round came to a close:
- Some alluded to something similar to this... But, fair or unfair, seeing how well Memphis played without Ja not only against the Warriors, but throughout the regular season as well - I guarantee questions will pop up in the future if the Grizz struggle and people will ask if Ja really makes Memphis better. I think he does, but they questions will definitely be there.
- Sticking with Ja - he really needs to get a consistent jumper. If he manages that, he would be unstoppable.
- I picked GS to make it to the finals before the playoffs started, so I'm gonna continue riding with them.... but damn, they need to get it together if they stand a chance. Curry has been pretty cold all season (for his standards). Shoots 42.8% from 3 for his career, but was 38% this season and was a putrid 32.6% against Memphis. I understand Memphis should get credit for their defense, but in watching the games, Curry was missing shots he normally hits. Klay was also wildly inconsistent, missing wide open shots that he'd normally hit. If that continues and Dallas stays hot, it could get interesting. Still, I'll take GS in 6.
- Embiid isn't wrong, but, man... he might not be someone guys wanna play with if he keeps throwing dudes under the bus. Last year it was Simmons, this year it was Harden. Again, he's not wrong. Those guys came up small when the team needed them most... But, time and place...
- That brings me to Doc. I've long considered him one of the most overrated coached in the league. He was only put on the map because Danny Ainge pulled off trades for KG and Ray Allen. His teams regularly blow series leads and underachieve. And with how pathetic the 76ers were in terms of effort I feel like falls on him as well.
- I must have missed this at the time... but I thought Jimmy wanted to leave Philly. I didn't know they decided to pay Tobias Harris over him. What a fuck up that was.
- My respect has towards Spo has grown tremendously over the years. The way he's been able to help develop all these no name/late or undrafted players is insanely impressive.
- Like the Warriors, I picked Boston to make the Finals before the playoffs started. RW3 being out made/makes me nervous... but again, I'll stick with them over Miami in 7, maybe 6.
- Jayson Tatum is approaching superstardom. He used to be an inefficient ball hog, but he's become such a clutch player who also gets his team involved. I guess Jaylon Brown calling him out a couple of seasons ago worked.
- Very unfortunate for Milwaukee that Middleton was hurt. It looks like they could have made another finals run.
- I loved that the Suns lost because I don't like CP3. But I think this team's window has closed. CP isn't getting any younger, and now there are ton of questions on whether or not Ayton will be back. If they lose him, they don't have the cap to easily replace him without losing some of their depth. They may struggle to even make the 2nd round next season, I predict.
- Like Morant, if Doncic can become more consistent with his jump shot, and if he continues working on getting his team involved... he's going to be unstoppable on offense.
Ja:
I think he gives them a different dynamic that maxes out their ceiling but they often get too iso heavy with him. He doesn't exactly help their team defense either.
Warriors:
Even with Curry struggling, he still has a gravitational pull stretching the defense out because they know you can't leave him alone. 32.6% may be low these days by NBA standards but it's still at the same efficiency as shooting 49% from two-pt range. That is the value of the three-point shot.
I think Klay is starting to look like his old self except for the defensive end, and that could be a problem when Luka is going off on him. Or Butler/Herro/Tatum/Brown.
Embiid:
The whole public putting down of teammates is probably not the best policy. But some people make it work. Phil Jackson was a master of putting tidbits through the media to motivate his players.
Doc:
He needs a world class assistant coach to win (along with a lot of talent), like Thibodeau or Lue. He just doesn't make adjustments.
Butler/Philly:
It's hard to imagine that they don't win the East one or two times already had they kept Jimmy.
Spo:
Arguably the best coach in the NBA today. Plus, like me, he was born in Evanston so can't hate.
Celtics:
They will go as far as Tatum will take them. They can't afford another series where he shoots 30% with 5+ turnovers twice.
Bucks:
I have a feeling, healthy, they would have repeated.
CP3:
5 straight terrible games makes me think that he was really bothered by his quad. The guy has had some amazing playoff games over the last 2 years. I mean, the guy literally made 14/14 shots as a small, prototypical point guard. That's amazing. I'm not a fan of him personally but I respect the talent he has enough to get past that a bit. It would have been cool to see him win one. Booker, on the other hand, seems like a little bitch.
Luka:
I don't know how anyone can say he's not the best offensive player in the NBA at this point. The free throw shooting is the biggest thing that is a flaw on that end of the floor. I think he's a great shooter. .372 on 9.3 attempts/gm in 23 playoff games.
