2023 NBA Playoffs Thread

[harryfromphilly 75]

2 hours ago, orlandoholic said:

understood.. but imo he won’t get suspended because he’s a star player.. 

i just hate the special treatment..

 

Lebron been traveling on his spins like crazy recently. No call..

then i watch our games and we getting punked..

well    you were right    no suspension

[Jason Funderburker 111]

One thing I have really noticed during the playoffs is the play of centers. It really seems to be feast or famine at the position. I don’t know anyone would say Mitchell Robinson is a great player at this point but he looks bad out there, especially compared to Bam. Deandre Ayton is a max player but there are also times he just looks bad or worse, uninterested. Watching how good Horford still is it is crazy the 6ers couldn’t figure out how to make him work when they had him. The most interesting matchup is LA and GS where both players are elite in entirely different ways that it doesn’t seem to affect each other

Edit: wanted to add, I’m a fan of Wendell but I fear he is on the Ayton side of the spectrum in a playoff scenario

[CTMagicUK 1,482]

5 hours ago, Jason Funderburker said:

One thing I have really noticed during the playoffs is the play of centers. It really seems to be feast or famine at the position. I don’t know anyone would say Mitchell Robinson is a great player at this point but he looks bad out there, especially compared to Bam. Deandre Ayton is a max player but there are also times he just looks bad or worse, uninterested. Watching how good Horford still is it is crazy the 6ers couldn’t figure out how to make him work when they had him. The most interesting matchup is LA and GS where both players are elite in entirely different ways that it doesn’t seem to affect each other

Edit: wanted to add, I’m a fan of Wendell but I fear he is on the Ayton side of the spectrum in a playoff scenario

This is harsh on Wendell. I actually think he translates relatively well into a playoff setting. He's laterally quick enough to be scheme versatile, he has a high motor, he can guard the post and he's not a total negative on offense. Will he get left open on his 3s? Of course, but if he hits 33% from 3 across a playoff series you'll take the 1PPP. Especially if it means he draws close outs and can use his handle to get to the rim. 

I was actually coming in here to post something about C salary versus playoff production and how I'm so happy we have WCJ locked down for the next 3 years at his salary. 

The C position is the one that seems to translate least from regular season success to post season at least anecdotally. The only C's in the entire league I'd feel comfortable paying max money to are Jokic, Embiid and AD. 

We're going to pay our starting C $36m over the next 3 seasons. Meanwhile: 

Ayton is on a max contract making $30m a season. 

The Timberwolves have 2 Centers who'll make more than $36m next season in KAT and Gobert

Myles Turner will make $20m next season (the Pacers also have $9m committed to Daniel Theis)

Mitchell Robinson will make $10m more over the life of his contract than WCJ and while he was good in the Knicks round 1 series he's a catch and finish big who can't hit FTs. Possibly the easiest player to guard still playing in the playoffs. 

Even Sabonis who just had a terrific regular season and is almost certainly getting the max from the Kings the summer after this had a pretty terrible series against Golden State because he can't space the floor at all nor is he an ideal defensive player. 

And to be clear I'm not saying WCJ is an outright better player than any of the above really but what I am saying is that he's good enough a starting calibre C at a low salary point which will allow us the flexibility to allocate our salaries to other areas. And if he happens to have a "famine" series in the playoffs it will be ok because relative to the cap he takes up we won't be expecting him to carry the team. (I.e. if you're paying a guy a max and he has a dud playoff series that's a lot harder to swallow than if you're paying a guy like a roleplayer and he has a dud playoff series). 

[Soul Bro 1,419]

How about Poole’s latest game? Geez

[hootie249 293]

Yeah, Poole was a bad overpay and a good lesson going forward for many teams. Capped teams feel pinched. They feel if they don't pay up there is no way to keep a player. I say let them get an offer first. Nobody was gonna pay Poole 30 million. Anfernee Simons is the closest comparison and he is better and cheaper.

[MagicMan1979 105]

1 hour ago, Soul Bro said:

How about Poole’s latest game? Geez

Huge disappointment this year. I can’t believe The Lakers and Heat are doing so well. 

[harryfromphilly 75]

1 minute ago, MagicMan1979 said:

Huge disappointment this year. I can’t believe The Lakers and Heat are doing so well. 

I go back and forth as to who I dislike more the knicks or the heat ...  but one thing that i do know, my least favorite team in the west has to go.   No More Lake Show

[Mauro Pedrosa 1,032]

The Lakers are my adopted team this year hahaha

[CTMagicUK 1,482]

3 hours ago, Mauro Pedrosa said:

The Lakers are my adopted team this year hahaha

Booooo. 

[A Better DJ & Photographer 457]

I want Denver and the Knicks in the finals because they aren't Miami, Golden State, Boston, or the Lakers. Love to see AG get the ring.

[Jason Funderburker 111]

12 hours ago, CTMagicUK said:

This is harsh on Wendell. I actually think he translates relatively well into a playoff setting. He's laterally quick enough to be scheme versatile, he has a high motor, he can guard the post and he's not a total negative on offense. Will he get left open on his 3s? Of course, but if he hits 33% from 3 across a playoff series you'll take the 1PPP. Especially if it means he draws close outs and can use his handle to get to the rim. 

I was actually coming in here to post something about C salary versus playoff production and how I'm so happy we have WCJ locked down for the next 3 years at his salary. 

The C position is the one that seems to translate least from regular season success to post season at least anecdotally. The only C's in the entire league I'd feel comfortable paying max money to are Jokic, Embiid and AD. 

We're going to pay our starting C $36m over the next 3 seasons. Meanwhile: 

Ayton is on a max contract making $30m a season. 

The Timberwolves have 2 Centers who'll make more than $36m next season in KAT and Gobert

Myles Turner will make $20m next season (the Pacers also have $9m committed to Daniel Theis)

Mitchell Robinson will make $10m more over the life of his contract than WCJ and while he was good in the Knicks round 1 series he's a catch and finish big who can't hit FTs. Possibly the easiest player to guard still playing in the playoffs. 

Even Sabonis who just had a terrific regular season and is almost certainly getting the max from the Kings the summer after this had a pretty terrible series against Golden State because he can't space the floor at all nor is he an ideal defensive player. 

And to be clear I'm not saying WCJ is an outright better player than any of the above really but what I am saying is that he's good enough a starting calibre C at a low salary point which will allow us the flexibility to allocate our salaries to other areas. And if he happens to have a "famine" series in the playoffs it will be ok because relative to the cap he takes up we won't be expecting him to carry the team. (I.e. if you're paying a guy a max and he has a dud playoff series that's a lot harder to swallow than if you're paying a guy like a roleplayer and he has a dud playoff series). 

Yeah it probably is too harsh on Carter. And honestly I think you could make an argument he is a better player than Ayton today. Hopefully next year we get to see how he plays in this position 

[All Eyes On Me 1,210]

The Poole stuff to me is really interesting. He’s been dreadful, but you wonder how mentally done he is with Golden State after the Draymond situation and the embarrassment of that. The dude just needs a change of scenery and he’s gonna get it. I don’t think we go for it, but someone will get him for pretty much free outside of taking on his contract and I think it’ll be a worthwhile gamble.