***Official NBA Playoffs Thread***

  • After Iowa State won the Big 12, a Cyclone made a wonderful offer to We Will that now increases our match. Now all gifts up to $400,000 between now and the Final 4 will be matched. Please consider giving at We Will Collective.
    This notice can be dismissed using the upper right corner X button.

madguy30

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2011
49,845
46,582
113
'But mj played less games.' - mj stans after LeBron surpassed mj for 1st all-time in playoff scoring View attachment 48043

LeBron James- 5595 points on 4397 shots. 1.37 points per shot attempt.
michael jordan- 5987 points on 4497 shots. 1.33 points per shot attempt

Again...perhaps I put someone on ignore without realizing it....but who are you arguing with?
 

jbindm

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2010
13,073
7,604
113
Des Moines
My thoughts:

1. LaVar nees to STFU. He's already priced the vast majority of people who would be interested in buying his kid's shoes out of the market because, in his words, "they're not baller enough. Which leads into point number 2.

2. LaVar had better hope that the Lakers draft his son, because Lonzo is already giving off vibes of being a clubhouse cancer, which, ironically, wouldn't even be Lonzo's fault - it would be his father's fault, the guy that is too busy hogging the spotlight to realize he's being a detriment to his son's future.

3. LaVar had better hope his son doesn't end up being a bust, because he will look like an even bigger fool than he already is.

Yeah, I keep hearing that Lavar and his yapping aren't going to affect any team's decision on taking Lonzo, but I have a very difficult time believing that. No team would want that noise and distraction. Wherever he goes, how long before Lavar is calling into local and national sports talk radio shows and ******** about how Lonzo is being used? It'd be poison for a young team, where the core guys aren't all that far removed from their AAU days and could be easily influenced by crap like that.

The weird thing is that I think Lonzo is a consummate team guy and (assuming he can get his shot off against bigger NBA guards and wings...I'm skeptical) wherever he goes his unselfishness on the court is going to make that team instantly better on offense. It's his dad that's a potential clubhouse cancer.
 

Playboi Carti

Well-Known Member
May 7, 2017
1,581
1,190
63
25
'But mj played less games.' - mj stans after LeBron surpassed mj for 1st all-time in playoff scoring View attachment 48043

LeBron James- 5595 points on 4397 shots. 1.37 points per shot attempt.
michael jordan- 5987 points on 4497 shots. 1.33 points per shot attempt
It's crazy Lebron already has the recorded and still has a good 4-7 years left. He's going to be shatter this recored and no one will probably ever break it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DaHiltonHaus1

jbindm

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2010
13,073
7,604
113
Des Moines
It's crazy Lebron already has the recorded and still has a good 4-7 years left. He's going to be shatter this recored and no one will probably ever break it.

That's the big unknown. History tells us that the great athletes don't age gracefully; more often than not the wheels come off in a hurry. But maybe Lebron is the exception to the rule, where if he declines slowly and steadily he could remain an elite NBA player for another half decade. On the other hand, maybe all the playoff games and minutes and the burden of carrying teams catches up with him all at once and he's done in two years. Kobe tore his achilles when he was what, 33? Prior to that injury he looked like he could go strong for several more seasons. But he was never the same after that and other injuries just kept piling up.

It's a little similar to what's happening with Tom Brady. We're not used to seeing a QB play this well at his age. So where and when does it stop? Several more years of slow decline, or does everything fall apart all at once like what happened with Manning and Favre? Both of those guys went from All-Pro to washed up in one season.
 

rholtgraves

Well-Known Member
Sep 25, 2009
11,201
6,751
113
Some of these athletes playing so well despite the years and hours and games etc makes you wonder about HGH and other performance enhancers. Manning denies taking anything but there is still a link there and still questions.
 

Playboi Carti

Well-Known Member
May 7, 2017
1,581
1,190
63
25
That's the big unknown. History tells us that the great athletes don't age gracefully; more often than not the wheels come off in a hurry. But maybe Lebron is the exception to the rule, where if he declines slowly and steadily he could remain an elite NBA player for another half decade. On the other hand, maybe all the playoff games and minutes and the burden of carrying teams catches up with him all at once and he's done in two years. Kobe tore his achilles when he was what, 33? Prior to that injury he looked like he could go strong for several more seasons. But he was never the same after that and other injuries just kept piling up.

It's a little similar to what's happening with Tom Brady. We're not used to seeing a QB play this well at his age. So where and when does it stop? Several more years of slow decline, or does everything fall apart all at once like what happened with Manning and Favre? Both of those guys went from All-Pro to washed up in one season.
Yeah I'm guessing he'll stay health. He has never had a major injury. This is increadiable
LeBron All Time Playoff Rankings: Points: 1st Assists: 3rd Rebounds: 7th Steals: 2nd Blocks: 21st Win Shares: 1st BPM: 1st VORP: 1st. He could be #1 in points, assists, steals and rebounds in the post season by the end of his career.
 

jbindm

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2010
13,073
7,604
113
Des Moines
Some of these athletes playing so well despite the years and hours and games etc makes you wonder about HGH and other performance enhancers. Manning denies taking anything but there is still a link there and still questions.


I agree. I'll admit that sports science and technology helps to an extent, and athletes are investing more and more in their bodies to extend their careers. But there's nothing wrong with a little skepticism.
 

jbindm

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2010
13,073
7,604
113
Des Moines
Yeah I'm guessing he'll stay health. He has never had a major injury. This is increadiable
LeBron All Time Playoff Rankings: Points: 1st Assists: 3rd Rebounds: 7th Steals: 2nd Blocks: 21st Win Shares: 1st BPM: 1st VORP: 1st. He could be #1 in points, assists, steals and rebounds in the post season by the end of his career.

You could have said the same for Kobe before the achilles injury. Lots of little nagging and painful injuries that he played through, but before that nothing. Those of us over or approaching 40 understand that injuries now don't heal the same as they used to.

I'm not dumping on Lebron. What he's doing is amazing and if we get another 3-5 years of great basketball I'm all for it. I'm just syaing that there's no way of knowing. It could break that way or the mileage could catch up to him all at once. Makes it hard to say where and when he'll end his career.
 

Playboi Carti

Well-Known Member
May 7, 2017
1,581
1,190
63
25
You could have said the same for Kobe before the achilles injury. Lots of little nagging and painful injuries that he played through, but before that nothing. Those of us over or approaching 40 understand that injuries now don't heal the same as they used to.

I'm not dumping on Lebron. What he's doing is amazing and if we get another 3-5 years of great basketball I'm all for it. I'm just syaing that there's no way of knowing. It could break that way or the mileage could catch up to him all at once. Makes it hard to say where and when he'll end his career.
Sorry but Kobe just wasn't at the same level as Lebron. Kobe was an amazing scorer but If you put kobe at 32 on any team in the nba they probably won't make the finals. You could put Lebron on almost any team in the nba and they would make the finals. Lebron is just a different beast. Even if this is Lebron playoffs he'll still have the best playoff numbers of all time.
 

jbindm

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2010
13,073
7,604
113
Des Moines
The FInals get underway tomorrow night. Who ya got?

I don't think home court advantage will matter all that much. Last year both teams were able to notch wins on the road, including the Cavs taking Game 7. I want to say Warriors in seven just because KD is such a huge upgrade over Harrison Barnes. By the end of the series last year, the Warriors weren't even bothering to guard him. They won't be able to cheat or lay off anyone in Golden State's lineup this time around.
But I can't bet against Lebron. I think he's going to put together a performance even better than last year, and that will be just enough for the Cavs to win in a seven game classic.
 
Last edited:

cyclonespiker33

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
Jan 19, 2011
14,677
7,845
113
The FInals get underway tomorrow night. Who ya got?

I don't think home court advantage will matter all that much. Last year both teams were able to notch wins on the road, including the Cavs taking Game 7. I want to say Warriors in seven just because KD is such a huge upgrade over Harrison Barnes. By the end of the series last year, the Warriors weren't even bothering to guard him. They won't be able to cheat or lay off anyone in Golden State's lineup this time around.
But I can't bet against Lebron. I think he's going to put together a performance even better than last year, and that will be just enough for the Cavs to win in a seven game classic.
My heart says Cavs in 6 but my brain says Warriors in 7. I think the Cavs will be able to defend Steph fairly well but I think Durant and Draymond are going to be big in this series. The Warriors are just on another level right now.
 

jbindm

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2010
13,073
7,604
113
Des Moines
My heart says Cavs in 6 but my brain says Warriors in 7. I think the Cavs will be able to defend Steph fairly well but I think Durant and Draymond are going to be big in this series. The Warriors are just on another level right now.


I do think that one way or the other it's going the full seven games.

KD could be the difference maker. But he is under the most pressure of any player on either side. Can you imagine all the crap he'd catch if he didn't get a ring after all the "he bailed on OKC!" nonsense? Not only does he need to win, but he needs to play well. The only way for his decision to leave the Thunder to be validated is to win the title and Finals MVP. If they win and he's just OK, then all he did was quit on one team to ride the coattails somewhere else. At least that'll be the noise from the hot take crowd,
 

tim_redd

Well-Known Member
Mar 29, 2006
13,137
7,956
113
41
Ankeny
LeBron is always under the most pressure. He's not playing against the Warriors, he's playing against Michael Jordan.
 

JHUNSY

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2013
5,211
2,974
113
Des Moines, IA
For reference:

nba-playoffs_ma9efy.jpg


GSW over POR 4-1
UTA over LAC 4-3
HOU over OKC 4-2
SAS over MEM 4-1

BOS over CHI 4-1
WAS over ATL 4-3
TOR over MIL 4-2
CLE over IND 4-0

GSW over UTA 4-2
SAS over HOU 4-2

BOS over WAS 4-3
CLE over TOR 4-2

GSW over SAS 4-3

CLE over BOS 4-2

CLE over GSW 4-2

I'd love to see anything but another rematch in the Finals but I'm not sure if it happens this year.
Other than UTA and TOR rolling over in the conference semifinals and SAS rolling over in the Western Finals, I've been on or within a game so far. I think the Finals will be no different.
 

jbindm

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2010
13,073
7,604
113
Des Moines
LeBron is always under the most pressure. He's not playing against the Warriors, he's playing against Michael Jordan.


That's true nine times out of ten. We all saw the reaction after he had one bad game a couple weeks ago. He's held to a different standard.

But KD leaving the Thunder for the Warriors was the dominant NBA offseason story last summer. If the end of that story is Durant coming up short, the haters are going to come out of the woodwork.
 

madguy30

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2011
49,845
46,582
113
I almost forgot they hadn't even started the Finals yet.

I've seen I think 2 playoff games that were interesting (East Finals) so hopefully there's a few more.
 

CycloneRulzzz

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jul 13, 2008
48,315
48,904
113
43
Nevada, IA
Would be interesting to see Warriors go from making regular season making history to playoff history if they complete a playoff sweep. Didn't think I could root for KD but have changed my mind.