NBA: 2022 NBA Playoffs

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c.y.c.l.o.n.e.s

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Getting healthy at the right time & they are deep, still haven’t played the kuminga freak either. Suns vs Warriors will be a great conference finals
Imagine having an All Star (Wiggins) as fourth or fifth best player on the floor and
having the number seven pick in last year's draft (Kuminga) that isn't even in the main playoff rotation. Plus the 2020 number two pick (Wiseman) hasn't even played this year. They are so deep. Lack of a true center might be their Achilles, though.
 
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jdoggivjc

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The basketball in the NBA is obviously of an exponential quality over the NCAA, but I'm sorry - the opening round of the NBA Playoffs will never be as great as the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Even if you don't have a team in the NCAA Tournament to cheer for, at least in the first weekend you can enjoy the chaos. I mean, I guess Minnesota and Utah winning their game 1s was pretty chaotic, but otherwise it's been rather "ugh". I mean, the basketball has been great out of the great teams, but they're also teams I really don't care for.
 
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HFCS

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The basketball in the NBA is obviously of an exponential quality over the NCAA, but I'm sorry - the opening round of the NBA Playoffs will never be as great as the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Even if you don't have a team in the NCAA Tournament to cheer for, at least in the first weekend you can enjoy the chaos. I mean, I guess Minnesota and Utah winning their game 1s was pretty chaotic, but otherwise it's been rather "ugh". I mean, the basketball has been great out of the great teams, but they're also teams I really don't care for.

The game is better quality in every way, but the NCAA format is so exciting those first four days. You could never have a format like that in pro basketball because there are no real underdogs and if you did include underdogs it diminishes an 82 game season. They are trying I guess with this play-in structure but it’s still not the same.

Once it comes sweet 16 time, unless ISU or some massive underdog is still around I completely lose interest in NCAA tourney though…where in the NBA if there are two juggernaut teams with all time greats in the finals it becomes must see TV.

What I reeeeeeeeally don’t get is people who are into non-NCAA tourney basketball that doesn’t involve their team. Give me any NBA game over that. The insane inconsistency with shooting and officiating drives me nuts if I don’t have a fan interest.

The closest thing to “upsets” in NBA basketball is when some dynasty or hopeful dynasty gets knocked off…or a rare time when a team comes back from down 3-1 to win a series.

I’m not a hockey fan but it seems the NHL and NBA have best structure for actually crowning best team in their sport with the only wiggle room being a handful of years there were major officiating or disciplinary mistakes. (The year the Spurs were rewarded for overly violent play starting a brawl comes to mind)
 

JP4CY

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Embiid jacking that 3 against a double team was pretty bad.
 

HFCS

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Unbelievable from Embiid.

Also, Giannis can just bulldoze guys with no call for some reason, and it's annoying.

If Jokic got the calls Giannis, Embiid, LeBron, Doncic, Durant get people would be starting up goat potential arguments. He could easily be scoring another 4-5 a game if he got calls every other mvp has always gotten, not to mention many more of his opponents should be fouling out.
 
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werdnamanhill

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If Jokic got the calls Giannis, Embiid, LeBron, Doncic, Durant get people would be starting up goat potential arguments. He could easily be scoring another 4-5 a game if he got calls every other mvp has always gotten, not to mention many more of his opponents should be fouling out.
I don't agree at all. He gets a way better whistle than a lot of those guys. He commits an offensive foul every time he drives.
 
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Halincandenza

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Looks like Sixers Heat in the next round which should be a really good series. Niang has been playing well.

I know it isn't over yet, but I think the Celtics will win that series even if Durant gets it going which he will but they just have so many bigger guys they can throw at him and disrupt his flow. And beyond Kyrie and Irving they don't have much. If Simmons comes back I don't know if that helps or hurts?

Not surprised the Bulls won. They looked good defensively in the first game and were right there at the end. They are starting to look like the team they were in the first half of the year before all the injuries. With Middleton likely done for the series, I think they will end up taking it.
 
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HFCS

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I don't agree at all. He gets a way better whistle than a lot of those guys. He commits an offensive foul every time he drives.

Maybe I'm letting my fandom blind me but I don't think he gets any better calls than the average Joe coming off the bench to spell somebody.

In game one I saw three separate times where he was hacked on both arms at the rim, all 3 times the ball went out of bounds on him or recovered by GSW. 4-6 point swing in the game and his stat line just on those obvious calls (calls any player should get let alone a star player). In a lifetime of watching other MVPs like LeBron or Jordan I can't imagine all 3 of those being no whistle. Dwayne Wade would've got those three calls and three other calls where somebody didn't even touch him.
 

CyJack13

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May 21, 2010
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The basketball in the NBA is obviously of an exponential quality over the NCAA, but I'm sorry - the opening round of the NBA Playoffs will never be as great as the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Even if you don't have a team in the NCAA Tournament to cheer for, at least in the first weekend you can enjoy the chaos. I mean, I guess Minnesota and Utah winning their game 1s was pretty chaotic, but otherwise it's been rather "ugh". I mean, the basketball has been great out of the great teams, but they're also teams I really don't care for.

I agree, I really like both the tournament and NBA playoffs but for very different reasons. The chaos of the one and done format is what makes the NCAA tournament great. I love the NBA playoffs for the exact opposite reason. You don't get fluke NBA champions, the best team wins. Little tiny regular season flaws get turned into major issues as you face better and better opponents who are now focusing all their scouting on coaching on one opponent. Teams hunt any mismatch they can find, guys who are very solid regular season players become unplayable in certain situations. And then I love seeing teams cut and cut the rotation as the postseason progress, then you get those late conference Finals and Finals games where you see teams basically playing 7 guys. riding starters 40+ mins every night.
 
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JP4CY

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If Jokic got the calls Giannis, Embiid, LeBron, Doncic, Durant get people would be starting up goat potential arguments. He could easily be scoring another 4-5 a game if he got calls every other mvp has always gotten, not to mention many more of his opponents should be fouling out.
I'm no Durant apologist but he's been hounded by the C's. Just all over him.
 
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