NBA: ***Official 2019 NBA Playoffs Thread***

[Cyched]

It really sucks to see the Warriors lose this way. I've never had an NBA team to root for, but I would always find myself watching them play ever since 2015 due to their play style and fire they show. If they were going to get knocked off their throne, I wish it could have been in a different way. The domino effect of injuries during this series made the victory by Toronto feel a little bit different. Not saying Toronto could not have won against a healthy Warriors team, and injuries are for sure part of the game, but there will be many people in the sports world that put an asterisk by this championship series.

If injuries are the criteria for an asterisk, why do we even bother playing the games in the first place?

 

[Statefan10]

By your logic, some of the Warriors' championships need asterisks.

Look, injuries happen, it's something you have to deal with as a team. The Warriors made a choice to go after big named guys and therefore had to deplete their roster. If those stars got hurt, they'd be in trouble. Those stars did get hurt, and the did get in trouble. I'm not personally saying there's an asterisk, but I have already heard 3 different people in the national media bring up the argument. It doesn't matter in the long run, Toronto won and the Warriors lost.

My opinion was that I wished if the Warriors were going to lose, they were going to lose because someone flat out beat them without injuries or suspensions, but that's just not how basketball works sometimes. The Warriors have had great players on opposing teams get hurt, which have helped lead them to championships, and now they're going through the exact same situation. You can make the excuse about the injuries but at the end of the day, no one cares, and the Raptor's certainly don't care either.

 

[Statefan10]

If injuries are the criteria for an asterisk, why do we even bother playing the games in the first place?

You're not getting my point. My point was that these injuries made it seem like the Raptors weren't playing the true Warriors. It's the way it is sometimes. I was not saying Toronto didn't truly win the championship, or that there should be an asterisk by the title, but there are a lot of people making that excuse.

 

[tim_redd]

I'd have loved to see GSW if they had a month or two to get used to playing without Durant.

If they're at full strength with four all stars and a finals MVP it's just a matter of if they are focused which is boring.

For those saying asterisk...

The only two asterisks I have in 30+ years of watching these playoffs are the year Spurs took a title away from Phoenix by being rewarded for trying to injure the MVP when the game was over, and the year the officials pretty obviously rigged the WCF against the Kings for the Lakers. Those are two cases where the best team wasn't in the finals and the champion was able to advance without outplaying all of their opponents on the court.

If I had to give another it would be Dwayne Wade's 97 foul shots in 6 games. It wasn't as bad as Kings-Lakers but it was pretty bad. I'm not positive Dallas was the better team though where Phoenix and Sacramento definitely outplayed the eventual champ.

The suspensions for the Suns players was ridiculous. Also of note that Tim Donaghy reffed this series...

 

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

Wow. It will be fascinating to see what happens with the Warriors next year.

Durant and Klay are both due to get max contract type of deals but they both might miss the entire season! Do they pay two guys somewhere around 70 million dollars to rehab? As was mentioned in this thread earlier, will they have even have a choice? Livingston will probably retire. Iggy will either retire or become a Kyle Korver type of spot minutes player, Boogie will probably sign contract elsewhere. Even Looney is a free agent. About the only thing that is guaranteed is that Steph and Draymond will be back..

 

[Cydkar]

They were booing the foul. Far different from a roar of cheering.

We were booing the play calling, not the players.

- Hawk fans

 

[Peter]

Wow. It will be fascinating to see what happens with the Warriors next year.

Durant and Klay are both due to get max contract type of deals but they both might miss the entire season! Do they pay two guys somewhere around 70 million dollars to rehab? As was mentioned in this thread earlier, will they have even have a choice? Livingston will probably retire. Iggy will either retire or become a Kyle Korver type of spot minutes player, Boogie will probably sign contract elsewhere. Even Looney is a free agent. About the only thing that is guaranteed is that Steph and Draymond will be back..

Yes, no matter what happens, Golden State will no longer be the favorites. The west will be wide open at least for a year. If the Lakers sign AD, they have to be the favorites.

 

[Mr Janny]

Wow. It will be fascinating to see what happens with the Warriors next year.

Durant and Klay are both due to get max contract type of deals but they both might miss the entire season! Do they pay two guys somewhere around 70 million dollars to rehab? As was mentioned in this thread earlier, will they have even have a choice? Livingston will probably retire. Iggy will either retire or become a Kyle Korver type of spot minutes player, Boogie will probably sign contract elsewhere. Even Looney is a free agent. About the only thing that is guaranteed is that Steph and Draymond will be back..

Durant has a player option, so he can simply opt in, and the Warriors have to pay him for another year while he recovers, and then become a free agent next year. That would be an awfully tempting option, I would think. It's not like his value is going to go down. He'll still get a max contract.

 

[tim_redd]

The Lakers have to make a move and go for it all next year, right?

 

[Halincandenza]

Durant has a player option, so he can simply opt in, and the Warriors have to pay him for another year while he recovers, and then become a free agent next year. That would be an awfully tempting option, I would think. It's not like his value is going to go down. He'll still get a max contract.

But will he no longer be able to get the super max if he waits?

 

[CyJack13]

The Lakers have to make a move and go for it all next year, right?

I think so, they could benefit greatly from the Klay and KD injuries. Throw in Kuzma to get the AD deal done, go hard after Butler or another third wheel (Middleton, Harris?) and fill out the rest of the roster the best you can and see what happens the next two years.

 

[NWICY]

So what do the Nuggets have to do to get towards the top and make a run at the finals?

 

[Peter]

So what do the Nuggets have to do to get towards the top and make a run at the finals?

Start Monte

 

[awd4cy]

We were booing the play calling, not the players.

- Hawk fans

To be honest booing is quite a bit different than cheering on a serious injury.

 

[HFCS]

The suspensions for the Suns players was ridiculous. Also of note that Tim Donaghy reffed this series...

Injuries are part of sports, tough breaks sometimes but it's part of what it is. Rewarding a team for trying to put the league MVP in the hospital after you've lost a game is not part of basketball.

 

[Doc]

So what do the Nuggets have to do to get towards the top and make a run at the finals?

They are near the top as it is, but can’t compete with the best because of defense. Gotta find some more defense and I’m not sure how they do that. Jokic is fine on defense, but Murray isn’t. Start praying that Michael Porter Jr. stays healthy and plays to his potential (if he even has top tier potential anymore) so you don’t need Murray as your 2nd scorer.

 

[Doc]

At this point, I think I’d predict an all Los Angeles Western Conference finals. Insert puking gif. Kawhi v. Bron and AD.

 

[Doc]

I think it just depends on how free agency shakes out. There could be a pretty big influx of talent moving west, and if that happens it's going to make the path to a playoff spot that much more difficult. At any rate they won't have the luxury of coasting through the regular season. But if KD re-ups and he and Klay can get back late in the regular season (I know it's a long shot for KD, but you never know), that is one dangerous seven or eight seed.

It’s going to be difficult. I think Houston, OKC, Denver, Portland, and Utah are near locks for the playoffs. The two LA teams are likely in even with no AD or Kawhi. Dallas is probably in if they get Butler. San Antonio should be in. Pelicans may be dangerous. That’s 10 teams right there.

 

[cycfan1]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...ive-accused-hitting-cop-after-win/1453997001/

Wonder if he gets banned for a year as well...

 

[CyJack13]

At this point, I think I’d predict an all Los Angeles Western Conference finals. Insert puking gif. Kawhi v. Bron and AD.

I'm real curious in what Houston does this offseason. I would have bet on Morey making a huge move, finding a way to move CP3, maybe Capela too, but after the KD and Klay injuries, do they think twice and run it back once more with basically the same group?