I'm not watching or following but they were talking about it on ESPN Radio and it was being covered on ESPN.com. I agree with you take about the other teams having world class and/or NBA players on their rosters.
NBA 2020-2021
I'm not watching or following but they were talking about it on ESPN Radio and it was being covered on ESPN.com. I agree with you take about the other teams having world class and/or NBA players on their rosters.
I just looked up Australias roster 6 NBA players including Patty Mills and Joe Ingles. Thats a good team and if he played they would have had Ben Simmons as well. Lots of talent at the Olympics.
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2019
- Messages
- 11,959
- Reaction score
- 11,438
- Handicap
- 20.9
The NBA finals feels more like a really fun second round series between the 2 and 3 seed and not the NBA finals. Games have been fine and competitive but I just don't watch any of these teams and think NBA champ. For sure going to be the worst Finals champ that I can recall in my lifetime. Only ones that come close are the 19 Raptors and the Mavs. But I feel like the Raptors while getting totally lucky with injuries were really good. The Mavs beat the Heat team that was awesome. Other than those two I feel like you have to go back to the 70s.
It's weird. We don't want super teams. But at the same time when all the so called super teams are hurt the Finals seems watered down.
It's weird. We don't want super teams. But at the same time when all the so called super teams are hurt the Finals seems watered down.
Suns had a great opportunity to lock this series up…. Being on the other end of 17/5 in turnovers and 17/5 in offensive rebounds was killer
- Thread starter
- #1,855
This series could swing either way. The old Pat Riley saying that a series does not begin until a team loses on its home court is in play. However, Chris Paul is fading right now. He looked to have gotten his feet under him at the end of the Clippers series, but right now, he is not playing well enough for the Suns to win.
It is also interesting that with both Giannis and Middleton having scored 40 points in a finals game, they become only the third set of teammates to do so in a finals series. The others were Jabbar and Magic and LeBron and Irving. Sometimes, I think it feels like lesser teams, but that is because the players are not as well known, or hyped as stars. I remember thinking to myself during the Bulls runs that surely those Bulls teams were not as good as the Bird-led Celtics or the Showtime Lakers in their heydays. But, I think history now says that they were. There has never been more talent in the league than there is now and these two teams may not be quite as good as past finals participants, but there are some all time great players on the court right now. It is fun to watch.
It is also interesting that with both Giannis and Middleton having scored 40 points in a finals game, they become only the third set of teammates to do so in a finals series. The others were Jabbar and Magic and LeBron and Irving. Sometimes, I think it feels like lesser teams, but that is because the players are not as well known, or hyped as stars. I remember thinking to myself during the Bulls runs that surely those Bulls teams were not as good as the Bird-led Celtics or the Showtime Lakers in their heydays. But, I think history now says that they were. There has never been more talent in the league than there is now and these two teams may not be quite as good as past finals participants, but there are some all time great players on the court right now. It is fun to watch.
Last edited:
I completely agree with this. We don't have a team but I love basketball and have enjoyed the playoffs. Watching different teams I see there is a ton of talent and have found myself rooting for teams the guys on this thread support like your Utah Jazz. I think the other good thing with what is happening is every City with a team the fans see what is happening and realize their team has a chance with maybe the addition of a player or two to not only reach the finals but win it all. And with so many really good players out there finding the right combination with the right coach anything is possible, that is just good for the League and good for the game.
- Thread starter
- #1,857
That game was so close and could easily have gone the other way. It literally turned on a couple of plays. Both teams had their chances.
Who do you think wins it now, @Stemmy66? It kind of feels to me like the series where the Clippers slowly took control against my Jazz. The Bucks took the Suns’ knockout punches and remained standing and now I fear that Chris Paul may be fading. 36 years of age and 6 feet tall are a tough combo to not feel the effects of a long season. Holiday is playing horribly on the offensive end, but he is constantly in Chris Paul’s grill and with Holiday’s size and strength advantage, it may be wearing CP3 down.
Yeah that was an epic basketball game. I was very dejected at the sloppy play by the Suns. They had every chance to win it. Even given at least two gifts with Bookers 6th, 7th, maybe 8th foul. But then again. Bucks got a few breaks too. (Giannis....you have to step all the way out of bounds....and Just because two players surround a player with the ball in the corner and under a minute left down 4....it is not an automatic foul)
But Chris Paul played terrible and his very untimely TO were killer.
But.....Listen to the man.
- Thread starter
- #1,859
That anticipation foul when the Suns were trapping was kind of crazy, although I don’t think it turned the game. Giannis took a big chance, too, being lazy with his inbounding of the ball. In the end, though, The turnovers were the killer, or even Chris Paul not making one of the search dribble mid range shots that are almost automatic for him.
i find myself rooting for the bucks and i'm not sure why. never been a chris paul fan but i like booker, even though he has been where almost every player has been, think khardasian...lol.
GO BUCKS
GO BUCKS
Im with you. Those things were not the reason the game turned for the Bucks. The sloppy careless...forcing Suns (at times) were the issue. Coupled with the plays the Buck MADE. However that auto foul coupled with the lazy inbound....created yet another lost opportunity. the difference that *that* time it wasn't the Suns doing the squandering.
Pauls shot not falling was hard...but every play expects that....his turnovers and ball handling were a liability...that THAT can't happen to a all-star, hall of fame, player like him in a Finals game.
Just like Booker....MUST stop the complaining and mad at his perceived slights by officials. His 5th foul was the direct result of him not letting things go, IMO. That killed the Suns. He was unstoppable prior to that....so he let the Bucks off the hook.
- Thread starter
- #1,862
I am rooting for the Suns, but, honestly, I am fine with either team winning it. There are a lot of reasons to root for Giannis. He seems like a great young man, who tries to do things the right way.
For NBA fans who only really follow the biggest names or for those who want the highest tv ratings, this is not a highly desired series, but for a real basketball fan, who wants to see a league where any team has a real chance to win it all, this is as good as it gets. I have grown tired of the seeming reality that you have to be a big market team to win it, because the smaller franchises cannot assemble super teams. This year is likely an anomaly, given COVID and all the injuries, but it still gives me hope that my Jazz could one day win a championship.
I want them all to lose!!! Still bitter 
- Thread starter
- #1,864
Astute…. Booker was on fire and that 5th foul ran him to the bench and he was not the same afterward. Again, I hope that CP3’s very unusual sloppy play was not the result of him being out of juice.
It's down to a best of three. I don't think the league could ask for more. It's refreshing that it's not LeBron and the Lakers or the Warriors or the Nets in the finals.
I think that this was the year for your Jazz. It's unfortunate that Conley was hurt. The West is loaded going forward.
My daughter saw this post of Stefon Diggs wearing this and got me one. Love it.
I hear you but I really feel like Bucks will not play same way in Phoenix… role players for Bucks, including Holiday will struggle again… Suns are still my pick but need Ayton to make more impact and CP3 to get back to taking care of the ball.
Having 2 of 3 home games will be deciding factor now that fans are really impacting.
BTW, what did you think of no call on Devin Booker late in 4th?
- Thread starter
- #1,869
Don’t I know. I am still in mourning. I don’t know whether the Jazz would have been able to beat either the Suns or the Bucks, but they certainly would have had a chance. With Conley out and Donavan clearly more hobbled as the Clippers series progressed, it really sucked. These chances come frequently for the glamor teams, not for the Jazz.
This still shocks me, but I guess players can come to a point in their career where they look for a better title shot.
- Thread starter
- #1,871
I am stating the obvious, but he is running out of time and Portland really has no shot to be a real contender in the next few years. That being said, when players enter into these veteran max and super max deals, they have to realize there is no longer a legitimate chance for team building, unless you are one of the four or five huge market teams that can attract players on veteran minimums. These NBA players want it both ways. They want to take one third of the cap and then they complain when the team has no chance to sign other good players. It is done so much differently in the NBA than in the NFL.
I like what James Jones did in Phoenix through the draft and free agency. I agree that max and Supermax contracts make it almost impossible to sign multiple top players but do you think there is at least a chance that smaller market teams can continue to compete or is this year a fluke ?. I hope its possible because in the long run it is good for the game. Living in a small market I would love to still have a team but wouldn't like thinking we would never have a chance to win it all.
- Thread starter
- #1,873
He had done a good job, but the Suns were down for years. Ayton was a number one draft pick.
This year, the NBA will crown its fourth champion in four years. You had Golden State, Toronto, the Lakers and now, either the Bucks or Suns. That is a very unusual trend. However, I think the injuries made this year very unusual. Would the Bucks have beaten the Nets if the Nets were at full strength? Would the Suns have beaten either the Lakers and the Clippers at full strength? We will never know. Personally, I don’t think so.
The Nets are already the betting favorites to win it next year and they have a super team, with three top ten players. They took a risk that Durant would come back from his achilles tear (a legitimate risk) and that Irving would not be a cancer (which he still may be), but it is the proverbial super team, which I hate.
Just like golf, there is more talent than ever in the NBA, which makes it more difficult to dominate. Also, these super teams usually have a fairly short shelf life. So, I think that there is room for a team to be on the cusp of being a contender and then grab a great player, even if there is not a large window for that team. Toronto grabbed Kawhi, taking the risk that he would leave in a year and he did, but they won a championship, well worth the one year rental. The Suns grabbed CP3. He is 36 and 6 feet tall, so surely he is near the end, but they are in the finals for the first time since 1993. I think that the big markets will continue to dominate, but that there is at least hope that a team can be very close, have all the stars line up and grab a championship like Toronto did or like either the Bucks or Suns will do this year.
I think you are right on point. I do think or at least hope the "super teams" can be beat by a solid well coached team with a couple great or a great and really good player with a strong roster. Barring injury I think the stars had lined up for your Jazz this season and hopefully they and others will be strong competition for the super teams and have a shot at a Championship next season. Ayton has played well although I must add I watched his last college game and didn't think he looked like a first overall pick in the NBA draft .He turned out to be pretty good. Looking forward to The Basketball Tournament because the core of that UB team is playing including Jeremy Harris who I really thought had the game for the NBA so even though we don't have a team that tournament is something I am really looking forward to.
Olympics update - Brady Beal out with Covid. Kevin Love out for who knows what. JaVale McGee in… what is happening?!