i dont think its championship level at all, celtics are clearly the better team (ofc mostly because embiid coming back from injury etc). the 76ers have only won by small margins, while the celtics are blowing them out or at least winning by a comfortable margin. this probably should have been a sweep but the celtics just havent played enough consistent defense in their losses and ofc harden is having big games in their wins.

i hope they dont ruin den/phx with a suspension, now that its finally competitive, but i do hope they fine both jokic and ishbia for being complete idiots.

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

May 08 2023 20:47 GMT

#1802

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Jerubaal

United States7684 Posts

May 09 2023 03:21 GMT

#1803

It was a super bizarre move by Jokic.

JimmyJRaynor

Canada16642 Posts

May 09 2023 04:52 GMT

#1804

it is fun to watch a series not impacted by injuries.

cLutZ

United States19573 Posts

May 09 2023 16:18 GMT

#1805

I have to say this Lakers series is suss

cLutZ

United States19573 Posts

May 10 2023 04:23 GMT

#1806

Tatum is quickly on the verge of surpassing Harden as least clutch all-NBA player of this era. At least Harden's worst screw up in his prime was against the KD-jetfuel-Warriors.

JimmyJRaynor

Canada16642 Posts

May 10 2023 11:26 GMT

#1807

i don't see what Harden did as so bad. I think in two years of the KD-Warriors his teams gave them the toughest test. In 2019 before KD got hurt i think the Rockets//Warriors series was 2-2. Considering the teams Harden had around him ... that is pretty damn good.

TropicalHaze

Finland55 Posts

May 10 2023 15:07 GMT

#1808

^ have to agree with jimmy on this one. Back in those GSW dynasty years rockets & cavs were the only real contenders against them and rockets > cavs I would say.

andrewlt

United States7702 Posts

May 10 2023 15:08 GMT

#1809

I think the reason is more that Harden has a really high variance in his game, sorta like Klay Thompson. Just look at his splits for the first four games of this series. But that kind of variance is what an underdog needs to beat those KD Warriors. You need the higher highs to win games against them. And you just hope you have enough on one series.

cLutZ

United States19573 Posts

May 10 2023 21:50 GMT

#1810

On May 11 2023 00:08 andrewlt wrote:
I think the reason is more that Harden has a really high variance in his game, sorta like Klay Thompson. Just look at his splits for the first four games of this series. But that kind of variance is what an underdog needs to beat those KD Warriors. You need the higher highs to win games against them. And you just hope you have enough on one series.

Its more like a #1 MVP guy shouldn't be high variance. Can't go 2/13 from 3 in a game 7. Also the reality is everyone is, correctly, primed to hate him because his game is being a foul-baiting flopper. Not all his fault, the NBA should have dealt with the refs being shit decades ago, but still, its there.

andrewlt

United States7702 Posts

May 10 2023 22:18 GMT

#1811

Oh, I definitely hated his style of play. But it is more tolerable when his ft per game is down from 10+ to around 6. Funny enough, he didn't attempt much during his best games of this series.

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

May 10 2023 23:12 GMT

#1812

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cLutZ

United States19573 Posts

May 11 2023 03:11 GMT

#1813

Yeah. The summer before was the Lakers-Nash-Dwight summer. The next summer had Iggy to GSW, the Celtics-Nets fleecing, and not much else that excites you. Its interesting to think what a WB would have gotten you.

andrewlt

United States7702 Posts

May 11 2023 16:31 GMT

#1814

Yep. Also, that was before GSW made it acceptable to go small and load up on wings. They could've traded Ibaka and maybe make room for all 3. OKC got Steven Adams somewhere around that time after all.

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

May 11 2023 17:21 GMT

#1815

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andrewlt

United States7702 Posts

May 11 2023 21:09 GMT

#1816

Durant was also not good at moving off the ball back then. He learned that skill with the Warriors. Loading up on 3 or D wings after the Harden trade didn't help OKC either. They never found any role players who could do both.

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

May 12 2023 00:15 GMT

#1817

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