NBA Thread 2019-20

[MUfan12]

Last night showed why Bledsoe is so valuable to the Bucks.  I like Dante more in a scoring role off the bench, but not as a primary ball handler.

Agreed. Donte and Hill have struggled in these two games, and without Bled and Pat there's not many other options.

Crazy to think they threw it all over the gym but arguably should have won. While Brook played great, I was surprised Bud didn't go with Giannis at the 5 more.

[wadesworld]

Last night showed why Bledsoe is so valuable to the Bucks.  I like Dante more in a scoring role off the bench, but not as a primary ball handler.

Yeah, him and Hill both looked bad last night.  Middleton and Lopez looked great.  If you get close to that offensive production from those two, you don't even need Bledsoe to shoot the ball.  Just be a hound on defense and don't turn the ball over on offense.

[GB Warrior]

Yeah, him and Hill both looked bad last night.  Middleton and Lopez looked great.  If you get close to that offensive production from those two, you don't even need Bledsoe to shoot the ball.  Just be a hound on defense and don't turn the ball over on offense.

Donte was capital B Bad all around. Looked rushed and was attacked on both sides of the ball. I agree with what you said, and having both Bledsoe and Wes to hound on defense frees up a lot.

Not often a Bud team will be as sloppy as they were last night, so shake it off and move on.

[cheebs09]

Oof. The Bucks defense must not have been allowed in the bubble.

[JWags85]

Oof. The Bucks defense must not have been allowed in the bubble.

And then they turned it on in the 3rd. Heck of a comeback

[cheebs09]

And then they turned it on in the 3rd. Heck of a comeback

Clearly Bud is using my posts for bulletin board material. That looked like the Bucks of a few months ago.

[GB Warrior]

Well that was something. Guessing Bud channeled his inner popovich in the locker room

[JWags85]

Giannis made 2-3 plays down the stretch in the 4th that nobody in the league, save for maybe Anthony Davis, could make. It was insane.

Couple with a Heat team that was on fire but randomly started missing wide open shots. Remarkable stretch the last 6-7 min

[wadesworld]

So after the Celtics beat the Raptors by 22 (and were up 34 going into the 4th) can we stop the hot take that's been going around that the Raptors are the best team in the East and on their way to repeating as champions?

The Bucks were 6 games up on the Raptors going into the bubble, and that was with the Bucks dropping 4 of their last 5 going into the bubble, mostly without Giannis.  Honestly, the Raptors scare me less as a Bucks fan than the Heat, Pacers, and Sixers (with a healthy Simmons), and about the same amount as the Celtics.  The Bucks stick Giannis on Siakam and Siakam is totally removed from the game.  So then you have to have Lowry, VanVleet, OG, Gasol, Powell, and Ibaka beat you?  I just don't see it.  I don't even see them getting to the Bucks (assuming they beat whoever comes out of the 4/5 matchup).

[JWags85]

I don't think the Raptors are a better team than the Bucks, but last night was an outlier. They were just flat. They were 4 for 25 from 3 going into 4th. Which is huge for a team that is top 5 in 3 percentage and makes. They'd been strong and convincing since the restart up until last night.  They are a very good team with experience and a great coach that had an off night.

I do agree that the Heat are the biggest issue. The Sixers are paper tigers, but a healthy Heat team could be a dogfight

[wadesworld]

I don't think the Raptors are a better team than the Bucks, but last night was an outlier. They were just flat. They were 4 for 25 from 3 going into 4th. Which is huge for a team that is top 5 in 3 percentage and makes. They'd been strong and convincing since the restart up until last night.  They are a very good team with experience and a great coach that had an off night.

I do agree that the Heat are the biggest issue. The Sixers are paper tigers, but a healthy Heat team could be a dogfight

I agree that the Raptors are definitely a better team than last night, but in my opinion that matchup doesn't scare me as a Bucks fan. They might be the better team than someone like the Celtics or Heat, but I just don't think they would be able to score enough on the Bucks. Of course, if Fred VanVleet goes from being the worst player in an entire series to then shooting like 72% in the last 3 games of the next series, that would obviously change things.

[CreightonWarrior]

Bucks need to limit Donte's minutes when it's time for the playoffs.

Also, Doncic is incredibly fun to watch.

[Jockey]

Bucks need to limit Donte's minutes when it's time for the playoffs.

Also, Doncic is incredibly fun to watch.

I'd put the over/under at 2.5 for MVPs for Doncic. I'd take the over.

[Skatastrophy]

Glad to see Jimmy back from his ankle injury in a blowout win against the Pacers last night. Starters didn't even have to play in the 4th quarter.

Jae is firing on all cylinders in the bubble, shooting 60% from 3 in games so far. Such a solid pickup for the Heat.

[The Big East]

JJJ's Uncle Lou doing something time for strip club visit
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/clippers/2020/07/26/lou-williams-10-day-quarantine-miss-games-leaving-nba-campus/5514146002/

[wadesworld]

JJJ's Uncle Lou doing something time for strip club visit
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/clippers/2020/07/26/lou-williams-10-day-quarantine-miss-games-leaving-nba-campus/5514146002/

This news is so old Lou's been back playing for a while now.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Playoff Schedule

https://mobile.twitter.com/NBA/status/1294047939942391810

[wadesworld]

That game was awesome. Nets playing for nothing. Them with KD but no Kyrie would be a problem.

Dame time is real, and the Blazers with a healthy Nurkic is scary. Too bad the NBA won't let the Lakers and LBJ get sent home from the bubble round one.

[HutchwasClutch]

That game was awesome. Nets playing for nothing. Them with KD but no Kyrie would be a problem.

Dame time is real, and the Blazers with a healthy Nurkic is scary. Too bad the NBA won't let the Lakers and LBJ get sent home from the bubble round one.

Would like nothing more for the Lakers to go down right away.

[JWags85]

That game was awesome. Nets playing for nothing. Them with KD but no Kyrie would be a problem.

Dame time is real, and the Blazers with a healthy Nurkic is scary. Too bad the NBA won't let the Lakers and LBJ get sent home from the bubble round one.

If the Nets are healthy and have some chemistry next year, they could be DANGEROUS. End of game poor decision aside, Lavert was unreal.

I don't know what more you can say about Dame. 42-3-12 on 13/22 and 8/13 from deep tonight. All that with only 1 TO. Averaging just over 51 pts over the last 3 games in must win scenarios after his failure at the end of the Clippers game. Just heroic stuff.

The Blazers, however, cannot stop anyone. Dame will run out of gas if they get past Memphis, but I certainly look forward to him pulling up from anywhere. Easily my favorite non-Buck player in the league over the last few years.

[CreightonWarrior]

Really hope theirs a gear the bucks have been saving. Negative momentum going into the playoffs and a porous defense make me nervous.

[The Sultan]

Looks like NBA and MLB ratings have both slumped after initial surges. I gotta admit, my heart really in these NBA playoffs even though the Bucks are the #1 seed. I think fans add more to the broadcast than I thought they did.

[Pakuni]

Bulls finally fire Boylen.

[MUfan12]

I think fans add more to the broadcast than I thought they did.

No question. The NBA has done the best they can with it, and the games have been really good. Hopefully the playoff intensity helps make it feel a little more normal.

[BM1090]

Wags said it earlier but Portland can't stop anyone. Doubt they get a game from the Lakers. Would be shocked if they got two.

Dame is amazing offensively and CJ is right there with him on his good nights, but they are awful on the defensive end. I don't think they'd win a series against any team in the West.