2021-22 NBA Thread: The Bucks are Reigning Champs

[wadesworld]

Not all his fault, but he was exposed against Boston.

On the other hand, as I have said here before, Kyrie ain't winning any titles. But then I also doubt KD ever wins a title as the lead dog.

Kyrie has already won a title. And KD was (by a decent margin) the best player on the GSW teams.

[The Sultan]

How in the world is Toronto up 11 in Philly late in the 3rd?  VanVleet is out.

Doc is doing Doc things.

[StillAWarrior]

Jimmy totally took over that game. It was a very impressive performance by an all-time great Marquette NBAer.

Marquette Tweet: In a League of His Own.

[MuggsyB]

Doc is doing Doc things.

That's a really bad loss.  Imagine the pressure iif Torotno pushes this to 7?  Is Doc just that bad?  I've noticed that Harden has been abysmal.

[lawdog77]

That's a really bad loss.  Imagine the pressure iif Torotno pushes this to 7?  Is Doc just that bad?  I've noticed that Harden has been abysmal.

Embiid kind of called Doc out, sayings its Doc's job to have Harden shoot more. Just what Philly needs, more Harden dribbling for 22 seconds and jacking up a three.

[The Sultan]

That's a really bad loss.  Imagine the pressure iif Torotno pushes this to 7?  Is Doc just that bad?  I've noticed that Harden has been abysmal.

IMO Doc is a great locker room guy. He has wonderful relationships with his players. So I think his regular seasons go generally well.  But I think he struggles with adjustments over the course of a playoff series.

His only title came with Tibs on his bench and three eventual Hall of Famers on a loaded team.  So I don't think he is bad, I just think he is overrated. 

[tower912]

He is rated fairly.   Good.   Not an all-timer.

[MuggsyB]

Embiid kind of called Doc out, sayings its Doc's job to have Harden shoot more. Just what Philly needs, more Harden dribbling for 22 seconds and jacking up a three.

LOL.  I have no confidence they're beating Miami assuming they get by Toronto.  Spo can coach.  Harden still thinks Giannis "is a 7 footer who only dunks". 

[MuggsyB]

He is rated fairly.   Good.   Not an all-timer.

He will be rated less fairly if he blows this series.

[The Sultan]

He is rated fairly.   Good.   Not an all-timer.

OK. I think his reputation is more than simply "good," but I might be wrong on that.

[tower912]

He will be rated less fairly if he blows this series.

His track record will insulate his legacy against the possible losing of this series.


Bill Fitch is in the HOF.   He had a losing record for his career.     Doc will be fine.

[MU82]

My monthly poker game was last night and the NBA games were on in the background. When they showed the Phil-Tor score, one of the guys said, "Doc Rivers has proven time and again that he can't win in the playoffs." (They all know I'm a Marquette grad, obviously.)

I responded, "Oh, you mean former NBA Championship-Winning Coach Glenn 'Doc' Rivers can't win in the playoffs?"

To which he said: "Come on, man, he never won a championship."

I had to remind him that Rivers was the coach of the Garnett-Pierce-Allen Celtics team that won the 2008 title, and he still didn't believe it until he googled it.

The guy is more than a casual NBA fan but isn't a superfan. He just forgot Rivers coached that team, and he reflected what might be the general POV out there about Rivers.

I always root for Rivers, a great guy and a proud MU alum.

[lawdog77]

My monthly poker game was last night and the NBA games were on in the background. When they showed the Phil-Tor score, one of the guys said, "Doc Rivers has proven time and again that he can't win in the playoffs." (They all know I'm a Marquette grad, obviously.)

I responded, "Oh, you mean former NBA Championship-Winning Coach Glenn 'Doc' Rivers can't win in the playoffs?"

To which he said: "Come on, man, he never won a championship."

I had to remind him that Rivers was the coach of the Garnett-Pierce-Allen Celtics team that won the 2008 title, and he still didn't believe it until he googled it.

The guy is more than a casual NBA fan but isn't a superfan. He just forgot Rivers coached that team, and he reflected what might be the general POV out there about Rivers.

I always root for Rivers, a great guy and a proud MU alum.

TL:DR. MU82 plays poker with the cast of Cocoon

[MU82]

TL:DR. MU82 plays poker with the cast of Cocoon

FWIW ... a couple guys in their 30s, but mostly late-50s and early-60s. Nobody over 63, though not sure how it would matter to this discussion if there were.

[Skatastrophy]

Embiid's thumb is obviously in bad shape. The Sixers aren't dangerous without him.

[4everwarriors]

My monthly poker game was last night and the NBA games were on in the background. When they showed the Phil-Tor score, one of the guys said, "Doc Rivers has proven time and again that he can't win in the playoffs." (They all know I'm a Marquette grad, obviously.)

I responded, "Oh, you mean former NBA Championship-Winning Coach Glenn 'Doc' Rivers can't win in the playoffs?"

To which he said: "Come on, man, he never won a championship."

I had to remind him that Rivers was the coach of the Garnett-Pierce-Allen Celtics team that won the 2008 title, and he still didn't believe it until he googled it.

The guy is more than a casual NBA fan but isn't a superfan. He just forgot Rivers coached that team, and he reflected what might be the general POV out there about Rivers.

I always root for Rivers, a great guy and a proud MU alum.

#52 would love to opine on that premise, hey?

[YaBlueIt]

He is rated fairly.   Good.   Not an all-timer.

Depends on who is doing the rating I suppose. The NBA named him as one of the top 15 coaches all-time. Not sure how that was decided but most people agreed it was pretty ridiculous.

[cheebs09]

OK. I think his reputation is more than simply "good," but I might be wrong on that.

I think he's shifted from being viewed as one of the best coaches in the league to kind of overrated in the last few years. I think the last few years of his Clippers tenure brought the general thought to good regular season coach but not exactly a great tactician. Just my opinion. I'd definitely fall in the casual fan category.

[JWags85]

Doc is another high floor, low ceiling coach.  As mentioned, he's a great locker room guy, he's a great manager of personalities, he keeps teams loose and playing well.  He's lacking as a critical tactician and adjuster in the playoffs.

I mean, he's top 10 all time in wins, will likely finish in the top 5.  There are less than 10 coaches who have coached more than 500 games who have a higher winning percentage than him.  He's pretty much a HOF lock.  I think top 15-20 coaches of all time is pretty fair.  He's not Pat Riley or Phil Jackson or Pop, but thats not a big ding

[BrewCity83]

No coach can win in the playoffs with James Harden and an injured-shooting-thumb Embiid.  Harden sucks the life out of every team.

[MuggsyB]

Jimmy is out for Game 5 with knee inflammation. 

[wadesworld]

Jimmy is out for Game 5 with knee inflammation.

And Levine likely to miss game 5 in health and safety protocols.

[MuggsyB]

And Levine likely to miss game 5 in health and safety protocols.

I can't remember a playoffs with so many injuries.

[wadesworld]

I can't remember a playoffs with so many injuries.

Do we think the narrative becomes "injuries are a main reason the Warriors won the title" if it's the Warriors who win it this year, like it did with the Bucks last year?

The Nets injuries helped the Bucks last year no doubt.  But that's the risk of eating your way out of a franchise.  Sometimes your hammy doesn't hold up like it should if you're in peak professional athlete shape.  Then the narrative was "the Bucks were luck to play the Hawks in the ECF" - well, the Hawks beat the fully healthy 1 seed 6ers on their home court in game 7.  And then it was "the Lakers and Clippers weren't healthy."  Turns out the Suns were probably simply the best team in the West, and Paul George, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi Leonard are simply susceptible to injures.

[JWags85]

Do we think the narrative becomes "injuries are a main reason the Warriors won the title" if it's the Warriors who win it this year, like it did with the Bucks last year?

The Nets injuries helped the Bucks last year no doubt.  But that's the risk of eating your way out of a franchise.  Sometimes your hammy doesn't hold up like it should if you're in peak professional athlete shape.  Then the narrative was "the Bucks were luck to play the Hawks in the ECF" - well, the Hawks beat the fully healthy 1 seed 6ers on their home court in game 7.  And then it was "the Lakers and Clippers weren't healthy."  Turns out the Suns were probably simply the best team in the West, and Paul George, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi Leonard are simply susceptible to injures.

I mean, I don't know cause its not just 1-2 injuries helping them.  The whole playoffs is awash with injuries, both conferences, at all levels.

And it would be ironic, considering injuries are the primary reason the Warriors didn't win in 2019 and the Raptors did.