NBA Chatter Thread

[1bigfan13]

The winner of that series plays Golden State as far as I can tell.

I also think Utah is going to beat OKC, it'll be close either way.

Yeah, the only way OKC and Portland meet is in the WCF. I was just pointing out that after Golden State, they are the team that OKC has the hardest time defending.

 

[1bigfan13]

The Pacers take a 2-1 lead over the Cavs.

 

[Smitty]

Doncic/Ayton
JJJ
MPJ
Bamba
Trae Young
Bagley
Bridges

 

[NoDak]

Sixers moving on to the 2nd round.

That's what I was hoping for out of this year. A playoff series win. It's all gravy now if they win anything else.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Sixers moving on to the 2nd round.

That's what I was hoping for out of this year. A playoff series win. It's all gravy now if they win anything else.

I was just hoping for a playoffs appearance.

Recalibrate those expectations.

 

[NoDak]

I was just hoping for a playoffs appearance.

Recalibrate those expectations.

No doubt. I don't want to sound like I expected a series win. I didn't when this season started. I figured we'd find a way into the playoffs. But like I said, I figured if we could get a series win, then it would mean this season was a tremendous success for the development of our young team, far surpassing anything anybody expected out of them.

But now, like you said... Recalibrate those expectations.

 

[Simpleton]

The East is a joke, there's no reason Sixers fans shouldn't have expected to win against Miami who is basically a team full of role players and one meh star in Dragic. Then you got either Milwaukee who is a cluster or Boston who is down perhaps their top 2 players and are relying on Horford+rookies/2nd year players.

It's setup for an easy path to the ECF where you'll likely see the worst LeBron-led team in almost a decade, although I'd be shocked if they managed to beat him in that situation. Their best bet would be Cleveland getting knocked off earlier of course but I just don't see it between Indiana or Toronto/Washington.

The Sixers are set up well with a bunch of vets who can space the floor around Embiid/Simmons, although it's going to be much more difficult to build like that once Embiid's extension kicks in next year and of course Simmons will be due in 2 years or whatever.

Anyway, the Sixers probably wouldn't get out of the 1st round in the West but the East is set up for them to make a deep run.

 

[Rev]

The East is a joke, there's no reason Sixers fans shouldn't have expected to win against Miami who is basically a team full of role players and one meh star in Dragic. Then you got either Milwaukee who is a cluster or Boston who is down perhaps their top 2 players and are relying on Horford+rookies/2nd year players.

It's setup for an easy path to the ECF where you'll likely see the worst LeBron-led team in almost a decade, although I'd be shocked if they managed to beat him in that situation. Their best bet would be Cleveland getting knocked off earlier of course but I just don't see it between Indiana or Toronto/Washington.

The Sixers are set up well with a bunch of vets who can space the floor around Embiid/Simmons, although it's going to be much more difficult to build like that once Embiid's extension kicks in next year and of course Simmons will be due in 2 years or whatever.

Anyway, the Sixers probably wouldn't get out of the 1st round in the West but the East is set up for them to make a deep run.

Just let them have their time.

 

[Genghis Khan]

That's ridiculous. Obviously the sixers wouldn't beat Houston or Golden State, but they'd have a good chance against the rest of the West.

San Antonio? Utah? Minnesota? OKC? New Orleans? Portland? Come on.

Don't act like those teams are vastly superior to Philadelphia because that's nonsense.

 

[Simpleton]

That's ridiculous. Obviously the sixers wouldn't beat Houston or Golden State, but they'd have a good chance against the rest of the West.

San Antonio? Utah? Minnesota? OKC? New Orleans? Portland? Come on.

Don't act like those teams are vastly superior to Philadelphia because that's nonsense.

They'd lose to New Orleans and Utah and I think they'd have a very tough time with Minnesota and OKC. Portland and the Spurs are the only teams I'd clearly favor them over.

They could get out of the 1st depending on the matchup but I'd have to bet against them if you told me it was a random matchup with one of the 8 teams out West.

 

[NoDak]

That's ridiculous. Obviously the sixers wouldn't beat Houston or Golden State, but they'd have a good chance against the rest of the West.

San Antonio? Utah? Minnesota? OKC? New Orleans? Portland? Come on.

Don't act like those teams are vastly superior to Philadelphia because that's nonsense.

Truth.


But that was still an amusing read.

 

[Simpleton]

New Orleans and Utah both have 2-3 players better than Miami's best player. Davis is a top 5 player in the league, Gobert might be DPOY, Utah is basically Miami on steroids with a DPOY candidate and one of the best rookies in the league who is currently outplaying Westbrook in a series.

There is an argument to be made that Miami is a bottom 2-3 team in the entire playoffs, along with the Kawhi-less Spurs, Boston without Kyrie and Milwaukee would not be far behind either honestly.

Minnesota is an 8 seed so maybe you guys don't think they're any good but if Butler hadn't been hurt they'd probably be somewhere around 3-5 in the West. I might favor Philly over OKC also since they're such a discombobulated mess.

 

[Genghis Khan]

They'd lose to New Orleans and Utah and I think they'd have a very tough time with Minnesota and OKC. Portland and the Spurs are the only teams I'd clearly favor them over.

They could get out of the 1st depending on the matchup but I'd have to bet against them if you told me it was a random matchup with one of the 8 teams out West.

For what it's worth, the sixers

Swept Utah

Split with new Orleans

Swept Minnesota

Were swept by OKC

Split with Portland

Swept the Spurs

Total 8-4 against those teams.

 

[Genghis Khan]

New Orleans and Utah both have 2-3 players better than Miami's best player. Davis is a top 5 player in the league, Gobert might be DPOY, Utah is basically Miami on steroids with a DPOY candidate and one of the best rookies in the league who is currently outplaying Westbrook in a series.

There is an argument to be made that Miami is a bottom 2-3 team in the entire playoffs, along with the Kawhi-less Spurs, Boston without Kyrie and Milwaukee would not be far behind either honestly.

Minnesota is an 8 seed so maybe you guys don't think they're any good but if Butler hadn't been hurt they'd probably be somewhere around 3-5 in the West. I might favor Philly over OKC also since they're such a discombobulated mess.

What does Miami have anything to do with how good the sixers are?

 

[Simpleton]

For what it's worth, the sixers

Swept Utah

Split with new Orleans

Swept Minnesota

Were swept by OKC

Split with Portland

Swept the Spurs

Total 8-4 against those teams.

When did they play those teams?

Was Gobert out for Utah since he missed so many games? Was it early in the year before Rubio was integrated? Did they play Minnesota with Butler out? Did they play New Orleans with or without Cousins or Mirotic?

They split the season series with Miami and we see how that went, the playoffs are a different animal. I've liked Utah all year once Gobert came back, and I was bullish on New Orleans seeing how Davis played down the stretch, I love the way they're both playing. I have to see much more from the Sixers than winning a series over a very poor team, relative to the rest of the playoff teams, before I'd pick them over one of those two.

 

[Carp]

Marco Bellinelli is my spirit animal.

 

[Genghis Khan]

When did they play those teams?

Was Gobert out for Utah since he missed so many games? Was it early in the year before Rubio was integrated? Did they play Minnesota with Butler out? Did they play New Orleans with or without Cousins or Mirotic?

They split the season series with Miami and we see how that went, the playoffs are a different animal. I've liked Utah all year once Gobert came back, and I was bullish on New Orleans seeing how Davis played down the stretch, I love the way they're both playing. I have to see much more from the Sixers than winning a series over a very poor team, relative to the rest of the playoff teams, before I'd pick them over one of those two.

And many of those games were before the sixers got Ilyasova and Belinelli, who've made a big difference for them. I mean your argument goes both ways.

We'll see how the rest of the playoffs play out. They may lose to Boston, who I think is still a pretty good team and a very well coached team.

I just don't think your arguments about their competition hold water.

 

[Simpleton]

And many of those games were before the sixers got Ilyasova and Belinelli, who've made a big difference for them. I mean your argument goes both ways.

We'll see how the rest of the playoffs play out. They may lose to Boston, who I think is still a pretty good team and a very well coached team.

I just don't think your arguments about their competition hold water.

Perhaps, although after Miami and the Kawhi-less Spurs I think Boston is the least talented team in the playoffs, the Sixers should definitely beat them. The Celtics aren't even experienced necessarily with guys like Brown, Tatum and Rozier playing huge roles, with an average coach they'd probably be bounced by Milwaukee.

There's no way to tell but it's the feeling I get from watching Utah/New Orleans play, particularly New Orleans, I don't think the Sixers could handle them right now with how Rondo elevates his game in the playoffs.

I also love Belinelli, he was nice for the Bulls a few years ago, he's a JR Smith irrational confidence guy that you need off the bench who can heat up for 20 any given night.

 

[Carp]

I really don't care how the Sixers got to the 2nd round or the perceived weaknesses of their opponents. Now I do think there was much value in playing Miami in the first round. They play hard, smart, and aggressive...which is exactly what Philly needed. Primed for future rounds. Also, the most impressive thing to me was how they put Miami away late, great maturity for a young team.

 

[Deuce]

Brad Stevens is the greatest coach in NBA history.