2022 NBA Playoffs

Warhawk_46

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I think the Mavs’ lead is too insurmountable for even the most obvious of fixes.

Luka and Jokic are two of the three best players in the world (the Bucks’ Giannis being the other) and it is not even close.
 

Freethinker

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Wow, Mavs up by 42 at the moment and cruising into the Western Conference Finals!!!
 

Bucky

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Go Heat And Mavs!

Grayson Allen played like dogshit against Boston. Middleton was hurt. Just a mess for Milwaukee. Connaughton did come up big these playoffs though.
 

Freethinker

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Go Heat And Mavs!

Grayson Allen played like dogshit against Boston. Middleton was hurt. Just a mess for Milwaukee. Connaughton did come up big these playoffs though.
I wonder if the shootings / chimpouts took some of the wind out of the Bucks sails?

Anyway, we have two clear cut Caste matchups. The “good guys” are the Heat and Mavs. The Celtics and Warriors are both odious, but neither is all black. They both allow one WT to get some bench minutes; Pritchard and Bjelica.
 

BeyondFedUp

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I wonder if the shootings / chimpouts took some of the wind out of the Bucks sails?

Anyway, we have two clear cut Caste matchups. The “good guys” are the Heat and Mavs. The Celtics and Warriors are both odious, but neither is all black. They both allow one WT to get some bench minutes; Pritchard and Bjelica.
Good post Freethinker. I've been following the playoffs from a distance but if the Heat and Mavs get to the Finals I'll be stoked.
 

white lightning

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Just curious did someone on this board predict this win tonight? Also what did they predict for the western conference finals? Finally what is their prediction
for the NBA Finals? I got a hint. The person predicting it is typing this just for your information. Hehehe.

Can you guys say..................... LUKA MAGIC? Let's bring a title back to Dallas just like then Legend Dirk Nowitzki was there and he did the same thing! :)
 

Phall

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The Bucks have to be disappointed on the franchise level to bow out despite losing in Game 7 to the "chalk" Celtics. Coach Mike Budenholzer is still a very successful, fairly young (52) head coach, and he probably only preserved his job last season by winning the championship. I give Giannis A. a lot of credit for not leaving Milwaukee to try another "super-team."

Grayson Allen has been able to assume a bigger role when needed - his Duke stats bear that out, when he was always usually facilitating for teams full of athletic studs. His Memphis stat line is in accord with that, and this regular season was his biggest time to shine so far. He played better than ever throughout the year, so it was frustrating to see him get his minutes and role reduced during the big series. Sometimes this plays into confidence and performance.

"Pat the Stat," on the other hand, should be demanding the ball every third or fourth possession. Most readers of this thread remember that he was the freakiest athlete of his draft class combine. We might not all know that Giannis chooses him as his workout partner for the way Pat can push him. Connaughton will continue his enduring career in the league, but I can't understand why his superstar ally can't lobby for him to get a few more plays called. Help get him paid, Giannis!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Connaughton#College
 

BeyondFedUp

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Luka postgame interview:
 

white lightning

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Luka postgame interview:

Thanks for posting this post game interview. I love the fact that despite of Luka being an NBA Superstar he is still humble. Then to add his intelligence. He speaks 3 or
4 different languages. That there reminds me of the Klitschko Brothers. I have high admiration for this man. Keep it rolling & hopefully on to the NBA Finals in another
few weeks. I refuse to believe anything other than they are gonna make the NBA Finals. I just feel it.
 

El Gringo

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Thanks for posting this post game interview. I love the fact that despite of Luka being an NBA Superstar he is still humble. Then to add his intelligence. He speaks 3 or
4 different languages. That there reminds me of the Klitschko Brothers. I have high admiration for this man. Keep it rolling & hopefully on to the NBA Finals in another
few weeks. I refuse to believe anything other than they are gonna make the NBA Finals. I just feel it.
I hope your right my friend! They do seem to have great chemistry together. If Brunson and Dinwiddie continue to shoot the lights out they can definitely do it. The wings play excellent defense along with Kleber and Powell inside. That was a great press conference for Luka, his smile and personality are infectious. It must be a blast playing with that guy.
 

Phall

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Nice Game One win for Miami, who really couldn't afford to drop this one to a short-handed Celtics team that has been playing hot. Boston was without Al Horford due to the covid hoax rules and without the anti-white racist Marcus Smart, who has a sprained ankle. The absence of Smart opened up a huge role for Payton Pritchard. He responded with 18-5-4 in what is probably one of his biggest career games. Max Strus was often involved for the Heat despite a modest stat line. Tyler Herro had a brilliant first half but wasn't on the floor to close out the game (Strus was, though).

Danny Theis got 19 minutes for Boston as well, but got worked over and finished at a -16 '+/-' for the night. I'm surprised that season-long starter Duncan Robinson is completely left out at this point. He was a big contributor in Miami's 2020 finals run and has been a regular for them for awhile now.

I was impressed by Jimmy Butler, too; while I can't say he's some sentimental favorite of mine, he plays fiercely and always seems to find himself on very successful teams despite being a mere 2nd tier all-star.
 

white lightning

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Nice Game One win for Miami, who really couldn't afford to drop this one to a short-handed Celtics team that has been playing hot. Boston was without Al Horford due to the covid hoax rules and without the anti-white racist Marcus Smart, who has a sprained ankle. The absence of Smart opened up a huge role for Payton Pritchard. He responded with 18-5-4 in what is probably one of his biggest career games. Max Strus was often involved for the Heat despite a modest stat line. Tyler Herro had a brilliant first half but wasn't on the floor to close out the game (Strus was, though).

Danny Theis got 19 minutes for Boston as well, but got worked over and finished at a -16 '+/-' for the night. I'm surprised that season-long starter Duncan Robinson is completely left out at this point. He was a big contributor in Miami's 2020 finals run and has been a regular for them for awhile now.

I was impressed by Jimmy Butler, too; while I can't say he's some sentimental favorite of mine, he plays fiercely and always seems to find himself on very successful teams despite being a mere 2nd tier all-star.

Yes I was glad to see the Miami Heat get the win! Strus and Herro are fun to watch. Like you said though the Celtics were far more enjoyable with 2 of our guys playing. I would
like to see Payton Pritchard to to another team. I belive he can easily become a starter on the right team. Worst case scenario he should get 20 to 25 minutes a game. This is
ok but he is more of a benc
 

Bucky

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Even talking heads on Fox are surprised at Duncan Robinson's demotion! Heat just paid him a pretty decent chunk of change(18mil/yr). I'm thinking he'll be moved next season..

On the positive side, Max Strus has been the beneficiary of Robinson's misfortune. He has a thicker build and can also jump out of the gym and shoot the 3. Supposedly Miami covets Strus athleticism and D over Duncan.
 

white lightning

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Yes Max Strus can jump out of the gym. He plays alot bigger than a 6'3 guard with his 40 inch vertical and his speed and agility. Strus is also a good shooter although
lately he has not been as good as usual. I'm happy he is starting. They should still use Robinson off the bench but at least he got paid. I just know he is a deadly sharp
shooter who could help them win even more games. Tyler Herro should be starting. He won the 6th man of the year but he is basically an all star and a starter despite
not being either at the moment. Herro plays at the all star level and he has gotten better every year. I wonder if Herro was in the same role as Jimmy Butler if he could
accend even higher to the superstar level. Butler is basically an all star but not a supertar. Herro has the potential to be a top 10 player in the nba at 22 years of age but
it all depends how he is used. I'm just glad he won the award as he got screwed not making the NBA All Star Game. We all know he should have been there!
 

Warhawk_46

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Agreed Miami has a few great white players. I’ve followed Herro since high school (fellow SE Wisconsin guy).
 

white lightning

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Huge game 2 on the road for the Mavs tonight in the Western Conference Finals. As good as the Warriors are I would say it's just about a must win. That being said I do
see them winning a shootout tonight. I feel they will make adjustments as they have all year long. Expect Luka to go off tonight. I'm gonna say 35 to 40 points.

Speaking of Doncic:

Luka Doncic is second all-time behind Michael Jordan in playoff scoring at 32.7 points per game! Why don't we hear more about this from the media & fans?
 

El Gringo

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The Mavs pulled one out tonight probably delaying the inevitable but at least they are tiring out the warriors for a possible matchup with the Heat, who are screwing over all three of there white shooting guards the last few games. If there are three white players that play nearly the same position they only take minutes from one another.
 

white lightning

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Well I was perfect on my preditions until tonight for 2022. The Mavs lost in 5 games in the Western Conference Finals. They
had a great year but this ending was a bitter pill to swallow. The game was not close for most of it. As good as the Warriors have been and still are I felt the Mavs lacked intensity and effort. They also looked tired and slow. They live and die with the 3 so that
again was the factor that led to them losing tonight. I salute them for a very good year but I wonder if they could have won this
series if they would have kept Porzingis. They got killed in the rebounding just about every game. Second and third chance shots
over and over for Golden State were the nails in the coffin. Oh well. On to 2023.

If the Heat lose I won't even bother watching the NBA Finals most likely. I can't stand the Warriors or the Celtics with their
rosters. I guess I would root for Boston.
 

BeyondFedUp

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Welp, with the Heat and Mavs both out I won't be watching a bit of the NBA Finals. Disappointing but there's always next year.
 

Bucky

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I checked out after Milwaukee was knocked out.

Mavs never stood a chance in a lopsided series. Be interesting who they add this off-season.

Heat at least pushed it to 7 games but fell to Boston at home! Strus played well, but Robinson who was demoted, and Herro really struggled.

At least Boston has Pritchard and Theis. Pritchard in particular is coming into his own as a sharpshooter.
 

Phall

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I checked out after Milwaukee was knocked out.

Mavs never stood a chance in a lopsided series. Be interesting who they add this off-season.

Heat at least pushed it to 7 games but fell to Boston at home! Strus played well, but Robinson who was demoted, and Herro really struggled.

At least Boston has Pritchard and Theis. Pritchard in particular is coming into his own as a sharpshooter.

I think Pritchard played less than 10 minutes combined in the last two games. I'd prefer that the Celtics get routed once or twice so Stauskas can come in and rain a few threes.

Personally, I'm not watching a minute of the finals. I've reflected that it's weird how I post so often in NBA threads here at CF. I loved this sport, dribbled for infinity in my parents' sloped driveway against an ugly wooden hoop that my grandfather made for me (to be clear, I wouldn't have this any other way). When I got to college campus with total freedom, I usually spent a few hours of my day playing basketball at the rec center. My growth spurt got me to 5'10 (5'11 on dating profiles) early on, but I capped there. So, I went from a middle school center to learning to play point guard. I never had the best handle, but I was often challenged by black kids trying to rip me at half-court and then running the 5-on-4. (I'm sure many white players have this experience). But really, I loved to shoot! I did not develop a consistent jump shot, did not have a high elevation, and probably didn't even release at my top point. It was just fun to make shots, have the ball kicked around, and suddenly it's time for a corner three-ball.

I have some great basketball memories that were mostly made at various public outdoor courts in my late teens and early twenties. Would drive my parents' minivan to the court with nothing but a basketball (no water, "vitamin water" or gatorade, just a cassette of east coast rap in the tape deck). Not many black people in that old neighborhood, either.
 

Phall

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I checked out after Milwaukee was knocked out.

Mavs never stood a chance in a lopsided series. Be interesting who they add this off-season.

Heat at least pushed it to 7 games but fell to Boston at home! Strus played well, but Robinson who was demoted, and Herro really struggled.

At least Boston has Pritchard and Theis. Pritchard in particular is coming into his own as a sharpshooter.

The 'Staps-Luka partnership seemed so perfect. My loyalty is always to the whitey, but that being said, Kristaps wasn't encouraging as a Knick. It's just hard to imagine another white player who could come aboard in Dallas and spur things on. Seems more likely for someone like Herro to wind up in Dallas. But, (although I'm not conspiratorial!) the NBA would NOT allow that team to exist. No way.
 

white lightning

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Tyler Herro didn't struggle in the Eastern Finals. He barely played. Strus did stuggle alot but I still love watching and supporting him. Robinson finally got some playing time in the last couple of games.

So bummed that both our teams lost.


Herro to the Mavs would be epic. It could happen but alot of teams will try to sign Herro. Luka needs more buys that can score.
 

Phall

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Herro had a groin injury apparently. It's not unrealistic to think that he could have been Miami's lean for 30 points.

The Duncan Robinson sh*t baffles me. Maybe you bench him for a stretch to prove your point. They made it work with him shooting threes off the dribble for 2.5 years. He's not some "flash-in-the-pan," he's just a ridiculously-accurate marksman who can shoot deep of a catch-and-screen. Maybe he really did get fat and lazy this season after inking his deal and lose ALL of his ability.

I'm glad Maxi Strus is flourishing, regardless. Both him and Duncan are undrafted white Americans that were "fished out" of the heap by Spoelstra and Pat Riley. Strus should get paid!

Duncan Robinson unfortunately shot (and played) like **** for a lot of the end of the season. Maybe he'll refine himself, or maybe he'll eat a lot more cheesesteak hoagies. Who knows!
 

Bucky

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WL, Herro struggled. Shot 25percent from 3 last series. He's better than that..
 
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