2013-2014 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread

- from the front page of The Oklahoman's sports section

Originally posted by crabman82:

Originally posted by 4ML:

Originally posted by blizzuntz:

Originally posted by 4ML:
Raptors baby

Awesome comeback by nets. Lowry saved Toronto big time. Really frustrating how Vazquez always is a deron Williams stopper.

I thought Raptors were done. That was an amazing comeback. Down 18-19 pts at the beginning of 4th - takes guts to come back from that. Nets v. Raptors series is not catching the headlines like other series - but it's been a great series so far.

agreed, they're getting shafted with the time slot/what network they're on. yesterday tnt's double header featured 2 games in texas, one of which was bumped up to start at 6pm local instead of the usual 7 or even 8pm. they could have easily started that game a normal time locally and put the raptors-nets game on in that slot as the time locally in toronto would have been a 7pm start. instead they're stashed on nba tv and not apart of the double header.

Yeup...don't get this weird scheduling - but I'm glad I have NBA TV. I was going back and forth between the two games and got to watch the full comeback from the Nets only to see Lowry come up big once again. At the start of the series - I felt Nets will win the close games but Toronto has shown a lot of maturity in the last few minutes.

Originally posted by 4ML:


- from the front page of The Oklahoman's sports section

As a fan of a team that will have at least $25M in cap room in 2016, I love it.

Originally posted by 4ML:


- from the front page of The Oklahoman's sports section

As a fan of a team that will have at least $25M in cap room in 2016, I love it.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by 4ML:


- from the front page of The Oklahoman's sports section

As a fan of a team that will have at least $25M in cap room in 2016, I love it.

You don't think Lakers will try to go for a chip by then? I see them signing some dudes this off-season, like a Lowry/Lance Stephenson and Gortat and then go for Kevin Love in 2015 summer.

kyle lowry's game reminds me of chauncey billups before he blew up as the finals mvp.

Originally posted by 4ML:

- from the front page of The Oklahoman's sports section

So disrespectful . Kevin isn't having a great series but there's plenty of blame to go around for OKC's disappointing postseason - Brooks is a worthless coach who should be tossed at the end of the season and RW hasn't been all that impressive either - no reason a "point guard" should be taking more shots than the 5x scoring champion. Dude chucks up retarded shots in critical moments (his 3 pt % has to be laughable this series) instead of getting his teammates involved.

Case in point:


But continue to run KD out of town OKC. It'll be Christmas for the rest of the NBA the moment he hits the market.

Originally posted by 4ML:


You don't think Lakers will try to go for a chip by then? I see them signing some dudes this off-season, like a Lowry/Lance Stephenson and Gortat and then go for Kevin Love in 2015 summer.

I'd rather them go for one in the 15-16 season rather than next year. One of the few benefits of Kobe's ridiculous contract is that it acts as a placeholder for 2016. In a perfect world, I'd like to see the Lakers use their cap space this offseason to trade for Carlos Boozer, in exchange for the 16th & 19th picks in the draft. This, plus a Taj Gibson trade (who'd have plenty of takers) would create the space necessary for the Bulls to sign Melo, and it saves the Bulls a ton of money to do this rather than to amnesty him. Pretty much only the Lakers & 76ers have the capability and the motive to facilitate Melo to the Bulls. So something like...

2014-15

Kobe = $23.5
Boozer = $16.8
Nash = $9.7
Marcus Smart = $3.5
Rodney Hood = $1.8
Adreian Payne = $1.6

2015-16

PG: Marcus Smart (3.8)
SG: Kobe Bryant (25)
SF: Rodney Hood (2)
PF: Kevin Love (18.6), Adriean Payne (1.8)
C: DeAndre Jordan (14)

...and then you hope to replace Kobe w/Durant in '16.

Seven nation army chant in the Hawks stadium lol

Looks like bunch of Miami Heat fans are in the house

I don't even care about the Pacers or if they come back to win. Wizards, Nets/Raptors will be tougher team.

pacers live to see another day

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by 4ML:

You don't think Lakers will try to go for a chip by then? I see them signing some dudes this off-season, like a Lowry/Lance Stephenson and Gortat and then go for Kevin Love in 2015 summer.

I'd rather them go for one in the 15-16 season rather than next year. One of the few benefits of Kobe's ridiculous contract is that it acts as a placeholder for 2016. In a perfect world, I'd like to see the Lakers use their cap space this offseason to trade for Carlos Boozer, in exchange for the 16th & 19th picks in the draft. This, plus a Taj Gibson trade (who'd have plenty of takers) would create the space necessary for the Bulls to sign Melo, and it saves the Bulls a ton of money to do this rather than to amnesty him. Pretty much only the Lakers & 76ers have the capability and the motive to facilitate Melo to the Bulls. So something like...

2014-15

Kobe = $23.5
Boozer = $16.8
Nash = $9.7
Marcus Smart = $3.5
Rodney Hood = $1.8
Adreian Payne = $1.6

2015-16

PG: Marcus Smart (3.8)
SG: Kobe Bryant (25)
SF: Rodney Hood (2)
PF: Kevin Love (18.6), Adriean Payne (1.8)
C: DeAndre Jordan (14)

...and then you hope to replace Kobe w/Durant in '16.

Those are solid moves. Doubt you can get Bulls to fork over two picks in this draft when they can amnesty him. But yea - Lakers should show patience but I'm not sure if they will - after Jim's remarks about turning into contenders real soon.

I think they're going use Pau Gasol in sign n trade to acquire player(s). That can be only reasonable explanation for not trading him at deadline IMO.

Originally posted by 4ML:
Those are solid moves. Doubt you can get Bulls to fork over two picks in this draft when they can amnesty him. But yea - Lakers should show patience but I'm not sure if they will - after Jim's remarks about turning into contenders real soon.

I think they're going use Pau Gasol in sign n trade to acquire player(s). That can be only reasonable explanation for not trading him at deadline IMO.

Chicago's motivation would be financial. They're very much against amnestying Boozer, because you till have to pay him. Being able to trade him would save them a ton of money. Remember, this is a team who just traded Luol Deng AND picks just to get money off of their books, even though they were fighting for a playoff spot. Deng is a FA this year so it's not like they got cap relief. http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/2220/summer-scoop-chicagos-next-step

Trading Boozer saves them a ton of money. They'd basically be trading Boozer, Gibson, & 2 mid round 1sts for Melo, while decreasing their payroll.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by 4ML:
Those are solid moves. Doubt you can get Bulls to fork over two picks in this draft when they can amnesty him. But yea - Lakers should show patience but I'm not sure if they will - after Jim's remarks about turning into contenders real soon.

I think they're going use Pau Gasol in sign n trade to acquire player(s). That can be only reasonable explanation for not trading him at deadline IMO.

Chicago's motivation would be financial. They're very much against amnestying Boozer, because you till have to pay him. Being able to trade him would save them a ton of money. Remember, this is a team who just traded Luol Deng AND picks just to get money off of their books, even though they were fighting for a playoff spot. Deng is a FA this year so it's not like they got cap relief. http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/2220/summer-scoop-chicagos-next-step

Trading Boozer saves them a ton of money. They'd basically be trading Boozer, Gibson, & 2 mid round 1sts for Melo, while decreasing their payroll.

I think they got picks in return when they traded Deng - but I get what you're saying. The depth of this draft is my reason why I think Chicago won't do this. Landing two solid rookies will save them s**t loads of monies too. Picking at 16 and 19th - they can develop solid starters (as Chicago has done recently with Gibson and Butler...and Snell looks like a keeper too). With the repeater's tax in the new CBA - it's crucial to have young players on your roster on rookie contracts. So instead of going to FA and signing dudes who may ask 7-8M a year each - if you can get them in the draft - that saves a LOT of money.