2021 NBA playoffs thread

Bucks advocate - the Suns bench played to a negative +/- and getting Ayton in foul trouble could open things up for them.

 

After sleeping on it, I agree with a lot of PCLL's takes here. I didn't watch the Bucks regularly in the regular season and missed some of the Eastern playoff games, but one thing that stuck out to me about Giannis is that he puts the ball on the floor way too much around the basket. When he played bully ball early, he was straight unstoppable. But he started to get cute and overdribble around the basket and the Suns were able to get some hands in there for steals and deflections that started fast breaks the other way.

Crowder was good defensively and his shot will come. He's incredibly streaky. But it got to the point last night that I screamed "no Jae!" when he had the ball near the top of the key because he could barely find the rim, much less the basket. If he hits his first shot, it's usually a terrific sign for the Suns, because he's an added offensive weapon who can go on a serious heater at times. It's also clear when he doesn't have it, but he rarely goes 3-6. It's kind of all or nothing, but he seemed to recognize the shot wasn't there (or Monty reminded him, ha) and went away from it.

Still expect this to go six or seven games, but getting the first one is huge. I thought the Suns wilted in the moment a bit in Game 5 of the Clippers series when they had a chance to close out in front of a great, energetic crowd. Opposite case last night. Thrilled to enjoy Thursday's game with a proper beverage or five since I'm taking Friday off.

 

Counter - everyone's goal has been to get him in foul trouble and just hasn't happened. He hasn't had more than four fouls in a game the entire postseason. Monty seems to pick and choose his spots with DA defensively precisely so opponents can't just all-out attack him and get him into foul trouble. And he's played with a lot of defensive discipline. Side note -- his body control for a big man near the rim is breathtaking to watch. He's like Gumby with some of the passes he receives and how he contorts his body to quickly get the ball into the basket.

 

Giannis is the Black Meh’mba...he just has zero killer instinct. Relying on him to take over at a pivotal spot is a fool’s errand.

 

He does everything else well, except shoot. I can’t imagine what a team built around Giannis and Ben Simmons would look like.

 

Meh - Bench matters less the deeper and deeper you get into the playoffs. Those timeout breaks on ABC are going to be longer than the first few rounds, and you don't have a "next round" to worry about, so it's easier to justify playing guys major minutes. (Of course, I'm saying this as a Celtics fan, and the last time we were in the finals we lost because an old Rasheed Wallace couldn't play 48 minutes after Kendrick Perkins got hurt, but uh, in most cases, the bench matters less the deeper in you get...)

 

Box score nerd alert: The Suns were 24-for-24 from the FT line until Crowder went 1-for-2 late. Finished 25-for-26.

Didn't watch the game (was at work), so I'm not sure if announcers mentioned that stat 247 times or not ... but that's pretty rare anymore to make that many FTs.

 

They mentioned it several times, and of course, Crowder--the brick machine that he was last night--ruined it, lol.

 

Cam Johnson is going to have a long NBA career.

 

Corner 3 forever. Incredible draft pick. I’ve read that there is a percentage of Suns fans who are upset that Paul has ruined the narrative that Booker would bring PHX up by himself: Book is incredible, and he needed/needs an adult point guard to allow him to be his best Book. He doesn’t need to be a ballhamdler. Rubio was the start in the bubble, Paul took the whole thing to another level.

 

Holiday
Middleton
Lopez

disgusting