2021 NBA playoffs thread

Yeah Giannis made a believer out of this critic. Proved you can indeed still win a title with just one superstar*.


*as long as you don’t have to play against one with two who are uninjured and wear purple and gold and had the shortest offseason in sports history.

 

Stop being bitter.

 

LOL I’m not being bitter. Fact is Lakers 2020 > Bucks 2021 but you know what? It ain’t 2020 no more and the Bucks beat all comers thanks to Giannis and deserve the credit that goes to a champion.

 

Oh, that's OK. I'm sure someone will take a cheap shot in the shorts to remind us of Chris Paul.

Good for Milwaukee. Good for Giannis. Good for Middleton. Pretty sobering to think that the last time the Bucks won the title, they had Oscar Robertson and some guy named Lew Alcindor. (Funny note: Milwaukee won a coin toss over the Phoenix Suns for the No. 1 pick in 1969 for the right to pick Alcindor).

 

A few quick thoughts…

As much as I wanted the Suns to win this, I’m really happy for the Bucks. It ain’t easy winning a title in Milwaukee. They did it right.

Love Giannis. Such a cool guy, and my god was he good.

And for those doing the LOL about criticism of Coach Bud — the job he did in the earlier rounds was straight trash. He was fine in the finals. Congrats to him. It was a clownshow before that.

Thoughts and prayers to Devin Booker, who now gets to fly on a private jet to Tokyo with Khris Middleton and Jrue Holliday.

 

Exactly how I was going to put it; it wasn’t much of a series until Giannis exploded and his performance tonight was beautiful to watch

 

The Suns lost the series in the final five minutes of Game 4. Kudos to the Bucks for stepping on them from there on in. Giannis was incredible. It was a hell of a ride, one that probably doesn't happen if Davis is healthy. I think the Suns are here for the long haul, though developing a point guard in the near future will be key because I don't know how much longer Paul can play at an elite level.

I'm not kidding myself. At the beginning of the year, I would have taken the Suns just making the playoffs or winning one series. They won three. Big picture, the year was a rousing success, and hope will now turn to expectations. Looking forward to next year already.

 

The Suns might be kicking themselves for years. Given how tough the West is, the good fortune they had in star players being injured, the 2-0 lead and Paul’s age and contract status, this might’ve been a one-shot window. They’re set up well for the future, but they don’t have that transcendent star that almost guarantees more than one shot at it.

 

I don't disagree, but the dynamics in the West are changing. At some point, LeBron is going to look old. Davis is who he is, an incredible talent when he's healthy but prone to serious injury. The Nuggets? Jokic is incredible but the rest of the cast is a bit of a mystery, Murray included. The Clippers? Kawhi is out until at least March and may not play at all next year. The Mavs? Doncic needs help. The Blazers are probably on the verge of imploding. The Warriors will be good again next year, but nowhere near the level they were during their title runs. ADD: Forgot the Jazz, who are very good but not elite.

Ayton and Booker both took huge steps this year and will only get better. I think the Suns' window with Paul is tiny (i.e., next year), so finding the next point guard will be huge. Not sure Cam Payne is the guy. Great bench piece but not a regular starter. Suns also desperately need depth behind Ayton.

I'd be more pissed about this if it wasn't clear in Games 5 and 6 that Milwaukee was the better team. There wasn't anybody in the league that could have beaten them last night with the way Giannis played. And quite honestly, if the Suns don't hit 20 3s in Game 2, they probably come back to Milwaukee tied.

 

I hope that as part of his continued development Booker gains some composure. There were times he looked to be on the verge of becoming unglued when he got whistled for a foul or didn't get a call on the other end. That, coupled with the ceaseless complaining, could lead to his own streak with Scott Foster.

 

Giannis, on the other hand, doesn’t bitch about calls
He shuts up and plays

 

Most important for the Bucks, he seems comfortable in Milwaukee. Kareem never was.