2024 NBA playoffs thread

[Spartan Squad]

I have a sneaky suspicion this is going to be a pretty quick postseason on the way to Denver-Boston finals which Denver wins in six.

I wonder if OKC might give them a longer series if they happen to meet up simply because they are too young to know any better

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Is there anything LeBron can do that would propel him above Jordan in the GOAT discussion? Win one more title? Two?

Jordan worship makes that impossible. People act like you are stealing their childhood if you question whether someone could be better than Jordan.

 

[Small Town Guy]

God darn am I sick of Denver. Law & Order episodes had a more varied formula than a Lakers-Nuggets game: Lakers lead for awhile, big Denver run gives them the lead, Jokic closes the door along with a 3 from Murray or Porter. And yet...I still have hope for Lakers in 6. And when they're down 3-0 after blowing a 13-point fourth-quarter lead in Staples, I'll still be thinking they can pull it out in seven. Since Denver can't keep winning like this! Can they? Agh.

I think Wolves have best shot of knocking Nuggets off (ashuming Lakers don't win in six, of course). They have the size to match up well enough with Jokic and a well-rounded team. And Ant could be poised for something truly special.

The neverending debate: If someone puts LeBron at the top I'm not going to fight them. Perfectly valid. Though I personally still have Jordan and honestly can't imagine LeBron doing anything to surpash him at this point on my own rankings, even if he keeps averaging 20-plus for the next five years. Which he could. And I'm a Magic worshiper not a Jordan one, but just think he's still The Guy. Better offensive player than LeBron, better defender, won more MVPs and more titles in shorter time frame. For me that makes it a fairly decisive call, but LeBron obviously has fantastic arguments in his favor as well.

 

[Spartan Squad]

Hope the Lakers can win this?

Ok, with my anti-LA hat off, I don't see how this is anything but a gentleman's sweep at best. Yeah the Lakers have played well down the stretch, but they got a lot of help to bail on the 9-10 game and Denver is really good

 

[Small Town Guy]

Hope the Lakers can win this?

Ok, with my anti-LA hat off, I don't see how this is anything but a gentleman's sweep at best. Yeah the Lakers have played well down the stretch, but they got a lot of help to bail on the 9-10 game and Denver is really good

It is funny how matchups work. I absolutely think Lakers would have beaten OKC--they handled them during regular season--much like they did Memphis last year. But still think there's no way they should have tried "tanking" the first play-in to drop into that slot. Kings and Warriors both owned them during the season, much like Denver, so that would have been playing with fire in the single-elimination play-in.

 

[Spartan Squad]

It is funny how matchups work. I absolutely think Lakers would have beaten OKC--they handled them during regular season--much like they did Memphis last year. But still think there's no way they should have tried "tanking" the first play-in to drop into that slot. Kings and Warriors both owned them during the season, much like Denver, so that would have been playing with fire in the single-elimination play-in.

I agree the better matchup was going to be OKC. Playoff LeBron would have been a nightmare for the young Thunder. If they have any hope in the series, AD and LeBron and the bench will need to be otherworldly for four games. You can't count on that from LA. But weirder things have happened.

 

[John]

Is there anything LeBron can do that would propel him above Jordan in the GOAT discussion? Win one more title? Two?

To me, this is a bit like the GOAT debate in men's tennis. Is it the greatest player ever or the greatest career? I think those can be two different things.

I'd argue peak Jordan (like peak Federer) was the best the sport has ever seen, but LeBron (and Djokovic) have had the greatest careers.

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

Death, taxes, and Kawhi ruled out

 

[swingline]

I've written this before.

Jordan: greatest of his era

James: greatest of his era

The end.

 

[Spartan Squad]

I've written this before.

Jordan: greatest of his era

James: greatest of his era

The end.

This.

You can't compare guys who didn't play together because the style of play was so different.

LeBron gets some credit because he started at the end of the depresses offense, highly physical, center-dominated era but has bridges to the current wide open era.

Jordan did so much to grow the game's popularity and LeBron took it to 11 in terms of monetizing. Pro for Jordan was making it so everyone wanted to be like him. Pro for LeBron he will be more willing to admit his success was a direct result of his help.

 

[Small Town Guy]

Okay, I was wrong: Lakers actually should have tanked to face OKC. Lot of talk about how good the West was this year, but this has to be the most underwhelming No. 1 seed in the West in, well, decades. Good young team that I can not possibly see advancing to the Finals, which is not something usually said of a 1 seed outside of that Hawks team a decade ago. I actually think the potential Wolves-Nuggets second-round matchup is going to be the true West Finals.

(Deleting this when OKC is ousting the Lakers in 5 games to advance to Finals)

Also there is something comical about every level of hoops now featuring final possession after final possession of one dude (or gal) dribbling out the clock to take an absolutely awful 3-pointer at the buzzer, when all they need is a 2. All the film, all the coaching, all the analytics, and in the final 10 seconds, dribble around aimlessly and fire up a Philip Seymour Hoffman brick from 24 feet.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Okay, I was wrong: Lakers actually should have tanked to face OKC. Lot of talk about how good the West was this year, but this has to be the most underwhelming No. 1 seed in the West in, well, decades. Good young team that I can not possibly see advancing to the Finals, which is not something usually said of a 1 seed outside of that Hawks team a decade ago. I actually think the potential Wolves-Nuggets second-round matchup is going to be the true West Finals.

(Deleting this when OKC is ousting the Lakers in 5 games to advance to Finals)

Also there is something comical about every level of hoops now featuring final possession after final possession of one dude (or gal) dribbling out the clock to take an absolutely awful 3-pointer at the buzzer, when all they need is a 2. All the film, all the coaching, all the analytics, and in the final 10 seconds, dribble around aimlessly and fire up a Philip Seymour Hoffman brick from 24 feet.

If the Lakers tanked to try to face OKC, they'd probably be watching the playoffs from Cancun right now.

Agreed on the final shot, though. Not sure what the hell McCollum was doing there.