Board 8 > NBA Playoffs topic 3: nerf the Warriors

(+) Yeah! (+)

That's what I was thinking. This one is kind of a gimme for Cleveland.
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They have to be hot from 3 to have a chance and they are the opposite now
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BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING Warriors vs Cavs again

it might just be rest, but Thompson looks like he's going to terrorize Boston on the offensive boards
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LeBron can just score whenever he wants at this point.
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Olynyk vs Lebron is absolutely hilarious
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transience posted...

it might just be rest, but Thompson looks like he's going to terrorize Boston on the offensive boards

Considering the damage Lopez did... that's probably going to be a constant
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transience posted...

Olynyk vs Lebron is absolutely hilarious

Kyrie almost put Olynyk on his arse a bit ago. He just missed the three.
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seems like Cleveland should rock this series as long as a.) they give an honest defensive effort for 48 minutes (not so for the first 12) or b.) IT doesn't go bonkers
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oh god and now IT trying to guard D-Will

I'm going to enjoy this series
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Kevin Love goin' to work now.
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This game is pretty bad so I want to go back to draft stuff.

Why are people so against the idea of just drafting in order?
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I don't know that anyone's against it so much as arguing that it doesn't fix the tanking problem. it just makes it worse.
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LMAO Isiah trying to take LeBron off the dribble
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They really need to stop calling fouls when the shooter initiates the contact
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transience posted...

I don't know that anyone's against it so much as arguing that it doesn't fix the tanking problem. it just makes it worse.

Does it though? In our current system, there's heavy incentive to move down from any non-playoff spot to increase your odds for a top 3 pick. Drop a few extra games to move from 12 to 10, or 10 to 8 because you'll have a better chance at moving into the top 3.
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Hell, the 2010: Detroit and Washington finish the same record.

Washington gets the #1 pick and John Wall.
Detroit gets the #7 pick and Greg Monroe.

How is that even remotely fair?
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good grief Cleveland is clowning them

someone's gonna get put on the ground soon
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Yeah draft lotteries are stupid.

Just pick in the order you finished tbh. The NFL has it right.
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going from 12 to 10 is not as big of a problem as losing 30 games in a row to stay below the other teams. I can only imagine what would happen if you knew you had the best player coming if you only lost all of your games for the second half of the season.
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Yeah this was why I didn't want Boston to win.

they absolutely will try to hurt someone if this series gets out of hand. They've done it before.
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So if teams are still losing 30 games in a row with a lottery and then they don't get the #1 pick, then they're just gonna do it all over again next season. What's the point? Teams aren't going "oh shit we got the #4 pick instead of #1, we better start getting good." No, they just do it all over again next year.
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TheRock1525 posted...

So if teams are still losing 30 games in a row with a lottery and then they don't get the #1 pick, then they're just gonna do it all over again next season. What's the point? Teams aren't going "oh shit we got the #4 pick instead of #1, we better start getting good." No, they just do it all over again next year.

I think situations where a team decides to tank at the start of a season are pretty fucking rare. Most of the "good teams" in the NBA right now aren't good because they got a #1 draft pick (and conversely, plenty of teams have had several of them and still suck balls). The idea that you can't possibly improve unless you get a #1 instead of a #4 is ridiculous.
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if the reward for being awful is that you get a 25% chance of getting #1, that's a better deterrent to "i want to lose all my games and guarantee i get a franchise guy"
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#1 pick of 2010 was John Wall.
#4 pick of 2010 was Wesley Johnson.

#1 of 2011 was Kyrie Irving
#4 was Tristan Thompson

#1 of 2012 was Anthony Davis
#4 was Dion Waiters

It kinda does matter. Having the #1 pick isn't a guarantee, but your odds of getting a franchise player are higher at 1 than they are at 4.
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transience posted...

if the reward for being awful is that you get a 25% chance of getting #1, that's a better deterrent to "i want to lose all my games and guarantee i get a franchise guy"

Or it just means they'll just keep tanking until they do get that #1 pick, see Sixers, Philadelphia.
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man, Lebron is just embarrassing this whole team

give him the MVP
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transience posted...

man, Lebron is just embarrassing this whole team

give him the MVP

regular season award
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TheRock1525 posted...

transience posted...

if the reward for being awful is that you get a 25% chance of getting #1, that's a better deterrent to "i want to lose all my games and guarantee i get a franchise guy"

Or it just means they'll just keep tanking until they do get that #1 pick, see Sixers, Philadelphia.

so you think rewarding tanking up front is better than dragging it out?

I think it's just a natural consequence of basketball being so individually oriented, personally. other team sports rely on a lot of guys whereas the NBA can be great with just one superstar.
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TheRock1525 posted...

#1 pick of 2010 was John Wall.
#4 pick of 2010 was Wesley Johnson.

#1 of 2011 was Kyrie Irving
#4 was Tristan Thompson

#1 of 2012 was Anthony Davis
#4 was Dion Waiters

It kinda does matter. Having the #1 pick isn't a guarantee, but your odds of getting a franchise player are higher at 1 than they are at 4.

#10 pick of 2010 was Paul George

#15 pick of 2011 was Kawhi Leonard

#35 pick of 2012 was Draymond Green

Teams just need to learn to draft better!
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_first_overall_NBA_draft_picks

The last one of these to deliver a championship to the team who drafted them (without moving around in between) was Tim Duncan. MOST of them never even came particularly close. Tanking for five years to get a shot at one of these guys is the dumbest fucking idea I've ever heard of, and the idea that teams would intentionally do it repeatedly is insane.
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transience posted...

so you think rewarding tanking up front is better than dragging it out?

Why not? It encourages natural rebuilding.

You bottom out and get a #1 pick.
The next season you're a little better, make some marginal moves and you get say a 7-9 pick.
Make some more moves and you're in the playoffs within the next season or 2 while your superstar develops.
etc.

MZero11 posted...

TheRock1525 posted...

#1 pick of 2010 was John Wall.
#4 pick of 2010 was Wesley Johnson.

#1 of 2011 was Kyrie Irving
#4 was Tristan Thompson

#1 of 2012 was Anthony Davis
#4 was Dion Waiters

It kinda does matter. Having the #1 pick isn't a guarantee, but your odds of getting a franchise player are higher at 1 than they are at 4.

#10 pick of 2010 was Paul George

#15 pick of 2011 was Kawhi Leonard

#35 pick of 2012 was Draymond Green

Teams just need to learn to draft better!

Then why do we need a lottery if it doesn't matter where you draft? Let them draft in order.
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SmartMuffin posted...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_first_overall_NBA_draft_picks

The last one of these to deliver a championship to the team who drafted them (without moving around in between) was Tim Duncan. MOST of them never even came particularly close. Tanking for five years to get a shot at one of these guys is the dumbest fucking idea I've ever heard of, and the idea that teams would intentionally do it repeatedly is insane.

You act like teams don't actively do this when they clearly do.

And whilst they may not have outright won a team a championship, there's a decent ratio of all stars and/or MVP's in there compared to other positions. So it is clearly better to draft at #1 than anywhere else

TheRock1525 posted...

Then why do we need a lottery if it doesn't matter where you draft? Let them draft in order.

That would be ideal if everyone was honest and didn't lose on purpose. The purpose of the lottery isn't because drafting in order is bad, it's to discourage tanking. Of course, teams still do it but I think it would be more common without the lottery
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I'd be fine with just drafting in order (or the lotto we have now) if there was some sort of penalty for repeated failure. You shouldn't be able to constantly draft at the top until you hit on a player.

Philly have drafted inside the top 3 for 4 years running (granted this year via someone elses pick). Lakers at 2 for 3 years running. That's just silly and should not be allowed to happen

i started watching at halftime and have seen literally zero celtics stops
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SeabassDebeste posted...

i started watching at halftime and have seen literally zero celtics stops

at least you missed the 15 missed 3 pointers
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in his short, foul-filled minutes, smart looked like the best celtics player
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Marcus Smart was the only one with any energy. Hopefully the Celtics come out with more drive in Game 2, but they're probably gassed
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actually i've honestly liked the way they've played this last.. er.... 10 minutes of game time.

yeah.
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remember when you laughed at me for saying the Cavs were going to sweep

ha

ha ha
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i actually don't
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I'm willing to call this a mulligan for Boston. let's see if they come out for game 2 like they want to compete in this series.
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I think LeBron remembers 2010 still. This is savage.
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ExThaNemesis posted...

remember when you laughed at me for saying the Cavs were going to sweep

ha

ha ha

I laughed at you for saying they'd win by an average of 30 points
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Just saw a highlight of LeBron treating Olynyk like a snotty little brother. I suspect this happened all game.
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CaptainOfCrush posted...

Just saw a highlight of LeBron treating Olynyk like a snotty little brother. I suspect this happened all game.

It would have but Olynyk didn't see much time in the 2nd half!
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LOL Celtics

4-4-4 here it comes
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Also, I feel like if the Celtics were going to steal one, this was it. The Cavs have barely played in a month, and they should've taken advantage of it. The Spurs should've stolen Game 1 under the same circumstances.
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Celtics won the second half! It's unlikely they play as bad as that first half again. 6 would be miraculous but I think 4-1 is realistic still
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