NBA 2020 NBA Playoffs Thread

[Howe Elbows 9]

My prediction/guess for the Western Confernce Finals is: Lakers in 6.

 

[Cloned]

Love this guy and his videos.

tl;dr - Kawhi had a really bad game at both ends of the floor.

 

[Howe Elbows 9]

Chris Paul 2nd team, Donovan Mitchell snubbed even on the 3rd team. Who's voting, Voight?

Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James unanimously selected to 2019-20 All-NBA First Team | NBA.com

Mitchell was only tenth in votes among guards...

 

[Fighter]

Clippers' collapse means that the Lakers are gonna win it all...

 

[Suiteness]

I don't think cap is a factor when Steve Ballmer doesn't give an iota of a shit about spending money to build a championship caliber roster.

Only thing is i'm not sure about is if overpaying Dragic or VanVleet is the answer to the Clippers woes.

The Clippers desperately need leadership as well. Kawhi's a player but the guy is a robot, just not the type of guy who's going to rally the troops.

Chris Paul checks off all the boxes here.

 

[John Price]

Clippers' collapse means that the Lakers are gonna win it all...

Good.

 

[Voight]

He did still kind of screw over those teams though.

Meh, both got a championship out of it so I don't think its that bad for them.

Last night Paul George said this wasn't championship or bust, two months after saying it was championship or bust on Kevin Hart's podcast.

When you trade a top young player and a bunch of draft picks for a player.... then trade another first at the deadline.... that kind of says its championship or bust. Or when your two star players are only under contract for 2 years.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James unanimously selected to 2019-20 All-NBA First Team | NBA.com

Mitchell was only tenth in votes among guards...

I'd like to know where Beal finished as well, believe hes the first guard ever to average 30 PPG and not make an All-NBA team.

 

[Islay1989]

He did still kind of screw over those teams though.

The Raptors have a ring because of him. Give me a break with this narrative.

 

[Cloned]

The Raptors have a ring because of him. Give me a break with this narrative.

It’s possible for both things to be true.

 

[DangleCity]

The Raptors have a ring because of him. Give me a break with this narrative.

Exactly. Toronto knew exactly what they were getting into and took a gamble and it paid off. I dont understand why they are so bitter, they won it all because of him, but are acting like he failed and then bolted.

 

[Islay1989]

It’s possible for both things to be true.

No, it's not. He didn't give them a guarantee he was going to sign, quite the contrary. They got what they wanted out of him. I have no idea why some feel so entitled, like a needy partner. It's business, Raptors got what they paid for and then some, quit whining because he left after he did his job.

 

[Cloned]

No, it's not. He didn't give them a guarantee he was going to sign, quite the contrary. They got what they wanted out of him. I have no idea why some feel so entitled, like a needy partner. It's business, Raptors got what they paid for and then some, quit whining because he left after he did his job.

He made a bad decision and screwed over everyone he was involved with, including himself. Raps had a chance to repeat. He could’ve gotten more money and one more ring. Clippers wouldn’t have mortgaged their foreseeable future for PG.

It was a shortsighted decision and he’s diminished his own legacy as a result of all the criticism he’s facing now.

 

[DangleCity]

It’s possible for both things to be true.

Both arent though. The assumption was always that Kawhi was going to go to LA. The Raptors knew this and knew it was a gamble, but it worked.

 

[Howe Elbows 9]

I'd like to know where Beal finished as well, believe hes the first guard ever to average 30 PPG and not make an All-NBA team.

A closer look at how the voting turned out for players listed as guards;

Player	1st team votes	2nd team votes	3rd team votes	Total points
James Harden	89	9	2	474
Luka Doncic	59	40	1	416
Damian Lillard	6	82	8	284
Chris Paul	2	52	33	199
Ben Simmons	0	9	34	61
Russell Westbrook	0	9	29	56
Bradley Beal	0	3	23	32
Kyle Lowry	0	3	17	26
Trae Young	0	1	10	13
Donovan Mitchell	0	1	7	10

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

1st team vote - 5 points, 2nd team vote - 3 points, 3rd team vote - 1 point.

 

[DangleCity]

That’s not even true. If playing at home was the most important thing he wouldn’t have forced his hometown team to give up a fortune for his best friend just to get him to sign.

One doesnt have to do with the other. The bottom line was he was going to sign with LA when he became a FA. This was fairly well known, even at the time of his trade to Toronto. No one was screwed.

 

[Cloned]

One doesnt have to do with the other. The bottom line was he was going to sign with LA when he became a FA. This was fairly well known, even at the time of his trade to Toronto. No one was screwed.

Sure it does. If he left TO and signed in LA without forcing the Clippers’ hand, I’d be a lot more understanding. The way he tried to have his cake and eat it too, the way he tried to orchestrate moves behind the scenes - it all tells me he wasn’t being genuine to either the Raps or the Clippers. For me that’s enough to qualify as screwing over both teams.

The fact that his moves blew up spectacularly in his face is his own doing.

 

[Islay1989]

The dude tells it like it is - he wasn't genuine
It blew up spectacularly in his face, the world is ending - didn't reach conf Finals in his first go around

Hilarious

 

[Cloned]

The dude tells it like it is - he wasn't genuine
It blew up spectacularly in his face, the world is ending - didn't reach conf Finals in his first go around

Hilarious

If you do some research into everything that happened behind the scenes that offseason and then everything that’s happening behind the scenes with the Clippers this season, it isn’t so hilarious.

Well, it is, but only because he somehow managed to misread the situation so badly with both teams and bought into his own hype a little too much in thinking he could orchestrate a winner by himself.

 

[DangleCity]

Sure it does. If he left TO and signed in LA without forcing the Clippers’ hand, I’d be a lot more understanding. The way he tried to have his cake and eat it too, the way he tried to orchestrate moves behind the scenes - it all tells me he wasn’t being genuine to either the Raps or the Clippers. For me that’s enough to qualify as screwing over both teams.

The fact that his moves blew up spectacularly in his face is his own doing.

You can argue he screwed the Clippers, but not Toronto. He was never signing in Toronto from the get go.

 

[Cloned]

You can argue he screwed the Clippers, but not Toronto. He was never signing in Toronto from the get go.

I’m not sure about the last sentence. If the Clippers held firm and didn’t make the PG trade and Masai gave in and did, he’d probably be in Toronto.

I think he was willing to go to whoever caved in to his demands. His preference was L.A., which is why he wanted more from Toronto.

 

[Suiteness]

I’m not sure about the last sentence. If the Clippers held firm and didn’t make the PG trade and Masai gave in and did, he’d probably be in Toronto.

I think he would have gone to the Lakers but we'll never know.

 

[DangleCity]

I’m not sure about the last sentence. If the Clippers held firm and didn’t make the PG trade and Masai gave in and did, he’d probably be in Toronto.

I think he was willing to go to whoever caved in to his demands. His preference was L.A., which is why he wanted more from Toronto.

You should be, as he said as much. He was never staying in Toronto and that was acknowledged from the get go. He was going to either LA team. He didnt screw them because his plan was always to go to LA.


He actually did the opposite of screwing Toronto. He gave them leverage against the Spurs in the trade because the Spurs refused to accommodate him and trade him to LA


He could have pouted about not being traded were he wanted to go, but instead he played his ass off and won Toronto a ring and Toronto fans want to say he screwed them. Crazy

 

[Avs_19]

Stein probably doesn't put this out there unless it's expected to happen. That'd be a huge relief for the Raptors after all the speculation about Masai possibly leaving.

 

[Cloned]

You should be, as he said as much. He was never staying in Toronto and that was acknowledged from the get go. He was going to either LA team. He didnt screw them because his plan was always to go to LA.


He actually did the opposite of screwing Toronto. He gave them leverage against the Spurs in the trade because the Spurs refused to accommodate him and trade him to LA

Masai had a trade on the table that would’ve kept Kawhi in Toronto. I believe it was something like OG, FVV, Siakam and multiple picks for PG and Westbrook.

 

[Cloned]

He actually did the opposite of screwing Toronto. He gave them leverage against the Spurs in the trade because the Spurs refused to accommodate him and trade him to LA


He could have pouted about not being traded were he wanted to go, but instead he played his ass off and won Toronto a ring and Toronto fans want to say he screwed them. Crazy

He screwed the Spurs too.

Could have easily had two rings with TO but decided to pull some shady behind the scenes stuff and ended up costing TO another title run and the Clippers their entire foreseeable future.