2017-18 NBA Thread

[MrCrowesGarden]

I think I would take Houston and New Orleans.

Starting 5 of Paul/Harden/Jrue/AD/Boogie with a second unit of Rondo/Gordon/Mirotic/Ariza/Capela.

[Tim]

Gotta be Cleveland and NOLA right? How do you not take Lebron?

[Tim]

Scratch that. If you’re taking Boogie I’m taking Boston and Cleveland

Kyrie
Bron
Love/Tatum
Horford
Hayward

[33anda3rd]

Houston was built to beat the Dubs. Switch D. Play fast. Shoot a lot of 3s. The challenge is that if you don't have a roster full of dead eye shooters you'll die to variance. Game 2 PJ Tucker and Eric Gordon combined for 16-24 from the floor and 11-15 from 3P. On the rare night that happens they can blow the Warriors out, which is just what happened. Game 3 rolls around and they combine for 6-18 from the floor and 4-11 from 3P, about average for the two of them, and they get blown out. Houston is probably the best single team to match up with the Dubs and even then they'll be lucky to get the series to a seventh game.

If I had to combine teams and we allow for every team in the NBA having a fully healthy roster I'd probably go Celtics + Spurs. Both play great D and both are very efficient on the offensive end, while playing a below-average pace. Spurs I'd just keep Kawhi, LMA, Gay, and keep Danny Green around to play D and shoot spot-up corner 3s off the bench. I'd try to get the Dubs to switch on every defensive possession so Curry is guarding the man with the ball in iso, and I'd play a lot of ballhandler + 4 out sets. I'd have Marcus Smart and Kawhi getting in the chests of Klay and KD on D to try to make Curry do even more on offense after working him down on D. I'd exploit the Dubs lack of a good big by running some plays for LMA and Horford on the block, especially a lot of plays where we'd move the ball into the block then let one of them pass back out to the open man if Draymond gets help-side D.

Kyrie / Smart / Rozier / Tatum / Horford / Hayward / Kawhi / LMA / Gay / Green / Morris / Jaylen / Baynes / Ojeleye / Larkin would be my 15.

I think HOU is on the right track by trying to iso Curry when HOU has the ball, it's just that their shooters are not that great. HOU shoots a LOT of threes--over 42/game--but they are only 13th in the league in 3P%. Boston was 2nd only to the Dubs in 3P% this year. BOS could present a tougher challenge in the Finals than HOU is in the WC Finals.

[BottenFieldofDreams]

This is the kind of exercise modern NBA players run through their brain all day. How could I not lose, meaningful competition be damned?

[33anda3rd]

Starting 5 of Paul/Harden/Jrue/AD/Boogie with a second unit of Rondo/Gordon/Mirotic/Ariza/Capela.

When Curry runs through a couple baseline picks to receive the ball on the weak-side elbow of the 3P line and Boogie ends up switched onto him, how does Boogie ever get around the screen to close out on Steph keeping him from an open three, or how does Boogie ever go under the pick and still keep up with Steph when he decides to turn the corner and shoot one of those floaters in the lane? Same question for Klay, when Jrue gets picked off of Klay and Rondo (too small) or Boogie (too slow) or Harden (can't play man on man D) get switched on to him, how do they stop Klay from killing them? I think the Dubs would put up about 140/night against this LU.

[BottenFieldofDreams]

When the only way to make the league interesting is to fantasize like a Blazers fan perpetually has to, something is very broken.

[33anda3rd]

When the only way to make the league interesting is to fantasize like a Blazers fan perpetually has to, something is very broken.

What do you think the Blazers will do in the offseason?

[BottenFieldofDreams]

When the only way to make the league interesting is to fantasize like a Blazers fan perpetually has to, something is very broken.

What do you think the Blazers will do in the offseason?

No idea. I think running it back pretty much the same is a little more likely than anything else. I don't think Nurkic is coming back. But I wouldn't be surprised by anything.

What I'd like them to do is move to Oklahoma City and put me out of my misery, giving Clay Bennett the two teams and two championship trophies he deserves.

Or trade Dame for Sabonis Jr. I need Sabonis Jr.

I actually did pretty well this year appreciating the Blazers for what they were and where they could go. But the way they went out was deflating, and the way they [expletive] their pants and rolled over like a [expletive] in heat in game three was insulting.

[33anda3rd]

This idea of combining teams to beat the Dubs is a fun exercise, I've been thinking about it a lot. Thanks for posting, Crowes.

I think ultimately the team that would beat the Dubs would need to have, bare minimum, four starters and three reserves who can both:
1. switch on D to guard anyone from the 1-4 spots
2. play the pick and roll/switch game on the other side of the floor to get open shots on offense, and make those shots.

The Dubs have Dray, Iguodala, Klay, and Durant starting in these playoffs capable of doing that. Then there's Looney, West and Bell off the bench who can guard almost anyone on the floor, including centers, when they're deployed on a 2nd string that still has 1-2 of the big four still on the floor. Unless you're 7-deep with long athletic wings who can both score and defend, I don't think you can beat the Dubs in anything other than an outlier series where you just happened to run hot while they ran cold.