NBA Season 15-16: General Thread - Page 19 - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

TripleDipping · 05-16-2016, 10:48 AM

I feel happy for Toronto. Cleveland will win the ECF but I think it's going to be closer than what many people may think.

And F Wade.

MavzMan · 05-16-2016, 02:01 PM

I honestly expect Cleveland to sweep Toronto. The games may be close but the series shouldn't be. But then I also think the east is still a really weak conference besides Cleveland. Also think Lebron's career stats are going to be so over inflated because his entire career will be beating up on weak teams/conference.

But then maybe I'm just being a hater. Who knows.

Underdog · 05-16-2016, 08:26 PM

The Dubs are easy to watch tonight.

Underdog · 05-16-2016, 10:37 PM

OKC flipping the script.

EricaLubarsky · 05-16-2016, 11:25 PM

So many awful calls. NBA refs are the absolute worst.

GhostFace · 05-17-2016, 07:38 AM

Westbrook played some solid defense on Curry last night.

Regarding NBA refs, would it help to have a 4th ref on the floor? I feel like 3 is too little for the amount of work they have to do.

DevinHarriswillstart · 05-17-2016, 10:50 AM

Interesting that GS has the exact same issue SA had...no reliable centers to combat Adams/Kanter. Bogut is as done as Duncan if not worse.

MavzMan · 05-17-2016, 11:06 AM

You can continue to hate him, but damn Westbrook played like a beast. Yeah, he struggled shooting and had turnovers, but got to the line and made free throws. Ended up with 27 pts, 12 ast, 6 reb, 7 stl. That is a complete game stat line.

KD may have got 26 pts and 10 reb, but this OKC team only goes as far as RW takes them.

I feel like Donovan is doing a good job coaching too. He's trimmed the playing time down to really 6 players (starters+Kanter) with 1 or 2 more chipping in. Kerr playing 10 players only weakens the team on the court. It's the playoffs and there is rest in between games. If your best five isn't on the court, your team isn't playing playoff basketball. Bench players get you to the playoffs, starters get you the championship.

spreedom · 05-17-2016, 12:02 PM

Westbrook is my favorite non-Mavs player

MavzMan · 05-17-2016, 12:59 PM

Can he be my favorite hated player? I'm not even sure that makes sense. I'm so confused right now but I thoroughly enjoyed last nights game for sure.

BPo001 · 05-17-2016, 02:13 PM

I enjoy watching Westbrook due to his fearlessness and pure athletic ability, but some of the shots he takes just leave me scratching my head. He takes some bad shots during the flow of the game. He's certainly not the only player that does this, but I think sometimes it takes his whole team out of rhythm.

BPo001 · 05-17-2016, 08:40 PM

I knew the draft lottery was rigged!

http://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2016...adelphia-76ers

DirkFTW · 05-17-2016, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BPo001

I knew the draft lottery was rigged!

http://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2016...adelphia-76ers

Underdog · 05-17-2016, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BPo001

I knew the draft lottery was rigged!

http://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2016...adelphia-76ers

If you mean "rigged to destroy the #1 pick's career" then I agree with you... I mean, why else would the NBA keep handing Philly the first pick?

Melonhead · 05-17-2016, 11:18 PM

I think the Warriors season is starting to wear on them. If they were facing the Spurs, I dont think GS would have a problem. But Thunder can match them athletically and they have the big boys down low. I already was on record saying 6 games at least, but Thunder are very capable of putting Warriors to bed.

However, then we'd have to hear about Durant/Westbrook champs or Lebron being a champion again. I hate all 3, but I prefer Westbrook's ability in basketball. Like someone else said, favorite hated player.

GhostFace · 05-18-2016, 07:39 AM

LeBron looked completely dialed in last night, holy shit. I thought there would be some rust from the Cavs since they had a much longer time off than the Raptors, but damn, the Raptors were getting bodied out there. The Cavs are dying for another final appearance.

MavzMan · 05-18-2016, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GhostFace

The Cavs are dying for another final appearance.

Just reinforces my theory that the east is either just as weak as they've always been or maybe even worse.

Go Super Teams! Imagine what the Bulls would have looked like if Patrick Ewing had been on that team with Jordan and Pippen. Or Iverson.

Underdog · 05-18-2016, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavzMan

Just reinforces my theory that the east is either just as weak as they've always been or maybe even worse.

The East is exactly the same as it's been for the last 5 years -- the team that has LeBron goes to the Finals.

GhostFace · 05-18-2016, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

The East is exactly the same as it's been for the last 5 years -- the team that has LeBron goes to the Finals.

And it doesn't seem to get any better. Giving Philly the next 5 #1 picks won't help them, though that may be my severe dislike for that organization talking.

EricaLubarsky · 05-18-2016, 04:29 PM

Rockets want Mike, Dan, and Tony?

Underdog · 05-18-2016, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Rockets want Mike, Dan, and Tony?

They all combine to form a bargain bin Voltron knockoff...

spreedom · 05-18-2016, 05:48 PM

D'Antoni is one of my favorite coaches. Bummed to see he might be coaching a total loser like Harden.

EricaLubarsky · 05-18-2016, 06:45 PM

Mike, Dan, Tony's philosophy is to shoot every time. Probably works well with Harden

BPo001 · 05-18-2016, 07:17 PM

BREAKING: New York Knicks will hire Jeff Hornacek as their next head coach. Hornacek went 101-112 in 2.5 years as Phoenix Suns head coach. (via Ian Begley, 1st reported by Bleacher Report)

Underdog · 05-18-2016, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BPo001

BREAKING: New York Knicks will hire Jeff Hornacek as their next head coach. Hornacek went 101-112 in 2.5 years as Phoenix Suns head coach. (via Ian Begley, 1st reported by Bleacher Report)

They passed on Vogel and Blatt just to face-derp on Hornacek... Obviously there are worse hells than being a Mavs fan.

Jack.Kerr · 05-19-2016, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

They passed on Vogel and Blatt just to face-derp on Hornacek... Obviously there are worse hells than being a Mavs fan.

I don't have a problem with Hornacek. He's about as good a choice as is available at the moment. I see nothing that would make Vogel or Blatt the obvious BETTER choice. Knicks have had every type of profile for HC over the last 10-15 years--JVG, Lenny Wilkens, Don Chaney, Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas, D'Antoni, Woodson, Fischer, Rambis.... they've tried and failed with just about everything.

The franchise is trying to emerge from a shambles, and I think people have to stand back and let Jackson implement his philosophy. It's not a 1- or 2- year project. Jackson, because of his success, gets 5 unfettered years from me. He obviously had the right instincts about Kerr, whose Knick tenure was reportedly scuttled by Dolan's trying to lowball Kerr salary-wise. Obviously, and more importantly, Kerr had the right instincts about the Knicks' situation.

Apart from having to take Fischer instead of Kerr (and holding on to draft picks), Jackson has made two significant moves: 1) resigning Anthony, which I think was a huge mistake, but probably dictated to Jackson from Dolan; and 2) drafting Porzingis, which appears to have been a very good decision.

I don't even have an idea of who would be a slam-dunk successful coach with the Knicks' current personnel. Hornacek is kind of a placeholder move, maybe. May be part of Jackson signalling to Anthony that his whims are not going to be catered to. If Hornacek is a successful way to persuade Anthony to consent to a trade, then it's a damned fine sigining as far as I'm concerned.

NY sports media is contemptible. They have been negative on Jackson since very early on. I don't even bother to read Isola or Lupica anymore because they are so predictably negative about any move that Jackson does or doesn't make. It's as if they have no more understanding than a drunken Knicks fan on draft night--Jackson, in their view, should've had the Knicks franchise righted by All-Star break of his first year, as if the Knicks didn't need to be torn apart, gutted and rebuilt from the ground up. Practically every word they write now is trying to chip away Jackson's managerial credibility. They've even started taking Carmelo Freakin' Anthony's side against Jackson, as if the future of the Knicks depended on Anthony and not Jackson?

It's taken the Knicks 15 years to decline to their current state. They're not going to be rebuilt with one draft, or one trade or one signing. People have to be willing to let a GM (Jackson or anybody) make some intermediate- and long-term moves. It can't all be about the overnight transformation. And Jackson is one of the few figures in the league with the credibility to counter Dolan's pigheaded incompetence. If the media successfully undermines Jackson to the point that he either leaves or is fired, then what? I hear Sam Hinkie is looking for work.

MavzMan · 05-19-2016, 08:57 AM

Vogel going to Orlando now. He may have preferred that which prompted Jackson to sign Hornacek. Hornacek is not as proven as Vogel right now, but I also think he may be a good coach and was in tougher situation in Phoenix.

D'Antoni to Houston is hilarious. A no-defense coach going to a no-defense star player. Houston will give up the most points by far next season and Harden will continue to have the green light on anything he wants to do ... including jacking up threes with 18 seconds left or dribbling around the court for 20 seconds before jacking up a contested shot. But hey, I'm sure their owner will continue to advertise Harden as season MVP.

MavzMan · 05-19-2016, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack.Kerr

NY sports media is contemptible. They have been negative on Jackson since very early on

Feel free to correct me, but isn't that just the way of NY (media)? They have a reputation for being negative and only want to tear down people. "If it bleeds, it leads." So if it's not bleeding, then make it, right?

Jack.Kerr · 05-19-2016, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavzMan

Feel free to correct me, but isn't that just the way of NY (media)? They have a reputation for being negative and only want to tear down people. "If it bleeds, it leads." So if it's not bleeding, then make it, right?

It is. And it's the only point on which I have any semblance of an intersection of philosophy with Dolan, who is aggressively antagonistic with the NY media, refusing to grant interviews, dictating a very limited of staff authorized to give on-the-record interviews, requiring that a team media-representative be present for all player interviews, discouraging players from talking to media. I wish he were more deft than dumb about manipulating press relations, but given how unrelentingly negative the NY sports media is, I do understand Dolan's knee-jerk reaction.

The media played Thomas against Wilkens, then Marbury against Wilkens, then Brown against Marbury, and Brown against Thomas; then Dolan against Thomas, and Thomas against Marbury; then Walsh against Dolan, the D'Antoni against Walsh, then Dolan against D'Antoni, then Woodson against D'Antoni, then Stoudemire against Anthony, then Anthony against D'Antoni, then Anthony against Woodson, then Jackson against Woodson, then Jackson against Dolan, and now Anthony against Jackson. It's a never-ending series of media-created conflicts, exaggerated solely for the sake of creating headlines, selling papers, and getting clicks.

Seriously, do they really think that the Knicks can do better than Phil Jackson right now? Who? Jackson's stature as an ex-Knick linked to the team's LAST championship years, as a coaching product of Knicks coaching legend Red Holzman, and as the most successful NBA head coach since Red Auerbach...all of that is the only thing that has any hope of shaming Dolan into minimal interference with the personnel/team management decisions. And even Jackson's stature and reputation will have a limited shelf life with an idiot like Dolan. If the media starts undermining Jackson with the fans, that shelf life becomes even shorter than Frank Isola's manhood.

Jackson is undoubtedly a smug, arrogant SOB who uses the media to manipulate players, and who plays games with reporters and doesn't toady up to them to curry favor. But he may well be the last thing standing between the Knicks future and Isiah Thomas's return as GM and Dolan's own personal fluffer.

DevinHarriswillstart · 05-19-2016, 12:56 PM

D'Antoni in Houston would be hilarious. Harden should just go sit on the bench on defense.

GhostFace · 05-19-2016, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack.Kerr

It is. And it's the only point on which I have any semblance of an intersection of philosophy with Dolan, who is aggressively antagonistic with the NY media, refusing to grant interviews, dictating a very limited of staff authorized to give on-the-record interviews, requiring that a team media-representative be present for all player interviews, discouraging players from talking to media. I wish he were more deft than dumb about manipulating press relations, but given how unrelentingly negative the NY sports media is, I do understand Dolan's knee-jerk reaction.

The media played Thomas against Wilkens, then Marbury against Wilkens, then Brown against Marbury, and Brown against Thomas; then Dolan against Thomas, and Thomas against Marbury; then Walsh against Dolan, the D'Antoni against Walsh, then Dolan against D'Antoni, then Woodson against D'Antoni, then Stoudemire against Anthony, then Anthony against D'Antoni, then Anthony against Woodson, then Jackson against Woodson, then Jackson against Dolan, and now Anthony against Jackson. It's a never-ending series of media-created conflicts, exaggerated solely for the sake of creating headlines, selling papers, and getting clicks.

Seriously, do they really think that the Knicks can do better than Phil Jackson right now? Who? Jackson's stature as an ex-Knick linked to the team's LAST championship years, as a coaching product of Knicks coaching legend Red Holzman, and as the most successful NBA head coach since Red Auerbach...all of that is the only thing that has any hope of shaming Dolan into minimal interference with the personnel/team management decisions. And even Jackson's stature and reputation will have a limited shelf life with an idiot like Dolan. If the media starts undermining Jackson with the fans, that shelf life becomes even shorter than Frank Isola's manhood.

Jackson is undoubtedly a smug, arrogant SOB who uses the media to manipulate players, and who plays games with reporters and doesn't toady up to them to curry favor. But he may well be the last thing standing between the Knicks future and Isiah Thomas's return as GM and Dolan's own personal fluffer.

Excellent write up of the situation. You are absolutely spot on with how Dolan treats the media here in NYC. The media does not like it either because it's only been this past season that there have been positive stories about the Knicks and that's largely due to the Porzingis signing. Even when Jackson was hired there were a slew of sarcastic and satirical articles written. Either way, while I don't look forward to the jump in ticket prices, I am not opposed to seeing the Knicks do well again.

MavzMan · 05-20-2016, 09:29 AM

When I think of NY media, I really think of Steven A Smith .. both him personally and also just his mentality:

Stephen A. Smith Rant on NY Knicks Draft Pick | LIVE 6-25-15

I would love for Phil to come on national TV with him and bring this rant up again with the stats to back up his decision.

Porzingis (NYK) 28.4 min, 14.3 pts, 42.1 FG%, 83.8 FT%, 7.3 reb, 1.3 ast, 1.9 blk, 1.7 tov
Winslow (MIA) 28.6 min, 6.4 pts, 42.2 fg%, 68.4 ft%, 5.2 reb, 1.5 ast, 0.3 blk, 1.2 tov
Cauley-Stein (SAC) 21.4 min, 7.0 pts, 56.3 fg%, 64.8 ft%, 5.3 reb, 0.6 ast, 1.0 blk, 0.7 tov
Johnson (DET) 23.1 min, 8.1 pts, 37.5 fg%, 78.4 ft%, 4.2 reb, 1.6 ast, 0.2 blk, 1.6 tov

Underdog · 05-21-2016, 08:28 PM

Playoffs need to hurry up and finish, I'm bored as hell...

BPo001 · 05-22-2016, 10:01 AM

This place is dead! Toronto with a good win last night. Hopefully they can make it a series.

spreedom · 05-22-2016, 11:01 AM

I wonder if his terrible playoff performances will make Lowry available for trade this summer...

tap2390 · 05-22-2016, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spreedom

I wonder if his terrible playoff performances will make Lowry available for trade this summer...

Only if DeRozan bolts.... Any trade would have us giving up Justin Anderson though... Worth it for an older point guard? I was of course originally against the Devin Harris trade for Jason Kidd so I won't express any opinion.

Skywalker · 05-22-2016, 12:15 PM

I'd be interested in Lowry if he wasn't such a mental midget in the playoffs...

DevinHarriswillstart · 05-22-2016, 01:05 PM

I don't think Lowry is a mental midget...he's just a streaky shooter. When he is hot, watch out, but man he can get coooold.

I think his amazing game 7 vs Miami would keep him put for the foreseeable future.

Skywalker · 05-22-2016, 01:30 PM

That may be the case but I feel like he has consistently underperformed in the playoffs for several years now (can't be fucked looking up the stats lol)

TripleDipping · 05-22-2016, 10:10 PM

Is this real... GSW got asses handed to them. That below the belt kick by Green at Adams looked intentional to me. What BS I hope he gets suspended.