NBA Discussion

[BestSportsEntertainer]

3rd quarter Warriors are the GOAT team

[#AbsoluteUnit]

Well Portland, it was fun while it lasted. Gone till November.

[SSJPhenom]

Yea, Portland over achieved. I'll be shocked if they're not swept in the next game.

The last game between the Bucks and Raptors showed just how much better the Bucks really are. Their best player only had 12 pts and they were able to take them to double overtime. On the other hand, Leonard had to be spectacular as always. Bucks will be in the Finals with GS.

[OYDK]

The last game between the Bucks and Raptors showed just how much better the Bucks really are. Their best player only had 12 pts and they were able to take them to double overtime. On the other hand, Leonard had to be spectacular as always. Bucks will be in the Finals with GS.

Not really. Raps just got key players playing like absolute trash. Bucks players are playing up to and sometimes beyond their usual talent levels (except for Middleton). And if Toronto had played a bit better in the last 8 minutes of game 1, this series would be 2-1 the other way.

Not saying the Bucks aren't going to win, they likely are. But this would be a much different series if Green and Vanvleet were playing even half as well as they have been all year.

[Yaz]

How did Portland over achieve? They were the 3 seed in the conference and knocked off the 2 seed. That is fairly common.

[Yaz]

Not really. Raps just got key players playing like absolute trash. Bucks players are playing up to and sometimes beyond their usual talent levels (except for Middleton). And if Toronto had played a bit better in the last 8 minutes of game 1, this series would be 2-1 the other way.

Not saying the Bucks aren't going to win, they likely are. But this would be a much different series if Green and Vanvleet were playing even half as well as they have been all year.

So honest question, do you think firing Casey was a good move? Obviously they did make it to the ECF, but wasn't a constant criticism of Casey that his players often performed down to their opponents and under performed in big games?

[OYDK]

So honest question, do you think firing Casey was a good move? Obviously they did make it to the ECF, but wasn't a constant criticism of Casey that his players often performed down to their opponents and under performed in big games?

I didn't agree with the Casey firing from the beginning and the general consensus around Toronto was pretty much the same. He was a great coach who was a victim of his top stars just not being big-game players. I found the criticism you're talking about to be kind of ridiculous. I'm not a believer of putting the blame on the coach for his players underachieving, and this year just proves that the lack of production in the playoffs in previous years had very little to do with coaching. If you switch out Kawhi with Demar on this Raptors team, we lose in the second round again, with or without Casey.

Not that I dislike Nick Nurse, I just think there was no real reason to get rid of a coach the caliber of Dwayne Casey.

[Yaz]

I didn't agree with the Casey firing from the beginning and the general consensus around Toronto was pretty much the same. He was a great coach who was a victim of his top stars just not being big-game players. I found the criticism you're talking about to be kind of ridiculous. I'm not a believer of putting the blame on the coach for his players underachieving, and this year just proves that the lack of production in the playoffs in previous years had very little to do with coaching. If you switch out Kawhi with Demar on this Raptors team, we lose in the second round again, with or without Casey.

Not that I dislike Nick Nurse, I just think there was no real reason to get rid of a coach the caliber of Dwayne Casey.

That's honestly a fair point. When the Pacers kept running into LeBron's Heat in the playoffs, it was decided the reason we couldn't get over the hump was Frank Vogel. Not the fact that we had one real offensive option in Paul George. So we fired Vogel and hired Nate McMillan and the entire fan base has been upset ever since.

[SSJPhenom]

How did Portland over achieve? They were the 3 seed in the conference and knocked off the 2 seed. That is fairly common.

Going by their roster and history, they over achieved the entire season. Not saying that's a bad thing, but IMO GS just showed how big the gap is between them and teams like Portland. Honestly, this year in the west, the Rockets were really the only threat to the Warriors.

Portland did great and I'm happy for them, but in thinking they had a shot against GS, they were over achieving.

[SSJPhenom]

Not really. Raps just got key players playing like absolute trash. Bucks players are playing up to and sometimes beyond their usual talent levels (except for Middleton). And if Toronto had played a bit better in the last 8 minutes of game 1, this series would be 2-1 the other way.

Not saying the Bucks aren't going to win, they likely are. But this would be a much different series if Green and Vanvleet were playing even half as well as they have been all year.

Toronto does this every year though. They're great in the regular season, get one of the top 3 seeds in the playoffs, and then when the playoffs come around their top talent do a disappearing act. It's nothing new. I agree with you; if Toronto's talent were playing to their potential then this would be a much more exciting/even series. As it looks now, though, if Leonard has an off night and isn't spectacular then they have no hope at all in winning. Against teams like the Bucks and GS who have legitimate production from more than one person, that's not going to win you a 7 game series. Although, it can get you a game or 2.