I'm not sure what basketball spirit it implies but Lonzo looking for Lebron immediately after that Lebron block is something I don't see Kuzma/Ingram/Hart being able of seeing.

Mark has to set aside a solid minute to directly criticize Luke's coaching, nice touch with camera on Luke the whole time

I'm trying to figure out which of these big combos is bad but it's just Meyers Leonard.

This is a good poast.

+200 TZ Points

labron gonna play with ZLAT at LA Galaxy next year

Que? Sure if it continues into the playoffs but nobody in the West will challenge them. It would take some lights out shooting for raps/celts/bucks to beat them. Philly would get absolutely stomped by them so I don't even think they are worth talking about.

LeBron ain't scared of the west

labron, at age almost age 34, *probably* put in extra time at practice shooting free throws, which is why he made 12 in a row tonight
[but he missed the first 2 because...?]

#MJaxlogic


man i wish there was a team out there dumb enough to hire him to coach again

**** tends to snowball when it travels downhill.

Mark Jackson was an absolute dick all broadcast. Was really weird.

Lonzo ball might be one of the worst players in the NBA, he just makes so many jaw dropping awful plays each game.

To think Fultz and Lonzo went ahead of Tatum is hilarious.

I'd like to think GS is vulnerable as much as anyone, but I don't see it. Houston had a better chance of beating them last year than anyone does this year. West is pretty weak, good depth, but weak at the top.

Tor/Bos probably have the best chance and they only have to beat 1 of them at most.

Maybe I'm too focused on the regular season, but I think Denver can take GSW. They've beaten them 4 of the last 7 times with a positive PD, and had more injured players out plus 3 of those games were B2B's. The only time GSW beat Denver in a non B2B situation was at home in a close game that they won by 10.

They match up so well with Golden State because what GSW does well at defensively, guarding the ball, is something that Denver doesn't care about since their guards are off-ball. GSW can't field a lineup of great shooters, so their death lineup gives Joker a place to hide on Iggy.

Houston otoh, they may never beat that team until Harden retires.

This. I feel like East might have 4 of the top 5 or 6 teams (but only 5 of the top say 15 lol). West is a really soft conference for an actual contender this year. Finals should be good though

Did you really mean to say gsw can't fielda lineup of great shooters or is that a typo of some sort?

Sorry, I meant they can’t field a lineup of 5 great shooters. There is always somewhere for joker to hide in D. Contrast that with Houston and there just isn’t anywhere to put him, and it’s quite terrifying.

I also think Denver has tangible chances to beat the Warriors.

what

You are too focused on the regular season. They wouldn't stand a chance and it's been basically proven throughout the history to the NBA and even in other sports. Did the Atlanta Hawks in their prime in the past decade stand a chance? Did those Toronto teams? No.

Same with the current Washington Redskins in the NFL. They don't stand a chance even if they make the playoffs with a bye and top record.

Playoffs are a whole other animal and just because you have a well coached team and players that work well together in the regular season doesn't mean it equates to success when you are thoroughly outgunned at the top and those teams have time to prepare for only you. Jokic and Murray,etc are elite role players. If paired with a superstar Denver might have a shot but when push comes to shove they will get abused in the playoffs by the NBA's elite similar to how Portland was abused by the Pelican's and Anthony Davis last year.

Good luck, though. Also, realize your team truly has a home field advantage over other teams in the regular season as it's difficult to prepare to play at that altitude. Especially in back to backs. Playoffs though give you usually multiple days to rest. This definitely is also a disadvantage for the Nuggets.

Iggy getting old. We all want to believe it's not a 16-0 playoffs for the Warriors. Curry is hurt, and Draymond and KD are fighting. But even if they look shaky now, a 25-10-5 270 pound bohemoth shooting 6 3s a game at 36% is coming. Boogie is the best 4th option in the league and if one of the current studs is out he's the best 3rd option.

We want it to be one way, but it's the other way. 4-4-4-4 Warriors ship.

Ahem,

The achilles tear recovery factor means you can’t guarantee that Boogie will be a behemoth.

But it greatly increases the chances of there being multiple gamebreakers out there for Golden State. Even if you get lucky that Curry is slowed by an injury and Klay doesn't go supernova because a Kawhi monster shuts him down, you still have to dodge a KD takeover and whatever % chance Boogie wrecks your soul. They just have so many outs, even if Boogie is only 20% to be Boogie, you have to have everything else break right and still dodge him getting back to health. At a certain point, too many things have to go your way all at once to beat them.

Essentially, even if Boogie is a low chance at being a crusher, the odds they have 2 of 5 all stars going off is better than the chances they would have gone 2 of 4 last year.

I wish there was some way to take the under on how well Boogie will play when he returns.

The history of huge guys returning to peak form after Achilles injuries is just terrible.

nuggets might take a game off the dubs in a playoff series. jokic their only guy on offense who can't be schemed away imo and they voluntarily don't give him the ball

edit: scheme away is prob too strong, but i don't think their perimeter guys are really ball handlers/play makers which is a real problem. and i think also part of why jokic goes stretches w/o shooting

I'll take that bet if they meet. Draymond can't guard Joker, he's like Sampson without the hair...totally quakes in his boots.