2023 NBA Playoffs thread

[oldgoldy97]

Originally Posted by Dame

I do agree LBJ and AD should be able to do whatever they want against that frontline but it depends which AD shows up tbh. If it's the passive/floating Davis it's gonna be a long night.


Missing Goobs is addition by subtraction for the Wolves too.

https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/...5Es1_&ref_url=






Lakers has made legitimate strides since the deadline but there's something about the Grizzlies transition offense that terrifies me. Ham's late decision-making and strategy has plagued the Lakers all season long too. It's one of those series that could get really ugly and fast for the Lakers.

Maybe in addition to being his own agent, Lamar Jackson can run the Wolves’ front office.

Just turrible.

[ninjacookies]

Lakers ML.

Don't overthink this.

[DrZman]

Originally Posted by ninjacookies

Lakers ML.

Don't overthink this.

I mean they’re -340 ML favorites, not exactly a money making play.

[jcardstore]

Kangz are +225 for round 1. That’s the easiest money of all time. Can’t get any easier, just go slam it. Kangz in FO

[escapegoat]

looking forward to the games tonight, playoff intensity is always a treat.


also hope they swallow their whistles a little more.

[mfw13]

Heat blow their chance at the #7 seed at home to the Hawks....

[luke1014]

Welp I take back my Lakers comment. After watching that game I'm not sure how anyone doesn't pick the Grizzlies.

[imbluestreak23]

Damn, KANG vs KAAANGZ!

edit: oh grizzlies. Womp womp

[Kingofkings1281]

Grizzlies in 6. Possibly less.

[ninjacookies]

Lakers ML.


Get rich or die overthinking it.

[Wolves4Life]

Ant wants to be "that dude"
9 points.
Refs were those dudes
2nd half/OT FT's:
Wolves 3 (.1 left in regulation)
Lakers Seventeen.

[drobfan8]

Originally Posted by Wolves4Life

Ant wants to be "that dude"
9 points.
Refs were those dudes
2nd half/OT FT's:
Wolves 3 (.1 left in regulation)
Lakers Seventeen.

The way the Wolves closed the 4th, they didn't deserve to go to the line.

So many horrendous possessions taking God awful 3s.

Hard to draw fouls that way.

In saying that, yes, you to have to beat the ref's, not the Lakers.

[drobfan8]

Charles Barkley is laughing hard somewhere about the Wolves inability to get any kind of shot at the hoop in the last 4 mins of regulation.

Just horrible.

[jcardstore]

Originally Posted by ninjacookies

Lakers ML.


Get rich or die overthinking it.

I got a milli in buttcoin on the Lakers. Esketit

[daeve]

Originally Posted by luke1014

Welp I take back my Lakers comment. After watching that game I'm not sure how anyone doesn't pick the Grizzlies.

As I posted more in-depth earlier... they don't have a perfect closing 5. If they bench Vandy, they lose defense, if they play him, well with Lebron and AD not terrific shooters, they lose spacing.

What we saw last night was Russell not even making the crunch time lineup too. Lakers ran Schroeder, Reaves, Bron, Rui, AD mostly. With Russell or Vandy subbed in occasionally.

Grizz are a much better team than the injured Wolves. I don't think Lakers take either of the first 2 in Memphis, barring some extraordinary help from the zebras.

[jcardstore]

Originally Posted by daeve

As I posted more in-depth earlier... they don't have a perfect closing 5. If they bench Vandy, they lose defense, if they play him, well with Lebron and AD not terrific shooters, they lose spacing.

What we saw last night was Russell not even making the crunch time lineup too. Lakers ran Schroeder, Reaves, Bron, Rui, AD mostly. With Russell or Vandy subbed in occasionally.

Grizz are a much better team than the injured Wolves. I don't think Lakers take either of the first 2 in Memphis, barring some extraordinary help from the zebras.

Putting aside the ref talk... I agree that Memphis is the better team

I don't know that they're really that bad of a matchup for the Lakers tho. Russell is pretty clearly still dealing with an injury so that's an issue but the Lakers are pretty solid in defending where the grizzlies succeed.

No Steven Adams is gonna hurt, and the Grizzlies don't have a bunch of shooters either. It's going to be a really grind it out series. Memphis is bottom half of the league in both 3pt frequency and accuracy. We know the lakers defense is elite, especially in the paint.

Who's going to rebound the ball?

Can't take too much from last nights game but it certainly didn't instill confidence for the Lakers. Although I do think it's rather comical seeing NC talk about putting 100k on the Grizzlies as if they're the lock of the century.

[Zedlaw]

Playoff time! What a crazy year, the top three seeds are looking at the Lakers, Warriors and possibly the Suns in the first two rounds. This is wide open and I can’t wait. I’m rooting for Bridges to take a leap, a Boston Lakers Finals and the Suns not to pull too hard on my heartstrings, which mostly entails Ayton playing with some semblance fire.

[daeve]

Originally Posted by jcardstore

Putting aside the ref talk... I agree that Memphis is the better team

I don't know that they're really that bad of a matchup for the Lakers tho. Russell is pretty clearly still dealing with an injury so that's an issue but the Lakers are pretty solid in defending where the grizzlies succeed.

No Steven Adams is gonna hurt, and the Grizzlies don't have a bunch of shooters either. It's going to be a really grind it out series. Memphis is bottom half of the league in both 3pt frequency and accuracy. We know the lakers defense is elite, especially in the paint.

Who's going to rebound the ball?

Can't take too much from last nights game but it certainly didn't instill confidence for the Lakers. Although I do think it's rather comical seeing NC talk about putting 100k on the Grizzlies as if they're the lock of the century.

Yeah shooting will be the issue. Kennard is the x factor for Memphis. If he's on then he's going to really open things up for JJJ to either shoot/drive or for Ja's ability with a less-clogged middle/paint. I don't think they'll want AD on JJJ since he's always running off curls or screens on the perimeter on offense... but they may have to. It'll be most interesting to see who Vanderbilt guards... Ja and then switches onto Kennard when he's in?

I think it goes 6, with Memphis having the upper hand. Bron/AD already look tired, they won't be able to keep up, especially with Memphis' defensive pressure and quick transition offense.

Keys for Lakers will be how they use Vandy and limiting TO's and hope Kennard or JJJ doesn't kill them from deep.

[Dame]

Really don't like this matchup for the Lakers, Ja and Bane are going to shred this team. Wanted Denver but alas.


I assume Schroeder will be on Ja; that drop defense will be a runway for Morant- those floaters will kill the Lakers, I can see it a mile away. None of the other Laker guards can cover a 3 level scorer in Bane.


Silver lining is the Lakers defensive adjustment. They can shut the water off in second half. Other thing is their tier 1 ability to draw fouls. Memphis biggest X-Factors (JJJ) leads the league in fouls. Not necessarily a good recipe for Memphis- missing Clarke is a big blow.


I think Memphis will keep pushing on O. Really curious how the Lakers vaunted defense will adjust here.


*Need a big series from D-LO and/or Reeves. Lakers offense are poverty when either AD or LBJ have nights off.

[jcardstore]

Originally Posted by daeve

Yeah shooting will be the issue. Kennard is the x factor for Memphis. If he's on then he's going to really open things up for JJJ to either shoot/drive or for Ja's ability with a less-clogged middle/paint. I don't think they'll want AD on JJJ since he's always running off curls or screens on the perimeter on offense... but they may have to. It'll be most interesting to see who Vanderbilt guards... Ja and then switches onto Kennard when he's in?

I think it goes 6, with Memphis having the upper hand. Bron/AD already look tired, they won't be able to keep up, especially with Memphis' defensive pressure and quick transition offense.

Keys for Lakers will be how they use Vandy and limiting TO's and hope Kennard or JJJ doesn't kill them from deep.

I also think it goes 6. I am really excited to watch JJJ go against AD. That's going to be a hell of a matchup whether AD takes him defensively or not, I'm guessing not but we will see.

Is Tillman gonna play 30 minutes? Can't see that, I think we see more Aldama if anything. The Ja/Bane/Brooks/JJJ/Tillman offense is pretty bad.

[jcardstore]

Originally Posted by Dame

Really don't like this matchup for the Lakers, Ja and Bane are going to shred this team. Wanted Denver but alas.


I assume Schroeder will be on Ja; that drop defense will be a runway for Morant- those floaters will kill the Lakers, I can see it a mile away. None of the other Laker guards can cover a 3 level scorer in Bane.


Silver lining is the Lakers defensive adjustment. They can shut the water off in second half. Other thing is their tier 1 ability to draw fouls. Memphis biggest X-Factors (JJJ) leads the league in fouls. Not necessarily a good recipe for Memphis- missing Clarke is a big blow.


I think Memphis will keep pushing on O. Really curious how the Lakers vaunted defense will adjust here.


*Need a big series from D-LO and/or Reeves. Lakers offense are poverty when either AD or LBJ have nights off.

Went back and looked at how they guarded Ja on 2/23. (Grizz won that game.). They didn't respect his 3 at all. They would lazily go under screens and AD sometimes wouldn't even take a step up, they were daring Ja to shoot. Vanderbilt was on JJJ when he was on the floor which left AD to be able to hang out in the paint because Tillman isn't a threat a shoot.

Grizzlies ran a bunch in transition that game and I expect more of the same. They ran in transition about 24% of their possessions which is really high and most of it was off live rebounds.

[daeve]

Originally Posted by jcardstore

Went back and looked at how they guarded Ja on 2/23. (Grizz won that game.). They didn't respect his 3 at all. They would lazily go under screens and AD sometimes wouldn't even take a step up, they were daring Ja to shoot. Vanderbilt was on JJJ when he was on the floor which left AD to be able to hang out in the paint because Tillman isn't a threat a shoot.

Grizzlies ran a bunch in transition that game and I expect more of the same. They ran in transition about 24% of their possessions which is really high and most of it was off live rebounds.

Sounds about right...and yeah I expect to see more of Aldama, but Tillman will still get some run to try and guard / tire out AD. Might even see Lofton, just so he can throw that 275 into AD a bit to try and tire him out.

[jcardstore]

Originally Posted by daeve

Sounds about right...and yeah I expect to see more of Aldama, but Tillman will still get some run to try and guard / tire out AD. Might even see Lofton, just so he can throw that 275 into AD a bit to try and tire him out.

If mfin Kenny Lofton makes a playoff debut I will literally get off my couch and cheer. That guy is awesome haha

[Dame]

Originally Posted by jcardstore

Went back and looked at how they guarded Ja on 2/23. (Grizz won that game.). They didn't respect his 3 at all. They would lazily go under screens and AD sometimes wouldn't even take a step up, they were daring Ja to shoot. Vanderbilt was on JJJ when he was on the floor which left AD to be able to hang out in the paint because Tillman isn't a threat a shoot.

Grizzlies ran a bunch in transition that game and I expect more of the same. They ran in transition about 24% of their possessions which is really high and most of it was off live rebounds.

I didn't even checked any stat sheet but glad it was in line with my concern.


Grizzlies is really one of those teams that can really demoralize the Lakers with their offense. It's really good test but I'm not too confident. I still have the Grizzlies in 6.


Just saw this on twittersphere.


Most PPG vs Lakers over past 3 seasons (min. 5 games):

36.5 - Giannis
31.5 - Tatum
31.5 - Dame
31.4 - Embiid
30.0 - Ja

Only player to w/30 PPG and 7.5 APG - Ja

Most points in quarter vs. Lakers -
Ja

Only Players to score 39+ 3 separate times vs. LAL:

Giannis
Ja

https://twitter.com/StatsSAC/status/...5Es1_&ref_url=


Also, I know Playoff AD is a thing but I just have more confidence that Memphis depth and versatility will undo that #1 defensive rating.

[EDMTunesCollect]

Originally Posted by jcardstore

I also think it goes 6. I am really excited to watch JJJ go against AD. That's going to be a hell of a matchup whether AD takes him defensively or not, I'm guessing not but we will see.

Is Tillman gonna play 30 minutes? Can't see that, I think we see more Aldama if anything. The Ja/Bane/Brooks/JJJ/Tillman offense is pretty bad.

There's an incredibly high chance that JJJ is in foul trouble multiple games in this series.

If JJJ is sitting on the bench in foul trouble too often, the Lakers have a very real shot to win this.