HomeSteak wrote:

if you guys have 20 minutes free, watch this. It's My Story featuring Ernie Johnson. Such a great guy

Humbling.

Who decides who gets in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd team?

It’s the journalists and newscasters of North America

jones wrote:

Who decides who gets in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd team?

media members, which is absolutely insane given that those decisions end costing some guys $50+ million on their next contracts.

Who would be better qualified than the professionals who make a living watching these guys? Would you create a separate expert panel that lives and breathes reviewing data? That would be a new take given how much more sophisticated we have become in the last ten years. But historically, this is probably the most sensible approach. The players, owners or fans would be much worse.

Love the Finals match up. Kawhi showed Giannis up. In the sense that the glaring hole in Giannis' game that is shooting was massively exposed. Only one MVP in that series.

warriors in 4, hopefully

Think it will be a tight series, if Durant doesn’t play. KD comes back, it is game over.

Rex wrote:

Think it will be a tight series, if Durant doesn’t play. KD comes back, it is game over.

i dont know. i honestly dont think toronto has any way to stop golden state's PnR. curry is going to shred them, toronto hasn't faced a point guard like him in the playoffs yet. milwaukee would have been a tougher matchup for GSW because they need durant to try and guard giannis. now, draymond can guard kawhi and that is a big strength for GSW, because draymond isnt really needed on offense, he can focus all of his energy on shutting down kawhi.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26821790/lakers-20-failed-reboot-nba-crown-jewel

oh...my....god....

One story shared around the organization unfolded in March 2018, when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was addressing the team at the Lakers' practice facility as part of the franchise's "Genius Talks" series.

Standing beside Johnson, Pelinka told a story about his former client, Bryant.

"There was one time when Kobe, who I worked with for 18 years, was going back to play in Madison Square Garden, and he had just seen 'The Dark Knight,'" Pelinka said. "Obviously, you guys saw that movie, and he's like, 'Hey, hook me up with dinner with Heath Ledger, because he got so locked into that role. I want to know how he mentally went there.' So, he had dinner with Heath, and he talked about how he locks in for a role.

"And Kobe used some of that in his game against the Knicks."

"The Dark Knight" was released in July 2008, six months after Ledger died. A source with direct knowledge said no such arrangement was made and no dinner ever took place.

I just came to post that.
Now the off-season should have enhanced entertainment. 

mdgoonah41 wrote:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26821790/lakers-20-failed-reboot-nba-crown-jewel

oh...my....god....

One story shared around the organization unfolded in March 2018, when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was addressing the team at the Lakers' practice facility as part of the franchise's "Genius Talks" series.

Standing beside Johnson, Pelinka told a story about his former client, Bryant.

"There was one time when Kobe, who I worked with for 18 years, was going back to play in Madison Square Garden, and he had just seen 'The Dark Knight,'" Pelinka said. "Obviously, you guys saw that movie, and he's like, 'Hey, hook me up with dinner with Heath Ledger, because he got so locked into that role. I want to know how he mentally went there.' So, he had dinner with Heath, and he talked about how he locks in for a role.

"And Kobe used some of that in his game against the Knicks."

"The Dark Knight" was released in July 2008, six months after Ledger died. A source with direct knowledge said no such arrangement was made and no dinner ever took place.

Oh, Rob...I won't forget this: 

Can see Danny Devito saying something like that right after signing Qwiss’ Ryan Fraser

Jesus. I might actually get my hopes up if we manage to take game 2 as well.

Still can’t believe we’re in the finals. Hearing how much better Boston, Philly and Milwaukee are than us all season had me thinking that we had no chance.

did it inside the cap because they drafted their stars. nba didn't have a say in it. you draft well (steph, klay and draymond) and you get flexibility.

Yeah, I don't understand what is ridiculous about a team's draft picks,no. 7, no. 11 and no. 35, that too, and in different seasons turning out the way they have. They didn't decide to come together like LeBron, Wade and Bosh did in Miami.

Durant took $10m less on his deal to allow the Warriors to keep Iguadoula and Livingston. He also signed only a 2 year guaranteed deal. Because he wanted to win. That right there is great general management. There were lots of moving parts and they made it work.

Yes but the key was the draft picks - we are talking lucking out on 2 all time greats in Curry and Klay, and getting a very complementary Draymond Green who is today’s Dennis Rodman to go with. If Curry never got over his ankle issues, this whole thing would never have taken off either.

I give them huge credit for having the foresight to get rid of Mark Jackson and bring in Steve Kerr to replace him though. That was the missing piece to their puzzle. And they can win without Durant. He knows it, they know it. He just jumped on the gravy train like Henry to Barcelona.

They went 73-9 without Durant. I know they lost the finals from 3-1 but that were a brilliant team without him too. I am not a Warriors fan but can't understand any hate for them either. They haven't gone and lobbied to build a super team.

flobaba wrote:

Yes but the key was the draft picks - we are talking lucking out on 2 all time greats in Curry and Klay, and getting a very complementary Draymond Green who is today’s Dennis Rodman to go with.

Draymond isnt the new Rodman. More like the new Foreman

[Twitter]

Meatwad wrote:

did it inside the cap because they drafted their stars. nba didn't have a say in it. you draft well (steph, klay and draymond) and you get flexibility.

they were very lucky as well, which you always need when putting together a juggernaut. if steph didnt have ankle issues early in his career, he doesnt sign a bargain first extension, and that bargain first extension is what allowed golden state to have financial flexibility. they lucked into durant because he was willing to take less than the max, and because the year that he was up for free agency was the year the cap spiked because of the new CBA. they played it perfectly, but they were basically dealt pocket aces many many times. you still need to play pocket aces smartly, of course, but they were dealt amazing hands.

The reason I mentioned the Durant case was that even after that record-setting 73-9 season, they went 3-1 up in the finals and threw it all away to Lebron. At that point, they felt they needed to have a much more resilient team, which required real manoeuvring. To get Durant and still end up with a team that is probably not even top 5 in the league salary wise, that was sound management.
Yes, fortune smiled on them. However, there were still some very smart moves by them. Making sure there team tanked before the 2012 draft to ensure they protected their top 7 pick that yielded Barnes. Drafting Thompson at 11 - he was an all offense guy that their scouts had fingered as being a greater shooter and particularly good off the dribble. They gave up the chance to take Leonard in the process. At the time, they had significant depth at the position, so Thompson seemed excessive, but his attributes were the foundation of this offense together with Curry. This is why I give the management much credit than luck.

We the North!

Well damn. That durant injury turned this whole thing on its head.

Saw an article that compared kawhi to jordan, in the sense that they're shooting guards that are world class in both directions.

The Raptors are now one win away from that elusive championship. Good for them but feel for DeRozan. Not sure there will be any twists now.

Even if Durant returns fit and ready to go?

Great decision by Ujiri in retrospect as regards the DeRozan - Kawhi trade. That’s the sort of decisiveness and ruthlessness that moves a franchise forward. You see an opportunity to add a player like Kawhi you take it.

I remember discussing this with Mdgoonah back then and he seemed to think it wasn’t a trade that Philly should’ve been looking to make due to a perceived troublesome camp and possible injury problems. Change of heart?

flobaba wrote:

Even if Durant returns fit and ready to go?

Great decision by Ujiri in retrospect as regards the DeRozan - Kawhi trade. That’s the sort of decisiveness and ruthlessness that moves a franchise forward. You see an opportunity to add a player like Kawhi you take it.

I remember discussing this with Mdgoonah back then and he seemed to think it wasn’t a trade that Philly should’ve been looking to make due to a perceived troublesome camp and possible injury problems. Change of heart?

Well, apparently Jalen Rose said that KD's recent workout yesterday "was not good" and Windhorst says he's not ready: https://streamable.com/qsnw1

Kerr basically Thibadeau'ed his players with insane minutes to make up for the lack of depth they have and it's come to fruition now. 

I think Kawhi is the best player in the NBA right now. I think it's always hard to look at potential trade offers in retrospect because Kawhi before the season wasn't a sure guarantee to return to the player he is now.  

Would you have said that about Kevin Durant if he was the player in question? I think Kawhi’s laid back personality is why people overlook or tend to forget how great he is.

I wouldn't have said that about KD, that's true. And yeah, that's partially due to Kawhi's personality and private nature about dealing with such issues.

Of course, right now, it's a just a mess of rumors about KD's health as they have to keep entertaining the thought that he can come back to strike some uncertainty to the Raptors.

I haven't been following the chitchat but with Toronto winning now a formality, what happened to the Dubs can win without KD narrative?

Warriors CAN win without KD, but it is of course not a given. Which it pretty much is when Durant is playing. It also doesn't help that Cousins is pretty much a non factor due to his injuries. You would also assume that if KD decides to go somewhere else this summer, that the Warriors will add a few players who will actually add some proper depth. Right now it is basically 'just' Klay and Steph doing the heavy lifting on offense, and that has to change.

Kudos to the Raptors though! It is far from just Kawhi who is playing really, really well.

I also don't think the Raptors winning is just a formality.