2023 Play-In and First Round Predictions.

[nuraman00]

, and don’t really want Mitchell to do what he didn’t do here, yet, but not really against.

Mitchell played great for the Jazz in the playoffs.

The losses were team losses.

Sure, he could do some things better individually, like defense. And Cleveland going from 7th in defense, to 1st, makes me wonder if Mitchell is better defensively for Cleveland, than he was on Utah.

But, most series losses had several things the Jazz as a whole didn't do well enough.

If the Jazz would have won a championship, it would have been something the team did, not Mitchell. I'm pretty sure Clarkson or Ingles would have gotten a good amount of credit too.

 

[MHSL82]

 

[nuraman00]

DeMar DeRozan's daughter received threats from Raptors fans, was escorted out by security: Report

DeRozan's daughter received threats from Raptors fans, was escorted out by security: Report

theprovince.com

 

[nuraman00]

What if Conley Jr. and Jokic both have game winning assists in their series?

 

[nuraman00]

I don't think Sabonis held Green's right ankle.

These two images appear to be the closest he got to even touching it:



And for this frame, he can't grab someone when his hands are covering his face. He's just moving his hands after taking a fall, trying to recover from the impact.

That action of trying to move his hands away from his face, might have made contact with Green's right ankle. But that wouldn't be a grab. That would be a "I'm moving my hands away from my face so I can see what I'm doing, as I try to get up."

 

[nuraman00]

This is the angle where the other frames are from.

 

[nuraman00]

Clippers (Durant/Paul)

Just so it's in this thread itself, can you explain why you're rooting against Durant and Paul?

 

[MHSL82]

Just so it's in this thread itself, can you explain why you're rooting against Durant and Paul?

I don’t like team switching but I’m not always consistent on who I apply that dislike for. For example, I’ve never really bothered with disliking LeBron James when he went from Cleveland to Miami and then Cleveland and then Lakers. Maybe I should, but I didn’t. I thought the decision and the party when he went to the Heat was stupid, regardless of whether he won four straight. I know he didn’t, but that’s what he was saying. I also didn’t hate Malone when he went Lakers. So why do I hold it against Durant? I don’t know, I just do.

This time, I know that he was sort of responding to other players not panning out like Irving wanting to leave, Ben Simmons being Ben Simmons, and Harden be traded. But whatever. He would’ve taken it if they won.

But the real reason why I don’t like him is because I feel like people thought he was nice in Oklahoma City and then he had to go show everybody how he was tougher. He started acting more like the star that he is, grisly, etc.

Again, I don’t apply this to everyone equally. Maybe he is who he is and everyone else was wrong on both sides, I just felt like he was trying to prove that he wasn’t cordial, etc. And I just thought, be yourself. I also don’t see him as equal to Jordan and James all that. He was to me better than Lillard and less than James.

As far as Paul goes, I just don’t want him to win a championship when Stockton hasn’t. I feel like there are so many people who underestimate what Stockton did and one ring plus assists and scoring would make everyone go crazy. I believe people can think that Paul is better if they want to, but that shouldn’t be based upon one ring he wins with Durant and Booker. just like Malone winning a ring with Shaq and Kobe wouldn’t have meant much.

 

[nuraman00]

Again, I don’t apply this to everyone equally. Maybe he is who he is and everyone else was wrong on both sides, I just felt like he was trying to prove that he wasn’t cordial, etc. And I just thought, but yourself. I also don’t see him as equal to Jordan and James all that. he was to me better than Lillard and less than James.

I agree, he doesn't seem to be himself. Or if that's him, he's petty and needs a life.

I also agree he's less than James as a player.

The comparison to being better than Lillard is interesting. Lillard has never played with a 2nd star like Durant has (Westbrook; any of the Golden State guys; Irving; Harden; Chris Paul; Booker).

C.J. McCollum is close, but not on those other guys' levels.

 

[nuraman00]

just like Malone winning a ring with Shaq and Kobe wouldn’t have meant much.

If Malone had been healthy for the entire 2004 playoffs, it would have meant something. He was still a good player the last year he played, and seemed to play the best with Payton (among the Lakers), so it would have meant something for both.

 

[nuraman00]

As far as Paul goes, I just don’t want him to win a championship when Stockton hasn’t. I feel like there are so many people who underestimate what Stockton did and one ring plus assists and scoring would make everyone go crazy. I believe people can think that Paul is better if they want to, but that shouldn’t be based upon one ring he wins with Durant and Booker.

Agree.

The Jazz, when they went to the Finals, didn't have as top heavy of a roster as the Suns do now. They would have needed two more stars (because the Suns also have Ayton), to match that.

If would basically be like if the Jazz could have added this year's Rudy Gobert and CJ McCollum for free to those Jazz teams, and even that might have still resulted in a lower talent level than the Suns currently have.

 

[nuraman00]

Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers:

I like Brooklyn's talent to keep games competitive. I don't think they can win a lot of games in a series.

Philadelphia in 4.

but I think it’s funny how every year you have a few sweeps predicted.

@MHSL82, you never let me pick sweeps! I got one right this time.

 

[MHSL82]

@MHSL82, you never let me pick sweeps! I got one right this time.

No, you can only predict sweeps when it’s obvious. The Cleveland Cavaliers series with the Knicks and Clippers with the Suns were not obvious. I would have accepted the Atlanta Hawks as an innocent mistake, but the Clippers and Cavaliers predictions were overzealous. The Clippers since they were without Paul George, were never going to get swept. And I think you knew it. I think we all knew it. The Nets were not good yet.

 

[nuraman00]

The Clippers since they were without Paul George, were never going to get swept. And I think you knew it. I think we all knew it.

For your reverse theory to work, the Clippers have to win the series without Paul George.

 

[nuraman00]

I would have accepted the Atlanta Hawks as an innocent mistake,

That would have been bad since Atlanta won a game.

 

[MHSL82]

For your reverse theory to work, the Clippers have to win the series without Paul George.

My argument is that the Clippers play better without Paul George, not that the Suns aren’t better as a team. The Clippers were always going to get least one against them.

 

[nuraman00]

My argument is that the Clippers play better without Paul George, not that the Suns aren’t better as a team. The Clippers were always going to get least one against them.

Playing better is only proved by winning the series.

Otherwise they could have won the same amount of games with Paul George.

 

[MHSL82]

Playing better is only proved by winning the series.

Otherwise they could have won the same amount of games with Paul George.

Bad take. I can run better when my ankle’s not hurt, doesn’t mean I can run faster than you 4 out of 7 times when they are not. But could I beat you once? Probably. Especially if your knee is injured.

 

[nuraman00]

No, you can only predict sweeps when it’s obvious.

Why can't I pick unobvious sweeps?

 

[nuraman00]

I still like my Cleveland pick over the New York Knickerbockers.

Cmon, Cleveland in 7.