The 2019 NBA Conference Finals thread. Milwaukee Bucks vs Toronto Raptors & Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trailblazers

[fidstar]

Initial thoughts on the Finals.

I wanted Toronto to win this series as I thought we matched up with them a lot better than the Bucks. Bucks have always caused us issues, even when they weren't that good.

Having said that I was assuming KD was playing.

My thoughts were KD and KL basically cancel each other out and we're a lot better everywhere else.

But having KD out is two fold.

1) KD is awesome
2) Now KL can guard Steph on the perimeter. KL is probably the GOAT perimeter defender. At least best since Pippen.

So, it should be close.

Toronto definitely needs to win the first two. They can't give up home court while KD is sitting and then have him come back.

 

[joop]

Sucks to lose like that, conceding a 25-2 run is unacceptable.
But fair play to the raps, hope they can pull off an unlikely upset over the warriors.
Need to replace Bledsoe and think we’ll be just as strong next season.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

wtf lol Giannis

did y'all see that?

 

[fidstar]

 

[fidstar]

Toronto opening @ $3.60 seems like value if KD might be out the whole series.

 

[Macpotata]

Always felt they were pretenders( or overachieved ) just like the Denver Nuggets.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Toronto opening @ $3.60 seems like value of KD might be out the whole series.

It's looking a lot less like a calf injury and more like an Achilles like people first suspected.

 

[fidstar]

Always felt they were pretenders( or overachieved ) just like the Denver Nuggets.

Was it when they won 60 games in the season?
Was it when they won 40+ games in the regular season by more than 10 points (only done a handful of times in NBA history)?
Was it when they destroyed their first round opponent by over 20 points per game?
Was it when they easily beat the Eastern Conference preseason favorites in 5 games (after losing the first game)?
Was it when they took Toronto apart in the first two games of the series?
Was it when in Game 3 they took Toronto to Overtime and could have easily won the game, and taken a 3-0 lead?
Or, was it when you decided to bring it up after they lost the series?

smh.

There was no reason to see this coming.

Pretenders don't make Conference Finals.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Lopez can’t rebound

It's why he started developing his 3 point shooting.

 

[joop]

Always felt they were pretenders( or overachieved ) just like the Denver Nuggets.

pfft. what a stupid comment.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I'll preface my question by saying I am not a Harden fan but I am a Giannis fan. I will also add that I haven't seen today's game. Having said that though, Harden cops a lot of criticism for not being effective in bringing his regular season game to the playoffs. Can the same criticism be levelled at the feet of Giannis?

 

[joop]

I'll preface my question by saying I am not a Harden fan but I am a Giannis fan. I will also add that I haven't seen today's game. Having said that though, Harden cops a lot of criticism for not being effective in bringing his regular season game to the playoffs. Can the same criticism be levelled at the feet of Giannis?

Giannis was good in the playoffs, Toronto just defended him really well.

 

[fidstar]

I'll preface my question by saying I am not a Harden fan but I am a Giannis fan. I will also add that I haven't seen today's game. Having said that though, Harden cops a lot of criticism for not being effective in bringing his regular season game to the playoffs. Can the same criticism be levelled at the feet of Giannis?

Giannas is 24 years old.

He also just finished the playoffs averaging 26/12/5/2/1

He's got stuff to work on, but he'll be fine.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

such a clown

View attachment 680797

Paul Pierce is rapidly becoming the kiss of death. Just about every team he fancies goes down.

 

[catstorm]

Demar must be stoked

He was there a long time, not a good time.

 

[QuietB]

Lopez can’t rebound

He is the smallest big man in basketball

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Freddy Van Threet kept shooting his shot whilst Bledsoe shrunk away from the big moments. Fair effort from Gasol and Ibaka as well after having donuts and 6 fouls between them at the half.

 

[Damon_3388]

Heartbroken, Devastated, angry, just overall emotional. I haven’t felt like this since 2004..

This wasn’t supposed to be how this amazing season ended..not like this, we deserved to go down swinging at the very least but man that was another choke job as well.

Well done to the Raptors, Kawhi is Kawhi and they deserve to go through. No ifs or buts, it’s painful we but sucked and their defence was a large reason for it.

All I can say is that this was a very fun year to be a Bucks fan, except for the last four games. I’m just even more sad as I do not believe we will replicate this season again as the cap issues are prevalent.

Please for all that is holy, win today Lions to make this sad sports fan just a little bit happier. I haven’t seen any of my sports teams win a major title since 2003 (Ducks won the cup in 07’ but started following Hockey in 09’).

Signing off for 18-19, hate to say it but go Warriors, can’t stand Drake.

Overreaction on the Bucks losing.

This team just destroyed the preseason favorites to win the East in Boston and then got up 2-0 in the ECF.

They're young and the experience got them in the end.

It's tough, but they'll be just fine.

If I was betting I'd pick them to be the team to win the most championships in the next 5 years (after this season).

Pre-season predictions don't matter once we get to the playoffs. The Bucks were the best team in the regular season (most wins, highest scoring team, biggest average margin of victory, best Defensive Rating), destroyed Detroit in an epic beatdown in the first round, dispatched Boston pretty handily 4-1 (winning 4 straight), got 2-0 up against Toronto, were up 15 in today's game, and they blew it.

They're the 10th-oldest team in a 30 team league, and guys like Bledsoe, Lopez and Hill aren't getting any younger or better from here. Ilyasova and Mirotic aren't starters in this league, Connaughton is a role player (who'll probably expect a big payrise soon) and Giannis, Middleton and Brogdon are their only younger (under 27) talents worth a shit. I'd be surprised if they kept the team together and repeated this regular season again over the next couple of years.

This was the Bucks' best chance (along with Durant and Boogie injured/underdone from the GSW team waiting in the finals), and unfortunately they blew it.

 

[Damon_3388]

Lopez can’t rebound

He is the smallest big man in basketball

His scoring and rim protection (he's always been criminally underrated as a shot-blocker) pretty much cancel out his lack of rebounding, especially when he's paired with a guy like Giannis, who averages over 12 rebounds a game, and your perimeter guys all average 4-6 per game each too.

 

[nahnah]

His scoring and rim protection (he's always been criminally underrated as a shot-blocker) pretty much cancel out his lack of rebounding, especially when he's paired with a guy like Giannis, who averages over 12 rebounds a game, and your perimeter guys all average 4-6 per game each too.

He cost them two games because he couldn’t grab an easy board

 

[nahnah]

I should say he cost them a chance at winning 2 games

 

[fidstar]

Pre-season predictions don't matter once we get to the playoffs. The Bucks were the best team in the regular season (most wins, highest scoring team, biggest average margin of victory, best Defensive Rating), destroyed Detroit in an epic beatdown in the first round, dispatched Boston pretty handily 4-1 (winning 4 straight), got 2-0 up against Toronto, were up 15 in today's game, and they blew it.

They're the 10th-oldest team in a 30 team league, and guys like Bledsoe, Lopez and Hill aren't getting any younger or better from here. Ilyasova and Mirotic aren't starters in this league, Connaughton is a role player (who'll probably expect a big payrise soon) and Giannis, Middleton and Brogdon are their only younger (under 27) talents worth a ****. I'd be surprised if they kept the team together and repeated this regular season again over the next couple of years.

This was the Bucks' best chance (along with Durant and Boogie injured/underdone from the GSW team waiting in the finals), and unfortunately they blew it.

You're allowed to be upset, but it's not the end of the world.

I mean you mentioned a bunch of reasons to be optimistic.

They were awesome all year outside the final 3 games they played (and two of those games they lost by 6 points each - so hardly terrible).

At the end of the day the fact the Bucks haven't won a playoff series with any of it's current members came out when they finally got put under the pump.

Their top two players are young. And every player goes through that experience before they finally win.

Show some support man.

It's not like you have two 33 year old stars who are on their way downhill.

Chin up dude. Every single team outside the Warriors wishes they were in the position the Bucks are in going into this offseason.

 

[Damon_3388]

You're allowed to be upset, but it's not the end of the world.

I mean you mentioned a bunch of reasons to be optimistic.

They were awesome all year outside the final 3 games they played (and two of those games they lost by 6 points each - so hardly terrible).

At the end of the day the fact the Bucks haven't won a playoff series with any of it's current members came out when they finally got put under the pump.

Their top two players are young. And every player goes through that experience before they finally win.

Show some support man.

It's not like you have two 33 year old stars who are on their way downhill.

Chin up dude. Every single team outside the Warriors wishes they were in the position the Bucks are in going into this offseason.

I'm not a Bucks fan, so really it's neither here nor there to me what they do or where they go in future. Just felt like they were in pole position and crashed out hard.

 

[QuietB]

It really ended up being Giannis v Kawhi.

Kawhi won.

 

[fidstar]

I'm not a Bucks fan, so really it's neither here nor there to me what they do or where they go in future. Just felt like they were in pole position and crashed out hard.

Oops. Thought you were the other dude