# NBA post-season **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 4, 2018, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802 "2018-04-04T13:46:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/81 "2018-05-14T14:23:54Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Lebronto learned he is no longer in Toronto last night. > > Last nights Cavs loss made me start wondering if we will see him sweep the Raptors, then get swept himself. > > As for the Raptors, I think it was stupid to fire the coach. The Celtics played a nearly flawless game right up to the end. The D on James and the rest of the team was energetic and relentless. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/82 "2018-05-14T14:29:27Z")
They’ll be helped more by the other James, Lebron James, “firing” himself at the end of the season so he can go to the Lakers/Warriors. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/83 "2018-05-14T14:54:01Z")
If the Celtics can kick the crap out of Cleveland, I’m wondering why Toronto couldn’t. If the team lacked energy and the right tactical focus, whose fault is that? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/84 "2018-05-15T03:35:28Z")
The Rockets put up as good a fight as anyone has so far and it still wasn’t enough. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/85 "2018-05-15T14:04:03Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > The Rockets put up as good a fight as anyone has so far and it still wasn’t enough. When much of the team has to stand around and watch Harden dribble out the shot clock, a win is going to get much tougher against a passing team. When they move the ball more, better things happen. Kinda the definition of basketball. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/86 "2018-05-15T17:28:40Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > When much of the team has to stand around and watch Harden dribble out the shot clock, a win is going to get much tougher against a passing team. When they move the ball more, better things happen. Kinda the definition of basketball. That’s not really their game, though. Their whole offense is built around Harden and/or Paul isolating against a defender, looking to drive and kick to an open 3 point shooter, or take an uncontested jumper himself. Ball movement offense doesn’t work when you have Capela, Ariza, and Tucker on the floor (just to name 3 of their other players). Those guys are not adept ballhandlers or passers. The Rockets’ style is perfect for their personnel, it just doesn’t work as well against a roster of good, versatile defenders like the Warriors have. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/87 "2018-05-15T17:52:15Z")
Lose, warriors, lose! ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/88 "2018-05-16T11:03:55Z")
Hey, at least the Cavs are down 0-2. Could make for an epic series. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/89 "2018-05-16T12:20:01Z")
The Celtics add Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward to the roster next year. Be afraid. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/90 "2018-05-16T13:13:19Z")
As long as the self-proclaimed “King” goes down in flames, it will be a successful NBA post-season for me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/91 "2018-05-16T14:16:04Z")
Look at the Celtics roster, they should not be beating Cleveland right now. Postseason JR Smith has kindly returned for the Cavs, playing what, 27 minutes and scoring 0 points on 0-7 shooting. ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/92 "2018-05-16T15:18:48Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > As long as the self-proclaimed “King” goes down in flames, it will be a successful NBA post-season for me. 🙂 LeBron’s “King James” nicknames was given to him [by a local newspaper while he was a high school sophomore.](https://www.si.com/nba/photos/2013/12/19/nba-nicknames#3) [The marketing department at Nike cemented it in the public consciousness.](http://www.slate.com/articles/business/ad_report_card/2004/01/the_second_coming.html) > [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Look at the Celtics roster, they should not be beating Cleveland right now. Postseason JR Smith has kindly returned for the Cavs, playing what, 27 minutes and scoring 0 points on 0-7 shooting. I don’t know about that. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are really, really good. Horford’s the best big in the series. Cleveland’s backcourt is a joke, while Boston can seemingly turn over a rock and find an above-average guard. Critically, Boston can put out five-man lineups where all five can create off the dribble, shoot from 3, and defend. Cleveland can’t, and that’s been an issue with them for a long time: they have way too many guys who a) command a large salary, b) can either defend or score but not both, and c) generally possess very narrow skill sets and can only be effective in a single role. Oh, and Boston’s roster is full of guys who hustle, who give a shit, who play for each other. Cleveland can’t say the same. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/93 "2018-05-16T22:43:42Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Postseason JR Smith has kindly returned for the Cavs, playing what, 27 minutes and scoring 0 points on 0-7 shooting. Don’t forget [being a raging asshole](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2776309-jr-smith-on-flagrant-foul-on-al-horford-i-blatantly-pushed-him). Rule number one of basketball, anywhere, is you don’t push someone in the back when they’re jumping. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2018, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/94 "2018-05-17T13:36:18Z")
After the officiating glory that was game 4 of the Celtics-Sixers series, am I the only one wishing the Celtics win game three against Cleveland, just so we can see who the League assigns to referee game 4 in that series? Will they assign LeBron’s mother to ref? Claim that no league referees are available, so by league rules (adopted from CYO-league) the home team’s coach acts as referee? Assign noted baseball umpire “Frank Drebin” in the mistaken belief he’s a real person? ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2018, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/95 "2018-05-17T16:18:31Z")
> [@Human\_Action](#): > > I don’t know about that. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are really, really good. Horford’s the best big in the series. Cleveland’s backcourt is a joke, while Boston can seemingly turn over a rock and find an above-average guard. > > Critically, Boston can put out five-man lineups where all five can create off the dribble, shoot from 3, and defend. Cleveland can’t, and that’s been an issue with them for a long time: they have way too many guys who a) command a large salary, b) can either defend or score but not both, and c) generally possess very narrow skill sets and can only be effective in a single role. > > Oh, and Boston’s roster is full of guys who hustle, who give a shit, who play for each other. Cleveland can’t say the same. Well, that’s kind of what I mean. Boston has a team of good to really good players who do put in the effort. Cleveland has good, really good and a couple of great players who, talent for talent, should be able to handle the Celtics. It ain’t always about what’s on paper. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2018, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/96 "2018-05-17T20:16:33Z")
Who do they have that’s “great” besides LeBron? ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2018, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/97 "2018-05-19T12:19:01Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Who do they have that’s “great” besides LeBron? I don’t know about ‘great’, but looking at [their roster](https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CLE/2018.html) in BBReference, they’ve two guys (Nance Jr., their young Croatian center who doesn’t play much) besides 'Bron with WS/48s above .200. And Kevin Love’s got a .185, which isn’t shabby. Keep in mind that Win Shares really values rebounds and doesn’t really look at defense. (not that any advanced stats available to the _hoi polloi_ do.) Comparing with the [Rockets](https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2018.html), or [Golden State](https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/GSW/), both also have three guys over .200 like the Cavs. Not that I’m saying the Cavs are equal to either team—though we might get to test that theory in the Finals—but the Cavs aren’t hot garbage. The Cavs do have some guys—Hill, Thompson, J.R. Smith—who aren’t producing in line with their salaries, but that isn’t unique to them. I still think 'Bron’s running to LA at the end of the season (though I did hear this trade proposed on our local radio station: LeBron for Kyrie and Hayward. Who says “No?”) along with Chris Paul and the corpse of Dwayne Wade, but the Cavs can certainly build alongside Nance, Love, Korver, Clarkson, and Zizic. Especially in the East. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/98 "2018-05-19T14:52:11Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > LeBron for Kyrie and Hayward. Who says “No?” From a pure basketball ability perspective, probably makes both teams better in the short term. From a personality perspective, given the way LeBron has generally opted for coaches that shut up and stay out of his way, maybe both LeBron and Brad Stevens say no (and I strongly suspect Danny Ainge would see things Steven’s way if it came to that). And a good chance Ainge says no just because he doesn’t want to screw up the team chemistry he has right now – he knows Kyrie fits, and that they’d almost certainly be in the finals with him, so why screw that up? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/99 "2018-05-21T07:29:48Z")
Nothing but blowouts for the rest of the season. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802/100 "2018-05-22T17:16:28Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Who do they have that’s “great” besides LeBron? I’d say Kevin Love is still a great player. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-post-season/811802.md?page=6)