Topic: 2019 NBA Pre-Season - page 701. (Read 915426 times)

On the one hand, teams should let their players rest once in a while because it's hard to play all 82 games. On the other hand, you should keep in mind that the NBA is primarily a business, which means that its management has no interest in healthy players missing games because that could affect league revenues one way or another. For example, if a popular player misses a game, some fans may return tickets or stop going to games. Also, advertisers and TV companies like ESPN, TNT, and ABC would obviously not be happy because the absence of a popular player could affect TV viewership.
So I think that fine is reasonable.

Both teams do have an equal chance of course but it's just hard to disregard the Miami Heat because they are more experienced when it comes to intense games as their roster are more comfortable and already accustomed playing games under stress in post season games. We'll see later, I can see that a lot of people here are rooting for the Bulls and not the Miami Heat.

Still debatable because they are still up against a young roster of Thunder who are also hungry to acquire more experience.

Most bettors are leaning on the Chicago Bulls even if they are listed as the underdogs because it seems that they are more reliable compared to the Miami Heat now. The latter may drop 120 in any given night but that's just the same meaning of unpredictable. What we're doing here right now is predicting the likelihood of their game and given the Heat's unpredictability, I'd also stick with the Bulls as they are all healthy as well now.

To have special set of plays for everyone in the team is something every coach does. I have worked in basketball before, obviously it was some very local minor league with absolutely no talent at all, people who played with 20-30% fg and all that, it was terrible. But even in that situation, we had set plays for even the 12th man, think about it, this dude played maybe 30 minutes all season long, not in a single game, he played 30 minutes ALL season total, and we had set plays for him.

Because you can't have a player suddenly go into the game and not know what they are going to do and if a few injuries or rejected from the game then that guy could go into the game and you need to be ready to tell him what he should be doing.

Let's already assume that because I don't think coach Steve Kerr will just sit and won't do something knowing that the Kings head coach now knew about the Warriors playing system especially in terms of defense. Say to safe that Kerr already prepared for this one as he doesn't want to make his team at the disadvantageous side because of that, moreover, a lot of time has already passed and the Warriors probably improved what they have.

But we can't discredit the Warriors experience when it comes to the playoffs, they may have a bad record especially on the road in the regular season but that's the same Warriors with the same cores who became the frequent champions inside a decade. Also, it's not that new because the Warriors aren't that good in the regular games, who knows why but it seems that Steve Kerr is making an experiment.

In this series, I may favor the Sacramento Kings in the first two games because the Warriors are always struggling if one of their players are away for quite some time and will make a return. I guess that's already a fact hence why I'm going with the Kings in the first two games.

Do you guys agree with the fine that was applied to Mavs for resting their players ?  even if they wouldn't make the play in tournament...so I think they had all the rights to safe the rest of the season for some players and get them to rest earlier. I do hope Irving was not allowed to have any rest what so ever because he is the main reason of why Mavs missed play offs.

The fine was $750,000 towards Mavs org.

Chicago Bulls had a good performance in the last game. But I think we can agree that there were a lot of mistakes made by the Bulls. They absolutely cannot afford to do those mistakes in the next game. Otherwise, they are actually not going to be able to win the game against Miami Heat.

I also agree that Miami Heat is better when it comes to handling pressure. Honestly, I will say that this match is going to be 50-50. Really hard to predict who will win.

Bulls' confidence are probably still high after that epic comeback against the Raptors. Maybe DeMar and Zach could do it again. I just think that the Heat are better at handling things when their backs are against the wall. I would have placed my bet on them if the line was a bit higher at around 1.80. I don't like it at under 1.50

Wolves would likely take that final playoff spot in the West.

It's good that you've mentioned it mate, I almost forgot about that specific award.

Well, what can I say, the Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown totally deserve to have that award and I won't be surprised if most of the coaches will vote for him because it's been quite a while since the Sacramento Kings participated in the playoffs and take note, not just barely participated, the team clinched a playoff spot on the #3 Western seed.
I actually looked it on the internet to see how long and it says that their last participation was last 2006, so it's been 16 long dry season for the franchise.

Agree on this if Bulls will maintain their balance game. As you mention already, Miami heat has the capacity to show explosiveness especially when Jimmy Butler is on the zone. I still go for Butler over DeRozan in terms effectiveness when they are both on fire. I think Miami will give Bulls a hard time since this is a play-in tournament that means a last chance opportunity to be on the playoffs.

But on last year play-in tournament, Teams on lower bracket that win the first round both win the second round to advance on the playoffs due to the momentum. Maybe betting on bulls is not a bad idea since stats show that way.

Well, if he voted for another Rookie outside of Kessler, I will not feel the same. If he only voted for example Mathurin, or Jaden Ivey then I will not call it "bias", but he voted the rookie that played on the same city as he is playing. Kessler was a very good rookie indeed like you said, and Utah getting him is already a big plus for them because he is included in that Gobert trade. At a young age, he already got 2.3 blocks per game. Give him more years to play, and he might be a candidate for defensive player of the year. Still, I see that person who voted for him a bit bias.

Give Bol Bol more time to play, and they will be at least in the play-in tournament next season.
I'm not kidding because they need to develop him, and give more time because he is always explosive whenever he is inside the court. Him alongside other young players out there is a good roster already. Just look at how the Thunder is playing right now. They are young, but they are now competing for the 8th seed.

I believe Kerr would have new set of strategies and would use those new players as well just to make Mike Brown wouldn't know what set of plays and defense they'll gonna make. Yeah Kings has a good record and kudos to Brown for making it on playoffs but I think Warriors has the experience when it comes to this kind of atmosphere.
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Experience matters in a playoff series because it's a different atmosphere when it comes to playoffs unlike in the regular season where you are playing with different teams, here you will face the same team at most 7 times. Adjustments on and off the court is a big factor on the playoffs, and I believe that's what the Warriors are excelling at. Their experience will matter here in the first round.

On the other hand, I will not excluding the Kings already because Coach Brown has been an assistant coach under Coach Kerr for years as well, so maybe he might've know Coach Kerr's strategy, and will counter it, however, I believe that Coach Kerr will think of another strategy. A strategy that his former assistant coach didn't see when he was still in the Warriors.

If he use the same old style small ball line up then maybe they might now succeed with this since many  teams are provably find ways to counter their strategy. So for sure they have other plans created so that they can best Kings which is doing really great this season.

Yex experience really matter with this knowing Playoffs have different level of pressure compare to regular series. This is why many choose GSW to win because they are so experience and well coordinated in playoffs and championship run.

Do you favor Bulls or Miami ? Personally , I've watched both games and I must say Bulls really looked more solid than Miami in their first game and that is why I'm thinking seriously to take a bet on Bulls  even if once again , the odds and bookies don't see them as favorites.

Miami...for me is really hard to anticipate their games and style because in one night , they could drop 120 on you and the next night , they barely make it to 90. So I guess , I will stick with Bulls to qualify.

I don't know if that's still the case right now because they are different rosters and looks like they can give GSW a hard time in the first round. Unless the GSW will know how to easily break their defensive strategy it will gonna damaged them a lot because if that happens, they will quickly be buried with a double-digit lead and when against the GSW, only a few teams are able to catch up with them. Especially right now, Andrew Wiggins is clean to play and he could be the asset to surprise the Kings and swiftly beat them in this first-round NBA playoffs series.

^^ Yes, and I think there are others too in the past MVP race that really ruined the voting and it's just in the last couple of years that we have seen a unanimous MVP in Steph Curry.

Anyhow, Banchero deserves to be the ROY, and I'm sure we are all in consensus about it. Unless someone disagrees again and vote for someone else  .

Bulls vs Miami, I already lock in my bet.

It's the same story every year.
Shaq still complains about not getting the first ever unanimous MVP because of some voter ( Fred Hickman ) who voted for Allen Iverson in the 2000 regular season.

“Fred Idiot Hickman”  “I hate him. I don’t need to talk to him. There’s nothing to apologize about. Because he destroyed history.."

Well, I doubt Paolo B. will take it that serious.

C'mon guys. Andy Larsen is a Utah resident, what else would you expect. It's all a biased vote and we cannot listen to this guy. Obviously, this will be a landslide for Paolo Banchero and we are expecting more from him after he receives the Rookie of the Year award. He made the Orlando Magic fans lively again and so do his wingmen, Markelle Fultz and Franz Wagner.
This team will be difficult to defeat next season, all they need is experience and soon they will certainly be seen as a playoff contender of the Eastern Conference.

I believe Kerr would have new set of strategies and would use those new players as well just to make Mike Brown wouldn't know what set of plays and defense they'll gonna make. Yeah Kings has a good record and kudos to Brown for making it on playoffs but I think Warriors has the experience when it comes to this kind of atmosphere.

It's 0-0 so there's no advantage even if Brown was used to be the assistant coach. Maybe the Warriors have different system now, and if I'm not mistaken, he is the defensive coach of the Warriors back then so if there is something that he is familiar then it will be how the Warriors play defense. On the other hand, they have new set of players and maybe they got a new defensive coach that have negated what Brown used to employ in the Warriors.

But as you have said, the Warriors has a bad record in the road, could be a factor. However, this is going to be a series so there's a lot of momentum changes, last year they were down against the Boston Celtics but they overcome them and win the NBA trophy.