2015 Nba Playoffs Thread

[AF89]

[AF89]

Predictions

Hawks (4 games maybe 5 )

Cavs (4 games)

Bulls (5 games)

Raptors (6 games)

Warriors (5 Games)

Grizzlies ( 7 games)

Spurs (6 games)

Mavs (7 games)

[AF89]

Who I'll be rooting for besides Hawks

Celtics

Bulls (Harder matchup for Cavs)

Wizards (Easier matchup for us)

[Guest]

We can cruise to ECF I'll tell you that even with Toronto in the way. I honestly believe we've done good, and yes I'm upset that Brooklyn made into the playoffs, but we will all live.

Still Hawks can make the Finals if Bulls do the unthinkable and beat the Cavs we can make it to the freakin Finals. Our worse matchup is Toronto, but something just tells me that we could beat them in 6 games especially on homecourt.

[youngbloodz]

Pelicans will win 2 games somehow. Anthony Davis is that good

[Mr.11]

We can cruise to ECF I'll tell you that even with Toronto in the way. I honestly believe we've done good, and yes I'm upset that Brooklyn made into the playoffs, but we will all live.

Still Hawks can make the Finals if Bulls do the unthinkable and beat the Cavs we can make it to the freakin Finals. Our worse matchup is Toronto, but something just tells me that we could beat them in 6 games especially on homecourt.

According to what you said here, our worst matchup is the Cavs. The thing is, us beating them three times including their retooled roster with J.R. Smith, Mozgov, and Shumpert, was no fluke. So unless they can suddenly do what they haven't all year and figure out how to guard all five starters plus Shroeder while solving our defensive strategies then I feel pretty confident about our chances of beating the Cavs in a seven-game series.

Edited April 16, 2015 by JerseyNo12

[Dirtybird#11]

I think we can win against any team in 7 games aside from Memphis.... That'd be a toss up, and I'm afraid that's who we might just meet in the Finals

[AF89]

I think we can win against any team in 7 games aside from Memphis.... That'd be a toss up, and I'm afraid that's who we might just meet in the Finals

Really? I think we'd beat Memphis in 6 w/ HFA. They're being vastly overrated. Warriors, Spurs even the Cavs and Clippers worry me more than Griz. If we beat Cleveland we're more than ready for Memphis.

[youngbloodz]

According to what you said here, our worst matchup is the Cavs. The thing is, us beating them three times including their retooled roster with J.R. Smith, Mozgov, and Shumpert, was no fluke. So unless they can suddenly do what they haven't all year and figure out how to guard all five starters plus Shroeder while solving our defensive strategies then I feel pretty confident about our chances of beating the Cavs in a seven-game series.

playoffs are a different beast. The team with the best player usually wins in the playoffs. And i mean the team with the best player in that series. If Bron is on and doing what he is capable of doing Atlanta will have a hard time beating them. And the refs will come into play.

[AF89]

So glad we're not in the West, thats a murder gauntlet 1-8. No upset would be shocking short of Pelicans beating Warriors and even then you could see them pushing GSW.

[Mr.11]

playoffs are a different beast. The team with the best player usually wins in the playoffs. And i mean the team with the best player in that series. If Bron is on and doing what he is capable of doing Atlanta will have a hard time beating them. And the refs will come into play.

Well then, I imagine coach Bud employing a similar strategy to coach Pop and letting Lebron do what he does. Let him score 40+, just as long as we shut everybody else down. If he can keep that up, then good for him. But as it stands, Lebron has been to 5 Finals and only won 2, and two of the losses were to the same opponent (which were in blowout fashion no less), that being the team we hired Bud from. So if anyone in the East knows how to deal with Lebron teams, it's Bud. Of course, if we can execute the plan is another question, but from what I've seen, I have no reason not to believe that we would give the Cavs plenty to think about.

And is usually the team with the best group of players with the right coaching that wins.

Edited April 16, 2015 by JerseyNo12

[AF89]

It's not a given but it's a very real possibility that Lebron has to put his team on his back just to get through Chicago and if Kyrie and Love don't step up by the time they get to us he's going to be exhausted for the second year in a row. Don't know about Love but I expect Kyrie to have some moments though.

Btw this thread has waaaay to much Hawk talk for a thread that was largely supposed to be about the other series

[WOR]

Really? I think we'd beat Memphis in 6 w/ HFA. They're being vastly overrated. Warriors, Spurs even the Cavs and Clippers worry me more than Griz. If we beat Cleveland we're more than ready for Memphis.

If you haven't noticed DB takes the opinion no one else has. Why you ask? It stands out and he wants to be a rebel lol

[AF89]

If you haven't noticed DB takes the opinion no one else has. Why you ask? It stands out and he wants to be a rebel lol

Is't he supposed to be like 15? Gawd knows I said waaaay dumber things. Heck I still do....

[youngbloodz]

Well then, I imagine coach Bud employing a similar strategy to coach Pop and letting Lebron do what he does. Let him score 40+, just as long as we shut everybody else down. If he can keep that up, then good for him. But as it stands, Lebron has been to 5 Finals and only won 2, and two of the losses were to the same opponent (which were in blowout fashion no less), that being the team we hired Bud from. So if anyone in the East knows how to deal with Lebron teams, it's Bud. Of course, if we can execute the plan is another question, but from what I've seen, I have no reason not to believe that we would give the Cavs plenty to think about.

And is usually the team with the best group of players with the right coaching that wins.

it's usually the team that has the best player in that series that wins. Go back and look at the past winners.

[Guest]

Well then, I imagine coach Bud employing a similar strategy to coach Pop and letting Lebron do what he does. Let him score 40+, just as long as we shut everybody else down. If he can keep that up, then good for him. But as it stands, Lebron has been to 5 Finals and only won 2, and two of the losses were to the same opponent (which were in blowout fashion no less), that being the team we hired Bud from. So if anyone in the East knows how to deal with Lebron teams, it's Bud. Of course, if we can execute the plan is another question, but from what I've seen, I have no reason not to believe that we would give the Cavs plenty to think about.

And is usually the team with the best group of players with the right coaching that wins.

That's the thing if Lebron is THE GUY he will crumble it's happened before. Think about it last year he had to be THE GUY the first season with Miami same thing. Lebron is not the spotlight person in the slightest.

[youngbloodz]

That's the thing if Lebron is THE GUY he will crumble it's happened before. Think about it last year he had to be THE GUY the first season with Miami same thing. Lebron is not the spotlight person in the slightest.

you missed the other 3 NBA Finals. He played good in all of them and great in one. Will be interesting to see how he does without D Wade though. Bron had a good NBA Finals last year. Bosh Wade and Mario Chalmers didn't. That's the reason they weren't even competitive in last years Finals

[Guest]

you missed the other 3 NBA Finals. He played good in all of them and great in one. Will be interesting to see how he does without D Wade though. Bron had a good NBA Finals last year. Bosh Wade and Mario Chalmers didn't. That's the reason they weren't even competitive in last years Finals

Maybe I should redo that last post if Lebron has to carry the team it's a wrap. Basically that's what happen in 2007/2011/2014 he carried those three teams.

Actually time out he didn't carry he was just the engine he's never the driver. D-wade is the driver or was in this case.

[Mr.11]

it's usually the team that has the best player in that series that wins. Go back and look at the past winners.

The best player "in a series" could be anybody. Just won't know until after the fact. For the Spurs in last year's finals, it was Kawhi Leonard. Who saw that coming?

[youngbloodz]

Maybe I should redo that last post if Lebron has to carry the team it's a wrap. Basically that's what happen in 2007/2011/2014 he carried those three teams.

Actually time out he didn't carry he was just the engine he's never the driver. D-wade is the driver or was in this case.

Wade made that team go that's for sure

[youngbloodz]

The best player "in a series" could be anybody. Just won't know until after the fact. For the Spurs in last year's finals, it was Kawhi Leonard. Who saw that coming?

you mean the same Kawhi Leonard that balled out in the 2013 NBA Finals? And would have won Finals MVP if he didnt miss those free throws in game 6. I'm sure a few people saw that coming. Especially those that watch the Spurs

[blkbigdog35]

I'm hoping to see our TEAM that went 19-0 in January! Personally I think the Hawks are going to be really focused again!

[blkbigdog35]

Hollins: Nets don't 'have any advantage over the Hawks'

Mike Mazzeo, ESPN New York Writer

If you’re a Brooklyn Nets fan searching for reasons to be optimistic heading into the first-round series with the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks, you won’t find them here.

“I don’t think we have any advantage over the Hawks,” Nets coach Lionel Hollins said in a conference call on Thursday. “That’s why they’re 60-22 and that’s why we’re where we are (38-44). They’re a very good team and we have to go out and develop a game plan to control the tempo, rebound and score against them consistently. They’ve played well against a lot of teams, including us, so it’s not like I think we have the advantage going in. We have to develop a game plan that can help us go out and compete.”

Hollins is a realist. The Nets went 0-4 against the Hawks during the regular season. And they’re going to have to play near-perfect basketball in order to compete with Atlanta.

The Hawks’ starting five is as good as it gets. They don’t have one “superstar,” so to speak, but they do have four All-Stars in Al Horford, Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver. And “D-and-3” ace DeMarre Carroll complements them perfectly.

Atlanta ranked tied for fifth in offensive efficiency in 2014-15. Against Brooklyn, the Hawks shot 49.8 percent from the field and averaged 13.3 made 3-pointers and 114.0 points per game. Their average margin of victory was 17.3.

“They have a very versatile team,” Hollins said. “They have a lot of quickness at every single position and they play relatively small. And that puts you at a disadvantage when the other team is quicker than you because they’re smaller than you. We have to combat that by doing whatever we can and develop that plan as we go forward.

AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

“But their style of play is one of moving the ball and they count on a lot of different people. Obviously, we think that starts with the ball handler and the pick-and-roll, but it really doesn’t. It starts with them pushing the ball up the court and moving the ball from side to side and trying to put you in a disadvantage in certain sets so you have to over-help. And then they throw it and then they draw and kick. It’s the same system that San Antonio has run so well in the last few years.”

Hollins said earlier in an interview with WFAN that the Hawks are beatable when they are missing shots. After trading for Thaddeus Young on Feb. 19, the Nets ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency. It will be a tall task trying to contain Atlanta’s high-octane offense.

“You just wanna contest shots, you wanna keep the penetration to a minimum whether it be out of the pick-and-roll or whether it’s just straight,” Hollins said. “Guys who have the edge quickness-wise, we gotta keep Teague from penetrating, Carroll from penetrating, Millsap from penetrating, we gotta keep Horford from penetrating.

“All of those guys are going to have a little bit of an edge going against us, so we have to do a good job in our one-on-one defense. We have to do a solid job in our help defense and then we have to recover to our own with good closeouts so we don’t get faked or driven by.”

Hollins doesn’t put any stock in playoff experience.

“I don’t think playoff experience has anything to do with talent and skill and how you play,” he said. “Playoffs are about going out there and playing well. Now if you have a team that’s equally as good as you and you’ve been there a few times, then it makes a difference, but even then that team still has to beat you. And I just think that it’s overstated.”

You would think the Nets are going to need big performances from their three max-contract players: Brook Lopez, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. Williams shot just 23.4 percent from the field in the final four games of the regular season.

“I don’t even think about it. Deron has played extremely well even when he wasn’t shooting well he’s had 14 assists, 10 assists, nine assists, eight assists,” Hollins said. “He’s controlled the game and he’s gotten the ball to his teammates, he’s playing his role. Obviously, he would want to shoot better and I would like him to shoot better, but I don’t go into games thinking a guy plays poorly because he doesn’t shoot well.”

And don’t ask Hollins about max players.

“When you say the person that gets paid the most money, that’s kinda like the game is about money,” Hollins said. “The game is about teams. And if we go out there as a team and play well and make plays as a group, we have a chance.”

Notes: Hollins did not know if Alan Anderson (ankle) would be available for Game 1 on Sunday night. ... The Nets coach sent a “thank you” text to his former center, Marc Gasol, after the Memphis Grizzles beat the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, enabling Brooklyn to sneak into the playoffs.

[jayu70]

Cavs finished 20th in defensive efficiency. No team not in top 10 (I think that's what I saw but could be wrong) has ever won a championship.

Those teams with the best players also had a great defense.

[Guest]

Cavs finished 20th in defensive efficiency. No team not in top 10 (I think that's what I saw but could be wrong) has ever won a championship.

Those teams with the best players also had a great defense.

Remember though it's the refs we will be going against as well.

We should literally make the ECF this year if we don't it's not a bust, but it's semi-bust.

If we get to ECF as a fan I won't be upset that much I can say, if we make the finals Bud can stay forever, and if we win he can go into hall of fame immediately .