May 11, 2019 21:10:20 GMT thereallt said:

May 11, 2019 13:59:27 GMT mikec said:

That’d be a really dumb decision, D’Antoni is a tremendous coach whose team ran into one of the best teams of all time two years running.

How is D'antoni a  tremendous coach?  His teams have never won anything despite consistently having top talent.   Not to mention Houston has had no real system for D'antoni's entire tenure.   They just run isolation plays over and over again, wasting huge amounts of shot clock then shooting contested three pointers.  Ball movement?  Post play?  Mid range game?   Not even once.

Hell last year alone the Rockets would have easily won Game 7 if D'antoni would have made even the slightest adjustment and stopped gunning up 3's when they were dominating attacking the basket and shooting from the mid-range.

First, I’d argue he’s never had the best team in the NBA. I’m not sure who was picking Suns over Spurs or Lakers the years they were great there or who was picking the Rockets over the Warriors, but the idea that winning a title is the only criteria for who is or isn’t a tremendous coach is seriously underestimating the value of having the best player on the court. He’s taken some of the best teams in league history to the brink of elimination though and had it not been for the NBA enforcing a dumb rule dumbly against the Suns or Chris Paul getting hurt as his team went up 3-2 he might have a trophy.

The isolation plays are a system. That’s a purposeful part of their offense because it’s the most efficient use of their talent, having two of the best iso players in the league at their disposal. It does run down the shot clock and occasionally they get a bad three out of it, but they also get a lot of layups and free throws and the data which they look at more than anyone proves it out on a point per possession basis. The lack of midrange is by design, as the entire NBA has figured out a midrange shot is the least efficient shot in the league. The team you’re saying has no system is frequently criticized for being too tightly bound to their system.

As to Game 7, went back to the shot chart. Their first half lead had nothing to do with midrange shots, they took two that half. They took 27 shots from 2 in the first half and only two were outside the paint. They were shooting more inside and maybe D’Antoni was telling them to get to the pint more and maybe he wasn’t, but you don’t change your team’s style in the second half of a game in a playoff elimination game, and it’s hard to see what would be easy about the win as Harden was obviously fatigued with his terrible shooting night and was their only great playmaker and they were playing against the best team in the NBA since Jordan’s Bulls.

D’Antoni picked two terrible places to coach after leaving Phoenix. The Knicks were always more serious about finding a star than suiting his system and the Lakers with Kobe was always a bad fit. But in his two other stops he built historically great offenses around the talent he had. His stop in Phoenix changed the NBA, and the time in Houston is even more efficient.

As I say before about Mike D’Antoni I am not a fan of his but not going to lie his system is fun to watch if he get the right players that fit his system and buy in. But either way the Rockets blew two opportunities after Durant went down and couldn’t capitalize. I doubt changing won’t make much difference and it’s difficult for the Rockets to improve the roster you got Harden that lock up for a few years for $200 million, and CP3 for $100 plus million for the next few years not much you can do.

May 12, 2019 4:30:47 GMT mikec said:

May 11, 2019 21:10:20 GMT thereallt said:

How is D'antoni a  tremendous coach?  His teams have never won anything despite consistently having top talent.   Not to mention Houston has had no real system for D'antoni's entire tenure.   They just run isolation plays over and over again, wasting huge amounts of shot clock then shooting contested three pointers.  Ball movement?  Post play?  Mid range game?   Not even once.

Hell last year alone the Rockets would have easily won Game 7 if D'antoni would have made even the slightest adjustment and stopped gunning up 3's when they were dominating attacking the basket and shooting from the mid-range.

First, I’d argue he’s never had the best team in the NBA. I’m not sure who was picking Suns over Spurs or Lakers the years they were great there or who was picking the Rockets over the Warriors, but the idea that winning a title is the only criteria for who is or isn’t a tremendous coach is seriously underestimating the value of having the best player on the court. He’s taken some of the best teams in league history to the brink of elimination though and had it not been for the NBA enforcing a dumb rule dumbly against the Suns or Chris Paul getting hurt as his team went up 3-2 he might have a trophy.

The isolation plays are a system. That’s a purposeful part of their offense because it’s the most efficient use of their talent, having two of the best iso players in the league at their disposal. It does run down the shot clock and occasionally they get a bad three out of it, but they also get a lot of layups and free throws and the data which they look at more than anyone proves it out on a point per possession basis. The lack of midrange is by design, as the entire NBA has figured out a midrange shot is the least efficient shot in the league. The team you’re saying has no system is frequently criticized for being too tightly bound to their system.

As to Game 7, went back to the shot chart. Their first half lead had nothing to do with midrange shots, they took two that half. They took 27 shots from 2 in the first half and only two were outside the paint. They were shooting more inside and maybe D’Antoni was telling them to get to the pint more and maybe he wasn’t, but you don’t change your team’s style in the second half of a game in a playoff elimination game, and it’s hard to see what would be easy about the win as Harden was obviously fatigued with his terrible shooting night and was their only great playmaker and they were playing against the best team in the NBA since Jordan’s Bulls.

D’Antoni picked two terrible places to coach after leaving Phoenix. The Knicks were always more serious about finding a star than suiting his system and the Lakers with Kobe was always a bad fit. But in his two other stops he built historically great offenses around the talent he had. His stop in Phoenix changed the NBA, and the time in Houston is even more efficient.

Yes 20-22 ft mid range shots are bad shots, but 15-18 ft midrange shots are not.   They are often are the best shots the defense will give you.  This is ESPECIALLY true when you're playing isolation ball in the playoffs.   The refs are not going to call every little flop you do, so pulling up from 15-18 feet is much better than gunning up a shitty contested 3 pointer and then flopping around like a fish trying to get the call.  Or barreling to the lane out of control and flopping like a fish trying to get the call.    A good mid-range shot is still better than a bad 3 point shot or a clumsy drive into the paint.    



That Game 7 it wasn't like Golden State was stopping Houston from getting to the lane.  Why go away from attacking the basket when it was working so well?  That is completely on D'Antoni.

Tonight’s the Game 7s AND Game of Thrones.

And it’s Mother’s Day, so I lose.

May 12, 2019 14:37:34 GMT thereallt said:

May 12, 2019 4:30:47 GMT mikec said:

First, I’d argue he’s never had the best team in the NBA. I’m not sure who was picking Suns over Spurs or Lakers the years they were great there or who was picking the Rockets over the Warriors, but the idea that winning a title is the only criteria for who is or isn’t a tremendous coach is seriously underestimating the value of having the best player on the court. He’s taken some of the best teams in league history to the brink of elimination though and had it not been for the NBA enforcing a dumb rule dumbly against the Suns or Chris Paul getting hurt as his team went up 3-2 he might have a trophy.

The isolation plays are a system. That’s a purposeful part of their offense because it’s the most efficient use of their talent, having two of the best iso players in the league at their disposal. It does run down the shot clock and occasionally they get a bad three out of it, but they also get a lot of layups and free throws and the data which they look at more than anyone proves it out on a point per possession basis. The lack of midrange is by design, as the entire NBA has figured out a midrange shot is the least efficient shot in the league. The team you’re saying has no system is frequently criticized for being too tightly bound to their system.

As to Game 7, went back to the shot chart. Their first half lead had nothing to do with midrange shots, they took two that half. They took 27 shots from 2 in the first half and only two were outside the paint. They were shooting more inside and maybe D’Antoni was telling them to get to the pint more and maybe he wasn’t, but you don’t change your team’s style in the second half of a game in a playoff elimination game, and it’s hard to see what would be easy about the win as Harden was obviously fatigued with his terrible shooting night and was their only great playmaker and they were playing against the best team in the NBA since Jordan’s Bulls.

D’Antoni picked two terrible places to coach after leaving Phoenix. The Knicks were always more serious about finding a star than suiting his system and the Lakers with Kobe was always a bad fit. But in his two other stops he built historically great offenses around the talent he had. His stop in Phoenix changed the NBA, and the time in Houston is even more efficient.

Yes 20-22 ft mid range shots are bad shots, but 15-18 ft midrange shots are not.   They are often are the best shots the defense will give you.  This is ESPECIALLY true when you're playing isolation ball in the playoffs.   The refs are not going to call every little flop you do, so pulling up from 15-18 feet is much better than gunning up a shitty contested 3 pointer and then flopping around like a fish trying to get the call.  Or barreling to the lane out of control and flopping like a fish trying to get the call.    A good mid-range shot is still better than a bad 3 point shot or a clumsy drive into the paint.    



That Game 7 it wasn't like Golden State was stopping Houston from getting to the lane.  Why go away from attacking the basket when it was working so well?  That is completely on D'Antoni.

Most NBA analytic people would disagree with you on the 15 footer, and the Rockets stress not taking those shots all season (and that mandate comes before D’Antoni) so I’m not sure that it’s a great shot when they’re not part of your preparation on offense.

And I doubt that D’Antoni told anyone to stop driving in game 7, the premise of that makes no sense. My presumption is they were fatigued and didn’t have it anymore to get behind one of the better defenses in the NBA.

At my parents right now. The “adults” are making BBQ, I’m hiding out watching the end of this Game 7 with Blazers/Nuggets. 5 point game with a little over 3 minutes to go. Blazers ahead. Who will face the Warriors in the WCF?!

1 point game with 29.7 left! Let’s go! This is what Game 7s are about.

I’m just hoping it doesn’t go to OT, because then I’ll be found hiding out.

Blazers did it.

WCF is now Blazers vs Warriors. The battle of the Curry Bros.

GO RAPTORS GO!!!

Watching how terrible these teams are offensively for stretches really makes me feel great about the ECF.

The Bucks are going to stomp whoever wins this game.

And it’s probably gonna be Philly for fucks sake.

Toronto teams and blowing game 7s. Name a better duo.

Of course as I type that Toronto is giving me hope.

4th quarter is going to be a 10-0 run by Philly to start, you watch.

Toronto got this.

May 13, 2019 0:55:40 GMT KING KID said:

Toronto got this.

If Kawhi could get some damn help.  He's having to play hero ball just to keep the team afloat.

May 13, 2019 0:55:40 GMT KING KID said:

Toronto got this.

Maybe , maybe not. If not for Lowry’s offensive rebounding Toronto might have fallen behind double digits. Also those charges - even if the second one was weak.

May 13, 2019 0:59:41 GMT thereallt said:

May 13, 2019 0:55:40 GMT KING KID said:

Toronto got this.

If Kawhi could get some damn help.  He's having to play hero ball just to keep the team afloat.

Umm Lowry has made some huge plays and Ibaka is having a great game.

Kawhi isn’t playing well at all.

Yeah for once if they lose Lowry can’t take all the blame.

Now I just want them to win so the narrative isn’t “KAWHI THREW THE GAME, HE ALREADY BOOKED HIS PLANE TICKET TO [INSERT CITY HE MIGHT SIGN WITH]”

May 13, 2019 1:02:51 GMT UT said:

May 13, 2019 0:59:41 GMT thereallt said:

If Kawhi could get some damn help.  He's having to play hero ball just to keep the team afloat.

Umm Lowry has made some huge plays and Ibaka is having a great game.

Kawhi isn’t playing well at all.

Lowry has been the same bitch made player he's been the whole series.

I'll give you Ibaka though.

Kawhi hit a clutch three but so many of his points are coming off second chance points on offensive rebounds. Off his own misses.

Kawhi has the points but from my point mod view - Ibaka and Lowry have been every bit as important.

May 13, 2019 1:06:31 GMT thereallt said:

May 13, 2019 1:02:51 GMT UT said:

Umm Lowry has made some huge plays and Ibaka is having a great game.

Kawhi isn’t playing well at all.

Lowry has been the same bitch made player he's been the whole series.

I'll give you Ibaka though.

Are you even watching? He had four straight offensive rebounds while Kawhi kept bricking.

He also took two HUGE charges , a specialty of his and game swinging plays considering Toronto scores on both possessions in the third.

Cold blooded shot by Kawhi but he was on the line.

Three ATROCIOUS possessions by Philly in a row. They deserve to lose.

Oh, my heart can't take this.

BRING IT ON, MILWAUKEE!!

Kawhi vs. Giannis will be huge.

HOLY SHIT!!

KWAHI, BITCHES!!!

May 13, 2019 1:33:06 GMT CM Punk'd said:

BRING IT ON, MILWAUKEE!!

Kawhi vs. Giannis will be huge.

We will. 5 games at best.

That was a great ending. Great roll and bounce to go in.

Toronto won a clutch game? I don’t know what to do. I’m numb. A Toronto sports team did a good thing.

Did that just happen?

Kawhi the legend.