Just a bunch of zags, an exercise I do to see if I may be overreacting to any one result. Some of these are inevitably stupid, they're meant to be. Something we used to do as coaches when prepping for opponents:
- Did the Celtics just get kind of lucky against the Nets in a bunch of close games? And we all overrated the Nets too?
- Is Middleton that important, or was the difference always Holiday?
- Are the Suns just on a hot streak shooting?
- Is Ayton the best player on Phoenix?
- Are the Heat good or just dominating bad teams (i.e., Embiid back means Philly win)?
- Can Dallas just switch more and be fine?
- Is the key to beating Dallas to just let Luka go off and stay home on everyone else?
- Jalen Brunson still can't do it in the playoffs - Utah is just bad and someone's about to WAY overpay him (Hello NYK!)
- Brunson had an off night with foul trouble but coudl just as easily drop 30 next game
- Jimmy Butler is just a guard version of Dwight Howard - a jackass nobody likes who had one finals run and never got it done in the playoffs again
- Milwaukee just got hot for a night at the same time Boston went cold
- Phoenix is actually garbage when Paul's off the court, but they could lose anyone else and be fine
1. Yes well all overrated the Nets. No the Celtics didn't get lucky. When you don't play at least some defense you tend to lose close games. If you played this series 10 times without injuries the best the Nets do is lose in 6 and I think most of the time they lose in 5.
2. I don't think it is an either/or. I don't think they win the title last year without Jrue. I don't think they win the title this year if Middleton doesn't come back.
3. No. They are a well oiled machine and it is going to take an injury or a monster performance from another team to beat them.
4. Nope. Paul, Booker and the Sun's shooting make his life easy. He is still good though. Not best player on a championship level team good.
5. Both for Miami. I think it will be too late once Embiid comes back.
6. Not against any team with playoff experience.
7. I think that works. Like the 2000's Pistons used too.
8. Brunson is a good player. 3rd or 4th option on a championship team. Not as good as he is about to be paid.
9. Disagree. I think Butler is a more athletic, but worse shooting version of Chris Paul. He is super competitive and will do anything to win and just like Paul he probably needs to be the number 2 or 3 option to win a title.
10. Possibly. I think everyone is over reacting after 1 game. I think this same scenario played out a few years ago when Boston took game 1 from the Bucks and the the Bucks proceeded to win the next 4. Not saying that happens here, but I would be surprised if this doesn't go at least 6.
11. Disagree slightly. Are they still a title team without Paul? Probably not. They would still be a top 6 team in the west if they lost Paul for a season and had everyone else.
Great post btw.