2015 NBA Playoff Thread

Of the teams that made the semis, only GS is the one that hasn't lost a starter to missed games.

Every other team is falling apart at the seams. It's insane. My only hope for the rest of the playoffs is that Clevlenad gets as healthy as possible and makes it interesting against GS.
 
No, my theory was that the Atlanta offense revolved around the shooting of (and the spacing created by) Kyle Korver, and I wondered if the Hawks would be able to adapt in the playoffs once opposing teams just clamped down hard on Korver every night. And obviously they haven't had an answer for it. It's a real problem when the most important offensive player on your team is helpless to create his own shot.

This theory doesn't hold water, because it should mean that everyone else is more open, but they are the ones missing.

Also, it begs the question, why did teams wait until the playoffs to guard Korver? And how did you know they were going to start guarding Korver in the playoffs?
 
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This theory doesn't hold water, because it should mean that everyone else is more open, but they are the ones missing.

There's more than one variable at work. The Hawks' point guard play has been mostly crappy during the playoffs. That's been at least as big a factor as Korver's invisibility.

Also, it begs the question, why did teams wait until the playoffs to guard Korver?

Because in the regular season, you play three or four different teams a week. You defend Korver as best you can out of your regular defense because you don't really have time to implement a special plan for him. In the playoffs you're playing the Hawks over and over, so that's what you focus on from the first coaches' meeting. "We're going to sell out to take Korver away and you're going to have to beat us doing something else." And the Hawks haven't really had an answer.

And how did you know they were going to start guarding Korver in the playoffs?

I guess every Hawks fan I know is clairvoyant, because we've all been talking about it since December.
 
There's more than one variable at work. The Hawks' point guard play has been mostly crappy during the playoffs. That's been at least as big a factor as Korver's invisibility.



Because in the regular season, you play three or four different teams a week. You defend Korver as best you can out of your regular defense because you don't really have time to implement a special plan for him. In the playoffs you're playing the Hawks over and over, so that's what you focus on from the first coaches' meeting. "We're going to sell out to take Korver away and you're going to have to beat us doing something else." And the Hawks haven't really had an answer.



I guess every Hawks fan I know is clairvoyant, because we've all been talking about it since December.

It's been a topic of discussion on 92.9 for quite some time.
 
So just to clarify -- the Official Hines Take is that the Hawks are fine, the Hawks as currently composed are a legitimate contender, and all that's happened during the playoffs is a random shooting slump? That's it?
 
Plus/minus can be really misleading. If the majority of his court time is with the starting 5, then naturally there is going to be a difference.

Yep. It's a hard number to take a lot away from.

Anybody that's watched the Hawks knows that this has been happening since March.
 
Golden State has five of their buckets already because Houston switched on a PNR. I don't understand why McHale keeps doing it. It's killed them the last two games.
 
Warriors outscored the Rockets every quarter. Even worse, 3 of the 4 quarters the Warriors scored 30, 30 and 32. While 3 of the 4 quarters the Rockets 18, 19 and 19. That's just... well, that's just a 36 point deficit based on the outcome of 3 quarters. At least the Rockets were able to cancel out the Warriors 23 point 4th quarter with a 24 point 3rd quarter. Now that's what I'm talking about. Can I get a woop whoop? An ass whoop whoop-in. Total beat down. Couldn't have been more embarrassing really. Down 2-0, your first home game of the series and you lose by damn near 40. They even checkerboarded the crowd.

When I was reading a Rockets game thread, some guy was talking about dropping 650-700 for a ticket a few hours before game time. If he did, sucks for him. Especially because I think he was talking about buying 2. If I spent 1,400 dollars on a whim and my team got beaten down as badly as the Rockets did while being put into a 3-0 hole, I'd contemplate finding the nearest tower and tanking the plunge. Maybe I wouldn't go that far but I would be so upset with myself for spending that kind of money for that outcome. If you're talking about dropping 1,400 last second, it's probably not that much money to you anyways I guess. Rich people... money to them is just green paper, amirite?
 
Plus/minus can be really misleading. If the majority of his court time is with the starting 5, then naturally there is going to be a difference.

No kidding? But we are talking about the team with Korver on the floor. The argument was that they take away Korver and the rest of the Hawks can't do anything but turns out Hawks are significantly outscoring the other team's starters.
 
All I need to know about plus/minus is that Pero Antic led the Hawks in it for most of the year.

Link? I'm having trouble finding this stat for individuals.

I agree it's not a complete stat. Few are. For the purposes of this discussion, it does make a great point though. The Hawks are outscoring their opponents when he is in. The opposition is not taking away Korver and then the Hawks are sunk. That's what you said is happening. That is not what's happening.
 
Exactly. And he's awful. Pure awful.

But I am not saying Korver is good because of this stat. I am saying this stat disproves the theory that the Hawks are struggling because teams are focusing on Korver.

Note: Hawks fans are pretty partial to Antic. They got pretty feisty with me for saying they should dump him for a rim defender.
 
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But I am not saying Korver is good because of this stat. I am saying this stat disproves the theory that the Hawks are struggling because teams are focusing on Korver.

You've said that stat was useless in the past, now it's good? His shooting has taken a pretty big nose dive, either he can't handle playoff pressure or teams are focusing on him. Korver is a good player/great shooter, but this is why he isn't a top 25 guy.
 
You've said that stat was useless in the past, now it's good? His shooting has taken a pretty big nose dive, either he can't handle playoff pressure or teams are focusing on him. Korver is a good player/great shooter, but this is why he isn't a top 25 guy.

It is pretty useless for evaluating an individual.

I don't know how I can be anymore clear that I'm not using this stat to evaluate Korver. I am using the stat to interpret what the team is doing with Korver on the floor.

I have said this 4 times, now.

I agree it's not a complete stat. Few are. For the purposes of this discussion, it does make a great point though. The Hawks are outscoring their opponents when he is in. The opposition is not taking away Korver and then the Hawks are sunk. That's what you said is happening. That is not what's happening.
 
Halftime of game 3 from a poster who has been on the Rockets forum since 2006.

I always thought Harden was the better player, but tonight Curry put those thoughts to rest.

Even funnier that he's saying it after Curry only had 2 points total late into the 2nd quarter. Though, Curry would finish with 40 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds(3off/2def), 2 steals, 1 block while scoring 12 points straight late in the 2nd quarter. Curry is just one of those guys that's always going to score no matter what. He was already scoring at will in the past but Kerr's system has opened it up even more for Curry. Curry isn't your traditional superstar in terms of how he does it but it hasn't stopped him from being the most effective scorer in the league. His shooting is truly special and though being open increases his odds, he's still gonna hit shots over perfect defense anywhere on the floor he chooses.

Not sure it would have made any difference as last night was a beat down(even though the Rockets shot 10 more free throws), but apparently a rapper tweeted that he saw Harden sneaking into a club the night before the game. That's one way to handle the pressure of being down 0-2 in the conference finals, I guess.

Someone on the Rockets forum also posted a picture of Curry with Harden sitting on his knee as a dummy because Curry is the puppet master. Too bad I can't find it anymore. I'll post it later if I come across it again. The guy who made the photo edited it shortly after and re-posted it again a second time with a bow added to Harden's hair lol. Also, did the Rockets give up and bench Harden the entire 4th quarter? Under the play by play on ESPN, there's not a single stat/play listed for him. Benching your star player in a game of this magnitude... ouch. No team has ever come back from 0-3 in the conference finals and the Warriors have yet to lose a game all season after leading by 15. I know the Rockets had what appeared to be no chance of coming back last night but damn, you might only have one game left on the season and you give up? Might as well have played it out(assuming he didn't play in the 4th, I had shut it off by then) and see what happens. Not like they had anything to lose. If the Rockets were to somehow win 4 in a row, that little bit of rest Harden got isn't going to be the reason(not going to happen anyways). Should have just went all out in the 4th quarter because there's really nothing for the Rockets to lose at this point.
 

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