NBA: 2018-2019 Season

[GTV0819]

I think they'll win their homecourt games in the first two games and if I could recall, this is the first of the consecutive Finals for Golden State in which they don't have the homecourt advantage.

 

[the_boy]

No KD, they will struggle. They don't have the bigs to defend Giannis. He is just too fluid with his step, so Draymond "I'm the best defensive player" will either get scored on or foul out because Giannis won't need raw power to get through him.

The Bucks also have 2 big men who can space and shoot 3's, so GS will be spread if Lopez & Ilyasova are out there with Giannis hanging on the perimeter. That's a real threat to any team facing MIL because while they are a 34% 3-point shooting team to GS' 37%, they attempt 43% 3-pointer's compared to GS' 36%. One of the strongest issues MIL-opponents have faced is if MIL gets hot from the 3 early on, the defense will pull away from the paint to slow it down. The Greek Freak then has a field day as a 64%-shooter within' the perimeter.

Defensively? Bucks are #1 in the league with the best record in the league. Interestingly enough however, even though MIL has home-court advantage, in the regular season, both teams won on the opposing floor. I believe it was the same last season as well.

Does LA even have the cap space? They seriously need to find players who will compliment James.

This may be the first time the Raptors win at home against the Bucks, cold shooting won’t win us this game.

 

[GTV0819]

The OT in this game would just prove that the Raptors are a better team vs. the Trailblazers when it comes to defending their own homecourt, although admittedly, the latter are facing the recent 'best' team in the league so their match is a different case than the Raptors.

 

[McLaren]

The problem Toronto is going to continue to face is that even when Giannis isn't having a good game, they're still struggling to put away the Bucks. They did a good job pushing back every time MIL made a run to bring it within' 3-4, but at the end, MIL just continued to push.

 

[GTV0819]

Wow. Just WOW. Another unbelievable close loss for the Trailblazers as they let the Warriors succeed for their 5th consecutive NBA Finals appearance.

 

[MaxAttack]

Wow. Just WOW. Another unbelievable close loss for the Trailblazers as they let the Warriors succeed for their 5th consecutive NBA Finals appearance.

My surpise, I can hardly contain it...

Playoffs pretty much ended with the two round 2 game 7s. Yawnfest now. Free agency literally more exciting than the finals. Expect record low viewer ratings... Again.

 

[GTV0819]

My surpise, I can hardly contain it...

Playoffs pretty much ended with the two round 2 game 7s. Yawnfest now. Free agency literally more exciting than the finals. Expect record low viewer ratings... Again.

Well, no LBJ in this year's Finals to boost it up.

But yes. This off-season is interesting to see which team gets which players.

 

[JohnBM01]

So it looks like half of the 2018-2019 NBA Finals is set. The same blue and gold team from Oakland, CA (about to move into their new digs in San Francisco) is set to welcome the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals winner in the NBA Finals. Portland Trail Blazers swept and DONE. By the way... did I mention Golden State is in the NBA Finals for the fifth straight season?

 

[JohnBM01]

I'm sorry! I spoke absolutely too soon. Never mind this early post I made here. I was thinking the ECF was over. I am human after all...

So with this EDITED post, MIL-TOR is now tied 2-2 with Toronto's 120-102 win in Toronto over Milwaukee. Game 5 is on Thursday in Milwaukee.

 

[NoirAntares]

If whatever injury Kawhi is playing through right now gets worse, we could end up going all the way to a game 7 again.

 

[the_boy]

Bucks should’ve kept feeding Middleton and Hill, Brogden & Bledsoe had horrible shooting nights. No chance they will win the series if they keep struggling

 

[GTV0819]

So it seems they somehow found a way to shut down Giannis last night. Looks like I was right when I said the Raptors won't just take this series so easily.

 

[NoirAntares]

Both teams played 13-man rotations, with only 3 players on the Raptors bench scoring but combining for 50 points while 6 bench players on the Bucks combined for only 24. Quality minutes from the bench may tip this series either way over the next few games.

 

[GTV0819]

Regardless, all I can say is that I hope one of them should give Golden State a more hard time than what the latter experienced last year against Cleveland, especially that both of the East finalists have homecourt advantage this time once one of them gets to the Finals.

 

[NoirAntares]

History is on the side of whoever comes out of the East, as the team that has homecourt advantage in the Finals has went on to win the title 8 times in the last 10 years. Only Dallas (2011) and Miami (2012) have won without having homecourt.

Having said that, the 9 days rest the Warriors have after the Portland sweep may be all the time off they need.

 

[GTV0819]

You forgot to mention that Cleveland have won Game 7 in Golden State during the Finals last 2016, which also made them infamous after recovering from a 3-1 deficit.

 

[NoirAntares]

The chances of that happening again this year are quite unlikely, a KD-less Warriors are likely to have a closely fought series with either team in the East Finals, and even if KD comes back and we get to a 3-1 situation in the Warriors favor, neither of the two stars in the East are LBJ.

 

[GTV0819]

What do you mean? I only mentioned that because it's also a feat that's hard to overlook since no other team has done that ever yet before them. Oh, and take note that was the time in which the Warriors also went 73-9.

So that only makes 7 times out of 10 years, from 2009-2018, in which a team with homecourt advantage in the Finals have captured their respective titles. Dallas and Miami, as well as Cleveland, are the only teams to have captured their titles in 2011, 2012 and 2016, respectively, in which their respective opponents have the upper hand due to homecourt advantage, although admittedly, the layout of the games in Finals was different that time when LBJ won his first championship.

They've played in a 2-3-2 layout then, in which the team without the homecourt advantage have 3 consecutive games to play in their homecourt during Game 3 to Game 5.

 

[NoirAntares]

What do you mean? I only mentioned that because it's also a feat that's hard to overlook since no other team has done that ever yet before them. Oh, and take note that was the time in which the Warriors also went 73-9.

I'm not overlooking Lebron and the Cavs' greatest comeback ever, but when the Warriors are playing as well as they have been even when they're down 3 key players, I just don't think they'll choke a 3-1 lead again like they did in 2016.

 

[GTV0819]

I'm not overlooking Lebron and the Cavs' greatest comeback ever, but when the Warriors are playing as well as they have been even when they're down 3 key players, I just don't think they'll choke a 3-1 lead again like they did in 2016.

Lol but I didn't mention anything that this would happen again since it's a rare feat. So this was your point, after all.

Obviously, Golden State is currently 2-0 in the Finals since KD joined the team. Whether they win another championship this year or not, the big question is, will this championship team still remain in the next few years? I have some doubts about that.

 

[NoirAntares]

I'm a Warriors fan but I honestly can't see this team as it is staying together next year. There's the obvious salary cap problem but if KD leaves like everyone in the media says he will, then maybe they can sign on Cousins for something better than the Veteran's Minimum and give better contracts to the bench guys with all the free cap KD will leave behind.

That's not even mentioning the bench vets in Iguodala and Livingston, who are both nearing retirement. If we lose them in the off-season, I can only hope Bob Myers can find people good enough to replace them, cause those are some big shoes to fill.

 

[GTV0819]

Yup. Even Klay Thompson will not come back to the team if he is not offered a maximum deal by the Warriors on his contract this off-season. If that's the case, then expect him to sign for the Clippers next season as to what many rumors are pointing out.

 

[JohnBM01]

Meanwhile... tonight in Milwaukee is Game 5 of the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks. This series is tied at 2-2. Whoever wins tonight will have that psychological advantage and move one step closer to potentially playing in the NBA Finals against Golden State. The two teams have so far traded home wins against each other. As they say, it isn't a series until the road team wins. It's tough to win on the road in basketball, even in the case of stronger teams on the road against weaker ones. So we'll see what happens in Milwaukee tonight.

Regardless of who wins tonight, Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals is in Toronto on Saturday night. And if needed, Game 7 is on Memorial Day Monday in Milwaukee.


Enjoy the action should you be watching or following.

 

[GTV0819]

Wow, so Toronto overpowers Milwaukee in Game 5 to take an astounding 3-2 lead from a 2-0 deficit as they won the last three games. Will this series end in Game 6 at Toronto soon? I'mma start biting my nails now.

 

[NoirAntares]

Kawhi has help! I'll bet they close it out in 6.

 

[the_boy]

Wow, so Toronto overpowers Milwaukee in Game 5. Will this series end in Game 6 at Toronto? I'mma start biting my nails now.

I think so, unless we start making shots, as well as feeding the right players. Looks like officiating has still been good

 

[GTV0819]

I think so, unless we start making shots, as well as feeding the right players. Looks like officiating has still been good

Despite the odds, I still have a feeling that this series will force a Game 7. Kahwi is really good in carrying his team but can he still outlast the rest of the Bucks?

If that will be the case, then what worries me the most is that whichever of these two teams get to the Finals, they will have to face the Warriors in an exhausted state, especially the Raptors, as they also went through Game 7 when they faced the Sixers in the Semifinals.

The Warriors probably have recuperated a lot then by the time this Finals begin in June and that will probably make the games much better for them.

 

[NoirAntares]

Despite the odds, I still have a feeling that this series will force a Game 7. Kahwi is really good in carrying his team but can he still outlast the rest of the Bucks?

His supporting cast has done pretty well these last two games, tbh. He just has to hold on to that kind of momentum at home and he can finally close the Bucks out at home and get his leg some much needed rest. He'll definitely need it for the finals.

 

[GTV0819]

His supporting cast has done pretty well these last two games, tbh. He just has to hold on to that kind of momentum at home and he can finally close the Bucks out at home and get his leg some much needed rest. He'll definitely need it for the finals.

Yeah but it still doesn't take out the fact that the Warriors are a lot fresher than them even today. We'll eventually see what will happen.

 

[NoirAntares]

Yeah but it still doesn't take out the fact that the Warriors are a lot fresher than them even today. We'll eventually see what will happen.

They need it more than ever if they're going into the finals without KD and Cousins. They'll probably do the whole thing without them either way.