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***Official NBA Thread***

nightprowler10

nightprowler10

Global Moderator
Teja. said:
I agree 100% on Booker but don't think the same applies to CP3. On his day, CP3 plays beyond superstar level IMO and engages the other team completely. The 14/14 shots perfect game in Round 1 and the burst in game 2 Q4 to destroy the Mavs were inspired performances. It's just that he is liable to have the occasional absolute stinker in very big games and the fact that he is 37 and often is only deployed for specific quarters which hold him back from being like top 5-10 material for me.
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I don't think you're really disagreeing with OS.

CP3 in his prime was a beast and should've won MVP in '08. The level of defensive attention he demanded then was comparable to the guys he is talking about. He's still CP3, but yeah he's not demanding that much attention these days. Also, I haven't watched their games, but was he 14/14 because they're not pressing him?
 
Teja.

Teja.

Global Moderator
nightprowler10 said:
I don't think you're really disagreeing with OS.

CP3 in his prime was a beast and should've won MVP in '08. The level of defensive attention he demanded then was comparable to the guys he is talking about. He's still CP3, but yeah he's not demanding that much attention these days. Also, I haven't watched their games, but was he 14/14 because they're not pressing him?
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They were pressing him with two men, he just went absolute beast mode. He was super selective about the shots he took and also had 8 assists to go in the 2.5 quarters he played. The 14/14 is an all time record for perfect % games in the play offs. It's also worth noting that Booker was out injured from Game 2 to Game 6 of Round 1 and CP3 also put in two more MOTM performances to carry the team in the series when he commanded even more attention due to Booker not playing.

However, he had two of the biggest stinkers possible in the last two games of Round 2. In Game 3, he had 7 turnovers in the first half which he had never happened before in his career and in Game 4, he had more fouls than points and was fouled out of the game.

Basically, I feel like OS said, Booker is consistently great but doesn't quite demand the defensive strain the top tier guys. However, CP3's reason for not being top tier any more is different IMO. He quite often demands that and has destroyed teams in the 4th quarter about 4 times this play off series already nearly single handedly but his issue is that he is liable to have some truly horrendous games where he becomes a complete liability.
 
duffer

duffer

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Current CP3 can't do half of what he could in his prime but his ability to run an offense is still incredible.

The situation he is in and the roster he has at his disposal are close to perfect for him at this stage of his career and they're all thriving.

I still think he's a bit of a dick but don't mind the Sun's winning it all if it happens.
 
Uppercut

Uppercut

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It's like, the first thing me and Teja noticed about basketball was this tension inherent in a sport where it really seems like the team is what matters, but 99% of the narratives are about individuals. And now I'm noticing that the next layer of narratives is all about how teams try to resolve that tension. The Mavs trying to build something functional around Doncic. Nuggets figuring out how much to pay Jokic. Suns trying to resolve it by building around two second-tier stars instead. And the Lakers just not bothering to try to resolve it at all, with hilarious consequences.
 
duffer

duffer

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Uppercut said:
It's like, the first thing me and Teja noticed about basketball was this tension inherent in a sport where it really seems like the team is what matters, but 99% of the narratives are about individuals. And now I'm noticing that the next layer of narratives is all about how teams try to resolve that tension. The Mavs trying to build something functional around Doncic. Nuggets figuring out how much to pay Jokic. Suns trying to resolve it by building around two second-tier stars instead. And the Lakers just not bothering to try to resolve it at all, with hilarious consequences.
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Nuggs gotta pay him the supermax. No other option or he bolts
 
Teja.

Teja.

Global Moderator
Want Mavs to take this to 7. I really hope we get to see one of Clippers style destructions that Luka is capable of this series.
 
nightprowler10

nightprowler10

Global Moderator
OverratedSanity said:
Generally when people say you need a top tier star to win, its not win playoff series, its winning the whole thing. A team winning the championship without one of those guys hasn't happened since 2004. It matters more and more the deeper you go in the playoffs. Phoenix might break that if they win this year.
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I was just thinking about this. You wouldn't put 2014 Spurs there? Kwahi was on his way up and wasn't really a superstar yet and the support was pretty washed out.
 
Anil

Anil

Hall of Fame Member
nightprowler10 said:
I love Timmy but no way, at least not a Tier 1 superstar.
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are you serious?! or do you mean he wasn't one by 2014? also they crushed a heat team with james in his prime and wade and bosh pretty close to their primes as well...it was actually a more authoritative win than the pistons beating LA in 2004...the spurs played beautiful team basketball, it wasn't by any means a solo effort from kawhi, not sure what you mean by washed out support...
 
nightprowler10

nightprowler10

Global Moderator
Yeah, I am talking about Timmy in 2014 specifically. I have always rated him in my top 10 all time.

Anil said:
the spurs played beautiful team basketball, it wasn't by any means a solo effort from kawhi, not sure what you mean by washed out support...
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You're agreeing with me here. Kwahi wasn't a superstar yet and while "washed out" might be too strong a word, the rest of the cast was way past their prime. The '14 team won because they were a great team lead by a great coach not because of the superstar effect. So maybe I wasn't clear but I was disagreeing with OS that 2004 Pistons were the last example of that.
 
OverratedSanity

OverratedSanity

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nightprowler10 said:
I was just thinking about this. You wouldn't put 2014 Spurs there? Kwahi was on his way up and wasn't really a superstar yet and the support was pretty washed out.
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Yeah I was actually thinking about this,you're right. Kawhi was a couple of years away from getting to that level and Duncan past his prime for sure. I think that makes it two seasons in the past 30 or so years where the champion didn't have a bonafide superstar.

Decent chance this year gives us a third.
 
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