NBA Open Thread
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Time for an NBA playoff open thread (feel free to talk NHL too if you are so inclined or MLB too). Boston is presently up on Cleveland toward the end of the 2nd quarter in what will be likely the most boring of the conference semis. Indiana-New York was a great game last night and while I see the Knicks winning, I like what the Pacers have done.
It’s the West where things are really interesting. This Mavs-Thunder series ought to be fascinating. For all the talk about Luka Doncic, he hasn’t won a damn thing or even come close to it. I know a lot of people who think he is massively overrated and until he at least gets to the conference finals, I can’t shut them down. Meanwhile, OKC is young and fun and while young and fun usually means not quite ready for deep playoff runs, I don’t want to bet against this team.
As for Minnesota-Denver, the T-Wolves are simply put the vastly superior team right now. The Nuggets actually looked like shit against the Lakers and trailed for most of the series, except at the end of the game. It’s one thing to do that against a mediocre team like the Lakers, but against Minnesota, that is going to get you crushed. The Wolves are deep and hungry. Anthony Edwards is a literal god and I hope he stays in Minnesota long term. Towns shoots a few too many threes for his size, but it works for him. Naz Reid was totally deserving as 6th Man of the Year. Mike Conley is ancient but can still hold his own at the point. And last night, they kicked Denver’s ass without Rudy Gobert, who not only is the Defensive Player of the Year, but is simply a dominant force. Meanwhile, Jamal Murray is not really healthy. Michael Porter Jr’s entire family is now basically in jail, and they are paper thin. Christian Braun definitely did not step up as the player he looked like in the playoffs last year and the rest of the bench is pretty whatever.
Denver more or less sleepwalked through the season (or is it sleptwalked, which is evidently not a word but seems like it should be) and it is showing now. This might end in Minnesota before returning to Denver.