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Post by Admin on Jun 1, 2022 22:44:09 GMT -5
Celtics vs Warriors: 2022 NBA Finals Preview
Boston is looking for their first title since 2008 in their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010
By Keith P Smith
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors will meet in the 2022 NBA Finals. This is Boston’s first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2010. Golden State is appearing in their sixth Finals in the last eight years. The series schedule is as follow:
· Game 1 – Thursday 6/2 at Golden State – 9:00 PM ET - ABC
· Game 2 – Sunday 6/5 at Golden State – 8:00 PM ET - ABC
· Game 3 – Wednesday 6/8 at Boston – 9:00 PM ET - ABC
· Game 4 – Friday 6/10 at Boston – 9:00 PM ET - ABC
· Game 5* – Monday 6/13 at Golden State – 9:00 PM ET - ABC *if necessary
· Game 6* – Thursday 6/16 at Boston – 9:00 PM ET - ABC *if necessary
· Game 7* – Sunday 6/19 at Golden State– 8:00 PM ET - ABC - ESPN *if necessary
During the regular season the Celtics and Warriors split the series 1-1, with each team winning on the other’s home floor:
· Golden State 111 – Boston 107
· Boston 110 – Golden State 88
Neither matchup is overly indicative of what we can expect to see in The Finals. In the first game, Boston was missing Al Horford and Grant Williams. The Warriors were without Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson hadn’t returned yet. Boston erased a big halftime deficit with a huge third quarter to get back into the game. Stephen Curry then made several big plays in the fourth quarter to keep the Celtics at bay, as Golden State hung on for the win.
The second game featured both sides and relatively full health…to start the game. Late in the first half of this game, Marcus Smart dove for a loose ball and Curry sprained his foot. But even before Curry went out, the Celtics had built a solid lead. Boston used a big fourth quarter to pull away in a rout. This was one of the Celtics signature victories in the 2022 regular season.
Health Outlook
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Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Neither Boston nor Golden State will start this series at 100% full strength. Rob Williams is still dealing with sporadic soreness and swelling in his surgically repaired knee. The Celtics hope that the additional days off before and during The Finals will be helpful for Williams’ ability to play and play at a high level. Marcus Smart still has some soreness in his sprained right ankle, and he’s got various other bumps and bruises, but there are “no concerns” for his availability, per Ime Udoka. The rest of the Celtics are expected to be good to go with no issues, minus Sam Hauser who has been out for weeks with a shoulder issue.
On the Warriors side, they’ve got three role players trying to come back from injury. Andre Iguodala is trying to come back from a neck injury that has limited him for almost the entire playoffs. Gary Payton II is working his way back from a broken elbow suffered against the Memphis Grizzlies. Arguably the most important player, Otto Porter Jr., is trying to get over a foot injured suffered in the Western Conference Finals. They’ve all returned to practice, but there’s been no official updates for any of the three yet.
Starting Guards
Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown vs Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson
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Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Let’s start here: nothing about this series is really traditional, outside of each team’s starting centers being old school in-the-paint players. Both teams run a ton of offense through their wings and bigs. Both teams play virtually interchangeable basketball 1-5.
That said, we’ll stick with somewhat traditional breakdowns, because it’s how the defensive matchups are likely to play out.
Obviously, everything in the series orbits around Stephen Curry. He’s the Warriors most important offensive player. He’s also the player Boston is going to try to target on the other end of the floor.
Marcus Smart will start possessions on Curry, but in the Celtics switching system, he probably won’t finish most of them on Curry. Golden State will run a seemingly endless maze of screens and crosscuts to get Curry open. It’s important that Smart is able to call out and trust his teammates to switch and pick up Curry when he can’t fight through that traffic.
When things are more straight up, which tends to happen more when Draymond Green is on the bench, Smart has to pick Curry up at halfcourt. Anywhere inside his team’s frontcourt, Curry will let it fly. This is a series where Smart can’t lose focus for even a single possession. He’s also got to curb his natural instinct to gamble for steals. More simply put: Curry can’t be given an inch of space at any time.
Klay Thompson is back, and he’s largely looked like the guy he’s always been on offense. Because of his outstanding size, he doesn’t need any space to get his jumper off. If you focus too much on Curry, Thompson will meander his way into open space and let it fly. He’s also excellent at cutting from the backside, while the defense is locked on Curry actions. One place where Thompson isn’t quite as strong as he was pre-injury is creating offense off the dribble. More than half of his shots are three-pointers now, and a large chunk of those are spot-ups.
It’s going to be really important for Jaylen Brown to not get caught ball-watching when he’s guarding Thompson. Brown is good to great when he’s on-ball. When he’s off-ball, he can get a little lost. Brown will be key in staying with his man directly, or executing switches where the Warriors run actions involving Curry, Thompson or Jordan Poole.
When things flip to the other end, Boston gains the advantage. Golden State will deploy Curry as their designated helper as much as possible. When they trap Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, the Warriors will want it to be Curry helping off Smart or Derrick White. If they dig down on a big inside, it’ll probably be Curry coming off Smart or White.
What can help avoid this is off-ball movement. The Celtics can’t be content to just spot-up and let threes fly all the time. Timely cuts that get them into the paint against a scrambled defense will be huge in this series. In addition, look for Smart to go right at Curry some too. He’s had great success over the years by attacking Curry in the paint on drives or even on straight post-ups.
And the Celtics will, of course, hunt Curry in pick-and-roll switches to get him isolated against Jayson Tatum or Brown. The key here will be for Boston to run their screen actions in space where help can’t come as easily to scramble Curry out of the mismatch.
As for Brown against Thompson, Brown has the advantage there. For all that Thompson looks mostly like himself on offense, he’s not the same guy defensively. Brown has to avoid the live-dribble turnovers that plagued him against the Heat, but the Warriors don’t have the same active hands guys that Miami does. Brown should be able to find success driving the ball against Thompson. One key? Brown can’t over-drive the ball into too much into help in the paint. He needs to be as good about kicking the ball out as he was for lots of the Miami series, or he has to be willing to take his pullup jumper.
Advantage: Golden State. It’s Stephen Curry that gives the Warriors this advantage. He’s that good. Curry can still win games almost all by himself sometimes. If there’s any defender in the league you want on him, it’s Marcus Smart. But good offense still almost always beats good defense. Jaylen Brown can outplay Klay Thompson, but there’s no lock that will happen. The Celtics need a hyper-focused Brown on both ends of the floor.
Starting Forwards
Jayson Tatum and Al Horford vs Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23599012/usa_today_17376117.jpg) Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
This is where the Celtics have to press their advantage. Jayson Tatum is the best player of this group, and it’s by a pretty wide margin. The key is that he has to be that best player in each game of the series. Tatum can’t have any those 4-of-16 games with seven turnovers. The Warriors are too good for Boston to overcome that.
Andrew Wiggins is playing the best two-way basketball of his career. His offensive numbers with the Warriors this season rival anything he did in Minnesota; he just has less usage. That lessened role on offense has allowed Wiggins to take his defensive game to a new level. That said, the Celtics can’t treat him as a non-entity on offense. Wiggins is too good as a shooter, driver and cutter to allow that to happen.
Look for Jayson Tatum to start possessions on Wiggins, but also look for the Celtics to bump and bang him whenever the Warriors go into their screen actions. Getting physical with Wiggins still seems to throw him off his game some, and Boston is by far the most physical defense Golden State has seen in these playoffs.
When Draymond Green has the ball, Boston is going to treat him like an extreme version of Giannis Antetokounmpo, at least to some extent. The Celtics will keep size on Green with Al Horford, or Robert Williams or Grant Williams, but they’ll drop off him when he has the ball. If they can dare Green to shoot, that’s a defensive win. It also allows a big, long-armed defender to drop into passing lanes to mess up Golden State’s off-ball actions.
When Green draws a switch, look for the small to pressure his dribble and his passes. That’s one way to protect the bigs from getting endlessly worked via movement.
When Boston has the ball, Tatum has to put his stamp on the series. Wiggins is a good defender, but he’s not any better than what Tatum has already seen in these playoffs. He has to be prepared for a heavy dose of doubles and traps. But Tatum has shown a willingness to embrace being a playmaker. Something to watch? Boston will probably initiate actions higher up the floor. That will force the Warriors to defend more in space. And the Celtics should start actions earlier in the clock too. That allows Tatum to give it up when doubled and then get the ball back later in the possession.
Also, Tatum may need to be better about playing with force. Sometimes it takes him until late in games/series to start overpowering weaker defenders. In The Finals, Tatum has to make his presence felt.
As for Horford, he’ll be heavily involved as a screener, passer and spot-up shooter. But there’s room for Horford to do damage inside as well. The Warriors don’t play anyone his size or bigger, even if Green and Kevon Looney play bigger than their listed height. The key for the Celtics is to keep Horford involved. They can run a lot of stuff through him or involving Horford as a screener. And his shooting can help bend the floor at times.
Advantage: Boston. This is the inverse of the backcourt, and Jayson Tatum gives the Celtics the benefit here. If the Celtics win the 2022 NBA Finals, it will be because Tatum was the best player on the floor. Andrew Wiggins is the Warriors best hope to slow him down. Draymond Green does his best work against bigs these days, and Klay Thompson isn’t that sort of All-Defense guy anymore. If Tatum can win his matchup with Wiggins by a healthy amount, while Al Horford plays Green somewhat even, Boston will win the series.
Starting Center
Robert Williams vs Kevon Looney
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23599037/1237298183.jpg) Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
This breakdown assumes Robert Williams will be healthy enough to make an impact. In games where Williams has had any sort of extra rest, he’s been pretty effective. And there’s only one instance, between Games 3 and 4, where there’s only one day off in this series. Normally, Boston likes to deploy Williams against the other team’s weakest offensive player. He then becomes a one-man zone and he helps on everything at the rim. That won’t really work against Kevon Looney, because outside of setting screens, Looney isn’t leaving the basket area. Because of this, don’t be surprised if Ime Udoka flips the matchup and puts Williams on Draymond Green, where he can float when Green is behind the arc. Al Horford would then pick up Looney inside. This also has the added benefit of allowing the Celtics to switch actions easier when Looney is the screener, because Horford is the better on-ball defender of the two Celtics starting bigs. One last thing when the Warriors have the ball: the Celtics have to keep Looney off the offensive glass. He did a great job punishing Dallas when the Mavericks bigs had to help or got pulled out on the floor. When Boston has the ball, Looney just needs to be solid. He can’t match Williams’ vertical game, so look for him to be physical before Williams leaves the floor. He’s also going to have to be on his game after doubles and traps. He was great against the Mavs in holding down the paint when the Warriors trapped against Luka Doncic. Look for more of the same. Williams has to be available at the basket. He’s also got to be stronger with the ball, as the Heat stripped him several times. And, finally, Williams can do damage on the offensive glass in this series. Creating second chances will be huge when Boston’s offense hits one of their droughts. Advantage: Even. We’re calling this one even because of the questions around how much Robert Williams can play. If Williams can be even 80% of himself, this will tip towards Boston. He’s that impactful on both ends of the floor. If he’s dragging himself up and down the floor, as he was late in the Miami series, then Looney will be able to push him off the floor. Reserves:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23599047/usa_today_17911164.jpg) Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
This is where things can get really fun in this series. To start with, outside of Jordan Poole, we have no idea who Steve Kerr will have available, or who he’ll turn to for minutes. On the Boston side, there’s opportunity for both Payton Pritchard and Daniel Theis to re-emerge after Ime Udoka went away from them in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Poole is the best player of this bunch. He’s a scoring dynamo and he’s going to play 30-plus minutes per night. Boston will need to account for him during the minutes he’s in the game, and they have to treat him exactly the same as they will Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Poole is that good.
The rest of the Warriors are kind of a mixed bag. If Otto Porter Jr. is healthy, he’ll play a good amount. Kerr likes him in smaller lineups alongside Green or Looney. He’s got enough size to battle inside, while also being competitive on the perimeter.
Who else Kerr plays is just a guess. He’ll go by feel from game-to-game and even quarter-to-quarter. Kerr has a good sense within minutes if one of his reserves has it that night or not. If healthy, Gary Payton II will play because of his on-ball defense. Andre Iguodala will also get a chance because Kerr trusts him as much as he trusts any other member of his core group.
For Boston, Ime Udoka will rely on Derrick White and Grant Williams to both log close to 30 minutes a night. White’s defense against all sorts of Warriors will be huge. He’s been excellent at navigating screens, so he’s a good fit to chase Curry, Thompson and Poole around. On offense, White needs to stay on the attack. He seemed to re-find his jumper late in the Miami series too. That’s huge if it sticks around for The Finals.
Williams will be a key player no matter what. He’ll be asked to play the mini-Draymond Green role that was projected for him when he came out of Tennessee. But, more than that, Williams needs to be a mini-Al Horford. He has to shoot when open and can’t lose his confidence. Much like the Milwaukee Bucks did, the Warriors may challenge Williams to shoot it. If a few don’t go down, Williams can’t record scratch and pass them up. It throws off the whole rhythm of Boston’s offense when that happens.
Pritchard and Theis fell out of the rotation against the Heat, but they could both play in this series. Golden State doesn’t hunt mismatches like Miami does, and Pritchard is pretty good off-ball about fighting through screens and staying attached to his man. His shooting will also be huge in this series when the Warriors force Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to give the ball up.
Theis can work here unlike previous series. He’ll battle, but Theis can be overpowered by the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. The Warriors don’t have bigs like that. If Rob Williams is even remotely limited, Ime Udoka will probably turn to Theis more readily than he did in the last two series.
Advantage: Boston. Jordan Poole is the best bench player in the series, but Boston has more reliable depth overall. If Derrick White can knock down jumpers at a passable clip, he’ll be as key to this series as Poole is. Grant Williams is the best reserve big. And Payton Pritchard can have a big impact in this one as well. Beyond Poole, Kerr might be doing some searching to find production off his bench.
Coaching
Ime Udoka vs Steve Kerr
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23599057/1233878941.jpg) Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images
In the past two series, we gave the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat the coaching advantage because Mike Budenholzer and Erik Spoelstra had been there, done that. Both times, Ime Udoka more than held his own and Boston won.
It’s more of the same this time. Steve Kerr has been to five NBA Finals already. Ime Udoka is about to coach his fourth playoff series. Kerr is among the best coaches in the NBA of managing his roster. His guys stay ready, because they never know when their number will be called. 14 different Warriors have played key non-blowout minutes in games already in these playoffs. Or better put: the entire available Golden State roster has logged important non-garbage time.
Kerr will also mix and match his lineups. He’ll go with two bigs sometimes or he’ll go ultra-small with no bigs at times. The Warriors will push when it’s there, but they’ll take their time more often than not. The offense features concepts more than sets. The defense executes at a high level, because Kerr puts them in place to make decisions on the fly. Kerr doesn’t over-coach, but he’s also not just rolling the ball out there either.
Udoka has proven himself in a gauntlet so far. He employed a very physical approach to defense against the Brooklyn Nets and the Nets wilted against it. Udoka’s defensive plan against the Bucks was to bang Giannis Antetokounmpo as much as possible and hope that he’d eventually wear down. Against the Miami Heat, the Celtics were great...when they didn’t throw the ball away.
Udoka has earned the trust from his team as far as lineups and minutes go. He’s cut down the rotation at times, but his guys have stayed ready when called upon. And Udoka made good adjustment against Miami’s trapping defense to put the Celtics in places to still keep the offense moving.
One last thing: You don’t win seven road playoff games in three rounds without your coach setting a tone. Ime Udoka has his guys believing.
Advantage: Golden State. Much like the last two series, it’s hard to pick against a coach who has won titles, when the other guy has won just one two three series. But this one is really close. Ime Udoka is rapidly closing the gap on the best coaches in the game. Steve Kerr is terrific, and he’s been there, done that. But so had Mike Budenholzer and Erik Spoelstra too.
Prediction
Celtics in six games.
This series is full of what makes basketball great. Both teams can play big. Both teams can play small. Both will run when they can, and both will execute some of the best stuff around in the halfcourt. It’s different styles, but styles make fights.
A major key in this series will be turnovers. Both Boston and Golden State are prone to having halves and games where they throw the ball all over the gym. Whoever can control that more often will have a major advantage in The Finals.
The confidence in this prediction comes from the Boston Celtics being battle tested in these playoffs. The Brooklyn Nets weren’t your average 7-seed. They had the star power. Boston took them down. The Milwaukee Bucks were the defending champs and could have closed the Celtics out in Game 6. They didn’t. The Miami Heat have the NBA’s best coach and a ton of veterans. When they won Game 6 in Boston, it was supposed to end for the Celtics in Miami. That didn’t happen.
The Celtics haven’t made it easy on themselves. Even in sweeping the Nets, most of the games were battles. Heck, even this season hasn’t been easy. Boston was under .500 as late as January 21. But that’s all in the past.
And that’s what matters to these Celtics. They put the past behind them better than any team in recent memory. It’s only about what’s next. And what’s next is taking down the NBA’s current reigning dynasty in the Golden State Warriors.
After finally getting over the hump in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics know the job isn’t done. We don’t hang banners in Boston for Conference Championships. And it’s been too long since we’ve hung the last one. It’s time for Banner 18.
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Post by Admin on Jun 1, 2022 23:24:39 GMT -5
Boston Celtics guard no longer listed on injury report before NBA Finals
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) By Matt Vautour | mvautour@masslive.com
During his NBA Finals media day session, Ime Udoka listed Marcus Smart as still questionable for Thursday night’s Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors. But when the Celtics’ injury report came out at 7:30 p.m. Smart wasn’t on it. The 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year is expected to take his usual spot in the starting lineup at 9 p.m. as Boston chases its 18th championship. Warriors injury report: Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr., Gary Payton II questionable for Game 1Robert Williams is the lone Celtics still on the injury report. He’s questionable with knee soreness. Udoka said he’ll be questionable/day-to-day throughout the postseason. Sam Hauser, Boston’s little-used bench player, who’d been out with a “right shoulder instability episode” was also no longer on the report.
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Post by hedleylamarr on Jun 2, 2022 7:26:56 GMT -5
Golden State’s Stephen Curry has never won an NBA Finals MVP award, but oddsmakers believe this is his year. Curry is the consensus favorite to be named MVP of the Finals between the Warriors and Boston Celtics at sportsbooks around the nation. He’s the even-money favorite at Caesars Sportsbook. – via David Purdum @ ESPN
Top Rumors, Awards, Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
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Post by petey62 on Jun 2, 2022 9:18:15 GMT -5
Game Day. This is what it's all about.
NBA Finals - Petey Game Day Schedule (all times Eastern Standard Time)
5:00 pm - End my remote work day
5:00 - 5:30 pm - Eat dinner
5:30 - 8:30 pm - Lounge around including a Power nap on couch with lucky Celtics t-shirt on
8:30 - 9:00 pm - Get set for Game 1 (plan is to watch entire game dependent on effectiveness of 5:30 - 8:30 pm Power nap)
9:00 pm - Game Time
12:30 am - Celtics win Game 1
12:40 am - Bedtime (night night)
Let's go Celtics
PS: Should the "Subject" of the thread be: NBA Finals Gm 1: Celtics @ Warriors (Thu 6/2 @ 9PM on ABC)
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Post by kivancb on Jun 2, 2022 9:50:25 GMT -5
copied from Petey:
NBA Finals - kivanc Game Day Schedule (all times Central European Time)
5:30 pm - End my remote work day
5:30 - 6:00 pm - Eat dinner
6:00 - 10:00 pm - watch shit on Netflix, chill with wife whilst thinking about the game which is supposed to start at 3:00 AM but won't before 3:15 AM
10:00 - 12:00 - Think about sleeping early but knowing that you won't be able to, keep chilling in front of TV.
12:00 - 02:00 AM- Go to bed and try to sleep, but fail to do so, as you've been so hyped.
02:00 - 03:00 AM - Get up and start waiting for the game to begin.
03:00 - 03:15 AM - The f***in game just won't start???
03:15 - 05:30 AM - Kick some SF ass
05:30 - 08:00 AM - Try to sleep at last but fail to do so because of excitement
08:00 - 09:00 AM - Sleep. finally...
09:00 AM - Start of remote work day. Jeesh....
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Post by petey62 on Jun 2, 2022 9:53:07 GMT -5
LOVE IT. We all prepare our own way.
But wow, Central European Time.
Will be in Amsterdam in August.
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Post by drewski6 on Jun 2, 2022 9:53:19 GMT -5
Golden State’s Stephen Curry has never won an NBA Finals MVP award, but oddsmakers believe this is his year. Curry is the consensus favorite to be named MVP of the Finals between the Warriors and Boston Celtics at sportsbooks around the nation. He’s the even-money favorite at Caesars Sportsbook. – via David Purdum @ ESPN Top Rumors, Awards, Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors Thats bananas. I would think Tatum. Vegas giving the edge to GS? |
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Post by kyceltic on Jun 2, 2022 9:56:38 GMT -5
copied from Petey: NBA Finals - kivanc Game Day Schedule (all times Central European Time) 5:30 pm - End my remote work day 5:30 - 6:00 pm - Eat dinner 6:00 - 10:00 pm - watch shit on Netflix, chill with wife whilst thinking about the game which is supposed to start at 3:00 AM but won't before 3:15 AM 10:00 - 12:00 - Think about sleeping early but knowing that you won't be able to, keep chilling in front of TV. 12:00 - 02:00 AM- Go to bed and try to sleep, but fail to do so, as you've been so hyped. 02:00 - 03:00 AM - Get up and start waiting for the game to begin. 03:00 - 03:15 AM - The f***in game just won't start??? 03:15 - 05:30 AM - Kick some SF ass 05:30 - 08:00 AM - Try to sleep at last but fail to do so because of excitement 08:00 - 09:00 AM - Sleep. finally... 09:00 AM - Start of remote work day. Jeesh.... You are the man!! |
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Post by kyceltic on Jun 2, 2022 9:57:33 GMT -5
June 2nd and we're still playing!!
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Post by hedleylamarr on Jun 2, 2022 9:59:40 GMT -5
Not that anyone cares, but the schedule thing looks like fun:
2:40 - leave school
3 - arrive home, decompress, put on "play" clothes
3:30 - talk to GF who is not a hoop fan
4:30 - power nap
5:15 - go for walk
6 - waste time watching useless videos on youtube about sovereign citizens and Karens'
7 - order my "lucky" pizza, which is 3-1
8 - to the mancave for a quick game of pool
8:30 - talk to GF and say goodnight
9 - GAME - Celtics get big lead and withstand a GSW flurry at the end of the game to win Game 1.
12:30 - ish - bed time, and thank God tomorrow is Friday!!
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Post by cole on Jun 2, 2022 9:59:53 GMT -5
Golden State’s Stephen Curry has never won an NBA Finals MVP award, but oddsmakers believe this is his year. Curry is the consensus favorite to be named MVP of the Finals between the Warriors and Boston Celtics at sportsbooks around the nation. He’s the even-money favorite at Caesars Sportsbook. – via David Purdum @ ESPN Top Rumors, Awards, Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors Thats bananas. I would think Tatum. Vegas giving the edge to GS? I'm not sure what they're saying. What is an even money favorite? Even with whom? Anyway I used to always bet against the Dallas cowboys because their fan base is stupid and over bet. Some of that hype involved here. |
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Post by drewski6 on Jun 2, 2022 10:08:03 GMT -5
June 2nd and we're still playing!! and complaining lol |
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Post by drewski6 on Jun 2, 2022 10:09:36 GMT -5
Thats bananas. I would think Tatum. Vegas giving the edge to GS? I'm not sure what they're saying. What is an even money favorite? Even with whom? Anyway I used to always bet against the Dallas cowboys because their fan base is stupid and over bet. Some of that hype involved here. even money favorite means if you pick steph to win mvp you get 1:1 on your money (risk 100 to win 100). It also means that everyone else has a bonus (e.g. risk 100 to win 150, or 200, or 450) depending on the player obvs. Im sure Tatum is close to even money, maybe hes 100 to win 115 |
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Post by drewski6 on Jun 2, 2022 10:14:13 GMT -5
Stephen Curry (GSW) Even
Jayson Tatum (BOS) +190
Jaylen Brown (BOS) +1000
Klay Thompson (GSW) +1200
Draymond Green (GSW) +1500
Marcus Smart (BOS) +2500
Jordan Poole (GSW) +2800
Andrew Wiggins (GSW) +3200
Al Horford (BOS) +8000
Derrick White (BOS) +8000
Kevon Looney (GSW) +10000
Otto Porter (GSW) +15000
Grant Williams (BOS) +20000
Jonathan Kuminga (GSW) +20000
Robert Williams (BOS) +20000
Payton Pritchard (BOS) +30000
I would put 200 (to win 380+ your 200 back) on Tatum, thats weird to me that he isnt closer to even.
I would also put 40 on Jaylen (to win 400 + your 40 back)
If tatum wins, you profit 340. If Jaylen wins you profit 200 (400 - missed tatum bet). If anyone else wins, you lose 240.
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Post by cole on Jun 2, 2022 10:16:11 GMT -5
I'm not sure what they're saying. What is an even money favorite? Even with whom? Anyway I used to always bet against the Dallas cowboys because their fan base is stupid and over bet. Some of that hype involved here. even money favorite means if you pick steph to win mvp you get 1:1 on your money (risk 100 to win 100). It also means that everyone else has a bonus (e.g. risk 100 to win 150, or 200, or 450) depending on the player obvs. Im sure Tatum is close to even money, maybe hes 100 to win 115 Al horford might be a good bet. The same odds as white? Maybe if White could stop steph from scoring |
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Post by kyceltic on Jun 2, 2022 10:23:20 GMT -5
Not that anyone cares, but the schedule thing looks like fun: 2:40 - leave school 3 - arrive home, decompress, put on "play" clothes 3:30 - talk to GF who is not a hoop fan 4:30 - power nap 5:15 - go for walk 6 - waste time watching useless videos on youtube about sovereign citizens and Karens' 7 - order my "lucky" pizza, which is 3-1 8 - to the mancave for a quick game of pool 8:30 - talk to GF and say goodnight 9 - GAME - Celtics get big lead and withstand a GSW flurry at the end of the game to win Game 1. 12:30 - ish - bed time, and thank God tomorrow is Friday!! Pool helped support my life style in my young adult years!! 9 ball specifically!! |
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Post by quagmire on Jun 2, 2022 10:24:00 GMT -5
To me the key will be how physical will the refs let the players be? If its as physical as the last two series, that benefits the C's. If the refs try to make it a finesse game, that favors the Warriors. Either way I expect to see Steph Curry at the FT line often. Lets hope Tatum and Brown finally get some respect from the refs!
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Post by cole on Jun 2, 2022 10:25:47 GMT -5
To me the key will be how physical will the refs let the players be? If its as physical as the last two series, that benefits the C's. If the refs try to make it a finesse game, that favors the Warriors. Either way I expect to see Steph Curry at the FT line often. Lets hope Tatum and Brown finally get some respect from the refs! Exactly. The nba gave cleveland that series by lifting Steph's protection. |
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Post by quagmire on Jun 2, 2022 10:34:54 GMT -5
Game Day. This is what it's all about. NBA Finals - Petey Game Day Schedule (all times Eastern Standard Time) 5:00 pm - End my remote work day 5:00 - 5:30 pm - Eat dinner 5:30 - 8:30 pm - Lounge around including a Power nap on couch with lucky Celtics t-shirt on 8:30 - 9:00 pm - Get set for Game 1 (plan is to watch entire game dependent on effectiveness of 5:30 - 8:30 pm Power nap) 9:00 pm - Game Time 12:30 am - Celtics win Game 1 12:40 am - Bedtime (night night) Let's go Celtics PS: Should the "Subject" of the thread be: NBA Finals Gm 1: Celtics @ Warriors (Thu 6/2 @ 9PM on ABC) If the C's win you wont make this time hack! You'll be too pumped to sleep so you'll stay awake an extra hour or two, watch the highlights, the postgame show etc.! At least that's what I do! If we lose I am right in bed but cant sleep for anything! |
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Post by hedleylamarr on Jun 2, 2022 10:40:30 GMT -5
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Post by kyceltic on Jun 2, 2022 10:41:57 GMT -5
Game Day. This is what it's all about. NBA Finals - Petey Game Day Schedule (all times Eastern Standard Time) 5:00 pm - End my remote work day 5:00 - 5:30 pm - Eat dinner 5:30 - 8:30 pm - Lounge around including a Power nap on couch with lucky Celtics t-shirt on 8:30 - 9:00 pm - Get set for Game 1 (plan is to watch entire game dependent on effectiveness of 5:30 - 8:30 pm Power nap) 9:00 pm - Game Time 12:30 am - Celtics win Game 1 12:40 am - Bedtime (night night) Let's go Celtics PS: Should the "Subject" of the thread be: NBA Finals Gm 1: Celtics @ Warriors (Thu 6/2 @ 9PM on ABC) If the C's win you wont make this time hack! You'll be too pumped to sleep so you'll stay awake an extra hour or two, watch the highlights, the postgame show etc.! At least that's what I do! If we lose I am right in bed but cant sleep for anything! Win or lose, I'll still be awake 3 hours after the game! |
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Post by puddin on Jun 2, 2022 10:45:37 GMT -5
washingtonpost.com
Warriors and Celtics show patience can still pay off in the NBA
Ben Golliver
SAN FRANCISCO — The NBA’s player empowerment era, which launched when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade’s Miami Heat in 2010, largely has been defined by quick-fix success stories.
The “Heatles” won two titles. Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors and won two of his own. James returned to the Cavaliers, shipped out young prospects for Kevin Love and won another. Kawhi Leonard tired of San Antonio and immediately led the Toronto Raptors to a championship. The next year, Anthony Davis won his first ring after forcing his way to the Los Angeles Lakers. And bold trades for Jrue Holiday and Chris Paul catapulted the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns to last year’s Finals.
When superstars move markets and combine forces, championships often follow. This isn’t a foolproof formula, especially now that so many high-level players are pursuing the same strategy. Look no further than the Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets, who entered the season as title favorites but won a combined zero playoff games because their thrown-together headliners couldn’t get on the same page.
This year’s Finals between the Warriors and the Boston Celtics is proof that instant gratification by way of trade requests and splashy free agency power plays isn’t the only way to win big in the NBA. The Warriors and Celtics took a deliberate approach to reach this summit, drafting and developing their cores while plowing ahead through challenging circumstances, from major injuries to playoff disappointments, that could have led them to scrap their blueprints.
“Patience,” said a Western Conference general manager, who spoke on the condition of anonymity so he could discuss rival teams, when asked why Golden State and Boston will take center stage at the Finals, which open Thursday in San Francisco. “It’s probably the trickiest element to winning now. The last few years have been a very impulsive time. Owners get impatient. GMs get impatient. Players get impatient. Agents get impatient. Fans get impatient. Giving into pressure from any of those can throw a team off course.”
For the Warriors, everything starts with Stephen Curry, the NBA’s longest-tenured active player with a single franchise aside from seldom-used Heat forward Udonis Haslem. The 34-year-old guard is in his 13th season, and his reliable presence has enabled Golden State to enjoy multiple eras of success with him as the centerpiece, much like Tim Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, selected in the 2011 and 2012 drafts, have flanked Curry to form a homegrown Hall of Fame trio that have reached six Finals and are seeking their fourth title.
The bond among Curry, Thompson and Green has never wavered — not even after the 2019 Finals, when Durant left in free agency, Thompson suffered a serious knee injury and both Thompson and Green were due expensive contracts. What could have been an opportunity for ownership to dramatically retool the roster or for Curry to seek greener pastures was instead a blip on the radar. Thompson and Green signed new deals, and everyone agreed to hang tight until Thompson was back on the court, even if that meant enduring a 15-50 record in 2019-20.
That process repeated the next season, when Thompson suffered an Achilles’ injury shortly before the 2020-21 season. Again, Golden State’s stars stayed committed to one another and ownership kept the faith as the organization shifted its focus to empowering complementary younger players such as Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole. Even this season, injuries kept Curry, Thompson and Green from aligning until the playoffs. The three stars played just 11 minutes together over three regular season games before banding together to lead playoff series victories over the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks.
“There’s DNA that you can’t really teach,” Curry said after the Western Conference finals. “The pieces fit. How we play. What we do. You have to have the competitive spirit and fire to find ways to win games. We talked about it at the beginning of the Denver series. We had no clue how it was going to shape up, but you can build off the experience that we’ve had over the last 10-plus years.”
During their two down seasons, the Warriors plummeted so far in the standings that they accumulated three lottery picks: James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. Golden State had the opportunity to package those youngsters for another high-level veteran who could help with a championship chase. The Warriors chose restraint instead.
“We took some criticism that we should trade all our draft choices to get one more great player,” Warriors owner Joe Lacob said Monday. “I was very adamant about it: That was not the path that we were going to go. We want to be great for a long time.”
Though Boston’s core is significantly younger than its Warriors counterparts, the Celtics have endured their fair share of trials and tribulations. Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are in their fifth season together, having been selected in the 2014, 2016 and 2017 draft lotteries. Their formative years featured plenty of winning — Boston has reached the Eastern Conference finals in four of the past six seasons — but also included an ill-fated stint with Kyrie Irving.
While Curry, Thompson and Green always seemed to enjoy a seamless fit, Boston’s trio presented a more complicated story. During the 2020 playoffs, Smart led a locker-room ruckus and went on a profanity-laced tirade following a loss. In key postseason moments, Tatum, Boston’s top offensive talent, repeatedly faded to the background, while Smart, a defense-first guard with a shaky jumper, often shot too much.
After enduring years of trade speculation, Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum, left, and Jaylen Brown, right, have reached their first NBA Finals. (Lynne Sladky/AP)
The heartbreaks mounted: The Celtics lost a Game 7 at home to James’s Cavaliers in the 2018 East finals. They were wiped off the court by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks in the 2019 second round. They fell to the Miami Heat in the 2020 East finals. And they lost to the Nets in last year’s first round. As Boston’s late-game offense faltered during a slow start this season, Smart called out Tatum and Brown: “They don’t want to pass the ball, and that’s something that they’re going to learn.”
That string of setbacks prompted one existential crisis after another. Irving, who once said he had a “dream of putting my number 11 in the rafters one day,” bailed for the Nets in 2019. For years, critics argued that Tatum and Brown were redundant and that the pair of scoring-minded wings should be broken up via trade. As for Smart, he was flirting with being too honest for his own good.
“There were definitely some tough moments,” Tatum said Sunday. “Can we do it? You start to realize how hard it is to win. You start to question yourself. ‘Are you good enough to be that guy?’ But I think you just trust in yourself and trust in the work that you put in to get to this point. It can’t rain forever.”
The Celtics resisted the temptation to part with Tatum, Brown or Smart, instead choosing to make significant changes around them. Danny Ainge, the executive who had drafted all three, departed last summer. Brad Stevens, the only coach the trio had known, replaced Ainge, and Ime Udoka, who prized accountability and steadiness after years with the Spurs, took Stevens’s spot on the bench.
Stevens displayed a deft touch in his first year as an executive, shipping out underperforming guard Kemba Walker to acquire Al Horford, a much-needed frontcourt defensive anchor. At the deadline, Boston added backup guard Derrick White, who has provided vital contributions during the playoffs, while moving on from Dennis Schröder, whose ball-dominant style proved to be a poor fit. With Walker and Schröder out of the picture, Udoka entrusted Smart to function as a point guard, a role that hadn’t always come naturally to him. The 28-year-old responded by averaging 12.1 points and a career-high 5.9 assists while winning defensive player of the year honors.
“Some said a split,” Smart wrote on Twitter, alongside a photo of himself, Tatum and Brown celebrating their Eastern Conference finals victory. “We said a family.”
Stevens’s faith in his core and his savvy moves around the edges paid off handsomely; they allowed Boston to field an athletic and imposing starting five that delivered the NBA’s No. 1 defense. After a 25-25 start, the Celtics closed with a 26-6 record before getting revenge against the Nets, Bucks and Heat in the playoffs. Along the way, Boston dug out of a 3-2 hole against Milwaukee, came back from a 2-1 deficit against Miami, prevailed in two Game 7s and accumulated a 6-0 record after a loss.
That persistence, forged over five unpredictable seasons, has become the Celtics’ calling card.
“[The Celtics] have probably done it the way that it’s supposed to happen,” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said after Game 7 of the East finals. “You build a team, and you have frustrating losses. You stay together, keep your core together, keep your culture together and then you eventually find a breakthrough. They have gone through the fire.”
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Post by petey62 on Jun 2, 2022 10:46:25 GMT -5
Game Day. This is what it's all about. NBA Finals - Petey Game Day Schedule (all times Eastern Standard Time) 5:00 pm - End my remote work day 5:00 - 5:30 pm - Eat dinner 5:30 - 8:30 pm - Lounge around including a Power nap on couch with lucky Celtics t-shirt on 8:30 - 9:00 pm - Get set for Game 1 (plan is to watch entire game dependent on effectiveness of 5:30 - 8:30 pm Power nap) 9:00 pm - Game Time 12:30 am - Celtics win Game 1 12:40 am - Bedtime (night night) Let's go Celtics PS: Should the "Subject" of the thread be: NBA Finals Gm 1: Celtics @ Warriors (Thu 6/2 @ 9PM on ABC) If the C's win you wont make this time hack! You'll be too pumped to sleep so you'll stay awake an extra hour or two, watch the highlights, the postgame show etc.! At least that's what I do! If we lose I am right in bed but cant sleep for anything! You know, you're probably right. My hope is if I turn off the tv, I can get to sleep. I will spend most of Friday watching the playback and every ESPN daily show analyzing the game. |
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Post by hedleylamarr on Jun 2, 2022 12:21:59 GMT -5
Shams Charania: Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II is on track to dress and be available for Game 1 of the NBA Finals vs. Boston tonight, sources tell me and @anthony Slater. Remarkable return process for Payton after fracturing his left elbow on May 3. – via Twitter ShamsCharania
Injuries, Gary Payton II, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors
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Post by hedleylamarr on Jun 2, 2022 12:22:30 GMT -5
His Celtics players have lauded their coach’s toughness, his disarming honesty, and his résumé as a former player, but how much do they really know about the 44-year-old, who honed his coaching skills as an assistant in San Antonio from 2012 to 2019? Have they noticed the scar on the back of his head? “Yes,” answers forward Grant Williams. “He got hit by a bus or a car or something. Ime has been through it.” Williams was talking about Udoka’s circuitous ascent to the NBA, but he just as easily could have been referring to his first season as the Celtics’ head coach. – via Jackie MacMullan @ The Ringer
Coaching, Ime Udoka, Grant Williams, Boston Celtics
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