2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

[JazzMan]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

I don't want to make this argument for the 1,000 time.

People keep judging him like he's still a small forward. He isn't. He is like Adebayo, even better actually, a PF that can handle the ball, play make & has perimeter skills.

Difference is Miami has done an excellent job of surrounding him & Bulter with a ton of shooters. Instead of having a clear liability like Bledsoe, who's outside shot no one respects or fears.

Yes, it would make him unstoppable if he can get his perimeter shot at respectable rate and his free - throw percentage back at 70%.

Still he literally does everything else at a high level like defend, rebound, play make & score (even without a consistent perimeter shot).

He needs more shooters around him - which should mean bye bye Bledsoe - with possible a third star with him & Middleton.

Also, these type of series and losses hurt like hell & fans/the media over state their significance, but all the greats go through this.

The coach needs to do a better job, Giannis needs to stop settling for outside jumpers (it could've been the ankle bothering him) & his teammates need to step up. If not then changes need to happen before they lose a generational talent.

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I dont think position matters much anymore in today's league. For him being a superstar who can't shoot, his offense becomes extremely one-dimensional, and good coaches will 100% take advantage of that in the postseason when they can make game to game adjustments

Milwaukee was 4th in the regular season in 3PMs this year. He has plenty of shooting around him - Middleton, Lopez, Hill, Matthews, Korver, DiVincenzo, Connaughton, all of them can shoot - but for him to be most effective he needs to score inside; it's very hard to do that when teams wall up in the playoffs and force him to take a jumper, kick out, or foul him

Most of the blame will be placed on Bledsoe and Bud (as it should), but if Giannis wants to get over the hump, he needs to take that next step with his jumpshot and at least be a credible threat with it. You can't keep relying on role players to bail you out with threes. As a superstar, you NEED touches in the playoffs to win, and those touches just aren't going to be as efficient when teams are literally walling up in the paint waiting for you to drive in to them

Look at the other top tier players in the league. All of them can shoot it, they can take it inside, it's harder to guard because of that inside-outside ability. Harden, LeBron, Kawhi, Durant, even Steph, all of them are legitimate threats because they can score anywhere on the floor

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[DamnYanks2]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Miami has been a fun team all year long. Can't find a better tandem then Pat Riley pulling the strings and putting it all together and Eric Spoelstra making the thing happen on the court. Great player scouting drafting and coaching.

Could be a real nice team for a long time. And they got some hard uniforms lol

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[dubcity]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Spo is a savage.

[areobee401]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Spo is a savage.

Best head coach in the eastern conference.


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[J_Posse]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

IDK how much you can exactly fix by Sunday... Because tbh, I 100% believe if they lose Sunday Giannis asks to be traded.

Man, I hope he wouldn't bow out of Milwaukee like that. The system(s) is (or are) effective but coach Bud needs to be more flexible.

Or the next coach needs to figure out what can take them over this hurdle to a championship.

All hope isn't lost. The Spurs (before Duncan), Mavericks, Cavaliers, etc. all had these same growing pains & "embarrassing" outcomes before winning.

I remember when the Lakers embarrassed them/"us" in consecutive playoffs after winning in '99. I thought Duncan was gonna bounce (to Orlando) and we'd never see another championship.

The team brought over Ginobili & found an absolute gem in Tony Parker at the end of the first - round. Four more championships came our way.

Be patient & hope for positive changes or internal improvement. Even if y'all lose this series, y'all aren't that far away.

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[J_Posse]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

I dont think position matters much anymore in today's league. For him being a superstar who can't shoot, his offense becomes extremely one-dimensional, and good coaches will 100% take advantage of that in the postseason when they can make game to game adjustments

Milwaukee was 4th in the regular season in 3PMs this year. He has plenty of shooting around him - Middleton, Lopez, Hill, Matthews, Korver, DiVincenzo, Connaughton, all of them can shoot - but for him to be most effective he needs to score inside; it's very hard to do that when teams wall up in the playoffs and force him to take a jumper, kick out, or foul him

Most of the blame will be placed on Bledsoe and Bud (as it should), but if Giannis wants to get over the hump, he needs to take that next step with his jumpshot and at least be a credible threat with it. You can't keep relying on role players to bail you out with threes. As a superstar, you NEED touches in the playoffs to win, and those touches just aren't going to be as efficient when teams are literally walling up in the paint waiting for you to drive in to them

Look at the other top tier players in the league. All of them can shoot it, they can take it inside, it's harder to guard because of that inside-outside ability. Harden, LeBron, Kawhi, Durant, even Steph, all of them are legitimate threats because they can score anywhere on the floor

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Come on, man.

My apologies, I misspoke & you are right both teams are high - volume in tree-point attempts. That point I will concede to you, but they could still use a better fit at PG.

That defense can be cracked because I saw LeBron do it with my very own eyes in '13. Again, they need a much, much better starting caliber PG that can facility & shoot three - pointers at a high volume.

When Bledsoe isn't forcing a bad shot, turning the ball over or driving into traffic, the opponent is literally ignoring him on offense.

He is a complete liability on that end & his game is incompatible with what they need.

And I'm gonna leave all the "positions don't matter" & "position less basketball" arguements alone. Once they stop placing emphasis on two guards, two forwards, a center and the Rockets win multiple championships we can return to all that nonsense.

And they can place Giannis on spots on the floor where he can attack more easily. They had him facing up at the top of the circle/free-throw line area and he was killing Miami.

Coach Bud goes away from that, inexplicably sits Giannis in a critical 4th quarter & his teammates tighten up and stop playing hard (again).

And you are ignoring the fact that none of those guys (including Leonard) is nearly as important or as good as Giannis on defense. Apparently, he needs to be a deity & have "no holes in his game" to get his credit.

Ridiculous standard & expectations being placed on him.





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[ojandpizza]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Bucks just don’t have it come playoff time man. And if Giannis and Middleton can’t play 40+ minutes in a playoff game what’s the point of having superstars. Coaching is to blame, Giannis, Bledsoe, and Middleton is to blame, its all a mess. Brook Lopez and George Hill are the only two guys on the team playing to their expectations, that’s not enough to chase a ring.


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[cima]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Bucks just don’t have it come playoff time man. And if Giannis and Middleton can’t play 40+ minutes in a playoff game what’s the point of having superstars. Coaching is to blame, Giannis, Bledsoe, and Middleton is to blame, its all a mess. Brook Lopez and George Hill are the only two guys on the team playing to their expectations, that’s not enough to chase a ring.


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Bud will 100% be fired. Imagine limiting LeBron, MJ, Kobe, Kawhi, KD, Steph, Bird, Magic, Kareem, Shaq, Iverson, McGrady, or anyone else you want to name only 35 MPG in the freaking playoffs.

[J_Posse]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Bucks just don’t have it come playoff time man. And if Giannis and Middleton can’t play 40+ minutes in a playoff game what’s the point of having superstars. Coaching is to blame, Giannis, Bledsoe, and Middleton is to blame, its all a mess. Brook Lopez and George Hill are the only two guys on the team playing to their expectations, that’s not enough to chase a ring.


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Nah, I'm ok with putting most of the blame on coach Bud & Bledsoe. Bud for being a ******* unwilling to play his best players 40+ minutes & Bledsoe for being a ghost for the second straight playoffs.

Superstars can be great til the cows come home, but if secondary & role players don't show up.........



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[ojandpizza]

2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

And neither of you think Bud would play Giannis 45 minutes if Giannis said he wanted to stay in the game? Idk man.

Giannis as good as he is still isn’t making big adjustments in reaction to opposing defenses either, I’m not sure the mental aspect of his game is up to par with the rest of it. Middleton year after year under-performs come playoff time so this isn’t anything new for him or Bledsoe.


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[cima]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

And neither of you think Bud would play Giannis 45 minutes if Giannis said he wanted to stay in the game? Idk man.

Giannis as good as he is still isn’t making big adjustments in reaction to opposing defenses either, I’m not sure the mental aspect of his game is up to par with the rest of it. Middleton year after year under-performs come playoff time so this isn’t anything new for him or Bledsoe.


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Giannis deserves plenty of blame but for all I know he was playing on a really bad ankle, still waiting to hear on that one.

[dubcity]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Giannis went 7/21. People trying to protect him from criticism need to chill.

[J_Posse]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Giannis went 7/21. People trying to protect him from criticism need to chill.

I mentioned that he needs to stop settling & attack off the dribble. All those terribly missed three - pointers were deflating & unnecessary for a team on the way to a collapse.

He may have been settling for those shots because of pain from the ankle sprain. He was clearly wincing and in pain whenever he would jump or try to cut off the ankle.

No one is above criticism. I was arguing more for his standing & placement in the NBA.

And neither of you think Bud would play Giannis 45 minutes if Giannis said he wanted to stay in the game? Idk man.

Giannis as good as he is still isn’t making big adjustments in reaction to opposing defenses either, I’m not sure the mental aspect of his game is up to par with the rest of it. Middleton year after year under-performs come playoff time so this isn’t anything new for him or Bledsoe.

He should be demanding to play more minutes especially playing the entire 4th quarter.

I understand why his minutes have been limited so far with his foul trouble(s) in games 1 & 2 plus the injury scare/concern of tonight.


If he's even 90% on Sunday then coach Bud has to get out of this stupid mindset & play him 40 to 44 minutes.

I see you questing Antetokounmpo's decision making, again, so what is it in particular you see that he lacks still?

He's out there trying to do everything & while lacking another quality facilitator/ballhandler. I think Giannis & Khris would both look better with that type of player on the team.


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[DIESEL]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

I dont think position matters much anymore in today's league. For him being a superstar who can't shoot, his offense becomes extremely one-dimensional, and good coaches will 100% take advantage of that in the postseason when they can make game to game adjustments

- but for him to be most effective he needs to score inside; it's very hard to do that when teams wall up in the playoffs and force him to take a jumper, kick out, or foul him

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This sums it up right here.

Toronto drew up the blueprint last year. Miami is just following the plan.

They are not going to let Gianni's get his 20 points a game just grabbing the defensive board and going coast-to-coast.

Now the fact that the Bucks appear to have no answer to the exact same game plan that eliminated them last year is an organizational failure from top to bottom.

Everyone deserves some blame. But I can guarantee you they're not going to fire Giannis.

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[JazzMan]

Re: 2020 Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

And you are ignoring the fact that none of those guys (including Leonard) is nearly as important or as good as Giannis on defense. Apparently, he needs to be a deity & have "no holes in his game" to get his credit.




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The point I'm trying to make though is that him being a bad jumpshooter is a lot more to overcome than someone like Steph or Harden being sieves defensively - even with that, those two are very opportunistic in passing lanes and Harden is even a really good defender in the low post when he's locked in. You can hide those guys on the defensive end and let them take the easier defensive assignments

It's just that his lack of shooting is such a glaring weakness that it shuts down their entire halfcourt offense. Teams just don't respect him out on the perimeter at all. If he could at least knock down a couple shots outside the paint each game, he'd be undoubtedly the best player in the game right now since he's elite at essentially everything else. But he can't do that, so their offense becomes too one-dimensional in their halfcourt sets

For what it's worth this is the exact reason that I'm not very high on Ben Simmons. Simmons, like Giannis, is gifted in almost every facet of the game, but if he can't shoot then he's not going to be as effective in the playoffs

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