2020 NBA Playoffs - Western Conference 2nd Round Discussion Thread

[ProfessaPackMan]

Nuggets/Clippers get underway tomorrow while the Lakers and winner of the Thunder/Rockets begin on Friday.

Go ahead and begin your takes/hyperbole/proving the doubters wrong/analysis/etc.

[cima]

Clippers in 5
If OKC, Lakers in 4
If HOU, Lakers in 5

[JazzMan]

Clippers in 4 - I just don't know if Denver has the legs under them after that grueling series

Lakers in 5 (if Thunder win)

Lakers in 6 (if Rockets win)

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[cima]

Quote: Originally Posted by JazzMan

Clippers in 4 - I just don't know if Denver has the legs under them after that grueling series Lakers in 5 (if Thunder win) Lakers in 6 (if Rockets win) Sent from my SM-A515U using Tapatalk

https://streamable.com/4wgy9n

[ojandpizza]

Clippers perimeter D has looked so slow to me man, Luka got wherever he wanted, Trey got wherever he wanted, Seth, Tim, they can't contain anybody who's quicker than they are it seems like. I see little reason to believe Murray or Mitchell couldn't do what they just did against the Clippers as well.. Obviously if Murray is just completely gassed that's a different story though.

Maybe Kawhi uses those hands to negate the handle a bit and force him away from the ball more, or Murray is bothered enough by Pat Bev's antics to **** with him, but if he can continue this rather than it just being a hot streak I think he's going to be a real issue for them.. Especially since it's no longer Gobert on the back of that defense... Obviously Jokic/Gobert either one were going to be the big advantage piece heading into the Clippers match-up though.

That said I'm not impressed with Denver's defense right now.. But I do think Millsap, Grant, etc are good match-ups for guys like Morris and Harrell. They wont' be giving up a lot of size and they also won't be stuck on a secondary play-maker types like Ingles and O'Neale who can repeatedly beat them off the bounce and extend them too far out.

Key to the Clipps to me is still Paul George. If he plays well they are deep, they are loaded with firepower. If he's still getting in his own head and looking like "Playoff P" then it's almost irrelevant that guys like Porter and Grant aren't good match-ups for him.. Also if he continues to shoot jumper after jumper and refuses to be his old aggressive self, Denver has the length at those spots to at least get good contests on those shots, and keeps Joker out of foul trouble. If Denver can keep Porter in for long stretches because PG is either playing awful or only shooting 3s that's a plus for Denver.

I feel like the Clipps should be able to take this in 5 games, but there is just a lot of questions to be answered. If Murray's run of games were more than just a fluke then I think the Clippers really struggle with him the way they did all of Dallas's perimeter guys. Pair that with the fact that they don't have rim protection and Joker/Plumlee seal off help as well as any other bigs in the league do and I see no reason why Murray isn't hurting them for 40 a night like he did last round. If that's the case LAC needs the real Paul George, not the guy we saw in round 1. And if the Clipps can't contain the perimeter better does that lead to Porter coming in and getting the same clean open looks that Finney-Smith, MKG kept getting? Because he could easily sneak in and drop 20 on looks like that and the Nuggets would then have just as many weapons going as LAC does.

Joker has to be great for them to even have a shot, Paul George has to be himself if they want to avoid a long tough series.

[TMagic]

Gimme AD in 5

[Smallville102001]

Lakers in 5 AD and Lebron averaged like 57 on like 58% shooting vs Portland a team that has size. Rockets have no sides so they are going to have a field day. Clippers/Nuggets I am not sure what to think. I know 3 point shooting and all but I don't think that style can win a championship and both Harden and Westbrook tend to turn the ball over a lot. So that whole idea of well force turnovers and don't turn the ball over is not going to work.

Before last round I would have thought Clippers in 6 but Nuggets had way more trouble with Jazz than I ever thought they would but at the same time Clippers did't beat Mavs has easily has they should have so.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Gimme the ADs in 4(no cima this is not a slight against your guy so don’t save this post when you come looking for Lebron doubter posts,)lol

Nuggets in 7. They got the athletes to match up with LA 1-5 and I do trust their offense a bit more than I do the Clippers right now.