2018 NBA playoffs running thread

I don't think they go 73-9 every year, and of course KD has been a factor. I'm just surprised that I'm in the minority here in thinking that they would still be the favorites, and probably collect a pair of rings, the last two years without him, given how the circumstances unfolded. I can certainly see the argument that they don't win without him, I'm just not there.

 

Fair point. Well said.

For the record, though, I don't think they would have walked to esch title without KD, I just I believe GS would have still had a better chance than anyone with the rest of that core, which was dominant even before KD arrived. Durant took the Warriors from favorites to overwhelming favorites the last two years, and maybe I'm not giving enough credit for that because the road to those titles has had a few challenging moments.

 

They definitely would have been a favorite, you're right about that. And maybe the Rockets don't get so active if they don't have the Warriors to aim for.

One big overlooked thing here is that Curry isn't the guy he was three years ago. Instead of being one of the top two players in the league, he's now somewhere in the 10-15 range, and has health issues. The Warriors could live without him a lot easier than they could without Durant. But that was part of the reasoning for going after Durant too.

 

You're arguing with a point I didn't make.

People are acting like the Warriors are an unbeatable goliath that have ruined the league.

The point is, the Rockets had the best record in the regular season and would have beaten the Warriors if there hadn't been a strange confluence of events in the conference finals.

Yes, the Warriors won and are worthy champions. This is not a one-team league. (And adding a one-legged center isn't making them unbeatable in 2018-19.)

 

No, but the Rockets adding Carmelo is.

 

I certainly don't think its a one team league. The W's have vulnerabilities that the Rockets seized upon, getting physical, rushing the Ws into 1 on 1 play instead of keeping the ball moving and staying with the offense, creating turnovers and exploiting rebounding issues.

As for the point above about the 73-9 team; that team was amazing but the difference between KD and Harrison Barnes is immense. Barnes was always the weak link on O and his inability to be any threat was the dark unspoken reason why the Ws lost the last 3 games in 2016.

IMHO not at all a given that with Barnes in and KD out that the Ws win 3 of 4.