Post by ucfinfan86 on May 30, 2019 20:07:59 GMT
1. Warriors vs Raptors. Who wins, how many games, and why?
Donny: Warriors in 6. My guess is KD/Cousins both come back and provide the extra spark to take them past the Raptors. If they don't come back, I'll guess that the Warriors take it in 7. Curry and Klay really eat up without KD in the lineup, and Curry's been on a whole other level recently
Donny: Warriors in 6. My guess is KD/Cousins both come back and provide the extra spark to take them past the Raptors. If they don't come back, I'll guess that the Warriors take it in 7. Curry and Klay really eat up without KD in the lineup, and Curry's been on a whole other level recently
Slough: I got to go with the Warriors here even if it has been fun to watch the Raptors run and i'm a fan of them until the Sonics come back. I say Warriors in 6 games, just too much experience and fire power that is on another level compared to anyone else in the league
Yourkers: Warriors in 7. I think in the end not having Durant will make the series longer and by the 7th game Kawhi will be too tired to carry them any further and will fall short.
Rog: I've got Warriors in 6. I think this is over even quicker depending on how early Kevin Durant and Demarcus Cousins enter the series. The Warriors run out 5 All-Stars, 3 guaranteed Hall of Famers, another probable Hall of Famer, and another whose career is still young but is a stud when healthy. I love the roster the Raptors built, but the Warriors have been here, done this more than anyone in a long time and I don't see them losing here, again iespecially if Durant plays early.
Bundy: Unfortunately I think the Warriors have this in the bag and will very likely win it easily, Leonard has been a monster in the playoffs but the Warriors are on a totally different level, Green will probably try to get under Leonards skin and get him off his game so its going to take every player on the Raptors roster to step up for them to make it to 6 games. Curry the Finals MVP.
thefirstcedi: Warriors will win and I wouldn't be surprised by a sweep. Without Durant playing they can maybe steal a game or two but the Raptors just don't have the scorers if Curry and Klay both are playing decent. This is a pretty boring series. Kawhi will shoot contested long 2s, Raptors will probably force Draymond and Iggy to shoot wide open shots. Whatever.
carmelo: I'm gonna say Warriors in 6. The Raptors should be able to grab at least 1 game at home, but it's tough for me to see them winning anymore than 1 on the road in Oakland. The Warriors team is just playing at such an elite level right now and without Durant in the lineup, they're much more fluid with their sharing of the ball. Draymond will guard Kawhi which will make it tough and could possibly wear him out resulting in him struggling some on the defensive side of the ball. Curry and Klay will get theirs and I just cannot see the Raptors scoring enough to keep up with these guys.
UCF: I'm taking the Warriors in 6. I think it should be a real close series, but the Raptors had a lot of guys really step up behind Kawhi in the ECF. Can they really get those games from Van Fleet and Ibaka again? The Warriors are just too experienced. I would expect them to split the first 2, Warriors win game 3 and 4, Raptors take game 5 and then the Warriors close at home in game 6. I also expect Curry to be MVP. This is his chance to show the world that he's still one of the best players in the league since he's taken a back seat and has been overshawed a lot by KD.
2. Will and Should Kevin Durant play in the Finals?
Donny: Depends. If he's healthy and the Warriors struggle at all, yes. If he isn't 90% or better, HELL no. It's a business decision and if he's not healthy, he might hurt more than help because the offense runs around him quite significantly when he's in the lineup.
Slough: He will and should play. This is what you play for, to win a trophy, he has plenty of money so anything about staying out for FA and all that is BS. I don't think he plays all the games, but he will and should to be part of this title winning team.
Yourkers: Not at all. If the injury is as bad as it could be you have to think bout your future. The team is really good without him and they can win without him so why risk the next 5-10 years of your career for another ring. He has some and could easily be in more.
Rog: Will he? I think so, this is been a while for this injury already so its clearly something that is less for sure than some people think, its obvoiusly more serious than the diagnosis indicates. But I think he will, because its clear he is close by the reports, unless the Warriors are just hardcore smoke screening the press. Should he? Absolutely. No matter what he is going to get paid. Because that is the only argument for otherwise. That he ruins his next payday. Unless he literally has his leg fall off, there is no interupting that payday. Hes earned it, he'll get it, and barring career ending injury which is unlikely even with an already existing injury, nothing that happens in the finals will change that.
Bundy: He'll play but I dont think it will be early in the series, you cant go into a Final having an injury that will affect his speed and agility so I think he'll likely be back around game 3, would rather see the Warriors win it without him then that way fans can at least say they dont need him to still win the ship
thefirstcedi: Haven't really paid much attention to his recovery but it seems like he will play at some point. Should he? What type of question is that honestly. If he is healthy enough to play of course he should play. The snek can't be that desperate to be carried once again that he won't even suit up. Leaving or not it shouldn't matter while he is still on the team.
carmelo: Yes I think he will play and yes I think he should if he's healthy enough. KD is not going to sit out just because the team is up 2-0. He's a competitor and someone that wants to be on the court and show he's the best player in the league. I don't believe his injury is severe enough to have major long-term affects so at this point, if he's ready to go, then he will play.
UCF: I think he will play and he should. I don't expect him to play in Toronto, but game 3 or 4 at home seems like a reasonable time frame for him to return. KD does seem to have 1 foot out the door and is in interesting spot. If he doesn't come back and they win the title, I think it makes it even easier to leave. The best case scenario for KD though is for the Warriors to come back home 0-2 and for KD to return and carry them to the title. Then he can leave for the Knicks with the validation that he was the savior.
3. What was the most surprising thing to you in the Eastern Conference playoffs?
Donny: I was sure the Sixers would go further. I was a big fan of their additions mid season and frankly, I've come more to the conclusion that Ben Simmons is a bit less of an "impact offensive player" as people thought he would be out of college. It's a shooter's league, and he's really not ever going to develop that ability which is very unfortunate.
Donny: I was sure the Sixers would go further. I was a big fan of their additions mid season and frankly, I've come more to the conclusion that Ben Simmons is a bit less of an "impact offensive player" as people thought he would be out of college. It's a shooter's league, and he's really not ever going to develop that ability which is very unfortunate.
Slough: A fan being on the side line and by the coach. I don't care how much money Drake has, I think its horrible for the game and he has no business being a cheerleader and doing that shit. Completely taking away from the Raptors games. You don't see Kawhi doing that and he is the star.
Yourkers: The Raptors getting past the 76ers. To me the 76ers are the better team. They have such a well rounded team and I guess embiid not being 100% cost them big time.
Rog: Nothing really, I think it played out quite a bit how you'd expect it to. The Celtics, 76ers, Raptors, and Bucks were obviously the best 4 in the conference, and they ended up in the conference finals. The two best teams in most people's estimations won those series and had a long series in the conference finals. The only surprising thing I can come up with is how bad the Raptors looked in the first two games of the ECF, and then thoroughly turned things around in crazy fashion. Other than that, things played out pretty much as planned.
Bundy: The Bucks losing to the Raptors was a suprise to me, actually thought the Bucks had the depth to reach the Finals but unfortunately Giannis just couldn't carry the team all the way, but their still fairly young and will be back stronger yet Season. I wasn't suprised the 6ers went out early, their way too predictable and I know its been mentioned a thousand times but till Simmons can play half court bball then they wont be contenders.
thefirstcedi: Nothing was really surprising. Everything that happened with Embiid was strange though. The Bucks imploding could be seen as surprising but with how limited Giannis is in the half-court it is not that surprising. Relying on Eric Bledsoe to create and score, oh boy.
carmelo: How dominant Kawhi Leonard has been playing. The Raptors have some good role players, but they're winning because of Kawhi. He's elite on both ends of the floor and is quite possibly the best all-around player in the NBA right now. He's carried the team throughout each series, but I don't think it'll be enough matching up against Golden State
UCF: How great that Kawhi has played. He's having an historically great playoff run that few others have ever done. During the season and in the past he's always mentioned in that elite group, one of the 5 or 10 best players in the league. After the playoffs he's had though, his name is being talked about as the #1 player and it's hard to argue against it. I can't wait to see what decision he makes in the offseason.
4. What was the most surprising thing to you in the Western Conference playoffs?
Donny: I was shocked that the Blazers made it that far with the injuries. They really meshed together and grinded past some good teams, including a Nuggets team that I was a BIG fan of. I'd like to think the Blazers will be back for the next few years too.
Slough: Probably the Clippers winning two games against the Warriors,haha. I don't know, I don't even watch much NBA, I have only watched some mins of the WCF and ECF and look at the total series. Too many teams make the playoffs to make anything that interesting. I guess Rockets playing Warriors in 2nd round instead of say WCF like everyone was hoping for.
Donny: I was shocked that the Blazers made it that far with the injuries. They really meshed together and grinded past some good teams, including a Nuggets team that I was a BIG fan of. I'd like to think the Blazers will be back for the next few years too.
Slough: Probably the Clippers winning two games against the Warriors,haha. I don't know, I don't even watch much NBA, I have only watched some mins of the WCF and ECF and look at the total series. Too many teams make the playoffs to make anything that interesting. I guess Rockets playing Warriors in 2nd round instead of say WCF like everyone was hoping for.
Yourkers: Blazers making it to the conference finals. They dont seem like a very good team but Lillard and McCollum did so much work and got them past the highly favored nuggets and then they got swept as expect.
Rog: Its gotta be the Blazers. I know they were the 3 seed, and I know Dame might be the best point guard in the league that isn't Steph Curry, but holy hell I did not expect them to destroy the Thunder the way they did in round 1 and then play a long, hard series against the Nuggets that was the type of series you figured the Nuggets would end up just winning out, but the Blazers prevailed. And then how hard they played the Warriors in the three games after the first game blow out, really just figured that was how the series would go long term. I hope they can add another piece and give the Warriors a run for their money because I like their top duo. Those guys are fun to watch.
Bundy: Probably has to be how poor the OKC played, Dame had a hell of a series but apart from George, the Thunder were terrible. Westbrooks shooting just isnt up to scratch and it unfortunately continued in the playoffs, dont see them making many moves anytime soon to try build their team but just gotta hope Westbrook can start getting his rhythm back next Season.
thefirstcedi: Disappointed in the Thunder once again doing nothing without Durant. I know they need more shooters but it was the Blazers. Thought they would have put up more of a fight than they did. The Warriors beating the Rockets more easily without Durant was kind of surprising but Harden and Paul are seasoned chokers. After Game 7 last year there's not much the Rockets can do that would surprise me.
carmelo: The Warriors dominance over the Blazers without KD. KD may be the best player on the Warriors, but he is NOT the machine that keeps GS running and it was evident with the Portland Series. Steph is the driver of that team and without KD, he looks so much more comfortable in that role. I knew Golden State would win, but with the way Dame and CJ played against Denver and OKC, I thought they'd put up more of a fight.
UCF: Most surprising thing to me is that the Warriors are 5-0 since they lost KD. Closing out the Rocket on the road and sweeping Portland without KD wasn't something I was expecting. KD (until this recent Kawhi run) was pretty much considered the #1 player in the league and to lose him and play so well was cool to see. The Warriors aren't my favorite team, but I enjoy watching them play and it's been fun to see the old Steph/Klay/Draymond trio play so well.
5. What are your thoughts on the Lottery Results? Specifically the teams in the top 4.
Donny: The Lakers lucked out but not enough to alter their franchise's future which is unfortunate as a life-long Lakers fan. The Knicks were the only of the "lottery favorites" who actually got what the odds offered them, which is good but then again, they won't get Zion so that's very unfortunate. It's also unfortunate that Zion and Ja are going to end up on teams that either don't usually do enough to further their future or deal with a lot of issues and controversy.
Slough: Don't really have a comment. If David Stern was around though he would have fixed the lottery balls again for the Knicks to get Zion like he did for them to get Ewing back in the day.
Yourkers: It shows that tanking needs to be done. 2 of the top 3 teams fell out of the top 4 and saw 3 teams jump into the top 5. It was a crazy result and it is a good thing to see and results will def be all over the place for years to come.
Rog: I love the new system. Really seemed to not reward tanking. Which I think most people like. It also gave my team(the Lakers) a chance at a top 4 pick, so thats cool. From a non biased standpoint though, I think its rough. Obviously its hard to say it after two small market teams got the top 2 picks in the new system, and probably two superstars in the process. But for the small market teams that have no shot in the world at a Lebron or KD, unless they are born in their back yard like Lebron was with Cleveland, unless they win the lotto and pick the right guy. The easiest way to do that was with the highest amount of ping pong balls. I think its funny to see that the league where one player can have so much impact on the results of a game, and the one league where the stars really, really want to be in the biggest markets, the draft is set up the way it is.
As for the actual results. Fuck the Pelicans, fuck Knick fans, and fuck the Grizzlies. Such a tease getting the 4th pick in a 3 man draft.
Bundy: I didn’t pay a real lot of attention to the draft but it’s nice to see a lower market team get the pick, stuff the Knicks, they can suck for another 10 Seasons, hope AD sticks with NO and gives their fans something to be excited about for once. I dont get to see a lot of College ball in Aus so can only really judge from the footage on the net but it looks as though the top 4-5 picks should be studs in the NBA
thefirstcedi: The new lottery is a disaster thanks to the worst commish in sports. Punish bad teams for being bad by making it even harder for them to be good, great stuff. With the super max also being a disaster and the overnight huge cap rise (players fault) we are nearing the end for small and most middle market teams. Luckily the Lakers have the worst front office which helps put off the inevitable a bit but I'm sure the next CBA will include a 'blue bloods' provision where they will be added as a 9th playoff team while keeping their lottery slot if they miss the playoffs in back to back years. This league has peaked.
carmelo: Well I'm a Knicks fan so not 100% happy, but I would have lost it if they dropped out of the top 3. This is a 3 player draft (as of right now), so losing out on one of Zion, Ja, and RJ would have been devistating for NY's plans going forward. This gives them flexibility to draft a great prospect or flip the pick for a player like Anthony Davis.
UCF: I'm really happy the Lakers and Knicks didn't land 1 and 2. During that commercial break it seemed like a forgone conclusion that the league would rig the lottery to get Zion in either NY or LA. It would have really sucked to see the recent Lakers dumpster fire and LeBron be bailed out like that. All that being said, I'm not thrilled that Zion is going to the Pelicans. They were dealt a bad hand this past season with Davis, but they also mismanaged the first portion of his career. I do hope that AD will change his mind and atleast give it a try because that pairing could be a lot of fun. Outside of a miraculous Miami win, I was kind of rooting for the Hawks to land the #1 pick. I think Trae/Zion would have been fun to watch. I also am a fan of the new weighted system. I'm not a fan of the blantant tanking that goes on and if this can prevent it or atleast stop it a little bit, i'm all for it.
6. Aside from Zion, who is your favorite NBA draft prospect?
Donny: Bol Bol. I think he's severely underrated as a big and he's actually an extremely effective player in general. If he can put on some weight, I can see him being a dominant big for a long time in the NBA.
Slough: Rui Hachimura. I think his game will translate great to the NBA style now. He is a much better Tobias Harris who played great for Gonzaga and has had a nice career thus far.
Donny: Bol Bol. I think he's severely underrated as a big and he's actually an extremely effective player in general. If he can put on some weight, I can see him being a dominant big for a long time in the NBA.
Slough: Rui Hachimura. I think his game will translate great to the NBA style now. He is a much better Tobias Harris who played great for Gonzaga and has had a nice career thus far.
Yourkers: Bol Bol. Just love the name and I love that he can shoot the 3 ball. I feel if he can stay healthy he will be so damn dangerous mad be perfect for this NBA.
Rog: The obvious answers are Ja Morant and RJ Barrett right, in a 3 man draft those two stick out? RJ Barrett is the guy who you can give the ball and let him do his own thing. Willing, capable passer, brilliant scorer and a guy whose always made the right decisions, until he didn't at Duke. I like him, but think he really needs to improve everything that doesn't actually involve shooting the ball, because he got by at Duke and lower through sheer athletic will, rather than skill of knowing how to get to spots to score the ball. And I do like Ja Morant. I hope he goes #2 and gives the Grizzlies a ton for the next 8 years or whatever his rookie deal+extension gives him, cuz he gone after that. But I'll go with Jarrett Culver, who I think is the most polished player outside of Zion in the draft, if you can call a wrecking ball polished. Culver is a guy who I think is going to be really good, really underrated offensively. Can do everything on the floor on that end, needs to work on his handle and his ability to get to open spots, but I think he'll get there. Needs to put some weight on, and will always have issues defensively because of his lateral quickness, but hes got a ton of talent and a bunch of potential to be an offensive star.
Bundy: I like Barrett as he seems to have a better all round game and looks as though he’ll adapt to the NBA well, would be nice to see another player apart from Zion come in make some noise.
thefirstcedi: None of them look that exciting. I'm talking myself into Culver for the Cavs but he's just a guy. Ja is reckless, Barrett can't shoot, Reddish is poop, Hunter is a role player. Bol Bol is the next Kevin Durant though I've heard so he could be worth a look. So yeah just give me Culver.
carmelo: RJ Barrett. He was the best player out of high school for a reason and in my opinion, take away the flashy plays from Zion, RJ was the best player on Duke last season
UCF: Going to be biased here and say Tacko Fall. He's really improved over his college career and while I don't think he'll ever be an all-star or probably even a starter, it's good to see his name being mentioned in the 2nd round. The only other player I know of that we had drafted was SG Jermaine Taylor in the 2nd round in 2009. I'm not a huge college basketball fan outside of watching UCF, but I really enjoy seeing prospects in the NBN now come into the NBA. I just saw that Goga Bitadze is a projected lottery pick and because of his help in getting me a title here, i'll be rooting for him in the NBA.
7. Where do you think Zion ranks as a prospect over the past 20 seasons?
Donny: He's not the best, or close, but he's probably near the top of the "tier 2" #1's. He needs to improve a lot especially within his shooting ability to become the potential superstar people are billing him as. I think he's insanely talented and extremely athletic, but he's not a "LeBron/KD"-esque talent.
Donny: He's not the best, or close, but he's probably near the top of the "tier 2" #1's. He needs to improve a lot especially within his shooting ability to become the potential superstar people are billing him as. I think he's insanely talented and extremely athletic, but he's not a "LeBron/KD"-esque talent.
Slough: 20 years is a long time, but thus far probably a top 20, as who knows until you step on the floor and are healthy. Health will be his key to being great, but there were so many great players in that time, hard to say this guy is better than future HOFamers.
Yourkers: Zion is next to lebron. He does it all outside being a good shooter. Just like lebron this will be something he will need to work on and I expect him to get better. Outside that he plays hard on both sides of the ball and can be a good passer. He is going to be amazing to watch.
Rog: I'm not sure. I think hes got a ton of hype because of the way he plays and the way he did the things he did, but I do think he is a bit overhyped. He is still the best prospect in the draft, no doubt. But he is pure athleticism at this point. He struggles to shoot, he struggles to defend beyond flashy blocks. He obviously has the sheer athleticism to succeed in the league, and the dude is humble and like-able so I hope he does well. And even if he never develops a shot, Giannis and others have proved that you can win and be a superstar in the league being a wrecking ball, but no telling if he is actually Giannis. He does have some potential for injuries too given the playstyle. But through sheer hype and what he brings to the table, he is really up there for recent top prospects. As prospects, its hard to see many beyond the Lebron and Greg Odens being taken over him.
Bundy: Maybe top 10? I don’t know, his obviously a freak of nature physically and will be a nightmare for opponents but I think he might need to develop a more reliable outside game for him to get to where everyone expects him to reach
thefirstcedi: Is he even better than Ayton? He is obviously good but I don't see guaranteed superstar with him. So I guess top 20-25? Not going to go over every draft for the exact number. For #1 picks though I'd take him over Kenyon Martin, Kwame hue, Bogut, Bargnani, Bennett, Fultz, probably Simmons and Wiggins too. So middle of the pack it seems.
carmelo: Hard to argue that he's not the most intriguing prospect probably outside of LeBron. He has a unique skill set and his athleticism is the best I've ever seen. He will immediately be the most athletic player in the NBA. He has some flaws that I think could hold him back if he doesn't fix, but he seems like the type of player that wants to be great and will do what it takes. I'm excited to see how he progresses.
UCF: As a pure basketball talent I don't think he's LeBron, but I think he's probably in that 5-10 range. To me his closest comp is someone that's later than 20 years ago in Shawn Kemp. He's probably a step below Davis, Durant, and probably Towns. I think as a prospect he's in that Griffin, Rose, Irving, Howard range. He's probably #2 behind LeBron in terms of excitement and someone that I can't wait to see play. I'll actually watch go out of my way to watch some Pelicans games this season, where I've never done that before for any of the other prospects.
8. What will be the biggest surprise on draft night? Could be a pick, trade, or whatever.
Donny: My guess is we see the Lakers make a big move on draft night involving their pick. With all the random rumors like the Kyrie rumor, we could see the Lakers make a move involving Lonzo, their pick, etc that could shake up the league a bit.
Donny: My guess is we see the Lakers make a big move on draft night involving their pick. With all the random rumors like the Kyrie rumor, we could see the Lakers make a move involving Lonzo, their pick, etc that could shake up the league a bit.
Slough: Anthony Davis gets traded to the Lakers for the 4th pick +.
Yourkers: Anthony Davis will not be traded. The Lakers need to trade for him as they screwed up big time putting all their young up and comers in all possible trade scenarios. But I feel Davis can see himself playing next to Zion and see something big that can be built and will decide to stay.
Rog: How far Cam Reddish falls. I think people are going to remember how highly recruited he was, and then wonder why he fell to the 10-13 range and guys like Sekou Doumbouya, Darius Garland, and Coby White get drafted over him. He made plays at Duke, but dude looked timid and didn't realize the physical gifts he has. I hate guys with physical gifts and looks the part, but never actually gets there. They tend to be lazy, and I'm not saying thats Reddish, I just don't think he'll turn out. We'll see.
Bundy: Lakers will no doubt be baiting the 4th pick and I cant see them keeping the pick with Lebron demanding to win now, doesn’t look like AD will be traded so who knows what will happen but Im definitely expecting the pick to be traded
thefirstcedi: The Lakers will trade Lebron James! But really I don't see any big splashes happening before free agency. Anthony Davis may end up being traded but that wouldn't really be a surprise. Maybe Beal will be moved and Washington will just accept their fate.
carmelo: I could see a team with a mid first trading for someone like Clint Capela. I think the top 3 will shape up as expected and any major moves on Anthony Davis will wait until after the draft, but I could definitely see some good players moved to fringe playoff teams in the middle of the first. Who knows, maybe NOLA will not want to wait for FA to start and ship Davis off to LA for the 4th pick and young players.
UCF: I think you will see one of the big name players being traded on draft night. If I had to guess further it would include either the #3 or #4 pick. Guys I'm talking about as big name would be Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, CJ McCollum, Clint Capela, or Mike Conley.
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