Analysis The Race for Home-Court Advantage - 25/26 Playoffs Seed Tracker

[Mugen]

100% agree. We were in control of this entire game until basically 2 minutes and 30 seconds. I thought the whole thing completely turned in the 4th quarter when KJ who couldn’t buy a 3 all game missed another corner 3. Murray immediately went down and hit a 3. A swing that went from putting us up 10 to being up only 4..

Yeah that was a big sequence. But I thought we lost the game in the late 3rd when they went cold and we couldn’t capitalize.

The lead hovered around 8 when we should have been up 15+ after that stretch. Gotta land haymakers against teams like that.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

Yeah that was a big sequence. But I thought we lost the game in the late 3rd when they went cold and we couldn’t capitalize.

The lead hovered around 8 when we should have been up 15+ after that stretch. Gotta land haymakers against teams like that.

Yep, a lot of things you can point to. I just remember when KJ missed that three, and Murray immediately hit his own three I cringed knowing that was a massive momentum changer.

 

[Robz4000]

The Spurs have controlled all 3 games against Denver, two without Wemby tbh. They eeked out two of those games because Murray went nuts in one game and Joker in the other.

They're a good team and you have to land haymakers to knock them out. But they're not some kind of matchup nightmare for us tbh.

Disagree tbh. While they aren't a great defensive team they have plenty of size to bother our guards (especially Fox) and they're obviously an elite 3-pt shooting team. Jokic is also a hard counter for Wemby defensively imo; could see this changing over the course of a series though since he just needs the experience. Most of us agreed Denver was the Spurs' worst matchup in the West coming into the season and it still holds true.

That said, the series will come down to Mitch trusting Harper and Bryant if Fox and Barnes are shitting the bed. Both showed a lot today despite Harper's fuckups.

 

[Goliath]

If I’m Denver, I think there is an argument to be made to stay at 4. I’d rather play Houston in the first round than Minnesota. Going to have to go thru SA and OKC without homecourt regardless.

Spurs are going to have a tough second round regardless. I thought Minnesota would beat LA even with Luka and Reeves anyways.

 

[Mugen]

Disagree tbh. While they aren't a great defensive team they have plenty of size to bother our guards (especially Fox) and they're obviously an elite 3-pt shooting team. Jokic is also a hard counter for Wemby defensively imo; could see this changing over the course of a series though since he just needs the experience. Most of us agreed Denver was the Spurs' worst matchup in the West coming into the season and it still holds true.

We've averaged 135 against them in 3 games this year. That was with Fox/KJ/Castle going 0/16 yesterday. Our offense isn't the problem tbh.

The bigger issue is that we haven't been able to stop them at all either. Joker/Murray is still the best two man game in the league and our closeouts on their shooters have been abysmal.

That said, the series will come down to Mitch trusting Harper and Bryant if Fox and Barnes are shitting the bed. Both showed a lot today despite Harper's fuckups.

I just don't see a world where that happens (Mitch benching the Kangs for Harper/CB). Maybe Harper if we're in elimination mode in the playoffs but CB has about a <5% of actually seeing real minutes in the playoffs. We're just gonna have to hope that our defense against them improves and we can close better. I have confidence those two things happen tbh.

 

[Ice009]

Would suck getting knocked out in the 2nd Round and not even getting a crack at OKC. We present some matchup problems for them and they'd be lucky as hell to avoid us in a Playoff series. That's why I really hoped we'd win today and the Lakers would hang onto the 3-Seed but things just didn't break our way unfortunately with today's loss and Luka's injury. Is what it is. We still control our own destiny and will have HCA the first 2 Rounds and that's all you can ask for.

Yeah, I feel the Spurs match up better with OKC than anyone else, but not as good with Denver. It really would suck to not get a shot at them.

He was bad today. No question he was really fucking bad. The decision-making was bad. The shot selection was bad. He wasn’t clutch. And yes, we can’t have that shit in the playoffs. But that said we have so much talent and have played so great for so long, I’m just looking at the bright side of everything right now. Honestly if KJ had a decent shooting game, we win comfortably today. Denver had to dig so fucking deep to beat us.

I mean, speaking of the clutch thing, that award is stupid. How can anyone be considered a clutch player if you've never done it in the playoffs. Regular season games are so far removed for a playoff game/s, you can't really call people clutch. Wasn't DeMar really great in regular season games in crunch time for the Bulls and other teams he was on? Look at how bad he is in the playoffs. I shouldn't have put any stock into that regular season clutch award he won. He's going to have to prove it in the playoffs.

I have a feeling, Denver will be the team, that gives us our scars.

I think we match up well with OKC and I don’t fear LA or Houston...Minny is tricky, but yeah we beat them in 6.

Denver is a different story. Joker is way to nice...that sucks Wembys competitiveness just like Duncan did with his opponents.

Good point about that. Vic doesn't seem to play angry against him. He was super nice and even helped him up and went up to him after an inadvertent foul. Need Vic to not be so nice, but it's hard when Jokic is nice back.

 

[scott]

The Spurs have controlled all 3 games against Denver, two without Wemby tbh. They eeked out two of those games because Murray went nuts in one game and Joker in the other.

They're a good team and you have to land haymakers to knock them out. But they're not some kind of matchup nightmare for us tbh.

We’re also a team that is still learning how to win games like these.

The Suicide Squad seems to think we should go 82-0 and loses their damn minds at every loss… but these are the losses that happen over the course of a season and teams learn and adapt from them - especially young teams.

I wonder if NuggetsTalk.com had a complete meltdown after blowing a big second half lead and losing to Devin Vassell and a Wembyless Spurs. Do they have their tearsofamountaindew and a Gen X Messiah who completely crash out and post like raved lunatics without any sense of human normalcy? Or do they get outside every now and then and touch the mountain grass and gain some fucking perspective on life like a normal, well-adjusted person?

 

[Dbreiden83080]

Yeah, I feel the Spurs match up better with OKC than anyone else, but not as good with Denver. It really would suck to not get a shot at them.



I mean, speaking of the clutch thing, that award is stupid. How can anyone be considered a clutch player if you've never done it in the playoffs. Regular season games are so far removed for a playoff game/s, you can't really call people clutch. Wasn't DeMar really great in regular season games in crunch time for the Bulls and other teams he was on? Look at how bad he is in the playoffs. I shouldn't have put any stock into that regular season clutch award he won. He's going to have to prove it in the playoffs.


Good point about that. Vic doesn't seem to play angry against him. He was super nice and even helped him up and went up to him after an inadvertent foul. Need Vic to not be so nice, but it's hard when Jokic is nice back.

Yeah, the clutch award is the kind of thing that old-school fans really dislike about today’s game. It’s like everybody gets a trophy day.

 

[ginobilized]

It's going to be a fascinating end of the regular season. I'd love for Denver and Minnesota to face off in Round 1. Most importantly, I'm ready for win #60 tomorrow night.
Whatever happens, we need to learn to win. That's usually a process. I don't think I've ever seen a team grow as much and as fast as this Spurs team in my 50+ years of watching the NBA. It's all gravy from here on out.

 

[wEmBoY]

Flagg shitting on the lakers not going to help us

 

[100%Duncan]

mavs blowing out Lakers atm

 

[Dbreiden83080]

mavs blowing out Lakers atm

Shocker

The Lakers should call the league office and ask if they can forfeit their playoff spot.

 

[100%Duncan]

Shocker

The Lakers should call the league office and ask if they can forfeit their playoff spot.

Rockets getting so lucky looking like they will actually win a playoffs series

 

[Dbreiden83080]

Rockets getting so lucky looking like they will actually win a playoffs series

Because of ticket sales, somebody will bite. Maybe the Cavs. But nobody should want LeBron James next season. The circus comes to town wherever he goes and he is such a shell of himself.

 

[NotRobDiaz21]

Let's go Lakers!! (fuck, feels gross)

 

[Mugen]

JJ running their two best players into the ground tbh

 

[Ice009]

Just saw Cooper had 51 points the other day, plus he had the 49 point game earlier in the season. That's wild for a teenager putting up those numbers in an NBA game.

Mavs rookie Cooper Flagg scores 51 points to become 1st teen to reach 50 in an NBA game

Dallas' 19-year-old goes 19-for-30 from the field and makes all 7 of his free throws to top his previous career high of 49.

www.nba.com

“It’s always fun getting into that type of mode,” Flagg said. “The basket feels big. My teammates are looking out for you, helping you out. But I like to win. That was my main focus. It’s hard for me to fully enjoy myself out there when we’re down 20, down 10, down 15, for the majority of the game.”

The kid is looking very, very legit (not that I ever thought he wasn't).

 

[onechance87]

cooper may end up getting roty after all

 

[wEmBoY]

Just saw Cooper had 51 points the other day, plus he had the 49 point game earlier in the season. That's wild for a teenager putting up those numbers in an NBA game.


The kid is looking very, very legit (not that I ever thought he wasn't).

And yet he’s going to lose the rookie if the year award.

 

[NotRobDiaz21]

JJ running their two best players into the ground tbh

Fuck it, as long as they stay at 3

 

[Mugen]

I'm fine with Denver on our side of the bracket but it'd be nice if OKC didn't have the Rockets/Lakers on theirs tbh

 

[Fabbs]

You Lebron Haters that say he is washed and useless are projecting.

Less then he was? Of course. Still a very solid SF-PF in todays NBA.

Name 10 better PFs who can run and handle like a SF.

 

[DAF86]

It feels so dirty rooting for the Lakers.

 

[NotRobDiaz21]

Bronny Ass on offense and defense.

 

[Kick-Stand]

JJ running their two best players into the ground tbh

Hachimura and Bronny are playing 40 minutes or something?