2021 NBA Playoffs Gamethread
- Thread starter JohnnyTheBone
- Start date
I've probably become too much of a fanboy, but damn, I think he's everything good about the NBA.
That neither of them are still alive made what otherwise has been a shitty weekend
He moves on, but Giannis is shooting just 54% from the line during the playoffs. In years 2-5 (over 2000 attempts), he shot over 75%. Since the start of last season, including playoffs (nearly 1400 attempts), he's shooting under 65%. What on earth has happened?
This.
He carried the husk of a rotation through the back half of this series and his workload was enormous. As you note, the defensive pressure he faced was almost unrelenting and yet he still made a lot of tough takes.
Yeah, it's strange. He didn't start shooting well from 3 or midrange, so I don't think it's the yips. My best guess is that, in the process of overhauling his shot the past few years, he broke it and hasn't been able to get it back. It looks quite bad now.
Anyway, good game for him, and much better decisions down the stretch to stop settling for jumpers.
I thought him getting hurt was a win/win. It wasn't going to be nearly as annoying if the Nets won because he didn't get to play in the biggest games.
It was a hell of a performance...
I have to say I'm glad that it was in a losing cause.
KD's performance by a mile, imo. LeBron put up .477 true shooting in that series; and his team was dispatched fairly easily, getting trounced in Games 4, 5, and 6 after pulling out a couple early squeakers. KD put up similar per minute numbers (similar points, slightly lower rebounds and assists) on miles better efficiency (.597 ts), and was an inch away from winning it on one of the greatest shots ever. Biggest similarity was the crazy usage and minutes logged for a short handed team (KD 42.7 per game, LeBron an insane 45.7).
I'm not even sure I'd rank LeBron 2015 over Dame 2021 or Luka 2021 in the annals of incredible losing performances, but for the added glamour of doing it in the Finals rather than the second round.
In any case: instant classic last night. Still stunned and thrilled at the result, and more in awe of KFD than ever, if that was even possible.
In broadcast news: did anyone else catch the moment when KD and Giannis collided and Marv quipped, "that's valuable property coming together"? Noooooooooooooo, Marv, nooooo!!!! The glue factory for you. You also gotta love that he thinks every mid-range jump shot that isn't a three involves a "foot on the line" (e.g. a Middleton 14-footer early in the game) except for the ones that do involve a foot on the line like KD's epic game-tier, which he still probably thinks was a three, and can't figure out why the Nets didn't advance.
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It's hard to re-learn mechanics on the fly and there's usually a period before muscle memory kicks in that is sort of part old and part new. Apparently, Giannis made another change last fall: https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/giannis_antetokounmpo_made_big_change_to_his_free_throw_mechanics/s1_127_33561224
He's almost assuredly thinking about his mechanics too. The video below has some good discussion of his struggles IMO.
https://www.voicetube.com/videos/150887/55794495
It looks to me that Giannis is trying to get too much rotation on his FTs.
I'm no expert but it looks like a couple of things going on. The first, as the video I posted above mentioned, he's been told to shoot it up not out. He also shoots the ball behind his head. And his lower body and upper body aren't moving together.
He's obviously working hard at it though. Maybe too hard.
Yeah. When they showed the replay on an airball it looked like it. Also it seemed like he didn't know what to do with his left hand. It started more behind the ball and he adjusted right before to slide it back beside the ball.
Edit: gotta be rough rethinking shit like this in a prime time game 7 with 20K New Yorkers screaming at you.
Playoff Rondo setting the table for Boogie. Four assists and a steal for Rondo in seven minutes, with three of the dimes to get Big Cuz going.
Clippers don’t have their legs for long range shooting so far, so Rondo smartly got the low post hame going
Boogie is just destroying Saric.
edit: now Ayton is back in and Boogie is getting chased off the floor.
edit: now Ayton is back in and Boogie is getting chased off the floor.
Cam Payne was almost out of the league, now he's probably gonna get a very nice contract this off-season
Clips had to steal this game with CP3 sidelined and how close of a game it was in the fourth.
Booker has really developed as an all-around player. He used to just be a gifted gunner, he's an offensive force now and not terrible on D.
Yeah, and stealing one with Kawhi out would have been pretty big, too. Seems like he won’t be back until game 3 at the absolute earliest, which is tough.
Also, anyone have predictions for tonight? Living in Philly, I’ve come to enjoy their team just from being close to the action. But I feel like Young could absolutely just go off tonight and I don’t know if the 76ers will be able to match that.
