After 20 years of mostly garbage basketball, Knick fans finally have a team to be proud of....back in the playoffs since 2013 and grabbing the 4th seed in the East. Thanks Coach Thibs & Julius Randle!

Can't wait for the play-in game between the Lakers & Warriors.

https://www.cbssports.com...-playoffs/

Nice to see your Knicks in there uPtoWnNY! The Raptors had their worst season in 8 years. Lot's of injuries and Covid cases. Oh well, maybe next year

It would be nice to see a team win the championship that hasn't done so in years, but NOT the Nets

We finally get to see what these teams are all made of in this strange Covid season, hopefully all the teams will be at full strength, none of this playing against teams missing half the roster like my Sixers seemed to do for alot of the bigger matchups this year. Yeah we got the W's that way but it's left me not sure what to expect with them.

Nets over the Clips 4 the title.

It's over for Charlotte....they got smoked by Indiana.

Abdul said:

We finally get to see what these teams are all made of in this strange Covid season, hopefully all the teams will be at full strength, none of this playing against teams missing half the roster like my Sixers seemed to do for alot of the bigger matchups this year. Yeah we got the W's that way but it's left me not sure what to expect with them.

Truth.

I hate the play-in tournament. It is the worst thing they've come up with in my 35 years of watching NBA basketball. I LOVE the NBA. I love it deeply. It's been a constant in my life almost as long as Prince. I watched the league grow and grow and grow to these incredibly epic levels it's at now. I've watched team after team go from being valued at a couple hundred million playing it shitty old ass arenas to building state of the art palaces for their players and being valued in the billions. I watched when the league was about defenses beating the crap out of each other. Games ending with scores like 85 - 79. I watched as David Stern changed all of that, making the league more about movement and offense year after year. I watched as he tried to take the street out of the league and mostly succedded (although Silver has pretty much done away with that in a handful of years). I have stuck with it through ever change and every trend. I have been loyal to my current team since 1987 when I moved to the Bay Area. Yes, I am a Warriors fan, to the core. I had season tickets during years when they won between 30 and 17 games. I watch EVERY Warriors game, every season. I have had NBA League Pass for a decade at least and I watch as much of as many games as I can every night. I watch so much basketball that I really don't watch much other TV anymore at all. I. LOVE. THE. NBA.


But man do I hate the play-in tournament.


I just don't get it. It's trying to fix something that isn't broken. I don't understand the talk of meaningless regular season games. Every game counts - they always have. I don't get players talking about how hard they schedule is and travel and back to backs and blah blah blah. They are better athletes than anyone who came before them and all those guys, for 75 freakin years, were able to PLAY 82 games a year without wining about it. It's a game ffs and they're getting paid to play it. Paid A LOT. Every game counts and they always have. And there has never been a lack of excitement at the end of the season. Sure sometimes most of the top teams are set. But the bottom ones aren't and there's almost always a lot of movement from 1-8 throughout the season. Why in the name of all things that make sense should the 9th and 10th place team get a chance to make it into the playoffs after 82 games have been played? (Or 72, which, marm my words, is going to be the future number of regular season games - these wining ass millionairs want it so that's what is going to happen)


And no, it's not because I'm a Warriors fan and we were in 8th place at the end of the season. I've been complaining about this stupid play-in for months. I genuinely think it's the worst idea the NBA has come up with in the entire time I've loved this league. It's stupid and pointless. Nothing is broken, leave it alone.

*cough*

End of rant. Really looking forward to the playoffs.

The playin makes the last few weeks of the season worth watching.......I hope they keep it.

Graycap23 said:

The playin makes the last few weeks of the season worth watching.......I hope they keep it.

No offense, but this is the most nonsensical logic I've ever heard and people keep saying it over and over. The last few weeks of the schedule, like every other day of the schedule, like every game, have always mattered. How did the last few weeks of the schedule not matter before? Rhetorical question, because they ALWAYS mattered. Every game counts. You work your ass off all season trying to win every game because every game counts. You try as hard as you can to get one of the top eight spots because that's ALL that matters for the ENTIRE SEASON. Being in 9th and 10th place should not be rewarded, for anything. You lost. You didn't make the playoffs. Buh-bye, see you next season. I just don't get it and I don't understand how they've convinced people this nonsense makes sense.

Cerebus said:

Graycap23 said:

The playin makes the last few weeks of the season worth watching.......I hope they keep it.

No offense, but this is the most nonsensical logic I've ever heard and people keep saying it over and over. The last few weeks of the schedule, like every other day of the schedule, like every game, have always mattered. How did the last few weeks of the schedule not matter before? Rhetorical question, because they ALWAYS mattered. Every game counts. You work your ass off all season trying to win every game because every game counts. You try as hard as you can to get one of the top eight spots because that's ALL that matters for the ENTIRE SEASON. Being in 9th and 10th place should not be rewarded, for anything. You lost. You didn't make the playoffs. Buh-bye, see you next season. I just don't get it and I don't understand how they've convinced people this nonsense makes sense.

I hear u.....but I still like it.

For me, the most interesting 1st round match-up is Blazers/Nuggets....I could see that going seven games.

I think the Wizards can push Philly to six if Russ is on his A-game.

Cerebus said:

Graycap23 said:

The playin makes the last few weeks of the season worth watching.......I hope they keep it.

No offense, but this is the most nonsensical logic I've ever heard and people keep saying it over and over. The last few weeks of the schedule, like every other day of the schedule, like every game, have always mattered. How did the last few weeks of the schedule not matter before? Rhetorical question, because they ALWAYS mattered. Every game counts. You work your ass off all season trying to win every game because every game counts. You try as hard as you can to get one of the top eight spots because that's ALL that matters for the ENTIRE SEASON. Being in 9th and 10th place should not be rewarded, for anything. You lost. You didn't make the playoffs. Buh-bye, see you next season. I just don't get it and I don't understand how they've convinced people this nonsense makes sense.

I agree. This is worse than the NFL adding a 17th game this year and adding a 7th playoff team

in each conference and taking away a 1st round bye for the 2nd seed. You're punishing the 2nd seed by having them to play and extra playoff game to get to the Super Bowl and rewarding a 7th seeded team. Why did the Lakers have to play a silly play in game? The others don't make sense to me either. So they are having a round robin tournament with the 7, 8,9, and 10th seed. WTF

This isn't college basketball. Yes Adam Silver is doing way too much like Roger Goodell is doing

with the NFL.

phunkdaddy said:

Cerebus said:

No offense, but this is the most nonsensical logic I've ever heard and people keep saying it over and over. The last few weeks of the schedule, like every other day of the schedule, like every game, have always mattered. How did the last few weeks of the schedule not matter before? Rhetorical question, because they ALWAYS mattered. Every game counts. You work your ass off all season trying to win every game because every game counts. You try as hard as you can to get one of the top eight spots because that's ALL that matters for the ENTIRE SEASON. Being in 9th and 10th place should not be rewarded, for anything. You lost. You didn't make the playoffs. Buh-bye, see you next season. I just don't get it and I don't understand how they've convinced people this nonsense makes sense.

I agree. This is worse than the NFL adding a 17th game this year and adding a 7th playoff team

in each conference and taking away a 1st round bye for the 2nd seed. You're punishing the 2nd seed by having them to play and extra playoff game to get to the Super Bowl and rewarding a 7th seeded team. Why did the Lakers have to play a silly play in game? The others don't make sense to me either. So they are having a round robin tournament with the 7, 8,9, and 10th seed. WTF

This isn't college basketball. Yes Adam Silver is doing way too much like Roger Goodell is doing

with the NFL.

I agree. I hope this isn't a permanent thing.

In other news, Stephen Jackson & Matt Barnes awoke a sleeping giant in Kwame Brown....dude's going after everybody!

[Edited 5/21/21 18:41pm]

Abdul said:

phunkdaddy said:

Good win for the Sixers today but definitely nerve wrecking. Tobias and Embiid brought their A game today but Ben Simmons continues to disappoint. Solid on the defensive end but his offensive game was as ugly as it could get. He still looks like a deer in the headlights when he gets in the paint and when he did decide to shoot he threw up some ugly ass hook shots. His free throw shooting was even worse today 0 for six from the free throw line. I just feel with the lack of progresion in his offensive game it may very well cost the Sixers a championship. No way a max player should be this limited offensively.

Yup, Simmons has to get it together if the Sixers are gonna be champions, I really think it's a mental thing with him.

AAAUUUGH!!! So frustrated over that Game 1 loss. Defensively, the Knicks had NO answer for Trae Young. I was screaming at the TV along with Clyde Frazier, "take away his right hand"! Plus Randle had an off night. That can't happen on Wednesday. Hawks have more weapons on offense than the Knicks.

uPtoWnNY said:

AAAUUUGH!!! So frustrated over that Game 1 loss. Defensively, the Knicks had NO answer for Trae Young. I was screaming at the TV along with Clyde Frazier, "take away his right hand"! Plus Randle had an off night. That can't happen on Wednesday. Hawks have more weapons on offense than the Knicks.

Is Frank Ntilikina still considered the Knicks best defense guard? I was wondering that as I'm watching Trae get any shot he wanted against the other Knick guards only for Thibs to put Frank in on that last Hawks possession, ice cold off the bench.

Also what's the deal with Kevin Knox? Everytime I watched the Knicks this season he was a coach's dnp, Thibs don't like him?

[Edited 5/24/21 17:37pm]

Abdul said:

uPtoWnNY said:

AAAUUUGH!!! So frustrated over that Game 1 loss. Defensively, the Knicks had NO answer for Trae Young. I was screaming at the TV along with Clyde Frazier, "take away his right hand"! Plus Randle had an off night. That can't happen on Wednesday. Hawks have more weapons on offense than the Knicks.

Is Frank Ntilikina still considered the Knicks best defense guard? I was wondering that as I'm watching Trae get any shot he wanted against the other Knick guards only for Thibs to put Frank in on that last Hawks possession, ice cold off the bench.

Also what's the deal with Kevin Knox? Everytime I watched the Knicks this season he was a coach's dnp, Thibs don't like him?

[Edited 5/24/21 17:37pm]

In the playoffs, strengths and weaknesses are magnified. Ours is at the PG position. Elfrid Payton is a waste, the French fry is a stiff (thanks a lot, Phil Jackson), Rose has been terrific off the bench, but he can't play major minutes, and Quickley's still developing. Upgrading the PG position should be the Knicks FIRST priority during the off-season. I'd be happy with Lonzo Ball.

Kevon Knox isn't built for NYC - he's soft, passive and can't defend, a no-no with Thibs.

It was looking kind of shaky for the Knicks until they turned up the 'D' in the 3rd quarter, and Randle came alive. Now they have to get a split in ATL.

Shannon Sharpe had me rolling, but he's right. Some fool spits on me, and it's ova for his ass. Just read this clown has been banned indefinitely. The idiot in Philly had his season tickets revoked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0oWZ98Rf3g

I think it should be more then just a stadium ban on those idiots, they should get fined also.

That Knicks-Hawks series has been the best series in the first round so far, it feels like it's gonna be a six or seven game series.

uPtoWnNY said:

In the playoffs, strengths and weaknesses are magnified. Ours is at the PG position. Elfrid Payton is a waste, the French fry is a stiff (thanks a lot, Phil Jackson), Rose has been terrific off the bench, but he can't play major minutes, and Quickley's still developing. Upgrading the PG position should be the Knicks FIRST priority during the off-season. I'd be happy with Lonzo Ball.

Kevon Knox isn't built for NYC - he's soft, passive and can't defend, a no-no with Thibs.

Yeah that's a lethal combination, I guess playing for Calipari at Kentucky didn't rub off on him.

R.I.P. to Utah Jazz great Mark Eaton....only 64, dams

Mark Eaton, shot-blocking... at 64 ...

The Bricks are rebuilding the twin towers 1 brick at a time.

On paper the NETS are too talented not to go all the way.

Nets/Portland maybe? Suns sleeper team. Lakers got butt hurt.

Knicks are on the verge of elimination - not surprising. In the playoffs, strengths and weaknesses are magnified. Knicks have an obvious lack of talent, especially at the PG position.

Is Anthony Davis made of glass? Dude can't take a step without hurting something. Lakers are going nowhere without him.

Watching the Sixers-Wizards game right now - Embiid just went to the locker room.

What's with these moron fans? Some assclown got tackled by secirity;

https://www.youtube.com/w...V9ai1SB6GI

[Edited 5/31/21 18:38pm]

uPtoWnNY said:

Knicks are on the verge of elimination - not surprising. In the playoffs, strengths and weaknesses are magnified. Knicks have an obvious lack of talent, especially at the PG position.

Is Anthony Davis made of glass? Dude can't take a step without hurting something. Lakers are going nowhere without him.

Watching the Sixers-Wizards game right now - Embiid just went to the locker room.

What's with these moron fans? Some assclown got tackled by secirity;

https://www.youtube.com/w...V9ai1SB6GI

[Edited 5/31/21 18:38pm]

The behavior of some of these folks is disgusting. Don't they know it's a privilege to be at these games. I mean, how many people can afford tickets to a game, nevermind a playoff game? I hope they ban these fools forever. They need to learn some respect.

That was a legendary performance from Lillard and they still lost....you could see his frustration at the press conference. All he needed was for one of his teammates to step up.

Under no circumstances should Dame be going one on one in the clutch, you either can't let him get the rock or you double, what was Mike Malone thinking?

Disappointed with the first-round exit, but considering the garbage Knick fans have dealt with for 20 years, I'd say this season was a success. But now the front office has to get to work. This team has expectations, from the fanbase and I'm sure the owner. Another first round loss next year won't cut it.

It's clear the Knicks need 'Batman'....Randle is more like 'Robin', a solid #2 option.

uPtoWnNY said:

Disappointed with the first-round exit, but considering the garbage Knick fans have dealt with for 20 years, I'd say this season was a success. But now the front office has to get to work. This team has expectations, from the fanbase and I'm sure the owner. Another first round loss next year won't cut it.

It's clear the Knicks need 'Batman'....Randle is more like 'Robin', a solid #2 option.

Randle got exposed as a 1 dimensional player. That max contract juts flew out of the window.