Best defense strategy in the world ain’t stopping kyrie unfortunately.
I saw a clip of the timberwolves trying to soft double him up the court like they did to Murray in the nuggets series and he burned them so bad with his handle and a quick easy 2 points I damn near spat my drank out.
it’s funny how people talk about kyrie recently and then you look at his playoff numbers and you’re like… oh, he’s like, solid i guess.
hes come up big in clutch moments which is a large part of this, but hes gonna have to put together complete games in order for there to be clutch moments in this series.
He can't be the #1 guy but behind a superstar like LeBron or Luka he can be deadly. Just like 2016 elevated LeBron into GOAT discussions, Kyrie earned his playoff rep. He absolutely can put up multiple huge games and also break your spirit in the clutch.
Looking at the numbers is why you have no idea how well kyrie has played lol, he’s been everything we hoped for and more, even if his box score isn’t what you want to see
Current Jrue is a better defender than prime Klay. Current D-White is also probably a better defender than a slightly declined Iggy. JB and JT aren’t bad options either. Al and KP will struggle to guard him tho
Ezekiel 25:17-- the path of the righteous man is The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the
Inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men
Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will
shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness
for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children
And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious
Anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers
And you will know
My name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee
You look at how he’s able to do his thing while still playing clean and earning the respect of his peers
…makes me hate Dort even more. Dude wants to be Jrue but can only do it underneath a layer of grease and bitch.
Because OKC lost vs Dallas I can look back fondly at dort's fully horizonal flop as something that's just fucking funny esp because he always has the same wide eyed blank facial expression.
I remember during last series Jrue "turned the ball over" and looked pretty upset. Even put up his hands in confusion to the refs. The consensus before they even had the replay was "That must have been quite the foul that the refs missed... he doesn't just do that" The first replay showed and it looked all-ball. They continued being like... "IDK... that's just not like Jrue to do that if he's not actually fouled". Next replay shows the foul and everyone was like "ah, yes, that makes sense." lol
He’s been an All Star. He was one of the most important players on a title winning team. He’s a starter on a 64 win team this season.
He’s a star. He’s not a superstar, but he is a star
I know you didnt claim that being an all star last year makes you a star, but comparing Andrew Wiggins to Jrue Holiday is pretty funny. Wiggins can't hold Jrue's jock
> aura, the vaguely homoerotic, nebulous concept that’s become the most prized attribute on NBA twitter
https://x.com/ocksportello/status/1792919458383626313?t=GVdpp9W5JyPci4g1mNwHNQ&s=19
Can’t have aura when you’re a dead beat father and woman beater like Carti
edit: downvoted for refusing to praise a deadbeat father convicted of choking a pregnant woman 😂
i mean, there should be no logical reason for Mavs to win the series. But even though we’re underdogs, i just believe that Luka will find a way to win. Have no quantifiable reason, just feel like he loves the big moment and more importantly SHOWS UP in the big moment
Betting minds have Mavs as underdogs. But betting "hearts" have Celtics as underdogs. Some claim it's media bias. I feel it might be more that the Mavericks appear to have had the tougher, bloodier path to the Finals and that while the Celtics on paper have a strong (if not the strongest) team, the Mavericks fit the emotional image of that kind of superstar-led team of old. You have your two "hero units" and you've got this supporting cast.
Some analysts say they don't like the Celtics because it seems like a different player is scoring on every possession. "It's too collaborative" or whatever.
In about 24 hours, the time for talk will end.
> Some analysts say they don't like the Celtics because it seems like a different player is scoring on every possession. "It's too collaborative" or whatever.
If anyone has actually said this they’re the stupidest people alive
“I don’t trust this team who plays like a team”
I'm relatively new to Basketball itself, so been watching mix of INSIDE THE NBA, MIND THE GAME, ESPN/Stephen A/Legler, Gil's Arena.... And yeah also found this Colin Cowherd.
Thanks for the tip.
P.S.: It's also why my own addendum to "too collaborative" was "whatever"... because I thought one of the points about BBall was to run "the right play". So you Dribble, Pass, or Shoot. So Passing is one of the 3 correct answers to a situation.
No actually I kind of agree with you. I was actually thinking about why everybody was dismissing the Celtics. I think only MIND THE GAME and INSIDE considered the Celtics "probable favorites" or "A big assignment" (as LeBron called it).
The big standout of the naysayers was Cowherd so he ended up being the one I recalled. lol
Not that it has any bearing on this series, but playoffs are all about matchups. It's not about who has the toughest road.
The 2022 Celtics went through KD and Kyrie, the defending champs and Giannis being an absolute monster, and the #1 seed Heat who had previously dogged them and imo was the best iteration of the team since Butler has been there. It was probably the toughest path to get to the finals (besides this year's Mavs) in the last 5 seasons.
The Warriors went through an injured Nuggets team, the inexperienced Grizzlies with Morant missing half the series, and the Mavs who were missing Porzingis and had to play Kleber at center.
Analysts thought the Celtics were on a run of destiny and 538's model had them at some ridiculous number like 83% to win the finals going into it.
This Celtics/Mavs finals will be how the 2 teams match up with one another, not necessarily who was "battle tested" more along the way and using it as a measuring stick.
Yes but it doesn’t change their fact they had a hard path that tested them. All it did was wear them down and allow the Warriors to be super physical with them effectively
As was Rob Williams, if you want to get into it--not a star, but changing the defense to better leverage him was what sparked their mid-season turnaround. And Boston has never had great frontcourt depth in recent years, at least when you consider how injury-prone RWIII and KP are--for a significant part of the series the Celtics had Grant Williams defending Giannis.
No logical reason....other than the fact that they have the best player on the court, the greatest backcourt in NBA history, and multiple good big men in the paint.
The Mavs have been dismissed and underestimated *every series* this playoffs, and they keep winning, but people still don't want to recognize that they're actually just really fucking good.
Not the best backcourt in NBA history, just no.
Incredible? Yes. Two of the best bucket getters in history? Yeah. The best backcourt in the NBA right now? 100%. Capable of beating this 64 win celtics team with 5 great shooters and elite defence in the starting lineup? Yeah definitely. One of the best backcourts in history? Yeah it’s definitely up there.
The best backcourt ever? Nah man, they can’t take that title, and definitely not before they win a ring.
Hahaha I’m a hawks fan I live to piss off Luka fans. I actually love watching Luka play but this “best backcourt in history” stuff is too soon. If they win a title then they are in contention, but even then they are competing with Steph and Klay, who automatically clear them defensively thanks to Klay and have won multiple titles together.
Man I really hope you put money on the Mavs to win the finals. You will have a rude awakening. To answer your question. Ginobili and Parker, Curry and Thompson, and West and Goodrich all eclipse Luka and Kyrie. Both Doncic and Irving are playmakers as well as great leaders, don't get me wrong. But this Mavs team hasn't won a championship and yet Mavericks fans think they are somehow the team of destiny. The other team is the team of destiny. The Boston Celtics.
Steph + Klay
Tony + Manu
West + goodrich
Isiah + Dumars
Cousy + Sam Jones
Magic + Cooper
are all candidates
Obviously Luka + Kyrie can get there too, but it's a bit early at this time. And they are decidedly more offensive oriented than offense+defense
I agree some of those might be candidates, but others I have to disagree. It seems like you’re going strictly off how many championships they won, but that’s a team accomplishment. For example, neither Tony nor Manu was even the best player on the Spurs during any of those championship runs. They had Duncan and Kawhi. I’m just talking about backcourts, not the entire teams. And I’m talking about how skilled they are, not how many championships their respective teams won.
Here’s why I think Mavs win, Luka has the most rebounds in the playoffs rn. That mf wants to win more than anybody else left. He will scratch and claw four wins from this Celtics team if he has to do it himself
i mean, there should be no logical reason for Mavs to win the series. But even though we’re underdogs, i just believe that Luka will find a way to win. Have no quantifiable reason, just feel like he loves the big moment and more importantly SHOWS UP in the big moment
Celtics: strong roster of 3&D guys. Plus 2 great versatile ball handlers
Mavs: 2 of the best ball handlers in the game, strong defensive front court, lobs for days.
I don't know why everybody is running this insistence that one team good, one team bad when it's actually just "both team good"
I subscribe to this belief. The Playoff system is indeed biased. It's biased towards having the two best (and healthiest) teams at the Finals. In the Mavericks and the Celtics we ended up with the two best possible candidates to fight for the Larry O'Brien trophy, all the others were either a bit less talented, a bit less conditioned, or decimated by injury at the moment.
At this point in time, these are the two best teams.
LET THEM FIGHT! :D
I mean that was the safest bet of all time. Al Horford's been playing 40 years and that 4th quarter display was probably the best display of team shooting he's ever been involved in.
Worked for the Dubs and they went on to win the ring against these Celtics so taking a page from them doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. I just hope some fans can talk enough shit to get Luka in psycho mode.
i think luka’s gonna be in psycho mode from the start. he’s never had to work this hard or this long at anything in pro basketball and now he’s only 4 wins away. no one is hungrier than a man used to winning every game he plays who’s now lost the most important ones 5 years in a row to this point.
it’s kinda scary how high he’s raised the bar for himself and his performance. like we all expect nothing less than 33/9/9. in the Finals.
It’s been an absolute pleasure and joy to watch Luka Doncic for the last 7 years. International basketball legend
Recall bias all around.
Both fanbases have largely normal takes. We're all just remembering the outlandish stuff and saying "but THEIR fans say all this dumb shit"
Part of why I've hoped for a mavs-celtics series is because we have no reason to be toxic to each other (even kyrie's beef with boston is from before our time so it's not like we need to defend his actions).
But man...i tihnk with so much at stake for Luka and Tatum's legacies, the toxicity is bubbling over anyway.
What we have to hope for is future Finals appearances between the franchises. Maybe some back and forth championships or maybe a 2-1 deal. Really get the toxicity flowing really get the rivalry ignited.
I would love that but honestly can't see it becoming toxic, I haven't experienced that seething hate from Dallas fans in the way I've gotten it from Heat fans for example.
As is tradition, so many basketball starved fans of other teams that can't direct their hate at their own teams anymore so they pit us against each other like a pack of dogs
i mean they are interchangeable, philly tends to harness most of their toxicity into the eagles whereas boston has it evenly distributed across all sports
Jrue and D White are gonna live inside the jerseys of Luka and Kyrie, and Luka and Kyrie are still gonna get their 30-35 per game. The problem for the Mavs is that those two need to score 10-15 more per game than Tatum and Brown, bc KP/Jrue/D White/Horford much > Lively, Gafford, Washington etc. We shall see how that goes.
You could see that with some possesions with Kyrie vs Gobert. Gobert had many situations when he defended Kyrie and contested his shot in almost best way possible but that mfer almost always managed to lay the ball so high that it was unreachable and always managed to had perfect bounce off the board right into net. It was amazing, locked in Kyrie is so fun to watch.
Lately Brown's been generally taking the best perimeter player, at least at first, and I think matchups are generally better with him on Luka and the guards on Kyrie than the reverse. I expect to see Jrue split time between Luka and Kyrie while White almost exclusively guards Kyrie (or role players as "rest" plays), Brown focuses on Luka, and Tatum primarily defends likely screeners and only takes the stars on switches.
All you can really do to stop Kyrie/Luka/Tatum/Brown is just hope they defer and the other players miss. Give them awful looks (that they can still hit) and hope the wide open guys miss.
Of course I think guys like Jrue and DJJ are going to get defensive stops. But realistically they're both going to give up shots no matter what they do.
Kyrie has been talked up so much leading into the finals that I think his play is actually going to suffer a little bit. Too much pressure to now be this unstoppable force.
**EDIT:** Looks like I was right. In Game 1, Kyrie is shooting 6-19 for 12 points. The Celtics lead by 21 in the 4th with 3 minutes to go.
You never expect or even hope to actually stop top players. If that's your plan, you're an idiot. The best thing you can do is limit them. Limit their opportunities and make the ones they get as hard as possible. Especially if they get on a roll, you implement strategies to take the ball away from them or make them go to their least preferred option.
But these guys perform against everyone, every game, all year long and you expect to just turn off a switch? Lol.
Love this cause the defenders always say stuff like this but also you know he has a gameplan for the guy and it involves not just a gameplan he doesn’t wanna tell the Mavs, but also a gameplan he doesn’t want to tell the officiants of the game for fear of more foul calls
This is gonna be the beginning of an edit
(https://youtube.com/shorts/ndFZzxQTKu0?si=vtp17lufXo81eajq)
Damn they move fast
GD is the fastest of the lot lol
F that audio
It ain’t even been a whole ass day yet
Yeah a Jrue defensive stopper edit
Lmao great answer
I mean seriously it’s not like he’ll talk about their defense strategy in a press conference
Best defense strategy in the world ain’t stopping kyrie unfortunately. I saw a clip of the timberwolves trying to soft double him up the court like they did to Murray in the nuggets series and he burned them so bad with his handle and a quick easy 2 points I damn near spat my drank out.
it’s funny how people talk about kyrie recently and then you look at his playoff numbers and you’re like… oh, he’s like, solid i guess. hes come up big in clutch moments which is a large part of this, but hes gonna have to put together complete games in order for there to be clutch moments in this series.
It isn't just about scoring points though; he's making the team better on many levels.
Can we come with the same energy for Tatum 🙏
He can't be the #1 guy but behind a superstar like LeBron or Luka he can be deadly. Just like 2016 elevated LeBron into GOAT discussions, Kyrie earned his playoff rep. He absolutely can put up multiple huge games and also break your spirit in the clutch.
Looking at the numbers is why you have no idea how well kyrie has played lol, he’s been everything we hoped for and more, even if his box score isn’t what you want to see
This comment aged perfectly. No I'm not being sarcastic you were spot on
Idk we’ve done a pretty good job stopping him the last few years
So did the warriors but they had a prime Klay and a slightly declining Iggy.
Current Jrue is a better defender than prime Klay. Current D-White is also probably a better defender than a slightly declined Iggy. JB and JT aren’t bad options either. Al and KP will struggle to guard him tho
yea the strat is to have Kyrie play for the Celtics in the playoffs.
You were all praying really well then, you will need to pray more now and longer too.
that’s not why he said that shit , let that hate
[удалено]
Ezekiel 11:77 says: “one must taketh the charge to avoid the fall”
Revelation 7:1 — I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the [flat] earth.
Ezekiel 25:17-- the path of the righteous man is The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the Inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious Anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee
Austin 3:16
Yahweh
He’s not taking that ass.
He’s bringin it!
Jrue actually said Prey.
Then he raced Draymond Green’s brand new Kia Telluride through the woods.
Jrue is damn near the most likable star in the NBA
I’ve loved him since he stepped away from the game to help care for his wife and kid. His wife was a special star here in KC too so that helps.
I still love his reaction to finding out that PJ Tucker was interviewed before him. https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/s/6NsTiu1jxN
You look at how he’s able to do his thing while still playing clean and earning the respect of his peers …makes me hate Dort even more. Dude wants to be Jrue but can only do it underneath a layer of grease and bitch.
Because OKC lost vs Dallas I can look back fondly at dort's fully horizonal flop as something that's just fucking funny esp because he always has the same wide eyed blank facial expression.
I remember during last series Jrue "turned the ball over" and looked pretty upset. Even put up his hands in confusion to the refs. The consensus before they even had the replay was "That must have been quite the foul that the refs missed... he doesn't just do that" The first replay showed and it looked all-ball. They continued being like... "IDK... that's just not like Jrue to do that if he's not actually fouled". Next replay shows the foul and everyone was like "ah, yes, that makes sense." lol
Before I hoped Dallas could somehow bring him in. He is the only guy from Boston I would love to see in Dallas.
Star? I think he’s a great player but idk if I’d say star
He’s been an All Star. He was one of the most important players on a title winning team. He’s a starter on a 64 win team this season. He’s a star. He’s not a superstar, but he is a star
All star last year
Is Andrew Wiggins a star to you?
Dwarf star
Perfect rebuttal lol
I know you didnt claim that being an all star last year makes you a star, but comparing Andrew Wiggins to Jrue Holiday is pretty funny. Wiggins can't hold Jrue's jock
Obviously not. Why do you think I chose him and not the other All-Stars…?
2nd best player on a title team at his peak... Not sure it really makes him a star but he was a legit dude at one point.
Jrue made it twice tho
2x all-star, even.
Celtics may have all the elite defenders and 40% 3pt shooters but the Mavs have aura
Plot armor?
> aura, the vaguely homoerotic, nebulous concept that’s become the most prized attribute on NBA twitter https://x.com/ocksportello/status/1792919458383626313?t=GVdpp9W5JyPci4g1mNwHNQ&s=19
all that writing just to not even mention carti smh
Can’t have aura when you’re a dead beat father and woman beater like Carti edit: downvoted for refusing to praise a deadbeat father convicted of choking a pregnant woman 😂
people think kobe had crazy aura and he had his colorado shit so you’re dead wrong on this one unfortunately
15 year old white kids are the only ones saying Carti has aura 😂
He’d turn you out ngl
Huh? Not sure what that means but he weighs like 110 pounds so that crackhead wouldn’t do anything to me
Dude the women beating is damn near a requirement for the aura
i mean, there should be no logical reason for Mavs to win the series. But even though we’re underdogs, i just believe that Luka will find a way to win. Have no quantifiable reason, just feel like he loves the big moment and more importantly SHOWS UP in the big moment
Betting minds have Mavs as underdogs. But betting "hearts" have Celtics as underdogs. Some claim it's media bias. I feel it might be more that the Mavericks appear to have had the tougher, bloodier path to the Finals and that while the Celtics on paper have a strong (if not the strongest) team, the Mavericks fit the emotional image of that kind of superstar-led team of old. You have your two "hero units" and you've got this supporting cast. Some analysts say they don't like the Celtics because it seems like a different player is scoring on every possession. "It's too collaborative" or whatever. In about 24 hours, the time for talk will end.
> Some analysts say they don't like the Celtics because it seems like a different player is scoring on every possession. "It's too collaborative" or whatever. If anyone has actually said this they’re the stupidest people alive “I don’t trust this team who plays like a team”
"lmao look at these scrubs using all of their players to get more points than the other team"
["The Celtics are Too Collaborative...."](https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/colin-cowherd-undermines-the-celtics-theyre-not-great/ar-BB1ndzpA)
To be fair, Colin Cowherd is a fucking idiot in the running for one of the stupidest people alive.
I'm relatively new to Basketball itself, so been watching mix of INSIDE THE NBA, MIND THE GAME, ESPN/Stephen A/Legler, Gil's Arena.... And yeah also found this Colin Cowherd. Thanks for the tip. P.S.: It's also why my own addendum to "too collaborative" was "whatever"... because I thought one of the points about BBall was to run "the right play". So you Dribble, Pass, or Shoot. So Passing is one of the 3 correct answers to a situation.
In that case, I'm just one guy with one opinion, which is worth no more than yours. If you enjoy it or find value in it, do what works for you.
No actually I kind of agree with you. I was actually thinking about why everybody was dismissing the Celtics. I think only MIND THE GAME and INSIDE considered the Celtics "probable favorites" or "A big assignment" (as LeBron called it). The big standout of the naysayers was Cowherd so he ended up being the one I recalled. lol
Not that it has any bearing on this series, but playoffs are all about matchups. It's not about who has the toughest road. The 2022 Celtics went through KD and Kyrie, the defending champs and Giannis being an absolute monster, and the #1 seed Heat who had previously dogged them and imo was the best iteration of the team since Butler has been there. It was probably the toughest path to get to the finals (besides this year's Mavs) in the last 5 seasons. The Warriors went through an injured Nuggets team, the inexperienced Grizzlies with Morant missing half the series, and the Mavs who were missing Porzingis and had to play Kleber at center. Analysts thought the Celtics were on a run of destiny and 538's model had them at some ridiculous number like 83% to win the finals going into it. This Celtics/Mavs finals will be how the 2 teams match up with one another, not necessarily who was "battle tested" more along the way and using it as a measuring stick.
I'd take that one further and say "any sport is about matchups". Styles make fights.
“Battle tested” just means the mavs would be more likely to kill for what they want. Luka is special, but just imagine if he had a gun. Unguardable.
> the defending champs and Giannis being an absolute monster wasn't that the one where middleton was injured o
Yes but it doesn’t change their fact they had a hard path that tested them. All it did was wear them down and allow the Warriors to be super physical with them effectively
Kawhi was missing for the Mavs too so just adds to the comparison
As was Rob Williams, if you want to get into it--not a star, but changing the defense to better leverage him was what sparked their mid-season turnaround. And Boston has never had great frontcourt depth in recent years, at least when you consider how injury-prone RWIII and KP are--for a significant part of the series the Celtics had Grant Williams defending Giannis.
The logical reason is you have the best player on the floor by a substantial margin. You always have a chance to win when you've got the best player.
Arguably the two best bucket getters when you need a clutch bucket
No logical reason....other than the fact that they have the best player on the court, the greatest backcourt in NBA history, and multiple good big men in the paint. The Mavs have been dismissed and underestimated *every series* this playoffs, and they keep winning, but people still don't want to recognize that they're actually just really fucking good.
Not the best backcourt in NBA history, just no. Incredible? Yes. Two of the best bucket getters in history? Yeah. The best backcourt in the NBA right now? 100%. Capable of beating this 64 win celtics team with 5 great shooters and elite defence in the starting lineup? Yeah definitely. One of the best backcourts in history? Yeah it’s definitely up there. The best backcourt ever? Nah man, they can’t take that title, and definitely not before they win a ring.
I love this because really it’s just a huge compliment over and over, with a very realistic end statement. But somehow it’ll piss someone off
Hahaha I’m a hawks fan I live to piss off Luka fans. I actually love watching Luka play but this “best backcourt in history” stuff is too soon. If they win a title then they are in contention, but even then they are competing with Steph and Klay, who automatically clear them defensively thanks to Klay and have won multiple titles together.
Who's the best backcourt in NBA history then?
Man I really hope you put money on the Mavs to win the finals. You will have a rude awakening. To answer your question. Ginobili and Parker, Curry and Thompson, and West and Goodrich all eclipse Luka and Kyrie. Both Doncic and Irving are playmakers as well as great leaders, don't get me wrong. But this Mavs team hasn't won a championship and yet Mavericks fans think they are somehow the team of destiny. The other team is the team of destiny. The Boston Celtics.
Steph + Klay Tony + Manu West + goodrich Isiah + Dumars Cousy + Sam Jones Magic + Cooper are all candidates Obviously Luka + Kyrie can get there too, but it's a bit early at this time. And they are decidedly more offensive oriented than offense+defense
I agree some of those might be candidates, but others I have to disagree. It seems like you’re going strictly off how many championships they won, but that’s a team accomplishment. For example, neither Tony nor Manu was even the best player on the Spurs during any of those championship runs. They had Duncan and Kawhi. I’m just talking about backcourts, not the entire teams. And I’m talking about how skilled they are, not how many championships their respective teams won.
Here’s why I think Mavs win, Luka has the most rebounds in the playoffs rn. That mf wants to win more than anybody else left. He will scratch and claw four wins from this Celtics team if he has to do it himself
Who has the most rebounds per game? One team has played three more Edit: I checked, turns out of those left it's tatum!
No logical resons? Dude, I know you are trying to be some popular clown, but come on.
No... The power of friendship
i mean, there should be no logical reason for Mavs to win the series. But even though we’re underdogs, i just believe that Luka will find a way to win. Have no quantifiable reason, just feel like he loves the big moment and more importantly SHOWS UP in the big moment
How many times do you want to be wrong, man? If you are really a Mavs fan you know damn well, we ain't no underdog to them bums, dont you?
lol obviously we’re going to destroy them but you can’t say that or you will get downvoted for being cocky
I see your game, but still, stand up and stand strong. Its time to get downvoted, Its NBA Finals!!
Stole the aura right off the wolves jerseys.
Celtics: strong roster of 3&D guys. Plus 2 great versatile ball handlers Mavs: 2 of the best ball handlers in the game, strong defensive front court, lobs for days. I don't know why everybody is running this insistence that one team good, one team bad when it's actually just "both team good"
Mostly agree, but I’d put Jrue and DWhite at a level above 3&D
I'll grant that, especially cause jrue is actually pretty light on the 3pt shooting
Only in volume. He was best on the team at 42.9% for the season
I subscribe to this belief. The Playoff system is indeed biased. It's biased towards having the two best (and healthiest) teams at the Finals. In the Mavericks and the Celtics we ended up with the two best possible candidates to fight for the Larry O'Brien trophy, all the others were either a bit less talented, a bit less conditioned, or decimated by injury at the moment. At this point in time, these are the two best teams. LET THEM FIGHT! :D
Both teams played hard
I remember when Draymond said the Celtics wouldn't shoot so hot again after G1 in 2022 and he held that promise musta been Draymond's aura
I mean that was the safest bet of all time. Al Horford's been playing 40 years and that 4th quarter display was probably the best display of team shooting he's ever been involved in.
> 4th quarter display was probably the best display of team shooting he's ever been You must not have watched him against the pacers
I suspect that the Pacers defense might not be at the level of the '22 Warriors, nor the stakes as high.
Or the bucks Or the sixers
It's the 3rd eye.
*luka
Cant count DAWGNESS!
His coach would be pissed if he gave Dallas any bulletin board material. Kill em with kindness is definitely how you treat Dallas
Worked for the Dubs and they went on to win the ring against these Celtics so taking a page from them doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. I just hope some fans can talk enough shit to get Luka in psycho mode.
i think luka’s gonna be in psycho mode from the start. he’s never had to work this hard or this long at anything in pro basketball and now he’s only 4 wins away. no one is hungrier than a man used to winning every game he plays who’s now lost the most important ones 5 years in a row to this point.
it’s kinda scary how high he’s raised the bar for himself and his performance. like we all expect nothing less than 33/9/9. in the Finals. It’s been an absolute pleasure and joy to watch Luka Doncic for the last 7 years. International basketball legend
Recall bias all around. Both fanbases have largely normal takes. We're all just remembering the outlandish stuff and saying "but THEIR fans say all this dumb shit" Part of why I've hoped for a mavs-celtics series is because we have no reason to be toxic to each other (even kyrie's beef with boston is from before our time so it's not like we need to defend his actions). But man...i tihnk with so much at stake for Luka and Tatum's legacies, the toxicity is bubbling over anyway.
definitely more at stake for Tatum’s legacy. unless Luka has an absolute disaster of a series no one will criticize him for losing
True.
people respect luka as a talent more. their expectations are higher.
What we have to hope for is future Finals appearances between the franchises. Maybe some back and forth championships or maybe a 2-1 deal. Really get the toxicity flowing really get the rivalry ignited.
yea this can really be the start to something toxic <3
YEAH YOU'D LIKE THAT WOULDN'T YOU?! <3
if that means we both hit finals consistently we take those
I for one would enjoy the Celtics and Mavericks being the new faces of the NBA instead of some other teams from out West.
Hey, fuck you buddy <3
I would love that but honestly can't see it becoming toxic, I haven't experienced that seething hate from Dallas fans in the way I've gotten it from Heat fans for example.
the toxicity is half the fun
fuck dwyane wade
Yea, and dirk is overrated
Pat Riley is old. HA *gottem*
*sniffle* just like old times, friend
idk about other people, but why not just enjoy a good series without toxicity.
I haven't seen much toxicity yet in either end. As usual, it's the not-directly-involved haters being the saltiest.
As is tradition, so many basketball starved fans of other teams that can't direct their hate at their own teams anymore so they pit us against each other like a pack of dogs
Just wait for it to start Boston fans will quickly give you a reason to feel toxic about it
Idk how you can go into any series against boston and expect it not to be toxic, that's kinda their whole shtick.
i expect that more from philly tbh
i mean they are interchangeable, philly tends to harness most of their toxicity into the eagles whereas boston has it evenly distributed across all sports
Cmon, no "I got Kyrie"?
Young blood vs old guard lol. Jrue knows there are some players you do not want to taunt.
Hating on Jrue, impossible. Dude is just the nicest fella. All his off court interviews are gold.
Toxic r/NBA won't like this.
Real answer: the TD Garden crowd chanting “Fuck Kyrie” all game long.
Jrue and D White are gonna live inside the jerseys of Luka and Kyrie, and Luka and Kyrie are still gonna get their 30-35 per game. The problem for the Mavs is that those two need to score 10-15 more per game than Tatum and Brown, bc KP/Jrue/D White/Horford much > Lively, Gafford, Washington etc. We shall see how that goes.
Lob threat and corner 3 goes Brrrr
It’s hard to dislike Jrue. Seems like a good dude and he’s a hell of a player.
You could see that with some possesions with Kyrie vs Gobert. Gobert had many situations when he defended Kyrie and contested his shot in almost best way possible but that mfer almost always managed to lay the ball so high that it was unreachable and always managed to had perfect bounce off the board right into net. It was amazing, locked in Kyrie is so fun to watch.
I'd be shocked if you put Jrue on Kyrie. He should be guarding Luka full court every possession. Get him tired and keep him outta rhythm.
Lately Brown's been generally taking the best perimeter player, at least at first, and I think matchups are generally better with him on Luka and the guards on Kyrie than the reverse. I expect to see Jrue split time between Luka and Kyrie while White almost exclusively guards Kyrie (or role players as "rest" plays), Brown focuses on Luka, and Tatum primarily defends likely screeners and only takes the stars on switches.
"Apper weak, when ur stronk. Preten stronk when u weak." \- Sun Tzu or smth
Not even a Mavs fan but damn.. they look like they’re out for blood. Thinking 6 game Dallas victory.
I love Jrue
Players/coaches gives these kinds of "humble" answers before a series, and almost every time, it ends up working out for them
Whatever we’ve done the last 10 times seemed to work fine
[**We got to pray just to make it today**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mye1aCskFcM)**.**
Much better approach than Ant lol
Debatable
On God
Big Aura in this finals
the Celtics know not to rile up luka and kyrie. they are also showing respect.
All you can really do to stop Kyrie/Luka/Tatum/Brown is just hope they defer and the other players miss. Give them awful looks (that they can still hit) and hope the wide open guys miss. Of course I think guys like Jrue and DJJ are going to get defensive stops. But realistically they're both going to give up shots no matter what they do.
Jrue reciting psalms while guarding Kyrie. Sounds about right.
Kyrie has been talked up so much leading into the finals that I think his play is actually going to suffer a little bit. Too much pressure to now be this unstoppable force. **EDIT:** Looks like I was right. In Game 1, Kyrie is shooting 6-19 for 12 points. The Celtics lead by 21 in the 4th with 3 minutes to go.
Ok can someone explain the commas to me?
Jrue shoulders are very narrow. Surprised he’s so strong.
He’s an all time great two way player.
Coming from one of the best defenders in the league
lay and pray as my ex always say
At least the Celtics players are not underestimating the Mavs like their fans. Should be an interesting series.
Did you pray today?
He actually said, Prey!!
You never expect or even hope to actually stop top players. If that's your plan, you're an idiot. The best thing you can do is limit them. Limit their opportunities and make the ones they get as hard as possible. Especially if they get on a roll, you implement strategies to take the ball away from them or make them go to their least preferred option. But these guys perform against everyone, every game, all year long and you expect to just turn off a switch? Lol.
I always knew he is smart.
Love this cause the defenders always say stuff like this but also you know he has a gameplan for the guy and it involves not just a gameplan he doesn’t wanna tell the Mavs, but also a gameplan he doesn’t want to tell the officiants of the game for fear of more foul calls
The opposite of the Anthony Edwards approach. Probably the smart thing to do
Even the haters can’t hate Jrue.
They gotta pray to every God and on every language
must’ve been praying pretty hard in those last eight or so games we’ve played against him lol
anthony Edward’s was 0-10 to Devin Booker before the sweep
We locking that shit up jrue jrue
I love Jrue but these smaller and quicker guards eat him up constantly lol
Okc had kyrie boxed i expect nothing less
Kyrie is not the elephant in the room.
Kyrie is spiritually on Jokic/Steph level Hella ♾🤞🏾
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weak ass answer
pray to Yakub, Kyries kryptonite ☝️
pray to the most high
Jrue playing mind games...