2023 NBA Playoffs

Hornets Talk
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I know the end of the season is the last stop for many fans on the board. I’m a basketball junkie, so even though I don’t watch other teams during the season any more, I do get really into the playoffs every year. So this thread is for any and everything playoffs to keep the party going until the draft stuff starts.

This year seems as wide open as it’s ever been. No clear cut favorites, I could see at least 6, maybe 7 different potential champions. The west especially could be all over the map.

What’s everyone’s team you’re picking? Or team/players you’re rooting against, because schaudenfraude is the best feeling in the world when your team is out.

I like the individual players on Boston, but I’m want them to flame out, cause they’re always good, always in contention, in every sport. Philly is always easy to root against. I’m a Giannis fan, so I guess Milwaukee is who I’d like out east.

Cleveland will be fun to watch, the series with the Knicks might be the best one in the first round. But neither team is ready to contend yet.

Out West, the Phoenix/Clippers series will be such a battle. I see Phoenix pulling it out because of Durant, but there might be a fight or 2 breaking out.

I feel bad for Sacramento. The 3rd seed is amazing and should be celebrated, but their reward is… the defending champions, who are finally getting healthy and getting into a rhythm. Can’t even call it a normal 6 over 3 upset, I just don’t see a way for the Kings to take it unless they’re on fire for multiple games.

Denver and Memphis seem the same as they always were, but got top 2 seeds by default. Good teams, but flawed enough where I could see them not getting to the conference finals.

As for the play in sacrificial lambs, hope the Heat and Hawks go down miserably. And OKC because they’ve avoided feeling pain for their whole existence. You can’t skip that right of passage.

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Please don’t forget to mention LeBron losing.

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Anybody but Boston and Lakers. Guess I would like to see Denver vs Milwaukee finals. Giannas and Jokic would be fun.

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Absolutely hoping for a Lakers flame out in the play-in. I respect Lebron, but am just tired of him and AD, their drama and all things Lakers.

While I’ve also generally hated Boston sports teams, I do find it hard to dislike Tatum/Brown/Smart & co. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m pulling for them, but I do like the way they play and came to respect them a great deal during last year’s playoff run.

I’ve also always found GS easy to like (Draymond not withstanding). Steph is just fun to watch and I was glad to see him finally get his finals mvp last year and step further outside of KD’s shadow. Also great to see Klay back and Wiggins finally shed that “bust/empty calorie scorer” label a bit. I’d love to see them squeeze one more title out before the window closes.

Also wouldn’t mind seeing CP finally get a title. Although he doesn’t really need it to solidify his legacy, he kinda does.

The parity in the west should make for some great basketball.

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The thing with LeBron is… we are going to have to do it all over again with his son. I can feel it. I just want him to go away. The playoffs and the league as a whole, are more fun without him.

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I sure hope you aren’t right about the boy

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Sounds like unless Mitch is very lucky in the lottery that he’s happy with a ceiling of mediocrity. Ladies and gentlemen, your Charlotte Hornets. Oops wrong thread. Oh well it’s been one of those days.

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Is the Hawks roster that much better than the Hornets? I suppose so. Up 20 late 2nd on the heat.

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Cody Zeller and Caleb Martin on the receiving end of another play-in collapse. Maybe those two were or problem all along.

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The timberwolves are pretty much beating theirselves tonight. Edwards is shooting them out of the game.

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Lakers got the best matchup for them. I think they win. I can definitely see ja melting down during the series

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Yeah, I’m holding out hope that Memphis can handle business and play to the level that earned them the second seed but it couldn’t have worked out much better for the Lakers. It would’ve been that much sweeter to see the dysfunctional wolves knock them back into a matchup with Denver. Or perhaps out of the playoffs with a second play-in loss.

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I’m kinda torn. I always want Miami to lose at all costs, but I also want them to have absolutely 0 chance to jump into the top 4 of the lottery. So… go Heat for tonight (cringe) so that Milwaukee can sweep you next week and you’re stuck with the 15th pick.

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Ok, risk of Vic to Miami has been averted. Now we need OKC, who I’m an official professed hater of, to win so they also don’t luck into more talent in the lottery.

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Vic to Chicago locked in now

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How nice it would be to still have Malik on the team man…. I know I’ve always been in the minority with liking him, but it was dumb to let him go.

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Knicks win, Kings win good night for the other perennial losers

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Really don’t see how he’d fit into what we’ve been trying to do the past few years. Rozier is better than Monk offensively and we drafted Bouknight who was like Monk 2.0. He’s basically what he’s always been, a guy who can light it up some nights and is meh others .

I was very high on Monk his first few years and still like him but I don’t think not having him is much of a loss either

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Same. He’s making 13.5 pts/game in this 6th season. We’ll be alright without him.

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Monk has always shown way more upside than Bouknight to me though. Id we had Monk… I doubt we would have drafted Bouk. I’d rather have Monk than Rozier to be honest. Cheaper… and honestly… with as many shots as Rozier takes, I think Monk could score just has much. He still has upside and is still improving. But like I said… I’m in a minority with him.