And the Thunder avoid the Warriors to face some patsy

This team was a top 4 team in the west before the Brandon Clarke injury. They just don’t have the depth to recover from losing one of their few rim protectors and arguably their best on ball defender when Wells went out.

You think Podziemski's block was a foul? You think think Looney pushed Edey?

What does that mean? Jimmy was fantastic.

There was bullshit called on both sides. Jimmy Butler got two FTs on a foul so phantom he couldn’t even hold back his smirk about it.

GS is a dangerous team.

Wouldn't want to see them first round.

Game was rigged for the Warriors but it won’t save them against Houston.

Saves me from having to root for OKC so it’s fine.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">3 MORE DAYS UNTIL LAKERS PLAYOFF BASKETBALL 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/NWNtiqSUGN">pic.twitter.com/NWNtiqSUGN</a></p>&mdash; LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakeShowYo/status/1912582523550609881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Soon

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This exchange between Nico and Tim MacMahon is something out of an SNL skit <a href="https://t.co/v4G5cecnxG">https://t.co/v4G5cecnxG</a> <a href="https://t.co/PIB09ziP1E">pic.twitter.com/PIB09ziP1E</a></p>&mdash; Mavs Film Room ���� (@MavsFilmRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/MavsFilmRoom/status/1912508976547111015?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

LMAO

It was two separate questions though, was it not?

Yes, they're out of draft capital down the road....because they plowed it into guys they needed to get to the finals last season.

And if you're Nico your answer should essentially be "That's a sunk cost and was priced into the value of the 2025 roster. And we didn't feel that the 2025 roster was good enough to win but with additions on defense and continued development of our guys, we could get there..."

I don't think it's a great answer, but I also think MacMahon's question was a bit more of a non-sequitur than is being suggested here.

Nico was right?

OKC is in deep shit!

Well I got accused of being a racist on a Mavs FB page for wanting Nico fired and not buying into the conspiracy theory that the Adelsons (who I think are scummy people), weren’t willing to pay Luka.

They can be, but I think Houston takes them out. Houston is the better team, but they're very young, so GS could hang around longer than they should in this series.

I thought they were a dangerous team with Kyrie.

Without him, they're drawing dead. But Nico couldn't have predicted that. And Davis breaking (along with seemingly half their team) almost immediately after the trade also killed them.

But that's a well constructed roster when healthy, IMO. Nico's hubris is what will ultimately get him fired but I do think that's a roster than could've done some damage with better injury luck.

Houston's a tough matchup for them but if GSW is gonna beat them, it'll be in the 1st round with longer breaks between games. They have a shot -- they wouldn't have in the next round.

Where they'll struggle with Houston is where LA struggled with Denver -- they're built the same, just better. GSW can't go out there and beat Houston playing small like they could do with some other teams (like Denver).

But if they can hold home court and then get a vintage Jimmy/Steph game on the road to steal one, maybe they can pull it off.

Completely agree. Playoff basketball is different. There's a method to it. Its all about adjustments in a series. This is the first trip for these Rockets. Thry're the more talented team, but the Warriors have been there before and know what they have to do.

A better question might be: You had Brunson and Doncic in your backcourt. How'd you **** THAT up?

I don't know man. It has got to suck to be a Mavs fan though. Brunson is criminally underrated. Every year. Hes so good and smooth.

Absolutely. It'd be like the Chiefs trading for Stafford after letting Rice leave for a below-market deal.

Grabbed those 2 out of the same draft and managed to lose them both.

There's a pretty strong argument to make that the Brunson calamity facilitated the Luka move. If you have Brunson instead of Kyrie it's a pretty hard sell to say "We have a 3-4 year window we're looking to capitalize on..."

Even Nico couldn't have convinced himself of that.

Now this is where Cuban can **** off a bit -- that was HIS fault. He didn't want to pay the tax on a Brunson extension. And the rumors are that he was actually anticipating a Luka Super-max as part of it. So while I do agree that he wouldn't have made that deal, that's ALSO why he wasn't willing to pay Brunson and the unwillingness to pay Brunson is what led, ultimately, to the Luka deal IMO.

It was just a perfect storm of bad timing for Cuban. If he sells a year or two sooner or a year or two later, the Mavs have at least one of them. They might have both. But because of when he got out, they lost both guys.

And really, Donnie Nelson set a LOT of it into motion on his way out the door. The Porzingis trade disaster and Hardaway extension really boxed Harrison in. He had to unload Porzingis which cost them a ton of assets they needed to surround Luka. And the tax issues Cuban was trying to avoid were created by the awful Hardaway deal.

Not offering Brunson the extension PRIOR to that walk year saw his market value double and ultimately it was Cuban being cheap and risk averse that created that. Then he tried to play hardball when Brunson was unrestricted and that was all she wrote.

Cuban is the cause of the Brunson fiasco, IMO.

Lillard's doctors might legitimately want him to die. There is absolutely no data to support what they're doing.

Gotta be a different sort of cat to get to the point Lillard is at professionally.

I mean I wouldn't put it past guys wired that way to just doctor shop the hell out of something like this. The team would be a lot safer to be actively involved in that process but hell man, it's really hard to know what lengths those teams would go to in terms of looking the other way and taking the risks as they come.

Dame wants to play. Badly. And I gotta figure he was more proactive than just waiting for results in making that happen.

I’ve got Warriors/Lakers in west finals

They would play in the semis.

You think both of the experienced teams will make it?

If warriors had butler at the beginning of the year they’re probably the 2 seed

No way. Thunder are too deep and young. Warriors are not beating them

Perfect!

That's the sentiment towards the Warriors every year they win a championship.

You will think it is a hot take.

The OKC Thunder will go 15-3 in the NBA Playoffs and win the NBA Finals.

Cementing history as the best team to ever exist.

I didn't think of the Warriors as too old in 22 (they had Poole and Wiggins who were young players).

I just thought of them as woefully shallow. They were fortunate to get Klay back for his last little spurt of reasonably dangerous play but they really were a 6 man team with Looney as a starter who didn't play as much as Poole off the bench. Beyond that it was scrap like the corpse of Otto Porter Jr and a one trick pony like GPII.

I still have truly no idea how they won that championship. It's easily the most impressive carry job of Curry's career and as strong an effort as we've seen in recent memory.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bill Simmons:<br><br>“I voted for Jokić for MVP. I thought it was the best offensive season since Jordan.”<br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/ringer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ringer</a>) <a href="https://t.co/EdH6SUNwKs">pic.twitter.com/EdH6SUNwKs</a></p>&mdash; Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/1913236795380441149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Real MVP

Tatum and the Celtics choked horribly and Wiggins played the best basketball of his life; that's how they won that championship.

Insane Heat vs hawks game. Back and forth. A little extra time.

Nope, Nico was wrong.

The Warriors have won their championships when they have had a great defense (along with great shooting). They have that heading into the playoffs.

22 was wild in that they maxed out their talent and I'm sure the experience they had accumulated helped.

This year Houston is going to focus and Curry which will allow Butler to perform his playoff magic like previous seasons. Like someone said a few posts above the Warriors would be #2 seed if Butler had started the season with that club. Looney and GPII are still on the team.

Wiggins still in the playoffs this year. Miami looking like they want to win in the playoffs.

That was very nice from Ja. Memphis is long dicking them early

Ja Morant is so ****ing nasty.

Cleveland will probably sweep Miami but they'll probably play a competitive game or two. Doubt Atlanta would.

Memphis is no patsy, OKC better not choke next week.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Morant to some six year old kid sitting in the crowd <a href="https://t.co/CfW7soWnFe">https://t.co/CfW7soWnFe</a> <a href="https://t.co/esMQ3hDmuE">pic.twitter.com/esMQ3hDmuE</a></p>&mdash; spencer�� (@spen______) <a href="https://twitter.com/spen______/status/1913414386762346709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Defense wins championships as they may give up 80 in the first half.

Kyrie wouldn't save this team either. You're not winning a championship with that core.

Luka dragged them to a Finals last year through almost sheer willpower and it's amazing that was just ignored.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NBA MVP winner ranks in LEBRON:<br><br>2009-10: 1<br>2010-11: 11 (Rose year)<br>2011-12: 1<br>2012-13: 1<br>2013-14: 1<br>2014-15: 1<br>2015-16: 1<br>2016-17: 1<br>2017-18: 1<br>2018-19: 1<br>2019-20: 1<br>2020-21: 1<br>2021-22: 1<br>2022-23: 2 (LEBRON had Jokic over Embiid)<br>2023-24: 1<br><br>SGA finished 1st this season in…</p>&mdash; BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) <a href="https://twitter.com/The_BBall_Index/status/1913200941395816691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

At least the SGA MVP won't be as underserving as the Rose or Embiid ones.

Sweep.

Maaaybe 5.

Nah Memphis definitely steals one, maybe two.

Against the best NBA team of all time? Wanna bet $100? I get Thunder in 5 or less?

If the Grizz lose in game 6 or game 7 you win.

I must add Ive never lost a Chiefsplanet bet.

I think Kyrie would have helped quite a bit.

Kyrie is leading this team to a championship? Because that's what he's gonna have to do next year or Nico is getting fired.

LMAO at the cut to Nico in the crowd when AD gets hurt again

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">AD gets hurt and exits the game.<br><br>Nico Harrison’s reaction �� <a href="https://t.co/Noa224INvH">pic.twitter.com/Noa224INvH</a></p>&mdash; LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakeShowYo/status/1913438397877960720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I feel bad for Nico. He's obviously taking one for the team. I imagine the snakes of the Adelsons even offered him under the table money.

https://media1.tenor.com/m/8bxvD0NEY...nyet967102.gif
I just can’t wait to see Morant pull out his truck bomb celebration for this series.

They’ll call it “The Mcveigh”

Lou Dort about to take this mans life.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LeBron James begins yet another quest for a 5th championship tomorrow night. For 22 years I have sat &amp; watched through all the wins &amp; losses. However, there&#39;s no denying that the end is near, and every game feels more important than before. I have begun to grow fatigued from…</p>&mdash; Barry (@BarryOnHere) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarryOnHere/status/1913456388514394146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

OKC wants no part of this Clippers team in R2. They better hope Kawhi gets hurt or they're going home early.

Why is that? Denver has zero bench (barely 5 starters) and OKC is deep and talented.

Where in that post did I say anything about the Denver Nuggets?

You didn't, but that's who they're currently playing.

OKC in 5 or 6. Probably 5.

Then sweep the Lakers. LeBronzo will be hurt by then.

I'm still confused how your post responds in any way to what I said about the Clippers. What does Denver's weak bench have to do with LAC beating OKC? Denver's weak bench is partly why I expect the Clippers to get to the WC SFs where their star players have far more playoff experience than OKC.

Better hope the non-SGA players show up in a big game for once if that's gonna be the case.

Braun, I always believed in him.

Next to the NFL, the NBA playoffs are the best. This Western conference playoffs should be really fun

What a shot by Harden

Westbrook completely out of his mind as usual, but it doesn't cost them.

Russ is as stupid as Jamal is careless.

Westbrook with 2 huge plays down the stretch

Nuggets win

Almost gifted the game away with the one of the stupider plays I've ever seen too, the full Russ experience there.

At least he makes it entertaining. :D

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jokic and Van Gundy fighting for the ball. ����<br><br> <a href="https://t.co/vbwuADAA6a">pic.twitter.com/vbwuADAA6a</a></p>&mdash; Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1913717362337157388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Detroit's coach is just watching his team roll over to the Knicks on a 21-0 run and not doing anything

The Lakers absolute refusal to play any sort of defense is an...interesting choice.

Oh.

Reaves is seemingly bothered by the TWolves length. They need more out of him.