2025 Playoffs Chat & Chill Thread

[Shad]

PLEASE WOLVES BEAT THE THUNDER

 

[idiot]

It’s kind of fascinating to see two teams in the East that are likely going to make the finals that are unconventional teams built through unconventional means. It’s way harder in the West, but the Jazz should be paying close attention to how these teams go about their business.

I'm semi-convinced that because these strategies don't have a nice, tidy label a lot of people will be convinced that these strategies can't work because they aren't real strategies. One thing "tanking" has going for it is that it has a simple label that encompasses a simple, easy-to-understand process.

 

[fishonjazz]

After the recent report that Kerr benched him for looking off Steph multiple times in their game against the Blazers, I want nothing to do with him. Even if he develops into a great offensive player, the kind of mindset you must have to look off the GOAT shooter is a massive red flag.

I want guys who do the right things... at least when the right thing is that freaking obvious.

Eh, I'm just not a grudge holder and believe everyone makes mistakes and deserve another chance at redemption. Especially young folks who made the wrong play in one game, which seems a pretty minor offense to me, but to each their own.

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[LogGrad98]

It’s kind of fascinating to see two teams in the East that are likely going to make the finals that are unconventional teams built through unconventional means. It’s way harder in the West, but the Jazz should be paying close attention to how these teams go about their business.

Agreed. I remember a time when we were a pretty well-run organization that other teams aspired to. My how the mighty hath fallen. I don't think we've been a truly well-run organization in nearly 2 decades. We got lucky with some draft picks, but that isn't the same thing.

 

[HermanG]

Eh, I'm just not a grudge holder and believe everyone makes mistakes and deserve another chance at redemption. Especially young folks who made the wrong play in one game, which seems a pretty minor offense to me, but to each their own.

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Do you think Kerr benches him for 1 time violation? Dude sat out until Butler injury forced him back to rotation.

Looking off a guy is disrespect. If JC looks off Cody thats one thing, but to look off Steph you gotta be a moron.

 

[framer]

It’s kind of fascinating to see two teams in the East that are likely going to make the finals that are unconventional teams built through unconventional means. It’s way harder in the West, but the Jazz should be paying close attention to how these teams go about their business.

I would argue that building a team like the Knicks and Pacers did is ENTIRELY the conventional, most reproduceable way to build a team.

 

[fishonjazz]

Do you think Kerr benches him for 1 time violation? Dude sat out until Butler injury forced him back to rotation.

Looking off a guy is disrespect. If JC looks off Cody thats one thing, but to look off Steph you gotta be a moron.

I was just going off what you said.
Anywho there was this dude name Kobe that raped someone, and a dude named Malone who did some stuff with a young girl and didn't take care of his many kids and many other dudes with some serious transgressions on and off the court.
I'm willing to give a dude who looked off a teammate a second chance as I dont see that as an unforgivable sin that can't be corrected going forward but like I said, to each their own. For you that is unforgivable and behavior that is permanent and for me it's forgivable and may be correctable.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Gobert 2nd straight conference finals.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

It’s kind of fascinating to see two teams in the East that are likely going to make the finals that are unconventional teams built through unconventional means. It’s way harder in the West, but the Jazz should be paying close attention to how these teams go about their business.

What unconventional about them?

 

[Coach Ellis]

What unconventional about them?

They both are defensive-oriented teams who developed their star point guard (Brunson / Haliburton) after they acquired them and then built a solid team of role players around them by churning their roster. Both teams became contenders by having “their guy” and then using their resources to build around him quickly.

 

[LogGrad98]

They both are defensive-oriented teams who developed their star point guard (Brunson / Haliburton) after they acquired them and then built a solid team of role players around them by churning their roster. Both teams became contenders by having “their guy” and then using their resources to build around him quickly.

That sounds like the most basic way to build a championship team. The Lakers did this with Kareem and to a lesser degree Magic. The bulls did this with Michael. Spurs did this with Duncan and their big 3, so they were a bit less conventional as they had a big 3. A few other teams had their big 2, Jazz, Bulls including Pippen, Lakers with Shaq and Kobe. But generally speaking the teams that they there find their guy (or a couple of guys, often falling into their lap), then use their assets to build the secondary level players and churn the roster to fill in the gaps. That's like the most basic way a winning team is built in the NBA.

Unconventional would be like the Pistons with no real "the guy" or "big 3" or anything winning the championship on united team play or LeDouche deciding where to take his buddies to win his next ring, or the Lakers being gifted players for scraps (Luka, Gasol, Magic). Those are highly unconventional.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

I would say that the similarity with IND and NYK is that they both traded for guys who then leveled up to all stars.

The same thing happened with us with Lauri, but instead of leaning in to it we tore it down.

 

[Coach Ellis]

I would say that the similarity with IND and NYK is that they both traded for guys who then leveled up to all stars.

The same thing happened with us with Lauri, but instead of leaning in to it we tore it down.

The Knicks signed their guy in free agency, but otherwise, I totally agree with you.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

They both are defensive-oriented teams who developed their star point guard (Brunson / Haliburton) after they acquired them and then built a solid team of role players around them by churning their roster. Both teams became contenders by having “their guy” and then using their resources to build around him quickly.

That sound fairly conventional to me. And the Pacers are definitely not a defensive oriented team.

 

[KqWIN]

I'm semi-convinced that because these strategies don't have a nice, tidy label a lot of people will be convinced that these strategies can't work because they aren't real strategies. One thing "tanking" has going for it is that it has a simple label that encompasses a simple, easy-to-understand process.

Besides the title and label, it’s just not as easy to draw a direct line. With tanking, it’s easy to process the line of thinking. Be bad, get good draft pick, draft good player, be good.

You can’t really “plan” what the Knicks or Pacers did besides saying that you need to make good moves from all different methods to improve. It’s something we all know needs to happen, but there is no step by step guide to execute it.

Tanking is simpler, wouldn’t say it’s necessarily easier or more effective.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Also I think the Celtics comeback and win the series.

 

[Schrödinger's Gerbil]

It’s kind of fascinating to see two teams in the East that are likely going to make the finals that are unconventional teams built through unconventional means. It’s way harder in the West, but the Jazz should be paying close attention to how these teams go about their business.

What, you mean that tanking isn't the only way to build a competitive team in the NBA and that it may not be prima facie evidence of genius-level strategizing by FO galaxy brains? Don't say this too loudly; it's bound to get you shouted down by the pro-tanking zealots and the tanking industrial complex.

Sarcasm aside, I've been listening to commentary on the lottery, and it appears that there's a definite undercurrent of glee among several NBA executives that the Jazz and Wizards got shafted in the lottery. If it weren't my Jazz that got screwed, I'd be gleefully basking in the schadenfreude. Tanking, at least the intentional tear down and purposive sucking version of it, needs to die a swift but painful death. Sadly, it is likely to survive Jason Voorhees style for a while longer, continuing to tempt feckless FOs who don't have any other plan and who worry about job security and peddling hope more than actually doing the hard work of team building.

 

[David Hume]

What, you mean that tanking isn't the only way to build a competitive team in the NBA and that it may not be prima facie evidence of genius-level strategizing by FO galaxy brains? Don't say this too loudly; it's bound to get you shouted down by the pro-tanking zealots and the tanking industrial complex.

Sarcasm aside, I've been listening to commentary on the lottery, and it appears that there's a definite undercurrent of glee among several NBA executives that the Jazz and Wizards got shafted in the lottery. If it weren't my Jazz that got screwed, I'd be gleefully basking in the schadenfreude. Tanking, at least the intentional tear down and purposive sucking version of it, needs to die a swift but painful death. Sadly, it is likely to survive Jason Voorhees style for a while longer, continuing to tempt feckless FOs who don't have any other plan and who worry about job security and peddling hope more than actually doing the hard work of team building.

 

[Coach Ellis]

What, you mean that tanking isn't the only way to build a competitive team in the NBA and that it may not be prima facie evidence of genius-level strategizing by FO galaxy brains? Don't say this too loudly; it's bound to get you shouted down by the pro-tanking zealots and the tanking industrial complex.

Sarcasm aside, I've been listening to commentary on the lottery, and it appears that there's a definite undercurrent of glee among several NBA executives that the Jazz and Wizards got shafted in the lottery. If it weren't my Jazz that got screwed, I'd be gleefully basking in the schadenfreude. Tanking, at least the intentional tear down and purposive sucking version of it, needs to die a swift but painful death. Sadly, it is likely to survive Jason Voorhees style for a while longer, continuing to tempt feckless FOs who don't have any other plan and who worry about job security and peddling hope more than actually doing the hard work of team building.

Yeah, the Wizards got jobbed.

Personally, I’m pro-tanking - but only for a limited time while a franchise accumulates assets. I wanted a complete tear down in 2022, but having the All-Star game in Utah and the emergence of Lauri and Kessler kept that from becoming a reality.

That’s really what the Jazz should do now though. Lauri is more of a #2 guy and I don’t see a realistic pathway for the Jazz to get a #1 guy that helps them compete. They should pivot to 2027, get as much out of their vets now, force the young guys to sink or swim and see if anyone levels up. If not, you make your top 5 pick next year and then try to consolidate assets in the 2027 offseason and trade deadline. Protect your picks so you don’t have to tank anymore and can take advantage of the unprotected picks you have from other teams if one moves up high in the draft at some point.

Start accumulating pick swaps and/or super-swaps to get favorable picks moving forward. Hope somebody blows up into a legitimate franchise player between now and then.

 

[LogGrad98]

Also I think the Celtics comeback and win the series.

Not without Tatum. Unless he was secretly weighing them down and now players like Brown, White and Pritchard can shine. So I guess it is possible, but I just don't see them getting past this one without Tatum.