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2025 Playoffs Chat & Chill Thread

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.
 
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.
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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.
 
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.
 
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.
dont think he was weighing them down at all, but Boston is just really ****ing good, even without Tatum.
 
dont think he was weighing them down at all, but Boston is just really ****ing good, even without Tatum.
I think it's entirely in the cards the Boston still wins this series and possibly even makes the finals. There's still a lot of talent on that team. The FO has done a very good job constructing a complementary roster around its stars. Though, I think NY making the finals would be a great story, and I'd like to see it; however, I'd see them getting crushed by OKC, who I think will win the West.
 
I think it's entirely in the cards the Boston still wins this series and possibly even makes the finals. There's still a lot of talent on that team. The FO has done a very good job constructing a complementary roster around its stars. Though, I think NY making the finals would be a great story, and I'd like to see it; however, I'd see them getting crushed by OKC, who I think will win the West.
If NYK chokes game 6 I dont see them winning G7 on the road
 
This I agree with. I just don’t see them choking. I think they close it out. I’d definitely rather be in their spot than Boston’s right now.
After Tatum injury Knicks got all the pressure in the world and Celtics can play like true underdogs.

Besides, the Celtics 3P barrage style of basketball is something that can give them the W even if they get outplayed (... and it can lose them games they should win as well).
 
This I agree with. I just don’t see them choking. I think they close it out. I’d definitely rather be in their spot than Boston’s right now.
I agree.
I think the Knicks win game 6 because the knicks are really good. Regardless of the tatum injury.
 
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