2025-26 NBA Thread

[WilyWestbrook0]

Oh my goodness that Hornets/Heat play-in game was wild. Tyler Herro and LaMelo Ball are such low IQ guys despite one being a great shooter and one having playmaking abilities. Ball did get the game winning layup but watching him fling bricks from 3 all night was a dreadful watch. All that said, it was a highly competitive contest. Very disappointed in Kon Knueppel, though - he was so bad that Charles Lee had to bench him in the 4th and OT. He only had a couple of good games in his final 10, and now this play-in stinker - he needs to get in better physical condition I think. This stretch doesn't erase his full body of work and rookie 3 point record, but it could factor into whether he wins ROY since Cooper Flagg was absolutely insane to end the season with his 50 and 40 point explosions.

[WilyWestbrook0]

All the first games of the playoffs are done and now we're into the second games. Just saw Wembanyama have a terrible fall in the Spurs game. He slammed his chin really hard on the floor and it caused his head to snap violently. He definitely had a concussion. He tried to get up after about a minute or so but was too dazed and needed more time on the floor. Then he finally got up again after a few minutes and ran back to the locker room for evaluation. He knew it was bad.

I really do have concern that at his height, some day he's just going to have a really nasty injury that a guy his size cannot recover from like someone smaller can. This one might take him out for a game or two, but it can get so much worse. I want him to succeed because he's a special talent and OKC needs competition, but I still wonder how a guy his height can safely last.

[WilyWestbrook0]

All right, I was wrong about the Lakers - despite not having Luka, they're up 2-0 on the Rockets. The only other teams up 2-0 are my Thunder and my Cavs, although the Thunder now have SGA and JDub with a finger and hamstring injuries that they hope won't linger; with them and Wemby not having ideal health at the moment, some of the other Western teams can be more hopeful and maybe gear up to take out the Thunder and Spurs early. The rest of the series are tied. I'm not surprised the Pistons have lost already. As I've said before, JBB is a great regular season coach who gets a lot of hard work and buy-in from his players, but he's not a playoff coach. He overplays his starters, puts too much of an uncreative offensive load on one or two stars (Cade in this case), and doesn't make adjustments or good ATOs and late game management. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they got bounced early. I don't think they can compete with Boston, and I think the Knicks and Cavs could beat them as well and I wouldn't be really shocked at all.

[WilyWestbrook0]

First round series this year were WILD. Lots of shockers and excitement.

How about Boston going out in 7 to Philly? Who saw that coming? Sure helped that Philly got Embiid back and Boston lost Tatum for game 7, but still. Most everyone had Boston coming out in the East to start the playoffs.

Finally, Detroit ALMOST choked, but Orlando just couldn't keep the momentum going after a great 3-1 start and a huge lead in game 6 that they unfortunately blew. Not having Franz Wagner in game 7 didn't help, but something needs to be done about that offense. They may need to move on from Mosley.

The Knicks' utter destruction of the Hawks in game 6 was embarrassing for Atlanta. Shameful to get beaten that bad in any game, let alone a playoff game. 50+.

Wolves' upset of the Nuggets was amazing. Holding onto win the series even without Ant was the most impressive of all.

And the Lakers held on too.

I think the only series that went as expected are the Thunder and Spurs series. Those teams do look like they're way ahead of everyone else and their likely WCF will be like the Finals. I can't see the Wolves beating the Spurs without Ant for at least part of the series, or the Lakers beating the Thunder after how badly the Thunder dominated them this season.

The Cavs/Raptors game 7 is still going as I type this. Cavs started out in embarrassing fashion but are climbing back into it. I still have such doubts about the defense and mental toughness and late game execution of this team. They cannot handle full court presses, physical defense, etc. Even if they win this game and series, I wonder how they'd fare vs. Detroit. I do hope they win though because seeing them against their old coach JBB would be entertaining. Regardless, anything can happen out East.

[pwaldo]

It is tough to call the Boston run a disappointment when at the beginning of the season fans wanted them to trade away guys and tank for a lottery pick but Boston fans have to be a little troubled by how the season ended. I mean they had no expectations for this team and then near the end being a #2 seed you had a lot of people picking them to come out of the East. Now they get bounced in the first round and you have to look at the rest of the teams remaining and think how and what if? Maybe everyone in the East wasn't good and just the Celtics got overrated and they are all bad who knows but I don't see anybody out there stopping OKC or the Spurs.

As for the Nuggets I wasn't really shocked by that loss since I still don't like their roster outside of Joker and Gordon and they overpay everyone. They are built like a New York sports team where you throw money at a ton of people to satisfy the fans screaming but after you do everyone goes that was a bad signing and now you are stuck with the bad contract for years. The Wolves seem to have their number in the playoffs and Joker still didn't seem 100% from his injury so that was a very bad match up for them.

Now the Lakers were a shock basically doing a steam roll over the Rockets but let's be real the Rockets you could cross off being a contender once that burner account from Durant was leaked and it seemed to implode the Rockets locker room. Yeah they should have been a Lakers with an NBA ancient Lebron and nothing else but this team basically peaked at the beginning of the season as a threat and by the end the Rockets were just first round elimination fodder for whoever they played.

[WilyWestbrook0]

It is tough to call the Boston run a disappointment when at the beginning of the season fans wanted them to trade away guys and tank for a lottery pick but Boston fans have to be a little troubled by how the season ended. I mean they had no expectations for this team and then near the end being a #2 seed you had a lot of people picking them to come out of the East. Now they get bounced in the first round and you have to look at the rest of the teams remaining and think how and what if? Maybe everyone in the East wasn't good and just the Celtics got overrated and they are all bad who knows but I don't see anybody out there stopping OKC or the Spurs.

As for the Nuggets I wasn't really shocked by that loss since I still don't like their roster outside of Joker and Gordon and they overpay everyone. They are built like a New York sports team where you throw money at a ton of people to satisfy the fans screaming but after you do everyone goes that was a bad signing and now you are stuck with the bad contract for years. The Wolves seem to have their number in the playoffs and Joker still didn't seem 100% from his injury so that was a very bad match up for them.

Now the Lakers were a shock basically doing a steam roll over the Rockets but let's be real the Rockets you could cross off being a contender once that burner account from Durant was leaked and it seemed to implode the Rockets locker room. Yeah they should have been a Lakers with an NBA ancient Lebron and nothing else but this team basically peaked at the beginning of the season as a threat and by the end the Rockets were just first round elimination fodder for whoever they played.

I remember a lot thought the Nuggets improved when they got rid of MPJ's contract and picked up shooter and defender Cam Johnson. I honestly always thought Cam was overrated and got tired of OKC and Cleveland fan bases demanding him as their "missing piece" (this was OKC fans' opinion before their title last year, FWIW). Sure enough, he wasn't the "missing piece" and had a number of cold games in the Minnesota series.

[WilyWestbrook0]

Oh my gosh.

If the Cavs choke this one away, I'm done with them as my #2 team.

They had a 17 point lead by finally playing physical and making smart plays. Then in this third quarter, they start chucking complacent threes instead of attacking the rim, Harden does his usual playoff idiocy, Dean Wade is terrified of doing anything on offense, and they cannot handle any defensive pressure.

None of the contending teams continually play this stupid and cowardly.

If they go down 3-0, time to blow it up. Short Donovan Mitchell and his hero ball is looking like it wasn't the thing to build around, especially by a team with no star wings, bigs who have limited offensive skill sets, and a complete lack of physicality and consistent playoff intensity defense. Maybe just too many glaring flaws in this roster construction. Second round ceiling, not good enough.

[WilyWestbrook0]

I AM IN DISBELIEF!

JAMES HARDEN WITH MULTIPLE CLUTCH SHOTS LATE IN THE 4TH TO SAVE THE CAVS!

Not dead yet...but I still have my doubts they can win the series.

Glad to see some heart for a change at the end here though, and from Harden no less.

[pwaldo]

Good for Harden for coming up clutch for once. He always seem to disappear playoff time and it was nice to see him do well today even though like you said I doubt they can win this series. Though the Pistons have looked like garbage the whole playoffs now too so who knows

[WilyWestbrook0]

Knicks have been on fire lately. The way they're playing, they'll steamroll whomever comes out of that Pistons/Cavs series. Absolutely embarrassed and swept the Sixers after their 50 point beating of the Hawks to end round one.

And how about golden child Victor Wembanyama, who said that he and the Spurs are bringing back ethical basketball, going out and throwing a deliberate full forced elbow to Naz Reid's neck? What a hypocrite. He's lucky he's the face of the league so he probably won't get any further punishment other than being thrown out for the rest of that game. Most other players would probably get suspended at least a game.