So you are saying the Bucks without Giannis is better than Lakers without AD, Clippers without Kawhi and PHX without booker? This is one of the dumbest posts I've seen in a long ass time. When other teams have multiple superstars and you dont guess what, your team isnt stacked. Just look at what Giannis needs to do on a nightly basis for them to win if they are stacked he could he injured like Kawhi and Bucks would still advance to the next round.
Its just due to injuries due to shortened summer. The top players all been hurt AD, Lebron, Kyrie, Harden, Durant, Kawhi etc
This is so delusional. Its so ridiculous to think the role players dont matter. Who on the lakers is comparable to jrue, middleton, lopez, pj? AD and... shroeder? Stop just thinking about the top players
True but the list of teams with 3 top 40 players is short. Brooklyn, Phoenix, Milwaukee. Maybe Golden State if Klay comes back. Giannis isn’t hurting for help.
What about the list of teams with 2 top 20 players? Brooklyn, phoenix, Lakers, heat, Boston, GSW off the top of my head. Ask anyone if they'd rather have 3 top 40 players or 2 top 20 players. People dont count role players as help anymore with the amount of stars available only stars are seen as help.
AD by himself is more impactul than Jrue Middleton and Lopez combined. Thats why Lakers went 4-1 in the playoffs last season and were up 2-1 to the Suns before he went down. Nets missing Irving and had a hobbled Harden and almost took down the Bucks. Giannis' supporting cast is weak AF it woulda been a sweep if Harden and Irving were healthy thru no fault of Giannis. You are a numbnut if you think top players dont matter they are paid 30% of the salary cap for a reason. Ever heard of Paretto Principle?
I think you are under rating Holiday and Middleton and over rating some of these other teams duos. https://www.si.com/nba/2020/12/14/top-100-nba-players-2021-daily-cover#section_3 26 : Holiday 27 : Middleton https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/5/4/22416337/top-25-nba-player-ranking-lebron-james-nikola-jokic 23 : Holiday https://www.espn.com/basketball/story/_/id/30482938/ranking-best-nba-players-2020-21-50-11 33 : Holiday 35 : Middleton I think you are right about both LA teams and Brooklyn. The three teams with multiple top 12 guys. Other than that these other teams duos aren’t so powerful that they outshine what Milwaukee has. Especially when Giannis is usually the highest single player ranked of the bunch that we are looking at and like I said I think you under rate Holiday and Middleton and how productive they are and how they are viewed.
Let's take Giannis out of the discussion cuz he is a sunk variable here regardless whether he is in Milwaukee, Heat, GSW or Lakers. Holiday and Middleton are regular season players in the playoffs from what I've seen they cant really help Giannis with late game scoring against opposing def thats why they almost lost to the Nets even when they are healthy. Giannis is like Shaq he supposed to only dominate 1st 3Qs and let his perimeter partners take over but now he needs to be Kobe too and close out games. I dont see that as enough help when the going gets tough Giannis looks around and sees that he is still the only dude who can bring the bacon home on the team thats not enough help. Will Milwaukee even win a game if Giannis goes down like Kawhi? No? Then you know he doesnt have enough help its that simple.
If everyone was healthy, the Bucks would be far behind the Lakers, Nets, Clippers in terms of talent. I'd group them with Denver and the Sixers. Lakers - have the best duo in terms of fit, talent and 2-way versatility in Lebron/AD Nets - have the most top end talent in KD, Harden & Irving Clippers - Kawhi, PG is the 3rd best duo, but 2nd best in terms of 2-way versatility. The Bucks, Sixers & Nugs aren't in the first tier due to their lacking a true second star. Middleton/Jrue are good 2nd options in the regular season, but have never been viewed as a 2nd star. They've also performed pretty terribly in past postseason play. I posted Middleton's previous 18 or so playoff games in the bucks/nets series and they were Trevor Ariza terrible. Nuggets with Murray fell to the second tier because we don't know if bubble Murray is an exception or a rule. The sixers had Ben simmons as their second star along with Tobias and Seth... All three teams had a good roster with good talent, but in the NBA its about top end talent and fit, which these three teams lacked in one way or the other.
yea thats because the lakers, like the bucks, are true contenders. The suns are not. Its not really an accomplishment to be up 2-1. Kd and the nets without kyrie and harden would win the west this year. The teams are really that bad This isnt 2 on 2 at y. Lakers and clippers might have 2 stars each but bucks starting 5 is just as talented. That supporting cast is not weak. Idk where you are getting this from especially if you think the suns are good. Even before the start of the season the bucks were projected to be one the best teams in the league
They are projected to be good because of 2 time MVP Giannis and not really their supporting cast. The bucks without giannis are pretty weak thats why Giannis had to do his best Lebron impersonation just to clutch out a win. Look proof of the pudding is in the eating if Bucks supporting cast was really amazing the Nets Bucks series shouldnt have reached Game 7 considering Harden on 1 leg and Irving wasnt playing. Giannis and KD woulda canceled out and the Bucks cast should've dismantled 1 leg Harden and co. Thats not really what happened the Bucks almost lost if Giannis didnt go Super Saiyan last 2 games. Lots of people are saying the Nets lost that series more than the Bucks won it cuz Joe Harris who was one of the best shooters all season long suddenly forgot how to shoot. And thats with Irving out and Harden on 1 leg so even then you can see how bad the Bucks supporting cast is.
because hes a 2 time mvp. So why werent the warriors projected to be a top seed? Is it because the rest of the team isnt elite? Like say holiday, middleton, lopez etc Durant and giannis dont cancel out. Durant is just that much better. Nets were on a whole level above everyone else. Thats why the series was still competitive
The Bucks without Giannis beat the Heat last year without Giannis in game 4 and then lost every other game WITH Giannis lmao. Giannis just isnt as good as KD. The defense Giannis was scoring on was one of the worst in the league, the defense KD was scoring was one of the best and his role players were worse. Nope, Middleton and Holiday>>>>Nets supporting cast without Irving and Harden. You dont get to make that excuse. Giannis hasnt even played one elite defense in this playoffs. Such nonsense. Middleton has often looked their best player in some games in these playoffs. Dude even scored 40 in game 6 and he's made a game winner too. Also ignoring that Jrue Holiday is one of the best defenders in the league.
I am sorry but is Shaq commentating on how to defend pick and roll?? The same guy that used to get targeted by teams because he was terrible at defending pick and rolls? lol
