Official 2025 NBA Playoffs Thread

[Biggems]

I forget who it was, but former player said it's the shoes. A lot more players today wear low top sneakers. He was saying the high top sneakers give greater support to your ankles. He said this is why you see so many Achilles injuries today, as opposed to the 80s and 90s.

[exstatic]

TJ with 2 b2b turrible TO’s

This is why I scoff at the ‘overlap’ crowd. Fox, Castle, and Harper might be just enough creators to bollox the OKC jam defense.

[Dex]

I wonder if they had Haliburton on some shot in that calf which was masking the pain, when obviously the calf was already strained. Strikingly similar to Durant when he tried to play on a bad calf and just went down without contact.

Pain is your body telling you something is wrong, and masking that pain doesn't make that muscle/tendon/whatever any less compromised.

[PhantomDashCam]

I was impartial going into the game, now 100% behind the Pacers. Wishing Hali the best.

[lefty]

I forget who it was, but former player said it's the shoes. A lot more players today wear low top sneakers. He was saying the high top sneakers give greater support to your ankles. He said this is why you see so many Achilles injuries today, as opposed to the 80s and 90s.

Whoever he was he forgot to mention the game is way more explosive today, higher pace, and today’s players played up to 3 games a day in AAU.
All that shit rakes a toll on their bodies

[ace3g]

Mathurin actually playing good defense and just hit a 3.

[Mnky]

Really hope the NBA shortens the season and spreads the playoffs rest time. Shorten the games. We don't need a best of 7 the first two rounds. Go back to 2-3-2 format when it's 7. So many ways to help the players rest better. This ain't it. Way too many injuries past couple years. Clearly over exertion.

Thunder without a doubt have the weakest walk to a championship I've seen in a long time. I hope they choke with all my might.

[timtonymanu]

IND is still pretty good. In a single game, they can still pull this off...

Okc’s constant ref baiting makes it difficult to watch lol

[lefty]

This is why I scoff at the ‘overlap’ crowd. Fox, Castle, and Harper might be just enough creators to bollox the OKC jam defense.

yep

[Biggems]

Look for OKC to live at the FT line tonight

[lefty20]

Hawks pick swap next year keeps getting worse.

Hawks gonna be the only healthy team trynna win in the East next year.

[Dod01]

This sport has been ruined by all the injuries over the past decade, tbh.

Pop was right the whole time. Alot of us, including me, gave Pop crap for "babying" players via minutes restrictions, etc., but he knew much better than all of us. We were wrong, he was right.

Tim, Tony, and Manu don't have the length of careers they had if it wasn't for Pop limiting minutes, listening to the team Doctors, etc.

I still believe that if a player is able to play, regular season or otherwise (sans pre-season), they should play, but yeah, if the team is sitting a player or players, it's probably for a good reason.

For instance, Kobe Bryant probably should've/could've played till 39 or 40 instead of 37, but the dude was simply ran into the ground.

[Biggems]

Whoever he was he forgot to mention the game is way more explosive today, higher pace, and today’s players played up to 3 games a day in AAU.
All that shit rakes a toll on their bodies

Well, the ABA was fast paced...so we're several 80s teams.

Players today make tons more money, have better access to health, nutrition, and fitness. They also take several games off thanks to load management.

[timtonymanu]

Whistle whistle whistle. God do something about this shit product, Silver!

[lefty]

Well, the ABA was fast paced...so we're several 80s teams.

Players today make tons more money, have better access to health, nutrition, and fitness. They also take several games off thanks to load management.

Pace isn’t the only difference

it’s just much more explosive today, you don’t have the poorly conditioned crackheads of the 70s-80s and they have to cover much more space, switch a lot etc

[ace3g]

8:29 - 2nd





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
6


28


OKC
25
5


30

[tbdog]

Really hope the NBA shortens the season and spreads the playoffs rest time. Shorten the games. We don't need a best of 7 the first two rounds. Go back to 2-3-2 format when it's 7. So many ways to help the players rest better. This ain't it. Way too many injuries past couple years. Clearly over exertion.

Thunder without a doubt have the weakest walk to a championship I've seen in a long time. I hope they choke with all my might.

The players need to take less. They indicated they won't.

[Strategic]

SGA falls down and gets a foul call

[Biggems]

Pace isn’t the only difference

it’s just much more explosive today, you don’t have the poorly conditioned crackheads of the 70s-80s and they have to cover much more space, switch a lot etc

They don't play defense like they did back then. They also just run down and chuck threes.

But, I agree, players today are in far better physical shape.....maybe too much so, leading to these stress injuries.

[LeBowen]

The players need to take less. They indicated they won't.

Yeah, every game is extra revenue that mostly goes into players' pockets.

[Dex]

SGA got that push-off patented at this point.

[Biggems]

Another push off no call

[LeBowen]

Pacers would've won this already if they had a favorable whistle in just one game like OKC did in G4.

[Strategic]

Now he shoves the defender with his elbow and no whistle

[lefty]

2 fucking terrible turnovers

[Biggems]

Okc over the back no call.....
SGA push off no call....sinks the midrange.

[Robz4000]

Thunderefs gonna carry the day.

[Dex]

The players need to take less. They indicated they won't.

The NBA wants the revenue, too. They have already added more games with the play-in tournament AND the stupid ass mid-season tournament. I don't see them going the other direction.

Silver talks about shortening the games to 40 minutes...but man, that would also really fuck up basically all statistical data.

Also look at the NFL who is looking at bumping the season up to 18 games.

They posture, but at the end of the day they don't care about player health or safety. They want that media money.

[Biggems]

I thought the Pacers had a chance when Scott Foster wasn't picked to officiate. Oh, how naive I am. I should know better.

[Biggems]

Thunderefs gonna carry the day.

Thunder....thunder....thunderrefs...hoooooo

[objective]

Hawks pick swap next year keeps getting worse.

Hawks gonna be the only healthy team trynna win in the East next year.

Man, even with the coaching improvements and whatever is going to happen roster wise, I don't think the Spurs can have a better record than Atlanta next year.

And somehow Trae Young played the entire season with a sore Achilles but it never popped, meanwhile everyone else is popping off like crazy

[ace3g]

Pacers have to try and finish their shots (no flailing their arms after contact) tonight with the amount of physicality allowed by Thunder.

[Biggems]

The Lakers were so stupid to let Caruso get away.

[ace3g]

5:22 - 2nd





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
14


36


OKC
25
12


37

[scott]

Queso Wallace is a guy the Thunder might be able to cash in on this offseason. A team like DAL could take him into their TPE without sending anything out but draft capital, keeping the Thunder's pick cache stocked, freeing up space on their roster for a pick this year, and letting Topic slide into Wallace's role next season.

This is the kind of model I hope we look at... pick guys, put them in the position to be high level contributors, then flip them to keep replenishing the warchest.

[ace3g]

3:21 - 2nd





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
18


40


OKC
25
15


40

[John B]

I seriously don’t think the Spurs are far from any of these two teams.

[scott]

I seriously don’t think the Spurs are far from any of these two teams.

Yeah, we were just a few hundred thousand unlucky bounces of the ball away from being right here in the finals.

[Mugen]

Tatum and Hali with Achilles injuries. Really bad news for that Atlanta ‘26 pick swap tbh.

[scott]

Tatum and Hali with Achilles injuries. Really bad news for that Atlanta ‘26 pick swap tbh.

Dame too, tbh

[Mugen]

I seriously don’t think the Spurs are far from any of these two teams.

Do you mean geographically? :lol

[ace3g]

Another big 3 for Mathurin.

[LeBowen]

OKC are still doing their best to choke this away.

[KDKSpurs24]

Pacers still have a chance. It’s sometimes hard to escape a mental let down (winning against a weakened team instead of at full strength). It can be human nature. OKC has to overcome that.

[ace3g]

1:28 - 2nd





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
21


43


OKC
25
17


42

[scott]

Benn Mathurin is a dog. I'm thinking we're gonna see him make a serious impact the rest of the way. He's who I was hoping for in the 2022 draft.

[timtonymanu]

Let’s not talk about the Spurs until we know for sure the friendship crew won’t hold the team back or if they consider trading them.

[LeBowen]

Fwiw, Pacers are better defensively without Haliburton who was OKC's main target, especially after the injury.

[scott]

Complete horseshit call with Dort just running in Mathurin's way and getting a offensive foul call

[LeBowen]

James Johnson needs to knock that ref out, fucking disgraceful call.

[scott]

Legitimate malpractice by the league to allow this kind of bullshit officiating to go on

[ace3g]

Nembhard!!!

[ace3g]

Halftime





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
26


48


OKC
25
22


47

[LeBowen]

These fucking retards from ESPN need to stop showing close-ups of Haliburton as he went down.
Fucking shameless.

[scott]

These are prime Kobe bullshit officiating that OKC is getting. Not sure how they pulled it off... we'll have to contend with this horseshit ourselves against OKC. Good thing we have Fox and Castle who can draw a foul or 10 themselves.

[LeBowen]

These are prime Kobe bullshit officiating that OKC is getting. Not sure how they pulled it off... we'll have to contend with this horseshit ourselves against OKC. Good thing we have Fox and Castle who can draw a foul or 10 themselves.

Tbh, I think we'll have a good whistle because the league will want to protect Wemby.

[timtonymanu]

Win or lose, SGA is such a fraud and will be the weakest regular season MVP that possibly wins a title in the same year.

[TimDunkem]

This might be the greatest playoff run of all time if the Pacers cap off this historically clutch post season against the Thunder and Thunderefs at home without Haliburton.

[Mugen]

That moving screen call that Dort drew :lol

[scott]

This might be the greatest playoff run of all time if the Pacers cap off this historically clutch post season against the Thunder and Thunderefs at home without Haliburton.

Nesmith 8 points in 40 seconds to win by 2 would cap this thing off in the most perfect way

[lefty20]

That moving screen call that Dort drew :lol

He's been doing it all playoffs. Will literally lock onto a offensive player like a laser guided missile and get rewarded for crashing into them.

It's fucking maddening, tbh.

[Dex]

I wish Kendrick Perkins would break his jaw eating KFC so he wouldn't be able to talk anymore.

[lefty]

I wish Kendrick Perkins would break his jaw eating KFC so he wouldn't be able to talk anymore.
Him and SAS

[Strategic]

James Johnson needs to knock that ref out, fucking disgraceful call. I see James on the bench in street clothes. He must really be in Carlisle’s doghouse

[timtonymanu]

I wish Kendrick Perkins would break his jaw eating KFC so he wouldn't be able to talk anymore.

He’s on a network that pays to be stupid.

[rascal]

I seriously don’t think the Spurs are far from any of these two teams.

Spurs are too slow and don't have the shooting as compared to these two teams.

[ace3g]

jeez...

[ace3g]

Siakam stops the momentum with that 3.


SGA gets away with a double dribble and Dort hits a desperation 3 heave.

[lefty]

fuck dort lol

[ace3g]

Williams actually thought there was a foul there.

[ace3g]

9:20 - 3rd





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
26
3

51


OKC
25
22
9

56

[lefty]

J Dub WOW

[Mnky]

The players need to take less. They indicated they won't.

Why would they take less when they're bringing more on for the league than ever?

[lefty]

https://x.com/jasonthomasxl/status/1934786916978762081

[ace3g]

Turner for 3

[ace3g]

8:15 - 3rd





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
26
8

56


OKC
25
22
12

59

[timtonymanu]

That’s game

[skin27]

Here it is the collapse

[Dex]

Pacers have been scrapping but that could be the knockout punch.

[ace3g]

Thunder also getting shooter's bounce.

[LeBowen]

I hope Adam Silver is happy with his product.

[lefty]

white midget is a turnover machine :pctoss

[scott]

Pacers are never fully in a game until they appear out of it...

[ace3g]

7:13 - 3rd





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
26
8

56


OKC
25
22
18

65

[Dex]

white midget is a turnover machine :pctoss

I'm sure OKC already scouted for if McConell was going to be the primary option...and now they can employ it.

[rascal]

Pacers have been scrapping but that could be the knockout punch.

Going to be tough without Haliburton. Game already trending to be over.

[heyheymymy]

I didn’t hear no bell

[ace3g]

TJ with 8 straight points for the Pacers.

[ace3g]

4:31 - 3rd





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
26
16

64


OKC
25
22
23

70

[timtonymanu]

TJ about to earn himself a big contract from a bad team that will overpay for him.

[Strategic]

McConnell can’t get a foul call 3 trips in a row. SGA touched the ball and tweet

[ace3g]

10 straight now for TJ.

[tbdog]

Why would they take less when they're bringing more on for the league than ever?

20% less games is 20% less revenue, which means players need to take 20% less salary.

[skin27]

McConnel lmao

[Strategic]

Butterfinger sobs

[ace3g]

2:28 - 3rd





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
26
18

66


OKC
25
22
28

75

[skin27]

McConnel turnover killing the pacers

[lefty]

Turnobili J McConnell

[ace3g]

1:56 - 3rd





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
26
18

66


OKC
25
22
30

77

[Dex]

Seems to be the theme of the series. Turnovers kill the Pacers, and they have put up 8 in the third quarter alone

[Strategic]

It’s save your asses time

[lefty]

:lmao

[ace3g]

14 straight for TJ.

[heyheymymy]

TJ ate his wheaties

[skin27]

Seems to be the theme of the series. Turnovers kill the Pacers, and they have put up 8 in the third quarter alone


and the did it gain on a winner take all game 7. The didnt learn from their mistakes.

[Strategic]

Now everything falling for okc

[Strategic]

Brick

[Strategic]

Siakem a ghost in the 3rd quarter

[DarkGinobili]

Getting the shooters bounce

[lefty]

Adam Silver realizing he's responsible for Hali's Achilles injury by calling in the extender for game 4.

[Dex]

Siakem a ghost in the 3rd quarter

TJ has had a great individual quarter but total tunnel vision

[timtonymanu]

OKC is shaping up to be the new dynasty which the nba desperately wants. Spurs have a lot of work to do. They’re not “right there” yet like some of you are claiming.

[tbdog]

We can't count the pacers out. They keep fighting. Something feels off this time.

[heyheymymy]

Yeah kinda shitty when OKC shouldn’t even be here if G4 wasn’t bs

[Robz4000]

Thunderefs too much to overcome tbh.

[rascal]

Yeah kinda shitty when OKC shouldn’t even be here if G4 wasn’t bs

OKC was the best team all year.

[heyheymymy]

I don’t even think tj got tunnel vision more like other guys are not showing up so he was just trying to will it himself

[LeBowen]

OKC was the best team all year.

And they would've lost to healthy Nuggets.

[heyheymymy]

OKC has been fantastic but let’s not ignore the mountain of context

[Dex]

Yep that's game.

[mikec]

Ok now it's over.

[Robz4000]

OT, but Pacers trading for their pick back next season looking like an elite move tbh.

[Strategic]

Game turned to complete shit

[Mugen]

Man I hope the Spurs get good enough to challenge OKC soon. Bunch of corny dudes tbh.

[ace3g]

6:56 - 4th





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
26
20
3
71


OKC
25
22
34
9
90

[skin27]

OKC is shaping up to be the new dynasty which the nba desperately wants. Spurs have a lot of work to do. They’re not “right there” yet like some of you are claiming.


how come the NBA like okc? Its a small market team obviously the nba doesnt like small market unless the have a generational talent like wemby.

[skin27]

We can't count the pacers out. They keep fighting. Something feels off this time.


no haliburton no comeback.

[timtonymanu]

Man I hope the Spurs get good enough to challenge OKC soon. Bunch of corny dudes tbh.

Nothing cornier than Spurs fans saying we can compete with OKC with the deadweight we have on our roster :lol.

[Robz4000]

Man I hope the Spurs get good enough to challenge OKC soon. Bunch of corny dudes tbh.

These assistant coaching hires giving me hope tbh.

[Mnky]

20% less games is 20% less revenue, which means players need to take 20% less salary.

That's not how that works at all.

[ace3g]

5:50 - 4th





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
26
20
7
75


OKC
25
22
34
9
90

[Spurs Homer]

Dort is such a piece of shit flopping kunt

[ace3g]

https://x.com/TheSteinLine/status/1936972518444638692

[Robz4000]

how come the NBA like okc? Its a small market team obviously the nba doesnt like small market unless the have a generational talent like wemby.

OKC owner was good friends with Stern and it's been passed on to Silver tbh.

[ace3g]

More OReb for Thunder...

[ace3g]

4:45 - 4th





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
26
20
11
79


OKC
25
22
34
10
91

[TimDunkem]

Nah. Thunder just traded assets and drafted well. The league would definitely have preferred two big markets right now.

[timtonymanu]

This is the slowest 4th quarter all of a sudden.

[Dex]

Lame day.

Houston gets KD, and OKC about to win their first (official) championship.

[Dod01]

This game is over :drunk

[tbdog]

That's not how that works at all.

If the NBA played 20% fewer games, total league revenue would drop by about 7%, so you're right. But to make up for that loss only by cutting player salaries, salaries would need to be reduced by roughly 19%.

[Strategic]

Gonna let Shea get away with that elbow

[TimDunkem]

Chip E. wins another ring.

[ace3g]

4:11 - 4th





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
26
20
13
81


OKC
25
22
34
12
93

[LeBowen]

What a horrible quarter of basketball.

[timtonymanu]

Chip E. wins another ring.

Caruso about to get his 2nd one too. :lol Lakers

[ace3g]

2:06 - 4th





1
2
3
4
T


IND
22
26
20
18
86


OKC
25
22
34
15
96

[Spurs Homer]

Welp…the magic has run out…

props to the pacers for a magical run….but okc refs just too much…

only wemby can humble these okc front running kunts…

[LeBowen]

Pacers would've won with Haliburton, tbh.

[scott]

Clock has struck midnight on this Cinderalla story.

[lefty20]

Freezing out SGA to keep him below 30 to fuck up my parlay. Fuck you thunder, tbh.

[Spurs Homer]

Right now wemby is working out like clubber lang….plotting his next season…

[Mugen]

What an fn bummer that Hali got hurt so early

[skin27]

Clock has struck midnight on this Cinderalla story.


haliburton’s injury give the title to thunder

[TimDunkem]

What an fn bummer that Hali got hurt so early

Asterisk ring tbh

[timtonymanu]

SGA 8-27. :lol fraud player, tbh.

[Dex]

Ight Imma head out

[ace3g]

Those hats ...

[tbdog]

We thought 2013 was brutal. At least we had game 7 to revenge. Then we had 2014 to revenge and did.

Pacers lose all of 2025/26 season. To lose your legend in game 7, first quarter. Just beyond brutal.

[Chillen]

We thought 2013 was brutal. At least we had game 7 to revenge. Then we had 2014 to revenge and did.

Pacers lose all of 2025/26 season. To lose your legend in game 7, first quarter. Just beyond brutal.

Giannis ain't leaving the East now with the Haliburton injury. Spurs should have offered more for KD.

Boston, Pacers done for next season. Giannis licking his chops to go at it.

[skin27]

We thought 2013 was brutal. At least we had game 7 to revenge. Then we had 2014 to revenge and did.

Pacers lose all of 2025/26 season. To lose your legend in game 7, first quarter. Just beyond brutal.


was it an achililes? It looks like a calf injury. I think hali can comeback next season.

[baseline bum]

Sucked seeing Hali go down, but injuries are part of the game. Congrats to OKC and especially Presti for executing such a ridiculous rebuild.

[Chillen]

was it an achililes? It looks like a calf injury. I think hali can comeback next season.

It's a torn achililes same as Tatum and Irving.

[Mugen]

was it an achililes? It looks like a calf injury. I think hali can comeback next season.

classic Achilles tear tbh

[Mugen]

We’re gonna see more East teams make moves like Orlando tbh. East is absolutely wide open next year

[baseline bum]

It's a torn achililes same as Tatum and Irving.

Irving tore his ACL. Dame tore his achilles.

[skin27]

It's a torn achililes same as Tatum and Irving.


Oh that sucks for yhe pacers. i thought its a calf injury because on the replay it was the calf popped up.

[Obstructed_View]

That sucks for Hali and Indiana. What a legendary run. But at least lol Seattle. Fucking losers.

[Chillen]

Irving tore his ACL. Dame tore his achilles.

Your right my bad. I was thinking of Dame and mixed up Irving with it. I got the two mixed up thought Dame was ACL.

[Mnky]

If the NBA played 20% fewer games, total league revenue would drop by about 7%, so you're right. But to make up for that loss only by cutting player salaries, salaries would need to be reduced by roughly 19%.

The players do not have to take less of anything. The owners need to. They already get tax payer money to build stadiums they own and profit from.
It's wild to me people defend the billionaire owners who are making record profits and put it on the players who are actually sacrificing their bodies.

[daslicer]

Giannis ain't leaving the East now with the Haliburton injury. Spurs should have offered more for KD.

Boston, Pacers done for next season. Giannis licking his chops to go at it.

Bucks is Giannis and a bunch of mediocre role players now with Dame being out for all of next season. I don't see them beating the Knicks or Cavs next year. It's even possible that teams like Detroit and Orlando could leapfrog them next season.

[heyheymymy]

KD to HOU and OKC rings, the apocalypse has begun say yer prayers /s

[mudyez]

ATL will be a top4 team in the east with all those East stars going down.

[tbdog]

was it an achililes? It looks like a calf injury. I think hali can comeback next season.

The pacers announced it's a Achilles injury. But we've seen tear so much now. It's the same mechanism, that big push off. Any player won a calve injury are being exposed to the Achilles tear. Just brutal, man.

[mudyez]

I wonder if he would have avoided it, if they got eliminated in game 6.

[lefty]

OKC has been fantastic but let’s not ignore the mountain of context
there is an asterisk to almost every title

[Robz4000]

Way-too-early pick for next season:
Cleveland tbh. Should be the easiest path of anyone.

[timtonymanu]

Way-too-early pick for next season:
Cleveland tbh. Should be the easiest path of anyone.

The East is gonna be a cakewalk that I wouldn't be surprised if Giannis with his lack of a good team makes it all the way to the Finals.

[Robz4000]

The East is gonna be a cakewalk that I wouldn't be surprised if Giannis with his lack of a good team makes it all the way to the Finals.

Giannis is gonna need better than Kevin Porter Jr to make a run tbh.

[sfernald]

Pacers were amazing. Such a dramatic series. I have two favorite teams, the spurs and the thunder so as you can imagine I am so thrilled my team has won the championship. That has only happened a couple times in my lifetime where a team has won where I watched practically all of the their games. So as you can imagine I am beyond the moon right now!


Go spurs next year!

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Feel so bad for Haliburton. Dude had a legendary playoff run.

When are teams going to understand that lasting calf injuries aren’t to be fucked with. Sit the man, you’ve had all the warning signs. I know it’s the finals but health should come first every time.

I hope the Spurs will be smarter with Wemby.

[timtonymanu]

Feel so bad for Haliburton. Dude had a legendary playoff run.

When are teams going to understand that lasting calf injuries aren’t to be fucked with. Sit the man, you’ve had all the warning signs. I know it’s the finals but health should come first every time.

I hope the Spurs will be smarter with Wemby.

I think of how Brandon Roy's career was cut short because of choosing to play in the playoffs instead of sitting out for the season.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

I think of how Brandon Roy's career was cut short because of choosing to play in the playoffs instead of sitting out for the season.

Yeah there have been many occasions. Just preserve the guy’s health, it’s not like a hobbling Haliburton was going to be the difference. Indiana even had the signs and still ignored them.

Players run much more these days compared to the past, they change direction more, play with an increased intensity, run faster. No longer are 8 guys standing around watching a 1 on 1 like before. It’s not like AC Green jogging between the two baskets for a 1000 games without missing one.

[lefty20]

1936977816161013895

What can man do against such reckless fix job?

[RC_Drunkford]

It was clear that would happen to Haliburton. Same happened to KD after playing with a strained calf in the finals when he was on the Warriors. You don't play with a calf strain. That always results in an achilles tear.

1936959482803736626

[lefty]

It was clear that would happen to Haliburton. Same happened to KD after playing with a strained calf in the finals when he was on the Warriors. You don't play with a calf strain. That always results in an achilles tear.

1936959482803736626

The number 0 is cursed

[RC_Drunkford]

Spurs FO watched the finals and said: We gotta double down!!!

1936957994530402320

[RC_Drunkford]

1936972147974697215

[daslicer]

1936972147974697215

Reminds me of the Warriors title runs when they usually beat teams whose stars got injured during their series with them.

[KobesAchilles]

So are the Knicks the betting favorite? It’s either them or Cleveland I imagine. Also OKC has the west locked up next year.

[LeBowen]

Reminds me of the Warriors title runs when they usually beat teams whose stars got injured during their series with them.

Thunder were probably the biggest favorite in 2015 and KD missed most of the season.
CP3 got injured in the process of eliminating the Spurs, Clippers lost against the Rockets.
Warriors had an easy time in the West and then played Cavs without Kyrie and Love.

Also, let's not forget Pacers also benefitted from injuries. They proved that they were legit, but their run was also significantly easier because of the injuries.
Bucks without Lillard, both Garland and Mobley missed games and then played injured.
Knicks would've probably beaten the Celtics even without Tatum's injury, but Brown also had a knee surgery right after the playoffs, Porzingis had that mysterious illness and was completely useless, Jrue missed most of Magic series and was obviously off.

It was one of the worst seasons I've seen health wise.


So are the Knicks the betting favorite? It’s either them or Cleveland I imagine. Also OKC has the west locked up next year.

Too early to say.
Rockets probably have another move in them.
Minnesota and Denver will make moves.
Lakers don't have a chance, but Lakerrefs will be in full force to give Lebron another run.

I think Cavs will retool, I can see them trading Garland, maybe even Allen.
Magic had both of their stars miss a lot of games and they already addressed a lot of their shooting issues. Also one move away from being legit.
Hopefully Bucks figure something out because Giannis will be by far the best player in the East.

[Seventyniner]

I think of how Brandon Roy's career was cut short because of choosing to play in the playoffs instead of sitting out for the season.

By contrast, look at Pop holding Duncan out of the 2000 playoffs.

[Ice009]

I forget who it was, but former player said it's the shoes. A lot more players today wear low top sneakers. He was saying the high top sneakers give greater support to your ankles. He said this is why you see so many Achilles injuries today, as opposed to the 80s and 90s.

I don't know if it's the shoes (it's something I think about sometimes), but I really do wonder why so many players are getting them now.


Whoever he was he forgot to mention the game is way more explosive today, higher pace, and today’s players played up to 3 games a day in AAU.
All that shit rakes a toll on their bodies

Maybe the NBA can just space the season out longer. I don't want less games personally due to the records and all that kind of stuff would be thrown out the window if they lowered the games, and as a fan, I don't want to watch less games either. Can't they just space out the season more?
Players play during the off-season, so why not just shorten the offseason to make the season longer to be able to give the players a bit more rest between games?


Pop was right the whole time. Alot of us, including me, gave Pop crap for "babying" players via minutes restrictions, etc., but he knew much better than all of us. We were wrong, he was right.

Tim, Tony, and Manu don't have the length of careers they had if it wasn't for Pop limiting minutes, listening to the team Doctors, etc.

I still believe that if a player is able to play, regular season or otherwise (sans pre-season), they should play, but yeah, if the team is sitting a player or players, it's probably for a good reason.

For instance, Kobe Bryant probably should've/could've played till 39 or 40 instead of 37, but the dude was simply ran into the ground.

I was highly against Pop resting players that were healthy enough to play. I still think you need to get your conditioning up if you want to be able to learn to push through fatigue in the biggest games.

I was more than OK with him resting TD and Manu (can't remember who else) as both of those guys did need it IMO to extend their careers, but most of the other players, I didn't think it was necessary.


Well, the ABA was fast paced...so we're several 80s teams.

Players today make tons more money, have better access to health, nutrition, and fitness. They also take several games off thanks to load management.

I think today's league is a lot more explosive, so that may play a part in it.


OT, but Pacers trading for their pick back next season looking like an elite move tbh.

Darn, that was a great move. Who had their pick? What did they trade to get it back?


It was clear that would happen to Haliburton. Same happened to KD after playing with a strained calf in the finals when he was on the Warriors. You don't play with a calf strain. That always results in an achilles tear.

1936959482803736626

Alright, maybe it is the calf injuries and trying to play through that leading to these Achilles injuries. All those guys having calf injuries before it happened can't be a coincidence, can it?


I think of how Brandon Roy's career was cut short because of choosing to play in the playoffs instead of sitting out for the season.

I thought Brandon Roy already had knee issues before coming into the NBA, or did it happen while he was in the NBA?

[KobesAchilles]

By contrast, look at Pop holding Duncan out of the 2000 playoffs.
That injury started a dynasty. Bc we would’ve whooped the Lakers in 2000. I don’t know about Portland though. They were a legit team. But I think we’d have pulled it out.

But yes the best part about that injury I think was that it showed Tim that Pop really cared about him as a person. I think every other coach would’ve given in to their stars demand of playing hurt. I mean even great coaches like Kerr and Carlisle gave into their players. There are many reasons why Pop is just the best coach ever. But this is at the top of it.

[Dex]

Reminds me of the Warriors title runs when they usually beat teams whose stars got injured during their series with them.

Damn, I forgot about Morant and Steph. Seriously didn't play a single team that was at full strength.

I know injuries are part of the game and the team that stays healthiest usually wins, but still wild.

[daslicer]

Damn, I forgot about Morant and Steph. Seriously didn't play a single team that was at full strength.

I know injuries are part of the game and the team that stays healthiest usually wins, but still wild.

I felt Steph's injury during the playoffs was poetic justice for all the times him and the Warriors took advantage of injured teams during their title runs.

[LeBowen]

Everyone talks about reducing the number of games, but I'd say that the issue is that the season is crammed together in such a short period of time.
Not even 6 months for the regular season, that's with a week long break for all-star in the middle.
Reducing the number of games by 10 or 20 wouldn't change much because teams would still play 4 or even 5 games a week, that's a bigger issue than playing more games over a longer period of time.

The way I see it, there's no valid reason for the season not to start in early September with mid-April still being the end of the regular season.
Yeah, first month of the season would have a drop in quality, but I'd rather have another month of mediocre basketball than all the load management and bad games because players are under ridiculous workloads with not enough time for recovery.
Additional 5 or 6 weeks would enable a schedule with 3 games per week on average, which would also increase the viewership because let's face it, having too many games over a week lowers the viewership even if we're talking about local fans that watch just their teams, let alone people who watch the NBA on nightly basis.

[Ice009]

Not me, I've been saying the season should be longer and spaced out for a while. Anytime they bring out the shorten the season/number of games stance, I always say do not do that, just make the season longer and space out the games. I don't want to see the NBA records ruined, and I also don't want to see less games by my team. From what I read, players play throughout the offseason anyway, so just start the season earlier and space it out to give the players more rest between games. Start with a month earlier and go from there.

[Dex]

I felt Steph's injury during the playoffs was poetic justice for all the times him and the Warriors took advantage of injured teams during their title runs.

I mean, GSW also lost titles due to Durant's injuries and Draymond's perpetually injured brain...but I agree with the general sentiment.

[Seventyniner]

I like the idea of starting in early September. That's about 11 games per month, roughly 2 days off per game. The playoffs would have to run later to have a similar ratio, the regular season might have to end in late March to still have the Finals done before the draft.

Suddenly a 6-week injury only makes a player miss about 16 games.

[LeBowen]

I like the idea of starting in early September. That's about 11 games per month, roughly 2 days off per game. The playoffs would have to run later to have a similar ratio, the regular season might have to end in late March to still have the Finals done before the draft.

Suddenly a 6-week injury only makes a player miss about 16 games.

It just makes too much sense.
I never understood the takes that they don't want the NBA season to overlap with NFL too much.
That's understandable for the playoffs, but who cares if we're talking regular season.

It would also fix the attendance issues a lot of smaller markets have.
It's really difficult to fill out the arenas during home stretches that have like 4 home games over a week.

[Seventyniner]

It just makes too much sense.
I never understood the takes that they don't want the NBA season to overlap with NFL too much.
That's understandable for the playoffs, but who cares if we're talking regular season.

It would also fix the attendance issues a lot of smaller markets have.
It's really difficult to fill out the arenas during home stretches that have like 4 home games over a week.

Avoiding NFL overlap is easy, just don't play on Sundays in September/October. Might want to have light Saturday schedules too due to college football.

Spreading games out more also makes them seem more important because they are less frequent. Baseball has a huge problem with this.

[heyheymymy]

Maybe a dumb idea but I would also build out the all star break a little longer. Maybe add a week off. Gives an extended mend at a long point in the season where wear and tear starts to compound and it's right before the push to the playoffs and the playoffs proper. Maybe players come back fresh and rested right when the games get more meaningful. Also allows a perspective pause for where the standings lie and projections going forward.