bumpyphish1

For once, I totally agree with you. No one to blame but ourselves. We should be challenging Toronto for the 2 and not in this "Mid East" pack.

Game tied 50-50 at the half. If Detroit wins, we control our own destiny for the 3. If not, we would need Heat to lose @Boston and a win @Washington tomorrow to get the 3. Bosh is still out for Heat--anyone know his status for playoffs, btw? Reggie Jackson out for Pistons. LET'S GO DETROIT!!

Thanks @AHF

A rumor, huh? That's what you're going on? GOTCHA. Dennis is a 22 year-old foreign-born player (ie. late bloomer) who is a starting-caliber PG today but will unequivocally develop further. He would bring in a huge haul...he's arguably our most valuable asset with his youth, upside, and contract (including the right to match any offer after next season). I don't know where you get your "rumors" but I'd start looking elsewhere.

I've seen a couple of people reference this or the refs "retaliating" against Bud for "calling them out". Anyone care to provide backstory? What was the Bud incident? Someone help me on this, plz. You are right on about close games becoming blowouts due to EARLY reffing, too.

I think the contrast was pretty clear Saturday. I wish we had a whole playoff series with them. Thomas puts up the stats he does because of who he plays with. He's pesky and creative and a nice player for sure. But, Boston has no go to scorer. There isn't a team in the league that if he played for them, he'd get more shots up. And, I'm not even Teague's biggest fan. Isaiah is a better shooter/scorer than Teague....and that's where it stops. Totally. There roster is soooooooooo underwhelming on paper. It's amazing they have the record they do. Stevens should challenge for COY but you gotta give it to Kerr, I think. Back to TOPIC....How do we feel with two to play, boys and girls? Are we gonna hold onto the 3? CAN ANYONE CONFIRM THAT TORONTO ACTUALLY HOLDS TIE BREAKER OVER CLEVELAND SHOULD THE RAPS WIN THEIR LAST TWO AND CAVS LOSE THEIRS? Cleveland may not be resting players tomorrow. It appears the Raps hold the tie breaker. Cavs have us Monday and Detroit Weds...both at home (but both playoff teams). Raps have Philly at home on Tues and @Nets Weds. Could be close for the 1.

Silly. Awful. Laughable. I really don't know the right adjective for this. Al will be maxed. As he should.

Yes. YES! Was gonna be my response. 'Sap scored 31 points and grabbed 16 boards with 5 blocks against the Celts....without a single free throw!!! I'd like to know the last time a player on any NBA team managed to score 30+ w/o a free throw. To do that with the statline he put beside it is ridiculous. And. the refs are bailing out lil Isaiah now when he initiates contact in the paint...? On the road? When the F did he become a superstar? I am one of the least conspiratorial people you will meet, but I swear that game versus the Celts nay have been fixed...and despite the atrocious reffing, we overcame them and beat them down late. Loved it.

Why would you throw in the stipulation "KNOWING that you are not going to get much in a trade for Dennis Schröder" ??? That's just silly. Dennis is easily worth a top ten pick...maybe top 5 depending on the draft class. I am, however, in favor of keeping Dennis and trying to trade Teague this offseason, perhaps on draft night. We can't afford to keep both and if we could, it's not efficient allocation of resources unless both could play 30+mpg--they can't. "People think the fight is between Teague and Schro. I don't see that as a fight." Gee, maybe that's because Vivlamore and several others MUCH CLOSER TO THIS TEAM THAN YOU have reported as much. Hell, Dennis has said as much. He wants to be a starter NOW. He's good enough to be one NOW. He may not be better than Teague is now but he may be almost as good. After a full season as the starter, he may be better. He certainly will be better at age 27 than Teague is....and it won't be close. Why are the most frequent posters usually the least insightful?

Not what OP said. Didn't specify PF. He's posted multiple things that just aren't true. 'Sap has been a beast...no need to twist things to try to make him seem even better. No, he won't be defensive POY, nor should he get it, nor should anyone care. He's been great and should be considered for first team All-DEF

If we don't get a first round pick by 2020, we get their 2020 and 2021 2nd round picks. #Truth

I started to think about this, and then I saw who posted it. We aren't anyone's best matchup. Miami would be NUTS not to wanna play one of the younger and less experienced teams (Celts/Hornets)...especially Charlotte. SILLY SILLY SILLY. Regular season means squat. We would handle any of these 3 teams in Rd. 1. I do agree Miami would be the toughest matchup. I don't believe for a second they "prefer" to play us though. That's absurd. I don't know the tie breakers for the other teams, but I love our chances of getting the 3 assuming we win tomorrow as we should. After that, Boston plays both Charlotte and Miami to finish the year, so those games will likely determine much of the season. Best case we get the 3 and Charlotte sticks at 6. I suspect 6 will either be Miami or Charlotte. But if Miami does get the six, it ain't because they "want" to play us. Believe that.

Good god, people. We are coached by Bud. He benched Hardaway for 30 games this season and he's now playing 20+ mins a night. Bud decides to rest Humphries a bit before the playoffs and you're freaking out. Some of you don't understand our coach at all. NEVER read too much into something so flippin' insignificant. I was starting to question the Hardaway trade--learned my lesson there...never again. But, that was something that lasted for over half the season. To question or even dwell on Humphries's minutes is a wicked waste of your time. He will pay off in the playoffs. There is a method to all Bud madness.

Heat with 3 games in 4 days. They could realistically lose 2. Need at least one. And we gotta win tonight.

Imo, they should run a pick and roll with Dennis and Al. Al pick and pop for the mid-range. Or Dennis drive and dish to ______.

To answer OP.... We don't really have one...and it's a problem. If anyone, it's 'Sap, but he chokes in clutch situations...misses chippies to win/tie games late.

Korver sucked for a huge stretch earlier. It's one bad game of like the last six. What are his stats from returning from sabbatical/being part of the rotation. Post-All-star break his percentages are 46% and 37%. These are good and happened in games where he was playing close to 20 mins/per when before he saw 6-11 mpg. THIS. Tim is ready. Bud trained and humbled him. He's contributing just in time. Throw out New York. Losing franchise. Players get better in winning cultures. Bud has obviously fundamentally instill discipline in him. Judge him as a Hawk--he was all rookie 1st team though, right? The talent is there--development has not...til now. VERY high on Timmy at the moment.

I think we can afford one more loss this season and retain the likelihood of retaining the 3 seed. Maybe two losses. Need to win 3-4 of remaining with Toronto and Cleveland. The rest are all should-win though. @Washington could be a trap--they give us problems

Brutal, BRUTAL schedule though. 2x Toronto. 2x Cleveland. Phoenix at home (yay!), Boston at home (should win it if we need it), and at Washington (trouble...last game of season though, we needeth and we shall taketh). Still, any possible way we finish a game ahead of Miami (b/c they own the tie break)? Their toughest remaining games are @ Portland, v. Bulls, @ Orlando, @ Detroit, @ Boston. Gonna be really tough to hold onto this three seed. Really REALLY would like to avoid Clev til the ECF. Hard to see Miami losing more than 2 and us losing 1 or less. Maybe we could get away with 2 more losses. I see Miami losing @ Boston. @ Portland and @ Detroit could be dogfights.

Will depend on matchups and how guys are playing but I see all of Teeague, Korver, Baze, Sap, Horford, Schröder, Hardaway, Thabo, Humphries, and Scott all getting minutes. Starting to wonder why we traded for Hinrich.

He was awesome last night. When he got jobbed on a few calls at the end of the half, but proceeded to score the last six points of the half then walk over to the ref he was mad at and just grin at him...that was great stuff. 'Sap was a beast last night.

Huh? Wan to avoid CLE til ECF. With 4 or 5 seed, we play em Rd. 2

Care less about the record than our seed, We need to be the 3 or 6. 4/5 would suck.

Cool.

I agree. He has been a serviceable low end Sf this season for the Hornets. But, he is not the SF on a championship-caliber team.