Always sad when LeBron misses the opportunity to play against the only true face of the league since Michael Jordan.

When Tari plays like a normal NBA first-round pick,
You get what we saw in the first half.

It's just never easy…

Poot said:

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It's just never easy…

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Big lead…4th quarter…everyone quits trying on defense and then ****s the bed on offense when the other team ramps up defense with a last ditch effort to go all out.

Like clockwork

Sleepwalking is not working

Well, after that corn-laden turd last night, we're locked into the 5 seed (probably were, anyway, given that the Lakers are playing Utah tomorrow, but there would have been at least a sliver of hope of getting the 4 seed) and a combination of Lakers win/Nuggets loss sends Denver to the 4 seed. Not a fan of that potential matchup…

Really would like the Nuggets to hang on here against the Spurs and clinch the 3 seed. Would much prefer a first round matchup against LA than Denver

Well, it's time to see how we will fare in the first round
against the Lakers-LeBron-NBA cabal.

Kind of funny that journeyman bench warmer Aaron Holiday had the same 3 pt FG% (39.4%) and effective FG% (55%) as Reed did this season.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2026.html

Massive step up from unplayable to 2nd string worthy this season for Reed, but he still needs to be a more consistent weapon with his ostensible super power - his shot.

I'm actually ok with Reed's shooting numbers. He may have the same eFG as Holiday, but he also takes 3x more shots. His shooting, passing and ability to create have all been improving steadily and at times he carries us on the offensive end. He is basically our most efficient scorer behind Durant.

For me, the key to Reed's future is his defense. There have been a handful of games this season where he has actually been a positive defender. In those situations, the key difference is his anticipation. Whether it be by playing the passing lanes or just aggressively attacking the ball before the offensive player can leverage their size advantage, when he is mentally sharp he can offset his physical limitations. For him to be successful, he needs to stay mentally engaged on the defensive end at all times. Ideally, as he matures he will develop the mental discipline to be a 30+ minute starter, but as it stands Ime only trusts him for about 15-20 minutes a game.

I'm interested to see how he handles the playoffs. The fact that you face the same team on repeated nights can be an advantage for smarter players that can learn tendencies and identify points of weakness. Reed is only going to survive on the defensive end, if he learns to exploit those areas. This should be a good litmus test of his BBIQ.

Have they said whether Luka or Reaves will be ready to start the series, or at all?

FrioAg 00 said:

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Reaves is expected out the entire first round

Luka returned from Spain today where he was receiving injection therapies and will be reevaluated tomorrow. No news yet.

I think it's pretty unlikely either will play against us

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So LeBron will average 38 FT attempts a game