04/25/24
June 01, 2022
NBA Playoff Pickem: Finals Round: The NBA Finals begin Thursday night at 9 p.m. Eastern when the Boston Celtics visit the Golden State Warriors. Pick the winner and number of games along with several prop bets and a tiebreaker. I'm leading the contest by eight over The_Black_Hand and 25 over NoMich. Good luck, ladies and germs.
posted by rcade to basketball at 04:03 PM - 28 comments
My picks:
Celtics in 6
Top point scorer: Jayson Tatum
Top rebounder: Al Horford
Top scoring team: Warriors
Team scoring 130: Warriors
Series MVP: Jayson Tatum
Top fouler: Jaylen Brown
Three-point shooter: Steph Curry
Winning team points last game: 111
I like Boston in this one -- and not just because I desperately want it to happen. The Warriors, I contend, are not that good. Change my mind.
posted by rcade at 04:07 PM on June 01, 2022
My picks:
Warriors in 7
Top point scorer: S. Curry (GS)
Top rebounder: A. Horford (BOS)
Top scoring team: Warriors
Team scoring 130: Warriors
Series MVP: S. Curry (GS)
Top fouler: D. Green (GS)
Three-point shooter: S. Curry (GS)
Winning team points last game: 118
posted by NoMich at 04:38 PM on June 01, 2022
The Warriors, I contend, are not that good. Change my mind.
Oh, the Warriors will change your mind alright. When they sweep Boston!
posted by NoMich at 04:40 PM on June 01, 2022
My picks:
Celtics in 7
Top point scorer: Stephen Curry
Top rebounder: Al Horford
Top scoring team: Celtics
Team scoring 130: Celtics
Series MVP: Jayson Tatum
Top fouler: Grant Williams
Three-point shooter: STEPHEN CURRY
Winning team points last game: 106
posted by ic23b at 04:59 PM on June 01, 2022
"I like Boston in this one -- and not just because I desperately want it to happen. The Warriors, I contend, are not that good. Change my mind." I won't try to change since I agree with you.
posted by ic23b at 05:04 PM on June 01, 2022
I was certain the Mavericks would show these Warriors to be a pale imitation of their previous greatness. Instead the Mavs showed themselves to be less than advertised. They gave up so many easy points in the paint!
Still it was a season for Dallas that makes a future championship a genuine near-future possibility.
posted by rcade at 06:07 PM on June 01, 2022
My picks:
Celtics in 6
Top point scorer: Tatum
Top rebounder: Horford
Top scoring team: Warriors
Team scoring 130: Warriors
Series MVP: Tatum
Top fouler: Grant Williams
Three-point shooter: Thompson
Winning team points last game: 112
posted by Goyoucolts at 06:20 PM on June 01, 2022
I'm unimpressed with both the Warriors' depth - sorry, Otto Porter isn't all that and a bag of chips - and silky soft path to the Finals. Boston, battle-hardened after taking out the reigning Champs, the No. 1 seed and KD & Kyrie, will expose them.
posted by Goyoucolts at 06:23 PM on June 01, 2022
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posted by Goyoucolts at 06:23 PM on June 01, 2022
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posted by Goyoucolts at 06:23 PM on June 01, 2022
My picks:
Celtics in 6
Top point scorer: Curry
Top rebounder: Horford
Top scoring team: Warriors
Team scoring 130: Celtics
Series MVP: Jaylen Brown
Top fouler: Grant Williams
Three-point shooter: Curry
Winning team points last game: 109
Celtics in 6, but only because I want to be there to watch them hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Celtics are bigger and longer than Warriors, and just as quick. If the referees let 'em play (inconsistent, at least in the East), Celtics will have an advantage. Warriors had their most trouble in the playoffs with Memphis, and the Grizzlies are a physical team like Boston. The biggest advantage for Warriors is their head coach, but so far Udoka has made most of the right moves at the right time. I BLEED GREEN.
posted by Howard_T at 06:52 PM on June 01, 2022
My picks:
Warriors in 5
Top point scorer: Curry
Top rebounder: Looney
Top scoring team: Warriors
Team scoring 130: Warriors
Series MVP: Curry
Top fouler: Green
Three-point shooter: Curry
Winning team points last game: 111
posted by rumple at 08:25 PM on June 01, 2022
We have until tomorrow night, right?
posted by The_Black_Hand at 08:43 PM on June 01, 2022
I was never comfortable with the Warriors chewing through everyone when they had Durant.
I was also not pleased to see how much they relied him in some of their playoff series. As though it would be touch and go if they didn't have him. It devalued the rest of the roster.
I prefer to see the Warriors win the way they had before Durant arrived.
They're getting another chance to do that now. They've worked hard as hell for the opportunity. And they don't know how many more chances they'll have with their core.
posted by beaverboard at 09:37 PM on June 01, 2022
Still it was a season for Dallas that makes a future championship a genuine near-future possibility.
Luka has to attend the Mac Jones fatty tissue conversion camp.
posted by beaverboard at 09:48 PM on June 01, 2022
We have until tomorrow night, right?
Correct. I mistakenly said game 1 is tonight, but it's tomorrow.
posted by rcade at 10:12 PM on June 01, 2022
My picks:
Warriors in 7
Top point scorer: Curry
Top rebounder: Horford
Top scoring team: Warriors
Team scoring 130: Warriors
Series MVP: Curry
Top fouler: Williams (Bos)
Three-point shooter: Curry
Winning team points last game: 124
posted by cixelsyd at 10:17 PM on June 01, 2022
Still it was a season for Dallas that makes a future championship a genuine near-future possibility.
Luka has to attend the Mac Jones fatty tissue conversion camp.
Absolutely. Luka is a big guy with a body type that can never be transformed into a Giannis or Mailman type physique but he needs to work on conditioning. That was the key against the Warriors - they simply wore him out. And he needs to be able to play max minutes at top level. A few more athletic players who can eat minutes would also help. Fully expect the Mavs organization will address needs and the team will be even better next year.
posted by cixelsyd at 10:31 PM on June 01, 2022
Yeah, Luka needs to get in better shape (fans know it, the Mavs know it, he knows it), but at the end of the day they exceeded (reasonable) expectations for the season - which were largely set as "win a playoff series" - and, perhaps most importantly for the future, found a way to resolve the Porzingis issue.
As disappointing as the WCF shook out, it's worth bearing in mind that before this playoff run you had to dig down to Davis Bertans before finding a Maverick player that had ever won a NBA Playoff series (and that was coming off the bench for the Spurs five years ago), and Jason Kidd's lone playoff victory as a coach was with the 2013-14 Brooklyn Nets. Going up against a team whose core went to five straight Finals and won three of them not terribly long ago. Not saying that was the only factor in the WCF by any means, but I do think it was a very large one.
(and yes, I realize that picking BOS in 6 runs almost exactly counter to that point. I have my reasons. Hush.)
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:46 PM on June 02, 2022
My picks:
Celtics in 6
Top point scorer: Tatum
Top rebounder: Horford
Top scoring team: Warriors
Team scoring 130: Celtics
Series MVP: It's a team trophy, really, but it goes to Marcus Smart
Top fouler: Draymond Green
Three-point shooter: Steph Curry
Winning team points last game: 97
It doesn't happen often, so I'm always happy to have a team to root *for* in the Finals. Lifelong Okie State fan (although the lone college grad in my family that isn't an alum) + transplant that is seflishly extremely happy that some portion of mainstream (read: over 25 y/o) St. Louis is actually paying attention to the NBA thanks to Jayson Tatum = Let's go Boston (not a phrase I'm particularly comfortable with, tbh).
Also really hoping for Howard that he gets to see it happen live, because that would be pretty great.
posted by Ufez Jones at 01:33 PM on June 02, 2022
My picks:
Warriors in 6
Top point scorer: Tatum
Top rebounder: Horford
Top scoring team: Warriors
Team scoring 130: Celtics
Series MVP: Thompson
Top fouler: Green
Three-point shooter: Thompson
Winning team points last game: 116
Missed my +5 points for no one scoring 130 in the last round ;)
Go Kings!
posted by geekyguy at 08:06 PM on June 02, 2022
Yeah, Luka needs to getYeah, Luka needs to get in better shape in better shape
Kind of hate bangin' on the guy .. he's one of the best 5 players in the league. He's essentially the "Big Fundamental" at whatever position he plays. But a little conditioning and he would be even better. Scary thought.
posted by cixelsyd at 08:44 PM on June 02, 2022
Did you see that tonight, Celtics come back and give the warriors a beatdown, That change up defenses rules.
posted by ic23b at 01:56 AM on June 03, 2022
I gave up on the game after the third quarter! Auugh.
posted by rcade at 09:37 AM on June 03, 2022
I came pretty close to giving up on it, but took my dog out after the 3rd ended and by the time we got back in Boston had just finished up the 7-0 run to start the 4th so I stuck with it.
Finals tip times are always brutal for East Coasters.
posted by Ufez Jones at 02:25 PM on June 03, 2022
Crap. I missed game one.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 01:18 PM on June 05, 2022
Boston in 7 Klay Thompson (pts) Al Horford (reb) Warriors (most pts) Jaylen Brown (MVP) Wiggins (most personals) Steph (most 3s) Celtics, 116
If you can't accept them because the series started already, I understand. My bad.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 01:23 PM on June 05, 2022
Current Standings
Link to make picks: https://sportsfilter.com/game/nba-playoff-pickem