Jrag

If Oladipo was healthy and playing Boston in a series I would expect the Celtics to win in 5 or 6. Thing is though, if Oladipo was healthy there is a good chance we would be watching a 2-2 dogfight between Philly and Boston right now in round 1. Sucks that he got hurt, but I’m happy we are getting an absolutely loaded 2nd round in the East.

This has been a running Twitter joke forever, but that doesn't mean it's not true. Ben Simmons shoots with the wrong hand.

I find it quite hilarious that Jared Dudley might have saved the Sixers season. It shouldn’t take being shitted on by a fat benchwarmer to get going, but Ben Simmons is awake now. These last two games have been the best team defense performance out of the Sixers all year, and this last one was without their best defender. It starts with Simmons, but even JJ Redick of all people is fighting through screens. The defensive upside of a team anchored by Embiid with Simmons and Butler on the wings is championship level legit. Haven’t seen it all year really, but it’s for sure the highest of ceilings..

Turns out forcing Harden right by playing damn near behind him is much harder to pull off without Eric Bledsoe.

Harden's first half last night was incredible. If he shoots like that in round 2 I think they can do it. This is a pretty unprecedented chemistry situation in Golden State. You are a dynasty and everyone knows the best player is leaving this off season. Weird.

Indeed. He responded right out of the gate. He's just a completely different player when he is attacking the basket. Embiid also looked better without the knee brace although he clearly can't jump. Such a bummer considering how great his year was. Curious to see how many Philly fans are in the building tonight in Brooklyn.

I’m afraid most of my favorite characters will be out the door by episode 3. Although this Cersei/Bronn plot gives me hope that he will survive til the very end!

Oh I forgot my favorite moment ”I’ve always had blue eyes!!!!”

Loved it. I actually hope they stay at this pace next week as well. Episode 3 clearly, based on the runtime, is the battle in the North. Dont get the idea of this as a table setting episode. It’s literally all character payoffs that they could have spread out over a whole season under normal conditions. The moment with Ayra seeing all of her past fellow travelers strolling by really hammered that home. Loved the Sansa scenes with Tyrion and Dany. Arya calling her the smartest person she knows seems a bit unearned, though. I guess Arya hasn’t spent much time with the smart folks except for the few episodes pouring Tywin’s wine. Again I very much did not get a table setting vibe at all. Those two Jon scenes (Dragon riding and parentage reveal) are season finale type moments. They seem to have somewhat corrected the pacing issues from last season. Obviously everything is still rushed, but it flowed this time around.

Also. Maybe just maybe Brett should be running those JJ dribble handoffs with Ben and not Joel. You know, the guy who isn't being guarded. Ill take a lesser screen and the extra 4 feet of space any day.

Embiid is clearly hurt. Jimmy is still Jimmy. The rest of em? Yikes. Tobias can't get any space when he plays every single minute with Ben Simmons. He isn't good enough defensively to be an afterthought in the offensive game plan, but here we are. Brett has to find him some open looks from 3 somehow. Maybe pair him with Jimmy and JJ and stagger with Simmons as much as possible? I honestly don't know how you find Tobias open looks, because Ben Simmons is such a crippling offensive presence. If he is driving to the rim and playing great defense you can live with it, but when he is checked out like yesterday? I think I'd rather play TJ McConnell (who has been struggling for the last few months). Simmons has to be aggressive going downhill or what is even the point. He also played some of the worst defense I've seen out of him all year. In Game 1 of the PLAYOFFS! What? How are you letting Jared Dudley cross you up? I still think they win this series, but, if they don't, it will be the last series of Brett's Sixer career. Not that it is entirely his fault. Elton gambled big with the Butler and Harris signings, but they somehow ended up with 5 (3 unplayable) centers and no wing depth? Have to do better. It's been so obvious that they need more shooting to have a shot at making Ben Simmons at PG work. It all comes back to Simmons, though. He isn't good enough not to hustle on every single play, but there he was taking plays off on both ends yesterday. Such a frustrating player.

Terrible draw for the Rockets all the way around. Toughest road to the Finals by far. It appears the Sixers have been bullshitting about Embiid's health. "Load management" has now morphed into "It's possible he doesn't play in Game 1." If the Sixers were a normal team with a normal medical staff I would brush this off as gamesmanship, and I still do think he will play, but this is the team of phantom shoulder injuries and deathly peanut allergies so who the fuck knows.

The will beat Philly. Embiid has been sitting out a bunch and the rest of the guys are mailing it in. Tough stretch of games if you need to win 3 though.

Who could have guessed that a story about an elderly, wheelchair-bound security guard didn’t add up.

Side note: Is Joaquin Phoenix an all time great trailer guy? Something about those eyes, man. Y’all remember how good The Master trailer was?

The world is an evil place. I’m all for the escapism aspects of most comic book movies, but I don’t see the problem in diving in to the muck every once in a while. It’s honest. I know some seem to be interpreting this trailer as sort of sympathetic to the Joker, but I didn’t take it that way. We will have to wait and see how it actually plays out, but there are ways to depict anti-heroes without really excusing their behavior. Walter White, for example, is an all time classic anti-hero who isn’t really redeemable despite the audience knowing and understanding how he came to be. Even his big rescue moment in the finale doesn’t feel redemptive at all. It’s a fine line to walk and I don’t know if they can pull it off, but I’m sort of shocked that a director of dumb comedies released a trailer with this tone. So shocked, in fact, that I am excited about a comic book movie for the first time in years.

Loved the trailer. Love that the cast of Atlanta is getting big time movie work. Phoenix is a god-tier actor so I was already somewhat excited, but got damn I did not expect that. That the dude who made the hangover movies is about to drop one of the darkest comic book movies of all time is somehow oddly perfect?

Look at how bad KAT wanted it. I wish that had worked. https://streamable.com/br37z

The new look Sixers are starting to come together a little bit with wins over the Bucks on the road and Boston at home last week. I have no earthly idea who is coming out of the East. With Brogdon out and the other Bucks hurting I would probably consider the Raptors the favorites. Problem with the Raptors is they are probably going to run into this weird wildcard Philly team in round 2. Jimmy Butler might shoot 0 threes that entire series.. or average 7 a game. I really have no clue. Embiid might turn a few of these plays into blocks somehow? Embiid is consistently great and the best big man in the league, but I just have no idea if Jimmy Butler will show up or not. This is the most intriguing 2nd round series to me, but the whole playoffs are shaping up to be AWESOME this year. I really think I would take the field over GS.

Murray State had no shot when the FSU bench started bombing 3s at that clip. Got to the point where we were calling timeouts just to get guys rest. Incredible carry job by Ja just to get them here. When Morant hit that 4th 3 early I ran around my house like a lunatic. If the Bulls have the opportunity and pass on him I will cry.

The Bucks just got blown out by the Cavs with Giannis sitting out so I’d say that argument goes both ways. I find it funny that we are all talking MVP now, but not a single one of us will give a shit by the time they actually announce it. Or did they move it back up? What a horrible idea to award it after the finals..

I had Harden as my vote for most of the year, but I expect Giannis will win. That 12-5 stretch with everyone out literally saved the Rockets season though so I have no problem with either winning. Clear top two. PG was getting a lot of love as the third vote getter, but the Thunder are trending down. I would probably have Embiid as my #3 at this point. His impact is somehow underrated nationally and I’d say he has an outside shot at DPOY.

There is no universe in which Marcus Smart is a face. Cool heel maybe.

Not intentionally, but the context fits.

Yeah. Ja showed off all the tools today. Even hit his 3s which is just about his only weakness offensively. That combination of athleticism, handle, vision is just filthy filthy. He can finish and drive with both hands. As soon as I realized how aggressively they were double teaming him I knew Murray was going to pull away. Morant is way too good of a passer for all that. You really need to live with him driving 1 on 1 and hope your rim protector is having a good day ha.