Posts by James Taylor3

Jacob Torres21 said:Absentees:

LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes
LA Galaxy: Milosevic
San Jose Earthquakes: Wanderson, K. Gustafsson, Aubynn, Floren, Tamandi, Spong
Pick 1

Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers
Seattle Sounders: Moen, Midtgarden, Gulbrandsen
Portland Timbers: Matland, Carlsen, Myklebust, James, Sellin, Rojas
Pick 1

Inter Miami vs. Orlando City SC
Inter Miami: -
Orlando City SC: Kupiainen, Hoivala, Zahovaiko, Koljonen
Pick 1

I agree—this Zahovaiko guy is vital for Orlando City; he sets the tempo and is a solid scorer. Plus, the fans love him. 🙄

Posts like this are just pure nonsense.

I guarantee more than 95% of the people on this forum—yourself included—have never even heard of any of the players you listed. Spare us the posts.

How do you actually know if those four from Orlando are their core starters, or just benchwarmers who likely won't even see the field?

If you happen to have actual data, feel free to share it—otherwise, this is just pointless noise that serves no one.

Here are my thoughts:

East

Chicago (1) - (8) Philadelphia 4:2

The Šikaka pick should go through, though I doubt it’ll be particularly convincing. Rose isn't exactly at peak form—plus Philly has some serious depth. As far as I know, there aren't any major injuries on their end, so this could get interesting.

Atlanta (5) - (4) Boston 1:4

The veterans in Boston clearly timed their peak for the postseason. Atlanta feels completely lackluster to me; I don't trust them one bit. From what I understand, Horford isn't returning, so I'm giving Boston a massive edge here.

Miami (2) - (7) New York Knicks 4:0

Miami consistently handles the Knicks, and I expect that trend to carry over into this series. James is more locked in than ever—his game certainly reflects that. Despite the Knicks finding their rhythm, I wouldn't give them even a 5% chance of advancing. You just can't rely on a squad filled with wildcards who treat defense as an afterthought. Kudos to Chandler and Schumpert, but they won't be enough to stop Miami.

Indiana (3) - (6) Orlando 4:1

Orlando might scrape together one win if they catch fire from behind the arc, otherwise, this will be one of the most predictable first-round matchups. Without Howard and Davis, they have nothing to offer against a stellar Indiana squad that essentially boasts two nearly identical starting lineups.

West

San Antonio (1) - (8) Utah 4:1

San Antonio is playing lights out—they didn't earn that top seed in the West by accident. Utah has been the biggest surprise of the season, but I think they've hit their ceiling. A smooth series for the Texas squad.

Memphis (4) - (5) LA Clippers 4:2

Memphis is a formidable unit. With Randolph back in the mix, they have a powerhouse roster where any one of five players could drop 20 points on any given night. The Clippers look better on paper, but I have zero faith in them—without Paul, they look like a bunch of circus performers.

Oklahoma (2)- (7) Dallas 4:3

I suspect the defending champs will give Oklahoma a fighting chance, likely aided by home-court advantage. Dirk was an unsolvable riddle last year, and with Ibak leading the charge, we might see a repeat performance. Still, the loss of Chandler is felt too heavily—enough to let Oklahoma through.

LA Lakers (3)- (6) Denver 2:4

Maybe I'm crazy for backing Denver, but I'm not sold on the Lakers in this series. Denver's roster is excellent. Sure, they lack a definitive "closer," but that's why they have team chemistry and Andre Miller.
They've already given the Lakers trouble this season, and I expect the same in the playoffs.
Kobe has his off nights where the shot isn't falling, Bynum is prone to incidents, and Artest is suspended for the duration of this series (unless it goes seven games, in which case he might see the floor for the finale). Denver takes this. ☕

graniteotter6 said:Chicago Bulls—James Taylor3. 🙂.

I told you so. 😉

I totally blew it on Philly and the Suns—but honestly, who could have called that given all the injuries? 🤣

graniteotter6 said:The LA Clippers take the fifth seed in the West—congrats to the Grizzlies on moving on to the Conference semifinals.

The Clippers really stepped in it. Now the Grizzlies are just going to cruise right past them in the first round. ☕

I saw this coming about six or seven games ago—the LA Clippers simply don't have the depth to push past the second round of the playoffs, let alone go any further.

Dana Baker2 said:I have my doubts about Nash playing another three seasons🤣. When you start making claims like that at 39...🙏

http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba...l-this-summer/

Dana Baker2 said:Relying on raw emotion always backfires—just look at how the Nets played two nights ago. They would have been rewarded with a deep playoff run if they had, but since they aren't, I doubt this game holds much weight from that perspective. As for being top of the league? Whatever.😉
Anyway, I think I read somewhere that Nash mentioned playing one more season...🤔

I know Popovich has said rest is more important than sitting at the top of the standings, so expect the Spurs' star shooter to take it easy. 🤷

Nash stated he’ll play three more seasons—though I'm fairly certain it won't be with the Suns.

Dana Baker2 said:Taking the Spurs at 2.10 odds seems smart. The Suns wrapped up their season yesterday—they'll likely be completely checked out and unmotivated in today's game. Meanwhile, the Spurs are looking to keep that momentum high heading into the playoffs. Even if the big three aren't playing, their bench has enough depth to handle the Suns.

This could easily be Steve Nash's final game in a Suns jersey. Since they're at home, the crowd will definitely want to send him off with a win. Personally, I'd pass on this one... 🤷

Arthur Hayes6 said:I'm mostly worried about Durant... As far as I can tell, he only needs 21 points to lock up the scoring title. My fear is they bench him right after he hits that mark..

Twenty-one points should do it—provided Kobe doesn't decide to suit up for tomorrow's game.

Knowing the Lakers leader's competitive streak, I wouldn't bet on it—even if the game itself is a total blowout...

graniteotter6 said:No, not OKC vs Denver. 😁 This could turn out to be a long night.

I get where you're coming from—but I'm dropping subtle hints here that both Indiana and Chicago are going under. 😬

graniteotter6 said:So they're essentially throwing away their home court advantage in the first round? Interesting. I need that data for my analysis ASAP.😍
Now Griffin is an over 🤷 Last night, CP3 only set him up for 36 points four times.

Sure, they might surrender that home court edge. Without Paul, they're a disaster—completely aimless. 👍

graniteotter6 said:So, what’s the status with one of the clubs today? 😁 You know which one. 😂 These guys aren't much better than the others lately—it’s going to be just like that Celtics-Heat game last night in terms of scoring. 🤣

Are you thinking about the Indiana—Chicago area? 🤣

Daniel Robinson5 said:☕

Try checking back in on this thread more often—don't just stick to the other sports forums. ☕

wiredcanyon39 said:Just for today.
Philly at +150.
I don't see the justification for such a high coefficient. 🤷

Yeah, the spread is massive—but watch out. Philly is definitely looking to dodge Miami in the first round, so they might just take the loss on purpose.

Take a look—maybe they're giving some players a rest day today. 🤷

Arthur Hill2 said:Portland is tanking— which is my ultimate proof that you haven't even once disputed that key players aren't being traded for future picks because you simply can't.

No, Portland isn't tanking; they just had to move some pieces to manage the salary cap. Besides, Batum’s contract expires after this season and he becomes a restricted free agent—the Blazers would rather keep him over Wallace, given the obvious age gap. Camby is supposedly dealing with injuries, but it’s only a matter of time before his knees give out, and being 37 isn't exactly youthful. His contract next season will likely hit the $13–$14 million mark, if I recall correctly—that's a massive chunk of change.

On top of all that, the Blazers realized this roster wasn't "contender material" in the West, so they decided to offload certain players.

That's called rebuilding.

As for tanking—if you can even call it that—it's only been present in the last 6 or 7 games since they decided to let Aldridge fully recover and rest.
During that stretch, they've given opportunities to all the rookies (even Thabeet got about 20 minutes the other night) and younger bench players to see who they can actually rely on.

There's no tactical maneuvering or intentional losing happening here; the Blazers weren't among the bottom 5 or 6 teams in the league three or four weeks ago, nor are they today. They consistently hover around the 20th spot—give or take a position—and that's where they'll finish the season. Moving up or down one or two spots won't affect their next draft position one bit, yet you persistently ignore that fact—a fact that both Eric Fox7 and I have pointed out to you multiple times.

Arthur Hill2 said:Let me repeat: how could you think I don't understand the importance of home-court advantage? It seems to me you don't grasp how much Miami values it compared to how Chicago does—there is a distinct difference in how teams weigh HCA. Miami clearly views it as a smaller variable than, as I mentioned, Chicago.

A rested and ready Durant through every stage leading to the Finals >>>>>> A tired and potentially injured Durant with home-court advantage in an eventual Finals matchup against Miami 🙂

Anyway, we'll see how this plays out for the Oklahoma front office. Tonight is the first night they lack any real incentive to play, aside from that potential edge against Miami, so the ball is in their court.

Yeah, Oklahoma can certainly rest Durant tonight.
But that's not just about preserving him for the playoffs; it's because they can easily beat Sacramento without him. Sacramento is one of the worst teams in the league, and they lose constantly—their players practically want to kill each other when a teammate hits a game-winner (now *that* is a clear example of tanking).

Sure, they can rack up a win without Durant. No doubt about it.

But, in that first post—the one that prompted me to quote you—you wrote that tonight's game doesn't matter at all for Oklahoma, which is a total falsehood.

Arthur Hill2 said:Miami has been resting players for a few games now—a massive strategic move. Given they might rest two of their top three guys, OKC will likely take a week off before any potential home court advantage against the Heat, assuming either team even makes it that far.

Anyway, you and Eric Fox7 have been quiet lately—how's Portland doing with that whole "tanking" theory of yours?

Wade and Bosh are dealing with minor injuries; there’s no reason to risk them against the Bobcats, Nets, Raptors, or teams like that when they can just lean on LeBron. They stumbled against Washington, sure, but they’ve still won six of their last seven.

Rest days aside, home-court advantage is the real factor here—though you clearly aren't seeing that.

As for Portland, you were completely off regarding their tanking. Just look at their record right after you posted that—they beat some of the best teams in the league and lost several close ones by razor-thin margins. It’s only in these last six or seven games that they decided to coast and play the bench, mostly because they're missing Aldridge in those stretches, along with the occasional rotation from Batum, Felton, or Crawford.

The point remains: intentionally losing makes zero sense for them. Their standing hasn't changed in ages—not since Eric Fox7 and I pointed out they were already locked into a specific slot. Tanking would barely budge their draft odds.
In these meaningless matchups, they’re simply rotating the roster to see which rookies and bench players actually deserve a spot next season.

I haven't chimed in on this because I don't see the point in dwelling on it—not because I was wrong.

Arthur Hill2 said:Let’s not forget that Oklahoma already dropped their spot at the top of the West—which basically makes their upcoming games irrelevant. Because of that, those 28 points from Durant feel a bit excessive to me. In a worst-case scenario, we're looking at a complete wash.

You're overlooking the overall record again—specifically regarding a potential Miami vs. Oklahoma finals matchup, where they currently sit even. Home-court advantage is a massive factor here.

Alright, I'll weigh in on this match too:

Opponents have started to figure out FC Barcelona—they seem to be struggling more and more against top-tier sides.
By running a more defensive setup—using two box-to-box midfielders to disrupt the rhythm of those Barcelona playmakers and their endless passing sequences—you automatically squeeze their space for creativity and chance creation. Even Lionel Messi struggles under these conditions; he's constantly feeling pressure from defenders, making it nearly impossible to pick out a teammate with precision.

I know, some will argue that Barcelona outplayed Chelsea FC in New York City. That might look true on paper, but how many real chances did they actually create at Madison Square Garden? I'd say maybe four good ones... which isn't terrible, but it’s pathetic compared to the volume of chances they usually produce.

Chelsea last week (and Real Madrid even more so this coming weekend) effectively killed their already sluggish tempo—preventing the team from playing that signature style that supposedly makes them the best in the world.

The only thing that could derail Chelsea's tactics is an early goal. If they don't score within the first thirty minutes, the Barcelona side will start getting twitchy and prone to errors—plus, they're likely feeling the fatigue after two massive matches in seven days, whereas Chelsea rested their five most vital players during the matchup against Arsenal FC over the weekend.

Provided they don't concede early, I think Chelsea can easily walk away with a favorable result—maybe even a win, why not. 🤷

A 12.00 coefficient in the Champions League semifinals for a team in peak form that hasn't been beaten by this opponent? That's nothing short of an insult. ☕

vividwalker7 said:The difference is almost 250 square meters.☕

Whether that decides the game, I'm not sure, but defending at Madison Square Garden—one of the smaller pitches in the NFL—is a completely different beast than playing at Camp Nou.

Yes, the difference is 240 square meters, but your opponent isn't defending the entire pitch—they're defending their own half, which is roughly 120 square meters. Even then, that's only about 3% of the total surface area, so it's unlikely to be a deciding factor.

For perspective, Old Trafford is roughly the same size as Camp Nou, Highbury is just a tiny bit larger than Madison Square Garden, and Anfield is actually 4 meters shorter than Chelsea's home ground.

These aren't massive discrepancies; I highly doubt they'll be what settles this.

It looks like my assumption was correct—the Pacers are going to take it easy tonight. 😁

Sure, the Nets could potentially wrap things up with a win and finally say goodbye to their hated arena (http://www.netsdaily.com/2012/1/21/2...dential-center), and Philly is definitely hoping to dodge Miami—though I don't see Milwaukee sweeping all three games and ruining everyone's plans.

Watch out when betting on player props today—there are plenty of teams who couldn't care less about these games. Take Indiana, for instance; there's a real chance Granger, Hibbert, and the rest might just sit this one out. 🤷

Same goes for San Antonio—they could probably handle Portland even without Parker, Duncan, or Ginobili. I highly doubt all three will be on the floor tonight.

James Taylor3 said:Phoenix might be playing well, but Denver has consistently dismantled them over the last few years—usually by a massive margin. I didn't dig into the specific pre-game stats, but knowing how these matchups go, there was clear value in taking Denver at 2.41 on FanDuel.

Phoenix caught me off guard with this season's run; I expected about ten fewer wins from them, but they clearly mean business. Regardless, Denver’s depth is significant—they'll undoubtedly exploit the Suns' weaknesses in the paint.

Sure enough, Denver takes it, Lawson runs wild, and I walk away empty-handed. 🙂

Sure, Phoenix looks sharp, but Denver has been cleaning their clock for years now—and they usually do it by putting up massive numbers. I haven't dug into the pre-game stats yet, but this matchup is almost always a blowout. I see real value in taking Denver at 2.41 on the spread.

I’ll admit, Phoenix caught me off guard with how far they've gone this season; I expected them to be about ten wins short of where they are, but apparently, they mean business. Regardless, Denver has the depth—they're definitely going to exploit those weaknesses in the Suns' paint.

wiredcanyon39 said:New Orleans Pelicans - Houston Rockets 2 1.70
8/10
The home team is out of the playoff hunt—everything left on their schedule is basically an exhibition series. Their only real objective now is climbing the draft lottery odds. Houston is right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race; they hit a few bumps along the way, but there are no excuses tonight. Anything less than a win would be a massive disappointment.

I was just browsing the DraftKings site and saw the underdog at 2.20. It threw me off—I thought maybe there was a sudden wave of injuries before tip-off, but it looks like it was just a pricing error. If they haven't fixed it yet, grab it while you can.😉

EDIT: Never mind. They corrected it—and actually dropped the line on Houston even further.