2015 Playoffs: (1) Golden State vs. (5) Memphis

[Lamrock]

Okay, so the first round has kinda sucked outside of Spurs/Clips, Bulls/Bucks and Hawks/Nets I guess, but we should get some good series now. This series sees a pair of excellent teams with differing offensive approaches. I see these guys splitting the first four, before the W's finish 'em in 6. Wouldn't surprise me if the Inside crew predicted Memphis to win it given their penchant for inside scoring, but Golden State is just too good.

P.S. Blazers 2016 Champs

[Kevin]

P.S. Lakers 2016 Champs

Fixed.

Warriors in 6

[JaoSming]

Warriors in 6 (vs the Blazers because the 2KTV sim is never wrong)

[[Q]]

Not really interested in watching this series. If the Clippers lose, I'm done with the west and rooting for the Hawks

[bowdown]

Tempers should flare with Grizzlies playing tough and Warriors having some douches on the roster.

[Andrew]

I'll go with the popular opinion thus far and pick the Warriors in six, though it could be five depending on Conley.

[Mandich]

Warriors in 7. I hope it goes that distance. I really like Memphis and their roster but GS is just too damn good.

[NovU]

Warriors in 5 games.

Here's an interesting perspective from bsg.

Basketball-Reference has a Simple Rating System (SRS) which examines two simple factors

How much, on average, does a team outscore its opponent?
What is the team's strength of schedule?
If we look at this year's Golden State Warriors, they make a very elite list of NBA teams. The Warriors are one of only seven teams in NBA history to finish the season with a SRS of above 10.0. Meaning, they outscore their opponents, adjusted for strength of schedule, by over 10 points a game! The other teams?

2014-2015 Golden State Warriors (67 Wins)
1996-1997 Chicago Bulls (69 Wins) - Title
1995-1996 Chicago Bulls (72 Wins) - Title
1991-1992 Chicago Bulls (67 Wins) - Title
1971-1972 Los Angels Lakers (69 Wins) - Title
1971-1972 Milwaukee Bucks (63 Wins) - Lost to the Lakers, see above!
1970-1971 Milwaukee Bucks (66 Wins) - Title

Grizzlies

But what the writer forgets to mention is that teams score more in today's game. So there's more chance to outscore bigger if you're a great team.

[JBoom_LALALAND]

Warriors in 6. Conley's loss is too much. Calathes can't handle it

[Kevin]

Udrih

[benji]

The Warriors are going to shred Memphis like they did New Orleans. The Warriors barely even touched their bench, and that'll be their major advantage against Memphis. You simply can't match up with them on both ends for an entire game. The Spurs are about the only team that can do it guaranteed.

What's sad is that if Houston makes it by continuing to play like they have been, the Warriors are the one team in which their advantages against everyone else are completely nullified. They're both built the same but the Warriors are better.

But what the writer forgets to mention is that teams score more in today's game. So there's more chance to outscore bigger if you're a great team.

lol wat

[NovU]

Wit do u mean wit

Teams play faster paced ball now days with games resulting in higher scoring bouts. It's easier to win by more points under that circumstance rather than in games where teams that score 70 points steals the win. SrS is meaningless in Era to Era comparison if anyone thinks the Warriors are as dominant as the Bulls from past because SrS says so.

[benji]

Teams do definitely not play faster than in the 1970s.

Underline = title, Bold more or same ppg than Warriors

1. 1970-71 Bucks - 11.91 SRS - 118.4 ppg
2. 1995-96 Bulls - 11.80 SRS - 105.2 ppg - 91.1 pace
3. 1971-72 Lakers - 11.65 SRS - 121.0 ppg
4. 1971-72 Bucks - 10.70 SRS - 114.6 ppg -
5. 1996-97 Bulls - 10.70 SRS - 103.0 ppg - 90.0 pace
6. 1991-92 Bulls - 10.07 SRS - 109.9 ppg - 94.4 pace
7. 2014-15 Warriors - 10.01 SRS - 110.0 ppg - 98.3 pace
8. 2007-08 Celtics - 9.31 SRS - 100.5 ppg - 90.9 pace
9. 2012-13 Thunder - 9.15 SRS - 105.7 ppg - 93.3 pace
10. 1985-86 Celtics - 9.06 SRS - 114.1 ppg - 101.2 pace
11. 1985-86 Bucks - 8.69 SRS - 114.5 ppg - 102.1 pace
12. 1993-94 Sonics - 8.68 SRS - 105.9 ppg - 95.1 pace
13. 2008-09 Cavaliers - 8.68 SRS - 100.3 ppg - 88.7 pace
14. 1990-91 Bulls - 8.57 SRS - 110.0 ppg - 95.6 pace
15. 1966-67 Sixers - 8.50 SRS - 125.2 ppg

The Bulls had bigger margins of victory and SRS despite playing at a snails pace in comparison. The two most recent top SRS teams were comparable or in the case of the Cavaliers even slower.

[benji]

What's interesting is that of the top 11 teams, the Bucks ran into better teams in 1972 and 1986. The Thunder lost their second best player Westbrook two games into the playoffs.

The 1994 Sonics collapse in the first round is infamous, and the Cavaliers had maybe the greatest playoff performance from a player in league history and still couldn't make the Finals because they couldn't stop Dwight or the Magic's three point bombing.

[NovU]

There was a funny accusation that those Cavs were product of favorable officiating during the regular season as Stern wanted LBJ's fame to match Kobe's. Unfortunately for the league, LAL vs CLE finals didn't happen because Dwightmare.

[Andrew]

No Conley for the Grizzlies, and a 15 point win for the Warriors to open the series.

[bowdown]

Curry just makes a whole teams' defense look stupid. Memphis' defense too no less. Granted no Conley but he just has guys stumbling and tumbling in all directions.

[Alpha_]

Griz in 7.

[mp3]

Warriors in 6.

I think the Warriors are coming out the west this year for sure.

Not sure who would be the better match up coming for the East would be tho, Cavs,Bulls and Wizards all having great pg matchups.

Sadly I think the Hawks will run out of gas vs Washington

[Kevin]

great start for Conley. He's 4/4 with 9 points.

[[Q]]

Defense wins championships. Memphis will always have a chance to win the series if Conley is healthy

[big-shot-ROB]

Grizzlies steal game 2.

[NovU]

The series is moving to grindhouse. Oh shit.

But I'm not worried. Even monkeys fall from trees once in awhile.

[Mandich]

But I'm not worried. Even monkeys fall from trees once in awhile.

Exactly. Plus Curry receiving the MVP probably propelled brought out the best of them.

I wonder how many games did the team with the MVP lost on the MVP presentation night game compared to how many they won.

[Kevin]

Warriors shooting 20% beyond the arc. Very uncharacteristic