Who Is the Second-Best Team in the East? | NBA Group Chat

Who Is the Second-Best Team in the East? | NBA Group Chat

I think my question is if not the Bucks as the clear-cut number two in the east then who because the Celtics are just completely in a different category at this point they’re currently 11 games up on the two seed bucks right now in the west the gap between one and 11 games

Back would be the difference between the Denver Nuggets at one and the Lakers at nine just like it’s a completely different playing field right now and like I want to believe in the Cavs Donovan Mitchell we got an alert before we started recording he might be back

Tonight uh the Knicks have looked good of late but I don’t feel like I there’s like a clear team that I could believe in beyond the Bucks this is the team you believe in is the team that doesn’t have to play the Celtics in the second

Round yeah right and that’s why like for me as far as like what are we learning from March and into early April games what we’re learning is who can avoid the Celtics for as long as possible so I’m watching you know the Cavs and nicks in

That 3 four spot that’s going to be a huge difference whether on the Celtic side of the bracket or not Miami whether they can lock into the seven by winning their first playin game or maybe even overtake the Pacers for six those are huge developments for for a team like

The heat who you know they certainly have their Sheriff struggle scoring the ball anding a lot of problems in the recent weeks it’s not ideal but neither is playing the Celtics and so I think whoever you are in the bracket and Milwaukee is on a good course to secure

The number two seed it’s not like totally wrapped up yet but a good Advantage they have been playing well they have a lot of momentum I think that’s going to be enough not just to make them the second best team in the conference but to make them the team

Most likely to get to the Conference Finals as a result so what do you guys think this is the question I have down here is there anything left to learn about the east as you’re looking at it as you’re going through these March games and into the top of April is there

Anything where you’re saying well like this thing other than injuries would make me think about this two to 10 Race any differently not for me I I think the learning is how far the Bucks can take their development that’s what I feel like we’re learning on a night toight

Basis I don’t know that the Cavs have been revelatory I I’m not seeing any new Revelations out of what they do and even the Knicks who still haven’t been made whole I keep hearing rumors about Mitchell Robinson coming back if that’s even an actual thing Julius Randle people just stop talking

About it is is this shoulder thing permanent like is he out for the season so I I I I think it’s the the mystery is with the Bucks cuz they they seem to be the only people who are on a reasonably e evil e equal excuse me

Plane with the Celtics as far as Talent is concerned sure and so to me that’s the team you have to keep your eye on that’s the team that can make this most interesting yeah two injury updates on those fronts today Mitchell Robinson is supposed to play two night reportedly

Here we go is that from Mitchell Robinson’s Instagram comments or is that from actual recording there’s a difference we need I wish we were getting all breaking news from players just like posting on Instagram let’s let’s get to that era uh that would be wonderful and but Donovan

Mitchell also supposed to return this week for the Cavs which is needless to say a huge development a huge thing and you want to see that team get back into the full of what it’s capable of going into the playoffs too the Cleveland has as much to prove here as anybody and so

That’s a team where even though we know who they are we’ve seen them rattle off incredible stretches of this season I’m always watching the Cavs kind of waiting to see something to make me want to believe in them they they do have these great stretches they do have incredible

Potential they are a really good regular season team I’m still just waiting for that one thing that’s going to make me believe they are more than they were last year and some of that is what they’re getting out of their perimeter shooting some of it is the Synergy of

Some of their core guys playing together but I don’t know I still feel relative to you know the Bucks as a Counterpoint a little underwhelmed by Cleveland’s prospects yeah I was going to say Cleveland as well if only because I believe we only have 30 games of Garland

And Mitchell together they’ve a lot done a lot of their damage separate from each other and to see them over the next two to three weeks would be nice to see them kind of figure something out especially after last night’s game where you saw Dame and Michael Beasley overreact on a

Pick and roll that allowed Reeves to get that three off obviously they were playing just heavy minutes down the stretch but like the the point of attack guard defense is where you’re going to worry about the Bucks and so if the Cavs can get that going you think maybe uh

That could be their Edge there well especially I don’t know how you guys have felt about this and we always talk with the Cavs about the bigs right it’s about when Moy is out there and when Allen is out there you know given the injury situation has made that more

Complicated lately but like what can they do what are what are their limitations do they have to trade one of these guys eventually in those 30 Games we’ve gotten from Mitchell and Garland I haven’t loved the way they’ve played together and that worries me because skill set wise they should be able to

Garland’s a great off ball player and a good enough off ball shooter that it should work in addition to the playmaking he brings that Mitchell doesn’t and so you can see the way their games should interlock and I’m not sure for as good as the Cavs have been if

They really have yeah they’ve been fine and I think yeah fine is a good way to put it the Garland thing that’s been a little bit disappointing to me it feels like he just hasn’t taken an extra step this season as far as his development he

Feels like the exact same guy from last year and we’re not you know in terms of chemistry with Mitchell as Rob alluded to we’re not it doesn’t feel like they’ve taken a step forward in that sense either they’re not playing off of each other in a way that would have that

Should make a little bit more sense and so you know it’s not exactly Stephen Clay in their Prime you feel me where defenses are in a panic whenever these guys are running actions with each other whereas um Garland and Mitchell it it does kind of feel like your turn my turn

You know um type of situation not very um synergistic yes especially when I would say I’ve been most impressed by the Cavs when Mitchell has been out there without Garland this season and we know the limitations of Mitchell as your sole lead Creator and ball handler

Because we just saw it know though right uh a big surround me with shooting I can generate good offense around this thing uh that’s that’s what he did in Utah like they led the league in offense um in certain years while he was doing that in Utah so it’s like it’s it’s almost

Like riding a bike for him sharing a backcourt with another you know more ballal do even if you even in the best of Mike connley he wasn’t that ball dominant right and so I don’t know we’ll see we’ll see if they can figure some things out down the stretch for sure the

Other thing I have written down here for figuring out the East was the Miami Heat score 100 points challenge seriously though it’s it’s a mess like Jimmy Butler wasn’t out there last night against the Warriors and we’re going to talk about the Warriors specifically later but it’s just like they imported

All the this guard help at the deadline and then off of the waiver wire they got right in there they got Patty Mills starting games at this point they got Terry Ros and it really hasn’t made much of a difference to the point where last night they were playing through bam out

Of bio and like bam is starting to develop a little bit more there but like good Lord is that just a complete mud pit ah and look I was I was talking to a Celtics fan about like eight days ago and he’s just like look I’m I’m enjoying

The I’m enjoying this stretch we’re 20 and two yada y y but every day I keep looking at my freaking standings damn Miami Heat might end up in our eighth spot and it’s annoying for me uh but man a team that can’t score man and let’s

Face it you’re going to have to hit shots against the Celtics to beat them in a series I think they should be circling a Miami matchup at this point the way Miami has carried it down the stretch they just can’t generate offense even when Jimmy’s out there in a way

That any meaningful team should be like oh uh this team is is is scaring the hell out of me well they’ve been missing two and three and four guys in a lot of these games right that’s every game I don’t I I I know well that’s the

Question as far as what do we think of them as a playoff team is is Tyler herro going to be a consistent and active part of this rotation Jimmy Butler I think we expect to be out there on an every night basis playoff he’s gonna play and like

What is Kevin Love’s status is he a relevant part of this team Duncan Robinson’s obviously been in and out and and you would hope that when he gets back I think he has what a back injury right now that’s a little worrisome for

A guy who has to move as much as he does and cut and strafe and run so you worry about that but I I like the guys they have when they’re out there but yeah if they miss two and three players they don’t have the Firepower to make up for

That so you say full Squad heat the the the Celtics are are in trouble of course not I just of course not but full full strength Heat versus bucks in the first round this was the the dream matchup I picked we were picking our Dream first round opponents on the ringer this week

I would love to see a bucks heat rematch I just wish it wasn’t so Reliant the case for the heat on Blackmagic at this point but it always is I know and so like but I’m watching these games I’m like how the hell is this team going

To get out of the play and let alone push the Celtics for like an Eastern Conference Final bid but then we get to the playoffs and a completely different thing it’s just like it it’s such a weird thing I was thinking about this I was watching last night what do you guys

Think about Trey young for the heat as sort of like an offseason Target I can’t see that culturally culturally it is here’s the thing tough to imagine so is it the type of thing where like two just completely cancel each other out and him and Jimmy or is it just compounding the

Jimmy threatened to fight spola what do you think he would do to Trey young after two straight 30 foot bombs with 22 seconds left on the shot so little can’t do that actually you know Jimmy Butler seems to dislike shooting so much he might not mind Trey young taking 30 foot

Bombs now and again maybe that’s that’s certainly a zag I I wonder I don’t know man and then the def personalities work the defensive component of it where their whole Credo is that you can’t get minutes if you’re not strapping people up or at least trying to well he’s he’s trying sometimes you

Know I just don’t know what the trying really LS itself I actually have an ulterior note I would enjoy watching it I just can’t see how that would happen so I I want to convey to you guys what might be the dumbest piece of scuttlebutt I’ve ever received from

Somebody inside the league are you ready for this Isa wait Isaiah turn the Tik Tok camera on um so I get this text the other day from someone he’s like hey you heard about Trey young he like what do you mean like trade and this is someone

Who I would say knows people who knows things yeah so like I would say 25% like being kind success rate on some of the the stuff that is passed down from this person um when I was like what trade what not sends me an array of photos from a

Recent games right and I’m like what the am I supposed to be looking at here and I see him try like dapping up Russell Westbrook I was like Clippers like what was what would they do with James Harden I mean what and he’s like didn’t hear anything back for hours get

Another array of photos in which he is giving a handshake to m ta Bridges and also like wearing white and black this is when he’s on the sideline I’m like Nets must be the Nets what not again silent for hours and then the text comes back head

Covering so on the sidelines Trey young was wearing either a hat or a hoodie over his head every time he appeared on the bench suggesting that he got plugs and that is why he isn’t playing right now oh my God can can you not play after you get

Plugs I don’t know the logistics of all that Airline having a deep throat and that deep throat being in Justin varrier’s text message is is kind of crazy something is going on with the Hawks though just in the sense that I keep seeing like Ann Hathaway popped up

At a Hawks game Don Cheeto was at a Hawks game with you and McGregor what is going on that’s bringing movies a lot of people shoot movies in G so I guess specifically but like why would those people in Atlanta to shoot decide I’m going to go see our Atlanta Hawks that’s

How I want to spend my Evening

Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and Wosny Lambre discuss which Eastern Conference team could prove to be the biggest threat to the juggernaut Boston Celtics—the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Miami Heat.

Check out the Bill Simmons YouTube channel: youtube.com/billsimmons

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