Lurker > transience

then why weren't they best defense in 05 or 06?

compare it to the Dallas offenses of that era, or Phoenix, where they're miles ahead of the league. (another reason Nash is all-time.) Detroit was never even the best defense for a year. it's a narrative that plays well because they won a title when LA got hurt.
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xyzzy

you'll certainly get that for 6-4!
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xyzzy

http://www.espn.com/nba/hollinger/teamstats/_/sort/defensiveEff/year/2004

ehh, I'm not buying it
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xyzzy

be warned, 6-4 is not at all what you will expect
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xyzzy

nah. the Pistons were helped out by Indiana self destructing who was a very real threat. they lost to not yet peak Wade and James during their absolute prime run. one title seems right to me. they were a good team, but not an all time one.
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xyzzy

I must seem like a total Spurs hater. I actually think (and may have said) that the Spurs winning the title is like saying 'there's no one else good this year so let's give the Spurs the title"

the only exception to that is 2013-14, where the Spurs were legitimately great.
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xyzzy

okay looking it up. spurs were

3 seed in 1999 (but was widely seen as the best team because they started the awkward short season 6-8 before blitzing the rest of the league)
1 seed in 2003 (tied with Dallas, had homecourt)
2 seed in 2005 (behind Phoenix, I think the Spurs were seen as favourites in that series but I don't have anything to back my memory up on that)
3 seed in 2007 (#1 Dallas lost in the first round and I think this is the series where Horry took out Nash and the #2 Suns - again, probably 50/50 at worst to win that matchup)
1 seed in 2014

I don't think they were ever seen as a surprise finalist or anything. the bigger surprises was the .4 Fisher shot, that one phantom 3 point play that put Dallas in the 2006 finals, and Miami's Ray Allen shot (though I think the Heat were thought of as big faves that year)
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xyzzy

they definitely were in 99. I think they were in 03 but everyone was scared of Shaq and Kobe. they were definitely preferred in 05 and 07, I think? and then 2014 was kind of a push especially after the extremely close 2013 finals.
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xyzzy

Marle has no damage to speak of though so once you haste a character you're kinda stuck. ice2 isn't gonna hang with the flares of the world and there are so many accessories that either cut down mp cost significantly or just give you haste (often from the armor slot). I don't value endgame Marle at all. she is halfway useful for things like aura whirl early on but you're not any worse off using Robo's heal and he can actually hit back. I'll take Frog's crits over that -- slightly.
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xyzzy

I can't think of a postseason where San Antonio actually outperformed their expectations

some of that is because they always have 50 wins, but you know what I mean
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xyzzy

I guess I wonder what the point of bringing Kawhi back is

San Antonio's not going to touch Houston or Golden State
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xyzzy

Crono > Ayla > Magus > Frog > Robo > Lucca > Marle
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xyzzy

Frog is the Yoshi of CT and we all knew this
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xyzzy

this is why you never go for 100%

are you one of those completionists?
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xyzzy

the Grizzlies with 30 points at halftime, down 25 to the Mavs

and playing a starting 5 of JaMychal Green, Jarell Martin, Dillon Brooks, Kobi Simmons and Ben McLemore, with PERs of 14, 11, 9, 8 and 8. yep
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xyzzy

mobile game is a really good way to put 9. it feels like a best of compilation without any real meat to it, sacrificing a wholesome dq experience for spotpass content that just doesn't play here.
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xyzzy

I think 5 is probably the most liked DQ game among big fans. I wouldn't say it's overshadowed by DQ8 -- the only difference here is that DQ8 is the only one with a modern look and it came with the FF12 demo which exposed it to a lot more people. oh, and it came out here on time. but amongst true fans, 5 and 8 are on par at worst.

I don't think 8 is standard fare though. that feels a little dismissive. it certainly isn't within the DQ series.
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xyzzy

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xyzzy

dq1 mobile's translation is something else, man.
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xyzzy

I thought this was next. I make fun of DQ7 but that one's a lot easier to mock with its length and whatnot -- my strongest negative DQ opinion is that DQ5 is not anything close to special, with the exception of that one scene.
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xyzzy

dammit kings stop beating bad teams

SE you win this round
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xyzzy

1-5 might be Gumshoe's biggest case in the OT lineswise (excluding ones where he is a partner) and he only gets 300. he has less testimonies in AA1 than 3-1 Dahlia too! still liking my Maya pick, though it's gonna be tough to stay ahead with how wordy AAI2 is.

Gant above von Karma is.. interesting, especially considering von Karma has both 1-4 and E1-4.

edit: oh wait, wrong list. too much data!
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xyzzy

https://streamable.com/7xzmj

that derozan shot is why I said pierce
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xyzzy

great game. I wouldn't mind if that were the nba finals
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xyzzy

it just hit me - Derozan is a modern Paul Pierce
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xyzzy

oh my god harden makes some ridiculous shots
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xyzzy

Toronto's stock is going to soar if they win this game tonight
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xyzzy

you should probably watch the GDQ randomizer race. I feel like you'd have your eyes opened in a way you weren't expecting. in a good way.
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xyzzy

Mega Man 2 is funny because it's the easiest one to point out obvious, objective flaws (well, besides MM1 but that almost doesn't count), and yet it's got that fun factor that kills it.

I think a lot of that is because it really isn't that hard, as you said. you can really waltz through it. wily 4 boss and heat man stage and wily 5 boss is kinda indefensible but you can deal with that stuff and still have fun. those other games just don't have that fun.
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xyzzy

yeah, I saw it in real time. I was also so jazzed for the season and that just immediately destroyed every feeling that I had.

if they showed that in slow motion like they showed jaylen's, oh man
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xyzzy

it's because they replayed it like 3 times

hayward's was so gruesome that you needed to check the internet to see it again
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xyzzy

god damn that fall

https://streamable.com/h3s9v this is so good to watch, especially after what happened to hayward and countless other guys this year
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xyzzy

yeah it's still got some good games of course. I love me some F-Zero GX.

when fun-hating aliens come and insist that I wipe one console generation off the earth, though, it'll be that one.
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xyzzy

the PS2 generation is probably in last place for me, if you start with the NES
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xyzzy

nah, not back when. Chris and Nick were writers, and then Double Fine/Bethesda and then Telltale. Jake and Sean were always together yeah but now it's a full Campo Santo podcast.
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xyzzy

yeah by video games I just mean the bombcast and beastcast at this point. I dropped 8-4 play years ago when it turned into them puffing themselves up endlessly, plus Mark left to go to whatever studio. I dropped Idle Thumbs when they all started working together and the dynamic didn't feel as fresh. Back in my Play I like in theory.. but the little but that I sampled didn't do it for me at all. I should give Retronauts another look sometime.
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xyzzy

I've totally given up on gaming pods for some reason. I think because I'm more into basketball than video games lately.
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xyzzy

DS Switch SNES SNES SNES Wii GC GB 3DS Switch 3DS let's goooooooooooo
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xyzzy

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/kevin-love-everyone-is-going-through-something/

this article is amazing. respect to Kevin Love.
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xyzzy

oh there most definitely is

http://stats.nba.com/teams/clutch-traditional/?sort=W_PCT&dir=-1&Season=2017-18&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&PerMode=Totals

here's games within 5 points. look at the tanking teams on the bottom. then look at the kings!
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xyzzy

the Kings don't tank. they're just awful!
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xyzzy

nah. Kings haven't had a top 3 pick since 1991!
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xyzzy

I keep my 10 year old off of youtube out of fear of what she'll find. call me overly conservative, I guess
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xyzzy

once you get into it, it becomes a game unto itself. what's to cheer for when you're 34-48? at least there's something you can gamify.
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xyzzy

the kings have won two games in a row at the buzzer

driving me nuts
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xyzzy

this is fucking unreal

https://streamable.com/4bvun
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xyzzy

it's weird how into the breach and pit people hit in the same week

I think I might be more into pit people without having really seen a whole lot of either
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xyzzy

the Spurs starting 5 tonight is Kyle Anderson, 2018 Pau Gasol, Davis Bertans, Patty Mills and Dejounte Murray
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xyzzy

well, LMA didn't play tonight either. Kawhi hate still applies!
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xyzzy

it would be really wild if the Spurs and Thunder miss the playoffs this year

to be honest, I don't think it really matters what place these teams come in, so long as they avoid 7 or 8 because that's an instant loss. this year really feels like a pointless first round all around, an interesting round 2 in the east (but not the west), and a fascinating round 3. then the finals comes and the west blows them out pretty hard, unless Toronto is truly legit.
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xyzzy