The NBA Thread

Fun seeing some Michkov fireworks. They must have hated Torts. At least Grimes is playing tonight but you might see some questionable benchings at the end of the game. What did you end up doing in between? Hang out at Xfinity Live? Go to the casino?
Yeah. It was a fun day even if the Sixers ruined the fun. We actually did not go to Xfinity Live. We just tailgated in between games. After paying for overpriced beer and food at the first game, doing it again at Xfinity Live didn't seem appealing.
 
Steph with 52-10-8, Jimmy with 27-6-4, Draymond with a triple double and fantastic defense....I'm not saying the Warriors are winning the whole thing but man, no one wants to face them in the playoffs.
 
Luka returns to destroy the Mavericks tonight. It's going to be wild watching the home crowd cheering for one player on the opposing team every time he scores. I think the last time it occurred in Dallas was when Jordan came back for the final time with the Wizards.
 
Or, Joker could walk away from the NBA and say he’s made enough money for several generations of his family and go back to Serbia and play with his ponies. He’s said before that he’d like to do just that. I say he’s earned it. He’s having the best year of any NBA player ever and very unlikely to win his fourth in five years MVP. The league doesn’t like the optics of a white guy that can’t jump 4” off the ground being the most decorated player.
 
Or, Joker could walk away from the NBA and say he’s made enough money for several generations of his family and go back to Serbia and play with his ponies. He’s said before that he’d like to do just that. I say he’s earned it. He’s having the best year of any NBA player ever and very unlikely to win his fourth in five years MVP. The league doesn’t like the optics of a white guy that can’t jump 4” off the ground being the most decorated player.
I don’t think it the “white guy” optics so much It’s having the same player win it for long stretches. It hurt both Jordan and Shaq both of whom definitely deserved more MVPs than they actually won.
 
Luka had 45. I'm honestly at a loss for a worse move by a Dallas franchise. Maybe the Cowboys not drafting Randy Moss in 1998 but even then you could justify that. There is not one single justifiable reason to trade a generational player. This was a franchise ruining move.
The casual NBA fan should not know the name of the Mavericks GM because of how bad a trade was
 
I've been a diehard Nuggets fan through the dark ages. At this point, I kind of just want him traded somewhere where he can help prevent the Lakers from winning anything while racking up titles.

I'll never not believe the Luka trade wasn't dictated from Silver's office with back payments in Nike stock considered a part of the calibration.

And if Mal can't stay healthy, the Nuggets are purgatory considering the ownership situation.

Malone and Booth should be shunned the way Melo is.
 
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I don’t think it the “white guy” optics so much It’s having the same player win it for long stretches. It hurt both Jordan and Shaq both of whom definitely deserved more MVPs than they actually won.
I agree, but only partially. Sizzle and flash drive the fans through the turnstiles more than anything these days due to the visual individual OMG moments guys like Ja and Shia bring. Joker makes those around him look awesome and doesn't try to make it a "me, me, me" thing. To me, that is what an MVP does, make the team better than just looking good himself. Watching Westbrook make every play about himself is such a turnoff but he gets some good results, then other times look like a complete ass. Give me the team player, and Joker is the epitome pf that mentality.
 
I agree, but only partially. Sizzle and flash drive the fans through the turnstiles more than anything these days due to the visual individual OMG moments guys like Ja and Shia bring. Joker makes those around him look awesome and doesn't try to make it a "me, me, me" thing. To me, that is what an MVP does, make the team better than just looking good himself. Watching Westbrook make every play about himself is such a turnoff but he gets some good results, then other times look like a complete ass. Give me the team player, and Joker is the epitome pf that mentality.

He is a borderline top 10 player of all-time and probably the best offensive player I've ever watched.

Jamal tearing his ACL likely cost him one ring. They were destroying teams after the AG trade and the following season, the league was wide open but Jokic was stuck winning 48 games with a bunch of guys who would be out of the league shortly there after.

The new CBA and continued injury issues from Jamal likely mean he will need to go elsewhere to cement his legacy with casuals.
 
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He is a borderline top 10 player of all-time and probably the best offensive player I've ever watched.

Jamal tearing his ACL likely cost him one ring. The new CBA and continued injury issues from Jamal likely mean he will need to go elsewhere to cement his legacy with casuals.
Toronto is my guess for Murray’s next team. He can take Michael Porter with him, please.
 
Toronto is my guess for Murray’s next team. He can take Michael Porter with him, please.
MPJs season has been a conundrum. On the one hand, he has made huge leaps as a playmaker (truly) and in learning out to move himself to underneath the basket to score with ease when the shot isn’t falling. He also has gotten worlds better at driving around closeouts– something the announcers of opposing teams have cited with regularity. His one on one D has also been solod.

On the other hand, he has looked stiffer than in recent years which amplifies his lack of IQ on team defense. And his shot has gone from incredibly reliable to all over the place in its streakiness.

Right before the all-star break everything seemed to be coming together for him and then he tweaked the hammy with likely played a role in the shot struggling. I’d put $ on it effecting his drop foot and altering the elevation he is used to getting.

He has talked a lot about the fact that doctors have told him there is a window after which his effectiveness may rapidly decline. The question is whether we are beginning to see the athletic decline take place or if it really is a matter of Malone not knowing how to weaponize him better. Or if it is that he needs to be playing PF to be most effective.

Either way, if he has a solid postseason, it not only helps our playoff chances, it also makes his contract a lot easier to move off of. There are only 2 years left on it and under the new CBA 40m isn’t the end of the world if a team wants to gamble on a change of scenery unleashing him.

Either way, the teams problem is that Booth spent a ton of assets to snag draft picks. And while he seems to be a solid scout, it was never worth the attempt to develop guys quickly during Jokic's peak instead of spending those assets on 2nd draft guys and capitalizing on ring chasers.

Meanwhile, all reports are that Malone was intentionally sabotaging those draft picks because he was pissed we weren't signing vets and Booth wasn't signing vets in an attempt to force Malone to develop the picks.

Just a fucking disaster in team building. However, the good thing is that, even if they aren't ready, players like Watson & Strawther should have some value and a savvy GM should be able to maneuver them into pieces that fit better around a contender.

Pickett has played well once Malone was told he had to play. If we had a competent backup & and elite 3 point shooter off the bench instead of Westbrook, that alone would be enough to make a huge difference presuming Mal and AG are healthy. Of note, neither were this year.

The Clippers are very good and extremely dangerous with a healthy Kawhi. If the Nuggets get out of round 1 and have a deep series with OKC, Adeleman will have gone blow for blow with two of the best coaches in the league.

That's gotta be what we hope for. Because having the coach figured out would be huge considering all the re-treads are as flawed as Malone. Either way, I'll be pissed if we go with a novice GM even if the track record is solid between Massai and TC.
 
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