2022-23 NBA Thread

[WhiteTrash]

The Bulls need to start over.

They do.

When will they is the question.

I could see a delusional Bulls management see the Bulls get to .500 by season end and feel good about the team being over .500 since today and roll with this team another year.

The Bulls are a disaster; old, overpaid, just good enough to not have a high draft choice and no plan in place to improve. BUT, making bank, so Jerry is happy.

[MuggsyB]

Damn....apparently Anthony Davis decided it's time to ball.  55 and 17 today and 22-30. 

[Jockey]

Damn....apparently Anthony Davis decided it's time to ball.  55 and 17 today and 22-30.

Actually, he just got healthy. Still a Top 10 guy.

[withoutbias]

Actually, he just got healthy. Still a Top 10 guy.

Never has been.

But good for him for having a couple good games in a row.

[MuggsyB]

Never has been.

But good for him for having a couple good games in a row.

He's never been t-10 in the league?

[Jockey]

He's never been t-10 in the league?

Of course he has. He will be a 1st ballot HoFer.

[withoutbias]

Of course he has. He will be a 1st ballot HoFer.

Which means nothing in regards to whether he's a top 10 player. There are plenty of first ballot HOFers who weren't top 10 players.

Funny that you're an AD stan when you knock KD because he hasn't won anything without Steph. Remind me what AD has done without LBJ? Made it out of the first round once, and Jrue had to drag him in order to make that happen?

[forgetful]

Which means nothing in regards to whether he's a top 10 player. There are plenty of first ballot HOFers who weren't top 10 players.

Funny that you're an AD stan when you knock KD because he hasn't won anything without Steph. Remind me what AD has done without LBJ? Made it out of the first round once, and Jrue had to drag him in order to make that happen?

AD has been the best player on the Lakers since he arrived. His problem has been injuries. If it wasn't for one of the all-time greatest finals performances by Lebron, he would have been finals MVP.

AD averaged 25 pts, 11 rbs, and 2 blocks, while hitting the coveted 50/40/90 club for the series. Ridiculous stat lines...just less ridiculous than Lebron's that year.

[Hards Alumni]

Never has been.

But good for him for having a couple good games in a row.

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[Jockey]

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Yeah, I don't think he watches much hoops.

[withoutbias]

Yeah, I don't think he watches much hoops.

Once again, says the guy who claims KD can't be a top 5 player because he's never won anything as the best player on his team (despite 2 Finals MVPs saying otherwise).  But we'll stan for AD, who's won exactly 1 Playoff series without sitting out until he gets traded to arguably the best player to ever play the game's team, and that one series he was dragged by Jrue Holiday to get the series win.

But hey, nothing like being consistent in your evaluations!

By the way, what is with old people claiming other people don't know/don't watch "ball?"  Are you guys missing your 7th grade days or what?

[The Sultan]

Anthony Davis was a top ten player from about 2015-20.  Pretty obviously in fact.

[Jockey]

Once again, says the guy who claims KD can't be a top 5 player because he's never won anything as the best player on his team (despite 2 Finals MVPs saying otherwise).  But we'll stan for AD, who's won exactly 1 Playoff series without sitting out until he gets traded to arguably the best player to ever play the game's team, and that one series he was dragged by Jrue Holiday to get the series win.

But hey, nothing like being consistent in your evaluations!

By the way, what is with old people claiming other people don't know/don't watch "ball?"  Are you guys missing your 7th grade days or what?

As I said, you don't watch much hoops. AD averaged 33/12 and you call that being "carried" by Holiday? OK.


As far as Durant goes, he needed Steph to win. Steph didn't need KD to win. But that is a completely different argument than whether AD is top 10.

[JWags85]

AD sits last night for most of the game and the Lakers piss themselves in Cleveland and don't show up for the 4th quarter.

I love the NBA, but the last 4-5 min of that game are why people legitimately complain about effort. Tied at 92, Cavs go on a 16-6 run.  Up 10 with 4 min left, Lakers give up and mail it in. The remaining possession involve the Lakers half assing fade aways, Kendrick Nunn bricking rushed 25 footers, and the Cavs walking up every possession and just trying to fade the game away.  The Lakers scored 2 baskets in the final 4:30 and it's not cause the Cavs we're playing lights out lock down defense.

[wadesworld]

AD sits last night for most of the game and the Lakers piss themselves in Cleveland and don't show up for the 4th quarter.

I love the NBA, but the last 4-5 min of that game are why people legitimately complain about effort. Tied at 92, Cavs go on a 16-6 run.  Up 10 with 4 min left, Lakers give up and mail it in. The remaining possession involve the Lakers half assing fade aways, Kendrick Nunn bricking rushed 25 footers, and the Cavs walking up every possession and just trying to fade the game away.  The Lakers scored 2 baskets in the final 4:30 and it's not cause the Cavs we're playing lights out lock down defense.

Come on.  Didn't we see Marquette go something like 9:00 scoreless earlier this year?  The NBA is awesome.  Outside of Marquette games, I'd much, much rather watch a high end NBA game vs. a high end college game.  Give me people that knock down open shots consistently over the oftentimes brick fests you see in the college game.

Yes, a single NBA game means much less than a single college game.  There are 3x the games in an NBA season, and only one thing matters (your record) in the NBA vs. how much you win or lose by, who you beat and where you beat them, etc. in college.  So yes, if a team is down 8 with 50 seconds left the NBA teams will just run the time out rather than turning the final 50 seconds into 5 minutes of free throws in college.  But overall the NBA is so much superior as a product.

[JWags85]

Come on.  Didn't we see Marquette go something like 9:00 scoreless earlier this year?  The NBA is awesome.  Outside of Marquette games, I'd much, much rather watch a high end NBA game vs. a high end college game.  Give me people that knock down open shots consistently over the oftentimes brick fests you see in the college game.

Yes, a single NBA game means much less than a single college game.  There are 3x the games in an NBA season, and only one thing matters (your record) in the NBA vs. how much you win or lose by, who you beat and where you beat them, etc. in college.  So yes, if a team is down 8 with 50 seconds left the NBA teams will just run the time out rather than turning the final 50 seconds into 5 minutes of free throws in college.  But overall the NBA is so much superior as a product.

None of this is a knock on the NBA as a whole.  You can see from my posting history in this thread and others that I'm a huge fan.  Hence why I was even watching Lakers/Cavs (in the early hours of the morning in Belgium as I was getting work done in fact).  I adore college basketball but Ive transitioned to watching more random NBA games than random college games the last few years.

I have no issue with punting the last minute or two of a game thats basically unwinnable in a 82 game season, none.  Like my post highlights, it was more the Lakers deciding an 8 point deficit with 3+ minutes to go was "f it" when their first attempt shots weren't falling.  I could care less about the outcome, it was just a wet fart ending to an otherwise entertaining back and forth game, highlighted by Mitchell going nuclear as the new Cavs superstar as Lebron came back to Cleveland expecting adoration.

However, I will never, NEVER, not hate hate HATE the shot clock violation with more than 10 seconds left on the clock.  Crossing halfcourt and holding the ball for 20 seconds to take a 24 second call with 12/15/20 seconds left on the clock is just stupid and oddly arrogant.

[wadesworld]

None of this is a knock on the NBA as a whole.  You can see from my posting history in this thread and others that I'm a huge fan.  Hence why I was even watching Lakers/Cavs (in the early hours of the morning in Belgium as I was getting work done in fact).  I adore college basketball but Ive transitioned to watching more random NBA games than random college games the last few years.

I have no issue with punting the last minute or two of a game thats basically unwinnable in a 82 game season, none.  Like my post highlights, it was more the Lakers deciding an 8 point deficit with 3+ minutes to go was "f it" when their first attempt shots weren't falling.  I could care less about the outcome, it was just a wet fart ending to an otherwise entertaining back and forth game, highlighted by Mitchell going nuclear as the new Cavs superstar as Lebron came back to Cleveland expecting adoration.

However, I will never, NEVER, not hate hate HATE the shot clock violation with more than 10 seconds left on the clock.  Crossing halfcourt and holding the ball for 20 seconds to take a 24 second call with 12/15/20 seconds left on the clock is just stupid and oddly arrogant.

All fair.  I personally think that's more of an issue with the Lakers than it is the NBA game.  I admittedly watch much more Bucks games than any other NBA games, but the Bucks always seem to play hard to the end, even to the point that I'm thinking to myself, "alright Bud, get the starters out" when they're down double digits under 2:00 left.  The Lakers, just with their personalities, I can definitely see that.  I can see LBJ getting mad about some missed defensive assignment by Westbrook or a one on one pull up by Westbrook and deciding to mentally check out and roll his eyes about it.

[MuggsyB]

The Celtics are no joke.  The only team with a chance to beat them assuming they are healthy is Milwaukee.

[MuggsyB]

Uhhh....Jaylen Brown is absolutely destroying Booker.   They may have two of the top 7 players in the league. 

[Jockey]

All Phoenix needs is a 40 point run and they're right back in it.

[MuggsyB]

All Phoenix needs is a 40 point run and they're right back in it.

Pummeling the best team in the West on their home court should be a wake up call for the Bucks.  Because frankly Boston is better right now and I don't think it's close.  Middleton will have to come back to all-star level at minimum. 

[The Sultan]

What do you mean by "wake up call?" I'm sure the Bucks are plenty aware. They will attempt to improve themselves before the deadline.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Can the Bucks get Jae Crowder for two 2nds and salary filler? They need another wing defender to match up with the Celtics.

Pelicans probably have the best collection of defenders to match up with the Celtics, but getting out of the west is the trouble.

[The Sultan]

I think they're going to have to give up Grayson to get something back.

[Jockey]

Pummeling the best team in the West on their home court should be a wake up call for the Bucks.  Because frankly Boston is better right now and I don't think it's close.  Middleton will have to come back to all-star level at minimum.

You take one game way too seriously.