2023-24 NBA Thread

[Skatastrophy]

I missed the comma at first and thought you were nuts

[reinko]

Your 9 man rotation in this era?

Starting
Guards: Luka & Steph
Wings: Giannis, Tatum
C: Joker

Bench
Bron, Booker, Embiid, KD

Honorable mention
Shai, Dame, Ja, Mitchell, and a healthy AD

[Pakuni]

Starting
Guards: Luka & Steph
Wings: Giannis, Tatum
C: Joker

Bench
Bron, Booker, Embiid, KD

Honorable mention
Shai, Dame, Ja, Mitchell, and a healthy AD

No love for JFB?

Jimmy has ranked 6th, 14th and 5th in PER the past three seasons.
Ja is 17th, 9th and 103rd.
Mitchell is 19th, 29th and 32nd
Book is 23rd, 33rd and 58th

[wadesworld]

Wings: Giannis, Tatum

Hah.

[forgetful]

Yes. Not even a question.

Magic gets the nod, but your dismissal of Bird is weird.

The resumes for the two are both amazing, Bird was clearly the better defender.

Both had their careers cut short. The who was better Magic or Bird is a long lasting argument for a reason.

[MuggsyB]

Magic gets the nod, but your dismissal of Bird is weird.

The resumes for the two are both amazing, Bird was clearly the better defender.

Both had their careers cut short. The who was better Magic or Bird is a long lasting argument for a reason.

Both guys are before my time forgetful but I echo your sentiments and was shocked by Fluffy's statement.  Maybe he just wasn't thinking clearly?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Magic gets the nod, but your dismissal of Bird is weird.

The resumes for the two are both amazing, Bird was clearly the better defender.

Both had their careers cut short. The who was better Magic or Bird is a long lasting argument for a reason.

You continuously overrate Bird - at one point you claimed he was better than Lebron. So I'm not taking any opinion you have on the matter seriously.

Magic was clearly better. Not even a question.

[Jockey]

Both guys are before my time forgetful but I echo your sentiments and was shocked by Fluffy's statement.  Maybe he just wasn't thinking clearly?

I saw them hundreds of times. I have no problem with someone thinking Magic was better or vice versa.

To dismiss Bird as vastly inferior is silly.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I saw them hundreds of times. I have no problem with someone thinking Magic was better or vice versa.

To dismiss Bird as vastly inferior is silly.

I never said he was "vastly inferior."  The gulf between them wasn't wide, but it was clear.

[Jockey]

I never said he was "vastly inferior."  The gulf between them wasn't wide, but it was clear.

My bad. So basically we just disagree.

[MuggsyB]

Starting
Guards: Luka & Steph
Wings: Giannis, Tatum
C: Joker

Bench
Bron, Booker, Embiid, KD



Honorable mention
Shai, Dame, Ja, Mitchell, and a healthy AD

I was thinking if you could choose 9 players from any era to play in today's game?  It's extremely difficult imo.

[MuggsyB]

You continuously overrate Bird - at one point you claimed he was better than Lebron. So I'm not taking any opinion you have on the matter seriously.

Magic was clearly better. Not even a question.

Unnecessary attack here Fluffy.  You  seem to not be thinking clearly on this one and your clarifications haven't really helped.  As stated above there's a reason why people have debated this question. 

[Hidden User]

(Teal) Giannis supports murder if journalists?!

https://twitter.com/giannis_an34/status/1683549442287255552?s=46&t=G2FhP_F2kWewaBOpvRv5lg

[MU82]

Jaylen Brown gets the biggest contract in NBA history.

Zoom!

[Jockey]

Jaylen Brown gets the biggest contract in NBA history.

Zoom!

Nice score for a guy that might barely be top 20 in the league.

[MuggsyB]

Jaylen Brown gets the biggest contract in NBA history.

Zoom!

I overshot him earlier last season but Wow.  I'm shocked the C's did this. 

[JWags85]

Incredible for a guy with shoddy handles and no left hand.  Tatum is gonna make $500MM

[MU82]

The feeling is they "had" to do it. And now that it's been proven over and over and over again that guys with humongous, multiyear contracts can still be traded, I guess the decision wasn't all that tough for them.

But it still does make you do a double-take when such a flawed player -- not to mention a guy who isn't even close to being his team's best player and who hasn't won a thing -- can get the richest contract in the history of the sport.

[Skatastrophy]

Tatum and Brown both fold in big moments, and I don't see them getting any more resilient. I'm not sure the Celtics will make it past the 2nd round of the playoffs with those guys.

[wadesworld]

Tatum and Brown both fold in big moments, and I don't see them getting any more resilient. I'm not sure the Celtics will make it past the 2nd round of the playoffs with those guys.

What? They've only been past the 2nd round of the Playoffs with those guys 5 times with Brown (in 7 seasons) and 4 times with Tatum (in 6 seasons)...

Tatum had 46 and 9 in game 6 at Milwaukee last year and had 51 and 13 in game 7 against the 76ers this year.

They're 26 and 25 years old and have been to a Finals and 4/3 other Conference Finals.

[Skatastrophy]

What? They've only been past the 2nd round of the Playoffs with those guys 5 times with Brown (in 7 seasons) and 4 times with Tatum (in 6 seasons)...

Tatum had 46 and 9 in game 6 at Milwaukee last year and had 51 and 13 in game 7 against the 76ers this year.

They're 26 and 25 years old and have been to a Finals and 4/3 other Conference Finals.

They can inconsistently put up some big numbers, but both of them fold when the going gets tough. Nothing against their talent or their ability to put up big numbers.

My argument is that the Cs just traded away guys that played with a chip on their shoulder (Smart and Grant Williams) and kept the guys that haven't found their confidence yet in bigger moments. You need to have *someone* willing to play with toughness even when things get rough. Both Brown and Tatum get caught up in their own feelings for entire games if they get punched in the teeth.

[MuggsyB]

They can inconsistently put up some big numbers, but both of them fold when the going gets tough. Nothing against their talent or their ability to put up big numbers.

My argument is that the Cs just traded away guys that played with a chip on their shoulder (Smart and Grant Williams) and kept the guys that haven't found their confidence yet in bigger moments. You need to have *someone* willing to play with toughness even when things get rough. Both Brown and Tatum get caught up in their own feelings for entire games if they get punched in the teeth.

Tatum is 25, Brown is 26.  I'm surprised Brown got that much but it could be because the salary cap is going way up.  As far as "folding when things get tough" Tatum has had duds but he's also had a number of huge playoff performances.  Again, he's 25.  I think in his case you're being a bit too harsh.

[wadesworld]

They can inconsistently put up some big numbers, but both of them fold when the going gets tough. Nothing against their talent or their ability to put up big numbers.

My argument is that the Cs just traded away guys that played with a chip on their shoulder (Smart and Grant Williams) and kept the guys that haven't found their confidence yet in bigger moments. You need to have *someone* willing to play with toughness even when things get rough. Both Brown and Tatum get caught up in their own feelings for entire games if they get punched in the teeth.

Sure, if we ignore the big games they had in giant moments those guys haven't proven they can step up in the biggest games.

Tatum is one of my least favorite players in the NBA.  His constant crying at the refs is annoying.  But the fact that you think the C's can't get past the second round with Tatum/Brown when those two have gone past the second round in 5 of Brown's 7 years in the NBA and 4 of Tatum's 6 years in the NBA says you might have some black and red colored sunglasses on.  They've been past the second round more times in 4 (Brown) and 5 (Tatum) fewer years in the NBA than Himmy (3 times).

[MU82]

For me, it was just the momentary shock of "Wait, Jaylen Brown is the highest-paid player in NBA history"?

It's just the way the collective bargaining agreement works and the fact that the Celtics pretty much had to do this.

Brown obviously is talented. It took Jordan and Pippen years to win a title; maybe next season will be Tatum and Brown's turn. Or maybe they'll be Stockton and Malone; most long-time NBA observers don't consider them to be "failures."

[Herman Cain]

Other Lebron related news
https://nypost.com/2023/07/26/woman-in-vegas-brawl-is-exec-for-lebron-james-tequila/amp/