2023-24 NBA Thread

[Skatastrophy]

Jimmy is shooting 47%+ from 3 this year. No way it's a fluke

[GB Warrior]

Bucks suck

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Bucks suck

I forgot they played tonight.

<checks score>

🙄🙄🙄

[MuggsyB]

Sounds like a fun game at Fiserv.  I'm not sure Dallas is much of a contender.  They have nothing inside and basically will have to go bananas from distance because they're mediocre defensively. 

Are Klay Thompson or Wiggins movable?  The Dubs desperately need a big. 

Holmgren is the real deal.  I was dead wrong about his readiness for the NBA. 

[WhiteTrash]

I see the Bulls were about 3,000 shy of a sellout.  Saturday against Miami. That's not good.

[cheebs09]

I see the Bulls were about 3,000 shy of a sellout.  Saturday against Miami. That's not good.

Sleeping giant.

[MU82]

Bucks suck

Doomed.

[WhiteTrash]

With Zach LaVine expressing a desire to be traded, there are few intersting options being thrown out. I kind of like LaVine for Klay Thompson and picks. That gets the Bulls out of a terrible contract and some picks.

[MuggsyB]

With Zach LaVine expressing a desire to be traded, there are few intersting options being thrown out. I kind of like LaVine for Klay Thompson and picks. That gets the Bulls out of a terrible contract and some picks.

Interesting.....is Klay's contract expiring?

[WhiteTrash]

Interesting.....is Klay's contract expiring?

It is.

[MuggsyB]

It is.

I'd pull the trigger

[MU82]

Antetokounmpo-Lillard crunchtime partnership in win over Mavs exactly what was feared by NBA

https://theathletic.com/5074575/2023/11/19/giannis-lillard-bucks-mavs/?source=pulsenewsletter&campaign=8282443

MILWAUKEE — For 43 minutes on Saturday, the Dallas Mavericks did everything they could to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo. And for 43 minutes, they never really found a good answer to their problem.

He knocked down a pair of free throws with a little more than five minutes left to up his scoring to 38 points. By then the seven-time All-Star had made 17 of his 27 shots and scored 32 points in the paint in helping create a one-point lead. He also had tallied seven assists. And yet, with the game still in the balance, Antetokounmpo moved aside in crunchtime and watched as his new teammate, Damian Lillard, took over and operated the offense.

On the next four possessions, all run by Lillard, the Bucks scored 11 points. In that same span they did enough defensively to open up a seven-point lead en route to pulling out a 132-125 victory to move to 9-4 on the season. Antetokounmpo finished with 40 points, 15 points and seven assists. Lillard ended the night with 27 points, three rebounds and 12 assists, including eight points and two assists while running the show for the final five minutes.

Their combined 48-minute effort was, to date, the best example of exactly what the rest of the league feared when Bucks general manager Jon Horst paired two of the league's most powerful offensive engines of the last decade by trading for Lillard days before training camp opened in Milwaukee.

"I think tonight, he's the horse," Lillard said of Antetokounmpo. "I wanna see him be four-time MVP or five-time MVP and have those type of games. And I'm here because I've had a lot of success. I've won a lot of games, I've had a lot of individual success, but I'm here to win.

"Us winning is not gonna look like my performances in Portland all the time, even though there will be some of those nights. But like I said, he's the horse and ... there's gonna be a quarter where I jump out front and carry the load, I dominate a quarter. Or down the stretch, five minutes, six minutes, you're gonna see me probably take control and take command of that because those are my moments. And it just has to be a balance of us both and us complementing each other leading to wins."

[wadesworld]

Herro and his contract were discussed a bit in this thread a few weeks ago.  Once again he gets hurt and the Heat start winning games suddenly.  3-4 with him playing, he gets hurt 8 minutes into game 8, and they're 5-1 since.

[Uncle Rico]

Herro and his contract were discussed a bit in this thread a few weeks ago.  Once again he gets hurt and the Heat start winning games suddenly.  3-4 with him playing, he gets hurt 8 minutes into game 8, and they're 5-1 since.

Heckuva player, aina?

[MU82]

Just another coincidence.

[MuggsyB]

Giannis is only 20-23, with 13 rebs and 8 dimes against Johnny Davis' Wizards.  I see Davis has a grand total of zero points. 

[Uncle Rico]

Giannis is only 20-23, with 13 rebs and 8 dimes against Johnny Davis' Wizards.  I see Davis has a grand total of zero points.

Peddle his azz

[MuggsyB]

Peddle his azz

I don't think anyone wants Johnny Davis. 

[Uncle Rico]

I don't think anyone wants Johnny Davis.

Touché

[MU82]

The Celtics - that zero-year dynasty - found a way to lose to the Hornets.

Tatum scored 45 but missed the game-tying FT.

Crown their azz!

[Uncle Rico]

The Celtics - that zero-year dynasty - found a way to lose to the Hornets.

Tatum scored 45 but missed the game-tying FT.

Crown their azz!

Their depth is suspect.  I know White didn't play, but the regulars are playing lots of minutes

[MU82]

I guess LeBron isn't quite done. From Yahoo Sports:

Stop me if you've heard this one before: LeBron James is defying Father Time.

‌The latest: LeBron, 38, powered the Lakers (8-6) to their fifth win in six games on Sunday, pouring in a season-high 37 points to go along with six rebounds, eight assists, three steals and the game-winning free throw in L.A.'s 105-104 victory over the Rockets.

‌By the numbers: He's played all but one game so far this season and his averages — 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists — are roughly in line with his career numbers. Those are excellent for anyone; they're downright ludicrous for someone playing in his 21st season.

‌The 21-season club: LeBron is just the sixth player in NBA history to suit up for a 21st season, and his Year 21 numbers are... slightly better than his fellow super-veterans.

‌++ James (2023-24): 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists and a 26.1 PER* in 34.4 minutes.
++ Vince Carter (2018-19): 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and a 11.8 PER in 17.5 minutes.
++ Dirk Nowitzki (2018-19): 7.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.7 assists and a 9.6 PER in 15.6 minutes.
++ Robert Parish (1996-97): 3.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.5 assists and a 14.3 PER in 9.4 minutes.
++ Kevin Garnett (2015-16): 3.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and a 12.3 PER in 14.6 minutes.
++ Kevin Willis (2006-07): 2.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.2 assists and a 6.3 PER in 8.6 minutes.

What he's saying: "Just trying to push the limit. See how far I can take this thing. I don't know. I mean, it's me vs. Father Time," he told ESPN after Sunday's win, saying he feels rejuvenated this season. "I got my bounce back, my spring back, my quick twitch back."

But is it sustainable? LeBron has made a career out of defying expectations. But the soon-to-be 39-year-old is in fact mortal, so coach Darvin Ham would be wise to limit his minutes — as he suggested he would last month — in order to keep him healthy for the playoffs.

Having said that, it's easy to understand why Ham has already abandoned that strategy: the Lakers have a +6.7 net rating when LeBron is on the court, but they're at -17.9 when he's off it.

If he rests too much now, they might not have a playoff run to keep him fresh for anyway.

On the production/achievement/longevity scale (which I just made up - please don't ask me to define it!), LeBron is the greatest player in NBA history, and one of the great athletes in any sport ever.

I'd still take Michael to win me a game or a title, and Wilt for individual domination of his era, but it's not some crazy notion to suggest that LeBron is the GOAT.

He is doing in Year 21 what many Hall of Famers never did in the best seasons of their careers.

[lawdog77]

that writer must not follow basketball

[tower912]

that writer must not follow SCOOP

fify

[GB Warrior]

Alright I'm officially in hell after the Purdue game