2024-25 NBA Thread

[The Sultan]

The reports coming out now about the Celtics future are not great for Boston fans. Looks like salary cap hell starting next year plus no Tatum.

Like the Bucks, went all in and got a title. Now they have to work through it.

[tower912]

Sam Hauser a millstone for another team.

[WhiteTrash]

Like the Bucks, went all in and got a title. Now they have to work through it.

It's worth it.

Shocking to see a likely $500M payroll without changes.

[MuggsyB]

Wow.  Jokic getting tackled all over the floor. 

[MuggsyB]

Denver looks like they're gonna run out of gas. 

[MuggsyB]

Jokic and Murray not getting much help. 

[Billy Hoyle]

Denver looks like they're gonna run out of gas. 

they have a shallower bench than the Knicks, and that's an accomplishment. Booth's dismissal is being justified more and more each day for his failure to build a deeper roster.

[Jay Bee]

they have a shallower bench than the Knicks, and that's an accomplishment. Booth's dismissal is being justified more and more each day for his failure to build a deeper roster.

Should've never let Markus get away

[The Sultan]

they have a shallower bench than the Knicks, and that's an accomplishment. Booth's dismissal is being justified more and more each day for his failure to build a deeper roster.

Yeah, they assumed their draft picks were going to step up, but let too many guys like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope go. IMO you ride that train until you have to blow it up.

[MU82]

they have a shallower bench than the Knicks, and that's an accomplishment. Booth's dismissal is being justified more and more each day for his failure to build a deeper roster.

They definitely looked tired at the end last night. There also was way too much standing around and watching Jokic or Murray, though fatigue might have been part of that, too. I wanted to see Gordon get some touches, but he mostly just stood outside the arc watching. Pretty unimpressed with the coaching there.

[wadesworld]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcg5I_vu5rU

The most excitement the Chicago Bulls have seen in a decade costs them decades of Cooper Flagg excitement.

[Jockey]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcg5I_vu5rU

The most excitement the Chicago Bulls have seen in a decade costs them decades of Cooper Flagg excitement.

Flagg is overrated.

[The Sultan]

Flagg is overrated.

You really don't want to dig up this argument again do you? You got your ass handed to you then, and it will happen again because simple logic evades your understanding.

[Jockey]

You really don't want to dig up this argument again do you? You got your ass handed to you then, and it will happen again because simple logic evades your understanding.

Yup. Telling me at least 2 high school players are better than the best college player (actually, I think it was your twin who said that) really handed it to me.

Your argument was stupid then and now.

[The Sultan]

Yup. Telling me at least 2 high school players are better than the best college player (actually, I think it was your twin who said that) really handed it to me.

Your argument was stupid then and now.

No, I actually never said that.

You said that Flagg was "immensely better" even though he was ranked about the same as Dybantsa. You provided no evidence that he was "immensely better." I provided multiple scouting reports that suggested they were ranked similarly.

The fact that you would bring this up again, like you seemingly do with every argument where you get embarrassingly routed, is strange to me.

[Hards Alumni]

And he's right. For 4 of his 5 T's no one else would have been called for a T for (maybe all 5, I don't remember what his 5th was four). Some of his flagrants wouldn't have been called on almost anyone else.

I've seen Lebron do many of the same things, and Lebron whines and yells a the refs as much or more than Draymond. Lebron also flails his arms when he wants to get a call and sometimes hits the other player. So do many other players. Players don't flop as much against the other guys, and the refs don't reward the flopping like they do when Draymond is involved.

Lebron runs around screaming (with no T's) and the narrative is how he was wronged by the refs. Draymond does it, when the call was clearly incorrect, and he is portrayed as an angry player who brought it upon himself.

There is a double standard when it comes to Draymond. He is right.

Uh no.

[wadesworld]

No, I actually never said that.

You said that Flagg was "immensely better" even though he was ranked about the same as Dybantsa. You provided no evidence that he was "immensely better." I provided multiple scouting reports that suggested they were ranked similarly.

The fact that you would bring this up again, like you seemingly do with every argument where you get embarrassingly routed, is strange to me.

Correct.  When Boozer and Flagg were in the same recruiting class Boozer was ranked higher.  Now Dybantsa and Boozer are in the same class and Dybantsa is ranked higher (with Peterson now ranked above both of them).  Plus articles shared with polls of NBA scouts showing they would take Dybantsa (and Tyran Stokes) over Flagg.

Not to mention I believe the statement was that Flagg was the best college player (or freshman) since Anthony Davis.  Even though Zion's one season in college was significantly better than Flagg's was.  Jockey tried to "get me" by telling me I "only see one side of the ball" and that Zion was an atrocious defender.  The problem with that, of course, is that Zion was on the ACC All Defense team and led the ACC in Defensive Box Plus Minus.  OOPS!  And of course Jockey ignored this, thinking if he just didn't respond then everyone would think he had this higher knowledge of basketball and anyone who thinks Zion was good at Duke only sees PPG.

[MuggsyB]

They definitely looked tired at the end last night. There also was way too much standing around and watching Jokic or Murray, though fatigue might have been part of that, too. I wanted to see Gordon get some touches, but he mostly just stood outside the arc watching. Pretty unimpressed with the coaching there.

All that needs to be said is that the non Jokic players were 1-15 in the 4th Q.  That goes beyond being abysmal/ a dumpster 🔥.  The Nuggets are Charlotte/Washington without the Joker. 

[wadesworld]

All that needs to be said is that the non Jokic players were 1-15 in the 4th Q.  That goes beyond being abysmal/ a dumpster 🔥.  The Nuggets are Charlotte/Washington without the Joker. 

No they aren't.

[MuggsyB]

Correct.  When Boozer and Flagg were in the same recruiting class Boozer was ranked higher.  Now Dybantsa and Boozer are in the same class and Dybantsa is ranked higher (with Peterson now ranked above both of them).  Plus articles shared with polls of NBA scouts showing they would take Dybantsa (and Tyran Stokes) over Flagg.

Not to mention I believe the statement was that Flagg was the best college player (or freshman) since Anthony Davis.  Even though Zion's one season in college was significantly better than Flagg's was.  Jockey tried to "get me" by telling me I "only see one side of the ball" and that Zion was an atrocious defender.  The problem with that, of course, is that Zion was on the ACC All Defense team and led the ACC in Defensive Box Plus Minus.  OOPS!  And of course Jockey ignored this, thinking if he just didn't respond then everyone would think he had this higher knowledge of basketball and anyone who thinks Zion was good at Duke only sees PPG.

Being "a better player"  (which is subjective) isn't the same thing as being the better prospect.  No one to my knowledge thought Laettner was a better NBA prospect than Shaq.  Including Laettner. 

[MuggsyB]

No they aren't.

They're not good.  That's for sure. 

[MU82]

I will be very interested in seeing if any of the players who supposedly are better than Flagg are better when they actually lace 'em up for their college teams. One or all of them very well might be, and that would be exciting for us hoops fans to watch.

But Flagg was an effen great college basketball player. That's not rankings or opinion or scout-talk or speculation - we know it because we all got to witness it. So we'll see about Dybantsa and the others.

I keep going back to Joey being a higher-ranked recruit than Sam was. I understand why he was, too. But in college, Joey was maybe what, half as good? Rankings and the like are subjective by nature; it's what these guys all do on the court.

[Jockey]

I will be very interested in seeing if any of the players who supposedly are better than Flagg are better when they actually lace 'em up for their college teams. One or all of them very well might be, and that would be exciting for us hoops fans to watch.

But Flagg was an effen great college basketball player. That's not rankings or opinion or scout-talk or speculation - we know it because we all got to witness it. So we'll see about Dybantsa and the others.

I keep going back to Joey being a higher-ranked recruit than Sam was. I understand why he was, too. But in college, Joey was maybe what, half as good? Rankings and the like are subjective by nature; it's what these guys all do on the court.

I agree, 82. I love Dybantsa's game - I see Tracy McGrady all over again. But I'll be shocked if he has a better year than Flagg just had.

I think it was Sam Vecenie who said Flagg is the best prospect to come out of college in the last decade.

[Jockey]

Correct.  When Boozer and Flagg were in the same recruiting class Boozer was ranked higher.  Now Dybantsa and Boozer are in the same class and Dybantsa is ranked higher (with Peterson now ranked above both of them).  Plus articles shared with polls of NBA scouts showing they would take Dybantsa (and Tyran Stokes) over Flagg.

Not to mention I believe the statement was that Flagg was the best college player (or freshman) since Anthony Davis.  Even though Zion's one season in college was significantly better than Flagg's was.  Jockey tried to "get me" by telling me I "only see one side of the ball" and that Zion was an atrocious defender.  The problem with that, of course, is that Zion was on the ACC All Defense team and led the ACC in Defensive Box Plus Minus.  OOPS!  And of course Jockey ignored this, thinking if he just didn't respond then everyone would think he had this higher knowledge of basketball and anyone who thinks Zion was good at Duke only sees PPG.

Zion is an average to slightly below average defender.

Naming him all-defense is equivalent to giving Rafael Palmiero a Gold Glove because he hit a lot of HRs.

[MuggsyB]

Can you recall another player at his height that played like Brunson?  No one comes to me off the top of my head.