2024-25 NBA Thread

[Shaka Shart]

Saw those Bulls ratings. Woof. I guess Chicago doesn't like what the Bulls are doing. Which begs the question: what are the Bulls doing?

Still making an assload of money

[The Sultan]

Still more exciting than Stef Curry's half court shots and they played defense

You seriously think they don't play defense in the NBA?

[WhiteTrash]

Still making an assload of money

Right?

There are some businesses great management can't make work and there are other businesses that thrive with awful management. JR has two of the later.

[WhiteTrash]

Brad Sellers was a punch line in the 80s.  His length and skill set would absolutely play today. 
Ben Wallace, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, no.  Vinnie Johnson, no.

The overall length and athleticism has grown, like in football.

I mostly agree, but I don't think it is that simple. Wallace, Oakley, Mason, etc. had the bodies for the way the game was played at that time. I don't think teams signed those guys because that could not find better athletes, that needed enforcers and sought out those types of athletes.

Today there is no reason to have a big body to lean on the opponent for 40 mins a game. You don't need a thick strong guard to arm bar the other guy on the perimeter. They will foul out in 5 min.

[tower912]

We are saying essentially the same thing.

[JWags85]

Still more exciting than Stef Curry's half court shots and they played defense

STEF

[MU82]

STEF

Cam's idol.

[tower912]

The Don Nelson Bucks and GS teams were far ahead of the curve, in regards to the current direction of the NBA.  Paul Pressey as a point forward.  Moncrief and Pierce as big guards who could score on all levels.  Sikma as a big who was better away from the basket. 

[The Sultan]

Craig Hodges once shot .491 from 3 for an entire season...but only averaged 2.7 attempts per game.

[WhiteTrash]

Craig Hodges once shot .491 from 3 for an entire season...but only averaged 2.7 attempts per game.

I think he'd find a home in the NBA today.

Didn't he best Bird a couple of times in the 3 point shootout?

[WhiteTrash]

Was looking at the standing and realized the Eastern Conference 10 seed, with a chance to go to the playoffs, could be 20 games under .500. Is this what the NBA wants? Talk about devaluing the regular season.

[tower912]

Out of the league's control

[The Sultan]

Was looking at the standing and realized the Eastern Conference 10 seed, with a chance to go to the playoffs, could be 20 games under .500. Is this what the NBA wants? Talk about devaluing the regular season.

Leagues stopped caring about the value of the regular season long ago.

[MU82]

Was looking at the standing and realized the Eastern Conference 10 seed, with a chance to go to the playoffs, could be 20 games under .500. Is this what the NBA wants? Talk about devaluing the regular season.

Cyclical. And it happens in the NFL, NHL and MLB, too.

Oh, and the NBA doesn't consider the play-in round to be part of the playoffs. Meaning that the 7-10 teams in each conference technically aren't in the playoffs until they win the right to be included. Semantically silly, if you ask me ... but they didn't.

[MU82]

Jokic, arguably having the best offensive season in NBA history, should be MVP by a landslide.

From Yahoo Sports:

It's easy to get fatigued by consistent excellence, so before Nikola Jokić returns to the floor tonight let's take a moment to marvel at what is shaping up to be perhaps the best statistical season in NBA history, Jeff writes.

By the numbers: The 7-foot Serbian is averaging 29.8 points (3rd in the NBA), 12.6 rebounds (4th), 10.2 assists (2nd), 1.8 steals (4th) and 0.7 blocks (64th) with a 66.7% true shooting percentage (7th).

‌His 33.4 player efficiency rating (PER) would be the highest single-season mark ever, shattering his own record from three years ago (32.85), and his 0.334 win shares per 48 minutes would be the second-best ever.

Add it all up and he's on the doorstep of becoming the sixth player ever to win at least four MVPs, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James.

The greatest seasons ever: Comparing across eras is no easy feat, but Yahoo Sports' Ben Rohrbach put Jokić's campaign up against six of the best statistical seasons ever — Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, James, Jordan and Chamberlain's best seasons by PER — to determine whether we've ever seen something like this before. Spoiler alert: We haven't.

‌
Embiid (2022-23): 33.1 pts, 10.2 reb, 4.2 ast, 1.0 stl, 1.7 blk, 65.5% TS, 31.4 PER ... Embiid's scoring and assists in his MVP season produced 43.7 points per game, 10 fewer than Jokić is producing this year.

Antetokounmpo (2021-22): 29.9 pts, 11.6 reb, 5.8 ast, 1.1 stl, 1.4 blk, 63.3% TS, 32.1 PER ... Jokić has nearly as many win shares coming out of this season's All-Star break (12.2) as Giannis had in his best statistical campaign (12.9). Seems good.

Curry (2015-16): 30.1 pts, 5.4 reb, 6.7 ast, 2.1 stl, 0.2 blk, 66.9% TS, 31.5 PER ... Curry then (NBA-record 402 threes) and Jokić now have the two most efficient high-volume scoring seasons ever. And Jokić already has more rebounds and assists than Curry did all season.

James (2008-09): 28.4 pts, 7.6 reb, 7.2 ast, 1.7 stl, 1.1 blk, 59.1% TS, 31.7 PER ... This was LeBron's statistical apex and his first of four MVP seasons, and yet Jokić this year is averaging more points, rebounds, assists and steals.

Jordan (1987-88): 35.0 pts, 5.5 reb, 5.9 ast, 3.2 stl, 1.6 blk, 60.3% TS, 31.7 PER ... MJ's first MVP was also the NBA's first instance of a player winning the MVP-DPOY double. But his defensive stats might have been inflated, and Jokić is the more efficient scorer.

Chamberlain (1961-62): 50.4 pts, 25.7 reb, 2.4 ast, 53.6% TS, 32.1 PER ... Context matters. Wilt was the only 7-foot NBA regular back then, and poorer league-wide shooting meant far more rebounding opportunities. Imagine Jokić if he weren't surrounded by other giants.

Shoutout to Shai: In almost any other season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be running away with the MVP: His 31.03 PER is the 20th-best mark ever and he's got the Thunder eight games ahead of any other team in the West. Unfortunately, he ran into a buzzsaw.

[wadesworld]

Bobby Portis suspended 25 games for accidentally ("accidentally"?) taking tramadol instead of toradol.

[BM1090]

Bobby Portis suspended 25 games for accidentally ("accidentally"?) taking tramadol instead of toradol.

That's tough for this team. They need to use the rest of these games to continue to gel and nail down roles and Bobby is a big part of that.

[wadesworld]

That's tough for this team. They need to use the rest of these games to continue to gel and nail down roles and Bobby is a big part of that.

Yeah, they were awful while Bobby was away from the team.  At least we'll get to see what Sims can give us now.  You'd think Sims could work well with Dame as an athletic roll man.

[The Sultan]

Dude, you are an NBA player. Why are you taking your assistant's prescribed pain meds?

[CreightonWarrior]

Bobby Portis suspended 25 games for accidentally ("accidentally"?) taking tramadol instead of toradol.

The only "accident" I'll ever believe in these situations is they "accidentally" got caught.

[JWags85]

The only "accident" I'll ever believe in these situations is they "accidentally" got caught.

When it comes to PEDs or other enhancers, I would agree with you.  But a different painkiller?  I actually buy it.  Very dumb and agree with Sultan, why would you do that?  But I don't think it was some scheme he got busted on like when guys mess up their cycles and get caught.

[MU82]

In beating the Lakers at LA last night, the Hornets repeatedly attacked Doncic and went to the hoop with impunity because the Lakers have no interior defensive presence.

And if the Hornets did that, imagine what actual NBA teams will do.

[BM1090]

In beating the Lakers at LA last night, the Hornets repeatedly attacked Doncic and went to the hoop with impunity because the Lakers have no interior defensive presence.

And if the Hornets did that, imagine what actual NBA teams will do.

You're not wrong, but LaMelo is one of like the top 5 guys built to attack Luka directly. Some better teams will have more issues than Charlotte did.

[MU82]

You're not wrong, but LaMelo is one of like the top 5 guys built to attack Luka directly. Some better teams will have more issues than Charlotte did.

Hmmm. Lots of Western Conference teams have one or two great players who can attack Luka directly. Lots of teams did so last season, but the Mavs had a couple of rim protectors. The Mark Williams trade not happening really lowered the Lakers' ceiling for this year's playoffs IMHO.

[BM1090]

Hmmm. Lots of Western Conference teams have one or two great players who can attack Luka directly. Lots of teams did so last season, but the Mavs had a couple of rim protectors. The Mark Williams trade not happening really lowered the Lakers' ceiling for this year's playoffs IMHO.

You're definitely right about the rim protection.

I think Luka is more susceptible to guys with handles and elite quickness. He really lacks when it comes to moving laterally. Guys like Ja, LaMelo, Kyrie, Fox.

Any great guard will give him trouble. But I think LaMelo causes specific issues. SGA, Murray, and Harden can exploit him but not to the same extent.

Just my opinion.