'25-26 NBA Thread

[JWags85]

Oh come on.  Jokic is awesome, but you're selling Duncan WAY short, especially on the defensive end.  Duncan was NBA All Defense 15 times and was top 5 in DPOY voting 6 times, with a bunch of other top 10 finishes.  His Defensive Rating for his career was 96, which is absolutely insane.  He never once had a Defensive Rating of over 101 in his career.  Jokic's career Defensive Rating is 108 and he's had 1 season (not including 9 games this year where h's at 103) below a 105 Defensive Rating for a season.

Defensively unstated sure, but I will caveat, Duncan had 1 season (out of those 15) where he didn't play with another All Defense player.  First was Robinson, then was Bruce Bowen.  And the Spurs were consistently a top 3 defensive team in the league in totality. Jokic has never played with anyone of that caliber defensively, much less a team (funny enough until the Nuggets are the best defensive rating in the league so far).

Not to mention, it's a totally different sort of league.  The Spurs had TEAM Defensive Ratings under 100 almost every year, as a TEAM.  The last few DPOY have had ratings over 105 as individuals.

Again, it's not a slight to Duncan, and certainly Jokic is nowhere near the defender Duncan was, but there is some NBA scoring inflation that makes it a bit more stark.

Duncan was absolutely insane. Any slander of him is his lack of flashiness.

I'm not even speaking to flashiness or style of play or the "eye test".  Duncan was steady, consistent, reliable, etc... people often talk about how automatic he was. But Jokic DESTROYS him with percentages and offensive efficiency. Hes shot 64% from inside the arc the last 3 years playing less back to the basket than Duncan who was at 51% through his MVP years.

It's not slander, more just how eye popping Jokic is.  I was even taken aback looking at the head to head numbers.

Like I said, I  don't think Duncan should be any lower cause his longevity and accolades are immense, but Jokic should cruise past him if he continues this for another 5 or so years without getting hurt or deciding he'd rather go back to Serbia and play with his horses all year instead of just the offseason.

It's a hot take, but I think if Jokic played on those Spurs teams, he wouldn't win DPOY, but he'd have a much lower D Rating.  But I don't think Duncan on these Nuggets teams in place of Jokic puts up a sub 100 DRating nor do his offensive stats spike all that much.

But then again, I think Jokic is already top 10 all time and only the aforementioned broken leg or equine distractions stop him from being top 5 (Jordan, LBJ, Kareem, Wilt, and Jokic in whichever order you please)

[Shaka Shart]

Yeah my argument was Duncan appropriately rated but Jokic above Kobe.

And Shaq above Kobe

[MuggsyB]

You don't see a guy go 14-45 from the field very often.  Cunningham is a great player though.

[MuggsyB]

Wemby is seriously ridiculous.  It's scary where he'll be when he reaches his prime. 

[JWags85]

Mob boss Adam Silver completes his scheme.  Gets his patsy Nico to move Luka to the Lakers to secure a superstar on a marquee franchise now that Lebron is about done.  Gifts the #1 pick to Dallas to halfheartedly smooth it over and make the peasants less restless and angry.  Then the patsy gets whacked months later to close the loop.  Game of Thrones couldn't have done it better.

[MU82]

It's absolutely stunning that LaMelo Ball is hurt again.

Of course, he plays about as good defense on the bench in street clothes as he does when he's in the game.

[WhiteTrash]

Mob boss Adam Silver completes his scheme.  Gets his patsy Nico to move Luka to the Lakers to secure a superstar on a marquee franchise now that Lebron is about done.  Gifts the #1 pick to Dallas to halfheartedly smooth it over and make the peasants less restless and angry.  Then the patsy gets whacked months later to close the loop.  Game of Thrones couldn't have done it better.

That "trade" brought back memories of the Gasol trade from Memphis to LA. Neither passed the smell test. Trading Luka is not the issue, the return was comical and bizarre.

[Badgerhater]

Mob boss Adam Silver completes his scheme.  Gets his patsy Nico to move Luka to the Lakers to secure a superstar on a marquee franchise now that Lebron is about done.  Gifts the #1 pick to Dallas to halfheartedly smooth it over and make the peasants less restless and angry.  Then the patsy gets whacked months later to close the loop.  Game of Thrones couldn't have done it better.

The NBA conspiracy theorist in me says the NBA would not have let the Bucks win their championship in a normal year.  There was a payoff to the NY owners and to capitalize on Giannis internationally, but not to the point of having the bucks win in a traditional playoff year.

With that said, the Bucks did earn it and it was awesome, and the Bucks have not put themselves in position to be championship competitive since.

[Billy Hoyle]

yep

[The Sultan]

The NBA conspiracy theorist in me says the NBA would not have let the Bucks win their championship in a normal year.  There was a payoff to the NY owners and to capitalize on Giannis internationally, but not to the point of having the bucks win in a traditional playoff year.

With that said, the Bucks did earn it and it was awesome, and the Bucks have not put themselves in position to be championship competitive since.

Outside of some crowd limits, there wasn't much "non-traditional" about the 2021 playoffs.

[wadesworld]

With that said, the Bucks did earn it and it was awesome, and the Bucks have not put themselves in position to be championship competitive since.

They went 7 with the Celtics in the second round the year after with Khris not playing a minute in the series.  But after that, yeah.  That Khris injury really threw everything off for the Bucks.

[Billy Hoyle]

The NBA conspiracy theorist in me says the NBA would not have let the Bucks win their championship in a normal year.  There was a payoff to the NY owners and to capitalize on Giannis internationally, but not to the point of having the bucks win in a traditional playoff year.

With that said, the Bucks did earn it and it was awesome, and the Bucks have not put themselves in position to be championship competitive since.

my NBA "conspiracy" thought is they want certain teams and markets to win, but not to lose, but sometimes that just isn't going to happen. The Bucks were just that good in 2020-21.

[BM1090]

They went 7 with the Celtics in the second round the year after with Khris not playing a minute in the series.  But after that, yeah.  That Khris injury really threw everything off for the Bucks.

Yeah they had a real chance to repeat. Shame they weren't healthy.

[Billy Hoyle]

my NBA "conspiracy" thought is they want/preferr certain teams and markets to win, but won't go otu of their way for a certain market to lose; sometimes that just isn't going to happen. Do you think the NBA really wanted OKC v. Indiana last year? There was just no stopping either team in the playoffs. The Bucks were just that good in 2020-21.

[JWags85]

The NBA conspiracy theorist in me says the NBA would not have let the Bucks win their championship in a normal year.  There was a payoff to the NY owners and to capitalize on Giannis internationally, but not to the point of having the bucks win in a traditional playoff year.

With that said, the Bucks did earn it and it was awesome, and the Bucks have not put themselves in position to be championship competitive since.

Denver and OKC winning it 2 of the last 3 years are no more favorable to that theory.  And Indiana and Dallas making the Finals in that span doesn't support it either.

my NBA "conspiracy" thought is they want certain teams and markets to win, but not to lose, but sometimes that just isn't going to happen. The Bucks were just that good in 2020-21.

Yea I'm kind of there too.  But I don't think its that severe or manipulated, I think as long as multiple of the Lakers/Celtics/Knicks/Bulls/Heat are good and contending, they're fine.  Heavier on the Lakers probably.

[MU82]

Denver and OKC winning it 2 of the last 3 years are no more favorable to that theory.  And Indiana and Dallas making the Finals in that span doesn't support it either.

Yeah, you beat me to it. The conspiracy theorists crack me up.

[The Sultan]

Wemby going to San Antonio as well.

[JWags85]

Wemby going to San Antonio as well.

Well, you see, that was noted 2023 legendary coach lifetime achievement award conspiracy exception for Pop. Otherwise he'd clearly be a Knick

[MU82]

Nico Harrison ... buh-bye.

[MuggsyB]

Nico Harrison ... buh-bye.

Tbe whole thing is super weird.  Starting with the initial trade.  If they felt they needed to dump Doncic for whatever reasons, that's fine I guess.  The problem is the haul, or lack of, they got for him.  Especially when you consider what other trades yielded.  How they didn't ask for Reaves is inexplicable.  All that said, I don't think Nico was solo in this moronic decision. 

[MU82]

RIP Micheal Ray Richardson, dead at 70 after having been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

I was a teenager and a Knicks fan when they drafted him in 1978 and I loved watching him play. Supremely talented, he was a gifted passer and defensive player. I remember once he was talking about the best players in the world and he said, "It's Magic, Moncrief and me."

He became addicted to cocaine, which eventually led to a lifetime ban from the NBA. The banning didn't happen until a few years after the Knicks traded him to Golden State for the great Bernard King.

[forgetful]

As a LeBron fan told me once, "defense is only like 25% of the game".

And LeBron (over the last couple of years) has even played defense like 10% of the time.

[tower912]

Radio Doctors, mid 80's, The late Micheal Ray walks through the door with Nets teammates Buck Williams, Kelvin Ranset, Mickey Johnson, and finally Darryl Dawkins.  In their Nets sweats.  I did not approach them.  And I knew who 4 out of 5 were without checking the names on the sweats.  Two of my nerd worlds collided.

RIP.  Nice redemption story.

[MuggsyB]

SGA is absolutely toying with the Lakers.  They have no one who can guard him at all.  He may not be flashy, but he's on the path to ultra elite greatness. 

[MU82]

During the Nuggets' 6-game winning streak, Jokic is averaging 35.8 pts, 12.0 reb, 11.0 ast, 73.9% FG, 55.6% 3PT.

Not bad.