'25-26 NBA Thread

[MuggsyB]

That Zubac trade is huge (no pun intended) for Indy.  I expect them to be very formidable next year Hali back. 

[TallTitan34]

Giannis announces today he is a stakeholder in Kalshi.

No conflicts there at all.

[jesmu84]

Giannis announces today he is a stakeholder in Kalshi.

No conflicts there at all.

https://x.com/i/status/2019922902670508191

[JWags85]

Man shameless tanking is funny and shocking that the NBA won't do anything about it.  Jazz in a close game with the Jazz.  Hardy benches his starters late allowing the Magic to come back and take the lead.  Keeps the on the bench. And if it wasn't obvious enough by that point, Magic hit two FTs to take a 3 pt lead with 9 seconds left.  Hardy doesn't call a TO on the inbound off the made FT. The Jazz bring it up, Collier gets double teamed, Hardy watches with arms crossed, still holding the TO, as Collier throws up a wild one armed shot that falls 8 feet short

[Billy Hoyle]

https://x.com/i/status/2019922902670508191

I don't feel sorry for gamblers.

[GB Warrior]

With every loss, one hopes the Bucks are closer to realizing that pushing for the play-in game is would be pointless and detrimental to their outlook

[CountryRoads]

Glad Kam beat the Knicks. Hope they suck now that they portaled over Kolek.

[JWags85]

Watching any of these tank offs and there isnt a compelling argument for NBA expansion. There are some truly mid players on NBA rosters, good lord.  The number of absolutely bricked jumpers makes you appreciate some of the stars in the league

Speaking of tank offs, Kam Jones with a step back game winner in a tank battle against the Nets

[BM1090]

With every loss, one hopes the Bucks are closer to realizing that pushing for the play-in game is would be pointless and detrimental to their outlook

I think they're actually gonna push for it and make it, especially if Giannis is back next week as some are indicating. Really manageable schedule after the break.

I do agree it's pointless, though.

[wadesworld]

I think they're actually gonna push for it and make it, especially if Giannis is back next week as some are indicating. Really manageable schedule after the break.

I do agree it's pointless, though.

Oh they're definitely going for a run at the play in, which is insane.  The Bucks are the worst run organization in all of pro sports and I don't think it's even close.  Teams like the Pacers and Jazz trade for big names and then shut them down.  The Mavs, who traded Luka for AD and then a year later traded AD for the ghost of Khris Middleton and two picks that will basically be second rounders, are shutting down Flagg.

Meanwhile the Bucks are like, "Hey, let's go get Cam Thomas so that we can bring Giannis back from his FOURTH calf strain in two years in four weeks of recovery and try to get that 10 seed!"  Surely that achilles isn't ready to pop.

It's driving me crazy.  Even if Giannis gave them a guarantee of signing his extension in October (which I don't think there's any chance in hell of), the response should be, "Awesome Giannis.  We know you don't want to waste a year of your prime out of the Playoffs, but we all know this isn't a title team.  The best thing now is to make sure those years of extension are competitive.  And the best way for that to happen is to make this year's team as bad as possible, get a high draft pick, and see what we can do in the offseason."  Just crazy stuff.

[JWags85]

The Bucks are the worst run organization in all of pro sports and I don't think it's even close. 

The Bucks stink and are a cluster tight now, but this is absolutely insane hyperbole and not even close to true.  They aren't even the worst run organization in the NBA.

[wadesworld]

The Bucks stink and are a cluster tight now, but this is absolutely insane hyperbole and not even close to true.  They aren't even the worst run organization in the NBA.

I mean, they're paying Dame $23MM/year for the next 5 years just so they can pay Turner $24MM/year for the next 4 years.  So essentially they're paying $57MM/year to have Myles Turner on their roster.  I like Turner, the fit with Giannis is great, but you pay that kind of money to have Steph Curry next to Giannis, not Myles Turner.

They fired Bud, hired Adrian Griffin, fired him when they were 30-13, after having traded Jrue for Dame at the last minute, and hired Doc Rivers, who is 90-92 with the Bucks.

Horst's entire list of players he has drafted is Donte Divencenzo (who he traded for the ghost of Serge Ibaka), Jordan Nwora, MarJon Beauchamp, Chris Livingston, AJ Johnson, Tyler Smith, and Bogoljub Markovic.

They aren't the worst team in all of sports, but everything they've done starting with firing Bud has been absolute desperation move after absolute desperation move.  And the only reason they're not the worst team in all of sports is because they hit the absolute lottery in Giannis.  They control two of their future first round picks and have a single second round pick only if it falls between 56-60 this year (aka they have no seconds).

Oh, and their owners change controlling ownership every three years (or at least used to before we brought in...Jimmy Haslam to save us!).

[Jay Bee]

I mean, they're paying Dame $23MM/year for the next 5 years just so they can pay Turner $24MM/year for the next 4 years.  So essentially they're paying $57MM/year to have Myles Turner on their roster.

#FakeNews #Lies

They'll pay Dame around $20M a year for 5, instead of more than $100M over 2.

Their bad contract with dame and their new contract with Myles are different things. There was no choice of simply, "hey, let's get Myles Turner. We'll gladly pay $57 a year for him".

[wadesworld]

#FakeNews #Lies

They'll pay Dame around $20M a year for 5, instead of more than $100M over 2.

Their bad contract with dame and their new contract with Myles are different things. There was no choice of simply, "hey, let's get Myles Turner. We'll gladly pay $57 a year for him".

Right, they're two different things, but without the first thing (waiving and stretching Dame) there is no getting Myles Turner (and paying him what they are).

[Billy Hoyle]

Watching any of these tank offs and there isnt a compelling argument for NBA expansion. There are some truly mid players on NBA rosters, good lord.  The number of absolutely bricked jumpers makes you appreciate some of the stars in the league

Speaking of tank offs, Kam Jones with a step back game winner in a tank battle against the Nets

I read an interesting article about the strategy the Jazz have taken for tanking. Instead of deactivating them, they play their three studs (now two with Jackson, Jr. done for the season) until the 4th quarter. So they can say, "Hey, at least we tried for 3/4 of the game."

[JWags85]

I read an interesting article about the strategy the Jazz have taken for tanking. Instead of deactivating them, they play their three studs (now two with Jackson, Jr. done for the season) until the 4th quarter. So they can say, "Hey, at least we tried for 3/4 of the game."

Yea, as I mentioned in a previous post about the Jazz the other night, they sat their stars in the 4th and then literally didn't even try when down at the end of the game.

Its just gotten so bad.  Take the Nets/Pacers game last night.  Both teams totally happy with a loss, back and forth high powered/pacey game turned into both teams plodding and jacking up jumpers late in the shot clock when tied under 4 min.

[Billy Hoyle]

The Pacers sure aren't trying to tank, or if they are, they're doing a piss poor job of it; look at their activity at the trade deadline. 5-5 in their last 10.

[wadesworld]

The Pacers sure aren't trying to tank, or if they are, they're doing a piss poor job of it; look at their activity at the trade deadline. 5-5 in their last 10.

"Uhh I did miss some time earlier in the year. Came back much sooner than anticipated and uh it hasn't been 100% since then. Still got some swelling and soreness in there and get it to 100%. I'll get out there when I'm fully recovered and ready to play."

Zubac well coached in what to say about his "ankle injury" that he was playing on with the Clippers...

[MUBurrow]

The Pacers sure aren't trying to tank, or if they are, they're doing a piss poor job of it; look at their activity at the trade deadline. 5-5 in their last 10.

The Pacers' deadline activity is how you know they are trying to tank - they just need to do a better job of it. They are trying to prevent their 2026 first from being sent to LAC in the Zubac deal.  They keep it (and send a 2031 unprotected first instead) if it is in the top 4 or outside the top 10. It conveys if its 5-9.