NBA 23/24:season

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121720551#Comment_121720551

Are Jokic, Edwards, Bridges, Holiday all soft so?

The Spurs probably started the whole load management thing with Tim Duncan the poster boy, and at that he still would have never missed the new threshold.

Its a consolation for players that dont get awards they can blame the game rule when even in reality they wouldn't be in contention. Its not like they are expected to play 75 games.

LuckyLloyd

No, I don’t think any no.1 / no.2 options in the league are soft, that’s exactly my point. This thread is always whining about players taking games off or not ‘respecting the regular season’ enough. Or last week questioning Embiid’s stomach for tough opponents / whether he was faking injury. I think all of that is wrong tbh.

Anyway, we’ve yet to see how this shakes out through the season and offseason.

NBA - the only league in the world where players don't want to play.

2smiggy

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1754308875895865365?t=PFmXZdqDY71H_SQWPlAwiA&s=19

Hopefully back in time to lose in the playoffs

BQQ

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721422#Comment_121721422

I don’t care if players rest or sit out regular season games

I have no issue with load management and would prefer to see everyone healthy for the playoffs

however, when you’re coincidentally hurt every time you’re about to play the best person in your position and main rival for MVP on the road . . .

eagle eye

The whole world saw how loved Marcus Smart is in Boston last night.

It still feels wrong to me that he's not there anymore. I always thought he'd spend his whole career there.

I cannot and never will forgive Brad Stevens for trading him.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121723565#Comment_121723565

How do you become an MVP candidate? By missing games, avoiding playing against certain opponents?

Yeah, I don't think so.

BQQ

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121723876#Comment_121723876

In a close race, if the head to head is in your favour as they were all home games, yeah

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121723982#Comment_121723982

No. If you have that mindset you'll never be an MVP. You won't be a contender unless you are all in all season.

MVP candidates wouldn't even have thoughts like that.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121723565#Comment_121723565

I dunno man, he definitely seems to have been injured this time.

Zero-Cool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121724132#Comment_121724132

Hopefully it will fix his floppy leg so he doesn't drop like a bag of spuds when a gust of wind hits him but i somehow doubt it.

LuckyLloyd

Jaysus the Embiid hate on here is off the charts!!

BQQ

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121724132#Comment_121724132

Of course, but 4 years running for Denver away?

that’s a hell of a coincidence

Last year for example, he played the very next day

Corvo

Not sure where I really stand on Embild but I know he will get no respect across fanbases until he performs in the play-offs. He's not a weak MVP by any standard and is obviously a fantastic player, but once you get that MVP status you are expected to dominate in the post season too and well, he just hasn't, at least not to the level of his main competitors in his position like Jokic and Giannis.

On another note, wonder how long it will be before Doc Rivers is back on the Bill Simmons podcast? :)

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121362829#Comment_121362829

Not getting at you specifically Corvo, just quoting your post here as it was just the clearest summation of the general consensus on here after the Harden trade.

But the Clippers just completed a 25 - 5 stretch, a franchise record for a 30 game period. Their pace has them on track to take the no.1 seed. They are a really really good basketball team right now.

Corvo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121729958#Comment_121729958

Yeah I am taking responsibility for spurring them into that run 😀 To be fair Harden has been really good but Kawhi has a shout as the best player in the league when hes fit and firing.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733002#Comment_121733002

Harden has broken a lot of his worst habits this year, for the most part. Doing really well in the pick and roll and taking the shots as they come. The excessive slow iso ball to step back nonsense has mostly been absent.

It remains to be seen whether he could revert to bad habits during the intensity of the playoffs. How healthy PG can be will be a big factor in them making a deep run, also.

LuckyLloyd

Someone would have to explain to me the Pacers trading away Buddy Hield. Players and coaches have spoken about the gravity he creates and net rating with him in and out of the lineup backs them up. And getting…what in return. In the middle of a promising season it seems a misstep.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121741113#Comment_121741113

He doesn't fit their timeline and they didnt really want to spend money renewing him and didn't want to risk him walking. Hes been available to trade for the last year or more.

The Mavs are having a day, PJ Washington AND Daniel Gafford arriving. Grant Williams and Seth Curry finding themselves Hornets now would be unexpected.

LuckyLloyd

I dunno man, the Pacers are 6th seed in the East and will be worse for that deal.

"I think the one thing that people need to understand with Buddy Hield -- and I've played with him my whole career -- is the gravity that he has as a basketball player," Haliburton said. "His spacing even when he's not making shots -- which isn't often, I mean, he's one of the best shooters who's ever touched a basketball -- his gravity when he's on the floor and in our stack actions and in our movement actions, a lot of times, you have to respect what he does even if he's not making shots in the game. You have to run two at them and that kind of opens up everything for us."

"To the normal person, I don't think they realize how important Buddy Hield is to what we do," McConnell said. "Even if he's not shooting the ball. The attention he brings -- and they can get messed up on defense -- he's the best in the league at it. We love having him out there."

"He's been one of the best shooters in the NBA since he's gotten into the league," McConnell said. "The attention that teams bring because he's a gifted shooter and cutter and mover and passer. He's underrated in a lot of those categories that I mentioned. He's not underrated in shooting, but people don't really understand what he does for on offense. As simply as being selfless, taking yourself out of the play and creating open gaps for the point guards, he's elite at it."

And again, the stats back this up.

LuckyLloyd

Lakers standing pat is the right move imo. I don’t think a Murray would have put them over the top, better off holding that 2029 1st and giving themselves flexibility for what’s coming.

irishguitarlad

The Knicks are loaded.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121742423#Comment_121742423

It’s an exciting time to be a Knicks fan!

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121741858#Comment_121741858

I'm not saying I agree with it just pointing out they've been trying to get away from him for a while. With Siakam rostered now and Haliburton's extension posed to kick in they wanted away and wanted something in return, before the deadline they managed to flip Morris for McDermott to keep the spacing/3pt threat for way less cost.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744909#Comment_121744909

Yeah I get you in terms of what their thinking may be, it just seems an astonishingly bad decision.

Siakam has settled well off the bat in decent part because of what Hield brings to the table. Doug is cheaper and maybe it frees up minutes for developing Mathurin and Shepard - but he’s a lessor athlete and defender than Hield (not saying Hield is a good defender mind).

It just runs counter to the Siakam trade for me. It’s like too smart, too value focused. Hield was apparently best mates with Halliburton. Why not have a playoff run and sacrifice a bit of value to do it?

Anyway.

LuckyLloyd

Such a shame this didn't happen!! Would love to see LBJ and Steph play together

https://x.com/wojespn/status/1757750023813542324?s=20

KAT a juicy looking 6/1 to win the three-point contest.

I had no idea Mitchell and Brunson were in this 3 pt contest.

LET'S GO KITTY KAT!

LuckyLloyd

Who is the All Star game for, at this point? The players don't care, serious fans don't bother making time for it, it counts for nothing and it looks terrible. The All Star weekend as a whole and skill competitions and stuff are worthwhile, but should the game itself be canned?

eagle eye

I couldn't care less about it but I also don't care about the stupid tournament they invented this season.