2018 NBA Season

[HoosierHacker89]

AD has turned into a clown. I'm not sure whose going to respect him anymore, but it doesn't seem like LeBron has been a man of high character standing behind his team either. LBJ and the Brow seem like a match made in heaven.

[deadsolid...shank]

Maybe the ship has completely sailed and there is no coming back, but I sure wish control would be taken back from the players. This stuff of them dictating everything is getting old. As far as I know, when they sign a contract, that makes them an employee, not the boss.

 

Yes, just an old guy rant.

[MtlJeff]

I honestly don't have a problem with the players having "power" so to speak, because I see their side. DeMar DeRozan didn't want to get traded , and he got dealt earlier in his contract than Davis was when he quit on the Pels

 

So I get that. But lately it's like the basketball isn't even important anymore. It's just all brand, and "what's my next step". I'm happy here no wait now I'm not ....Ryan Russilo (if you don't listen to him and Simmons, let me tell you, Russilo is awesome) jokes that in 5 years they won't even play games, it'll just be instagramming workouts and pictures of them in suits talking about their next steps. It feels that way. It feels like a hollow league. No one "wins" anymore....just acquire championships to help your brand, your venture capital business, your movie business etc. Basketball has become secondary but it's all I really care about

 

 

[scratchswinger]

AD reminds me for Dwight Howard.

[MtlJeff]

Oooof that's pretty much the low bar , LoL

 

I think Davis probably recovers from this , but he definitely needs to take some kind of media training from someone other than LeBron's people. LeBron can say things that Davis can't, they are in massively different positions.

[SnapHooker_307]

My Nuggets keep giving me a borderline heart attack. If Jokic can actually play aggressively and Murray ever gets a bit more consistency, they could definitely be a powerhouse.

[MtlJeff]

i'm watching the playoffs a bit. As mentioned i'm not super into it. I can't get behind the Raptors and their team of mercenaries as much as when they had Derozan, and it felt like they were our guys. Kawhi is gonna be a Clipper in 3 months. Gasol will probably opt out and sign with the Warriors. Yay NBA

 

I'm enjoying the Nets/76ers series because it's fun to watch a young Nets team play hard, Deangelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie are exciting. I feel like Russell is finally living 75% up to the Harden comparisons, which is still awesome. I really like Jarrett Allen. How can you not like the Nets? They are nice stories and play hard....and none of them have yet called themselves the CEO of themselves in the 3rd person. It's fantastic! I'm also loving the Blazers and OKC series....2 star point guards who have only played for one team and seem to genuinely enjoy said teams and cities? What year is this? Is Damian Lillard 90% of Steph Curry? Maybe 92%? He is so much better than he gets credit for.

 

The Celtics are looking OK, good enough that Kyrie hasn't had to dump on his teammates in the media while simultaneously telling you to feel sorry for him because being such a great leader is so hard. I guess when Milwaukee sweeps them we can look forward to that.

 

Go Spurs! Demar Derozan is the GOAT

[Jack Pearsall]

Warriors vs Houston for west.

Milwaukee vs Toronto for east.

 

Warriors defeat Raptors in 5.

The rest of the teams are garbage.

 

(KD will stay in GS)

 

[MtlJeff]

All of that is plausible!

[MtlJeff]

So it's normal for a player to jump up to take a 3 pointer, and then land 4 feet in front of where he took off from while kicking into his defender. That's a normal basketball play right?

[cinnepa]

SIXERS!!!!!!! M-F'N SIXERS!!!! we went to game, place was absolutely insane all night.

Kawhi has zero help.....he's gone to west coast end of season.

[MtlJeff]

In the playoffs every year, the lesson is usually that it helps to have as many guys as possible on your team who are well rounded basketball players. Philly has a bunch of guys who can multiple things. Toronto is really struggling to create beyond Kawhi

 

They were giving siakam 10 feet to shoot yesterday.

 

In the playoffs you always see different defenses. This is why I was hesitant to give up on Boston, and why most of the season I refused to concede the east to Milwaukee

 

Anyway we'll see

[HoosierHacker89]

Been some great basketball lately. I’m hoping for 3 game sevens this weekend

[sharkiesj]

How lame are Rockets to lose to the Dubs without KD and Steph not scoring a single point in the first half?!?! Holy cow they are gonna get absolutely torched, roasted and to be honest, they deserve it.

[MtlJeff]

Raptors staying on brand. <20% on OPEN threes in the losses to the 76ers.

[MtlJeff]

Good lord the Raptors are lucky they play exceptional defense. They are awesome on that end, which is important when you can't make jump shots basically ever in the playoffs

[MtlJeff]

Pelicans getting the #1 pick is the greatest thing to happen to the NBA in the past few years. This is amazing

 

First, Anthony Davis now has to clarify if he still wants out after they land the best prospect (and NBA ready) in the past decade. And second, there's the chance the Knicks could trade say the #3 pick and Mitch Robinson or something for Davis....and Zion and RJ Barrett could be reunited in new Orleans

 

Awesome stuff

[scratchswinger]

Lakers offered way more then that and the Pelicans said no.

[santasquatcha]

Man... what a waste for Zion go to NO.

 

I’d rather see a Rigged draft than wasted talent in a market with zero national market appeal.

I’m sure Adam Silver is dead inside right now

[cdnglf]

Have they started calling them A2Z yet?

[MtlJeff]

> @scratchswinger said:

> Lakers offered way more then that and the Pelicans said no.

 

I am not sure what the perceived value in the league is anymore for the Lakers or Celtics package. People are a lot more down on Tatum, Ball and to a certain degree Ingram due to some injuries (hard to think of blood clots and not think of Bosh). Brown had a bit of a comeback

 

I actually think the #3 pick plus Robinson, Knox and the Dallas picks....or SGA , Harrell and picks from the Clippers, to many in the league might be as attractive.

 

Lavar Ball making a reappearance doesn't help Ball's value. There is also the chance that they may just refuse to trade him to LA on principle

[JaNelson38]

> @santasquatcha said:

> Man... what a waste for Zion go to NO.

>

> I’d rather see a Rigged draft than wasted talent in a market with zero national market appeal.

> I’m sure Adam Silver is dead inside right now

 

Why would that be? The next big superstar in the NBA resides in Milwaukee, and Giannis doesnt even speak English that well...and the NBA and sponsors are having no trouble lining up work for him. Dude was pretty much invisible last year on a national scale, and this year he's on the cover of of video games and is making commercials for just about every major sponsor of the NBA.

 

With the way TV coverage is now on a national scale, where anyone can watch any game on any given night no matter where you are, the "small market/large market" stuff has very little bearing anymore. Players will want to go where they can win, because the success of Giannis in Milwaukee has proven that advertising $ will go where the stars are at. The days of an athlete wanting to be on the coasts simply for advertising revenue are over.

[tocino]

I think the Lakers can offer a better package for AD compared to the Knicks. NO actually got some leverage back due to getting the 1st overall pick

[MtlJeff]

Apparently Grizzlies sources have already said they are taking Morant at @2

 

I know i'm obviously a homer but If the Knicks can offer Barrett i think that's a really good trade piece. We see it every playoffs, guys who can get to the hoop are very valuable. He shot poorly but has nice form, Bradley Beal shot 30% from 3 in college, it happens in a short season.

 

I'd love to see Barrett and Zion together again, apparently they really were good friends

[sergizmo]

> @MtlJeff said:

> i'm watching the playoffs a bit. As mentioned i'm not super into it. I can't get behind the Raptors and their team of mercenaries as much as when they had Derozan, and it felt like they were our guys. Kawhi is gonna be a Clipper in 3 months. Gasol will probably opt out and sign with the Warriors. Yay NBA

>

> I'm enjoying the Nets/76ers series because it's fun to watch a young Nets team play hard, Deangelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie are exciting. I feel like Russell is finally living 75% up to the Harden comparisons, which is still awesome. I really like Jarrett Allen. How can you not like the Nets? They are nice stories and play hard....and none of them have yet called themselves the CEO of themselves in the 3rd person. It's fantastic! I'm also loving the Blazers and OKC series....2 star point guards who have only played for one team and seem to genuinely enjoy said teams and cities? What year is this? Is Damian Lillard 90% of Steph Curry? Maybe 92%? He is so much better than he gets credit for.

>

> The Celtics are looking OK, good enough that Kyrie hasn't had to dump on his teammates in the media while simultaneously telling you to feel sorry for him because being such a great leader is so hard. I guess when Milwaukee sweeps them we can look forward to that.

>

> Go Spurs! Demar Derozan is the GOAT

Jeff do you really value Derozan that highly? Every year it was the same thing: he had his way during the regular season, driving the lane, getting fouled and going to the line. During the playoffs the refs don't call soft or marginal fouls, let them play a little tougher and Derozan spent a lot of the game on his azz in the paint complaining to the refs. He just was not nearly as effective in the post season.

 

[MtlJeff]

I just liked that team. I think DeRozan is a top 30 player in the league. But I just liked cheering for that team as they were very likeable, so I'm exaggerating a bit but I miss those lovable Raptors LoL

 

Look at this year's team. They are going to lose to the Bucks for all the same reasons they always lost (horrific shooting, crumbling under pressure). Pascal siakam looks like a deer in headlights, they got a great game from Lowry and the rest of the team went 0-15 in the 4th quarter. It's like groundhog Day, except most of the time it's Kawhi playing well

 

They should've beat Philly like 4-1. They are the best defensive team in the playoffs. But they will brick their way to like a 4-2 loss to Milwaukee, Kawhi will leave and they'll be worse off than if they had just kept DeMar

[sergizmo]

I can't disagree. If only Lowry and Kawhi are making shots they will not beat the top teams. But honestly that's on the players, not on management or coaches.

 

[MtlJeff]

Well Milwaukee has proven me wrong in the playoffs, and they look pretty good even though Toronto is rolling over a bit. We'll see if they can give Golden State a run!

[MtlJeff]

In Toronto if you are a famous rapper you can pretty much just walk on the court whenever. Never really seen anything like that. I imagine the NBA will address it before game 6

[HoosierHacker89]

I am ready for this season to be over to start the real season in the nba which will be the offseason! I can't wait to see where these big time free agents land. I wonder if New York gets anyone, and I am also wondering if Lebron is still the lone superstar in Laker Land. It will be a fun off season. What are your guys predictions for where folks land?