2023-2024 General NBA Season Thread

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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the moops said:
Really? I thought Steph bailed him out on that. Looks like the pass should have been thrown a second earlier? I dunno, maybe that bounce pass away was the intended play though
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I thought Podz deliberately threw that ball behind Steph so it would clear the defender whom he knew would be looking to pick it off. But maybe not. If we are going by purity (not saying you are - just in general), the gather by Steph wasn't so great so nothing about that play except the fact it went in will earn it style points.
 
the moops

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HomeRunBaker said:
He throws that pass in the normal passing lane Beal was in great position to deflect. It was the only place for Curry to collect while taking Beal out of the play. I felt that was literally THE perfect pass.
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I thought if he sent the pass before Curry emerged, it would have been a cleaner catch and shoot, but I am just a nobody so who know
 
HomeRunBaker

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the moops said:
I thought if he sent the pass before Curry emerged, it would have been a cleaner catch and shoot, but I am just a nobody so who know
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You aren't nobody....you're the fuckin moops!! We all have opinions I just thought Podz handled it perfectly so Curry isn't sprinting away from the basket to collect and he also had to see where Beal was in the passing lane.
 
chilidawg

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
I thought Podz deliberately threw that ball behind Steph so it would clear the defender whom he knew would be looking to pick it off. But maybe not. If we are going by purity (not saying you are - just in general), the gather by Steph wasn't so great so nothing about that play except the fact it went in will earn it style points.
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360 spin and fire wasn't pure enough for you? Tough crowd.
 
InstaFace

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wade boggs chicken dinner said:
Lack of mental toughness, obviously. Lack of "will to win".
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lovegtm said:
And SGA might only be 25, but it's his 6th year in the league. He's been an all-star twice. At what point do we stop cutting him slack for youth, and start asking hard questions about whether he can win a title as a team's best player?
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There's times I roll my eyes at the snark around here, but this is some good message boarding and I enjoyed it.
 
DeJesus Built My Hotrod

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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chilidawg said:
360 spin and fire wasn't pure enough for you? Tough crowd.
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Hopefully my posting history tells you that I celebrate success even if it was by accident. However I was unclear - the overall play was spectacular but on the way up it didn't look like Steph got the best handle on that shot. It speaks to his brilliance that it was true regardless. That's the product of an artist + 10,000 hours (times 10k more).
 
Euclis20

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View: https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1757111212427407381?s=20


Cavs are 17-1 over their last 18. While the schedule hasn't exactly been difficult (6 of those games were against the Spurs/Wizards/Pistons, and only 6 of the 18 games were against teams in the top 8 in either conference), that's a mighty impressive streak. Hard to take them seriously after their flameout against the Knicks in the 1st round last year, but they're currently the 2 seed, with a 3 loss buffer over the #3 (Milwaukee).
 
DavidTai

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Feels like I'd pull the Jaylen Brown thread way off-topic, so I'll put it here.

It feels like Pat Riley never quite got over the way the Showtime Lakers got crunched by the Bad Boy Pistons, so when he went to New York, he basically rebuilt them in their image. Turned out that the Bulls already figured out how to handle that, so he never won a championship there.

Took the culture he had created in New York to Miami.

Tell me their silly slogan isn't exactly what those Bad Boy Pistons were all about. (Most professional, my ass. Joe Dumars probably salivates over how much these Heat are like his bad boys.)
 
wade boggs chicken dinner

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Euclis20 said:
View: https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1757111212427407381?s=20


Cavs are 17-1 over their last 18. While the schedule hasn't exactly been difficult (6 of those games were against the Spurs/Wizards/Pistons, and only 6 of the 18 games were against teams in the top 8 in either conference), that's a mighty impressive streak. Hard to take them seriously after their flameout against the Knicks in the 1st round last year, but they're currently the 2 seed, with a 3 loss buffer over the #3 (Milwaukee).
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Over the last 18 games, in addition to the 6 games against WAS (3x), SAS (2x), and DET), CLE has played:
  • TOR:
  • BRK: twice
  • SAC: once
  • MEM:
  • LAC (after they blew out Cs)
  • MIL: three times (2-1)
  • ORL: once
  • ATL: once
  • CHI: once
The LAC win, I suppose, is impressive, and the ORL win was on the road. I mean I get that they can only play who is in front of them, but other than LAC, none of the top top teams during this run.

However, I expect them to keep winning until March, when their schedule gets tougher. They have a stretch of 7 games where they play NYK, BOS (March 5, in CLE), a one game road trip to ATL, MIN, and PHO. After that they head out on a road trip where they play NOP, HOU, IND, at home to MIA, and then MIN and MIA on the road. They also have a west coast road trip - @DEN, @UT, @PHO, @LAL, and @LAC in April. The two road trips will really show where they are at.
 
lovegtm

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wade boggs chicken dinner said:
Over the last 18 games, in addition to the 6 games against WAS (3x), SAS (2x), and DET), CLE has played:
  • TOR:
  • BRK: twice
  • SAC: once
  • MEM:
  • LAC (after they blew out Cs)
  • MIL: three times (2-1)
  • ORL: once
  • ATL: once
  • CHI: once
The LAC win, I suppose, is impressive, and the ORL win was on the road. I mean I get that they can only play who is in front of them, but other than LAC, none of the top top teams during this run.

However, I expect them to keep winning until March, when their schedule gets tougher. They have a stretch of 7 games where they play NYK, BOS (March 5, in CLE), a one game road trip to ATL, MIN, and PHO. After that they head out on a road trip where they play NOP, HOU, IND, at home to MIA, and then MIN and MIA on the road. They also have a west coast road trip - @DEN, @UT, @PHO, @LAL, and @LAC in April. The two road trips will really show where they are at.
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Yeah, the Cavs are decent, and good for them for piling up those wins.

However, didn't we already do this exact script with Philly earlier in the year? Tons of wins, great net rating, "sure it's against bad teams but they're playing great"?

Then the schedule changed, and even before Embiid got hurt they were scuffling more.

The Celtics, by contrast, have been severely underrated (even especially by their own fans) because of having a more frontloaded schedule, including a brutal January (by travel, games played, and opponent win%).

You play the teams in front of you, and the Cavs are solid, but I'm not in ass-crowning mode based on that competition.
 
Euclis20

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I don't think anyone is crowning them, but the conversation should be (here and elsewhere), "who is most likely to finish 2nd in the east?" Miami/Indy/Orlando are fighting to avoid the play in, and Philly is helpless without Embiid (in his best case scenario, he's missing another dozen or so games). It's between Milwaukee (predictably stumbling now that they've hit the hard part of their schedule), NY (dealing with serious injuries to two of their top three) and Cleveland. They've definitely beaten up on the soft part of their schedule, but it's not like their remaining games are overly difficult (they've got the 14th most difficult schedule remaining, and have played almost the exact same number of home/road games). These are some flawed teams fighting for space behind Boston, I think Cleveland is as good a bet as any to finish 2nd.
 
lovegtm

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Euclis20 said:
I don't think anyone is crowning them, but the conversation should be (here and elsewhere), "who is most likely to finish 2nd in the east?" Miami/Indy/Orlando are fighting to avoid the play in, and Philly is helpless without Embiid (in his best case scenario, he's missing another dozen or so games). It's between Milwaukee (predictably stumbling now that they've hit the hard part of their schedule), NY (dealing with serious injuries to two of their top three) and Cleveland. They've definitely beaten up on the soft part of their schedule, but it's not like their remaining games are overly difficult (they've got the 14th most difficult schedule remaining, and have played almost the exact same number of home/road games). These are some flawed teams fighting for space behind Boston, I think Cleveland is as good a bet as any to finish 2nd.
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Yeah, I'd probably pick them to finish 2nd right now, with Milwaukee's schedule issues and NY's health issues.
 
timelysarcasm

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DavidTai said:
Feels like I'd pull the Jaylen Brown thread way off-topic, so I'll put it here.

It feels like Pat Riley never quite got over the way the Showtime Lakers got crunched by the Bad Boy Pistons, so when he went to New York, he basically rebuilt them in their image. Turned out that the Bulls already figured out how to handle that, so he never won a championship there.

Took the culture he had created in New York to Miami.

Tell me their silly slogan isn't exactly what those Bad Boy Pistons were all about. (Most professional, my ass. Joe Dumars probably salivates over how much these Heat are like his bad boys.)
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Isn't this pulled almost exactly from a r/bostonceltics comment from last night?
 
wade boggs chicken dinner

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Euclis20 said:
I don't think anyone is crowning them, but the conversation should be (here and elsewhere), "who is most likely to finish 2nd in the east?" Miami/Indy/Orlando are fighting to avoid the play in, and Philly is helpless without Embiid (in his best case scenario, he's missing another dozen or so games). It's between Milwaukee (predictably stumbling now that they've hit the hard part of their schedule), NY (dealing with serious injuries to two of their top three) and Cleveland. They've definitely beaten up on the soft part of their schedule, but it's not like their remaining games are overly difficult (they've got the 14th most difficult schedule remaining, and have played almost the exact same number of home/road games). These are some flawed teams fighting for space behind Boston, I think Cleveland is as good a bet as any to finish 2nd.
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CLE is 2 up on MIL and 3 up on NYK and that lead will likely grow over the rest of the month as MIL tries to figure stuff out and NYK tries to get healthy. I think it's pretty safe to say that CLE will be #2 this year - unless they go on another 17-1 run, which means that they might be #1. :)

Playoffs should be super interesting. A MIL/IND 4/5 matchup should provide some pretty decent ratings for the NBA. A CLE/NYK re-match in the semis might not be ratings gold but would be an interesting sequel.
 
SteveF

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Not sure where else to put this, but a few videos to share:

Here's a good video on NBA ball screen defense by Half Court Hoops:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVotq6uPRgw
Also, you might have heard Mazzulla talking about veering in his post games. Veering is also known as a late switch. At first it looks like the defense is playing a form of drop, but the screened player veers off at the end and switches to the screener.
You can see veering/late switches in action in this video:
View: https://youtu.be/IYCJubDHbqo?t=8
 
DeJesus Built My Hotrod

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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There will be so many Knick tears after this ending. Game tied @ 116, Aaron Holiday with a heave-prayer from really deep gets fouled by Brunson. Holiday sinks two, missed the third to eat clock and Rockets win.
 
DeJesus Built My Hotrod

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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I don't officiate the games. I only make hamfisted posts about them.

Also, apologies to Knicks fans but this outcome helps my team. Sorry not sorry.
 
timelysarcasm

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DavidTai said:
Almost, yes! Can't remember where, but had been mulling it over, and thought it might be worth a discuss here!
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Here it is. Not trying to be a dick, but if you lift a post's idea you should probably not phrase it like it's an original thought you had.

I read that post and was immediately reminded of how young reddit is - because it was not really anything other than a whimsical retelling (some liberties taken), but a lot of the reddit posters are pretty young.

As an old bat in her 40s, in my view Riley simply adapted and tried to improve on concepts working around the league.

Showtime Lakers --> adapted and improved upon McKinney/Buss's uptempo blueprint
Knicks --> emulated the Pistons style of tough, gritty, physical play
Heat pt.1 --> brought in Shaq during the era of dominant centers anchoring championships
Heat pt. 2 --> recruited/gathered the Heatles after Boston's "big 3" championship
Heat pt. 3 --> ?
 
HomeRunBaker

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timelysarcasm said:
Here it is. Not trying to be a dick, but if you lift a post's idea you should probably not phrase it like it's an original thought you had.

I read that post and was immediately reminded of how young reddit is - because it was not really anything other than a whimsical retelling (some liberties taken), but a lot of the reddit posters are pretty young.

As an old bat in her 40s, in my view Riley simply adapted and tried to improve on concepts working around the league.

Showtime Lakers --> adapted and improved upon McKinney/Buss's uptempo blueprint
Knicks --> emulated the Pistons style of tough, gritty, physical play
Heat pt.1 --> brought in Shaq during the era of dominant centers anchoring championships
Heat pt. 2 --> recruited/gathered the Heatles after Boston's "big 3" championship
Heat pt. 3 --> ?
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Good stuff! I agree on all points Riley.

You should post more in here.
 
DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Some good games amongst the February dreck. 76ers/Cavs, Knicks/Rockets (ex officiating controversy), Wemby's 10 (!!!) blocks and now, at least in the first half, the Wolves at the Clippers.

The latter should terrify everyone not screen-named @ElUno20 if they can stay healthy. They are all business.
 
soxhop411

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QUESTION: Why was there a shooting foul called on Jalen Brunson against Aaron Holiday on the Rockets’ final possession of the game?

MALLOY: In live action it was felt that the lower body contact was illegal contact.

QUESTION: After seeing the replay, do officials believe it was the correct call?

MALLOY: After seeing it during postgame review, the offensive player was able to return to a normal playing position on the floor. The contact which occurred after the release of the ball therefore is incidental and marginal to the shot attempt and should not have been called.

QUESTION: Why were the Rockets able to challenge the foul at the end of the first half, which was eventually ruled an offensive foul on Donte DiVincenzo, when the second quarter was deemed over? The Rockets never inbounded the ball after the challenge.

MALLOY: Houston was allowed to challenge the defensive foul because DiVincenzo released the ball prior to the game clock expiring. Therefore, we were able to penalize the unnatural leg extension by DiVincenzo and the period was over.



QUESTION: So, they don’t need to actually inbound the ball?

MALLOY: That’s correct
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https://official.nba.com/pool-report-on-the-final-play-of-the-new-york-knicks-at-houston-rockets-game/

The NBA officials actually admitted in the postgame they fucked up.
Time to check if pigs are flying outside
 
DeJesus Built My Hotrod

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Well the TWolves just put it on the Clippers in LA, crushing them 40-19 in the third and now cruising up by 22 with subs in late in fourth. Its February so whatever.
 
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