Season is coming, so let’s start it with some awesome news.
View: https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1841555034435158184
View: https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1841555034435158184
General NBA season thread: 24-25 edition
- Thread starter RorschachsMask
- Start date
They've hit the 65 game threshold once in 11 combined seasons, I'll take either or. Fantastic news about Lonzo, but I'm wondering what kind of playing shape he'll be in (and if he's as good as he was before he got hurt). He's still a few weeks away from 27 so he's got plenty of time to have a decent career as a 3 and D point guard, though I'm not sure what the track record is for guys who missed multiple seasons in their mid 20s.
I think Shaun Livingston is best-case scenario for Lonzo and a decent comp. Good vision and length from the same position. Livingston missed most of two seasons in his mid 20s with a knee injury. Went on to play another 10 seasons including six with 70-plus games played.
I’m wondering if Lonzo is going to be like Pedroia that season he came back with what he described as someone else’s knee.
Luka suffered bruised left calf during workout; he's out for the next week of training camp. Doesn't appear to be serious.
Luka Doncic suffered bruised calf after hit, will be re-evaluated in a week - NBC Sports
Luka Doncic suffered bruised calf after hit, will be re-evaluated in a week - NBC Sports
Am I way off base to assume he's just trying to get out of conditioning?
Terry Forster, the bulky pitcher, once defended his training methods by pointing out that he never saw anyone hit the DL with pulled fat.
Good physical comp with the multi-year injury early in their career. At the time of their injury Livingston was still trying to establish himself as a starter while Ball was on the cusp of being considered as an All-Star. His game isn’t built around athleticism so the skillset can still be there….he just needs to be health to get into elite condition to realize it.
I don't know about "way" . . . .
But ran into this article - https://thesmokingcuban.com/posts/dallas-mavericks-luka-doncic-recurring-injury-comes-back-bite-him-at-worst-possible-time-calf - that says that Luka injured same calf before last pre-season and before 2022 playoffs. So there has to be some concern in DAL.
JJJ suffers hamstring strain during 1st practice and will miss some time. Hopefully minor.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5810551/2024/10/01/jaren-jackson-injury-grizzlies-hamstring/
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5810551/2024/10/01/jaren-jackson-injury-grizzlies-hamstring/
Have there been any stories about Luka best shape of his life? lived in the gym this summer? slimmer/lighter Luka!? added 10 pounds of muscle?
His inability to stay in front of anybody in the playoffs should have motivated him.
A fit, strong Luka would be scary. As a Celtic fan, I prefer the full-figured, chubby-cheeked, pre-game mummified/wrapped version.
Rocket Rod, you do know your hoops. My dad took me to see him play in HS. I was in ‘7th or 8th grade.
If you blinked you missed him. I’m sure UCLA paid him handsomely to lure him away from UConn.
Kind of? this Reddit thread - Weight watch report: Luka looking FIT next to 2 volleyball players : r/Mavericks (reddit.com) - has the picture below that I believe was posted by Luka. (It also has another picture but does not say when that picture was taken so I'm not posting it but it's in the thread).
Looks like he dropped about 25 - 30 lbs. Unfortunately about 10-15 lbs of muscle, though with Lively, his rebound numbers are bound to go down a bit.
Thanks for posting.
That looks like a guy that could slide his feet and stay in front of WINGs on the perimeter.
circa Luka 2021
My son's friend on a repeating two-way with the Trail Blazers gave up his number to Kris Murray. Hoping that he got at least a very high end dinner out of it.
The Blazers’ website’s roster page appears to have updated jersey numbers for a few guys. Justin Minaya switched to #10 so Kris Murray could have #24 (his number at Iowa) and Devonte’ Graham is #18.
The Blazers’ website’s roster page appears to have updated jersey numbers for a few guys. Justin Minaya switched to #10 so Kris Murray could have #24 (his number at Iowa) and Devonte’ Graham is #18.
Celtics are less ref dependent than pretty much any team, so cool by me.
Plus it’s just better product.
As long as they apply it evenly i’m for it. the annoying thing last year was the haphazard switch after the asb that seemed randomly enforcex
Yea insane to think he will be closer to 8 rebounds a game this season than 10 rebounds a game. BONKERS.
The knock has been he is overweight and out of shape. He loses some weight and the immediate take is "unfortunately it was mostly muscle he lost!"
His arms and shoulders looked as thinned out as the core. He was hitting those shoulder presses as well as the beer last year.
Yeah, he looks noticeably slimmer, which was my immediate takeaway after seeing the photo. Think we’re overthinking the criticism of your post here. It was rather innocuous.
Luka is a guy who puts on weight over the course of the season, like Zion.
Until he proves he can stay in top shape, I’m not believing in that team.
Until he proves he can stay in top shape, I’m not believing in that team.
If you read Caitlin's post linked in her reply - which is unpaywalled - the Celtics had one of the highest drops out of any team in the league in FT/FGA after the apparent refereeing switch on Feb 8th. Philly, one of the only teams with a bigger drop, had FT league leader Joel Embiid go out around that time.
I don't think it's a given that this ends up being neutral with respect to us. It may disadvantage us on a relative basis.
That said, I agree with your second point - if the rules around contact on a shot become more like how FIBA refs call it, everyone will enjoy watching a basketball game a lot more (and there will be many fewer FTs / game). I'd rather have the change than not; if we can't adjust, that's on Mazzulla and the players, not on the league / refs.
The biggest part of that was KP’s FT rate just fell off a cliff as the season went on. My point was more that the offense is elite regardless of getting to the FT line a lot, or not that much.
Just because I was bored in my car the other day, I went back and listened to the Thinking Basketball preview of the DAL/BOS finals and they mentioned the rule change and this stat on that episode:
On and before February 7, 2023 (the date Ms. Cooper picks), BOS had a 120.3 ORtg (IND had 120.9).
On and after February 8, 2023, BOS had a 125.4 ORtg (IND had a 119.8).
Ben and Cody didn't go into the reasons (I'm not sure if anyone has) but the Cs flourished after the new rules changed even if their FT/FGA rate went down dramatically. I know this could be for all sorts of reasons not related to the officiating change but obviously the Cs played through it on offense.
Great start for Divo in Minny. Hate to admit but Knecht can score, very solid offensive player. Looks awful on D, though.
Knecht will be an overhyped Laker rookie who gets torched on D
This time last year Timpf was hitting us with the Lakers having 10 starters & TOP4 Championship pedigree!
Taking Hood-Schifino while passing on local kid Jaime Jacquez Jr (UCLA/Camarillo HS) was less than clever
When someone posted the pic of Zion, @HomeRunBaker mentioned it almost looked like he went on ozempic because he lost mass and muscle….
IMO, that’s what this looks like with Luka.
So, I go to ESPN this morning to check out what went down during yesterday’s NBA preseason action and I see…
Bronny James makes slick move for first Lakers points
Bronny’s block leads to a Hachimura corner 3
Insider Laker’s training camp: LeBron with Bronny, Redick, and painful lessons from Kobe
So I’m thinking that the Lakers must have won, right? Right?
Then, below all of that nonsense, the score:
Timberwolves 124
Lakers 107
LeSigh.
Never change, ESPN. Never change.
Bronny James makes slick move for first Lakers points
Bronny’s block leads to a Hachimura corner 3
Insider Laker’s training camp: LeBron with Bronny, Redick, and painful lessons from Kobe
So I’m thinking that the Lakers must have won, right? Right?
Then, below all of that nonsense, the score:
Timberwolves 124
Lakers 107
LeSigh.
Never change, ESPN. Never change.
no don't you understand, everyone wanted him, they just couldn't take him for fear of LeBron's wrath
Bronny was also 1-6 with two points, ha. There’s a reason they focused on anything else.
View: https://www.twitter.com/KingJames/status/1842585652699013203
A bit of homophobia from the 40 year old face of the NBA.
A bit of homophobia from the 40 year old face of the NBA.
Perhaps I'm the only one who doesn't understand one damn thing that Lebron is saying in response. Brodie? To be on my (ellipsis)? Eat breakfast first? If that made sense to you, you're more online than I am, which is saying something.
