Official NBA Thread

[Manhattan]

Watching Westbrook sabotage the Clips is great comedy. He actually had a really good game tonight vs Sac town 12 for 16 and 27 pts and 10 ast. But he's always gonna do something to keep you from winning - 5 out of the team's 7 TOs.

[sexualbanana]

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Watching Westbrook sabotage the Clips is great comedy. He actually had a really good game tonight vs Sac town 12 for 16 and 27 pts and 10 ast. But he's always gonna do something to keep you from winning - 5 out of the team's 7 TOs.

Westbrook's career is starting to give off those late year-Iverson vibes. Absolutely devastating prime, followed by a steep decline that he is unwilling to acknowledge.

[Manhattan]

That's insulting to AI. Westbrook never carried a team to the finals as the main guy. AI was never the Javale Mcgee-level bonehead stat padder that you tempted to shoot by leaving wide open all game. Westbrook hasn't even lost that much athleticism at 34. His short comings have just become more apparent playing for non-lottery teams trying to win games.

Speaking of stat padding I hope the league takes this rebound away. Lose so much respect for players when they do this:

[max_boost]

Disgusting. Agreed.

[sexualbanana]

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That's insulting to AI. Westbrook never carried a team to the finals as the main guy. AI was never the Javale Mcgee-level bonehead stat padder that you tempted to shoot by leaving wide open all game. Westbrook hasn't even lost that much athleticism at 34. His short comings have just become more apparent playing for non-lottery teams trying to win games.

Speaking of stat padding I hope the league takes this rebound away. Lose so much respect for players when they do this:

I'm not talking about style. I'm talking about career trajectory. Russ, in his prime, was an otherworld sort of game changer, much in the same way that prime AI was. Then, as he got older he refused to accept that he wasn't a starter and started become a sort of liability to his teams.

Westbrook has played for 5 teams (LAL, LAC, HOU and WAS)in the last 4 seasons. Iverson played for 3 teams in his last 5 (3 games with MEM when he more or less refused to play because he didn't start).

Both players are fully capable of putting up really good numbers, even at this stage in their career, but their roles have changed and they refuse to do so.

[Manhattan]

Both are pretty stubborn players carrying a lot of ego late into their career. Westbrook never played winning basketball tho. KD and Harden carried them early and OKC was a middling team even during his prime triple double averaging years (with a lot of stat padding i.e. waiting in the lane for rebounds instead of boxing out).

I don't think a Laker fan base has ever hated their own player as much as they hated him.

[sexualbanana]

Looks like my Laker prediction through that period was wrong. Though in my defence, I made that prediction before KD got hurt and Ja got cast in the sequel to Malibu's Most Wanted.

[hurrdurr]

I was surprised to see LA move up the ranks. They've been grinding as of late. Will be interesting to see if they avoid the play in or not.

Wtf is going on - How are Kemba Walker and John Wall free agents?

[max_boost]

Lakers could do something here.

[sexualbanana]

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I was surprised to see LA move up the ranks. They've been grinding as of late. Will be interesting to see if they avoid the play in or not.

Wtf is going on - How are Kemba Walker and John Wall free agents?

I think they're two guys whose games were heavily reliant on a quick first-step. Now that they're 32 (both with a history of fairly significant injuries), that first-step isn't what it used to be.

[dirtsniffer]

Probably should update the year on the thread or make it a general NBA thread.

[Manhattan]

LA vs wolves play-in game was the game of the year so far. Not the best played but most dramatic. EPIC choke job by Minny. They played so much harder and better for most of 3 quarters and gave it away by getting cold feet at the end. 20 turnovers for each team is a messy game especially one with so much on the line. As tough as it was to watch for a Laker fan I could imagine any Wolves fans out there would be pulling their hair out after their team puts up a blank for half of 4Q.

GSW vs SAC, LAC vs PHX, LAL vs MEM, NYK vs CLE should all be pretty good 1st round match ups. The plus side of analytics changing the game is it really leveled the playing field. You don't have as many dominant teams anymore so we didn't get a single 60+ win team and playoffs are wide open and every round should be competitive.

[brucebanner]

I only really was checking the heat / hawks game. I thought the heat would've won that game.

Watched the second half + OT of lakers / wolves. Sloppy game and wolves gave that away. Hilarious that Davis fouled Conley on that final play of regulation. It was entertaining none the less.

I want the Raptors to win today but I certainly wouldn't bet on it.

I think it would be more fun if OKC wins, since it sounds like Zion is out for the rest of the year regardless.

[Manhattan]

Raps vs Bulls play-in with Derozan back in TO should be fun. I like the idea of the play-in tourney in theory and it's given us some pretty fun games but for a 9th or 10th seed to sneak in to the 'playoffs' they need to win 2 straight single elimination games and your reward is to get destroyed in a 7 game (more likely 4) series vs #1 seed. Makes more sense from player and organization perspective to tank that game and go on vacation + lottery pick.

[max_boost]

Yes I’m entertained for sure

Conley 1st of 3 free throws oh man the bounce off da rim aha

[hurrdurr]

Raptors Raptoring

[2Legit2Quit]

DeRozan's daughter MVP

[Manhattan]

[beecue]

I'm glad they made play in permanent. The single elimination games are exciting like NCAA.

We could have two 10 seeds making it into the playoffs. It also deters some tanking as well, although looks like Dallas still did it this year.

[brucebanner]

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Raptors Raptoring

I wanted them to blow the team up at the trade deadline.
Of course they lose after being up big.

Lots of rumors about Nurse leaving, I think he's one of the best coaches in the league so I hope he stays. Raps coaching history is far from good. The offseason could be interesting for the team but I guess not a whole lot changes player wise.