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-   -   OT: 2019-20 NBA Discussions (https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=238946)

FlashUNC 10-10-2019 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaybee (Post 2605020)
This makes sense from a variety of perspectives. SGA needs the run as the guy. He's gonna be their best player for the next 3-5 years. CP3 is grumpy even when he's winning on a good team - what's he going to be like if they are 5 below .500 at Xmas? He's an all-timer and deserves a chance on a contender before he hangs it up. I also think you want to trade him before the inevitable February/March injury.

What do we need to do to make the banana boat Lakers happen? Get Melo and CP3 there. With Howard, Rondo and all the rest, I'm just here for messy drama.

Jaybee 10-10-2019 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlashUNC (Post 2605024)
What do we need to do to make the banana boat Lakers happen? Get Melo and CP3 there. With Howard, Rondo and all the rest, I'm just here for messy drama.

An early AD injury (which I can't root for, but stay with me) turns into a sub-.500 start turns into Head Coach Jason Kidd turns into desperate GM LeBron? Banana Boat + Alex Caruso closing games in March as they flail for the 8 seed.... AD comes back just in time for the playoffs and they steamroll the Jazz (built for the regular season), the Rockets and the Clippers on the way to the Finals. Lakers in 6 over the Bucks. Giannis just stays in LA. Melo averages 28/7 on the way to Finals MVP.

azrider 10-10-2019 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaybee (Post 2604607)
This NBA-China thing is getting wild.

That's a clever way to spell embarrassing :rolleyes:

jtakeda 10-10-2019 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaybee (Post 2605028)
An early AD injury (which I can't root for, but stay with me) turns into a sub-.500 start turns into Head Coach Jason Kidd turns into desperate GM LeBron? Banana Boat + Alex Caruso closing games in March as they flail for the 8 seed.... AD comes back just in time for the playoffs and they steamroll the Jazz (built for the regular season), the Rockets and the Clippers on the way to the Finals. Lakers in 6 over the Bucks. Giannis just stays in LA. Melo averages 28/7 on the way to Finals MVP.

Hmmm. I thought Alex Caruso was gonna be mvp

XXtwindad 10-10-2019 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azrider (Post 2605094)
That's a clever way to spell embarrassing :rolleyes:

No. I'd say wild is a pretty apt description. Maybe an understatement. When you have Ted Cruz and AOC consigning a letter to Adam Silver you're in uncharted territory. Basketball has always been at the forefront of social issues (at least compared to the other three major sports)

Interesting to see how this plays out ...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.esp...3fplatform=amp

Jaybee 10-10-2019 04:13 PM

It can be both wild and embarrassing. It's wild because it's such a crazy story with so many angles. I bet Adam Silver wishes for the days when Magic Johnson's tampering Twitter account was his biggest problem. It's also embarrassing, because as much as you'll see pro-NBA outlets like ESPN (and make no mistake, ESPN/Disney is just as much in China's pocket as anyone) try to say this is some sort of really complicated issue, it's actually really simple. Steve Kerr may want to talk to his Chinese History Prof. brother before he makes a comment, and Joseph Tsai might tell us that we all need a course on the history of the Qing Dynasty, the Opium Wars, the Taipeng Rebellion before we comment on Chinese governmental action, but that's all overcomplicating it. This isn't a history issue, it's a free speech issue. The NBA chose dollars over Daryl Morey's ability to speak his mind. We can be disappointed, but I don't think we should be surprised, even if the NBA is the "woke" league.

There are a couple knock-on effects that I think are interesting:

1) Part of the rationale for building markets with Communist China was the idea that capitalism would beget democracy. In China, autocratic capitalism seem to have simply begat more power for authoritarians.
2) Is the NBA the "woke" league? Or is the Trayvon Martin, Popovich/Kerr 2020, NC Bathroom Bill, Silver on a Pride float stuff just a nice marketing tool. I don't doubt for a second that LeBron, Pop, Kerr sincerely hold their beliefs. I just wonder how much league pushback they would have seen if their fan base was more demographically aligned with, say, the no-kneelin'-durin'-my-anthem types that follow the NFL.

Jaybee 10-10-2019 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtakeda (Post 2605097)
Hmmm. I thought Alex Caruso was gonna be mvp

C'mon. Fantasy has to have some grounding in reality to be compelling.

XXtwindad 10-10-2019 06:19 PM

[QUOTE=Jaybee;2605156]It can be both wild and embarrassing. It's wild because it's such a crazy story with so many angles. I bet Adam Silver wishes for the days when Magic Johnson's tampering Twitter account was his biggest problem. It's also embarrassing, because as much as you'll see pro-NBA outlets like ESPN (and make no mistake, ESPN/Disney is just as much in China's pocket as anyone) try to say this is some sort of really complicated issue, it's actually really simple. Steve Kerr may want to talk to his Chinese History Prof. brother before he makes a comment, and Joseph Tsai might tell us that we all need a course on the history of the Qing Dynasty, the Opium Wars, the Taipeng Rebellion before we comment on Chinese governmental action, but that's all overcomplicating it. This isn't a history issue, it's a free speech issue. The NBA chose dollars over Daryl Morey's ability to speak his mind. We can be disappointed, but I don't think we should be surprised, even if the NBA is the "woke" league.

There are a couple knock-on effects that I think are interesting:

1) Part of the rationale for building markets with Communist China was the idea that capitalism would beget democracy. In China, autocratic capitalism seem to have simply begat more power for authoritarians.
2) Is the NBA the "woke" league? Or is the Trayvon Martin, Popovich/Kerr 2020, NC Bathroom Bill, Silver on a Pride float stuff just a nice marketing tool. I don't doubt for a second that LeBron, Pop, Kerr sincerely hold their beliefs. I just wonder how much league pushback they would have seen if their fan base was more demographically aligned with, say, the no-kneelin'-durin'-my-anthem types that follow the NFL.[/QUOTE]

Good question. When there's $$$$ at stake, the equation changes. I'm sure the entire NBA wishes this controversy would go away, but when the issue is such a convenient football for so many people, that seems highly unlikely.

Is there another Enes Kanter in the league?

ernmony 10-10-2019 06:44 PM

GSW vs. Suns
 
Can you believe tickets for nosebleed are going for $90/ea and if you are one of the first 10K, you get a Curry bobblehead? Good grief!

FlashUNC 10-10-2019 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ernmony (Post 2605205)
Can you believe tickets for nosebleed are going for $90/ea and if you are one of the first 10K, you get a Curry bobblehead? Good grief!

That's been the plan all along. Move to SF and soak in the tech bro money.

Actual fans are ancillary to the whole equation.

Jaybee 10-11-2019 11:04 AM

https://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/f...sc&w=850&h=560

Just me, or are the Pacers sneaky good this year?

Dipo, Brogdon, Turner, Sabonis, Warren is a pretty nice 5 with a ton of shooting. Not a lot of weak spots there. Holiday + Lamb are legit rotation players. I like them for solidly over the 46.5 wins they are currently booked at.

FlashUNC 10-11-2019 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaybee (Post 2605399)
https://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/f...sc&w=850&h=560

Just me, or are the Pacers sneaky good this year?

Dipo, Brogdon, Turner, Sabonis, Warren is a pretty nice 5 with a ton of shooting. Not a lot of weak spots there. Holiday + Lamb are legit rotation players. I like them for solidly over the 46.5 wins they are currently booked at.

How do Turner and Sabonis play together though?

And who knows what Oladipo will look like after that nasty injury last year. Does he lose a step? I dunno if this is the year they finally beat South Bend Central.

Jaybee 10-14-2019 03:32 PM

catching up from the weekend...

https://specials-images.forbesimg.co...12&cropY2=2813

Is this the year that things finally catch up to the Spurs?

538 has them at 39 wins, 12th in the West, but until proven otherwise don't we have to assume that Pop will have them midranging and playing solid D and hanging around the 8 seed in March. Also worth noting that the 538 rating system is kinda undervaluing Dejounte Murray, since he didn't play at all last year. The Spurs are publicly very high on him, and they are rarely public about anything.

Jaybee 10-14-2019 03:36 PM

https://www.denverpost.com/wp-conten...baka.jpg?w=767

We've had a little bit of talk about how good the Raps are going to be this year. I think the general consensus is that they aren't repeating, but they have a chance to be anywhere from 3rd to 6th in the East. Lowry's extension was, um, interesting. Kinda figured they'd wait on that.

Jaybee 10-14-2019 03:40 PM

https://d1tjohjvimcqgl.cloudfront.ne...y/579622_n.jpg

Goddamn, I am so excited to watch the Kings this year (no sarcasm). Fox alone is worth the price of admission, and when you have Bogdan, Bagley, Giles, Hield. I think they get to 45-43 wins, maybe the 8 seed.


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