OT: 2019-20 NBA Discussions

[FlashUNC]

The Lakers have the look of a group of guys who just got together on the pickup court last week. Which for a decent chunk of the team -- no Rondo, no Bradley -- they did. AD hasn't looked like himself, and LeBron isn't quite Super Saiyan level. The offense is in the bottom tier of efficiency even if the defense is still there.

I dunno. Every team seems to have problems right now. It's going to be a weird playoffs.

[Jaybee]

Definitely a weird playoffs. The tanking for matchups without any thought to home court (because there is no home court) is already weird enough.

I agree that the Lakers don't look great now. I just don't know how much to weight the fact that they are already the 1 seed, the fact that LeBron is probably intentionally putting forth about 60% effort, the fact that they are giving Dion Waiters actual minutes. I wouldn't pick LAL over the Clips for sure, I just think Dame is getting people excited about a Blazers team that is probably a 6 or 7 seed if they are healthy all year.

What the hell does Giannis have against Mo Wagner? And what's up with Budenholzer's dad jeans?

[Jaybee]

Thunder, what are you doing! By coming back from an 18 point 4th Q deficit, you now almost certainly owe the Sixers a 2021 1st round pick instead or seconds in 22 and 23.

To be fair, they tried to lose. You can throw a Bazely-Diallo-Muscala-Nader-some other person even I don't recognize lineup out there, but you can't tell them not to play hard.

I'm a little conflicted: on the one hand, we should all be Suns fans and they are the most fun story around, on the other, Sarver doesn't deserve this.

[Jaybee]

Really, Blazers?

[Burning Pines]

Blazers have been completely incapable of putting teams away all season, and through the play-in. That was the most stressful game I’ve ever watched. Also, why were the nets trying so hard? Griz and Suns got cakewalks.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Really, Blazers?

Ok, full disclosure: when I posted that I misread the 1min left in Q3 score as the 1min left in Q4 score, and the Blazers were down 9. But still.

Originally Posted by Burning Pines

Blazers have been completely incapable of putting teams away all season, and through the play-in. That was the most stressful game I’ve ever watched. Also, why were the nets trying so hard? Griz and Suns got cakewalks.

Q3 or Q4, BP has a point - why were they having such a problem with Caris LeVert and the Crown Heights YMCA All-Stars?


--

Death, Taxes, Sp...., I guess all we have now is Death and Taxes. You win, 2020. Time to pour one out for the Spurs. 22 years in the playoffs. Since their incorporation in 1974, they have only missed the playoffs FIVE times (and one of those was the Robinson injury-Duncan tank year).

[Burning Pines]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Ok, full disclosure: when I posted that I misread the 1min left in Q3 score as the 1min left in Q4 score, and the Blazers were down 9. But still.



Q3 or Q4, BP has a point - why were they having such a problem with Caris LeVert and the Crown Heights YMCA All-Stars?


.

A combination of porous wing defense due mostly to personnel but also scheme (Stotts never adjusts), a gassed blazers team, and a bunch Nets players and a coach who are fighting for their jobs. Blazers are really just A-grade Wizards right now, they can only win by out-shooting.

And yeah, pour one out for the Spurs.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Death, Taxes, Sp...., I guess all we have now is Death and Taxes. You win, 2020. Time to pour one out for the Spurs. 22 years in the playoffs. Since their incorporation in 1974, they have only missed the playoffs FIVE times (and one of those was the Robinson injury-Duncan tank year).

End of an era...hell, end of an epoch! Mad respect to Pops and all the players that helped the Spurs achieve that milestone. I for one am very saddened by their early dismissal this year. ::::

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

End of an era...hell, end of an epoch! Mad respect to Pops and all the players that helped the Spurs achieve that milestone. I for one am very saddened by their early dismissal this year. ::::

Favorite player of all time. By a long shot. Pure class.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

I think the template for James is Malone, who came into the league 25 pounds lighter than when he was in the Finals. He adapted his game around strength and smarts rather than explosiveness.

The templates for Zion are very thin. LJ and Kemp, perhaps. Both of whom had short primes. I think he'd better slim down.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nyt...treak.amp.html

“Williamson also seemed to acknowledge that playing at his listed weight of 285 pounds may have been a factor in the myriad injuries that limited him to 24 of New Orleans’ 72 games as a rookie. He said after Thursday’s morning shootaround that his off-season focus will be “getting my body where it needs to be.”

It’s negligent for the Pelicans not to insist ZW lose weight.

[pinoymamba]

Zion too fat.

When are we doing a paceline pick up game?

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by pinoymamba

Zion too fat.

When are we doing a paceline pick up game?

Haha. If I had my 1992 knees, it’d be “game on.” Right now, I’m good for a couple of Sabonis “rainbow 3s” per game. Sabonis Senior, not Junior ...

[Velocipede]

Bummed they are having a "Playoff and Championship". It's a bit unfair given how shortened things have been season wise. I get the best teams are playing, but things could've been very different. Someone could've been injured. Someone could've been sick. Who knows. The REAL season could've been very very different had it been a full season.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by Velocipede

Bummed they are having a "Playoff and Championship". It's a bit unfair given how shortened things have been season wise. I get the best teams are playing, but things could've been very different. Someone could've been injured. Someone could've been sick. Who knows. The REAL season could've been very very different had it been a full season.

Im not sure I follow how this is unfair. Everyone is playing on, quite literally, the same court.

Any season, any event has it’s share of what-ifs.

[Velocipede]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Im not sure I follow how this is unfair. Everyone is playing on, quite literally, the same court.

Any season, any event has it’s share of what-ifs.

Nothing to do with the court. It's that the missed games could've changed the course of the season many teams.