NBA 2022-23 Part 3: Big Buck Hunters

[M2]

He’s the best player. If I had a vote I’d vote for Embiid. I’d probably vote Giannis second before Joker though.

You gotta figure it's Embiid. His numbers are surreal (33-10) and it feels like he's the guy who's been playing like he wants the trophy.

[SteelSD]

He’s the best player. If I had a vote I’d vote for Embiid. I’d probably vote Giannis second before Joker though.

I'd actually vote for Tatum before either Giannis or Jokic. I might even consider Mitchell in front of Jokic too.

[M2]

Chauncey said something that was music to my ears...."Shaedon does everything you want in a 2-Guard, and he scores from all three levels". Bye-bye Simons?

Maybe, though this gets back to whether they even know what their plan is. Sharpe oozes ability and he absolutely can be a star in the league, but he's also a rookie who plays like a rookie. He's -11 on his Net Rating and -6.3 for both his on-court and on-off +/-. I think a big step next year is highly possible, but it might be a few years until he's fully formed as a lead-a-contender ballplayer. And what's you're current 32-year-old superstar going to be when Sharpe gets there. Those boats might miss each other.

If they're rebuilding around Sharpe and whoever is coming in this year's draft, then maybe admit the 23-year-old smallish scoring PG might be a better long-term fit while the in-house superstar can get you more assets. That's just reality if you're looking at a rebuild. And if they're going in the other direction and trying to add a star player, I'm guessing most teams will be asking for Sharpe in the return package.

Portland's front office really needs to find a mirror and stare into it for a good, long while.

[M2]

Players will need to appear in a minimum of 65 games to be eligible to be earn postseason awards such as MVP, Rookie of the Year, All-NBA, etc. One report indicated that there will be some “conditions” attached to the minimum games requirement, though it’s unclear at this point what those conditions will look like.

The three All-NBA teams will be positionless rather than featuring two guards, two forwards, and one center.

I love both of these. In fact, if I was a voter, I'd probably implement the 65-game rule this year because why wait a year to embrace a great idea?

[BuckeyeRed27]

I'd actually vote for Tatum before either Giannis or Jokic. I might even consider Mitchell in front of Jokic too.

Tatum kinda hit a lull there for like 6 weeks, although his last 2 seemingly are normal Tatum.

I probably watch too much Cavs, but as good as Mitchell has been he’s also had some bad clutch moments for a serious MVP vote for me. Mitchell having three consecutive 40 point games, does make me think he should be first team All NBA guard with Fox.

[texasdave]

Basketball blasphemy coming up. This pass was, dare I say, Bird-like.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44mJGYb_81s

[Kingspoint]

Basketball blasphemy coming up. This pass was, dare I say, Bird-like.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44mJGYb_81s

What a great draft they had!

- - - Updated - - -

April 3rd, 2023 at 4:02pm CST by Rory Maher

The Mavericks are “seriously considering” shutting down Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the rest of the season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter video link via FanDuel TV).

As Charania notes, the Mavs owe a top-10 protected pick to the Knicks as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade. As things currently stand, Dallas would have a 76.3% chance of keeping the pick, a 13.9% chance of moving into the top four, and a 3% chance of winning the lottery and the No. 1 overall pick, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Both players have dealt with injuries in recent weeks. Doncic missed five games last month due to a thigh strain, while Irving missed four and continues to deal with plantar fasciitis in his foot, Charania adds.

Dallas has been in a tailspin, losing seven of its past eight games to currently hold a 37-42 record with only three games remaining. The Mavs trail the Thunder by one game for the No. 10 seed and the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, but the 38-41 Thunder hold the tiebreaker, making it essentially a two-game lead.

The pick the Mavs owe is top-10 protected through 2025, so if they keep it this year it will just push back the obligation until ’24. They would be able to trade the ’23 pick after they make the selection if they want to make a win-now move, but the only other other pick they’d be able to trade is their own ’27 first-rounder due to the Stepien rule.

Despite a very disappointing stretch after the All-Star break after trading for Irving, Charania believes the team’s top offseason priority will be re-signing the veteran point guard, who was named to his eighth All-Star team this season (Twitter video link via FanDuel TV). Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report has heard the same thing, with sources telling Haynes that Irving plans to wait until free agency to maximize his potential earnings (his extension eligibility is limited after being traded).

- - - Updated - - -


Maybe, though this gets back to whether they even know what their plan is. When you find out would you let me know? Nobody around here does.

[Kingspoint]

Maybe, though this gets back to whether they even know what their plan is. Sharpe oozes ability and he absolutely can be a star in the league, but he's also a rookie who plays like a rookie. He's -11 on his Net Rating and -6.3 for both his on-court and on-off +/-. I think a big step next year is highly possible, but it might be a few years until he's fully formed as a lead-a-contender ballplayer. And what's you're current 32-year-old superstar going to be when Sharpe gets there. Those boats might miss each other.

If they're rebuilding around Sharpe and whoever is coming in this year's draft, then maybe admit the 23-year-old smallish scoring PG might be a better long-term fit while the in-house superstar can get you more assets. That's just reality if you're looking at a rebuild. And if they're going in the other direction and trying to add a star player, I'm guessing most teams will be asking for Sharpe in the return package.

Portland's front office really needs to find a mirror and stare into it for a good, long while.

Sharpe raised his game three levels once Ant was shut down for the season. It's been like Ant's gone, so now you can be yourself. It's been amazing. He's been doing things he never displayed all season long. He hit the rookie wall like everybody does, and since he never even played any basketball last season, the current 19-year old had to have his minutes capped at about 15 per game for most of the season. He also was the recipient of poor Offensive flow conducted by Simons, who was usually the PG when Shaedon was on the floor coming off the bench. That was a tremendous stunt of his growth, and Sharpe took it in stride. He came out of his Rookie slump in late December/early January and showed a propensity for Defense at that point. Patterns had been set with Simons, who just dribbles until there's no time on the shot clock and either shoots it or gives someone a poor opportunity to do something with the ball. He also played out of position all season long, playing the "3" spot until the last two weeks when he played the "1" first for a few games (because everyone else failed at it other than Dame, who has never been a true PG as he lacks those instincts), then moved to the "2" with Ryan Arcidon'tknow at the "1". Arci, though an actuall PG, still lacked some common sense instincts as far as directing players into position, commanding the floor, pushing the ball in transition (which results in the highest percentage of shot opportunities in basketball, and gets everybody involved and excited to play Defense on the other end as it leads to transition opportunities, something Dame always has refused to do and Stotts encouraged...see Carlisle's tree of Coaching).

We've had a real PG in Sheldon Mays the last two games, and what a difference it makes. Arcidon'tknow was an improvement over Simons, but Mays is amazing. His first game he's telling Little (whose basketball IQ is extremely low) and Eubanks "accurately" who to take and where to be in transition on Defense, while on Offense, he's pushing the ball at full-speed (like how Sacramento runs their Offense) getting everyone touches, keeping everyone moving, and it's contagious. It's the complete opposite of how the Blazers have played under Cheeks, McMillan, Stotts and now Billups. Maybe this turns Billups' career around as a Coach having a real PG to use, at least off the bench. The only way it's going to happen is if they commit to Shaedon at the "2" and move Simons. Dame will still bottle things up on Offense, but Mays could relieve Dame of PG duties at times with Shaedon at the "3" for a 3-Guard lineup that would actually work for periods, and then Mays could run the 2nd Unit when Dame is off the floor or missing games and he can start next to Shaedon.

Versus MIN, Shaedon ran 22 pick-and-rolls, and that's against Gobert and KAT. He had an Offensive Rating (not the "Stats" one by the NBA, but the DARKO one) of 127. Edwards in the same game against G-league and 1st and 2nd year players ran 17 pick-and-rolls for an Offensive Rating of 100. Shaedon became only the 3rd Rookie in the last 10 seasons to have three consecutive games of 25 Points and 5 Assists. Doncic had one stretch and Young had two.

I really hope they don't sign Grant. I hope some team is stupid enough to make him an offer that Portland refuses to match or exceed. Enough with the stupid contracts to marginal players.

[Mutaman]

You gotta figure it's Embiid. His numbers are surreal (33-10) and it feels like he's the guy who's been playing like he wants the trophy.

I have always suspected that once Giannis won the World Championship, he realized what's important and the individual MVP no longer became that big a deal to him. Its like me as a Packer fan seeing Rodgers win the MVP and then bowing out in the playoffs- who cares? Its all about getting that ring.

[SteelSD]

Tatum kinda hit a lull there for like 6 weeks, although his last 2 seemingly are normal Tatum.

I probably watch too much Cavs, but as good as Mitchell has been he’s also had some bad clutch moments for a serious MVP vote for me. Mitchell having three consecutive 40 point games, does make me think he should be first team All NBA guard with Fox.

I get your take. That being said, I'm not sure how many of those moments happen without Mitchell. As of mid-March, Cleveland ranked fifth in the NBA in come-from-behind wins (14) when trailing by 10 or more points. And their NBA-leading 7-0 record in OT, while a little random, has a lot to do with being able to sustain energy and offense into that extra period. Garland is very good, but other than that the rest of the Cavs lineup consists of guys with little offensive game. Okoro isn't a scorer at all at this point. Mobley and Allen get most of their points working clean-up. LeVert off the bench is still just as likely to shoot you out of a game as he is to shoot you into one, despite having a career year from deep (@38%, which no one should trust). Without Mitchell's ability to go nuclear at a moment's notice, the Cavs might just be scuffling for a play-in spot right now, or worse.

[KoryMac5]

Dallas mulling over shutting down Kyrie and Luka...I think Kyrie would embrace it as he is about to be an FA why get hurt for 3 meaningless games.

I don't see Kyrie resigning in Dallas...which marks another giant swing and miss for Nico and Cuban.

At some point Dallas has to figure out a player who can mesh with Luka...Brunson was able to to, yet Kyrie and KP went south.

Maybe Van Fleet and Poeltl

[SteelSD]

Dallas mulling over shutting down Kyrie and Luka...I think Kyrie would embrace it as he is about to be an FA why get hurt for 3 meaningless games.

I don't see Kyrie resigning in Dallas...which marks another giant swing and miss for Nico and Cuban.

At some point Dallas has to figure out a player who can mesh with Luka...Brunson was able to to, yet Kyrie and KP went south.

Maybe Van Fleet and Poeltl

Tobias Harris. He doesn't demand a lot of shots, has a decent offensive game, rebounds, and can hit the three. Probably wouldn't take a lot to persuade Philly to move him either. Just a thought.

[M2]

Dallas mulling over shutting down Kyrie and Luka...I think Kyrie would embrace it as he is about to be an FA why get hurt for 3 meaningless games.

I don't see Kyrie resigning in Dallas...which marks another giant swing and miss for Nico and Cuban.

At some point Dallas has to figure out a player who can mesh with Luka...Brunson was able to to, yet Kyrie and KP went south.

Maybe Van Fleet and Poeltl

I think KAT makes a lot of sense for a Luka running mate. Lauri Markkanen probably would be a good fit. DeRo, if they want a cagey vet who shares the ball. Maybe Naz Reid or Chimezie Metu from the UFA ranks.

On the shutdown side, they're still only a game back of the play-in, which is a consolation prize, but I feel like a consolation prize might matter to that franchise.

Though the real danger for Dallas on the heels of this terrible season is if Luka has lost faith in the front office. I doubt it's likely, but there is a scenario here where he tries to force his way out of town.

[M2]

Tobias Harris. He doesn't demand a lot of shots, has a decent offensive game, rebounds, and can hit the three. Probably wouldn't take a lot to persuade Philly to move him either. Just a thought.

They could trade him for Luka. I'm joking, but, from a conspiracy standpoint, in my head I keep seeing Luka and Embiid hanging around midcourt at the end of their recent game with their hands over their mouths to prevent lip reading. They were clearly getting along. I'll guarantee you Daryl Morey clocked that.

[BuckeyeRed27]

I get your take. That being said, I'm not sure how many of those moments happen without Mitchell. As of mid-March, Cleveland ranked fifth in the NBA in come-from-behind wins (14) when trailing by 10 or more points. And their NBA-leading 7-0 record in OT, while a little random, has a lot to do with being able to sustain energy and offense into that extra period. Garland is very good, but other than that the rest of the Cavs lineup consists of guys with little offensive game. Okoro isn't a scorer at all at this point. Mobley and Allen get most of their points working clean-up. LeVert off the bench is still just as likely to shoot you out of a game as he is to shoot you into one, despite having a career year from deep (@38%, which no one should trust). Without Mitchell's ability to go nuclear at a moment's notice, the Cavs might just be scuffling for a play-in spot right now, or worse.

Yeah Mitchell is great and is obviously hugely important to the team. They have been better recently with tight games. They had a weird stretch in Nov-Jan where they lost a bunch of games they should have won on the road, which is why they are under 500 on the road. I do think he should be the first team guard. MVP top 5 I’d go Embiid, Giannis, Joker, Tatum, and the fifth spot is tough due to injuries but I think I’d go Steph or Fox.

I’d also say Mobley isn’t just a clean up guy. He’s very involved in the offense and initiates a lot now. They need to work him in crunch time more because they are most effective going inside out through him when the Mitchell getting to the rim thing isn’t working. Lavert has also been excellent since the trade deadline. I was ready to drive him to the airport, but he’s a legit guy and has been pretty solid on defense too.

[SteelSD]

Yeah Mitchell is great and is obviously hugely important to the team. They have been better recently with tight games. They had a weird stretch in Nov-Jan where they lost a bunch of games they should have won on the road, which is why they are under 500 on the road. I do think he should be the first team guard. MVP top 5 I’d go Embiid, Giannis, Joker, Tatum, and the fifth spot is tough due to injuries but I think I’d go Steph or Fox.

I’d also say Mobley isn’t just a clean up guy. He’s very involved in the offense and initiates a lot now. They need to work him in crunch time more because they are most effective going inside out through him when the Mitchell getting to the rim thing isn’t working. Lavert has also been excellent since the trade deadline. I was ready to drive him to the airport, but he’s a legit guy and has been pretty solid on defense too.

Those guys are reasonable too. I just think that Mitchell has done more for the the Cavs than Fox has for the Kings (and Mitchell is clearly the better on both ends of the court), and Steph playing only 53 games thus far takes him out.

And there's nothing wrong with Mobley being a clean-up guy. It's just that he can't shoot, doesn't have a handle, and has no post-up moves, so that limits him quite a bit. He takes @75% of his shots from within 10 feet of the hoop, but still puts up league average True Shooting rates. Giannis is probably the one guy who can do that and drive an offense, but that's because he can create his own shots and gets to the line. Again, not a shot at Mobley. He's good at what he's good at (running the break, being available for interior passes and lobs, put-backs, etc.), but he's a one-level scorer. As for LeVert...just when you think you can trust him is the point at which your dreams are most vulnerable.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Those guys are reasonable too. I just think that Mitchell has done more for the the Cavs than Fox has for the Kings (and Mitchell is clearly the better on both ends of the court), and Steph playing only 53 games thus far takes him out.

And there's nothing wrong with Mobley being a clean-up guy. It's just that he can't shoot, doesn't have a handle, and has no post-up moves, so that limits him quite a bit. He takes @75% of his shots from within 10 feet of the hoop, but still puts up league average True Shooting rates. Giannis is probably the one guy who can do that and drive an offense, but that's because he can create his own shots and gets to the line. Again, not a shot at Mobley. He's good at what he's good at (running the break, being available for interior passes and lobs, put-backs, etc.), but he's a one-level scorer. As for LeVert...just when you think you can trust him is the point at which your dreams are most vulnerable.

I think you need to watch Mobley a bit more. He can’t shoot 3s yet, but he has a nice mid range game already. He does have a nice handle and has added attacking the rim from the dribble off the wing. He’s not Shaq or Hakeem in the post, but he has moves and is already an elite post passer. He is still a little passive and isn’t fully integrated with the Garland/Mitchell crunch time offense, but it’s coming along.

Steph only playing 53 games is tough. He’s been amazing in those 53 games, but yeah I’d have to really think about it if I was voting. I guess that new 65 game rule will help in this situations.

Part of Fox is just rewarding Sacramento. It’s a cool story and he’s the leader of a 3 seed (Sabonis obviously a big deal too). West isn’t as deep as the East though, which could be a reason to vote for Mitchell.

[KoryMac5]

Tobias Harris. He doesn't demand a lot of shots, has a decent offensive game, rebounds, and can hit the three. Probably wouldn't take a lot to persuade Philly to move him either. Just a thought.

I don't see it unless it involves taking Bertans...

[KoryMac5]

They could trade him for Luka. I'm joking, but, from a conspiracy standpoint, in my head I keep seeing Luka and Embiid hanging around midcourt at the end of their recent game with their hands over their mouths to prevent lip reading. They were clearly getting along. I'll guarantee you Daryl Morey clocked that.

Dallas would need a Durant type trade...but I could see him wanting out if Dallas does not do well this offseason. A paper in Spain has suggested Kidd will be replaced with his former coach at Real Madrid so the rumors are swirling.

[SteelSD]

I don't see it unless it involves taking Bertans...

Done! For two reasons. First, he kills Philly. Second, he's the only player I can think of scarier looking than old time Mr. Red.

[SteelSD]

I think you need to watch Mobley a bit more. He can’t shoot 3s yet, but he has a nice mid range game already. He does have a nice handle and has added attacking the rim from the dribble off the wing. He’s not Shaq or Hakeem in the post, but he has moves and is already an elite post passer. He is still a little passive and isn’t fully integrated with the Garland/Mitchell crunch time offense, but it’s coming along.

Steph only playing 53 games is tough. He’s been amazing in those 53 games, but yeah I’d have to really think about it if I was voting. I guess that new 65 game rule will help in this situations.

Part of Fox is just rewarding Sacramento. It’s a cool story and he’s the leader of a 3 seed (Sabonis obviously a big deal too). West isn’t as deep as the East though, which could be a reason to vote for Mitchell.

I've watched Mobley enough. He's hitting 36% of his shots from 10-16 feet, and while he's at .484 from 16 feet to the three point line, that's effectively random as its drawn from only 3% of his shots. Again, no shade at Mobley. He has his uses. But when 41% of your shots are from 0 to 3 feet, you hit 82% of them at that range, but your TS% is barely league average, it paints a pretty convincing picture of whether or not you can shoot. Mobley can't. I hope he improves, because the energy on the glass and above the rim stuff is great. He'd be worth a max extension if he builds a real midrange game. If not, he's a guy I'd trade as soon as he starts getting spendy.

[BuckeyeRed27]

I've watched Mobley enough. He's hitting 36% of his shots from 10-16 feet, and while he's at .484 from 16 feet to the three point line, that's effectively random as its drawn from only 3% of his shots. Again, no shade at Mobley. He has his uses. But when 41% of your shots are from 0 to 3 feet, you hit 82% of them at that range, but your TS% is barely league average, it paints a pretty convincing picture of whether or not you can shoot. Mobley can't. I hope he improves, because the energy on the glass and above the rim stuff is great. He'd be worth a max extension if he builds a real midrange game. If not, he's a guy I'd trade as soon as he starts getting spendy.

Yeah he wasn’t good early on. He’s not the same offensive player he was in the first 25-30 games. He has a nice midrange, turnaround and mid range floater he uses pretty effectively. It’s also opened up his off the dribble stuff. It’s not the primary team offense by any stretch because they have mitchell and Garland, but it’s there already and clearly improving.

[M2]

Dallas would need a Durant type trade...but I could see him wanting out if Dallas does not do well this offseason. A paper in Spain has suggested Kidd will be replaced with his former coach at Real Madrid so the rumors are swirling.

I assume the package from the Sixers would Harris, Maxey and draft picks. Not saying Dallas would/should do that, but that's the shape of what Philly would/could do. I suppose there's also version where it's Harden instead of Harris. Miami could come in with Herro + Robison and draft picks. Yet New Orleans could come off the top rope with Zion + extras + draft picks.

[Kingspoint]

The real Dunk Contest is going on in MEM at this moment.

Ja comes down for a massive throw-down.

7 seconds later Sharpe executes a massive tomahawk that made MEM call a timeout. The game's just started. POR has already blocked Jaren Jackson, Jr. three times and made him miss two other short-range shots. Jackson comes back and blocks one of his own.

POR management is truly trying to lose, but these players won't have it. They added their 4th G-League player today and is sitting the last of their rotation players with Thybulle sitting out. Not sure if Watford is sitting out. Watdord is sitting out, too. No Reddish, Dame, the Can't's...Ant & Grant, Nurk, Winslow. We're missing like 90% of our season's points, minutes, rebounds and Assists.

[Mutaman]

So far looks like the Jae Crowder trade was a pretty good move for Milwaukee.

[Kingspoint]

So far looks like the Jae Crowder trade was a pretty good move for Milwaukee.

MIL has made great move after great move for many years now.

[Kingspoint]

So, Sharpe gives POR a 5-pt lead with 9:00 left in the game, POR coming back from being down about 17.

Apparently it wasn't enough to just sit both Watford and Thybulle. Sharpe never touched the ball the last 8:18 of the game.

Blazers lose! Blazers lose!

[M2]

Embiid with a 52-13-6 in a tight win over Boston. I think he won the MVP tonight.

[Mutaman]

MIL has made great move after great move for many years now.

Well drafting Jabari didn't work out too well but that was probably more bad luck than anything else.

- - - Updated - - -


Embiid with a 52-13-6 in a tight win over Boston. I think he won the MVP tonight.

Pretty incredible since I think it was not a must game for the Sixers.

[SteelSD]

Yeah, the Sixers managed not to lose that game (oh, but they tried), but there's no way they beat the Celtics with Jalen Brown in the second round of the playoffs...if they even get that far. The last minute or so was some of the dumbest basketball I've ever seen. Embiid was MVP-level crazy good (52 points- 20 for 25 from the field, 13 boards, 6 dimes) and Tucker went nuts down the stretch (good luck with that happening again). The problem is that they simply can't sit Embiid at all. I have no idea what Tobias Harris is doing out there (neither does he, apparently), and the bench scored 10 points.

[M2]

Pretty incredible since I think it was not a must game for the Sixers.

Statement game. The Celtics have had the Sixers in their pocket. Embiid carried them to the win. For anybody on the fence, this performance is going to stick.

[Kingspoint]

So, Sharpe gives POR a 5-pt lead with 9:00 left in the game, POR coming back from being down about 17.

Apparently it wasn't enough to just sit both Watford and Thybulle. Sharpe never touched the ball the last 8:18 of the game.

Blazers lose! Blazers lose!

Actually, Chauncey pulled him to try to lose as we were certainly heading for another win and finished with 4 G-league guys, one we signed today, one we signed Sunday, one we signed Friday, and one we signed last week.

[Kingspoint]

https://giphy.com/gifs/spongebob-spongebob-squarepants-season-5-xUPJPn8l1m8odg1Bxm

Shaedon to Ant's career as a Blazer.

20 points tonight, 8 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 0 Turnovers, and pulled with 8:00 left because Chauncey was getting heat from the G.M. to lose this game.

[Kingspoint]

Refs handed the game to the Lakers over and over again.

Schroeder fouled Horton-Tucker at least 25 times without a call against Schroeder.

[SteelSD]

Statement game. The Celtics have had the Sixers in their pocket. Embiid carried them to the win. For anybody on the fence, this performance is going to stick.

Hopefully. It also came on a night where Denver lost badly to Houston, with Jokic posting only 14 points, 10 boards, 4 assists, 8 turnovers, and 25 minutes of -21 +/- ball after sitting out the previous three games.

That being said, Embiid will also have to overcome a Boston media frenzy to crown Jayson Tatum as the "scoring champion" due to gross seaonal point totals in order to imply some perceived Embiid deficiency. It's already been brought up on ESPN and it's come up in the last two nationally televised games as a way to pimp Tatum's "availability". Funny thing though...after tonight, the gap between the two is only 42 total points by my count, despite Tatum having played 8 more games.

But, because people tend to be morons, they don't understand that games played volume is a gigantic red herring. Embiid would need to average only 5.5 points per game over the 8 "missing" games to catch up. It would take Embiid about 6 minutes per contest to do that, so he could what...log extra games played? No, it's not about "availability". In this case, it's almost entirely reflective of coaching decisions- how much each team's coach decided to play their star player in the games each has already played. Embiid averages 34.6 minutes per game to Tatum's 37.1. If Rivers had played Joel just two more minutes per contest for the season at his current per-minute scoring rate, he'd have nearly three times the number of points needed to match Tatum's seasonal point total.

Unfortunately, the dumb narrative will probably persist and potentially garner Tatum enough attention to cost Embiid precious points in the MVP race. That is, unless Rivers stupidly plays Embiid a ton of minutes over the next three games because he thinks the Sixers can catch Boston for the 2-slot. But if Rivers does, and Embiid overtakes Tatum in total points, you're going to see a bunch of idiots who have no further excuses about what to do with their ballots.

[Kingspoint]

That's the first time in watching the NBA for 53 years that I've seen a Coach pull a player, the best player on the team (and on the floor at the time on that night...Sharpe was outplaying Morant, just like he outplayed Edwards Sunday), from a game for the sole purpose of trying to tank a game that looks like his team was going to win. It was tied 101-101 when he pulled Sharpe. The Blazers didn't score a bucket for 7 minutes. with 4 minutes to go and the Blazers down only 6, Chauncey called a timeout....so he could set up a 3-pt shot from Drew Eubanks in the Corner. That's like calling a pass-play to Jonah Williams on 3rd-and-20 from your own 20 down by only 3 with 2 minutes to go.

Portland is really abusing the rules regarding injured players. Why even fake it any more? At least they didn't "intentionally" tank until there were just 7 games left in the season. Billups just didn't recognize how bad players like Grant and Simons are, in addition to not forcing Lillard to push the ball or even remove PG duties from him, so someone else can push the ball foreward.

Here's the rule they are abusing...

The NBA’s transaction log confirms that the Blazers have officially signed Minaya to a 10-day contract. There are fewer than 10 days left in the regular season, but 10-day deals can still be signed if a team is granted a hardship provision due to an excessive number of injuries.

Portland has already added two extra players to its roster on 10-day contracts via the hardship provision, but qualified to sign a third. Damian Lillard, Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, and Cam Reddish have all missed the last three or more games for the team due to injuries. A team can become eligible for a hardship signing when it has just four players who fit that bill, then can qualify for an extra replacement for each additional injured player.

Thybulle and Watford were inactive tonight. I can't even keep track anymore, while Little has missed multiple games this last week, including being added to the injury report for the last two (one of which is tonight).

Minaya’s hardship 10-day deal will expire when the regular season ends. He’ll immediately become a free agent at that time and Portland won’t hold any form of Bird rights on him this summer. The Blazers are now carrying 20 players, including two-ways.

For fear of beating San Antonio, they may sit Sharpe on Thursday, too. Through all of this, it looks like we've finally found a real PG in Skylar Mays. I think I called him Sheldon Mays yesterday. He didn't write the "Dick Van Dyke Show".

[M2]

Hopefully. It also came on a night where Denver lost badly to Houston, with Jokic posting only 14 points, 10 boards, 4 assists, 8 turnovers, and 25 minutes of -21 +/- ball after sitting out the previous three games.

That being said, Embiid will also have to overcome a Boston media frenzy to crown Jayson Tatum as the "scoring champion" due to gross seaonal point totals in order to imply some perceived Embiid deficiency. It's already been brought up on ESPN and it's come up in the last two nationally televised games as a way to pimp Tatum's "availability". Funny thing though...after tonight, the gap between the two is only 42 total points by my count, despite Tatum having played 8 more games.

But, because people tend to be morons, they don't understand that games played volume is a gigantic red herring. Embiid would need to average only 5.5 points per game over the 8 "missing" games to catch up. It would take Embiid about 6 minutes per contest to do that, so he could what...log extra games played? No, it's not about "availability". In this case, it's almost entirely reflective of coaching decisions- how much each team's coach decided to play their star player in the games each has already played. Embiid averages 34.6 minutes per game to Tatum's 37.1. If Rivers had played Joel just two more minutes per contest for the season at his current per-minute scoring rate, he'd have nearly three times the number of points needed to match Tatum's seasonal point total.

Unfortunately, the dumb narrative will probably persist and potentially garner Tatum enough attention to cost Embiid precious points in the MVP race. That is, unless Rivers stupidly plays Embiid a ton of minutes over the next three games because he thinks the Sixers can catch Boston for the 2-slot. But if Rivers does, and Embiid overtakes Tatum in total points, you're going to see a bunch of idiots who have no further excuses about what to do with their ballots.

I'll be surprised if much of anybody has Tatum ahead of Embiid on their ballots. Tatum's still got one more level to conquer to get onto the MVP podium. I suspect he will in the next year or three, but he sputtered for a few too many week in January-February.

[SteelSD]

I'll be surprised if much of anybody has Tatum ahead of Embiid on their ballots. Tatum's still got one more level to conquer to get onto the MVP podium. I suspect he will in the next year or three, but he sputtered for a few too many week in January-February.

Yeah, one would think that...but then, voting nonsense is what got Embiid relegated to 2nd team all NBA last year. Not the same system, I know, but I do...not...trust...the...people...who...vote...for ...this...stuff.

[M2]

Yeah, one would think that...but then, voting nonsense is what got Embiid relegated to 2nd team all NBA last year. Not the same system, I know, but I do...not...trust...the...people...who...vote...for ...this...stuff.

I get the 2nd team last year. It's how they set up the system where players get sorted by position, so only one center makes the team. I was listening to the Bill Simmons pod last year and he noted that it's wasting your vote if you select anything other than one center, two forwards and two guards. It's probably going to flip-flop this year and Jokic will get 2nd team. They're changing that for 2023-24. So this will be the last time it's positional rather than just the top five vote-getters.

[SteelSD]

Toronto announcers tonight...

"He's <Scottie Barnes> probably more difficult to stop than Giannis three feet away from the basket..."

"They're <the Raptors> just a different team when they make shots..."

Edit: Now that I look, I may have been watching the Boston feed. No matter. Those guys are terrible too.

[texasdave]

Obi Toppin (32), Quentin Grimes (36) and Immanuel Quickley (39) combined for 107 points tonight for the Knicks.

[Mutaman]

15 years ago a decent Marquette team was rewarded for a pretty good season by having to go out to Northern California and play Stanford in the first round of the tournament. Stanford had two 7 foot twins, one of whom was good and one of whom was great. The great one made a nifty little game-winning hook shot at the buzzer in overtime to beat Marquette 82 to 81.
Tonight two guys who played in that game , Brook Lopez and Wesley Matthews, led the injury depleted Milwaukee Bucks to a victory clinching the number one seed and the best record in the NBA. Congratulations to Mike Budenholzer and the boys.
Although bear in mind that the last two Championships have been won by three seeds.

[Kingspoint]

...and on cue, Shaedon Sharpe is questionable for tonight (Thursday) vs San Antonio w/ POR having one less win than IND, WAS and ORL.

[SteelSD]

Ok, I get wanting to reward the home crowd by playing the majority of your starters during the last home game of the season. I really do. But if you're going to come out and play on both ends like you're not trying to get hurt, then it'd be better to just sit them- particularly if you're playing a team attempting to work their way out of the play-in pool. Melton may have tweaked his calf, so that stinks. At least Embiid and Harden didn't get hurt, but as soon as they saw the Heat players stepping in front of them in the lane and flopping hard, they needed to get everyone who will contribute to the playoff rotation out of there. Just a dumb plan from Rivers. Hopefully Delaware can wrap up the G-League finals tonight so we can get a starting backcourt of Mac McClung and Jaden Springer starting tomorrow.

[M2]

If you're looking for something to hope for over the next two games, it's for Golden State to finish 5th in the West and face Phoenix (with KD) in the 1st round. That would be TASTY. For that to happen, the Dubs need to win two road games (not their forte) against Sacramento (which should be resting its top guys) and Portland (tanking for Wemby). The Clippers also need to lose their game against the Suns because they hold the tiebreaker. Good news is that Golden State needs to keep the pedal down because it's only one game ahead of the Lakers, which hold the tiebreaker.

[texasdave]

The lottery process is quite detailed, but I still don't completely trust them. This is residue from the David Stern Era. Plus, I love a good conspiracy. It doesn't even have to be true. https://www.nba.com/news/nba-draft-lottery-explainer

HOT TAKE: San Antonio gets Wemby.

[Kingspoint]

The lottery process is quite detailed, but I still don't completely trust them. This is residue from the David Stern Era. Plus, I love a good conspiracy. It doesn't even have to be true. https://www.nba.com/news/nba-draft-lottery-explainer

HOT TAKE: San Antonio gets Wemby.

Been suspecting for more than a year that's why Pops has been hanging around.

Switzerland is not willing to compromise anyone's Swiss bank account to any government for any reason.

[M2]

Chicago, Dallas and Miami are the leading candidates for "NBA fixed the lottery" teams. Even if San Antonio gets Wemby, it's going to be terrible for years to come.

[texasdave]

During the 2017-2018 season, the Rockets went 65-17. The trio of Harden, Paul and Capela started 55 games together. The team went 54-1 in those games.

[KoryMac5]

In tonight's most insane scenario

Dallas pulled the plug on its season tonight told around 5 players that they would not play including Kyrie...mind you they are 1 game out of the play in tourney

Luka would only play the first quarter...its Slovenian night after all.

Chicago is playing for a spot in the play-in and of course Dallas is winning...the 10 pick is on the line as well.

Kidd has had to go even further down the bench (AJ Lawson is getting mins) to pull this thing back into the ditch to give Chicago the win.

[SteelSD]

On Thursday night, Jaden Springer won the G-League Finals MVP. On Friday night, he was scoring a career-high 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting while the Sixers' top six players sat out Philly's OT Win against the full-strength Atlanta Hawks. Jalen McDaniels put up a solid 24-point/11-board double-double, with three steals, for Philly. Georges Niang had his best game in what seems like forever, throwing in five treys on seven attempts and hitting the dagger triple to put the game away in OT. Danuel House tossed up a 22-point effort and 'trez only played 14 minutes, but posted 11 points and 10 boards (four offensive). Based on the results of other contests, Atlanta still backed into the 8th (play-in) slot, but can't be feeling good about losing this one at home to a bench and G-leaguers.

[Kingspoint]

The top-six seeds are now set after Brooklyn defeated Orlando:

Bucks
Celtics
Sixers
Cavaliers
Knicks
Nets

Two first-round playoff matchups are finalized: Philadelphia will face Brooklyn, and Cleveland will face New York.

As for the bottom end of the postseason picture, Toronto lost to Boston tonight, which means the play-in tournament has been finalized for the East (Twitter link via Mark Medina of NBA.com).

No. 7 Heat will host No. 8 Hawks on April 11 — the winner advances as the No. 7 seed to face Boston.

No. 9 Raptors will host No. 10 Bulls on April 12 — winner advances to face the loser of Miami vs. Atlanta.

Loser of the seven/eight matchup plays the winner of the nine/10 on April 14 — winner advances as the No. 8 seed to face Milwaukee.

The first round starts on April 15, according to the NBA. The Bucks have locked up the best record in the league and will have homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

[Kingspoint]

April 7th, 2023 at 9:37pm CST by Rory Maher

In order for the Pacers to take a step forward in 2023/24, head coach Rick Carlisle knows the team will have to hit on its draft picks. The Pacers control three first-round picks in 2023 — their own, Cleveland’s and Boston’s — as well as a couple second-rounders, though one is still up in the air. “If you look at the standings this year, this is the most parity we’ve seen in probably a number of decades,” Carlisle told Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “So you’ve got to try to create as many situations as you can to get small edges. You’ve got to draft great. You know, our management team drafted (Andrew) Nembhard in the second round, and the guy’s a hell of a player. We’ve got to hit on more guys like that, and we’ve got to do the right things when we have those opportunities.”

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Carlisle says the Pacers will have to address the two main weaknesses of the roster — defense and rebounding — both internally and externally, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter links). The current players need to improve, but the team will also look to bolster the roster in those areas via the draft, trades and free agency, Carlisle added.
Rookie guard Nembhard and third-year forward Aaron Nesmith have been bright spots defensively, as they’re frequently tasked with guarding opposing teams’ top perimeter players, Dopirak writes for The Indianapolis Star. How can they improve on the less glamorous end of the court? “Both of these guys are so, quite frankly, good defensively,” assistant coach and defensive coordinator Ronald Nored said. “Everybody has areas to improve, but there’s not a lot of area to improve for either one of them. I think both of them are quiet guys, and I think they can both take steps as communicators defensively. … That’s a challenge for both of them. Next season use their voice more.” Indiana may have shut down Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, but Bennedict Mathurin has actually seen his role expand as the season winds down and that’s by design, Dopirak writes in another story. “I’m getting used to what I’m going to be doing for the rest of my career,” Mathurin said. “Being a starter is one of my main goals, so it has to start somewhere, but it also comes with a lot of responsibilities and a lot of challenges as well, so I’m just trying to get used to it.” Carlisle has tasked Mathurin with more challenging defensive assignments and increased his minutes to push last year’s No. 6 overall pick, Dopirak notes.

[KoryMac5]

NBA investigates Dallas and its game mgmt from last night against Chicago. I would expect a fine but not much else as Dallas was competitive in that game and teams like Portland and Utah have done the same thing recently in regards to sitting players.

[M2]

Will the Clippers look to drop tonight's game against Phoenix? If they win, they get Phoenix in the 1st round. If they lose, they get the Kings. It's not that the Kings are a picnic, but they don't have any playoff experience and they don't have KD. The Warriors have to play to win (which would put them in 5th if the Clippers lose) because a loss would dump them into the play-in.

Biggest game is New Orleans vs. Minnesota. Winner plays in the 7-8 game (where you only need one win in potentially up to two tries to make the playoffs). Loser goes to the 9-10 game (where you have to win two games to make the playoffs).

[SteelSD]

So, did you want to see if Mac McClung could do stuff other than dunk? Want to know who the hell Louis King is? Have you been asking yourself what will happen if DeWayne Dedmon and Montrezl Harrell are on the floor at the same time? Ever been curious about whether Jaden Springer might get playoff minutes? Have you secretly been rooting for Cam Thomas to put up a 50-spot or if Mikal Bridges would continue his NBA-long games played streak? Ever wonder about the result of the APB put out the help locate Furkan Korkmaz? Is Point-Shake any good?

If any of that has ever been of interest to you, you needed to tune into today's Sixers/Nets contest!!

Jaden Springer started the game for Philly, but was pulled after two minutes with the explanation of needing to "manage" them; curious given that it's the last game of the regular season? Will he be leveraged as a defensive specialist in the playoffs? We'll see. Those two minutes were exactly one minute and fifty six seconds more than Mikal Bridges played, but his current NBA games played streak of like a billion (more like 380 or something) is intact. Cam Thomas...OMG can that kid score...put up 46 points, missing two bunnies late in the game to narrowly miss a 50-point game. He stinks defensively, but how the Nets have simply locked him in a freezer at the end of the bench is puzzling to say the least. Speaking of such things, Shake Milton played the point again, put up 20 points and added 8 assists to his 16-assist effort from Friday night. I like Point-Shake, but I do not trust him.

Mac McClung can play basketball. The kid almost posted a triple double, with 20 points, 9 dimes, and 9 boards, against a partially-competent, somewhat-of-an-NBA roster. His Delaware teammate, Louis King, matched Mac's 20 points with a sweet stroke from deep (4-for-8). King didn't look overmatched, except of the plane ride, where Alaa Abdelnaby had to help him figure out where to sit. That's both hilarious and weird, because this is not King's first NBA rodeo.

Today's three-headed Center/Forward combo (Reed, Dedmon, Harrell) combined for 46 points and 23 boards, with B-ball Paul finishing with 6 blocks, and 'Trez with an awkward, scary, and hilarious coast-to-coast layup. To be fair, the Nets really had no one to play Center other than Day'ron Sharpe, who stinks, but has the coolest first name apostrophe placement ever. And, to the relief of probably four people, I need to relay that Kormaz has been located. He's mostly fine, probably still wants a trade, and scored 11 points.

Oh, the Sixers won 134-105 in a game no one really cared about. But that might be why it so much fun to watch.

[KoryMac5]

Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson went at it on the bench today…

[SteelSD]

Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson went at it on the bench today…

To clarify, Gobert threw a punch at Anderson, and got his dumb rear end sent home.

Jaden McDaniels also now out for the year; breaking his hand, apparently by throwing a punch at a wall on the way into the locker room. The wall is ok and was not sent home because Timberwolves management determined that it's smarter than Rudy Gobert.

[KoryMac5]

To clarify, Gobert threw a punch at Anderson, and got his dumb rear end sent home.

Jaden McDaniels also now out for the year; breaking his hand, apparently by throwing a punch at a wall on the way into the locker room. The wall is ok and was not sent home because Timberwolves management determined that it's smarter than Rudy Gobert.

According to reports it continued in the locker room with Anderson letting Gobert know he would knock his a$$ out…

[M2]

After Rudy and McDaniels took themselves out of the game, Slo-Mo and Taurean Prince stepped up big.

[goreds2]

How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?
There are eight total teams involved in the play-in tournament -- seeds Nos. 7-10 from each conference. The No. 7 team will host No. 8 on April 11, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed. No. 9 will play No. 10 on April 12, with the loser eliminated from the postseason. Next, the loser of the 7-8 game will play the winner of the 9-10 game on April 14, with the victor earning the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. In every matchup, the higher seed is the home team. A little confusing, but it makes sense when you look at it:

Tuesday, April 11

Game 1: Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 2: Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)


Wednesday, April 12

Game 3: Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 4: Oklahoma City Thunder at New Orleans Pelicans, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)


Friday, April 14

Game 5: Game 3 winner at Game 1 loser, 7/7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 6: Game 4 winner at Game 2 loser, 9:30/10 p.m. ET (ESPN)

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/how-the-2023-nba-play-in-tournament-works-format-matchups-schedule-with-postseason-picture-finalized/

[KoryMac5]

Rudy suspended for the play in tourney///

Woj reports it wasn't more due to it being a shot to the chest and Anderson calling Gobert a "*****" multiple times on the night, a night in which Gobert was playing through an injury.

[Kingspoint]

Rudy suspended for the play in tourney///

Woj reports it wasn't more due to it being a shot to the chest and Anderson calling Gobert a "*****" multiple times on the night, a night in which Gobert was playing through an injury.

What'd he say? Quit being so French?

[texasdave]

Gobert is suspended for the first game. He will be back for any games after that.

[texasdave]

Rockets fire head coach Stephen Silas. Hated to see that happen, as he was a genuinely decent human being. That's not why they pay him though, and it the team didn't seem to be getting any better. Good luck with your future endeavors, Coach.

[SteelSD]

Rockets fire head coach Stephen Silas. Hated to see that happen, as he was a genuinely decent human being. That's not why they pay him though, and it the team didn't seem to be getting any better. Good luck with your future endeavors, Coach.

Wasn't Silas really there more to help steward the roster through some lean years rather than to pilot the Rockets ascension to contender though? I actually credit Houston for moving on from their version of Brett Brown before Silas was given a similar opportunity to screw things up.

[M2]

Wasn't Silas really there more to help steward the roster through some lean years rather than to pilot the Rockets ascension to contender though? I actually credit Houston for moving on from their version of Brett Brown before Silas was given a similar opportunity to screw things up.

Though Silas might be a good coach. We won't know unless someone hands him a real team in the future. Houston put out consistent effort. They weren't good at any part of the game, but they tried really hard. Seemed like a few of the kids progressed during Silas' watch.

[texasdave]

Wasn't Silas really there more to help steward the roster through some lean years rather than to pilot the Rockets ascension to contender though? I actually credit Houston for moving on from their version of Brett Brown before Silas was given a similar opportunity to screw things up.

His first campaign had Harden, Wood, Gordon etc., and they thought it was a playoff team. Maybe they had their fingers crossed, I don't know. But, yes, the last two seasons he has been babysitting this squad. Silas got a raw deal in a way. But, at least now he can go out and say that he has head coaching experience to go along with a semi-famous last name.

[texasdave]

Though Silas might be a good coach. We won't know unless someone hands him a real team in the future. Houston put out consistent effort. They weren't good at any part of the game, but they tried really hard. Seemed like a few of the kids progressed during Silas' watch.

I won't quibble with the consistent effort. They tried. But, I did not see much, if any, improvement as a team.

[M2]

I won't quibble with the consistent effort. They tried. But, I did not see much, if any, improvement as a team.

Definitely no improvement at the team level. I was thinking more at the individual level. Sengun's come along nicely. Smith improved, though he's still deficient at creating his own shot. Kenyon Martin. Jr. and Tari Eason look like players. I'm a little cynical about Green, sloppy with the ball and he's pylon on defense, but if I was a Houston fan I'd feel o.k.-ish about the young guys.

What I've thought they most need is a PG. Porter is a 6th man (and maybe he'll become a decent one), but he's not bringing executive function to the table.

[KoryMac5]

I could see Dallas bringing him back to coordinate the O, which he did for 2 seasons.

[M2]

I could see Dallas bringing him back to coordinate the O, which he did for 2 seasons.

What are your Dallas summer predictions?

[M2]

Atlanta booked itself a ticket to Boston. Meanwhile Miami is looking at a win or disaster situation. Mind you, if they do lose they become my top ping pong ball conspiracy team.

[Kingspoint]

Kick those Lakers' butts, T-Wolves!!!

Be the man, Conley!

- - - Updated - - -

KAT came to play. Best thing to happen to MIN is for Gobert to not be out there.

[Kingspoint]

I won't quibble with the consistent effort. They tried. But, I did not see much, if any, improvement as a team.

I thought Gordon was a good leader for them and helped them tremendously to play the right way on a nightly basis. Thought the effort wasn there all season, too. Best rookie class by far of any of the 30 teams.

- - - Updated - - -

Anderson is huge in this game.

[Kingspoint]

KAT is the best player on the floor tonight.

[Kingspoint]

Towns just got stupid. Back-to-back plays where he makes stupid fouls.

[M2]

KAT is the best player on the floor tonight.

And it's not particularly close. If that continues, Minnesota is winning this game.

[Kingspoint]

What a stupid move to bring Towns in before the 5:00 mark. That cost the Wolves the game.

Towns has to play 9:21 delicately or risk getting fouled out.

[Kingspoint]

Shut up, Reggie Miller! You've really become a crappy announcer the last six years.

Don't know who is more irritating,...Reggie Miller or Marv Albert.

- - - Updated - - -

Cannot be letting Anthony Edwards touching the ball on this possession with 30 seconds to go.

Ball needed to be in the hands of Conley these last three minutes and it hasn't been.

[Kingspoint]

Don't know who was the worst Coach tonight...David Bell or Chris Finch.

[Kingspoint]

Conley saves Finch's butt...for 5 minutes, anyway.

Let's see what happens.

- - - Updated - - -

This would be a great time for Edwards to stop choking.

[Kingspoint]

Man, Edwards sucks! Replace him!

- - - Updated - - -

Maybe that breakaway dunk wakes him up.

- - - Updated - - -

No, he choked. Finch sucks. Conley hasn't touched the ball in OT. They are going down the drain with Edwards. Nice job, Finch.

[Kingspoint]

Should have been the 6th foul on LeBron with Edwards at the line for two to get the game within 3. He probably would have missed both free throws, though.

[Mitri]

Playoffs in the West are going to be epic.

Lakers/Grizz
Clips/Suns
Warriors/Kings

Those are some juicy first-round matches. I have no idea who will be the last team standing. It's a toss-up from my view (I don't watch a ton of these teams), but if I had to pick I'd go with the Suns putting it together and making a run.

The East is a lot more straightforward. Three teams have a chance. My guess is the Celtics repeat as conference champs.

Suns/Celts Final. Celts take it all.

[KoryMac5]

Man, Edwards sucks! Replace him!

- - - Updated - - -

Maybe that breakaway dunk wakes him up.

- - - Updated - - -

No, he choked. Finch sucks. Conley hasn't touched the ball in OT. They are going down the drain with Edwards. Nice job, Finch.

I need a livestream of KP watching basketball...

[Kingspoint]

So, talk around NBA circles is that every team wanted to face Sacramento in the 1st Round because of their lack of playoff experience, that they supposedly don't play Defense, and that it would be the easiest 1st Round matchup to win.

Warriors are apparently extremely pleased getting the Kings in the 1st Round, seeing them as an easy stepping-stone into the 2nd Round without much effort having had to be exerted to pull off a series win.

All I can say is, "Go Kings!!!!" "Kick some Warrior Butt!" "Lay Draymond Out!" "Get physical with Curry every minute".

The Kings are going to have to play 5-8 as about 30 calls and non-calls every game are going to go the Warriors way. They need to put it into their heads that it is what it is, don't whine about in on the floor, and win in spite of the officiating. Draymond, Curry and Kerr will fill the arenas with their constant whining, so the officials will have plenty to listen to. The Warriors need to be getting Teed-up for their whining during the playoffs, but it never happens. It all gets let go.


Sacramento has the rabbits to run every team out of a building. While Golden State is still able to play the right way on both ends of the floor and is the toughest opponent to beat for any team, they are extremely soft inside and very small. Sacramento has great length and agility inside and could dominate every game by more than 20 points-in-the-paint, 10 fast-break points, 10 Offensive Rebounds, and create 10 more turnovers. All of this will lead to 15 more field goal attempts per game allowing them to off-set the better 3-pt percentage and volume of the Warriors and the 15+ Free Throw disparity every game.

Kings win 4-3, as the Warriors continue to flounder on the road. Kings win 3 of 4 in SAC and get 1 of 3 in San Francisco.

[M2]

The Chicago Bulls will be taking their talents to South Beach tomorrow.

[Kingspoint]

The Chicago Bulls will be taking their talents to South Beach tomorrow.

They actually had a good late run in the regular season winning a ton of road games. Should be a good game as Butler goes ballistic with a 33-8-8-4-2 line.

[M2]

Playoffs in the West are going to be epic.

Lakers/Grizz
Clips/Suns
Warriors/Kings

Those are some juicy first-round matches. I have no idea who will be the last team standing. It's a toss-up from my view (I don't watch a ton of these teams), but if I had to pick I'd go with the Suns putting it together and making a run.

The East is a lot more straightforward. Three teams have a chance. My guess is the Celtics repeat as conference champs.

Suns/Celts Final. Celts take it all.

I don't trust Phoenix's depth, or it's ability to stay healthy through three rounds. Then again I don't trust anyone else in the West either.

[M2]

Since were just talking about Houston, I'm curious what they'll do this offseason. They should have roughly $64M in cap space, though there aren't a lot of guys I'd spend serious money on. Obviously they're in the lottery too Everybody wants Wemby, but Scoot Henderson's draft stock has dipped a bit and the Rockets, which desperately need a PG might be the fit for him. So if Houston misses on #1, it might have the most interest in Scoot (Detroit, Charlotte and Portland all have PG covered). San Antonio is the team that would be most likely to pip the Rockets.

The big thing Houston can do is put together a tasty package for superstar looking to move out their current situation. The Rockets also have the Clippers' #1 pick this year (which will be #19). Package that pick up with one or team of their kids and sprinkle in that they can absorb a lot of salary, and that will make them competitive with just about anyone in a bidding war for a star player.

I suppose I should also mention Detroit and San Antonio.

The Pistons obviously want Wemby, but they all need wings. So if they miss out on #1, they will have at shot Brandon Miller or one of the Thompson Twins. They can't pick any lower than #5. I assume the plan for next season is Cade returns and we get to see if he and Ivey can gel. Got to figure Bogdanovic is on the trading block. He only costs $20M and there' a lot of teams that could use him. Detroit probably needs to throw his minutes at someone else (e.g. Isaiah Livers) or at the new draft pick , whoever that is.

One complication of winning the lottery is the Pistons already have four bigs -Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley (who's a default big because he utterly lacks the shooting range to be an effective wing). Look for them to deal one or two those guys if the ping pong balls give them Wemby.

San Antonio might have the biggest need for Wemby, but they need everything. So if the French gargantuan is off the board they can go BPA. Miller would fit if they' in the lottery. Scoot would too. Yet the Spurs are probably the biggest wild card. They need everything and they have very specific tastes. It would not surprise me if they had a thing for Anthony Black (big PG out of Arkansas). Also, they could trade back. Orlando and Utah both have multiple picks. This looks like a deep draft class. So they might want to grab two players instead of one.

The Spurs also might still be in asset collection mode. I wouldn't be shocked to see them shop Keldon Johnson. He has fairly reasonable extension (aav of $18.5M). He went 22/5/3 last season, but it was more of a "somebody has to hunt some buckets" situation rather than him being a lead scorer. Yet some contending team might be willing to overpay for him. Sacramento might view him as a HarBar replacement. Cleveland and Denver both could use him, though neither can move 1st round picks. The Clippers and Phoenix have a similar situation. But it only takes one. I kind of wonder if the Sixers might be a fit. They could put Cam Thomas and Ben Simmons on the with some draft picks. That would give San Antonio a potential lead scorer, plus more draft assets, plus they can take a flier on Simmons in a lower pressure market. There's also Joe Harris + Cam Thomas route they could take.

[SteelSD]

Or...

Minnesota decides that it needs to move on from the Rudy Gobert debacle and swaps Gobert along with Jaden McDaniels to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton, and Cam Thomas. The money works. Maybe something else coming in from the T-Wolves, who have little left after trading for Gobert.

Of course, there's a question- why would the Nets move the 23-year old Claxton for a 30-year old center whose stats are fairly similar? Well, first, to move Simmons. Second, they love "name" players. Third, they may feel that Gobert's defensive rating this season was negatively impacted by playing on a pretty thin T-Wolves squad.

Why would the T-Wolves do it? Well, to move on from the failed Gobert experiment, of course. They acquire Simmons (who they've wanted for a looong time) at his low point, with the hope that he might thrive in the kind of lower-pressure market M2 describes. Claxton fits the T-Wolves style better regardless of whether they're actually committed to a "twin towers" starting five or have Claxton rotating in from the bench while still playing high minutes to allow Towns to shift out of the paint. Cam Thomas, who seems inexplicably devalued by the Nets, provides an alternate scorer in heavy minutes off the bench or if the T-Wolves want to play a weird 3-guard/2-center lineup (Ant, Thomas, Conley, Towns, Claxton) with one scoring threat on the floor at all times.

Might be a bad idea. Or a good one. Dunno.

[KoryMac5]

Or...

Minnesota decides that it needs to move on from the Rudy Gobert debacle and swaps Gobert along with Jaden McDaniels to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton, and Cam Thomas. The money works. Maybe something else coming in from the T-Wolves, who have little left after trading for Gobert.

Of course, there's a question- why would the Nets move the 23-year old Claxton for a 30-year old center whose stats are fairly similar? Well, first, to move Simmons. Second, they love "name" players. Third, they may feel that Gobert's defensive rating this season was negatively impacted by playing on a pretty thin T-Wolves squad.

Why would the T-Wolves do it? Well, to move on from the failed Gobert experiment, of course. They acquire Simmons (who they've wanted for a looong time) at his low point, with the hope that he might thrive in the kind of lower-pressure market M2 describes. Claxton fits the T-Wolves style better regardless of whether they're actually committed to a "twin towers" starting five or have Claxton rotating in from the bench while still playing high minutes to allow Towns to shift out of the paint. Cam Thomas, who seems inexplicably devalued by the Nets, provides an alternate scorer in heavy minutes off the bench or if the T-Wolves want to play a weird 3-guard/2-center lineup (Ant, Thomas, Conley, Towns, Claxton) with one scoring threat on the floor at all times.

Might be a bad idea. Or a good one. Dunno.

Simmons is radioactive until he can prove his back issues are in the rearview mirror...only way that trade happens is if Simmons plays and improves his value.

[SteelSD]

Simmons is radioactive until he can prove his back issues are in the rearview mirror...only way that trade happens is if Simmons plays and improves his value.

You're not wrong. I'd actually trade Gobert for just Claxton and Cam Thomas, but that can't happen. The only reason Simmons is in the deal is that it evens out the yearly salaries to make the deal possible. It actually benefits the T-Wolves long-term because Gobert's deal runs for an additional season, and despite Simmons' issues, there is potential upside- albeit with a some serious "ifs" attached. If Simmons didn't have those "ifs", there's little chance that one of Claxton or Thomas (or both) would need to be included, nor might the Nets be amicable to moving him.

That being said, if the T-Wolves want to move Gobert- and I think they absolutely need to- they're either going to need to find a partner with @40 million in cap space who'll also be willing to provide real talent in exchange for Gobert (that's tough) or identify something that can make the money match.

[M2]

I was just trying to figure out who might want Gobert, and I keep coming up with Dallas. They don't rebound, they don't block shots, they get killed in the paint. Gobert is actually a decent fit for them. Hardaway and Bertans would fit in terms of salary. It violates my rule of going cheap on a center unless that center is All-NBA, but Dallas really could use a big human who plays defense.

Also, I wonder if Quin Snyder (now in charge in Atlanta) might have any designs on bringing in Gobert

[SteelSD]

I was just trying to figure out who might want Gobert, and I keep coming up with Dallas. They don't rebound, they don't block shots, they get killed in the paint. Gobert is actually a decent fit for them. Hardaway and Bertans would fit in terms of salary. It violates my rule of going cheap on a center unless that center is All-NBA, but Dallas really could use a big human who plays defense.

Also, I wonder if Quin Snyder (now in charge in Atlanta) might have any designs on bringing in Gobert

I think you're right on the targets (particularly Atlanta). But Dallas has so little to deal right now after the Irving trade. To me, dealing Gobert for two bench players- one (Bertans) who was stuck deep there- seems like the kind of move an organization would make the day before they announce they're moving to Seattle.

[M2]

I think you're right on the targets (particularly Atlanta). But Dallas has so little to deal right now after the Irving trade. To me, dealing Gobert for two bench players- one (Bertans) who was stuck deep there- seems like the kind of move an organization would make the day before they announce they're moving to Seattle.

I suspect the reality of trading Gobert is you're only going to get flotsam for him. Maybe they could get Josh Green or Jaden Hardy thrown in there too. But the chief benefit of trading Gobert is to be rid of him. He makes no sense on a team with KAT and Naz Reid.

[Kingspoint]

April 13th, 2023 at 2:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings coach Mike Brown has been voted the National Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. It’s no surprise, considering Sacramento just ended the longest playoff drought among the four major sports leagues. The Kings went 48-34 in Brown’s first season as their head coach and will enter the postseason as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed. The Bucks’ Mike Budenholzer, Thunder’s Mark Daigneault, Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla and Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau also received votes.

This award, introduced in 2017 and named after longtime NBCA executive director Michael H. Goldberg, is voted on by the NBA’s 30 head coaches, none of whom can vote for himself. However, it isn’t the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award, which is voted on by media members and is represented by the Red Auerbach Trophy. The winner of that award will be announced later in the year. The Suns’ Monty Williams received the award the last two seasons. Brown was hired by the Kings after six-year stint as an assistant coach with the Warriors.

[Kingspoint]

Vogel interviewed today w/ HOU. Cassell interviews tomorrow.

[M2]

April 13th, 2023 at 2:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings coach Mike Brown has been voted the National Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. It’s no surprise, considering Sacramento just ended the longest playoff drought among the four major sports leagues. The Kings went 48-34 in Brown’s first season as their head coach and will enter the postseason as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed. The Bucks’ Mike Budenholzer, Thunder’s Mark Daigneault, Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla and Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau also received votes.

This award, introduced in 2017 and named after longtime NBCA executive director Michael H. Goldberg, is voted on by the NBA’s 30 head coaches, none of whom can vote for himself. However, it isn’t the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award, which is voted on by media members and is represented by the Red Auerbach Trophy. The winner of that award will be announced later in the year. The Suns’ Monty Williams received the award the last two seasons. Brown was hired by the Kings after six-year stint as an assistant coach with the Warriors.

Lots of good COY choices this year. Brown has the best story to tell by getting Sacramento to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. I'm partial to Jacque Vaughn. He took over a listless 2-5 team, got them near the top of the conference, then saw the team's two resident superstars traded away, and regrouped the team to hold onto an automatic playoff slot. I think that might be the two miracles he needs to achieve sainthood.

[Kingspoint]

Lots of good COY choices this year. Brown has the best story to tell by getting Sacramento to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. I'm partial to Jacque Vaughn. He took over a listless 2-5 team, got them near the top of the conference, then saw the team's two resident superstars traded away, and regrouped the team to hold onto an automatic playoff slot. I think that might be the two miracles he needs to achieve sainthood.

Vaughn didn't get a vote.

I think it has more to do with Sacramento getting the #3 Seed in the West, while flirting with the #2 Seed, than Sacramento just "getting to the playoffs after missing it for 17 years". Making the playoffs is an easy thing to do. You have to be tanking or have an incompetent front office to not get there.

Not having Irving makes the job of Coaching much easier.

As you mentioned earlier this season, "String Bean" is probably the best backcourt defender in the NBA and is the ultimate team player, making everyone around him better.

[Kingspoint]

As I said many times, nobody knows what the heck Portland is doing.

Lillard doesn't even know what the heck they are doing....

“I ain’t gonna say I’m putting them on the clock,” Lillard said.” I’m just saying if those things can’t be done — if we can’t do something significant like that — then we won’t have a chance to compete on that level. And then, not only will I have a decision to make, but I think the organization will, too. Because at that point, it’s like, ‘Are you gonna go young, or are we gonna get something done?’ I think we just kinda been on the fence with fully committing to either one. I just think we at that point now where everybody wants to win. They believe I deserve that opportunity.”

[Kingspoint]

“Availability is important, man. We’ve got to be available,” McCollum told reporters after the game. “We’ve got to do what we need to do off the court in terms of preparation, in terms of getting treatment, in terms of getting the right sleep, the right type of hydration, having the right type of diet.”

McCollum, who played for the Trail Blazers for nine seasons before he was traded to the Pelicans in February 2022, appeared in 75 games this season. He said he put off surgery on his right thumb three months ago so he could help the Pelicans’ playoff push. He also played with a shoulder injury – reportedly a torn labrum during the final seven games of the season.

C. J. was publicly calling out Williamson for being unprofessional and childish, and that he needs to grow up and be man, not a baby.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1646313672434753539 This is a link to Williamson looking 100% healthy, or at least five times healthier than most NBA players at this point in the season. It also shows how fat he is and that he doesn't take care of himself the way a professional athlete should, while showing zero gratitude for everything the New Orleans Pelicans and the NBA has given to him and his family.

[texasdave]

Oliver Miller is back in the league?

[dubc47834]

“Availability is important, man. We’ve got to be available,” McCollum told reporters after the game. “We’ve got to do what we need to do off the court in terms of preparation, in terms of getting treatment, in terms of getting the right sleep, the right type of hydration, having the right type of diet.”

McCollum, who played for the Trail Blazers for nine seasons before he was traded to the Pelicans in February 2022, appeared in 75 games this season. He said he put off surgery on his right thumb three months ago so he could help the Pelicans’ playoff push. He also played with a shoulder injury – reportedly a torn labrum during the final seven games of the season.

C. J. was publicly calling out Williamson for being unprofessional and childish, and that he needs to grow up and be man, not a baby.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1646313672434753539 This is a link to Williamson looking 100% healthy, or at least five times healthier than most NBA players at this point in the season. It also shows how fat he is and that he doesn't take care of himself the way a professional athlete should, while showing zero gratitude for everything the New Orleans Pelicans and the NBA has given to him and his family.

Williamson has publicly said he feels good, and that everything at this point is mental. Which I think says a lot about Williamson. If I'm the Pels, I'm looking to get rid of him now while his trade value is still relatively high.

[M2]

Vaughn didn't get a vote.

I think it has more to do with Sacramento getting the #3 Seed in the West, while flirting with the #2 Seed, than Sacramento just "getting to the playoffs after missing it for 17 years". Making the playoffs is an easy thing to do. You have to be tanking or have an incompetent front office to not get there.

Not having Irving makes the job of Coaching much easier.

As you mentioned earlier this season, "String Bean" is probably the best backcourt defender in the NBA and is the ultimate team player, making everyone around him better.

There was nothing easy about coaching the Nets this year. Kyrie tried to blow up the team twice. KD went down with an injury and then wanted a trade out of town. Ben Simmons is a human catastrophe. The team was utterly lost under Nash. Vaughn fixed that, then got a whole new set of players, figured them out, and got them to finish 6-3 to take the #6 when everyone wrote them off as play-in fodder.

Totally agreed about Bridges. Though Vaughn deserves a lot of credit for recognizing Bridges could be an ace. He upped his year-over-year shot count by 8 a game, his usage rate jumped by 11% and his free throw attempts more than tripled. Vaughn built a scheme around Bridges and empowered him to become a 26 ppg guy. That's a testament to both the player and the coach, because I don't think anyone saw that coming. And now they're calling him Brooklyn Bridges.

[M2]

Williamson has publicly said he feels good, and that everything at this point is mental. Which I think says a lot about Williamson. If I'm the Pels, I'm looking to get rid of him now while his trade value is still relatively high.

If a superstar comes available, Williamson plus picks is probably going to be the top offer. I don't see anyone beating that. Every team will think it can steer him in the right direction, and if you can then you've got an All-NBA player on your hands.

[Kingspoint]

Crappy website (full of trackers), but good article on the state of the Raptors.

https://heavy.com/sports/frustrated-fred-vanvleet-toronto-raptors-future/

One of the things the writer mentions is that like so many players in the NBA (see Simons, Grant, Kemba Walker, Trae Young, the list is long), Siakam and Trent can both score in buckets, but they don't help you win games. There's always some team or teams that think they can get wins from that type of player (see Portland), and are willing to overpay for their services, but most teams will pass on players like this, thus the Siakam, Grant and Trent markets should be weak this Summer (with the exception of the idiot TrailBlazers once again bidding against themselves for Grant).


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There was nothing easy about coaching the Nets this year.
I guess I said that in a backwards way. Doc Rivers said the other day how much easier life got for Vaughn once Irving was gone. By all rights, the Nets should have folded. I just wish I didn't hate Vaughn with a passion for the disrespect he gave to Jerry Sloan.

[Kingspoint]

In regards to Williamson, apparently there's a ton of conditions that he has to meet in order to earn his max contracts which begins next season. But, for the Pelicans to collect on that, they have to waive him.

[Kingspoint]

I don't know how the NBA can get away with fining DAL $750K for resting players when every team blatantly does this.

I hope Cuban appeals, as he should easily win this. It should result in some major rule changes.


April 14th, 2023 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have been fined $750K by the NBA for “conduct detrimental to the league,” according to a press release (Twitter link). The penalty was the result of a league investigation into Dallas’ decision to rest healthy players on Friday, April 7 during the team’s second-last game of the season, when a play-in spot was still within reach. “The Mavericks violated the league’s player resting policy and demonstrated through actions and public statements the organization’s desire to lose the game in order to improve the chances of keeping its first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft,” the NBA said in today’s statement.

The league stressed that there was no indication the players who took the court for the Mavs in the game weren’t “playing to win,” but NBA executive VP and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars said the organization’s decision to rest key players “undermined the integrity of our sport.” “The Mavericks’ actions failed our fans and our league,” Dumars added. The Mavericks ruled out All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, along with key role players Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, and Christian Wood for last Friday’s game vs. the Bulls. Due to a Slovenian event at the arena that night, Luka Doncic suited up for the first quarter but was pulled from the game early in the second quarter and didn’t return.

Dallas is hardly the only team that held out key players with dubious injury designations during the home stretch of the season. However, their choice to do so with just two games left in the season, despite being a half-game behind the Thunder in the play-in race, stood out — especially since comments made to the media by head coach Jason Kidd, among others, made the Mavs’ intentions clear. The Mavericks owe their 2023 first-round pick to the Knicks but will keep the pick if it ends up in the top 10. Having lost the last two games of the season, Dallas finished with the NBA’s 10th-worst record and have approximately an 80% chance to hang onto the first-rounder on lottery night. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $600K by the league back in 2018 for talking about how tanking would benefit his team.

[KoryMac5]

I don't know how the NBA can get away with fining DAL $750K for resting players when every team blatantly does this.

I hope Cuban appeals, as he should easily win this. It should result in some major rule changes.


April 14th, 2023 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have been fined $750K by the NBA for “conduct detrimental to the league,” according to a press release (Twitter link). The penalty was the result of a league investigation into Dallas’ decision to rest healthy players on Friday, April 7 during the team’s second-last game of the season, when a play-in spot was still within reach. “The Mavericks violated the league’s player resting policy and demonstrated through actions and public statements the organization’s desire to lose the game in order to improve the chances of keeping its first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft,” the NBA said in today’s statement.

The league stressed that there was no indication the players who took the court for the Mavs in the game weren’t “playing to win,” but NBA executive VP and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars said the organization’s decision to rest key players “undermined the integrity of our sport.” “The Mavericks’ actions failed our fans and our league,” Dumars added. The Mavericks ruled out All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, along with key role players Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, and Christian Wood for last Friday’s game vs. the Bulls. Due to a Slovenian event at the arena that night, Luka Doncic suited up for the first quarter but was pulled from the game early in the second quarter and didn’t return.

Dallas is hardly the only team that held out key players with dubious injury designations during the home stretch of the season. However, their choice to do so with just two games left in the season, despite being a half-game behind the Thunder in the play-in race, stood out — especially since comments made to the media by head coach Jason Kidd, among others, made the Mavs’ intentions clear. The Mavericks owe their 2023 first-round pick to the Knicks but will keep the pick if it ends up in the top 10. Having lost the last two games of the season, Dallas finished with the NBA’s 10th-worst record and have approximately an 80% chance to hang onto the first-rounder on lottery night. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $600K by the league back in 2018 for talking about how tanking would benefit his team.

Unfortunately for Dallas Jason Kidd admitted that Dallas was going in another direction to the media...first rule of tanking is we don't talk about tanking.

[Kingspoint]

April 23

Deadline for early entrants to declare for the NBA draft (10:59 pm CT).
Note: For more information on draft-related dates and deadlines, check out our full breakdown.
May 13-14

NBA G League Elite Camp for draft prospects.
May 15-21

NBA draft combine.
May 16

NBA draft lottery.
May 31

Last day for early entrants to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain their NCAA eligibility (10:59 pm CT).
June 1

NBA Finals begin.
June 12

Deadline for all early entrants (including international players) to withdraw from the NBA draft (4:00 pm CT).
June 18

Latest possible end date for NBA Finals.
June 22

NBA draft day.
June 29

Last day for decisions on player, team, and early termination options
Note: Certain contracts will require earlier decisions.
Last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency.
June 30

Last official day of the 2022/23 NBA league year.
Last day for players eligible for veteran extensions in 2022/23 to sign them.
Teams can begin negotiating with free agents (5:00 pm CT).
July 1

Official start of the 2023/24 NBA league year.
Moratorium period begins.
Restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet.
Teams can begin signing players to rookie scale contracts, minimum salary contracts, and two-way contracts.
Teams can begin exercising the third- or fourth-year team options for 2024/25 on rookie scale contracts.
July 6

Moratorium period ends (11:01 am CT)
Teams can begin officially signing players, extending players, and completing trades (11:01 am CT).
The 24-hour period for matching an RFA offer sheet signed during the moratorium begins (11:01 am CT).
July 7-17

Las Vegas Summer League.
July 13

Last day for teams to unilaterally withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents.
August 31

Last day for teams to waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2023/24 salaries.
September 5

Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks; those players become free agents on September 6 if not tendered.
Late September (specific dates TBA)

Training camps open.

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Unfortunately for Dallas Jason Kidd admitted that Dallas was going in another direction to the media...first rule of tanking is we don't talk about tanking.

:lol:

Billups almost blew it when he sat a healthy Shaedon Sharpe for the rest of the game in a 101-101 game with 8:45 left in the game. He had to say after the game that he was tired and then they sat him the next game with a "questionable" injury.

[M2]

Max Strus would not be denied tonight.

[Mutaman]

Bucks/ Heat will feature three old Warriors/Golden Eagles: Wesley, Crowder, and Jimmy Buckets.

[M2]

Bucks/ Heat will feature three old Warriors/Golden Eagles: Wesley, Crowder, and Jimmy Buckets.

There will be blood.

[texasdave]

James Harden has taken 15 shots so far, and has yet to go to the line. That may have never happened before in his entire career. 76ers are holding the Nets at arm's length at the start of the third quarter 69-61.

[M2]

Playoffs thoughts so far:

- Suddenly P.J. Tucker isn't a walking corpse anymore.

- The Hawks are completely overmatched against the Celtics. Probably the most lopsided matchup of the 1st round.

- Way to go Knicks (particularly their Villanova twosome of Brunson and Hart). If the Cavs can bounce back, that's going to be a great series.

[KoryMac5]

Warriors Kings has been epic...back and forth all night in the 4th

[SteelSD]

As M2 mentioned, Playoff P.J. came to play today- two threes, five offensive boards, and five steals; active and disruptive all game long. Embiid threw up a fairly efficient 26 points. James Harden hit 7 treys on his way to 23 points and posted 13 of the Sixers' 32 assists (on 42 makes). Defensively, the Nets attempted to immediately double-team Embiid and fell back to the paint, leaving the Sixers open from deep. And the NBA's top 3-point percentage team delivered, hitting a franchise playoff record 21 threes (43 attempts, 48.9%).

The Sixers bench- often a +/- question mark- finished on the positive side tonight, led by B-Ball Paul's 13 minute run of 11 points, 5 boards (2 offensive), and 2 steals. Reed had probably the game's top highlight on one offensive trip- weaving between defenders by dribbling back-to-front between his legs to shake the initial defender, avoid Dinwiddie, then faked out Joe Harris before hitting a lunging layup. His teammates went completely nuts over it, as did the crowd. Reed and Jalen McDaniels off the bench are an interesting pair; confounding the Nets on switches due to their length and agility. De'Anthony Melton led Philly in bench +/- with a +15 and pitched in five assists, but continues to have a rough go of it from the field (2-for-9 overall, 2-for-7 from deep). The Sixers will need more scoring out of him.

The Nets, led by Mikal Bridges' 30 points (screw you, Brett Brown), shot well- 55.7% from the field and 44.8% from three. But they couldn't overcome the Sixers massive offensive rebounding (+9 boards) and turnover diff (+12) advantages, resulting in 19 more shots for the Philly squad. The two teams will do it all over again on Monday night.

Other games...

Congrats to Sactown, with a really tough 126-123 win against the Warriors. Cleveland dropped the opener at home to the Knickerbockers. Personally, I think the Cavs have the stronger starting lineup, the Knicks are clearly the deeper squad. Cleveland was under .500 this year on the road (20-21) and posted a record of 21-26 against teams over .500 this season, so this might be a closer matchup than many suspect. Atlanta and Boston went pretty much as expected, which will probably continue for another three games before Atlanta goes into the offseason and figures out that they can't just run it back.

[Mutaman]

- Suddenly P.J. Tucker isn't a walking corpse anymore.

.

just when the post season started. what a coinky dink

[SteelSD]

Yikes. Ja Morant leaves the Memphis/Lakers game with an injured/re-injured hand and Giannis left the Bucks/Heat game in the first half with what appeared to be a back injury.

[Mutaman]

Not a good day for us Reds/Bucks fans.

[M2]

All upsets so far today. Can Denver win one for the overdogs?

[SteelSD]

The Clips, missing Paul George (projected out for the entire first round) took down Phoenix 115-110. That was despite having only Kawhi (+3) among their starters who were on the + side of the +/- game, and with Westbrook shooting 3-for-19. The Clippers posted 9 more offensive boards than the Suns and their bench outscored Phoenix bench 34 to 10.

I'd love to see both Phoenix and Denver lose in the first round, but Minnesota has to figure out where their points are going to come from.

[texasdave]

Tyler Herro broke his right hand. Was seen wearing a cast after the game.

[dubc47834]

Tyler Herro broke his right hand. Was seen wearing a cast after the game.

I believe he's gonna be out 4-6 weeks

[goreds2]

Both games on TNT:

Mon, 17 Apr

Nets
@
7:30 pm
76ers



Warriors
@
10:00 pm
Kings

[Mutaman]

Tyler Herro broke his right hand. Was seen wearing a cast after the game.

As I understand it, he broke his hand, was in tremendous pain, stayed in the game and hit a tough 3 point shot before departing. Which is more than any of the Bucks could do- 11 for 45 from 3 point land- 24%.

[Kingspoint]

Embiid's going to destroy the Nets tonight for 40/15/5/3/3.

[Kingspoint]

You can't blame Embiid, they aren't getting him the ball.

[Kingspoint]

Embiid's going to destroy the Nets tonight for 40/15/5/3/3.

Since he only took 11 shots, he'll have to settle for 20/19/7/1/3/+14.

- - - Updated - - -

Philly with a +23 edge on the boards.

[Kingspoint]

Golden State is not getting out of this building with a win tonight.

These fans will see to that.

- - - Updated - - -

The playoff experience Keegan Murray and this group of Sacramento players are getting this series will propel them into the next series with a renewed amount of confidence.

[Kingspoint]

I wish I was in that building tonight.

[Kingspoint]

Horrible call. That was a foul on Wiggins, not Fox.

[Kingspoint]

SAC is 0-10 from "3", with 5 TO's, and they are only down five. They will stop committing unforced errors, while they will also start hitting "3"'s. Golden State's TO's aren't unforced errors, but due to SAC's Defense.

SAC came up a bit too hyped and with some apprehension. They'll settle down with help from Sabonis, and get things going. Monk will help.

[Kingspoint]

When Sabonis comes in for his 2nd stint of the game in the 2nd Quarter, everything will change Offensively for Sacramento. The stage is too big for Keegan Murray tonight. He should play fewer minutes. Great stint for Alex Lin in the 1st Quarter. Fox has been too loose with the ball and made many poor decisions so far. He'll settle down. Barnes had a very good first stint. I'd have Barnes, Sabonis, Monk, Fox and Heurter for most of the 2nd Quarter's final 8 minutes. Bring Murray in to start the 2nd, but not to finish it.

[Kingspoint]

Wow!!!!!

:jump::jump:

[Kingspoint]

Obviously Flagrant Foul by Green with an assault to the face. Doesn't even get looked at. Heurter responds with an "In-Your-FACE!!!" Three!

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Double-dribble by Thompson! No call! WTF!

- - - Updated - - -

"Refs You Suck!" "Refs You Suck!"

[RedTeamGo!]

Green is the worst.

Pretty cool how excited the kings fans are

[Kingspoint]

Curry keeps getting B.S. calls when he flops to the ground.

"Refs You Suck!"

[Kingspoint]

Mitchell's been great!

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Knew going into the series that Sacramento was going to have to win 5 vs 8.

That phoney press conference by Draymond Green will change as the series goes on and they find themselves about to lose it. The real Draymond Green will show up at the press conference.

[Kingspoint]

Fox has been settling for "3"'s way too much. That's not his game. He needs to penetrate and get himself to the basket. Force the refs to put him at the free throw line.

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Shut up, Draymond! You whiney little baby.

[RedTeamGo!]

Warriors are hacking the crap out of Sabonis

[Kingspoint]

Barnes has had a perfect 1st Half. That shot Sabonis took to his jawbone and cheekbone off of Curry's thigh was quite a blow.

- - - Updated - - -

Like the announcer Mark Jackson said, "The good teams close out the halves"; and, Sacramento closed it out on a 6-0 run and doing it at the rim. They outmuscled the Warriors to end the half.

[Kingspoint]

24-16 points in the paint edge for the Kings. 9-5 Offensive Rebound edge. 7 more shot attempts for the Kings.

Warriors with a 13-2 pt Fast Break edge. That will stabilize, if not flip-flop.

[Kingspoint]

Kerr interview at the end of the 1st Quarter:

"I don't care about that (in response to the number of turnovers that Sacramento created against them in the 1st Quarter). Our Defense is playing great."

SAC outscores that "great San Francisco Defense" 41-29 in the 2nd Quarter.

[Kingspoint]

SAC wins Games 1 & 2.

GSW win Game 3.

SAC wins Game 4.

GSW win Games 5 & 6.

SAC wins Game 7.

[Kingspoint]

When DiVincenzo came in, Barnes instantly recognized it and posted him up giving Sabonis an easy opportunity to get position for the Offensive Rebound resulting in Looney's 5th foul. Green already has 4 fouls. Though Keegan Murray is struggling in this game, and he was aptly and wisely removed from the closing of the first half from Brown, his smarts and length provide an advantage to begin the 2nd Half that is taking Golden State out of this game one foul and one advantage at a time.

When Fox gets into the lane, good things happen for Sacramento. He either scores, gets to the line or gets an open look for a teammate.

[M2]

I don't care how they get to game 7, as long as they do.

[Kingspoint]

Looking forward to Alex Lin's 2nd Half...and Mitchell's and Monk's.

- - - Updated - - -


I don't care how they get to game 7, as long as they do.

I hope they sweep them.

[Kingspoint]

SAC is back to settling for ill-advised "3"'s, and that's just going to let GSW back in the game. They need to be pounding the paint with the Warrior bigs in fould trouble already. Those were three lost possessions. GSW didn't score on two of them, but they lost time as Sabonis will have to come out of the game about now.

[Kingspoint]

Apparently, Brown just said he's OK with them settling for "3"'s, which is why Golden State has gotten back in the game. He contradicts that by saying they need to get on the Offensive glass, which you just can't do when you are taking "3"'s. The Offensive glass only works when you get into the paint, and missed "3"'s are like turnovers as they lead to easy transition buckets.

[Kingspoint]

I would have brought Murray in to Start the 4th and take Lyles out. Let Barnes play all 12 minutes of the 4th. Start the 4th with Len. (I kept typing Lin.)

[Kingspoint]

Yeah, Sabonis tries to grab his leg.

Should be tech on Sabonis and Green needs to be tossed with a Flag-2.

- - - Updated - - -

Nice to see Fox get into the paint three straight times down the floor. They scored on two of them and the other the ball went in, then out of the basket.

Sabonis, while he does get hurt, whines and fakes a lot about fouls that never happen. I'm sure he's taking this further than he was actually hurt. It's still a Flagrant-2 and should be automatic ejection.

[Kingspoint]

I can't believe they got it right.

[Kingspoint]

Mitchell needs to stop shooting "3"'s. It's terrible Offense for SAC, while it lets his man (Curry) roam free for a transition bucket, so it's even horrible Defense for the next sequence. His taking "3"'s has multiple negative effects. He's in there as a 3-Guard rotation because Murray is inexperienced, and he's supposed to be in there to Guard Curry. If he instead would take that open "3" and drive to the rim, he'll create an open "3" for a better shooter which gives him time to find where Curry is and cover him on the transition play should there be a miss. He, of course, can shoot from the paint, too, which gives SAC a chance for an Offensive Rebound.

[Kingspoint]

That's when you take a "3"!

- - - Updated - - -

Sabonis was standing on his toes. The heals were not touching the line.

If they overturn this, it's one more reason why the NBA is fixed.

- - - Updated - - -

Jackson is exactly right.

[Kingspoint]

The league is so fixed. New Jersey calls anything they want. Never has anything to do with what actually happens.

They so much don't want SAC to win this series.

[M2]

I hope they sweep them.

But you seemed so disinvested in the outcome until this post.

[Kingspoint]

That Mitchell "3" was in the flow. Perfect time to take it.

Great win by SAC. Refs did a decent job compared to most Golden State Warrior games that I've seen. New Jersey does what they want.

- - - Updated - - -


But you seemed so disinvested in the outcome until this post.

:laugh:

- - - Updated - - -

I pray for safety on the streets of Sacramento tonight.

It's only Game 2, and it's a Monday Night, but there's going to be some hell raised tonight.

[Kingspoint]

Great job by Fox in the 4th focusing on getting shots off in the paint and at the rim.

Superb job by Harrison Barnes tonight. Thought he was their best player, and the best player on the floor for either team.

[Kingspoint]

Some alien in another planet of the Milky Way is wondering (when the light gets there), what the heck is going on with that light coming from that planet. They did that two Orks ago, too. Just started doing that recently. Let's send a probe to find out.

25 years from now from Earth....there's a UFO above Sacramento, the City of Five NBA Championships.

[Kingspoint]

You don't dunk the ball up by 6 with 7.5 seconds left, but Golden State was still playing Defense and Golden State deserves it, so screw it.

"Dunk by Sabonis to close it out!"

The ejection means Green will have to pay some money, too. It doesn't matter how much money you have, it still hurts to have to give it up.

- - - Updated - - -

Steve Kerr is a real turd, too. Can't stand that human being.

[Kingspoint]

With that Sacramento crowd, I don't know how any team is going to win a game in the playoffs in that building.

Sacramento played far from their best. Their Offense was average to sub-average. Sacramento's Defense was very good most of the time, but they did do poorly defending the rim when they had Mitchell, Fox and Monk in at the same time. The problem there was that Lyles wasn't ready for this stage and neither was Murray except for the beginning of halves. Nothing against Murray, but he was in the NCAA tournament 13 months ago with just two games in the Summer League. He's had a lot of basketball this year, and there's just a ton for him to learn.

Len hardly saw the 2nd Half. He should have played 8 minutes of it instead of 8 minutes for the whole game. Would like to see Holmes instead of Lyles coming into the game @ San Francisco, but I know that's not going to happen. Holmes would not be in awe of anything Golden State, home or road. Lyles is.

[Kingspoint]

SAC outscored GSW 10-4 in Fast Break points in the 2nd Half. SAC had 16 more points off of Turnovers than the Warriors.

- - - Updated - - -

Where's the Draymond Green press conference?

His taking the high road lasted as long as expected...one game.

He looks like a 3-year old telling his Mom. "I didn't break it. That kid down the street did it."

[goreds2]

Game 2, Tuesday: Atlanta at Boston, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV

Game 2, Tuesday: New York at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Game 2, Tuesday: Los Angeles at Phoenix, 10 p.m. ET, TNT

[KoryMac5]

You don't dunk the ball up by 6 with 7.5 seconds left, but Golden State was still playing Defense and Golden State deserves it, so screw it.

"Dunk by Sabonis to close it out!"

The ejection means Green will have to pay some money, too. It doesn't matter how much money you have, it still hurts to have to give it up.

- - - Updated - - -

Steve Kerr is a real turd, too. Can't stand that human being.

I don't think I have ever seen someone say a bad thing about Kerr he is pretty universally liked in the NBA...

[M2]

I don't think I have ever seen someone say a bad thing about Kerr he is pretty universally liked in the NBA...

Someone's a little sore about Golden State dominating the last decade of the NBA. I was going to remind him that win or lose in this series, the Dubs still have four rings and the core guys are all going to the HOF, but he seems to need this.

[Kingspoint]

I know there's only 2 minutes left in the 3rd and they're down 21, but I expect the Knicks to get this to within one possession before it's over.

- - - Updated - - -


I don't think I have ever seen someone say a bad thing about Kerr he is pretty universally liked in the NBA...

Just not true. Not at all. He's a complete ass.

[Kingspoint]

Someone's a little sore about Golden State dominating the last decade of the NBA. I was going to remind him that win or lose in this series, the Dubs still have four rings and the core guys are all going to the HOF, but he seems to need this.

Wins and losses have nothing to do with the character of a person. I would think you would know that. Kerr was an ass when he was with the Suns.

Being well-liked around the NBA is anything from a positive endorsement, as most NBA players are asses.

[Kingspoint]

Cavs would not be denied. Sets up for two great games in New York.

[M2]

Wins and losses have nothing to do with the character of a person. I would think you would know that. Kerr was an ass when he was with the Suns.

Being well-liked around the NBA is anything from a positive endorsement, as most NBA players are asses.

I couldn't care less about character assessments of people you've never met. You don't like the Warriors. We get it. Doesn't change that they get to point to the scoreboard for the past decade.

It might be coming to an end for them, which would be interesting to talk about rather than your aching need for it to come to an end for them.

[M2]

Just dawned on me this is the first time KD and Russ have collided in the playoffs since they parted ways.

[Kingspoint]

Nice win for the House of the Rising Sun.

- - - Updated - - -


I couldn't care less about character assessments of people you've never met. You don't like the Warriors. We get it. Doesn't change that they get to point to the scoreboard for the past decade.

It might be coming to an end for them, which would be interesting to talk about rather than your aching need for it to come to an end for them.

Don't like seeing poor character people get rewarded in Life with accomplishments that are praised by the "common masses".

[dubc47834]

I know there's only 2 minutes left in the 3rd and they're down 21, but I expect the Knicks to get this to within one possession before it's over.

- - - Updated - - -



Just not true. Not at all. He's a complete ass.

Why...because his teams generally stomp the Blazers?

- - - Updated - - -


Nice win for the House of the Rising Sun.

- - - Updated - - -



Don't like seeing poor character people get rewarded in Life with accomplishments that are praised by the "common masses".

What's he done that's in poor character?

Chauncey Billups anyone?

[Boston Red]

I'm with you guys who think Kerr is fine. Draymond Green, on the other hand,...

[M2]

I'm with you guys who think Kerr is fine. Draymond Green, on the other hand,...

My take on Draymond is he's the kind of guy you love when he's on your team.

[Boston Red]

My take on Draymond is he's the kind of guy you love when he's on your team.

I'm sure. I don't dislike the Warriors (I don't understand anyone who doesn't like Curry), but they're not my team.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Went to Cavs Knicks last night. Crowd and the team really showed up. Will be interesting to see how the Knicks respond at home. The more physical team has won the first 2 games, but it seems like one of these teams will have an offensive explosion in the Garden.

[Rojo Rijo]

The amount of people criticizing the suspension with "But Sabonis...." is ridiculous and a testament to todays society where every stupid action is argued with the defense of "but they did......"

The stomp was bad enough but then choosing to engage in a screaming match with the fans instead of just leaving like you should, that's what sealed the deal IMO. Especially with Silver in attendance.

[Rojo Rijo]

Went to Cavs Knicks last night. Crowd and the team really showed up. Will be interesting to see how the Knicks respond at home. The more physical team has won the first 2 games, but it seems like one of these teams will have an offensive explosion in the Garden.

That and Suns/Clips are my two favorite series and ones I expect/hope will go 7.

[BuckeyeRed27]

That and Suns/Clips are my two favorite series and ones I expect/hope will go 7.

I have Game 7 tickets I hope to not have to use haha

I don’t know if the Cavs unlocked something or if the Knicks had a bad game. I suspect it’s a bit of a combo, but I don’t expect the Cavs to win 2 in New York.

[dubc47834]

The amount of people criticizing the suspension with "But Sabonis...." is ridiculous and a testament to todays society where every stupid action is argued with the defense of "but they did......"

The stomp was bad enough but then choosing to engage in a screaming match with the fans instead of just leaving like you should, that's what sealed the deal IMO. Especially with Silver in attendance.

Could have easily lead to some violence! I think they were pretty lucky it didn't. All it took was 1 fan to throw a drink and bam, another Malice in the Palace!

[Rojo Rijo]

Could have easily lead to some violence! I think they were pretty lucky it didn't. All it took was 1 fan to throw a drink and bam, another Malice in the Palace!

Could've been. I'll always have a special place in my heart for the MATP as it occurred on my 21st birthday.

[KoryMac5]

Draymond would be the ultimate WWE villian...he brings heat wherever he goes.

[Kingspoint]

I think the tide has turned against the Warriors. They are no longer the darlings of the NBA and the NBA knows when to jump onto a new bandwagon (just as most Lakers fans and Warriors fans have done their entire lives). It's pretty clear that the Kings are going to be the darlings of California for the next five-plus years and that the ancient Warriors, Clippers and Lakers are all headed for lottery tickets before they ever sniff another Western Conference Final appearance. Just like those teams' fans, their players will be jumping ship as quickly as they can. The NBA is going to beat them to the punch.

NBA VP Dumars Explains Thinking Behind Draymond Suspension

April 19th, 2023 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After the NBA announced late on Tuesday night that Warriors forward Draymond Green would be suspended for Game 3 against Sacramento for stepping on Domantas Sabonis in Game 2, NBA vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars has done the media rounds on Wednesday to explain the thinking behind the controversial decision. Speaking to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, Dumars stressed that league officials spent much of Tuesday deliberating their response, noting that it was “not some snap-of-the-finger decision.” In a phone interview with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Dumars said there were three primary factors that went into the ruling to suspend Green for one game. “Here’s what it came down to: Excessive and over-the-top actions, conduct detrimental (to the league), and a repeat offender,” Dumars said. “That’s what separates this where you end up with a suspension.” As Dumars notes – and as the NBA mentioned in its initial announcement – the league weighed Green’s history of unsportsmanlike acts in its decision. He has racked up 162 career technical fouls, 17 ejections, and now four suspensions, per Wojnarowski.

Asked if someone with a cleaner record might have received a lesser punishment, Dumars didn’t offer a definitive answer. “It may have been, but the act itself still would have been looked at in a serious way — stomping on a guy’s chest,” he told ESPN. “On the back end of this act, you add repeat offender and that’s how you end up getting to a suspension.” During the moments when the play was being reviewed on the court in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game, Green responded to the vitriol he was receiving from fans in Sacramento by standing on a chair, egging them on, and taunting them back. Although that wasn’t a primary reason for the suspension, Dumars acknowledged to both Reynolds and Wojnarowski that it was a factor, referring to Green’s behavior as “not helpful.” “The stuff that happened afterward, that doesn’t help the situation,” Dumars told The Associated Press. “But if it was just that alone, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I focused on the act itself, the fact that it’s a repeat offense, those were the two main things.” Within an hour of the NBA’s announcement on Tuesday night, the Kings made an announcement of their own, issuing a press release to say that Sabonis had been diagnosed with a sternum contusion and would be listed as questionable for Game 3 (Twitter link via Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento).

The league was aware of that diagnosis before announcing Green’s suspension, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Sabonis’ injury wasn’t a major factor in the decision, though Dumars did tell Wojnarowski that “you don’t ignore that.” As for why Sabonis didn’t face any additional penalty of his own for grabbing Green’s leg just before being stepped on, Dumars said the NBA determined that the game’s referees made the correct ruling on the court and felt that no further punishment was warranted for the Kings center. “Sabonis was penalized in the game with a technical foul and Golden State gets the free throw,” Dumars told ESPN. “It wasn’t like (Sabonis) didn’t get off without any punishment, but we didn’t think that rose to the level of excessive and over-the-top, conduct detrimental and repeat offender. That’s why you separate those two and deal with one act on the court — and then another act.”

- - - Updated - - -


My take on Draymond is he's the kind of guy you love when he's on your team.

If you have no character of your own, I guess.

[M2]

If you have no character of your own, I guess.

You know, I didn't type out the sentence I was thinking yesterday that some consider it low character to constantly make character judgments of people you don't know. They also might consider it shallow when that same person constantly derides people whose main fault seems to be that they're involved with a sports team that person doesn't like.

And that omission is on me. My bad. I definitely should have said that.

[Kingspoint]

They also might consider it shallow when that same person constantly derides people whose main fault seems to be that they're involved with a sports team that person doesn't like.

And that omission is on me. My bad. I definitely should have said that. That's just a demonstration of your own judgements about people and lack of understanding that winning and losing, as I've said before, but you like to make your own judgements about people you don't know, that winning and losing has never played a part of how I judge the character of a person, unlike someone who would support Draymond Green.

Everyone needs a different amount of information to "get to know someone". It doesn't take much for most people to "get to know Draymond Green".

Every single person, every single second of every single encounter of every single bit of information that enters their field is making a judgement about that information. Every single person has a different ability to assess that information and get it right and get it wrong for a billion different reasons. That's the basic concept of Life itself.

I personally downgrade anyone's personal character who supports poor character in others. You've already demonstrated in previous posts how you don't understand the basic concept of abuse of power, so I don't expect you to understand this, either.

- - - Updated - - -

April 19th, 2023 at 5:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tommy Sheppard has been dismissed as general manager of the Wizards, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

[M2]

That's just a demonstration of your own judgements about people and lack of understanding that winning and losing, as I've said before, but you like to make your own judgements about people you don't know, that winning and losing has never played a part of how I judge the character of a person, unlike someone who would support Draymond Green.

Seek professional help.

[Kingspoint]

Mike Brown Named Coach Of The Year

April 19th, 2023 at 6:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

After leading the Kings to the third seed in the West and snapping a 16-year playoff drought in his first season in Sacramento, Mike Brown has been honored as the NBA’s Coach of The Year, the team announced (via Twitter). Brown, who was also named Coach of the Year in 2009, will be awarded the first-ever Red Auerbach Trophy. He received all 100 first-place votes, marking the first time in league history that the award has been unanimous.

The Thunder’s Mark Daigneault finished second with 48 second-place votes and 20 third-place votes, while first-year Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was third with 18 second-place votes and 23 third-place votes. The Cavaliers’ J.B. Bickerstaff and the Nuggets’ Michael Malone rounded out the top five. When the Kings hired him last year, Brown said he wanted to do more than just get the team into the postseason. His goal was to build a team that could win in the playoffs and possibly challenge for an NBA title. Brown was able to do that quickly, unlocking the potential of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis on one of the league’s most exciting teams. Sacramento led the league with 120.7 points per game while posting a 48-34 record. Brown is the first Sacramento coach to win the honor and the third in the history of the franchise, according to Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 (Twitter link). The others were Phil Johnson in 1975 and Cotton Fitzsimmons in 1979.

[Kingspoint]

Seek professional help.

You continue to show your class.

Staying on the subject of poor character around the NBA and the whining that takes place whenever someone tries to address (kind of like so many fans who tolerate it, or don't recognize it like the Warriors over and over and over and over and over again)...

More whining from the Warriors and more denial of that organization's continued unaccountability for poor behavior from the top of the organization to the bottom of it.

Warriors Reportedly “Shocked,” Angry Over Draymond Green’s Suspension

April 19th, 2023 at 5:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

There was surprise and anger when the Warriors learned about Draymond Green‘s suspension for Game 3 of their playoff series with the Kings, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his latest podcast (hat tip to Real GM).
Green will be forced to sit out Thursday’s game for stepping on Domantas Sabonis while he was lying on the court during the fourth quarter of Game 2. Green was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and was ejected after spending several minutes inciting the Sacramento crowd during a review of the play.

NBA vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars explained on Wednesday that Green’s status as a “repeat offender” factored into the decision to impose a suspension without pay, rather than just a fine. Dumars also cited “excessive and over-the-top actions” and “conduct detrimental (to the league).” Lowe adds that part of the Warriors’ frustration with the ruling is their feeling that Sabonis has been allowed to be overly physical in the first two games of the series. Golden State players and coaches believe that referees are permitting him to get away with too much, which is why Green reacted in the way that he did.

“There’s a sense in the organization that Sabonis is shoving people on offensive rebounds and playing with his elbows out and using the ball as a weapon on offense,” Lowe said. “So of course someone eventually retaliated. You can give that any validity you want.”

Speaking today with reporters, coach Steve Kerr admitted being “extremely surprised” by the suspension, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Green addressed the team during today’s practice, Andrews adds, but Kerr declined to reveal any details (Twitter link). “There’s no time to spend worrying about it … it doesn’t matter,” Kerr said about the suspension. “We know what the league decided to do and we have to respond accordingly.”

[SteelSD]

You continue to show your class.

I have no idea why, but it's like you have a compulsion to turn on everyone who remains willing to talk basketball with you. You clearly hate hate HATE the Golden State Warriors, but why must that spill over as character indictments of those who simply disagree with your take(s)? First, you know that most of what you post is a flaming hot take, right? Extreme views. How do you post things you know will be controversial and then stab people when they identify that?

It's not everyone else's fault.

[M2]

The Bucks tonight are bringing back shades of 2021 when they eliminated the Hawks with Giannis on the shelf. Holiday and Lopez are mauling the Heat.

[M2]

Watching Victor Oladipo now, it's hard to believe he was an All-NBA player just five years ago. He never recovered from that quad tendon injury.

[Mutaman]

Eric Nehm
@eric_nehm
·
59m
Jrue Holiday tells reporters that he told Giannis Antetokounmpo that they could hold it down for him in Game 2 tonight.

Holiday: "I told him this morning. Like, I know you're gonna wanna come back, but if you don't, just know we got you."

[dubc47834]

That's just a demonstration of your own judgements about people and lack of understanding that winning and losing, as I've said before, but you like to make your own judgements about people you don't know, that winning and losing has never played a part of how I judge the character of a person, unlike someone who would support Draymond Green.

Everyone needs a different amount of information to "get to know someone". It doesn't take much for most people to "get to know Draymond Green".

Every single person, every single second of every single encounter of every single bit of information that enters their field is making a judgement about that information. Every single person has a different ability to assess that information and get it right and get it wrong for a billion different reasons. That's the basic concept of Life itself.

I personally downgrade anyone's personal character who supports poor character in others. You've already demonstrated in previous posts how you don't understand the basic concept of abuse of power, so I don't expect you to understand this, either.

- - - Updated - - -

April 19th, 2023 at 5:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tommy Sheppard has been dismissed as general manager of the Wizards, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Says the guy who supports a team who supports a known sexual assailant!

[BuckeyeRed27]

Watching Victor Oladipo now, it's hard to believe he was an All-NBA player just five years ago. He never recovered from that quad tendon injury.

I went to a couple games in the 2018 Cavs Pacers series before Lebron left. That was a 7 game series and he was the best player on the floor in a few of those games.

[SteelSD]

Oh, Joel. Don't kick people. Bad.

[M2]

Oh, Joel. Don't kick people. Bad.

I blame Draymond Green.

[Kingspoint]

Says the guy who supports a team who supports a known sexual assailant!

Who?

You do know that Trail Blazer fans are the only fans in the entire World who rode their bad seeds out of town on a rail and forced Ownership to making a mission statement that emphasized character first over playing ability? So, there's no contradiction here.

If you're talking about the Bengals' I've derailed Ownership publicly for their bad seeds since Day 1.

[SteelSD]

Well, then. Harden gets tossed for trying to clear space and apparently hitting Royce O'Neale in the groin. Very winnable game here, but the Sixers just poured gasoline on themselves and lit a match in that third quarter. Brooklyn's been chippy as heck, and Tony Brothers is blind as a bat, as usual, but don't toss a win away in the playoffs. Yeesh.

[Kingspoint]

It's hard to get a contest that's not negatively effected by Brothers.

[SteelSD]

Claxton tossed too for his second tech.

The officiating crew won't call fouls on Brooklyn. They just won't call them. Crazy.

Five minutes left in the fourth quarter and not a single foul called on Brooklyn in the second half. Not one, yet they're mugging everyone who gets the ball or drives the lane.

[Kingspoint]

Claxton tossed too for his second tech.

The officiating crew won't call fouls on Brooklyn. They just won't call them. Crazy.

It makes it so much easier to play basketball when you know you are going to get away with things.

[Kingspoint]

That should have taken away what life was left of the Nets.

Should be an easy Game 4 win and then the Sixers can rest and wait. Get that body healed for Embiid.

[SteelSD]

That was harder than it needed to be. 22-13 advantage in free throws for the Nets. Garbage. Tyrese Maxey = Closer. Man, he was good in the fourth.

The Nets are doing their best to double Embiid, before he even catches the ball, and then hacking away at him. That works to restrict Embiid's shots when officials just let the muggings go. But it doesn't work to restrict everyone else that beats them.

[goreds2]

Fun fun fun watching the 76ers win tonight. Watched at the camper which makes it even more fun. 3 zip !

[M2]

De'Anthony Melton with a +24 in 30 minutes. Seriously great pickup last summer.

[Kingspoint]

Great 1st Quarter by the Kings. Down in the series 2-0, the Warriors had all the momentum that they should have come out on fire with energy and emotion and raced to some kind of double-digit lead in the quarter.

They didn't.

Down single digits going into the 2nd Quarter, the Kings withstood the Warriors 1st punch and have them right where they want them.

[M2]

At the end of the 1st quarter of the Kings-Warriors game, Donte DiVincenzo just scored one of the sickest buckets I've seen in a long time.

Video - https://twitter.com/BackcourtAlerts/status/1649241862216069121

[dubc47834]

Who?

You do know that Trail Blazer fans are the only fans in the entire World who rode their bad seeds out of town on a rail and forced Ownership to making a mission statement that emphasized character first over playing ability? So, there's no contradiction here.

If you're talking about the Bengals' I've derailed Ownership publicly for their bad seeds since Day 1.

Chauncey Billups...really bruh

[Fil3232]

At the end of the 1st quarter of the Kings-Warriors game, Donte DiVincenzo just scored one of the sickest buckets I've seen in a long time.

Video - https://twitter.com/BackcourtAlerts/status/1649241862216069121

It was a clear double dribble though

[M2]

It was a clear double dribble though

Upon review, yeah.

[M2]

Kevon Looney wins boxscore of the year: 4-20-9.

[Rojo Rijo]

Kevon Looney wins boxscore of the year: 4-20-9.

I got a ton of respect for this guy after his response when questioned about how Sabonis was playing in the first two games. He just straight up was like, that's just how we play in the paint, you just hope the calls land in your favor. I love seeing those kind of responses nowadays. It lets me know there is still respect for the game itself.

[goreds2]

Saturday, April 22, 2023
MATCHUP


PHI
East 1st Round - Game 4, PHI leads series 3-0
@
BKN
1:00 PM
TNT


PHX
West 1st Round - Game 4, PHX leads series 2-1
@
LAC
3:30 PM
TNT


MIL
East 1st Round - Game 3, Series tied 1-1
@
MIA
7:30 PM
ESPN


MEM
West 1st Round - Game 3, Series tied 1-1
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LAL
10:00 PM
ESPN

[SteelSD]

Hard to know what to make of last night's playoff games.

In Atlanta, the Hawks rode a 41-point second quarter and held off Boston down the stretch to pull off a 130-122 upset win. Unfortunately, it felt more like a dead cat bounce than it did a sign of life for Atlanta.

The Cavs/Knicks series travelled to New York, and the Knicks throttled Cleveland 99-79. The two teams traded off long streaks where either or both simply could not hit shots. The Cavs posted only 32 points in the first half in a game the Knicks won by being the least worst for longer.

Of the three games, only the Denver/Minnesota tilt felt normal. The T'wolves put up some fight on their home court, but the Nuggets simply have a talent edge- winning 120 to 111, despite Minnesota finishing the game with a 35-to-13 advantage in free throw attempts. I'm not even sure how that happens, given that Denver was called for only 5 more fouls. Minnesota has a couple glaring issues at this point. First, their bench is incredibly thin; posting only 10 points last night. Second, after watching the game, I'm not sure there's any way to integrate both Towns and Gobert on either end of the court. Offensively, neither player can create their own shot. Towns placement- almost exclusively on the perimeter- has turned him into a functionally worse version of Micheal Porter Jr. Defensively, Towns simply can't hang with forwards, particularly if they're athletic, and Gobert can't switch onto any perimeter player, period. Both were abused by back-screens all night long. I'm calling the spandex rule on this two-center pairing- as in, it seems like a good idea, but never is.

Lastly, game four of the Sixers/Nets is today at 12 PM CT/1 PM ET. Philly will be without Joel Embiid, who's out with a spained knee acquired in one of any number of muggings the Nets were allowed to get away with last game. I mentioned, some time ago, that the NBA has an issue with allowing instigators to get out of hand and how it would eventually lead to injury. Seems that Glenn Rivers reviewed my posts and decided to channel it when speaking to the media:


"I'm going to say this, and I probably shouldn't: I didn't think Draymond [Green] should have been suspended," Rivers said Friday, referring to the Golden State Warriors star's suspension for stomping on the Sacramento Kings' Domantas Sabonis. "And I think the league is setting up a very dangerous precedent right now, and this is not me campaigning, and I'm dead serious.

"... If we're going to start punishing the retaliators, and not the instigators, then we've got a problem in this league."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/36256363/doc-rivers-says-nba-address-teams-goading-star-players

A more complete version of his comments are posted here: https://www.libertyballers.com/2023/4/21/23693276/2023-nba-playoffs-sixers-nets-game-3-joel-embiid-nic-claxton-james-harden-ejection-doc-rivers

To be clear, I do not support Embiid kicking at a guy's leg in retaliation to a taunt. I do not, for a second, believe that James Harden should have been ejected. That was an overreach by bumbling officals who may have been motivated to send some "message" knowing that they'd let the game get out of hand at that point (probably why Claxton's second tech was called too). But that's on them. I also do not believe that Draymond Green should be stomping on a guy's midsection, and I support the Flagrant 2 call in that game. But I also don't agree with Green being suspended for it, because I get having a strong reaction when someone intentionally goes after your leg. That's an incredibly dangerous act, at best. At worst, that's intent to injure. Both Green and Sabonis could have, and maybe should have, been tossed. Embiid too.

And maybe Joel being ejected would have been a better outcome even if the Sixers lost game three. Because now we have a guy who might just be the league MVP injured after being hit repeatedly (per Jaque Vaughn's instructions, BTW) for an entire game. He'll miss a minimum of one game after needing an MRI. About four defensive fouls could be called every time Embiid attempts to position himself anywhere near the paint. The guy can't get near the hoop in this series without absorbing three times the level of contact that would draw a foul call for just about any perimeter player. Spencer Dinwiddie gets ticky-tacked to the line for 10 free throws. Embiid gets assaulted on nearly every play. He gets five attempts, a strained back, a sprained knee, multiple hits to the head area, and probably two dozen bruises. Seventeen minutes of basketball after halftime. No fouls called on the Nets. None. Nick Claxton- a backup-level center, who scored 0 points in game two- learned nothing from the tech he earned with his "stepover" routine, then continued his antics unabated- intentionally going after Embiid's lower back and, along with Royce O'Neale, constantly hacking and shoving the guy. Nothing called. Incentive to continue. Escalate if possible. Ridiculous.

I get how "playoff basketball" works. But, to an infinitely greater extent, so does Coach Rivers. And he's not wrong. Nor was I.

[Mitri]

I knew the Knicks defense was better than the regular season numbers would lead you to believe, but not this good. Mitchell Robinson was a force last night. Josh Hart continues to be the most impactful trade-deadline piece not named KD. Even bench pieces like Toppin (4 steals in 15 mins)/Hartenstein really made a huge difference last night and showed how thin the Cavs bench truly is. As a Knicks fan, I'm feeling much better after last night; my hope is the Knicks depth wears them out over the next 3-4 games.

Also, last night is why the Knicks will continue to hesitate trading away R.J. Barrett. At his best he's strong in the paint, good in transition and can get hot on the perimeter. His defense was focused and aggressive in the right moments. He got going early and allowed the spacing to get Brunson going and the game was history by the midway point in the 3rd Q. A couple of good playoff performances would do wonder to his trade value, or at the very least his confidence.

Knicks will have some decisions to make this summer with one or more of Barrett, Grimes, Toppin, or Quickley on the move. Hell, maybe they find a team that wants to build around Randle (maybe the Sixers would be interested in Randle, Grimes and picks for Embiid if he requests a trade?). But I feel like even if they ran it back as-is for another season they'll be better in a year no matter what. Things are looking up.

[RedTeamGo!]

I mean, was it good defense or could the Cavs just not hit literally anything? So many missed open looks.

[M2]

Also, last night is why the Knicks will continue to hesitate trading away R.J. Barrett. At his best he's strong in the paint, good in transition and can get hot on the perimeter. His defense was focused and aggressive in the right moments. He got going early and allowed the spacing to get Brunson going and the game was history by the midway point in the 3rd Q. A couple of good playoff performances would do wonder to his trade value, or at the very least his confidence.

The Cavs are a good matchup for Barrett in that their weakness is on the wings. I suspect he's in for much longer nights if they meet Milwaukee in the next round. I remain solidly in the "trade him" camp given his sub-.500 eFG% and underwater Net Rating, so I'd look at this series as a value booster to move him for a better player in the summer. Though I doubt they'll do that.

[BuckeyeRed27]

I mean, was it good defense or could the Cavs just not hit literally anything? So many missed open looks.

Yeah that was a young team with most of them playing their first road playoff game and not handing it well…at all.

Honestly I thought both teams sucked. The Knicks just sucked less. I’d have bet my mortgage on the Cavs if you told me the Knicks weren’t gonna break 100. Alas.

[SteelSD]

Missing Embiid, Philly shot under 40% from the field against the Nets today. James Harden forgot how to make a floater or layup. Tyrese Maxey couldn't buy a call and P.J. Tucker couldn't hit an open three.

None of it mattered.

Tobias Harris stepped up BIG, with 25 points and 10 boards while exploiting switches all day long. Paul Reed, who looked confused for about five minutes in the first quarter, got himself straight and went crazy in the second half, with 8 offensive boards (15 total) and double-doubling with 10 points. De'Anthony Melton was also nutty good in the fourth- hitting three treys and ringing up all of his 15 points in that frame to help close out the game and the series; finishing up a perfect season against the Nets. Philly won the rebound battle 53 to 38 and, led by B-Ball Paul, were +10 on offensive boards. The Sixers left the first quarter down by seven and then just throttled the Nets on the defensive end of the court; forcing bad shot after bad shot.

For the Nets, Mikal Bridges (6-for-18) struggled just about as badly as Harden- hitting only four shots from the floor and zero threes until the final 13 seconds of the game; a point at whcih Philly was already just letting the shot clock run out when they had the ball. Cam Johnson also could get a bucket to fall to save the Nets season, posting a 4-for-13 effort with only one of six falling from deep. The vaunted sharpshooters from the Nets' bench were even worse at a combined 1-for-14 for the game from beyond the three-point line.

And the proverbial icing on the cake was that Ben Simmons was there sitting on that Nets bench- not playing basketball, as usual.

Now it's time for Philly to rest up, heal up, and prepare for what should be a MUCH tougher opponent in Round 2. Get well, Joel. They're gonna' need ya'.


https://youtu.be/w8kitwhOUTE

[BuckeyeRed27]

Missing Embiid, Philly shot under 40% from the field against the Nets today. James Harden forgot how to make a floater or layup. Tyrese Maxey couldn't buy a call and P.J. Tucker couldn't hit an open three.

None of it mattered.

Tobias Harris stepped up BIG, with 25 points and 10 boards while exploiting switches all day long. Paul Reed, who looked confused for about five minutes in the first quarter, got himself straight and went crazy in the second half, with 8 offensive boards (15 total) and double-doubling with 10 points. De'Anthony Melton was also nutty good in the fourth- hitting three treys and ringing up all of his 15 points in that frame to help close out the game and the series; finishing up a perfect season against the Nets. Philly won the rebound battle 53 to 38 and, led by B-Ball Paul, were +10 on offensive boards. The Sixers left the first quarter down by seven and then just throttled the Nets on the defensive end of the court; forcing bad shot after bad shot.

For the Nets, Mikal Bridges (6-for-18) struggled just about as badly as Harden- hitting only four shots from the floor and zero threes until the final 13 seconds of the game; a point at whcih Philly was already just letting the shot clock run out when they had the ball. Cam Johnson also could get a bucket to fall to save the Nets season, posting a 4-for-13 effort with only one of six falling from deep. The vaunted sharpshooters from the Nets' bench were even worse at a combined 1-for-14 for the game from beyond the three-point line.

And the proverbial icing on the cake was that Ben Simmons was there sitting on that Nets bench- not playing basketball, as usual.

Now it's time for Philly to rest up, heal up, and prepare for what should be a MUCH tougher opponent in Round 2. Get well, Joel. They're gonna' need ya'.


https://youtu.be/w8kitwhOUTE

Told you you had a bye ;)

[SteelSD]

Told you you had a bye ;)

Yeah, I sort of figured that after Brooklyn couldn't beat them in the regular season no matter who the Sixers threw out there- starters, bench, G-leaguers, ball boys, halftime dunk crew, etc.

It's just that's not something I would EVER say out loud before a series. Jinxes. Somehow, I believe in them. ;)

[Kingspoint]

Chauncey Billups...really bruh

That wasn't proven. The facts have not ever been revealed. Witnesses had never been quoted. There wasn't even close to an arrest. Should I go further. You want to actually throw some quotes from witnesses out there, then there's something to discuss, otherwise, it's just you and your imagination acting normal.

If you want to just go on conjecture, I think Chauncey Billups is a blatant racist, and for that reason alone, I've not wanted him as a Coach after I got to see and listen to him on a daily basis for a month. It didn't take long to see his racism rear its ugly head. But, if we expelled people based on racism, we'd have to expel half of the NBA. So, that one gets let go and I just have to look past it. It's not something I can call him out for, so I never have until you brought up conjecture on the ideas that his personality and character are flawed to a negative degree that warrants not supporting the team he works for.

I have made a 1000 posts here and elsewhere stating emphatically that the organization needs to get rid of him, and his personality and questionable character concerning what you mentioned, I mentioned just now, and some other things are part of the reasons for getting rid of him. The culture he inspires is a negative one. He's another of those "highly respected" people around the NBA that only goes to support that being highly respected in NBA circles is a negative, not a positive.

I got rid of my season tickets after over 20+ years and after going to games on a regular basis for over 50 years. You can't less hypocritical about my comments about supporting an organization that supports personnel of questionable character than I am. I am the extreme person when it comes to placing support with organizations that have good character and not supporting those who do not. I have never worked for an organization that didn't have extemely good ownership when it came to morals and employee and customer relations. That's more important to me than the job itself. I can always make money, but I won't make it if it goes to an organization with character and moral issues and Ownership that doesn't have good morals. Same goes with every stock I invest in.

Every one of us is a steward of the times and lives he or she impacts and I take that responsibility seriously. It's never about me. It's always about everyone else. And, I don't sit on my hands like most people and let others take advantage of someone else. I call them out and I put a stop to it. I've done that since I was a small child, and I'll do it until I've left this Earth. 95% of all people just sit around and guard what they've got instead of helping those who can't help themselves. By doing so, they are equally responsible for the negative effects of others. That's my point, and you are clearly part of that 95% or you would get it.

[Kingspoint]

Milwaukee Bucks' depth immediately tested vs. Heat and Pat Connaughton steps up

Jim Owczarski Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Pat Connaughton provides critical spark for Bucks

This season, Pat Connaughton averaged nearly 25 minutes per game in the 56 games he played up until March 27. In his final five regular-season games, he played just 12.3 per game, and wasn’t going to play in a pivotal matchup against Boston on March 30 until the Bucks fell behind by 39 points. “Just the importance of staying ready, how matchups can (change) from series to series, we need that depth,” Lopez added last week. “Everyone is going to come in handy in the playoffs in different situations. You may not know when but that depth is absolutely going to be crucial for us.” Little did anyone know how crucial it would be. Early in Game 1 against Miami, Giannis Antetokounmpo was injured on a fall. After the game, it was determined that Matthews strained his right calf. Suddenly, two of Budenholzer’s top 10 players were not available for Game 2.

Enter, Connaughton.

He played 25 minutes off the bench, drained 6 three-pointers and scored 22 points – his most in all categories since a near-identical stat line on March 24 at Utah. The effort helped the Bucks even the series with Miami. In his postgame comments, Connaughton reminded everyone he’s a competitor and added that “In today’s NBA, they try to put you in a box — you’re a shooter, you’re a defender, you’re a little bit of different things and so for me to get back to just showing people (what) I can do and have an impact on the game in different ways, and this is a time of year that I love. "This is a time of year that I grow to. This is a time of year where if you look back since I’ve been in Milwaukee, I always try to rise to the occasion.

“So, just using that fuel to fuel the fire and making sure that I have my teammate’s backs and put my best foot out there because at the end of the day there’s that old question – do you love to win or do you hate to lose? I hate to lose. I’ll do anything I can to make sure that my teammates and I don’t lose. It ain’t always going to work, but I’ll always put my best foot forth in a plethora of different ways to make sure that I can try to, you now, help our team win.” With Antetokounmpo and Matthews’ statuses unknown heading into the next two games in Miami, and Jae Crowder having his knee checked on briefly late in Wednesday’s game, the Bucks’ depth and ability for the bench to stay ready may yet again be tested earlier than they hoped. But if historical precedent holds the Bucks’ veterans have proven they’re more than willing to not only bide their time, but also be prepared for when it is time to punch the clock.

[M2]

Philly should get high marks for not playing with its food. It's a pretty good indicator that they mean business.

[Mutaman]

Milwaukee starting to look like the NBA version of the Packers.

[SteelSD]

Milwaukee starting to look like the NBA version of the Packers.

And the Miami Heat continue to look like someone you read about who's won the lottery multiple times. Last year, they were gifted two games without Joel Embiid- who then played injured the rest of the series- to advance against the Sixers. This year, they get to play the Bucks sans Giannis for all but 11 minutes (so far). It's like their entire existence is one big Kawhi four-bounce Game 7 game-winning shot. Barf.

Even when the Heat get hit by the injury bug themselves, it doesn't matter. It never matters. Tyler Herro goes down? Just dust off the previously-benched Duncan Robinson, whose jersey should read "DNP-CD". Robinson, of course, proceeds to put up a combined 34 points and a +34 +/- over the last two games, while hitting 70% of his shots, including 9 of his 12 threes. Now Victor Oladipo is also injured. While I hope it's not "career-ending serious" (even though it could be), I have little doubt that the Heat will just fill those minutes with someone who'll throw up better numbers than Victor Oladipo.

Again, barf.

[M2]

There is the possibility Milwaukee took their foot off the pedal after grabbing home court advantage again in Game 3.

[SteelSD]

There is the possibility Milwaukee took their foot off the pedal after grabbing home court advantage again in Game 3.

Not sure I'm following. Yesterday was game three of the Heat/Bucks series.

[M2]

Not sure I'm following. Yesterday was game three of the Heat/Bucks series.

Ah, my bad. For some reason I thought that was #4. Makes the next one close to a must-win for Milwaukee.

[Kingspoint]

Green should have been tossed for intentionally trying to blind Keegan Murray.

Not even a foul from the biased refs.

Fox let Draymond know that he's not letting that stuff go...got in his face and then put on a clinic so far since then.

[Kingspoint]

Keegan Murray's coming out party for his playoff career is happening as I type this. Already 5-7 from the floor with an aggressive attitude. Took an intentional scrape across the eye from Green, and it just made him stronger.

Another strong performance from Len.

Sabonis, as always, is stellar.

Lyles having his first good moments of the series.

Monk excellent.

Mitchell very good.

[Kingspoint]

Only 1 Free Throw attempt by the Kings even though they are the more aggressive team Offensively (32-26 Points in the Paint Advantage, 7-1 Offensive Rebound Advantage). 9 Free Throw attempts in the game by the Warriors. The refs are the only thing keeping the Warriors close. Kings have silenced the crowd.

Love Keegan Murray. It's a lot easier to play well in 1st Halves than it is in 2nd Halves, but I'm pretty sure that he'll match his effort and performance in the 2nd Half that he had in the 1st Half. With the way he's playing, he's going to be given the opportunity to close out the game if he shows that he's ready to play to begin the 3rd Quarter.

Warriors will try to deny Fox the ball, but that's easier said than done, especially when Sabonis is there to make sure that he gets it in favorable situations.

Haven't even heard from Barnes, yet, their most dependable playoff veteran so far in this series. Barnes does a lot of things that don't show up on the scoreboard, though. He may not have the stats, but he's heavily involved in the flow both Offensively and Defensively.

[Kingspoint]

Kings survived easily Kerr's attempt to use Green in an "inspirational moment" in the 1st Quarter by bringing him off the bench. It was a great move and it worked as the crowd and Green were both inspired, but Green sabotaged it when he tried to blind Keegan Murray, which fired up the Kings and removed all the momentum the Warriors had from Green coming in off of the bench. Murray and Fox matched Curry, Thompson and Poole in scoring in the 1st Half.

[Mitri]

KNICKS :clap:

[KoryMac5]

Fox has a broken finger doubtful for Game 5 tough break for the Kings

- - - Updated - - -


KNICKS :clap:

Brunson is willing them to victory every single night...I hope those highlights keep Cuban awake at night.

[Kingspoint]

April 23rd, 2023 at 9:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

What’s the biggest issue facing the NBA? Not surprisingly, a poll of players conducted by Josh Robbins and Sam Amick of The Athletic placed the officiating at the top of the list. Out of 70 participants, 25.8 percent called out the officials for a variety of reasons.

“Ref accountability. It’s the (big) thing right now. Because there is none,” one poll respondent said. “There’s just not a system set up for it. And it’s been real shaky, I think, this year. Just something to keep them accountable. I don’t know if I want to take their money. But something to get them to have some type of, ‘I can’t f–k this up’ mentality.”

Load management was a close second in the poll. Rules skewed in favor of offensive players also ranked high on the list.

[Kingspoint]

Giannis will likely play next game.

Dejounte Murray will not (suspended one game and $93K) for bumping an offcial.

Fox will likely not (Looney took a swipe after the whistle at the ball that Fox was laying up and just a freak accident). It's just a dislocated finger. If Fox wants to play, he may override Management and just wrap that finger up next to the other one. 1000's of times guys have done this and played anyway. It will be tough call, as they can win Game 5 without him. Sacramento has excellent depth. Give the healing process the possibility of two to four to seven days of extra rest, and Sacramento may be better served to have him sit this one out. You can see that the entire team has now gained enough playoff experience in this series that collectively they are much better than they were Games 1-3 as several individuals handled the playoff atmosphere in Game 4 that they were unable to handle in the first three games.

Brooks will not play (suspended one game for a groin shot to LeBron).

[Kingspoint]

After a thorough search that, for me, included the best talent ever interviewed for one Head Coaching spot, the Rockets have selected Ime Udoka to lead their young team into playoff and title contention.

The Rockets also interviewed several other prominent coaches for the job, including former Lakers coach Frank Vogel, former Hornets coach James Borrego and former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson. Sixers assistant Sam Cassell, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and Suns assistant Kevin Young were also in the mix and Houston also had reported interest in Nick Nurse, who recently parted ways with the Raptors. Vogel was also considered particularly impressive in his interview, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Udoka was considered a serious candidate for the Toronto job before coming to terms with the Rockets.

[Kingspoint]

Lauri Markkanen Wins Most Improved Player Award

April 24th, 2023 at 6:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. In his sixth season, Markkanen thrived in an expanded role after being included in the Donovan Mitchell blockbuster deal between Utah and Cleveland. Markkanen averaged 25.8 points on 49.9% shooting and 1.9 assists, all career highs. He also shot 87.5% from the free throw line and snared 8.8 rebounds per game in 66 starts and received a start in the All-Star Game. Last season, Markkanen averaged 14.8 points on 44.5% shooting, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 61 starts with the Cavaliers. Prior to this season, Markkanen’s career high in scoring average was 18.7 during his second of four seasons with Chicago.

Markkanen topped the other finalists, the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, for the award. Gilgeous-Alexander finished fourth in the league in scoring (31.7) as the Thunder made the play-in tournament. During his All-Star season, Gilgeous-Alexander shot 51% from the field and 90.5% from the foul line. He also averaged 4.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists in his fifth NBA season. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 24.5 points last season. Brunson lifted the Knicks into the playoffs with a stellar season after leaving the Mavericks as a free agent. In his fifth season, he averaged 24 points and 6.2 assists while making 41.6% of his 3-point attempts, posting career bests in each category. Last season, he averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists.

[Kingspoint]

This is my house!!!!!

This is my house!!!!!

This is my house!!!!!

[M2]

The City of Miami is gong to need to build a shrine to Jimmy Butler.

[Kingspoint]

Maybe the greatest single performance of any Miami sports personality ever in the history of the City of Miami.

He destroyed MIL so badly that they gave up with 52 seconds left in a 5-pt game.

[SteelSD]

Man, that half of the Eastern Conference bracket may just get blown all to to hell.

[Kingspoint]

I thought Brooks was suspended for this game. Guess not.

[Kingspoint]

Finding the camera...

https://www.facebook.com/trailblazers/videos/3520875424857682/

[M2]

I thought Brooks was suspended for this game. Guess not.

Memphis will wish he was before it's all over.

[M2]

Man, that half of the Eastern Conference bracket may just get blown all to to hell.

Kind of raises the stakes for the Sixers-Celtics. That could be the title right there.