2022-2023 NBA Season Thread

[monkeyman576]

Originally Posted by thehef

a) I think there is some celebration of a white guy winning it, but it's understated, part of the overall underdog story (IOW, he's the total underdog: little guy, white dude trying to make it a black dude's sport, G-leaguer...)

b) I think it's best when we don't make too much of a big deal about this race stuff. Take the Super Bowl QB matchup. Initially, right after KC & Philly won their conference championships, there were numerous mentions of SB LVII being the first matchup of two black QB's, but we weren't really hammered with it. It was noted here and there (and it was really cool that Doug Williams participated in pre-game ceremonies), but it just wasn't all that big of a news item. More like, "it was bound to happen" or "that hasn't already happened?" And I think that - the fact that it wasn't seen as that big of a deal - shows good progress.

ESPN seemed pretty interested in the super bowl race story. I just think it's sad that we are still discussing race and that a player can't be judged on merit. I don't watch a player because he's black or white, but that's just me.

I just want to know at what point we'll move past it all.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

I just want to know at what point we'll move past it all.

When there's no more money to made off of it, unfortunately.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

ESPN seemed pretty interested in the super bowl race story. I just think it's sad that we are still discussing race and that a player can't be judged on merit. I don't watch a player because he's black or white, but that's just me.

I just want to know at what point we'll move past it all.

When we acknowledge differences & then celebrate & learn from them. Instead of how we currently see them then criticize & down them. God put variety into man for a reason. Trying to make everyone the same goes against His purpose. Trying to see all in a group as the same is to deny the obvious. Everyone's strength is at times a weakness & everyone's weakness is at times a strength. We need all of that to bring balance to society. But all we use it for is an excuse to keep us divided. As I said before, people complain about the "race card", but trying to ignore it doesn't mean it isn't in the deck. Use it. Just use it properly.

I'm personally glad McClung won the dunk contest. White men can't jump? Wrong. White men are bland? Wrong. White men aren't natural born athletes? Wrong. He showed a country small town white boy could bring just as much pizzazz to the game as a homeboy raised on the Bronx blacktop. And why? Cause he wasn't prejudiced and wanted to emulate people who weren't his color & background. Forget Bird & Nash. He wanted to be the next Iverson or Kobe.

Celebrated & learned.

When there are more McClungs, PK Subbans, Eminems, Mickey Guytons, it will be impossible for race to stand out more than the skill.

[Antonin]

We went to the Cavaliers-Nuggets game the other night. I think we are bad luck for the Cavs. We have not been to many games over the years, but every time we do go, they lose. We went this time because we are both retired, so a Thursday night game is not a big deal. Plus, there was a promotion on, so seats in the nosebleed section were cheaper than usual.

It strikes me that basketball is in some ways very driven by emotion. Some nights a guy just can't miss the basket, but other nights he's feeling nervous and simply can't make a shot to save his life. For the Cavs that night it was as if the entire team suddenly forgot how to shoot. Except for Evan Mobley, whose job is not really to score. Even Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland were airballing shots they usually make. I wonder why our coach didn't put Danny Green into the game. I thought he was brought here specifically because of his 3-point shooting ability.

Nikola Jokic plays so effortlessly. It was a pleasure to watch him. Some of his passes even caused the Cleveland crowd to gasp in wonder.

It's sad that Kevin Love is now gone. I've heard the Cavaliers plan to retire his number. I remember the week they traded for him, I was out watering our front lawn, and a pickup truck drove by. The driver looked at me, and he looked exactly like Kevin Love. I doubt that it was him, though. Cleveland's pro athletes don't usually live on our side of town.

[Syd Thrift]

Heh, I went to see the Bulls take on the Nets the other night and it definitely felt like a “they couldn’t hit anything” night, although at the same time Brooklyn had very few open and uncontested looks. Their lack of anything resembling a good playmaker or shot creator was a big factor but virtually everything they put up was off-balance, put up too quickly, altered, or just thrown up from a part of the floor the player is clearly not familiar with.

The Bulls have actually been playing decent defense recently - they’ve been imploding because the half court offense has no depth and they’ve lacked anything resembling a true point guard to push the ball forward and create transition and early offense plays - but the addition of Beverly suuuper helped. They actually opened the game with Pat Bev and Caruso as the guards with LaVine and DeRozan at “forward”, a lineup I mostly don’t like because I feel like one of Beverly and Caruso should be on the floor at all times and this lineup did lead to Ayo and Coby playing minutes at the 1, but defensively that was a fantastic group (yes, even with DDR). We’ll see how things progress when they play actual teams, but it was nice for one night.

[Antonin]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

...I feel like one of Beverly and Caruso should be on the floor at all times....

Caruso is one of those guys I've thought for years would be a good fit for the Cavaliers. But I'm quite, quite happy with Ricky Rubio as a backup point guard.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

And Sheed's famous T was for doing NOTHING. He said nothing. He gestured nothing. He mumbled nothing. All he did was look, LOOK, at the ref. Stupidest, butt hurt act I've ever seen from a ref. At least when Tim Duncan got tossed he was laughing w/his teammates. Sheed just had his eyes open in the direction of the ref & the zebra claimed he was being intimidated. Buncha bull.

Nice to see a ref hold his water.

[Cobra Mgr]

This parody of Bill Walton is spot on.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Nice to see a ref hold his water.

Good on that ref. I have no idea if he had just made a bonehead call... but the best way to respond to a coach doing something like that is to not respond at all. A) The ref doesn't inflame the situation, B) the ref also gets the satisfaction of not giving the coach his satisfaction (of getting a reaction).

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

This parody of Bill Walton is spot on.

Absolutely!

[thehef]

Watched a fair amount of the Celtics/Knicks last night and what stuck out to me about the broadcast was how enjoyable it was (despite my C's stinking). Mike Breen - the total pro - makes it seem like a national broadcast, and with Walt Frazier - IMO the ideal color commentator: not a homer, no overanalyzing, no bombast... just an easygoing manner and a genuine but casual enthusiasm for the game - it is SUCH a contrast to the babbling idiots (Van Gundy and Jackson) that Breen works with on national telecasts.

Clyde is one cool cat

[thehef]

@Antonin: Watched my C's take on your Cavs the other night. Despite the relatively easy win for the C's (the comeback made it interesting), my takeaway is that the Cavs are the real deal. I can see them being good enough to give either the top two (C's & Bucks) all they could handle and even produce an upset. (I could definitely see them beating the Sixers, but that matchup happening would appear unlikely.)

I'd say the ceiling for them this year is the EC finals, but they are in a good position for the near-future.

[Cobra Mgr]

The Ja Morant story is going to end up a 30 for 30 if someone doesn't get to him soon.

[Cobra Mgr]

Morant suspended 2 games. This kid has the world at his feet & he wants to live his life like a GTA character.

[Antonin]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

The Ja Morant story is going to end up a 30 for 30 if someone doesn't get to him soon.

It doesn't surprise me. He's a great player, but he also seems like a very, very arrogant young man. I don't enjoy watching him.

[Antonin]

Originally Posted by thehef

@Antonin: Watched my C's take on your Cavs the other night. Despite the relatively easy win for the C's (the comeback made it interesting), my takeaway is that the Cavs are the real deal. I can see them being good enough to give either the top two (C's & Bucks) all they could handle and even produce an upset. (I could definitely see them beating the Sixers, but that matchup happening would appear unlikely.)

I'd say the ceiling for them this year is the EC finals, but they are in a good position for the near-future.

Yes, I agree that the Cavs could give some teams some problems in the playoffs. I don't expect them to win the East, though. Consistency has sometimes been a problem this year. Some nights they play like a machine, other nights they make you crazy because nobody can find the basket. But didn't the Cavs beat the Celtics twice early in the season? That surprised a lot of folks here.

I thought having players like Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio would help immensely, because no matter how talented Evan Mobley is, he's still only 21 years old. And Garland is just 23. But the team decided that Kevin Love doesn't have a place here anymore, so whatever. It's not up to me.

Typically for Cleveland, some recent radio callers are demanding that coach Bickerstaff be fired. I think he has done a great job, though. Plus his staff of assistants includes a guy with the coolest name of any coach anywhere: J.J. Outlaw.

The playoffs should be fun, though!

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

The Ja Morant story is going to end up a 30 for 30 if someone doesn't get to him soon.

I came in to post about this. In the NBA, you can have a PG, and an SG, but not an OG.

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Morant suspended 2 games. This kid has the world at his feet & he wants to live his life like a GTA character.

Ja says this is voluntary, and not a suspension. "I'm going to take a couple of games off."

[Antonin]

The report on the CBS news said he was flashing a gun at a nightclub. It showed a video. I don't like guns and I don't like macho types who are fascinated by guns and "gun culture" and think it's cool to have a gun and show everybody that you have one.

What kind of idiot brings a gun to a nightclub? He's a millionaire with millions of fans, and he goes to the kind of place where he feels a need to bring a gun? What--he somehow thinks shooting somebody to protect himself would be ok? How about not going to a place where you think you need to protect yourself? My wife told me Morant has a child, which makes his behavior even more stupid.

Somebody as stupid as Morant doesn't deserve riches and fame.

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

I came in to post about this. In the NBA, you can have a PG, and an SG, but not an OG.

Quoting myself here, sorry...I told my wife about this, at dinner.

She wanted me to pass along that Ja brings new meaning to the term "shooting guard." I thought that this was VERY clever..and a better comment than mine!

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

Ja says this is voluntary, and not a suspension. "I'm going to take a couple of games off."

If so, I hope it is a good sign. Going live @ 5AM from the club shows zero maturity. He needs to reassess his life's direction.