2022-2023 NBA Season Thread

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

82 is too many, but I just don’t see how the toothpaste will ever be put back in the tube in regards to lowering the number of games.
Even with say a 70 game season. That is 360 games missed of revenue.

Back to backs should be eliminated completely. But unless someone on either side is willing to give up money, we will not see a shortened season.

And I have come full circle on the issue. I used to not have an issue with player rest. But as more and more studies show it does not help, and it has become so prevalent I see it as an issue.
Perhaps the league's #1 issue.

Meh. If it really and truly doesn't have an effect, it'll go away in time. What I see more than anything else is that the guys who are kind of famous for being load managed are guys for whom it 100% would have an effect on - Kawhi Leonard with his long injury history, (current) Lebron James (which needs to be noted because even 5 years ago Lebron played every game)... the Bulls load-managed Zach Lavine pretty heavily in the beginning of the season (much to his personal chagrin, I should add - he IIRC said that if it was up to him he'd play every day) because he was coming off of surgery. Oh yeah, Joel Embiid is still basically a ticking time bomb in terms of his health; I can definitely understand load-managing him in particular.

To me I think the bigger issue, more than guys playing 65 games a year instead of 82 (which, meh either way), is guys playing 28-30 minutes a night when they could play 36-40. That may well be a case where players are just plain not as effective when playing that many minutes night in, night out, and it wasn't an issue in the past because stars were still so much better than rotational players that even at 80% they were better. I do kind of miss there being guys who were like "rotations? What rotations?", although even at that my sense of those guys is built on watching the game in the 90s and 2000s (OK FINE also the 80s) when those guys played 40 minutes a night, not in the 60s and 70s when those guys played all 48, so even there I have to admit that the usage that feels "right" to me probably feels right mostly because it's what I grew up with.

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

I…..
Don’t think you read anything I wrote above.

And yes, we all know you and Dr. Naismith were the co-inventors of the sport.
You go out of your way to mention your playing days only about twice a week

OK...after careful consideration, ya got me. I will try to tone it down.

[Cobra Mgr]

Any theories on why the Dubs have been so poo on the road?

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Any theories on why the Dubs have been so poo on the road?

Not really

But there is only one Western Conference team that has a better than .500 record on the road.

Any guesses as to who?

It has been a weird year

[thehef]

I think it's the same reason that last season's other NBA finalist - the Celtics - have dropped a bunch of games to lesser competition: Lack of focus & looking ahead to the playoffs.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

Not really

But there is only one Western Conference team that has a better than .500 record on the road.

Any guesses as to who?

It has been a weird year

Wow. Hadn't noticed that till you mentioned it.

Meantime........

No, Ja! Don't do it! They've got family!

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Wow. Hadn't noticed that till you mentioned it.

Meantime........

No, Ja! Don't do it! They've got family!

Yes!

Your Sacramento Kings are the only western conference team with a better than .500 record on the road!
Only 5 teams total teams in the NBA have a winning road record.
It has been a strange season

I may be wish casting, but I think we could be in for an all time playoffs from an entertainment standpoint.
You could talk me into six teams as legit title contenders and another four or so that if they get a little luck could end up in the finals.

[rudel.dietrich]

And because no one else linked it

This is insane
https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA/...86082289287168


I have never seen someone do a putback dunk after a step back three.

[Cobra Mgr]

TMI w/Charles Barkley

[Cobra Mgr]

Big fine coming Cuban's way? As I've said in other threads, I'm not against tanking as long as there is a plan ahead. Fans don't want to see their team make it into the 2nd round. They want to see them win the whole thing. Whatever gets them there faster I have no problem with. If the league office doesn't want that happening, then make the draft position based on the W/L record of the last 3 SEASONS instead of one to make it harder to manipulate.

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Big fine coming Cuban's way? As I've said in other threads, I'm not against tanking as long as there is a plan ahead. Fans don't want to see their team make it into the 2nd round. They want to see them win the whole thing. Whatever gets them there faster I have no problem with. If the league office doesn't want that happening, then make the draft position based on the W/L record of the last 3 SEASONS instead of one to make it harder to manipulate.

I think flattening out the lottery along with adding the playin has done all of that. The issue here wasn’t the Mavs tanking to get a shot at Wembayana per se, it was that their pick was traded to Portland but was top 10 (in the conference) protected. So they tanked to keep their pick this year. IMO it’s kind of a stupid move, as it just means they’ll lose their pick next year instead, plus they won’t be able to trade any of their own future first rounders now until 2026 and that’s getting into Lakers territory of absurdity. If I were then I’d prefer to just rip the band aid off and get it over with… plus, this is a team who surprised a lot of people last year and if there was ever a 10 seed with the volatility to play to the WCF it’s this one.

Plus of course none of this would have been possible had the Mavericks not completely imploded when they traded for Irving. I guess that speaks against their chances of making a big run but still… it’s insane how badly they fell apart down the stretch. 7-17 to end the season.

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

I think flattening out the lottery along with adding the playin has done all of that. The issue here wasn’t the Mavs tanking to get a shot at Wembayana per se, it was that their pick was traded to Portland but was top 10 (in the conference) protected. So they tanked to keep their pick this year. IMO it’s kind of a stupid move, as it just means they’ll lose their pick next year instead, plus they won’t be able to trade any of their own future first rounders now until 2026 and that’s getting into Lakers territory of absurdity. If I were then I’d prefer to just rip the band aid off and get it over with… plus, this is a team who surprised a lot of people last year and if there was ever a 10 seed with the volatility to play to the WCF it’s this one.

Plus of course none of this would have been possible had the Mavericks not completely imploded when they traded for Irving. I guess that speaks against their chances of making a big run but still… it’s insane how badly they fell apart down the stretch. 7-17 to end the season.

The even more insane part is that they will sign Irving to a max contract this summer.

Luka could very well be the next superstar that asks out.

[Syd Thrift]

I’m sure they feel that they’re either locked in to keeping Irving or else locked in to being uncompetitive, which of course Luka isn’t going to like at all. Personally I still wouldn’t sign him but then I wouldn’t have made that trade in the first place…

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

Plus of course none of this would have been possible had the Mavericks not completely imploded when they traded for Irving. I guess that speaks against their chances of making a big run but still… it’s insane how badly they fell apart down the stretch. 7-17 to end the season.

Nobody could have seen that coming..................

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

I’m sure they feel that they’re either locked in to keeping Irving or else locked in to being uncompetitive, which of course Luka isn’t going to like at all. Personally I still wouldn’t sign him but then I wouldn’t have made that trade in the first place…

I'm sure they feel that way. But smart people realize making a bad decision in order to justify a previous bad decision is stupid. Criticism will come the Mavs way, but it is best to assure Luka he will get a blank check and work hard to set up a better team around him.

[thehef]

Related... the Brooklyn Nets are Exhibit A for GM's - rather than players - making personnel decisions. The diva-driven gang-up of Durant, Irving, and Harden/Simmons couldn't have gone much worse. But after that train-wreck, what the Nets received from the Suns and Mavs in exchange for KD and Kyrie was pretty impressive.

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

I'm sure they feel that way. But smart people realize making a bad decision in order to justify a previous bad decision is stupid. Criticism will come the Mavs way, but it is best to assure Luka he will get a blank check and work hard to set up a better team around him.

I’m honestly not sure they didn’t screw the pooch with Luka when that trade was made in the first place TBH. He’s already expressed a bit of discontent around some of the team’s personnel decisions and now they’re in a position where they either keep a guy who seems like a terrible fit because of sunk cost fallacy or ride a 35 win season (without even the light of a draft pick at the end of the tunnel because they decided to tank in the last game of this season) without him.

Luka’s situation is beginning to remind me a bit of Allen Iverson’s now inasmuch as his team has now cycled in so many scorers who look like bad fits that you have to wonder if Luka is the one creating the bad fits. I mean, he’s clearly a great player but he’s one of those guys who has to propel the entire offense and that feels incompatible with virtually anyone who creates their own shot. It’s also related to the Russell Westbrook issue except of course Luka is in a completely different stratosphere than Westbrook in terms of quality. The Mavs are also, frankly, running out of chips they can trade at this point. Nobody wants a 2026 1st lol…

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

I’m honestly not sure they didn’t screw the pooch with Luka when that trade was made in the first place TBH. He’s already expressed a bit of discontent around some of the team’s personnel decisions and now they’re in a position where they either keep a guy who seems like a terrible fit because of sunk cost fallacy or ride a 35 win season (without even the light of a draft pick at the end of the tunnel because they decided to tank in the last game of this season) without him.

Luka’s situation is beginning to remind me a bit of Allen Iverson’s now inasmuch as his team has now cycled in so many scorers who look like bad fits that you have to wonder if Luka is the one creating the bad fits. I mean, he’s clearly a great player but he’s one of those guys who has to propel the entire offense and that feels incompatible with virtually anyone who creates their own shot. It’s also related to the Russell Westbrook issue except of course Luka is in a completely different stratosphere than Westbrook in terms of quality. The Mavs are also, frankly, running out of chips they can trade at this point. Nobody wants a 2026 1st lol…

Kyrie is never the answer. Period.

I think the Iverson situation is a good comparison as far as game is concerned. But how do they compare in attitude. As I've said before, everyone wants to win. But how many are willing to win, but not win their way? There are Russells, Jordans & Currys. And there Kobes, Iversons, Melos & Kyries. Not everyone is willing to give a little of their game to suit a style that allows the team to thrive.

Which is Luka? He's young, so there is time for him to learn. But he can't be all he can be if he doesn't let a team style be built around him that allows him to pace himself.

[rudel.dietrich]

A more modern comparison is Lillard. Luka is a better player. But they were never able to put anything around Lillard and he will likely finish his career as one of the better players to never win a championship.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

A more modern comparison is Lillard. Luka is a better player. But they were never able to put anything around Lillard and he will likely finish his career as one of the better players to never win a championship.

The best guys Lillard played with were Aldridge and McCollum. But those two didn't really overlap (only for a couple years when CJ was still a young scrub). Those three all in or near their prime would be a contender... If's and buts...