2023-2024 NBA Season Thread

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

The best records currently in the West......

Minnesota, OKC, Denver, LAC...........

Denver is defending champ, so, 'nuff said.

The other 3..........Do you see them as true contenders to win it all?

Given the small roster and outsized influence of injuries in basketball.
I could see any of them being contenders.

But if you want me to rank them...

LAC
.
.
OKC
.
.
.
.
.
.
MINN

That being said, none of them would surprise me going to the WCF.

Neither would the Lakers or Suns getting it together and making a second half run.

LAC is deeper than then Suns
But both teams are super top heavy. LAC has just had amazing health (finally) while the Suns have barely played together.

If the situations were reversed, their records could easily be reversed.

I would also not rule out Dallas. Kyrie is as flaky as they come, but Luka is playoff proven and their roster as a whole is better this year.

I could realistically still see 8-10 teams winning a championship this year.

Hopefully injuries do not derail anyone and we get to see healthy teams compete for the rest of the year.

[Syd Thrift]

I see OKC as a horrible abomination that should lose 60 games every year but I’m biased.

[rudel.dietrich]

That is a gutting story about Dejan Milojević

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...s-heart-attack


And it was at a private team dinner, so he had a heart attack in front of Warriors staff and players and they watched it.
Not is not something they will get over any time soon

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

That is a gutting story about Dejan Milojević

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...s-heart-attack


And it was at a private team dinner, so he had a heart attack in front of Warriors staff and players and they watched it.
Not is not something they will get over any time soon

I figured it wasn't good when they cancelled the game.

[Cobra Mgr]

Siakim to the Pacers, Raptors get 3 1st rd picks

[Cobra Mgr]

Why is Memphis 11-11 on the road but 4-15 @ home?

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Why is Memphis 11-11 on the road but 4-15 @ home?

No idea about that one. But injuries derailed their season before it could even get going.

[TheMaus2]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

The best records currently in the West......

Minnesota, OKC, Denver, LAC...........

Denver is defending champ, so, 'nuff said.

The other 3..........Do you see them as true contenders to win it all?

Clippers are immensely talented barring injuries, OKC is legitimate with Shai... Minnesota is a wait & see team for me

[Cobra Mgr]

It's a shame to score 62 & not only do you lose, but your nemesis has the top total for the night..

[Cobra Mgr]

Terry Rozier to the Heat for Kyle Lowry & a 1st rd pick in '27 or '28.

[dsvitak]

It was refreshing to see Wemby collaborate with Brandon Sanderson, the fantasy writer.

Apparently, Wemby is an avid reader. Not often you see that, in ANY professional athlete.

[pilight]

Bucks fire Adrian Griffin

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...adrian-griffin

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by pilight

Bucks fire Adrian Griffin

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...adrian-griffin

I cannot wait for a few weeks or few months down the line to get the story of what happened to this team.

They have a good record, but every time I watch them, they look deeply unhappy and on edge all the time.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by pilight

Bucks fire Adrian Griffin

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...adrian-griffin

[thehef]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

I cannot wait for a few weeks or few months down the line to get the story of what happened to this team.

They have a good record, but every time I watch them, they look deeply unhappy and on edge all the time.

Sounds like the vets - Giannis & Lillard would be the likely suspects - weren't happy with Griffin. So I guess the only real move is to bring in a vet coach who's well-respected and essentially player-revolt-proof.

Doc's ok. He was in the right time & place in 2008 (and in the 2009 & 2010 runs only injury stood in the way of titles), otherwise he's mostly underachieved. He'll be a good presence that will likely keep the brats in line... The Bucks are currently tied for the 2nd best record in the A. A deep playoff run would be expected but their Achilles' is defense, which has fallen from Top 5 last year to Bottom 10 this year. I'm not so sure that Doc or anyone else could teach Lillard & Middleton to play above average defense.

Curious what this episode will do to Griffin's rep & outlook for future gigs. He had been seen for years as an up-and-comer whose turn was due. A lot will probably depend up on how the spin - of what went on in the locker room - plays out...

[Cobra Mgr]

10 mistakes in the final 2:00????? How many of us could make 10 goofs in the most crucial 2min of our workday?

[Cobra Mgr]

This is why I don't get into the NBA good until the playoffs start. The officiating is the worst of the major sports IMO. I mean, you excuse for not seeing the play is that you were looking at the play?

[Cobra Mgr]

I just saw this box score. I don't think I've ever witnessed a team shoot like Boston in this one.

[thehef]

The more I think about the Griffin situation, while the players certainly own a share of the blame (for not playing D and - obviously - being a key part of any locker room discord), the real culprit is the front office for hiring a rookie coach in the first place when the team's window is now. A rookie coach needs to have a little room to grown. A "win now" team does not. So given that, and ranking the apparent known coaching choices the Bucks had from the offseason through now, their thought process should've been something like this:

1a. Coach Bud: Their existing coach (at the time) had already won a recent title with that core. I mean, when you compare his resume to Doc's - and consider that the Bucks' early exit last year is partially attributed to their MVP's injury and that Coach B may have been distracted by a family death...

1b. Nurse: If a change from Bud had to happen, why not go with a vet coach who recently won a title? Once Bud was fired, this should've been the no-brainer choice.

3. Doc: A veteran coach for a veteran team, and one that has won a title - even if it was eons ago and his career has since been filled with the kind of underachieving that the Bucks experienced the last two seasons...

4. Atkinson: Decent resume, veteran coach - with a recent title (as an assistant). Again, veteran coach for a veteran team trumps rookie coach... (Given Doc's post-Celtics' run of failure, one could make a case that Kenny deserves the #3 slot...)

5. Griffin: The last guy I want to coach a team with title aspirations is a rookie coach. That's no criticism of Griffin's ability to coach (I mean, the guy went 30-13!). But again, a rookie coach needs to time to grow into a role where he can command the respect of veteran players. If your window is short, you get a veteran who is 100% ready for now. Why the players - specifically Giannis - advocated for Griffin (over the other, better IMO, choices) is beyond me... Exhibit A - of many - why players should have minimal-at-most input on personnel decisions. But the front office ultimately made the decision.

[Syd Thrift]

I just have no opinion on Griffin's firing, outside of it being bizarre, because we just haven't heard anything about it other than the fact that it happened and the fact that he got replaced by a guy with the reputation of being a player's coach. I imagine we'll find out over the next few months and years what exactly went down and we'll have ample opportunity to blame Giannis or whoever for being a pre madonna (sic) then.