NBA 2020-21 Thread

[RchW]

Originally Posted by dkgo

I hope so too. Would much rather root for a guy who tries to elevate his team than a snake like durant who can only attach himself to previous winners.

Brooklyn won when?

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by Antonin

Any Seattle Supersonics fans here? I heard recently that there is a Sonics podcast but I have not downloaded it yet. I really liked that franchise. Cool logo, cool city, some really cool players. I don't know the economics of having an NBA franchise in Seattle, but I was sad when they left.

I know in recent years there has been talk of a new Sonics team. Any chance of that happening? If so, will there be another expansion team in the east to balance things out?

The new hockey stadium probably presents the best chance but unless the NBA expands, probably not. The NBA has gone out of their way to prevent teams from moving to Seattle, even going so far as to allow the Kings to be purchased by a known fraudster (and using the down payment from the Seattle ownership group to pay for it at that), and I can’t see them using our city as anything but a means to hold another set of fans hostage.

Even expansion, frankly, is probably only going to come when the league decides that some other city needs a team and then tosses Seattle in as an add-in. So root for Pittsburgh or Kansas City, I guess.

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by MBarrett

Call me crazy but I really like the looks of the Rockets. Boogie and Wall with something to prove plus whatever they get back in a Harden trade. This team could do some damage in the playoffs if they can stay healthy.

Boogie isn’t so much the guy the Rockets are counting on so much as Christian Wood. I’d be frankly a little surprised if Boogie plays more than 50 games and is healthy for the playoffs. And Wall... well, I know he’s looked good in practice and the preseason but this is what silly season is all about. Every year like 10 guys show up in the best shape of their life and every year 9 of them keep doing what they’ve always done. With Wall, his game was so predicated on speed that I’d be at least mildly surprised if he was as good as he used to be, and a. “as good as he used to be” is still a step down from Russell Westbrook, and b. we aren’t even considering yet how Harden and him will fit (which, granted, may not matter, but if Harden gets traded there go the Rockets’ chances).

[dkgo]

Originally Posted by RchW

Brooklyn won when?

He left to play with Kyrie who already led a team to a title with Lebron and to be in the easier conference to get to the Finals.

His rings with the warriors are obviously a joke. Curry/Thompson/Green won without him.

Durant is the epitome of the current bastardization of players "wanting to win." It is admirable to describe a player like Jordan who "wants to win" because they are extremely motivated to elevate their game and get the most out of their teammates. Not because they find the easiest path to be on a championship team.

[Syd Thrift]

Whatever silliness people may think about Durant, the Oklahoma City Thunder don’t get to complain about loyalty, like, ever.

[dkgo]

Seems fair although I dont think anyone here is the Thunder

[Amazin69]

I'm not sure that "people are betting on them because of name-recognition" is the most reassuring metric of the Chokers, er, Clippers' championship chances.

I see a lot of teams we might have to worry about in the West, not just the Lakers.

Denver beat us, and Murray and Jokic and Porter will have gotten better, since they're young and improving.
Dallas scared us, and Doncic is young and improving.
Utah gave Denver a run, and Donovan is young and improving.
Phoenix went unbeaten in the bubble, added CP3, and Booker and Ayton are young and improving.

Allegedly the Pelicans are young and improving, but I've never really been sold on Zion, and I don't know if Bledsoe and Steven Adams make up for the loss of Holliday. (Although I've always liked Bledsoe.) Still Zion and Ingram and Jaxson Hayes and SGA's cousin do give them upside potential, but I think it's probably a year before they reach their peak.

But even home-court doesn't seem like such a lock when I write it out. JMO.

(Also, we probably shouldn't sleep on Portland, just because of past history, and who knows what Steph and Draymond can do all by themselves? But those are longer shots, IMO.)

[Syd Thrift]

Portland is far, far less of a long shot right now than New Orleans. I think Zion’s going to be pretty great but like him and Ball are the only players on that team, practically. I actually don’t think Dallas will do much this year either, as so much of their current status depends on Porzingis, who would need to stay healthy.

[rudel.dietrich]

I really want to order one of these
https://www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Amazin69]

The Cripplers (er, Clippers…"Cripplers" is what PbP guy Brian Sieman called them when he got tongue-tied during the last pre-season game…I kind of like it, honestly) are currently up 12 on the champs. So this might be the high point of their season, right now.

I don't know all the details of Kawhi's contract issues, but if he opts against the extension (because he can make more $$$ on a fresh deal), doesn't that basically mean he's gone? Because you can go over the cap to extend your own players, but not for signing FAs. (Which is why "sign-and-trade" deals exist.) And all that $$$ given to George would seem to leave no room to fit in a fresh deal for Kawhi.

I mean, I suppose nothing's beyond an expert capologist, but it seems a thin hole to have to thread. If Kawhi is out of here at year-end and the team is struggling, who's to say if he isn't dealt by the ASB? I don't know who's got the cap room, but I know someone must.

Then we can "enjoy" watching PG (who admitted he cracked under the pressure in the bubble) realize that his home city is going to blame him for this mess, and going into an epic sulk. Charles Barkley already basically called George a loser tonight: "I HATE players who blame the coach." I realize this is my seeing a worst-case scenario, but it's so damn easy to see…

Cripplers-39, Lakers-17. I really should savor this while I can.

Ty Lue must be so excited; if they can hold this lead, his non-LeBron coaching record will soar to 2-18. The journey of 1000 miles, etc.

Really have to admire Reggie Miller talking about how much Nicholas Batum will help the Crips while in virtually the same breath talking about how even Charlotte didn't want to play him last season. Reggie knows how to shovel, er, sell it.

I guess my one attainable wish would be that the team hires a full-time color analyst to work with Sieman. I love Mike Fratello, but at his age and with his being based on the other coast, he's not working full time for us. Chauncey Billups is an assistant coach now, and he was always more loyal to ESPn, anyhow. I love seeing Corey Maggette on the studio segments, but his off-court problems mean he has no shot at the full-time analyst gig. And Don McLean never had an interest beyond sitting in for a quarter here and there, I don't think.

I'd really rather not be subjected to Ryan "I played with [X]" Hollins game in and game out (hey, Ryan…you were a SCRUB who bounced around the league. It's not surprising you played with a lot of guys who were a lot better than you. Shut it, please), but could they just pick somebody, already? It's ridiculous that this is now the third season after the Bruce Bowen debacle*, and this still isn't fixed.

(*-Knowing that Hall of Fame PbP legend Ralph Lawler would retire at the end of 2018-2019, management showed longtime commentator Mike Smith the door at the end of '17, hoping that new analyst Bowen [and his amazing collection of bow ties] would become a familiar voice to ease the transition from Ralph to Brian Sieman. [Brian, the radio man for 12 years, has been just fine so far, if not a spectacular successor to a legend the way Alex Faust has taken over for Bob Miller on the LA Kings' games]

Unfortunately, this was when Kawhi was having the dispute with the Spurs that led to his trade to Toronto, and Bowen, still loyal to his own San Antonio connections, publicly took Spurs' management's side. Which led to Clippers management being all "hey, dummy, we're trying to COURT Kawhi, don't you know?" and [IMO rightly] firing Bowen ASAP.

Which is fine with me [Bowen had not exactly impressed], but it's been three years now, and it's ridiculous they haven't cleaned up that mess yet. The last thing I need is a rotating parade of on-air auditions, trying to be witty while Brian Sieman valiantly spends the back half of the season making excuses for the Cripplers' flop and trying stir "excitement" about the team's plans to build a new arena in Inglewood…)

[Déjà Bru]

8 Fearless NBA Predictions!

Not mine. This author's.

• James Harden will be traded no later than Jan. 25 — two full months before this season’s trade deadline.

• At least three of the following five players will be traded this season in addition to Harden: LaMarcus Aldridge, Aaron Gordon, Buddy Hield, Zach LaVine and Kevin Love. Maybe even all five.

• Kevin Durant will be the first player in N.B.A. history to go from an Achilles’ tendon tear to Most Valuable Player Award candidacy.

• The Eastern Conference will earn your respect.

• Finishing sixth in each conference will mean more than it ever has before.

• There will be All-Star balloting, like usual, even if there is no All-Star Game.

• The Miami Heat will reach the N.B.A. finals again.

• There will be a loud campaign for the N.B.A. to start cooking up a new all-time team, featuring 75 players as the league’s 75th birthday nears in June, to replace or update the league’s list of 50 greatest players named in October 1996, the league’s 50th season.

[Syd Thrift]

I think LaVine will stay although the jury is very much out on Lauri Markkinen. I also think Patrick Williams will have a really good chance of winning Rookie of the Year.

[rudel.dietrich]

One thing I love about no fans is how much these guys curse and trash talk during the course of play.

[rudel.dietrich]

I am disappointed that the NBA did not come down more forcefully on James Harden.

[MBarrett]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

One thing I love about no fans is how much these guys curse and trash talk during the course of play.

I don't understand how the networks can't see the monetary value of this. I would pay extra money to get all the on-court talk!

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by MBarrett

I don't understand how the networks can't see the monetary value of this. I would pay extra money to get all the on-court talk!

America is weird when it comes to four letter curse words. And there are a lot of them said.
Also the N word is said a lot.
Unfortunately I have also heard a handful of homophobic slurs used.

I can see why the national networks and RSNs may not want to broadcast that.

But I do enjoy hearing the on court talk of things like strategy, the talk on defense and general trash talk. It’s fun.

[thehef]

While I'm not at all offended by trash talk and the like, one of the reasons that my favorite player (from back in the day) was Reggie Lewis is because not only was he a great player with a beautiful game, but he never had to resort to trash-talking or chest-thumping to bring his A-game. He just went about his business.

[Syd Thrift]

Um... you’re joking, right? Reggie Miller was one of the biggest trash talkers in the game when he played.

Edit: oh, you said Reggie *Lewis*.

[rudel.dietrich]

I can’t even see the name Reggie Lewis without getting a bit sad.

[Amazin69]

So after nearly squandering that 22-point lead over the Lakers on opening night, the Clippers held on for a win, and then got "revenge" on the Nuggets at Denver on Friday night, despite Kawhi Leonard taking an elbow to the jaw from teammate Serge Ibaka, requiring eight stitches and putting Kawhi out, indefinitely.

So, naturally, they've come out and been turned into a smear by Dallas this afternoon, trailing 77-27 at the half. FIFTY points at the half. That's an NBA record, folks.

I've been a Clipper fan since 1989. That's a lot of years of a lot of BAD basketball, mixed in with the good times. I don't recall the Clips even ever losing a game by 50 points, much less being that far behind at the half. Talk about pathetic. How do you not get embarrassed when you're down 20-30 points and get your act together?

To quote NBA-TV's Greg Anthony, when the Clips trailed by 62-18 halfway through the 2nd: "I know Kawhi isn't there [of course, no Porzingis for Dallas, either], and Dallas [who were 0-2] is desperate…but a 44-point deficit? Come on, man."

Seriously, where's the leadership? Why isn't George and his $190,000,000 worth of investment screaming at his teammates that Dallas is laughing at them and they need to get their sh*t together? Why isn't Leonard (on the sidelines in civvies) rallying the troops?

And I guess it's true that Tyrone Lue's one skill as a coach was attaching himself to LeBron. Why isn't he screaming at the team? Why didn't he just bench all the starters after the first quarter and play Terence Mann [not the Broadway star, who's probably a better basketball player than our "Terry", too] and Patrick Patterson and everyone else at the end of the bench, on the theory the starters didn't deserve these minutes? What is he, an innocent bystander?

"Everybody gets on me for not making adjustments [during the choke against Denver], but where was the guy next to me?" —Doc Rivers, taking a shot a Lue after he got fired.

Yes, yes, pointing fingers and blaming each other is apparently the current Curse of the Clippers, but Doc isn't exactly wrong, either. Pathetic.

(Brian Sieman is joined on today's telecast by…Jim Jackson??? I mean, Jim's fine [he's decent technically, and he had fun ragging on Brian when Sieman screwed up a promo], but where did he come from? JJ normally does college hoops for FOX and TNT. I honestly thought the Clips had just roped in a spare Dallas announcer [the Mavs were the first and longest of Jackson's many NBA stops], but no. And of course the Dallas announcers might not even be in L.A., at all, given COVID issues. Heck, until we got a shot of the booth late in the game [NBA TV was cutting in over all local segments, annoyingly], I wasn't sure that Jackson was in LA, either.

But it's just embarrassing that a team in the second-largest media market can't hire a full-time analyst. PICK SOMEBODY! Sheesh.)

Brian Sieman at first tried to blame the Cripplers' poor start on the 12.30 local tip-off time, but of course it's early for Dallas, too. He made a somewhat better point in noting that the usual L.A. home-court edge (visiting teams treat playing in L.A. as a vacation and have trouble focusing) is cancelled by COVID, whereas the Mavs have been locked in their hotel rooms and are spoiling for a fight, but "come on, man". That still doesn't come close to excusing 62-18 and 77-27, or even the 104-57 LA has "narrowed the gap" to at the end of the 3rd.

Did I say the Clips would have trouble getting home court for the playoffs? Er, what playoffs, exactly?

(I feel really badly for the producers who had to put together that "Clipper highlights" package that played us into the commercial break after the 3rd quarter. Sheesh.)