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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: MinistroRaven on July 02, 2023, 11:17:19 AM
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Season o er, draft over, new thread!
And now with the move of Derrick Rose to Memphis we have the Guns and Roses team.
:omg:
:rollin
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My Lakers did well in free agency for a change.
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Will Miami get Dame?!
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Will Miami get Dame?!
What'll be interesting is if Lillard goes to a contender and doesn't win. I know he's a really good player, but I have never seen a basketball player who has done so little in the playoffs get slurped so much by the sports media, as if he's the second coming of Michael Jordan who had the unfortunate mishap of being drafted to a franchise that cannot build around him.
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What'll be interesting is if Lillard goes to a contender and doesn't win. I know he's a really good player, but I have never seen a basketball player who has done so little in the playoffs get slurped so much by the sports media, as if he's the second coming of Michael Jordan who had the unfortunate mishap of being drafted to a franchise that cannot build around him.
Yes and no. Yes, the Lillard-led Blazers had just one good playoff run in 2018-19 by reaching the WCF before getting swept by the Warriors, but I think people generally love him for his "loyalty" to the franchise. If anything at all, I just do not understand the timing of his demand at this time. If he knows he didn't want to stay, he should have told the team much sooner. Same thing, if he got upset by J-Grant's $160M contract, he should have told the team he didn't want to play with Grant or whatnot. With that being said, I wouldn't blame it all on him, rather I think the Blazers are just terribly ran as an organization.
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(https://i.imgur.com/w78QGp2.jpg)
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:lol
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The NBA must be swimming in cash because these contracts are outrageous.
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The NBA must be swimming in cash because these contracts are outrageous.
They are, and they are.
Timberwolves did okay. I'm happy with the draft, happy with the signings, and the only one left to extend is McDaniels, and that's not going to be a problem.
Interested in the Lillard thing. He obviously wants Miami, but that's a difficult trade to make, and will require a third team. Timberwolves have been linked to Lillard, but I think that's just kicking the tires.
Wolves need to move on from Towns. Everyone on the squad in the gym this summer, except pretty boy KAT. Flaunting around Europe with his "model" girlfriend doing fashion shoots. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards, Naz Reid, even Rudy Gobert in the gym, in Minny, working. Towns' priorities screwed up.
Towns for Lillard (obviously more to that than a 1 for 1 swap) would make sense for both teams. But I'm not sure how realistic it is.
Personally, I think Lillard going to New Orleans makes a lot of sense, reunites him with CJ, and a prime era Brandon Ingram. I could see a Lillard for Zion swap (plus more).
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I could be getting a "returning customer discount" without knowing it, but I have just been notified my NBA League Pass Premium subscription for next season is only USD 134, or close to $60 cheaper than for first-time subscribers.
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I could be getting a "returning customer discount" without knowing it, but I have just been notified my NBA League Pass Premium subscription for next season is only USD 134, or close to $60 cheaper than for first-time subscribers.
Shit. Wonder why mine is 149.99 then? I upgraded from one team only to the full thing. That sucks for me. Should have saved 15 bucks. lol.
Going to really invest in watching both my Timberwolves and my Knicks this year. I've always loved both teams (grew up a Long Islander, Wolves were my first favorite, but I saw the Knicks play more on TV), so I am very excited to see how the Knicks grow off last year. Brunson is the kind of guy I get behind. Grinder. Works hard.
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Shit. Wonder why mine is 149.99 then? I upgraded from one team only to the full thing. That sucks for me. Should have saved 15 bucks. lol.
Going to really invest in watching both my Timberwolves and my Knicks this year. I've always loved both teams (grew up a Long Islander, Wolves were my first favorite, but I saw the Knicks play more on TV), so I am very excited to see how the Knicks grow off last year. Brunson is the kind of guy I get behind. Grinder. Works hard.
I believe their prices fluctuate from the second year onward, if you never canceled your subscription. For me, their prices have been dropping 3 years in a row.
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Been in a debate with a friend. We have 100 bucks on this.
Who finishes with the higher seed? Timberwolves or Kings?
My argument is, if both teams are fully healthy, it's clearly the Timberwolves. The Wolves have more talent, and frankly, a better offensive mind as a head coach. The Kings are also right where the 2021-2022 Wolves were. Overachieved. And like the Wolves in 2022-2023, I feel like the Kings will slip a bit. Kings also didn't do a thing to address their defensive lapses and size issues.
The west will be a dogfight for seeds 3-8. I feel like Denver and Phoenix are the class of the conference. After that, it is wide open, depending on so many factors. The only teams in the west that I feel cannot challenge for the 8 seed are: Utah, Portland, and Houston. I think San Antonio will be better, and not just because of Wemby. They are due for a jump. OKC will take a leap with a healthy Holmgren. The Wolves, if healthy, will win a lot. Lakers are a crapshoot. But I think they will be there. Golden State -- could be top-3 if all plays out right. But if they get hurt, they could be out of the playoffs entirely. I think it is a virtual unknown. They are OLD. But I never underestimate talent. If they all are healthy and perform like they are able at this point in their careers, they could probably nab the three seed.
Anyway, I'm winning that hundo. Timberwolves will seed higher than the Kings.
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It looks like we signed Christian Wood to a 2-year $5.7M veteran minimum deal with the second year being a player option. I guess it isn't a bad deal for the Lakers, and we finally have someone to play the 5 besides Jaxson Hayes.
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That's a great deal for the Lakers. And I like Hayes as well. Nice 1-2 punch there. Hayes can clog the paint and defense, and Wood can jump out and draw defenders away. Really good sign.
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I haven't watched as much NBA the past few years but I am excited for the season. Seems like it could be another wide open year, but you never know. There's always that team that does way better than anyone's expecting :lol
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The NBA will play a single regular season game in Paris next January between the Nets and the Cavs. Ticket prices are super expensive! Upper level are going for £324 each, and lower level bad seats (behind the basket) are still going for £645 each. I know you guys are dying to see Ben Simmons play :lol but that's still too rich for these 2 teams for me. I am out.
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The NBA will play a single regular season game in Paris next January between the Nets and the Cavs. Ticket prices are super expensive! Upper level are going for £324 each, and lower level bad seats (behind the basket) are still going for £645 each. I know you guys are dying to see Ben Simmons play :lol but that's still too rich for these 2 teams for me. I am out.
I get it, I'm priced out of my local teams (Nets and Knicks). It was only 5-6 years ago when I could find same day ticket for $50 or less, for a descent seat (sometimes lower level). Lately, even the upper level are a minimum of $150, and if it is a good team that will be $250 minimum.
Lol, I just checked the Knicks game against the Cavs on Nov 1st, and cheapest ticket is $209.
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Lilliard to the Bucks :o
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The NBA will play a single regular season game in Paris next January between the Nets and the Cavs. Ticket prices are super expensive! Upper level are going for £324 each, and lower level bad seats (behind the basket) are still going for £645 each. I know you guys are dying to see Ben Simmons play :lol but that's still too rich for these 2 teams for me. I am out.
I get it, I'm priced out of my local teams (Nets and Knicks). It was only 5-6 years ago when I could find same day ticket for $50 or less, for a descent seat (sometimes lower level). Lately, even the upper level are a minimum of $150, and if it is a good team that will be $250 minimum.
Lol, I just checked the Knicks game against the Cavs on Nov 1st, and cheapest ticket is $209.
Same in Boston. It sucks. Bruins are worse.
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Tim, it's crazy. Remember in the 80's how cheap tickets were for the B's? Lunch pale fans would go to so many games. Now, maybe 1 game a year.
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Lilliard to the Bucks :o
Jrue Holiday will go down as one of the most beloved Bucks of all time, and I doubt you’ll find a Bucks fan that doesn’t believe he was just as important as Giannis for bringing home the trophy a couple of years ago.
BUT WELCOME TO MILWAUKEE DAMIAN LILLARD!
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Timberwolves 1-0.
:lol
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preseason of course.
I would not be surprised if by playoff time, the Wolves have traded either CAT or Gobert. They keep saying the experiment with having the 2 of them with Edwards hasn't been able to play out per injuries, but I think they kind of got exposed last year in the playoffs.
Plus they resigned Naz Reid of course, which was surprising given he probably could have signed elsewhere for both more $ and been a starter, but likely for a worse team.
The problem could ly in with who will be willing to trade for them, especially Gobert, with those huge contracts.
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I only caught the last quarter of the Lakers-Denver game. Even though at one point they were only down by 3, the Lakers were playing like it was the last game of the season and they were out of the playoffs.
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I missed the game last night, but Denver seems hella good. As a LeBron fan, I'd love to see him win another one, but at this point I'm rooting for Jokic as much or more. I love how he's such an incredible player, but also super chill.
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I missed the game last night, but Denver seems hella good. As a LeBron fan, I'd love to see him win another one, but at this point I'm rooting for Jokic as much or more. I love how he's such an incredible player, but also super chill.
On no yeah, Denver look comfortable on the floor, and it seem like they were hitting their shots with ease.
I'd love to see Lebron win another one as well, I highly doubt it.
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On no yeah, Denver look comfortable on the floor, and it seem like they were hitting their shots with ease.
I'd love to see Lebron win another one as well, I highly doubt it.
Yep. As a Lakers fan, I know we look better than last year... on paper anyway. Yet, a lot has to click in the right direction for us to even get out of the West. So yeah, we should be better than last season, record-wise; but I doubt we have what it takes to win it all this year... *cough* *cough, AD*... *cough sucks*! *Cough*... :lol
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Wolves looked crappy. A lot of hero ball. Bad shooting. McDaniels absence was noticeable. Hopefully he's healthy and can play Saturday. Oh well. 0-1.
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Not gonna lie, I like the Bucks chances this year. ;)
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Not gonna lie, I like the Bucks chances this year. ;)
I'm honestly rooting for them. I hope they can make it work with Lilliard
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The Suns are my new favorite team. I love their new city jersey and their offseason moves. Heat vs. Suns is my dream finals.
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Wolves nabbed victory number 1 on the season on Saturday evening. Glad they got it done. KAT still looking weird, and the shooting by the team, while still not good, was good enough. NAZ REID. Anthony Edwards was quiet until the end of the game, where he exploded for 8 of his 19 points (to go along with 7 assists) to seal the deal.
Gotta nail Atlanta in the ATL tonight. Hawks are on the second night of a back-to-back. Need to steal this one.
p.s. Rudy Gobert looks DOMINANT again. Really good to see.
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So, I watched some bits of Wemba getting his feet wet.
Assuming he won't be the last of his kind, are we ready to discuss enlarging the court?
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So, I watched some bits of Wemba getting his feet wet.
Assuming he won't be the last of his kind, are we ready to discuss enlarging the court?
Depends on what you mean by "enlarging." I'd be okay with widening it so there is more room to take the corner three. But otherwise, I'd leave it alone.
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Absolutely widening.
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Absolutely widening.
Are the Euro courts the same size?
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I think NBA courts are like a foot longer but maybe just one inch wider. Plus, the 3p line here is closer to the hoop.
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are like a foot longer but maybe just one inch wider
Wait..we still talking about court size, right?
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Court?
Jokes aside, let's picture Giannis, Wemba and Kawhi on a 2-3 zone arc, arms outstretched. I'm horribly simplifying and maybe hyperbolising, but isn't the game going to either clog up or become a ridicolous range shooting contest?
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So, I watched some bits of Wemba getting his feet wet.
Assuming he won't be the last of his kind, are we ready to discuss enlarging the court?
Wemby isn't alone, and we already have Chet Holmgren at the same time. These two guys will make the center position interesting again. Also, making the court larger or even creating a 4-point line could happen in the future, I am sure of it.
Depends on what you mean by "enlarging." I'd be okay with widening it so there is more room to take the corner three. But otherwise, I'd leave it alone.
The league did make changes to the court size and such after Wilt Chamberlain entered the league, so never say never.
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The C's look great. Their scoring is nuts but they just held the Pacers to 104 points. The Pacers in their first 3 games averaged 124 per game.
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Crazy ending in Dubs/Thunder last night. I had to look up the goaltending rule, because I was right there with the Thunder fans thinking that final shot was a goaltend as well. But according to the rule, the refs made the right call in counting the shot. Wild way to end the game.
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*sigh* Okay, so... I saw the headline of "Draymond's headlock of Gobert headlines ejections minutes into game," and I'm thinking to myself, "Okay, I get who Draymond is, and I'm mostly okay with it, but this is indefensible. If he put somebody in a headlock, he is just out of control now, and something needs to be done." But then I saw it--the full clip, from several angles, and...yeah, I get it. He would have been better served to just keep his distance from that fight. But once he saw Gobert put his arm around Klay's neck, he felt like it was his job to jump in and defend his guy. It's not unlike where a QB gets hit dirty and gets into it, and one of his linemen comes in and decks the guy to protect his QB. It get it. I think what was going on was that Gobert was just trying to grab Klay to pull Klay away from his guy, and it just looked worse than it was, so Draymond came in hot. But Draymond should have just let go after he pulled Gobert away. I dunno. I've heard that Gobert is a dirty player, so maybe I'm giving him too much of the benefit of the doubt. But I haven't really followed him or any teams he has been on, so maybe not. In any case, it's a shame guys had to get ejected. I don't think any punches were thrown, at least not that I saw, so I kinda wish the rule was that they could get a tech and a warning or something, and then maybe a 2-game suspension if it escalages to punches or they get into it again later in the game. Looks like fights broke out in at least 2 other games tonight too. Strange.
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*sigh* Okay, so... I saw the headline of "Draymond's headlock of Gobert headlines ejections minutes into game," and I'm thinking to myself, "Okay, I get who Draymond is, and I'm mostly okay with it, but this is indefensible. If he put somebody in a headlock, he is just out of control now, and something needs to be done." But then I saw it--the full clip, from several angles, and...yeah, I get it. He would have been better served to just keep his distance from that fight. But once he saw Gobert put his arm around Klay's neck, he felt like it was his job to jump in and defend his guy. It's not unlike where a QB gets hit dirty and gets into it, and one of his linemen comes in and decks the guy to protect his QB. It get it. I think what was going on was that Gobert was just trying to grab Klay to pull Klay away from his guy, and it just looked worse than it was, so Draymond came in hot. But Draymond should have just let go after he pulled Gobert away. I dunno. I've heard that Gobert is a dirty player, so maybe I'm giving him too much of the benefit of the doubt. But I haven't really followed him or any teams he has been on, so maybe not. In any case, it's a shame guys had to get ejected. I don't think any punches were thrown, at least not that I saw, so I kinda wish the rule was that they could get a tech and a warning or something, and then maybe a 2-game suspension if it escalages to punches or they get into it again later in the game. Looks like fights broke out in at least 2 other games tonight too. Strange.
You didn't really mention Jaden McDaniels who started the whole thing, IMHO. He wasn't even playing to guard Klay, if you watch that whole play from the beginning. I think Klay shouldn't have been ejected. Both Klay and Gobert should have been given a T each. McDaniels and Draymond is another story. I can see Draymond getting at least a one-game suspension. Time flies, we are on the eve of the 19th anniversary of the infamous Malice at the Palace.
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I am guessing that whomever wrote the headline about Green's "headlock" doesn't know what a headlock is, because that is a chokehold he put on Gobert. I doubt he applied much pressure to try to "choke him out" per se, but I am guessing that is why Gobert went limp and just looked around like WTF. He knew a nutjob like Green probably would have choked him out had he fought back and he was in a vulnerable position. Most leagues would give Green 5-10 games for putting a chokehold on another player, but Silver is soft when it comes to disciplining players, so he will likely get a fine and maybe a game.
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Looking at the video, there's a lot happening there, but it was started with Klay holding McDaniel's jersey (close to the neck as well).
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Looking at the video, there's a lot happening there, but it was started with Klay holding McDaniel's jersey (close to the neck as well).
This. That started the whole thing. Klay tried to hold McDaniels from sprinting back, and McDaniels tried to push Klay off him, and then they got tangled. Basically, Klay Thompson was the instigator of the whole mess, and it was compounded from that point.
bosk is INCORRECT on what Rudy Gobert was doing to Klay. If you watch, Rudy goes to put his arms around Klay and pull him back, and does, and Klay slides down, and where does that put Rudy's arms? Yes, around Klay's neck, because Klay was trying to slide out. Rudy was only trying to keep them apart. Then Draymond, as he always does, comes charging in and headlocks Gobert. Gobert is 7'1", Draymond is 6'8", 6'9." So Dray isn't just trying to pull Rudy away, he's making an effort to grab the guy (and does, successfully) around his head, and then yank him. He could have easily grabbed his waist. He didn't.
Rudy Gobert can be dirty. I hate that about him. He's kicked guys in the nuts before, and I have little respect for that. But Draymond Green? Bosk, I know its your team and all, but he is one of the dirtiest players in the league. EVERYONE knows this, except most Warriors fans try to deny it. Green even started an almost fight with Donovan Mitchell a few games prior.
The bottom line is:
Klay started the whole thing, because the Ws tried (unsuccessfully) to physically intimidate (and verbally) the Wolves in gm 1 and got beat. So gm. 2, they tried with Jaden McDaniels (the Wolves best defender), and Jaden took the bait. Should Rudy have grabbed Klay? No, he shouldn't have. I'll give that. But Draymond just escalates everything with his ridiculousness.
Glad he got tossed for 5 games. The guy is worthless. He was once a great defender and good ball distributor. Nowadays, he's an average (to slightly above average) defender, and worthless on offense, and slow. the Warriors need a lot of help for Steph if they want to contend. They are slow. They need help.
Timberwolves got their streak snapped in PHX, which I fully expected. Lifeless and flat from the tip. We'll see how they do in New Orleans. But I'm encouraged by what I've seen. Edwards has taken a leap, KAT has figured it out, Gobert playing like the DPOtY, and we're deep and athletic. I like the Wolves' chances in the West.
It'll be interesting to see if the Lakers get Lavine. I could see them trading Reaves, Russell, and Hachimura, to the Bulls for Lavine and Caruso. It can't happen yet though, because of signing restrictions.
Lake show lineup:
C - Davis
PF - Lebron
SF - Reddish
SG - Lavine
PG - Caruso
C2 - Hayes
PF2 - Wood
SF2 - Vanderbilt/Christie (Vando is a PF, not an offensive player, but, he'd be good in a big lineup)
SG2 - Christie
PG2 - Vincent
>>>That starting lineup is solid. I'd say they are nine deep, which is all you want to run anyway, really. Time will tell.
West is going to be a bloody battle throughout the season. So much parity and talent. It's good for the game. East is almost at the same level too, honestly.
Big questions for me -- will the Clips and Bucks figure it out? I think they will. Are the Heat "done?" Could be. How effective will the big 3 be in Phoenix? Will the Knicks stand pat with what they have, and challenge Boston? Do my Timberwolves have what they need to come out of the West (I think they do, but they still need to mature a little).
Oh, and OKC -- if other teams falter, they are sneaky good, and sneaky deep.
Such a great time to be an NBA fan. I don't like what the game has become, but the parity is awesome. Only going to get better. Look at what Houston is doing. (F Brooks though. Almost a big a thug as Draymond Green.)
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the Wolves have a long history of struggling with Phoenix. Maybe not as much in recent years, but back in the 90's especially, they were never able to beat them.
Also Melvin Booker seems to have their number.
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Adam Silver is partially to blame for Green's behavior getting more out of hand. He is too soft on the players now. Stern would have come down really hard before now, and he likely would have given Green at least half a season for putting a guy in a chokehold on the court and dragging him backwards. It's like when you have parents who are not strict at all. You know you can get away with more, and even when you get punished, it's a slap on the wrist (which 5 games for something like this is in reality). With a strict parent (or strict commish like Stern), you watch yourself a little more. Granted, a dirty player with hyper-aggressive tendencies like Green is always going to act out because that's who he is (the old "when someone shows you who they are, believe them," and Green repeatedly shows us who he is), but his acting out might be a tad less frequent if Stern will still in charge. Under Silver, it's Hell in a Cell where "anything" goes (in a sense).
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There was a lot more violence in the David Stern era compared to today. I miss the violence in the game honestly. Teams hated each other.
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There was a lot more violence in the David Stern era compared to today. I miss the violence in the game honestly. Teams hated each other.
In the 80s, for sure. It felt like the ultraviolence toned down once the 90s rolled around. Not like that game still wasn't physical, but you didn't really see stuff like McHale clotheslining Rambis or Parish clobbering Laimbeer in the face again. The brawl in Detroit went a long way as well in Stern clamping down on players being too aggressive on the court.
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I would say I'm the mid 2000's it changed. Remember the Mallice at the Palice?
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It changed even before that with the Kermit Washington/Rudy Tomjanovich incident. Someone, maybe it was Stern, said that after that happened, the top brass realized these guys were too big and too strong, and could literally kill someone on the court if they let things go far enough.
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I seem to remember Stern turning drastically the screws after witnessing (with quite the horrified look caught by the cameras) in person at MSG a furious brawl between Bulls and Knicks in the early nineties.
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There was a lot more violence in the David Stern era compared to today. I miss the violence in the game honestly. Teams hated each other.
In the 80s, for sure. It felt like the ultraviolence toned down once the 90s rolled around. Not like that game still wasn't physical, but you didn't really see stuff like McHale clotheslining Rambis or Parish clobbering Laimbeer in the face again. The brawl in Detroit went a long way as well in Stern clamping down on players being too aggressive on the court.
Don't forget Karl Malone doing his best UFC impression. Elbowing Isiah Thomas coming down the lane....required 40 stitches on the face. Malone was ejected....but only suspended for one game. That was in 1991, so it didn't tone down too much at that point.
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FIRST PLACE Minnesota Timberwolves. Come at me bro. :lol
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My guy Green :lol
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FIRST PLACE Minnesota Timberwolves. Come at me bro. :lol
The Bruh says, equils! *Fist pump*
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There was a lot more violence in the David Stern era compared to today. I miss the violence in the game honestly. Teams hated each other.
I'm not sure I miss it but I do agree that, in general, the violence in the game is trending downward. Certainly since the 70s, it's gone way down. Perhaps we're in the midst of a very brief spike right now due to Draymond losing his marbles, but blips do happen.
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I miss hard defensive play. I miss being able to body a guy driving the lane. I miss hand checking. Yes, free flow play has made the game more palatable for those who have short attention spans and have to constantly see things fast. But I miss half-court offense and good defense.
I could live without violence (we don't need Draymond Green's antics), but do miss the game as it used to be.
Green is a thug. I've said on this forum for as long as I can remember that he's a dirty player, and nowhere near as good as he thinks he is. People say this clown is a HOFer. I find that laughable. In his entire career, he's been on the backs of superior talent riding that talent to championships. Sure, he facilitated offense and played good defense. But he's nowhere near HOF worthy, IMO. The guys who play Green's role on the Warriors are good defenders who are starting, but literally can't do anything without stars. When Klay and Steph were hurt, Green was exposed as not being nearly as good as he claimed he was. Hopefully, the NBA tosses this clown for the remainder of the season. They won't, but they should.
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Hopefully, the NBA tosses this clown for the remainder of the season. They won't, but they should.
....and they didn't. ::)
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I miss hard defensive play. I miss being able to body a guy driving the lane. I miss hand checking. Yes, free flow play has made the game more palatable for those who have short attention spans and have to constantly see things fast. But I miss half-court offense and good defense.
I could live without violence (we don't need Draymond Green's antics), but do miss the game as it used to be.
Green is a thug. I've said on this forum for as long as I can remember that he's a dirty player, and nowhere near as good as he thinks he is. People say this clown is a HOFer. I find that laughable. In his entire career, he's been on the backs of superior talent riding that talent to championships. Sure, he facilitated offense and played good defense. But he's nowhere near HOF worthy, IMO. The guys who play Green's role on the Warriors are good defenders who are starting, but literally can't do anything without stars. When Klay and Steph were hurt, Green was exposed as not being nearly as good as he claimed he was. Hopefully, the NBA tosses this clown for the remainder of the season. They won't, but they should.
I think the NBA found a sweet spot in terms of offense-to-defense ratio from 2009-2014 or so. Over the past few years, I think it's tipped a bit far in favor of the offense. A lot of that is due to rule changes and officiating, but I also think Steph Curry inadvertently broke the game when he showed everyone how unguardable good three-point shooting is. When you have centers like Embiid and Jokic bombing 30-foot threes... I don't know what you do against that. :lol
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I think Steph's ability gave a lot of guys hope that skills like that can get them to the next level. I ultimately think Curry's special talent helped broaden the game. Sadly, because of how kids are raised these days, with many being allowed to do whatever they want, good coaching goes out the window. I was at a jr. high basketball game in 2019, and everyone shot threes from all over the place, including when people were open down low. I think coaches are afraid of parent reprisals, and they are also afraid of alienating kids if they restrict crazy shooting. obviously, this is not true in all cases, but society, and sports, have changed.
What I do think, however, is that post play has become a lost art form. I'm glad that my team is utilizing that more, and I hope the game is better balanced in the next several years.
Speaking of my team, the Timberwolves were in Boston last night on the second night of a back-to-back. I mean, we're the best in the West, but second night of a back to back in Boston? Automatic "L." Then I find out Mike Conley (our starting PG) and Rudy Gobert (our starting center and DPOY candidate) are both out. No way we're winning, even with the Celtics being without their own center, Kristaps Porzingis (their third best player).
Well...if it wasn't for some really stupid fouls and turnovers, we would have won that game. We had it. Went to OT, and the Celtics did what championship teams do -- the capitalized. Great game, even if my team was on the losing end of things.
The Cs have been my call since July to win it all, and that hasn't changed. I'm not sure the Wolves are ready yet to win the West, but the two games against the Cs this year have shown me that if they make it, and it's Wolves-Celtics in the Finals (a long way off), it is going seven games, without a doubt. They really match up well.
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Ironically, if Tatum makes both his free throws at the end of the fourth (hence no White's rebound to Al's pass to Jrue's triple in a sequence I can only describe as positively Popovichesque) I strongly believe MIN wins that game.
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We went to the game last night. A amazing game for sure.
(https://i.imgur.com/BatxGQl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/87moZuJ.jpg)
Ironically, if Tatum makes both his free throws at the end of the fourth (hence no White's rebound to Al's pass to Jrue's triple in a sequence I can only describe as positively Popovichesque) I strongly believe MIN wins that game.
Holiday's shot was amazing. He was missing 3's all night, but hit that one.
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Judging from the pics' angle those were great seats!
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Judging from the pics' angle those were great seats!
They were!!!!
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Appreciated the text, Tim. Hope you and the fam had a blast.
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Appreciated the text, Tim.
You're welcome! I mean, you're the biggest T-Wolves fan I know. You're the only one I know, but that's besides the point. ;D :)
That Minnesota team is freaking huge! Naz Reid is a monster!
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My turn on the 30th vs. Indy who is a bad matchup for the C's.
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That'll be a good game!
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Definitely. I'm just over the moon to experience it with my nephew, who's just getting into basketball and my brother for reasons, you know all too well.
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Speaking of my team, the Timberwolves were in Boston last night on the second night of a back-to-back. I mean, we're the best in the West, but second night of a back to back in Boston? Automatic "L." Then I find out Mike Conley (our starting PG) and Rudy Gobert (our starting center and DPOY candidate) are both out. No way we're winning, even with the Celtics being without their own center, Kristaps Porzingis (their third best player).
Well...if it wasn't for some really stupid fouls and turnovers, we would have won that game. We had it. Went to OT, and the Celtics did what championship teams do -- the capitalized. Great game, even if my team was on the losing end of things.
The Cs have been my call since July to win it all, and that hasn't changed. I'm not sure the Wolves are ready yet to win the West, but the two games against the Cs this year have shown me that if they make it, and it's Wolves-Celtics in the Finals (a long way off), it is going seven games, without a doubt. They really match up well.
I'm not assuming the Wolves make that long of a playoff run yet. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games. It's a long season, per I want to see how well they are playing in March.
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Seems there may not be a link between load management and lower injury risk: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39288379/nba-report-no-link-load-management-less-injury-risk
If this is true, I hope it leads to less and less load management over time. I think the NBA has developed a real image problem in terms of star players missing too many games, and while I do think some of it is overblown, in a perfect world, no one would miss any games unless he was truly injured.
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Seems there may not be a link between load management and lower injury risk: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39288379/nba-report-no-link-load-management-less-injury-risk
If this is true, I hope it leads to less and less load management over time. I think the NBA has developed a real image problem in terms of star players missing too many games, and while I do think some of it is overblown, in a perfect world, no one would miss any games unless he was truly injured.
I've heard some veterans say that they think the current amount of injuries is more related to the fact that teams don't practice as much as they used to and that load management has been established by team management rather than being something players push for.
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What a shocking and unfortunate news about Warriors' assistant coach Milojevic, RIP
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I'm not assuming the Wolves make that long of a playoff run yet. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games. It's a long season, per I want to see how well they are playing in March.
I'm not assuming it either. They have holes. Notably, a backup pg, and a reliable wing scorer off the bench (Naz Reid is awesome, but he's not a wing). If we end up prying Tyus Jones away from the Wizards, it will almost assuredly mean Kyle Anderson goes (who is a tremendous glue guy and reliable stat sheet stuffer depending on what the team needs), and likely Shake Milton (no big loss). BUT, after watching every single game, I think this team has it in them to make that run, and make a significant jump. In my mind, right now, they are one of three teams that has a legitimate shot of coming out of the West as currently constructed. The Wolves, Nuggets, and Pelicans, if all healthy, have the best shot. Phoenix is unbalanced, the Lakers aren't deep enough, Dallas isn't deep enough, the Clippers have egos and aren't deep enough, the Kings...are a year away, and need size. Not saying those teams can't come out of the west, of course they can. But I think their holes are deeper than the Wolves' holes. Denver is still the class of the west. The Pelicans may sound like a surprise, but they aren't. If they stay healthy (big if), that team is incredibly deep. If they lose Zion, they slide back into the pack. But with him? They will be a handful.
But I really like what I see with the Timberwolves. I've been a fan of the Wolves since the expansion year. Teaneck, N.J.'s own Tony Campbell was my favorite player. Fell in love with them watching them play against the Knicks on TV. I can honestly say that no Wolves team has been this talented and deep. And yes, that counts the KG-Marbury-Googs years, the KG-Spree-Cassell years, and the Butler-Towns-Wiggins year. The Timberwolves are deep, really, really good, and the best team this franchise has ever seen. It will NOT surprise me one iota if they win the west. Not assuming that at all, because of the aforementioned holes. But it will not surprise me at all if they stay healthy and come out of the conference. that said, it would also not surprise me if they get bounced in the second round if they aren't able to fill one of the holes. You can't rely on a 36 year starting PG and him playing 30-34 minutes per game. Just not smart. That's why Tyus Jones is necessary. His assist-to-turnover ratio is just as low as Conley, he's now a better shooter than he was during his initial stint with the Wolves, he's comfortable in Minnesota (since he's from there), and just the perfect floor general for a winning team slotting in behind Mike "Bite, Bite" Conley.
I very much hope it happens. It needs to. Or someone of his ilk to come in and support Conley. So that Conley can play 26-28, and Jones or someone else can play 20-ish in a backup role.
Regarding the East...very interesting move by the Pacers. I think the Raptors fleeced them. I like Siakam. But THREE first rounders for a dude who can walk away at the end of the year? Indiana is really banking on him making a difference defensively. Uh...Indiana doesn't play defense...even with Myles Turner. Not sure how this trade did anything except give the Pacers a bit more size and scoring touch. And frankly, the Pacers have all the scoring they need. We'll see how it goes, but I still think they are behind the class in the East.
Toronto has really set themselves up well. I don't think losing Siakam is going to hurt them this year at all. They have their backcourt set (assuming they keep Quickley), and Barnes is the man moving forward. That group of Barnes-Barrett-Quickley will be great. And I can only see them improving via the draft. And like I said, they really will have fleeced the Pacers if Siakam walks. I am absolutely stunned the Pacers made that trade without locking up Siakam in the process.
Anyway, always interesting around this time to see what trades go down. Have to figure the Lakers will be wheeling and dealing. Chicago needs to figure themselves out. The Heat need a piece. Atlanta will be curious. Are they done with Murray? If so, where does he land? (I figured out a trade that works financially to the Wolves involving two first rounders, but I can't see why Atlanta would do that.)
Wolves have Memphis tonight in Minny. Timberwolves played sloppy as hell in Detroit last night. If they come out like that again, they are getting beat. Hopefully they got yelled out. Coach Finch was pissed in the post game (without appearing pissy, but he deadpanned he didn't like how they played).
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I agree the T-Wolves have a fair chance, and they really seem cut (and definitely have the size) for play-off basketball. I wouldn't sleep on the Clippers, though. They are silently killing, even though you definitely have a point about the primadonna issues, and I would add Kawhi isn't a lock to stay healthy and Harden always seems to crap the bed in playoff tight games.
T-Wolves were my favourite expansion team, and I personally enjoyed a lot Dean Garrett - you may remember him - when he came playing for the team I used to root for here in Italy when I was a kid. He helped us - along with another NBA exile, George McCloud - to our finals.
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I remember both Dean and George, yes!
It's funny, I became a basketball fan in summer 1989, and I just loved connecting with a team that was new when I was a new fan myself. I always rooted for the hometown Knicks, but the Wolves were my team. I used to clip the box scores from the newspapers every day. In fact, our school librarian would always make sure to get the afternoon edition of our local paper, so that after school, I could clip out the Wolves' box score. (Since they were in the Midwest, the early edition of the East Coast newspapers never had the scores.)
Not sleeping on the Clips at all. When they made the trade, I told everyone I knew that with four HOFers on that team, they'd be trouble. They laughed at me as they fumbled. But I knew it was only a matter of time before they figured it out. But that lack of depth is alarming. If everyone stays healthy though, they are in the mix FOR SURE.
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I'm not assuming the Wolves make that long of a playoff run yet. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games. It's a long season, per I want to see how well they are playing in March.
I'm not assuming it either. They have holes. Notably, a backup pg, and a reliable wing scorer off the bench (Naz Reid is awesome, but he's not a wing). If we end up prying Tyus Jones away from the Wizards, it will almost assuredly mean Kyle Anderson goes (who is a tremendous glue guy and reliable stat sheet stuffer depending on what the team needs), and likely Shake Milton (no big loss). BUT, after watching every single game, I think this team has it in them to make that run, and make a significant jump. In my mind, right now, they are one of three teams that has a legitimate shot of coming out of the West as currently constructed. The Wolves, Nuggets, and Pelicans, if all healthy, have the best shot. Phoenix is unbalanced, the Lakers aren't deep enough, Dallas isn't deep enough, the Clippers have egos and aren't deep enough, the Kings...are a year away, and need size. Not saying those teams can't come out of the west, of course they can. But I think their holes are deeper than the Wolves' holes. Denver is still the class of the west. The Pelicans may sound like a surprise, but they aren't. If they stay healthy (big if), that team is incredibly deep. If they lose Zion, they slide back into the pack. But with him? They will be a handful.
But I really like what I see with the Timberwolves. I've been a fan of the Wolves since the expansion year. Teaneck, N.J.'s own Tony Campbell was my favorite player. Fell in love with them watching them play against the Knicks on TV. I can honestly say that no Wolves team has been this talented and deep. And yes, that counts the KG-Marbury-Googs years, the KG-Spree-Cassell years, and the Butler-Towns-Wiggins year. The Timberwolves are deep, really, really good, and the best team this franchise has ever seen. It will NOT surprise me one iota if they win the west. Not assuming that at all, because of the aforementioned holes. But it will not surprise me at all if they stay healthy and come out of the conference. that said, it would also not surprise me if they get bounced in the second round if they aren't able to fill one of the holes. You can't rely on a 36 year starting PG and him playing 30-34 minutes per game. Just not smart. That's why Tyus Jones is necessary. His assist-to-turnover ratio is just as low as Conley, he's now a better shooter than he was during his initial stint with the Wolves, he's comfortable in Minnesota (since he's from there), and just the perfect floor general for a winning team slotting in behind Mike "Bite, Bite" Conley.
I very much hope it happens. It needs to. Or someone of his ilk to come in and support Conley. So that Conley can play 26-28, and Jones or someone else can play 20-ish in a backup role.
Regarding the East...very interesting move by the Pacers. I think the Raptors fleeced them. I like Siakam. But THREE first rounders for a dude who can walk away at the end of the year? Indiana is really banking on him making a difference defensively. Uh...Indiana doesn't play defense...even with Myles Turner. Not sure how this trade did anything except give the Pacers a bit more size and scoring touch. And frankly, the Pacers have all the scoring they need. We'll see how it goes, but I still think they are behind the class in the East.
Toronto has really set themselves up well. I don't think losing Siakam is going to hurt them this year at all. They have their backcourt set (assuming they keep Quickley), and Barnes is the man moving forward. That group of Barnes-Barrett-Quickley will be great. And I can only see them improving via the draft. And like I said, they really will have fleeced the Pacers if Siakam walks. I am absolutely stunned the Pacers made that trade without locking up Siakam in the process.
Anyway, always interesting around this time to see what trades go down. Have to figure the Lakers will be wheeling and dealing. Chicago needs to figure themselves out. The Heat need a piece. Atlanta will be curious. Are they done with Murray? If so, where does he land? (I figured out a trade that works financially to the Wolves involving two first rounders, but I can't see why Atlanta would do that.)
Wolves have Memphis tonight in Minny. Timberwolves played sloppy as hell in Detroit last night. If they come out like that again, they are getting beat. Hopefully they got yelled out. Coach Finch was pissed in the post game (without appearing pissy, but he deadpanned he didn't like how they played).
I actually babbled on about them on my YouTube channel a few weeks ago here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_oePzlQQuM
I've been a fan since the beginning, per I'm old enough (47) and also a resident of Minnesota (go figure).
I do think you may be right in that this season's team may be their best and deepest in some ways. The 03-04 I would say had arguably as good of a defense (with Garnett alone..and then the likes of Spree and Trenton Hassell gave them 3 guys who were long and could defend the perimeter). And Cassell that year was lights out, so I would give him the nod over Conley.
But I do think this year's team has more offense and better outside shooting, which is partially a product of the NBA now vs how it was 20 years ago.
Edwards vs Garnett..Edwards potential is still high and as a guy who can create his own shot, and someone to take a shot at the end of the game, he is better. He is not the defender Garnett was though, although he's getting better.
I guess I'm impressed with their depth and abililty to turn up their defense or offense when needed and to HOLD ON TO LEADS which they have an awful history of not being able to do so.
That being said..it's still just the regular season and why I want to see this level of play and winning well into March and in the playoffs to see. At a minumum, they should get a HOME SERIES in the 1st round which gives them an advantage to at least get past the 1st round.
And of course, they likely need to keep most of their guys healthy. A Trade? i'm unsure if they will do it due to chemistry. Tyus Jones?..maybe. I would want someone who has experience in the playoffs winning.
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Looking forward to Nuggets/Celtics game tonight.
I'm going on the 30th for the C's/Pacers game. That will be a great game as well.
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So if he doesn't miss any games, Lebron is set to reach the 40K points mark by the end of February, which is something I never thought he would do.
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So if he doesn't miss any games, Lebron is set to reach the 40K points mark by the end of February, which is something I never thought he would do.
It's remarkable. I mean, starting as young as he did, and with the rule changes enabling free flow offense, it was inevitable that at some point, someone would amass the kind of point level he has, but regardless of era, it's incredible.
I find the whole debate about Lebron being the GOAT laughable. I mean, there are ERAs for a reason. He's ONE OF the absolute top legends of the game. People need to accept that. My personal judgment is evaluating whether a guy could play just as effectively in ANY era of the game. If so, the numbers don't lie.
For me, Lebron could have dominated in any era of the game. In the early years, 60s, 70s, he'd be a freak. In the 80s, people would call him a cross between Magic and a burlier guy. in the 90s, he's a larger version of what Grant Hill WOULD have been had he not been so badly injured. Lebron, whether people like it or not, is a legend.
Sure, I hate his whining, he flops like a fish, and he jumped around the league like a crack addict looking for the next easy score. LOL. But the bottom line is, he dominates. And he could have in any era.
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Absolute dog sh** by the Wolves last night. Taking teams for granted. As much as KAT was on fire, they played ZERO defense, and young Mr. Edwards deferred way too much. Coach Finch was maaaaaaad last night, and he should have been. Hopefully this kicks them in the pants, and they run off the next three games (Wizards, Nets, Spurs). But after losing to Charlotte, all bets are off.
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The Bucks fired their head coach! Holy crap!
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The Bucks fired their head coach! Holy crap!
Exactly! WTF? It ain't like the Bucks are terrible. They are 30-13 and #2 in the East. And who in their right mind would want to hire Doc Rivers as a coach today? I don't get it. :facepalm:
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The Bucks fired their head coach! Holy crap!
Exactly! WTF? It ain't like the Bucks are terrible. They are 30-13 and #2 in the East. And who in their right mind would want to hire Doc Rivers as a coach today? I don't get it. :facepalm:
(https://media.giphy.com/media/HwmB7t7krGnao/giphy.gif)
Agree though, weird move by the Bucks, but maybe some of the players didn't like the coach.
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Very odd move, considering the record of the team. I wonder if something else is brewing about Adrian Griffin that we'll find out about soon enough.
Why all the Doc Rivers hate? The guy is a great coach.
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Puzzling move. Sure, their defense stinks a bit this year, but it was quite predictable when changing Holiday for Lillard, and I doubt the coach is to blame for the trade.
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The Bucks fired their head coach! Holy crap!
Felger was talking about this the other day about how things aren't right with the Bucks despite their record.
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The Griffin hire was surprising when it happened, word was Giannis pushed hard for him. Bucks also brought in Terry Stotts as an assistant. These two actually got into it in training camp and Stotts resigned immediately.
It has been well rumored Dame never thought highly of Griffin and the rest of the team started turning as well. The teams record is more a reflection of their talent than coaching. The defense has been ridiculously awful and you could see the last couple of weeks the team was done with Griffin.
Not surprised it happened at all.
And please God, not Doc.
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WHY NOT DOC?
What is all the hate for this guy? All he does is win.
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WHY NOT DOC?
What is all the hate for this guy? All he does is win.
Doc is a good motivator for young, struggling teams... but many of his former players had said that only lasted for a couple of seasons wherever he goes before he keeps repeating the same old things. Worst of all, what turned people off was his lack of in-game strategy adjustments. Don't forget he is #1 in blowing 3-1 playoff series leads as a coach. And even until his recent gig in Philly, all he ever really did was keep milking his 2008 championship with the Cs.
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1096-763 .590
9th all-time in wins. I hear you on the reasons, but the guy wins, wherever he goes. That says a lot. The Bucks could do a lot worse if he was their choice.
I mean, people can complain, but you don't win almost 1,100 games by not being good at in-game strategy.
and this isn't a shot at you, Aziu, or anyone. I'm just saying the guy is a winner. Period.
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1096-763 .590
9th all-time in wins. I hear you on the reasons, but the guy wins, wherever he goes. That says a lot. The Bucks could do a lot worse if he was their choice.
I mean, people can complain, but you don't win almost 1,100 games by not being good at in-game strategy.
and this isn't a shot at you, Aziu, or anyone. I'm just saying the guy is a winner. Period.
The season win record means nothing if you are going for the championship. As others have pointed out, his performance in the playoffs is not good. I'm not sure he is the guy the bucks need.
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WHY NOT DOC?
What is all the hate for this guy? All he does is win.
Doc is a good motivator for young, struggling teams... but many of his former players had said that only lasted for a couple of seasons wherever he goes before he keeps repeating the same old things. Worst of all, what turned people off was his lack of in-game strategy adjustments. Don't forget he is #1 in blowing 3-1 playoff series leads as a coach. And even until his recent gig in Philly, all he ever really did was keep milking his 2008 championship with the Cs.
That's weird. He worked well with Pierce, Garnet & Allen. All very opinionated veterans. They all look upon him fondly.
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WHY NOT DOC?
What is all the hate for this guy? All he does is win.
Doc is a good motivator for young, struggling teams... but many of his former players had said that only lasted for a couple of seasons wherever he goes before he keeps repeating the same old things. Worst of all, what turned people off was his lack of in-game strategy adjustments. Don't forget he is #1 in blowing 3-1 playoff series leads as a coach. And even until his recent gig in Philly, all he ever really did was keep milking his 2008 championship with the Cs.
That's weird. He worked well with Pierce, Garnet & Allen. All very opinionated veterans. They all look upon him fondly.
Agreed. To be honest, I think it's a false narrative. The man won a championship with three veterans. He was able to balance egos (which Pierce and Allen had), and mentored Rondo. I think the Bucks made a very wise choice, and I expect them, if healthy, to battle the Celtics for the East crown, with Philly of course being in that mix. The Knicks and Heat likely too.
Great get by the Bucks.
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Doc is well-liked by superstars, I will give you that... likely because he lets them do what they want. He is a player's coach. That being said, I still stand by how I feel about his coaching and hope that I am completely wrong.
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Excited for 4 p.m. Pacific today, when the reserves are announced. The Wolves, being the best in the West, I really feel they should have at least two representatives. Anthony Edwards should be a shoe-in. But I truly believe both Rudy Gobert (DPOY right now) and Karl Towns should get in too. But there are so many legitimate guys who will probably get picked before those two. Fingers crossed though. Having three would be a first for the franchise. Again, doubtful that happens, I expect TWO, but man, the three would be sweet.
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Happy for Towns and Edwards. Well deserved nods.
The snubs were bad though. Fox, Sabonis, and Gobert all deserve it, big time.
I think the NBA should allow 15 per conference. After all, the active roster for each NBA team in the regular season is 15 players. Why can't each conference's all star team carry 15?
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I think the NBA should allow 15 per conference. After all, the active roster for each NBA team in the regular season is 15 players. Why can't each conference's all star team carry 15?
Devil's Advocate would suggest....it's because it would take away minutes from the marquis players the casual NBA fans want to watch. It's the All STAR Game....not the All DESERVING Game.
Though I agree there are deserving players who might feel honored to be selected. But I wonder if you told those players ahead of time they might only play 8 minutes or something like that (the deep bench players on a 15 man rarely play THAT much)....would they still want to be a part of that....or go on a trip to the beach somewhere? Looks good on a resume, I suppose....and leverage for an agent/future contract.
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I don't agree. If you have 15 per side, it means you can trot a few guys out just for a couple minutes, and give them the recognition. It won't hurt the star power of the game. All these guys are stars. So expanding the rosters to 15 each enables a wider array of players to be spotlighted, which in turn, even further shines the light on the NBA from a global perspective. Easy change, all positive.
Congrats to the coach and coaching staff of my Timberwolves, who will coach the Western Conference team. Chris Finch is just a dynamite guy, and outstanding coach. Really happy for them. In some ways, it's even more of an honor for coaching staffs, as they tend to go unnoticed. So proud of this team. In all my years as a Timberwolves fan (since the very beginning), this is by far the best team we've ever had. Regardless of whether we reach the mountaintop or not, I'm thoroughly enjoying this.
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Doc Rivers has been the coach of the Bucks for a week and will be the East All-Star coach. LOL.
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Doc Rivers has been the coach of the Bucks for a week and will be the East All-Star coach. LOL.
I thought it was just his staff, not him.
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Doc Rivers has been the coach of the Bucks for a week and will be the East All-Star coach. LOL.
I thought it was just his staff, not him.
Nope, it’s him and the staff. He did say he’d give former coach Adrian Griffin a nice piece of the check though.
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Wow, that's some BS right there. Doc is 1-3. LOL.
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The NBA should open up the coaching spot for the All Star game to votes.
The LED court looks cool, wonder why they won't use it for the actual game as well.
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The NBA should open up the coaching spot for the All Star game to votes.
Fans already get most of it wrong with the players. I have zero faith they'd get it right with coaches. Most fans don't even know who the coaches are.
The LED court looks cool, wonder why they won't use it for the actual game as well.
They may at some point. I think with glass, they are concerned with injury risk and how it will impact the game. I'm actually a little concerned for the players participating in the dunk contest. Glass doesn't have much give -- not nearly as much as wood does.
My issue is, the glass LED courts are meant for one thing, and one thing only -- revenue through advertising. The NBA will couch it other ways, but that's all this is for. And I'm sure they'll eventually adopt it. I am annoyed enough going to NBA games where there isn't a quiet moment in the building. It's loud, bright, and full tilt the entire time. But when I go to G-League games, you can actually hear the players talk and coaches talking too. It feels more like basketball, as opposed to a spectacle. This court will take that spectacle thing even higher, sadly.
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I actually really like the idea of using the All-Star weekend to have crossover events between the NBA and WNBA. Hope they bring it back next year with more stuff.
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Not a hardcore NBA fan anymore, but can someone explain why they even bother with the All-Star Game anymore?
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Not a hardcore NBA fan anymore, but can someone explain why they even bother with the All-Star Game anymore?
Yeah, basketball without competition is really boring and pointless.
I would put homecourt advantage in the finals up for grabs, in order to re-introduce some stakes in the whole exercise.
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Not a hardcore NBA fan anymore, but can someone explain why they even bother with the All-Star Game anymore?
Yeah, basketball without competition is really boring and pointless.
I would put homecourt advantage in the finals up for grabs, in order to re-introduce some stakes in the whole exercise.
Yeah, besides the 3 point contest, the all star weekend has become very...boring. Even the dunk contest is lackluster for the most part.
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Just a thought. How about each player still gets 2 dunk attempts in each round, but the first dunk is chosen from a list of classic dunks in the past at random on the spot? The scores of the first dunk accounted for 75% of the total. They can be creative in the final dunk. No matter what kind of gimmick they pull, that final dunk is only good for 25% of the total.
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Just a thought. How about each player still gets 2 dunk attempts in each round, but the first dunk is chosen from a list of classic dunks in the past at random on the spot? The scores of the first dunk accounted for 75% of the total. They can be creative in the final dunk. No matter what kind of gimmick they pull, that final dunk is only good for 25% of the total.
This has been tried before and it was a mess. At this point I don't think the dunk contest can be fixed. A lot of it relies on creativity and there is only so much new stuff that can be done. One in a while we'll be lucky to get a lavine vs Gordon type of situation, but for the most part it will be boring.
Not a hardcore NBA fan anymore, but can someone explain why they even bother with the All-Star Game anymore?
It somehow still makes money. Otherwise they would have canned it already.
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The only way for me at this point to be interested in the dunk contest would be raising the rim every round, olympics high jump style.
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The only way for me at this point to be interested in the dunk contest would be raising the rim every round, olympics high jump style.
I like that idea!
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Here is how you fix the All Star Game - incentivize it.
1. Increase the rosters to 15 per side.
2. Raise $30 million in advertising revenue through the use of the new LED glass court during the game, and other pots of money during the season.
3. Keep the East vs. West format. It is a $15 million, winner-take-all pot. Whoever wins the game, those players get the $15 million ($1 million per player). The other team gets nothing.
4. The other $15 million is made to charities. $500k goes to each of the total 30 players' charities of choice.
If you do this, the players will commit to defense to win the bag. They won't try and hurt anyone. But they certainly will attempt to play defense when each of those guys knows if they win, they get a cool million. Particularly the younger guys. If they play defense, then you have a better game. I used $30 million as an example, but that amount can go higher. Hell, if you raise $60 million, then charity gets $30 million, and each player on the winning side takes home $2 million. It's a big deal. Money talks, even for millionaires.
I strongly believe if you do this, the All Star game will be competitive again. The major issue these days, is that these guys don't hate one another any longer. Back in the day, they had good contracts for the time, but there wasn't this "fraternity of brothers" you hear about so often now. There was, but back then some teams HATED one another. Think about the 80s. The Celtics and Lakers hated each other. Detroit and Chicago. New York and Miami. But once guys started REALLY getting paid, a lot of that now is gone. Not all, but a lot of it. And the All Star Game is a reflection of that. None of those guys want to get hurt, because they want to keep making money. So give them money, A one-day, one-game, winner take all pot. Trust me, guys won't be horse collaring each other, but they ABSOLUTELY will play defense and make it very competitive. It's all about the bag.
That new LED court is really key. I hate it, but the revenue possibilities make this really possible.
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Sam, I like that, as every player has some sort of charity or foundation, which I understand is some sort of financial benefit or shelter for them.
I'm not really a "athletes make so much money" guy, but the money being thrown around this league at players makes so many things inconsequential.
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Sam, I like that, as every player has some sort of charity or foundation, which I understand is some sort of financial benefit or shelter for them.
I'm not really a "athletes make so much money" guy, but the money being thrown around this league at players makes so many things inconsequential.
Thanks. I really think it's a doable idea, and would make the game so much more competitive.
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Celtics absolutely destroying the Warriors right now at halftime.
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Celtics absolutely destroying the Warriors right now at halftime.
Celtics, to me, are simply the best team in the NBA. And they are still winning without Porzingis. Battle tested and primed for a chip. I'd be really surprised if they didn't win it all this year.
My Timberwolves are going through something that every winning team does -- slump a little. I see fans moaning about the struggle following the ASG. I laugh. Wolves fans aren't used to having a winning team. This shit happens. It'll be fixed and they'll be fine. LOL. Christ, ever loss seems like it's the end of the world. So ridiculous.
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The Bucks have turned it around. Completely different team since Doc took over.
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The Bucks have turned it around. Completely different team since Doc took over.
Told ya Doc would be fine. The guy is a winner. They made the right move. I still think Boston is the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, but the Bucks are right there. I don't see anyone else in the East challenging. Not with the state of injuries right now. I thought Philly and the Knicks had an outside shot, but not anymore.
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Towns Torn Meniscus in his knee. Likely out until the Playoffs at least.
Naz Reid can step up, however come playoff time, if KAT is gone..I'm not expecting much. We'll see how valuable he really is.
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Wolves will be fine. I think Finch is making a mistake with starting Kyle. He is an offensive liability. No one respects his shot, and they all sag off him, because they know he's not confident and will look to pass. he needs to start Naz, and then encourage guys like NAW to look for their shot more off the bench.
I watched that whole game last night. Man, Anthony Edwards. The kid is a superstar. What a huge game. his fire and intensity were...Jordan-like. The kid has a bright future. I think we'll be fine until Towns gets back. It's a good thing we have depth. We'll see how they respond on a second night of a back to back in Cleveland tonight.
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A lot of teams are in that "young team on the rise" category right now. Thunder, Wolves, Cavs, Knicks, etc. Those are always my favorite teams to watch. I think the league is making a real mistake by focusing their marketing more on older guys like Curry, Durant, James, etc. There's so much great young talent, and I'd love to see the NBA lean into that more.
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A lot of teams are in that "young team on the rise" category right now. Thunder, Wolves, Cavs, Knicks, etc. Those are always my favorite teams to watch. I think the league is making a real mistake by focusing their marketing more on older guys like Curry, Durant, James, etc. There's so much great young talent, and I'd love to see the NBA lean into that more.
No worries, guys we know ain't getting any younger and some even started to decline (Klay, Harden etc.), I think the league will have to start showcasing more of those young guys sooner rather than later. Plus, if Denver goes far or even repeats this year, they will HAVE to give the Nuggets more respect by showing them more next season.
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Beast mode AD + Little monster mode Reaves :metal
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I saw somewhere that this time last year, if the Lakers had their current record, they would be the four seed out West. The conference is just really strong this year. The playoffs should be interesting. I think the Lakers could (not will, but could) challenge anyone except the Nuggets.
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The Bucks have turned it around. Completely different team since Doc took over.
Never mind.
Three straight losses to…..
Washington (2nd worst record in the league)
Memphis (basically playing with a G-League team due to injuries)
Toronto (had lost 15 in a row)
Team looks disinterested in every possible way.
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Not surprising that Doc wasn't the spark they were looking for. He certainly deserves some criticism, but I also struggle not to blame the players themselves for not caring when they're getting paid like Russian oligarchs. :lol
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The Suns..blech. I don't get why the Wolves have such a problem with them, but whatever. The media and fan base are basically giving it to the Suns after they just beat them and swept all 3 games badly.
So typical for Minnesota sports..
(https://i.giphy.com/cKJB9iqZ2dUv6.webp)
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I hate to see Giannis injured and could miss more than 1 game in the first round. I hate it more when Doc Rivers could have a perfect excuse for blame if the Bucks lose in the first round. :lol
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I am glad we beat the Pels. At times during the game, it felt like the Lakers were still wondering if they should win and face the Nuggets or not. I still don’t think we can get out of the first round, but hopefully it won’t be another sweep. :|
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It's sad how little I care about the playoffs/NBA in general the last couple of seasons. I barely kept up with the standings and was shocked to see where OKC ended the season. With that said, I hope the knicks have a deep run and make it at least to the conference finals.
Yeah, I don't see a way the Lakers come out of round 1, but hey, you never know.
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The Lakers looked so bad in the 4th quarter, and I wonder if they would have won had Zion not been injured. I didn't see the Warriors game but it sucks to see what's happened to Klay. Father Time is truly undefeated.
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The Lakers looked so bad in the 4th quarter, and I wonder if they would have won had Zion not been injured.
We played like we were second-guessing whether beating the Pels and grabbing the #7 seed was a good idea or not. Regardless, if our goal is winning it all, we probably will have to face the Nuggets sooner or later.
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With the Lakers, the key thing to me is DLo. How long will he stay on one of his hot streaks? He's been playing really well, which means he's due for a really cold spell. That's just life with DLo. On paper, the Lakers should be one of the best in the league. But...
As for me, hoping my Wolves got in the lab and figured out how they were guarding Edwards (shell concept that really baffled him) and how to get him freed up. Can't wait for Saturday!
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I have been an NBA LP user for several years and have never had trouble with them until these playoffs! I am very disappointed that the Suns @ T-Wolves game is blacked out in the UK! WTF?! I thought I paid all that money for every game, especially in the Playoffs, but now this? Luckily I also have a VPN and am using a Japanese server to watch the game... but I shouldn't have to! >:(
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Oh Lakers :facepalm:
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Very happy for my guy NAZ REID. 6th man of the year!
If I were voting, and if had he not gotten hurt, and if the Kings finished in the playoffs at 6 instead of in the play-in, I would have voted for Monk. But those are a lot of IFs, and I'm glad the guy that saved the Wolves bacon all year long got his due.
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As of today, and for the remainder of their series against the Nuggets, I'm a Lakers fan. Run them into 4 OT and win, Lakers. Keep winning til game 7, then you can lose. But only after another 4 OT. :lol
I'm very happy for the Timberwolves. They are proving to be what I thought they could be. Say what you want about the Suns, but they won 49 games this year, including sweeping Minnesota 3-0 in the regular season. The Wolves are for real, and they are an extremely balanced team.
If they end up playing Denver, that will be a tilt for the ages (depending on Murray's health). Wolves in 7.
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Nah... we are just a bunch of slackers ready to go home. Lol :lol
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Nah... we are just a bunch of slackers ready to go home. Lol :lol
Sadly, that is indeed what happened. :lol
Wolves at Nuggets on Saturday. Man, this is really the WCF, in my opinion. But the road to the chip goes through Denver. Might as well get on with it.
Timberwolves in 7.
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Bucks season is mercifully over. No Giannis in the playoffs, Dame was on one leg, rest of the team looked old and slow.
I still don’t want Doc Rivers as coach, but they signed him to a hefty three year deal so I doubt he’s going anywhere.
I expect a big shake up of the roster this summer.
I have no issue rooting on the Twolves as long as Samsara doesn’t mind me jumping on the bandwagon.
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I was a big Wolves fan back in the Kevin Garrnet days, but haven't paid much attention for the last couple decades. I made it to a game this season with my son. What a huge jump they've taken in the playoffs. Dominant win against Denver last night. Don't want to get ahead of myself, but the Finals are looking very reachable for this team.
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the Wolves defense is suffocating.
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I became a fan of the Timberwolves on November 18, 1989. I had spent the summer of '89 playing a ton of hoops, and really became a basketball fan. I was watching my local team, the Knicks, and then the Hawks, as they were on TBS. But on November 18, I saw this guy, Tony Campbell of the Wolves, just keep coming AT the Knicks. They couldn't guard him. Johnny Newman of the Knicks was overwhelmed. I think he fouled out that day, if I remember right. Tony was too much for him. I fell in love with the guy's game, and with the team. I've been a hardcore ever since. In fact, to acquire my minor in Physical Education (Coaching) in college, I did this big paper on the history of the Timberwolves (this was in the late-90s), and the franchise sent me a bunch of media guides and other stuff to help me out. I still have them.
I say all this, because of what I witnessed last night. I have never, in my 34.5 years of fandom, seen a Timberwolves team play that level of defense. It was INSPIRING. The footwork, the commitment to rotation, it was a thing of beauty.
Make no mistake -- I thoroughly expect the defending champs to walk into Target Center on Friday and be hot from the jump, and perhaps even be rolling up large early. Pride is a real thing. But if the Wolves can weather that storm, and they will, wow. Just wow. If they can keep playing defense at this level, nothing is out of reach.
And someone needs to do some DNA testing. Edwards has to be Jordan's kid. Has to be.
As a long suffering Timberwolves fan, I have enjoyed this year immensely, and appreciating every second.
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I've been a fan since their inception, but I was born and have lived basically my whole life in the Twin Cities, so go figure.
Being a fan of sports in Minnesota, outside of 2 World Series wins over 30 years ago, you come to not believe the teams in Minnesota will win. The Vikings probably being the biggest culprit.
It's surreal, but I'm not willing to celebrate anything at this point.
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I've been a fan since their inception, but I was born and have lived basically my whole life in the Twin Cities, so go figure.
Being a fan of sports in Minnesota, outside of 2 World Series wins over 30 years ago, you come to not believe the teams in Minnesota will win. The Vikings probably being the biggest culprit.
It's surreal, but I'm not willing to celebrate anything at this point.
I'm rooting for you guys (Except if the Knicks actually make it to the finals, which I doubt).
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I'm not celebrating anything. But I am thankful for this run. This is the best team the Timberwolves have ever had, and that includes the KG years. So, I am taking it all in.
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Congrats to Samsara and the Timberwolves faithful for an incredible win. What a fun team. Reid becoming possibly even more valuable than Towns has some serious Draymond over David Lee vibes, which eventually propelled the Warriors to a dynasty. Not saying the same thing is going to happen with the Wolves, just that this team is special and a ton of fun!
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Go Mavs! :tup
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I don't think the Pacers will have a real shot at the Cs in the east.
The Wolves vs Mavs series will hopefully be epic.
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Congrats to Samsara and the Timberwolves faithful for an incredible win. What a fun team. Reid becoming possibly even more valuable than Towns has some serious Draymond over David Lee vibes, which eventually propelled the Warriors to a dynasty. Not saying the same thing is going to happen with the Wolves, just that this team is special and a ton of fun!
Thanks man. The whole neighborhood knew the Wolves won that one. I kept telling my daughter when the Nuggests lead hit 20, "patience. there's a lot of time left." So glad they turned the corner, and then blew the roof off the building. Eight down, eight to go.
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My concern with the Wolves is that they were built to beat the Nuggets. Now that they've done that, will they be able to use the same personnel to beat a hot Mavericks team. I think the Wolves are the better team, but this will not be easy.
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I look at the Mavericks series like the Nuggets series. They need to win the 1st 2 games at least.
From a matchup standpoiint though, thie Mavericks remind me more of The Suns than the Nuggets. They don't play physical, which even with Denver, ultimately it was a problem (and Denver plays more physical than Dallas from my impression). If the Wolves play physical defense, they will give Dallas trouble. I just would hope they don't relax per it seemed like after Game 2, they relaxed, almost to the point they looked like a very different team.
By the way, I just noticed this in my neighborhood today
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GOD7DBPXkAAUXMm?format=jpg&name=4096x4096)
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Naz Reid is awesome
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Dallas has been the best team in the West since the All-Star break, but the T-Wolves have home court and Luka is still not close to 100%, so that could go either way. The winner of the West should win it all, but the Celtics will likely get another easy series and coast into the Finals with the easiest path ever in a terrible conference, so the West winner may end up losing due to having gone through a war just to get to the Finals.
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The C's need a healthy Kristaps Porziņģis to beat the west teams in the finals.
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With the East being such a cakewalk, having home court in the Finals, and the West winner (whoever it is) being new to that stage, this is easily the best chance this Celtics squad will ever have. They have supposedly been on the verge for years, and if they can't get it done this year, it feels like they never will.
I thought it was interesting that this is the first year ever that the final four teams don't have a single player who has ever been the MVP of the league.
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It really does feel that way, Kev. 6 out of 8 years to the conference finals. Only once to the finals.
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The C's need a healthy Kristaps Porziņģis to beat the west teams in the finals.
I agree. Less against Dallas, but definitely. They need to get out of the Pacers series as quick as possible before they kill Horford.
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My concern with the Wolves is that they were built to beat the Nuggets. Now that they've done that, will they be able to use the same personnel to beat a hot Mavericks team. I think the Wolves are the better team, but this will not be easy.
None of it is easy. Not supposed to be. I'd rather say, the Mavs beat OKC. Are they able to beat the team that just dethroned the reigning NBA champs? We'll see.
By the way, I just noticed this in my neighborhood today
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GOD7DBPXkAAUXMm?format=jpg&name=4096x4096)
NAZ REID.
Dallas has been the best team in the West since the All-Star break, but the T-Wolves have home court and Luka is still not close to 100%, so that could go either way. The winner of the West should win it all, but the Celtics will likely get another easy series and coast into the Finals with the easiest path ever in a terrible conference, so the West winner may end up losing due to having gone through a war just to get to the Finals.
Dallas has really impressed. No team is healthy though, so no excuses. Edwards and Conley are banged up significantly too. Edwards refuses to talk about it. I think Dallas/Minnesota will be entertaining. The PJ Washington pick up will help them immensely against the Wolves. But we have Jaden McDaniels and Ant to slow down Luka and Kyrie. I'd take Towns/Gobert/Conley/Reid over the next four best Dallas players. We'll find out.
my prediction: Timberwolves in 6.
As for the East, the Pacers are scrappy. But Boston is deep, experienced, and I think too much for the Pacers. The Pacers got a Giannis-less, and severely handicapped Lillard-led Bucks team and beat them. Then they beat a completely injured Knicks team. Boston, except for Kristaps, is generally healthy. I'd be very surprised if the Pacers get this past five games.
my prediction: Celtics in 5.
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Speaking of Naz Reid, the one Celtics game we went to this year was against Minnesota. We were fairly close to the floor, so we got a good view of the height and size of each team. When Naz Reid came out to the floor, I turned to my son (who follows the NBA pretty closely) and I asked, "Who in the hell is THAT guy?" :lol
The dude is a monstah!
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Speaking of Naz Reid, the one Celtics game we went to this year was against Minnesota. We were fairly close to the floor, so we got a good view of the height and size of each team. When Naz Reid came out to the floor, I turned to my son (who follows the NBA pretty closely) and I asked, "Who in the hell is THAT guy?" :lol
The dude is a monstah!
His rookie year we attended a local G League game when he was with the Iowa Wolves G league squad. We had floor seats, next to the Wolves' bench. Here comes Naz, sprinting toward the sideline. I dove over my wife's lap to absorb the impact. Guy was a BEAST. That hurt like hell. Solid as a rock. And to think he cut MORE fat and got more muscle in the years to come. Gigantic human. We've met a few of these guys over the years. Naz, Jaden McDaniels, Jordan McLaughlin, etc. Really engaging and welcoming. Signed my old Starter Timberwolves jacket (which I gave to my daughter). So now, every year, she tries to get more signatures. :)
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Post game..
Lisa Salters to Jaylen Brown:"What was the difference in overtime?"
Brown: "JT finally woke up."
:lol
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Pacers really shit the bed at the end of regulation. Boston lucky to win in OT.
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Wolves really let it slip away against Dallas. Gotta be better. The ridiculous offensive interference call on KAT's put back really stung. We would have won. And if you see still images, clearly, the ball was out of the cylinder when he stuffed it back. League needs to get shit like that right. Anyway, on to game 2.
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I am not saying he would be a good fit for the Lakers, but suddenly JB Bickerstaff becomes available. Interesting.
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Wolves really let it slip away against Dallas. Gotta be better. The ridiculous offensive interference call on KAT's put back really stung. We would have won. And if you see still images, clearly, the ball was out of the cylinder when he stuffed it back. League needs to get shit like that right. Anyway, on to game 2.
Isn't there a procedure for replaying that?
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The refs did review it, and it took about 8 seconds for them to confirm it because it was an easy call. The ball was clearly still above the rim, which made it basketball interference (another way of saying offensive goaltending). If you look at the reply, had KAT left it alone, the ball clearly would have bounched off the side of the rim, thus it was above the basket and within the cylinder. Easy call.
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the review confirmed it to be the correct call, however there were several instances where the naked eye really wouldn't be able to differentiate from that play, and others that were not called for Interference.
I.e. either KAT and others like Naz Reid have done nearly if not the exact same thing several other times and there was no Interference called nor even being reviewed. So, there is a lack of consistency at a minimum.