NBA 2020-2021 - v. 2021 Finals: Milwaukee and Giannis rule the basketball world

[TAC]

Not exactly. When AD came to the Lakers before last season LeBron had planned on giving him #23 and going back to #6 (which he wore in MIA) but Nike wouldn't allow it for business reasons. Not a Kobe thing initially, but whatever the case his numbers going to be retired wherever he plays, I guess? 

I meant to modify my response last night. My son mentioned that Miami had retired #23. That was stupid in itself, retiring Michael Jordan's number.

[KevShmev]

And I see Kyrie wasted no time being a douche on media day. Good luck Nets!

He's a nimrod.  Still can't believe Durant hitched his wagon to Kyrie for the next x-numbers of years in Brooklyn. 

[Cool Chris]

Not exactly. When AD came to the Lakers before last season LeBron had planned on giving him #23 and going back to #6 (which he wore in MIA) but Nike wouldn't allow it for business reasons.

Not at all unreasonable that a shoe company has that much pull.

[Azyiu]

Pre-season starts tonight. With Trea, Bigdanovic, Capela, Gallinari and Rondo, the Hwaks should be fun to watch. They absolutely sucked last year, I think they won't get any worse even if they try, right? Lol.

Also, I checked out the Knicks game just as Obi Toppin started to get hot. Good for NY, and I hope he does well there.

[T-ski]

Giannis. Supermax.

God bless the Milwaukee Bucks.

[King Postwhore]

Glad he's staying.


How many here want to see Brooklyn implode?  I want Kyrie to take all the blame.

[Nekov]

How many here want to see Brooklyn implode?  I want Kyrie to take all the blame.

I have to be honest, Brooklyn imploding and all the drama in Houston with Harden is getting me more excited than the season itself. I'm sure Kyrie will take much of the blame if that experiment goes wrong, but the front office will get some of the blame for sure.

[King Postwhore]

How many here want to see Brooklyn implode?  I want Kyrie to take all the blame.

I have to be honest, Brooklyn imploding and all the drama in Houston with Harden is getting me more excited than the season itself. I'm sure Kyrie will take much of the blame if that experiment goes wrong, but the front office will get some of the blame for sure.

Seeing him getting fined for not talking to the media and hearing him on the podcast made my mind go back to him and how he torpedoed the C's in his 2 years here. 

[T-ski]

Glad he's staying.


How many here want to see Brooklyn implode?  I want Kyrie to take all the blame.

As long as Jarrett Allen gets a double double every game for my fantasy team, they can do whatever they like.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Giannis. Supermax.

God bless the Milwaukee Bucks.

It's great to see a small market team get a massive win like this. I hope that they can break through this year and make the Finals or even win it all.

[Azyiu]

I applaud Giannis for not trying to join a super-team. Rare to see these days. $50M per year helped too I'm sure, but others have turned that down.

[black_biff_stadler]

Giannis. Supermax.

God bless the Milwaukee Bucks.

It's great to see a small market team get a massive win like this. I hope that they can break through this year and make the Finals or even win it all.

Speaking of small market teams' perpetual struggle to re-sign elite players, I wonder who Zion Williamson is gonna sign with when his contract expires. After Baron Davis, Chris Paul, and Anthony Davis, I don't even question it anymore, I anticipate it.

[Azyiu]

Ingram just re-signed to a max deal, and I believe that's a good start. No need being some negative, man.

[T-ski]

The supermax was created to allow the small market teams to retain their stars and I believe Giannis is only the third player to sign one. Guess it's not working like they thought it would..

[TAC]

Nets look damn good tonight against the Celtics.


The Celts have been blown off the court in their two preseason games against Philly and the Nets.

[Azyiu]

Meanwhile, I know it is just the pre-season, but what a beat down by the Knicks tonight. And I didn't know a Thibodeau coached team could or would run, lol! 

[T-ski]

NBA kicks off tonight, and tomorrow the Bucks begin their championship run.

May your favorite team vie for second best.

[KevShmev]

NBA kicks off tonight, and tomorrow the Bucks begin their championship run.

May your favorite team vie for second best.

Haha, that's cute.

[black_biff_stadler]

NBA kicks off tonight, and tomorrow the Bucks begin their championship run.

May your favorite team vie for second best.

Didn't they fold like a bath towel in the ECF semis?

[black_biff_stadler]

BTW, my team is the Pelicans and they'll probably win like 15 fewer games than the Bucks.

[T-ski]

NBA kicks off tonight, and tomorrow the Bucks begin their championship run.

May your favorite team vie for second best.

Didn't they fold like a bath towel in the ECF semis?

That was LAST season. 😉

[Azyiu]

Harden might have gone to a strip club, and the NBA is investigating it. If he did go, he violates the COVID protocol. I think in that case he deserves to be suspended without pay. Is he turning himself into a locker room cancer? 

[Azyiu]

I don't know why, but I decided to watch the Wizards @ 76ers of all games... watching Danny Green keeps playing like trash is satisfying... oh, and after being down big, the Wiz had gone on a 31-8 run is fun to watch too 

[dparrott]

People are already putting the Nets in the finals after ONE GAME.  Slow down, y'all. 

[black_biff_stadler]

I mean, what else can you do after just one game? Be rational and say "They played a very good game but we still have ~70 to go so let's not prognosticate for a few months."? I agree with you that it's too early to predict that ANY team will make the finals but American sports is all about empty hype so it's just unavoidable.

[King Postwhore]

Tatum bailed out the C's last night with that crazy shot.

[T-ski]

Tatum bailed out the C's last night with that crazy shot.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

[King Postwhore]

Tatum bailed out the C's last night with that crazy shot.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

Got to have both in a long season.

[Azyiu]

I couldn't help it, so I went check out Mavs @ Clippers to try to find out what happened, except for Kawhi sitting out... geez, to sum it up, pretty much the entire Clippers played like they didn't care. The Clips routinely ignored reading the D and threw lazy passes. On D, I couldn't tell if they were playing zone or man-to-man. All I know is the Mavs always have one or multiple guys open. One "defensive" play in the 2nd qtr was horrible! The Clips turned the ball over, the Mavs player with the ball was already down the other end about to make the lay-in, and only then 4 Clips players made it down that side of the court... glad I ain't a Clippers fan 

[Samsara]

Callin it now. Atlanta Hawks will make the Eastern Conference Finals.

My Wolves are in trouble. Losing KAT to a dislocated wrist has really shown how weak we are on the front line. Naz Reid is great as his replacement, but outside of Naz (who is pretty good, and you fantasy ballers who are thin at center should pick him up), no one on the roster really can rebound, not counting Ed Davis, who for some reason doesn't seem to be getting a lot of time. Two consecutive blowouts to the Lakers and Clippers hurt. And the Wizards, in Minnesota tomorrow...Beal and Westbrook -- tough to handle.

On an up side, Anthony Edwards is the real deal. He has that scoring knack, swag, and can do it all on the court. He's not Lebron, obviously, but he's very similar in terms of skill set -- a better shooter than Lebron at Lebron's age, although Lebron is a superior passer and rebounder. But we got a good one with that #1 pick...

[Azyiu]

Callin it now. Atlanta Hawks will make the Eastern Conference Finals.

so I guess that Knicks @ Hawks game earlier was a ECF preview?  speaking of the Knicks, they are for real  they are above .500 in January for the first time since the last ice age 

[jingle.boy]

Raptors are a hot mess.  Methinks the loss of Ibaka was a much bigger blow than anyone expected, Siakim continues to regress, and (in his mid-30s) it's not like Lowry is getting better every year.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Raptors are a hot mess.  Methinks the loss of Ibaka was a much bigger blow than anyone expected, Siakim continues to regress, and (in his mid-30s) it's not like Lowry is getting better every year.

I read that the Raptors had the best record in the NBA from 2016-2020 (or something like that). Pretty incredible run, but when you list all the players they've lost over the last few years, it's pretty staggering. Kawhi, Green, Ibaka, Gasol... I have enough faith in Lowry and Nurse that I think they can turn it around and make the playoffs, but I'm not sure if anything beyond that is practical anymore.

[jingle.boy]

Raptors are a hot mess.  Methinks the loss of Ibaka was a much bigger blow than anyone expected, Siakim continues to regress, and (in his mid-30s) it's not like Lowry is getting better every year.

I read that the Raptors had the best record in the NBA from 2016-2020 (or something like that). Pretty incredible run, but when you list all the players they've lost over the last few years, it's pretty staggering. Kawhi, Green, Ibaka, Gasol... I have enough faith in Lowry and Nurse that I think they can turn it around and make the playoffs, but I'm not sure if anything beyond that is practical anymore.

Given the competition in the East, I they'd better turn it around fast, or they'll struggle to get to the playoffs.  I know it's only 6-7 games in, but man alive... 6 slots are all but guaranteed to the Bucks, 76rs, Celtics, Heat, Nets, and Pacers.  It remains to be seen, but potentially the Knicks, Magic, Hawks could be contending.

I even said to jingle.son yesterday, they might not make the playoffs.

[T-ski]

Celtics and 76ers with positive tests on players, be interesting to see how this works out. I believe teams need at least 8 available players for games. If contract tracing eliminates multiple players could very easily cancel multiple games. Not as easy to make up games in the NBA as it is in the NFL.