22-23 NBA Season Thread

[who do you think]

Anyway Minnesota's beating up on the Thunder as I type this so the playoff field is as good as set:

 

WEST

Nuggets over Timberwolves: The Wolves are a train wreck, there shouldn't any possible way to blow this barring serious injuries.

Grizzlies over Lakers: Last time the Lakers were the sp0000ky low seed they faceplanted in round one. Now they're two years older and have literal nobodies in the playoff rotation. I don't want to hear it.

Kings over Warriors: Normally I give the defending champs plot armor, but GS fits the same profile as Brooklyn last year and the Lakers the year before: sitting back all year and settling for a crap win-loss record while still having the nerve to beat the "y'alls don't want to see us in y'alls building in the playoffs y'all" drum through the media, then oops out in one. Flipped the switch, lightbulb was out. They also don't have a bunch of guys playing for contracts this time around. (That said, if the Warriors do win this series, they probably beat Memphis too since they are clearly in their heads, then anything can happen against Durant and the Suns.)

Suns over Clippers: Am I crazy or is this the real Western Finals? I don't trust Phoenix mentally, I don't trust the Clippers physically, and I trust Denver less than either of them. Phoenix is better on paper.

-

Suns over Nuggets: Denver is a guilty-until-proven-innocent team and they did absolutely nothing to separate themselves this year. Meanwhile Phoenix has beaten them twice with Durant in the lineup.

Grizzlies over Kings: There's a non-zero chance that Memphis self-destructs and loses (more) players by way of Morant getting himself suspended for more off-court bull:censored: with teenagers or Brooks starting a brawl or something, and gives the Kings a shot, but how can you really predict that?

-

Suns over Grizzlies: Somebody has to win this conference and the sea is parting for the winner of Suns/Clippers.

 

EAST

Bucks over Heat: Miami is always somewhat of a threat, although that was said in 2021 as well.

Celtics over Hawks: I don't trust the Celtics farther than I throw them, but the Hawks been a mess all year and don't seem to have gotten any better under Quin Snyder. This would be a pretty galactic choke.

76ers over Nets: The Nets look like the classic star-less underdog that puts a (needed?) scare into the favored team before getting dealt with. Can I call them going up 2-1 in the series before Philly kicks it up a notch?

Cavs over Knicks: Randle laid an egg last time he had a great season and the team made the playoffs. I'm not buying the Knicks, at least not yet.

-

Cavs over Bucks: Giannis has had a little bit of a fall-off this year if advanced stats are any indication, Middleton's been hurt all year and hasn't gotten going, Garland's been giving the Cavs prime Middleton-like offense, Jrue can't guard both him and Mitchell, both teams have dueling DPoY candidates but the Cavs have been the best defensive team in the league... unless I'm missing something, this looks surprisingly winnable for Cleveland. The Bucks do have a history of choking the higher seed when they appear to be bulletproof.

76ers over Celtics: Embiid looks like the best, most motivated player in the league right now, and Harden is better than Jaylen Brown. The Celtics meanwhile have been too cool to take of business ever since the December Phoenix game, it's gonna catch up to them at some point.

-

76ers over Cavs: Embiid would easily be the best player in this series, Cleveland gets a playoff education.

 

FINALS

Suns over 76ers: I'd love to see Embiid (and to a lesser extent Harden) win it all instead of Chris Paul and KD the superteam farmer, but life's a and then you die. The good news is that the last team to win the title with fewer than 47 wins is the 78 Wizards, so any Western team not named Denver, Memphis, or Sacramento is up against some serious history in that regard.

[spartacat_12]

12 hours ago, Germanshepherd said:

How’s that legalized sports betting going NBA?

 

Jesus Christ 

 

Ah yes, because home fans were never hostile to vocal supporters of the visiting team before legalized betting became a thing .

 

I'm obviously not condoning that kind of behaviour at all, but it was really a no-win situation for the Raptors operations staff. If it were any other kid screaming like that I guarantee they would've at least been spoken to by security & the parents would have been warned, but the optics of kicking out the family of a top-5 player in franchise history would have been awful.

 

The entire discourse around the situation has been ridiculous. Before the screamer was identified every reaction online was, "kick that kid out", "security needs to talk to the parents", etc, but as soon as people found out who it was a segment of fans suddenly got on their high horse and changed their tune to, "how dare you criticize DeMar's daughter, she can do whatever she wants"

[The_Admiral]

1 hour ago, spartacat_12 said:

The entire discourse around the situation has been ridiculous. Before the screamer was identified every reaction online was, "kick that kid out", "security needs to talk to the parents", etc, but as soon as people found out who it was a segment of fans suddenly got on their high horse and changed their tune to, "how dare you criticize DeMar's daughter, she can do whatever she wants"

 

We're in the Players' Daughters Empowerment Era

[FiddySicks]

Kings deserved that one. Very gritty game from them, and holy hell what a coming out party for De’Aaron Fox. Sacramento’s entire spirit needed that win. Good for them. Dubs in five. 

[Digby]

17 years between playoff wins, damn. DeAaron Fox probs wasn’t even conscious at the time of the last one. Sloppy play at both ends at the end but it worked out, nice one Kings!

[SCMODS]

Finally an epic rivalry born out of blood and steel as Kings and Warriors battle across the Northern California wastelands. One shall stand. One shall fall. It is time!!!!!

[FiddySicks]

So there’s all this talk about how people want to see the Warriors win because they’ll either play the Grizzlies or Lakers, and I legit cannot figure out how people couldn’t get behind the Kings beating their regional dragon, only to go on and play their biggest nemesis (Lakers) in round two. Holy hell what a narrative that would be. Also, if they play like they did tonight, I legit think the Kings could beat them both. 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Just now, FiddySicks said:

So there’s all this talk about how people want to see the Warriors win because they’ll either play the Grizzlies or Lakers, and I legit cannot figure out how people couldn’t get behind the Kings beating their regional dragon, only to go on and play their biggest nemesis (Lakers) in round two. Holy hell what a narrative that would be. Also, if they play like they did tonight, I legit think the Kings could beat them both. 

 

No one cares about the Kings and the 2002 series was 20 years ago.

 

Not saying that to be a dick, but instead because the Kings have zero national profile. If they start winning, that changes. But right now they're the underdog with essentially no national TV exposure until tonight.

 

Doesn't matter anyway since the Warriors are going to win.

[Germanshepherd]

This Kings team rules so damn much

[SCMODS]

2 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

 

No one cares about the Kings and the 2002 series was 20 years ago.

 

Not saying that to be a dick, but instead because the Kings have zero national profile. If they start winning, that changes. But right now they're the underdog with essentially no national TV exposure until tonight.

 

Doesn't matter anyway since the Warriors are going to win.

 

Aren't you the geek that hates the Bay Area/Nor Cal and roots for the Lakers because of your LeBron fetish. Buffalo born and Seattle stupid.  

[FiddySicks]

6 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

 

No one cares about the Kings and the 2002 series was 20 years ago.

 

Not saying that to be a dick, but instead because the Kings have zero national profile. If they start winning, that changes. But right now they're the underdog with essentially no national TV exposure until tonight.

 

Doesn't matter anyway since the Warriors are going to win.

Oh yeah I forgot basketball fans are mostly dumb. 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

1 minute ago, FiddySicks said:

Oh yeah I forgot basketball fans are mostly dumb. 

 

3 minutes ago, SCMODS said:

 

Aren't you the geek that hates the Bay Area/Nor Cal and roots for the Lakers because of your LeBron fetish. Buffalo born and Seattle stupid.  

 

Woah...people need to chill.

 

The comment was why do people care more about a potential Warriors/Lakers matchup than Kings/Lakers.

 

The Kings haven't been good lately and the last two NBA champions from the west are the Lakers and Warriors. This isn't a personal attack against...whatever it is you think it is.

[FiddySicks]

Warriors vs Lakers would be very good, but I think people are severely underrating how fun a Lakers Kings series would be. That city has had two decades to let their hatred for the Lakers fester and people straight up cannot get out of their head over a series that’s more than two decades old. I guess it’s something that would have to be a lived experience, but these people are crazy when it comes to that dumb Donaghy series. That was the maddest most people have ever been over the Kings. I can’t even imagine Lebron having to put up with some of the nonsense that would come with that, but it would be straight up fantastic. I personally think it’s pretty dumb to overlook that, but that’s what most people, not just you, seem to be doing here  

 

Look at me over here going to bat for a team that I mostly feel disgusted by.  I’m being forced against my will to defend the Sacramento Kings. How can I possibly be chill? 

[The_Admiral]

28 minutes ago, SCMODS said:

Buffalo born and Seattle stupid.  

 

Does the board have a Threadless store yet?

[tBBP]

11 hours ago, FiddySicks said:

Kings deserved that one. Very gritty game from them, and holy hell what a coming out party for De’Aaron Fox. Sacramento’s entire spirit needed that win. Good for them. Dubs in five. 

 

Speaking of De'Aaron Fox...I wonder how he must be feeling right about now, to have [chosen to] stick it out all that long time with a franchise most presumed left for dead, which has pieces come through and depart out, and yet...how, here they are, not just tasting the postseason for the first time in I don't know how long, but tasting success in the postseason. I love those kinds of redemption stories in sports. Shoot, Giannis experienced it himself (and ultimately won a title)...who knows what could happen??

[DG_ThenNowForever]

In the first quarter it looked like Memphis didn't have an answer for AD, and after an injury scare (what else is new), that was exactly true. +27 for the game with 7 blocks -- good heavens.

 

Here's hoping Ja comes back. That wrist injury looked painful.

[Unocal]

Why did the Jazz and Wizards have to help LA out with those trades again?

 

They basically bailed out a team that didn't need to be bailed out.

[tyst13]

On 4/14/2023 at 10:36 PM, who do you think said:

Suns over Nuggets: Denver is a guilty-until-proven-innocent team and they did absolutely nothing to separate themselves this year. Meanwhile Phoenix has beaten them twice with Durant in the lineup.

I agree that the Nuggets need to prove themselves this year, and I am disheartened by how hard they coasted once they beat Memphis and went up 7 games in the west with about a month to go. That said, I do need to point out those two Suns-Nuggets games featured the Suns starters vs the Nuggets bench.  Aaron Gordon only played in one of those games and no other starter played in either, yet the Nuggets still had a chance to win both games. So I don't think those games really demonstrate that the Suns have any sort of advantage over the Nuggets.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

23 minutes ago, Unocal said:

Why did the Jazz and Wizards have to help LA out with those trades again?

 

They basically bailed out a team that didn't need to be bailed out.

 

The Wizards got Nunn and three second-round picks for Rui. The Jazz got Mike Conley's salary off their books.

 

They were all definitely best-case scenarios for the Lakers at this moment though.

[tBBP]

41 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

In the first quarter it looked like Memphis didn't have an answer for AD, and after an injury scare (what else is new), that was exactly true. +27 for the game with 7 blocks -- good heavens.

 

That is also exactly why my head went with Lakers in 6 for this series...Memphis has no real defensive presence under the rim, or any size to go up against him. That plus them getting hot at just the right time—and oh yeah by the way LeBron—is a recipe for disaster. And it was.

 

41 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

Here's hoping Ja comes back. That wrist injury looked painful.

 

Yeah that was a hurtpiece...that said he actually hurt that wrist earlier, toward the tail end of the season, so whatever he did today just made it that much worse. And if he's out, then yeah...scratch one game off the series. It'll be Lakers in 5.