22-23 NBA Season Thread

[FiddySicks]

Yeah I think letting these guys own betting companies is a bridge too far. That feels like it’ll be too easy to manipulate. 

[Digby]

Can't think of something more quintessentially Celtics in this era than losing to the Wizards' bench but beating a full-strength Bucks by 40 (shoulda been 50) in a 3-day span.

[Discrim]

5 hours ago, Digby said:

Can't think of something more quintessentially Celtics in this era than losing to the Wizards' bench but beating a full-strength Bucks by 40 (shoulda been 50) in a 3-day span.

Granted, this was the back end of a back to back for the Bucks and they'd just got done playing a Pacers team that likes to imitate the 80s Nuggets.

[GDAWG]

This year's class for the Basketball Hall of Fame is stacked this year: Dwayne Wade, Dirk Nowitski, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Becky Hammon, Gregg Popovich

[Digby]

To my earlier point: during tonight’s Celtics broadcast, after a DraftKings sponsored segment, Mike Gorman (who deserves better than this) says to the studio guy Tom Giles, “Can I ask you a gambling question?” only for Brian Scalabrine to awkwardly butt in “Nope. You can ask me though!”

 

[GDAWG]

Zion's never played a full season hasn't he?

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Zion is incredibly talented but also incredibly dense. None of us is a doctor (well, most of us aren't), but it seems like his weight is holding him back. Or maybe New Orleans needs a new training staff. I don't know.

 

Sad to see what was once considered the best #1 pick since LeBron to struggle this much.

 

Last ten #1 draft picks have been Paolo Banchero, Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards, Zion, Ayton, Fultz, Ben Simmons, KAT, Wiggins, Bennett.

 

You'd wish the success rate there were a little higher.

[BBTV]

4 hours ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

None of us is a doctor (well, most of us aren't),

I miss @VitaminD  

[Digby]

Little late of the Mavericks to start tanking with two games left, but...

[Cujo]

On 2/5/2023 at 1:32 PM, Unocal said:

The Mavs are not a shoo-in for a guaranteed playoff spot

  

 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

The Mavs experience this season is more confusing than anything else.

 

Not everyone is made for deep playoff runs year after year; seems like Luka might not be that guy. Or at least not yet.

[TrueYankee26]

1 hour ago, Cujo said:

  

 

First time since 1980 when the Mavs were founded that no team from Texas will make the 'offs.

 

 

[who do you think]

4 hours ago, Cujo said:

  

 

 

Good. The Mavs as an organization have gotten really arrogant and insufferable, and they deserve the embarrassment of being deadline buyers and still  finishing bottom five in the conference. I hope Luka blows town at some point soon to take Cuban/the organization down another peg. Of course Luka himself isn't blameless in all of this either, he's not interested in anything that doesn't involve stuffing his stats.

[GDAWG]

Luka has learned nothing at all from the year he was teammates with Dirk Nowitzki, who never wanted to leave the Mavs nor did he ever plan to (although the late Kobe Bryant said he tried to get Dirk to sign with the Lakers).  Luka will not play for the Mavericks his entire career.   Speaking of Dirk, he was a questionable acquisition for the Mavericks when they acquired his draft rights for the late Robert Traylor.....which blew up in Milwaukee's face.  Luka's never getting a statue in front of the AAC as Dirk did.  I don't think he'll demand a trade this offseason, but if things don't go the way he hopes next season, then he may want out in 2024.  

[GDAWG]

Edit.  

 

 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

1 hour ago, GDAWG said:

Luka has learned nothing at all from the year he was teammates with Dirk Nowitzki, who never wanted to leave the Mavs nor did he ever plan to (although the late Kobe Bryant said he tried to get Dirk to sign with the Lakers).  Luka will not play for the Mavericks his entire career.   Speaking of Dirk, he was a questionable acquisition for the Mavericks when they acquired his draft rights for the late Robert Traylor.....which blew up in Milwaukee's face.  Luka's never getting a statue in front of the AAC as Dirk did.  I don't think he'll demand a trade this offseason, but if things don't go the way he hopes next season, then he may want out in 2024.  

 

Probably not, but that would make him the same as the vast majority of NBA players.

 

Current potential lifers to me include Steph, Giannis, maybe Embiid, maybe Klay, and maybe Zion (if only because why would anyone else pay him?). 

 

The new CBA with the ownership clause might change things, but guys finishing their career with one team is extremely and increasingly rare, and I don't treat it as being more meaningful one way or the other.

[GDAWG]

30 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

 

Probably not, but that would make him the same as the vast majority of NBA players.

 

Current potential lifers to me include Steph, Giannis, maybe Embiid, maybe Klay, and maybe Zion (if only because why would anyone else pay him?). 

 

The new CBA with the ownership clause might change things, but guys finishing their career with one team is extremely and increasingly rare, and I don't treat it as being more meaningful one way or the other.

 

Zion's durability issues make me think he won't last as long as Steph and Giannis will.  Giannis has his ring and could get another one (maybe more) so he's never leaving.  The one player I can see staying for his entire career (especially if he gets his ring this year) is Jayson Tatum.  

[DG_ThenNowForever]

11 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

Zion's durability issues make me think he won't last as long as Steph and Giannis will.  Giannis has his ring and could get another one (maybe more) so he's never leaving.  The one player I can see staying for his entire career (especially if he gets his ring this year) is Jayson Tatum.  

 

LeBron will be off the Lakers in a year or two and AD isn't likely to keep his current level in the next five years. The Lakers will need a new face of the franchise. Jayson Tatum's deal is up in 2026, where he'll be only be 27 years old (how?). I expect the Lakers to go all out to bring him to the same franchise as his idol.

[GDAWG]

28 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

 

LeBron will be off the Lakers in a year or two and AD isn't likely to keep his current level in the next five years. The Lakers will need a new face of the franchise. Jayson Tatum's deal is up in 2026, where he'll be only be 27 years old (how?). I expect the Lakers to go all out to bring him to the same franchise as his idol.

 

LeBron will probably stay with the Lakers if they draft Bronny, which seems unlikely.  The draft is in late June, and Free Agency doesn't start until July (unless the CBA changed all of that), so his next team will depend on who drafts Bronny.  

[Rockstar Matt]

17 hours ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

The Mavs experience this season is more confusing than anything else.

 

Not everyone is made for deep playoff runs year after year; seems like Luka might not be that guy. Or at least not yet.

 

Luka has future Laker written all over him.

 

To be fair, the Mavs excellent supporting cast and overall squad depth from last year was dismantled for Christian Wood and Kyrie. Losing Brunson in the offseason didn't help either. Luka averaged 32, 8 and 8 this year, I'd be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt after losing much of their quality role players and gaining Kyrie who is a bad fit alongside Luka.

 

Dallas somehow made worse roster decisions than the Lakers, which is saying something.