2021-22 Basketball Thread

[unclevlad]

18 hours ago, Pariah said:

I was just watching Around the Horn, and the Jazz are getting completely torn up for their utter inability to play effective defense. This is really out of character for this franchise.

 

There has been some talk locally about whether or not Quinn Snyder, Donovan Mitchell, and or Rudy Gobert will be back next season. The team just doesn't have much chemistry right now. It is the cause of much angst and hang-wringing here.

 

Saw that segment too.  Of course...they did end up winning today, so...who knows.  Utah might be in a similar position as Portland, or Denver.  Decent success in the regular season but just can't make the jump up.

 

Barkley and Shaq were pointing out that Gobert had to change style defensively...and had to become an offensive threat.  From what I noted during the game today, he did do the latter.  

 

Getting to be hard to pick who'll get through the conferences...several key injuries, some more nicks that can't help.  

[unclevlad]

Delicious.

Delightful.

Delectable.

 

Celtics 109, Nets 103.  In Brooklyn.  Celtics are now up 3-0.  Brooms will be out...if the Celts can, I wouldn't be surprised if they throw a watch party in their arena.

 

Mr. P, you were mentioning the Jazz potentially completing a purge.  The Nets were supposed to WALK through the East...the most dynamic offensive lineup ever!!!!  If you bought the hype.  (Especially when they added Harden.  AND after the trade for Simmons, who still hasn't played a second.)  

 

I don't necessarily agree with the aphorism that defense wins championships, but no defense means no chance.  THAT, I do believe.  The Nets' defensive rating with Kyrie in the lineup...worst in the league during the regular season.  OK, some of that was probably Harden, but still, they didn't have much time on court together.

[unclevlad]

Break Out The Brooms!

Break Out The Brooms!

 

Nets go 1-2-3-CANCUN, BABY.  Tatum fouls out on a very marginal call with Celtics up 6 and almost 3 minutes left...Nets close to 1 but never take the lead.  Durant hits a 3 to cut it to 3 with 3 seconds left, but the Celts get the ball in, they hit one of the 2 FTs, and it's over.  116-112.  4-0 Celtics.

 

So what's next for the Nets?  Significant changes would seem to be necessary.  SI's got a story totally ripping Nash, calling the series' biggest mismatch is the coaching mismatch.  They lay out a good case, but one can also ask how much is Irving, too.

[unclevlad]

Ernie Johnson's postgame lead-in after Utah was...less than excellent.

 

71% of NBA GMs predicted the Nets to win the title.  17% picked the Lakers.

 

 

he

hehe

HAAAHHAAAA
 

 

BWAAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

<passes out from lack of breath>

[unclevlad]

Ohhh....the postgame interview, for once, became a foreshadowing.

 

After the game last night, Gus Johnson and Greg Anthony, the game broadcasters, had a short interview with Joel Embiid.  The parting comment from...Johnson, I think, was a "how's the eye feel?"  Cuz Embiid caught a high elbow earlier.  Embiid's response was simple and honest..."it hurts."

 

So today the report is...

a)  concussion

b)  fractured orbital bone.  No word yet on whether it'll need surgery.

 

At the least, tho, he has to sit 5 days per the concussion protocol.

 

Worse:

--Philly slopped its way through game 5, getting blown out at home.

--The game was not in doubt...the lead was almost 30 with 4 minutes left when Embiid caught the elbow.  I don't think it was intentional in any way;  Siakam was driving into the lane, jump-stepping;  he's lifting the ball to a degree, prior to release, and that brought his elbow up.  Just a very unfortunate event. 

 

But there was no reason to risk it.  Line against Miami has changed sharply:  was Miami -4.5, now it's Miami -8.5.  And I wouldn't be at all surprised if it continues to move Miami's direction tomorrow.

 

Looks like the T'wolves are at it again.  10 point lead going into the 4th...blown.  Down 4 with 24 seconds left.  Breem's comment upon coming back from commercial..."another 4th quarter nightmare for Minnesota."  Barkley's been laying full broadsides against the coaches for terrible decisions and/or not instilling smart play, as the Wolves have given up major leads, or allowed major runs, FAR too often.  (Breem just said...they've blown double digit leads in the 4th quarter, 3 times...twice at home.  THAT is on the coaching staff.)  

 

Yeah, this one's over.  Wolves miss a 3, down 6;  Memphis gets the board, get fouled of course.  16 seconds...they hit the free throws.  It's just random nothing at this point.

 

It's interesting that ESPN's gamecast is about 15 seconds ahead of the broadcast.  Seen that a fair bit recently.  

[unclevlad]

Joel Embiid just took a swat that smacked the ball straight into his face mask...and orbital fracture, that's only been healing for a couple weeks.  AND a concussion.  He's staying in, but how much of a distraction this will be, remains to be seen.  He does NOT!!!! look comfortable.

[unclevlad]

And James Harden does it again.  
Embiid's been hurt.

Danny Green suffered a knee injury that forced him to be carried off, knee elevated.  No further word but he was obviously gone.

 

So, facing elimination, Harden has to be The Man.  

In 43 minutes...9 FG attempts...total.  11 points.  -16 overall rating.  In the second half, for the first 22 minutes...1 shot.  As a 1 point game turned into a 20 point blowout, before the Sixers made a bit of a run.  Final margin was 9.

 

Postgame, Jalen Rose offered a litany of Harden failures of effort, sloppy play, no defense...all of which have been cited over, and over, and over again. 

 

And this is the player that not one but 2 teams felt was the piece to get them over the top.  Both are, of course, out.  Max deal?  I don't want him as a backup on a min contract.  He's a total team wrecker.  The only other player in his class is Kyrie.

[Pariah]

Maybe the Lakers could sign both of them....

[unclevlad]

Wouldn't change their dysfunction index any.

 

 

But...nah....they don't have the cap space.  Pity, that.

 

In other news, watching Dallas eclipse the Suns...it's been 15+ for most of the game, it seems...and with the WNBA starting, Mark Jones made a side point.

 

We've probably mostly forgotten...but Brittney Griner is still being held in Russia.  It's approaching 3 months now.  The detention is scheduled to end on the 19th...the 3 month mark...but she's scheduled to appear in court...tomorrow, I believe...and that court can extend the detention indefinitely.  And is largely expected to.

 

EDIT:  the gentlest comments are that Harden's suffered from leg injuries, and simply general aging.  The other end:  he quit.  Again.  

 

And he's got a player option for next year, for $47.4M.  Which is probably $10-15M more than anyone else would give him.

 

Joel Embiid has serious longevity questions of his own.  He missed 2 full years with the foot problems;  he actually played in the most games of his career this year, and still only played in 68.  If Harden's still there next season?  I'm not giving the Sixers any chance, especially if Harden's sticking them for the full tab.  Harden's limitations have been consistent...low effort, low defense, generally ball heavy.  Without the threats of the stepback, of the drive...he's got nowhere near enough to be a team's #1 or #2.

Tomorrow night....mutual mugging, round 6.  AKA Celts-Bucks.

[Cancer]

Bob Lanier has passed away.

[Pariah]

Hey, I haven't really been paying attention to the playoffs. How are the Lakers doing?

 

[unclevlad]

Ugly, uglier, ugliest, FUGLY.

 

Suns pulled the last.

Up 3-2, lose game 6 in Dallas by 27.

At home tonight, game 7.  Lose by 33.

 

I was gonna watch...kinda forgot.  Just as well.  Oh, and it wasn't that close;  it was 57-27 at halftime.  That's not bad, that's HIDEOUS.  Suns only managed 10 in the 2nd quarter.  It was 92-50 after 3.

 

Hey, Memphis plastered GS in game 5...but in Memphis, and the Warriors were up 3-1.  They won going away in game 6.  To pull this much of an egg at home, in a game 7, is a complete meltdown.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

 

[Pariah]

And Chris Paul is now the first player in NBA history to lose five different playoff series after opening with a 2-0 lead. Remarkable.

 

He's also the only player in NBA history to lose four different playoff series after opening with a 2-0 lead.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

A dubious honor indeed. 

[Michael Hopcroft]

3 hours ago, Logan.1179 said:

 

Why was he still in the game? His own insistence?

 

Basketball players want to play. They wouldn't have made the NBA if they didn't. I can understand an aging superstar wanting every second he can get on the court. But by this point the game and season are lost, and you have to start thinking about 2022-23. Any injury to Chris Paul at the point would have devastated the Suns next season.

 

If you are an NBA coach, you do not squander your team's greatest resource in a lost cause. No matter how angry they will get at being held out.

 

What I want to know is how the Bucks got blown out. 

[unclevlad]

Bucks got blown out because they can't defend Boston without Middleton.  And that game was in Boston.  

 

It is easy to argue Paul shouldn't have been in at that point, but it's also game 7 of a playoff series.

 

I don't agree that Paul is central to the Suns next season...because he was the focus of the Mavs' attack.  Paul was -39 in his time on-court in game 7...after being -14 in game 6.  Even in the game 5 blowout...Paul was only +7.  Bridges was +23, Ayton +11, Cam Johnson +17, Booker +25.  Foul trouble in game 4, he was no factor.  He had 47 in games 1 and 2...and only 47 more in the next 5.

 

The Mavs put the clamps onto Paul.  Much of the issue may simply be that Booker failed to pick up the slack;  that can't be ignored.  

 

I'd also assert that neither Paul nor Booker showed any spark at any point, so Monty Williams could've sat them the entire 4th and they'd have NO cause to push back.

[Grailknight]

Same basic way that Phoenix lost. They couldn't make shots they normally make and Boston started making shots and it snowballed. The difference is Phoenix couldn't make from the start and Dallas got way in front in the 2nd quarter. Milwaukee was doing ok till halfway through the 3rd and the whells fell off after Giannis missed 3 layups in 2 trips.

[unclevlad]

That's what is so shocking about the Suns game;  they did nothing from the jump.  At home.  In the decider.  That strongly suggests they'd conceded the loss, mentally, before the game even tipped.  And that is a huge problem.

[BNakagawa]

Tonight might be the end for Luka "Big Floppa" Doncic's season...

 

The ECF is going to go at least 6 games.

[Cygnia]

21 minutes ago, BNakagawa said:

Tonight might be the end for Luka "Big Floppa" Doncic's season...

 

The ECF is going to go at least 6 games.

Big Floppa?

[BNakagawa]

 

[unclevlad]

You realize that forcing me to agree with Tweedledum and Tweededumber is a flogging offense....

 

[Pariah]

So, it's to be Celtics vs. Warriors, is it?

 

Count me a Celtics fan for the next couple of weeks.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

While it's nice to see a Celtics return to greatness, I must admit I'm one of the Warriors few fans* so I'll be pulling for Steph and Klay. 

 

 

* Outside of the Bay Area.