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2022-23 Basketball Thread


Pariah

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2 hours ago, Pariah said:

Big 12, Gonzaga leaders meet to discuss expansion, Zags considering power conference move

 

Gonzaga is one of the few teams that could improve the quality and profile of the Big XII. Plus, it would keep the BYU-Gonzaga rivalry going.

 

Yes, but what they don't have is a football team.  Another story mentioned, they'd want to join up in all sports;  there are some that might not work out.  Geographically, of course, it's a bloody mess.  

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13 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

Yes, but what they don't have is a football team.  Another story mentioned, they'd want to join up in all sports;  there are some that might not work out.  Geographically, of course, it's a bloody mess.  

 

1) We now have U$C and U¢LA in the B1G. The relevance of geography is a forlorn memory at this point.

 

2) You could really make the argument that Iowa State doesn't have a football team either.....

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1 hour ago, Pariah said:

 

1) We now have U$C and U¢LA in the B1G. The relevance of geography is a forlorn memory at this point.

 

2) You could really make the argument that Iowa State doesn't have a football team either.....

 

I dunno...CBS Sports rankings, they're ahead of BYU.  And Michigan St, Auburn, and Stanford.  VERY close losses to 2 ranked teams in conference.

 

Now, were you to say Colorado or CSU...I wouldn't argue...

 

Dunno.  The Big 12 seems the only real fit for the Zags.  Pac-12 has the same football considerations, and after UCLA leaves, very little presence nationally in basketball over the last 15-20 years.  Arizona, OK;  they've had good years.  That's about it, tho.  It'd be an upgrade over the WCC, but probably not enough so.  The Big 12 has the most depth, and losing Oklahoma and Texas, in basketball, isn't that damaging.

 

 

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Huh.  Just realized something.

 

Once the dust settles on the changes that already exist...push comes to shove, the Big 12 is not particularly a football conference.  No disrespect to TCU or OK State, but how many teams have long, high-level football histories once Oklahoma and Texas bail?  It may well be, much like the ACC, basketball first.

 

In that regard, then, Gonzaga's lack of football is rather less of an issue.

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Nike has suspended its deal with Kyrie Irving.  

 

How big is this?  Nike has 4 other players with signature shoes.  You've heard of em:  Paul George, LeBron, Giannis, and Kevin Durant.  Given that lineup, it wouldn't surprise me if these are 8-figure deals.

 

And between this, and incidents of serious disinterest, with all the bad will from last year...numerous writers believe it's possible he's played his last game with the Nets already.  Believe it was in The Athletic's overnight summary that noted, he's on his last year.  It's dead money regardless.  Simply cutting him isn't that painful or impactful in the long run.

 

The other side:  I figured the Ime Udoka situation was being impacted by this.  It was bad enough last week, and it's only grown.  Apparently...yep.  That's the story.  Hiring a coach is on hold for the moment.

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Addition by subtraction?

 

Kyrie's suspended, the Nets dispel the Wizards by 42.  55% from the field, 50% from 3, 32 assists, 8 steals.  The Wizards aren't particularly good, but they're not, say, Detroit or Houston.  

 

A few more of these might convince the Nets their best move is to cut Kyrie loose.  That's something to root for...

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Will he do it, or just walk away? Honestly, I don't know.

 

Nets give Kyrie Irving six requirements to fulfill before he can return to team, per report

 

  • Quote

     

    • Apologize and condemn the film he promoted
    • Make a $500,000 donation to anti-hate causes
    • Complete sensitivity training
    • Complete anti-semetism training
    • Meet with the ADL and Jewish leaders
    • Meet with team owner Joe Tsai to demonstrate an understanding of the situation

     

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The longer this goes on...the more they show they may *well* be better without him than with him on the court...the more likely that Logan and quite a few others are right.  I won't rule it out *yet* simply because it's pro sports, and winning is the only thing.  Flip side:  any decent sensitivity training class should take a while, I'd think.  If this goes on 2-3 weeks, it's that much more rust on him, that much more integration of a team without him.

 

Note that the NBA hasn't taken action.  If Irving can't satisfy Adam Silver, who knows?  The league could suspend him.

 

Lakers shoot 8-29 and fall at home.  Again.  Pretty sure there's been a repeating pattern that hasn't been emphasized...losing late.  Happened to look at the score at one point, it was 84-80 Cavs.  From there on out?  30-20 Cavs to win pretty easily.  I know of at least 2 others where they've blown sizable leads late.  How much of this is because Davis and LeBron have to carry the team the whole game, and they just don't have the gas in the tank at the end?  Also...6 of 9 at home, and they're only 2-4.  Home teams are...if I added this up right...82-56 overall, or about 60%.

 

 

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I do love it when the overhyped, overblown accretion of talent, brought together with no thought of chemistry or skills mix, falls apart.  I'm not anti-Lakers;  I'm anti THESE Lakers.  I also love to see the fawning fanbois, particularly in the media, who'll ALWAYS gloss over the rampant flaws because, well, the NBA's nothing but awesomeness, overvalue that team.  I'm not sure if I'm anti-Nets, or just purely anti-Kyrie...that's a given, and not just for this latest fiasco.

 

The Nets might well pull off addition by subtraction, and play decent ball without Kyrie.  The Lakers right now appear to be hopeless.  Flip side?  Go Jazz!  Box score suggests the only thing wrong they did was fouling shooters too much...Lakers had 30 FTs.  Otherwise?  30 assists, 10 steals, +8 rebounds.  Superstar basketball is often boring and stagnant.  Ensemble basketball is MUCH more fun to watch.

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I was gonna say one thing, but that just changed...well, in part.

 

Why?  The Nets took Kyrie off the suspended list after 2 games.  

 

WHAT?  Are they trying to say he's completed the steps they said were required?  I don't buy that.  I'm hearing they caved.  Completely, utterly, cravenly caved.  Once they thought they had a chance to maybe, MAYBE salvage things due to 2 wins, they tossed any thought of having principles, and threw a couple thermite grenades onto them.

 

The other aspect of this...reports are, Kyrie was ignoring Steve Nash's play calls.  Repeatedly...10+ times in one game, reportedly.  That would be a pure Kyrie issue again...but other comments suggested this wasn't Kyrie, it was pretty much the whole team.  The summary comment was the team's dysfunctional...which sounds about right.  But, it also says Nash *had to be fired* if he'd lost the team so utterly.

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Kyrie's moved past Rodgers to be atop my list of loathsome athletes.  Not sure he'd hold a candle to the political list, mind, but he's #1 among athletes.  I'm still not sure what exactly is going on with the Nets, but as an organization they're moving up the list fast.  NOT near Cleveland Browns levels...yet...but climbing.  

 

Griner...my fear is no.  She's a form of reprisal, I think, for opposition to their action in the Ukraine, at this point.  

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