2022-23 Basketball Thread

[unclevlad]

That's a seriously common refrain.  It's one of Jeff Van Gundy's rants.  Sometimes he's right but others, he's soooo wrong.  This is the latter.

 

I'm MUCH more in tune with this article:

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/draymond-green-leads-the-warriors-by-playing-with-heart-but-they-need-him-to-play-with-a-brain-too/

 

Green's pattern and practice are *extensive* and well documented.  Sure, OK, Sabonis was wrong...but he also got a tech.  The stomp was above and beyond.  The antics after the stomp largely gut any claims he might have had, about just needing to step.  He knew, IMO.  3 prior suspensions in 7 years...and that doesn't even count the Poole incident.  From an ESPN story yesterday:

 

Quote

Green's history includes being the only player in the past 10 seasons to be suspended multiple times in the playoffs, per ESPN Stats & Information. He has 163 career technical fouls, 17 ejections and four suspensions -- including six flagrant fouls and 27 technical fouls in 147 playoff games.

 

Mike Brown was on Inside the NBA pregame last night, after unanimously winning CoY...first time ever.  He said, it's a players' league.  That's brutally obvious...and it's also brutally obvious it's gone WAY too far.

 

 

[unclevlad]

Dylan Brooks poked the polar bear, saying LeBron was old and he wouldn't respect him til LeBron dropped 40 on him.

 

He might be a member of the Grizzlies but he's proving to be a cub.

 

End of the first quarter:  Lakers 35, Memphis 9.

 

Yes.  Single digits for Memphis.  They're 3-25 shooting with 7 turnovers. 

 

Largest lead after the first quarter in NBA playoff history.

 

Think I'll see what MLB Network has, they had a late game tonight...

[Starlord]

In the game where Brooks called him old, here are Lebron's stats when Brooks was guarding him:

 

25 pts at 61% FG

 

I dont mind trash talk but you've got to back it up and he didn't come close.

 

Then he cheap shots Lebron in the groin in last night's game - so basically he's just an average punk with a mouth.

[unclevlad]

JUST in...the hit is NOT getting Brooks suspended.  I disagree with that.  There's been too much total BS going on this postseason, and I think some of it has been that the league *hasn't* been firm enough.  It's plausible the league's sensitive to the broad criticism that they shouldn't be determining the outcomes of games...an extension of the "you can't call a foul to decide the game" that's polluted the NBA (and NFL, to a degree) for years.

 

 

[Pariah]

The NBA looks a lot like WWE these days.

 

YMMV, of course.

[unclevlad]

Oh my.  Bucks enter the 4th up 11...and blow it, losing by 5 in regulation.  Down 3-1 now.  

 

Butler explodes for an extremely efficient 56...but the other story was the bench.  Bucks bench:  52 total minutes, 16 points, 5 of 15 shooting.  Heat bench:  100 minutes, 32 points, 12 of 23 shooting.  Heat bench:  +51.  Bucks bench:  -22.  Bucks shot distribution was pretty poor.  Grayson Allen is out there for shooting, but only got 6 shots.  Brook Lopez took 23...most on the team.  He shot well, but you don't want him taking that many.  Jrue Holiday is supposed to be the point guard...but he took 19 shots, while having only 4 assists.  That's a mess...and when he goes 6 for 19?  That's worse.

 

Unless the Bucks can turn things around completely, which has been VERY rare, I think there will be some significant changes over the summer.

[unclevlad]

Oh my....

 

My, oh my, oh my...

 

Milwaukee enters the 4th quarter, at home, up 16.  First 4 minutes of the 4th, they hit 2 FTs...that's it.  (Miss 2 as well.)  Heat get back to within 7 before Holliday hits a 3.  They get 1 point in the next 4 minutes.  Yep...the first 8 1/2 minutes, they score all of 6 points.  There's more of a flurry both ways...with the Heat making a layup to tie the game with 0.1 seconds left.  

 

The Heat outlast the Bucks in the OT to win the game.

 

A big factor...Bucks miss 5 FTs in the 4th quarter, and 3 more in OT.  Giannis only shoots 10 for 23 from the line.  Can't say it's all on him, but that's a key stat when you lose in OT.

 

I expect there's gonna be some significant changes coming.

 

EDIT:  yeah, Ernie Johnson dropped the number I didn't want to work out...Bucks shot 5 for 25 from the field in the 4th and OT.  At home, in an elimination game.  1 - 2 - 3...CANCUN!!!

 

Morning after edit...The Athletic noted that a collapse like last night's, may cost Budenholzer his job.  They didn't predict it;  the Bucks did win in '21.  Still, what would've been unthinkable at the end of the regular season is...thinkable.

[Pariah]

Without Joel Embiid: Sixers 119, Celtics 115

With Joel Embiid: Celtics 121, Sixers 87

 

Didn't see that coming.

[Cancer]

This kind of Embiid?

[unclevlad]

Yeah, pro sports' model overall is "what have you done for me lately?"

 

Exhibit A...Mike Budenholzer got canned today by the Bucks.  Regular season wins just failed to translate well enough in the postseason.

[unclevlad]

One can dislike Dan Gilbert for several things we need not address here, but...this is still sad news.

 

https://apnews.com/article/nick-gilbert-cavaliers-b7dd01d5e2d29929d793dd6e15cf874d

 

Quote

Gilbert was diagnosed as a child with neurofibromatosis (NF1), a genetic condition that causes non-cancerous tumors to grow on the brain, spinal cord and skin. There is no cure.

 

[Pariah]

Nikola Jokic given a technical foul for sideline scuffle with Suns owner Mat Ishbia

 

If Mat Ishbia wants to handle the ball during the game, he should put in a uniform and put himself in the mix with everyone else. Otherwise, he should sit his butt down, drink his overpriced beer, and let the players decide the outcome of the game.

 

And if that flop is really the best he's got, maybe he should sell the Suns and buy a soccer team instead.

[Pariah]

The Celtics won to force Game 7.

 

The Nuggets have a big lead over the Suns and can close out the series with a win. 

 

Good, good.

[unclevlad]

Yep.  Jayson Tatum was a disaster for 3+ quarters for the Green Meanies, but nailed 16 in the 4th as the Sixers offense evaporated.

 

The Nuggets were up 27-26 with 3 minutes left in the 1st...then *annihilated* the Suns.  81-51 at half.  Suns never got closer than 21 until garbage time...it's 22 right now, coming down to 4 minutes left.  Jokic is still in...but not for long.  He just got his 10th rebound...giving him another triple double, the 3rd this series.

 

It's curious:  The box score on ESPN is about 30 seconds ahead of the broadcast.  That's a pretty big delay.

 

Now we'll have to see what happens with the Suns, what with a new owner.  Adding Durant, but the defense was slipshod.  Denver's only gonna finish with ~ 125, which isn't bad, but 81 in the first half darn sure is.  Ball handling was a problem, and Denver feasted on easy points of turnovers, so Chris Paul was missed in that regard, but Cam Payne's shooting was keeping the Suns alive...for the period they were.  Booker, Ayton, Paul, and Durant are all under contract for 2 more years...but they're also pulling down $146M combined for next season.  The luxury tax threshold is expected to be around $162M.  That may well change, but they're pretty darn close to it with just those 4. Shamet and Cam Payne eat all of that up...and you've still got to fund 9 players.  They had the 6th highest payroll this season;  each of the 4 big contracts jumps about $2M.

[unclevlad]

2 hours until Sixers-Celtics.  The loser is probably facing significant criticism and changes...Monte Williams got fired today, according to reports.  It's likely Doc Rivers gets fired if Philly loses.  With Boston, it's less clear, but there'll likely be notable lineup changes.  The Athletic was pointing out that Jayson Tatum will be viewed as Not Ready To Be The Superstar if he fails again, especially if he's got another effort like most of game 6.

 

Elsewhere...I'm mostly sad about this.  Ja Morant reportedly flashed a gun again, in another video on IG.  This isn't in a club, it appears to be in a parked car, but it's incredibly foolish to do this *so soon* after being suspended.  And WHY?  DON'T BE FLASHING GUNS like this!!  The team has suspended him already, and the league will certainly come down much harder, as a repeat violation within such a short time period.  I'd like Morant to succeed, but one has to wonder if he needs to completely overhaul his personal life.

 

The video from IG can be seen here:

https://www.tmz.com/2023/05/14/ja-morant-filmed-hold-gun-again-memphis-grizzlies-nba/

 

 

[Pariah]

Doc Rivers is out in Philadelphia

[unclevlad]

Yeah, many of the studio talking heads expected this.  I think particularly in Philly, where people probably still remember that perhaps the most dominating player ever, Wilt, never won a title while he was there.

 

Never mind that while Embiid is also a dominating player...I think it's hard to build a team around him.  Harden was a mistake;  I think he'll be gone.  But Embiid doesn't fit into a role...low post, mid post, high post?  Pick something and stay with it more.  Part of that is Toxic Three Syndrome.  Some of it may well be echoes still reverberating from the abject disaster of Ben Simmons.

 

And, sure, some of this might be projecting off Embiid's demeanor...but it's not very positive.  If it's a player's league, then the tone set by your stars, matters.  His doesn't appear to be a good one.

[unclevlad]

The Heat are bringing back memories of the Rip Hamilton/Chauncy Billups Pistons teams that won the title in '04, and backed it up by getting back to the Finals,albeit losing, in '05.  This wasn't a team of all-stars, it didn't have the Uber Duo a la, say, Shaq and Kobe or Michael and Scotty.  It was a TEAM.  This Heat team plays hard, they never quit, and they play smart.  They have an offensive leader in Jimmy Butler, but he's not the be-all, end-all.

 

They did it again tonight.  Outrebounded Boston.  Forced more TOs.  More composed.  Now up 2-0, *going home*, after beating the Celtics by 6 tonight.  That makes a sweep a *decided* possibility, which would be an incredible stunner.

 

Pressure and criticism on Tatum coming back...after the abysmal first 3 quarters in game 6 last series, a good game 7 helped.  But now...he's vanished in both 4th quarters.  MIA.  11-11 from the foul line...that's it, tho.  0-6 from the field...which is bad, and also nowhere NEAR aggressive enough.  5 TOs.  Celtics blow an 8 point lead starting the 4th.  Not all his fault, but when you're first team all NBA, you gotta do better.

[unclevlad]

Nuggets enter the 4th up 2, but smack the Lakers in the 4th again.  119-108, giving Denver a 3-0 lead.

 

Murray crushes it in the first half, Jokic nails it down in the 4th quarter.

 

Lakers win the rebound battle.  Win the FT battle.  Get CRUSHED at the 3 point line...10-32, whereas the Nuggets go 17-41, much of that early offense.  

 

Teams up 3-0 in a 7 game NBA series, are 149-0.  I'm gonna hope for 1-2-3-CANCUN!!!!!!!  

[Pariah]

The Lakers deserve it for wearing white at home. Everybody knows that the Lakers should wear yellow at home.

 

I also heard that this is the first time that LeBron has been down 0-3 outside of the NBA Finals. 

 

The rich and creamy Nougats are one game away from their first trip ever to the Finals. 

[unclevlad]

I'll stick my neck out and say the Heat are gonna go ahead and win this one.

 

OK, so I've got a +6 adamantine gorget on, since it's now a 27 point lead midway through the 3rd, and the Celtics have completely fallen apart.  (To the point where even the sideline reporter pointed out they'd basically given up.)

 

Anyway, there's a really good chance that a REALLY annoying situation is gonna happen.  By Tuesday possibly, Wednesday probably...both series will be over.  Lakers may win at home tomorrow, but figure the Nuggets will likely win back in Denver on Wednesday, and I can't give the Celtics much chance in game 4 on Tuesday.

 

BUT EVEN THEN...game one of the finals isn't until June 1st.  Probably 8 or 9 days.  UGH.  Yeah, it's all about TV, and all about selling ads for known, fixed dates, but I hate it.  It's rarely this extreme, I'll grant;  it's fairly rare that the conference finals (or league championships in MLB, which also has the same fixed-date policy for the WS).  Another fairly annoying aspect:  the finals is running on a REALLY stretched timeline.  Games scheduled:  1st, 4th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th.  2 off days between most games?  REALLY?  Lame....  Was it planned this way to make sure LeBron would get time to recover, should the Lakers make it that far?  And it's not like the days make that much sense.  Th, Su, We, Fr, Mo, Th, Su.  They're all night games...all 8:30 ET non-Sundays, 8 ET Sundays.  

 

The ad buyers have to be crying, too.  The conference finals made a potential Laker-Celtic final a real possibility, and it would've drawn MASSIVE ratings.  Nuggets-Heat are gonna have HORRIBLE ratings, for an NBA Finals.  Not disrespecting either team, it's about markets and drawing power.

 

EDIT:  garbage time for the *entire* 4th quarter.  That is almost unheard-of, barring something like the 2nd game of back-to-back that's a blowout, during the regular season.  Might well be a first in the conference finals.

[Cygnia]

I'm sure Stephen A. Smith will make up for it by slathering all praise on the Heat and ignoring the Nuggets. 🙄

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

 

[Pariah]

Nuggets in the NBA Finals?

 

Edited May 22, 2023 by Pariah

[unclevlad]

AWFUL last few possessions for the Lakers.  About a minute left, they're standing around, have to try a bail-out shot as the clock expires.  40 or so seconds left, LeBron holds the ball up top, 30-odd feet out, waiting...waiting...til a pass to the corner gets knocked OB by the Nuggets with 3.6 left on the shot clock.  Another HARD, desperation shot...resulting in a shot clock violation.  Nuggets can run down the clock well inside 10, Murray misses a runner.  Lakers win the scramble for the rebound...but have only 4 seconds left after calling TO.  LeBron gets it but the defense expects it, and he's got to try a tough drive.  It's short...and the clock expires.

 

Nuggets 113, Lakers 111.  1-2-3 CANCUN!!!!!!!

 

LeBron has a brilliant first half, but plays the entire half.  30 in the first...10 in the second.  How much gas was left?  

 

God, I love it.  The Lakers went a LONG way to fixing their gross lineup problems at midseason, and perhaps, had they had more time, some of their flow issues could've been better worked out.  But...that's also been a LeBron trademark.  And also an Anthony Davis trademark...for not pushing hard enough.  LeBron's teams in the last several years, *strongly* remind me of Kobe's teams...in what I call the Bad Kobe years, where everyone sat back in crunch time to Let Kobe Do It, deferring TOO much, and making everyone else tentative.