2023-2024 NBA Thread

[StillMcfuu]

I'll preface with...it's only two games. I don't want to overreact too much (positive or negative) based off of that.

But man, this is game #2 that Embiid was a direct contributor to them losing. His stats looked fine against the Celtics (padding at the end), but watching the game: he looked like dog shit, especially on defense. He was a little better on defense against the Bucks, but in general just looked lethargic out there---the Embiid we see at times that looks like he just doesn't want to be there. Overall though--that was maybe the worst half of basketball I've seen him play.

What kind of monkeypaw shit is going on that Harden looks back and Embiid now looks like a dumpster? That said--the Sixers have to clean up their rotations a ton (because they aren't working at all right now) and get value out of their bench--among quite a few other things that you hope get solved as they play more. I'll choose to be optimistic that this is the thing we've seen from Embiid before where he seems to play himself into shape (last season's start wasn't great, either).

And completely agree with the PNR. I cannot understand why Harden and Embiid aren't just nuking teams to death with it. It should be unstoppable. It was borderline unstoppable with Clint Capela. This is a bit if a rhetorical question as, to your point, it's an Embiid thing (but why the hell does he refuse to do it?).

I think Embiid is afraid to get injured.. maybe, but he dives on the floor a lot too, that shit kills me and he does it more when he is doing worse. There were multiple points last night where he could have easily rebounded his own miss, but he's laying on the floor.

It's like he gets in these moods, and it all seems dependent on how hard it is for him to play, if he's making shots.

The HardenEmbiid PNR is extremely effective when Embiid is playing confident. I believe last year playoff it was the most effective PNR. I find it more odd they don't run the play very often, even with other players. I could see Harris being good in the PNR too. I think I saw Maxey and Harris run it once last night together. As you said though, the Sixers should be beating this 2 man game to death. With guys like Maxey and Harris standing on the strong side it makes the PNR and 2 man game way more dangerous.

And I agree, I'm not being doomer about the teams I'm talking about. Just early observations from things that need to change.

All that being said, Embiid does this way too often. I don't think Embiid will ever be an MVP favorite for me because he's just as likely to be passive in an important game as dominant. If it came out that he was clinically depressed or bipolar, I'd finally get it.

[xskarma]

After the Celtics start and turnaround last year I'm basically not counting any team out untill like April lol

Just too easy for good players to have the light come on and for them to play devastating ball all of a sudden.

[StillMcfuu]

Little known fact, Jakob Poeltl is Dennis Rodman when he's not in drag.

[xskarma]

Little known fact, Jakob Poeltl is Dennis Rodman when he's not in drag.

Poeltl has been a thorn in Celtics side too as long as he's played for the Spurs. Always with the rebound and/or tip in at bad moments.

There were rumours of the Spurs trading him and I can totally still see that happen if the Spurs want to make a serious push, and Brick for Vic.

[StillMcfuu]

Poeltl has been a thorn in Celtics side too as long as he's played for the Spurs. Always with the rebound and/or tip in at bad moments.

There were rumours of the Spurs trading him and I can totally still see that happen if the Spurs want to make a serious push, and Brick for Vic.

I've been seeing noise that Adam Silver is going to implement more anti tanking rules. Vic is drawing a lot of attention apparently.

[xskarma]

I've been seeing noise that Adam Silver is going to implement more anti tanking rules. Vic is drawing a lot of attention apparently.

I doubt he can do anything about this year. Can't change the rules significantly after the season is already under way.

For future tanktastic seasons though (Bronny James?) we might see changes.

[Espo]

I doubt he can do anything about this year. Can't change the rules significantly after the season is already under way.

For future tanktastic seasons though (Bronny James?) we might see changes.

I'm torn on this one. He's been clear for years that he doesn't love tanking--he sort of set the precedent. Not to mention the speculation that he forced the Sixers to stop it with the hiring of Colangelo, so he may have already interfered before, albeit in a behind-the-scenes way that supposedly wasn't received well by the team.

The season is young--he's sending out the signal already. And given we're talking a small number of teams, it's not out of the question that the other owners would gladly watch teams face Silver's wrath over it if it benefits them in some way. That said--I do agree it's pretty unlikely for anything formal this year.

Related--I sure hope no one tanks for Bronny. He's not even a 1st round pick (right now) if his father wasn't who he is. Maybe Bryce.

[StillMcfuu]

I'm torn on this one. He's been clear for years that he doesn't love tanking--he sort of set the precedent. Not to mention the speculation that he forced the Sixers to stop it with the hiring of Colangelo, so he may have already interfered before, albeit in a behind-the-scenes way that supposedly wasn't received well by the team.

The season is young--he's sending out the signal already. And given we're talking a small number of teams, it's not out of the question that the other owners would gladly watch teams face Silver's wrath over it if it benefits them in some way. That said--I do agree it's pretty unlikely for anything formal this year.

Related--I sure hope no one tanks for Bronny. He's not even a 1st round pick (right now) if his father wasn't who he is. Maybe Bryce.

The only reason to tank for Bronny is to get LeBron. I'm actually shocked that so many Laker picks were traded away, Lakers don't control a pick until 2027 or so. Which speaking of tanking, Lakers might win the Vic sweepstakes and lose the pick to Pelicans, which means more sucking and whatever the 24 pick is, will be the pelicans as well... it's funny every Westbrook trade includes picks, I thought there were nba rules against trading away picks. I thought you could only do it every other year in case a new owner buys out the team and they don't want to be left with the other teams bad decisions.

[xskarma]

The only reason to tank for Bronny is to get LeBron. I'm actually shocked that so many Laker picks were traded away, Lakers don't control a pick until 2027 or so. Which speaking of tanking, Lakers might win the Vic sweepstakes and lose the pick to Pelicans, which means more sucking and whatever the 24 pick is, will be the pelicans as well... it's funny every Westbrook trade includes picks, I thought there were nba rules against trading away picks. I thought you could only do it every other year in case a new owner buys out the team and they don't want to be left with the other teams bad decisions.

Yeah, you can only trade so and so far into the future and can only trade picks to a team for every other year and the others need to be Pick Swaps.

Apparently pick swaps generally only amount to the value of a second round pick, I read not long ago.

So yeah, there's definite protections in place for teams to not utterly screw themselves.

The Lakers however did the whole thing and did pick trades and pick swaps and so they technically have draft picks in the years they swapped, but they can;t move them right now or do anything with them but wait.


Lakers REALLY boned themselves and apparently their best road out of this mess is to take this season however it unfolds in the face and lose Westbrook for nothing next season BUT suddenly have cap space to do something with. That's their best avenue to contention in the immediate future. This season likely is going to be what it is.

[StillMcfuu]

Take Foul might be my favorite rule change in the last 10 years, it's up there with the zero step (not the uncalled travels though).

[StillMcfuu]

As I thought a few weeks ago, Nash is out as coach for the Nets. And shockingly it seems Udoka will be the Nets new coach...

[xskarma]

Still not quite sure what to make of this Celtics team. The scoring has been great, but as much as the scoring went up compared to last year, so has the defense lagged behind.

But, Celtics 6-3, with 2 of the losses against a very feisty Cavs team which were both super close (and the Cavs are 7-1), so can't complain about the results.

Would be nice to just blow out a couple of teams and get the minutes use on the starters down a bit though, which might happen this week with 2 games against the Pistons.

[StillMcfuu]

Still not quite sure what to make of this Celtics team. The scoring has been great, but as much as the scoring went up compared to last year, so has the defense lagged behind.

But, Celtics 6-3, with 2 of the losses against a very feisty Cavs team which were both super close (and the Cavs are 7-1), so can't complain about the results.

Would be nice to just blow out a couple of teams and get the minutes use on the starters down a bit though, which might happen this week with 2 games against the Pistons.

Cavs are a real good team and losing to them isn't saying a ton about the Celts. Considering the drama of the off season and now possibly losing their coach they are definitely exceeding where I'd expect a start from last year.

Cavs wise, they are really popping. They were scrappy last year but the trade for Mitchell has really put them over in my eyes. They gave up Sexton who is just a more inconsistent Mitchell and Markonen who kind of clashed with Allen to the point of having one on the floor is better than the other. What they got back was a star who just needed his own team to really flourish, and he is. And Mitchell is also young, so Cavs really have a good stretch ahead of them, I see many deep playoff runs in their future, looking at their roster, they look like a championship team in need of more development. They are basically the celts 3 years ago.

[Pendulous]

Cavs are insane. Spida is putting up over 30 points a game, AND leading the team in assists, and they recently got Darius Garland back. Meanwhile, the Jazz are playing some true team ball with a very promising rookie, Finnisher being dominant, and being second in the west behind Phoenix. Just as we all predicted. Guess none of that matters if the Bucks never lose a game.

[StillMcfuu]

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2022/1...rs-father-time

Article saying that Lebron may finally have gotten old. I think he's going to be better by the end of the season than he is now, but he's obviously not carrying the Lakers. I still found it jarring to hear them suggest that Lakers should trade him over the summer and he can be a short term rental on a contender. This is Lebron - that's not how things usually end for guys like him.

That said, finding a fit seems really hard - any thoughts where he could end up? My best guess was the Clippers, but that's umm, LA to LA so no way they'd do that. Cavs maybe?

Suggesting Lakers trade LeBron is saying more about the absolute sorry state the Lakers are in, not a commentary about LeBron. They have no future, AD is a hollow shell of his potential, Russ is fun but was never built to be a playoff performer.
I've been saying since mid last season they need to blow the team up, trade everyone away and recover some kind of value for draft picks. But they will probably shop Walker mid season like he is a second option (cough THT cough) and refuse reasonable trades for him. I kind of want to know where the calls are for getting rid of Darvin Ham, Vogel did better with what was definitely a worse team last year.

As for LeBron, if they traded him and he accepted, it would have to be for mainly picks, but they'd also have to make the salary work without blowing out the team he'd be sent to and I just don't know who that could be. I'd want to say a team like the Jazz could decide they want to run for the championship instead of the Vic pick, but they don't have assets to return that wouldn't blow up what they have going.
Here is a spicy one, maybe Warriors. They could drop Green and they have their 23, 25, 26 1st round picks available. It would help the warriors because LeBron can fill Green's exact role in the rotation, except LeBron is just a better player on both sides of the ball. Warriors could right their ship. Lakers would get return value in picks, and can acceptably tank with Green averaging a triple single. Lakers would never be in the Vic draft, but with everyone fighting over him, could make some moves. Honestly don't see LeBron accepting a trade unless it's to a team such as the Warriors, Heat, idk Sixers for Harris giant contract, idk about their picks.

[StillMcfuu]

I don't think Simmons gets it. Philly loved him, they aren't booing louder because it's hard pouring that Philly hate into something they were so emotionally invested in.

[xskarma]

The Suns clearly have not changed since Game 7 against the Mavs. That was a pitiful showing.

[xskarma]

The Celtics have clearly not changed since Game 6 of the Finals. That was a pitiful showing.

[xskarma]

Rumor is that Robert Williams is making his season debut tonight at home against the Magic. Can't wait.

Cause, the Celtics were already pretty good without him and now they FINALLY get to add their X-factor.

[MCMLXXXII]

I still think Pippen is highly underrated.