2018-2019 NBA thread

[Blueobelisk]

Alright Thursday night is GSW @ HOU. I'll definitely have the game on my TV, but maybe I'll put my glasses on and focus and watch it.

[McFuu]

Sixers apparently showed interest and they seem to be rebuilding their roster so them I guess?

For real?

Speaking of the Sixers.

https://content.jwplatform.com/previ...faf3cd0bdc7fe0

I've been playing and watching basketball my whole life, pretty much my number 1 team sport. And Fultz continues to be the craziest thing I've ever seen.

It might sound crazy, but I think he either had a stroke from some unknown condition or he hit his head really bad and instead of waking up playing a new instrument and learning a new language like some people do, he just completely lost the ability to link his body for a shot.

[xskarma]

For real?

Speaking of the Sixers.

https://content.jwplatform.com/previ...faf3cd0bdc7fe0

I've been playing and watching basketball my whole life, pretty much my number 1 team sport. And Fultz continues to be the craziest thing I've ever seen.

It might sound crazy, but I think he either had a stroke from some unknown condition or he hit his head really bad and instead of waking up playing a new instrument and learning a new language like some people do, he just completely lost the ability to link his body for a shot.

I saw that clip. All I can say is praise be Danny Ainge for trading the no. 1 pick to Philly and picking up Tatum instead.

[McFuu]

I saw that clip. All I can say is praise be Danny Ainge for trading the no. 1 pick to Philly and picking up Tatum instead.

Maybe the major accomplishment of Melo's career can be to teach that kid how to shoot. I can't believe he is done in Houston, what happened?

[xskarma]

Fall out of last night's commotion between Draymond and KD and the rest fo the team. Draymond suspended for 1 game.

[helebelemon]

Giving up Saric and Convington for Butler in itself is a pretty good trade. Having to hand Butler a max contract is the problematic part.

Agreed. I like Saric but Covington just looks like the type of guy who will fade every postseason. He looks like that type of role player.

[xskarma]

Agreed. I like Saric but Covington just looks like the type of guy who will fade every postseason. He looks like that type of role player.

Saric was always a problem against the Celtics. He's not good enough yet to be a best or even second best player, but if he's the 3rd best player you have out there he's a head ache. There's no 1 thing he does at an amazing level, but he's more than solid in pretty much everything, defense, shooting, posting up. And Saric has room to grow still. Only 24, cheap this year and next. I understand why the Timberwolves wanted him in a Butler deal.

That said, Butler is obviously a far better player, so I understand why Philly was more than glad to give up Saric to get him. However way you turn this, the Wolves got fleeced, mostly due to their own greed and mistakes. They could have had the Heat's Richardson with salary filler + dropped the Dieng contract + a first round pick if they had acted on the earlier trade they had in place with the Heat, that they then tried to go back on and get more out of.

Richardson is averaging 20 points a game at the moment and has far better upside than either Saric or Covington. But the Wolves screwed that one up.

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In a warm up game for a back to back against the Raptors and the Jazz at home the Celtics beat up on the Bulls and keep Zach Levine to 10 points, breaking his streak of 14 games with at least 20 points. They looked good doing it too. Kyrie set the tone and all the starters ended up in double figures, with Hayward having a really nice second half.

Hopefully they carry this into the (near) future. We could do with some tone-setting wins.

[helebelemon]

Saric was always a problem against the Celtics. He's not good enough yet to be a best or even second best player, but if he's the 3rd best player you have out there he's a head ache. There's no 1 thing he does at an amazing level, but he's more than solid in pretty much everything, defense, shooting, posting up. And Saric has room to grow still. Only 24, cheap this year and next. I understand why the Timberwolves wanted him in a Butler deal.

That said, Butler is obviously a far better player, so I understand why Philly was more than glad to give up Saric to get him. However way you turn this, the Wolves got fleeced, mostly due to their own greed and mistakes. They could have had the Heat's Richardson with salary filler + dropped the Dieng contract + a first round pick if they had acted on the earlier trade they had in place with the Heat, that they then tried to go back on and get more out of.

Richardson is averaging 20 points a game at the moment and has far better upside than either Saric or Covington. But the Wolves screwed that one up.

- - - Updated - - -

In a warm up game for a back to back against the Raptors and the Jazz at home the Celtics beat up on the Bulls and keep Zach Levine to 10 points, breaking his streak of 14 games with at least 20 points. They looked good doing it too. Kyrie set the tone and all the starters ended up in double figures, with Hayward having a really nice second half.

Hopefully they carry this into the (near) future. We could do with some tone-setting wins.

I don't know if I can say they got fleeced as that implies they just got robbed. It's just nuts that they wanted so damn much from other deals when the man had no intentions of staying there. It's armchair psychology as hell, but I love Richardson's arrogance in Miami. He's looking like he's going to be a confident, good player. Seems like the Timberwolves fleeced themselves if anything. Wonder what the heck that was about too? Owner too prideful to ship off a disgruntled player to a contender or location that he wants so he's looking for the best deal possible?

[xskarma]

I don't know if I can say they got fleeced as that implies they just got robbed. It's just nuts that they wanted so damn much from other deals when the man had no intentions of staying there. It's armchair psychology as hell, but I love Richardson's arrogance in Miami. He's looking like he's going to be a confident, good player. Seems like the Timberwolves fleeced themselves if anything. Wonder what the heck that was about too? Owner too prideful to ship off a disgruntled player to a contender or location that he wants so he's looking for the best deal possible?

If the rumours are correct it was Thibodeau, their coach and defacto GM, trying to save his job. He directed things in hopes of keeping Butler on the team and working things out on the one hand and with the other was only interested in deals where there was immediate benefit to his team (i.e. players who are ready to contribute to a play off team and not draft picks far or young players with more potential but further down the road).

But that obviously didn't work out. At some point he apparently had enough and came to the conclusion (finally) that things would not work out and not 5 days later Butler was on another team.

Thibodeau got his wish though cause Covington and Saric are immediate contributors so now he has absolutely no excuses for the team failing to produce. We'll see if he can get it done and if he keeps his job or not.

[Blueobelisk]

HOU WRECKED GSW last night lols.

TOR @ BOS might be worth putting on TV tonight. Sun GSW@SAS too.

[PokeKitty]

Hopefully Toronto won't be 3 game losing streak. They have some pressure going on so far.

[xskarma]

First quarter of Raptors at Celtics was fun, close game.

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First half Celtics played well, but this 3rd quarter is just one mistake after another. They need to get it together before the game gets out of hand.

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Also the near constant bitching by the Raptors about getting fouled is getting old. They are more than giving as good as they are getting.

- - - Updated - - -

Overtime! Celtics crawled back in it, now they need to finish it.

[Blueobelisk]

Oh shit I looked up and this shit went to OT. BOS up 113-109 with 3:30 left.

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Celtics up 115-110 with 3:09 left. This game's over.

Raptors took a timeout but there was no commercial break. I'm fucking shocked.

[xskarma]

Celtics decisively win in OT. Good game. Kyrie went off in the 4th and the Celtics played like they are supposed to play in OT, with the Raptors basically constantly getting burned by the person they left open. Hopefully we can see some more of the OT Celtics tomorrow against Utah.

On the flipside, it does mean we get a game tomorrow after playing OT today. Not ideal.

[xskarma]

Celtics are not making shots, committing dumb fouls and generally seem a step slow. Guess overtime got to them more than I expected.

[xskarma]

Celts are an odd team to watch at the moment. Like they keep bringing guys in who are good players, but a lot of them never seem to get a rhythm. Very interested to see how that plays out.

Also, you know they are going to put a monster package for AD on the table if he rejects that contract extension. And all of those guys are trade assets.

Yeah, I think what the Celtics envisioned is having a 5 headed monster where anyone can go off at any one night. I personally think they lack the clear focus of feeding the ball into specific players enough for those players to be confident and practiced in scoring. I think they would probably be better off making it clear tht Kyrie and Tatum are the featured scorers and that everyone else is there to facilitate in the first place and score in the second.


Speaking of trade assets though, just read a report that the Sacramento Kings are debating firing their coach (that's got them playing well). So, yay, King's pick might improve after all.

[PokeKitty]

Kings always miss on some good draft picks, it is very common, Kings always like to go for the best big man available in the draft for some reason.

2015 draft they missed on Brooker, Truner, Rozier.
2014 draft they missed on Lavine, Capela, Joric.
2013 draft they missed on Giannis, Gobert, maybe even Olynyk or Adams is better than Ben McLemore.
2012 draft missed on Lillard, Drummond, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, (This is their worst draft ever imo)

Kings should change the GM if they want to improve.

Marvin Bagley III ... hmm, maybe give him like 3 seasons then judge him, but so far Lukas is the better pick.

It is kinda hard to choose the right foreign player I think, like not a lot of teams expect Giannis, Porzingis to be all stars.

[Espo]

This is probably why the Sixers traded for Jimmy:

https://streamable.com/11qa5 Who else can hit that shot in sandals?

and this right before: https://streamable.com/dk3tm

That's an impressive 10 seconds of basketball from him.

[Rennadrel]

Raptors vs Celtics East final is going to legit be great.

[xskarma]

Warriors lose again. They are pretty much having a worse week than the Celtics, which is saying something. Draymond and Curry both out for at least another game or 2.

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Woj reporting that the Wizards are open to trading anyone on their roster, including Bradley Beal and John Wall.

I think Bradley Beal is going to make some other team really happy and John Wall is going to be left behind disgruntled.

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Celtics get another game against someone going nuclear. This time Kemba Walker, who drops 40+ after dropping 60+ in his previous game. Celtics found no way to stop him despite him being totally gassed at the end of the game.

Last year Celtics were winning pretty much ALL these close games, even a few where they were behind with less than a minute to go. Regression to the norm this year.