2023-2024 NBA Thread

[Espo]

From twitter:

"DeMar DeRozan over the last 8 Games:

45 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST, 60% FG
38 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 59% FG
36 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 68% FG
35 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 63% FG
38 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 50% FG
40 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST, 67% FG
38 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 59% FG
37 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 71% FG"


Is he the frontrunner for MVP now? scorign like this, not a slouch on defense. If not him, who has a better case? Embiid? Jokic? I'd argue that what DeRozan is doing is more impressive. The turnaround for Chicago with him there has been incredible and he has hard carried them over this stretch. This is also a stretch that literally beat a record held for decades.

Even if he cools down a bit from this, I feel he should be the favorite. 20-ish games to go!

DeRozan is awesome. And though I'm a Sixers fan--even those unbiased should say it is Embiid (or Jokic/Giannis). He's been more consistent throughout the season, and has an 8 game stretch (to comp to the above) that was arguably better. Embiid averages about 1.5 points more a game, 1 less assist, 6 more rebounds and slightly more steals, more blocks than DeRozan and does it much more efficiently. And he's doing it with a worse supporting cast (for now--Harden depending).

That's before you get into the part where Embiid is a borderline All-NBA defensive player and DeRozan is a liability on defense. I agree he isn't a slouch this year (historically he's flat out bad)--but he's still below average. Granted--DeRozan's offensive prowess lets them play more favorable defensive line-ups so it does work out for Chicago at the holistic level.

Anyway--Vegas agrees at least that Embiid is the favorite right now. That said--Harden complicates it and will likely take away from Embiid. If DeRozan stays on his run, Chicago keeps winning, and Embiid cools off (and Jokic, Giannis)--I think he's right there. But right now--he's not.

Edit: Not to forget about Jokic/Giannis. Embiid/Jokic/Giannis are just in a different league right now. I lean toward Embiid because of voter fatigue for the other 2 (since they're all close). They're doing it on both ends of the floor with higher TS% and far, far better defensive metrics. If you wanna win MVP by scoring, you need to score a lot--and DeRozan isn't doing that for the entire season.

[xskarma]

Holy shit, if you did not catch the Ja Morant highlights or game from Monday, go check those. Dude is quickly becoming THE guy to watch even when he's not on your team.

[Pendulous]

At one point in the video, it looks like that Klay Thompson third quarter magic game, and Ja's teammates were just purposely feeding him.

[xskarma]

I've bitched about these Celtics and their inconsistency for like 2 years, but they are WAY past that now. These are no longer the Celtics that just show up when it matters. These Celtics show up all the time now.

Top defense since the start of the year and can still win a shoot out with the Nets and Kevin Durant when push comes to shove.

This team has come around in a huge way and are a ton of fun to watch again. I've doubted them, but no more.

[xskarma]

Kevin Garnett is getting his jersey number retired by the Celtics today, getting it up in the rafters among the other Celtics greats.

Will happen after a game of the Celtics vs the Mavs, which should be a good one. (hopefully no last second Luka Magic™ bullshit this time though)



I only got to see Garnett briefly, but when he was at his best in 2008 and 2010. Then the 2010 Finals soured me on Basketball for nearly a decade. >.< Luckily I didn't get to see much of late stage career Garnett after that, and only remember him from when he was still an utter maniac on the court (and off).

Should be a fun day!

- - - Updated - - -

Jaylen Brown dunking on a man, screaming his head off, then dapping it up with Kevin Garnett, on Kevin Garnett night in the garden when he was getting his jersey retired, would have been an all time moment if the Celtics had gone on to actually win the game. Would have been the sports moment of the year for me so far.

As it is, it was cool, but it will always carry the taint of defeat after shooting like shit all night (sub 40% from the field). Ah well, we lost on Paul Pierce's retirement night too. Guess it's just a 2008 Champs thing.

[StillMcfuu]

Even though I'm watching this with my own eyes, it really doesn't seem possible.

Go to 5:35 or click here.

[PhaelixWW]

Even though I'm watching this with my own eyes, it really doesn't seem possible.

Go to 5:35 or click here.

Yeah, I know the feeling; Warriors fans get spoiled nightly by Curry's handling ability. This was from the last game against the Wizards, two nights ago, which happened to be Curry's birthday and the long-awaited return of Draymond Green.

The game tonight against the Celtics should be a good one.

[PhaelixWW]

The game tonight against the Celtics should be a good one.

Well, Marcus Smart has taken Curry out of the rest of the regular season.

That means we will have only been able to see Steph, Klay, and Draymond on the floor together all of, what, 20 minutes in the last three full seasons?

Fucking fantastic.

[downnola]

Tyrese Maxey could slap my mom and I would just assume she was in the wrong. That is all.

[xskarma]

Celtics just took teh no. 1 seed in the East. Unbelievable turnaround in less than 3 months. Buuuuuuut, it did come with a knee sprain to Robert Williams tonight. Need to know that's nothing serious before I declare tonight a success. He's vital to our success in the playoffs.

- - - Updated - - -

Fuck. Rob has a meniscus tear. Season in ruins.

[PhaelixWW]

5 games left and it's increasingly looking like the Lakers won't even make the play-in.

Oof.

They've lost the last 5 in a row, and two of those were against the Pelicans, who are now likely out of reach sitting 3 games above the Lakers.

Of the remaining 5 games, the Lakers have to face Phoenix, GS, and Denver twice. They're only one game behind San Antonio, but the Spurs have a slightly easier remaining schedule, and, more importantly, they hold the tie-breaker over the Lakers by virtue of a higher Conference record.

This is quite a remove from the claims of the Lakers being a "superteam" at the beginning of the season.

That reminds me:

I told a friend of mine back in the 2016-17 season when we were playing fantasy basketball that there was zero chance that Westbrook would ever win a ring.

I'll admit, when I heard that he was joining LeBron and AD on the Lakers, I wondered if maybe I would have to eat my words, but so far I'm not too worried.

Looks like I'm probably safe for another year.

- - - Updated - - -

Wow.

The Warriors, notably playing without Curry until the end of the regular season, just made a ridiculously improbable comeback against the Jazz.

The Dubs were down 16 with 7 minutes left in the game, and over the next 3:30, they went on an 18-0 run, scoring six threes in a row. They ended up holding on to win 111-107.

[xskarma]

5 games left and it's increasingly looking like the Lakers won't even make the play-in.

Oof.

Nets also in 10th place, with the Hornets in 9th above them, also holding the tiebreaker.

Durant scored 55 tonight, a career high, and the Nets still lost. Didn't matter. Nets safe for guaranteed Play In though, they can't go lower than 10th, so they have that going for them.



If you had speculated in preseason that these things were happening, let alone BOTH of them happening, you would have been called nuts.

And that is why they play the games.

[PhaelixWW]

Nets also in 10th place, with the Hornets in 9th above them, also holding the tiebreaker.

Yeah, but with Kyrie able to play at home again, and Simmons maybe being back at some point in the postseason, I don't count the Nets out as much as I normally would for a 10th place team.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love it if they failed spectacularly in the postseason, but I'm not counting on it.

[Pendulous]

The Warriors, notably playing without Curry until the end of the regular season, just made a ridiculously improbable comeback against the Jazz.

The Dubs were down 16 with 7 minutes left in the game, and over the next 3:30, they went on an 18-0 run, scoring six threes in a row. They ended up holding on to win 111-107.

It wasn't improbable. It was completely expected. Utah has blown so many big leads this season, it's better for them to be losing in the fourth quarter.

[PhaelixWW]

It wasn't improbable. It was completely expected. Utah has blown so many big leads this season, it's better for them to be losing in the fourth quarter.

Blowing a lead is one thing. Having an 18-0 run in only 3:30 on six straight three-point field goals is incredibly improbable. I honestly can't tell if it's ever been done before.

[PhaelixWW]

Aaaaand the Lakers are officially eliminated from the postseason.

Byeeeeee!

And the great Westbrook shuffle will most likely continue. Which team will he end up not winning a chip with next year?

[xskarma]

Aaaaand the Lakers are officially eliminated from the postseason.

Byeeeeee!

And the great Westbrook shuffle will most likely continue. Which team will he end up not winning a chip with next year?

I bet after all this he still ends up on the Rockets in a trade for John Wall, and still costs the Lakers their first in what was it? 2027?

It's basically the only option the Lakers have, unless they stretch his contract and release him and eat like 15M a year for 3 years on their cap, which might legitimately be the least bad option, given they are already down to trading draft picks FIVE YEARS from now.


I like the Lakers sucking as much as anyone, but this situation is just sad and is just terrible management of a franchise from everyone from ownership down. In some way even the fans are to blame, for pushing for the Lakers to always have to be the top dog in the league instead of being happy with just being a quality contender. This trying-to-assemble-a-super-team each year is cause of fan demand, and it's actively cost the Lakers time and again, since the Steve Nash Lakers and probably before.

[PhaelixWW]

Lulz.


Lakers' LeBron James says he wants to play with Warriors' Stephen Curry: 'I love everything about that guy'

Stephen Curry laughs off LeBron James wanting to play with him: 'I'm good right now'


I'm dying, lol.

[ProphetFlume]

Curry's response seemed unnecessarily dickish. Curry was asked specifically about Lebron, while Lebron was asked about all players...how long ago? Just kinda shit luck it aired when it did, or intentionally edited to release the day he was eliminated.

"Well he got his wish. He was the captain and he's picked me for the last two All-Star Games. So I don't know if that suffices, but I'm good right now. Whenever you get the interest or curiosity of what it would be like to play with arguably the MVP kinda caliber dude like he is, one of the greatest of all-time, cool. That's amazing. We all can live in that fantasy world."

[Rennadrel]

76ers gonna be out in the first round, book it!