2018 NBA Game Thread

Kliq

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It’s weird that LeBron played 40 minutes in an OT game his first night back but is now off. Probably just doesn’t want to deal with the challenge of facing the Warriors when he knows it’s all about the playoffs and not some random game in February.

I don’t think he’s wrong but Jordan certainly wouldn’t have backed down from the challenge.
 

lovegtm

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It’s weird that LeBron played 40 minutes in an OT game his first night back but is now off. Probably just doesn’t want to deal with the challenge of facing the Warriors when he knows it’s all about the playoffs and not some random game in February.

I don’t think he’s wrong but Jordan certainly wouldn’t have backed down from the challenge.
If he keeps missing games, making the playoffs is going to be a challenge. They're better than the Clippers, but that's about it. I still think they make it, but they're just not a great team, and the West is tough.
 

jon abbey

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I don’t think he’s wrong but Jordan certainly wouldn’t have backed down from the challenge.
LeBron has played 1178 regular season games and 239 playoff games, 1417 total and counting.
Jordan played 1072 regular season games and 179 playoff games, 1251 total, with one exile and one retirement mixed in.

Maybe LBJ knows what he's doing?
 

HomeRunBaker

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He’s really the poster boy for HRB’s thesis on physical projection. His age didn’t matter as much as his body/athleticism. He had a lot of foundation to build on when he entered the league, and that wouldn’t have been the case if he wasn’t so big and athletic.
Boom! You saved me a lot of words with this very simple explanation (but I'll say them anyway lol). Who has a greater upside......a 19-year old physically developed kid or a 23-year old with length and athleticism who is still developing his shot while filling out his body? Upside isn't about age.....it's about a players body and how much he can still grow into it, it's about how much he can improve the most easily improved skill which is perimeter shooting, and it's about how the players length and athleticism translates to the NBA. So yes, I had Siakam as a high-upside player coming out of New Mexico State for all of those reasons that had nothing to do with age. Still......I didn't expect him to be discussed as a legitimate Kawhi replacement in his 3rd freakin year!!!

I love Siakam, but it's worth pointing out that he's a full four years older than Tatum (turns 25 this season), so is likely a lot closer to a finished product. Two years ago — i.e. when he was two years older than Tatum is now —Siakam still could not shoot, dribble, or pass.
How can anyone watch Siakam as a rookie, watch him as a 2nd year player, then watch his enormous leaps he's made in multiple aspects of his game in the first half of his 3rd season and come to the conclusion that simply because he was born 24 years ago he is at or near his ceiling?
 

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LeBron has played 1178 regular season games and 239 playoff games, 1417 total and counting.
Jordan played 1072 regular season games and 179 playoff games, 1251 total, with one exile and one retirement mixed in.

Maybe LBJ knows what he's doing?
Sure he does, but it's certainly a change for him. Last year he played all 82 games and was somewhat vocal about it.
 

HomeRunBaker

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It’s weird that LeBron played 40 minutes in an OT game his first night back but is now off. Probably just doesn’t want to deal with the challenge of facing the Warriors when he knows it’s all about the playoffs and not some random game in February.

I don’t think he’s wrong but Jordan certainly wouldn’t have backed down from the challenge.
It's more than just weird to play him 40 minutes in his first game back after missing over a month and 17 games......it's flat out irresponsible. This isn't 2019 analytics, it was a throwback to some stupid decision some 70-year old coach makes in 1982.
 

soxhop411

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Job posting: Spurs mascot

Responsibilities:
Entertain crowd
Catch Bats that fly in the arena

Apply within

 

jon abbey

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Curry with 2 points with 4 minutes left in the half, any guesses as to his final total? I'm going with 27.
 

chilidawg

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LAL/GS turning into a great game. Lakers come back from an early big deficit to take a 10 point lead in the 3rd, but the Warriors storm back to take the lead headed into the 4th. Lakers aren't so hard to root for when Lebron isn't playing. Rondo having a nice game.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Harden filling up the box score tonight. 43 points,12 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals, 4 blocks on 12/22 shooting, 4/12 from 3, 15/15 from the line. .
 

Sam Ray Not

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How can anyone watch Siakam as a rookie, watch him as a 2nd year player, then watch his enormous leaps he's made in multiple aspects of his game in the first half of his 3rd season and come to the conclusion that simply because he was born 24 years ago he is at or near his ceiling?
Almost 25 years ago (4/2/1994). And that's the reasonable expectation because the vast majority of NBA players, no matter how long or athletic, are at or near their peaks by age 25. There are exceptions, and Siakam could certainly be one of them, but the most likely scenario is not that he'll take another big leap from where he is now (which is still excellent, borderline all-star level).

I'd also note in the length and athleticism are not the only characteristics which define a late bloomer (say, post-25). Curry and Nash, two of the most notable late bloomers in league history, took leaps due to their freakish skill levels, despite modest length and athleticism. More anecdotally than scientifically, I'd argue that guys that flash a ridiculous level of skill and coordination at a really young age, like Kyrie or Tatum or Doncic, can have just as much room to grow as guys with freak length or athleticism.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Nuggets eke out the one-point win in Minnesota, which sends Mike Malone to represent the West at the All-Star game (over Kerr). Well-deserved — congrats!

(Meanwhile, Mark Jackson, who drove off Malone in addition to a lot of his other talented assistants, quietly seethes.)
 

Cesar Crespo

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I don't know what the Nuggets record is, but before tonight's game they had the best record on road back to backs in the league.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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This Sixers @ Kings game is pretty damn great. I really wish the Cs didn't have Sacramento exposure because they are so fun to watch right now and I want them to beat the Sixers for standings reasons. Trill vs Embiid is a great big match-up
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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The Kings win 115-108. Buddy Hield outplays Butler at the end. Hield is fourth in the league in 3P% now and after tonight he is hitting at ~ 46% rate from deep.
 

Imbricus

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Sabonis, usually a high-percentage shooter, has another bad game, going 1-7 against Miami. He's 13 for 39 FG for the last five games. In a bit of a funk ...
 

TripleOT

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If the Celtics beat OKC today in the Super Bowl day matchup. they will more to the third seed in the East, tied with Philly at 34-19, having beaten them twice already this season. The Clippers play in Toronto today, and if Doc can go int here and win, (unlikely), that will help the Celtics in two ways, moving a couple of games in the loss column behind that Raps for first in the East and second seed, and move the Clips closer to the playoffs, which conveys their first round pick to the Celtics.
 

InstaFace

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The problem being that the Clippers played last night and Toronto didn't, so even ignoring home field advantage that's pretty much a scheduled loss for Doc's boys.
 

Big John

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The Kings win 115-108. Buddy Hield outplays Butler at the end. Hield is fourth in the league in 3P% now and after tonight he is hitting at ~ 46% rate from deep.
I watched Q4. Butler tried to take over the game and failed. Embiid should have had the ball on every possession at the end, but no, Jimmy had to be the star.
 

bigq

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Even if you consider him to be set his left foot is in the circle
I could not see it clearly as Rondo was in the way but it seemed like Kuzma was set with both feet outside of the circle. Anyway credit to him for trying to draw the foul against a much bigger man.
 

InstaFace

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I watched Q4. Butler tried to take over the game and failed. Embiid should have had the ball on every possession at the end, but no, Jimmy had to be the star.
If you watched Q3, you'd have seen that Embiid didn't have last night. He was missing layups, missing passes, spent an unusual fraction of Q4 on the bench.

Butler actually made some nice plays. Stopped the ball a few too many times in the last few minutes, though, which cost them the game. But he was also a big reason for the comeback and having the (fleeting) lead.
 

ifmanis5

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Adrian Wojnarowski‏Verified account @wojespn 7m7 minutes ago
Portland has agreed to a deal to acquire Cleveland forward Rodney Hood for guards Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin and two future second-round picks, league sources tell ESPN.

Adrian Wojnarowski‏Verified account @wojespn 2m2 minutes ago
Hood was one of the more pursued rotation wings on the market and gives Blazers another offensive weapon for a postseason run. Cleveland continues to stockpile draft picks -- with guard Alec Burks likely on deck next for a trade.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Adrian Wojnarowski‏Verified account @wojespn 7m7 minutes ago
Portland has agreed to a deal to acquire Cleveland forward Rodney Hood for guards Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin and two future second-round picks, league sources tell ESPN.

Adrian Wojnarowski‏Verified account @wojespn 2m2 minutes ago
Hood was one of the more pursued rotation wings on the market and gives Blazers another offensive weapon for a postseason run. Cleveland continues to stockpile draft picks -- with guard Alec Burks likely on deck next for a trade.
I love this trade for Portland. Hood will be great in Stotts' system. Poor Nik Stauskas. The guy is the NBA equivalent of a transaction throw in but I bet his career is long given his skillset.