Harden giving Halliburton an absolute veteran lesson tonight. Clippers travel a couple time zones East and are smoking the Pacers by 30. Team is a train right now.
2023-2024 General NBA Season Thread
- Thread starter BigSoxFan
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If Minnesota stays healthy, they are going to be a really tough out for whomever plays them. They held the Heat to 42 points in the second half and had a *comfortable* close win in Miami tonight. When they want to clamp down on other teams, good luck.
Agreed MIN's defense is no joke and they are really jelling now that Rudy seems 100% healthy and they've had a year under their belt. Saw this article on MIN's defense, which includes these stats and more:
Like all that size, Minnesota’s statistical profile on defense is overwhelming. The Wolves sit in the top five in the NBA in blocked shots, points allowed in the paint, the share of their opponents’ shots that come at the rim and field-goal percentage allowed — at the rim, from midrange and from beyond the arc.
They’re also just outside the top five in fast-break points allowed and how often they allow opponents to get out in transition — an emphasis on getting your ass back after the shot goes up and forcing the opponent to play against what has been, very comfortably, the NBA’s most brutalizing first-shot defense. Minnesota’s allowing just 88.1 points per 100 possessions in the half-court; the gap between that mark and the second-place Clippers (92.3 points per 100) is larger than the gap between the No. 2 Clips and the No. 12 Trail Blazers (96.5 points per 100).
Knicks were up by 10 @LAL a few minutes ago, Lebron goes nuts and cuts it to 4. Been back-and-forth the last few minutes, with the predictable pro-Laker whistle, but real fun either way.
Quickley may not be a starter for the Knicks, but he is apparently a finisher.
Quickley may not be a starter for the Knicks, but he is apparently a finisher.
Dubious clear path foul drains the game of any remaining drama. Congrats on the “banner,” Lakers.
Hartenstein had a career game tonight. 9 points, 17 rebounds (7 ORB), 2 steals 2 blocks, second on the team with a +15.
He was born in the US, lived here till he was 10 when he moved to Germany (his dad is Afro-German). He played for Germany in the 2017 Eurobasket. Makes me wonder why they haven't given him a call since, given that their depth chart at Center is Theis, Mo Wagner, and "???". Clearly they didn't need him to win the world cup last summer, but you'd expect any NBA player, even a fringe NBA player, to get a call from just about any national team.
He was born in the US, lived here till he was 10 when he moved to Germany (his dad is Afro-German). He played for Germany in the 2017 Eurobasket. Makes me wonder why they haven't given him a call since, given that their depth chart at Center is Theis, Mo Wagner, and "???". Clearly they didn't need him to win the world cup last summer, but you'd expect any NBA player, even a fringe NBA player, to get a call from just about any national team.
And...they lost to the Bulls.
People are going to feel a bit silly for going crazy over Philly once the schedule gets more real. They're good, but people are taking their net rating seriously etc.
Of course, all bets are off if they use their assets to acquire a real guy before the deadline.
About the Bulls. Zack Lavine has not played since November 28 against Boston. In this span, Chicago has gone 6-3, with wins against Milwaukee, New Orleans, San Antonio, Charlotte, at Miami (!), and last night at Philly.
And the three losses? At Milwaukee (133-129), at Miami (118-116), and home to Denver (114-106).
EDIT:
pre-Lavine injury: -7.1 NetRtg
post-Lavine injury: 3.4 NetRtg
And the three losses? At Milwaukee (133-129), at Miami (118-116), and home to Denver (114-106).
EDIT:
pre-Lavine injury: -7.1 NetRtg
post-Lavine injury: 3.4 NetRtg
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You've just got to go all out with the IST banner when you vanquish the vaunted Pelicans and Pacers over long one-game playoff series.
Coby White is quietly making his case for EC Player of the Month which I did not have on my Santa list.
That's the point, where someone should point out his contract:
This season: 40 million
24/25: 43 million
25/26: 46 million
26/27: 49 million (player option)
I'm really interested, if he has real value when a trade will get done.
Can't see much (picks, young prospects) going back to Chicago unless they take back another "bad" contract.
He is on a crazy December heater
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/whiteco01/gamelog/2024#290-297-sum:pgl_basic
I don't like them winning it either, but it's something worth winning because everyone decided it was something worth winning (and acted accordingly). Not getting the hate here, I wish we'd won it.
They played 7 games to win the thing and won them all. Do you mock the winners of the NCAA tournament, too?
Coby White has been fantastic but Embiid has a near lock on player of the month for December.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/embiijo01/gamelog/2024#411-417-sum:pgl_basic
That backcourt with Caruso and Coby White is crazy fun. The ball seems to move so much smoother. And it has opened up big minutes for Dosunmu.
Since that first game where they beat Milwaukee, the Bulls have become a league pass favorite of mine. And I've been wondering the same thing. This has to sink his trade value significantly. To his credit, Lavine is doing an excellent job in the M.L. Carr role.
40ppg Wilt Chamberlin-like
as has been noted by @lovegtm, Embiid is beating the tar out of the NBA dregs who have let go of the rope defensively.
I like the idea of Caruso staying put in Chicago & not heading to a contender. The guy is Jrue-lite & every bit as good as Smart now.
Harden's been shooting .482 / .440 / .869 since he joined LAC.
In the last 12 games (including the win at DAL), he's been shooting basically 50% / 50% / 90% (.496 / .500 / .903).
I haven't been able to watch any LAC games but it seems to me that Harden is really enjoying that teams' best wing defenders guard PG and KL and not him.
It was 101-91 with 5:47 left to play. In those last minutes there were 4 fouls called on the Lakers, and 1 on the Knicks (a clear foul on a reaves 3 point attempt).
PNR's have been lethal. Similar to us with our three there are so many mismatches to exploit bc teams rarely can matchup w all of them. Defensively they have been very good bc he isn't having to give it all on every possession on the offensive end.
Kawhi's last 10 games: 29.1 ppg on .630/.551/.902. Stay healthy, man.
With regards to the bolded, I can't even think of a team that has at least 3 stud wing defenders on the roster . . . . I know it'll come to me at some point today.
This is why switchable defenders are so valuable in todays NBA. I rate many role players higher than most due to their ability to switch in a defensive halfcourt set. There is a ton of value in a player when you have this ability.
I mean, I watched the game. I saw Randle driving to the hoop, getting mugged with no whistle, misses, rebound, Lebron drive and layup. I saw several Things Not Called, one of which even the announcers remarked on. Foul counts don't tell the story.
The Reaves 3pt foul was legit, and the end-of-game clear path foul that sealed it for NYK was a bit iffy, but if you watched the game you saw the Lakers' unmistakable trend, in its glory.
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I agree it is a cool tournament and good for them, it was specifically the banner which feels Colts-ian. The trophy and cash seem like a fine reward on their own. Like what's going to happen if theoretically the Lakers win the championship this year, those 2 banners will hang side-by-side forever in the same manner? It feels more like a jersey patch to signify the IST win that you'd wear the remainder of the season, but no need to hang it from the rafters is just my opinion.
Ja rusty, showing some flashes but pretty inconsistent. Grizzlies really struggling to score, this might not be close for long.
The Lakers raising a banner for winning something feels like the Colts raising a banner for not-winning something? Wow man, don't pull anything reaching for that comparison.
With global soccer, your club is entered into several competitions each year, probably including 1-2 knockout cup competitions. Yeah, the trophy for winning the domestic league might be the most important one, you might love some of your club's trophies more than others, but they all have a place in the trophy case.
Yep, Randle literally got four stitches in his lip at halftime after being hit in the face on a non-call, of which there were a bunch.
Ja wins it at the buzzer. Hope he stays on the straight and narrow, league is more fun with him in it.
Yup, me too. I hadn't expected to be rooting for a Ja redemption story, but there is something compelling about this young man. And he *is young. Seems to me as if he's still learning, and still capable of learning, all that NBA stardom entails. To see him return to the court with that same free-flowing sometimes swaggering but more often (my impression--it's subjective) innocent joy of mastery... in spit of myself, I was won over last night
* edit: Freudian slip
Spite, not spit
* edit: Freudian slip
Spite, not spit
Um Embiid has 44 on 22 shots against Minnesota
Now 46 on 23
48 on 24
51 on 25!!
And his night is done. Yowza.
Now 46 on 23
48 on 24
51 on 25!!
And his night is done. Yowza.
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James Johnson is coming back to restore order
https://hoopshype.com/2023/12/20/james-johnson-when-the-bucks-scrum-with-tyrese-haliburton-happened-i-called-tyrese-right-away-i-was-upset/
https://hoopshype.com/2023/12/20/james-johnson-when-the-bucks-scrum-with-tyrese-haliburton-happened-i-called-tyrese-right-away-i-was-upset/
And much of it with Gobert guarding him. He is on fire. A performance Wilt would be proud of.
I feel that way, but I'm pretty biased. More than just about any active player, his regular season performances are fools gold because he (not just his team, he specifically) plays so much worse in the playoffs.
If he keeps up this performance for the rest of the year (averaging 35+ while his team wins 55 games), he'll get another MVP.
That's an impressive performance against the best D in the league. I've been dissing Philly and Embiid for feasting on the dregs of the league, not true tonight.
I'm a Sixers fan, so I'll say this---get your shots in now, but we'll see what's what if he's healthy come playoff time. He's got a great coach who has him playing his best and being judicious about his minutes, he's happy, and thus far, his teammates aren't providing the sort of drama some others in past years have. So, no excuses. His playoff reputation will be what it is until he proves otherwise.
Redick was adamant on his pod that the "Embiid is crap in the playoffs" is 100% nonsense bc he was there with him and knows how injured he's been in the postseason. I have no idea but worth mentioning coming from an ex-teammate.
narratives about how guys always do x or y in the playoffs usually strike me as sports radio quality takes. narratives change all the time, often without anything important about the player changing besides their teammates.
I didnt mean it in a talk radio way. I meant it's always something with Embiid as to why his team doesn't advance. An injury, harden sucking, something. Just like the clipps, cowboys, etc. until i see it, I'm not getting excited.
On that note, Kawhi had a hard hit late with Grant Williams and limped around the rest of the game. Fully expecting to wake up to torn acl news.
He does often seem to be hurt, but when you're ALWAYS hurt (and nobody is 100% by the time you get to the 2nd round of the playoffs) and you're 29, it's time to stop using that as an excuse. It means something coming from Redick, but it's been 5 years since he last played with Embiid. Doesn't mean too much to me, not more than any random NBA analyst. I like JJ a lot, but he definitely as a soft spot for his old teammates (his interview with Ben Simmons might as well have been scripted by Simmons' PR team).
They do, but when you perform markedly worse in the playoffs and your team never goes deep, it's time to take a closer look. Since 2018 he's averaged 28.2 ppg with a TS% of .615 in the regular season. In the playoffs over that stretch, he's averaging 24.0 ppg with a TS% of .579. That's a real dip, in not a small sample. We've seen this movie long enough, he may win another MVP (and deserve it), but I'll believe it's repeatable in the playoffs against quality opponents when he does it in May, not when he does it in December.
An example of a guy who may have been unfairly maligned for never advancing far in the playoffs would be Chris Paul. In his prime (2008-2021), he averaged 18.6 ppg with a TS% of .589. In the playoffs over that stretch, he averaged 20.7 ppg with a TS% of .581. That's a guy that may have taken unfair criticism for never getting his teams over the hump.
This is all fair, but I'll say that some of the drama around the team is his fault. We've seen several all-star (and all-NBA) level guys leave the Sixers, and at some point the best player on the team bears some responsibility for that. He (along with Doc) absolutely threw Simmons under the bus after the Atlanta series, and he did it again after losing to the Celtics this past season.
I'm not disputing he's had some bad playoffs. but "I'll believe it when I see it" strikes me as a total failure of imagination. how many guys have we seen who struggle ... until they don't? I'm mostly reacting to the certainty of these takes.
I don't disagree that it's unimaginative, but I don't know how else to say it. Everyone knows playoff basketball is a different sport from regular season basketball, and Embiid has been solidly worse at the former for his entire career. Improving his play in the regular season doesn't move the needle very much at this point, he's been a top 2-3 player in the regular season for several years now. I'm not certain that it won't translate to playoff success at some point, just that we won't know until the actual playoffs roll around.
We need to differentiate team struggles from individual ones. Guys like Jokic played well, but would be let down by supporting cast. (And let's not forget he actually had made a conference finals, even with that.)
Embiid's stats always drop dramatically in the playoffs, in a way that suggests it's a combination of wearing down and better teams defending him better.
It's very fair to be skeptical in his case, even if he looks monstrous and at a new level so far.
Kind of a chicken and egg situation because of the way Embiid is built physically. I’ve never bought into the choker/mental block narrative, but it’s undeniable that the guy slows/breaks down as the season progresses.
Right, the issue with Embiid is that you can watch him wear down even as an individual series progresses. He wasn't the same guy against Boston by game 7 that he was earlier in the series, even with an injury early on.