2017-18 NBA Regular Season Game/Observation Thread

BigSoxFan

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The Warriors without Curry are still good enough to win it all. I’ll believe Houston’s dominance when I see it in the playoffs.
 

ElUno20

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The Clippers literally do not have a point guard on their roster. What would you have preferred, Tobias Harris as point forward? That's not even a joke.



Yeah, too funny. Reminds me of a buddy of mine who is hyper critical of Simmons saying that Mitchell should win ROY because Ben is too flawed to be Jordan or LeBron. Agendas will have agendas (not saying I'm not guilty of this at times as well).
You don't need a point guard to tell whomever you're starting to not be a ball stopper. It's a cop out. Most crucial part of the season and the last two weeks was way too much Austin calling for a high pick and everybody standing around.

Also, especially down the stretch, start Lou and Trez. It was obvious the slow starts were too much for the bench to drag them out of. Shake it up. It's what you get paid for.
 

PC Drunken Friar

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Cross posted from the PC Friars thread..

The Grizzlies signed MarShon Brooks to a 2 year guaranteed deal after 3 games into a 10 Day contract.

Hes on game 5 now, led them in scoring 4 of the 5 games, averaging 24 points a game in about 28-30 minutes a game
 

Marceline

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I thought 538 used some sort of ELO based system? So it would be doing the opposite of what you suggest - not assuming anyone is getting healthy for the playoffs.
 

Sam Ray Not

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I thought 538 used some sort of ELO based system? So it would be doing the opposite of what you suggest - not assuming anyone is getting healthy for the playoffs.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it doesn't factor in health, period — looking forward or looking backward. It just assumes every team has been and will continue to be healthy.
 

DJnVa

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I hate this defense. You know the bulls were one Michael Jordan injury away every year from not winning six titles? Everyone is just one injury away. People make predictions or proclamations assuming health. It's pretty standard.
Perhaps we're talking past each other.

Curry is CURRENTLY hurt, that's a lot different from "anyone can get hurt at any time".

Before the season the Warriors were a fait accompli according to the experts. Now, AT BEST, they are the favorites of some, but not everyone. Every season has a favorite. Every season doesn't have a "NO ONE ELSE HAS A CHANCE!!!"

Anyway, I'm not even sure what you are arguing at this point. Here's my point: You never know what could happen, so you play the games. I mean, I'm arguing that we shouldn't say things like "The Warriors are the only team that can win this year" or "Lebron is signing with Philly next season, the title is already wrapped up!" Are you saying different?

At times this year people said things like "Why improve the team this year? No one is beating Golden State." That's dumb. And it's even dumber to ascribe thoughts like that to a team NEXT season that would have to sign Lebron James to get there.
 

ElUno20

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You seem to be mad at people making proclamations. But that's what people do. They don't sit around and wait until June 21 to recap the season.
 

DJnVa

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You seem to be mad at people making proclamations. But that's what people do. They don't sit around and wait until June 21 to recap the season.
You seem to be confused by my posting that it's dumb to make ridiculous over the top proclamations with my being mad about it.

If you can't understand the difference between making predictions and saying "Cancel the season, only the Warriors and maybe the Cavs have a shot at the title" then whatever.
 

ElUno20

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You seem to be confused by my posting that it's dumb to make ridiculous over the top proclamations with my being mad about it.

If you can't understand the difference between making predictions and saying "Cancel the season, only the Warriors and maybe the Cavs have a shot at the title" then whatever.
On this we can agree, whatever.
 

HomeRunBaker

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I've been really impressed with the integrity of these lottery teams. Over the past 3 weeks the bottom-8 teams are winning at a higher rate than they were over the course of the season. Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando, Sacramento, Memphis.....the lot of em.....playing/coaching their asses off on most nights. The Kings are up at the half in San Antonio tonight while Orlando and Memphis were winning during parts of the first half on the road against playoff teams.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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I want to be very clear when posting the following - I like the 76ers in terms of their talent and their coaching. They have the players to compete with anyone in the East for sure. That said, they are now, along with the Thunder and the Jazz, amongst the teams that NBA pundits are picking for their playoff dark horses given their recent winning streak. One thing to note, however, is that they have beaten some really bad teams over the past month:

They beat the Knicks, Nets and Hornets twice each. They also beat the Grizzlies, Magic, Hawks, Pistons and Mavs during this run as well. So the only winning teams they beat were the T-Wolves without Butler, the Nuggets who may not make the playoffs and a Cavs team that has defensive issues.

Now this isn't their fault - you have play who is in front of you. However those forecasting a 76ers run to the finals should temper their enthusiasm a bit until they can handle a playoff team with a tight rotation of actual NBA players and a coaching staff that is going to do everything to force Simmons to shoot away from the basket.

Brown can counter this of course and their talent does make them dangerous. But let's see how they do when they are consistently facing other good teams and winning games matter to the opposition.
 

LondonSox

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DJ I agree.
But, they were better than their record earlier too. Their schedule was hard early. They are significantly under their pythag and they have improved just from playing time. A lot of new players.

I believe the chasing the glass stat which adjusts for garbage time, has them as around 3-5 in the NBA in simple plus minus.

I think the playoffs will be interesting for them, and I have low expectations, but I give them a shot vs anyone.
They are good defensively when THEY lock down more and cut the rotations.
But they are young, prone to bad streaks of turnovers, though turnovers are improving, and without embiid are prone to hot and cold shooting.

With embiid they have a guy who forces a double team and bends the defense. I think that plus good d gives them a real chance vs either any of the bottom 4 teams.

Look the goal was get to the playoffs and be healthy
50 wins and dominant streaks is just fucking great and home court? Insane.
They are good at home, only one loss all year
Winning and a series vs a beaten up good team or another of those 4 is also realisticly winnable.

I am trying not to get too excited, but man that place will be LOUD, but it's so exciting after the long wait and they play such fun basketball and are clearly enjoying it.
 

shawnrbu

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Nuggets @ Wolves on Wednesday night with the winner making the playoffs. Struggling to think of the last time Game 82 had the winner going to the playoffs and the loser going home.
 

Cesar Crespo

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I've been really impressed with the integrity of these lottery teams. Over the past 3 weeks the bottom-8 teams are winning at a higher rate than they were over the course of the season. Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando, Sacramento, Memphis.....the lot of em.....playing/coaching their asses off on most nights. The Kings are up at the half in San Antonio tonight while Orlando and Memphis were winning during parts of the first half on the road against playoff teams.

This happens every single year. Look how the Lakers, Suns and Nets finished last season. It also gives fans false hopes that their team is much improved.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Nuggets @ Wolves on Wednesday night with the winner making the playoffs. Struggling to think of the last time Game 82 had the winner going to the playoffs and the loser going home.
Its a play-in game! And yeah, I don't recall another one recently.

I wont be able to watch due to a prior commitment but this is must see TV for any NBA fan.
 

Sam Ray Not

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What scenario do I need to root for to see gsw/thunder first round?
I think (hopefully?) that ship has sailed now.

SAS plays NOP in the last game; the loser of that falls to 35 wins and the #7-8 seed. OKC plays the tanking Grizz on the last game — if they win that they can do no worse than #6.
 
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wade boggs chicken dinner

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Nuggets @ Wolves on Wednesday night with the winner making the playoffs. Struggling to think of the last time Game 82 had the winner going to the playoffs and the loser going home.
Some quick internet research and I couldn't find anything.

Apparently, Mark Jackson said that his Knicks played in the Pacers in 1988 in such a game, but I don't think that's right based on this.

The one reddit thread I found didn't have anything.
 

the moops

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Looking at basketball reference it appears that the last game of the year in 87/88 the Knicks did in fact beat the Pacers. They each finished the season with 38 wins, and the Pacers finished in 9th place and out of the playoffs.
 

JCizzle

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Nuggets @ Wolves on Wednesday night with the winner making the playoffs. Struggling to think of the last time Game 82 had the winner going to the playoffs and the loser going home.
That's incredible! What a great year for the league other than the widespread injury issues. Here's hoping the playoffs live up to the regular season.
 

DJnVa

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Westbrook needs 16 rebounds in final game to average triple double.

I have little doubt he gets that.
 

Kliq

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That isn't exciting; if he needed something like 30 rebounds; that would be something.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Looking at basketball reference it appears that the last game of the year in 87/88 the Knicks did in fact beat the Pacers. They each finished the season with 38 wins, and the Pacers finished in 9th place and out of the playoffs.
I don't believe it was a true "play-in" game as if Washington had lost, IND could have made it in, but it ended up being the equivalent of a play-in game since WAS won. See https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/04/24/The-New-York-Knicks-and-Indiana-Pacers-battled-to/9654577857600/.

BTW, the NYK-IND game also came down to the last shot, which was missed by IND's Steve Stipanovich. Bonus points if you can remember what spot he was taken in the draft.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Westbrook needs 16 rebounds in final game to average triple double.

I have little doubt he gets that.
He'll be on the block for every opponents FTA to add freebies to his total. Would this really be any different than the many orchestrated triple doubles we've seen in the past from guys like Sura, JaVale, Ricky Davis and the infamous Anthony Bowie timeout? Instead of it waiting until the final seconds to do it he'd be coordinating it throughout the course of the game. In a sense this would be worse as the individual achievement isn't affected by a singular play at the end of the game but rather an individualistic (selfish?) effort over 48 minutes.
 

Kliq

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I'd be a lot more critical of Westbrook's rebounding if the Thunder were not consistently one of the best rebounding in the league.
 

ElUno20

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He'll be on the block for every opponents FTA to add freebies to his total. Would this really be any different than the many orchestrated triple doubles we've seen in the past from guys like Sura, JaVale, Ricky Davis and the infamous Anthony Bowie timeout? Instead of it waiting until the final seconds to do it he'd be coordinating it throughout the course of the game. In a sense this would be worse as the individual achievement isn't affected by a singular play at the end of the game but rather an individualistic (selfish?) effort over 48 minutes.
It is worse. And he's been doing it since around 10-11 games out. Whenever the math came out that he needed to grab 12 a game down the stretch
 

The Needler

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Ben Simmons hit the 650 rebounds, 650 assists, and 140 steals marks tonight. He also has 68 blocks; he's the only player ever (since all stats were kept, of course) to reach all of those marks in a season. The only other player with 600/600/120/50 in a season was Jordan in 88-89 (along with about 40ppg). Simmons did it in about 550 fewer minutes though.

If this is his baseline, it's pretty scary. Can't wait to see his game develop over the next decade plus.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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This guy Andre Ingram, who played 10 years in the NBDL-turned-G-League before getting his first NBA action with the Lakers on a 10 day, is lighting it up so far. Cool story.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Still don't understand how the Raptors could win 60 games this year and I'm one of the bigger DeRozan fans around. Seems like a team built on depth and not necessarily for the postseason but 60 wins is a lot of freakin wins. Also, I think the playoffs are going to be awesome this year.
 

CarolinaBeerGuy

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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And while there is absolutely no denying the brilliance of the season Ben Simmons had, the Jazz resurgence is another reason why Donovan Mitchell can be mentioned as a ROY candidate. To be clear, Simmons will and should win. However given Utah and Mithchell's season, he deserves consideration.