2021-2022 NBA Game Thread!

ElUno20

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Happy opening day! Nets/Bucks, Lakers/Dubs kick us off tonight.

Even money Kyrie gets vaxxed right before shoot around and wears a stupid message shirt for the publicity.
 

Tony C

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Just one game, but Harden sure seems to have a poor handle at least in this one game.

And Jordan Nwora looks like a rotational player...

Hot takes from 1 game sample size.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Jakarta

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Westbrook with a nice -23 out of the gate and generally appeared useless on both ends of the court.
 

Euclis20

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He is such a terrible fit on a halfcourt team with the offense running through LeBron and AD. What is Westbrook supposed to do in this system? Bizarre pickup.
He'll keep them afloat in the regular season if/when Lebron/AD miss a bunch of games, but first impression is exactly as we all thought - he's a terrible fit with those two. We'll keep asking this question: In 2021, can you win when your three best players are all mediocre (at best) 3 point shooters?
 

BigSoxFan

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He is such a terrible fit on a halfcourt team with the offense running through LeBron and AD. What is Westbrook supposed to do in this system? Bizarre pickup.
I have no idea why you don’t swap Westbrook and Monk. Lakers have no shooting in starting lineup and Westbrook would be more effective controlling the ball off the bench.
 

Cellar-Door

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Westbrook right on track. His pattern is...
goes to a new team
Is terrible for like 3 months
Is amazing for 2 months
craps out in the playoffs...

repeat as needed.
 

HomeRunBaker

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I have no idea why you don’t swap Westbrook and Monk. Lakers have no shooting in starting lineup and Westbrook would be more effective controlling the ball off the bench.
If Vogel were allowed to do this I’m sure he would as it makes too much sense. I’m assuming this isn’t his call.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Btw, I’m sure everyone here follows Rob Perez on Twitter but if for some reason you don’t he’s an absolute must follow for NBA. Omg he’s incredible at what he does.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Man, Bjelica looks terrific on this Warriors team.
He's been a player I had hoped that Boston might pick up over the past few seasons. He isn't perfect however he has a lot of nice skills, plays hard and clearly had issues playing in hoops purgatory. I strongly suspect he is going to fit in well with GS where he won't be asked to do too much. He may simply flourish from the change of scenery alone.
 

radsoxfan

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Westbrook right on track. His pattern is...
goes to a new team
Is terrible for like 3 months
Is amazing for 2 months
craps out in the playoffs...

repeat as needed.
Lakers will be very lucky to get that 2 months of amazing play.

I can see him having some value in games Lebron or AD don't play as an energy guy and stat sheet filler, but he's such a clunky 3rd banana for a team with 2 versatile elite guys like Lebron and AD.

They need shooters and defense, not someone who can create inefficient offense and doesn't know his own limitations.
 

Devizier

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He is such a terrible fit on a halfcourt team with the offense running through LeBron and AD. What is Westbrook supposed to do in this system? Bizarre pickup.
Yeah, I said it would be fascinating to see how they play together. Turns out, not so fascinating.
 

benhogan

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He is such a terrible fit on a halfcourt team with the offense running through LeBron and AD. What is Westbrook supposed to do in this system? Bizarre pickup.
Man, I only caught Q4, but if you're the Lakers I'd be mildly concerned (Game 1 & all). AD/Bron delivered 33/34pts (played huge minutes) and the corpses around them were every bit as bad as their min contracts imply. Melo is a turnstile on the perimeter.

Watching the Lakers was the aspirin needed after the 9th inning last night

Hope you took the under on them.
 

ElUno20

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He is such a terrible fit on a halfcourt team with the offense running through LeBron and AD. What is Westbrook supposed to do in this system? Bizarre pickup.
Why anyone thought different was baffling this summer. Their whole roster is old as shit outside of AD and THT.
 

the moops

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Why anyone thought different was baffling this summer. Their whole roster is old as shit outside of AD and THT.
Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk, and of course Sekou!

I think this team is going to be fine. Westbrook is better than he showed, and they have crazy depth. Yes, a lot of that depth is old, but when you have AD and Lebron, your floor is pretty damn high.
 

Sam Ray Not

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does Luka Bjelica play like that through the season?

or

was that a byproduct of being guarded by the AARP - West Coast affiliate?
I'm just gonna repost this comment from a Serbian hoops fan on Golden State of Mind last night...

"As a Red Star fan, where Bjelica started when he was 20 years old and for two years was playmaker (PG for you) a few things about him...this is just a hint of things he can do for team...a great shooter, assistent, ball-handler...very high IQ, in defense: 1-on-1 he is one of the best players on his position, he can guard from 1 to 5....since he came to NBA he lost his game, wasn't used good enough...in Europe this was just average game for him...Best with 30min per game, since he doesn't chase the basket, but play with the flow of the game...I hope that GS is going to bring the best of him...In short, for Serbia National Team, if i had to choose Bjelica or Jokic...Belly anytime...Good season for Belly and title for GS, my hopes from Serbia..."

o_O

I love the internet! Seriously: snagging BJelly, Otto Porter Jr., and Iguodala (who looks about as spry at 37 as his longtime nemesis LeBron) — all on vet min contracts! — already looks like a major coup for Myers. All three seem born to play to Kerr-ball; now if only all three can hold up physically.

Throw in the Big 3, Milwaukee's Own Poole and Looney, Two-Way Wiggs, "Splash Brother in Law" Damion Lee, and "Andre/Draymond Jr." Juan Toscano Anderson ... and the Ws have a pretty intriguing 10-11 man rotation, without having to lean too much if at all on any of the three young blue-chippers (Wiseman, Moody, Kuminga).

Only thing that could have made the offseason more perfect would have been snagging St. Mary's own Patty Mills (7 for 7 from deep last night). He was apparently top of their list. Stupid Nets.

Anyway, got some much-needed hoops solace for the Game 4 debacle. Now let's get Game 5.
 

Cellar-Door

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I'm just gonna repost this comment from a Serbian hoops fan on Golden State of Mind last night...

"As a Red Star fan, where Bjelica started when he was 20 years old and for two years was playmaker (PG for you) a few things about him...this is just a hint of things he can do for team...a great shooter, assistent, ball-handler...very high IQ, in defense: 1-on-1 he is one of the best players on his position, he can guard from 1 to 5....since he came to NBA he lost his game, wasn't used good enough...in Europe this was just average game for him...Best with 30min per game, since he doesn't chase the basket, but play with the flow of the game...I hope that GS is going to bring the best of him...In short, for Serbia National Team, if i had to choose Bjelica or Jokic...Belly anytime...Good season for Belly and title for GS, my hopes from Serbia..."

o_O

I love the internet! Seriously: snagging BJelly, Otto Porter Jr., and Iguodala (who looks about as spry at 37 as his longtime nemesis LeBron) — all on vet min contracts! — already looks like a major coup for Myers. All three seem born to play to Kerr-ball; now if only all three can hold up physically.

Throw in the Big 3, Milwaukee's Own Poole and Looney, Two-Way Wiggs, "Splash Brother in Law" Damion Lee, and "Andre/Draymond Jr." Juan Toscano Anderson ... and the Ws have a pretty intriguing 10-11 man rotation, without having to lean too much if at all on any of the three young blue-chippers (Wiseman, Moody, Kuminga).

Only thing that could have made the offseason more perfect would have been snagging St. Mary's own Patty Mills (7 for 7 from deep last night). He was apparently top of their list. Stupid Nets.

Anyway, got some much-needed hoops solace for the Game 4 debacle. Now let's get Game 5.
I'll see if I can find it, but someone wrote a nice article yesterday about Jokic and the Serbian team. The takeaway was... Serbs are absolutely insane about the national team, both in their support, but also if you snub them... yeah.

Fake edit: It was the Athletic, so subscription neeeded: https://theathletic.com/2887826/2021/10/19/nikola-jokic-the-reigning-nba-mvp-is-the-symbol-of-serbia-but-a-complicated-relationship-persists/
 

Kliq

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The Warriors were very impressive last night. Last season it was so often all about Curry make an array of tough shots, and if he didn't have it going or he was injured, they were pretty much doomed. He was not up to his normal standards shooting the ball last night, but the offense was really impressive with so many different guys looking to make a pass and everyone cutting hard to the rim. They really scraped out a bunch of points and it felt like a totally different team.
 

Tony C

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Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk, and of course Sekou!

I think this team is going to be fine. Westbrook is better than he showed, and they have crazy depth. Yes, a lot of that depth is old, but when you have AD and Lebron, your floor is pretty damn high.
You're probably right, and I definitely agree the emphasis on age is overwrought. AD is their big injury concern and Horton-Tucker is already injured -- injuries don't correlate to age. But that doesn't make the acquisition of Westbrook any smarter. He's a problematic player even if hyper-talented, but the problematic elements are highlighted by virtue of his lack of fit with the Lakers Sure he'll play better than he did last night (I only saw 5 or 10 minutes, so really no idea), but the shooting problems aren't a matter of 1 night they're a matter of much of his career. Same as the indifferent defense. Instead of Russ, the Lakers could have had Hield to help their outside shooting; kept KCP, who's a terrific defensive player who knocks down shots; and have saved enough money that they could have retained Caruso who is really a great complementary player to LeBron. It's sexier to get a former MVP....but also really stupid.
 

Cellar-Door

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Portland is getting pretty solidly beat by SAC. Just cut it to 9, but it's been double digits since mid-2nd.
 

Kliq

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I'm bearish on Miami but they came out and DESTROYED Mikwaukee tonight.
 

ElUno20

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Draymond may be the worst offensive player in the league. His regular offensive game and moves are like shaq at the ft line
 

ElUno20

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Also Mann is legit. Love this kid. May our clippers curse not fall upon him