Banchero certainly wasn't a consensus #1, good job on that draft by the Magic. FW was a great pick that wasn't universally loved by the pundits as well.
2022-23 NBA Game Thread
- Thread starter Deathofthebambino
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The Banchero draft was so unique in that the betting market had Jabari Smith as the clear favorite up until a day or two before the draft. That’s when news became funneling in that Orlando was off Smith and everyone knew they didn’t like Holmgren……and people got Banchero as high as +500 to be picked first before the books moved and made him the favorite the day before the draft. So you are correct in that Banchero was not expected to be the first pick last year.
Eh it was 85-82 after three quarters so yeah it was generally close for a while.
The Nets ran out to a 19-6 lead early, and built a 19-point lead partway through the 2nd quarter. They then sat Irving and Claxton for long periods, the Lakers came back and built as much as a 7-point lead late in the 3rd, before the Nets said "enough of this shit" and ran off a huge run till they were up 14 again a few minutes into the 4th, and then coasted to the win.
Lakers-Knicks is going to OT, for those who partake. James and Davis both playing. On the last possession of regulation, Randle had the ball on the wing and tried to iso-drive 1-on-2 vs both James and Davis starting with ~3 seconds left. Shockingly, it didn't work out for him.
edit: and now a Hachimura block ruled a goaltending is getting the full Zapruder Film treatment. They've been looking at this for like 5 minutes now. Guys, if it takes you 5 minutes, you're not sure either way, right? Just let the call stand and let's play some ball.
edit2: and we get a Kontest on a 3
edit: and now a Hachimura block ruled a goaltending is getting the full Zapruder Film treatment. They've been looking at this for like 5 minutes now. Guys, if it takes you 5 minutes, you're not sure either way, right? Just let the call stand and let's play some ball.
edit2: and we get a Kontest on a 3
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There must be technology that can determine whether the ball is on the way down. Same for determining whether the ball is in the cylinder.
TNT has a great game thus far. A Pels (with Zion) vs Nuggets (with everyone) playoff series would be absolutely fantastic. This is a pretty fun preview.
Yeah that was just awful from start to finish. Him not even getting the shot off in time was exactly how that possession had to end.
I expect the Nuggets rotation to look a little different after the trade deadline as that supporting cast needs some work to hoist a trophy. I can’t imagine Hyland or Porter being playable in a playoff series when they destroy every other defensive rotation. At least the latter can be hidden a little better but Bones seems so destined to be a Hornet or with the Wolves for a big body.
The Pistons are still stuck in Dallas after playing the Mavericks last night due to the weather and plane issues. They are scheduled to host the Wizards tonight. Wild.
I was thinking the same. There's a franchise that just can't win with the refs.
They’re really just gonna let him get away with this, huh?
View: https://twitter.com/bossportsgordo/status/1620655356585316352?s=46&t=Hzz7Ji1crZZ8TgU2uxVHRQ
View: https://twitter.com/bossportsgordo/status/1620655356585316352?s=46&t=Hzz7Ji1crZZ8TgU2uxVHRQ
At least people can’t say he doesn’t give a shit. Gonna be interesting to see how long he goes and in what role he reinvents himself.
Isn't this just him trying to work the refs? That feels like classic LeBron. He already got that weepy apology from the NBA Refs account on Twitter. This will help push the Lakers into 1st place in incorrect calls in their favor.
Trying to remember - was that the game where LeBron missed a potential game winning layup?
His King Lear like sense of entitlement on Saturday was quite genuine. Him making statements referring to that game two days later is a cynical attempt to influence his future treatment by refs.
I think both of these are qualities we’d love our star players to have, no? Passion to win and gaining edges moving forward. That’s the competition right there.
Right. What is the complaint here exactly? "King Lear" and "cynical" are quite over the top for what is, at heart, run-of-the-mill and to be expected complaining/jockey-ing. Was Red King Lear-like and cynical? Or just a fucking competitor ....?
I think it’s appropriate for fans of the team with the best record in the league to make fun of a player on the 13th best team in his conference when he is repeatedly complaining for days about a single call in a game in January. As if it is some cataclysmic championship changing event and not just another game which might help the Pelicans’ draft position. Or as if it is a rare event and not just one of the thousand missed calls in the NBA that month. Not that special.
I think most will enjoy Chris Vernon's discussion of the foul call and LeBron's reaction starting at 27:30 or so of yesterday's mismatch podcast. https://www.theringer.com/2023/1/31/23579371/kings-timberwolves-takeaways-magic-are-special-and-wild-weekend-nba-story-lines-trade-rumors
Oh, I think he's genuinely upset about it and it was a terrible call, no question. That said, at some level he and the Lakers dupes in the media pushing this story understand that there's a way to get some mileage out of this in terms of referee sympathy moving forward. I'm not bashing him, LeBron is a pretty smart, calculating dude and I respect that deeply. And, of course, really focusing on how the refs have screwed the Lakers is another way to excuse LeBron from the failures of this team. Failures that he has been instrumental in causing by being a bad player GM. Maybe it's that. And, of course, a few bad calls in his favor that get him to the line in the near future make that quest to pass Kareem even easier.
My own reaction mirrors Chris Vernon's in the podcast linked above.
It was great - completely captured the hypocrisy of how the Lakers were calling one game sooooooo important and then sitting Lebron/Davis the following night because one game is... not important?
My take is that beating Boston, especially in the Garden, means more to LeBron given our history with him (along with general Celtics/Lakers) than other teams. If the same play happened in Atlanta, does he have the same over-the-top reaction? My guess is not. He really, really wanted this game. I think beating Boston is personal for him.
I also liked the riposte to KOC saying he was out with a hurt foot: "More like butthurt . . ."
It was a national tv game, amid a big sports weekend, against a long time league rival who is coming for the crown.
If you listen to the mostly polished pablum these players spew during their sideline interviews, they often let slip that they need extra motivation for these games in the middle of the season. Whether its personal beef or simply a high profile matchup against a team or player, they openly admit that some mean a lot more than others.
This game meant a lot to LeBron mostly because he decided it should carry extra weight.
If you listen to the mostly polished pablum these players spew during their sideline interviews, they often let slip that they need extra motivation for these games in the middle of the season. Whether its personal beef or simply a high profile matchup against a team or player, they openly admit that some mean a lot more than others.
This game meant a lot to LeBron mostly because he decided it should carry extra weight.
That's great, but he shouldn't pretend like it's the travesty of all travesties and could cost them a playoff spot when he sat out the following game.
Also, he's about to be the all-time scorer - maybe showing a little maturity in that moment because there's still game to play (they could've beaten the Celtics in overtime after all) is a better idea than what he did.
Edit: originally said following night, meant game
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It wasn't even the following night that he sat out (which would have been totally acceptable for a guy of his age to sit the second night of a back to back after playing a 44 minute OT game), it was two days later. Ridiculous.
I kind of want the Celtics to draft Bronny James next year, just to see Lebron's head explode.
Red would have enjoyed Johnny Most's play by play of that Shatner-on-crack acting performance.
Of course Lebron should make a big deal over not getting the star treatment, since it might help that game and future games. He wants the star treatment and is experienced enough to know that it's worth doing.
It is also ok to mock the histrionics. The average person would have to have their toddler abducted at a Moroccan street fair to freak out like that. Somewhere Vincent D'Onofrio was texting kudos to LBJ after the game.
This makes sense, LeBron isn't dumb, he knows he isn't winning a championship this season and it's legitimately possible he's done winning them for the rest of his career because he staked himself to an extremely lucky but (crucially) extremely stupid organization. So, he only has symbolic stuff to accomplish (and apparently cling to?) at this point.
The 14 reserves for the 2023 All-Star Game were announced on Thursday and joined the player pool for Team LeBron and Team Giannis.
Western Conference
Western Conference
- Paul George (LA Clippers)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
- Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
- Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings)
- Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
- Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
- DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls)
- Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
- Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
I don't know if the Pelicans are going to win another game. At least not until Zion comes back.
And the Pacers are about to choke this one way to the Fakers.
31 FTA to 6 for the Pacers. What a crock of shit.
31 FTA to 6 for the Pacers. What a crock of shit.
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Indiana wastes a career game from Nesmith. Pacers' final possession was awful.
https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401468933
Scal had some nice commentary during the game last night about the Lebron meltdown. "No Mike, you gotta understand, this is the worst call in the history of the game. The refs need to go home and re-evaluate their entire lives based on what has just transpired." Just gave it to the guy. It was nice, after the breathless supportive commentary from ESPN after that game.
View: https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1621358355012030464
This at the end of Mavs/Pels is wild.
Refs get the call arguably wrong.... clock stops. Operator then intentionally runs another 1.5 off the clock.
No review of the call (it was wrong, it was either a violation for not giving the required space, or it was a steal, they called him OOB) either way no fixing of the clock, which should have been at either 6.6 or 4.9. Then there is an inbounds with immediate foul... another full second runs off. One of the most egregious clock fuckery I've ever seen.
This at the end of Mavs/Pels is wild.
Refs get the call arguably wrong.... clock stops. Operator then intentionally runs another 1.5 off the clock.
No review of the call (it was wrong, it was either a violation for not giving the required space, or it was a steal, they called him OOB) either way no fixing of the clock, which should have been at either 6.6 or 4.9. Then there is an inbounds with immediate foul... another full second runs off. One of the most egregious clock fuckery I've ever seen.
Feeling for you. Clips got some gifts from Giannis and couldn’t capitalize. Never seen Kawhi that cold