There's Only One October 2024 NBA Gamethread

Bosoxian

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Aug 17, 2021
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They had a chance to make history. Did you see what the Cs did when they had a chance to make (much less important) history?
It’s debatable over which record is more important. Is the Griffey record “more important” than the record for most home runs in a game? And the Griffey record was not orchestrated in any way.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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The most exciting part of the end of this game is Westbrook stealing Dort's shoe (Shoeless Lou Dort) and tossing it twice
 

benhogan

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Nov 2, 2007
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Is the Denver Spurs Dynasty in year 6 or 7?

Rounding out your rotation with Westbrook, Strawther, Watson, & Saric is going run Murray/Joker right into the ground.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Jan 15, 2004
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If they don't get more out of Murray, Porter and Gordon it's not going to matter who those 4 guys are. Well, Westbrook might matter.
Something thing to keep in mind is that not only was this just one game…..but it was one game versus OKC. They are doing this to most teams in an opening game imo.
 

benhogan

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Nov 2, 2007
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If they don't get more out of Murray, Porter and Gordon it's not going to matter who those 4 guys are. Well, Westbrook might matter.
The Joker/Murray/MPJ/Gordon combination is excellent...until it has to play 38-40 mpg on most nights to win.

Joker is a tank and seems impenetrable to injury (Paris Olympic effect?).

BUT Murray/MPJ need to be handled carefully, which will be hard to do when RWB is tossing no looks into the 3rd row or going heat check.

Just get them to the playoffs healthy (every team's war cry) & they have a good chance with Joker. Just don't see their main 4 getting there in one piece & they don't have the plug-n-play pieces on the bench.
 

PedroKsBambino

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The Joker/Murray/MPJ/Gordon combination is excellent...until it has to play 38-40 mpg on most nights to win.

Joker is a tank and seems impenetrable to injury (Paris Olympic effect?).

BUT Murray/MPJ need to be handled carefully, which will be hard to do when RWB is tossing no looks into the 3rd row or going heat check.

Just get them to the playoffs healthy (every team's war cry) & they have a good chance with Joker. Just don't see their main 4 getting there in one piece & they don't have the plug-n-play pieces on the bench.
Agree the above has been true of those three for several years now. I do have in mind that there's possibly a bigger risk/delta in performance this year though - Murray has been bad for a while (playoffs/olympics/pre-season) and they are sunk if he loses much. MPJ is, to me, such a tease as a player...and a guy who has a lot of risk both of disappearing and of further injury. Their bench is a huge unknown too, even moreso than in past.

I guess just to say - Denver has a real chance to be best team in west (though like others I'd bet on OKC if I were betting) and they also have a real chance not of tanking, but of falling into the high 40s in wins and not being nearly the tough out they've been last couple years.
 

HomeRunBaker

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True dat. But at home in Mile High I would have expected better.
Not including Murray's end of quarter heave (hasn't anyone taught him better?), the Nuggets were 2-13 on jump shots in the 3Q. That alone is demoralizing on the way to OKC opening up a 17-pt lead. Shooting variance can make things appear more weighted than they really are. Now, the caveat is that the Nuggets who were shooting those jumpers are not very good shooters which is something that is correctable in how to run your offense in creating shots....but they aren't 2-13 bad. What I'm tyring to say is that you can't really get away with that against the Thunder.....you can against the Wizards.
 

benhogan

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Agree the above has been true of those three for several years now. I do have in mind that there's possibly a bigger risk/delta in performance this year though - Murray has been bad for a while (playoffs/olympics/pre-season) and they are sunk if he loses much. MPJ is, to me, such a tease as a player...and a guy who has a lot of risk both of disappearing and of further injury. Their bench is a huge unknown too, even moreso than in past.

I guess just to say - Denver has a real chance to be best team in west (though like others I'd bet on OKC if I were betting) and they also have a real chance not of tanking, but of falling into the high 40s in wins and not being nearly the tough out they've been last couple years.
Agreed, the Murray potential dropoff issue, would sink Joker's prime years (esp. with JM's recent extension). That is #1 on their Fix It list

If they can get something from their youngsters (Braun, Strawther, Watson, Tyson, Nnaji, Holmes, Pickett) to sop up a lot of those regular-season minutes, they'd be served better in the playoffs (lower seed but health).

Like most successful NBA HCs, Malone will resist playing the kids/fringy bench players. The front office/Owner have put Mike in a tough spot. They keep backing him into playing Joker & their TOP4 more.
 

Tony C

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We should bet n over under Bronny appearances. I would bet over 20 and possibly over 41.
Wow. Now that is a take.

Something thing to keep in mind is that not only was this just one game…..but it was one game versus OKC. They are doing this to most teams in an opening game imo.
I'm going back and forth in my head on this. I think Denver will be under expectations, and Westbrook and Jamal's performances in this game show why. That said....even though I secretly love making judgements after just one game, it was against a truly studly team. (And man did Chet look good). So will hold off until after two games before saying "told ya' they're going down!" :)
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Jul 15, 2005
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Ok I'm backing off 41, but I think there is a path to 20.

Edit: and I said $100 to the JF if he's under against anyone who wants to bet, but I haven't received any takers.
 

Kliq

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Mar 31, 2013
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Ok I'm backing off 41, but I think there is a path to 20.

Edit: and I said $100 to the JF if he's under against anyone who wants to bet, but I haven't received any takers.
I'm with you, I think Bronny plays more than people think.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Jan 15, 2004
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I'm with you, I think Bronny plays more than people think.
It was announced today that he’s leaving the Lakers to begin preparing for the G-League season. I will say that barring a 30-pt blowout 4Q garbage appearance the only possible game he plays again prior to going down is another 3-minutes in Cleveland. And even that’s a big maybe.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Jan 15, 2004
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If anyone / everyone was so confident they’d bet against me.
What is the exact wager you’re offering? I used to do “internet bets” with Rocco all the time and we never accepted/paid the other then one time I did one w someone else and took a wager to heart and began sending PMs, etc so I don’t even do these for fun anymore. But free money is free money ;)
 

SteveF

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Jul 14, 2005
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Not including Murray's end of quarter heave (hasn't anyone taught him better?), the Nuggets were 2-13 on jump shots in the 3Q. That alone is demoralizing on the way to OKC opening up a 17-pt lead. Shooting variance can make things appear more weighted than they really are. Now, the caveat is that the Nuggets who were shooting those jumpers are not very good shooters which is something that is correctable in how to run your offense in creating shots....but they aren't 2-13 bad. What I'm tyring to say is that you can't really get away with that against the Thunder.....you can against the Wizards.
The thing that stood out most to me in that game -- well, aside from the massive difference in shooting talent -- was the difference in athleticism. Denver just doesn't look athletic enough.
 

JCizzle

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Dec 11, 2006
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Was watching a bit of the Raptors game before the NYK-Pacers tipped. Man those Toronto announcers are atrocious.
 

snowmanny

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Dec 8, 2005
16,494
If they are going to make me look at pictures of the 1970 and 1973 NBA Champion Knicks they should show pictures of the 1970 and 1973 ABA Champion Pacers as well.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Jul 15, 2005
39,714
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What is the exact wager you’re offering? I used to do “internet bets” with Rocco all the time and we never accepted/paid the other then one time I did one w someone else and took a wager to heart and began sending PMs, etc so I don’t even do these for fun anymore. But free money is free money ;)
20 games played in the NBA in the 2024-2025 season?
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Mar 26, 2005
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If anyone / everyone was so confident they’d bet against me.
We're trying to save you money.

Just as a matter of perspective, despite BOS having more blowouts than just about any team in history, JD Davison got in 8 games last year. Walsh got in 9. And they are closer to the NBA than Bronny is.
 

InstaFace

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Sep 27, 2016
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20 games played in the NBA in the 2024-2025 season?
I think he wants it very explicit.

If Bronny appears (enters the game) in 20 or more games in the 2024-25 NBA regular season: HRB pays $100 to Jimmy Fund
If Bronny appears in 19 or fewer games: tims4wins pays $100 to a charity of HRB's choice

Do I have that right, at least on your end? Confirm first, and then HRB (and perhaps lovegtm) can accept / reject.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
39,714
Hingham, MA
I think he wants it very explicit.

If Bronny appears (enters the game) in 20 or more games in the 2024-25 NBA regular season: HRB pays $100 to Jimmy Fund
If Bronny appears in 19 or fewer games: tims4wins pays $100 to a charity of HRB's choice

Do I have that right, at least on your end? Confirm first, and then HRB (and perhaps lovegtm) can accept / reject.
Sure, accept. I prefer JF but whatever.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Kids are in bed, scotch has been poured... what's good watching tonight, guys?
If I had bothered getting the League Pass free trial, I’d probably be watching PHI/TOR just because.

@benhogan - your bunker Garrison Keillor, I mean Mathews is getting some run for ATL - shooting 2/3 on 3Ps. Why can’t we get guys like that.

But CHA/ATL looks entertaining.
 

benhogan

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Nov 2, 2007
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If I had bothered getting the League Pass free trial, I’d probably be watching PHI/TOR just because.

@benhogan - your bunker Garrison Keillor, I mean Mathews is getting some run for ATL - shooting 2/3 on 3Ps. Why can’t we get guys like that.

But CHA/ATL looks entertaining.
Garrison is fulfilling his role as a poor man's Strus

Marcus Smart still not a fan of the screen and made Sengun feel his presence

Zach Edey ROTY campaign is starting slowly
 

lovegtm

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Apr 30, 2013
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Tyus Jones looks great. Really helps Phoenix to have an actual PG.

He was likely Brad's target if the Brogdon trade had worked in addition to the Smart one, right? Never saw full reporting on that one, but it would have made sense with how the Washington deal eventually went down, since the Wizards didn't seem to actually want him.
 

Euclis20

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Aug 3, 2004
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What is this box score? 99 FTs and 60+ fouls in a non-OT game?

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401704644
99 FTAs and Embiid isn't even playing? That seems impossible, like we're gonna wake up tomorrow and it will be another box score bug.

Maxey has started off 16-54 (29.6%) from the field. Any game that both Embiid and George miss, they're gonna struggle to stay out of the bottom of the east.

Pacers 3-24 from 3.
Haliburton is now 6/26 (23.1%) from the field. I still think it's more likely that Indy ends up like the Hawks that made their ECF run in 2021 than they are a legit competitor going forward, but I know I'm relatively alone in that opinion.