The NBA Thread.

Didn't realize until this morning that Durant's injury means there's a chance he doesn't play 58 games this season, disqualifying him from winning the scoring title.

It would be something if 37 year old LeBron wins the scoring title in year 19.

 

Did the Nets die? I've said since the preseason that Milwaukee is the safest title pick, but KD will be back and Brooklyn almost beat them with 1.5 stars last year.

 

He's been the cornerstone of what is typically an elite defense for years now, and fills the same drop role that Uni was just saying Milwaukee misses. Going super-small and then going at him because he can't protect the rim without leaving a guy open makes sense, but it also means for most opposing teams that they're moving off their best strategy/lineup because of Gobert. It's hard for someone that size to do everything on the court but "Gobert isn't that good" is a bad take.

 

KD out 4-6 weeks (last I saw). That means the Bucks likely finish ahead of them in the standings. The result is that the Nets only get Kyrie for 3 games in the series.

In addition, how many total games will they play with their full team, including Kyrie, prior to the start of the playoffs? No chemistry.

 

Is there any team which has been whole this season?

 

Not necessarily, but the Bucks’ three best players built chemistry last season and won a title together. The Nets’ big three have played like, 7 total games together in 2 seasons.

 

Not that good, as in not the best defensive player in the NBA 3 out of the last 4 seasons.

Teams literally knock his team out of the playoffs specifically by attacking him. It’s so backwards. Imagine giving a DPOY award to an outside linebacker that teams go into games scheming to run towards. It would be ridiculous.

 

Embiid with the 2nd fastest 50 point game in the shot clock era. 50 points (17-23 from the floor, 15-17 from the line), 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks. All in just 27:03 of court time.

Klay Thompson got 52 in 26:33 in 2018 (the game he broke the NBA record for 3s in a game going 14-24 from deep... 24 3-point attempts in 26.5 minutes, goodness). But his overall stat line wasn't as robust, 4 rebs, 0 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks.

 

And Jokic arguably upstaged him, nearly becoming only the 7th player ever to record a 50-point triple double. 49 points, 14 rebs, 10 assists, 3 steals, 1 block. Did have 5 TOs to Embiid's 2, but the TOR still favors Jokic. 2:1 to 1:1.

 

I'll take Embiid. Jokic got OT.

 

How about the Nets coach just sticking his hand out to deflect a pass on the sideline and the refs doing NOTHING about it?



Like, I would refuse to play until they addressed that shit. If I was the Wizards coach, I'd probably walk off the court in protest and take the L if they refused to fix that. It's un-[uck fay]ing-believable that he got away with it, and the Nets ended up winning the game by 1 point!

 

officiating in all sports is just out of hand bad in about every way it can be

 

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Other way around. Lower seed means they get Kyrie more, which creates some weird incentives for them.

 

You're right. Not sure where my head was.

The chemistry piece still holds.

 

Grayson Allen is going to get the absolute shit beaten out of him one day and it will be glorious to see

 

10K fine for that coach.

 

Westbrook bounced back last night.

Steph hit a game winner, but it was against the Rockets. They’ve still been winning but not like they should be, and he has been struggling.

 

Caruso came out with a broken wrist. Grayson Allen really gotta get the [itch bay] beaten out of him. And fined and suspended.

 

But at least the NBA has this going for it