The Indy Talks To Himself (NBA) Thread.

They do because the alternative is adding a bunch of games to a season that is long already. Calling that the "dumbest rule in sports" is far more ridiculous than anything I've said

 

It is "quite possibly the dumbest thing in sports" that every game of the IST counts towards the regular season standings - except the most important game of the IST. You keep trying to separate the two in an attempt to push back against my claim.

I think going forward for the 3 point contest, we should just not let the money ball count. Everyone will still shoot the money balls during the competition, but we just won't count them. Seems like a good idea, right?

 

You sound like some talking head who just heard about this 5 minutes ago and wants views. It shouldn't be that hard to understand why it would be hard to shift the schedule based on those teams, why it wouldn't be very fair to give the second place team a loss and alternatively why having one team with 83 games worth of standings games and/or stats is not especially appealing

 

Again, you're acting like these are major issues that are impossible to overcome. I've already addressed them very easily.

Let the team who wins have 83 games and an extra win on the season. Don't count it as a loss for the team that loses in the championship. No stats from the game for either team. No schedule shifting needed.

Boom. Problem solved. Super easy. Why are you making this seem more difficult than it is?

 

I'm not acting like they are major issues that are impossible to overcome, I said they would likely overcome them by making it a tiebreaker which is what it appears they will do. I'm acting like the lack of tiebreaker benefiting the Lakers wasn't the worst rule in sports, nor was it the worst rule in the NBA, nor was it the worst rule instituted in the NBA since 2023, because it's not any of those things. Good talk

 

He was not lights out on both ends.

 

Darvin Hamm should never coach another game of NBA basketball after this season.

 

Mavs better hope that Gafford is a go, otherwise they are in trouble. Maxi Kleber can not be playing starter minutes. Looks like the Suns experiment is about to get yet another reset. Lakers are toast. Got to hope Giannis is healthy enough to challenge Boston, or else the entire East bracket is washed. Knicks may go down swinging but it would be an epic failure for Boston to not make the Finals. Ant is looking to make the jump to superstar, I'd love to see it.

 

The coaching advantage can not be ignored. Malone and staff swallow the Lakers unit whole. If you are a Nuggets fan, you don't hold your breathe when guys shoot it. It's rarely forced, ball moves and guys rip it. On the other side, anyone but LeBron feels like a heave.

I expect the remaining games to look the exact same, up to Lakers role players to make open shots. I don't like the odds.

 

Kill his confidence? If I were his teammate I'd want to kill him. Awful on both sides of the floor.

 

Wait, Lillard dropped 35 in the 1st half and then didn't score in the second half? That's pretty wild.

 

He's got the ability to get hot from 3, and you have no shot at winning the series unless he does. So, yeah, don't want to kill his confidence.

 

A lot of this feels reactionary. Higher seeds are supposed to win at home in game 1.

 

Totally agree.

 

I'm not sure which end you want to complain about. He played Jokic about as well as you can expect anyone to play him, and he had 32 points with 5 assists on the other side. Only real complaint I had was shooting four 3's.

 

An adjustment I'd like to see from the Lakers tonight:

When Jokic is on the bench, they need to push the tempo. Whether it's a chance to grow a lead or cut into a deficit while he's out, the more possessions and opportunities you get during those minutes, the better your chances of doing either of those things. ESPECIALLY if DeAndre Jordan is on the floor, which I'm not so sure he will be.

 

Maxey fouled multiple times on that inbound pass. No call. Then the Knicks travel and get tied up under the basket - no call.

 

Lakers/Nuggets series defined by the opening possessions of each team. MPJ drains a mostly open 3. Austin Reaves misses a WIDE OPEN 3.

 

Man, this DLo shows up for game one and the Lakers would have won.

 

Jokic with the fully extended arm screen. lmao.