NBA 2022-2023

I've thrown a few barbs in Russ' direction because he really doesn't help himself or his situation with the Lakers. However, somehow the "Teflon King" always seems to escape criticism. Russ put up 18/7/7 last year but it really didn't matter because his problem with the Lakers goes beyond the stats. However, we all heard how at 36 LeBron was still scoring 30 points per game. He's still great the media said, amazing at that age etc, etc.... In stark reality the Lakers have won 25 of the last 58 games LeBron has played in. Over 82 games that's a 35 win season. But of course it's all Russ' fault.

Give me a break.
 
That’s harsh, I don’t even like Lebron but I don’t see how he is responsible for lakers being bad
 
The only way Westbrook is going to be useful for any team is to get crowds into the arena for a tanking franchise and ensuring they lose enough games to have top 5 odds at the no. 1 pick. Basically you can get him to Orlando, Charlotte, Indiana or back to OKC for the final 3-4 months of the season and then have him sign up for minimum for one extra year next season for a team that does not want to win.
 
charlton66 said:
I've thrown a few barbs in Russ' direction because he really doesn't help himself or his situation with the Lakers. However, somehow the "Teflon King" always seems to escape criticism. Russ put up 18/7/7 last year but it really didn't matter because his problem with the Lakers goes beyond the stats. However, we all heard how at 36 LeBron was still scoring 30 points per game. He's still great the media said, amazing at that age etc, etc.... In stark reality the Lakers have won 25 of the last 58 games LeBron has played in. Over 82 games that's a 35 win season. But of course it's all Russ' fault.

Give me a break.
Click to expand...
Not going to debate that LeBron gets off easy. He does and he is the main reason I am boycotting the Lakers. That being said, Russ's 2022 was bad...really bad. He had the 9th lowest Win Shares per 48 in the league, and that was propped up by an inexplicable positive defensive WS score. He was also top 10 for TO's/100 plays, bottom 20 for true shooting, and shot under 30% from three and under 45% from the field in general. The rebounding number is a joke as well for him, always has been.
 
Ayush_reddevil said:
That’s harsh, I don’t even like Lebron but I don’t see how he is responsible for lakers being bad
Click to expand...

Maybe not so much from his play, but definitely because of the influence he has on the team roster. He is the one who pushed for the RUss trade. He is the one who pushed for his boys to be signed last year that resulted in a historically bad roster. LeBron the player is a top 3 player, LeBron the GM is Khan level.
 
WI_Red said:
Not going to debate that LeBron gets off easy. He does and he is the main reason I am boycotting the Lakers. That being said, Russ's 2022 was bad...really bad. He had the 9th lowest Win Shares per 48 in the league, and that was propped up by an inexplicable positive defensive WS score. He was also top 10 for TO's/100 plays, bottom 20 for true shooting, and shot under 30% from three and under 45% from the field in general. The rebounding number is a joke as well for him, always has been.
Click to expand...
I wasn't really saying that Russ doesn't deserve blame. As I said, I've definitely thrown a few barbs in his direction. I think in one post I actually referred to him as a "trainwreck" but that is by the by.

What my complaint is really centered on is how LeBron always seems to find some way to "skate" if his team is not good - and the fanbois in the media always seem to back him up.

He's majorly responsible for this team being bad. He was responsible for bringing in Westbrook and Davis and getting rid of all the young pieces that the Lakers could really use now. Thats the real reason they are so bad, and now he wants to mortgage the future even more by giving up even more draft picks. He did the same in Cleveland. One of the biggest reasons I'm such a big fan of Steph is that he's all about the team. LeBron is all about LeBron and it's always been the same.
 
So much for strength in numbers. Second unit getting killed so far.
 
I suppose the last few minutes of the first half balanced things out. The starters are now getting killed as well.
 
Beans said:
They tried to give that game away. Pretty funny to see Jazz beat Wolves in Minnesota.
Click to expand...
I think the Jazz really wanted that game. A bunch of ex Wolves are now Jazz players. I think they may have had something to prove.
 
charlton66 said:
I think the Jazz really wanted that game. A bunch of ex Wolves are now Jazz players. I think they may have had something to prove.
Click to expand...
Oh for sure, and the Wolves will be embarrassed to lose to a team that sent them their best player for (mostly) draft picks. The crowd was booing a bit.
 
It got interesting there at the end, but too much ground to make up after all..

Time for bed.
 
Well that was fun game, GSW are such favorites for defending the title, aint even funny. Denver on the other just need JM back to old self and that starting line up looks hot at least in offensive sense.
 
Ja Morant looks even better than last season. He put up the most effortless 40 in the first 3 quarters. Grizzlies weren’t playing that great and he just willed them to the win.

The battle between him and Green was crazy fun to watch. There was a beautiful stretch in the 3rd where Green and Ja were going back and forth that was a basketball lovers dream.

The Rockets are what the Grizzlies were a couple of years ago.
 
Grizz deserve to get a player like Ja, he might already be the best player in their history.
 
R'hllor said:
Well that was fun game, GSW are such favorites for defending the title, aint even funny. Denver on the other just need JM back to old self and that starting line up looks hot at least in offensive sense.
Click to expand...

Celtics or Bucks would be a hot handle for any team winning West imho.
 
Bepi said:
Celtics or Bucks would be a hot handle for any team winning West imho.
Click to expand...

Bucks maybe but the Warriors would beat the Celtics again.

Kerr is back to experimenting with lineups, hopefully he will figure out the rotations by the playoffs.
 
SinNombre said:
Bucks maybe but the Warriors would beat the Celtics again.

Kerr is back to experimenting with lineups, hopefully he will figure out the rotations by the playoffs.
Click to expand...
It's early days obviously, but I'm a little worried about Jordan Poole. He seems to have lost a bit of his swagger/confidence. I don't mind him missing shots, but not taking them at all is a trifle worrying to me.

Could be nothing. Hope it is.
 
Beans said:
I laughed out loud when they drafted him. I guess you have to learn about big white guys that can't run yourself, you can't be taught.
Click to expand...

To be fair to the Grizzlies, that 95 draft was rough outside of KG, Stack, Sheed, and McDyess. Stoudamire and Ratliff would have been better picks, but at pick 6 there was basically scraps left. He was still a horrible pick at 6 (hell, Ostertag was a far better player at pick 28), but they didn’t pass on any all stars.

edit: I am an idiot, I forgot Michael Findlay, so yes, they passed on an All Star.
 
Dallas laid the pipe to Memphis. Mavs only had four reach double digits in points but thirteen players scored.

Was Wood a good pickup for them? He's scored 25 point in each game so far, averaging a point per minute played.
 
Special stuff by Westbrook, up 1 with 30 seconds left and he decides to pull up for a midrange with 18 seconds left on the shot clock. The Lakers in general are miserable though, maybe the worst roster 3-15 in the whole NBA. What a waste of the last years of LeBron's career even if he's helped a lot of Klutch clients get roster spots on that team.
 
You've got to love the Lakers and their 3 point shooting. Shoot 25% against the Dubs, then 20% against the Clippers and then tonight 18% against the Blazers.

They are now 25 - 118 in 3 games.

But they keep jacking 'em up.......
 
RORY65 said:
Special stuff by Westbrook, up 1 with 30 seconds left and he decides to pull up for a midrange with 18 seconds left on the shot clock. The Lakers in general are miserable though, maybe the worst roster 3-15 in the whole NBA. What a waste of the last years of LeBron's career even if he's helped a lot of Klutch clients get roster spots on that team.
Click to expand...
charlton66 said:
You've got to love the Lakers and their 3 point shooting. Shoot 25% against the Dubs, then 20% against the Clippers and then tonight 18% against the Blazers.

They are now 25 - 118 in 3 games.

But they keep jacking 'em up.......
Click to expand...
giphy.gif
 
ZDwyr said:
Zion and Wembanyama together next season?
Click to expand...

:lol: Actually, all it takes is AD’s injury (which is not unthinkable at all) and they will have 14% chance at no. 1 pick.

Jazz are going 82-0. They have been so weird, on paper that mix of players has no right to blend well yet somehow they play with intensity and chemistry. I guess the fact that nearly all of them got traded by teams they would have expected to continue building with them as part of their future brings that little extra spark out of them.
 
Warriors with 50 points in this second quarter haha. 89-71 at HT, defending is optional.
 
Fourth quarter was awful, but the Dubs held on.

Terrible defense but a win is a win I guess.
 
Westbrook needs to be traded. Man is building a house with all the bricks.
 
I'm starting to feel sorry for Russ. Yes, he's been bad but the media/fan pressure is really starting to get to him. So far this year he's shooting less than 30% from the field and a pitiful 8% from 3. For his own peace of mind he needs to step away and try to get his head right. He's never been a great shooter but the mental pressure is killing him and making things much worse.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.