NBA 2022-2023

elmo said:
Really like the Blazers. Afernee is looking real special and Dame is still one of the best players around when he’s healthy.
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Simons benefited a lot from playing without Dame last season, he got a lead role and the team played quite well at times which helped him develop greatly and earned him a very good contract. Blazers have drafted very well recently, Little has also been a good contributor and could make another leap it feels, and Sharpe has been fantastic.

I reckon with the mix of young talent and picks (we own all but one of our future first round picks) we will also try to make a move for a star if one becomes available in the next 1-2 years.
 
Jazz-Cavs trade is the best trade ever it seems. Mitchell has elevated Cavs to a level where they can genuinely make it to ECF or even Finals, and their team is still so young that it's almost inevitable they'll eventually become a contender with Garland, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen, while Markkanen and Sexton seem to be thriving with Jazz who also got and absolute ton of picks to go with that. Markkanen is basically playing at a borderline All-Star level right now.
 
This Warriors team is getting ridiculous. Curry goes to the bench with 2 minutes left in the 1st with the Dubs up by 10. They end up down 31-29 at the end of the quarter.
 
The 2nd unit is not even G league level.
 
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Poole has been atrocious. In eleven minutes he has zero points, zero rebounds, zero assists and a +/- of -19.
 
Whew! It should not be that hard against the Kings. Steph scored 47 and was +20 and the Dubs won by 3.

The 2nd unit needs massive improvement or this team is going nowhere this year.
 
Relief! Hopefully it is like the buzzer beater game last season against Houston(?) and gives everyone a boost
 
GSW 2nd unit might look bad right now but think how time goes, it will improve and then maybe with a trade change its fortune good enough to keep a game afloat while starters are resting.
 
R'hllor said:
GSW 2nd unit might look bad right now but think how time goes, it will improve and then maybe with a trade change its fortune good enough to keep a game afloat while starters are resting.
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Well Klay is also terrible and Poole without GP2 and help in the 2nd unit is a disaster.

They are relying on MVP level performances from Steph to stay afloat.
 
Steph has a plus minus of 50 this season.

The warriors have a point differential of -37 this season.
 
My Spurs are back into tanking form after losing 4 in a row. Johnson and Vassell are looking really good though and Tre has been a pleasant surprise. Still, they need to get real lucky at next years draft, because this is a sorry team.
 
Utah can't stop winning, these recent wins have been so casual and straightforward for them too. Ainge will have to trade players fast if he wants to go after Wembenyama.
 
SinNombre said:
Well Klay is also terrible and Poole without GP2 and help in the 2nd unit is a disaster.

They are relying on MVP level performances from Steph to stay afloat.
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Seeing how Warriors second unit has gone from great to terrible with removal of GP2 and Porter, and being fully aware of Porter's limited ability I cannot help feeling excited about the prospect of having Payton in Portland's second unit... up to 7-3 after a comeback win in Miami and this is the most fun I've had with this team since I adopted them as my NBA team back in 2015.

Some NBA journos suggesting Portland should package Simons, Sharpe, two of Little/Hart/Grant and all the picks & swaps for Durant but I'm absolutely against that. It's the first time in ages that we actually not only have a good rotation but also future talent to get excited about. To give that up for maybe two good years of KD in which we would win nothing would be super dumb. I do however expect Durant to leave Nets before deadline, though it will be to Phoenix/Toronto/Washington.
 
Sarni said:
Seeing how Warriors second unit has gone from great to terrible with removal of GP2 and Porter, and being fully aware of Porter's limited ability I cannot help feeling excited about the prospect of having Payton in Portland's second unit... up to 7-3 after a comeback win in Miami and this is the most fun I've had with this team since I adopted them as my NBA team back in 2015.
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It's not just GP2 and Porter though. It's those two plus Bjelica, JTA and Damion Lee. All those guys are not necessarily great individual defenders per se but they are all vets and know how the NBA works and specifically how the Warriors system works. At the moment the kids are just not getting it and it's massively hurting the team.

GP2 is a damn good defender though. He'll really help the Blazers.
 
charlton66 said:
It's not just GP2 and Porter though. It's those two plus Bjelica, JTA and Damion Lee. All those guys are not necessarily great individual defenders per se but they are all vets and know how the NBA works and specifically how the Warriors system works. At the moment the kids are just not getting it and it's massively hurting the team.

GP2 is a damn good defender though. He'll really help the Blazers.
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Yeah but those are just fillers. Obviously better than the young guys but ultimately Porter and GP2 were more crucial.

Funny thing is 8 months ago when we made the Clippers trade I was absolutely certain it was the worst deal ever. Since then Winslow has basically been better for us than Powell and Covington, Keon has also developed nicely.

I was absolutely sure we were getting underpaid for CJ and we have turned that deal into not just Hart but also Grant, both of whom are a much better fit next to Dame than CJ ever was and allowed us to also integrate Simons and Sharpe more easily.

I guess that is why Cronin is a GM and I am still not.
 
Sarni said:
Yeah but those are just fillers. Obviously better than the young guys but ultimately Porter and GP2 were more crucial.

Funny thing is 8 months ago when we made the Clippers trade I was absolutely certain it was the worst deal ever. Since then Winslow has basically been better for us than Powell and Covington, Keon has also developed nicely.

I was absolutely sure we were getting underpaid for CJ and we have turned that deal into not just Hart but also Grant, both of whom are a much better fit next to Dame than CJ ever was and allowed us to also integrate Simons and Sharpe more easily.

I guess that is why Cronin is a GM and I am still not.
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I agree that Bjelica, Lee and JTA were just fillers, but that's what the Dubs need right now, guys who can just fill in and play a role. Kuminga, Moody and Wiseman are so far away from being that, at times it is borderline embarrassing. Couple that with Poole still possibly having issues with "the punch" or who knows what but at the moment his confidence appears to be shot and he is nowhere near the player he was last year. All in all, the bench has been atrocious and if it doesn't improve its going to be a long season metaphorically for the Dubs but a short one on the actual court.
 
538 Raptor rankings so far: total (offensive)

1. Jokic +15.3 (+8.4)
2. Love 13.7 (7.6)
3. Curry 12.7 (12.7)
4. Doncic 11.7 (11.7)
5. Mitchell 9.0 (8.0)
6. Giannis 8.1 (4.3)
7. Javonte Green 7.9 (2.4)
7. Lopez 7.9 (-0.6)
9. Dejounte Murray 7.8 (3.1)
10. Josh Green 7.5 (2.5)
11. George 7.2 (4.0)
12. Jrue Holiday 6.9 (4.4)
13. Cam Johnson 6.4 (3.2)
14. Harden 6.3 (4.7)
14. Quickley 6.3 (-1.0)
16. Tre Jones 6.1 (0.4)
17. Bane 5.8 (6.5)
18. Butler 5.7 (4.8)
18. Gilgeous-Alexander 5.7 (5.0)
18. Olynyk 5.7 (1.6)
18. Porzingis 5.7 (3.2)

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/nba-player-ratings/
 
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Mavs got a combined 53 points, 10 boards, 11 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks, and 1 turnover from Dinwiddie & Doncic. The rest of the team scored 34 points combined. Mavs had 4 total turnovers to the Magic's 18 but lost by 7.
 
Best win of the season. Defense was much improved. Steph Curry is playing lights out. Shooting splits of 53/44/91 and another 40 point masterpiece.
 
Wow. Steph had a great game. I still feel like when he's playing at his peak he is the best player in the league. Maybe 2nd behind Giannis.
 
charlton66 said:
Best win of the season. Defense was much improved. Steph Curry is playing lights out. Shooting splits of 53/44/91 and another 40 point masterpiece.
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Not playing Wiseman does that.

Needing Steph to score 40+ points to win is still pretty terrible.
 
SinNombre said:
Not playing Wiseman does that.

Needing Steph to score 40+ points to win is still pretty terrible.
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It isn't great for sure, but he's proved he can average 30+ over a season so we're getting closer. :D
 
ZDwyr said:
Wow. Steph had a great game. I still feel like when he's playing at his peak he is the best player in the league. Maybe 2nd behind Giannis.
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In a vacuum I'd still take Giannis because of his defense although Steph is actually a pretty decent defender these days now he's bulked up.

Where Steph wins out is his intangibles. Because of the spacing/gravity he provides on the floor he makes his team mates better* because they are getting more open/better looks. He also seems to be a great leader, although Giannis seems to be pretty good in that department as well.

If I was picking a player to start a team I'd go with Giannis because he's younger. If I was picking a player to win today, I'd go with Steph because somehow these days he always seems to find a way to win.

*It's impossible to make Kelly Oubre better.
 
Watched the final 5 minutes of the Warriors game, Curry was mind blowing. Cavs looked ill, couldn't get a decent look, while Warriors got them constantly.

You'd think the Warriors will figure it out.
 
MrMarcello said:
What happened with the Nets supposedly signing Udoka?
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Too much backlash and besides that, no point signing an expensive coach on a 5-year deal when you’re more than likely to blow it up in the next 3 months.
 
Timberwolves have looked abysmal so far. Gobert-Towns looked like a poor fit from the beginning but it’s so far been worse than I expected. I reckon they might be trading Towns soon, he just does not look right.
 
Sarni said:
Timberwolves have looked abysmal so far. Gobert-Towns looked like a poor fit from the beginning but it’s so far been worse than I expected. I reckon they might be trading Towns soon, he just does not look right.
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The entire team looks like they all fecking hate each other, it's a tough watch after the energy they had in last season's play-ins.
 
Piratesoup said:
The entire team looks like they all fecking hate each other, it's a tough watch after the energy they had in last season's play-ins.
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It's been pointed out that the vibes in Utah were terrible last year and now they're great, as they are in Cleveland, while they seem to be rotten in Minnesota. Even ignoring that, I'm not sure why they thought Gobert was the right piece to add when it clogs the paint for Edwards (and Towns) offensively and forces Towns into even worse defensive match-ups (admittedly there are none that are good for him). Upgrading on Russell would have been the move I would have looked to make.
 
RORY65 said:
It's been pointed out that the vibes in Utah were terrible last year and now they're great, as they are in Cleveland, while they seem to be rotten in Minnesota. Even ignoring that, I'm not sure why they thought Gobert was the right piece to add when it clogs the paint for Edwards (and Towns) offensively and forces Towns into even worse defensive match-ups (admittedly there are none that are good for him). Upgrading on Russell would have been the move I would have looked to make.
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They brought the wrong Jazz player it seems. Mitchell would have been attainable for a similar price as he went to Cavs for that and he would have been brilliant next to Edwards. I don’t think Towns is the right player to build around anyway, they should cash in on him while they can.

Jazz will be absolutely rubbing their hands at those Minnesota picks as they own their 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 picks all unprotected, plus the swap in 2026. A very good chance Wolves blow it up at some point. It’s a bit similar to those Nets picks owed to Houston.
 
Some insane performances, Embiid with 59 pts, 8 at, 7 rb and also 7 blocks. Garland also had a 50 point night.

Appreciation for Jokic as well, 2 time MVP but he's sacrificing his stats to get his teammates back in form after injuries. Taking less shots, with great efficiency, and passing the ball more. Only 4-4 yesterday but 14 assists.
 
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