OT: 2021-2022 NBA Season

[NickRU714]

Haven't seen a specific NBA thread.
Has been a weird season locally to say the least.
Trade deadline is in 3 days

Nets (29-24 #7 in East)
Kind of in a freefall the last couple weeks with Durant out.

Kyrie - does anything more need to be said? The fact the Nets might be better on the road for a Game 7 instead of at home (so Kyrie could actually play) is insane.
Durant - fully back as best player in the world. Signed an extension so he's around. Would like to get over these injuries though.
Harden - I'm close to being on board for a Harden-Simmons swap (I need help!). He could leave at the end of the year for nothing. Not sure a 50m/year extension would be a wise investment. At least Simmons is under contract for 3 years after this.

I'm being swayed - Durant/Kyrie are the lead scorers and let Simmons play great defense and run the fastbreak. If Simmons doesn't score for an entire half - he's the 3rd option so it's not as bad as when in Philly. Durant/Kyrie are the scoring leads.


Knicks (24-29 #12 in East)
Haven't watched much (dumb Xfinity/MSG dispute)
RJ - seems to really be turning the corner. Between him and Ja Morant, it's becoming clearer that draft was a Top 3 and not Top 2 (with Zion - or is Zion even in the Top 3 from that draft anymore?)
Randle - so much for that extension (that doesn't start until next year). They are already trying to trade him?
2021 Free Agency - seems Fournier and Kemba were disasters. tried to add offense at expense of defense and getting neither one constantly?


Hey - at least neither are the Lakers!

 

[Mr Magoo]

The NBA is playing? I’ll probably tune in for the playoffs, or at least after the Lakers are eliminated. The regular season means almost nothing. So hard to like that league.

 

[NickRU714]

The NBA is playing? I’ll probably tune in for the playoffs, or at least after the Lakers are eliminated. The regular season means almost nothing. So hard to like that league.

You might be able to start watching in about 3 weeks.

 

[jordkap]

I’ll never understand anyone who pays money to go to a NBA regular season game. The playoffs are typically solid, but the regular season is a complete joke.

 

[RUsojo]

I’ll never understand anyone who pays money to go to a NBA regular season game. The playoffs are typically solid, but the regular season is a complete joke.

Disagree. Never understood this take. Great product imo

Can’t leave the sixers out of this OP

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

2 things people should never do...drink diet soda and watch the NBA

 

[JFP3]

Disagree. Never understood this take. Great product imo

Can’t leave the sixers out of this OP

Yeah - NBA basketball is the best of the best (though I agree with jordkap in that it can sometimes be hit or miss - I recall going to a Knicks game during the Carmelo era and realizing that the players weren't trying harder than in a typical rec league run. But, on the other hand, the Starks-Ewing-Oakley Knicks left it out there almost every night).

Anyways, I think Simmons-Harden is a win-win. Joel deserves an elite guard to get buckets. Ben Simmons is one of the softest players ever, but his absurd inability to shoot on offense probably becomes ok with Durant and Kyrie to cover for him. If that trade happens, I cannot wait for the Sixers-Nets to meet in the playoffs (and I'm all Sixers -- Ben Simmons needs to apologize to his teammates and go play ball).

As for the Knicks -- they overachieved last year; this year they are underachieving and DRose is hurt and Randle has regressed badly. The good news is that RJ is a player and Tibs has the Knicks playing hard. I'll happily root for this mediocre product.

 

[NickRU714]

Just throwing up some amazing plays from the last couple of days.

Ja Morant is incredible.

 

[NickRU714]

Just a little warm up for Curry.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

mods please lock this, next there will be a thread about dancing kissing unicorns

 

[NickRU714]

mods please lock this, next there will be a thread about dancing kissing unicorns

Don't make me bring up that post where you mentioned the NBA!

Just for you.
It's a post up and an excellent pass.
Jokic is unreal.

 

[NickRU714]

Been a while so a quick check-in before the playoffs start next week.

The 10 playoff teams from each conference are set and the Play-In Tournament teams are basically set as well.

Nets are currently #8 seed and would play Cavaliers in the Play-In Tournament.
Kyrie is fully back. Durant and Kyrie seem to be cooking.
Ben Simmons...well who knows at this point.
Team will go as far as Durant and Kyrie will take them. That's not a bad position to be in.

Knicks fall out of the playoffs after getting the #4 seed last year.
Off season signings of Kemba and Fournier (trade defense for offense) seems to have been a disaster. Yes, they were horrific on defense but also provided minimal offense - Kemba was even benched for the end of the season.

Lakers are out of the playoffs! Getting only half a season (40 games) from Davis killed them. Westbrook trade has predictably been the bad idea everyone thought it would be.

 

[LotusAggressor]

Just throwing up some amazing plays from the last couple of days.

Ja Morant is incredible.

View embedded media

Ja Morant is a beast. He's only been in the NBA for a couple of years and he's already doing things that most college players can't even pronounce. He was doing that at Murray State, too.

 

[LotusAggressor]

Been a while so a quick check-in before the playoffs start next week.

The 10 playoff teams from each conference are set and the Play-In Tournament teams are basically set as well.

Nets are currently #8 seed and would play Cavaliers in the Play-In Tournament.
Kyrie is fully back. Durant and Kyrie seem to be cooking.
Ben Simmons...well who knows at this point.
Team will go as far as Durant and Kyrie will take them. That's not a bad position to be in.

Knicks fall out of the playoffs after getting the #4 seed last year.
Off season signings of Kemba and Fournier (trade defense for offense) seems to have been a disaster. Yes, they were horrific on defense but also provided minimal offense - Kemba was even benched for the end of the season.

Lakers are out of the playoffs! Getting only half a season (40 games) from Davis killed them. Westbrook trade has predictably been the bad idea everyone thought it would be.

An underrated part of the Laker collapse was not re-signing Paul Caruso and trading Kuzma. It's amazing that anyone thought adding Westbrook and Anthony would be a good idea.

 

[NickRU714]

An underrated part of the Laker collapse was not re-signing Paul Caruso and trading Kuzma. It's amazing that anyone thought adding Westbrook and Anthony would be a good idea.

Anyone…..more specifically LeBron.
It’s so baffling.

He might be the only one who thought Westbrook would be a positive.

 

[anon_ivydyf0amkzay]

It’s fun knowing the fighting lebabys wont even make the 8 spot!

 

[LotusAggressor]

Anyone…..more specifically LeBron.
It’s so baffling.

He might be the only one who thought Westbrook would be a positive.

LeBron is a great player but a bad GM.

 

[NickRU714]

It’s fun knowing the fighting lebabys wont even make the 8 spot!

10th seed

NBA does it's own "first 4" now with the 7-8-9-10 seeds in a mini tournament for the 7 and 8 seeds.

Except they get it right and actually have the 4 worst teams in the play-in for the
Unlike NCAA which has the 46th ranked team out of 68 in the "play-in".
#StillBitter