Around The NBA : 2023-24 Season #2

[MrSparkle]

The Suns would've been better off if they got a point guard instead of Bradley Beal. They could've saved themselves some pain and agony if they'd just paid attention to AK's team building failures in doubling down on wing scorers who don't defend without any point guard or interior defense.

They were a 64-win team two seasons ago, but that was because with Chris Paul there, which allowed Booker to focus on just being a scorer. Then they had so many 3&D players up and down their roster who can pick up the slack and chip in for 15-20pts a night. They traded all that depth for KD (kinda hard to argue with that), but then the next moves should've been to replenished their depth - not completely gut their already thin roster for another 3rd scorer who also doesn't defend.

Clippers too- chronically underachieving (even in the first year, when they had a healthy Kawhi). And the Heat of course (2/4- pretty disappointing for 2 superstars and a top-5 PF).

I think everyone’s enamored with the 90s Bulls concept. PG-less. But thing is, you had 3 All-Defensive players, 1 elite playmaker, and it was a different era.

Murray, Curry, Jrue, rejuvenated Rondo/Lebron, Lowry, Kyrie, Parker… the last teams to win without star PGs were the Heat (struggled mightily considering their roster) and Kobe/Fisher Lakers.

[madvillian]

Hard fought 5 game series. Nuggets were tested.

Fun series, Lebron and AD gave it their all and Denver, while dispatching them in 5, was certainly tested in each game.

I'm curious to see what happens with LA. Lebron clearly wants to try and run it back one more time but the current roster isn't going to do it -- will they have any interest in Zach and/or AC this offseason? AC would really help them as an elite role player defensively, which they don't have. Zach would be an interesting addition although I'm not sure the could take on his contract or what we'd have to take on.

As for the Nuggets, it's uncanny how good of a team they are, everybody compliments each other perfectly. And when times get tough you have Murray making tough shots and Joker locking it down on the boards and elsewhere.

[Am2626]

Like I said before, the Suns are stuck with this team. They might shuffle a few bench pieces around but that's about it.

Agreed they're not going to / can't blow it up. Standard operating procedure here is to blame & fire the coach.

“Those sources said Durant had persistent issues with the offense, feeling that he was being relegated to the corner far too often and not having the proper designs to play to his strengths as the offense was built around pick-and-rolls.”

Ishbia is an example of an owner that spends but still stinks. I think the Suns might have a worse short term future than even Chicago. That said, I wouldn't mind trying to swing a trade with them if they are going to tear it down. Both squads have some overpaid guys that might look better with a change of scenery.

Who would you want the Bulls to trade for on that team and who would you want the Bulls to trade away?

[Am2626]

my personal idea of heaven is to watch God explain to LeBron fans and realGM player Comparison posters that LeBron is not even close to Jordan.

I LOVE WATCHING LEBRON LOSE

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For a man who constantly calls himself the GOAT and has a tattoo of 'Chosen One', he has an awful lot of losses on his resume. 4 titles in 21 years with multiple missed playoffs, sweeps, and gentlemen's sweeps.

If Rose doesn’t tear his ACL, the Spurs don’t blow a sizable lead in the closing moments of a closeout game, and Draymond Green doesn’t get himself suspended LeBron may only have the one ring from the COVID Bubble.

[madvillian]

Agreed they're not going to / can't blow it up. Standard operating procedure here is to blame & fire the coach.

Ishbia is an example of an owner that spends but still stinks. I think the Suns might have a worse short term future than even Chicago. That said, I wouldn't mind trying to swing a trade with them if they are going to tear it down. Both squads have some overpaid guys that might look better with a change of scenery.

Who would you want the Bulls to trade for on that team and who would you want the Bulls to trade away?

Durant for Zach + filler. I'm just tired of the Bulls and want to see change, even for just change's sake and nothing else.

[ThisGuyFawkes]

I'll be trying to watch all 3 games tonight. Hoping Indy and NY finish their series and a good game from Cle/Orl (don't really care who wins).

[fleet]

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[The Explorer]

my personal idea of heaven is to watch God explain to LeBron fans and realGM player Comparison posters that LeBron is not even close to Jordan.

I LOVE WATCHING LEBRON LOSE

Sent from my SM-S918U1 using Tapatalk

For a man who constantly calls himself the GOAT and has a tattoo of 'Chosen One', he has an awful lot of losses on his resume. 4 titles in 21 years with multiple missed playoffs, sweeps, and gentlemen's sweeps.

If Rose doesn’t tear his ACL, the Spurs don’t blow a sizable lead in the closing moments of a closeout game, and Draymond Green doesn’t get himself suspended LeBron may only have the one ring from the COVID Bubble.

And all that despite him picking his own teammates, firing and hiring coaches. We've never seen a player GM at the level LeGM did for all these years, and despite all the extra power he had he still failed more than he succeeded. I personally don't have him in my top 5 all time. I think he's comfortably in the 7-8 range.

[jc23]

Love the low scoring defensive battles. eff that 140+ points chill defense garbage.

[MrSparkle]

Yikes - come on NYK. Dunno why Brunson didn’t hold for the foul shots.

[Kurt Heimlich]

Wow what a comeback at the end by the sixers here. Love thibs and brunson and don't like embiid at all, but its just in my marrow to root against the knicks and laugh joyously when they fail.

[Ice Man]

Oh my goodness what a series this Knicks-Sixers matchup is. And Tyrese Maxey is a bad, bad man. Hell no. He's badder than that.

[MrSparkle]

Such a big talent gap between the Bulls and all these teams this week. I almost feel like I enjoy the NBA again.

[Am2626]

Ishbia is an example of an owner that spends but still stinks. I think the Suns might have a worse short term future than even Chicago. That said, I wouldn't mind trying to swing a trade with them if they are going to tear it down. Both squads have some overpaid guys that might look better with a change of scenery.

Who would you want the Bulls to trade for on that team and who would you want the Bulls to trade away?

Durant for Zach + filler. I'm just tired of the Bulls and want to see change, even for just change's sake and nothing else.

If the Bulls can make this trade they should. I don’t think Phoenix would want to do this though. Booker, LaVine, and Beal are pretty much the same player. I don’t see how having 3 of them on one team would work.

[Muzbar]

Who would you want the Bulls to trade for on that team and who would you want the Bulls to trade away?

Durant for Zach + filler. I'm just tired of the Bulls and want to see change, even for just change's sake and nothing else.

If the Bulls can make this trade they should. I don’t think Phoenix would want to do this though. Booker, LaVine, and Beal are pretty much the same player. I don’t see how having 3 of them on one team would work.

Having 2 of them on the team didn't work, 3 definitely isn't going to be better.

[dumbell78]

Pretty crazy Knicks were up 6 with under 30 seconds left and blew it. Reggie Miller should have been on the call with all those retired Knicks sitting courtside.

[kodo]

Ex-Bulls Bobby Portis & Pat Bev just led the Bucks to a blowout of the Pacers. And that's not even the craziest thing that happened tonight.
First round is insane this year.

[Ice Man]

Pretty crazy Knicks were up 6 with under 30 seconds left and blew it.

I assume that people do those "real time odds of winning" calculations for basketball, too. The Knicks must have been 99%+. Even with Maxey draining two very difficult 3s, the Knicks very likely win if -

1) Mitchell Robinson doesn't foul on one of those 3s
2) Josh Hart makes both his free throws
3) The Knicks score on the last possession

Then again, the Sixers lost in much the same way in Game 2. Such are the dice of Fate.

[MrSparkle]

Was it me or did Maxey travel on the insane 4-point play (2nd to last make, in regulation)? I'm genuinely curious how the F* you can take 2.5 steps behind the 3P line without dribbling, switch to the left pivot foot, and then jump off the right foot? Looked at it in slow-motion several times, and if I was a Knicks fan, I'd be livid. Cause on top of that, Embiid is clearly moving on his screen (with a shoulder bump on top of it), feet definitely never set.

Otherwise , as a 3rd party watcher, it was a wild shot (not to mention the next one), and exciting ending. And despite my problem with the footwork, in real-time, that would've been dicey to call a travel for any ref, and Maxey totally deserved that MIP award over Coby (despite Coby's bigger jumps statistically). He went from MIP (fringe star) to MIP 2.0 (perennial all-star).

Maxey was a prospect I liked... along with Jrue. Sometimes these clear stud guards drop to the late first round, and it makes no sense to me. My hot take is that college FG%s need to be taken with a grain of salt. Smaller sample size with way less games and minutes, 1-and-done/quicker learning curve, wild variances in SOS, usage, tighter spacing, tighter coaching, etc.

[samwana]

The Bradley Beal trade didn't make sense for the Suns when it happened, and it's just looking worse and worse by the day.

Even the KD one sucked if you ask me.

Traded all your foreseeable draft picks and two young players for these guys. Team has no assets outside of the only guy that showed up tonight.

Way to make a splash Mr new Billionaire owner.

Agreed KD grade sucked big time and they doubled down with the Beal trade. Worse than what we have tbh.