The Official Bigfooty NBA Week 21 and beyond Thread - July 31st restart

[YippeeYiYeo]

Make no mistake, the major concern for the NBA will not be this season, but hoping the virus has run its course so the following 20/21 season isnt too affected.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Diary of a recovering hoops junkie

Day 5


Had a good chat today with everyone's favourite friendly mod, peternorth . As a frequent visitor to the land of Wang ZhiZhi Yao, it relieved me greatly to know that Northy is doing OK. It's his belief that Wuhan should have played a zone rather than man-to-man defence, but it's fair to say that ship has sailed. Albeit it's probably stuck hopping from port to port desperately trying to unload its passengers, but still.

It has been a tough year for our fearless leader, what with the tragic passing of Kobe Bean and now the ongoing abomination of a world without basketball. Also apparently there's a pandemic or something. Northy has grown this board from a few tiny seedlings into an unstoppable mighty oak, kind of like how the Lakers cultivate young players, mainly not their own, and... oh god damn it. See what a few days without hoops and the apocalyptic end of the world has done to me? Usually I would never make bitter joke at the Lakers' expense.

Still, our modding mate continues to be stoic in the face of adversity. In fact Pete told me in quiet confidence that he has personally volunteered to help repopulate the Earth with Taylor Swift when this human catastrophe finally ends. A very selfless man is our esteemed moderator. Apparently Mrs. Norf offered to substitute in and help save the human race instead... but Northy declined, not wanting to subject his beloved to any undue stress. Between you, me and a lamp post, Pete also harboured doubts as to whether Ms. Swift and and Mrs. Norf would be able to make much headway in repopulating the planet together anyway...

 

[fidstar]

This is all so ****ed up.

Wishing everyone here and their families the best.

 

[Financialpanther]

This is all so f’ed up.

Wishing everyone here and their families the best.

Agreed - gotta also sympathise with Kayo sports subscribers for the next two months.

 

[JT_the_Man]

Jamal Murray trying to provide some NBA news it seems.

I’ll give you a hint - he’s balding downstairs...

 

[peternorth]

Agreed - gotta also sympathise with Kayo sports subscribers for the next two months.

thanks mate

 

[mianfei]

The news of the Lakers’ positive tests brings the tally of active NBA players to have known to have contracted the coronavirus at seven [is that eight?]. In addition to the four Nets, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz tested positive, as did Christian Wood of the Detroit Pistons.

The above quote comes from Lakers News – a subdivision of the website Clutch Points – on 19 March.

The eight NBA players who have tested positive for COVID-19 stands much higher than any other major league around the world. Why would COVID-19 be more common among NBA players than those of other sports leagues? Or is it that they are more willing to be tested or to admit a positive test?

 

[Son of Skeletor]

The above quote comes from Lakers News – a subdivision of the website Clutch Points – on 19 March.

The eight NBA players who have tested positive for COVID-19 stands much higher than any other major league around the world. Why would COVID-19 be more common among NBA players than those of other sports leagues? Or is it that they are more willing to be tested or to admit a positive test?

A bunch of people connected with soccer have tested positive, can't speak for other sports.

 

[peternorth]

The Pelicans are expected to match any offer for Ingram when the time comes.

Congrats Nawlins, you've got yourself an absolute star.

 

[hamG]

The above quote comes from Lakers News – a subdivision of the website Clutch Points – on 19 March.

The eight NBA players who have tested positive for COVID-19 stands much higher than any other major league around the world. Why would COVID-19 be more common among NBA players than those of other sports leagues? Or is it that they are more willing to be tested or to admit a positive test?

Because NBA players are worth billions of dollars and the the NBA has tested all their players multiple times. They probably used half the test kits the USA has.

 

[hamG]

Oh brilliant idea me.

So after reading how the V8 are going to run a 20 round e-sport competition imagine if the NBA had all the players play NBA2K AS THEMSELVES! Hah that would be something great.

 

[mianfei]

A bunch of people connected with soccer have tested positive, can't speak for other sports.

Three players from Juventus and four from Portsmouth have tested positive, as has A.C. Milan’s former captain and technical director Paolo Maldini and Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis – although I am basically interested only in current players. However, Milan is the epicentre of COVID-19, with over 3,000 deaths in the Lombardi region alone, so that hardly makes soccer players seem vulnerable.

Because NBA players are worth billions of dollars and thus the NBA has tested all their players multiple times. They probably used half the test kits the USA has.

That is what I heave been reading recently. In fact, The Daily Mail and one other journal (I recall) say the NBA may lose in the public image stakes from its wealthy players – wealthier than any other league’s because of the NBA’s extreme height requirements – being able to get private testing that very few other people can afford. New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and Jeff Zillgit of USA Today are both extremely critical of this when every NBA player tested has had no symptoms.

On another angle, Zillgit said that NBA players can be catalysts for COVID-19 spread.

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

 

[mianfei]

I’ve done that (disabled adblockers) just to report COVID-19 news.

On a more serious topic, Clutch Points is saying some – including veteran Laker forward Jared Dudley – now want to modify the NBA season to span from December to August.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Three players from Juventus and four from Portsmouth have tested positive, as has A.C. Milan’s former captain and technical director Paolo Maldini and Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis – although I am basically interested only in current players. However, Milan is the epicentre of COVID-19, with over 3,000 deaths in the Lombardi region alone, so that hardly makes soccer players seem vulnerable.

I think there have been others - Callum Hudson-Odoi was certainly one. 15 players at Alaves in Spain alone tested positive. Turkey has been affected. It's everywhere.

However to return to your original question, the fact that the NBA is a national league played across what is essentially half a continent probably doesn't help. In the EPL teams still charter buses to away games, whereas in the NBA they're always on planes. Neither option is great in containing the spread, but I think it's more likely that an NBA player would contract the virus from a civilian on a flight than on a chartered bus.

And if you were comparing the odds of an NBA player contracting the virus compared to an AFL player, I'd wager the former would be more likely than the latter, at least up to and including today. And unlike with the soccer players in Europe, it's quite plausible that the eight disparate cases of the virus in the NBA stem from a single source, not necessarily Gobert either. Non story for mine.

 

[mianfei]

However to return to your original question, the fact that the NBA is a national league played across what is essentially half a continent probably doesn't help. In the EPL teams still charter buses to away games, whereas in the NBA they're always on planes. Neither option is great in containing the spread, but I think it's more likely that an NBA player would contract the virus from a civilian on a flight than on a chartered bus.

And if you were comparing the odds of an NBA player contracting the virus compared to an AFL player, I'd wager the former would be more likely than the latter, at least up to and including today. And unlike with the soccer players in Europe, it's quite plausible that the eight disparate cases of the virus in the NBA stem from a single source, not necessarily Gobert either.

According to the Los Angeles Times, although directly from Hoops Rumours, Chris Crouse (via Nathan Fenno) says most of the known NBA cases can be linked to Los Angeles’ Staples Center.

Warriors tanking this season is looking smarter by the day.

I’m not sure they would if Steph Curry returns when the NBA starts playing again – assuming the league does not cancel and does not move straight into the postseason. The 2019/2020 Warriors can appear akin to the 20—62 (and that with a very weak schedule and bad point differential) 1996/1997 San Antonio Spurs who used a single bad season due to a similar injuries – David Robinson missed 76 games and Chuck Person all 82 – to draft franchise player Tim Duncan and become the most consistent team in the league for two full decades. However, there is zero certainty that with the worst record in the league the Warriors would get first choice in the draft, nor even that they would get someone as good as Duncan proved.

 

[fidstar]

I’m not sure they would if Steph Curry returns when the NBA starts playing again – assuming the league does not cancel and does not move straight into the postseason. The 2019/2020 Warriors can appear akin to the 20—62 (and that with a very weak schedule and bad point differential) 1996/1997 San Antonio Spurs who used a single bad season due to a similar injuries – David Robinson missed 76 games and Chuck Person all 82 – to draft franchise player Tim Duncan and become the most consistent team in the league for two full decades. However, there is zero certainty that with the worst record in the league the Warriors would get first choice in the draft, nor even that they would get someone as good as Duncan proved.

You're missing the point.

I'm saying if you are going to suck in a year, pick the year that there might not be a champion. At least you get a good draft pick out of it and your guys get a years rest.

And there's no Tim Duncan in this draft.

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

Poor KAT and his Mom.
It's rapidly becoming a far bigger problem and threat in the US than anyone feared.

Hopefully there is a happy outcome for the Anthony-Towns family in this.

 

[peternorth]

Doris Burke has got the coronavirus

 

[fidstar]

It's been about 2 weeks since they suspended the season. It feels like 2 months.

 

[peternorth]

It's been about 2 weeks since they suspended the season. It feels like 2 months.

couldve been this

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

couldve been this

View attachment 848342

I still remember Karl Malone on the Lakers #goodtimes

 

[mianfei]

I'm saying if you are going to (expletive) in a year, pick the year that there might not be a champion. At least you get a good draft pick out of it and your guys get a years rest.

And there's no Tim Duncan in this draft.

I cannot see how it makes any difference. If you are bad, you will not play postseason basketball and it will not make that much difference that a season is cancelled five-sixths of the way through.

Moreover, if as you say there is “no Tim Duncan in this [the 2020] draft”, this season is not a good one for a previously outstanding team like the Warriors to become bad. Naturally, a season followed by a below-par draft class would be the worst season for any team to go from outstanding to awful.

 

[fidstar]

I cannot see how it makes any difference. If you are bad, you will not play postseason basketball and it will not make that much difference that a season is cancelled five-sixths of the way through.

Moreover, if as you say there is “no Tim Duncan in this [the 2020] draft”, this season is not a good one for a previously outstanding team like the Warriors to become bad. Naturally, a season followed by a below-par draft class would be the worst season for any team to go from outstanding to awful.

So this was a bad year to pick to be bad? A year there's a 50/50 chance there won't be a champion, or at best a champion with an asterisk. You saying we should have been bad in 2015, 2017, 2018 over this year?

Good thinking?

 

[peternorth]

Hows everyone going without NBA basketball?

Have you enough tissues and toilet paper?

How about staples?