The Week 9 NBA Thread - where Draymond says goodbye, and Ja says hello

[Elmer_Hauser]

Sorry Knicks fans, RJ Barrett is not him and needs to be moved on for a better piece like Spida Mitchell or Mikal Bridges eventually

 

[Nicho50]

Sorry Knicks fans, RJ Barrett is not him and needs to be moved on for a better piece like Spida Mitchell or Mikal Bridges eventually

100%

 

[DT_35]

Lakers lose on banner night

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

Lol Lakers

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

 

[peternorth]

Does anyone here honestly believe this current Lakers roster can make it past the first round without any future trades/roster changes.?

Lonnie Walker and Dennis S were better for them last season than any of their new recruits (Christian Wood and Gabe Vincent have been busts)

Ive said all year the lakers will be bottom 4 (including play in tournament).

 

[stewie griffen]

Apparently the Raptors and Bulls want Keegan Murray (as well as picks) in any potential trade to Lavine or Pascal Siakam/OG

I would much rather bank on Murray and his organic growth than trade him for any of those flawed players mentioned.

Lavine or Siakam are not a needle mover (at least for the Kings)

Spicy P is definitely a needle mover

Lavine is not

 

[hotchilli]

Landale needs to fire that agent of his. About to bounce his way out of the league for a 1 year paycheque . Silly boy

He is unrecognisable from the player who was a key rotation piece in the Suns playoff rotation last season.

 

[carlton_99]

Hartenstein with a monster performance today against AD. Best backup big in the league...?

 

[Son of Skeletor]

The silence on Harden is gross. Man up you peanuts and admit you judged too soon

People need to stop being outraged about things they have zero control over and instead focus 100% on what they can control

Hmmmmm...

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Sorry Knicks fans, RJ Barrett is not him and needs to be moved on for a better piece like Spida Mitchell or Mikal Bridges eventually

Yeah think that’s a given at this point. Just too meh at all aspect of the game. Will just get worse in age too when he loses the very minimal athleticism he has left

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Hmmmmm...

I’m not outraged sorry. Just think it’s a bit silly. You can’t be a analyst of the game if you pick and choose when to analyse it

 

[Son of Skeletor]

I’m not outraged sorry. Just think it’s a bit silly. You can’t be a analyst of the game if you pick and choose when to analyse it

Why bother focusing on who posts what when, and who qualifies as an analyst?

You said ''focus 100% on what you can control''. I cannot for the life of me remember who posted what about Harden or the Clippers, but I'd suggest that it lies beyond any other poster's purview when it comes to things that they should be looking to ''control''.

Stephen A Smith and Kane Cornes make bank on polemics and having contrarian opinions, which is fine. It'd be hilarious if they ever told someone else to stop being outraged about things that are not within their control though - it's their freaking modus operandi.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Why bother focusing on who posts what when, and who qualifies as an analyst?

You said ''focus 100% on what you can control''. I cannot for the life of me remember who posted what about Harden or the Clippers, but I'd suggest that it lies beyond any other poster's purview when it comes to things that they should be looking to ''control''.

Stephen A Smith and Kane Cornes make bank on polemics and having contrarian opinions, which is fine. It'd be hilarious if they ever told someone else to stop being outraged about things that are not within their control though - it's their freaking modus operandi.

Not the same concepts at all I think. Im just saying that in your job you gotta talk about the good and the bad. If you cant do both you aint good at your job.

Harden got absolutely obliterated by everyone in his first 6 games and he has tore it up since then. He is definetly worth the max when you look at this level of play he has risen too

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Not the same concepts at all I think. Im just saying that in your job you gotta talk about the good and the bad. If you cant do both you aint good at your job.

Posting isn't really a job though. It's a brief, fleeting opinion, and often in half-jest.

Have strong opinions on players and teams, it's fine. Keep receipts and all that. But probably don't turn around and in the same breath tell people they're silly for having an opinion on Anthony Edwards because it's out of their control.

It's all out of our control. We still like to have an opinion anyway, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Harden got absolutely obliterated by everyone in his first 6 games and he has tore it up since then. He is definetly worth the max when you look at this level of play he has risen too

Meh, just as 10 games wasn't enough to judge the Harden trade when it was going poorly, neither is 10 games long enough to declare it a raging success.

The Clippers were put together four and half years ago to win a championship, and they haven't done it. Harden has been on several loaded teams during the past decade and hasn't done it either. The true test is yet to come. And the true cost won't become fully apparent until at least five years from now.

 

[Iceman!]

Tyrese Maxey is a flopping sack of cheating crap.

Refs trying to bail out Poololdelphia once again.

Maxey ain't an all star calibre player, all he is elite at is baiting refs.

Another bipolar Elmer melt!

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

The Pistons really can go conceivably go 2 months without a win..

And they have a better roster and coach than late year's 17 win fizzers

It's astonishing their malaise is still going largely ignored by the media and bloggers over in the US.

They deserve a priority lottery pick like Norf in footy

Seriously does anyone know how to fix Detroit and their woes ?

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

Another bipolar Elmer melt!

Maxey is a flopper and it's embarrassing

Admit it.

Also

Next game for Philly is at home to the Red Hot Wolves.

Expect Joel to be 'rested or managed' for that game

 

[Iceman!]

Maxey is a flopper and it's embarrassing

Admit it.

Also

Next game for Philly is at home to the Red Hot Wolves.

Expect Joel to be 'rested or managed' for that game

If you are going to shit in Maxey then you just hate 99% of the league alone almost your entire team.

Secondly Embiid is having one of the most dominant seasons of any big man in history, again if you are just going to try and bitch because he’s had an easy schedule which is out of his control you are just lame.

Seriously look at what he is doing, it’s incredible. Who knows if it will last or not, but he’s doing things that 99% of NBA players in History couldn’t do!

 

[hamG]

The Pistons really can go conceivably go 2 months without a win..

And they have a better roster and coach than late year's 17 win fizzers

It's astonishing their malaise is still going largely ignored by the media and bloggers over in the US.

They deserve a priority lottery pick like Norf in footy

Seriously does anyone know how to fix Detroit and their woes ?

They have kids and some bleh vets to fill out the salary cap. If they are smart they'll ditch/trade Wiseman and trade Bodganovic to get extra pick in the 1st round next draft. Overpay for a decent 3&D wing free agent and then end of next season review the talent of kids plus still have good cap space.

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

If you are going to s**t in Maxey then you just hate 99% of the league alone almost your entire team.

Secondly Embiid is having one of the most dominant seasons of any big man in history, again if you are just going to try and bitch because he’s had an easy schedule which is out of his control you are just lame.

Seriously look at what he is doing, it’s incredible. Who knows if it will last or not, but he’s doing things that 99% of NBA players in History couldn’t do!

Tell you what, if JoJo can put up a monster game against Rudy and KAT and the Wolves in a couple if days, I am prepared to concede you were/are right about Embiid.

It's not his fault, but this Pistons is on track to be a top 5 worst of all time, and Philly played them twice in the last 8 or so days.

Giannis is also having a similarly good run lately too (named East player of the Week)

And yeah, maybe I was a bit too harsh/trolly on Maxey, who probably is a genuine solid chance to make the ASG (Haliburton has been slipping since the IST final)

I do think he has a habit of drawing his head back on contact. He is too good a player to resort to such trickery (unlike a battler like Marcus Smart)

Nurse is a massive upgrade on Doc so that's a plus.

You need a massive up grades on the defensive wing positions.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Tell you what, if JoJo can put up a monster game against Rudy and KAT and the Wolves in a couple if days, I am prepared to concede you were/are right about Embiid.

Careful, he's averaged 35.5p / 8r / 5a / 2s / 1.5b in two games against us since the trade. We are a different proposition so far this season of course but he routinely cooks us.

 

[Iceman!]

Tell you what, if JoJo can put up a monster game against Rudy and KAT and the Wolves in a couple if days, I am prepared to concede you were/are right about Embiid.

It's not his fault, but this Pistons is on track to be a top 5 worst of all time, and Philly played them twice in the last 8 or so days.

Giannis is also having a similarly good run lately too (named East player of the Week)

And yeah, maybe I was a bit too harsh/trolly on Maxey, who probably is a genuine solid chance to make the ASG (Haliburton has been slipping since the IST final)

I do think he has a habit of drawing his head back on contact. He is too good a player to resort to such trickery (unlike a battler like Marcus Smart)

Nurse is a massive upgrade on Doc so that's a plus.

You need a massive up grades on the defensive wing positions.

The Wolves game won't prove anything about Embiid one way or the other, it is a regular season game in December. If he drops 40/14 again it does not prove anything he hasn't already proven. If they slow him down he won't be the last to have that happen to him this year.

I do not disagree that he needs a good play off run to take that next step up. My issue is people criticising him for dominating the teams he is supposed to.

Like Maxey is good but can we look at what else he is working with here.

His star level team mate cracked the sads and demanded out (again).

Harris is being paid 40 million dollars to put up 3 shots, not box out and play average at best defence.

Washed Marcus Morris is playing real minutes for this team.

Oubre (who is having a good year) is an integral part of this team and yet no one wanted him two months go.

Batum will be retired in a few months.

Pat Bev is again a super important role player.

It is a seriously seriously average team that is being dragged along by a generational big man and all people want to do is bash on him. It is lame as hell. He isn't perfect but he is an incredible player but ring culture has gotten us to a point where we can no longer appreciate these players unless they get a chip.

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

The Wolves game won't prove anything about Embiid one way or the other, it is a regular season game in December. If he drops 40/14 again it does not prove anything he hasn't already proven. If they slow him down he won't be the last to have that happen to him this year.

I do not disagree that he needs a good play off run to take that next step up. My issue is people criticising him for dominating the teams he is supposed to.

Like Maxey is good but can we look at what else he is working with here.

His star level team mate cracked the sads and demanded out (again).

Harris is being paid 40 million dollars to put up 3 shots, not box out and play average at best defence.

Washed Marcus Morris is playing real minutes for this team.

Oubre (who is having a good year) is an integral part of this team and yet no one wanted him two months go.

Batum will be retired in a few months.

Pat Bev is again a super important role player.

It is a seriously seriously average team that is being dragged along by a generational big man and all people want to do is bash on him. It is lame as hell. He isn't perfect but he is an incredible player but ring culture has gotten us to a point where we can no longer appreciate these players unless they get a chip.

Well no doubt.

If JoJo manages to win a ring with with The Sixers he goes down as Philly's GOAT.
If not it's still Wilt or Dr J (I definitely think he has gone past Iverson in the Sixers rankings and I actually loved AI In his prime, for some years he was my favourite non Celtic in the league)

For the sake of The Sixers championship hopes, I do think he needs to sit out/manage some games in the last quarter of the season (or at least minutes managed)

Needs to save a lot of his petrol for the playoffs which even in the weaker east is still going to be brutal, esp after the first round.

 

[Iceman!]

Well no doubt.

If JoJo manages to win a ring with with The Sixers he goes down as Philly's GOAT.
If not it's still Wilt or Dr J (I definitely think he has gone past Iverson in the Sixers rankings and I actually loved AI In his prime, for some years he was my favourite non Celtic in the league)

For the sake of The Sixers championship hopes, I do think he needs to sit out/manage some games in the last quarter of the season (or at least minutes managed)

Needs to save a lot of his petrol for the playoffs which even in the weaker east is still going to be brutal, esp after the first round.

That is the thing i am most happy about his season so far, off the top of my head he has sat out the entire 4th quarter of like 8 games or something. Hopefully he can continue to do so but we are going to have a much tougher schedule coming up.

I have been consistent with this all year and still feel the same, i think we are at least one maybe 2 moves away from being a genuine contender. Unfortunately i think Boston are just clearly a tier above us, we can beat them in a one off on our day but i think a best of 7 is a stretch too far. I hope we can make those moves in season but realistically losing that 40 million black hole that is Tobias is enough to give Philly fans hope moving forward. It can not be understated what an anchor that cap space has been on this team.

This has been the most fun season as a Philly fan i can remember in years, those late Brett Brown and all Doc seasons were just grinds. Even when winning games, this is no doubt the most fun team to watch and root for.