NBA / NCAA Basketball

[Unchained]

LeBron tested positive for hair coloring and Metamucil..
Go Lakers!!!

 

[movingtarget]

Miami to meet the Lakers in the final after seeing off the Celtics 4-2 in the series. Some smart people picked Miami quite a while ago to win the East because of the doubts about the Bucks but the Bucks were even more disappointing than expected. Celtics did well to go so far as did Denver.

 

[King Boonen]

Bit gutted, but the Celtics couldn't take the Heat...

I reckon it'll be Lakers in 5, possibly 6.

 

[movingtarget]

Bit gutted, but the Celtics couldn't take the Heat...

I reckon it'll be Lakers in 5, possibly 6.

Pretty much agree.

 

[Unchained]

Lakers could do no wrong..little slow start but everything was going in..especially 3 pointers..both teams not too many turnovers in the first half..Lakers bench players came into the game seamlessly..defensive assignments..and putting up some points..not sure about fitness differences at this level,but all the reporting about how old,slow and tired LeBron can look from time to time don't look exploitable..James played well and the last 3 games he is playing like other 20 somethings..
I personally can't stand his black Abraham Lincoln beard but I get over it watching him play, he is a defensive magnet..most coaches don't attempt a complete one on one strategy,so when more than one player come out to defend LeBron he dishes the assists..

 

[movingtarget]

Lakers could do no wrong..little slow start but everything was going in..especially 3 pointers..both teams not too many turnovers in the first half..Lakers bench players came into the game seamlessly..defensive assignments..and putting up some points..not sure about fitness differences at this level,but all the reporting about how old,slow and tired LeBron can look from time to time don't look exploitable..James played well and the last 3 games he is playing like other 20 somethings..
I personally can't stand his black Abraham Lincoln beard but I get over it watching him play, he is a defensive magnet..most coaches don't attempt a complete one on one strategy,so when more than one player come out to defend LeBron he dishes the assists..

Be surprised if the series goes longer than 5 games.

 

[Unchained]

Last night was relatively boring. Miami could never really get it together..Bench play from Lakers again was easily better than the Heat. If Dwight Howard,LeBron and Anthony Davis..even Caruso keep playing at this level..4 games..allowing LeBron to sit on the bench for rest and recuperation is going to doom Miami, Really like to watch Rondo's speed ..

 

[movingtarget]

Jimmy Butler was great in Game 3. Can he keep Miami in the series ?

 

[movingtarget]

Lakers have one hand on the trophy.

 

[movingtarget]

Jimmy Butler to the rescue again. Miami forces a game 6.

 

[Unchained]

Absolute great basketball game

 

[King Boonen]

Anybody want to talk draft?

 

[movingtarget]

Anybody want to talk draft?

Had a feeling LaMelo wouldn't be the top pick. Good pick up for Charlotte. He was highly regarded when he played in Australia where the game is more defense minded than the USA and more physical.

 

[King Boonen]

Had a feeling LaMelo wouldn't be the top pick. Good pick up for Charlotte. He was highly regarded when he played in Australia where the game is more defense minded than the USA and more physical.

I agree, although playing guard for MJ is hard. I think that teams will have wondered about the baggage that might come with him, I think Lonzo doesn't get the credit he deserves because of it, but I reckon if anyone is going to deal with that it'll be MJ.

Surprised Wiseman didn't go first overall if I'm honest, GSW must be very happy.

Very happy the Celtics got Nesmith, his catch and shoot is brilliant and 23PPG at 51.2% are brilliant stats. He looks to be another player in the Paul Pierce mound who can drop 3's from anywhere or put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket, like Tatum. I know everyone wanted to see a big coming to Boston, but all season they've struggled with bench scoring and Nesmith fills that role perfectly. Similarly, Payton Pritchard can drop 3's from anywhere on the court it seems. The guy has huge range so shifting to NBA 3 length isn't going to be an issue. Yam looks like an interesting prospect, but I'm guessing he'll need game time out at the Red Claws to properly assess how he's going to fit, but he's another scorer. What this means for Langford, Waters, Edwards, Green and Wannamaker is hard to say, except I think that's Wannamaker guaranteed to be leaving. Langford has been pretty good in defence, so maybe he gets more time in the rotation with Nesmith as replacements for the Brown/Tatum pairing.

All in all I'm not surprised by the picks and I think it's what was needed. Now to see if this Hayward/Turner deal comes through.

 

[Merckx index]

GSW must be very happy.

Bittersweet day for the Warriors. They gain a top draft pick, but possibly lose Klay for another year. It sounds like an Achilles tear, on his other leg, and if that's the case, the Warriors have no chance to contend for a title this year, and conceivably have problems extending into 2022. Durant missed more than an entire year with a similar injury.

SF fans are experiencing monster bad luck. The 49ers have been decimated by injuries, to the point where they're a shell of the team that went to the SB. The Warriors lose their three best players, one to another team, go from one of the greatest teams ever to one of the worst in a single season, and now, just when it seemed they might be poised to make a dramatic comeback, they suffer yet another blow.

 

[King Boonen]

Bittersweet day for the Warriors. They gain a top draft pick, but possibly lose Klay for another year. It sounds like an Achilles tear, on his other leg, and if that's the case, the Warriors have no chance to contend for a title this year.

SF fans are experiencing monster bad luck. The 49ers have been decimated by injuries, to the point where they're a shell of the team that went to the SB. The Warriors lose their three best players, one to another team, go from one of the greatest teams ever to one of the worst in a single season, and now, just when it seemed they might be poised to make a dramatic comeback, they suffer yet another blow.

Yeah, Curry without Thompson doesn't win championships. Wiseman gives them something to build around for "post-splash brothers" ball, but they would have been lethal with Wiseman, Curry and Thompson all playing next year. Hopefully it's not as bad as feared, because I really want to see that happen.

 

[Merckx index]

How expensive is Klay's injury? The Warriors have been paying him roughly $35 million/year for five years. He missed the first year of the contract, this past season, and now will miss the second year. By signing a replacement for him, they're taking a hit in the cap of $80 million. That is almost $150 million that they're spending on that position, for one season, and it won't be enough to give them a reasonable title shot. Plus, if Thompson hadn't had the ACL injury, the Warriors would have had a very good chance of winning the title in 2019. That ACL--which might have increased the chances of an Achilles tear, by favoring the recovering leg--conceivably could cost the team three championships, and all those millions of dollars.

 

[King Boonen]

I find the salary cap incredibly confusing...

$120m for Hayward? Do not understand that.

 

[movingtarget]

I find the salary cap incredibly confusing...

$120m for Hayward? Do not understand that.

Lots of people questioning that one...........

 

[King Boonen]

Lots of people questioning that one...........

I heard both the Pacers and the C's offered him $100m/4 years. Of those 3 teams, realistically, the Celtics are the only ones likely to give him a chance of a finals win and he's from Indianapolis. I guess money talks. Instead the Celtics end up with Thompson and Teague which I'm really good with. Thompson is basically a guaranteed double-double and Teague brings in quality to run the bench and, along with Nesmith and Pritchard, adds bench scoring (which was much more of an issue for the Celtics than the lack of a real big). I am wondering why not Whiteside or Ibaka instead of Thompson though? Maybe it's him being a couple of years younger.



Other than that, I don't know the league well enough to comment on how things are shaking out in free agency, so I'm waiting for it to settle down to assess where everyone is.

 

[movingtarget]

I heard both the Pacers and the C's offered him $100m/4 years. Of those 3 teams, realistically, the Celtics are the only ones likely to give him a chance of a finals win and he's from Indianapolis. I guess money talks. Instead the Celtics end up with Thompson and Teague which I'm really good with. Thompson is basically a guaranteed double-double and Teague brings in quality to run the bench and, along with Nesmith and Pritchard, adds bench scoring (which was much more of an issue for the Celtics than the lack of a real big). I am wondering why not Whiteside or Ibaka instead of Thompson though? Maybe it's him being a couple of years younger.



Other than that, I don't know the league well enough to comment on how things are shaking out in free agency, so I'm waiting for it to settle down to assess where everyone is.

Michael Jordan doesn't have a great record as a GM so many think it's another mistake in spending so much on Hayward. Also Hayward seemed to be a better player before his gruesome leg injury. Thompson was playing well on a losing team.. The Lakers seem to have got better with a few new signings. The Bucks moves probably won't be enough and it could be the end for Giannis at Milwaukee if they don't go deep into the playoffs. They were set to sign Bogdan Bogdanovich but the deal fell through and he signed at Atlanta instead.

 

[King Boonen]

Michael Jordan doesn't have a great record as a GM so many think it's another mistake in spending so much on Hayward. Also Hayward seemed to be a better player before his gruesome leg injury. Thompson was playing well on a losing team.. The Lakers seem to have got better with a few new signings. The Bucks moves probably won't be enough and it could be the end for Giannis at Milwaukee if they don't go deep into the playoffs. They were set to sign Bogdan Bogdanovich but the deal fell through and he signed at Atlanta instead.

Hayward's form was on the up this season and the C's were always better with him on the court, so I think he can come good again but I don't think the chance was worth that amount of money. Seems something is going on with this trade at the moment, nothing is signed off and it looks like it might be a sign and trade in the end so we get something back from it. I'm excited to see what Thompson can add, I don't know enough about him to know how he'll fit with the team (that seem a very tight knit group).

Lakers looking better is worrying and I agree that might be Giannis moving on when FA comes around. I heard the Kings passed on Bogdanovic as they wanted to keep some flexibility in their contracts going forward, not sure what happened with the Bucks. The Hawks have added some good pieces, maybe not enough to go deep in the play-offs, but enough to cause problems and they need to get better if they want to keep Young.

 

[movingtarget]

John Wall to Houston and Westbrook to the Wizards and now it sounds like Harden wants out of Houston. Typical NBA. Giannis has a year left on his contract but you would think unless the Bucks go deep in the playoffs he will also be moving on unless he takes the max contract and manages to attract more talent. Many seem to think he will stay at the Bucks come what may but things change quickly in the NBA.

 

[King Boonen]

Pre-season starting up. Anyone fancy keeping the chat going? I'll try not to just limit it to Celtics chat...

 

[movingtarget]

The Giannis extension at the Bucks seems to be a popular move. Many fans and media seem to be a bit tired of the so called super teams. Win for the small markets at all that but at the same time no one is tipping the Bucks to win the title probably. It will be just as hard for Giannis this season. Celtics, Miami and the 76ers will all be rivals in the East you would think and the Nets are also expected to show up with their two stars this season. Where Harden ends up playing is anyone's guess but it seems he wants out of Houston.