Okay, I’ll start one, though there seems to be limited interest in the NBA here. After routing Chicago a few nights ago, the Blazers got their asses handed to them by the Raptors, who basically played as if the Blazers forgot to show up. Stotts gave up early in the 4th quarter and put in his scrubs. Tomorrow they play Boston and I expect it to be a repeat of the Toronto game. They really are dismal on the road.
Joel Embiid is playing back-to-back games for the first time in his career, and Fultz appears to be closer to joining the line-up. Things are looking up in Philly.
A rookie who’s way under the radar of most: Royce O’Neale helping the Jazz get back into contention.
I watched the Cavs game last night and they called it a night midway through the first quarter. After half, they gave a crap for about three minutes midway through the third quarter but then I guess they got bored.
Houston, I thought played fine, but they missed a bunch of open shots and got careless at times. My point is they could’ve won by more.
I’m getting really curious about what happens to the Cavs come playoffs. I’ve said all year that the makeup of the team is terrible but I still want to see what exactly shows up. Two stats…they have a negative point differential and the only game they’ve won versus an elite team was Boston game 1 (and you will recall that Boston had a tough night). That to me is a pretty telling stat; they aren’t even showing for those games.
Holy shit, that was a great game between Portland and the Celtics, who barely squeaked out a one point win at the buzzer. Blazers led until late in the 4th, blowing a 17 point lead held at halftime. Great defensive effort by both teams.
So are the Warriors not quite as good this year, or are they doing the “save it for the playoffs” thing?
I wasn’t able to watch the Warriors - Nuggets game, but it looked like GSW ran their full lineup. They gave up a 4th quarter lead, which in Denver is not so uncommon for the road team to do. And the Nuggets are probably better than their record indicates. Nikola Jokic could be the best player you’ve never heard of him. Unless you *have *heard of him, in which case you know he is basically young Dirk. Limited athleticism, but tons of skill and extremely high basketball IQ.
The NBA schedule is a six month 82 game drudgery. I really think that there are many nights when fans don’t get anywhere near their money’s worth, but that is the nature of the animal.
Changes I propose:
The top two teams in each conference get a first round bye. This way, there really is something important to vie for other than simply making the playoffs.
Reduce the playoff teams from 8 in each conference (half) to 6 in each conference. That will get rid of the mediocre .500 teams that sneak in at the cut line each season.
Change the money structure and make it more like the NFL where any one team cannot hog so many stars that it becomes a perennial dynasty. Parity is competition, and competition involves ALL the fans on ALL the teams. This way, we won’t have Cleveland vs. Golden State every year for nearly half a decade.
True competition is a real problem in the NBA. You either have to be great or suck so bad that you have a chance to draft franchise players and become really great. If you range from “fairly good” to “not too bad”, you are in the NBA dead zone. You will stay there forever. I find the entire league boring for that reason.
Woj is reporting the Isaiah Thomas era in Cleveland is over.
“Cleveland is sending Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye to the Lakers for Clarkson and Nance, league source tells ESPN.”
Apparently Isaiah Thomas is the greatest player that nobody actually wants.
I get the deal from the LA perspective, open up cap space next year, get a first, albeit protected, but what does Cleveland get out of this, Jordan Clsrkson who they pay for 2 years after this and Larry Nance?
Cleveland seems to be blowing themselves up. From the Woj:
“Utah has traded Rodney Hood to Cleveland, league source tells ESPN.”
“Utah will also send Joe Johnson to Sacramento, and Cleveland will send Jae Crowder and Derek Rose to Utah, league sources tell ESPN. Sacramento sends George Hill to the Cavs.”
“Cleveland sends Iman Shumpert to Kings in deal, league source tells ESPN.”
“Cleveland acquires Rodney Hood and George Hill in three-team deal, transforming its roster at the trade deadline.”
“Cleveland is trading Dwyane Wade to Miami, league sources tell ESPN.”
For Cleveland, it’s a case of addition by subtraction. IT was pretty vocal to the media, pointing the finger at everyone but himself for the Cavs struggles. Including the coaches. And frankly, he has been bad so far.
Dangit! Can’t Isaiah go somewhere that Celtics fans can still root for him?
Lesson to all the kids out there: DO NOT play while injured.
He could go to Orlando where even Orlando fans would take pity on him.
Does Thomas in LA make it a less appealing place for LBJ?
Neat seeing the Raptors take the Celtics to the woodshed two nights ago. Irving wasn’t in top form, having missed the three previous games to a shoulder injury. TO’s bench registered a whopping 59 points - they sure are way more solid this season. Also neat seeing Valancuinas starting to go for more three’s, and is currently throwing them at 44% - nothing to sneeze at for a big. Even Derozan is going for more threes, being that’s the trend these days.
I don’t know if I like that trend.
If so, they can just let IT walk (or sign & trade), he’s an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Per ESPN, a summary of the Cavs’ shuffling of deck chairs on the Titanic:
In:
“Heavily protected” second round pick
Rodney Hood
George Hill
Jordan Clarkson
Larry Nance Jr
Out:
Dwyane Wade
Iman Shumpert
Jae Crowder
Isaiah Thomas
Channing Frye
Derrick Rose
Seems…fine. The team is now younger, and arguably better defensively. I’m not as big on George Hill as most, but it’s possible he’ll outperform my very modest expectations.
Trades for DeAndre Jordan and Kemba Walker were discussed, but deals couldn’t be reached. I have to imagine that Cleveland decided before the trade talks to keep their Brooklyn pick to build for a Lebron-less future, because that pick could have brought in a better haul of guys than what they got.
Walker was one of the very few good decisions Michael Jordan has made with that team and he’s going to hold on to him with both fists; he’ll never let Walker go for anything less than many times his actual value, which MJ knows nobody is going to give him.