NBA Season 2022-23

[MattyIce]

Lebron expressed his level of frustration last night basically saying he was at a point in his career where he needed to be playing for a championship.

Well then he shouldn't have re-signed with the Lakers.

The Lakers best option right now is to trade Lebron for assets and rebuild. I wonder if Dallas, Phoenix or Denver can get enough together to get it done.

Clippers or Warriors would also be interesting options.

although can't be traded til next year

[CelticSooner]

Why are you nervous about Brooklyn? They sanEdited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.ged their coach and finally started playing up to snuff. The top of East are all bunched up. I’d be more concerned about a team like Cleveland matchup wise that has size to go along with shooting.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

Only here to thank Luka for smiting the New York Knickers.

[Moranis]

Jokic is putting up incredible numbers, no question, but his team doesn't really win all that much.  At this point he seems more like an Oscar Robertson type player.  Which is obviously a surefire no doubt HOFer, but not a guy that people consider one of the true all time greats.  Can he at least make the Finals before we go crowning him as a top 10 center ever?  I'd have a hard time putting him in the top 10 at the center position. He seems pretty clearly behind Kareem, Wilt, Bill, Hakeem, Shaq, Moses, Mikan, Robinson so that is at best 9th.  Given his short career so far, I think I'd have Walton and Ewing ahead of him as well.  And that counts Duncan as a PF and not a center, as TD would clearly be ahead of him if he was a center.  I'd even listen to arguments for McAdoo.  And before anyone gets to crazy, McAdoo's 2nd year he lead the league in PPG (his 1st of 3 straight) and finished 3rd in rpg and bpg, all while leading the league in FG%.  The next year he was the MVP finishing in the top 4 in all 3 of those stats.  He like Jokic didn't win much early on with the big stats, but he did pick up 2 titles with the Lakers coming off the bench.

Jokic certainly has the potential to go down as a top 5 center all time, but I'd like to see him translate his individual performance into more team success before crowning him the second coming.  Denver has started off this year well, let's see if they can actually finish.

It's funny to see Jokic getting criticized for not winning while the Nuggets sit atop the Western Conference. Regarding the playoffs, he hasn't had much of an opportunity with his supporting cast at full strength. Lebron was losing for years before he bolted to Miami.

Roy asked me a follow up on that, which I answered.  It pertains to Jokic's on/off differential in the playoffs.

As for Lebron, in his 5 playoff seasons in Cleveland (the 1st go around), the Cavs (with a worse supporting cast), went to the Finals, conference finals, and 3 conference semis i.e. they never lost in the 1st round.  Because unlike Jokic, Lebron's on/off differential has almost always been awesome in BOTH the regular season and more importantly in the playoffs, thereby carrying inferior teams to at least the 2nd round.

Jokic, so far this year, has an absurd +23.3 per 100 possessions for his on/off differential.  Lebron has done better than that 5 times in the playoffs and had another at +23.2.  Jokic has only been positive in his first playoff season in 2019 (and it was elite), but since then has been negative every season and he has been getting worse every season coming in at -3.0, -8.2, -16.5.  Last year against the Warriors Jokic was -44 overall in the series, the Nuggets were actually only -40 in the series.  Jokic played 34.2 mpg, so in the 13.8 mpg he was on the bench, Denver was +4 in the series.  It is the playoffs as I was getting at, because as impactful as Jokic has been in the regular season to the scoreboard, he has been the exact opposite in the post season.  Jokic needs to win in the playoffs and do so while being the main reason of that success or he shouldn't be looked at in the same vein as just about every other MVP winner.  He needs to be able to put a team on his back and carry them to success when it actually counts.  He hasn't been able to do that yet.  He obviously still has time to do so, I just think it is premature to think of a guy whose team is better with him on the bench in the playoffs, as an all time great.

[SparzWizard]

Killian Hayes suspended 3 games, Mo Wagner 2 games, Diallo 1 game. Eight Orlando Magic bench players to receive 1-game suspension but on staggered basis for leaving that bench during the brawl.

I'm surprised Hayes only got 3 games and not like 15 games. That was a blindside, back to the head shot that have the potential to paralyze someone...straight assault. And Wagner getting 2 games just for a flagrant-2, push off a player while going for a loose ball? What the. A fine would've suffice but 2 games?

[W8ting2McHale]

Romeo Langford had a career high 23 points while helping the Spurs beat the Knicks. That surpassed his previous high of 19 from a week ago.

Nothing earth shattering there, but he only played once in the games in between and missed 4. He didn’t appear to be injured, just got steady DNPs after his best offensive game since he scored 16 at the end of his rookie year for the Celtics. That’s a strange tactic. I think the Spurs lost all 4 that he missed and won both that he played well in. He had a steady streak of starts while Josh Richardson was out, but him coming back didn’t seem to be what put Romeo on the bench.

Could it be a tanking move? The Spurs win when Romeo starts and plays 20+ minutes. /sarcasm.

[Birdman]

Killian Hayes suspended 3 games, Mo Wagner 2 games, Diallo 1 game. Eight Orlando Magic bench players to receive 1-game suspension but on staggered basis for leaving that bench during the brawl.

I'm surprised Hayes only got 3 games and not like 15 games. That was a blindside, back to the head shot that have the potential to paralyze someone...straight assault. And Wagner getting 2 games just for a flagrant-2, push off a player while going for a loose ball? What the. A fine would've suffice but 2 games?

Hayes should got a lot more like 25 games..dirty

[SHAQATTACK]

Killian Hayes suspended 3 games, Mo Wagner 2 games, Diallo 1 game. Eight Orlando Magic bench players to receive 1-game suspension but on staggered basis for leaving that bench during the brawl.

I'm surprised Hayes only got 3 games and not like 15 games. That was a blindside, back to the head shot that have the potential to paralyze someone...straight assault. And Wagner getting 2 games just for a flagrant-2, push off a player while going for a loose ball? What the. A fine would've suffice but 2 games?

Hayes should got a lot more like 25 games..dirty

Talking heads were guessing  at least 6-8 .    Heck he KO’d the guy from behind …..total blindside sucker punch .  I’m not sure I ve ever seen a KO punch in the NBA land ,  he dropped like a wet paper sack . 

The hip was during action to prevent him from getting the ball.  The knock out punch was dangerous and out of nowhere , the victim had no idea he was going to get clobbered long after the play.



I think min 10 games given how bad it looked .  Sneak attacks is really dirty.

[Moranis]

Hield with the fastest 3 pointer in league history breaking Reggie Miller's record. 

[Who]

Interesting post on RealGM about the Dejounte Murray Atlanta Hawks trade:

Spurs traded Murray to the Hawks for 2 unprotected 1sts in 2025 and 2027, another protected 1st via Charlotte, and unprotected swap rights in 2026

Hawks record after 35 games:

Last season: 16-19
This season: 17-18

Spurs record after 35 games

Last season: 14-21
This season: 12-23

Dejounte Murray this season: 20/6/5/1.7 .528 TS%
Dejounte Murray last season: 21/9/8/2 .533 TS%

Doesn't seem like losing Murray has impacted SA much nor has it boosted ATL much and his numbers are down a bit across the board. With the talk of Trae possibly wanting out, how bad is this trade looking now?

https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2252302


I agree with this comment in the thread

He's not a starting level featured player on a team with championship aspirations. He's a 4th best player on a championship team player, getting touches like he's a number 1 option on subpar teams.

[RodyTur10]

Interesting post on RealGM about the Dejounte Murray Atlanta Hawks trade:

Spurs traded Murray to the Hawks for 2 unprotected 1sts in 2025 and 2027, another protected 1st via Charlotte, and unprotected swap rights in 2026

Hawks record after 35 games:

Last season: 16-19
This season: 17-18

Spurs record after 35 games

Last season: 14-21
This season: 12-23

Dejounte Murray this season: 20/6/5/1.7 .528 TS%
Dejounte Murray last season: 21/9/8/2 .533 TS%

Doesn't seem like losing Murray has impacted SA much nor has it boosted ATL much and his numbers are down a bit across the board. With the talk of Trae possibly wanting out, how bad is this trade looking now?

https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2252302


I agree with this comment in the thread

He's not a starting level featured player on a team with championship aspirations. He's a 4th best player on a championship team player, getting touches like he's a number 1 option on subpar teams.

Very interesting information. There's certainly an argument that of the two guards who were playing in San Antonio a year ago (Murray and White) the Celtics got the best one.

[W8ting2McHale]

Interesting post on RealGM about the Dejounte Murray Atlanta Hawks trade:

Spurs traded Murray to the Hawks for 2 unprotected 1sts in 2025 and 2027, another protected 1st via Charlotte, and unprotected swap rights in 2026

Hawks record after 35 games:

Last season: 16-19
This season: 17-18

Spurs record after 35 games

Last season: 14-21
This season: 12-23

Dejounte Murray this season: 20/6/5/1.7 .528 TS%
Dejounte Murray last season: 21/9/8/2 .533 TS%

Doesn't seem like losing Murray has impacted SA much nor has it boosted ATL much and his numbers are down a bit across the board. With the talk of Trae possibly wanting out, how bad is this trade looking now?

https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2252302


I agree with this comment in the thread

He's not a starting level featured player on a team with championship aspirations. He's a 4th best player on a championship team player, getting touches like he's a number 1 option on subpar teams.

Very interesting information. There's certainly an argument that of the two guards who were playing in San Antonio a year ago (Murray and White) the Celtics got the best one.

It’s an interesting take; and may very well be true, but I read through that thread and no one else seemed to agree. Most saw other reasons why Murray hasn’t been better. Certainly none claimed he wasn’t a starter level player.

I think White fits the Celtics very well. If we had Murray instead, Brad probably wouldn’t have pursued Brogdon, since Murray would provide enough offense to backup the J’s. He probably would have hunted for a defensive wing.

[RodyTur10]

We're almost halfway the season. I believe there are five contenders in the East: Celtics, Nets, Sixers, Bucks and Cavaliers (in that order). My view on all the teams in the East in order of the current standings (bottom to top).

BOTTOM

Detroit Pistons: Veterans Burks and Bogdanovic are playing really well. They should trade them for picks.  A revival of Motown seems more likely than the Pistons becoming relevant. The fans need a lot of patience with Ivey, Hayes, Cunningham, Bey, Stewart and Duren. And I mean a lot.

Charlotte Hornets: For years the Hornets were always fighting for a playoff spot. While LaMelo Ball was injured the other guys (Rozier, Oubre, Hayward, Washington, Plumlee) were lost. With the young upcoming star leading they could improve their record, but the front office has their work cut out to create a legitimate team.

Orlando Magic: A very young team which is showing some promise. Banchero is a very good rookie. With such a broad arsenal of talented guards (Anthony, Hampton, Suggs, Fultz), big wings (Banchero, F.Wagner, Isaac, Okeke) and bigs (Carter Jr, Bamba, Bol, M.Wagner) it's a a matter of time before they become a playoff team again.

MIDDLE

Washington Wizards: Porzingis should be on the All Star team. Beal is quietly having a good season. Basically they're are at their ceiling. Which is fighting for a play-in spot. But their stars don't have a lot of trading value and no upcoming talent. That's not a great place to be in. Beal and Wizards are stuck with each other.

Toronto Raptors: A decade long we were used to see the only Canadian team in the top of the Eastern Conference. Not anymore. What are they going to do with VanVleet and Siakam (his stock has risen immensely)? The wise thing seems to be building around Barnes, but such a development seldom goes in a straight line to the top.

Chicago Bulls: A core of B-stars (Ball, LaVine, DeRozan, Vucevic) is not a recipe for big time success in the NBA. The team in general is well constructed with defensive role players (Caruso, Green, Jones, Williams) to complement the stars. So they should compete for a playoff run when Lonzo Ball gets back soon.

Atlanta Hawks: It proves to be really difficult to build a team around Young. He's an offensive juggernaut, but defensively he's a liability. The core was basically set with Young, Murray, Bogdanovic, Hunter, Collins and Capela. However, if results don't improve I can see some changes coming. Pressure is on.

New York Knicks: Randle is carrying this team to a positive record with Brunson (second option) and Robinson (great rim protector) plus Grimes and Quickley (floor spacers). The other side: lottery picks Barrett, Reddish and Toppin aren't showing improvement. Barrett should be trade bait.

Miami Heat: Butler is playing as great as ever. For some reason Adebayo hasn't. But their top 5 guys on the payroll (Butler, Adebayo, Lowry, Herro and Robinson) are really expensive. As a consequence the Heat are lacking depth. Tough team to face, but I don't see the Heat reaching the Conference Finals.

Indiana Pacers: The Pacers really have no business being where they are. The secret? Haliburton possesses the most important quality in basketball: creating great shots. With development (Mathurin, Nembhard, Nesmith, Smith), trades (Hield, Turner) or free agency the Pacers have all kinds of ways to build around Haliburton. Their path is clear.

TOP

Philadelphia 76ers: A lot of people say the Celtics have the best duo in the East. Honestly, I think Embiid and Harden have something to say about that. Harris, Maxey and Melton are fine, but the bench is a huge weakness. Still with Harden and Embiid in top shape the Sixers are not to be underestimated. Their time is now.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Finally a team that plays good defense. Surprisingly it's a team with a beautiful young core in Garland, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen. Their overall inexperience could be a problem in this playoffs, but very soon they are going to be a title contender.

Milwaukee Bucks: I'm seeing a team that could be slowly sliding. The rotation is getting old and thin. Even Antetokounmpo has a down year for his standards. The look out is for Middleton but except against the Celtics (like D'Angelo Russell) he's never been a real All Star. They will be active on the buy-out market.

Brooklyn Nets: Eleven wins in a row and counting. They have a superstar (Durant), a second star (Irving), elite defenders (Simmons, Claxton, O'Neale) and an experienced bench (Mills, Curry, Harris, Warren). We need Durant, Irving and Simmons to be little cry babies again and create some havoc, because the Nets are a real problem.

Boston Celtics: Stevens has done a great job as Ainges successor. The rotation is well rounded. Don't change a thing. But I reckon a star battle (Tatum+Brown) vs (Durant+Irving) vs (Harden+Embiid) vs (Antetokounmpo+Holiday) could also be lost. A healthy Celtics team (please Timelord) is one of the favorites for the title though.

Early prediction:

elimination: Pistons, Hornets, Magic, Wizards, Raptors
play-in exit: Hawks, Pacers
first round exit: Bulls, Knicks, Heat, Cavaliers
conference semis exit: Bucks, 76ers
conference finals exit: Celtics
finals: Nets

[Goldstar88]

We're almost halfway the season. I believe there are five contenders in the East: Celtics, Nets, Sixers, Bucks and Cavaliers (in that order). My view on all the teams in the East in order of the current standings (bottom to top).

BOTTOM

Detroit Pistons: Veterans Burks and Bogdanovic are playing really well. They should trade them for picks.  A revival of Motown seems more likely than the Pistons becoming relevant. The fans need a lot of patience with Ivey, Hayes, Cunningham, Bey, Stewart and Duren. And I mean a lot.

Charlotte Hornets: For years the Hornets were always fighting for a playoff spot. While LaMelo Ball was injured the other guys (Rozier, Oubre, Hayward, Washington, Plumlee) were lost. With the young upcoming star leading they could improve their record, but the front office has their work cut out to create a legitimate team.

Orlando Magic: A very young team which is showing some promise. Banchero is a very good rookie. With such a broad arsenal of talented guards (Anthony, Hampton, Suggs, Fultz), big wings (Banchero, F.Wagner, Isaac, Okeke) and bigs (Carter Jr, Bamba, Bol, M.Wagner) it's a a matter of time before they become a playoff team again.

MIDDLE

Washington Wizards: Porzingis should be on the All Star team. Beal is quietly having a good season. Basically they're are at their ceiling. Which is fighting for a play-in spot. But their stars don't have a lot of trading value and no upcoming talent. That's not a great place to be in. Beal and Wizards are stuck with each other.

Toronto Raptors: A decade long we were used to see the only Canadian team in the top of the Eastern Conference. Not anymore. What are they going to do with VanVleet and Siakam (his stock has risen immensely)? The wise thing seems to be building around Barnes, but such a development seldom goes in a straight line to the top.

Chicago Bulls: A core of B-stars (Ball, LaVine, DeRozan, Vucevic) is not a recipe for big time success in the NBA. The team in general is well constructed with defensive role players (Caruso, Green, Jones, Williams) to complement the stars. So they should compete for a playoff run when Lonzo Ball gets back soon.

Atlanta Hawks: It proves to be really difficult to build a team around Young. He's an offensive juggernaut, but defensively he's a liability. The core was basically set with Young, Murray, Bogdanovic, Hunter, Collins and Capela. However, if results don't improve I can see some changes coming. Pressure is on.

New York Knicks: Randle is carrying this team to a positive record with Brunson (second option) and Robinson (great rim protector) plus Grimes and Quickley (floor spacers). The other side: lottery picks Barrett, Reddish and Toppin aren't showing improvement. Barrett should be trade bait.

Miami Heat: Butler is playing as great as ever. For some reason Adebayo hasn't. But their top 5 guys on the payroll (Butler, Adebayo, Lowry, Herro and Robinson) are really expensive. As a consequence the Heat are lacking depth. Tough team to face, but I don't see the Heat reaching the Conference Finals.

Indiana Pacers: The Pacers really have no business being where they are. The secret? Haliburton possesses the most important quality in basketball: creating great shots. With development (Mathurin, Nembhard, Nesmith, Smith), trades (Hield, Turner) or free agency the Pacers have all kinds of ways to build around Haliburton. Their path is clear.

TOP

Philadelphia 76ers: A lot of people say the Celtics have the best duo in the East. Honestly, I think Embiid and Harden have something to say about that. Harris, Maxey and Melton are fine, but the bench is a huge weakness. Still with Harden and Embiid in top shape the Sixers are not to be underestimated. Their time is now.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Finally a team that plays good defense. Surprisingly it's a team with a beautiful young core in Garland, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen. Their overall inexperience could be a problem in this playoffs, but very soon they are going to be a title contender.

Milwaukee Bucks: I'm seeing a team that could be slowly sliding. The rotation is getting old and thin. Even Antetokounmpo has a down year for his standards. The look out is for Middleton but except against the Celtics (like D'Angelo Russell) he's never been a real All Star. They will be active on the buy-out market.

Brooklyn Nets: Eleven wins in a row and counting. They have a superstar (Durant), a second star (Irving), elite defenders (Simmons, Claxton, O'Neale) and an experienced bench (Mills, Curry, Harris, Warren). We need Durant, Irving and Simmons to be little cry babies again and create some havoc, because the Nets are a real problem.

Boston Celtics: Stevens has done a great job as Ainges successor. The rotation is well rounded. Don't change a thing. But I reckon a star battle (Tatum+Brown) vs (Durant+Irving) vs (Harden+Embiid) vs (Antetokounmpo+Holiday) could also be lost. A healthy Celtics team (please Timelord) is one of the favorites for the title though.

I feel like the Bucks will be #2 behind the Celtics if/when they get healthy. Nets have quite a few players that can be exploited defensively. I generally agree with your order other than that.

[hpantazo]

On the positive side of the Nets resurgence, it likely means someone like Cleveland, Milwaukee or Phili will have to deal with them in the playoffs before we do. Unlike last season where we got them in the first round after the Bucks tanked to avoid them.