2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[blink]

So the Fakers are going to win it..meh 

Yeah, as expected LJ and AD came to play and the Pacers didn't have the length or experience (or the good luck with the 3 point shooting) to really challenge them.
You could tell Lebron wanted the title.

I have really enjoyed watching Tatum and Brown since they were drafted.  I have been behind them 100%, but I still don't know if they really have what it takes to win a title.   I guess you don't have what it takes until it happens.  You saw a blueprint of how a team can win despite horrible 3 point shooting tonight.  If I was Brad / Joe, I would be showing the film of this game to JT/JB.  Too many times our team shoots ourselves out of games because we refuse to change our approach, even for 1 game.  But I don't know if Joe has it in him to allow the C's to play different ways on different nights.

[RJ87]

Celts should have been there to challenge the Lakers. Clearly it meant enough to LA to make a statement and now their franchise has the first one of whatever this Cup ends up becoming. 

It would have been cool if the Celts were in it.

Do people really care?

That's not a combative question. I just don't care at all and am curious if other people are putting any stock into it.

[hpantazo]

When AD is healthy, he's a game changer for that Lakers team. He gives them the best chance at making a deep run too.

Exactly. When AD shows up, the Lakers are legit. The problem is he rarely shows up for a consistent stretch of games.

I would love to see a Celtics-Lakers Finals. Porzingis would be able to handle AD, and the Lakers can't deal with Tatum, Brown, White and Holliday. The Celtics need to be focused enough to get there though.

[Redz]

Celts should have been there to challenge the Lakers. Clearly it meant enough to LA to make a statement and now their franchise has the first one of whatever this Cup ends up becoming. 

It would have been cool if the Celts were in it.

Do people really care?

That's not a combative question. I just don't care at all and am curious if other people are putting any stock into it.

I’m not losing sleep over it, but if the Lakers were going to take the time and effort to win the thing I’d like to have seen the Celtics do the same. 

Obviously the trophy in June is what we’re after.

[hpantazo]

Celts should have been there to challenge the Lakers. Clearly it meant enough to LA to make a statement and now their franchise has the first one of whatever this Cup ends up becoming. 

It would have been cool if the Celts were in it.

Do people really care?

That's not a combative question. I just don't care at all and am curious if other people are putting any stock into it.

I’m not losing sleep over it, but if the Lakers were going to take the time and effort to win the thing I’d like to have seen the Celtics do the same. 

Obviously the trophy in June is what we’re after.

I agree. I do feel that if we had Porzingis healthy vs the Pacers we could have won this tournament though.

[ozgod]

So the Fakers are going to win it..meh 

Yeah, as expected LJ and AD came to play and the Pacers didn't have the length or experience (or the good luck with the 3 point shooting) to really challenge them.
You could tell Lebron wanted the title.

I have really enjoyed watching Tatum and Brown since they were drafted.  I have been behind them 100%, but I still don't know if they really have what it takes to win a title.   I guess you don't have what it takes until it happens.  You saw a blueprint of how a team can win despite horrible 3 point shooting tonight.  If I was Brad / Joe, I would be showing the film of this game to JT/JB.  Too many times our team shoots ourselves out of games because we refuse to change our approach, even for 1 game.  But I don't know if Joe has it in him to allow the C's to play different ways on different nights.

The Fakers made sure Haliburton wasn't going to beat them, they trapped him everytime he had the ball. He had 20 points but 3 turnovers and was a -19. And LeBum just sonned Nesmith all night.

[tazzmaniac]

The Pistons, Spurs, and Wizards are on a 1-48 streak and the only win was the Wizards beating the Pistons.

Are the Spurs going for the double-tank to get Wemby a long term all-star sidekick?

most teams do that, not sure why the Spurs would be any different

Sure, but it starts down the road of the Sixers 'process', and that didn't work out well for them. Also, Pop doesn't have much time left, I would have thought developing a winning culture now that they have Wemby and some nice young players would have been his preference.

The tanking wasn't the Sixers problem, it was the poor win now moves they made after the tanking (acquiring Butler only to let him go after a year and then waiting too long to trade Simmons and then making a poor decision on that trade).  And for all the crap the Sixers get, they wouldn't have Embiid without their tank.  The Sixers are in a much better position, then a team like the Knicks that never fully tanked.  Tanking works, but only if you fully commit and do it for a couple of seasons (the Thunder have done it twice in the last 15 years, both times with great success). You have to get the franchise guy AND the complimentary pieces (either in young guys or by trading the young guys).  The Spurs managed to get the franchise guy, but if they don't get the other pieces it won't matter because there are very few players in league history where if you got them, you could compete without other super high level talent (Lebron is the most obvious, but Cleveland was probably never winning without a 2nd star - which for a franchise like Cleveland is best accomplished in the draft).  I mean even the Bulls never even won a playoff series with Jordan until they landed Pippen with the 5th pick and did so with a brilliant trade.   

I don't think the Process ever even finished, because the league pretty much forced Hinkie out of Philly because of the optics. There was probably gonna be some more tanking. It almost still worked out beautifully for them, IF they had kept Butler after 2019. I know Harris has looked better this season but since 2019 the Sixers have really underachieved because they don't really have a legit #2 or even #3 next to Embiid. Harden was that for a short time but that didn't work out. Tobias Harris has mostly been a 190M dud. Now Maxey is emerging and they have a legit coach + better pieces to complement the roster

The Process ended when Hinkie resigned after his 3rd season as GM.  The tanking part of the Process was a success as it got them Embiid and plenty of other assets to use.  Now it took the "good luck" of Embiid getting injured and falling to 3rd in the draft for them him.  But then there was the "bad luck" of Embiid's 1st foot surgery failing that led to Hinkie's ousture.   Hinkie resigned in April 2016 which was before Embiid had ever played an NBA game.  In an alternative universe where the 1st surgery works, Embiid's positive albeit injured shortened 1st season would have kept Hinkie in the job and who knows where the Process would have gone. 

As is, the tanking was still a success albeit not a full-blown championship level success.  It got them Embiid who has led them to 5 50+ wins seasons (includes 49win short season) in his 6 full seasons played.  That's the most success they've had since the 80s.  If they'd made some better post tanking decisions, they could have had even more success.  Now with Maxey looking like a great fitting 2nd star to Embiid they've got another opportunity.  We'll have to see if Morey can make the decisions needed to build around Embiid and Maxey to take them to another level. 

[Birdman]

In season tournament? I don’t care who won it just a money making scheme and all I care bout is winning a championship in June, not December lol

[Birdman]

And to me, lakers not top 5 team in West..it’s a long season & no way Davis or James gotta be healthy when playoffs comes around..unless they trade for Lavine or Demar, they be out second round

[scaryjerry]

Lakers really wanted that IST win and played like it….kinda acted a bit over the top after winning it though and it kinda made me feel better the Celtics didn’t win it. I would’ve been embarrassed had the Celtics won it and carried themselves that way over it

[Moranis]

Lebron definitely shows up for new things. Lakers win the Bubble, Lakers win first play-in, Lakers win first in season tournament.  The level of intensity he still has is amazing.  Still plays like losing will kill him after 20 years and more games played than anyone else in history.

Nuggets are the best team in the sport, but I wouldn't bet against the Lakers verse anyone else.

[scaryjerry]

Lebron definitely shows up for new things. Lakers win the Bubble, Lakers win first play-in, Lakers win first in season tournament.  The level of intensity he still has is amazing.  Still plays like losing will kill him after 20 years and more games played than anyone else in history.

Nuggets are the best team in the sport, but I wouldn't bet against the Lakers verse anyone else.

Lebron also celebrated winning the in season tournament more than Jokic celebrated winning the actual championship…it was kinda embarrassing but clearly meant a lot to him

[CelticsWhat35]

Lebron definitely shows up for new things. Lakers win the Bubble, Lakers win first play-in, Lakers win first in season tournament.  The level of intensity he still has is amazing.  Still plays like losing will kill him after 20 years and more games played than anyone else in history.

Nuggets are the best team in the sport, but I wouldn't bet against the Lakers verse anyone else.

Seriously?  Because of an in-season tournament championship?  They still have the same issues they’ve always had.  AD can’t be great/healthy through an entire season and while Lebron may get up for specific games, you’re fooling yourself if you think he’s anywhere close to his Miami Heat level.  He’s definitely not that player defensively anymore.  I can think of many teams I’d bet to win the title this year ahead of them

[celticinorlando]

Glad this is over. Tired of hearing about. Lakers will melt in the playoffs.

[celticinorlando]

In season tournament? I don’t care who won it just a money making scheme and all I care bout is winning a championship in June, not December lol

Exactly.