2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[Moranis]

Lakers getting hammered in New Orleans.

Lakers don’t have enough talent. Our top 5 players are all better than their 3rd best and it isn’t particularly close.

Last season I was adamant that Kyrie was going to sign with the Lakers. After looking at their contract construction, I assumed it was a forgone conclusion because I thought no one could be that stupid to think the Lakers were contenders with that roster.

Obviously I was wrong, Jeanie Buss & Rob Pelinka are that stupid.

Lakers should be very concerned that they are a .500 team with both AD and Lebron being totally healthy. I think lasts years conference finals run was fools good that made them think it was worth running it back while overrating AR, Rui and Vanderbilt a bit.

What was the alternative, though? Let everyone walk? With some valuable pieces and tradeable contracts to leverage, I imagine they'll make a spectacular move before the deadline and be part of the conversation. Almost 50 years of the Lakers getting handed talent.

Lebron’s final year next season is a player option. Does he ditch the Lakers if nothing happens this year? Will Pelinka be pressured to trade future draft assets just to let Lebron stay? Or does Lebron ask the Lakers to trade him so LA can at least get something out of him? Interesting.

Lebron isn't leaving the Lakers except to retire or play with one of his sons.

This is a pretty huge qualifier though, no? If the lakers don’t get Bronny, which is a 1/30 chance, he could leave them? That seems like great chances he could.

Has anyone asked Bronny whether he wants his NBA experience to be tied to his father - anymore than it already will be?  He may not be good enough to make an NBA roster - does he really want a non-legit roster spot just to take a few minutes on the court with his father? Maybe he does. Is playing pro ball with dad something that really matters to him?  Maybe. 

Good for them if this is something they both want, but I really hope this isn't just some personal accomplishment for LBJ that might be something Bronny would rather not have hanging over his head. 

How about just expressing joy in his son's achievement if Bronny does make his way onto a pro roster?  If Bronny is able to make it, it probably would have to be with a few years of hard work - G-league, oversees, to make it happen.  Is that really something Lebron should want to supersede - for his own gratification?   UNLESS... this is also something Bronny truly wants. I have different thoughts on the matter if this is as much a Bronny hope as it is Lebron's.

who says it will be next year. It may be a few years down the line. Heck it might even be Bryce and not Bronny (though Bryce has seemed to tail off as a prospect).  Lebron saying he'd like to play with his son his last year has never meant as soon as possible.

[Kernewek]

Lakers getting hammered in New Orleans.

Lakers don’t have enough talent. Our top 5 players are all better than their 3rd best and it isn’t particularly close.

Last season I was adamant that Kyrie was going to sign with the Lakers. After looking at their contract construction, I assumed it was a forgone conclusion because I thought no one could be that stupid to think the Lakers were contenders with that roster.

Obviously I was wrong, Jeanie Buss & Rob Pelinka are that stupid.

Lakers should be very concerned that they are a .500 team with both AD and Lebron being totally healthy. I think lasts years conference finals run was fools good that made them think it was worth running it back while overrating AR, Rui and Vanderbilt a bit.

What was the alternative, though? Let everyone walk? With some valuable pieces and tradeable contracts to leverage, I imagine they'll make a spectacular move before the deadline and be part of the conversation. Almost 50 years of the Lakers getting handed talent.

Lebron’s final year next season is a player option. Does he ditch the Lakers if nothing happens this year? Will Pelinka be pressured to trade future draft assets just to let Lebron stay? Or does Lebron ask the Lakers to trade him so LA can at least get something out of him? Interesting.

Lebron isn't leaving the Lakers except to retire or play with one of his sons.

This is a pretty huge qualifier though, no? If the lakers don’t get Bronny, which is a 1/30 chance, he could leave them? That seems like great chances he could.

Has anyone asked Bronny whether he wants his NBA experience to be tied to his father - anymore than it already will be?  He may not be good enough to make an NBA roster - does he really want a non-legit roster spot just to take a few minutes on the court with his father? Maybe he does. Is playing pro ball with dad something that really matters to him?  Maybe. 

Good for them if this is something they both want, but I really hope this isn't just some personal accomplishment for LBJ that might be something Bronny would rather not have hanging over his head. 

How about just expressing joy in his son's achievement if Bronny does make his way onto a pro roster?  If Bronny is able to make it, it probably would have to be with a few years of hard work - G-league, oversees, to make it happen.  Is that really something Lebron should want to supersede - for his own gratification?   UNLESS... this is also something Bronny truly wants. I have different thoughts on the matter if this is as much a Bronny hope as it is Lebron's.

If this was a big concern for Bronny we can safely presume he'd be pursuing something that isn't basketball.

It's an imperfect comparison, but Jordan's oldest kids both bailed on hoops after a couple of years at the university level - presumably because of the implicit comparison and also because, by all accounts, they'd rather not be doing it.

[Phantom255x]

Funny, Tyrese Halliburton pointed at the game ball to the Bucks crowd and handed it to the ref after the Pacers beat the Bucks in Fiserv this time around. No fists flying or Giannis crying over it now.

I really hope the Pacers and Bucks draw each other in the playoffs. That would be a fun, fiesty series.

Also, the Pacers only shot 5/35 from 3 yesterday and still beat MIL while scoring 122. I've seen Bucks fans on social media complaining about Lillard's defense (or lack thereof). It's why I'm not too worried about them. Giannis puts up numbers but it doesn't always matter against the better teams. They play zero defense and even Giannis seems to take plays off on that end now. Probably because he has to focus more on scoring and impacting the game in other ways.

PHI and MIL to date have played easy schedules. They now play two of the toughest schedules remaining in this season.

[RodyTur10]

Funny, Tyrese Halliburton pointed at the game ball to the Bucks crowd and handed it to the ref after the Pacers beat the Bucks in Fiserv this time around. No fists flying or Giannis crying over it now.

That Indiana team is young and inexperienced. And some of the secondary talent is questionable whether they become legit starting material. Nonetheless they're currently at a play-off spot after this impressive road win in Milwaukee. All this due to having an elite offense which can be allocated to just one guy: Tyrese Haliburton. The man is like a better Steve Nash!

[Who]

Man, the main players on the Charlotte Hornets stink at getting to the FT line.

LaMelo = 19.9 FGA for 4.2 FTA for 21.1% FTr
Rozier = 18.8 FGA for 4.1 FTA for 21.8% FTr
M Bridges = 16.6 FGA for 3.3 FTA for 19.9% FTr
B Miller = 13.0 FGA for 1.9 FTA for 14.9% FTr
PJ Washington = 11.8 FGA for 2.1 FTA for 17.9% FTr

Hayward = 11.9 FGA for 3.2 FTA for a 27.3% FTr

Gordon Hayward is the only one of their main scorers who has a positive free throw rate (FTr). Everyone else is below average, well below average (LaMelo, Rozier) to way way below average (Bridges, Miller, PJ). Brandon Miller's is downright scary for a top pick / hopeful franchise scoring wing.

[Ed Monix]

Catch & Shoot 3PM leaders:

Max Strus: 87 (36.1%)
Klay Thompson: 82 (36.4%)
Bogdan Bogdanovic: 78 (37.1%)
Donte DiVincenzo: 72 (43.6%)
Lauri Markkanen: 72 (38.5%)
Eric Gordon: 71 (42.3%)
Sam Hauser: 71 (42.5%)
Malik Beasley: 70 (49.6%)
Michael Porter Jr.: 70 (40.9%)
Stephen Curry: 70 (44.9%)

[BitterJim]

Catch & Shoot 3PM leaders:

Max Strus: 87 (36.1%)
Klay Thompson: 82 (36.4%)
Bogdan Bogdanovic: 78 (37.1%)
Donte DiVincenzo: 72 (43.6%)
Lauri Markkanen: 72 (38.5%)
Eric Gordon: 71 (42.3%)
Sam Hauser: 71 (42.5%)
Malik Beasley: 70 (49.6%)
Michael Porter Jr.: 70 (40.9%)
Stephen Curry: 70 (44.9%)

I knew Beasley was shooting lights out, but still: WOW

He's not even shooting that much worse on non-catch and shoot 3s

[SHAQATTACK]

Indy-Mil good game

[bdm860]

Indy-Mil good game

This feels like the 10th time they've played each other this season (looked it up and it's actually the 5th, last one for the season unless they meet in the playoffs which I'm hoping we get to see).

[Phantom255x]

Indy-Mil good game

This feels like the 10th time they've played each other this season (looked it up and it's actually the 5th, last one for the season unless they meet in the playoffs which I'm hoping we get to see).

Yeah I was literally gonna say the same thing. It's almost like these two teams have already played a playoff series with each other in the regular season 

[radiohead]

The Hawks are up early vs OKC.

[Phantom255x]

The Bucks are down 10 in the 3rd and look set to give up nearly 150 to Indiana.

Zero defense.

[scaryjerry]

Funny, Tyrese Halliburton pointed at the game ball to the Bucks crowd and handed it to the ref after the Pacers beat the Bucks in Fiserv this time around. No fists flying or Giannis crying over it now.

I really hope the Pacers and Bucks draw each other in the playoffs. That would be a fun, fiesty series.

Also, the Pacers only shot 5/35 from 3 yesterday and still beat MIL while scoring 122. I've seen Bucks fans on social media complaining about Lillard's defense (or lack thereof). It's why I'm not too worried about them. Giannis puts up numbers but it doesn't always matter against the better teams. They play zero defense and even Giannis seems to take plays off on that end now. Probably because he has to focus more on scoring and impacting the game in other ways.

PHI and MIL to date have played easy schedules. They now play two of the toughest schedules remaining in this season.

   

I just looked at the bucks next 20 plus games and only like 4 look like tough games, certainly no harder then our next 20

Tbh in the next 20 games to me the Celtics have the hardest schedule of the 3.

[Who]

Alvarado never stops working. Keeps going. Like the energizer bunny.

[Who]

Toronto look pretty good with RJ Barrett and Quickley. Four guys who can make plays off the dribble. Two guys off the bench in Schroder and Trent who can spell them and make plays themselves. Poeltl as the rebound getter.