2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[liam]

Is there a search function on the message boards?  Apologies for this if it's old news.

Just saw that there's interest in Marcus Smart from the Lakers and Bucks.  Ugggh, I'd hate to go up against either of them if they had Smart. 

https://x.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1753431524781760718?s=20

Sure there's interest, but the Grizzlies just traded two firsts for Smart and they’re going to turn around and trade him for Connaughton and Portis, and a 2nd from Milwaukee? The Lakers have slightly better assets, but not much.  It’s not like Smart is on an expiring deal — Memphis has no need to move him.

Two firsts and Tyus Jones...

[Donoghus]

Is there a search function on the message boards?  Apologies for this if it's old news.

Just saw that there's interest in Marcus Smart from the Lakers and Bucks.  Ugggh, I'd hate to go up against either of them if they had Smart. 

https://x.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1753431524781760718?s=20

You are leaving out the key part of the report which is that grizzlies have no interest in trading him and rebuffed the suiters

Some of those so-called NBA news aggregation sites are real junk.  Just the other day, one of the them was citing Matt Moore reporting that the Mavs had received multiple offer of 3 first rounders for Tim Hardaway Jr. and Matt Moore actually had to come out and and say he never reported such a thing

[Atzar]

Far cry from the slam dunk competitions of yesteryear.

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
Sources: The NBA’s likely Slam Dunk Contest participants at All-Star Weekend:

Mac McClung, Jaylen Brown, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jacob Toppin.

If you need to invite Jacob freaking Toppin to participate in this thing, then your event is dead.  I'm sure he can jump into orbit but that's not the point.  I can spend five minutes on Youtube if I want to see some random shmuck I've never heard of dunk a basketball. 

Get Ant Edwards, get Scottie Barnes, get Donovan Mitchell, get somebody that people actually want to see.  Mac had some good dunks last year but sorry, I'm not interested in watching G-leaguers and two-way guys at All-Star weekend. 

[liam]

Does anyone remember when they used to post BA as a stat? That's blocks against.

[Who]

Interesting stats from a RealGM post

Tyrese Maxey has a true shooting percentage of 60.2 with Joel Embiid this season.

GP 33
TS 60.2
MPG 37.0
PPG 25.8
RBS 3.6
AST 6.8

Tyrese Maxey has a true shooting percentage of 52.6 without Joel Embiid this season.

GP 12
TS 52.6
MPG 38.0
PPG 26.3
RBS 3.2
AST 5.3

More concern for Philly without Embiid. Can Maxey reproduce his form without Embiid around?

[Who]

SGA is leading the league in the league in steals, free throws made and +/-. He is 3rd in scoring.

Info from in-game graphic. Impressive.

[Who]

Utah do not make sense to me.

I thought they would be more competitive than many others did this season but they are accomplishing that in a completely different way than I expected. So they are a big surprise to me.

I thought they would go small in the backcourt and big in the frontcourt. Instead they have gone small in both the backcourt and the frontcourt with Kessler going to the bench and John Collins becoming the starting center.

They have such a strange roster of combo guards and big men.

Guards: C Sexton, J Clarkson, K Dunn, K George, O Agbaji, Horton-Tucker
Wings: Fontecchio
Big Men: Markkanen, John Collins, Olynyk, Kessler, Yurtseven

They have only one wing on their roster and he isn't even good. He is at best an average bench player and that may be over-rating him. I thought Utah would go big with two PF/SFs at forward and try bully bull with a defensive center controlling the paint and backboards. Instead they play this guy Fontecchio and go all-offense lineups more often with Kessler's minutes reduced in favour of offensive bigs like Olynyk and John Collins at center.

The lotto pick Taylor-Hendricks hasn't made an impact either. I thought he would be a realiable rotation player as a rookie. Especially since Utah were desperate for athleticism and defense at forward. Nah, they just ignore athleticism and defense at forward. All-offense frontcourts.

Utah is 15th in offensive efficiency and 25th in defensive efficiency. I would expect them to be even lower than 25th given their personnel but I guess there are a few genuinely atrocious teams in the league this year that are pumping Utah up in the rankings. 15th in offense isn't bad but you'd almost expect them to be higher with how offensive minded their lineups.

Such a strange team.

They were 8 wins and 16 losses (27 win pace) to open the season. Since then they have gone 17 wins and 10 losses (52 win pace) to get to .500. They are in the playoff picture as the 10th seed and final play-in squad. They are currently above Golden State and Houston although GSW should move back ahead of Utah in the weeks ahead.

[Who]

Haha, oh Bol Bol! Too funny watching him try to defend Giannis. Stuck on Giannis on a switch twice. Both times blows right by him dunk and layup. No hope Bol Bol can move his feet quick enough laterally to stay in front of Giannis. Can't be putting Bol Bol on the floor with Giannis there.

[celticsclay]

The bucks defense is worlds bettered without Lilliard. Their offense is also worlds worse.

[Donoghus]

Bulls about to knock off the TWolves in OT.

Coby White having himself a night.

[Who]

Phoenix got a lot of iso ball and midrange shooting with Durant, D Booker and Beal. It is almost like they are taking turns at times.

[Who]

Haha, why is Nurkic defending Giannis? How is Nurkic going to stay in front of Giannis?

Was that a screw up in transition or intentional? It looked intentional.

[Who]

Haha, why is Nurkic defending Giannis? How is Nurkic going to stay in front of Giannis?

Was that a screw up in transition or intentional? It looked intentional.

It is Bol Bol and Nurkic on the floor together. Neither guy can cover Giannis. What the heck is that coaching staff doing.

[Who]

PHX just had a possession where they had Bol Bol about to iso against Giannis. He decided against it. Gives it to Grayson Allen. Then Grayson goes iso against Giannis.

What are they even thinking out there? No brains to this offense. Result was a 28 foot heave against the shot clock which missed.

[Goldstar88]

Bucks lead the Suns 49-48 at halftime. Amazing how much better their defense is without Lillard.