2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[Goldstar88]

Bucks could only score 97 points against a severely depleted Heat team. 

[cman88]

Heat are beating the Bucks by 16 in the 3rd. Hopefully the can hold on to that lead..

Up 30 now.

Not sure how you can take this Bucks team seriously at this point. With Embiid's injury, I truly think that both of them will be fighting to even have one round of homecourt advantage in the playoffs. I predict that only one of them gets it.

They're either coasting and wanting to draw Boston in a first round matchup bcuz "it's Boston", or they have some serious team identity issues.

I'm leaning towards the latter. It started with Terry Stotts stepping down in the preseason. Something in the water ain't clean up there in Milwaukee...

You have to wonder if keeping Bud was the right call and if they still would've fired him if knowing about the Dame possibility. That's a lot of change to go through in one offseason.

That and the Dame fit just feels forced. Ig et the sense that there's some resentment there about his role in the defensive issues, especially after being such an elite defensive team for so many years.

I think this might be the game where Giannis finally wants to demand a trade and be traded to the Lakers or Warriors...he don't wanna put up with this garbage in Milwaukee. He's had enough is probably what going on in his mind right now.

The Dame addition is also bad but he's unhappy with his role.

This guy Dame complained for years of being the only "guy" on portland but talked a big game about never "running from the grind"

now hes on Milwaukee and he's unhappy that he might have to sacrifice (which supposedly they got mad at griffin for saying). you need to pick one of the other....

to be honest, if it wasn't for Durant's foot being 1 inch too big i do wonder if we would look at Milwaukee differently. other than that year they've been a 1st or divisional round exit.

[Roy H.]

Heat are beating the Bucks by 16 in the 3rd. Hopefully the can hold on to that lead..

Up 30 now.

Not sure how you can take this Bucks team seriously at this point. With Embiid's injury, I truly think that both of them will be fighting to even have one round of homecourt advantage in the playoffs. I predict that only one of them gets it.

They're either coasting and wanting to draw Boston in a first round matchup bcuz "it's Boston", or they have some serious team identity issues.

I'm leaning towards the latter. It started with Terry Stotts stepping down in the preseason. Something in the water ain't clean up there in Milwaukee...

You have to wonder if keeping Bud was the right call and if they still would've fired him if knowing about the Dame possibility. That's a lot of change to go through in one offseason.

That and the Dame fit just feels forced. Ig et the sense that there's some resentment there about his role in the defensive issues, especially after being such an elite defensive team for so many years.

I think this might be the game where Giannis finally wants to demand a trade and be traded to the Lakers or Warriors...he don't wanna put up with this garbage in Milwaukee. He's had enough is probably what going on in his mind right now.

The Dame addition is also bad but he's unhappy with his role.

This guy Dame complained for years of being the only "guy" on portland but talked a big game about never "running from the grind"

now hes on Milwaukee and he's unhappy that he might have to sacrifice (which supposedly they got mad at griffin for saying). you need to pick one of the other....

to be honest, if it wasn't for Durant's foot being 1 inch too big i do wonder if we would look at Milwaukee differently. other than that year they've been a 1st or divisional round exit.

I think there are three things that have led to Milwaukee's decline.

The obvious one is the lack of defense and the corresponding loss of team identity.  Milwaukee was a grit-and-grind type of team with dogs like Holiday and Grayson Allen.  They replaced that with an offense-only star. 

They compounded that with their coaching changes.  A team can't repeatedly change philosophy and still be successful.

But, the biggest singular change responsible for the decline of Milwaukee is regression of Kris Middleton.  He went from an All-Star to a middle of the road starter.  His defense went from well above average to poor, and his offense has been well below what you want from a third option.

[Celtics2021]

Apparently the Warriors made a push for LeBron at the deadline, which is mildly interesting.  But buried in the ESPN article was this nugget about the Sixers, who also checked in:

Dunleavy was the second team executive call to Pelinka on a possible James trade, sources said. After seeing James' cryptic social media post of an hourglass a week before the trade deadline, Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey called Pelinka to probe on a James trade and was immediately told that James wasn't available. In fact, Pelinka responded by asking Morey if Joel Embiid was available, sources said. And that ended that brief conversation. These sorts of bold trade calls are historically a common practice for Morey, who also called the Phoenix Suns and asked about a trade for Durant prior to the deadline, sources said. When told no, Morey then asked about the availability of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, too. Unsurprisingly, those were nos as well, sources said.

Just putting this down so that when we inevitably hear some rumor that the Sixers and Celtics “discussed a trade” for Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum, we know what that discussion was.

[celticinorlando]

Middleton is cooked. His knees are just mush. He can't defend and gives them zero.

I also think Dame does not want to be there. He still wants to be in Miami.

[Donoghus]

Apparently the Warriors made a push for LeBron at the deadline, which is mildly interesting.  But buried in the ESPN article was this nugget about the Sixers, who also checked in:

Dunleavy was the second team executive call to Pelinka on a possible James trade, sources said. After seeing James' cryptic social media post of an hourglass a week before the trade deadline, Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey called Pelinka to probe on a James trade and was immediately told that James wasn't available. In fact, Pelinka responded by asking Morey if Joel Embiid was available, sources said. And that ended that brief conversation. These sorts of bold trade calls are historically a common practice for Morey, who also called the Phoenix Suns and asked about a trade for Durant prior to the deadline, sources said. When told no, Morey then asked about the availability of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, too. Unsurprisingly, those were nos as well, sources said.

Just putting this down so that when we inevitably hear some rumor that the Sixers and Celtics “discussed a trade” for Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum, we know what that discussion was.

Well, I give Morey credit. If nothing else, keep shooting for the stars.

[Phantom255x]

I still remember when the Sixers were actually seen as a real destination for Lebron back in 2018 and something I feared. But funny enough, while I think Lebron's family preferred LA and not Philly, I also remember at the time people wondering how it'd work with Simmons and Lebron both demanding the basketball and needing it to function

Yeah, Ben Simmons. Back when he still had a ton of hype

Lebron would have made perfect sense at the time with Philly and Embiid.

[Donoghus]

If Lebron is going to win his fifth ring, its not going to be with the Lakers.

[SparzWizard]

I still remember when the Sixers were actually seen as a real destination for Lebron back in 2018 and something I feared. But funny enough, while I think Lebron's family preferred LA and not Philly, I also remember at the time people wondering how it'd work with Simmons and Lebron both demanding the basketball and needing it to function

Yeah, Ben Simmons. Back when he still had a ton of hype

Lebron would have made perfect sense at the time with Philly and Embiid.

Jayson Tatum got robbed of ROTY. Stupid rules that considered Ben Simmons a rookie in Year 2.

[Roy H.]

I still remember when the Sixers were actually seen as a real destination for Lebron back in 2018 and something I feared. But funny enough, while I think Lebron's family preferred LA and not Philly, I also remember at the time people wondering how it'd work with Simmons and Lebron both demanding the basketball and needing it to function

Yeah, Ben Simmons. Back when he still had a ton of hype

Lebron would have made perfect sense at the time with Philly and Embiid.

Jayson Tatum got robbed of ROTY. Stupid rules that considered Ben Simmons a rookie in Year 2.

He still would have finished behind Donovan Mitchell.

[celticinorlando]

l
@TheDunkCentral
People within the Dallas Mavericks were turned off by Grant Williams' 'yapping,' and he was reportedly not in good shape, per
@espn_macmahon
 

“I would say one of the ways that Grant Williams rubbed people the wrong way, the yap, yap, yapping obviously that’s kind of part of it with him. Which it’s charmingly obnoxious if he’s productive and it’s grating when he’s not. But he didn’t report in good shape and Grant Williams not in good shape is not a good defender.”

[Donoghus]

l
@TheDunkCentral
People within the Dallas Mavericks were turned off by Grant Williams' 'yapping,' and he was reportedly not in good shape, per
@espn_macmahon
 

“I would say one of the ways that Grant Williams rubbed people the wrong way, the yap, yap, yapping obviously that’s kind of part of it with him. Which it’s charmingly obnoxious if he’s productive and it’s grating when he’s not. But he didn’t report in good shape and Grant Williams not in good shape is not a good defender.”

A Glen Davis for the 2020s.

[celticinorlando]

NBACentral
@TheDunkCentral
Nate Robinson says he’s still looking for a kidney

“I’m still looking for a kidney to this day. I go through dialysis three times a week for four hours. They clean my blood, they clean all my toxins out of my body, and I’m feeling better and better every day. Some days are worse than others, but I’m just blessed and I’m just happy that I can still be here to see my children and do the things that I love to do.”

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

NBACentral
@TheDunkCentral
Nate Robinson says he’s still looking for a kidney

“I’m still looking for a kidney to this day. I go through dialysis three times a week for four hours. They clean my blood, they clean all my toxins out of my body, and I’m feeling better and better every day. Some days are worse than others, but I’m just blessed and I’m just happy that I can still be here to see my children and do the things that I love to do.”

I didn't know he was in that situation. I hope he gets that kidney soon.

[hpantazo]

Still no news on Gallinari. Wonder what's taking him so long.