2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[celticsclay]

ESPN Sources: Indiana Pacers G Bennedict Mathurin will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Mathurin — the 2024 Rising Stars MVP — averages 14.5 points. He’s expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2024-2025 season.

Huge loss for Indiana. Sort of a double loss since he was the reason they were willing to part with Buddy Hield. There wasn't really enough room for both of them. Too similar. Both out and out two guards. Both scorers. Neither has strong or even good non-scoring game (defense, rebounding, handles, passing). So Indy just took a major hit on their firepower with both of these guys gone.

I always view Mathurin as their x-factor. He is not consistent yet and his lack of an all-round game limits his playing time but he is such a natural scorer. So gifted. Wonderful one-on-one guy. Can beat his man and get to the bucket. Finishes well. Draws fouls. Shoots the jumper off the dribble. One of the bright young stars / up and comers in the league today. When he is going well, Indy is very tough to beat.

Mathurin is that extra cog they need to be an above average team. Haliburton, Siakam, M Turner and Mathurin. When they are going well, they are a 50 win type ball club. Of course "going well" for an inconsistent player like Mathurin means it is more like 50-50 whether you get that Indy or you get the 45 win caliber Indy team.

Big blow for their postseason hopes. I expect they will be one and done now.

I was discussing this with my friend the other day. Not positive on the record, but it feels like Pacers did not get any better after getting Siakam.

[Who]

ESPN Sources: Indiana Pacers G Bennedict Mathurin will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Mathurin — the 2024 Rising Stars MVP — averages 14.5 points. He’s expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2024-2025 season.

Huge loss for Indiana. Sort of a double loss since he was the reason they were willing to part with Buddy Hield. There wasn't really enough room for both of them. Too similar. Both out and out two guards. Both scorers. Neither has strong or even good non-scoring game (defense, rebounding, handles, passing). So Indy just took a major hit on their firepower with both of these guys gone.

I always view Mathurin as their x-factor. He is not consistent yet and his lack of an all-round game limits his playing time but he is such a natural scorer. So gifted. Wonderful one-on-one guy. Can beat his man and get to the bucket. Finishes well. Draws fouls. Shoots the jumper off the dribble. One of the bright young stars / up and comers in the league today. When he is going well, Indy is very tough to beat.

Mathurin is that extra cog they need to be an above average team. Haliburton, Siakam, M Turner and Mathurin. When they are going well, they are a 50 win type ball club. Of course "going well" for an inconsistent player like Mathurin means it is more like 50-50 whether you get that Indy or you get the 45 win caliber Indy team.

Big blow for their postseason hopes. I expect they will be one and done now.

I was discussing this with my friend the other day. Not positive on the record, but it feels like Pacers did not get any better after getting Siakam.

Yeah, I saw some people comparing their records pre-Siakam and post-Siakam on RealGM. Not good. Around .500 with Siakam.

They also pointed out that Haliburton has missed time and has been in a funk lately. Haliburton was only averaging 15ppg 9apg in his last 15 games vs the 20ppg 12apg he was averaging previously. His shooting has gone in the tank. Only 32% from three. Still working himself back from injury.

So even their record with both Haliburton and Siakam in the lineup is also around .500 because Haliburton has been struggling so badly.

[hpantazo]

ESPN Sources: Indiana Pacers G Bennedict Mathurin will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Mathurin — the 2024 Rising Stars MVP — averages 14.5 points. He’s expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2024-2025 season.

Huge loss for Indiana. Sort of a double loss since he was the reason they were willing to part with Buddy Hield. There wasn't really enough room for both of them. Too similar. Both out and out two guards. Both scorers. Neither has strong or even good non-scoring game (defense, rebounding, handles, passing). So Indy just took a major hit on their firepower with both of these guys gone.

I always view Mathurin as their x-factor. He is not consistent yet and his lack of an all-round game limits his playing time but he is such a natural scorer. So gifted. Wonderful one-on-one guy. Can beat his man and get to the bucket. Finishes well. Draws fouls. Shoots the jumper off the dribble. One of the bright young stars / up and comers in the league today. When he is going well, Indy is very tough to beat.

Mathurin is that extra cog they need to be an above average team. Haliburton, Siakam, M Turner and Mathurin. When they are going well, they are a 50 win type ball club. Of course "going well" for an inconsistent player like Mathurin means it is more like 50-50 whether you get that Indy or you get the 45 win caliber Indy team.

Big blow for their postseason hopes. I expect they will be one and done now.

I was discussing this with my friend the other day. Not positive on the record, but it feels like Pacers did not get any better after getting Siakam.

Yeah, I saw some people comparing their records pre-Siakam and post-Siakam on RealGM. Not good. Around .500 with Siakam.

They also pointed out that Haliburton has missed time and has been in a funk lately. Haliburton was only averaging 15ppg 9apg in his last 15 games vs the 20ppg 12apg he was averaging previously. His shooting has gone in the tank. Only 32% from three. Still working himself back from injury.

So even their record with both Haliburton and Siakam in the lineup is also around .500 because Haliburton has been struggling so badly.

On top of that, Siakam is free to sign with anyone else in a few months leaving them with no compensation. He's been adamant that he will test the free agent market no matter what, as he should.

[Moranis]

It is hard to make a major trade in season and have everyone come together cohesively. Adding role players are much easier to integrate.  The midseason star trades usually only pay dividends in future seasons. 

[hpantazo]

It is hard to make a major trade in season and have everyone come together cohesively. Adding role players are much easier to integrate.  The midseason star trades usually only pay dividends in future seasons.

Which is why contending teams are usually hesitant to trade for stars on expiring contracts like Siakam.

[Phantom255x]

If this is how the Warriors are gonna look without Curry who will probably miss some time... then they will clearly be the 10 seed. Which is a shame. I know it's one game and anything can happen, but I do think an LAL-GSW play-in game could really come down to who has home court for it.

[ozgod]

It is hard to make a major trade in season and have everyone come together cohesively. Adding role players are much easier to integrate.  The midseason star trades usually only pay dividends in future seasons.

Yes, people seem to think it's like trading for someone on NBA2k and the new player fits in seamlessly immediately because it's one person controlling the whole team with a controller 

[Moranis]

If this is how the Warriors are gonna look without Curry who will probably miss some time... then they will clearly be the 10 seed. Which is a shame. I know it's one game and anything can happen, but I do think an LAL-GSW play-in game could really come down to who has home court for it.

Of course that is how they look without Curry.  Their team isn't very good and Curry is the only consistent scorer they have.   

[celticinorlando]

Anxious to see what version of the Clippers show up today vs the Bucks

[RMO]

If this is how the Warriors are gonna look without Curry who will probably miss some time... then they will clearly be the 10 seed. Which is a shame. I know it's one game and anything can happen, but I do think an LAL-GSW play-in game could really come down to who has home court for it.

I don't.  I'm not in this whole lakers are figuring it out cadre but I think the lakers are just a bad matchup for the warriors.  With or without Curry.

[celticinorlando]

Not going to get any help today from the clippers. Leonard and George out today

[celticsclay]

It is hard to make a major trade in season and have everyone come together cohesively. Adding role players are much easier to integrate.  The midseason star trades usually only pay dividends in future seasons.

Yes, people seem to think it's like trading for someone on NBA2k and the new player fits in seamlessly immediately because it's one person controlling the whole team with a controller 

Completely agree with Mo on this one. The decline of Klay makes the loss of curry hurt more than ever. Klay can’t create his own shot at all, and the only hope he has of being servicable is benefitting from the gravity curry. Without curry it doesn’t seem he is playable.

[celticsclay]

Not going to get any help today from the clippers. Leonard and George out today

Injured or rest? This would seem to violate the leagues all stars can’t sit together rules if they are both healthy?

[Phantom255x]

Not going to get any help today from the clippers. Leonard and George out today

Injured or rest? This would seem to violate the leagues all stars can’t sit together rules if they are both healthy?

It's clearly rest, just labeled as some "soreness" for both. Clippers had a game literally 22 hours ago. Blame the scheduling for that.

But anyways, good half for the Clippers.

[celticsclay]

Not going to get any help today from the clippers. Leonard and George out today

Injured or rest? This would seem to violate the leagues all stars can’t sit together rules if they are both healthy?

It's clearly rest, just labeled as some "soreness" for both. Clippers had a game literally 22 hours ago. Blame the scheduling for that.

Yeah if the bucks lose this with no George or Leonard it is a pretty brutal loss for them. Down a few at the half.