NBA Season 2024-25

[Who]

I'm sorry, but SGA is so unlikable with these calls and embellishments/flops. These are such ridiculous calls.

It is like D-Wade in 2006

[Who]

Ant only 18pts 2ast. OKC have been effective in keeping him in check.

[Who]

DD and NAW 6-25 FGA. 2-15 at half so 4-10 2nd half.
Naz 1-9 FGA. 0-4 at half so 1-5 2nd half.

Combined they are 7-36 FGA. Not even 25%. 19.44%.

Minny has taken 76 FGAs. So they have taken almost half of Minnesota's shot attempts. 36/76 FGAs. 47% of their shots.

OKC's bench has taken 12 shots out of 76 shots. About 15-16% of their attempts.

[Who]

J-Dub 17pts 8reb 5ast 5stl

Pippen-esque

[Who]

Ant scoreless in Q4. Only 2 baskets in Q3.

Not effective in the 2nd half.

[Who]

Hey, it's Rob Dillingham!

Is this his 1st game in the playoffs? I don't remember seeing him in any other Minnesota game. One for the future.

He might have been worth giving a few minutes tonight with Minnesota's offense struggling so badly. He is their 2nd best offensive perimeter player after Ant. It is just his defense is so bad that it keeps him off the court.

[Who]

Mike Breen said OKC outscored Minny 70pts to 40pts in the 2nd half.

[Goldstar88]

Edwards with only 13 shot attempts. That?s unacceptable. SGA took 27. 

Naz, Dante and NAW went a combined 7 for 36 from the field. 

[Atzar]

It?s wild to see all the stuff Thunder defenders get away with on defense.  Meanwhile Shai gets calls for nothing.  The disparity is tough to watch even as a neutral.

[Who]

"A guard-led team will win the Championship this year" - Ric Bucher on Colin Cowherd show.

Best player on each 4 WCF and ECF teams

* OKC = SGA = 6-6 200lbs scoring combo guard
* MIN = Ant = 6-6 220lbs powerful SG
* IND = Haliburton = 6-5 facilitator combo guard
* NYK = Jalen Brunson = 6-2 200lbs scoring PG

Cowerd and Bucher were also pointing how limited athletically Brunson is. How he is such a standout as "the best player on a title winning side across NBA History" not just because he is a small PG but because he is a so-so athlete. He has below average quickness for a PG.

Anyway, I found it interesting. I had not realized all 4 teams were led by a star guard. A short slowi PG, two tall skinny combo guards [one a scorer, one a facilitator], and a powerful SG.

[Who]

A 2nd interesting point from the Cowherd Show with Ric Bucher. They talked about how we will have our 7th different title winning team in 7 years. An era of parity.

Cowherd talked about this has been different from the David Stern era. That the 70s was a great era for parity but a terrible period for TV attention from fans. Then came the Celtics / Lakers and the eras of dynasties. David Stern inherited and maintained the dynasty eras. To Bad Boy Pistons, Jordan's Bulls, Duncan's Spurs, Shaq / Kobe Lakers, Kobe / Pau Lakers, the Heatles with LeBron and Wade, the Warriors with Steph and later Durant.

Cowherd and Bucher were saying this is finally Adam Silver's NBA. That this CBA has achieved Silver's goal of parity. That we now have separation from the David Stern era.

But Cowherd was wondering if this era of parity will hurt TV ratings / fan interest like the 1970s basketball did. That dynasties have always generated interest. Think of the interest in LeBron's Miami Heat. That Adam Silver's new parity era for the NBA may be a threat to the NBA's future.

Interesting ideas & analysis.

[snively]

A 2nd interesting point from the Cowherd Show with Ric Bucher. They talked about how we will have our 7th different title winning team in 7 years. An era of parity.

Cowherd talked about this has been different from the David Stern era. That the 70s was a great era for parity but a terrible period for TV attention from fans. Then came the Celtics / Lakers and the eras of dynasties. David Stern inherited and maintained the dynasty eras. To Bad Boy Pistons, Jordan's Bulls, Duncan's Spurs, Shaq / Kobe Lakers, Kobe / Pau Lakers, the Heatles with LeBron and Wade, the Warriors with Steph and later Durant.

Cowherd and Bucher were saying this is finally Adam Silver's NBA. That this CBA has achieved Silver's goal of parity. That we now have separation from the David Stern era.

But Cowherd was wondering if this era of parity will hurt TV ratings / fan interest like the 1970s basketball did. That dynasties have always generated interest. Think of the interest in LeBron's Miami Heat. That Adam Silver's new parity era for the NBA may be a threat to the NBA's future.

Interesting ideas & analysis.

I would argue that this is less the result of the CBA and more the increase in variance in outcomes with the prominence of the three and the related limits on defense. Compare this year to '08 (the best year, naturally).

The best defense in '25 by drtg was the league average in '08. '25s lowest 3 point rate team (Denver) would have been far and away the highest 3 point rate team in '08.

The randomness involved undercuts the sense of mastery and heroism that a championship is supposed to convey. It undermines the dramatic narratives of skill and grit leading to victory. Turns it into something more like a statistical simulation.

[Who]

A 2nd interesting point from the Cowherd Show with Ric Bucher. They talked about how we will have our 7th different title winning team in 7 years. An era of parity.

Cowherd talked about this has been different from the David Stern era. That the 70s was a great era for parity but a terrible period for TV attention from fans. Then came the Celtics / Lakers and the eras of dynasties. David Stern inherited and maintained the dynasty eras. To Bad Boy Pistons, Jordan's Bulls, Duncan's Spurs, Shaq / Kobe Lakers, Kobe / Pau Lakers, the Heatles with LeBron and Wade, the Warriors with Steph and later Durant.

Cowherd and Bucher were saying this is finally Adam Silver's NBA. That this CBA has achieved Silver's goal of parity. That we now have separation from the David Stern era.

But Cowherd was wondering if this era of parity will hurt TV ratings / fan interest like the 1970s basketball did. That dynasties have always generated interest. Think of the interest in LeBron's Miami Heat. That Adam Silver's new parity era for the NBA may be a threat to the NBA's future.

Interesting ideas & analysis.

I would argue that this is less the result of the CBA and more the increase in variance in outcomes with the prominence of the three and the related limits on defense. Compare this year to '08 (the best year, naturally).

The best defense in '25 by drtg was the league average in '08. '25s lowest 3 point rate team (Denver) would have been far and away the highest 3 point rate team in '08.

The randomness involved undercuts the sense of mastery and heroism that a championship is supposed to convey. It undermines the dramatic narratives of skill and grit leading to victory. Turns it into something more like a statistical simulation.

Yeah, I can see that being the cause.

That last paragraph -- I certainly feel that way often when watching today's league.

[Phantom255x]

OKC is already very talented and can overwhelm any of the remaining teams as is, but if the refs are gonna just give SGA every call and let Caruso + others just be handsy on defense all night then the other teams have zero chance. It's so weird watching Caruso literally hitting the opposing player's hands and body while reaching for the ball, yet nothing is called on him.

I know we hate the Lakers, but I saw Hachimura do this constantly with the Wolves and he got called for it often especially Game 3. Caruso though is just allowed to freely do it.

[Goldstar88]

 No one is touching him.