NBA Season 2024-25

[Who]

Memphis' starting lineup tore Indy's starting unit to pieces. They started to fade when Zach Edey went to the bench though. The Pacers 2nd unit were red hot and got them back into the game.

Memphis were up 10-12pts for a large chunk of Q1. Bench got it back down to 5. Score is 33-28. Mathurin back in the bench unit with Nesmith starting.

I wonder if Indy should not be starting Mathurin tonight because Memphis plays a defensive forward in Jaylen Wells. Not much of a threat for Mathurin. Mathurin can defend him. Get another scorer on the floor. Play Mathurin over Nesmith.

[Who]

Pacers 2nd unit kept up the pressure in Q2. Cut the deficit to 3. Then the starters came back in. Took the lead. Now up 9 with 4min to play.

Memphis have lost all their momentum from their early strong play. Their bench couldn't keep pace. Edey looks good. JJJ has been good when they have got him inside. Too big for Indy's smaller forwards. Morant and Bane have been quiet. They need to step up.

Pacers have pushed their lead from 9pts with 4min to play to 18pts with 2min to play. MEM had a 13pt lead in Q1. A 31pts turnaround in the first half. It was the bench that got them back in it.

Pacers finish the half up 78 points to 59 points. Indy had a 50pt quarter in the 2nd Q.

[Atzar]

It has been interesting to see Orlando sort of tread water when Banchero and Franz missed time, but they've totally cratered without Suggs.  Makes you reconsider who the real backbone of that team is.

[Phantom255x]

I thought Memphis was the 2nd best team in the West but not sure anymore. It's definitely Denver now, but idk if MEM is even 3rd. They have a great collection of talent but Morant is sort of inconsistent like Haliburton (you just don't know what you'll get from them each night)

[Who]

Clippers vs Bucks

Interesting lineup here for LAC

C: B Simmons
F: K Leonard
F: N Batum
F: Derrick Jones Jr
G: Bogdanovic

DJJ defending the PG. Bogdanovic on the other guard. Ben Simmons as a point center. Kawhi as a scorer. Bogdanovic as 2nd option. Nic Batum as a glue guy. Simmons and DJJ glue guys as well.

Interesting mix.

Update: Now the Clippers have switched Ben Simmons to forward alongside Zubac.

C: Zubac
F: B Simmons
F: Kawhi
G: Derrick Jones Jr
G: Kris Dunn

That is a monster defensive unit. They are having Simmons defend Giannis with Zubac as the help defender. Then Kawhi & DJJ on the wings. K Dunn at PG. Wow.

[Who]

Holy crap! What happened in that MEM vs IND game?

Indy started Q3 on a 7-0 run to push their 19pt lead to 26pts. Memphis cut it to a 6pt game with 3min left in Q3. That game looked finished. Game on.

[Phantom255x]

Holy crap! What happened in that MEM vs IND game?

Indy started Q3 on a 7-0 run to push their 19pt lead to 26pts. Memphis cut it to a 6pt game with 3min left in Q3. That game looked finished. Game on.

Yeah I criticized Memphis and then they went on a massive run lol 

[Phantom255x]

Cavs and Knicks right now both in dogfights

[Vermont Green]

Hunter not doing much for the Cavaliers. I think Hunter is a player to watch. If he clicks and finds a role, he could be a big improvement for them.

[Goldstar88]

Sochan is now the starting center for San Antonio. Spurs are flying up and down the court with this small ball lineup. Fun to watch.

[Goldstar88]

The NBA issued Bobby Portis a 25-game suspension Thursday for violating the league's anti-drug policy, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Portis' suspension stems from a positive test of the drug tramadol, a medication used to treat severe pain. According to Portis' agent, Mark Bartelstein, the veteran big man unintentionally took the banned drug with the belief that he was taking the medication Toradol, which is approved by the league. Portis won't appeal the suspension, which will go into effect beginning with Thursday's game against the Clippers

[Who]

Toumani Camara = the new Jerome Kersey??

All hustle. Defense. Rebounding. Athleticism. Finisher going to the basket. Transition scorer. Has a three point shot to Kersey's 18-20 footer.

[SparzWizard]

Old man LeBron with 40 points tonight after a b2b night. Insane how this guy can still put up that many points.

Austin Reaves with 32 points as well

[Who]

Spurs beat Suns without Wemby.

Spurs now 24 wins 29 losses
Suns are 26 wins 29 losses

So only 2 wins behind with 2 games in hand. It would be amazing if San Antonio could pass Phoenix in the standings without Wemby.

[Roy H.]

Spurs beat Suns without Wemby.

Spurs now 24 wins 29 losses
Suns are 26 wins 29 losses

So only 2 wins behind with 2 games in hand. It would be amazing if San Antonio could pass Phoenix in the standings without Wemby.

I've gotta say, I don't understand how some of these teams are as bad as they are. 

Remember the Pick 2 Draft we did on here years ago?  For those that don't, the basic premise was that CelticsBlog GMs would select a franchise and would start with their top two players, and then would do a league-wide re-draft of everybody else.

I've got to think that Durant + Booker would have been picked near the top.  How do they hover under .500?