NBA Season 2024-25

[Donoghus]

This kid is turning into a full blown idiot

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
?
24s
The NBA has fined Memphis' Ja Morant $75,000 for finger gun gestures.

Always has been, seems like he always will be.

I am sure the hope in Memphis was that Morant would mature into a leader, but that does not seem to be the case.

What I find hilariously sad is that Morant is actually just playing a gangster, the same way a rich white kid pretends to be poor because it is cool. From what I have read, Ja grew up in a loving middle class two parent home in South Carolina.

His dad seems like a bit of a piece of work between getting ejected from a game as a fan and the whole blowup with Shannon Sharpe at another game.

[slightly biased bias fan]

This kid is turning into a full blown idiot

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
?
24s
The NBA has fined Memphis' Ja Morant $75,000 for finger gun gestures.

Always has been, seems like he always will be.

I am sure the hope in Memphis was that Morant would mature into a leader, but that does not seem to be the case.

What I find hilariously sad is that Morant is actually just playing a gangster, the same way a rich white kid pretends to be poor because it is cool. From what I have read, Ja grew up in a loving middle class two parent home in South Carolina.

His dad seems like a bit of a piece of work between getting ejected from a game as a fan and the whole blowup with Shannon Sharpe at another game.

Yes, 100% correct. I am sure that is where Ja has picked up this moronic attitude.

(Slightly off topic) I know Lonzo Ball has not had the career he and most people would have hoped for, but I have so much respect for the person he has become, in spite of his delinquent father.

[jpotter33]

Rockets taking it to a healthy OKC squad, likely preventing them from getting to 70 wins.

Drats. I was hoping they'd get it so that we can say we had to go through 65 and 70 win teams to win the title.

[Phantom255x]

Interesting enough, LAL still has two games left to play against OKC. Forget 3 seed, they might fall to the 6 seed if they lose both and the few teams around them keep winning. Only 2.5 games separate the 3 and 8 seeds in the West.

[SparzWizard]

Interesting enough, LAL still has two games left to play against OKC. Forget 3 seed, they might fall to the 6 seed if they lose both and the few teams around them keep winning. Only 2.5 games separate the 3 and 8 seeds in the West.

I really want the Lakers to draw Golden State or Minnesota/Clippers in the first round. Make sure they work for it and not sweep their way to the next round. Esp against GSW, those guys look hot. Getting silent PTSD of their 2022 Finals run again.

[Phantom255x]

Interesting enough, LAL still has two games left to play against OKC. Forget 3 seed, they might fall to the 6 seed if they lose both and the few teams around them keep winning. Only 2.5 games separate the 3 and 8 seeds in the West.

I really want the Lakers to draw Golden State or Minnesota/Clippers in the first round. Make sure they work for it and not sweep their way to the next round. Esp against GSW, those guys look hot. Getting silent PTSD of their 2022 Finals run again.

Yeah if they get MEM, it's an easy gentlemen sweep. But I don't think so against the other teams, those teams can push them to 6, maybe even 7 games. MEM is currently the 8 seed too.

If LAL loses the OKC games (or 2 of the 3 against OKC/HOU) I think there's a decent chance GSW leaps them for the 3 seed. 

[Birdman]

Interesting enough, LAL still has two games left to play against OKC. Forget 3 seed, they might fall to the 6 seed if they lose both and the few teams around them keep winning. Only 2.5 games separate the 3 and 8 seeds in the West.

I really want the Lakers to draw Golden State or Minnesota/Clippers in the first round. Make sure they work for it and not sweep their way to the next round. Esp against GSW, those guys look hot. Getting silent PTSD of their 2022 Finals run again.

Yeah if they get MEM, it's an easy gentlemen sweep. But I don't think so against the other teams, those teams can push them to 6, maybe even 7 games. MEM is currently the 8 seed too.

If LAL loses the OKC games (or 2 of the 3 against OKC/HOU) I think there's a decent chance GSW leaps them for the 3 seed.

Hope warriors plays the lakers..sweep for warriors

[MattyIce]

Interesting enough, LAL still has two games left to play against OKC. Forget 3 seed, they might fall to the 6 seed if they lose both and the few teams around them keep winning. Only 2.5 games separate the 3 and 8 seeds in the West.

I really want the Lakers to draw Golden State or Minnesota/Clippers in the first round. Make sure they work for it and not sweep their way to the next round. Esp against GSW, those guys look hot. Getting silent PTSD of their 2022 Finals run again.

Yeah if they get MEM, it's an easy gentlemen sweep. But I don't think so against the other teams, those teams can push them to 6, maybe even 7 games. MEM is currently the 8 seed too.

If LAL loses the OKC games (or 2 of the 3 against OKC/HOU) I think there's a decent chance GSW leaps them for the 3 seed.

i dont see how they get Memphis thankfully

[Phantom255x]

Interesting enough, LAL still has two games left to play against OKC. Forget 3 seed, they might fall to the 6 seed if they lose both and the few teams around them keep winning. Only 2.5 games separate the 3 and 8 seeds in the West.

I really want the Lakers to draw Golden State or Minnesota/Clippers in the first round. Make sure they work for it and not sweep their way to the next round. Esp against GSW, those guys look hot. Getting silent PTSD of their 2022 Finals run again.

Yeah if they get MEM, it's an easy gentlemen sweep. But I don't think so against the other teams, those teams can push them to 6, maybe even 7 games. MEM is currently the 8 seed too.

If LAL loses the OKC games (or 2 of the 3 against OKC/HOU) I think there's a decent chance GSW leaps them for the 3 seed.

i dont see how they get Memphis thankfully

Yeah, and Morant got sick doing all those gun gestures. Out with illness 

Memphis is very lucky they are like 7 games in the clear of Dallas, otherwise they could be a play-in team. They were the 2 seed like 2 months ago.

[Phantom255x]

Atlanta lost, and Miami/Chicago both just 1 back of them for the 8 seed. If MIA hangs on against MIL, they could be just 0.5 back. And ORL also plays ATL twice before the season ends.

Tbh there's just as good a chance we face Miami first round instead of ORL/ATL. Atlanta is slipping. I still predict it's Orlando but would be ecstatic if it's ATL/MIA.

[Who]

Podziemski pre & post All Star Break (with Jimmy).

Pre ASB

25.3mpg
9.7ppg 4.7rpg 3.5apg
43% FG% 32% 3PT% 53.2% TS%

Post ASB

29.1mpg
15.5ppg 5.9rpg 3.2apg
46% FG% 44% 3PT% 58.5% TS%

17 games played since the ASB. The guy has been playing great after what was a truly disappointing campaign up until that point.

He has been a major asset for GSW since then.

[Who]

GSW have a 20 wins 5 loss record since acquiring Jimmy Butler. That would be good for a 65-66 win pace over a full season.

Update: Wow, these are impressive numbers

Since Butler trade:

- 25 games played; 20-5 W/L
- 121.7 ORtg (+7.2 rORtg), 111.0 DRtg (-3.5 rDRtg), +10.8 NRtg

In games Butler and Curry have played:

- 20 games played; 20-2 W/L
- 123.3 ORtg (+8.8 rORtg), 110.0 DRtg (-4.5 rDRtg), +13.3 NRtg

[perks-a-beast]

Looks like that special time of year again where the Clippers are tricking people into thinking they have a chance?have won 11 of their last 13 and Kawhi has looked like a beast?unfortunate he will almost definitely suffer a knee injury sometime in the first round.

[Who]

Looks like that special time of year again where the Clippers are tricking people into thinking they have a chance?have won 11 of their last 13 and Kawhi has looked like a beast?unfortunate he will almost definitely suffer a knee injury sometime in the first round.

Some interesting Kawhi stats

Here were his numbers when he first returned from injury

It's been 12 games and he's averaging 15.9/4.5/2.4 in 24.3 MPG

And now since the All-Star break

24.6/6.7/3.3/1.9/0.5 on 51/43/80 shooting splits after the All Star Break when they got rid of his playing time restrictions.

26.2/7.3/3.3/2.1/0.6 on 56/50/85 in the past 12 games.

I have been skeptical of Kawhi. He seems to be taking a lot of contested jump shots and not getting many high percentage shots (because he can't beat people off the dribble as well anymore, not quick enough). Plus, he is clearly on a hot streak. He is shooting lights out on those contested shots. I was not and am still skeptical about how sustainable that is.

He also looks far less mobile on defense and looks vulnerable to being attacked on D but opponents aren't going at him. They still fear him. And in fairness, he is still good defensively when he can load up. Get his bearings and use his strength / lateral quickness which are still strong points for him. His agility and overall quickness are more the issue. More off ball movement. Quick attacks off the catch. Those sort of things look like they could cause him problems. However, his strength + lateral quickness make him strong in one-on-ones where the offensive player dawdles on the ball too long and lets Kawhi get in position.

It is a funny mixture. Both offensively and defensively.

Offensively, one thing I feel like I wasn't giving him enough credit for was his shot-creation. He is still able to create one-on-one better than - I don't know, 3rd tier? - lower level scorers like MPJ (who I compared him to previously). He is not getting high percentage shots on these one-on-ones which was bothering me but he is getting good percentage shots. He gets a nice number of midrange jumpers at 14-17 feet in the zones he wants to take them and he has long shot a very good percentage on those shots. I see that as the main point of separation he has offensively over guys like MPJ.

[Who]

nmz
@nmzhoops

Over the last 15 games the LA Clippers rank?

* 1st in DRTG
* 5th in ORTG
* 2nd in NET RTG
* 3rd in DREB%
* 10th in TOV%
* 1st in TS%

Peaking at the right time.