NBA Season 2025-26

[Goldstar88]

Good game on between the Spurs and Pistons. If Boston plays Detroit in the playoffs, they are going to need Queta big time. Duran is a beast.

[Phantom255x]

Spurs could be on their way to 9 straight wins now, and less than 3 games back of OKC

Even though they haven't had much playoff experience in recent years, if Wemby's healthy that's a formidable foe for anyone including OKC who the Spurs have done well against too.

I'm excited for the West playoffs this year. There's 5 teams who I legitimately think has a chance at making the Finals, and I'm not sold OKC will make it this year. There's more resistance.

[Who]

Man, Luka is taking 10 threes per game. Even more incredible he is averaging 10 FTAs per game as well. 10 threes + 10 FTAs a night.

That is an freakish combination.

22.0 FGA
10.3 3PTA
10.8 FTA

10.8 FTA / 22 FGA. That is a near 50% FTr (48.8%).

I know some stat heads back in the day used to subtract 3PTA from FGA and then divide by FTA. They did this because fouls on 3PTA were so rare. You hardly ever get them relative to the number of 3s you take. It was interesting to see how often volume 3 point shooters got to the FT line when you just isolate their 2 point attempts and could then compare them to other stars who (back in the day) took fewer 3 pointers. Say to DeMar DeRozan today. Now everyone shoots 3s though. Not as interesting today but still has some interest.

So Luka has 10.8 FTA / 11.7 2PTA. Almost 1:1 FTA : 2PTA ratio. That is crazy. Especially at that volume. Nearly 11 FTAs per game. And still maintaining that ratio.

[Who]

On the Luka topic, I saw some great numbers - on/off stats for the Lakers Big 3 yesterday

Iztok Franko
@iztok_franko
Lakers are -4.2 per 100 possessions this season in 1416 possessions with both Luka & LeBron on the floor.

I tried to dig deeper to see if there is more context behind these numbers, and what could the Lakers do to navigate this in the second part of the season

So you have the Big 3 together numbers. You have individual member without either of the Big 3 next to him (all have positive +/- by themselves), and you have 2 of the Big 3 together (only Luka / A Reaves is positive).

Fantastic data

This season alone, in 171 minutes where that trio plays together, they're at -7.47 (112 Ortg, 119.7 Drtg). It's a small sample, but that trio has been worse this year than last. They've shown zero ability to defend with those 3 slower stars on the court together, and the offense hasn't worked.

[Phantom255x]

On the Luka topic, I saw some great numbers - on/off stats for the Lakers Big 3 yesterday

Iztok Franko
@iztok_franko
Lakers are -4.2 per 100 possessions this season in 1416 possessions with both Luka & LeBron on the floor.

I tried to dig deeper to see if there is more context behind these numbers, and what could the Lakers do to navigate this in the second part of the season

So you have the Big 3 together numbers. You have individual member without either of the Big 3 next to him (all have positive +/- by themselves), and you have 2 of the Big 3 together (only Luka / A Reaves is positive).

Fantastic data

This season alone, in 171 minutes where that trio plays together, they're at -7.47 (112 Ortg, 119.7 Drtg). It's a small sample, but that trio has been worse this year than last. They've shown zero ability to defend with those 3 slower stars on the court together, and the offense hasn't worked.

Someone asked Mazzulla post-game about facing Lebron/Luka/Reaves, and he made a comment that everyone asks how to defend them, the answer is "we need to attack them".

It worked beautifully in the 2024 Finals and it continues to work when the C's play Luka. And even Reaves isn't a great defender in my eyes if, again, you attack and try to exploit him on that end.

Also on social media, Doncic has been getting lit up about his constant complaining to the refs almost every play. Some of those moments have also led to terrible defensive lapses on the other end like we saw Sunday. He's a historically great scorer but his defense/attitude can get in the way. Think of Harden too. Even Harden has made a Finals and made a handful of deep runs in the West. Never got over the top though, although I'll admit Harden's defense has improved a little in recent years where he's not a pure turnstill out there.

[Who]

We are having some Pritchard praise here after his steady play this season and big game against LAL. Phoenix got this backup PG Collin Gillespie who has become a Pritchard-like player for them this season.

28.7mpg
13.4ppg 4.7apg 4.4rpg 1.4spg
1.7 turnovers per game.
7.2 three pointers per game 10.9 FGAs
41.8% 3PT

His two point FG% is dragging down his overall scoring efficiency (58.6% TS) but his three point shooting volume & efficiency has been elite. 7 threes in only 28mpg. One every 4min. 9 per 36min. At 42% shooting.

Similar to Pritchard's 6th Man of the Year campaign last season. Pritchard averaged 14.3ppg 3.5apg 3.8rpg 0.9spg. He took 7.8 threes at 40.7% in his 28.4mpg. So even higher volume. 8 threes in 28min vs 7 threes in 28min. 9.9 per 36min. Pritchard's superior 2pt shooting got his TS% up to 63.3%.

This season, Pritchard has dropped back down to 58.8% TS. Similar to what Gillespie is doing for Phoenix. His three point volume has dropped a bit (roughly 3 2s 8 3s per game) as he has been forced to take more two pointers in a larger offensive role (roughly 7 2s and 7 3s per game) while upping his scoring to 17ppg.

Anyway. Great breakout year for Gillespie. Another Pritchard-like player.

[Goldstar88]

Season ending rhinoplasty. Danny, you have no shame.. 

HOUSTON -- Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic will undergo nose surgery this week and sit out the rest of the season.

[Birdman]

I really believe 7 teams can win the title (in no order)

OKC
Denver
San Antonio
New York
Cleveland
Boston
Detroit

But I?m really not a firm believer of Detroit winning it all

[Donoghus]

We're finally getting that Jail Blazers documentary we so rightfully deserve as well as an Odom doc.

Awful Announcing
@awfulannouncing
?
4m
Netflix?s Untold returns with 4 new documentaries, topics include Lamar Odom and the Jail Blazers http://dlvr.it/TR86QR

?Jail Blazers? (April 14), directed by Sascha Gardener, features Rasheed Wallace, Damon Stoudamire, and Bonzi Wells revisiting the early-2000s Blazers, a team that reached a Western Conference Finals and spent the rest of the decade being better known for arrests than basketball.

The opener, ?The Death and Life of Lamar Odom? (March 31), is directed by Ryan Duffy and features interviews with Odom, Khlo? Kardashian, and the former manager of the Love Ranch. It revisits the October 2015 night when Odom was found unresponsive after a multi-day binge, months after separating from Kardashian and shortly after retiring from a 14-year NBA career that included two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.

[Phantom255x]

Cleveland is a legit threat again in the East. Despite his playoff reputation, Harden still offers them a higher ceiling and more scoring ability than Garland could while still being able to facilitate, and so far it's been working for them. And Harden seems okay deferring to Mitchell, there's no real drama there plus Garland wasn't exactly staying on the court consistently due to his injuries

[radiohead]

https://x.com/LegionHoops/status/2026344029479383368

Which contender is gonna scoop him up?

[Silas]

wrong thread...

[Phantom255x]

National media is ripping Doncic and blaming him for the Lakers' struggles.

I don't mind it as a rival fan, but it's kinda funny Lebron and that front office escapes it all. Davis, some role players (Westbrook, etc.) and now Luka are all getting ripped in recent years while the others who are also part of the problem never get skewered

Max Kellerman also ripped Luka. On a podcast he does with... Lebron's agent 

[Who]

National media is ripping Doncic and blaming him for the Lakers' struggles.

I don't mind it as a rival fan, but it's kinda funny Lebron and that front office escapes it all. Davis, some role players (Westbrook, etc.) and now Luka are all getting ripped in recent years while the others who are also part of the problem never get skewered

Max Kellerman also ripped Luka. On a podcast he does with... Lebron's agent 

LeBron should come off the bench.

The Lakers played their best basketball this season when he missed the first part of the season. Luka & A Reaves with Rui & Ayton alongside them. 5th starter is a puzzle. Smart has played so badly I might give Bronny a try.

LeBron should be like Magic Johnson was in the 1995-96. A 6th man who plays around 28-30mpg. Plays PF or SF. Creates a bunch of matchup problems.

Too many slow forwards in the lineup with Luka, LeBron and Rui. Need more foot-speed on the floor.

[Who]

OKC beat Toronto on the road. Without SGA or J-Dub. They now have 6 wins and 3 losses without SGA (54-55 win pace).

I wonder if their strong form without SGA will hurt his MVP chances. Although the same thing happened with DEN and Jokic. They played well without him. So the top 2 MVP candidates have had that happen to them. Maybe it won't cost either one of them as result.

Or maybe it will create an opening for a surprise candidate like Cade Cunningham to win MVP. Or Jaylen Brown. I see more and more people mentioning JB as an MVP candidate. Wemby in the mix too.