NBA Season 22/23

racecar

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Jokic with 13 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists, +13 last night

Can't wait for whatever stupid narrative the media runs with to try to deny him his third straight MVP this year. Last year we had to hear all season long about how it was "Embiid's turn" even though he wasn't even the second best guy; by the end of the season only a few clowns were left waiving his banner.
Embiid has durability issue. Will mostly likely fall short this season as well .
 

famicommander

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Embiid has durability issue. Will mostly likely fall short this season as well .
Even when fully healthy he's not on the same level as Jokic. The only thing he does better than Jokic is block shots. Jokic is better at everything else and it's not close.

Giannis and Curry are the two closest players to Jokic's tier. Embiid is a level below those guys.
 

famicommander

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Joker with 41/15/15, Aaron Gordon posterizing dudes left and right, Nugs win
 

famicommander

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Honestly one of the best in-game dunks in history, especially given the time and context of the game
 

Arcademan

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Lovely Christmas night where both the Cardinals and the Suns lose by three in overtime :oh_no:
 

100proof

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All those black men in sleeveless jerseys make him weak in the knees.
 

racecar

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That Mav vs knicks game was a good game in a long time, Those fans got their money worth .
 

racecar

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Luka drop another 51 in 1 point win over the spurs. Damn if tre jones made the second free throw and head to OT, could have see another 60 from luka
 

racecar

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Monster game from Mitchell for the comeback win !! Personally I like the back court of levert and Mitchell , Garland undersize and lack defence, why they risk playing him with the hand injury last game.

Warriors also put a big comeback together behind klays 50 . And looney tip in win .
 
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Fygee

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Hot damn Donovan. Save some points for the others!

I bet he doesn't regret being traded from Utah one bit. Absolutely killing it on the Cavs.

Suns are now back to their pre-Chris Paul losing ways. Definitely feels like the window for a championship has closed, at least for this year.
 

racecar

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Hot damn Donovan. Save some points for the others!

I bet he doesn't regret being traded from Utah one bit. Absolutely killing it on the Cavs.

Suns are now back to their pre-Chris Paul losing ways. Definitely feels like the window for a championship has closed, at least for this year.
And that 4 billion dollar price tag….damn .
 

mjmjr25

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Serious talks....

2nd round picks are worthless.

So a mid-level back up guard for a mid-level forward who would be a back-up on most teams.

This league is broken. They have neutered defenses to the extent that 44...FOURTY-FOUR players are averaging over 20ppg. Stats are meaningless. There is no post-play, no defense, and if a "star" misses a shot you get a delayed whistle and 2-3 free throws.

Run down and pass, pass, pass, shoot three-pointer...for 48-minutes.

I'm not invested enough to google it, but I have to think the ratings are miserable. It's unwatchable.

#serioustalks
 

Lastblade

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Yup, advanced metrics/statistics have ruined this sport where it is better to shoot 35% of 3pts than 50% of 2pts.
 

100proof

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A quick rebuttal:

- Stars have been getting bailed out by the refs since at least the 80s. Part of the evolving meta of the game will always be figuring out how to get/avoid getting calls. And the league continually makes changes. Flopping has decreased the past couple of seasons because the league told refs to ignore it. James Harden's signature move (which Steph and others often used) of initiating contact behind the 3 pt. line by leaning into defenders got effectively banned in the offseason last year. You can always complain about the refs but it rings kind of hollow in a sport that isn't hesitant to consistently tweak its rules.

- I would much rather watch a league where they score 240 pts. a night that's largely based on effective passing and distribution of the ball than the BORING meta of the late 90s to late-2000s where it was just endless isos or passing the ball to a big man and forcing the refs to make a 50/50 call on every play. If you don't like watching Jokic distributing the ball from the 5 or teams firing cross-court passes to hit outside shots, you just might not like basketball.

- The "ratings" are effectively meaningless. Sorry Fami. The Neilsen ratings are an archaic measure of engagement when entertainment can be watched in a dozen different ways that aren't a television and basketball's the second biggest sport globally. The Suns just sold for $4.4 billion dollars. Basketball is fine.

- This is the most talent-rich the NBA has likely ever been. Sure, the stats are artificially inflated by the pace of play but guys are way better shooters from all over the court (not just from 3) and the overall quality of play on both sides of the court is just drastically better. During that 2010s stretch when Lebron's teams would cruise in to the Finals every year, there was NO ONE in the East worth a damn. The best players on his conference finals opponents were guys like Paul Millsap, Kyle Lowry, way too young Paul George, way too young Tatum/Brown and 35-year-old Paul Pierce/Rajon Rondo. Any of those teams would get smoked by the 4th or 5th best team in either conference this year. The league is just so much deeper and while having the best player on the floor will generally still make you a winner on any given night, every serious contender has two hall of fame level players minimum. With sooooo many good up-and-coming players.
 

Lets Gekiga In

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Serious talks....

2nd round picks are worthless.

So a mid-level back up guard for a mid-level forward who would be a back-up on most teams.

This league is broken. They have neutered defenses to the extent that 44...FOURTY-FOUR players are averaging over 20ppg. Stats are meaningless. There is no post-play, no defense, and if a "star" misses a shot you get a delayed whistle and 2-3 free throws.

Run down and pass, pass, pass, shoot three-pointer...for 48-minutes.

I'm not invested enough to google it, but I have to think the ratings are miserable. It's unwatchable.

#serioustalks
Honestly, if you want to watch better team basketball I definitely say stick to college basketball. It's a much more enjoyable experience.
 

mjmjr25

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A quick rebuttal:

- Stars have been getting bailed out by the refs since at least the 80s. Part of the evolving meta of the game will always be figuring out how to get/avoid getting calls. And the league continually makes changes. Flopping has decreased the past couple of seasons because the league told refs to ignore it. James Harden's signature move (which Steph and others often used) of initiating contact behind the 3 pt. line by leaning into defenders got effectively banned in the offseason last year. You can always complain about the refs but it rings kind of hollow in a sport that isn't hesitant to consistently tweak its rules.

- I would much rather watch a league where they score 240 pts. a night that's largely based on effective passing and distribution of the ball than the BORING meta of the late 90s to late-2000s where it was just endless isos or passing the ball to a big man and forcing the refs to make a 50/50 call on every play. If you don't like watching Jokic distributing the ball from the 5 or teams firing cross-court passes to hit outside shots, you just might not like basketball.

They eliminated the Harden rule...on Harden. Not Booker, not Derozan, not Shai, not Tatum... Watch 48 minutes of Trae Young flopping (pro tip, you only need to watch 2 minutes to see the first full body spasm and delayed whistle). Or Karl Anthony-Towns stop running the floor to argue every time he misses a jumper, or Zach Lavine on every missed layup. It's a poor product. I've watched basketball religiously for 35 years. It has steadily declined to the point I canceled my league pass for the first time this year since it's been a thing. Some nights I watch recap highlights on YT. I can't watch a full game any more.

The original game (the Naismith 13) was based on offense and defense and rule changes through the early 2000's an equilibrium remained. The 3-point line and shot clock were each added and were added to increase offense. Largely good changes as it didn't drastically disrupt the balance.

When you remove the defense as has been done now by not calling traveling, carrying, illegal screens, you're just watching open gym. Anyone with a handle can create their own shot at any time. You can't body up, you can't fight through screens, you can't knock ball loose cleanly and you ARE allowed to take 3-4 steps and repeatedly carry the ball. Again, maybe that's more exciting or evolution. To that I would say adjust the rules to the reality. Palming, carrying, 3 steps are allowed, etc.

To your point some people must like it. I don't. I'd much rather watch a team where it was team, where you had to fill roles to be successful, where the team had an identity, where Rick Mahorn getting injured, a marginal bench player, meant the team was going to struggle for a few days until they had him back.
 

blakeb8111

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Serious talks....

2nd round picks are worthless.

So a mid-level back up guard for a mid-level forward who would be a back-up on most teams.

This league is broken. They have neutered defenses to the extent that 44...FOURTY-FOUR players are averaging over 20ppg. Stats are meaningless. There is no post-play, no defense, and if a "star" misses a shot you get a delayed whistle and 2-3 free throws.

Run down and pass, pass, pass, shoot three-pointer...for 48-minutes.

I'm not invested enough to google it, but I have to think the ratings are miserable. It's unwatchable.

#serioustalks
Couldn’t agree more on the state of the league. Guys are dust mops these days on offense and defense and it’s tough to watch. Guys used to take pride in being tough and playing hard both ways. Anyone really think someone as big as Lebron is getting tossed to the floor every drive to the rim, or getting knocked down every bump trying to draw a charge. If he’s not hitting the ground he’s just banging around into people because a defender can’t do much of anything to him. People will tell you you’re old and the game has evolved, and all other kinds of stuff if you say things like this. The truth is it’s hard to watch anymore. I was a die hard fan and i try to give it another chance every once and awhile. The playoffs are a little easier to watch, seems like guys care a little more, but it’s just a different game. I’ve just moved on and decided maybe i am officially old now.
 

100proof

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Agree with you on carrying/traveling. The eurostep bullshit is ridiculous and people routinely get away with 4 steps thanks to the "gathering" rules.

The rest of your stuff just sounds like "old man yells at cloud" and that comes from someone who's been watching the NBA since the Bird/Magic era. Plenty of people still play solid defense within the current rules and the NBA continues to tweak shit every offseason... we just don't have hockey enforcers like Mahorn and Oakley on the court any more because a) they're offensive liabilities and b) the meta moved away from "dump it to the big man 25 times a game and let him cook". That shit slowed the game to a crawl and caused needless fights and injuries. While I would definitely like to see the hand-checking rules eased up to allow for more steals/fewer ticky-tack fouls, a reduced focus on playing "physical" defense makes for a faster-paced and more entertaining watch when the game doesn't have to stop every 30 seconds for free throws because you're putting the game in the refs' hands.

Your mileage may vary, of course.
 

Arcademan

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Just when everyone was counting out the Suns, they pull off a five game winning streak including wins over Brooklyn and Memphis.

Now all they need to do is learn NOT to blow 20 and 30 point leads :hammer:
 

theMot

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I think if Anthony Davis and Lebron stay healthy, the Lakers will sneak into the playoffs around 6th seed and go onto win another chip.

Lakers are currently 13th in the West.
 
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