The NBA

[emma675]

13 hours ago, Growsonwalls said:

Russell Westbrook donned a Santa hat and handed out shoes, masks and backpacks in DC:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJFcvfPjzpV/

He does appear to be a very kind, generous person off the court.

He seemed to be funny, relaxed, and friendly in his appearance in Matisse Thybulle's bubble vlogs, too. He's like a completely different person on and off court.

[Growsonwalls]

Well Kevin Durant looks to be his old self. Also: does Kevin Durant have the longest legs and shortest torso in the history of mankind or what? I know NBA heavily favors those with long legs but he has some of the most extreme proportions I've ever seen.

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by Growsonwalls

[mojoween]

Kevin Durant’s skinny calves alarm me every time I see them.

First night, and the media is already making excuses for the Los Angeles LeBrons.  Gonna be a long shortened season.

[Magog]

3 hours ago, mojoween said:

First night, and the media is already making excuses for the Los Angeles LeBrons.  Gonna be a long shortened season.

Its only game 1. There is nothing to see here. Its not worth making a big deal over. They lost to the Clippers in the first game of last season & they come out on top at the end. 

I should be somewhat impressed by Paul George's performance last night. But, I'm not because he should of been doing that in the Playoffs against the Nuggets (especially in either Game 5, 6, or 7). Frankly, it wasn't worth getting excited about. When he does it in the Playoffs on a daily basis, then I'll be impressed. 

 

[NUguy514]

3 hours ago, Magog said:

Its only game 1. There is nothing to see here. Its not worth making a big deal over. They lost to the Clippers in the first game of last season & they come out on top* at the end.

* (Given to all sports champions of 2020)

Also, you're proving @mojoween's point.

[emmawoodhouse]

Rockets game postponed tonight due to ongoing testing for contract tracing. Here's more.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=30589224&ex_cid=espnapi_internal

eta The Rockets are a hot mess right now on several fronts. 

Edited December 23, 2020 by emmawoodhouse

[Growsonwalls]

28 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Rockets game postponed tonight due to ongoing testing for contract tracing. Here's more.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=30589224&ex_cid=espnapi_internal

eta The Rockets are a hot mess right now on several fronts. 

Yeah James Harden is demanding a trade and going to strip clubs to purposefully violate the NBA's rules.

[cambridgeguy]

9 hours ago, Magog said:

Its only game 1. There is nothing to see here. Its not worth making a big deal over. They lost to the Clippers in the first game of last season & they come out on top at the end. 

Hold on, you're saying extrapolating an entire season and playoffs on the basis of one game isn't how you do things?  Damn, and I just bet my life savings on the Clippers winning the Finals.

[grommit2]

It is fascinating to see how basketball has changed, especially since the introduction of the three-point line.
In the past, the offense was focused on dumping the ball into the big guy (or gal) down low. If it was pitched back out, the not-so-big guy would drive to the hoop.  There was lots of movement, picks, passing...to get that little 15 footer. 
Now the game is focused on the 3-point line.  Two players set up in opposite corners.  Maybe the center actually sets up down low. Maybe.  That leaves two long-range bombers to hoist up threes from several rows back in the stands.  But this actually opens up the middle for one of those bombers to blast their way to the hoop.  Of course, along the way the concept of travelling has gone away.  Players take a hop, step, another step, and still more steps, then puts up a little bank shot.
Players are also much taller.  For example, the Knicks have Durant, somewhere around seven feet tall, playing point guard.  
Ah progress!

[emmawoodhouse]

Adam Silver claims that the NBA won't jump the line for vaccinations. 

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30594514/nba-memo-warns-teams-obtaining-administering-covid-19-vaccine-early

[emmawoodhouse]

KC Jones dies at 88. 

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30595836/boston-celtics-legend-kc-jones-dies-88

[Growsonwalls]

Bill Russell announced that Celtics legend KC Jones passed away:

 

[xaxat]

KC Jones was not only an NBA HOFer, he also made a significant contribution to the NFL with the invention of the old "bump and run" coverage.

Quote

In a one-on-one drill during practice, Jones used a technique that gave the L.A. receivers fits. He lined up in front of them with no cushion between the receiver and himself. At the snap he hand-checked them off the line and did so again while running with them stride for stride. Jones was defending with the same tenacity as he did on hardwood. He maintained contact with the receivers throughout their routes, which caused them to complain this technique was against the rules.

Faulkner decided to check it out. “I went through the rule book,” he said, “and I’ll be damned if I could find anything that said it was illegal.”

 

[emmawoodhouse]

27 points at HALFTIME, Clippers? Down 50 to the Mavs!

[Growsonwalls]

Well Kevin Durant so far looks like he's defying the odds against the conventional wisdom that you can't come back from a ruptured Achilles tendon. And Kyrie Irving looks good too.

[AimingforYoko]

3 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

27 points at HALFTIME, Clippers? Down 50 to the Mavs!

If the Mavs had simply dribbled the ball until the shot clock expired.....for the ENTIRE SECOND HALF, they still would have won the game. 

[Medicine Crow]

What happened to Kawhi??

[AimingforYoko]

1 minute ago, Medicine Crow said:

What happened to Kawhi??

Serge Ibaka elbowed him in the mouth.

[Medicine Crow]

1 hour ago, AimingforYoko said:

Serge Ibaka elbowed him in the mouth.

Oh Jeez ... I've been MIA & didn't see the game.  Serge is "my man" & I'm sure he feels terrible.  Kawhi is on my top five list, so I'm really feeling awful for him.  Bummer for everyone!!

[JustBecause]

On 10/7/2020 at 8:23 PM, NUguy514 said:

... and there is a 0% chance a full NFL season is happening.

It's okay to admit that you were wrong on this prediction; we'll forgive you 😁

[NUguy514]

3 hours ago, JustBecause said:

It's okay to admit that you were wrong on this prediction; we'll forgive you 😁

Of course, I was wrong: I forgot that money matters more than people's health.  However, when teams have to play while having no actual quarterback who can play, that's not football so much as "football."

[xaxat]

Congrats coach Hammon!

It really does look like Oath of the Horatii

[Growsonwalls]

Former NBA coach Paul Westphal died of brain cancer today 😞 

[AimingforYoko]

3 hours ago, Growsonwalls said:

Former NBA coach Paul Westphal died of brain cancer today 😞 

Not just a coach, but a Hall of Fame player, as well. R.I.P.

[xaxat]

The first time I saw this ad I thought "Dame, you great, but you don't have any rings! . . . Oh, you said range. I give you that."

ETA About Kyrie's sage ceremony. Last week Robert Horry was a guest for an ESPN or NBATV studio show. He said that Phil Jackson (naturally) was way ahead of Kyrie and used to hand out bundles to players in the Laker locker room. When Big Shot first saw him doing it, he wondered "Is coach giving us weed?"

Edited January 5, 2021 by xaxat

[Growsonwalls]

Well a little bit of trash talk from Damian Lillard seems to have awoken Steph Curry from whatever funk he was in. I'm here for the dueling of the baby-faced assassins.

[Magog]

Quote

The first time I saw this ad I thought "Dame, you great, but you don't have any rings! . . . Oh, you said range. I give you that."

That was a nice commercial. But, where was this type of performance on Sunday Night when Stephen Curry went 62 on him & the Trail Blazers & flat out mocking them while doing it?

Frankly, I'm downright sick & tired of this GOAT debate between LeBron & Michael Jordan. I'm shocked that ESPN hasn't found a way to bring their Golden Boy (Stephen Curry) into this debate. They're constantly rave about him & outright root for him & those Warriors.

Edited January 5, 2021 by Magog

[NUguy514]

ESPN's golden boy is LeBron James; only the most delusional LeBron fanatic would believe anything else. 

And Michael Jordan is the GOAT.  Period.  End of sentence.

[Crs97]

I hate the LeBron/MJ GOAT discussion.  Different generations, different styles, different teammates and opponents.  Frankly, if we have to play the game it’s Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell. 

Edited January 5, 2021 by Crs97

[Growsonwalls]

GOAT discussions are useless because basketball positions are so different. Also remember in the 50s, 60s and 70s there wasn't the three point line. So long-range shooters like Jerry West weren't as valued back then. 

I also hate GOAT discussions because it kind of discounts the fact that even the best players need extremely strong teammates to bring them to championships. MJ had Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, Lebron needed Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving or Anthony Davis. No one can do it alone. 

[xaxat]

Kyrie is AWOL tonight. Personally, he doesn't owe me any explanation for his absence, but he does owe one to his FREAKIN' COACH.

ETA, the song headed into first quarter intermission was Donald Glover's This is America. 

Edited January 8, 2021 by xaxat

[emma675]

Multiple sites are saying the entire 76ers team has been quarantined in NY after a player tested positive for Covid during their game last night. Apparently this player traveled with the team but didn't play and was immediately removed and quarantined when his test came back, but who knows how many people he exposed. The 76ers played Washington and Brooklyn over the last few days.

[Growsonwalls]

3 hours ago, emma675 said:

Multiple sites are saying the entire 76ers team has been quarantined in NY after a player tested positive for Covid during their game last night. Apparently this player traveled with the team but didn't play and was immediately removed and quarantined when his test came back, but who knows how many people he exposed. The 76ers played Washington and Brooklyn over the last few days.

The player is Seth Curry.

[emmawoodhouse]

He was named yesterday. I heard it from someone, can't remember who.

[emma675]

What's funny is I heard last night Curry had a sprained ankle and that's why he was out.

Now Dallas media is reporting a Mavericks player also tested positive last night and did not fly back with the team from Denver. I wonder if we're starting to see spikes because of holiday gatherings?

Edited January 9, 2021 by emma675d

[xaxat]

20 minutes ago, emma675 said:

What's funny is I heard last night Curry had a sprained ankle and that's why he was out.

That's why he was originally benched, they received his test result during the game.

[emmawoodhouse]

I must have heard his name this morning, but I definitely heard it in passing.

[shoregirl]

 

Apparently he had a rapid test that was negative earlier in the day and the PCR test came back positive during the game. Joel Embiid said he's going to quarantine away from his girlfriend and their 3 mos old baby.

[xaxat]

Due to covid protocols the Sixers will only have seven players available. The starting lineup includes three rookies and the 59 year old Dwight Howard. 

This is going to be ugly.

[Growsonwalls]

39 minutes ago, xaxat said:

Due to covid protocols the Sixers will only have seven players available. The starting lineup includes three rookies and the 59 year old Dwight Howard. 

This is going to be ugly.

Well Simmons and Embiid CAN play. They're just not because this is a sure-lose game and they're pretty fragile anyway. 

I was surprised to learn that Dwight Howard is only 35. He's younger than Lebron. For whatever reason I feel like he's been in the NBA forever. 

[mojoween]

1 hour ago, Growsonwalls said:

I was surprised to learn that Dwight Howard is only 35. He's younger than Lebron. For whatever reason I feel like he's been in the NBA forever. 

17 years, right?  That is forever for sure.

[Danny Franks]

So the bitter hopefuls who were reporting Steph Curry's decline must be feeling annoyed at the moment. The Warriors are barely even a team yet but he's dragging them to wins, scoring for fun, bringing the best out of players around him. The alternative takes (delete as appropriate to support your argument) of Draymond as a floor general without compare or as an overrated, non-scoring defender are still fun.

Also, the Knicks actually seem to not be terrible... which would be the most Knicks thing ever, in a year when the draft is going to be stacked. I imagine they plan on trading Randle at some point, and he's certainly playing well enough to attract interest.

[xaxat]

6 hours ago, xaxat said:

Due to covid protocols the Sixers will only have seven players available. The starting lineup includes three rookies and the 59 year old Dwight Howard. 

This is going to be ugly.

It was surprisingly close. Not as close as the final score (lot of garbage time points) but, given we have seen fifty point blowouts this season, they managed to put up a fight.

This is the first time the Sixers have lost in Philadelphia since December 2019. (Because of the bubble.)

Edited January 10, 2021 by xaxat

[Growsonwalls]

So what's the deal with Kyrie? He's still MIA. 

[xaxat]

On 1/9/2021 at 11:50 PM, Growsonwalls said:

So what's the deal with Kyrie? He's still MIA. 

Looks like he decided to take an impromptu vacation. Wonder what KD thinks about this.

Sources: Kyrie Irving not expected to rejoin Brooklyn Nets this week; NBA reviewing maskless videos

[Growsonwalls]

4 minutes ago, xaxat said:

Looks like he decided to take an impromptu vacation. Wonder what KD thinks about this.

Sources: Kyrie Irving not expected to rejoin Brooklyn Nets this week; NBA reviewing maskless videos

It's probably a really different experience for KD as Steve Kerr ran/runs a really tight ship at the Warriors.

[rcc]

Does Kyrie forfeit his paycheck during his "vacation"?

[xaxat]

16 minutes ago, rcc said:

Does Kyrie forfeit his paycheck during his "vacation"?

As long as it's excused by the team, I think so.

[rcc]

5 minutes ago, xaxat said:

As long as it's excused by the team, I think so.

IMO they shouldn't. Death in the family or injury yes. Selfish "vacation" no. Not a team player.

[Fukui San]

I'm shocked, shocked that Kyrie did something wacky and selfish.