Topic: American Sports

@Ravix As far as the Lakers, I have my doubts as to whether this new look team will figure it out before this season is up. I only saw some highlights of the last couple games, so I’m going off of limited info. Luka is so ball-dominant that it will take time to get the offense adjusted, I think. I reckon they’ll make a run eventually though, probably will end up somewhere around the 5 or 6 seed. Might win one playoff series. We’ll see.

As for the All-Star game, it really didn’t interest me and I’m glad I didnt waste time watching it. I read that it was a bunch of talking and just blah-blah nonsense and very little basketball. But honestly, for reasons you mentioned, I haven’t watched the All-Star game in a while. It’s fairly meaningless and with no defensive effort it is really a joke. The idea of a specific number of players who are defensive selections is an intriguing one. I still doubt it will result in any meaningful effort or competitiveness. The players are just not going to put in 100% and risk injury. Unless somehow the players and their teams were somehow compensated for winning.

The MLB has done the tactic where the conference (actually they are called “leagues”, the American League and the National League) that wins the midseason All-Star game gets home field advantage in the World Series. It made the All-Star game competitive, but I think it unfairly penalized some of the World Series teams who lost home field advantage simply based on how their league fared in a random game they had no control over. Although I do think home court advantage in the NBA finals is also sometime unfair if the team with the better record had an easier schedule, but that’s very hard to judge. Maybe game 7 could be played at a neutral site? 😅

@Th3solution well it seems like the Lakers battered the Nuggets. How does Jokic only get 12 points vs the Lakers by the way? 😅 the West seems mad, but I never really see any games so I will never know the comings and goings that well, but it seems to stick out like a sore thumb.

In the East, well it seems Detroit may genuinely have a shot at the playoffs, which was an earlier discussion we had. They are on a run right now. And Philadelphia, the less said the better, I guess. 7 losses in a row before they have even started tanking. Time for Joel to go and get another surgery? Why wait around and keep losing even when you're trying to build something with the starters when you risk making next season just as bad if it's another slow start without a fully able Embiid and you accidentally manage to lose your pick if you go on a late run.

They have to try and get Cooper Flagg and then pair Maxey and Flagg as their future and you've got a shot with that, but with the wage bill it might be tough to add to it for a long time.

@Ravix The Lakers seemed to have figured it out. I think the Nuggets are actually going to struggle if they can’t get Jokic a little help. But LeBron and Luka seem to be getting some chemistry together. It’s definitely bound to be a new look and it will put to test the idea of defense winning championships. But yeah, the West is wild and there’s bound to be a lot of jockeying for position. The only lock is OKC. I don’t believe in anyone else yet.

The Sixers are quite a mess, and I don’t think they should try to salvage the season if Embiid isn’t going to be able to play. Looks like he’s not going to be 100% until he has another knee surgery. I would think they are close to tank-time.

@Th3solution Celtics are now teasing NYN. Took a big lead, let them get to within 4 and then blew them away again. Last year Brunson would go off against the Celtics and look like the player he is the rest of the time. This year he looks timid and there is no fear factor. KAT is so weird, he only showed up in the third quarter and the rest of the time wasn't getting in the paint or shooting threes, I honestly don't know what he was doing the rest of the game, other than sitting in drop coverage and getting cooked 😅

If they meet in the playoffs the only thing that scares me about them is the fact the Celtics may sleepwalk into a series vs them and mess up their own chances. Otherwise you may as well bet it now that it will be 4-1 C's with the loss being a game when the 3 isn't falling, they keep missing layups, turn the ball over a bunch, foul too much, get technical fouls in frustration and Kat and Brunson hit 15 threes for the Celtics to lose by 1 😅

It might be wise to assume NY isn't really the 3 seed at the moment and is more like a plucky play-in team that might get lucky.

If it finishes 'as is' it seems the most likely East finals combos will be Cle v Bos, Bos v Mil(/Ind) or Cleveland v Orl. I can't see NY in there, really. I can see Orlando getting past Boston early (especially if they have 1 warm up play-in game) more than NY getting past Bos in the second. Does that also mean Detroit would have a shot vs NY just because they might be down on confidence, who knows.

Long way to go, but it's hard to see a path for NY as it is stands the moment.

Maybe getting Mitchell Robinson back will make KAT not suck in the big games? And all will be different in a few months.

What I should have done is tag @straw-hat-crew for input 🫡

@Ravix Having watched KAT when he was in the West with Minnesota, I am familiar with his inconsistency. He can take over a game from time to time, but he also tends to disappear when the lights are the brightest.
I’m surprised about Brunson though, as I don’t expect him to shrink as much. I haven’t been watching NY but I suspect you’re correct that it would be a slim chance that they could last through a 7 game series with the East’s (or West’s) elite. However, I can see them making it through a first round series with Detroit or Orlando, but it would be competitive for sure.

NY has enough of a cushion that they will likely be able to coast through the rest of the season and stay 3rd seed. Worst case scenario (Brunson or KAT gets hurt and misses significant time) they could drop as low as 6.

The West has 3 tiers right now — 1) Secured and solidly in control (OKC), 2) In the middle and should avoid the play-in (Memphis, Denver, LA, Houston), and 3) Fighting for the last automatic spot and the play-in (everyone else except Utah and New Orleans. And honestly, now without Wemby you could probably put San Antonio also as essentially eliminated).

In the East, it’s less demarcated. There’s a little more distance forming between teams and they aren’t clumped together as tightly. Indiana, Milwaukee, and Detroit will be swapping around between #4, 5, and 6.

So I guess the East’s 3 tiers would be: 1) Should easily win the first round (Cleveland and Boston), 2) The middle ground who will be playing each other in the first round (NY, Ind, Mil, Det) and then 3) The teams who will be in the play-in to be first round fodder for Cle and Bos (everyone else except Toronto, Charlotte, and Washington.)

Edit: I’m surprised you feel Orlando is a team capable of making it to the finals. I haven’t watched them much but are they really making a run? They are still 3 games back out of the 6 seed so unless they can put together a nice last month they are going to have to be in the play-in. I can’t imagine they get past Boston in a potential 2-7 first round matchup, but I don’t know.

@Th3solution yeah, all I'm thinking is of teams likely to upset Boston, they are the ones I'd give the best chance. And, as it is most likely they'd meet in the first round, then if it happened that way, then they would probably advance and beat NY too 😂

It is purely a match up thing, as, based on where they are now, they should win the play-in, and a team with momentum vs a team that has sat around for a while means game one is tough, plus they matched up well vs Boston this year because of the intensity they play with. They have been ravaged with injury so are way lower than they should be, too, right?

So if Boston did mess up, and aren't in the finals, it seems like Orlando would be the team to benefit, as it stands, at least. And if Celeveland mess up, then it is Milwaukee or Indiana that are getting that chance. As both are capable teams when playing well.

But it also shows it is hard to pick an eastern final without either Boston or Cleveland. But you never know. It'd be a bit bad if neither were there, and it is looking like the marquee match up that could lead to a 7 game series, with Cleveland wanting revenge for last year.

The absolute best basketball games would be Boston v Cleveland and then either of those vs OKC in the finals. So that is what you'd hope for (in a world where upsets dint happen and teams advance as scripted) But Boston vs Warriors would be absolute madness too now they have Jimmy "I'm sick of the Boston Celtics" Buttler. And that would probably be the biggest selling storyline game for the neutral. Or Boston Vs LA would be ratings gold, but its hard to see it as a rivalry at the moment as there haven't been many big moments recently, unlike there have been with the Warriors, even extending to Kerr vs Tatum at the Olympics.

We just have to hope it isn't something like Denver vs Orlando though, no real story and no rivalry and probably incredibly low scoring 😅

@Ravix Ah, I see where you’re going. Yeah, Orlando being the Cinderella is a possibility.

Actually, that LA - Boston finals would be intriguing. There’s no recent history but historically it would be classic. Also, Luka having his second shot at Boston would be a storyline too. But like I mentioned, I’m guessing they are still a year away from really being polished with the new look roster. I could be wrong though, after their dismantling of Denver.

And I think it’s going to be a blood bath when Luka faces his former team tomorrow. Mostly because Dallas will still be playing their 5th string center 😂.

I would love to see OKC vs Boston or Cleveland. Either would be a fantastic match up. I’m probably biased because I watch them more but I think OKC could win either series. They have the complete package — quickness and youth, playoff experience, the probable MVP, tenacious defense both on the perimeter and in the paint, three point shooting and post-up and mid range options, and appear to be healthy now.

@Th3solution LA are second in the west now, right? Marquee match up on Saturday.

By the way, if you had to guess which players have both scored 40+ in the same game for the Celtics you'd think the list would probably be quite long with lots of players to choose from, but would you have guessed it had actually never happened until last night and it was Pritchard and White that were the first ever to do that for the C's 😁

@Ravix Yeah, that’s an interesting statistic. With all-time greats from the Celtics like Bird, Parrish, Garnett, Pierce, McHale, Walton, Ainge, Johnson, Havlicek, and of course the great Bill Russell… to never have two 40 point scorers until now is a surprise, although the game has changed a lot over the years and so that’s also a factor. Still, weird that it’s Pritchard and White. Nothing against either player, but not the Celtic duo you’d suspect like Garnett-Pierce or Bird-McHale.

I didn’t get to watch the game (LA-Boston), but it looks like it was never really in question. LA is putting together a nice run to end the season, but I’m still not convinced. And now LeBron is going to miss some time. But with Luka, they should be able to maintain momentum until he comes back. I wonder how much longer LeBron’s 40 year old body can hold up.

@Th3solution ah, it was quite a good game to be fair. It was definitely a lot more heated now both teams are competing, too. But the same as with the Mavs in the finals last year, JB just knows how to get at Luka and force him to make mistakes, and the rest followed his lead leading him into tight corridors and forcing him to pick up the dribble a lot, which led to a fair few turnovers. He is still a player you watch and think at any moment he can open you up, and he will still get a share of points and assists regardless, but its good to see when teams can handle him confidently.

LeBron is a strange one, he doesn't often look his age on the court, but at some point nature will have to step in and do what it does. If you compare him to Al Horford, Al has kept himself in great condition over the years, but you can tell he is an older player a lot of the time, even when he is putting in top level performances, he still looks like he is a 38 year old playing well, but LeBron can still do a lot of the physical plays that he is known for, where Al has to out-think his opponent a little bit more ti get in good positions rather than rely on physicality. If LeBron wanted to go on in a more considered style he still has the IQ to do so, so it will be really interesting to see if he just keeps on going until noone has a use for him any more, or if he will choose to call it a day. If teams can cope with Trey Young in their teams, you'd think they could factor in for a 45+yo LeBron if he loses a few steps and becomes more of a screener and spacer who can make quick correct decisions, which is what Luka is allowing him to be at times, but he is also still scoring a lot of points as well.

It was an unexpected achievement in the sense you'd expect it to have happened already. JT and JB nearly did it the game before, as well, but JB only had 36 or 38 or something 😅 But that is kind of what Pritchard and White can do when they are option 1 and 2 for a team, though. (You know they often feature as players I mention, and I usually call White the real MVP) JB took on a more facilitating role in the game and let them cook. It helps having the one superstar alongside them to draw that attention, but with a lot of players out, they knew they had to really focus and that leads to more made shots.

It is actually quite amazing to see the role psychology has on making threes, as well. Everyone practises a bunch, top players can all hit open shots, but when the pressure is on some players just make a way higher percentage than when pressure is off, which can only be put down to how focused their mind is in that moment, which leads to more machine like accuracy and less wandering thoughts. It's the same reason that Dame-Time exists, and how Curry will hit ridiculous game winners. If you throw Derrick White a grenade or he is falling out of bounds his percentage must go up to 65%+ on three makes, and in the 4th quarter his percentage goes up for sure, as it matters more (seemingly) to the game and the result. Whereas if he just jacks up a heat-check it probably falls to about 20%

I don't know if anyone tracks stuff like that, but I bet it'd be the kind of stat you'd love to research 😁

@Ravix They definitely track game winning shots and if I’m not mistaken, there’s some data about shooter accuracy during crunch time versus mid and early game. I know I’ve seen some stats before.

@Ravix How comfortable do you feel after the OKC-Boston game last night? Provided Boston gets past Cleveland, I think that could be our finals matchup.

@Th3solution oh, OKC are incredibly good and incredibly well coached. If they don't win it all I'd be surprised to be honest. I know they are young, but they just have that special something.

I'm not sure we have the answer to them if the way we play is set in stone. Boston likes the "killer whale" offence, which is Joe's theory on hunting matchups and killing the weak, but OKC do not have any weak spots, and their gameplan on defense is to only give up what they want to give up, which means when we play them we attack only how they want us to, which means their coach is always going to have the upper hand.

It is so cool to watch psychologically, and i do hope (if it plays out that way) that Joe has an answer up his sleeve that he has yet to show.

But also, like I said after banner 18, this season is just gravy for me, if they win again, cool, if not I've enjoyed the ride, and my main hope is for some really good matchups and more rivalries building up for the next few years to make the NBA as a whole much exciting.

I think I said after the first OKC match, it seemed like the gameplan for OKC was to purposely be bad in the first half and then deny in the second, which seems strange. But it is kind of like that. Last night they actively allowed three point shots in the first half, which Boston made fairly well, but they struggled from 2, and those paint shots were a lot tougher than the threes, but in the second they denied the three and the struggle from 2 continued as OKC kept defending the paint well (possibly by fouling a lot on the floor and not getting called on it...) Which is the exact opposite way they did it in the first game, which was allow paint points early, but under their parameters of control, and then deny everything in the second when Boston's three was already off.

All praise to Daigneault, Joe has some work to do if that is indeed the Finals. But like I say, we have to get there first 😅 but if OKC don't, it will be a travesty.

@Ravix Yeah, I agree — OKC is the only team in the West that have played consistently all year. Everyone else has had some Jekyll and Hyde games.

R.I.P. George Foreman. Underrated athlete, imo.

@Th3solution thoughts on the West firing coaches days and weeks before playoff runs?

And why are Phoenix tanking so they don't even get into the play-in?

I wish I knew more about that division because from afar it looks like everyone has gone stark raving mad this season.

Is any one team even going to try and beat OKC or has everyone just accepted that because they are probably expected to win why even try?

Gate left wide open for Golden State? Could Minnesota now jump ahead of Denver and get into the first round?

In the east maybe the most exciting thing is Indiana could jump NYK if things go awry for NY after realising they still can't beat the Celtics even when they really, really try to. I genuinely feel sorry for them for that, that is the worst type of loss when you think you have a chance and still can't get it done and get swept. (Granted, me saying this near guarantees NY beating the C's in the playoffs, but eh)

@Ravix It’s so strange — Memphis and Denver are still in the mix. Not sure why they would fire their coach this close to the playoffs. But it’s like you say, none of these teams should feel confident to be able to beat OKC. Still, what in the world? In the case of Denver, you have the best player on the planet so you always have a chance. I’m not sure about Minnesota, but I do think Golden State is surging now. But can the old guys stay healthy?

The West is bizarrely falling apart. I’m still not sure about Houston, but they are one of the few teams going in hot. Clippers also seem to be hitting their stride just in time. Kawhi is looking like his old self. They might be the only team to be in a good rhythm. The Lakers also have been doing fairly well as Luka is settling into his new team. But they just got beat by OKC fairly easily.

Boston is playing some good ball now too. They seemed to have worked through some of their issues and are on a run. This might be the last chance with the current group. I’ve read that they are indeed going to have to shed some salary cap this offseason.

@Th3solution yeah, we need to free up some money to pay Luke Kornet 😛 I won't go into it too much, but if you ask any Boston fan about this season one thing they'd all tell you it is the season of Luke Kornet's emergence. And he took a minimum deal just to stay here to boot. If somehow they can win back to back they owe him a lot.

You'd probably like him as he is kind of an oddity in terms of unexpected sports personalities too. Most 'jock' types, and the 'whatever Ja Morant is' types, celebrate to show off, bring attention on themselves, show up an opponent, or simply because they are dumb f***s or a little unhinged (come on, Ja, be better. I used to like you 😅) but Kornet, as well as being a high IQ player who doesn't really care about himself or showing off, has realised the best reason to celebrate: for your team mates entertainment and to make them laugh.

It probably started last year when the Celtics missed a ton of free throws in a game, and he got fouled in the third or 4th quarter, made the first and just screamed at the bench full of irony and toungue in cheek charm, but totally deadpan. And then he made the second and did the "ice in the veins" totaly unaware or uncaring about what any opponent would think of it (because who in the heck celebrates like that on unimportant freethrows haha) it wasn't done with any malice towards the opposition, but just to be an absolute goofball and ease the tension on his own team in that game.

Needless to say, this year it has picked up momentum and turned into a whole new thing. And as well as the regular madcap stuff, the fact that the fans have started to realise his work is really important and how the team has been battling on the road, he now barks like a dog after nearly every effort play in every game 😅 again, totally unaware of any opponents, just to make the bench laugh, and he even hit us with the 'neck scratch with a leg kick' to really drive home the "we are dogs when we play tough" message.

Ah, I went into it. I don't care. Needed to share some Kornet capers 😂

I'll throw some stats in too while I'm at it. After Jokic and Murray, Kornet and Tatum are the best 2 man game in the NBA. So only providing the same kind of worth as one of the absolute best centers of all time. Not too shabby. Also, top 5 in the league for plus minus after a few OKC players. He was even a plus today when the Celtics reserves (top 6 rested vs Orlando starters) got, I was going to say beat down, but Orlando could still barely score the ball on a great shooting night for them, so 🤷‍♂️ beat down, but mostly by not being able to create any of their own offence.

You have to watch out for him in the playoffs, anyway. I expect from the outside looking in it will seem quite weird to people, and I'm sure some will get mad thinking he's doing it to wind up their players. But it's okay, because it's supposed to be weird and it's none of their business haha.

@Th3solution I know that was a ridiculously long comment about Kornet, I was excited 😅 But here's a stat they shared in the last game about his season:

I bet you could work out his value per dollar weighted against the other players in the league, considering his league minimum contract 😛

@Ravix Yeah, if I were the Boston GM, I’d hold onto Kornet and ship Porzingis. 😄

The playoffs are all set now. I’ll be really interested to see how teams in the middle fare. So the 3-6 seeds. I think the top and bottom will give us what we expect, but it’s the Clippers, Lakers, Warriors who I don’t know what to expect. And on the East the Pacers and Knicks.