2018-2019 NBA Regular Season Thread

[DJ Fieri]

He isn't going to win MVP. No chance.

He has been great. Probably finishes 3rd. But he isn't the MVP.

It will be Giannis or Harden for sure.

And that is how it should be. George has a former MVP teammate who has posted a triple double in 9 straight games. I have always been one of Russ' staunchest critics, but George won't win this award for the same reason that Curry and KD won't. Well that, and the fact that Giannis is a freak of nature who looks poised to win a handful of MVP awards and be an all time great player. And James Harden is on the most ridiculous scoring binge the league has seen since Wilt completely overmatched the league.

I agree.

Harden's award....

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

ASK IRA: Is it Michael Beasley time again for the Heat?

Ira, the Heat have struggled to score at crunch time all season: 11 points in fourth quarter vs. the Pacers, 13 Friday night in Sacramento. It is Michael Beasley time. We need someone that can score. It is 2019 in NBA and everyone is scoring 100-plus per game. We will not and cannot expect to win scoring in the 90s. Let's go get scoring. Beasley! -- Brian, Boca Raton.

A: Look, no one appreciates the Super Cool experience more than myself(I DO). And Michael Beasley does have a knack for getting buckets. But even when the Heat have brought Michael back during previous tours under Erik Spoelstra, the minutes have been scant. That said, to your greater point, it would be nice to have someone capable of offering relief points beyond Dwyane Wade. Then again, it also comes down to what this season truly is about. And if it's about development, then you might as well allow Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow to either shoot the Heat in or out of games.

@bksballer89 @Heatles84

#itstime

 

[bksballer89]

I agree.

Harden's award....

Harden is far from a lock especially if the Bucks finish as a top 2 seed in the east

 

[Wamu]

Holy crap what an epic meltdown by the Celtics last night. Time to blow that roster up & fire Brad Stevens.

 

[Wamu]

For any drinkers in this thread I hope you're all really hungover.

 

[dtgold88]

Multiple people (not all of them Lakers fans) have tried to explain this to you over the last week.....I'm done.

Multiple people need it explained to them, it seems.

 

[dtgold88]

Dude either can't or won't grasp it. Either way, he's not worth the time.

Yet you take the time.

 

[dtgold88]

James and Rondo are at the Duke-UVA game.



Interesting.

Lebron making early plans and seeing if he wants to return to the Cavs in a few years to play with Zion and Bronny?

Or he's rich and had some time to kill.

 

[Black Adam]

Holy crap what an epic meltdown by the Celtics last night. Time to blow that roster up & fire Brad Stevens.

breaks my heart when the clovers have a rough night...















...no, really

 

[dtgold88]

This Laker team with LeBron is better than the Cleveland team the Warriors swept in the Finals last year. The toughest matchups in the West for the Ws are OKC, Houston, and LA.

Each year is different. The league has closed some of the gap and while the Ws are still favorites, it's by less than ever. There is no guarantee they win a title this year. Like every title, luck will play a part.

Possible, but you get that Cleveland team swept Toronto and beat the Cs and the great Brad stevens without home court?

 

[thunderc]

Lebron making early plans and seeing if he wants to return to the Cavs in a few years to play with Zion and Bronny?

Or he's rich and had some time to kill.

He was probably there teaching Zion how to steer his way onto whatever team he wants to play for. The draft? That’s just a suggestion Zion.

 

[dtgold88]

Those with no agenda who understand NBA economics understand exactly why the Lakers did what they did.

They had to renounce Randle's rights to clear a second max spot. Once they did, they couldn't match. It isn't as simple as that.

And yeah, he did go for less than anybody expected. But it was too late.

Understand perfectly. LA didn't know what their own guy was worth.....thought just being LA and getting Lebron meant another max guy would come.

They were wrong.

 

[Heatles84]

James says hi. The Lakers are a completely different team without him.

Lebron's also missed close to a quarter of the season. Although he has a strong case for MVP, the amount of games missed will likely be what prevents him from winning.

 

[Wishbone]

So tell me exactly what Mr Flop Harden has done this year exactly? You could say that Chris Paul and Westbrook cancel each other out and then the fact that the Thunder have a better record. Paul George is a top 5 defender and Hardens defense well lol.

 

[dtgold88]

More proof that you dont need 1st round lottery picks to have success in the 1st round of the draft

agree great picks, but without a star it seems at best they are looking at NBA purgatory. Maybe better to have chosen Doncic to go with those 2.

 

[trojanfan12]

Ok people will say I don’t like harden because he isn’t with the thunder, blah blah blah. But seriously is anyone else tired of him getting away with what he gets away with? He jumps into people and pushes off before he steps back a lot of times and traveling is just a word when it comes to him. He can shoot I’ll give him that, but a lot of his game wouldn’t have played when more defense was allowed. Same can be said if a lot of players I guess.

Yeah, I find him hard to watch. Even if he didn't do the pushing off, travelling, etc. just his constant iso's are enough to make him hard to watch.

I know it's been amped up a bit because he's had teammates out with injuries, so he's doing what he has to win. But even without that, I find him hard to watch.

Plus, his lack of any real attempt at playing at least some defense makes him even harder to watch, imo.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

So tell me exactly what Mr Flop Harden has done this year exactly? You could say that Chris Paul and Westbrook cancel each other out and then the fact that the Thunder have a better record. Paul George is a top 5 defender and Hardens defense well lol.

37/8/7

If the Rockets win over 50 games it's somewhat uncharted territory (save Wilt and one season of MJ) for a single player scoring that much and the team being that succesful.

Harden is by no means a "good" defender but he's not nearly as bad as people make it to be. He allows a lot of head scratchers but I think it's mostly to conserve energy over the course of games. When he asserts himself he's probably a bit above average.

 

[dtgold88]

My biggest concern for the Celtics was keeping everyone happy. Hayward isn't used to being a 24 minute kind of guy. Rozier goes from playoff hero to bench role in his contract year. Brown is a guy who needs more looks to feel involved as he's really a classic kind of shooting guard. And then they all take a backseat to a guy who won't even commit to them?

But they have Brad Stevens. I kid....I kid.

 

[tlance]

Understand perfectly. LA didn't know what their own guy was worth.....thought just being LA and getting Lebron meant another max guy would come.

They were wrong.

Maybe they are wrong.

But signing Randle would mean no shot at another max player in free agency and no shot at a future championship without a blockbuster trade. They need a 2nd star and Randle is not that. His stat lines are nice and all, but he doesn't move the needle all that much in a team concept because he has flaws.

The Lakers were thinking big and they made the right move. Even if it does not end up panning out. They did what gave them the best odds to build a contender.

 

[dtgold88]

The Celtics definitely have a horrible tendency to air their dirty laundry for the whole world to see.

Why any of these guys speak through the media is beyond me. That sh!t should happen once in a blue moon... not every time the team hits bumps in the road.

Many teams the coach takes heat for this. Not if it's Stevens, though.

I happen to like him and think he's a very good coach, but when fans and the media don't like a coach he'll take the blame for anything going wrong (in MLB, NBA and NFL). Like him and he gets a pass.

I'm more inclined to blame players in most cases, including this one.