2016-17 NBA Regular Season Thread

[DJ Fieri]

Washington

You've made a freaking comeback......you were down to being almost e-broke a month or so ago.....weren't you?

 

[trojanfan12]

I get it and trust me I understand.....you've not had the experiences I've had with him and all.....if he loses......he'll honor it. I'd go as far as to say if he doesn't, I'd honor the bet in his place.







Don't disappoint me, Wiggy.

You're word for it...I will take (Mecca too, of course). On yours and Mecca's word, I retract my previous statement of doubt.

 

[bksballer89]

You've made a freaking comeback......you were down to being almost e-broke a month or so ago.....weren't you?

Yeah I'm smarter than you. My v-cash confirms that.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Told my POE Friday will be my last day and they were beside themselves trying to keep me here.....

 

[WiggyRuss]

I get it and trust me I understand.....you've not had the experiences I've had with him and all.....if he loses......he'll honor it. I'd go as far as to say if he doesn't, I'd honor the bet in his place.







Don't disappoint me, Wiggy.

oh ive honored every bet ive ever made.....i just refuse to be rail roaded into bets i dont want to make by some group/hive mentality.

i mean- i bet Tlance last year on the Finals- I could have easily made the same bet with @TurnUpTheHeat but at that point after literally MONTHS of saying the same thing its kinda funny to make the same bet with someone else and see him get his panties in a bunch about it.

ill say the same thing this year as i said last year too- if the Cavs make the Finals and they have their big 3 healthy-

i mean- to me that only makes sense- its obvious to me that if Irvng, Love and or LeBron are not healthy- the Cavs arent beating the Spurs or Warriors...its just not happening. Im not going to let loud mouths that never make bets themsleves rail road me into making a stupid bet.

but any bet that i do make- as i have in the past EVERY single time- i will OF COURSE honor.

 

[Wamu]

better chance at winning a title...

Indians or Cavs?

The Browns.

 

[DJ Fieri]

You're word for it...I will take (Mecca too, of course). On yours and Mecca's word, I retract my previous statement of doubt.

NP. I get it....I've just decided to end the feud, it's not worth it. And he honored his bets on FN.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Gordon Hayward to the Miami Heat is becoming a real possibility
Josh BaumgardMarch 30, 2017

It’s safe to assume Gordon Hayward, one of the NBA’s elite impending free agents (likely to exercise his opt-out this summer), is already among the Miami Heat’s premier targets in Free Agency this July.

With Chris Bosh’s contract clearing the books and a bunch of soon-to-be free agents of its own, Miami will have the cap space to add a max contract and then some. Considering Kevin Durant and Steph Curry are likely pipe dreams, Hayward’s name could easily find its way to No. 1 on Pat Riley’s wish list.

Already the noise beneath a potential Hayward signing has started to bubble to the surface, according to the Daily News’ Frank Isola, in a piece comparing Phil Jackson’s ineptitude to Riley’s legend.

“Riley has a home court advantage because Miami is a prime free agent destination,” he wrote. “The weather, the zero state income tax and the chance to play for a top franchise are too good for a lot of players to turn down. There are already whispers that if Utah can’t re-sign Gordon Hayward he could end up in Miami.”

Kaboom.

When it comes to free agent whales, I’ll absolute take “whispers.”

While Hayward doesn’t resonate with most fans as a legitimate superstar yet, his game speaks otherwise. The 6-foot-8 wing is an efficient scorer both on and off the ball, a rarity in league today. He’s averaging 21.8 points on a gorgeous 47-40-85 (FG-3FG-FT) shooting split.

He ranks in the Top 10 in Win Shares and in the Top 15 in True Shooting Percentage. Gordon is an elite offensive player who — and this is key on a team with a facilitator like Goran Dragic — doesn’t require the ball in his hands to be effective. While his reputation defensively isn’t quite on par with his offense, he’s not a liability like some of the league’s other prominent scorers.

Hayward grades out beautifully across multiple scoring categories, notes The Ringer, ranking in the 80th percentile or better in pick-and-roll, spot-up, off-screen, transition, and cuts.

The good news for Miami is Hayward is after a championship, first and foremost, per ESPN’s Zach Lowe:

Utah wants to get healthy and show Hayward this nucleus can do damage in the postseason. “It comes down to where I can compete for a title,” he said. “Where I live — that doesn’t affect me. The limelight doesn’t matter to me. I just want to make a run at it.”

While the Heat isn’t contender-quality today — how could they be with Bosh’s massive salary taking up such a large chunk of the cap? — it would appear they’re a star away from contending in the inferior Eastern Conference. The No. 1 seed, Cleveland, is 19-18 on a the road this year for heaven’s sake.

Miami’s biggest need is some offensive juice on the wing, another player who can create and score efficiently in addition to Dragic. God bless Dion Waiters but he’s not in the same class as Hayward.

Also working in Miami’s favor is it’ll be difficult for the Jazz to climb much higher in the West. While Utah is a strong team this season — currently the No. 4 seed — it will be a challenge for them to reach the juggernaut status of Golden State and San Antonio. It has always been difficult for Utah to attract prime free agents.

Hayward’s fit in Miami is a clean one. I imagine he’d play plenty at the four next to Hassan Whiteside. A lineup featuring Whiteside, Hayward, and Goran Dragic at its core has the potential to do some serious damage in the East.

Toss in solid supporting pieces in Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow, and potentially James Johnson (if they’d be able to afford him after Hayward), and while it may take a while for Erik Spoelstra to put it all together, they’d have enough to contend — in the East — which is all you can ask for.

Some may want Miami to save their space for the following summer if they’re unable to land a mega-whale in the form of Durant or Curry but remember Tyler Johnson’s deal explodes in Year 3 to $19 million. Making the big move this offseason is more likely, especially considering Riley wants to contend as quickly as possible.

Gordon Hayward is easily the most plausible whale on the Miami Heat’s radar this summer. Can Pat reel him in?

 

[DJ Fieri]

oh ive honored every bet ive ever made.....i just refuse to be rail roaded into bets i dont want to make by some group/hive mentality.

i mean- i bet Tlance last year on the Finals- I could have easily made the same bet with @TurnUpTheHeat but at that point after literally MONTHS of saying the same thing its kinda funny to make the same bet with someone else and see him get his panties in a bunch about it.

ill say the same thing this year as i said last year too- if the Cavs make the Finals and they have their big 3 healthy-

i mean- to me that only makes sense- its obvious to me that if Irvng, Love and or LeBron are not healthy- the Cavs arent beating the Spurs or Warriors...its just not happening. Im not going to let loud mouths that never make bets themsleves rail road me into making a stupid bet.

but any bet that i do make- as i have in the past EVERY single time- i will OF COURSE honor.

I know.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Gordon Hayward to the Miami Heat is becoming a real possibility
Josh BaumgardMarch 30, 2017

It’s safe to assume Gordon Hayward, one of the NBA’s elite impending free agents (likely to exercise his opt-out this summer), is already among the Miami Heat’s premier targets in Free Agency this July.

With Chris Bosh’s contract clearing the books and a bunch of soon-to-be free agents of its own, Miami will have the cap space to add a max contract and then some. Considering Kevin Durant and Steph Curry are likely pipe dreams, Hayward’s name could easily find its way to No. 1 on Pat Riley’s wish list.

Already the noise beneath a potential Hayward signing has started to bubble to the surface, according to the Daily News’ Frank Isola, in a piece comparing Phil Jackson’s ineptitude to Riley’s legend.

“Riley has a home court advantage because Miami is a prime free agent destination,” he wrote. “The weather, the zero state income tax and the chance to play for a top franchise are too good for a lot of players to turn down. There are already whispers that if Utah can’t re-sign Gordon Hayward he could end up in Miami.”

Kaboom.

When it comes to free agent whales, I’ll absolute take “whispers.”

While Hayward doesn’t resonate with most fans as a legitimate superstar yet, his game speaks otherwise. The 6-foot-8 wing is an efficient scorer both on and off the ball, a rarity in league today. He’s averaging 21.8 points on a gorgeous 47-40-85 (FG-3FG-FT) shooting split.

He ranks in the Top 10 in Win Shares and in the Top 15 in True Shooting Percentage. Gordon is an elite offensive player who — and this is key on a team with a facilitator like Goran Dragic — doesn’t require the ball in his hands to be effective. While his reputation defensively isn’t quite on par with his offense, he’s not a liability like some of the league’s other prominent scorers.

Hayward grades out beautifully across multiple scoring categories, notes The Ringer, ranking in the 80th percentile or better in pick-and-roll, spot-up, off-screen, transition, and cuts.

The good news for Miami is Hayward is after a championship, first and foremost, per ESPN’s Zach Lowe:

Utah wants to get healthy and show Hayward this nucleus can do damage in the postseason. “It comes down to where I can compete for a title,” he said. “Where I live — that doesn’t affect me. The limelight doesn’t matter to me. I just want to make a run at it.”

While the Heat isn’t contender-quality today — how could they be with Bosh’s massive salary taking up such a large chunk of the cap? — it would appear they’re a star away from contending in the inferior Eastern Conference. The No. 1 seed, Cleveland, is 19-18 on a the road this year for heaven’s sake.

Miami’s biggest need is some offensive juice on the wing, another player who can create and score efficiently in addition to Dragic. God bless Dion Waiters but he’s not in the same class as Hayward.

Also working in Miami’s favor is it’ll be difficult for the Jazz to climb much higher in the West. While Utah is a strong team this season — currently the No. 4 seed — it will be a challenge for them to reach the juggernaut status of Golden State and San Antonio. It has always been difficult for Utah to attract prime free agents.

Hayward’s fit in Miami is a clean one. I imagine he’d play plenty at the four next to Hassan Whiteside. A lineup featuring Whiteside, Hayward, and Goran Dragic at its core has the potential to do some serious damage in the East.

Toss in solid supporting pieces in Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow, and potentially James Johnson (if they’d be able to afford him after Hayward), and while it may take a while for Erik Spoelstra to put it all together, they’d have enough to contend — in the East — which is all you can ask for.

Some may want Miami to save their space for the following summer if they’re unable to land a mega-whale in the form of Durant or Curry but remember Tyler Johnson’s deal explodes in Year 3 to $19 million. Making the big move this offseason is more likely, especially considering Riley wants to contend as quickly as possible.

Gordon Hayward is easily the most plausible whale on the Miami Heat’s radar this summer. Can Pat reel him in?

Wow. That'd be nice. Hayward and Whiteside as the 1-2 punch.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Yeah I'm smarter than you. My v-cash confirms that.

lol, if Vcash confirms that- then we confirm i am WAY smarter then anyone else here besides @gordontrue lol.

over 10 G's baby!!!!!

 

[DJ Fieri]

ask me again why i don't drink...

This is only like the 2nd hangover I've had in the last 7 years I think.

 

[DJ Fieri]

lol, if Vcash confirms that- then we confirm i am WAY smarter then anyone else here besides @gordontrue lol.

over 10 G's baby!!!!!

Off 1 or 2 bets. Like I said yesterday......BKS and others like myself do this day in and day out......that's a lot harder than getting lucky off bets and not betting again.

 

[Wamu]

Did you answer why James is playing in back to back, 2 days after playing 52 in games you claim don't matter?

... ... ...

I'm gonna go out on a limb & say he's playing because the Cavs haven't wrapped up the EC.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Hey, Wiggy.....when you pitched.....what was your high on your fastball?

 

[WiggyRuss]

The Browns.

Browns are a long way away from even respectability.

All though- they have somehow acquired 8 picks in the 2 top rounds in the next 2 drafts...of course- you actually have to pick the right guys which is a problem. lol


I mean- think about this-- in a draft a couple years ago they had 2 first rounders and took Weeden and Richardson- Weeden is a back up and Richardson is out of the league.

in even a MORe recent draft they had 2 first rounders and took Justin Gilbert and Johhny Manziel--- i think BOTH are out of the league.

how is that even possible? I mean- just based on pure luck you would think you would do a helluva lot better...they literally couldnt have done worse if they tried.

 

[bksballer89]

Hey, Wiggy.....when you pitched.....what was your high on your fastball?

52 MPH

 

[DJ Fieri]

52 MPH

 

[trojanfan12]

well shit- at this point- the Lakers are and have been locked in as either the 2nd or 3rd worst team in the league....5 games seperates them from anyone else....difference between 2nd and 3rd worst is less than 10% change in the lotto....and regardless- even if they were the 5th or 6th worst--- it just comes down to the ping pong balls anyway and getting lucky.

If they get lucky- they have a stud player-- or shit- its not like the Pacers would turn them down for the 3rd pick if the Lakers wanted George instead.

I mean- you would have to agreee that getting a LaVar Ball- or an asset like the 3rd pick to make a trade for a stud would accelerate the rebuilding process in a major way.

Couldn't agree more. I think they'd prefer Lonzo Ball over LaVar though...lol.

End of the day, it's about how the ping pong balls fall. Didn't we just recently see a team with the worst record end up with the #4 or #5 pick or something?

I certainly wouldn't mind them picking up PG-13 for their pick. It would definitely accelerate the rebuild.

Hey, can you imagine the conspiracy theories that will be thrown out there if the Lakers send Magic to the lottery and they end up with the #1 overall pick? It might melt the interwebz. lol

 

[WiggyRuss]

Hey, Wiggy.....when you pitched.....what was your high on your fastball?

the highest i was ever clocked at was after my sophomore year during the summer before my junior year in a tournament in cincy where i hit 83. Pitched a no hitter through 5 innings on U of Cincinnati field against a team from Rhode Island. lost the no-no in the 6th on a curveball after i shook the catcher off who wanted me to throw a fastball..