2016-17 NBA Regular Season Thread

[trojanfan12]

Must be the same tool who stole @lebron23james sweater earlier. What a guy he is. Traveled all the way from Cleveland to LA just for some stupid sweater

Shit!! I hadn't thought of that. I'll bet you're right.

 

[trojanfan12]

I see what you did there.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

AUBURN HILLS, MICH.: Ninteen thoughts for 19 assists in Mondays’ 106-90 loss to the Detroit Pistons...

1. Stop me when you’ve heard this before: LeBron James sat out and the Cavs lost. We get tired of writing about it and they get tired of talking about it. But it has happened 18 times now in 22 games since James returned to Cleveland.

2. That 4-18 record is hideous, particularly for a team with the league’s highest payroll and two other All-Star caliber players. Yet it keeps happening over and over and over.

3. “I’m pretty sure it’s going to be the blame on me and Kev and how we can’t win without Bron,” Kyrie Irving said. Yep. Pretty much.

4. The Cavs are 0-3 without James this season. Their two lowest scoring games of the season came on nights he sat. Although to be fair, the 85 points scored at Memphis was when all three of them sat. And there are other factors at play.

5. The Cavs played that draining, thrilling, exhausting game Sunday when they stormed back by 14 to beat the Warriors. James played 40 minutes in it and Irving played 44, which is why James sat Monday and Irving only played 29 minutes. The Pistons, as Irving astutely pointed out, hadn’t played since Friday. They had three days off to sit and wait for the champs.

6. “Those guys have been waiting for us,” Irving said, referring to their time off. “You give us three days of rest and wait for them to come to Cleveland and they come off a back-to-back, it definitely would be a different game. But we don’t take any credit from that Pistons team. They made shots, they made plays.”

7. Ultimately, the Cavs have the talent to be better than their record. You know it, they know it. Is it concerning? Sure. Is it an issue? Only if James misses playoff games, in which case the Cavs’ chances for success are decimated anyway.

8. “We still have enough talent to win, that goes without saying,” said Kevin Love, who had five of their season-high 22 turnovers. “But take the best player in the world off your team, he just means so much to us. His usage is so high in what we do with both units. Whether it’s the starting unit or the second unit, you take him away from our team and we lose a lot, naturally.”

9. Lue tends to experiment more with his rotations on nights James rests. Some of it is out of necessity, particularly now that J.R. Smith is out, too. Rookie Kay Felder (a Detroit native) played 20 minutes with only one turnover. He scored 11 points and passed for two assists. It was the most minutes he played since the game at Memphis, when he played a career-high 23. Lue said he needed Felder on the floor because he needed another ball handler while James rested.

10. Mike Dunleavy played a season-high 28 minutes, surpassing his previous high of 23 minutes set at Memphis. Noticing the trend here? James Jones played 14 minutes. He played 16 against the Nets last Friday – a game that was over after the first quarter – and before that he played 25 at Memphis.

11. James wears so many hats on this team that his absence – even when Irving and Love are on the floor – seems to rattle Lue’s entire rotation. Of course, he doesn’t seem concerned by any of this. He acknowledged Monday he uses James’ absence to give other guys more time, and as far as their 4-18 record in games James misses, Lue just rolled his eyes.

12. “It’s not concerning,” he said. “The biggest thing for me, guys get a chance to play. When you’re competing, playing hard and playing the right way, that’s all you can ask.”

13. The Cavs had 19 assists compared to those 22 turnovers. They fell behind 8-0 early and never really caught up. They pulled within one point early in the third quarter, then a three-point play by Jon Leuer and a 3-pointer from Reggie Jackson kicked the lead back out. Soon it was back to double figures and the game was over.

14. “When you’re missing key players, you can’t turn the ball over like that and try to win a game,” Lue said. “Especially an away game. But I thought the guys, we played hard, we competed but then you got guys trying to make plays that aren’t used to it or comfortable making them and sometimes it’s hard.”

15. The league’s officiating report indicated a foul should’ve been called on Richard Jefferson at the end of Sunday’s game and James should’ve been whistled for a technical after his dunk gave the Cavs a 105-103 lead late against the Warriors.

16. Jefferson said Sunday he thought the call could go either way, but upon learning the league’s Last 2 Minutes report indicated it was indeed a foul, Jefferson ripped the initiative. He’s not alone. James and Dwyane Wade were critical of it last year and the NBA’s referees association petitioned the league during the Finals last season to abolish it entirely. Commissioner Adam Silver, however, remains a firm believer in the transparency the reports provide.

17. “There’s a lot of things I could say. I’m on the positive end of it this time, so there’s no need to make a comment about it,” Jefferson said. “I think if you ask guys across the board if the replay and the Last 2 Minutes is effective, I don’t think it is. In the sense I think it puts the referees in a really bad spot. You’re critiquing them, you’re criticizing them for what they see in real time vs. a slow-motion action. It’s kind of like the generals who oversee the war, but aren’t in the war. I don’t think it’s good for basketball.”

18. You can read more about Jefferson’s comments and the history behind the L2Ms here.

19. The Cavs are off now until Thursday when they host the Boston Celtics. Talk to you then from the Q.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Well, so long as Bron Bron stays healthy looks like Cleveland will be alright. I hate saying this, but Lebron keeps solidifying how good he is when he sits out games. Granted I too hadn't seen the game as well. Luckily for Cleveland ol' Bron's going to be around for another 4-5 years possibly.

We he retire before he totally has to shave off what's left of his hair?

 

[purguy12]

Yeah that's not happening

1 down

 

[purguy12]

Cavs with a very bad loss after a credit win.

 

[msgkings322]

Cavs with a very bad loss after a credit win.

Let's put the brakes on anointing St. Kyrie Eleison to the hall of fame just yet.

 

[Bolts]

 

[Black Adam]

Let's put the brakes on anointing St. Kyrie Eleison to the hall of fame just yet.

lol yeah, was just looking at a story about how the NBA admitted they should've given Durant that foul on the last play...

 

[bksballer89]

The Clippers are going to mess around and end up as the 4th or 5th seed if they can't stay healthy. Which likely means they're bounced in round 2 by the Dubs....and that's if Memphis or OKC doesn't end their season in round 1.

They need to get healthy fast. Houston is no joke and will put serious pressure on them for that 3rd seed. The only path to the WCF I see for the Clippers is if they're the 2nd or 3rd seed and avoid facing the Warriors in round 2. I think if healthy they can beat the Spurs in a series.

 

[bksballer89]

@purguy12 thoughts on the refs? Seems like your boys got away with a lot of fouling based on what I'm seeing from PG-13 and their Head Coach.

George: Refs give Pacers 'little brother' treatment

 

[bksballer89]

For those who missed it last night

 

[gordontrue]

these cavs are forfeiting these games like they have nothing to worry about. as of right now, they don't. But, they better not take for granted that they can beat the Warriors in another game 7 at the Oracle. Or the Spurs for that matter.

Completely agree.

 

[gordontrue]

The problem with the Cavs when LeBron is out is more about depth than the shortcomings of Kyrie & Love. Especially since there are already several depth issues (Mo Williams, JR and Birdman).

In the game yesterday, the Cavs actually outplayed the pistons when Love and/or Kyrie was in there. It was when those guys had to get their rest (on the 2nd night of a b2b) that the damage was done.

And I disagree that a game @ the Pistons on the end of a b2b is a bad loss - even if LeBron had been playing. Especially when the Pistons shoot about 100% from the 3 point line.

 

[bksballer89]

The problem with the Cavs when LeBron is out is more about depth than the shortcomings of Kyrie & Love. Especially since there are already several depth issues (Mo Williams, JR and Birdman).

In the game yesterday, the Cavs actually outplayed the pistons when Love and/or Kyrie was in there. It was when those guys had to get their rest (on the 2nd night of a b2b) that the damage was done.

And I disagree that a game @ the Pistons on the end of a b2b is a bad loss - even if LeBron had been playing. Especially when the Pistons shoot about 100% from the 3 point line.

Yeah I wouldn't call it a bad loss but they kinda need to start winning games when Lebron is out when Kyrie and Love are playing. Until that happens, those guys are just going to hear that they can't play without LBJ. It doesn't mean anything in the long run as come April, May, and June Lebron will be playing but just for their own sake it will help if they start winning these games.....at least when you play a mediocre team like Detroit

 

[gordontrue]

Yeah I wouldn't call it a bad loss but they kinda need to start winning games when Lebron is out when Kyrie and Love are playing. Until that happens, those guys are just going to hear that they can't play without LBJ. It doesn't mean anything in the long run as come April, May, and June Lebron will be playing but just for their own sake it will help if they start winning these games.....at least when you play a mediocre team like Detroit

Yeah, I agree. They've earned that reputation, and it's fair enough. But I hope that they just don't really care at this point. They can worry about proving what they can do without LeBron when he retires (or they change teams, or whatever).

The last thing I want is any of those 3 guys giving any thought to trying to show that they don't need any of the other 3.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Off topic @bkballers but can you please tell me how bad my luck is and how I lost my matchup?

My team is

QB Andrew luck
RB lev bell
RB Zeke
WR antonio brown
WR Davante Adams
TE Brate
FLex Watkins
D/st chargers
K haushka


His team

QB Aaron Rodgers
RB David Johnson
RB Isaiah Crowell
WR jordy
WR dez
TE Vernon Davis
FLex Doug Baldwin
D/st Seahawks
K gostkowski


I actually thought my team was better but of course he's scored 165 on me so far and I have like 120 lol. Did you think my team was better on paper?

Baldwin and Jordy went off. That is probably the difference. I had him in one of the my leagues in the championship game and he won it for me.

 

[Hambombs]

Baldwin and Jordy went off. That is probably the difference. I had him in one of the my leagues in the championship game and he won it for me.

In a half point league. Rodgers had 37, jordy 31, Baldwin 30, dez 28, David Johnson 33. Also my team put up 140+ and lost which was the 5th highest scoring week of the year in our league

 

[Vyle203]

For those who missed it last night

Every Nets win sucks.

 

[trojanfan12]

7. Ultimately, the Cavs have the talent to be better than their record. You know it, they know it. Is it concerning? Sure. Is it an issue? Only if James misses playoff games, in which case the Cavs’ chances for success are decimated anyway.

On the Cavs record without Lebron: The above quote is really the only one that matters.