2016-17 NBA Regular Season Thread

[trojanfan12]

this was part of an article from ESPN that i thought was disheartening- I watched the first half of that game and went to sleep- and was a little surprised the Lakers not only blew that lead- which wasnt that big in the first place- only 7 points--- the thing i was most surprised about was only scoring 32 points on your home floor in the 2nd half against a defense as bad as the Mavs- especially after how the offense looked pretty good in the first half...

Lakers hit low point, blowing a lead and losing to the Mavericks

"the 12-24 Lakers have lost 14 of their past 16 games and are now tied for the most losses in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers. But most startling, the hideous defeat showed how the Lakers no longer are making tangible progress while enduring losses that should act as learning opportunities. If anything, they’re going backward, which is saying something for a team that few expected anything from anyway.

Too often of late, the Lakers devolve into hero ball rather than zipping the ball around the court, as they did earlier this season when their success made them NBA’s biggest surprise."


i think the main culprit on that is Russell- he needs to improve A. his shot selection- if he does that his 39% shooting should naturally rise a few points. and B. his turnover to assist ratio- right now he has 4.6 assists and 3.0 turnovers a game- for a 1.6 A/TO ratio....thats really really low and not atypical for a young kid- what it comes down to is it looks like the league has adjusted a little to him- and he is going to have to adjust back.

Yeah, ever since the injuries hit, they've struggled to get back to what they were doing when they surprised everyone by starting out 10-10. Reverting to hero ball when things get tough is what young teams do. They'll get it figured out.

It would be disingenuous to blame it all on the injuries though. The fact is, they were also catching teams by surprise earlier in the season. Now, everybody in the league has either played them or has video of them to study.

Now, it's on them to adjust their game to that. The 10-10 start was fun and encouraging, but the struggles they are having now were always going to happen. I was listening to a sportstalk show the other day and one of the guys made a good point. He said that if the Lakers had the same record they have now, but without the 10-10 start, their record wouldn't look as bad and everyone would be talking about how much better they are than last year when they didn't get their 12th win until game #61.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Doing something different this year. We're doing a 5k in Portland around 10pm then hitting up bars afterwards.

Happy New Years dude.

running before drinking...i would die.....hope your weather is a little warmer then it is here....

my parents always have a big new years eve party and all our family comes into town from out of state- 16 cousins on my mom's side- and a bunch of other friends etc. all come over.....im kind of a little bit dreading the dozen or so shots that are in my future tonight...lol.

my uncle always brings a couple bottles of Crown Royal special reserve--- some good stuff.

 

[Heatles84]

running before drinking...i would die.....hope your weather is a little warmer then it is here....

my parents always have a big new years eve party and all our family comes into town from out of state- 16 cousins on my mom's side- and a bunch of other friends etc. all come over.....im kind of a little bit dreading the dozen or so shots that are in my future tonight...lol.

my uncle always brings a couple bottles of Crown Royal special reserve--- some good stuff.

It's going to be 34 degrees tonight in Portland, so I think it's about the same as in Ohio.

Happy New Years, Wiggy

 

[Heatles84]

yah...as soon as Peppers wasnt playing i thought MEEECHIGAN was in some deep shit....i root for the big ten in every bowl game except for the Michigan one....i just cant root for them...actually- i shouldnt say that- maybe sometimes i do- its tough...its a VERY tough call.

Same for me, but with FSU. Honestly, Michigan was already done once they lost to Ohio St. and didn't make the playoffs. FSU was a hunter and Michigan was a deer that was already shot by another hunter. FSU just shot them again. Thankfully, Miami won't ever have to see Dalvin Cook in a Seminole uniform again. The game also showed how overrated Jimbo Fisher is as a coach.

 

[WiggyRuss]

It's going to be 34 degrees tonight in Portland, so I think it's about the same as in Ohio.

Happy New Years, Wiggy

you too! happy new year.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Same for me, but with FSU. Honestly, Michigan was already done once they lost to Ohio St. and didn't make the playoffs. FSU was a hunter and Michigan was a deer that was already shot by another hunter. FSU just shot them again. Thankfully, Miami won't ever have to see Dalvin Cook in a Seminole uniform again. The game also showed how overrated Jimbo Fisher is as a coach.

the Buckeyes secondary needs to make some plays tonight....thats for sure

if Urb does the whole- im just gonna run JT Barrett off tackle the entire game-thing tonight im gonna be really pissed....sometimes he gets way to conservative and does that shit and it drives me crazy- like for the first half of Michigan (and most of the 2nd half), last year vs. MSU etc....

 

[bksballer89]

Doing something different this year. We're doing a 5k in Portland around 10pm then hitting up bars afterwards.

Happy New Years dude.

Same to you bro

 

[bksballer89]

This is what makes the Heat not so bad to watch even though we're 10-24. They are always in basketball games.

The Heat have played in the second-most clutch games — defined by the NBA as a game that has a margin of five points or fewer inside the final five minutes of the fourth quarter — this season. But Miami has lost a lot of those close games, as it holds a 7-15 record in clutch situations.

 

[bksballer89]

Its very minor differences such as closing out games that makes a huge difference in being a bad team or a good team.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Yeah, ever since the injuries hit, they've struggled to get back to what they were doing when they surprised everyone by starting out 10-10. Reverting to hero ball when things get tough is what young teams do. They'll get it figured out.

It would be disingenuous to blame it all on the injuries though. The fact is, they were also catching teams by surprise earlier in the season. Now, everybody in the league has either played them or has video of them to study.

Now, it's on them to adjust their game to that. The 10-10 start was fun and encouraging, but the struggles they are having now were always going to happen. I was listening to a sportstalk show the other day and one of the guys made a good point. He said that if the Lakers had the same record they have now, but without the 10-10 start, their record wouldn't look as bad and everyone would be talking about how much better they are than last year when they didn't get their 12th win until game #61.

hey at least it looks like there is a chance you might keep your 1st round pick again! in a draft that is supposedly a LOT better than last years relatively weak draft.

 

[Heatles84]

hey at least it looks like there is a chance you might keep your 1st round pick again! in a draft that is supposedly a LOT better than last years relatively weak draft.

That's why I'm content with our amazing 10-24 record. As it stands right now, we're looking at being in the top 5.

 

[WiggyRuss]

That's why I'm content with our amazing 10-24 record. As it stands right now, we're looking at being in the top 5.

yah ive heard that this is supposedly a lot better draft than last years- and you can get a pretty big time impact player anywhere in the top 6-7....there is no Ben Simmons level prospect- but a lot of really good future all star types.

 

[trojanfan12]

hey at least it looks like there is a chance you might keep your 1st round pick again! in a draft that is supposedly a LOT better than last years relatively weak draft.

I would have no problem with keeping that pick as long as it doesn't become a tank job that hurts the development of the young guys.

I expect though, that they will continue to develop and learn and will eventually win too many games to have much chance of keeping the pick.

lol Can you imagine the crying, whining and conspiracy theories that would happen if the Lakers finished with 30 or so wins and still managed to keep their pick?

 

[WiggyRuss]

I would have no problem with keeping that pick as long as it doesn't become a tank job that hurts the development of the young guys.

I expect though, that they will continue to develop and learn and will eventually win too many games to have much chance of keeping the pick.

lol Can you imagine the crying, whining and conspiracy theories that would happen if the Lakers finished with 30 or so wins and still managed to keep their pick?

well shit- right now in the West at least- the Mavs and Suns are only 2 back in the win column with 10 wins, and the Twolves have 11 wins..


there are 7 really bad teams in the league:

Nets
Sixers
Heat
Suns
Mavs
Lakers
Twolves

i dont see those teams passing the next tier- the pretty bad/mediocre level- which is probably 6 teams that consist of: Orlando, Sacramento, New Orleans, Portland, Indiana, Detroit.....

so at best i can see the Lakers finishing with the 7th worst record--- at worst i could see them finishing with the 3rd worst record ( i dont think anyone is finishing worse than the Nets and Sixers).....

even if you are in the 7th spot- its not like a little lotto luck couldnt deliver a top 3 ({if not betteR) pick.

 

[trojanfan12]

well shit- right now in the West at least- the Mavs and Suns are only 2 back in the win column with 10 wins, and the Twolves have 11 wins..


there are 7 really bad teams in the league:

Nets
Sixers
Heat
Suns
Mavs
Lakers
Twolves

i dont see those teams passing the next tier- the pretty bad/mediocre level- which is probably 6 teams that consist of: Orlando, Sacramento, New Orleans, Portland, Indiana, Detroit.....

so at best i can see the Lakers finishing with the 7th worst record--- at worst i could see them finishing with the 3rd worst record ( i dont think anyone is finishing worse than the Nets and Sixers).....

even if you are in the 7th spot- its not like a little lotto luck couldnt deliver a top 3 ({if not betteR) pick.

If Boogie keeps melting down, I could see that team coming apart at the seams and the Lakers developing enough to catch them, same with the Blazers if they lose Lillard for a significant amount of time.

I really don't care about the record though, so if it's bad enough to keep the pick, even better. Just so long as the young guys keep developing.

Lakers are playing the long game, so I'm not worried or getting impatient.

 

[Heatles84]

@bksballer89 didn't forget about the bet. Having said that, this is one I'd be happy to be wrong about. Go Huskies!

 

[bksballer89]

@bksballer89 didn't forget about the bet. Having said that, this is one I'd be happy to be wrong about. Go Huskies!

Totally forgot about it lol. Thanks for the reminder. What was it again? That Bama won't win the title or something?

 

[Heatles84]

Totally forgot about it lol. Thanks for the reminder. What was it again? That Bama won't win the title or something?

Week AVI bet.

Bama wins the title - I win.

Any other team wins the title - you win.

Like I said, I'd be more than happy to lose this.

 

[bksballer89]

Week AVI bet.

Bama wins the title - I win.

Any other team wins the title - you win.

Like I said, I'd be more than happy to lose this.

I know its early but love what I'm seeing from Washington. Hopefully the D can keep it up but Bama secondary is not that great. If Browning get time in the pocket then I think they can keep it close all game long.

 

[Heatles84]

I know its early but love what I'm seeing from Washington. Hopefully the D can keep it up but Bama secondary is not that great. If Browning get time in the pocket then I think they can keep it close all game long.

Washington is keeping this close, although that pick by Browning was ill advised. Should've eaten the sack. Can't believe UW is forced to start an under-sized true frosh at RG against Bama of all teams. Still though, I love Chris Peterson as a coach. The shit that man did at Boise will likely never be duplicated. I would love to see him win a national title once before he ever retired.