2017-2018 NBA Regular Season Thread

[msgkings322]

Stop it.

The Sixers were up 10 with less than 24 seconds left and no one was looking to foul. You dribble out the clock.

It doesn't matter if you have an uncontested layup or not. You dribble out the clock. He may have had an uncontested layup because the Cavs were expecting the Sixers to dribble out the clock.

I dislike the Cavs as much as anyone, but these excuses, because it's the Cavs, are just lame.

Both sides were wrong. Saric should have dribbled out the clock. The Cavs shouldn't have reacted the way they did.

In the end this is a very minor thing, but you are correct that both deserve some blame.

 

[tlance]

Stop it.

The Sixers were up 10 with less than 24 seconds left and no one was looking to foul. You dribble out the clock.

It doesn't matter if you have an uncontested layup or not. You dribble out the clock. He may have had an uncontested layup because the Cavs were expecting the Sixers to dribble out the clock.

I dislike the Cavs as much as anyone, but these excuses, because it's the Cavs, are just lame.

Both sides were wrong. Saric should have dribbled out the clock. The Cavs shouldn't have reacted the way they did.

I thought it was less than that.

Still though, if Saric was wrong, Clarkson was much more wrong.

 

[RobToxin]

Meh.

These are professional athletes.

This isn't high school.

Play until the whistle blows.

That's what you are paid to do.

 

[trojanfan12]

I thought it was less than that.

Still though, if Saric was wrong, Clarkson was much more wrong.

That's why I said both were wrong.

Saric should have dribbled out the clock. Clarkson shouldn't thrown the ball at him. Clarkson got ejected for what he did, which will cost him a few dollars. So he was appropriately punished for what he did.

 

[CitySushi]

That's why I said both were wrong.

Saric should have dribbled out the clock. Clarkson shouldn't thrown the ball at him. Clarkson got ejected for what he did, which will cost him a few dollars. So he was appropriately punished for what he did.

I know you would hope Randle will be patient, but teams are crafty these days. They know the Lakers are going to want to try to sign some of the premium free agents out there this off-season. A team could have a really large offer to Randle the minute free agency starts and he'll have to make a decision right away. If he signs, it starts the matching process really early, which I think was reduced last CBA. Or teams could get creative in the way they structure the deal, ala Tyler Johnson.

 

[trojanfan12]

I know you would hope Randle will be patient, but teams are crafty these days. They know the Lakers are going to want to try to sign some of the premium free agents out there this off-season. A team could have a really large offer to Randle the minute free agency starts and he'll have to make a decision right away. If he signs, it starts the matching process really early, which I think was reduced last CBA. Or teams could get creative in the way they structure the deal, ala Tyler Johnson.

Yeah, I'm hoping the Lakers can find a way to keep him and still get a couple of max guys. But I'm not holding my breath or anything. I expect him to get a significant raise and be someplace else next year. Him playing so well is a bit of a double edged sword. He's finally showing the promise that caused the Lakers to draft him so high in the first place, but every good game he has raises the amount of his likely offers and increases the chances that he's gone.

As you say, he'll likely have to make a decision fairly quickly. The main thing will be about how quickly the first domino falls. Once that happens, things start moving very quickly and an offer that was there in the morning can be gone in the afternoon.

 

[msgkings322]

Yeah, I'm hoping the Lakers can find a way to keep him and still get a couple of max guys. But I'm not holding my breath or anything. I expect him to get a significant raise and be someplace else next year. Him playing so well is a bit of a double edged sword. He's finally showing the promise that caused the Lakers to draft him so high in the first place, but every good game he has raises the amount of his likely offers and increases the chances that he's gone.

As you say, he'll likely have to make a decision fairly quickly. The main thing will be about how quickly the first domino falls. Once that happens, things start moving very quickly and an offer that was there in the morning can be gone in the afternoon.

I hate being cynical about this but I'm usually not wrong: behold the talent enhancing power of the contract year! I'm hoping it applies to McCutchen on the Giants, but it's easier to get better with more effort in basketball than baseball

 

[trojanfan12]

I hate being cynical about this but I'm usually not wrong: behold the talent enhancing power of the contract year! I'm hoping it applies to McCutchen on the Giants, but it's easier to get better with more effort in basketball than baseball

That's the other concern and something the Lakers will have to consider as well.

He definitely wouldn't be the first guy to blow up in a contract year and then "revert to norm" as soon as the ink dries on his new contract. This is Randle's first shot at a big raise, so it's not like there's a history to show that he'll keep working as hard.

 

[CitySushi]

That's the other concern and something the Lakers will have to consider as well.

He definitely wouldn't be the first guy to blow up in a contract year and then "revert to norm" as soon as the ink dries on his new contract. This is Randle's first shot at a big raise, so it's not like there's a history to show that he'll keep working as hard.

The thing about Randle for me is that it really isn't a "blow up" season for him. It's really just a progression. If you look at his previous years he's about on par with what he's averaged before hand. There isn't a major anomaly like say a spike in 3pt shooting percentage or anything like that. I would think he's much closer to a guy continuing to progress than a guy who would flop after a contract. If I'm a team out there I'm looking at him hard this off-season.

 

[tlance]

The thing about Randle for me is that it really isn't a "blow up" season for him. It's really just a progression. If you look at his previous years he's about on par with what he's averaged before hand. There isn't a major anomaly like say a spike in 3pt shooting percentage or anything like that. I would think he's much closer to a guy continuing to progress than a guy who would flop after a contract. If I'm a team out there I'm looking at him hard this off-season.

Yeah, the Lakers will have to choose between him and a name free agent. Trading Nance might end up looking bad if they do in fact keep Randle and don't sign two full max guys.

 

[LAD]

I disagree re: the unwritten rule. The point is that the additional points are so it comes off as trying to show up the other team. It's pretty much been the unwritten rule since Dr. Naismith hung up the first peach basket.

I don't know what Clarkson's issue was or why he reacted like that. Don't recall seeing anything like that with the Lakers. But he's also never been on a playoff team before.

Unfortunately for the Cavs, those trades were the best they could do. They are capped out and had a bunch of overpaid role players that weren't going to bring them any kind of decent return.

Lebron's reaction was even worse than Clarkson's, imo. At least with Clarkson you can chalk it up to being a young guy in his first playoff chase. Lebron knows better.

Well I guess there's a reason that it's always been unwritten - because it's stupid IMO.

But I agree with all your other points.

 

[DJ]

Is it just me or is there anyone else curious about what kind of soup it was???
Would a seafood bisque be nastier than good ol' chicken noodle?
If it had a ghost pepper base, could he have burned his eyes out???

Yeah, it's just me, okay, then.

I like soup.

 

[DJ]

I just like to fucking eat.

 

[LAD]

Stop it.

The Sixers were up 10 with less than 24 seconds left and no one was looking to foul. You dribble out the clock.

It doesn't matter if you have an uncontested layup or not. You dribble out the clock. He may have had an uncontested layup because the Cavs were expecting the Sixers to dribble out the clock.

I dislike the Cavs as much as anyone, but these excuses, because it's the Cavs, are just lame.

Both sides were wrong. Saric should have dribbled out the clock. The Cavs shouldn't have reacted the way they did.

I don't think they're excuses. I said the same thing when this happed between two other teams. Look, the game isn't over until the buzzer & so what if the winning team wants to score - I mean that is part of playing the game. All that other unwritten rule crap is ridiculous. And it's even more ridiculous for Clarkson to react the way he did. These are supposed to be grown men. SMH

 

[LAD]

Meh.

These are professional athletes.

This isn't high school.

Play until the whistle blows.

That's what you are paid to do.

 

[DJ]

The thing about Randle for me is that it really isn't a "blow up" season for him. It's really just a progression. If you look at his previous years he's about on par with what he's averaged before hand. There isn't a major anomaly like say a spike in 3pt shooting percentage or anything like that. I would think he's much closer to a guy continuing to progress than a guy who would flop after a contract. If I'm a team out there I'm looking at him hard this off-season.

This. He's been improving slowly each season, he's just really developed a lot this season.

 

[DJ]

Yeah, the Lakers will have to choose between him and a name free agent. Trading Nance might end up looking bad if they do in fact keep Randle and don't sign two full max guys.

They had to do something. They had Randle, Nance, and Kuzma all who can play PF.

 

[trojanfan12]

I don't think they're excuses. I said the same thing when this happed between two other teams. Look, the game isn't over until the buzzer & so what if the winning team wants to score - I mean that is part of playing the game. All that other unwritten rule crap is ridiculous. And it's even more ridiculous for Clarkson to react the way he did. These are supposed to be grown men. SMH

It's excuses. Everyone knows it's an unwritten rule. It's called sportsmanship. You don't score unnecessarily when the game is already won.

Every sport has the same unwritten rule. In football, they go "vanilla" on offense and then into "victory formation" and take a knee. In baseball, they don't try to steal bases, pull off hit and runs, etc. in later innings with a big lead.

That "the game isn't over until the buzzer sounds" bs is just a lame excuse.

Hilarious that it's been an unwritten rule in every sport since the beginning of sports and all of the sudden it's "the game isn't over until the buzzer sounds" because folks don't like the team it happened to.

Teams virtually always dribble out the clock when there is less than 24 seconds left and the game is won. So I seriously doubt you've seen that happen more than a handful of times, if that.

And yes, they are supposed to be grown men. Grown men who know the rules both written and unwritten.

As I have said several times, what Clarkson did was wrong. But that doesn't make what Saric did right or even ok.

 

[Robotech]

Damn Zaza injured someone again. This time it's Curry.

 

[trojanfan12]

They had to do something. They had Randle, Nance, and Kuzma all who can play PF.

Yeah, that logjam at PF was going to be a problem eventually. Kuzma and Nance have somewhat redundant skill sets and Randle has a different skill set. Kuzma looks like he will be a better player than Nance, so it made sense that Nance was the one traded.