2018-2019 NBA Regular Season Thread

[WiggyRuss]

If I was the Lakers and Luke Walton I would be getting nervous right about now with how legit the Pelicans and Nuggets look.

The Warriors, Rockets, Thunder and Jazz are all super-legit teams is you ask me. Injuries to RW and Roberson have obviously held the Thunder back thus far.

With how the Nuggets and Pels have looked its very hard for me to imagine that they will not be playoff teams.

That leaves 2 spots between the Spurs, Lakers, Clippers, and Blazers. I would definitely put the Lakers over the Clippers, probably below the Blazers, and about even with the Spurs.

At the beginning of the season I think I predicted the Lakers would be between the 6th and 7th seed, but that is not going to be easy in such a deep western conference with young teams like the Pels and Nuggets showing that they just might be ready to take the next step and become legit teams.

 

[Black Adam]

*scans list*

Lebron sucks! See I knew it!

I didn't say it...

 

[WiggyRuss]

I didn't say it...

LeBron is still the best player in the NBA- but i hate when he does what he did at the end of the Spurs game--- dribble dribble dribble top of the key, and then take a step back 3 when they are down one.

You would be shocked at how much he does this.

People speculate its because he does not want to go to the hole and get fouled and have to make FT's, but I really dont know.

The guy is a freight train- why he takes those step back 3's at the end of games instead of trying to break down the defense or got to the rim is beyond me.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I could have gotten out of the East with Pierce, Allen, and Garnett on my team.

Paul didn't make the Clippers better? They went from 32-50 to 56-26 2 years later thanks to CP3.

Reality is the Clippers never had a roster capable of making the finals in the West.

Compare the Paul/Griffin/Jordan Clippers with the Russ/KD/Ibaka Thunder teams and the Clippers lose in every category. Then throw in that those Thunder teams came up short every year.

Then please have someone explain to me how those Clippers teams were "stacked" in any way shape or form. Good team, no doubt. Never sniffed great.

 

[trojanfan12]

It's too soon though, last year didn't the Magic come out strong the first 20 games or so?

That makes me wonder something you fellow nerds can help me with. About how deep into an NBA season is it reasonable to start saying ok this is what this team is...20 games? 30? Allstar break? I feel like 20-25 gmes maybe...

To me, it depends and can vary. How healthy was the team at the start of the season? How many new faces are there? Did they get a new coach?

Generally speaking, I'd say that once everything is factored in...it can be December or January by the time we know what a team truly is.

 

[trojanfan12]

90% if you ask me.

He signed a long term contract- its a year of transition where they are not winning anything anyway. The pieces dont fit- there are some decent young guys but its a team that was built around LeBron.

Agree. I'd add that, because of Lebron, we really don't how good Lue is as a coach. Lebron covers up a lot of shortcomings for both teammates and coaches.

I mean, Lebron made Mike Brown look like a good coach. lol

 

[Mecca]

Yo.....

I'm a big Embiid fan.

But, bitch move against Drummond.

He fell like he got shot by a .50cal.

 

[Mecca]

Agree. I'd add that, because of Lebron, we really don't how good Lue is as a coach. Lebron covers up a lot of shortcomings for both teammates and coaches.

I mean, Lebron made Mike Brown look like a good coach. lol

Some Dude's are just destined to be Assistant Coaches.

He doesn't have the temperament to mange star players.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Nuggets and Pelicans look much better than I thought. And I thought Denver would be a 5/6 seed in the West. They might end up 1/2 when it's all said and done. Pelicans look like a playoff team again. Just looking at the early returns, if you assume GSW, Nuggets and Pelicans are locks for the playoffs, which of these teams misses out? Rockets, Jazz, OKC, Blazers, Spurs, Lakers, Timberwolves? 5 spots for 7 teams, and that doesn't include the Clippers who are off to a surprisingly good start(wins over Houston and OKC, losses to Nuggets and Pelicans).

totally agree- its funny i had a simlar post before i saw yours.

The Nuggets and Pelicans seem to be absolutely legit.

Right now I would rank the Western teams as;

1. Warriors
2. Rockets
3. Jazz
4. Nuggets
5. Pelicans
6. Thunder

and then it gets REALLY tight between the: Twolves, Spurs, Blazers, Lakers, even the Clippers like you said.

At least 3 pretty darn good teams are going to miss the playoffs in the West. Those top 6 I couldnt see missing out unless they have a major injury or two---- the rest are very tough.

but really- 20 games is the unofficial "quarter-pole" of the season and is at least somewhat of a decent sample size to begin to draw conclusions from.

 

[Mecca]

#RIPgame1

*Shows up to console Mecca over BG and to be consoled over the Dodgers*

You know I love Blake.

He's still my favorite player.

But, that contract was a albatross.

I'm happy with Bobi, Tobi and Shai.

 

[trojanfan12]

Some Dude's are just destined to be Assistant Coaches.

He doesn't have the temperament to mange star players.

Yep. Moving from assistant coach to head coach is just moving over one chair on the sidelines. But the distance between those chairs can be miles.

 

[Mecca]

totally agree- its funny i had a simlar post before i saw yours.

The Nuggets and Pelicans seem to be absolutely legit.

Right now I would rank the Western teams as;

1. Warriors
2. Rockets
3. Jazz
4. Nuggets
5. Pelicans
6. Thunder

and then it gets REALLY tight between the: Twolves, Spurs, Blazers, Lakers, even the Clippers like you said.

At least 3 pretty darn good teams are going to miss the playoffs in the West. Those top 6 I couldnt see missing out unless they have a major injury or two---- the rest are very tough.

but really- 20 games is the unofficial "quarter-pole" of the season and is at least somewhat of a decent sample size to begin to draw conclusions from.

I would love for the Clippers to finish .500 and miss the playoffs again.

If they miss, we keep our lottery pick.

That might be enough to dump the last year of Gallo.

That Dude is fools gold and that would give us 20 million more to go summer shopping

 

[trojanfan12]

and to be consoled over the Dodgers*

I really like Dave Roberts. But I'm not a fan of how he handles the pitching staff a lot of times and I think he sometimes overmanages the game based on matchups.

Last night was an example. Baez comes in throwing smoke and he replaces him with Alex Wood to get the lefty on lefty matchup and Wood gives up a 3 run shot to pretty much ice the game for the Red Sox.

And while I'm ranting...why is he starting Ryu tonight over Rich Hill?

Ryu has been lights out at home, been sketchy at best on the road and I don't think he's ever pitched in Fenway before. Hill has played for the Red Sox, so he knows Fenway Park.

Okay, rant over.

 

[raptorlife4]

Compare the Paul/Griffin/Jordan Clippers with the Russ/KD/Ibaka Thunder teams and the Clippers lose in every category. Then throw in that those Thunder teams came up short every year.

Then please have someone explain to me how those Clippers teams were "stacked" in any way shape or form. Good team, no doubt. Never sniffed great.

My point was that if Paul was as great as he is looked as maybe he could have made his teams better.

ex teammates are now saying he was a bad team player. Maybe thats why the Clippers never were good enough

 

[WiggyRuss]

You know I love Blake.

He's still my favorite player.

But, that contract was a albatross.

I'm happy with Bobi, Tobi and Shai.

if you had to bet your house on 2 of these 5 teams making the playoffs who do you take:

1. Blazers
2. Lakers
3. Spurs
4. Twolves
5. Clippers

it is a very tough question.

I would go the Blazers as one, and probably the Lakers as the other. This next Spurs/Lakers game coming up soon has a tiny bit of added importance since it might count as extra considering the tie breaker. It seems to be an important game for the Lakers if you ask me.

 

[bksballer89]

1. Blazers
2. Lakers
3. Spurs
4. Twolves
5. Clippers

Lakers and T-Wolves

 

[WiggyRuss]

I would love for the Clippers to finish .500 and miss the playoffs again.

If they miss, we keep our lottery pick.

That might be enough to dump the last year of Gallo.

That Dude is fools gold and that would give us 20 million more to go summer shopping

supposedly this years NBA draft is one of the weakest in a long time.

That is the speculation anyway.

 

[bksballer89]

Blake Griffin the new 3 pt specialist.

11 made 3's in the first 3 games

 

[Black Adam]

LeBron is still the best player in the NBA- but i hate when he does what he did at the end of the Spurs game--- dribble dribble dribble top of the key, and then take a step back 3 when they are down one.

You would be shocked at how much he does this.

People speculate its because he does not want to go to the hole and get fouled and have to make FT's, but I really dont know.

The guy is a freight train- why he takes those step back 3's at the end of games instead of trying to break down the defense or got to the rim is beyond me.

the fact that he's under 75% from the ft line for his career says a bit, i'd think...

those 2 clanks at the end didn't do too much to help his cause...

 

[Inimical]

2016-17 NBA Regular Season Thread