2019-2020 Official Regular Season Thread

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Yeah i always thought he was half and half

He recently wrote a story about it in the Players Tribune.


Kuzma's mother is white and his father is black, and he said as a child he struggled to fit in.

"I’m sure a lot of biracial kids have that kind of similar story of not being black enough for the black kids and not being white enough for the white kids," Kuzma wrote. "As a kid, you don’t know the history behind all that. You can only really see the situation like the black community is telling you, 'You’re only half of us.' While to the white community, you’re just black, or worse — you’re a n*****. (They actually said stuff like that in front of me when I was in high school.)"

Kuzma said that even though he's in his third season playing for the Lakers, he still worries whenever a police officer pulls him over.

"If I’m driving and I see a cop, I’m checking my rearview mirror for like the next five minutes," he wrote. "That is the epitome of what this has done to us as black people, living in a racist society. That’s what we have to fear: the people who are supposed to protect us."

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Just when I thought he couldn't look any worse.

Fuck him

I cant say it enough

Fuck that dude now and forever

 

[msgkings322]

Dude, dafuq are you talking about?

Kuzma is not white....lol

Well, his Mom is.

But, his father is Black and that's how he self identifies.

Oops I honestly didn't know

 

[tlance]

I have always been empathetic to the players’ side in labor negotiations.

But not sure I can get behind this.

 

[tlance]

The only thing wrong with this is...Kuzma's white. Since this is becoming about the current racial justice movement, it would need to be other black players saying we should play. But then they might come off as sellouts.

It's a mess.

ummmmm.

You sure about that?

 

[tlance]

Don’t make this about social justice. The NBA has long been the most progressive pro sports league going. They are not trying to oppress players in the way the NFL has.

I have said it before and will say it again. This is a competition issue. When you are asking a bunch of players/coaches from teams with absolutely no chance to win a championship to leave their families for 2 months amid everything going on, there is going to be dissent among rank and file. Pare it down to teams who can actually compete and I am willing to bet most of this goes away.

Kuzma wants to hoop because Kuzma can win a ship.

Somebody will be pissed off no matter what happens. But maybe it is time to really let the cream rise to the top. Here is my proposal:

There is a huge divide between the Mavericks (.597 win percentage) and the next best team. So, take the top 6 from the East and the top 7 from the West. And if an individual team or 2 from that group votes to stay home, then let them.

Every team gets 5-6 regular season games prior to playoff start

West playoffs:

7 plays 6 in best of 3 play in everyone else gets 2-3 additional exhibition games

Once down to 6 in each conference,

6 plays 3, 5 plays 4

Top 2 seeds get byes and each get 1-2 exhibitions against top seeds from the opposite conference so they can avoid rust.

 

[tlance]

And let me add, if a random team decides they don’t want to play for whatever reason, then great. Move on without them.

You only really want teams who want to be there anyway.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Don’t make this about social justice. The NBA has long been the most progressive pro sports league going. They are not trying to oppress players in the way the NFL has.

I have said it before and will say it again. This is a competition issue. When you are asking a bunch of players/coaches from teams with absolutely no chance to win a championship to leave their families for 2 months amid everything going on, there is going to be dissent among rank and file. Pare it down to teams who can actually compete and I am willing to bet most of this goes away.

Kuzma wants to hoop because Kuzma can win a ship.

Somebody will be pissed off no matter what happens. But maybe it is time to really let the cream rise to the top. Here is my proposal:

There is a huge divide between the Mavericks (.597 win percentage) and the next best team. So, take the top 6 from the East and the top 7 from the West. And if an individual team or 2 from that group votes to stay home, then let them.

Every team gets 5-6 regular season games prior to playoff start

West playoffs:

7 plays 6 in best of 3 play in everyone else gets 2-3 additional exhibition games

Once down to 6 in each conference,

6 plays 3, 5 plays 4

Top 2 seeds get byes and each get 1-2 exhibitions against top seeds from the opposite conference so they can avoid rust.

They have had significantly more family time than usual for the last three months. Basically they're congesting their travel for five months into two.

I'm not seeing the huge issue.

And once again....IF there WAS AN ISSUE say it WHEN YOU ARE NEGOTIATING!!!

 

[Stakesarehigh]

And by no means am I peeved with you tlance but this is ridiculous

 

[tlance]

They have had significantly more family time than usual for the last three months. Basically they're congesting their travel for five months into two.

I'm not seeing the huge issue.

And once again....IF there WAS AN ISSUE say it WHEN YOU ARE NEGOTIATING!!!

I agree with the last part.

Disagree with the first part. Seems like most players are okay with it which is why it got through initially. Kyrie usually seems to have his own agenda and he seems to have swayed at least a few and got others thinking.

It doesn’t matter what you or I think about how players should feel. This is about how they do feel. And like I said, I truly believe that if you just eliminate all the mediocre teams right now (Kyrie’s Nets included) most if not all of this goes away. Because everybody left will be competing for personal goals and team goals that just aren’t realistic for any of the teams .500 or below.

 

[trojanfan12]

Hopefully they cancel the season so the league can tear up the CBA and fuck the players over.

PLEASE MAKE THAT HAPPEN

Apparently, that's what the agents are trying to get across to these guys.

If the season is canceled, they're looking at a potential $1.2 billion in player salaries being lost.

That's no big deal to the guys in Kyrie's pay range. If those guys have been at all smart, they never have to work or play again and their families will be fine for generations.

But what about the 2 way players. What about the guys on the end of the bench that don't make that money? Those are the guys that are going to get hurt the most.

Not only now, but also in the next CBA.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Apparently, that's what the agents are trying to get across to these guys.

If the season is canceled, they're looking at a potential $1.2 billion in player salaries being lost.

That's no big deal to the guys in Kyrie's pay range. If those guys have been at all smart, they never have to work or play again and their families will be fine for generations.

But what about the 2 way players. What about the guys on the end of the bench that don't make that money? Those are the guys that are going to get hurt the most.

Not only now, but also in the next CBA.

What Kyrie is doing is completely unacceptable for someone in his role

 

[tlance]

What Kyrie is doing is completely unacceptable for someone in his role

I have to wonder....

What is going through KD’s mind right now?

Does he agree with Kyrie?

Or is he like WTF did I just do? I left Steph Curry and Klay Thompson for this dude?

 

[Stakesarehigh]

I have to wonder....

What is going through KD’s mind right now?

Does he agree with Kyrie?

Or is he like WTF did I just do? I left Steph Curry and Klay Thompson for this dude?

I don't know. It's just when you're in charge of bargaining for employees you give an honest effort to do so with their best interest in mind. You don't decide it for them or attempt to sway them to a position that wasn't even on the table.

I'm just mystified at how not playing somehow does something for the cause. I'm confused how something such as "yard time" is something that is a deal breaker.

He's just stomping his feet after the fact when he had all the leverage to discuss this previously

CP3 and the other players need to call his bullshit

 

[trojanfan12]

What Kyrie is doing is completely unacceptable for someone in his role

If he were up front about it and voiced his concerns when they took the vote, I'd be fine with it, I think most fans would be to some extent.

I'd still disagree, but at least he would have been up front and honest about it.

If nothing else, they could have tabled the vote, let the reps go back to their teams to address Kyrie's concern with them and gone from there.

 

[trojanfan12]

I have to wonder....

What is going through KD’s mind right now?

Does he agree with Kyrie?

Or is he like WTF did I just do? I left Steph Curry and Klay Thompson for this dude?

Wasn't KD part of it though? I thought I read that.

Or do you think he's just going along because he and Kyrie are teammates now?

 

[tlance]

Wasn't KD part of it though? I thought I read that.

Or do you think he's just going along because he and Kyrie are teammates now?

I don’t know.

Could see it either way though. KD seems like the type of person who could be fairly easily swayed.

 

[trojanfan12]

I don’t know.

Could see it either way though. KD seems like the type of person who could be fairly easily swayed.

That's what I'm thinking re: KD. Dude's always seemed fairly weak mentally.

 

[Wamu]

That's what I'm thinking re: KD. Dude's always seemed fairly weak mentally.

Anyone that has to create fake social media accounts to defend himself is a chump. Can you imagine him playing in the 80's/90's? All the great trash talkers of that era would be in KD's head so quick. Larry Legend would have made him cry on the court.

 

[bksballer89]

I have to wonder....

What is going through KD’s mind right now?

Does he agree with Kyrie?

Or is he like WTF did I just do? I left Steph Curry and Klay Thompson for this dude?

Saw a report that one playoffs team is against playing. Pretty safe to say that team is the Brooklyn Nets since at least 3 of their players were on that call last night