2021 NBA regular season thread

[WiggyRuss]

Kyrie Irving is a total asshole, and completely crazy and he screwed the Cavs over.....but it still gives me some form of perverse pleasure to watch him stick it to the Warriors, be the best player on the floor when facing GSW, and sticking it to Curry.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Night 1 observations:

-KD is back. Looked totally fine

-GS upgraded their talent some but its still largely just a bunch of dudes around Curry. The fact that they "upgraded" lets you know just how much garbage they had out there last year. Still, they aren't all that good and Draymond isn't gonna help that much. They'll be in the playoff hunt but will have to fight for it. They should trade that bum Wiggins though if anyone would bother to take him.

-Lakers came out flat as shit. Somewhat predictable given the short turn around, newness of a lot of players, and it being ring night. Interior defense was...lacking to be kind. Lots of players just missed a lot of decent looks too. I still say they need another center for some defensive energy behind Gasol (who by the way was atrocious tonight, he'll be better but still. yuck).

The Golden State bench is horrendous. Honest to God i might rather have the Cavs.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Night 1 observations:

-KD is back. Looked totally fine

-GS upgraded their talent some but its still largely just a bunch of dudes around Curry. The fact that they "upgraded" lets you know just how much garbage they had out there last year. Still, they aren't all that good and Draymond isn't gonna help that much. They'll be in the playoff hunt but will have to fight for it. They should trade that bum Wiggins though if anyone would bother to take him.

-Lakers came out flat as shit. Somewhat predictable given the short turn around, newness of a lot of players, and it being ring night. Interior defense was...lacking to be kind. Lots of players just missed a lot of decent looks too. I still say they need another center for some defensive energy behind Gasol (who by the way was atrocious tonight, he'll be better but still. yuck).

Like I said on GS they now have two players who are practically carbon copies of each other on offense. And neither works particularly well with Curry without a second three point threat on the floor.

I assume they end up trying to deal Oubre at the deadline

 

[WiggyRuss]

Lakers and Clips are so evenly matched. Its going to be a great matchup all year. It really is.

I am looking at the Clips complete roster and think they did some sneaky good things though. Batum and Kennard were some nice under the radar signings. Those 2 guys - a wing that can switch and get to the rim and shoot---- and a more pure shooter that can actually play some D in Kennard---- are the type of role players that thrive on good teams.

Ibaka and Gasol are kind of a wash if you ask me for both teams. Both really good veteran players that can contribute. Gasol is such a huge upgrade over McGee its crazy.

i do gotta say- Ibaka is only 31. Gasol is turning 36 next month.

I would rather have Schroeder than Beverly---its close but Schroeder is a better overall athlete and a much better offensive player.

but damn....a bench of Lou Williams, Kennard, Batum, Zubac is pretty damn solid.....as is Wes Mathews, Horton-Tucker, Kuzma, Harrell......

gonna be a great battle all year.

crazy to think LeBron will be 36 in 2 weeks. Sure does not look that age.

 

[wildturkey]

Like I said on GS they now have two players who are practically carbon copies of each other on offense. And neither works particularly well with Curry without a second three point threat on the floor.

I assume they end up trying to deal Oubre at the deadline

I like Oubre better, but he's more moveable than Wiggins is with that horrendous contract. I'd still shop him first just to see what's out there and if its even remotely decent, I'd take it.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Like I said on GS they now have two players who are practically carbon copies of each other on offense. And neither works particularly well with Curry without a second three point threat on the floor.

I assume they end up trying to deal Oubre at the deadline

in the words of Dennis Quaid from Major League II when addressing Charlie Sheen after he has gone corporate---- "Vile Thing- I think I loathe you- you got no heart, and forget genitalia".

I believe these words can aptly be applied to Andrew Wiggins at this point. He is the tin man.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Luke Kennard is one of the most underated moves of the offseason for any team.

The guy is 24 years old. He is coming off 3 straight season of shooting t roughly 40% from 3. He had over 4 assists a game last year and almost 16 points. He can rebound a little bit and is a pretty decent defender for his profile. It did not surprise me when the Clips gave him a 64 million dollar extension.

I think he will end up being the 3rd best player on the Clips (though Bev. and Ibaka are close) and a guy that is there a long time and fits a certain role perfectly.


i think he fits a role perfectly just like Schroeder does for the Lakers--- who i think could end up being the Lakers 3rd best player....they neededa guy that can make plays and break down the defense that was not named LeBron so badly and could lead an offense. He is a guy that you really should not be able to add to a championship team yet the Lakers figured out how to get it done - and got a 27 year old established solid point guard to really shore up that position in a major way. I am sure he will get an extension down the road too.

both were great moves by their teams.

 

[Gman]

Time for the Lakers and their fans to panic, I say.

Looking over the box score from last night, AD was a -16 in his minutes on the floor. Can you say EXPOSED!?

Maybe L.A. can trade Davis for some 2nd round drafts picks or something... salvage what they can.

 

[trojanfan12]

Time for the Lakers and their fans to panic, I say.

Looking over the box score from last night, AD was a -16 in his minutes on the floor. Can you say EXPOSED!?

Maybe L.A. can trade Davis for some 2nd round drafts picks or something... salvage what they can.

Probably couldn't even trade him for Wiggins at this point.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Paul George always seems to play his best against Lebron, I’m not sure why, but it really does seem that way. And this isn’t a surprise he went off. He has these type of performances and then becomes inconsistent. He can do this ALL year and then fold in the playoffs and it won’t mean jack shir

 

[bksballer89]

Kd is so sensitive

 

[DJ Fieri]

Rough loss but our bench is so loaded.....THT is gonna steal mpg from somebody.

And Schroder was a great pickup....all over the floor.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Kd is so sensitive

What did he say now?

 

[DJ Fieri]

I think the Warriors run is over....what made them great was their depth....sure KD, Steph, and Klay were great....but their depth is really what made them special...

And now they are older and injury prone.....truly needing that depth more than ever.

I said it.

 

[The Q]

I think the Warriors run is over....what made them great was their depth....sure KD, Steph, and Klay were great....but their depth is really what made them special...

And now they are older and injury prone.....truly needing that depth more than ever.

I said it.

May wanna slow down with wiseman and potentially two top 10 picks coming their way.

 

[Shanemansj13]

I think the Warriors run is over....what made them great was their depth....sure KD, Steph, and Klay were great....but their depth is really what made them special...

And now they are older and injury prone.....truly needing that depth more than ever.

I said it.

And now they have two bad contracts. Wiggins is not going to improve much, he's the player he is...maybe eventually he can be a bench guy off a playoff team but his contract is so bad right now it won't be anytime soon. Draymond seems like he can't stay healthy which is what is expected with some age and how much of a competitor he is...plus he isn't worth the money he is making now. To have any shot at a future run they need to get rid of those two contracts to build around Steph, Klay and Wiseman. They made some nice moves but I think the D-Lo trade for Wiggins was a big downgrade, can't blame them bc D-Lo wasn't a great fit either.

 

[Shanemansj13]

May wanna slow down with wiseman and potentially two top 10 picks coming their way.

Honestly, that would be the best move. 2 Top 10 pick and hope Minny falls apart this season and that could be what sets them up...still gotta get rid of the Wiggins contract somehow, as soon as possible.

 

[DJ Fieri]

And now they have two bad contracts. Wiggins is not going to improve much, he's the player he is...maybe eventually he can be a bench guy off a playoff team but his contract is so bad right now it won't be anytime soon. Draymond seems like he can't stay healthy which is what is expected with some age and how much of a competitor he is...plus he isn't worth the money he is making now. To have any shot at a future run they need to get rid of those two contracts to build around Steph, Klay and Wiseman. They made some nice moves but I think the D-Lo trade for Wiggins was a big downgrade, can't blame them bc D-Lo wasn't a great fit either.

Agree with all you said.....Russ would fit better right now than Oubre and Wiggins IMO.

But, an optimist would say its early....

 

[DJ Fieri]

Like I said on GS they now have two players who are practically carbon copies of each other on offense. And neither works particularly well with Curry without a second three point threat on the floor.

I assume they end up trying to deal Oubre at the deadline

I would keep Oubre and deal Wiggins.

 

[trojanfan12]

Honestly, that would be the best move. 2 Top 10 pick and hope Minny falls apart this season and that could be what sets them up...still gotta get rid of the Wiggins contract somehow, as soon as possible.

Yeah, I think they were hoping their culture would work on Wiggins and he'd improve. but it looks like either the culture no longer exists or Wiggins is immune to it (I'm betting on the latter).

I think they'll see what Dray has left and if he and Steph can drag them to the playoffs. If it starts to look like they won't make it and if they aren't able to make any moves, I think we'll start to see Steph sitting out a lot of games as they try to get another lottery pick and wait for next year and a hopefully fully healthy Steph and Klay.