2021 NBA regular season thread

[msgkings322]

And they still have to play the games....the Clippers were title faves behind Lakers and they didn't do much in the postseason.

Nets look really good now, long way to go. They are definitely top level contenders

 

[msgkings322]

Steph and Dame both deserve MVP consideration.

But not above the actual MVPs on better teams

 

[DJ Fieri]

Nets look really good now, long way to go. They are definitely top level contenders

So were the Clippers.

 

[Shanemansj13]

That's all part of the process. These things aren't figured out in a day. The Nets have a bunch of great players and they will figure out a way to make it work.

Yeah and in his defense Kyrie has never been put in that situation before but still a big step for him...he would be the guy that could ruin this big 3.

Still ship or bust this season imo

 

[Shanemansj13]

What a guy I tell ya, willing to do what’s best for the team. I mean as long as he feels like playing in the first place

No kidding...but it’s not over yet. One failed season and Mr. Flat Earth will be back

 

[WiggyRuss]

Lakers 4-7 against teams above .500. They were already struggling when healthy, going to be tougher with guys out now.

Lakers arent repeating

Howard and Rondo were better for the playoffs then the guys they replaced them with.

LeBron wont get 4 months of rest before the playoffs start.

AD has had some health issues.

Gasol has taken a step back.

 

[msgkings322]

So were the Clippers.

What's your point?

 

[Shanemansj13]

It's time for A. Sliver and the league to stop this crap. If a player's under contract they should have to honor it and play until traded. This sitting out nonsense is only going to get worse if nothing is done.

Harden, well he's an asshole for how he forced his was outa town. BG and Drummond. See what I said about Harden. And yes AD needs to be mentioned as well. What he did to the Pels is no different than what Harden did to the Rockets. Player refuses to play, demands a trade, then the team has no choice but to sit the player because they don't want him injured before a trade happens.

How are players doing stuff like this any worse than what LeBron** has done during his career?

** = I only mentioned LeBron because for some odd reason he still gets called out for joining another team while other superstars seem to get a pass for doing the same thing. Don't wanna mention any names. But they play in Brooklyn.

Well it was mutual decision-team and player-for Drummond to sit so I’m not sure that applies to other situations.
Lebron wasn’t the first player to join a team with another star so yeah I’m not sure why people bitch about that.
Honestly, I dont know why Draymond is making this a huge deal, Drummond has been nothing but a good locker room guy and he wants to play on a winning team, also he knew when they traded for Allen he would be traded, but really before the season he knew his fate opting in. It’s all business imo

 

[Wamu]

Well it was mutual decision-team and player-for Drummond to sit so I’m not sure that applies to other situations.
Lebron wasn’t the first player to join a team with another star so yeah I’m not sure why people bitch about that.
Honestly, I dont know why Draymond is making this a huge deal, Drummond has been nothing but a good locker room guy and he wants to play on a winning team, also he knew when they traded for Allen he would be traded, but really before the season he knew his fate opting in. It’s all business imo

Players are sitting for the wrong reason. Not due to injury or player management. I'll use the Cavs as an example. Can't believe it was the GM's choice to sit him. Thinking it was his agent telling his client to sit out to avoid possible injury. I know that's how the league works. Just don't like it.

No doubt the LeBron thing is weird. People that don't like him will always find a reason to try and be overly critical. For the Lebron-haters out there maybe they should try focusing on his turnovers per game?

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

See, that is just it though

They didn’t.

No reason that all 3 couldn’t be starters. If they were on the same team they would all be starters.

Today’s game is positionless. Time to do away with positions once and for all in the all star game. If your starting lineup has 4 guards and a forward, the. So be it.

Then out of Lebron, Kawhi and Jokic do you cut to make room for Dame?

There's more than 5 superstars in the West so that means that no matter the format, somebody is always going to get the cut.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Lakers 4-7 against teams above .500. They were already struggling when healthy, going to be tougher with guys out now.

Yeah they really need to get their shit together. They've been playing terrible for a championship team.

 

[trojanfan12]

Harden, well he's an asshole for how he forced his was outa town. BG and Drummond. See what I said about Harden. And yes AD needs to be mentioned as well. What he did to the Pels is no different than what Harden did to the Rockets. Player refuses to play, demands a trade, then the team has no choice but to sit the player because they don't want him injured before a trade happens.

Agree on Harden. As for BG and Drummond...it depends on why they're sitting. Did they want to sit or is the team sitting them? If it's the team, then it's not on BG and Drummond, it's on the team.

As for AD, you are way off. AD said all along that he would honor his contract and play, the Pels chose to sit him. That is far different than what Harden did. In fact, if memory serves, the only minutes they did play him were because the league basically forced them to play him.

I understand a team sitting a player that they are looking to trade. If that player suffers a serious injury, there trade value drops considerably.

 

[Duckboy33]

Yeah and in his defense Kyrie has never been put in that situation before but still a big step for him...he would be the guy that could ruin this big 3.

Still ship or bust this season imo

This is a very important moment for Kyrie Irving's career. He 100% chose to go to Brooklyn and play with other stars. If he can help lead Brooklyn to a title (or multiple titles), he will be looked at very differently IMO. I'm not sure it's everything or bust but the Nets would have to at least win the East to avoid labeling the season a disappointment.

 

[trojanfan12]

Nets look really good now, long way to go. They are definitely top level contenders

I'll believe it if I see it in the playoffs when defense picks up. Until then, they are the D'Antoni/Nash Suns.

 

[msgkings322]

I'll believe it if I see it in the playoffs when defense picks up. Until then, they are the D'Antoni/Nash Suns.

They aren't playing like those Suns anymore. They were for a while but the last few weeks they seem to have locked down their defense. Obviously we have to see if they can do so in the playoffs, but they are showing me they can do it.

 

[trojanfan12]

Yeah they really need to get their shit together. They've been playing terrible for a championship team.

Yeah, many of the games against sub .500 teams have been a lot closer than they should be. I get they have a target and they get everyone's best shot. But there are some teams they should blow out and they haven't been.

 

[msgkings322]

This is a very important moment for Kyrie Irving's career. He 100% chose to go to Brooklyn and play with other stars. If he can help lead Brooklyn to a title (or multiple titles), he will be looked at very differently IMO. I'm not sure it's everything or bust but the Nets would have to at least win the East to avoid labeling the season a disappointment.

Sure but they should have a couple years to win a title with those 3

 

[Wamu]

Then out of Lebron, Kawhi and Jokic do you cut to make room for Dame?

There's more than 5 superstars in the West so that means that no matter the format, somebody is always going to get the cut.

Well you ain't getting rid of LeBron. Jokic will get screwed. He's the unathletic looking white-guy. It should go by games played. Yeah, I might be a little biased. Joker's played all 28 games so far. The Claw- 23 of 30 games played. Big Game Dame (hey, give James Worthy his nickname back dammit!) 27 of 28.

But the Clippers (# 3) and the Blazers (# 4) have better records than the Nuggets (# 8). Which is kinda important. Like you said, the WC is loaded this season. Possibly more than one player might be a little upset. Hope the A.S. game is good this season and not a glorified lay-up & dunk fest.

 

[trojanfan12]

They aren't playing like those Suns anymore. They were for a while but the last few weeks they seem to have locked down their defense. Obviously we have to see if they can do so in the playoffs, but they are showing me they can do it.

Have the playoffs started? The Suns played decent defense on occasion too. A stretch of games here and there when everyone has been blasting your defense is far different than playing that kind of defense 4 out of 7 games, 4 times against playoff level teams.

 

[tlance]

Players are sitting for the wrong reason. Not due to injury or player management. I'll use the Cavs as an example. Can't believe it was the GM's choice to sit him. Thinking it was his agent telling his client to sit out to avoid possible injury. I know that's how the league works. Just don't like it.

No doubt the LeBron thing is weird. People that don't like him will always find a reason to try and be overly critical. For the Lebron-haters out there maybe they should try focusing on his turnovers per game?

It is 100% in the teams’ best interest to sit him.

The team ability to move him is negated if he gets injured. So I think your assumptions that this is a player decision is way off base.

We don’t know who made the call. But both parties benefit from Drummond sitting out right now. There is no good reason to force him to play.