2022-2023 NBA Season Thread

[bksballer89]

What do you want the league to do?

Put something in place through December that prevents this. I am not against sitting guys out but doing in game #3 or 4 is bad

 

[Picklerick 2.0]

Put something in place through December that prevents this. I am not against sitting guys out but doing in game #3 or 4 is bad

They will just fake non serious injuries or site precautions for the player taking the game off. It sucks but it is what it is.

 

[Retroram52]

Yep, Picklerick. Exactly like Westbrook suddenly straining a hamstring so he doesn't have to come off the bench, at least initially anyways. Funny, he was playing next game like nothing happened. Oh wait, Westbrook is a notorious fast healer.

 

[Sparhawk]

The garbage the refs fouled Ben out on

Simmons still put up 7-6-5.

 

[thunderc]

Simmons still put up 7-6-5.

Well Royce O’Neal put up 8, 4 and 4 and also had a steal and 2 blocks. The point is minutes equal stats. Simmons is not really a plus as of yet.

 

[WiggyRuss]

9. Miami Heat (Previously fifth) | 1-2 | -4.1 net rating​

Weekly slate: Loss to Bulls, Loss to Celtics, Win over Raptors

First impressions: Terrible start to the season for the Miami Heat. It’s not that they lost to Chicago or Boston in the first two games, although bouncing back against Toronto was encouraging. It’s that they don’t look like the defensive team they’re supposed to be. A lot of that centers around Bam Adebayo. He’s had a bad start to the season. On offense, it feels like he needs to be more of a primary playmaker, and Kyle Lowry has struggled to start. Adebayo hasn’t left his mark on these games defensively. A lot of what ails the Heat to start the season is fixable, but Adebayo needs to be the best defender on the floor every night. He hasn’t shown that.

How do they move up to Contenders tier? The Heat were just there, but I hated the way they played against Chicago. The loss to Boston isn’t a big deal, but the main issue so far is the play of Adebayo. He’s too timid, and he got worked on both ends of the floor in their two losses. Bouncing back against Toronto was good, but the Heat need to show they have the higher gear they showed last season.

 

[WiggyRuss]

10. Cleveland Cavaliers (previously 12th) | 2-1 | +12.3 net rating​

Weekly slate: Loss at Raptors, Win at Bulls, Win over Wizards

First impressions: The Cleveland Cavaliers could easily be 3-0. They also could easily be 1-2. It’s going to take a little time to find comfort with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland on the court together. Garland getting hit in the eye has slowed that because he has barely played, but we’ll get to see how they complement each other soon enough. After a tough loss to Toronto, they smacked Chicago around and outlasted Washington in overtime. Mitchell has been as good as advertised, if not better. Evan Mobley looks like he’s ready to expand his game and take this team to another level.

How do they move up to Brink of Contention tier? Mobley being even better and Mitchell being the star we remember from the bubble would help. Cleveland slipped last season because of injuries, but the Cavs might have so much talent that they don’t have to worry about that. Cleveland just needs to keep responding, and it’ll climb.

 

[Sparhawk]

Well Royce O’Neal put up 8, 4 and 4 and also had a steal and 2 blocks. The point is minutes equal stats. Simmons is not really a plus as of yet.

Oh, wait.

That's my mistake.

When we talk Simmons I thought we talk points, fouls, turnovers.......

 

[WiggyRuss]

25. Los Angeles Lakers (previously 19th) | 0-3 | -6.2 net rating​

Weekly slate: Loss at Warriors, Loss to Clippers, Loss to Blazers

First impressions: This is a bad Los Angeles Lakers team. They’ll jell a little bit and it won’t look quite so awful, but all of the concerns about them going into the season might be worse than imagined. They’re off to a historically bad shooting performance from the outside. The Lakers are a mediocre-at-best defensive team. Russell Westbrook is going to get scapegoated once again, but this entire team is the issue. LeBron James should strictly be here this season to get the all-time scoring record.

How do they move up to the Play-In Tournament or Better tier? Move Westbrook and picks to a team with impactful veterans coming back to the Lakers. This Lakers team can’t tank because New Orleans owns a pick swap with the Lakers’ pick, so they have to go all-in at some point to try to climb the standings.

 

[bksballer89]

9. Miami Heat (Previously fifth) | 1-2 | -4.1 net rating​

Weekly slate: Loss to Bulls, Loss to Celtics, Win over Raptors

First impressions: Terrible start to the season for the Miami Heat. It’s not that they lost to Chicago or Boston in the first two games, although bouncing back against Toronto was encouraging. It’s that they don’t look like the defensive team they’re supposed to be. A lot of that centers around Bam Adebayo. He’s had a bad start to the season. On offense, it feels like he needs to be more of a primary playmaker, and Kyle Lowry has struggled to start. Adebayo hasn’t left his mark on these games defensively. A lot of what ails the Heat to start the season is fixable, but Adebayo needs to be the best defender on the floor every night. He hasn’t shown that.

How do they move up to Contenders tier? The Heat were just there, but I hated the way they played against Chicago. The loss to Boston isn’t a big deal, but the main issue so far is the play of Adebayo. He’s too timid, and he got worked on both ends of the floor in their two losses. Bouncing back against Toronto was good, but the Heat need to show they have the higher gear they showed last season.

25. Los Angeles Lakers (previously 19th) | 0-3 | -6.2 net rating​

Weekly slate: Loss at Warriors, Loss to Clippers, Loss to Blazers

First impressions: This is a bad Los Angeles Lakers team. They’ll jell a little bit and it won’t look quite so awful, but all of the concerns about them going into the season might be worse than imagined. They’re off to a historically bad shooting performance from the outside. The Lakers are a mediocre-at-best defensive team. Russell Westbrook is going to get scapegoated once again, but this entire team is the issue. LeBron James should strictly be here this season to get the all-time scoring record.

How do they move up to the Play-In Tournament or Better tier? Move Westbrook and picks to a team with impactful veterans coming back to the Lakers. This Lakers team can’t tank because New Orleans owns a pick swap with the Lakers’ pick, so they have to go all-in at some point to try to climb the standings.

You are obsessed

 

[bksballer89]

That is also a lame review about Bam.

He had the 2nd highest +/- last night and highest by far in the boston game. The heat were -27 in the 13 minutes he sat on the bench vs boston. -13 in the 10 minutes without him last night

 

[Wamu]

Ben Simmons putting up some crazy numbers early in the season. Yeah it's only three games, but it's still funny.

fouls- 14 (he has more fouls than shots attempted- 13)

turnovers- 11

buckets made- 7

FT's made- 3 (he's missed 4)

games fouled out- 2

steals- 1

 

[CitySushi]

Put something in place through December that prevents this. I am not against sitting guys out but doing in game #3 or 4 is bad

I really don't see any way to work around this. Then you get into murkier waters of having teams fake injuries, which the league cannot question.

Lower back soreness, tight quads or hamstrings, knee soreness, etc.

Those are injuries that can't be quantified and is up to the discretion of the player and the team.

 

[Wamu]

That is also a lame review about Bam.

He had the 2nd highest +/- last night and highest by far in the boston game. The heat were -27 in the 13 minutes he sat on the bench vs boston. -13 in the 10 minutes without him last night

Anything that makes your Heat or the Lakers look good is frowned upon in wiggy world.

But it is a great laugh that the two teams he still has issues with just happen to be the two teams LeBron left the Cavs for.

Coincidence?

 

[CitySushi]

You are obsessed

Haven't heard any Warriors slander lately. Starting to feel left out now.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

I

Haven't heard any Warriors slander lately. Starting to feel left out now.

You guys probably bought off the critcs

 

[Wamu]

Haven't heard any Warriors slander lately. Starting to feel left out now.

Has anyone suggested that the Finals were rigged in '15, '17 and '18?

 

[bksballer89]

Haven't heard any Warriors slander lately. Starting to feel left out now.

They have a winning record. Had Miami been 2-2 or 3-1 then he doesn't post that. Had lakers been 2-1 then they are left out as well

 

[Wamu]

@CitySushi @Tai Chi≈Surfing @msgkings322


Did you hear Steph made history (again) last night?

He now has 100 thirty point games with at least seven 3's made. The next guy is Harden with 42. Lillard has 36. Klay has 30.

I've enjoyed watching his record breaking career.

 

[CitySushi]

I

You guys probably bought off the critcs

Have you heard how much money the Chase arena is making? Has anyone discussed that yet around here?