2019-2020 NBA Season Thread

[Jack.Kerr]

2-game suspsensions for both Embiid and Towns. Seems about right, though I'd have given Embiid twice what Towns got.

Embiid is a headcase. He shriveled in crunch-time in last year's playoff series against the Raptors, with some mysterious (fake) "illness".

Huge, front-running trashtalker and instigator, doing less with physical talents than anyone this side of Bullet.

As much fun to watch him fail as to watch him hoist three-pointers.

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by Jack.Kerr

2-game suspsensions for both Embiid and Towns. Seems about right, though I'd have given Embiid twice what Towns got.

Embiid is a headcase. He shriveled in crunch-time in last year's playoff series against the Raptors, with some mysterious (fake) "illness".

Huge, front-running trashtalker and instigator, doing less with physical talents than anyone this side of Bullet.

As much fun to watch him fail as to watch him hoist three-pointers.

I mean.... last season he averaged 27.5/13.6/3.7 with 2 blocks and a steal per game. I find his antics obnoxious too, but he's an incredible player. He'd probably be the single most valuable commodity in the league today if he didn't have the health issues.

[Jack.Kerr]

Originally Posted by spreedom

I mean.... last season he averaged 27.5/13.6/3.7 with 2 blocks and a steal per game. I find his antics obnoxious too, but he's an incredible player. He'd probably be the single most valuable commodity in the league today if he didn't have the health issues.

Playoffs. Raptors. Shriveled. Laid down like a mongrel and quit.

That's what I'm talking about.

[j0Shi]

Denver lost, but encouraging debut for Porter. 15 points, 5-8, one three. Also Okafor simply outplaying Jokic was... something I didn't expect. Looks like the Joker has taken the reigns from Doncic as most out-of-shape Euro. At least that's what the national guys say on their podcasts.

[sefant77]

I still think MPJ wont stay healthy...his entire family is screwed injurywise

[j0Shi]

Yeah, I'm not on the hype train. Was kinda weird that he hasn't been able to crack the rotation yet. Many expected him to be a piece from day 1 this season.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Well I see Steph Curry got his easy out from being blamed for a dump of a season that was inevitable anyway. Out 3-4 months.

[Underdog]

@townbrad: Russell Westbook's minus-46 tonight began a plus-minus convo on the plane. Best plus-minus in Mavs history: Dirk plus-42 at Boston in March 2002. Worst: Hubert Davis minus-38 at Lakers in April 1998.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

I miss Huby D. Basically automatic from 3.

[Underdog]

@_sydneymyers: The cruelest irony would be the Rockets not even making the playoffs the year the Warriors are finally out of their way.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Not that this is much of a hot take, but I think it's safe to say Luka is better than Ben Simmons.

[ChileanMavsFan]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Not that this is much of a hot take, but I think it's safe to say Luka is better than Ben Simmons.

Not much Philly can do about it now or when they re-signed him since they didn't have other options, but Ben Simmons for 5 year, 170M contract is tough to overcome. Only 6pts on 2/8 shooting against the Suns with Embiid out? Just terrible.

They still have a great team so I'm expecting them to make the finals on the East, but Ben Simmons really needs to develop his game further.

[EricaLubarsky]

Are the Suns good?

[EricaLubarsky]

It's really early, but man-- didn't foresee this as the playoff picture

EAST
1 Heat
2 Sixers
3 Celtics
4 Bucks
5 Raptors
6 Hornets (.500)
7 Pacers (.500)
8 Nets (.429)

WEST
1 Lakers
2 Suns
3 Clippers
4 Mavs
5 Nuggets
6 Spurs
7 Wolves
8 Rockets
---------------
Jazz
Trailblazers
Thunder
Kings
Warriors


Heat topping the East? Suns almost at the top of the west. Trailblazers, Kings, and Warriors are all out of the playoff picture.

[BPo001]

Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins has been suspended 25 games after violating the NBA’s anti-doping policy, the league announced Tuesday.

Collins, 22, tested positive for Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-2, according to the NBA’s release. In five games, Collins is averaging 17 points and 8.8 rebounds.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins has been suspended 25 games after violating the NBA’s anti-doping policy, the league announced Tuesday.

Collins, 22, tested positive for Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-2, according to the NBA’s release. In five games, Collins is averaging 17 points and 8.8 rebounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP8sofAN4xc

[sefant77]

[DevinHarriswillstart]

It's rather pathetic that he used almost the exact same press release that Ayton did. You folks ain't getting those 25 games cut.

[saclare]

Ben Simmons can't shoot in a shooting league. He will be a good player for a long time, but massively overpaid.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Remember when we almost got TJ Warren? I remember mentioning needing to win trades like that one. Would have been the perfect third scorer here. 33 points tonight on 15-18 shooting.

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Remember when we almost got TJ Warren? I remember mentioning needing to win trades like that one. Would have been the perfect third scorer here. 33 points tonight on 15-18 shooting.

I think they were given a 1st to take him too. MBT truly slept through the opening of Free Agency. He’s a flawed player like THJ but he sure can score.

[FreshJive]

The Pacers will eventually have Oladipo, Brogdan, and Sabonis. They also have Jeremy Lamb. TJ Warren I can forgive, but Brogdan probably should have been the priority over Kemba.

[EricaLubarsky]

I highly doubt the Mavs were actually in the Kemba race.

I know there's no evidence of it, but most of the time when there is evidence, it means we leaked it on purpose.

Not saying we won free agency, but I just doubt we were after Kemba. Makes no sense.

[Underdog]

Gordon Hayward needs to eat his Wheaties.

[FreshJive]

Brian Windhorst
@WindhorstESPN

55m
Dion Waiters had a panic attack on Heat team flight after taking an edible sources tell
@wojespn
and me:


LMFAO

[BPo001]

Originally Posted by FreshJive

Brian Windhorst
@WindhorstESPN

55m
Dion Waiters had a panic attack on Heat team flight after taking an edible sources tell
@wojespn
and me:


LMFAO

Amateur.

[FreshJive]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Amateur.

This was my first thought. One of the stories I saw said he had seizures. If that’s true, then it wasn’t just marijuana. Some street vape carts and gummies are made with synthetic cannabinoids, that have been known to cause seizures. Something about the way it attaches to the thc receptors.

[BPo001]

Originally Posted by FreshJive

This was my first thought. One of the stories I saw said he had seizures. If that’s true, then it wasn’t just marijuana. Some street vape carts and gummies are made with synthetic cannabinoids, that have been known to cause seizures. Something about the way it attaches to the thc receptors.

If he’s buying that stuff off the street then he’s really an amateur. It’s too readily available at shops not to buy it there. Just send a friend to get it since he’s a pro athlete.

[dirt_dobber]

Any chance the Heat use some type of drug clause or something to get out
of Waiters contract. They owe him $12.1m this year and $12.9m next year
- they were supposedly shopping him hard before camp and - no takers!
I'm sure the Players Assoc. would try to intervene on his behalf but...

[FreshJive]

Originally Posted by BPo001

If he’s buying that stuff off the street then he’s really an amateur. It’s too readily available at shops not to buy it there. Just send a friend to get it since he’s a pro athlete.

He apparently got it from a teammate. He took it because he was nauseous (injury report for that game lists stomachache). They were in AZ. I don’t think they have recreational shops there. Who knows where it came from, although there have been synthetics found in CA shops that were supposed to be legit (cheaper to make). I haven’t seen anything more about seizures, so I’m leaning toward the panic attack story.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Btw, Al Horford is having a really good start to the year. That big contract would suck down the road, but he would have been a great fit on this team.

[Jack.Kerr]

Nursery rhyme for NIX fans:

Mavs beat Cavs by 20.
NIX beat Mavs by 4.
Cavs beat NIX by 21.
Fans boo NIX off the floor.

Knicks come out flat in MSG against Cleveland, trail by 20 in Q2.
James Dolan calls an emergency meeting at halftime with Mills and Perry.
NIX go on to trail by 30 in Q3, lose by 21, leaving the court to boos (and booze?).
Mills and Perry call an emergency post-game press conference (after not having been seen all season) to express their disappointment in the on-floor performance of the NIX, citing preparation and effort (are you getting this Fiz?)
Fiz comes forth to spew a litany of excuses disguised as 'taking responsibility'.

“I can sit here and say, 'Oh, we have 10 new guys and my point guards is out and blah blah blah blah blah.' No. I'm not giving myself that out, I'm not giving my team that out. We're going to keep working at it until we get over the hump. You don't go into Dallas and beat arguably one of the best teams in the NBA, the highest-scoring team in the NBA, the No. 1 offense, and then come back and lay an egg. That's unacceptable and we just gotta fix that."

Deathwatch at MSG. Vultures sighted near Midtown.

[saclare]

Just lining it all up to making Fizdale the fall guy. That roster is poorly constructed. Fizdale didn't sign all those PFs.

[Jack.Kerr]

Originally Posted by saclare

Just lining it all up to making Fizdale the fall guy. That roster is poorly constructed. Fizdale didn't sign all those PFs.

Tough to have much sympathy for Fizdale; they hired him to tank last year, and he complied whole-heartedly. Perhaps too well, as "losing culture" has been cited as a factor in Durant's and Irving's rejection of the Nix.

Fizdale: Hired as a fall guy, fired as a fall guy.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Westbrook is so terrible. Thank god the Mavs had no interest in him.

[EricaLubarsky]

https://twitter.com/worldwidewob/sta...393155584?s=21

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Man, what happened to Lauri Markannen? He was primed to breakout this season and is regressing.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Man, what happened to Lauri Markannen? He was primed to breakout this season and is regressing.

That draft is sure looking like the worst on record.

Markelle Fultz - 10pts, 3reb for Orlando. Would only really start on the Magic.
Lonzo Ball - Decent role player
Jayson Tatum - About the only real star and he's far from a superstar.
Josh Jackson - currently in g-league
De'Aaron Fox - Decent numbers as a starter, but bad efficiency
Jonathan Isaac - legitimate defensive stud with some decent numbers on a terrible team
Lauri Markkanen - Really inefficient and took a step back. Borderline starter
Frank Ntilikina - 5pts, 3ast and a lot of DNPs on a team desperate for guards
Dennis Smith - 4pts, 2ast and a lot of DNPs on a team desperate for guards
Zach Collins - second stringer

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

That draft is sure looking like the worst on record.

Markelle Fultz - 10pts, 3reb for Orlando. Would only really start on the Magic.
Lonzo Ball - Decent role player
Jayson Tatum - About the only real star and he's far from a superstar.
Josh Jackson - currently in g-league
De'Aaron Fox - Decent numbers as a starter, but bad efficiency
Jonathan Isaac - legitimate defensive stud with some decent numbers on a terrible team
Lauri Markkanen - Really inefficient and took a step back. Borderline starter
Frank Ntilikina - 5pts, 3ast and a lot of DNPs on a team desperate for guards
Dennis Smith - 4pts, 2ast and a lot of DNPs on a team desperate for guards
Zach Collins - second stringer

Donovan Mitchell was in that draft too though. He somehow slipped to 14 I think

[Jack.Kerr]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Frank Ntilikina - 5pts, 3ast and a lot of DNPs on a team desperate for guards

NYDailyNews: Knicks' Ntilikina Budding Before Our Eyes

NYPost: Knicks’ Frank Ntilikina shows he’s ‘a dog’ in best way possible