The Warriors are in a funk. After starting out 6 and 2 (1 and 1 at home and 5 and 1 on the road) they have now lost 5 in a row, including 4 in a row at home. 5 of the 7 GS losses were very close and only 2 losses were by more than 10 points.
Curry has not played in the last two games due to an injury.
Green has been ejected from two games and has been suspended for 5 games (he is unpredictable and can go off the deep end [on the court; but not off the court] at a moment's notice).
Klay Thompson has been playing horribly, his shot has left him (1-10 last night) and his injuries and age have robbed him of his prior ability level (quickness, explosiveness, reaction time, etc.).
Wiggins has played at a level not close to what he did in the 2021-2022 All Star season he had. He seems disengaged/passive at times when he is on the floor; and at times he shows flashes of his 2021-2022 self. Last night he was much more engaged and aggressive that he has been this year.
Looney is still a solid 5, but he does not have the ability to score much (other than put backs under the basket after a rebound, or on a layup) and he has been outplayed by many of the younger, faster, taller, quicker players now in the league.
Other than Curry most of the roster has been in a shooting slump. When GS does not shoot well, that means trouble.
When GS does not defend well (which GS does inconsistently) the opposing teams have a field day everywhere on the floor (last night OKC shot 19-32 from 3 and GS was unable to get a defender close to many of the OKC 3 point shooters.
The bright spot in the above GS woes is that the bench players (6-14) are getting to play extended minutes. Some of them are playing very well; and with Chris Paul running the offense the reserves are keeping GS in their games.
GS is playing OKC, Houston, Phoenix and San Antonio in the next 7 days. It would not surprise me to see GS lose all of these games.
Watching NBA games this season has been a treat. There are some really, really good young players in the league. They are going to hasten the older players (including the star players) into bench roles and into retirement at an ever increasing rate.
i doubt anyone here outside of showstopper pays attention to the gambling rants taking place in the jimmy the greek thread, but i thought i'd share this here. what is transpiring in the NBA this season is blowing my mind to smithereens. we're not even a fourth of the way through and i'd estimate that i have watched or read about 20 examples of teams with ~20-point leads losing games outright. and those are only the ones i personally know about........i'm quite certain there have been even more. i have said this probably 10 times over there but it bears repeating here...............no freaking lead is safe in the NBA. these three went down JUST LAST NIGHT:
with 6:54 left in the 3rd: Golden State 79, Oklahoma City 61
final score: Oklahoma City 130, Golden State 123
with 4:22 left in the 3rd: San Antonio 85, Memphis 67
final score: Memphis 120, San Antonio 108
and check this one out.....
with 4:53 left in the 1st: Miami 22, Chicago 1
final score: Chicago 102, Miami 97
what do you guys ascribe this insanity to? did the association install a 6-point shot that i'm unaware of?
@galaxy27 said:
i doubt anyone here outside of showstopper pays attention to the gambling rants taking place in the jimmy the greek thread, but i thought i'd share this here. what is transpiring in the NBA this season is blowing my mind to smithereens. we're not even a fourth of the way through and i'd estimate that i have watched or read about 20 examples of teams with ~20-point leads losing games outright. and those are only the ones i personally know about........i'm quite certain there have been even more. i have said this probably 10 times over there but it bears repeating here...............no freaking lead is safe in the NBA. these three went down JUST LAST NIGHT:
with 6:54 left in the 3rd: Golden State 79, Oklahoma City 61
final score: Oklahoma City 130, Golden State 123
with 4:22 left in the 3rd: San Antonio 85, Memphis 67
final score: Memphis 120, San Antonio 108
and check this one out.....
with 4:53 left in the 1st: Miami 22, Chicago 1
final score: Chicago 102, Miami 97
what do you guys ascribe this insanity to? did the association install a 6-point shot that i'm unaware of?
...
I would ascribe it to a few things. First and foremost is the prevalence and precision of 3 point shooting. Also very important, but more esoteric, is the idea that the players now believe that this is just how the game works. It is self-fulfilling, and their confidence ebbs and flows and leads into these runs.
I think the Show covered it pretty well above. It also helps when the team that is down has someone capable of getting hot and carrying their team back into the game.
In OKC's case, It was SGA & Chet Holmgren both getting hot late in tht 3rd period that got the Thunder back into the game.
In Chicago's case, they literally had 3 quarters to whittle away at the lead and the Bulls got hot in the 4th outscoring the Heat 34-21 on the way to the win.
I tuned into the Spurs/Griz game right at the start of the 4th and watched that comeback as it happened. First Wemby went to the bench with 4 fouls then Collins with 5 plus they were already missing Devin Vassell. Collins hit a three with 10mins to go that gave SA a 99-93 lead, then the Spurs didn't score again until the 4:39 mark when Tre Jones hit a jumper. By that time Memphis had a 110-101 lead. That comeback was more fueled by SA not being able to hit a shot as much as anything else. Give Memphis credit for shutting them down and hitting their own shots. Wemby had 19/13 & 8 blocks just missing out on a triple double.
After that game ended I debated tuning into the final 6mins of the OKC/GS game and it looks like I missed a great finish with the game going to OT as well some great performances with SGA dropping 40/7/6/2/2 & Holmgren w/36/10/5/2/2.
@Steven59 said:
So the Cavs, without Mitchell, beat the 76ers last night in Philadelphia - you're welcome Boston!
I'll take it! Now the Cavs need to beat Miami tonight. 😉
All kidding aside, the Cavs have been playing pretty well lately. Its good to see they're trending up.
Orlando is another team playing at a high level sitting in the 2 seed with a matchup against Boston tomorrow afternoon. The Magic gave the Celtics fits last year going 3-1 against them.
it really is a head scratcher wondering what's happened with GS this season. At 5-3 away and 2-6 at home Its like the complete opposite of last year where they were a bad road team but one of the best home teams. With last night's loss they've dropped all the way to the 11th spot in the west.
sidenote: I didn't catch the highlights to that recent GS/OKC game until a few days after the game but that ending to put it into OT was insane. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1TU09VZp3I
@galaxy27 said:
i doubt anyone here outside of showstopper pays attention to the gambling rants taking place in the jimmy the greek thread, but i thought i'd share this here. what is transpiring in the NBA this season is blowing my mind to smithereens. we're not even a fourth of the way through and i'd estimate that i have watched or read about 20 examples of teams with ~20-point leads losing games outright. and those are only the ones i personally know about........i'm quite certain there have been even more. i have said this probably 10 times over there but it bears repeating here...............no freaking lead is safe in the NBA. these three went down JUST LAST NIGHT:
with 6:54 left in the 3rd: Golden State 79, Oklahoma City 61
final score: Oklahoma City 130, Golden State 123
with 4:22 left in the 3rd: San Antonio 85, Memphis 67
final score: Memphis 120, San Antonio 108
and check this one out.....
with 4:53 left in the 1st: Miami 22, Chicago 1
final score: Chicago 102, Miami 97
what do you guys ascribe this insanity to? did the association install a 6-point shot that i'm unaware of?
I see your point here. Watched Boston/Bucks and Suns/Warriors Wednesday night Boston and Suns were up 15-18 points mid 3rd quarter,looked like a runaway. Then games end up by a handful win for Boston/Suns.
Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
My observation of the 2023-2024 GSW is as follows:
They will win games (a lot of games) when they shoot well, pass the ball, play fast paced, play with constant motion, keep their turnovers to less than 10 per game. To date Curry has played at an MVP level. The other starters (Thompson, Green, Wiggins and Looney) have not. Green is volatile and his bad decisions and reputation has resulted in him being being ejected from 1 game two minutes into it and being suspended for 5 games. Thompson has shot badly for all but two of the first fifteen games and he is not able to perform at the level he played at prior to his 2019 and 2020 injuries (that kept him out of the game for 1.5 seasons/2 years). Wiggins has been very passive and ineffective for all but two of the first fifteen games. Looney has played well on defense and in rebounding but he is not a threat to score more than 6-8 points a game.
2.The starters have not played well together and have been unable to keep up with the younger, bigger teams. The bench players are younger and play well together with Chris Paul but they need more playing time to mesh. They have shown an ability to catch fire and dig the team out of deep holes that the starters have left them in (i.e. last night the bench players rallied from a 23 point deficit to the Suns to get within 3 points of tying the game with less than a minute to play.
The team struggles to play well defensively against opposing teams that are bigger and younger. Many times the opposing team will shoot and miss only to see it get one of more offensive rebounds to give them second and third chances to score. Gary Payton and Green are two great defenders who have been out due to injury (Payton) and ejection/suspension (Green).
The team is capable of playing lock down defense that disrupts the other team, causing turnovers and fast break opportunities for GSW. The roster has the potential of becoming very deep with players who can contribute effectively on
the court (spots 1-11 or 12). If the team really meshes during the season, if the team avoids serious injury and if the older players on the team are able to stay fresh into and through the playoffs the GSW will be in a good position to make a title run, However it would not take much for things to go south, have the team falter, make an early exit from the play in games or miss the playoffs.
I think GS's ownership & front office are learning the hard way that when your dynasty core stats to get up there in age you have some tough decisions to make regarding their future. looking back on previous dynasty caliber teams, some took different paths to the end.
The 80's Celtics watched the big 3 get old rather than trade them off and in the following (Rick Pitino) years they weren't very good.
The 80's Lakers watched 2 of their big 3 retire (Kareem/Worthy) while Magic had to quit after contracting HIV. LA had a handful of unspectactular seasons before drafting Kobe/signing Shaq in the late 90's.
The 90's Bulls broke up due to ownership & the front office wanting a fresh restart. They've been pretty bad ever since outside of the Derrick Rose prime years.
The 00's Lakers whose run ended when Kobe's ego needed Shaq gone. It took LA a few years to return to the Finals once Kobe matured into an MVP player.
The 00's Spurs extended their run once Kawhi got there but once he wanted out their older stars faded off into the sunset.
GS's ownership has decided to stay loyal to their big 3 and I don't blame them one bit for doing that. Klay is due to hit free agency this offseason and I doubt that they let him go. He's making 43M this year and I'd expect the team to offer him an extension similar to what they gave Draymond, 4yr/100M.
What has really hurt them, IMO, was owning three lottery picks over the 2020-21 drafts and whiffing straight out on James Wiseman while Moody & Kuminga have looked just ok in flashes. They could have ended up with Lamelo Ball,Tyrese Haliburton,Tyrese Maxey,Desmond Bane or any number of very good role players that could have been major contributors in recent years. Kuminga has looked like he may develop into a solid starter down the road but Moody looks like a career JAG .
The thing is,GS tried going with two timelines and it ultimately failed. I admit that with Kerr's recent history of developing young players I saw him doing the same with those three yet it didn't happen. Wiseman ended up getting traded for a role player that the Dubs had just let walk in free agency in Gary Payton Jr and has been a monumental bust as 2nd overall pick.
Where they go from here remains to be seen but it all will unfortunately fall on Steph's shoulders.
@Steven59 said:
"LeBron is in the house" - Lakers at Cavs tomorrow night!
Should be a good game. its no surprise that in the first NBA in-season tournament Lebron's Lakers are 4-0 and winning that first IST trophy would look good on his resume.
@Steven59 said:
"LeBron is in the house" - Lakers at Cavs tomorrow night!
Should be a good game. its no surprise that in the first NBA in-season tournament Lebron's Lakers are 4-0 and winning that first IST trophy would look good on his resume.
...
Imo, it would be ammunition to criticize him if they don't win the title. I stand by my opinion, the tournament is garbage.
@Steven59 said:
"LeBron is in the house" - Lakers at Cavs tomorrow night!
Should be a good game. its no surprise that in the first NBA in-season tournament Lebron's Lakers are 4-0 and winning that first IST trophy would look good on his resume.
...
Imo, it would be ammunition to criticize him if they don't win the title. I stand by my opinion, the tournament is garbage.
While the NBA's advertising of the IST has been very annoying (I hope LL Cool J is milking them for using his song), the tournament itself is starting to grow on me.
The teams leading in most of the brackets (Lakers,Pelicans,Magic,Pacers,Kings) aren't really considered the major contenders so we're likely to see one of those teams win it all.
Not everyone liked the play-in tournament when it first started but the consensus now is,its been a huge positive for the league.
@Steven59 said:
"LeBron is in the house" - Lakers at Cavs tomorrow night!
Should be a good game. its no surprise that in the first NBA in-season tournament Lebron's Lakers are 4-0 and winning that first IST trophy would look good on his resume.
...
Imo, it would be ammunition to criticize him if they don't win the title. I stand by my opinion, the tournament is garbage.
While the NBA's advertising of the IST has been very annoying (I hope LL Cool J is milking them for using his song), the tournament itself is starting to grow on me.
The teams leading in most of the brackets (Lakers,Pelicans,Magic,Pacers,Kings) aren't really considered the major contenders so we're likely to see one of those teams win it all.
Not everyone liked the play-in tournament when it first started but the consensus now is,its been a huge positive for the league.
...
Look, just because you are up for a GM spot doesn't mean you have to big toe the corporate line 😏😂
@Steven59 said:
"LeBron is in the house" - Lakers at Cavs tomorrow night!
Should be a good game. its no surprise that in the first NBA in-season tournament Lebron's Lakers are 4-0 and winning that first IST trophy would look good on his resume.
...
Imo, it would be ammunition to criticize him if they don't win the title. I stand by my opinion, the tournament is garbage.
While the NBA's advertising of the IST has been very annoying (I hope LL Cool J is milking them for using his song), the tournament itself is starting to grow on me.
The teams leading in most of the brackets (Lakers,Pelicans,Magic,Pacers,Kings) aren't really considered the major contenders so we're likely to see one of those teams win it all.
Not everyone liked the play-in tournament when it first started but the consensus now is,its been a huge positive for the league.
...
Look, just because you are up for a GM spot doesn't mean you have to big toe the corporate line 😏😂
My interest is strictly as a fan and unfortunately our team needs a miracle to get into the knock-out round after getting pimp smacked by the Magic yesterday. 🤬
@Steven59 said:
"LeBron is in the house" - Lakers at Cavs tomorrow night!
Should be a good game. its no surprise that in the first NBA in-season tournament Lebron's Lakers are 4-0 and winning that first IST trophy would look good on his resume.
...
Imo, it would be ammunition to criticize him if they don't win the title. I stand by my opinion, the tournament is garbage.
While the NBA's advertising of the IST has been very annoying (I hope LL Cool J is milking them for using his song), the tournament itself is starting to grow on me.
The teams leading in most of the brackets (Lakers,Pelicans,Magic,Pacers,Kings) aren't really considered the major contenders so we're likely to see one of those teams win it all.
Not everyone liked the play-in tournament when it first started but the consensus now is,its been a huge positive for the league.
...
Look, just because you are up for a GM spot doesn't mean you have to big toe the corporate line 😏😂
My interest is strictly as a fan and unfortunately our team needs a miracle to get into the knock-out round after getting pimp smacked by the Magic yesterday. 🤬
That was an unfortunate turn of events. 👎👎 Right the ship against Atlanta.
I headed over to Celtics Blog. I don't go there much, but I wanted to see, out of curiosity, how it looked after a loss like that. As expected, wild over reactions.
@Steven59 said:
"LeBron is in the house" - Lakers at Cavs tomorrow night!
Should be a good game. its no surprise that in the first NBA in-season tournament Lebron's Lakers are 4-0 and winning that first IST trophy would look good on his resume.
...
Imo, it would be ammunition to criticize him if they don't win the title. I stand by my opinion, the tournament is garbage.
While the NBA's advertising of the IST has been very annoying (I hope LL Cool J is milking them for using his song), the tournament itself is starting to grow on me.
The teams leading in most of the brackets (Lakers,Pelicans,Magic,Pacers,Kings) aren't really considered the major contenders so we're likely to see one of those teams win it all.
Not everyone liked the play-in tournament when it first started but the consensus now is,its been a huge positive for the league.
...
Look, just because you are up for a GM spot doesn't mean you have to big toe the corporate line 😏😂
My interest is strictly as a fan and unfortunately our team needs a miracle to get into the knock-out round after getting pimp smacked by the Magic yesterday. 🤬
That was an unfortunate turn of events. 👎👎 Right the ship against Atlanta.
I headed over to Celtics Blog. I don't go there much, but I wanted to see, out of curiosity, how it looked after a loss like that. As expected, wild over reactions.
Yeah,some are calling that the worst loss of the season yet forget that this Orlando team is tied for the most 2nd most wins in the league and have wins against Boston,Milwaukee & Denver. All those high draft picks in recent years are starting to gel together.
We have a really tough stretch coming up with Philly/Cavs/Cavs/Magic/Magic all at home, then a road trip to GS,Sacramento,LAL & LAC. Hopefully Porzingis (calf strain), Jrue (ankle sprain) and Tatum (flu/cold) all get right quick.
The Indiana Pacers are on pace to have the highest offensive rating in NBA history while currently ranked as the 2nd lowest defensive rating (120.4) behind this years Wizards (121.) Their defensive strategy for every game must be first team to 150,wins
The Atlanta Hawks scored 435 points over a 3 game stretch against the Pacers,Nets & Wizards and that was the highest 3 game scoring output since the 1990 Blazers did it. The 1962 philly Warriors hold the 3 game record at 444pts.
The Clippers have gone 4-1 since Russell Westbrook told the team he'd come off the bench although those 4 wins came against SA twice.Houston & Dallas. Apparently the Clippers vets don't like the state of Texas.
While OKC is off to a phenomenal start at 11-5, Josh Giddey's future with the team is almost certainly in doubt after he didn't learn anything from the Wander Franco situation. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38970875/nba-looking-alleged-relationship-giddey-minor
You would think between the money, the hair and his Australian accent that he'd have no problem meeting women in clubs that were his own age but if the girl in question really is just a sophpmore in HS? Yikes.
What's up with the tournament court in Cleveland? Supposedly there's a 10" dropoff/stepdown near the benches and recntly during a Heat/Cavs game, Heat guard Dru Smith ran to closeout on a Cavs three attempt right at the Cavs bench,stepped on a piece of paper and slid off that edge, then ended up tearing his ACL which ended his season. Here's the video of it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaXyDdSGVVo
That is a horrible ending to his season but on a morbid positive note,his contract went from being partially guaranteed at around 475K to fully guaranteeed at 1.8M after his injury.
After the Magic beat Boston to finish 3-1 in the !ST standings,here's what needs to be done for Boston (currently 2-1) to move on in the tournament. (taken from SI's wesite) Orlando leads East Group C with a 3-1 record and a point differential of +22. Meanwhile, the Celtics are 2-1 and hold a point differential of 0. Boston will face the Chicago Bulls in their final group-stage match. They must defeat the Bulls by at least 22 points to catch up to the Magic. The Brooklyn Nets, with a 2-1 record and a point differential of +8, also have a chance to take control of East Group C. To do this, the Nets must defeat the Toronto Raptors by at least 14 points. If Boston were to blow-out Chicago by fewer than 22 points, there is a possibility that it secures the Eastern Conference’s wild card spot. The Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and Miami Heat are also in the hunt.
I got a popsicle headache from just trying to figure that all out. 😎
Lastly, the Pistons (13 straight losses), the Spurs (12) and the Wizards (9) are all tanking games as if there's another Wemby coming into this next draft when there isn't. Right now the top candidate for #1, Ron Holland, is being compared to former Suns forward Shawn Marion.
If Bronny gets cleared to play this season then enters this next draft, maybe some team gambles that they can draft Bronny & sign Lebron as a FA. Some interesting destinations that we could possibly see:
Lebron,Bronny & Wemby in SA.
Lebron, Bronny, Ja & JJJ in Memphis.
How about SGA,Lebron,Chet & Bronny
and this one would blow everyone's mind... Lebron.Steph.Klay,Draymond,Bronny in GS.
@erikthredd No pressure, but you might want to turn that into a "newsletter" and get me to give you my email and I can expect it in my inbox twice a month. Good work!! I'm sure @galaxy27 would subscribe as well.
I can confirm that Dallas and the Clippers have good rivalry going.
The whole Bronny thing is interesting, regarding how it plays out.
I joke abut the newsletter, but I am really only following the Celtics and the Mavericks. And that's fine. When I can watch a game I actually try to find a stream with the away team's broadcast team, assuming it's not a national game. Gives me a little more insight and makes it different.
@galaxy27 said:
and then we have the Milwaukee Bucks who were down 26 in the 3rd yesterday and won
all of these teams that are in complete control of games -- only to fall apart and ultimately lose them -- continue to shatter my brain
I watched that game up until the Celtics game started and was hoping to see the Blazers pull it off. i gave up on it right around when Dame started getting hot.
Honestly,its really not surprising to see teams frequently making huge comebacks. Not every team is good defensively but literally every team has capable scorers and/or very good three point shooters. Get a few stops on one end then hit a few threes on the other and the outlook on a game could change in minute(s)
When Boston isn't playing I tend to tune into about 6-8 games a night and watch a quarter or half in each and teams are making large comebacks in close to every game. We tend to not hear about them all because if you make a remarkable comeback and then lose, no one really cares.
Sidenote: It seems like Pop is going all out in not caring about winning this year. I tuned into last night's Wemby/Joker matchup (that wasn't really a matchup at all lol) and SA lost their 12th in a row. Its almost as if Pop just tells them here's the ball,just go play before every game. they're likely going to have another great draft pick but there's isn't anyone that really stands out heading into the 2024 draft.
@thisistheshow said: @erikthredd No pressure, but you might want to turn that into a "newsletter" and get me to give you my email and I can expect it in my inbox twice a month. Good work!! I'm sure @galaxy27 would subscribe as well.
I can confirm that Dallas and the Clippers have good rivalry going.
The whole Bronny thing is interesting, regarding how it plays out.
I joke abut the newsletter, but I am really only following the Celtics and the Mavericks. And that's fine. When I can watch a game I actually try to find a stream with the away team's broadcast team, assuming it's not a national game. Gives me a little more insight and makes it different.
When the C's are off I'll put on different games and either watch them or listen to them for a bit. There are a bunch of up and coming teams this early in the season but who knows which ones will actually make it into the playoffs. I do think that the Magic,Wolves & Thunder are for real though. I certainly don't want to see us end up facing orlando in the playoffs,not after how they've owned us this past year plus. Luckily those other two play out West.
Honestly, its really not surprising to see teams frequently making huge comebacks. Not every team is good defensively but literally every team has capable scorers and/or very good three point shooters. Get a few stops on one end then hit a few threes on the other and the outlook on a game could change in minute(s)
it's one thing to make a run in an NBA game, but it's another thing to make a 26-point lead disappear into thin air when you're closer to the finish line than the start. then when you zero in and really examine a game like yesterday's, it's even more mind-blowing. the Blazers scored 21 points the final 21 minutes of the game against a team that is in the bottom third of the league in points allowed. so basically it's going from firing on all cylinders and having your way with your opponent to complete ineptitude on a dime to vomit the game away. a team should never go through scoring droughts of that magnitude in today's NBA -- every team averages at least 104 a game, which translates to 26/quarter on average...........and that includes Portland (last in the NBA).
if it happened once i'd say damn that was crazy and write it off as an outlier. but it is happening with alarming regularity. we'll just have to agree to disagree on how common these occurrences should be lol
Honestly, its really not surprising to see teams frequently making huge comebacks. Not every team is good defensively but literally every team has capable scorers and/or very good three point shooters. Get a few stops on one end then hit a few threes on the other and the outlook on a game could change in minute(s)
it's one thing to make a run in an NBA game, but it's another thing to make a 26-point lead disappear into thin air when you're closer to the finish line than the start. then when you zero in and really examine a game like yesterday's, it's even more mind-blowing. the Blazers scored 21 points the final 21 minutes of the game against a team that is in the bottom third of the league in points allowed. so basically it's going from firing on all cylinders and having your way with your opponent to complete ineptitude on a dime to vomit the game away. a team should never go through scoring droughts of that magnitude in today's NBA -- every team averages at least 104 a game, which translates to 26/quarter on average...........and that includes Portland (last in the NBA).
if it happened once i'd say damn that was crazy and write it off as an outlier. but it is happening with alarming regularity. we'll just have to agree to disagree on how common these occurrences should be lol
Damn you for making me do this extra research to help prove my point lol. here are some games from just this weekend alone.
Yesterday's games:
Portland blew in a 26pt lead in a loss
Phoenix blew a 1st half 15pt lead that saw NY go ahead in the 3rd before the Suns ultimately won.
Boston had a 20pt 3rd quarter lead that Atlanta go to within 6pts before the C's won.
Chicago blew a 21pt 1st half lead in a 9pt loss to the Nets.
Toronto blew a 10pt halftime lead while the Cavs were in the midst of blowing a 10pt lead when the game ended in a 3pt Cleveland win.
Denver had a 28pt 2nd half lead that SA got down to 10 before losing by 12.
Saturday's games:
Philly blew a 1st quarter 11pt lead then a 13pt 4th quarter lead that OKC got down to 2 before losing by 4.
NO's blew a 14pt 3rd quarter lead in a 5pt loss to Utah
Friday's games:
Boston blew a 17pt lead in a 17pt loss to Orlando.
Miami blew a 21pt lead in a 2pt NYK win
Sacramento had a 19pt 2nd quarter lead that Minnesota whittled down to 2 in a 13pt Kings win.
SA blew an early 10pt lead and GS had their 2nd half 18pt lead get whittled down to 3 with :20 seconds left in the game in a Dubs 6 point win.
New Orleans blew a 1st half 21pt lead but ultimately beat the LAC by 10pts.
I watch too much basketball and I see teams,including my own😔 , literally blow double digits leads on a nightly basis. I couldn't tell you how that equates into the gambling apsect but at least in my mind,its become the new norm.
Between the three point shot being the great equlaizer and many of the current offenses playing at an all time level,gaining a 15-20pt lead isn't what it used to be.
These are the highest team offensive ratings in a season and the top 25 rankings in history are from the previous 4 seasons with 9 alone in 2023-24.
I think with most teams that get up big, they tend to start coasting and let their level of intensity down which just opens the door for the opposing team to fight back into the game.
In that Portland/Milwaukee game, once the Blazers got up by 26,its almost like both teams remembered who they really are. The Blazers did Blazers things and the Bucks remembered that they have a 2x DPOY in Giannis,last season's DPOY runner up in Brook and one of the best closers in history in Dame and pride started to set in.
That Milwaukee comeback was similar to their comeback in the recent Celtics win over the Bucks. Boston's largest lead was 21 and it looked like it would be a blowout but Dame got hot late and Brook hit some key baskets and the C's ended up winning by just 3.
Honestly, its really not surprising to see teams frequently making huge comebacks. Not every team is good defensively but literally every team has capable scorers and/or very good three point shooters. Get a few stops on one end then hit a few threes on the other and the outlook on a game could change in minute(s)
it's one thing to make a run in an NBA game, but it's another thing to make a 26-point lead disappear into thin air when you're closer to the finish line than the start. then when you zero in and really examine a game like yesterday's, it's even more mind-blowing. the Blazers scored 21 points the final 21 minutes of the game against a team that is in the bottom third of the league in points allowed. so basically it's going from firing on all cylinders and having your way with your opponent to complete ineptitude on a dime to vomit the game away. a team should never go through scoring droughts of that magnitude in today's NBA -- every team averages at least 104 a game, which translates to 26/quarter on average...........and that includes Portland (last in the NBA).
if it happened once i'd say damn that was crazy and write it off as an outlier. but it is happening with alarming regularity. we'll just have to agree to disagree on how common these occurrences should be lol
These are the highest team offensive ratings in a season and the top 25 rankings in history are from the previous 4 seasons with 9 alone in 2023-24.
Boston needed to beat Chicago by at least 23pts in order to win their bracket and ended up beating the Bulls by 27.
Here’s the quarterfinal schedule below, I would love seeing the Celtics vs Lakers for the first NBA In Season Tournament Finals.
Monday, December 4:
Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers (7:30 pm Eastern)
New Orleans Pelicans at Sacramento Kings (10:00 pm ET)
Tuesday, December 5:
New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks (7:30 pm ET)
Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers (10:00 pm ET)
The winners of those games will face one another in the semifinals on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas, with the finalists squaring off on Dec. 9. The quarterfinals and semifinals will count toward each club’s regular season record, but the final won’t.
The eight teams that have qualified as quarterfinalists have already earned bonuses worth $50K apiece for each of their players. Advancing to the semifinals would increase those bonuses to $100K per player, while making the final would bump the figure to $250K. The inaugural in-season tournament champion will receive bonuses of $500K per player. https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/11/quarterfinals-set-for-nbas-inaugural-in-season-tournament.html
Warriors were up by 24 points on the Kings last night.
They ended up losing by 1 point after having a 5 point lead with about 50 seconds to go.
Both Green and Curry made bone headed turnovers that cost the Warriors a win. Green got another technical last night.
Moody was on fire in the 4th quarter hitting 3-3 on three point shots (plus he hit another three point shot that did not count due to a foul being called before he shot the ball). Kerr pulled him from the game and he sat the final 4-5 minutes. He was replaced by Thompson, who was not a factor down the stretch. Excessive fouling (many of which could have been avoided) lead to 42 free throws by the Kings. Add to that over 20 turnovers leading to the Kings scoring. Chris Paul and Gary Payton, Jr. both left the game with injuries.
The Warriors started out 6-2, with 5 of the wins coming on the road. Since then they have gone 2-8, with most of the losses coming at home.
The reality is that the older players are not playing at the same level as they did previously, while younger players are not getting the playing time that they need. It would not surprise me to see team chemistry this season turn out to be off (like last year).
18 games have been played out of 82, 64 games to go. I expect that there will be many ups and downs for the Warriors this season, with older players having to accept the reality that they are not as good as they once were and thus can not expect to be immune from sitting on the bench while other players who are playing better than they are get an extended run of playing time.
Coaching is also an issue. Kerr taking Moody out of the game in the fourth quarter in favor of Thompson was a head scratcher. Further, it seems that Green's mistakes and flaws (which lead to technical fouls and suspensions) are tolerated by coaching staff, management and ownership when they should not be.
I suspect that some of the things mentioned above are also being experienced by other NBA teams that have established, older players whose athletic abilities are on the decline. Youth will not be denied and father time always wins.
It has been very enjoyable to watch teams with younger, up and coming talent play so well this year.
I could see your prediction coming through one day, especially if the league adopts a four point shot (for shots made from behind the half court line).
As shooters become better and better from long distance, offenses will be designed to shoot quicker and from a longer distance during each possession that a team has. Faster pace, higher shooting percentage, three and four point shots will combine to make an NBA game mirror a video game where the final score of a video NBA game averages 210 to 205.
If the NBA ever decides to add a 4pt shot then they better do it soon while Chef Curry & Dame Dolla are still playing. They'd be the two players most resposible for that addition.
Such a weird ending in the Thunder/Mavs game. OKC started the 4th quarter up 23pts on the Mavs at 107-84, then Dallas goes on a 30-0 run to take a 6pt 117-111 lead late in the 4th before the Thunder go on a 15-3 run to end the game with a win.
any thoughts on the Giannis hullabaloo last night? Seems like a lot to go through to get a game ball. then he says he did it because he wanted the ball for Damien Lillard because he passed kyle korver for 5th in all time threes.
Comments
The Warriors are in a funk. After starting out 6 and 2 (1 and 1 at home and 5 and 1 on the road) they have now lost 5 in a row, including 4 in a row at home. 5 of the 7 GS losses were very close and only 2 losses were by more than 10 points.
Curry has not played in the last two games due to an injury.
Green has been ejected from two games and has been suspended for 5 games (he is unpredictable and can go off the deep end [on the court; but not off the court] at a moment's notice).
Klay Thompson has been playing horribly, his shot has left him (1-10 last night) and his injuries and age have robbed him of his prior ability level (quickness, explosiveness, reaction time, etc.).
Wiggins has played at a level not close to what he did in the 2021-2022 All Star season he had. He seems disengaged/passive at times when he is on the floor; and at times he shows flashes of his 2021-2022 self. Last night he was much more engaged and aggressive that he has been this year.
Looney is still a solid 5, but he does not have the ability to score much (other than put backs under the basket after a rebound, or on a layup) and he has been outplayed by many of the younger, faster, taller, quicker players now in the league.
Other than Curry most of the roster has been in a shooting slump. When GS does not shoot well, that means trouble.
When GS does not defend well (which GS does inconsistently) the opposing teams have a field day everywhere on the floor (last night OKC shot 19-32 from 3 and GS was unable to get a defender close to many of the OKC 3 point shooters.
The bright spot in the above GS woes is that the bench players (6-14) are getting to play extended minutes. Some of them are playing very well; and with Chris Paul running the offense the reserves are keeping GS in their games.
GS is playing OKC, Houston, Phoenix and San Antonio in the next 7 days. It would not surprise me to see GS lose all of these games.
Watching NBA games this season has been a treat. There are some really, really good young players in the league. They are going to hasten the older players (including the star players) into bench roles and into retirement at an ever increasing rate.
VW shot 12 - 26 from the floor tonight with no blocks in another loss for the Spurs tonight - Yikes!
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
i doubt anyone here outside of showstopper pays attention to the gambling rants taking place in the jimmy the greek thread, but i thought i'd share this here. what is transpiring in the NBA this season is blowing my mind to smithereens. we're not even a fourth of the way through and i'd estimate that i have watched or read about 20 examples of teams with ~20-point leads losing games outright. and those are only the ones i personally know about........i'm quite certain there have been even more. i have said this probably 10 times over there but it bears repeating here...............no freaking lead is safe in the NBA. these three went down JUST LAST NIGHT:
with 6:54 left in the 3rd: Golden State 79, Oklahoma City 61
final score: Oklahoma City 130, Golden State 123
with 4:22 left in the 3rd: San Antonio 85, Memphis 67
final score: Memphis 120, San Antonio 108
and check this one out.....
with 4:53 left in the 1st: Miami 22, Chicago 1
final score: Chicago 102, Miami 97
what do you guys ascribe this insanity to? did the association install a 6-point shot that i'm unaware of?
...
I would ascribe it to a few things. First and foremost is the prevalence and precision of 3 point shooting. Also very important, but more esoteric, is the idea that the players now believe that this is just how the game works. It is self-fulfilling, and their confidence ebbs and flows and leads into these runs.
I think the Show covered it pretty well above. It also helps when the team that is down has someone capable of getting hot and carrying their team back into the game.
In OKC's case, It was SGA & Chet Holmgren both getting hot late in tht 3rd period that got the Thunder back into the game.
In Chicago's case, they literally had 3 quarters to whittle away at the lead and the Bulls got hot in the 4th outscoring the Heat 34-21 on the way to the win.
I tuned into the Spurs/Griz game right at the start of the 4th and watched that comeback as it happened. First Wemby went to the bench with 4 fouls then Collins with 5 plus they were already missing Devin Vassell. Collins hit a three with 10mins to go that gave SA a 99-93 lead, then the Spurs didn't score again until the 4:39 mark when Tre Jones hit a jumper. By that time Memphis had a 110-101 lead. That comeback was more fueled by SA not being able to hit a shot as much as anything else. Give Memphis credit for shutting them down and hitting their own shots. Wemby had 19/13 & 8 blocks just missing out on a triple double.
After that game ended I debated tuning into the final 6mins of the OKC/GS game and it looks like I missed a great finish with the game going to OT as well some great performances with SGA dropping 40/7/6/2/2 & Holmgren w/36/10/5/2/2.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
hey Wemby i'm coming for your skinny ass 😂
When I was in college in the mid 1970s I thought SNL was funny and enjoyed many of the on going skits (i.e. Land Shark, Bassmaster), etc.
I look at those original episodes today and most if not all of them are not funny.
SNL for decades has been simply unwatchable.
So the Cavs, without Mitchell, beat the 76ers last night in Philadelphia - you're welcome Boston!
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
I'll take it! Now the Cavs need to beat Miami tonight. 😉
All kidding aside, the Cavs have been playing pretty well lately. Its good to see they're trending up.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Looks like there might be a changing of the guard out West with the Wolves (11-3) & Thunder (11-4) sitting in the top 2 seeds.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Minnesota and OKC have young players who are amazingly talented. They are fun to watch.
Orlando is another team playing at a high level sitting in the 2 seed with a matchup against Boston tomorrow afternoon. The Magic gave the Celtics fits last year going 3-1 against them.
it really is a head scratcher wondering what's happened with GS this season. At 5-3 away and 2-6 at home Its like the complete opposite of last year where they were a bad road team but one of the best home teams. With last night's loss they've dropped all the way to the 11th spot in the west.
sidenote: I didn't catch the highlights to that recent GS/OKC game until a few days after the game but that ending to put it into OT was insane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1TU09VZp3I
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
I see your point here. Watched Boston/Bucks and Suns/Warriors Wednesday night Boston and Suns were up 15-18 points mid 3rd quarter,looked like a runaway. Then games end up by a handful win for Boston/Suns.
My observation of the 2023-2024 GSW is as follows:
2.The starters have not played well together and have been unable to keep up with the younger, bigger teams. The bench players are younger and play well together with Chris Paul but they need more playing time to mesh. They have shown an ability to catch fire and dig the team out of deep holes that the starters have left them in (i.e. last night the bench players rallied from a 23 point deficit to the Suns to get within 3 points of tying the game with less than a minute to play.
The team struggles to play well defensively against opposing teams that are bigger and younger. Many times the opposing team will shoot and miss only to see it get one of more offensive rebounds to give them second and third chances to score. Gary Payton and Green are two great defenders who have been out due to injury (Payton) and ejection/suspension (Green).
The team is capable of playing lock down defense that disrupts the other team, causing turnovers and fast break opportunities for GSW. The roster has the potential of becoming very deep with players who can contribute effectively on
the court (spots 1-11 or 12). If the team really meshes during the season, if the team avoids serious injury and if the older players on the team are able to stay fresh into and through the playoffs the GSW will be in a good position to make a title run, However it would not take much for things to go south, have the team falter, make an early exit from the play in games or miss the playoffs.
I think GS's ownership & front office are learning the hard way that when your dynasty core stats to get up there in age you have some tough decisions to make regarding their future. looking back on previous dynasty caliber teams, some took different paths to the end.
The 80's Celtics watched the big 3 get old rather than trade them off and in the following (Rick Pitino) years they weren't very good.
The 80's Lakers watched 2 of their big 3 retire (Kareem/Worthy) while Magic had to quit after contracting HIV. LA had a handful of unspectactular seasons before drafting Kobe/signing Shaq in the late 90's.
The 90's Bulls broke up due to ownership & the front office wanting a fresh restart. They've been pretty bad ever since outside of the Derrick Rose prime years.
The 00's Lakers whose run ended when Kobe's ego needed Shaq gone. It took LA a few years to return to the Finals once Kobe matured into an MVP player.
The 00's Spurs extended their run once Kawhi got there but once he wanted out their older stars faded off into the sunset.
GS's ownership has decided to stay loyal to their big 3 and I don't blame them one bit for doing that. Klay is due to hit free agency this offseason and I doubt that they let him go. He's making 43M this year and I'd expect the team to offer him an extension similar to what they gave Draymond, 4yr/100M.
What has really hurt them, IMO, was owning three lottery picks over the 2020-21 drafts and whiffing straight out on James Wiseman while Moody & Kuminga have looked just ok in flashes. They could have ended up with Lamelo Ball,Tyrese Haliburton,Tyrese Maxey,Desmond Bane or any number of very good role players that could have been major contributors in recent years. Kuminga has looked like he may develop into a solid starter down the road but Moody looks like a career JAG .
The thing is,GS tried going with two timelines and it ultimately failed. I admit that with Kerr's recent history of developing young players I saw him doing the same with those three yet it didn't happen. Wiseman ended up getting traded for a role player that the Dubs had just let walk in free agency in Gary Payton Jr and has been a monumental bust as 2nd overall pick.
Where they go from here remains to be seen but it all will unfortunately fall on Steph's shoulders.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
"LeBron is in the house" - Lakers at Cavs tomorrow night!
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Should be a good game. its no surprise that in the first NBA in-season tournament Lebron's Lakers are 4-0 and winning that first IST trophy would look good on his resume.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
...
Imo, it would be ammunition to criticize him if they don't win the title. I stand by my opinion, the tournament is garbage.
While the NBA's advertising of the IST has been very annoying (I hope LL Cool J is milking them for using his song), the tournament itself is starting to grow on me.
The teams leading in most of the brackets (Lakers,Pelicans,Magic,Pacers,Kings) aren't really considered the major contenders so we're likely to see one of those teams win it all.
Not everyone liked the play-in tournament when it first started but the consensus now is,its been a huge positive for the league.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
...
Look, just because you are up for a GM spot doesn't mean you have to big toe the corporate line 😏😂
My interest is strictly as a fan and unfortunately our team needs a miracle to get into the knock-out round after getting pimp smacked by the Magic yesterday. 🤬
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
That was an unfortunate turn of events. 👎👎 Right the ship against Atlanta.
I headed over to Celtics Blog. I don't go there much, but I wanted to see, out of curiosity, how it looked after a loss like that. As expected, wild over reactions.
Yeah,some are calling that the worst loss of the season yet forget that this Orlando team is tied for the most 2nd most wins in the league and have wins against Boston,Milwaukee & Denver. All those high draft picks in recent years are starting to gel together.
We have a really tough stretch coming up with Philly/Cavs/Cavs/Magic/Magic all at home, then a road trip to GS,Sacramento,LAL & LAC. Hopefully Porzingis (calf strain), Jrue (ankle sprain) and Tatum (flu/cold) all get right quick.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Lakers beat the Cavs tonight. Donovan Mitchell 4-18 from the field. "Spida" changing his nickname to "Chucka"
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Some random thoughts about this past week or two.
The Indiana Pacers are on pace to have the highest offensive rating in NBA history while currently ranked as the 2nd lowest defensive rating (120.4) behind this years Wizards (121.) Their defensive strategy for every game must be first team to 150,wins
The Atlanta Hawks scored 435 points over a 3 game stretch against the Pacers,Nets & Wizards and that was the highest 3 game scoring output since the 1990 Blazers did it. The 1962 philly Warriors hold the 3 game record at 444pts.
The Clippers have gone 4-1 since Russell Westbrook told the team he'd come off the bench although those 4 wins came against SA twice.Houston & Dallas. Apparently the Clippers vets don't like the state of Texas.
While OKC is off to a phenomenal start at 11-5, Josh Giddey's future with the team is almost certainly in doubt after he didn't learn anything from the Wander Franco situation. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38970875/nba-looking-alleged-relationship-giddey-minor
You would think between the money, the hair and his Australian accent that he'd have no problem meeting women in clubs that were his own age but if the girl in question really is just a sophpmore in HS? Yikes.
What's up with the tournament court in Cleveland? Supposedly there's a 10" dropoff/stepdown near the benches and recntly during a Heat/Cavs game, Heat guard Dru Smith ran to closeout on a Cavs three attempt right at the Cavs bench,stepped on a piece of paper and slid off that edge, then ended up tearing his ACL which ended his season. Here's the video of it...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaXyDdSGVVo
That is a horrible ending to his season but on a morbid positive note,his contract went from being partially guaranteed at around 475K to fully guaranteeed at 1.8M after his injury.
After the Magic beat Boston to finish 3-1 in the !ST standings,here's what needs to be done for Boston (currently 2-1) to move on in the tournament. (taken from SI's wesite)
Orlando leads East Group C with a 3-1 record and a point differential of +22. Meanwhile, the Celtics are 2-1 and hold a point differential of 0.
Boston will face the Chicago Bulls in their final group-stage match. They must defeat the Bulls by at least 22 points to catch up to the Magic.
The Brooklyn Nets, with a 2-1 record and a point differential of +8, also have a chance to take control of East Group C. To do this, the Nets must defeat the Toronto Raptors by at least 14 points.
If Boston were to blow-out Chicago by fewer than 22 points, there is a possibility that it secures the Eastern Conference’s wild card spot. The Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and Miami Heat are also in the hunt.
I got a popsicle headache from just trying to figure that all out. 😎
Lastly, the Pistons (13 straight losses), the Spurs (12) and the Wizards (9) are all tanking games as if there's another Wemby coming into this next draft when there isn't. Right now the top candidate for #1, Ron Holland, is being compared to former Suns forward Shawn Marion.
If Bronny gets cleared to play this season then enters this next draft, maybe some team gambles that they can draft Bronny & sign Lebron as a FA. Some interesting destinations that we could possibly see:
Lebron,Bronny & Wemby in SA.
Lebron, Bronny, Ja & JJJ in Memphis.
How about SGA,Lebron,Chet & Bronny
and this one would blow everyone's mind... Lebron.Steph.Klay,Draymond,Bronny in GS.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
and then we have the Milwaukee Bucks who were down 26 in the 3rd yesterday and won
all of these teams that are in complete control of games -- only to fall apart and ultimately lose them -- continue to shatter my brain
@erikthredd No pressure, but you might want to turn that into a "newsletter" and get me to give you my email and I can expect it in my inbox twice a month. Good work!!
I'm sure @galaxy27 would subscribe as well.
I can confirm that Dallas and the Clippers have good rivalry going.
The whole Bronny thing is interesting, regarding how it plays out.
I joke abut the newsletter, but I am really only following the Celtics and the Mavericks. And that's fine. When I can watch a game I actually try to find a stream with the away team's broadcast team, assuming it's not a national game. Gives me a little more insight and makes it different.
I watched that game up until the Celtics game started and was hoping to see the Blazers pull it off. i gave up on it right around when Dame started getting hot.
Honestly,its really not surprising to see teams frequently making huge comebacks. Not every team is good defensively but literally every team has capable scorers and/or very good three point shooters. Get a few stops on one end then hit a few threes on the other and the outlook on a game could change in minute(s)
When Boston isn't playing I tend to tune into about 6-8 games a night and watch a quarter or half in each and teams are making large comebacks in close to every game. We tend to not hear about them all because if you make a remarkable comeback and then lose, no one really cares.
Sidenote: It seems like Pop is going all out in not caring about winning this year. I tuned into last night's Wemby/Joker matchup (that wasn't really a matchup at all lol) and SA lost their 12th in a row. Its almost as if Pop just tells them here's the ball,just go play before every game. they're likely going to have another great draft pick but there's isn't anyone that really stands out heading into the 2024 draft.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
When the C's are off I'll put on different games and either watch them or listen to them for a bit. There are a bunch of up and coming teams this early in the season but who knows which ones will actually make it into the playoffs. I do think that the Magic,Wolves & Thunder are for real though. I certainly don't want to see us end up facing orlando in the playoffs,not after how they've owned us this past year plus. Luckily those other two play out West.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
it's one thing to make a run in an NBA game, but it's another thing to make a 26-point lead disappear into thin air when you're closer to the finish line than the start. then when you zero in and really examine a game like yesterday's, it's even more mind-blowing. the Blazers scored 21 points the final 21 minutes of the game against a team that is in the bottom third of the league in points allowed. so basically it's going from firing on all cylinders and having your way with your opponent to complete ineptitude on a dime to vomit the game away. a team should never go through scoring droughts of that magnitude in today's NBA -- every team averages at least 104 a game, which translates to 26/quarter on average...........and that includes Portland (last in the NBA).
if it happened once i'd say damn that was crazy and write it off as an outlier. but it is happening with alarming regularity. we'll just have to agree to disagree on how common these occurrences should be lol
Damn you for making me do this extra research to help prove my point lol. here are some games from just this weekend alone.
Yesterday's games:
Portland blew in a 26pt lead in a loss
Phoenix blew a 1st half 15pt lead that saw NY go ahead in the 3rd before the Suns ultimately won.
Boston had a 20pt 3rd quarter lead that Atlanta go to within 6pts before the C's won.
Chicago blew a 21pt 1st half lead in a 9pt loss to the Nets.
Toronto blew a 10pt halftime lead while the Cavs were in the midst of blowing a 10pt lead when the game ended in a 3pt Cleveland win.
Denver had a 28pt 2nd half lead that SA got down to 10 before losing by 12.
Saturday's games:
Philly blew a 1st quarter 11pt lead then a 13pt 4th quarter lead that OKC got down to 2 before losing by 4.
NO's blew a 14pt 3rd quarter lead in a 5pt loss to Utah
Friday's games:
Boston blew a 17pt lead in a 17pt loss to Orlando.
Miami blew a 21pt lead in a 2pt NYK win
Sacramento had a 19pt 2nd quarter lead that Minnesota whittled down to 2 in a 13pt Kings win.
SA blew an early 10pt lead and GS had their 2nd half 18pt lead get whittled down to 3 with :20 seconds left in the game in a Dubs 6 point win.
New Orleans blew a 1st half 21pt lead but ultimately beat the LAC by 10pts.
I watch too much basketball and I see teams,including my own😔 , literally blow double digits leads on a nightly basis. I couldn't tell you how that equates into the gambling apsect but at least in my mind,its become the new norm.
Between the three point shot being the great equlaizer and many of the current offenses playing at an all time level,gaining a 15-20pt lead isn't what it used to be.
These are the highest team offensive ratings in a season and the top 25 rankings in history are from the previous 4 seasons with 9 alone in 2023-24.
I think with most teams that get up big, they tend to start coasting and let their level of intensity down which just opens the door for the opposing team to fight back into the game.
In that Portland/Milwaukee game, once the Blazers got up by 26,its almost like both teams remembered who they really are. The Blazers did Blazers things and the Bucks remembered that they have a 2x DPOY in Giannis,last season's DPOY runner up in Brook and one of the best closers in history in Dame and pride started to set in.
That Milwaukee comeback was similar to their comeback in the recent Celtics win over the Bucks. Boston's largest lead was 21 and it looked like it would be a blowout but Dame got hot late and Brook hit some key baskets and the C's ended up winning by just 3.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Oops,i forgot to add this link.
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/best-offensive-rating-by-a-team-in-nba-history-in-a-single-season
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
76ers embarrassing the Lakers tonight 127-92 with 2 minutes left!
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Boston needed to beat Chicago by at least 23pts in order to win their bracket and ended up beating the Bulls by 27.
Here’s the quarterfinal schedule below, I would love seeing the Celtics vs Lakers for the first NBA In Season Tournament Finals.
Monday, December 4:
Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers (7:30 pm Eastern)
New Orleans Pelicans at Sacramento Kings (10:00 pm ET)
Tuesday, December 5:
New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks (7:30 pm ET)
Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers (10:00 pm ET)
The winners of those games will face one another in the semifinals on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas, with the finalists squaring off on Dec. 9. The quarterfinals and semifinals will count toward each club’s regular season record, but the final won’t.
The eight teams that have qualified as quarterfinalists have already earned bonuses worth $50K apiece for each of their players. Advancing to the semifinals would increase those bonuses to $100K per player, while making the final would bump the figure to $250K. The inaugural in-season tournament champion will receive bonuses of $500K per player.
https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/11/quarterfinals-set-for-nbas-inaugural-in-season-tournament.html
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Warriors were up by 24 points on the Kings last night.
They ended up losing by 1 point after having a 5 point lead with about 50 seconds to go.
Both Green and Curry made bone headed turnovers that cost the Warriors a win. Green got another technical last night.
Moody was on fire in the 4th quarter hitting 3-3 on three point shots (plus he hit another three point shot that did not count due to a foul being called before he shot the ball). Kerr pulled him from the game and he sat the final 4-5 minutes. He was replaced by Thompson, who was not a factor down the stretch. Excessive fouling (many of which could have been avoided) lead to 42 free throws by the Kings. Add to that over 20 turnovers leading to the Kings scoring. Chris Paul and Gary Payton, Jr. both left the game with injuries.
The Warriors started out 6-2, with 5 of the wins coming on the road. Since then they have gone 2-8, with most of the losses coming at home.
The reality is that the older players are not playing at the same level as they did previously, while younger players are not getting the playing time that they need. It would not surprise me to see team chemistry this season turn out to be off (like last year).
18 games have been played out of 82, 64 games to go. I expect that there will be many ups and downs for the Warriors this season, with older players having to accept the reality that they are not as good as they once were and thus can not expect to be immune from sitting on the bench while other players who are playing better than they are get an extended run of playing time.
Coaching is also an issue. Kerr taking Moody out of the game in the fourth quarter in favor of Thompson was a head scratcher. Further, it seems that Green's mistakes and flaws (which lead to technical fouls and suspensions) are tolerated by coaching staff, management and ownership when they should not be.
I suspect that some of the things mentioned above are also being experienced by other NBA teams that have established, older players whose athletic abilities are on the decline. Youth will not be denied and father time always wins.
It has been very enjoyable to watch teams with younger, up and coming talent play so well this year.
you don't say 😂
one of these days an NBA team is going to be down 57 points with 2 mins left in the 4th and win
galaxy27
I could see your prediction coming through one day, especially if the league adopts a four point shot (for shots made from behind the half court line).
As shooters become better and better from long distance, offenses will be designed to shoot quicker and from a longer distance during each possession that a team has. Faster pace, higher shooting percentage, three and four point shots will combine to make an NBA game mirror a video game where the final score of a video NBA game averages 210 to 205.
If the NBA ever decides to add a 4pt shot then they better do it soon while Chef Curry & Dame Dolla are still playing. They'd be the two players most resposible for that addition.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Draymont has sure been a jackass this year so far. Even Kerr seems to be fed up with his crap.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Here's a cool POV camera angle from the recent Celtics/Bulls games.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1009199440186683
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Such a weird ending in the Thunder/Mavs game. OKC started the 4th quarter up 23pts on the Mavs at 107-84, then Dallas goes on a 30-0 run to take a 6pt 117-111 lead late in the 4th before the Thunder go on a 15-3 run to end the game with a win.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Where was this guy when he was coaching the Celtics? 🤣
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Who wins the In Season Tournament title game today? Pacers or the Lakers?
Hard to believe that San Antonio, after starting off at 3-2, has lost the last 17 in a row.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Spurs lose 18th straight tonight vs Lakers and LeBron didn't even play.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
"Draymond Greene suspended indefinitely by the league."
Well it's about time!!
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
any thoughts on the Giannis hullabaloo last night? Seems like a lot to go through to get a game ball. then he says he did it because he wanted the ball for Damien Lillard because he passed kyle korver for 5th in all time threes.
weird.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
For those interested the overs have been covering quite a bit this week. Monday 11 of 13 games went over.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
I bet Lebron would stand for the Chinese or BLM anthem