2022-2023 NBA Regular Season Thread

[RchfldCavRaised]

I'm huge on the Hawks this year but guys, one game. Bucks are gonna lose another 20-25 times this year.

The Hawks big issue is how bad their bench is. It's been hot trash this season. Maybe Griffin builds on his performance last night and helps solve that.

I take it you didnt watch the game

 

[Rich]

I take it you didnt watch the game

I did. I've watched all but 2 Hawks this year. It's one game of 82 and I'm not gonna extrapolate from that game that Okongwu is gonna give Giannis trouble if they were to meet in the post-season. He gave him trouble last night. Happens. Could be something, could just be a random game in November where Giannis struggled, ya know?

Hawks bench was great last night. Hawks bench has been not great so far this season.

Also, as a big believer in the Hawks, I see no scenario that they play the Bucks in the 1st round. At worst they'll be a 5 seed and the Bucks won't be the 4 seed.

But if they were to line up and meet over 7 games and the Bucks are healthy? The Bucks win the series.

 

[RchfldCavRaised]

I did. I've watched all but 2 Hawks this year. It's one game of 82 and I'm not gonna extrapolate from that game that Okongwu is gonna give Giannis trouble if they were to meet in the post-season. He gave him trouble last night. Happens. Could be something, could just be a random game in November where Giannis struggled, ya know?

This is from their lone head to head matchup last season...

This year, Okongwu held Antetokounmpo to 2-of-12 shooting for nine points in their lone meeting as the former’s bugaboo of fouling has been his Achilles’ heel. He missed the first while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

source

Here are the clips from that game. Pretty much every possession where O ends up on him, he shuts Giannis down and just has him looking lost.



This is the year before in the ECF Okongwu's rookie year (injury riddled) where Atlanta was on their way to beating Milwaukee before Trae stepped on the Ref's foot.


I havent seen someone frustrate a star the way Okongwu has consistently frustrated Giannis in his 3 years since TT owned Al Horford annually. Just waiting on Nate McMillan to catch on and waiting for a H2H playoff series with O now healthy and surpassing Capela in PER and eating into his minutes on a nightly basis

The TLDR:
He's given him trouble every time they've stepped on the floor.

 

[Kepler]

 

[Bob_The_Cat]

Klay might be officially cooked. I know analysts are saying give him more time but 36% FG starts growing old. He's night and day the Klay Thompson you remember. Jordan Poole has also had a bad showing so far, Warriors are vulnerable and I know we convince ourselves this every year but last night they needed all Steph's 47 plus help from the refs on Huerter's 3 point attempt to beat the Kings.

Another year older is real come this time. The falloff has to happen eventually.

Many of their issues right now stem from them trying to ride the fence between the Curry Warriors and whatever is coming next. I’m sure there might be an example or two, but off the top of my head I can’t think of a team that won with a generational player and smoothly transitioned into winning with a younger team as that player aged and eventually retired.

The Spurs probably had the best chance to do it because they had Kawhi, but that fell apart pretty shortly after Duncan retired. I guess you could say from Robinson to Duncan, but Duncan was 1st Team All-NBA as a rookie and the Spurs didn’t win without Duncan so I don’t think that quite qualifies.

I would imagine this year is the last rodeo with the Curry-Thompson-Green core. They probably should trade Green to get some value out of him, but I have a feeling they’ll just let him walk as a free agent. Next offseason is the likely fork in the road as Wiggins and Poole become tradeable contracts. They’re either going to have to commit to the young guys and make moves accordingly, or commit to chasing another chip with Curry and consolidating pieces for a big fish (maybe KD?).

Anyway, there’s just such a vacuum that occurs when a player like Steph retires that it’s almost impossible not to go in the dumper for a bit unless you have another generational guy waiting in the wings. They just need to maximize the title window with Curry and slide Thompson to a Love like role off the bench.

 

[Marcus]

Looks like the Nets gave in to pressure and have moved off their plans to hire Ime Udoka.

Having trouble embedding the Tweet, but they’ve removed Jacque Vaughn’s interim tag.

 

[TheISHT]

Damn......lol.....Celts ain't getting out of Ime's contract......Nets hired J. Vaughn.

 

[foucault87]

Many of their issues right now stem from them trying to ride the fence between the Curry Warriors and whatever is coming next. I’m sure there might be an example or two, but off the top of my head I can’t think of a team that won with a generational player and smoothly transitioned into winning with a younger team as that player aged and eventually retired.

The Spurs probably had the best chance to do it because they had Kawhi, but that fell apart pretty shortly after Duncan retired. I guess you could say from Robinson to Duncan, but Duncan was 1st Team All-NBA as a rookie and the Spurs didn’t win without Duncan so I don’t think that quite qualifies.

I would imagine this year is the last rodeo with the Curry-Thompson-Green core. They probably should trade Green to get some value out of him, but I have a feeling they’ll just let him walk as a free agent. Next offseason is the likely fork in the road as Wiggins and Poole become tradeable contracts. They’re either going to have to commit to the young guys and make moves accordingly, or commit to chasing another chip with Curry and consolidating pieces for a big fish (maybe KD?).

Anyway, there’s just such a vacuum that occurs when a player like Steph retires that it’s almost impossible not to go in the dumper for a bit unless you have another generational guy waiting in the wings. They just need to maximize the title window with Curry and slide Thompson to a Love like role off the bench.

Bit old school but Id argue Celtics going from Russell/Jones to Havlieck/White/Cowens is a successful transition. I think it proves the point if you have to go back 60 years to find an example tho...

 

[Bob_The_Cat]

Bit old school but Id argue Celtics going from Russell/Jones to Havlieck/White/Cowens is a successful transition. I think it proves the point if you have to go back 60 years to find an example tho...

Yeah, I just don't know if it's even possible aside from being able to draft a LeBron type prospect to a team that already has a top 15-20 of all-time type player on it. Even the best players need so much time to develop that it's really hard to do on a veteran-laden, championship caliber team unless the prospect is a truly transcendent player.

Had GSW drafted LaMelo over Wiseman they might've had the chance to do it. That was their likely shot. Combine that with taking Franz over Kuminga and then you really have a chance.

 

[foucault87]

Yeah, I just don't know if it's even possible aside from being able to draft a LeBron type prospect to a team that already has a top 15-20 of all-time type player on it. Even the best players need so much time to develop that it's really hard to do on a veteran-laden, championship caliber team unless the prospect is a truly transcendent player.

Had GSW drafted LaMelo over Wiseman they might've had the chance to do it. That was their likely shot. Combine that with taking Franz over Kuminga and then you really have a chance.

There are probably more historical examples there when players used to be more NBA ready coming into the draft. Maybe something like the Roger Brown to George McGinnis transition in Indy? I am really reaching for other examples here...

 

[kidduck]

Lebron isn't playing back to back games due to his foot problem, but he can't really
believe his presence on the floor is going to have any serious impact on the Lakers
getting to .500, much less a playoff position. He must want to get to Kareems' record
really bad.

 

[kidduck]

With rumors flying about the Lakers moving AD , all I can say
is buyer beware.

 

[red.]

 

[red.]

 

[foucault87]

What an awful pass but man that finish