Proudfeet

Oh, come on. Knicks are ahead by three games, Randle is out and Embiid is in.

Maybe. I wouldn't be too sure. Kuminga and Moody have been hyped for two to three years now, and also, they are playing with Curry. Players are supposed to look better playing with Curry/Jokic/Doncic and the like. Anyway, just thought it was remarkable how stark the contrast between the guards and forwards/centers of that draft has been so far.

Want to preface this with saying that teams have a responsibility to develop players as well, but so far it seems that for that draft, the players who are having better careers so far are all guards. Think the bigger problem is whatever happened to Poole. He looked really good that one season. Thought he'd be better with more consistent playtime on the Wizards but seems he's had a disaster of a season.

Yeah, having gotten another championship after his injuries should be enough. Think he'd still play though. Question is how much will the Warriors offer.

Mavs (5th) and Knicks (2nd) are tied at 50 wins. To be fair, Sixers might have been above if Embiid didn't get injured. Bucks too, I guess, but seems like they never got their act together anyway. And the bottom play in spots aren't so bad either, Heat (8th) is at 46 wins. The Bulls and Hawks kind of limped into it, but they still have >40% win percentage. Problem with eliminating conferences (and divisions) is that there will be less games. It's not happening. Maybe if they separate the in season tournament games from the league standings? Not likely for the foreseeable future though.

Regular season is over. The Western Conference looks like a nightmare to qualify for the playoffs. Warriors are 10th at 46 wins, Rockets are 11th at 41 wins, and next season the Grizzlies should be looking to contend for a spot as well. Might be twelve teams looking to compete for eight spots, assuming teams don't implode. Also, 31 wins for the Jazz isn't impressive, but they had an even record at the trade deadline at 26-26, which was already more wins than the bottom six teams now. Maybe they'll finally bottom out next year.

It's easier to express than writing about it in long form? And maybe some tribal sense of pride in being part of the best, even if only as a player/fan?

Don't want to get into stereotypes on who are likely to blame others, but it's an interesting take. I suppose there is a segment of people that are more willing to grind if they believe that they can climb further if only they had a better team than if they hit a wall playing solo. Personally don't think so, but the solo games I play are high score based rather than PVP so might not be applicable.

The Spurs look like they have lost confidence. They were bad at the start of the season, but at least it looked like they were trying things. Now, they just look to Wembanyama and hope he bails them out. Besides that, their roster seems a little small outside of Wembanyama. Size doesn't necessarily translate but it usually helps especially on the defensive end. Also, I can't think of anyone else on the Spurs roster they should keep long term. Maybe its because they reflect the team they are on and would look better on a better team, but its hard to find any positives.

Too true. I'm a single player person now even in multiplayer games. Even if I can still play the game, its a lot less interesting without the community.

Eh, Rudy's on a supermax contract isn't he? I'd be more concerned if Scott Foster starts holding a grudge. He's going to be the next Chris Paul.

Bummer on all the injuries. KAT out at least a month. Watching the Boston Denver game, really scratching my head on the techs. Is a single clap worthy of a tech? Really?

Isn't it still? Porzingis is always in and out and their bench excluding Horford is Tillman/Kornet/Hauser/Pritchard. Not really encouraging considering they had Williams and Brogdon last season. The upgrade to the starters is more than worth it though. Minutes are short for the bench in the playoffs anyway.

Wonder if the Spurs are just designed to fail. First, the experiment with Sochan at point guard and Wembanyama at forward. Think its because they wanted to start Wembanyama, Collins, Sochan, Johnson and Vassell, but even so, Johnson and Vassell are more natural fits at point guard. Anyway, it didn't work out, and Johnson and Collins are out of the starting lineup. Now, when it seems that they are doing slightly better, they are trading their only spot up shooter. That's great. We'll get to see the Spurs miss more open three pointers while teams crowd the paint. _ Re: trade deadline. Wonder what the Raptors are doing trading away a first round pick. Or the Thunder trading for Hayward. Are their rookie extensions coming up and they need cap space for next season already? Would be a shame if they are giving up on this season. Windows are surprisingly short and they might not hit on their next draft picks. Even if they have a bunch of picks, they can't actually use all of them.

I think that expected quality of American(NCAA) draftees aside, the success of Jokic and Doncic made teams and fans more receptive of foreign players. Back when Doncic was drafted, there was a lot of doubt on the quality of foreign leagues. There was a lot of doubt in between the hype. Not sure how the perception of the G league is for the players skipping college. They do get drafted early, but guess its too soon to know if they will be successful or not.