NBA - the King passes Cap, but his team are still crap.

[BigFatCoward]

Just now, DMC said:

 

Ah.  That makes more sense.  Didn't know you were so into it.

I pay casual attention during the season, and try and up my game for the playoffs. 

 

[DMC]

Just now, BigFatCoward said:

I pay casual attention during the season, and try and up my game for the playoffs. 

 

Cool.  I've always just followed a single team per sport.  Baseball, therefore, requires the most time commitment.  I did have the opportunity to watch all of the Magic's games this season.  Probably watched about 95% of their season, which is much more than I have in a very long time.

As for watching games that do not involve my favorite team?  Comes and goes.  Even with the playoffs, often times I just don't give a shit unless I'm at a bar or something.  But there is a certain dynamic there.  Like, I haven't given a shit about the NBA for a while now - essentially since the Magic traded Howard some-odd years ago - but now that I'm interested in the Magic again, I'm also significantly more interested in the playoffs.

....Not sure why I wrote all that out.  Imagine you don't care - who would?  But I think it's interesting.

[Relic]

25 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Nope. The refs hit the quick whistle as expected to bail out a team the league needed to advance.

Also, not much drinking, I've been suffering from a serious viral infection for over a week now and I thought maybe I'd get something to be happy about. Idk how anyone could view the first few minutes of the fourth and see anything else. Not even making this about my team, but come on, we know these leagues all have a level of rigged built in. That it's so consistent in the NBA should stand out. I'm not saying they want NY or LA to win the title every year, but do you really think they'd be happy with the last four teams being the Pacers, Kings, Toronto and Portland? We all know they will not make nearly as much if it's Lakers vs. Knicks and every person at every level knows it too. 

 

If you truly believed that you'd never pay attention to the NBA again. 

 

[BigFatCoward]

1 hour ago, DMC said:

Cool.  I've always just followed a single team per sport.  Baseball, therefore, requires the most time commitment.  I did have the opportunity to watch all of the Magic's games this season.  Probably watched about 95% of their season, which is much more than I have in a very long time.

As for watching games that do not involve my favorite team?  Comes and goes.  Even with the playoffs, often times I just don't give a shit unless I'm at a bar or something.  But there is a certain dynamic there.  Like, I haven't given a shit about the NBA for a while now - essentially since the Magic traded Howard some-odd years ago - but now that I'm interested in the Magic again, I'm also significantly more interested in the playoffs.

....Not sure why I wrote all that out.  Imagine you don't care - who would?  But I think it's interesting.

I'm obsessed by sport in general, but no particular sport. I follow so many, but only in a casual way, it would not be possible for me to watch them live. 

I can only watch NFL via redzone, I can only watch highlights package of NBA/Premier league etc.  I watch the last 30-45 mins of most cycling races (most interesting part most of the time anyway). I will watch the Cycling Grand Tours - Giro, Tour de France, Vuelta 'liveish' for about 5 hours a day, as I'll have them on in the background on my phone while I'm working, same with tennis grand slams.

In winter i watch the highlights package of Cross Country Skiing, Nordic combined and Biathlon, Alpine skiing etc. 

I don't even watch most Newcastle matches in their entirety, which is weird as its the only sport I really have a vested interest in.  I'd much rather watch sports where I have a 'I'd prefer team/player a) to win, but i don't really care either way' attitude.  

Before kids/wife I used to often take a couple of weeks off work for every Olympics and happily sit watching sports I knew nothing about for 8 hours a day for 2 weeks.  

I was the same with playing sports at school, played for the football, basketball, athletics, cross country, hockey teams, but was always 2nd or 3rd best, never number 1.  I never cared about any of them enough to commit the time to be the best. 

i'll steal your quote - 'Not sure why I wrote all that out.  Imagine you don't care - who would?  But I think it's interesting'.

Edited April 12 by BigFatCoward

[DMC]

3 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

I'm obsessed by sport in general, but no particular sport.

That's cool.  Not to stereotype, but it does remind me of my Mancunian friend from grad school - who frankly at this point is just about the only grad school friend I keep in touch with....well, one of three.  Anyway, when he moved to the states he didn't know anything about baseball, basketball, American football.  But he DID get into it just cuz..I don't even know, he just liked watching sports.

So he'd ask me about the details on MLB/NBA/NFL for years.  I always found it funny when he'd randomly text me "hey you watching this Yankees game?"  Anyway, I think that love of sport is pretty damn endearing, wish I had it.  Me?  Meh I'm too lazy.  Just care about the Yanks, Magic, and Niners.

[Tywin et al.]

7 hours ago, DMC said:

I understand you are angry the Wolves lost - I didn't watch the game but it doesn't surprise at all if they got dicked over by the refs - but..how is this in any way a response to what you quoted from what I said?  C'mon man, let's maintain some forum on this..forum!

I'm not angry they lost in general, I expected them to. It's that it happened specifically that way, because it keeps happening to them. They keep beating up teams perceived to be better and then all of the sudden the refs step in, and it always happens when they have a huge lead. 

Again, the Wolves were attacking the rim throughout the second half and the only call they got was on the very last play on an outside shot despite all kinds of obvious fouls. Davis tripped on his own feet twice and drew more FTs. We all know the fix was in to some extent. 

Quote

The analysts you are trusting are wrong.  Again, the LNB Pro A is the top league in France and consequently one of the best leagues in the world.  Your assertion here is uninformed. 

Not sure why you think you're better trained than professional scouts who then report to the same people. They're not saying he's playing in some shit league, just that it's far from the best, as is Scoot. I have zero doubts about him assuming health, but I'd like him to finally face some players that will really beat him up. Kicking Chet's ass doesn't do much for me since I was down on him anyways. 

Quote

Also, I don't really know what you're saying with "in tournaments with other young players he's destroying him."  Like, maybe that's a typo and you mean he's destroying them?  If so, ok, how's that a bad thing?

Yep, them, that was my error. 

*Sorry, weird comp/wifi glitch so apologies if this is a double post*

Edited April 12 by Tywin et al.

[Tywin et al.]

6 hours ago, Relic said:

If you truly believed that you'd never pay attention to the NBA again. 

 

Boxing, buddy, boxing. You can predict the bullshit like clockwork often in basketball too and they weren't even hiding it last night. 

[DMC]

32 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Again, the Wolves were attacking the rim throughout the second half and the only call they got was on the very last play on an outside shot despite all kinds of obvious fouls. Davis tripped on his own feet twice and drew more FTs. We all know the fix was in to some extent. 

I have absolutely no trouble believing this, dunno why you'd think differently.  As a Magic fan, we're pretty much in the same boat.  Watching them three times a week since October, it reminded me how much of an impact refs have on games and how they fuck over small-market teams, by and large. 

Even Banchero, who is already obviously getting some run as an emerging star, wouldn't get calls.  This was most clear a couple months ago when they played the Bucks and Giannis would consistently get calls that, while Banchero is one of the few people in the world that can compare to him in driving downhill at that size, he wouldn't get the calls Giannis got -- and even was called for charges wherein Giannis just did the same damn thing 30 seconds ago and got to the charity stripe.

I kinda just factor this in at this point - NBA refs being biased and shit like this is nothing new, it goes back to Jordan et al. when I was growing up.  But it was good that Paolo eventually got frustrated with it.  Can't remember the game exactly - I think they were playing the Lakers but I may be wrong about that - but a couple weeks ago he clearly got fouled on a game-deciding possession and pointed at the ref afterwards.  He got T'ed up for it, but it was a good message to send longterm that he's tired of I guess not getting calls because he's a rookie?  Whatever, we'll see how it goes next season.

41 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Not sure why you think you're better trained than professional scouts who then report to the same people.

I don't!  It's professional scouts and other expert analysts that tell me the league Wemby is playing in is one of the best in the world outside the NBA.  Please cite anyone saying otherwise.  Here's Fran Fraschilla's rankings of international leagues.  Wemby's league is seventh.

46 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Yep, them, that was my error. 

K.  Still don't see how him "destroying" competition is somehow a demerit.

[Relic]

1 hour ago, Tywin et al. said:

Boxing, buddy, boxing. You can predict the bullshit like clockwork often in basketball too and they weren't even hiding it last night. 

mate, just watched highlights f that game. You got a freaking 3 point foul with .01 on the clock in the 4th quarter. Surely you jest. 

 

Edit - 15 - 24 FT disparity. That's not a conspiracy. Your guy Edwards just didnt show up to play serious bal. 

Edited April 12 by Relic

[Tywin et al.]

29 minutes ago, Relic said:

mate, just watched highlights f that game. You got a freaking 3 point foul with .01 on the clock in the 4th quarter. Surely you jest. 

 

Edit - 15 - 24 FT disparity. That's not a conspiracy. Your guy Edwards just didnt show up to play serious bal. 

Which were the only FTs the team got in an entire half while the Lakers were fouling like crazy and the refs seemed to forget they have to call the game the same way both sides. Ant had an awful night scoring, no debate there, but he was also getting wrecked every time he attacked the rim while if you breathed on Davis or LeBron, quick foul. It was insane, and we all know why that happened.

Edited April 12 by Tywin et al.

[Tywin et al.]

2 hours ago, DMC said:

I have absolutely no trouble believing this, dunno why you'd think differently.  As a Magic fan, we're pretty much in the same boat.  Watching them three times a week since October, it reminded me how much of an impact refs have on games and how they fuck over small-market teams, by and large. 

The odd part is this doesn't happen to just small market teams. Nobody really cared about Grizz-Wolves last year, but the swing in officiating was indefeasible. The hot take the next day was always "The Wolves blew it" when I'm wondering why, again, a game through three quarters was called kind of the same and then holy shit, we're in the bonus before I can even take a piss. That literally means you cannot defend at all. 
 

Quote

Even Banchero, who is already obviously getting some run as an emerging star, wouldn't get calls.  This was most clear a couple months ago when they played the Bucks and Giannis would consistently get calls that, while Banchero is one of the few people in the world that can compare to him in driving downhill at that size, he wouldn't get the calls Giannis got -- and even was called for charges wherein Giannis just did the same damn thing 30 seconds ago and got to the charity stripe.

Actually this is something I really like about PB. Ant and KAT should get more respect, and it's frustrating, but PB fucking attacks the rim and it's fun. He's already getting a lot of calls and expect that to just get better. It was shockingly clear right away. Wasn't he dunking on established guys in his first game? 

Quote

I kinda just factor this in at this point - NBA refs being biased and shit like this is nothing new, it goes back to Jordan et al. when I was growing up.  

You mean like arguably his most famous play was his committing an obvious offensive foul?

Still makes me laugh that my dad, no RIP, said Rodman needed to be arrested while kicking the cameraman in the nuts while being a fan of the team.
 

Quote

I don't!  It's professional scouts and other expert analysts that tell me the league Wemby is playing in is one of the best in the world outside the NBA.  Please cite anyone saying otherwise.  Here's Fran Fraschilla's rankings of international leagues.  Wemby's league is seventh.

K.  Still don't see how him "destroying" competition is somehow a demerit.

To be clear, he is as an amazing prospect as any team could dream for. I've just also heard that league is meh and there's also the injury concerns for a guy that big, hence why trading Luka straight up for the rights to draft Wemby is curious because when was the last time something like happened? It's not like trading Love for Wiggins. 



Fixed, and
 

 

Edited April 12 by Tywin et al.

[Fez]

14 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Which were the only FTs the team got in an entire half while the Lakers were fouling like crazy and the refs seemed to forget they have to call the game the same way both sides. Ant had an awful night scoring, no debate there, but he was also getting wrecked every time he attacked the rim while if you breathed on Davis or LeBron, quick foul. It was insane, and we all know why that happened.

I'm a neutral observer, I've had no team fandom since giving up on the Knicks for good (at least as long as Dolan's there). And there were a crazy number of fouls committed by the Wolves that were never called. It'd have been a Lakers blowout otherwise.

[Maithanet]

4 minutes ago, Fez said:

I'm a neutral observer, I've had no team fandom since giving up on the Knicks for good (at least as long as Dolan's there). And there were a crazy number of fouls committed by the Wolves that were never called. It'd have been a Lakers blowout otherwise.

Don't know that I'd go that far, but from what I saw of the game, the officiating was fine.  There were missed calls like always, but that's inevitable.  It was a good game - I was surprised that all the talk here was about the refs rather than the game itself. 

[Fez]

19 minutes ago, Maithanet said:

Don't know that I'd go that far, but from what I saw of the game, the officiating was fine.  There were missed calls like always, but that's inevitable.  It was a good game - I was surprised that all the talk here was about the refs rather than the game itself. 

KAT certainly got into foul trouble, but his 5th was really like his 8th or 9th.

Overall though, I thought both teams played pretty poorly. I think the Lakers are gassed from the run they needed to even reach this point, and absolutely need the next few off days they've got. And the Wolves were missing Gobert (I haven't watched enough to know if missing McDaniels was also an issue or not).

[DMC]

1 hour ago, Tywin et al. said:

I've just also heard that league is meh and there's also the injury concerns for a guy that big, hence why trading Luka straight up for the rights to draft Wemby is curious because when was the last time something like happened? It's not like trading Love for Wiggins. 

It's certainly a complete hypothetical that will never happen.  Just saying, if you asked me who I would rather start a franchise with right now - Luka or Wemby - I'd take Wemby.  And again, I'd like to know who you're hearing this from that his league is meh.

[Relic]

1 hour ago, Maithanet said:

Don't know that I'd go that far, but from what I saw of the game, the officiating was fine.  There were missed calls like always, but that's inevitable.  It was a good game - I was surprised that all the talk here was about the refs rather than the game itself. 

Biggest take away (other than how dumb that AD foul was) is that the Lakers looked...bad. Wolves looked worse, but are probably capable of more weirdly, than the Lakers. They look gassed. 

[Proudfeet]

40 minutes ago, Fez said:

And the Wolves were missing Gobert (I haven't watched enough to know if missing McDaniels was also an issue or not).

Think the order goes McDaniels, Reid then Gobert in general.

Might just be the few games I've watched, but Gobert has been mostly ineffective on the Wolves. McDaniels contributes on both sides, Reid's defense isn't great, but is solid offensively, while Gobert's offense is completely dependent on his team getting him the ball in a good position and his defensive effectiveness seems greatly reduced from his time in Utah.

[Maithanet]

2 hours ago, Fez said:

Overall though, I thought both teams played pretty poorly. I think the Lakers are gassed from the run they needed to even reach this point, and absolutely need the next few off days they've got. And the Wolves were missing Gobert (I haven't watched enough to know if missing McDaniels was also an issue or not).

Oh I didn't say it was a pretty game, but I thought it was a fairly entertaining one. 

[Tywin et al.]

4 hours ago, Fez said:

KAT certainly got into foul trouble, but his 5th was really like his 8th or 9th.

Overall though, I thought both teams played pretty poorly. I think the Lakers are gassed from the run they needed to even reach this point, and absolutely need the next few off days they've got. And the Wolves were missing Gobert (I haven't watched enough to know if missing McDaniels was also an issue or not).

KAT's foul troubles are an issue more than anything else with his game. That's in part why they got Gobert. Naz Reid might be a who to many, but that dude is going to get paid, so missing him too really sucks and McDaniels is excellent at his role. The Wolves overpaid for Gobert to keep him specifically (at least what I read was that not sending him over cost them two firsts).

But do not act like LeBron didn't also commit like 20 fouls last night and again, the only FTs the team got in an entire half were in the last second when touching a Laker got a whistle right away at the start of the fourth until the game got close again. 

 

4 hours ago, DMC said:

It's certainly a complete hypothetical that will never happen.  Just saying, if you asked me who I would rather start a franchise with right now - Luka or Wemby - I'd take Wemby.  

Not saying you're wrong, just that it's an interesting thing to think about
 

Quote

And again, I'd like to know who you're hearing this from that his league is meh.

Start with Amin Elhassan, who is my favorite front office executive turned media guy. He's spent years scouting in Europe and the top French league is not that good, per him, but very, very many good players come from it. I don't doubt Wemby at all, which should be clear by how I've been writing here that I can't wait to see him, but my entry point to the European leagues is that the top French one isn't much different than the modern G-League. The main difference is he's playing against actual grown ass men and not having any problems. Which was Luka's best selling point going into the draft and in retrospect should have been an oh duh moment.

I've said before I would have taken Ayton first overall, and been okay with it, but that would hurt like 25 games into their rookie years. 

[Calibandar]

The West playoffs are going to be so hard to call. I cant even do the 2nd round predictions, simply because I have no feel or clue for how that will pan out.

 

East:

Bucks over no.8 seed in 5

Celtics over Hawks in 5

Sixers over Nets in 5

Cavaliers over Knicks in......7

I do expect that matchup to be super tight even though I see the Cavs as the better team.

West:

Nuggets over no8 seed in 5

Grizzlies vs Lakers......oh man, my gut feeling says Grizzlies so I guess I will just stick with it, but the Lakers seem slightly more likely.

Kings vs Warriors...Warriors in 6

Suns over Clippers in 6