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DASMACKDOWN wrote:

Chicago-Bull-E wrote:Phoenix put up 48 points in the 1st quarter against Denver.

This just echo's my irritant for the national sports media.

Phoenix has won a ridiculous 12 straight games and you wouldnt even know unless you are a hardcore fan of the game. The National media will talk about the Lakers after every single game they play but not even mention oh by the way, the significantly better team the Suns have won a crazy amount in a row.

Well it’s not like they were in the NBA finals last season… oh wait

Hell I have to absolutely agree with DASMACKDOWN. I have been playing really close attention to all the East coast teams beating up on each other, but I don't really look much at the Western Conference outside of headlines and the General Board here. I knew the Suns were hot but I honestly had no idea until you said this that they had won that many in a row.

It's mostly my fault for glossing over PHO in the box scores, but The Athletic which I read daily has barely mentioned it (I never read Power Rankings this early in a season). ESPN doesn't have a word about it on their front page. Go Suns.

LeBron has to pay for the closed fist. Stewart has to pay for the reaction. Both need a suspension. Stewart’s over reaction might get Lebron off the hook. His initial was justified for sure but running down the hall etc… will help LBJ’s case.

Michael Jackson wrote:LeBron has to pay for the closed fist. Stewart has to pay for the reaction. Both need a suspension. Stewart’s over reaction might get Lebron off the hook. His initial was justified for sure but running down the hall etc… will help LBJ’s case.

Now that I've watched a bunch of feeds, I absolutely agree on both counts. Lebron's shot was absolutely vicious - he's strong as hell, that was a closed fist and he had strength behind it. Having watched it cycle about 50 times, I think he lost it for a moment and did want to hit Stewart hard, but was going for a body blow across the chest, but Stewart was ducked down about eight inches below where James thought he was. That's the most positive take I can think of on Lebron's motive at that second.

Unfortunately, Stewart went postal and had to be restrained by a heroic Cade Cunningham blocking him from that second lunge one on one with only Lakers and a staff guy behind him. Then that awful tunnel rush? Yikes. Lebron should get 2 games. One is not enough. Stewart might deserve more, especially after someone else posted that clip of him dry humping Blake Griffin after they threw each other down. He has one heck of a temper.

ImSlower wrote:

Michael Jackson wrote:LeBron has to pay for the closed fist. Stewart has to pay for the reaction. Both need a suspension. Stewart’s over reaction might get Lebron off the hook. His initial was justified for sure but running down the hall etc… will help LBJ’s case.

Now that I've watched a bunch of feeds, I absolutely agree on both counts. Lebron's shot was absolutely vicious - he's strong as hell, that was a closed fist and he had strength behind it. Having watched it cycle about 50 times, I think he lost it for a moment and did want to hit Stewart hard, but was going for a body blow across the chest, but Stewart was ducked down about eight inches below where James thought he was. That's the most positive take I can think of on Lebron's motive at that second.

Unfortunately, Stewart went postal and had to be restrained by a heroic Cade Cunningham blocking him from that second lunge one on one with only Lakers and a staff guy behind him. Then that awful tunnel rush? Yikes. Lebron should get 2 games. One is not enough. Stewart might deserve more, especially after someone else posted that clip of him dry humping Blake Griffin after they threw each other down. He has one heck of a temper.

The Blake one was more understandable and in context makes sense, but it is becoming a pattern of behavior that is an issue. Blake can be a punk and Stewart is aggressive. Hell he got LeBron to react (smart) but couldn’t control his reaction (stupid). I mean it’s nice to honor the team you come from and all by being a bad boy but keep it under check. Next he will kick a cameraman lol.

Probably good the Bulls passed on him

Jcool0 wrote:Probably good the Bulls passed on him

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That’s a shame, but that’s why he dropped. This is a serious issue. Sucks for Denver that he stayed healthy just long enough to get paid. Cripples what they can do to build around Jokic if he can’t come back

Jokic is a UFA the same season as Vucevic. Does someone want to make the "welcome to Chicago Joker!" thread now or should we wait a little?

Everyone knows that is the plan, right?

coldfish wrote:Jokic is a UFA the same season as Vucevic. Does someone want to make the "welcome to Chicago Joker!" thread now or should we wait a little?

Everyone knows that is the plan, right?

100%

If he knows he wants to leave, I wonder if he tells the Nuggets this summer so that they get something in return for him. Vucevic + 1st(s) this summer maybe for him.

TyrusRose2425 wrote:

coldfish wrote:Jokic is a UFA the same season as Vucevic. Does someone want to make the "welcome to Chicago Joker!" thread now or should we wait a little?

Everyone knows that is the plan, right?

100%

If he knows he wants to leave, I wonder if he tells the Nuggets this summer so that they get something in return for him. Vucevic + 1st(s) this summer maybe for him.

With one year left on his deal, he could basically pull a AD and say "I'm going to Chicago".

coldfish wrote:

TyrusRose2425 wrote:

coldfish wrote:Jokic is a UFA the same season as Vucevic. Does someone want to make the "welcome to Chicago Joker!" thread now or should we wait a little?

Everyone knows that is the plan, right?

100%

If he knows he wants to leave, I wonder if he tells the Nuggets this summer so that they get something in return for him. Vucevic + 1st(s) this summer maybe for him.

With one year left on his deal, he could basically pull a AD and say "I'm going to Chicago".

Yep and Vucevic is at least good enough for them to continue on as a playoff team. Send them Coby White too or get some assets for him and flip those to Denver too and it's better than nothing for them.

I seriously doubt it happens but it'd be great if he already got things started at the deadline. Porter possibly out for the season + Murray out for who knows how long + Jokic currently out. They could be fighting to even just make the playoffs by the deadline if they don't start getting lucky.

ImSlower wrote:
Having watched it cycle about 50 times, I think he lost it for a moment and did want to hit Stewart hard, but was going for a body blow across the chest, but Stewart was ducked down about eight inches below where James thought he was.

This is what I’m seeing too. LeBron was trying to give him a hard elbow to the shoulder/chest. When you elbow someone, you often clinch your fist. LeBron was trying to send a message with the elbow for sure. He just missed and absolutely cracked Stewart with the fist. LeBron sent a different message than he intended, but that’s a risk you take when you start throwing hard elbows intended to hit an opponent.

And for the people saying Stewart overreacted, well yeah, but he really went nuts when he saw blood gushing down his face. If you’ve ever gotten cracked, you know you get angry, but when blood goes everywhere, it’s a pretty natural reaction to lose it. I don’t blame Stewart at all for his reaction. That’s fight or flight, and LeBron flipped the animal switch.

coldfish wrote:Jokic is a UFA the same season as Vucevic. Does someone want to make the "welcome to Chicago Joker!" thread now or should we wait a little?

Everyone knows that is the plan, right?

Chicago has quite a few Serbs, no?

I see Jokic staying in DEN. He doesn't seem to be the title chaser type.

The closed fist punch is going to be easy, plenty of past incidents and expected penalties (multi game suspension).

What Stewart repeatedly tried to do will be interesting. Fit of rage, sure. But he calmed down multiple times and still tried to get at Lebron, even faking that he was done. Taking the tunnel exit to come out the other side was especially premeditated. I'm really curious to see what the league does here because Stew never was able to make contact, but he clearly had a lot of intent.

madvillian wrote:Chicago has quite a few Serbs, no?

Yep. Surely more than Denver does.

Did AK draft Jokic? Assuming the two are close, but that’s just an assumption…

omg Jokic added to THIS? lol

coldfish wrote:Jokic is a UFA the same season as Vucevic. Does someone want to make the "welcome to Chicago Joker!" thread now or should we wait a little?

Everyone knows that is the plan, right?

Yeah, he re-signs with Denver for the Supermax and about 50 million more than the Bulls can offer