Around the NBA, 2022-23 season

[SoCalJazzFan]

So...the Blazers just lost by 56 points at home. Frankly, I think they deserve it.

They, and the Mavs, deserve to fall in the lottery.

[SoCalJazzFan]

That's not a love tap. Seeing this, I can see why the Jazz had such bad chemistry last season.

Gobert's problem as that he hates losing and gets grumpy when other players don't take it as seriously as he does.

But if people want players that are joking and laughing as they get their ass handed to them, then by all means.

The Jazz team I watched over Gobert's time in Utah was one that looked like a joke whenever Rudy was out. Rudy was the reason for any success Utah had over those years. I certainly wouldn't blame chemistry issues on the one guy who hated losing and took offense when others were okay with it.

I agree with you on the Jazz front, but I think Anderson (who has a reputation for speaking his mind) crossed the line with Gobert with what he said to him, even if it was in the heat of the moment and wanting to win.

[Crunch 99]

I listened to part of the local Minnesota "Flagrant Howls" podcast yesterday, and they were convinced Rudy would not play in the play-in tournament. I think they are wrong. The Wolves' didn't go all in on Rudy to not have him available to play in these elimination games, even if it is kind of a bad look not to suspend him.

To protect the NBA image, I suspect the NBA league office may come up with a new rule this summer providing for automatic suspension if a player punches a teammate in public during a game, but continues to leave discipline up to teams for fights occurring outside of real games.

The Wolves' bigger problem imo is losing their best wing defender, Jaden McDaniels. Vegas has Lakers by 7.

[Crunch 99]

Sounds like Conley is working behind the scenes to help smooth things out.

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Conley's found a good shooting rhythm for the latter part of the season with the Wolves, where he's averaged 14 ppg on 9.8 fga, 42 3p% and 63.1 TS% vs 10.7 ppg on 8.7 fga, 36.2 3p% and 55.2 TS% for the Jazz. Conley still has something left in the tank, but I am glad the Jazz are turning the team over to rebuild younger.

I haven't looked at the head to head matchups for Conley versus Russell, but the Lakers have three ex Minnesota players that want to have a good showing against their old team tomorrow in addition to wanting to win the game. Go Lakers!

[Crunch 99]

It only took a few minutes for me to be proved wrong. Lol. Woj news: Rudy is not traveling to LA with the team.

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[Inigo Montoya]

It only took a few minutes for me to be proved wrong. Lol. Woj news: Rudy is not traveling to LA with the team.

Spoiler:

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I think it's a calculated move. They know they probably won't win against the Lakers anyway and AD will probably feast on Gobert if he did play. This way, they can say they disciplined Gobert, rest him, let emotions cool down on all sides, and then bring him back to play the second play-in game, where he'd probably have a better matchup anyway.

[Inigo Montoya]

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[Inigo Montoya]

One of the staples of the Mitchell-Gobert era with the Jazz was constant disappointment (and often utter humiliation) in the playoffs. Now both of them are on different teams and yet disappointment and underachievement still follows them both.

Gobert's season in Minnesota was a disappointment, I think it's safe to say, and is probably the consensus opinion. There were other factors that impacted their season, such as injuries, but as a whole that team definitely underachieved.

The Cavs had a pretty good regular season, but it ended in a major disappointment with a first round exit to the Knicks, which probably makes it sting even more.

Can't say I miss either of them. It nice not to be disappointed and humiliated, for a change.

[Crunch 99]

The Knicks' front office has to be feeling pretty good about their decision not to give in to Ainge and public pressure to give away the farm for DM last summer. For the second year in a row, Jalen Brunson outscored DM in a playoff matchup on fewer fga, while New York was able to keep their young talent, flexibility and future picks by not trading for DM.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith would have let the Knicks' front office have it if DM and the Cavs had won the Knicks-Cavs series.

[zero24gravity]

My opinion:

I can't recall a playoffs where I lost interest quicker than this year. The field is laced with teams that I simply can't root for.

Going into the playoffs, my rooting order (not the order I would bet on winning), split up by tiers:

The tops, mostly due to recent Jazz ties:
1. Minnesota (Rudy, Conley, NAW. I would have loved to cheer for them deep into the playoffs, even if that means a lesser draft pick for the Jazz) -- ELIMINATED
2. Cleveland (I'll cheer for Donovan, no problem. I also liked their team last year, and think they have a solid roster.) -- ELIMINATED

Tier 2: Teams I kinda like, or at least have no reason to not like.
3. Milwaukee (Giannis is my favorite top-tier superstar. Milwaukee is a team I enjoy watching, and appreciate they aren't "big market") -- ELIMINATED
4. Sacramento (Long time California bottom-feeders. Great turnaround story. Sabonis is sneaky good. I can appreciate Fox's rise to All Star status.) -- ELIMINATED

Tier 3: Don't care one way or the other. Meh.
5. Denver (Jokic is pretty remarkable. I don't understand how he's so good. lol. Nobody I have any issue with. Good to see Murray make a strong comeback from his injury.)
6. Miami (Meh, whatever)

Tier 4: Don't hate them, but don't want to cheer for them, either.
8. Atlanta (Not a fan of watching Trey Young at all, but they get a little bump to the top of this tier due to Quinn.) -- ELIMINATED
9. Memphis (Last year they would have been in tier 2, but after all the crazy antics this season, I've lost a lot of enjoyment in watching/cheering for them.) -- ELIMINATED
7. Brooklyn (Royce O'Neale gives me a small reason to cheer for them, now that they got rid of their unlikeable stars. However, if Simmons was playing, they would have been bumped way down the list.) -- ELIMINATED
10. Boston (Crazy to think they were my fav Eastern team when I was a young kid. I can't even put my finger on why I dislike them now. I can't get behind Tatum as a superstar. I really don't like Smart. But overall, they shouldn't be this low on my list, yet here they are.)

Tier 5: Can't cheer for them. Just can't.
11. LA Clippers (No love for PG after his battles with the Jazz & Ingles. Really have issues with Load Management .. er, I mean Kawai Leonard.) -- ELIMINATED
12. New York (Honestly, it's just because they are the "Mecca of basketball", which I find insane and laughable. They have basically sucked for 22 years, being in the playoffs only 6 times in that span, with 1 division title. Yet they are talked about constantly, as if they actually matter. Every Free Agent and every trade is linked to them in the media. I also find Brunson a bit annoying & overrated.)
13. Phoenix (Chris Paul, ugh. Annoying. Booker ... can anyone whine more than this stat-chaser? Durant = Mr. Take the Easiest Path. Yuck to this teams Stars.)
14. LA Lakers (I am one who thinks LeBron is the GOAT. I actually don't hate him, contrary to popular opinions... but it's the %&cking Lakers! Western Conference version of the Knicks, but they actually have won, which makes them even harder to like. Plus, going to a Jazz game vs the Lakers is flat out annoying. Even when the Jazz are kicking their butts, their fans still act like they are winning. It's weird.)
15. Philadelphia: (The Suns, but even worse. Embiid is really hard to like. Probably will get the MVP strictly based on his whining to the media campaign. I still have a lot of residual distain for Simmons, and since The Sophmore of the Year pretty much hasn't played since Philly, my brain still places him there. Bobble-head Harden. Yuck. No, just no.)

Last, and definitely least:
16. Golden State (Draymond alone is enough to always root against the team; overrated, big-mouthed, idiot. Then add in Curry, who I find to be absolutely unlikeable, and comes across as so arrogant that his head may detach and float away. Their history of winning puts a target on them to be unliked, but it's so much more for me. The blatant tank that cost the Jazz their first round pick (H. Barnes), the bandwagon hopping locals over the past 5ish years - you never saw GS gear in SLC before that. The league's clear favorite-child. <puke>)

So there were 6 teams I could have theoretically cheered for when the playoffs started. The only 2 remaining are the "meh", tier 3 teams. Rooting to see Denver, a division rival, vs Miami, who are my most "meh" team in the playoffs, doesn't exactly lead to an exciting playoff experience for me. My least favorite 5 teams are still playing, 6 of my least favorite 7. Even simply rooting against teams, like the Warriors, is hard to do when they are playing another team I can't root for.

I really thought one of CLE, SAC or MIL would have at least stuck around long enough to hold my interest. This. Is. Lame.

Keep in mind, I prefaced with this is my opinion. It's ok to not agree, but I'm not looking to debate the merits of my reasons to dislike players/teams.

[Crunch 99]

Vando is getting some praise for his defense on Curry in game one last night. Looking at the Popcorn machine, for first three quarters, Curry went 2-7 fg and 1-3 3pts when Vando was in the game. Curry had a big Q4 though, including against Vando, but 8 of the Warriors' 12 point unanswered Q4 run was when Vando was out of the game.

Vando is still not a great two way player. Lakers want him out of the game to generate better offense, but they want him in the game to generate better defense. Vando came back in for the last 1:05 of the game with Lakers up 115-112, and GS failed to score any more points.

http://popcornmachine.net/gf?date=20230502&game=LALGSW

[Inigo Montoya]

I'll be happy if the Nuggets won the ring. I'd be annoyed if the Warriors won, and really angry if the Lakers won, mainly because it would mean we handed them a championship at the trade deadline for not enough in return.

I wouldn't have liked if the Wolves or Cavs had a good run, as it wouldn't have bode well for our picks. In fact, I'm rather miffed that the Wolves even made it to the playoffs in what was the same trade that elevated the Lakers, and also elevated the Wolves.

I wouldn't mind if Philly won, and wouldn't mind if the Celtics won, as it would indicate that Ainge did a good job building and drafting for them, which is something I would expect him to do with the Jazz.

[AingesBurner]

I'll be happy if the Nuggets won the ring. I'd be annoyed if the Warriors won, and really angry if the Lakers won, mainly because it would mean we handed them a championship at the trade deadline for not enough in return.

I wouldn't have liked if the Wolves or Cavs had a good run, as it wouldn't have bode well for our picks. In fact, I'm rather miffed that the Wolves even made it to the playoffs in what was the same trade that elevated the Lakers, and also elevated the Wolves.

I wouldn't mind if Philly won, and wouldn't mind if the Celtics won, as it would indicate that Ainge did a good job building and drafting for them, which is something I would expect him to do with the Jazz.

Conspiracy theory, Utah magically moves up in the draft because of the Lakers trade.

[Inigo Montoya]

Conspiracy theory, Utah magically moves up in the draft because of the Lakers trade.

How? Explain the connection.

[AingesBurner]

Conspiracy theory, Utah magically moves up in the draft because of the Lakers trade.

How? Explain the connection.

I’m just saying that the NBA is somewhat rigged, and we just helped the NBA’s golden child be relevant on the cheap. I wouldn’t be surprised if see “lottery” luck.

[Inigo Montoya]

NBA Could Be Entering 'Unbelievable Period' Of Star Player Movement Through 2024 Trade Deadline
https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/271571/NBA-Could-Be-Entering-Unbelievable-Period-Of-Star-Player-Movement-Through-2024-Trade-Deadline

Beyond the future of Embiid, there are also uncertain situations facing the likes of Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl-Anthony Towns, Trae Young, Pascal Siakam, Julius Randle, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, OG Anunoby and Deandre Ayton, amongst others.

The more I think of it, the more I'm convinced the Jazz should do almost nothing in terms of free agency this offseason, unless they sign players to very short term deals. Keep trying to find young low-cost players and build their value, and wait for the opportunity to strike. If the Jazz luck out in the lottery, they could really swing a big trade.

[AingesBurner]

NBA Could Be Entering 'Unbelievable Period' Of Star Player Movement Through 2024 Trade Deadline
https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/271571/NBA-Could-Be-Entering-Unbelievable-Period-Of-Star-Player-Movement-Through-2024-Trade-Deadline

Beyond the future of Embiid, there are also uncertain situations facing the likes of Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl-Anthony Towns, Trae Young, Pascal Siakam, Julius Randle, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, OG Anunoby and Deandre Ayton, amongst others.

The more I think of it, the more I'm convinced the Jazz should do almost nothing in terms of free agency this offseason, unless they sign players to very short term deals. Keep trying to find young low-cost players and build their value, and wait for the opportunity to strike. If the Jazz luck out in the lottery, they could really swing a big trade.

Manifest it!!

[Inigo Montoya]

NBA Could Be Entering 'Unbelievable Period' Of Star Player Movement Through 2024 Trade Deadline
https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/271571/NBA-Could-Be-Entering-Unbelievable-Period-Of-Star-Player-Movement-Through-2024-Trade-Deadline

Beyond the future of Embiid, there are also uncertain situations facing the likes of Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl-Anthony Towns, Trae Young, Pascal Siakam, Julius Randle, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, OG Anunoby and Deandre Ayton, amongst others.

The more I think of it, the more I'm convinced the Jazz should do almost nothing in terms of free agency this offseason, unless they sign players to very short term deals. Keep trying to find young low-cost players and build their value, and wait for the opportunity to strike. If the Jazz luck out in the lottery, they could really swing a big trade.

Manifest it!!

[SoCalJazzFan]

NBA Could Be Entering 'Unbelievable Period' Of Star Player Movement Through 2024 Trade Deadline
https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/271571/NBA-Could-Be-Entering-Unbelievable-Period-Of-Star-Player-Movement-Through-2024-Trade-Deadline

Beyond the future of Embiid, there are also uncertain situations facing the likes of Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl-Anthony Towns, Trae Young, Pascal Siakam, Julius Randle, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, OG Anunoby and Deandre Ayton, amongst others.

The more I think of it, the more I'm convinced the Jazz should do almost nothing in terms of free agency this offseason, unless they sign players to very short term deals. Keep trying to find young low-cost players and build their value, and wait for the opportunity to strike. If the Jazz luck out in the lottery, they could really swing a big trade.

I agree with the caveat that if the opportunity to trade for an expiring contract and obtain draft compensation with it, then this could also be beneficial to this scenario. For example, in order to move on from Deandre Ayton, the Suns need to trade CP3, and the Jazz have the cap space to absorb him. Could be, for example, Dallas S&T Kyrie for Ayton or Portland acquiring Ayton. CP3's contract could be used to trade for a star. Could complicate the star trade, so the draft compensation would have to be worth it.

[Inigo Montoya]

So will the Hornets draft Scoot even though they have Ball, or will they go with Miller and Scoot faĺls to 3rd?