GT: Game #4 - Charlotte @ Dallas (Dec 30)

[KembaWalker]

PJ seems to be working himself back into shape and/or figuring out his role so feeling good about that. We blew out a good western conference team with Hayward having a bad night. Not sure how to feel about this teams prospects yet

[Liver_Pooty]

Poor Luka looks like he's gained 10 pounds just in his face during the offseason

[LofJ]

Poor Luka looks like he's gained 10 pounds just in his face during the offseason

As someone with some experience with this I'm pretty sure the culprit is alcohol. Luka needs to cut back on the partying. He's young enough to lose that weight quickly, but once you start to get past 30 it isnt as easy. Cuban, Dirk, and Carlyle need to help him get a handle on that before it b ecomes a problem.

I wish I could lose weight as quickly as I did in my early 20s. It doesn't last forever though, unfortunately.

[BigSlam]

Poor Luka looks like he's gained 10 pounds just in his face during the offseason

As someone with some experience with this I'm pretty sure the culprit is alcohol. Luka needs to cut back on the partying. He's young enough to lose that weight quickly, but once you start to get past 30 it isnt as easy. Cuban, Dirk, and Carlyle need to help him get a handle on that before it becomes a problem.

How on Earth has this become "Luka has an alcohol abuse problem"???

[LofJ]

Poor Luka looks like he's gained 10 pounds just in his face during the offseason

As someone with some experience with this I'm pretty sure the culprit is alcohol. Luka needs to cut back on the partying. He's young enough to lose that weight quickly, but once you start to get past 30 it isnt as easy. Cuban, Dirk, and Carlyle need to help him get a handle on that before it becomes a problem.

How on Earth has this become "Luka has an alcohol abuse problem"???

When I gained a lot of weight from partying my face looked exactly like Luka's does now. I don't know for sure, but the guy is a celebrity in his early 20s. If he isn't partying to excess I'd be surprised.

[geraldwallace]

I'm a fat **** and my face looks a little worse than Luka's from too many 2am Mcdonalds and Cookout trips

[LamarMatic7]

so I still have a very soft spot for the Hornets. and have to watch the Mavs so I would get a grasp for this year's team even before KP comes back. figured that I should watch this one. although.. **** it. I don't need a reason. it's a December 31 evening, I'm on some hallucinogens to make this lockdown experience more bearable (Latvia is in a huge covid wave). and I still had to watch basketball on a holiday, because what else I have to do in life.

figured I should dive in and use this high to type up a way too long post of impressions. worst that can happen is that I will chat with some of you, old friends.

for context - I hadnt watched the Hornets ever since the team fell out of any relevance in January. that's when I cut out the bad teams regardless. especially now that I dont have so much time. and second thing - I made a point to be a bit more blunt and make observations based on limited minutes, even though the sample is non-existent. hope this is fun for you guys who sort of get tied up in the daily discourse. will like to see if there's something completely off the wall that I said (please, do point that out).

- of course, everything that could go bad for the Mavs went that way and obviously Doncic doesnt look good. but I do believe that the make-up of this team is such that it provoked Dallas into a bad night. think the 1 through 4 positions of long guys who dont care about switching on Luka is a good place to start with. it's just a nice, warm blend of long limbs that need to be covered in teal socks, wristbands and whatever those guys wear nowadays.

- that naturally brings me to the outlook of the team. Its easy to see why the FO was tempted to rush it and bring Hayward in. I mean, all of these guys are competent. not every team can say that. even the Martins and McDaniels (jesus.. I didnt catch that guy last year. figured another wing is coming in. then all of the sudden he plays the 5 and kind of can cover it up with his length. a definite "limbs covered in teal accessories" guy). my feel is that this team will be ripe for the picking in regards to role players. Washington and Bridges are the obvious ones, of course. they seem ready. sure, there are mental mistakes, but you can improve that.

- and yet it still has the feel of a 42, 45-win team where you get a bit carried away about how good your home-grown talent is. I mean, they are nice players and all. but it feels like preparing bench guys for somebody else. are we like really, 100%, definitely sure that anyone else besides Ball, Rozier and Hayward is a play-off starter? and even there we have some overlap.

- now Ball has IT, whatever that "it" is. and naturally this comes off after a positive win. easy to be high on them after this game. but I like the kid (sans the Lithuanian league - trust me I watched all of that - pullup 3s from the scorers table). I like the Kidd comps and I do believe that he will impact the game in a similar manner as Kidd, but in regards to the aesthetics I get more of a softer Penny Hardaway vibe. still certain that he was the best guy in this draft.

- so where does he end up? if he is a superstar, then obviously these role guys are solid enough to win 50 games. that's where I get a bit tentative. I dont mean this in a bad way, but I think he'll end up on the Jason Kidd - Ricky Rubio (where Kidd is the absolute best and Rubio is just sort of good) train of a guy who just knows how to make plays and improve his team. I certainly think he'll be much closer to Kidd than Rubio. he has the body that Rubio wished he has. but I hope that the reality isnt such that in 2020 even prime Jason Kidd wouldnt be as dominant as he was back then. in other words, LaMelo's skillset might be more suited for a Ben Simmons type of "second best player role".

- where to get the first best player? that's a tough one when you're this decent. this team definitely is good enough to be in the play-in.

a few more, player-centered ones.

- PJ Washington and Miles Bridges are just damn good. granted Washington did screw up some, but he also made plays as the 5. he's the wet dream of a GM trying to find the next Draymond. loved the mini sky hook by Bridges as well. those type of plays make me think that those two guys get it.

- as do their agents get it. this can very easily end up in everybody getting paid and the team getting stuck in mid 40-s. need to figure out who is more easy to replicate with someone from the scrap heap when that time comes. very tough question to answer. would love to keep them both but thats how the **** life in the NBA sometimes works.

- I wouldnt keep Graham around. seems redundant. and hes just so small. love the leap he made, love the story, homegrown kid, will be tough to do that for FO. but in a way I dont see why Ball doesnt play more. would guess that this way everyone is happy. coaches have a leash on the rook if he screws up, FO can sell it as a learning curve, the veterans remain happy as Graham hunts a contract. okay.. maybe it does make sense as I type it all out.

- not the best game for Hayward but love the lineups that could be rolled out thanks to his versatility. Rozier/Ball/Hayward/Bridges/Washington. WANT ME SOME OF THAT

- man, I hope you guys appreciate Eric Collins enough. I spent like 6 minutes traversed (does that make sense? Im high) by every word he said. I say this coming from a fellow commentators angle. obviously, I'm in the lower leagues compared to him. but I hope that I can say that sentence in a humble way when putting our two in the sames sentence. but, yeah.. just simple things like "southpaw sling" for a lefty who made a 3. Collins has a way about making every expression so colorful that it says so much more than the words he used. if that makes sense. probably doesnt. lets move on.

- I just love Biz. love the man. unconditionally. he has already ended up as a very nice story of "yeah, we had higher hopes, but look at his career earnings and games played. thats no bust."

- AND another note. up until 18-19, he was so durable. thats such an underrated skill (something Hornets fans should know well enough with Cody). I cant wait for Biz being the reliable 35-year-old backup to the backup who can get dusted off the shelf for 30 minutes like he was in the rotation all this time.

- but after those two prequels.. man. I wish there was a way to turn Graham into a big. Cody and Biz are nice, very nice guys to root for. but they probaby should be back ups at this point. most teams dont even trade small for big. but this team is one of the rare ones that could do it. I looked at Graham for Myles Turner scenarios. doesnt seem realistic. but Myles Turner would fit well here, IMO.

- this was the first time ever I saw Vernon Carey. he looked way too slow for the NBA. it's as if his one side weighs more than the other. if that makes sense to a sober mind. hope I'm wrong, but that guy doesnt have the body for this league. dont see why you draft someone with that profile in the second round. just shoot for something more valuable position wise.

- I had like 10 more thoughts but all of them got lost in my disoriented and disorganized mind. thank you very much that you got through this post! few possess the ability to write creatively. and Ive certainly learned that over the years.

[LamarMatic7]

Poor Luka looks like he's gained 10 pounds just in his face during the offseason

As someone with some experience with this I'm pretty sure the culprit is alcohol. Luka needs to cut back on the partying. He's young enough to lose that weight quickly, but once you start to get past 30 it isnt as easy. Cuban, Dirk, and Carlyle need to help him get a handle on that before it becomes a problem.

How on Earth has this become "Luka has an alcohol abuse problem"???

honestly about 5% terrified that I'm pulling a Stugotz here and saying something that it isnt so. but I think I heard it from somebody trustworthy and thought that it was a fact - Luke spent most nights in Madrid during his last season there in one of the most known night clubs. and he wasnt there for the onion rings either. would have himself a good time with more than enough bottles.

[LamarMatic7]

a few rounds on me if you ever come to my side of the world.

[-Ian-]

I'm glad to see you again here, LamarMatic! We hope to see more of you.

[fatlever]

well well well... look who showed up

welcome back lamar. always a pleasure.

[amcoolio]

Welcome back LM! Thanks for the analysis! Go unearth doc.end while you are at it

[Snidely FC]

Great to have you stop by Lamar stay safe!

[LamarMatic7]

say Im wrong about something!

[MPM]

say Im wrong about something!

I'm wrong about something.



(I think there's a glimmer of hope for Carey)

[DY_nasty]

say Im wrong about something!

let me hate on miles again for old times you know damn well this hot streak coming to an end

[Liver_Pooty]

say Im wrong about something!

I think Carey will carve out a nice career as a backup center

[Diop]

say Im wrong about something!

Most of what you said echoed what a lot of us have posted. So you won’t get a huge amount of argument.

[LamarMatic7]

I sobered up and found out how good Carey was in college. welp... now I'm in even more invested in following his career to see whether I was completely off or was there some truth to my instincts of watching a guy play garbage time

[LamarMatic7]

say Im wrong about something!

let me hate on miles again for old times you know damn well this hot streak coming to an end

fair point. this performance is certainly an outlier. he certainly can have a 3-pointer showing which makes him seem a bit better than he has been in his career.