2024-25 NBA Season Discussion

[LukaTheGOAT]

Reminder that this is the same Murray that people on this forum with anti-Jokic agenda, claimed was good enough as a 2nd option against Minnesota last year. The same people who said it was disgraceful that Jokic couldn't win against Minnesota and put up a better offensive team performance.

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[Texas Chuck]

Reminder that this is the same Murray that people on this forum with anti-Jokic agenda, claimed was good enough as a 2nd option against Minnesota last year. The same people who said it was disgraceful that Jokic couldn't win against Minnesota and put up a better offensive team performance.

Read on Twitter

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I mean it was 2 posters. So if you are speaking to 2 posters, okay, chirp. But the rest of us realized Jokic was not the reason the Nuggets lost that series. Though worth pointing out as bad as Murray was, he did play a major role in 2 of their 3 wins....

Murray is who he is-- a streaky offensive player. He's not really a championship level 2nd guy except for he plays with the best player in the world. Doesn't mean Austin Reeves is that guy either. He's the 3rd guy playing with the GOAT and the 2nd best two way big on the planet.

Context always matters.

[The High Cyde]

I’m kinda worried about Chet breaking his hip so early in his career, and with the previous injuries he seems to be slightly injury prone. The hip one though is giving me pause, that’s an injury right in the middle of your frame, it could impact the rest of his career, making him think twice about attacking the rim or moving crisply on defense for example.
Maybe I’m just being a negative nancy, but it’s not out the realm of possibility.

[LukaTheGOAT]

Reminder that this is the same Murray that people on this forum with anti-Jokic agenda, claimed was good enough as a 2nd option against Minnesota last year. The same people who said it was disgraceful that Jokic couldn't win against Minnesota and put up a better offensive team performance.

Read on Twitter

?t=oQGHjZiSE4IGXE-8yiTswg&s=19

I mean it was 2 posters. So if you are speaking to 2 posters, okay, chirp. But the rest of us realized Jokic was not the reason the Nuggets lost that series. Though worth pointing out as bad as Murray was, he did play a major role in 2 of their 3 wins....

Murray is who he is-- a streaky offensive player. He's not really a championship level 2nd guy except for he plays with the best player in the world. Doesn't mean Austin Reeves is that guy either. He's the 3rd guy playing with the GOAT and the 2nd best two way big on the planet.

Context always matters.

I can already name 5 posters of the top of my head who were pushing that crap and there were those more subtle about it. And considering i would say probably 30 people consistently contribute to the seasonal discussion, I wouldn't say it's an insignificant amount.

[falcolombardi]

Sone thoughts early on the season

Boston- feels like they are less dominant (srs is not far out but the close 1 possesion games have skyrocketed even vs middling teams) than last year porzingis-less version

Stiil way too early to sound any alarm, they still have a 60+win pace and a +8 srs and stepping the foot of the gas in defense is usually expected coming of a title season. Gotta remember to not get into "bad habits/mentality" defensively tho

Cleveland: they feel like a well oiled machine right now albeit i think their record slightly overstates them, contrary to boston, is offense i wonder about with them. It is amazing but i am still not sure they have the overall shooting amd offensive talent to sustain. Garland and mitchell together will give them a high, high, high offense floor regardless

Have some questions about playoffs defense if top end teams will target mitchell or garland more but with their front court behind them it wont be easy regardless

Milwaukee: they feel more like a 50-50 team with bad luck than an actual 5-9 team which would still be **** awful. Having a meh offense with lillard and giannis may be a even bigger issue than the somewhat expected defensive woes

Moving on from portis, letting lopez go for a younger center and brining middleton back could maybe bring some balance to their defense. But the whole window of contending with their lillard trade was to build a unstopabble offense around giannis/lillard

Oklahoma: for my biased money, the most dominant team in the league first 10 games before chet injury. Right now their biggest concern is health. If they can get their full team healthy i think they have the strongest or at least more talented rotation in the whole league in a playoff series

(Kind of) effortlessly having a outlier defense with 1 single big was actually scary good

Other than health? Jalen and chet had some jitters in their first post season which hopefully they left behind. They lack a big wing to take on the guys like healthy luka, tatum, andrew wiggins and for some reason, pj washington

Minnesota: not a huge fan of randle albeit he is a useful player, divicenzo is good but conley aging kind of neuters that improvement in their guard rotation

I wonder looking at their defensive drop if the so controversial double big scheme actually was the best fit for gobert who got to not be the sole rim protector and could have more freedom defensively with kat around

Denver: i feel they have taken a small step back. The srs has got worse and their record with jokic has kind of been buoyed by jokic 50% from 3 streak making them win 1-2 possesion games. If murray doesnt improve it will be relatively easy for teams to double and recover on jokic and dare other denver players to make tough plays
Hell even at their best in 2023 denver was kind of reliant on murray self creation to alleviate pressure of jokic

Lakers: still too thin at the interior and front court, i know russel is a decent offemsive creator in regular season but he is a handicap come postseason when rotations shorten and bad defense is more targeted
Would trade him in a hearth beat for someone like schroeder for example (also not the best fit but a better defender)

Warriors: i think they are taking advantage a bit of a long rotation in reg season which is a disadvantage thst diminishes on the playoffs. But there is no doubt they are good. I dont feel their offense is that sutainable but i trust their D still

Dallas:not too worried for them. They are the inverse denver record wise with lots of close losses which will returnt to the mean through the season. Luka is way too often in bad shape per usual akd there may be lingering injuries with him which is by far their biggest issue

I still dont see their ceiling on boston/okc tier regardless

[tsherkin]

Boston- feels like they are less dominant (srs is not far out but the close 1 possesion games have skyrocketed even vs middling teams) than last year porzingis-less version

Stiil way too early to sound any alarm, they still have a 60+win pace and a +8 srs and stepping the foot of the gas in defense is usually expected coming of a title season. Gotta remember to not get into "bad habits/mentality" defensively tho

Their D isn't as hot as it was last year, and their O isn't at the same absolute level, though it's actually improved relative to the league. They were a 123.2 ORTG, +7.9 team last year and are at 121.1 but +8.6 so far this year.

We'll see what happens as we move past the current 14 games.

Denver: i feel they have taken a small step back. The srs has got worse and their record with jokic has kind of been buoyed by jokic 50% from 3 streak making them win 1-2 possesion games. If murray doesnt improve it will be relatively easy for teams to double and recover on jokic and dare other denver players to make tough plays
Hell even at their best in 2023 denver was kind of reliant on murray self creation to alleviate pressure of jokic

Yeah, 2023 team was like 2011 Dallas, in its way. They've backslid noticeably and they do not have much of anything without Jokic, though that isn't a surprise.

[parsnips33]

Houston is going to be an interesting addition to the playoffs this year. Feels like they are loaded with long strong defenders

Do they have enough offensively?

[tsherkin]

Houston is going to be an interesting addition to the playoffs this year. Feels like they are loaded with long strong defenders

Do they have enough offensively?

They're a nearly league-average offense and a high-end defense... high enough that it'll probably normalize as the season wears on. They were a -1.9 defense last year and are at -7.8 right now, which would be an all-time great defense.

[TheGOATRises007]

A Cavs win tonight would be insanely impressive.

[ShaqAttac]

when last time we win when ad n bron play bad?

[parsnips33]

Knowing how much the Warriors love turning the ball over, I'm absolutely terrified to go up against Dyson Daniels tonight lol

[GSP]

Houston is going to be an interesting addition to the playoffs this year. Feels like they are loaded with long strong defenders

Do they have enough offensively?

Too early to say they'll be in playoffs. They are 4 seed now mainly b/c of Kd, Jokic, Ja injuries which tanked their teams records but only 2 games ahead of 11 seed Kings. West just deep only 2 bad teams w/ Utah and New Orleans. Blazers look competent without Anfernee and Ayton dead weight. Houston should be in playin but top 6 seed? I dunno

[parsnips33]

Houston is going to be an interesting addition to the playoffs this year. Feels like they are loaded with long strong defenders

Do they have enough offensively?

Too early to say they'll be in playoffs. They are 4 seed now mainly b/c of Kd, Jokic, Ja injuries which tanked their teams records but only 2 games ahead of 11 seed Kings. West just deep only 2 bad teams w/ Utah and New Orleans. Blazers look competent without Anfernee and Ayton dead weight. Houston should be in playin but top 6 seed? I dunno

I guess it is too early to say. Still, the numbers beyond just their W-L record look pretty good. Granted that's after only 15 games

[IlikeSHAIguys]

those were 2 annoying losses honestly

[GSP]

Book is a horrific defender one of the worst in the league. I swear every game I watch hes getting lost on screens, guarding no one, dumb fouls and opposing guards actively target him

His defense doesnt get same criticism as guards like Harden, Steph but its much worse. Harden has his strength, anticipation, Steph got much stronger and Goat handeye coordination. Athletically Book isnt special anywhere. Not strong, not that fast, handeye coordination is good but not special, not long...........hes just a bad defender

[Doctor MJ]

when last time we win when ad n bron play bad?

Pre-Westbrook

[parsnips33]

Losing Melton hurts

[Outside]

Losing Melton hurts

Yes, but one of the key benefits of the new "strength in numbers" is the ability to absorb injuries better than other teams.

Whether it's someone like Waters or Podz or even Kyle Anderson, or more likely all of them, it's time to step up and seize the opportunity.

[parsnips33]

Losing Melton hurts

Yes, but one of the key benefits of the new "strength in numbers" is the ability to absorb injuries better than other teams.

Whether it's someone like Waters or Podz or even Kyle Anderson, or more likely all of them, it's time to step up and seize the opportunity.

I've been quietly buying up Podz stock through various shell companies through this current slump

Ready for him to take advantage of the opportunity

[OhayoKD]

"Draymond isn't a floor-raiser" looks dumber and dumber by the season