Around the NBA (and other Sports), 2023-24, Part 2

[Fencer reregistered]

So do you still think we’d win a championship if we didn’t trade Smart for KP ?

Nice try. That's SO NOT what you said. Lol.

I’ll ask the question again. Do you think we win a championship if we keep Smart instead of trading him for KP ?

Dumb question. We stole KP, because he wanted to come here.

That said, you can pretend the Clippers didn't choke on the Brogdon physical, in which case we would have gotten KP for Brogdon and then later presumably traded Smart for Jrue (presumably in a 3-way with Memphis). Asking about swapping in Jrue for Smart would not necessarily be dumb.

[Sweet Serenity]

Nice revisionist take. We traded Smart because Brogdon to Clippers fell apart. Worked out for us since we still got Jrue out of it.

It’s not a revisionist take though. The Brogdon trade fell through but we still traded Smart for KP which is exactly what I was talking about in the first place …
How is this not getting through to you ?

Except you're reinventing the exact reason why we traded Smart for KP. Dealing with facts here. If you wanna live in your fantasyland, that's your prerogative.

But you & I both know we don’t win a championship with Smart which just proves me right.

[Fierce1]

We already know we didn't win a championship with Smart.

Smart, as a Celtic, already went to the ECF 4 times and reached the finals once.

Wyc Grousbeck said he went to Brad, after the Cs lost Game 7 to Miami, and told Brad they must not bring back the same team for next season.

Marcus Smart's days as a Celtic were numbered when Wyc stepped in.

Brad had numerous chances to trade Smart in the past.

But Brad never pulled the trigger.

The Celtic owner wanted to move on from Smart.

[ConstableGeneva]

It’s not a revisionist take though. The Brogdon trade fell through but we still traded Smart for KP which is exactly what I was talking about in the first place …
How is this not getting through to you ?

Except you're reinventing the exact reason why we traded Smart for KP. Dealing with facts here. If you wanna live in your fantasyland, that's your prerogative.

But you & I both know we don’t win a championship with Smart which just proves me right.

No, we both don't know that. We have Porzingis instead of Theis in 2020, we beat the Heat's zone despite Hayward's injury and who knows what happens against the Lakers. We have Porzingis instead of a gimpy Rob in the 2022 Finals, we beat Golden State even with a handicapped Tatum. We have Porzingis instead of an injured Brogdon last season, we beat the Heat even with JB's **** performance and who knows what happens against the Nuggets.

That's quite the leap from your original post. If anything, Smart proved yet again he can fill in when he needs to when an upper tier guy is missing on their roster. In that game's case, Ja was out. Look at the box score.

[JaMarco]

Maybe the Suns really do just suck. They still should have the talent to turn it around anytime.

[Fierce1]

Maybe the Suns really do just suck. They still should have the talent to turn it around anytime.

Suns need a PG.

Using Booker as a PG is not maximizing his strengths.

[ConstableGeneva]

Made me lol. WTF.

Read on Twitter

[KillahGhostface]

Whoa lol

Read on Twitter

[BK_2020]

Light years

[JaMarco]

The Patriots should have hired him

[ryan in Maine]

Did Draymond threaten to retire if Silver didn't let him play lol

[bisme37]

It's actually 4 ECF's for JT

[Bad-Thoma]

It’s not a revisionist take though. The Brogdon trade fell through but we still traded Smart for KP which is exactly what I was talking about in the first place …
How is this not getting through to you ?

Except you're reinventing the exact reason why we traded Smart for KP. Dealing with facts here. If you wanna live in your fantasyland, that's your prerogative.

But you & I both know we don’t win a championship with Smart which just proves me right.

What kind of stupid argument is that? "I know it, so therefore it's proven." "I also, whether you know it or not, know that you know it, therefore it's proven." My philosophy professor would have beaten you with a stick.

[bisme37]

So I've noticed even some of the most devoted Embiid hypemen on RGM have gotten annoyed with him lately lol. Usually there's a small army of Joel fans on the GB defending him from the "haters" but even some of them are openly criticizing him..

There's a narrative that Joel stat pads vs bad teams and then sits out games against good teams. So right now he has a streak of 30/10 games going and is also dealing with some lingering injury. And in the last game he played he stayed in the game in garbage time until he got his 30 and 10 even though he was looking kinda gimpy.

Now he's re-injured and missing consecutive games again and the Sixers are losing. And fans are not pleased.

Not very MVP-ish imo.

[bisme37]

Thunder moved to the top spot in NBA.com power rankings this week. On the strength of beating us I guess but it's kinda weird since they've now lost 2 straight and didn't really have that great of a week in the end.

Celtics are #2...

#2
BOSTON CELTICS
Last Week:1↓
Record: 28-7

OffRtg: 120.6 (2) DefRtg: 109.9 (2) NetRtg: +10.8 (1) Pace: 99.0 (20)

The Celtics lost their marquee matchup in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, but still have two fewer losses than every other team, and they’re 16-3 since late November.

Three takeaways:

- The much bigger difference between the Celtics’ wins (124.1 points scored per 100 possessions) and losses (107.5 scored per 100) has been on offense, but they struggled defensively against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder’s shooting. Kristaps Porzingis didn’t seem to be helping enough on drives or closing out well enough to the 3-point line on Chet Holmgren pick-and-pops when they switched matchups in the fourth quarter.

- The Pacers’ top-ranked offense has been held to a point per possession or less just twice this season. The Celtics’ defense is responsible for both instances, though that’s mostly about 3-point shooting, with Indiana going 13-for-79 (16.5%) from beyond the arc over those two games. The percentage of Boston opponent 3-point attempts that have been contested is below the league average, though only 19% of those attempts, the league’s lowest opponent rate, have come from the corners.

- The OKC loss was just the ninth time this season that the Celtics lost the first quarter. They proceeded to win the next two first quarters by a combined score of 69-32 and have outscored their opponents by 21.8 points per 100 possessions (ranking first on both ends of the floor) in the first quarter for the season. That’s the best mark for any team in any quarter.

While the Celtics have one of the league’s toughest January schedules regarding opponent strength, they also have a league-high five rest-advantage games this month. The first two of those are against the Wolves and Rockets this week. They’ll be at a disadvantage in Milwaukee on Thursday.

Week 12: @ IND, vs. MIN, @ MIL, vs. HOU

3 Nuggets
4 Wolves
5 Clippers

https://www.nba.com/news/power-rankings-2023-24-week-12

[ConstableGeneva]

Read on Twitter

[Celts17Pride]

Thunder moved to the top spot in NBA.com power rankings this week. On the strength of beating us I guess but it's kinda weird since they've now lost 2 straight and didn't really have that great of a week in the end.

Celtics are #2...

#2
BOSTON CELTICS
Last Week:1↓
Record: 28-7

OffRtg: 120.6 (2) DefRtg: 109.9 (2) NetRtg: +10.8 (1) Pace: 99.0 (20)

The Celtics lost their marquee matchup in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, but still have two fewer losses than every other team, and they’re 16-3 since late November.

Three takeaways:

- The much bigger difference between the Celtics’ wins (124.1 points scored per 100 possessions) and losses (107.5 scored per 100) has been on offense, but they struggled defensively against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder’s shooting. Kristaps Porzingis didn’t seem to be helping enough on drives or closing out well enough to the 3-point line on Chet Holmgren pick-and-pops when they switched matchups in the fourth quarter.

- The Pacers’ top-ranked offense has been held to a point per possession or less just twice this season. The Celtics’ defense is responsible for both instances, though that’s mostly about 3-point shooting, with Indiana going 13-for-79 (16.5%) from beyond the arc over those two games. The percentage of Boston opponent 3-point attempts that have been contested is below the league average, though only 19% of those attempts, the league’s lowest opponent rate, have come from the corners.

- The OKC loss was just the ninth time this season that the Celtics lost the first quarter. They proceeded to win the next two first quarters by a combined score of 69-32 and have outscored their opponents by 21.8 points per 100 possessions (ranking first on both ends of the floor) in the first quarter for the season. That’s the best mark for any team in any quarter.

While the Celtics have one of the league’s toughest January schedules regarding opponent strength, they also have a league-high five rest-advantage games this month. The first two of those are against the Wolves and Rockets this week. They’ll be at a disadvantage in Milwaukee on Thursday.

Week 12: @ IND, vs. MIN, @ MIL, vs. HOU

3 Nuggets
4 Wolves
5 Clippers

https://www.nba.com/news/power-rankings-2023-24-week-12

They have to do something to keep it interesting. Celtics are clearly the best team in the NBA at this point.

[JaMarco]

Thunder moved to the top spot in NBA.com power rankings this week. On the strength of beating us I guess but it's kinda weird since they've now lost 2 straight and didn't really have that great of a week in the end.

Celtics are #2...

#2
BOSTON CELTICS
Last Week:1↓
Record: 28-7

OffRtg: 120.6 (2) DefRtg: 109.9 (2) NetRtg: +10.8 (1) Pace: 99.0 (20)

The Celtics lost their marquee matchup in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, but still have two fewer losses than every other team, and they’re 16-3 since late November.

Three takeaways:

- The much bigger difference between the Celtics’ wins (124.1 points scored per 100 possessions) and losses (107.5 scored per 100) has been on offense, but they struggled defensively against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder’s shooting. Kristaps Porzingis didn’t seem to be helping enough on drives or closing out well enough to the 3-point line on Chet Holmgren pick-and-pops when they switched matchups in the fourth quarter.

- The Pacers’ top-ranked offense has been held to a point per possession or less just twice this season. The Celtics’ defense is responsible for both instances, though that’s mostly about 3-point shooting, with Indiana going 13-for-79 (16.5%) from beyond the arc over those two games. The percentage of Boston opponent 3-point attempts that have been contested is below the league average, though only 19% of those attempts, the league’s lowest opponent rate, have come from the corners.

- The OKC loss was just the ninth time this season that the Celtics lost the first quarter. They proceeded to win the next two first quarters by a combined score of 69-32 and have outscored their opponents by 21.8 points per 100 possessions (ranking first on both ends of the floor) in the first quarter for the season. That’s the best mark for any team in any quarter.

While the Celtics have one of the league’s toughest January schedules regarding opponent strength, they also have a league-high five rest-advantage games this month. The first two of those are against the Wolves and Rockets this week. They’ll be at a disadvantage in Milwaukee on Thursday.

Week 12: @ IND, vs. MIN, @ MIL, vs. HOU

3 Nuggets
4 Wolves
5 Clippers

https://www.nba.com/news/power-rankings-2023-24-week-12

[bisme37]

Thunder moved to the top spot in NBA.com power rankings this week. On the strength of beating us I guess but it's kinda weird since they've now lost 2 straight and didn't really have that great of a week in the end.

Spoiler:

Celtics are #2...

#2
BOSTON CELTICS
Last Week:1↓
Record: 28-7

OffRtg: 120.6 (2) DefRtg: 109.9 (2) NetRtg: +10.8 (1) Pace: 99.0 (20)

The Celtics lost their marquee matchup in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, but still have two fewer losses than every other team, and they’re 16-3 since late November.

Three takeaways:

- The much bigger difference between the Celtics’ wins (124.1 points scored per 100 possessions) and losses (107.5 scored per 100) has been on offense, but they struggled defensively against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder’s shooting. Kristaps Porzingis didn’t seem to be helping enough on drives or closing out well enough to the 3-point line on Chet Holmgren pick-and-pops when they switched matchups in the fourth quarter.

- The Pacers’ top-ranked offense has been held to a point per possession or less just twice this season. The Celtics’ defense is responsible for both instances, though that’s mostly about 3-point shooting, with Indiana going 13-for-79 (16.5%) from beyond the arc over those two games. The percentage of Boston opponent 3-point attempts that have been contested is below the league average, though only 19% of those attempts, the league’s lowest opponent rate, have come from the corners.

- The OKC loss was just the ninth time this season that the Celtics lost the first quarter. They proceeded to win the next two first quarters by a combined score of 69-32 and have outscored their opponents by 21.8 points per 100 possessions (ranking first on both ends of the floor) in the first quarter for the season. That’s the best mark for any team in any quarter.

While the Celtics have one of the league’s toughest January schedules regarding opponent strength, they also have a league-high five rest-advantage games this month. The first two of those are against the Wolves and Rockets this week. They’ll be at a disadvantage in Milwaukee on Thursday.

Week 12: @ IND, vs. MIN, @ MIL, vs. HOU

3 Nuggets
4 Wolves
5 Clippers

https://www.nba.com/news/power-rankings-2023-24-week-12

They have to do something to keep it interesting. Celtics are clearly the best team in the NBA at this point.

The Celtics are so good beating them by 4 points in one game instantly makes you the best team I guess.

[TheMartian]

It's actually 4 ECF's for JT

Well, SGA has been putting up better numbers so far, so an argument can be made, but team success should also be factored in and this is where JT blows SGA out of the water.