2023-24 NBA Season Discussion

[Peregrine01]

At the end of the day Nuggets bottom 5 bench came to bite them in the ass

Braun, Reggie and Jrues lil bro is not a championship depth. They played out of their minds w/ a fluke mirage of shotmaking and play games 3-5 where they miraculously outplayed one of the best benches w/ 6moy that got them the lead but games 1-2 and 6-7 they reverted back to what they really are. 5pts at home combined from bench in game 7

Losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green killed Denvers depth all year and now they continue the trend of champs not making it out of the 2nd round. With Jokic, Murray, Mpj, Gordon contracts and new Cba they dont have alot of ways to get real depth around those 4 either

They're going to have to move MPJ - that is one albatross of a contract. Murray's isn't that good either given his inconsistency but at least he shows up in the biggest moments. But yeah, depth is getting increasingly harder to retain - I doubt Minny can keep this roster next year. So perhaps we're in an era where no team is dominant.

[eminence]

At the end of the day Nuggets bottom 5 bench came to bite them in the ass

Braun, Reggie and Jrues lil bro is not a championship depth. They played out of their minds w/ a fluke mirage of shotmaking and play games 3-5 where they miraculously outplayed one of the best benches w/ 6moy that got them the lead but games 1-2 and 6-7 they reverted back to what they really are. 5pts at home combined from bench in game 7

Losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green killed Denvers depth all year and now they continue the trend of champs not making it out of the 2nd round. With Jokic, Murray, Mpj, Gordon contracts and new Cba they dont have alot of ways to get real depth around those 4 either

They're going to have to move MPJ - that is one albatross of a contract. Murray's isn't that good either given his inconsistency but at least he shows up in the biggest moments. But yeah, depth is getting increasingly harder to retain - I doubt Minny can keep this roster next year. So perhaps we're in an era where no team is dominant.

Wolves top 7 are under contract next season (starters + Naz + NAW).

[RCM88x]

At the end of the day Nuggets bottom 5 bench came to bite them in the ass

Braun, Reggie and Jrues lil bro is not a championship depth. They played out of their minds w/ a fluke mirage of shotmaking and play games 3-5 where they miraculously outplayed one of the best benches w/ 6moy that got them the lead but games 1-2 and 6-7 they reverted back to what they really are. 5pts at home combined from bench in game 7

Losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green killed Denvers depth all year and now they continue the trend of champs not making it out of the 2nd round. With Jokic, Murray, Mpj, Gordon contracts and new Cba they dont have alot of ways to get real depth around those 4 either

They're going to have to move MPJ - that is one albatross of a contract. Murray's isn't that good either given his inconsistency but at least he shows up in the biggest moments. But yeah, depth is getting increasingly harder to retain - I doubt Minny can keep this roster next year. So perhaps we're in an era where no team is dominant.

CBA is going to make it a revolving door for a while, unless some player is just so far ahead of the rest of somehow some crazy contacts get handed out. NBA's 15 year crusade against dominate teams is finally coming to fruition

[cpower]

I dont think Joker needs more help...Denver is one of the best defensive team, can make threes and have Murray who is not a bad 2nd option (who is hurt this year). They just need a little better depth and somehow get MPJ going a little bit more. It's pretty rare that all Joker MPJ and Murray are cold on threes all series...

[Statlanta]

Legacy performance by Karl-Anthony Towns, great team performance by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

KAT and Wiggins getting a championship before Thibs(as a head coach) and Jimmy Butler was not on my bingo card this season.

[Texas Chuck]

This is a fun and somewhat unexpected final four. Celtics obviously a chalk pick, but the other 3 are all interlopers of one sort of another.

I'm expecting fun and competitive conference Finals. Indy's ability to score gives them a puncher's chance. We will have Eastern basketball in the West and Western basketball in the East. I expect you to need 125 to win in the East and it might be first one to 95 in the West.

[LukaTheGOAT]

Crazy streak was broken.

Read on Twitter

/photo/1

[Peregrine01]

At the end of the day Nuggets bottom 5 bench came to bite them in the ass

Braun, Reggie and Jrues lil bro is not a championship depth. They played out of their minds w/ a fluke mirage of shotmaking and play games 3-5 where they miraculously outplayed one of the best benches w/ 6moy that got them the lead but games 1-2 and 6-7 they reverted back to what they really are. 5pts at home combined from bench in game 7

Losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green killed Denvers depth all year and now they continue the trend of champs not making it out of the 2nd round. With Jokic, Murray, Mpj, Gordon contracts and new Cba they dont have alot of ways to get real depth around those 4 either

They're going to have to move MPJ - that is one albatross of a contract. Murray's isn't that good either given his inconsistency but at least he shows up in the biggest moments. But yeah, depth is getting increasingly harder to retain - I doubt Minny can keep this roster next year. So perhaps we're in an era where no team is dominant.

Wolves top 7 are under contract next season (starters + Naz + NAW).

How much longer can they keep the roster beyond then? I have to imagine that some of these dudes are due for massive pay increases.

[rk2023]

They're going to have to move MPJ - that is one albatross of a contract. Murray's isn't that good either given his inconsistency but at least he shows up in the biggest moments. But yeah, depth is getting increasingly harder to retain - I doubt Minny can keep this roster next year. So perhaps we're in an era where no team is dominant.

Wolves top 7 are under contract next season (starters + Naz + NAW).

How much longer can they keep the roster beyond then? I have to imagine that some of these dudes are due for massive pay increases.

Forget specifics, but iirc Rudy and Ant are due soon - which will be reflected in the cap. Of course, Towns is already making life altering wealth.

[eminence]

They're going to have to move MPJ - that is one albatross of a contract. Murray's isn't that good either given his inconsistency but at least he shows up in the biggest moments. But yeah, depth is getting increasingly harder to retain - I doubt Minny can keep this roster next year. So perhaps we're in an era where no team is dominant.

Wolves top 7 are under contract next season (starters + Naz + NAW).

How much longer can they keep the roster beyond then? I have to imagine that some of these dudes are due for massive pay increases.

Probably not after that, will have to re-tool around the younger part of the core (Ant/McDaniels/KAT).

KAT 4/221 (PO year 4)
ANT 5/204
McDaniels 5/131
Conley 2/21
Rudy 2/90 (PO year 2)
Naz 2/29 (PO year 2)
NAW 1/4

[bigboi]

Jokic isn’t better than healthy Gianni’s if we’re being real

[ronnymac2]

It sucks to have to do this, but...great season for NYK. Finally a squad we can be proud of. Hell, neutral fans who have (rightfully) trashed us for two decades even seemed to enjoy our team and story this year.

I really do hope we sign OG, Hartenstein, AND Precious back to reasonable contracts. OG is such a solid player on both ends and completes us. I appreciate him giving it a shot in GM 7. DDV was phenomenal. Obviously Hart gave it his all as well. JB IS the best NYK since Patrick Ewing. McBride might be the best contract in the league given his improvements shooting the ball.

I worry about what we can get back for Randle now. First quarter of this past season was when JR was ever going to be at his highest trade value, but I guess no opportunity arose, so they stood pat, and then he got injured. Early next season, he'll be on the wrong side of 30 with an injury history (albeit a shoulder injury isn't so bad). I'm not one of the NYK fanbase who is necessarily down on Randle, but...I sort of wish we could have pulled the trigger on something.

Best (and realistic) case scenario for next year:

Hartenstein/Mitch
Randle/Precious
OG/Bogdanovic
Hart/DDV
Brunson/McBride

I wouldn't mind getting Burks back as well. Seems like a high-character vet and a professional.

I like that team, but the East is almost certainly going to be stronger in 2025. CLE, INDY, ORL, PHIL, and maybe even MIL will likely be improved. The East was weak this year with MIL getting Doc Rivers, PHI only having three good players, and BOS being the most overrated team post-2000. Without injuries, I think we basically would have had no competition this season until we faced one of the Western Conference teams (Honestly, any of the four from the WCSF would be a huge challenge...they were/are all legit title contenders).

Much respect to Indiana. Haliburton wasn't playing at 100% either, but he came into MSG in a game 7 and balled out. Great job by Obi Toppin getting back at us. Those two kids - I think Nembhard and Nesmith are their names - played like dawgs. McConnell as well. I'll be rooting for the Pacers in the ECF.

[Peregrine01]

Wolves top 7 are under contract next season (starters + Naz + NAW).

How much longer can they keep the roster beyond then? I have to imagine that some of these dudes are due for massive pay increases.

Probably not after that, will have to re-tool around the younger part of the core (Ant/McDaniels/KAT).

KAT 4/221 (PO year 4)
ANT 5/204
McDaniels 5/131
Conley 2/21
Rudy 2/90 (PO year 2)
Naz 2/29 (PO year 2)
NAW 1/4

NAW is getting paid $4 mil?? LOL. Naz is also set for a massive payday.

[rk2023]

It sucks to have to do this, but...great season for NYK. Finally a squad we can be proud of. Hell, neutral fans who have (rightfully) trashed us for two decades even seemed to enjoy our team and story this year.

I really do hope we sign OG, Hartenstein, AND Precious back to reasonable contracts. OG is such a solid player on both ends and completes us. I appreciate him giving it a shot in GM 7. DDV was phenomenal. Obviously Hart gave it his all as well. JB IS the best NYK since Patrick Ewing. McBride might be the best contract in the league given his improvements shooting the ball.

I worry about what we can get back for Randle now. First quarter of this past season was when JR was ever going to be at his highest trade value, but I guess no opportunity arose, so they stood pat, and then he got injured. Early next season, he'll be on the wrong side of 30 with an injury history (albeit a shoulder injury isn't so bad). I'm not one of the NYK fanbase who is necessarily down on Randle, but...I sort of wish we could have pulled the trigger on something.

Best (and realistic) case scenario for next year:

Hartenstein/Mitch
Randle/Precious
OG/Bogdanovic
Hart/DDV
Brunson/McBride

I wouldn't mind getting Burks back as well. Seems like a high-character vet and a professional.

I like that team, but the East is almost certainly going to be stronger in 2025. CLE, INDY, ORL, PHIL, and maybe even MIL will likely be improved. The East was weak this year with MIL getting Doc Rivers, PHI only having three good players, and BOS being the most overrated team post-2000. Without injuries, I think we basically would have had no competition this season until we faced one of the Western Conference teams (Honestly, any of the four from the WCSF would be a huge challenge...they were/are all legit title contenders).

Much respect to Indiana. Haliburton wasn't playing at 100% either, but he came into MSG in a game 7 and balled out. Great job by Obi Toppin getting back at us. Those two kids - I think Nembhard and Nesmith are their names - played like dawgs. McConnell as well. I'll be rooting for the Pacers in the ECF.

Well said,

Though their seasons are over - had a lot of fun watching Denver (not in R1 however :/), the Knicks, and OKC this year. Jokic, Brunson, and Shai played some magnificent ball this postseason

[ardee]

Nuggets minus Jokic: 56 points, 21/55 from the field.

Nuggets minus Jokic/Murray: 21 points, 8/28 from the field.

People who are going to blame Joker for putting up 35/20 in a loss against an all-time great defensive frontcourt aren't to be taken seriously.

[Peregrine01]

This is a fun and somewhat unexpected final four. Celtics obviously a chalk pick, but the other 3 are all interlopers of one sort of another.

I'm expecting fun and competitive conference Finals. Indy's ability to score gives them a puncher's chance. We will have Eastern basketball in the West and Western basketball in the East. I expect you to need 125 to win in the East and it might be first one to 95 in the West.

How do you honestly see the WCF unfolding? The Mavs will almost certainly deal with ball pressure better but I see Rudy having a way more impactful series in this one for obvious reasons.

[CKRT]

Hopefully people will start giving Gobert his flowers (at least for his play), but alas.

[bigboi]

Nuggets minus Jokic: 56 points, 21/55 from the field.

Nuggets minus Jokic/Murray: 21 points, 8/28 from the field.

People who are going to blame Joker for putting up 35/20 in a loss against an all-time great defensive frontcourt aren't to be taken seriously.

What were his shooting percentages and how did his defense look? It’s absolutely insane how yall hyped up Jokic as being peak Jordan level and then make every excuse for him when he under delivers. You use every single stat to skew in Jokic’s favor. If Westbrook put up these stats, all I would I hear is 13/28 and Westbrook being food on defense. Jokic was GARBAGE on defense, idk what happened to this league for people to completely ignore the defensive side of the game especially at the most important defensive position. Jokic didn’t have a good game. nuggets blew 15 point lead. And NO, wolves aren’t an all time front court, you guys keep trying to make up stuff to make Jokic look better. KAT nor Nas Reid are all time defenders. Jokic got winded, was played physically and got outhustled, simple as that for anyone that watched the game. AND that’s with the refs playing against the wolves too

[GSP]

Hopefully people will start giving Gobert his flowers (at least for his play), but alas.

Rudy def deserves his props for the last 2 games. He was awful games 3-5 and looked like one of his defenses were heading the same way after Wolves just had their most dominant defense of the series w/o him game 2. But he really made a big impact these last 2 games. He has a real chance to prove alot of the doubters including me wrong about his playoff viability.

[Peregrine01]

Hopefully people will start giving Gobert his flowers (at least for his play), but alas.

Not gonna happen. People seem to love to hate on huge, awkward guys that they think are soft with no skill. Love that he's turned the tables on them but I doubt there's gonna be any mea culpas.