Around the League: 2024-25 Season

[thelead]

The Nuggets fire Mike Malone.

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We can now choose between Jenkins or Malone.

Exactly my thoughts as well.

[Bensational]

Who fires the coach just a couple weeks before the playoffs?! I don’t understand the thinking of these franchises.

[Idiosyncratic]

Who fires the coach just a couple weeks before the playoffs?! I don’t understand the thinking of these franchises.

Team was going through the motions, almost no defense being played. Maybe he completely lost the locker room. Maybe they thought they had no chance as it stands and any jolt from a coaching change could be worth it.

It is unconventional, but it does seem like teams get a positive temporary bounce from coaching changes so if they were going to do it anyway maybe they think they can catch lightning in a bottle, IDK.

[Bensational]

Who fires the coach just a couple weeks before the playoffs?! I don’t understand the thinking of these franchises.

Team was going through the motions, almost no defense being played. Maybe he completely lost the locker room. Maybe they thought they had no chance as it stands and any jolt from a coaching change could be worth it.

It is unconventional, but it does seem like teams get a positive temporary bounce from coaching changes so if they were going to do it anyway maybe they think they can catch lightning in a bottle, IDK.

Yeah but those temporary improvements are really short burst and they're usually in the middle of the season, not getting ready for a 7 game series. I would've thought that there are higher odds Malone can get the team to lock in with the reality of the playoffs one more time rather than hope a new face can inspire a post-season run.

I dunno, feels more like direct sabotage from ownership and FO's than an actual attempt to get a better performance from their teams.

[Rainwater]

The Heat have the Pelicans, 76ers, Wizards, and Bucks. All winnable. If they take 1 of 2 from the Bulls or Grizzlies, then they'll win 40.

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I don't see the heat winning 40

If they beat the Grizzlies today, they are definitely winning 40. The Grizzlies are on a downward spiral and haven't beat a 500 team in like 2 months. They catch the Bulls on a b2b, they are a division game. The Bucks will be on a road trip when they play Miami.

If we tie Miami, then the first tiebreaker will be head to head, and we're 2-2. Next is division.

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How is this looking….

[pepe1991]

Setting stage for Jokic to leave for LA
It's like a script. Very poor one.

[drsd]

Orlando basically cannot fire Weltman without firing Mosley; and cannot fire Mosley without firing Weltman. Neither or both.

But if Alex Martin's decides to can both, hiring GM Calvin Booth so that he can hire Malone is a pretty simply ask for Martins.

[pepe1991]

My head is still spinning post Malone and Calvin Booth both being fired.

I can understand why Booth was fired. Guy flat out failed the team post championship title win. Overpaid role players, screwed up lot of smaller moves, capped them out without single elite player to go along Jokić.
But you fire your coach who won you first title in team history and who is proven to be good nba coach?

If anything, post mortem Dallas & Denver harakiri we learned one thing. Owners have WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more impact on roster and transactions than most fans are willing to accept.

[JoshuaPotter]

My head is still spinning post Malone and Calvin Booth both being fired.

I can understand why Booth was fired. Guy flat out failed the team post championship title win. Overpaid role players, screwed up lot of smaller moves, capped them out without single elite player to go along Jokić.
But you fire your coach who won you first title in team history and who is proven to be good nba coach?

If anything, post mortem Dallas & Denver harakiri we learned one thing. Owners have WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more impact on roster and transactions than most fans are willing to accept.

Yeah, it pretty much stumps me too. The argument being how does one get out of this mess without blowing it up if you have to fire people? Also, and I honestly don't know what I am talking about here. They have one of if not the best player on the planet right now. There is plenty of time to retool and hedge bets. Or is it simply that bad.

Maybe they just need to hire skybox as the GM and he will have it sorted out with trades in no time flat?

[pepe1991]

My head is still spinning post Malone and Calvin Booth both being fired.

I can understand why Booth was fired. Guy flat out failed the team post championship title win. Overpaid role players, screwed up lot of smaller moves, capped them out without single elite player to go along Jokić.
But you fire your coach who won you first title in team history and who is proven to be good nba coach?

If anything, post mortem Dallas & Denver harakiri we learned one thing. Owners have WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more impact on roster and transactions than most fans are willing to accept.

Yeah, it pretty much stumps me too. The argument being how does one get out of this mess without blowing it up if you have to fire people? Also, and I honestly don't know what I am talking about here. They have one of if not the best player on the planet right now. There is plenty of time to retool and hedge bets. Or is it simply that bad.

Maybe they just need to hire skybox as the GM and he will have it sorted out with trades in no time flat?

According to Nuggets fans and some insiders Malone and Booth were in open war.
Booth wanted to get younger roster, Malone refused to play them so they sabotaged each other. So childish.

[Skybox]

My head is still spinning post Malone and Calvin Booth both being fired.

I can understand why Booth was fired. Guy flat out failed the team post championship title win. Overpaid role players, screwed up lot of smaller moves, capped them out without single elite player to go along Jokić.
But you fire your coach who won you first title in team history and who is proven to be good nba coach?

If anything, post mortem Dallas & Denver harakiri we learned one thing. Owners have WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more impact on roster and transactions than most fans are willing to accept.

Yeah, it pretty much stumps me too. The argument being how does one get out of this mess without blowing it up if you have to fire people? Also, and I honestly don't know what I am talking about here. They have one of if not the best player on the planet right now. There is plenty of time to retool and hedge bets. Or is it simply that bad.

Maybe they just need to hire skybox as the GM and he will have it sorted out with trades in no time flat?

According to Nuggets fans and some insiders Malone and Booth were in open war.
Booth wanted to get younger roster, Malone refused to play them so they sabotaged each other. So childish.

Kind of funny..."If you can't get along, then both of you get the hell out"

Booth was a do-nothing, but Malone was a well-respected guy...I still don't buy that he suddenly "lost the locker room". They've done nothing to get better on paper and they were pretty flawed before with so much $$$ going to MPJ & Murray, who have been unreliable over the last couple of years...AG is the 4th big piece and he's very much a role player (perfect fit, but not a guy that will pick up the scoring slack of the others).

Very thin roster.

[richi_v25]

Yeah, it pretty much stumps me too. The argument being how does one get out of this mess without blowing it up if you have to fire people? Also, and I honestly don't know what I am talking about here. They have one of if not the best player on the planet right now. There is plenty of time to retool and hedge bets. Or is it simply that bad.

Maybe they just need to hire skybox as the GM and he will have it sorted out with trades in no time flat?

According to Nuggets fans and some insiders Malone and Booth were in open war.
Booth wanted to get younger roster, Malone refused to play them so they sabotaged each other. So childish.

Kind of funny..."If you can't get along, then both of you get the hell out"

Booth was a do-nothing, but Malone was a well-respected guy...I still don't buy that he suddenly "lost the locker room". They've done nothing to get better on paper and they were pretty flawed before with so much $$$ going to MPJ & Murray, who have been unreliable over the last couple of years...AG is the 4th big piece and he's very much a role player (perfect fit, but not a guy that will pick up the scoring slack of the others).

Very thin roster.

The writing was on the wall when we took their #1 star/shooter in KCP

[MasterGMer]

This “Fire Nico" chant is pretty loud in Dallas, man, as Luka poured in 45 points in his return.

[thelead]

Not sure if anyone else has been keeping track of Denver but I'm hoping they slide as far down as possible. We were slotted to take their ~25th pick just a few weeks ago and right now they have a ie for the 20th pick (20-23). It is possible for them to end up with the 19th pick with some luck. They could technically still land the 18th pick but I'm not banking on Denver losing out and Milwaukee winning out. Either way, the 18th or 19th pick would be amazing for us.

[pepe1991]

Since joining Clippers, Bogdan Bogadnovic made 60 threes on 137 shots in just 28 games

[ogmagicfan]

Not sure if anyone else has been keeping track of Denver but I'm hoping they slide as far down as possible. We were slotted to take their ~25th pick just a few weeks ago and right now they have a ie for the 20th pick (20-23). It is possible for them to end up with the 19th pick with some luck. They could technically still land the 18th pick but I'm not banking on Denver losing out and Milwaukee winning out. Either way, the 18th or 19th pick would be amazing for us.

Continuing our streak of other teams 1st rounders ending up in alot better pick than expected when traded for

Could do alot with the 16th & 19-20th pick. Easy place to combo to move up.

I hope we can get Fears with him, the more I look at his tape the more I see the PG of our future. Athletic, great game speed, shifty, good reads on passes, a dawg. Also extremely young. I'm willing to bet on him figuring out his jumper.

[drsd]

Not sure if anyone else has been keeping track of Denver but I'm hoping they slide as far down as possible. We were slotted to take their ~25th pick just a few weeks ago and right now they have a ie for the 20th pick (20-23). It is possible for them to end up with the 19th pick with some luck. They could technically still land the 18th pick but I'm not banking on Denver losing out and Milwaukee winning out. Either way, the 18th or 19th pick would be amazing for us.

Yes Denver is currently the 4 seed; but is only one game up of a play-in slot. The here is for the Warrors to win-out, Denver to slide to 7, and miss the playoffs altogether.

Orlando fans really need Memphis to beat Denver for this to work out in the Magic's favor.
Then Denver has @Houston. The Rockets will rest their players in game-82. But: maybe >?????

[pepe1991]

Not sure if anyone else has been keeping track of Denver but I'm hoping they slide as far down as possible. We were slotted to take their ~25th pick just a few weeks ago and right now they have a ie for the 20th pick (20-23). It is possible for them to end up with the 19th pick with some luck. They could technically still land the 18th pick but I'm not banking on Denver losing out and Milwaukee winning out. Either way, the 18th or 19th pick would be amazing for us.

Yes Denver is currently the 7 seed; but is only one game up of a play-in slot. The here is for the Warrors to win-out, Denver to slide to 7, and miss the playoffs altogether.

Orlando fans really need Memphis to beat Denver for this to work out in the Magic's favor.
Then Denver has @Houston. The Rockets will rest their players in game-82. But: maybe >?????

Nuggets are 4th seed.

Warriors dropped 33rd L after losing to damn Spurs.
Houston benched everybody vs Clippers as they play for nothing.

Wolves and Memphis play each other, than, on second night to back to backs, Memphis plays Denver at Denver.

Warriors and Clippers play last games against each other.

If there was 5 teams tie, Nuggets would be 7th. But after Warriors fiasco now that scenario isn't possible any more.
Basically 49 wins is enough to playoffs.
If Lakers lose to Houston they will also be in this mix, in that scenario Nuggets can even climb to 3#.


That said, if you are western conference team, you would rather play Houston than any other team but maybe Memphis in that group. So falling to 7th is both dangerous but also easiest path to second round.

[drsd]

Nuggets are 4th seed.

Warriors dropped 33rd L after losing to damn Spurs.
Houston benched everybody vs Clippers as they play for nothing.

Wolves and Memphis play each other, than, on second night to back to backs, Memphis plays Denver at Denver.

Warriors and Clippers play last games against each other.

If there was 5 teams tie, Nuggets would be 7th. But after Warriors fiasco now that scenario isn't possible any more.
Basically 49 wins is enough to playoffs.
If Lakers lose to Houston they will also be in this mix, in that scenario Nuggets can even climb to 3#.


That said, if you are western conference team, you would rather play Houston than any other team but maybe Memphis in that group. So falling to 7th is both dangerous but also easiest path to second round.

Yes I meant to write "4" but was thinking "7" as the meaning of the play-ins for Denver.

Clearly if Denver wins their last two games, the Nuggets is a direct playoff team. But there is maths for the Nuggets to land at 7 (what I meant to say to begin with). The problem is the Rockets game, not the Grizzlies game. How can Denver lose that game to Houston? Denver WILL be playing for playoff seed and Houston will NOT be playing for playoff seed. In contrast, Memphis has the same scenarios that Denver does.

The 4-8 slots of the West will all be competitive games to close out!

p.s. As the Magic is now locked in as the 7 in the East, it will be interesting to see how much "load management" Banchero and F-Wagner will get @Pacers and @Hawks. We might see a starting lineup of Black/Howard/Harris/da Silva/Bitadze. Why not?

[pepe1991]

Nuggets are 4th seed.

Warriors dropped 33rd L after losing to damn Spurs.
Houston benched everybody vs Clippers as they play for nothing.

Wolves and Memphis play each other, than, on second night to back to backs, Memphis plays Denver at Denver.

Warriors and Clippers play last games against each other.

If there was 5 teams tie, Nuggets would be 7th. But after Warriors fiasco now that scenario isn't possible any more.
Basically 49 wins is enough to playoffs.
If Lakers lose to Houston they will also be in this mix, in that scenario Nuggets can even climb to 3#.


That said, if you are western conference team, you would rather play Houston than any other team but maybe Memphis in that group. So falling to 7th is both dangerous but also easiest path to second round.

Yes I meant to write "4" but was thinking "7" as the meaning of the play-ins for Denver.

Clearly if Denver wins their last two games, the Nuggets is a direct playoff team. But there is maths for the Nuggets to land at 7 (what I meant to say to begin with). The problem is the Rockets game, not the Grizzlies game. How can Denver lose that game to Houston? Denver WILL be playing for playoff seed and Houston will NOT be playing for playoff seed. In contrast, Memphis has the same scenarios that Denver does.

The 4-8 slots of the West will all be competitive games to close out!

p.s. As the Magic is now locked in as the 7 in the East, it will be interesting to see how much "load management" Banchero and F-Wagner will get @Pacers and @Hawks. We might see a starting lineup of Black/Howard/Harris/da Silva/Bitadze. Why not?

There is strong possibility of Denver winning out last 2 games. Houston game will look similar to what Clippers- Houston game looked. Bunch of C level players.

Magic should- Celtic- out starting 5 at least 1 game before playoffs. You really don't want to have another starter hobble around after some twisted ankle in useless game.

April 15- play in tournament round 1
April 18 - play in tournament round 2
April 19 - playoffs

It's all about saving legs from now on.