2021-22 NBA Thread

[Bluedog]

Kyrie is expected to play his first game tomorrow night in Indiana. The Nets have not been playing well lately, losing three in a row at home even though I think they are getting players back from Covid. After the Indiana game they are home vs. Milwaukee and San Antonio (so he can't play) then at Portland and Chicago (where he can play). I do not know if the team practices between games so he can participate in that or how any of the other logistics work.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-kyrie-i...154841918.html

Uh, can he play in Chicago?? There are "new in 2022" rules that require everyone age 5 and older to be vaccinated to attend restaurants, bars, and gyms in Chicago. I believe it's the "gym" clause that doesn't allow him to play in NY. Don't know if Chicago carved out an exemption for professional athletes...But all fans need to show proof of vax for sure (5 and over).

Edit: I now think that perhaps it doesn't apply to "guests", much like NY doesn't require the visiting team to be vaccinated and there have been opposing team players play against the Nets in NYC that are not vaccinated. But not sure if Chicago has the same rule or not.

[SouthernDukie]

I hope it's all jibber-jabber and he gets on the court soon and reminds us what a special talent he is.

To be clear, so do I. Regardless of where he plays, he's an elite talent and seems to be a great human being and fine representative of Duke. Hoping he gets back on the court soon. My comments are not reflective of what I hope or want, but what I fear may be the case.

[TheOldBattleship]

So LeBron has been forced into playing center recently for the Lakers (AD is out, their guards don't shoot well enough to have a nonshooting center out there, etc.) and, shocker, he's really really good at it like he is everything else on the basketball court. But he just doesn't have the time or energy for the jumpballs at the start of games. His absolute disdain for them is hilarious. Here's the jump to start their game against the Kings today.

[TheOldBattleship]

So LeBron has been forced into playing center recently for the Lakers (AD is out, their guards don't shoot well enough to have a nonshooting center out there, etc.) and, shocker, he's really really good at it like he is everything else on the basketball court. But he just doesn't have the time or energy for the jumpballs at the start of games. His absolute disdain for them is hilarious. Here's the jump to start their game against the Kings today.

Credit where it's due: this ended up being an outrageous LeBron performance. He had only ("only") 17 and was shooting pretty poorly from the field going into the fourth; was looking pretty mortal in general. So much for that. Totally took over and demolished the Kings here down the stretch. 14 so far in the 4th, with a huge chunk of that coming in the last 5 min when he has run the inverted PnR with Malik Monk and got layups, drilled threes, and set up offensive advantage situations for teammates on possession after possession. The guy is ridiculous. Looked like it would be an off game, and he's now sitting on 31/5/5 on 26 shots and a likely win.

[accfanfrom1970]

Credit where it's due: this ended up being an outrageous LeBron performance. He had only ("only") 17 and was shooting pretty poorly from the field going into the fourth; was looking pretty mortal in general. So much for that. Totally took over and demolished the Kings here down the stretch. 14 so far in the 4th, with a huge chunk of that coming in the last 5 min when he has run the inverted PnR with Malik Monk and got layups, drilled threes, and set up offensive advantage situations for teammates on possession after possession. The guy is ridiculous. Looked like it would be an off game, and he's now sitting on 31/5/5 on 26 shots and a likely win.

Just get Quinn. You’ve never won a trophy without Duke.

[Truth&Justise]

So LeBron has been forced into playing center recently for the Lakers (AD is out, their guards don't shoot well enough to have a nonshooting center out there, etc.) and, shocker, he's really really good at it like he is everything else on the basketball court. But he just doesn't have the time or energy for the jumpballs at the start of games. His absolute disdain for them is hilarious. Here's the jump to start their game against the Kings today.

He was just saving his energy--he jumped for, and won, a much more pivotal jumpball with less than a minute left in the game.

Kings were the victims of an unfortunate--but correct--application of the rules late in that one, leading to the pivotal jumpball:



Highlight is King's coach Alvin Gentry's reaction at the 0:56 mark.

[DoubleBlue]

Joel Embiid has 47 points after 3 quarters on 17-of-23 shooting and 12-of-13 from the line. He's been unstoppable against Bamba and Lopez of the Magic, leading 94-80 thus far. Bamba has had a good night too, with 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting including 7-of-8 from 3.

[DoubleBlue]

Joel Embiid has 47 points after 3 quarters on 17-of-23 shooting and 12-of-13 from the line. He's been unstoppable against Bamba and Lopez of the Magic, leading 94-80 thus far. Bamba has had a good night too, with 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting including 7-of-8 from 3.

Embiid finished with 50 points, tying his career high. He only played about one minute in the 4th quarter since the game was well in hand. His 50 points were on 23 shots in 27 minutes. Mo Bamba finished with a career-high 32 points on 15 shots in 29 minutes, but fouled out early in the 4th quarter.

[elvis14]

I'm a night owl and my wife isn't so I often enjoy watching late NBA games (thank goodness she can sleep with the TV on). Last night's game was GSW playing the Indiana Pacers. I generally enjoy the GSW games. I like Steph Curry and I like the way they share the ball and use ball movement to create open shots. That game last night, however was just sloppy. I think Indiana had 0 actual starters available for the game and they won, in OT. Steph hasn't been shooting very well of late and he went 6-16 from 3 last night (including some misses on open 3's in important moments). Klay was 0/7, Wiggins 1/6, Poole 0/5. For a team that started the season with a great record (even without Klay) this was a really bad loss for the Warriors. It was just an ugly game...wish I'd have just gone to sleep earlier!

[JasonEvans]

Embiid finished with 50 points, tying his career high. He only played about one minute in the 4th quarter since the game was well in hand. His 50 points were on 23 shots in 27 minutes. Mo Bamba finished with a career-high 32 points on 15 shots in 29 minutes, but fouled out early in the 4th quarter.

Joel Embiid is 27, right in his prime. He has been injured a good bit during his career and his style of play may make it tough for him to be this dominant beyond his early 30s. The Sixers just cannot waste prime, injury-free years like this with Ben Simmons on the roster but not contributing anything. Trade Ben for an All-Star caliber player and the Sixers could be in the driver's seat in the East. I don't get why Morey and Brand are taking so long to get a deal done. Supposedly, they are trying to get someone to take on Tobias Harris' nightmare of a contract (owe him almost $80 mil over the next 2 years) and teams are refusing. The Sixers also supposedly would not mind dealing Seth Curry, who is seen as a major defensive liability (though his scoring average is a career high this year, his 3FG% is a career low).

Feels like a Simmons for Halliburton/Fox and Bagley should be an easy deal to make. Simmons for John Collins and some picks also makes sense. Simmons for Da'Angelo Russell and some picks. Heck, you can probably get 2 of Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Caris Levert from the impending fire sale happening in Indiana.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Joel Embiid is 27, right in his prime. He has been injured a good bit during his career and his style of play may make it tough for him to be this dominant beyond his early 30s. The Sixers just cannot waste prime, injury-free years like this with Ben Simmons on the roster but not contributing anything. Trade Ben for an All-Star caliber player and the Sixers could be in the driver's seat in the East. I don't get why Morey and Brand are taking so long to get a deal done. Supposedly, they are trying to get someone to take on Tobias Harris' nightmare of a contract (owe him almost $80 mil over the next 2 years) and teams are refusing. The Sixers also supposedly would not mind dealing Seth Curry, who is seen as a major defensive liability (though his scoring average is a career high this year, his 3FG% is a career low).

Feels like a Simmons for Halliburton/Fox and Bagley should be an easy deal to make. Simmons for John Collins and some picks also makes sense. Simmons for Da'Angelo Russell and some picks. Heck, you can probably get 2 of Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Caris Levert from the impending fire sale happening in Indiana.

I haven't followed the Ben Simmons saga very closely, other than the parallels with Kyrie.

Two questions:

1) What has he been doing for four months? Is he in shape? Does anyone know?

2) Is it absolutely off the table that he plays in Philly ever again?

Thanks! I'll take answers off the air.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Joel Embiid is 27, right in his prime. He has been injured a good bit during his career and his style of play may make it tough for him to be this dominant beyond his early 30s. The Sixers just cannot waste prime, injury-free years like this with Ben Simmons on the roster but not contributing anything. Trade Ben for an All-Star caliber player and the Sixers could be in the driver's seat in the East. I don't get why Morey and Brand are taking so long to get a deal done. Supposedly, they are trying to get someone to take on Tobias Harris' nightmare of a contract (owe him almost $80 mil over the next 2 years) and teams are refusing. The Sixers also supposedly would not mind dealing Seth Curry, who is seen as a major defensive liability (though his scoring average is a career high this year, his 3FG% is a career low).

Feels like a Simmons for Halliburton/Fox and Bagley should be an easy deal to make. Simmons for John Collins and some picks also makes sense. Simmons for Da'Angelo Russell and some picks. Heck, you can probably get 2 of Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Caris Levert from the impending fire sale happening in Indiana.

Brand has not been a good GM thus far. Between Al Horford's signing, Tobias Harris's extension, and the Ben Simmons situation, the deals in the last 3-4 years have been awful.

It's only a matter of time before Embiid asks out as well.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I haven't followed the Ben Simmons saga very closely, other than the parallels with Kyrie.

Two questions:

1) What has he been doing for four months? Is he in shape? Does anyone know?

2) Is it absolutely off the table that he plays in Philly ever again?

Thanks! I'll take answers off the air.

1) Ben Simmons has been arguing mental health issues. He is probably in shape.

2) Absolutely zero chance he plays in Philly. The fans hate him, his teammates hate him, and the front office hates him.

He's gone. It's just a question of what the 76ers can get in return.

[brevity]

Simmons for John Collins and some picks also makes sense.

Deadspin approached this from the other direction: Three possible trade scenarios for John Collins

Trade #1

Hawks Receive: Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris
76ers Receive: John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, Delon Wright, Onyeka Okongwu

Why The Hawks Do It: The Hawks get to try out what every NBA2K fan has dreamed of — a Ben Simmons small-ball five surrounded by shooters...

[JasonEvans]

1) Ben Simmons has been arguing mental health issues. He is probably in shape.

Yeah, the Sixers basically said, "We'll fine you and refuse to pay you if you don't show up." So, Ben showed up and said, "I'm suffering from a mental block and cannot play. My contract (and the CBA) says you cannot refuse to pay me over mental health issues."

Everyone says Simmons is working out because he wants to be ready to play when he gets traded. Daryl Morey just said that a trade isn't likely before the deadline, which is probably his way of trying to get teams to up their offers. It is easier to make trade and make cap hits work in the off-season, that's true... but it seems unconscionable to waste arguably Embiid's best season in a year where the East is wide open (thanks, Kyrie!).

[flyingdutchdevil]

Yeah, the Sixers basically said, "We'll fine you and refuse to pay you if you don't show up." So, Ben showed up and said, "I'm suffering from a mental block and cannot play. My contract (and the CBA) says you cannot refuse to pay me over mental health issues."

Everyone says Simmons is working out because he wants to be ready to play when he gets traded. Daryl Morey just said that a trade isn't likely before the deadline, which is probably his way of trying to get teams to up their offers. It is easier to make trade and make cap hits work in the off-season, that's true... but it seems unconscionable to waste arguably Embiid's best season in a year where the East is wide open (thanks, Kyrie!).

It's a three-way game of chicken between Simmons, the 76ers, and Team-X.

Who will be the first to do the following:

1) Simmons says, 'I am over my mental health issues. I accept responsibility for the position I'm currently in. I will play hard for any team and work on any part of my game.'

2) 76ers say, 'We're trading Simmons for cents on the dollar, including getting back a really good player (instead of a top 25 player), a few young players, and a few draft picks'

3) Team-S says, 'We have a disgruntled star and we need to trade him. Let's roll the dice on Ben Simmons. Maybe he spent this time working on a jump shot'

If 1) happens, it becomes easier to move Simmons. If 2) happens, Simmons is gone and the 76ers have a bunch of nice pieces to surround Embiid. If 3) happens, the 76ers and Simmons win without either party admitting defeat.

[kshepinthehouse]

Is Lebron the worst GM in basketball?

[bundabergdevil]

Is Lebron the worst GM in basketball?

I dunno, he’s got more championships than any other current GM, right? Roster building is tough.

[kshepinthehouse]

I dunno, he’s got more championships than any other current GM, right? Roster building is tough.

Yea because he’s on the team 😂. I think he’d have more if he’d stop meddling.

[Pghdukie]

Bagley traded to Pistons