Dukies in the NBA: 2022-23

[OZZIE4DUKE]

“We really had diverse play-calling down the stretch," a smiling McCollum deadpanned. “Get the ball to Z and get the (expletive) out of the way."

Wish K had said this to RJ in the Elite 8 game……

[DoubleBlue]

The Pels play the Sixers tonight... my two favorite teams. Both are playing well and are nearly at full strength. Should be interesting!!

[Duke79UNLV77]

Wish K had said this to RJ in the Elite 8 game……

I also wish he'd said it to Zion. I particularly remember a play late in the game where Zion got the ball with momentum going left into the lane. There is not a player in the NBA, let alone college, who can stop that freight train, but Zion chose to pass the ball to RJ going away from the basket. Luckily, against Central Florida, Tre yelled at Zion to take it to the hole for his game-winning drive.

[ClemmonsDevil]

The Pels play the Sixers tonight... my two favorite teams. Both are playing well and are nearly at full strength. Should be interesting!!

Sports polygamy!!!!

[DoubleBlue]

Sports polygamy!!!!

I've moved a lot and I used to adopt my new town's sports teams but it was too confusing so now I've gone back to my home town (Philadelphia) teams. So for the NBA its the Sixers and then a close #2 is the Pels because of Zion and Brandon.

I lived in LA during the 80's so it was great to have the Lakers winning all those championships. I have the dubious honor of having my car stolen from the parking lot of the Forum during one of those games. I also saw some of the 1984 Olympic events while in LA. Fun times.

[DukieInBrasil]

Highlights of Mark's performance last night. The first block is a monster. Some really great rebounds - especially in traffic. Lots of dunks and a sweet 10-foot fade away on the right baseline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opNM...l=ZHHighlights

after reports of him putting 35 and 20 in the G-league it seems like he was about due for some NBA time!
Is it me or did it look like Mark was about a foot and a half taller than his opponents? Does OKC really not play a C?

[cato]

after reports of him putting 35 and 20 in the G-league it seems like he was about due for some NBA time!
Is it me or did it look like Mark was about a foot and a half taller than his opponents? Does OKC really not play a C?

I don’t think there are all that many human beings Mark’s size that can currently command playing time in the NBA. If he can do so he will be exceptional not for his size, per se, but because he can pull it off in the modern NBA.

And by “exceptional,” I mean being able to command time in the NBA.

[SouthernDukie]

Any bets on how long it takes Joe Ingles to submarine Grayson out of playing time for the Bucks like he did when they were both in Utah? He’s already outperforming Allen tonight.

[dukelifer]

Any bets on how long it takes Joe Ingles to submarine Grayson out of playing time for the Bucks like he did when they were both in Utah? He’s already outperforming Allen tonight.

I am sure he will have moments but one game is not a trend.

[AZLA]

Wish K had said this to RJ in the Elite 8 game……

Well stated

[Steven43]

The Pels play the Sixers tonight... my two favorite teams. Both are playing well and are nearly at full strength. Should be interesting!!

Pelicans win by 11. Zion gets his usual 36 pts on 13-19 FG. And CJ McCollum? Well, he was just a mere 11-16 from 3-pt and a total of 42 pts. My goodness. 😮

[DoubleBlue]

Pelicans win by 11. Zion gets his usual 36 pts on 13-19 FG. And CJ McCollum? Well, he was just a mere 11-16 from 3-pt and a total of 42 pts. My goodness. 😮

Embiid had his normal 37 pts on 14-22 from the floor and 8-10 from the line and the Sixers played well shooting 56% overall and 41% from 3, but they could not contain either McCollum or Zion. McCollum had a career night with 11 3's and Zion was just clutch in the 4th quarter on numerous hard drives with soft finishes.

The game got chippy on foul calls since both Embiid and Zion play bully ball and the refs were calling everything. This would be a great 7-game series come playoff time. The Pels have come a long way and are still missing Ingram. The Sixers got back Maxey for his first game last night but he was just shaking off rust and was ineffective.

[BigZ]

JJ Redick says he turned down coaching job with Celtics.

[DoubleBlue]

Wendell Carter Jr. was one of eleven players suspended after a fight in Detroit Wednesday night. Wendell got a one-game suspension for leaving the bench. Paulo Banchero was involved but was already on the court so he did not leave the bench and did not contribute to the altercation.

Eleven players suspended, Pistons’ Hayes gets three games for punch vs. Magic https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/12/29...unch-vs-magic/

"The Pistons’ Killian Hayes has been suspended three games for a punch that appeared to briefly knock out the Magic’s Moritz Wagner, while Wagner himself got two games for instigating the incident."

Imagine if that had been Grayson Allen that instigated. Though I think Grayson would have more sense than that.

[dukelifer]

JJ Redick says he turned down coaching job with Celtics.

But he is coaching his son’s team

[DukieInBrasil]

Zion nearly had a triple double last night!!! 20 pts (on only 6-16 FGs), 9 rebs and...9 turnovers. Wow, that's a truly ugly stat line. 1 assist vs 9, let me say that again, NINE turnovers.

[jv001]

Zion nearly had a triple double last night!!! 20 pts (on only 6-16 FGs), 9 rebs and...9 turnovers. Wow, that's a truly ugly stat line. 1 assist vs 9, let me say that again, NINE turnovers.

I guess CJ was saying get in his way but everyone was too smart for that. They'd ended up in the hospital.

[Matches]

Mason Plumlee had a 20/10 double-double against the Nets last night. Mark Williams played well as Mason’s backup in the first half, but got abused a bit in the second.

Seth Curry had a nondescript game off the bench for BRK but he’s fun to watch. Very active, good handle, and better defensively than he has any right to be.

[AllenBuilding]

I believe Zion's extraordinary block last night deserves a second look, as it resembled nothing so much as a volleyball spike. Furthermore, it led to Ja Morant taking a hard fall, and then Zion rolling his ankle in the process of landing on Ja Morant. Here's the footage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Bu5pGHKYgw

[DoubleBlue]

Zion left the game in the 3rd quarter tonight with a strained right hamstring. It was not a contact injury and maybe its not serious but he did not return.

Edit: more info
https://clutchpoints.com/instant-bre...n-james-harden
"After snatching a board and charging down the floor, Williamson came up hobbling. He didn’t make it down to the other end of the floor and was immediately subbed out of the game. After the third quarter ended (with Philly up 84-81), he went back to the locker room."