Blue Devils in the NBA 2024-2025

The C’s will be fine, but they’re going through the midseason trying to repeat but it’s not the playoffs yet doldrums.
To the surprise of absolutely no one, I'm not as confident as you are that the the "C's will be fine". At least not if "fine" means going back to the NBA Finals.

I do agree they are just going through the motions, awaiting the playoffs. But in the meantime they are giving up a lot of ground, to multiple teams, when it comes to homecourt in the playoffs. If they aren't careful, they'll find themselves in something like a 4/5 matchup in the first round. And that's less than ideal. You can't sleepwalk through the regular season if you want to be a dynasty. And I had expectations that this team could reel off 3 in a row, or at least 3 out of 4.
 
Of all the ways that Zion has messed up since he left Duke, him being a bad teammate is shocking to me.

Is it more shocking than knocking up strippers and dating porn stars? Being late to the team bus is unfortunate and immature but the relationships he has put himself into really made me question the impression I had of him....
 
Is it more shocking than knocking up strippers and dating porn stars? Being late to the team bus is unfortunate and immature but the relationships he has put himself into really made me question the impression I had of him....
Those were bad, too. But I had no knowledge of his personal life, whereas it did appear to me that he was an awesome teammate on the court.

The fact that there's a long list of transgressions to rank is super sad.
 
As a nice counterpoint to the Zion mess, this article on The Athletic about my fave, Dereck Lively II:
How Dereck Lively II draws Tyson Chandler comparisons while showcasing versatility

Behind a paywall, but these quotes from Klay Thompson:

“I can’t believe D-Live is only 20 years old,” Thompson said. “What a great player he is and will continue to be. He’s just scratching the surface of what he can be. So active, so athletic. What an incredible gift for him to be on our roster. Such a youthful, energetic presence, so important to what we do. It’s an honor to play with him. We have a good synergy going right now, but I think there’s another level to get to.”

and Jason Kidd

“He’s one of our best passers identifying the back door. He’s very comfortable making that play,” Kidd said. “He’s also very comfortable under pressure with the DHO (dribble handoff) with the other guys. His IQ is extremely high, not just on the defensive end but on the offensive end, as well.”
 
As a nice counterpoint to the Zion mess, this article on The Athletic about my fave, Dereck Lively II:
How Dereck Lively II draws Tyson Chandler comparisons while showcasing versatility

Behind a paywall, but these quotes from Klay Thompson:

“I can’t believe D-Live is only 20 years old,” Thompson said. “What a great player he is and will continue to be. He’s just scratching the surface of what he can be. So active, so athletic. What an incredible gift for him to be on our roster. Such a youthful, energetic presence, so important to what we do. It’s an honor to play with him. We have a good synergy going right now, but I think there’s another level to get to.”

and Jason Kidd

“He’s one of our best passers identifying the back door. He’s very comfortable making that play,” Kidd said. “He’s also very comfortable under pressure with the DHO (dribble handoff) with the other guys. His IQ is extremely high, not just on the defensive end but on the offensive end, as well.”
Love reading this. I don't watch much NBA but I catch the Mavs any chance I get and I watch Lively closely when he is on the court.

So impressive. Constant motion. Very high motor. They play through him a lot after giving him the ball at the top of the key (same as we do with Maluach/Brown). He seems to always make the smart read. And watching Doncic/Lively run the PNR is a think of beauty. It's such a cat and mouse game with the defenders. And usually once or twice a game Lively will explode and make a spectacular block at the rim.

He's not Tatum or Kyrie or Paolo but Lively is playing at an elite level in that Mavs system.
 
As a nice counterpoint to the Zion mess, this article on The Athletic about my fave, Dereck Lively II:
How Dereck Lively II draws Tyson Chandler comparisons while showcasing versatility

Behind a paywall, but these quotes from Klay Thompson:

“I can’t believe D-Live is only 20 years old,” Thompson said. “What a great player he is and will continue to be. He’s just scratching the surface of what he can be. So active, so athletic. What an incredible gift for him to be on our roster. Such a youthful, energetic presence, so important to what we do. It’s an honor to play with him. We have a good synergy going right now, but I think there’s another level to get to.”

and Jason Kidd

“He’s one of our best passers identifying the back door. He’s very comfortable making that play,” Kidd said. “He’s also very comfortable under pressure with the DHO (dribble handoff) with the other guys. His IQ is extremely high, not just on the defensive end but on the offensive end, as well.”
On a per-36 minutes basis, Lively is averaging 13.6 points (on 70% shooting), 11.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 blocks. He is 7th in the league in win shares/40 minutes, mostly trailing guys who are MVP candidates.

Pretty good for a guy whose impact goes well beyond his stats.
 
Banchero and Carter Jr are playing Tatum on espn with the current Duke team in attendance. Unfortunately, I think Cory Alexander is one of the announcers.
 
Banchero and Carter Jr are playing Tatum on espn with the current Duke team in attendance. Unfortunately, I think Cory Alexander is one of the announcers.
He is. He’s worked some Cooper Flagg discussion in there too. Lots of Duke connections.
 
Banchero and Carter Jr are playing Tatum on espn with the current Duke team in attendance. Unfortunately, I think Cory Alexander is one of the announcers.
Meanwhile I also watched some the Pelicans handling the Jazz. As much as I am disappointed in the kid sometimes, Zion can be a really fun watch. He had 24/14/6 in 23 minutes. If nothing else, I guess he is goosing his trade value…
 
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