King of Defense
Member
Thunder’s defense down the stretch just too much. Pacers had nowhere to go.
NBA 2024-25 General Discussion Thread
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camion
Member
Looking at the list of coaches in need of a job.
There's this Thibodeau fellow who has a solid record. But I suspect he would want more than the Knicks are willing to give.
Indoor66
Well-known member
Nah. Spike is in line to be the big man coach.
CrazyNotCrazie
Member
Their big man coach this past season babysat me a few times as a kid. Unfortunately he was about 16 (and about 6-7) and my parents did not ask him to spend the babysitting session teaching 6-year old me big man moves or my life would have worked out differently...
As a Knicks fan, I said at the time they fired Thibs that this only makes sense if they have a very clear plan to replace him. Not "we're tired of him so let's see what else is out there." But that is clearly the case. I guess they looked into Malone and why he was let go from Denver and didn't like what they heard as that would have been the logical, quick, easy choice. There had been some buzz about Johnnie Bryant but it seems like they are focused on guys with head coaching experience.
I think I have said it here before and right before this all happened I was telling someone how it has been great that Dolan has been obsessively focused on the Sphere and has been leaving the basketball to people who actually know something about basketball. So much for that.
CrazyNotCrazie
Member
Mark Bryant. Grew up a few blocks from me next door to a childhood friend. Played at my HS, then Seton Hall, then a long NBA career and has been an assistant coach for a long time. He graduated from Seton Hall in 1988, the year before the 1989 team that went to the finals.
brevity
Member
I need to come up with something better than "Shams Shrapnel" now that there are no more Woj Bombs. Shams Charania reports that Desmond Bane is being traded to Orlando:
www.espn.com
Orlando is sending Memphis the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, its 2026 first-round pick (which includes swap rights with the Phoenix Suns or Washington Wizards) and its 2028 and 2030 unprotected first-round selections, sources said. The pick swap is top-two protected in 2029...
Bane is one of three NBA players with 800 made 3-pointers and 40% 3-point shooting since entering the league in 2020, and he has shot 43.2% on catch-and-shoot 3s in the past five seasons, the third-best rate among players with at least 1,000 attempts, according to ESPN Research. He will be a major boost for the Magic, who ranked last in 3-point field goal percentage (31.8%) this season and last in catch-and-shoot 3s. In fact, the Magic had the worst 3-point field goal percentage in a season since the Los Angeles Lakers in 2015-16.
The Magic starting lineup -- at the moment -- looks to be Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell Carter Jr. For a team that's had the worst luck drafting their backcourt over the past few years, this appears to be a major upgrade.
Sources: Grizz send Bane to Magic in blockbuster
The Grizzlies are trading Desmond Bane to the Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.
Orlando is sending Memphis the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, its 2026 first-round pick (which includes swap rights with the Phoenix Suns or Washington Wizards) and its 2028 and 2030 unprotected first-round selections, sources said. The pick swap is top-two protected in 2029...
Bane is one of three NBA players with 800 made 3-pointers and 40% 3-point shooting since entering the league in 2020, and he has shot 43.2% on catch-and-shoot 3s in the past five seasons, the third-best rate among players with at least 1,000 attempts, according to ESPN Research. He will be a major boost for the Magic, who ranked last in 3-point field goal percentage (31.8%) this season and last in catch-and-shoot 3s. In fact, the Magic had the worst 3-point field goal percentage in a season since the Los Angeles Lakers in 2015-16.
The Magic starting lineup -- at the moment -- looks to be Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell Carter Jr. For a team that's had the worst luck drafting their backcourt over the past few years, this appears to be a major upgrade.
JasonEvans
Host, The Duke Basketball Roundup
Look, the Magic desperately needed some outside shooting and Bane will be great catching passes from Banchero and Wagner when they draw the D, but four unprotected first rounders... that's a huge price to pay unless Orlando is absolutely confident they will be at least a playoff team every one of those years and won't be doing something like what the Hawks did with the Spurs, resulting in the Spurs getting the #2 pick in this year's draft.
Plus, it isn't like Bane comes cheap. He's going to be making an average of $40 mil a year over the next 4 seasons. They are fine this year with Paolo sill only make $15 mil in the last year of his rookie deal, but his next contract is going to put him into the $40 mil per season range. Between Paolo, Wagner, Suggs, and Bane Orlando is going to be at $160+ million. Good luck with the rest of that roster.
Ha, the Devos family has no clue nor do they care, they'll just bump up the price of their second rate soap products.
luburch
Member
Despite Haliburton's struggles last night, the Pacers had the lead down to two points in the 4th quarter. They subsequently gave up a three off of an offensive rebound and a horrendous Nembhard turnover resulted in an easy fastbreak dunk. The Thunder are fantastic team, but between game 4 and game 5, can't help but feel the Pacers are tripping over their own feet a bit.
Can the Pacers rally for game 6 in Indy? They'll need to take care of the ball better and get some sort of offense from Tyrese. If the Thunder shoot as well as they did last night, it will be a tall task. Feel like this is a series that deserves a game seven, but not sure we will see it.
Can the Pacers rally for game 6 in Indy? They'll need to take care of the ball better and get some sort of offense from Tyrese. If the Thunder shoot as well as they did last night, it will be a tall task. Feel like this is a series that deserves a game seven, but not sure we will see it.
It's absolutely a win-now move. The price is potentially very steep for sure, depending on how those picks turn out, but Bane is about as good a fit for what the Magic need now as they could have hoped for. Very consistent 3 point shooter on high volume, solid secondary playmaker and at least as good defensively as KCP and Anthony.
brevity
Member
Shams Charania is reporting that Tyrese Haliburton will get an MRI to examine his strained right calf.
ESPN may need to add a retired radiologist as a studio analyst for the NBA Finals.
ESPN may need to add a retired radiologist as a studio analyst for the NBA Finals.
Definitely a win-now move. This is a team on the rise who clearly believes they'll be a top 4 team in the East for the next half decade, which means most of those picks they sent to Memphis won't be very high. But yeah, teams in the East smell blood in the water with Tatum out next year, the Cavs proving to be so vulnerable, the Knicks in turmoil at the top, etc.. They see a golden opportunity to make a Finals run like the 4-seed Pacers did this year. Which would be the reason the Bucks retain Giannis if they do so.
Pacers easily could have won that game if they avoid those two late open-court turnovers. Each turnover was a quick 2 to 5 point swing. Plus OK had to be sweating when it got down to a 2 pt lead.
Agree. I still think the Pacers can win this series. If Haliburton can get back to his usual self scoring wise, and the rest of the team plays well, they can definitely win Game 6 at home. And then Game 7, if they could just keep it close, Oklahoma City could get tight in the fourth quarter and choke it away. Not an altogether unlikely scenario.
Indiana just needs to make sure that Caitlin Clark is not there in person for either Game 6 or 7.
Tyrese Halliburton Faces Scrutiny as Caitlin Clark’s Presence Haunts Pacers in NBA Finals Defeat
Discover how Tyrese Halliburton and the Pacers fell short against the Thunder in the NBA Finals.
motorcyclesports.net
bundabergdevil
Member
Didn’t expect the Lakers on the block but I guess it isn’t surprising