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Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 4:51 pm
by Smee
Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum for Kawhi, straight up. :thumbup:

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 11:25 am
by jezzer
The tanking culture is getting ridiculous. When a high lottery pick gives you the chance to seriously upgrade 20% of your starting lineup, the incentive to give up is too big.

They need to change the rules.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 7:14 pm
by Bowens

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 7:36 pm
by Tehui
I can't see the Celtics making the Eastern Conference finals without him.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 7:47 pm
by fonzeee
Tehui wrote:
I can't see the Celtics making the Eastern Conference finals without him.
Same. Shame.

Cavs vs..... Raptors?

It’s pretty wide open for someone to get hot and make a run.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 10:35 pm
by eldanielfire
jezzer wrote:The tanking culture is getting ridiculous. When a high lottery pick gives you the chance to seriously upgrade 20% of your starting lineup, the incentive to give up is too big.

They need to change the rules.
It is. Coupled with the "super team" culture kinda making far to much of the league junk.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 11:31 pm
by goeagles
jezzer wrote:The tanking culture is getting ridiculous. When a high lottery pick gives you the chance to seriously upgrade 20% of your starting lineup, the incentive to give up is too big.

They need to change the rules.
The tanking issue actually seems to be less this year than some previous years. But here are some solutions:

The easiest solution would be to make the entire lottery a lottery rather than just the top 3 picks. Right now teams know that even if they don't win the lottery, they still will get a pick in a certain range. But if nothing is guaranteed, there is a lot less incentive for teams to tank.

Another one I've seen talked about is your position in the draft being tied to a different team. Rather than picking based on draft order from the most recent season, the team with the worst record at the end of the 2017-18 season would get first pick of the team they think will have the worst record the following season, and the team with the second worst record would get second pick of teams and so on. So the draft order would be determined in reverse order based on records of the teams that you had tied your draft fate to. The more you think about it, the more appealing it is, but it would be messy to implement as it effectively defers your shiteness a year.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 11:44 pm
by jezzer
goeagles wrote:
jezzer wrote:The tanking culture is getting ridiculous. When a high lottery pick gives you the chance to seriously upgrade 20% of your starting lineup, the incentive to give up is too big.

They need to change the rules.
The tanking issue actually seems to be less this year than some previous years. But here are some solutions:

The easiest solution would be to make the entire lottery a lottery rather than just the top 3 picks. Right now teams know that even if they don't win the lottery, they still will get a pick in a certain range. But if nothing is guaranteed, there is a lot less incentive for teams to tank.

Another one I've seen talked about is your position in the draft being tied to a different team. Rather than picking based on draft order from the most recent season, the team with the worst record at the end of the 2017-18 season would get first pick of the team they think will have the worst record the following season, and the team with the second worst record would get second pick of teams and so on. So the draft order would be determined in reverse order based on records of the teams that you had tied your draft fate to. The more you think about it, the more appealing it is, but it would be messy to implement as it effectively defers your shiteness a year.
The whole idea of the draft is to help struggling teams. So the league deserves to see some benefit from having foregone the chance to pick the best players. That benefit should be improved play by the struggling team the year after they get the one of the top 6 or 8 draft picks

So, if their record doesn't improve by a league-decided no. Of wins corresponding to their prior draft position, then they should be handicapped the requisite amount in the next year's draft.

It might not be fair in the sense that draft picks don't always even contribute in year 1, but it's absurd that the league should continue to subsidise failing teams, who become more and more dependent on high draft positions, like crack addicts.

That way, the teams who don't tank have a better chance of leapfrogging over some of the poorer teams and there are repercussions for poor management/recruitment/coaching.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2018 1:22 am
by Smee
eldanielfire wrote:
jezzer wrote:The tanking culture is getting ridiculous. When a high lottery pick gives you the chance to seriously upgrade 20% of your starting lineup, the incentive to give up is too big.

They need to change the rules.
It is. Coupled with the "super team" culture kinda making far to much of the league junk.
Don't really see it myself, like any league there are good, average and bad teams and as goeagles has already said tanking has not been an especially big problem this season unlike in recent seasons past.

On any given night there are at least 18 teams in the league worth watching, 10 playoff caliber teams in the western conference and some young teams trying to figure it out in Phoenix, Sacramento and LA Lakers all of whom can be fun to watch. The East is the East but you've got the Sixers who haven't made the playoffs in 6 years are a genuine dark horse to make the finals this season and could be a contender for years to come.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2018 4:04 am
by CrazyIslander
This season was set up to be the clash of the super teams. It hasnt turned out that way.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 3:49 am
by vintage_cox
Image

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:02 am
by vintage_cox
That felt like a playoff. Steve Kerr, the Warriors, the crowd, they all wanted that game

Rondo came up with the clutch steal as KD looked to tie it up with 30 seconds to go! and we get out of there with the huge W

Threekola was on fyyahhh!


Pels stay 5th. Could have dropped to 9th with a loss depending on other results

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:12 am
by vintage_cox
Turns out we would have dropped to 9th if we lost that!

This is too fukking intense :| Still 2 games against the Spurs to come

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:14 am
by CrazyIslander
Thought you were going on about the Thunder. What's up with the Warriors?

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:18 am
by Tehui
The top 3 seeds in the West all lost today. Only 3 games separate the 3-9 seeds in the West, with 2 or 3 games left to play in the regular season. Unreal.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:27 am
by vintage_cox
CrazyIslander wrote:Thought you were going on about the Thunder. What's up with the Warriors?
Pels just went to Oracle and beat them (and don't believe the hot takes, the Warriors weren't coasting)


And no, I'm rooting for the thunder to lose. But the cuntfaced Rockets failed me and just made my hatred for them deepen

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:31 am
by Marshall Banana
The most Thunder win of the season.

Russ played some incredible defence on Harden - which just makes it so damn frustrating watching him coast 99% of the time! :lol:

Also, Abrines couldn't hit a thing, but played some great defence himself.

Bizarro World out here today...

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:41 am
by vintage_cox
Marshall Banana wrote:Russ played some incredible defence on Harden - which just makes it so damn frustrating watching him coast 99% of the time! :lol:
Feel the same way about Rajon. He's still got it when games get meaningful (as he showed last year in the playoffs)

He was +21 tonight, in 31 minutes. No one else on either team was close to double digits. 17 assists with just 2 turnovers

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 3:24 am
by Jay Cee Gee
OKC clinch a playoff spot in Miami. Nice win, didn't see it but they shot 38 free throws - wonder if the Heat have a right to be pissed off at the officiating?

They can still take 4th spot, though I'm not 100% sure of the permuations. They obviously need to beat Memphis & hope Utah lose at least one (probable) but not sure of the tie breaker situation vs the Pels & Spurs and it could possibly be any one, two or all three of them tied.

Edit - apparently it can't be all 4 tied as the Spurs & Pels are playing each other next.

I read if it's a 3 way OKC/Utah/Spurs tie then OKC would get 4th, but dunno about OKC/Utah/Pels

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 4:33 am
by Jay Cee Gee
And Denver beat Portland to set up a winner qualifies match vs the T-Wolves!

Even though none of them are gonna make a serious run in the playoffs, the battle for 4-8 in the West has been unreal.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 8:41 am
by Tehui
Jay Cee Gee wrote:OKC clinch a playoff spot in Miami. Nice win, didn't see it but they shot 38 free throws - wonder if the Heat have a right to be pissed off at the officiating?

They can still take 4th spot, though I'm not 100% sure of the permuations. They obviously need to beat Memphis & hope Utah lose at least one (probable) but not sure of the tie breaker situation vs the Pels & Spurs and it could possibly be any one, two or all three of them tied.

Edit - apparently it can't be all 4 tied as the Spurs & Pels are playing each other next.

I read if it's a 3 way OKC/Utah/Spurs tie then OKC would get 4th, but dunno about OKC/Utah/Pels
I'd heard that OKC lose all of the tie-breaker scenarios. I get the feeling that an OKC v Warriors first round match up is on the cards. It might not be a bad time to play the Warriors with Curry MIA.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 8:54 am
by Jay Cee Gee
Tehui wrote:
Jay Cee Gee wrote:OKC clinch a playoff spot in Miami. Nice win, didn't see it but they shot 38 free throws - wonder if the Heat have a right to be pissed off at the officiating?

They can still take 4th spot, though I'm not 100% sure of the permuations. They obviously need to beat Memphis & hope Utah lose at least one (probable) but not sure of the tie breaker situation vs the Pels & Spurs and it could possibly be any one, two or all three of them tied.

Edit - apparently it can't be all 4 tied as the Spurs & Pels are playing each other next.

I read if it's a 3 way OKC/Utah/Spurs tie then OKC would get 4th, but dunno about OKC/Utah/Pels
I'd heard that OKC lose all of the tie-breaker scenarios. I get the feeling that an OKC v Warriors first round match up is on the cards. It might not be a bad time to play the Warriors with Curry MIA.
I think they only win a head to head tie breaker with Utah, but as it's likely to be a 3 way tie breaker which includes Utah that benefits them also.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 8:54 am
by Marshall Banana
It's impossible now for the Thunder to finish 7th:

http://www.playoffstatus.com/nba/westernstandings.html

My brain hurts too much thinking about it all...

One thing I do know, is that I'll be cheering for Denver against Minny!

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 11:39 pm
by Marshall Banana
Scratch that last post! The Thunder can still finish 7th.

Here's a good summation: http://dailythunder.com/thunder-playoff-scenarios/

I think this is accurate...

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 11:58 pm
by Jay Cee Gee
So basically, the Pels/Spurs games & Nuggets/T-Wolves don't have any bearing on OKC's position unless they lose to Memphis.

They need to beat Memphis and hope Utah lose 1 of 2 and that's...actually not that unlikely....please don't hurt me mockers gods....

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 2:04 am
by Jay Cee Gee

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:02 am
by Marshall Banana
Lance gonna Lance! :lol:
Jay Cee Gee wrote:So basically, the Pels/Spurs games & Nuggets/T-Wolves don't have any bearing on OKC's position unless they lose to Memphis.

They need to beat Memphis and hope Utah lose 1 of 2 and that's...actually not that unlikely....please don't hurt me mockers gods....
Yup.

With the Jazz crushing the Warriors today, if the Thunder win tomorrow they'll get the Jazz in the first round - whether that's as the 6th seed, or 4th seed, is up to Portland.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:32 am
by Jay Cee Gee
Marshall Banana wrote:Lance gonna Lance! :lol:
Jay Cee Gee wrote:So basically, the Pels/Spurs games & Nuggets/T-Wolves don't have any bearing on OKC's position unless they lose to Memphis.

They need to beat Memphis and hope Utah lose 1 of 2 and that's...actually not that unlikely....please don't hurt me mockers gods....
Yup.

With the Jazz crushing the Warriors today, if the Thunder win tomorrow they'll get the Jazz in the first round - whether that's as the 6th seed, or 4th seed, is up to Portland.
And if they lose tomorrow they're guaranteed to be 8th seed vs Houston.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:45 am
by Marshall Banana
Would be classic Thunder if they lost - especially to a side with this 'injury' list. Ruled out for tomorrow:

M. Conley (L heel), M. Gasol (rest), J. Green (R/L knee soreness), A. Harrison (R wrist/L shoulder), J. Martin (L ankle), C. Parsons (R/L knee soreness), W. Selden (R knee soreness), T. Evans (personal) remains NWT.

The Thunder will be favoured by 15+...

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 8:19 am
by Tehui
The Grizzlies have one game left of the regular season.

They won't feature in the play offs.

And they decide to 'rest' Mark Gasol.

:lol:

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 3:24 am
by vintage_cox
Damn. Playoff Rondo is real and he's here

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 3:45 am
by Jay Cee Gee
T-Wolves & Nuggets still going!

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 3:47 am
by goeagles
Great game. Wanted the Nuggs to win but they have a promising future.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 3:47 am
by Jay Cee Gee
Marshall Banana wrote:Would be classic Thunder if they lost - especially to a side with this 'injury' list. Ruled out for tomorrow:

M. Conley (L heel), M. Gasol (rest), J. Green (R/L knee soreness), A. Harrison (R wrist/L shoulder), J. Martin (L ankle), C. Parsons (R/L knee soreness), W. Selden (R knee soreness), T. Evans (personal) remains NWT.

The Thunder will be favoured by 15+...

Well, they didn't lose and Adams boxed out for Russ for 3 quarters to make sure he got his rebounds. Needing 36 in his last 2 games he sets season highs in both.


Still, he made up for it by feeding Adams all night. Go Blazers!

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 3:48 am
by Jay Cee Gee
vintage_cox wrote:Damn. Playoff Rondo is real and he's here
Weirdly, we know the Blazers will now play the Pels with home advantage even though neither of their final table positions are settled. Either 3-6 or 4-5, I guess.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:55 am
by Marshall Banana
The 4th seed - like I predicted from the start! :o

What a messed up season...

Hope Brewer is OK.


Feel for the Nuggets. Those fans do it tough - but as goey said, that young core is amazing - they'll be fine.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:27 am
by jezzer
So Washington throws the game to face Toronto rather than Boston in the playoffs (better matchup?) against an Orlando team with half its usual starters.

Frank Vogel, trying to save his job, accepts the gift. Gives Orlando a facile win which will likely take them out of contention for the 3rd pick. The only bad team not actively tanking is the one in most need of a high pick. It's become a clowncar franchise.

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:58 am
by Marshall Banana
jezzer wrote:So Washington throws the game to face Toronto rather than Boston in the playoffs (better matchup?) against an Orlando team with half its usual starters.

Frank Vogel, trying to save his job, accepts the gift. Gives Orlando a facile win which will likely take them out of contention for the 3rd pick. The only bad team not actively tanking is the one in most need of a high pick. It's become a clowncar franchise.
Wizards were trying to win.

They didn't throw this game to get on the same side of the draw as the Raps, and Cavs.

Or did they? https://twitter.com/DCBarno/status/983892685659557889

They played Beal 36 minutes - so I'm going with the "trying to win" crowd.

As for your Magic? I doubt players are overly keen to be traded/drafted there right now... :uhoh:

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - general discussion

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 10:59 am
by vintage_cox
jezzer wrote:So Washington throws the game to face Toronto rather than Boston in the playoffs (better matchup?) against an Orlando team with half its usual starters.

Frank Vogel, trying to save his job, accepts the gift. Gives Orlando a facile win which will likely take them out of contention for the 3rd pick. The only bad team not actively tanking is the one in most need of a high pick. It's become a clowncar franchise.
Based on their performances against sub 500 teams I don't think they were trying to throw it... But if they did it was more to avoid the 6ers, who they would have faced if the heat hadn't pulled off the upset over the raptors today.

There's some history with the raps in the playoffs that has been simmering on Twitter all season. The wizards swept them a few seasons back when the raptors were on the come up and had the higher seeding and they definitely haven't forgotten it. The wizards have nothing to lose while all the pressure is on the raptors not to choke again. Could actually be a fun series. Wall looked pretty fit against the Cs earlier in the week

Re: NBA season 2017/18 - Play Offs

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 12:51 pm
by Tehui
NBA Play Offs time...

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