AROUND the NBA:

[loki]

Why don’t you pull him when he’s that hot… Was the most important tanking game this season, wtf.

Don't want to upset him. Re-signing a 34 year old > drafting a franchise player.

[DanSchwartzgan]

I'm not sure why a Mavs win tonight feels "fairly likely."

Because we were using real NBA players and they weren’t.

[Chicagojk]

Because we were using real NBA players and they weren’t.

Yeah, not a surprise at all. I am actually surprised Memphis tied it up late in the third.   That team had very little real NBA players yesterday.

[Chicagojk]

So are we seeing another Luka run to finish the season?   It seems like it happens often.  Media gets on him (some of it is deserved), but he finishes the season like gangbusters and then no one wants to see him in the playoffs.

[omahen]

So are we seeing another Luka run to finish the season?   It seems like it happens often.  Media gets on him (some of it is deserved), but he finishes the season like gangbusters and then no one wants to see him in the playoffs.

Luka is actually pretty consistent throughout the season. He had a monster start averaging 45 ppg in first three games in October, followed by consistent production in next three months averaging from 31 to 34 ppg in those months. February was a little bit worse with 27 ppg. Also less shot attempts per game in that stretch, probably because this was the stretch with their "big 3" playing together. In March he is back to pre-February numbers. 

There are two notable differences through the season. He started the season very average from three point line, but is at over 40 % in February and March. Lakers defense as well as his personal defensive numbers are noticeably better in March compared to rest of the season. Small sample size though.

As per game against Chicago. Lakers looked much worse than against New York and Minny. Defense was awful (Smart out, LeBron in). But Chicago was even worse on defense and Lukas shot was falling.

[FireNicoHarrison]

Luka Is the best PO performer in the world.

Anyway Lakers are not a contender.

[Knutsen]

Luka Is the best PO performer in the world.

Anyway Lakers are not a contender.

Defense wins championships, Nico said.

[FireNicoHarrison]

Defense wins championships, Nico said.

Yes, luckily for the league Pelinka is a puppet and he can't build a contender.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Each team gets seven timeouts to use over the course of a 48-minute regulation NBA game. The only restrictions on when they can use them come at the end of the game: you can’t call more than four in the fourth quarter or more than two in the final two minutes. In practice, most teams use 5-6 timeouts on average.

Then there are the Indiana Pacers, who use nearly every possible timeout nearly every game. Rick Carlisle has always been in the “you can’t take them with you” camp, averaging 5.8 and 5.9 timeouts per game the last two seasons, but this year he and his squad are calling for stoppage 6.4 times per game on average, nearly a half a timeout more than any other team in the league.

[Chicagojk]

Fun night of basketball. Arkansas game, Houston vs Arizona (several second round prospects on both teams), duke vs Virginia. Virginia impressed me. Pretty impressive to go from you best coach in school history and not miss a beat. Plus they now play a more fun style of offense. Then to the end of the lakers vs Denver game.

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

The Dumbing of America:

Cavaliers' broadcasts have a constant graphic stating above the score how much Cleveland's score is relative to the other team's. In other words if the score is Dallas 85 Cleveland 76, the graphic says "-9".

We're now living in the dumbest timeline when a broadcast assumes fans are too stupid to do simple math and have to be spoon fed score differential.

[DallasMaverick]

I think Kidd was trying pretty hard to lose, but sometimes all your best efforts go awry.

[Mavs2021]

The Dumbing of America:

Cavaliers' broadcasts have a constant graphic stating above the score how much Cleveland's score is relative to the other team's. In other words if the score is Dallas 85 Cleveland 76, the graphic says "-9".

We're now living in the dumbest timeline when a broadcast assumes fans are too stupid to do simple math and have to be spoon fed score differential.

Well I can´t say I blame the Cavs. They thought the Mavs would understand their simple assignment. Apparently not so they tried to dumb it down for Kidd and the Mavs front office. Didn´t work, not matter how hard they tried to dumb it down.

[Chicagojk]

Did the Mavs deserve the #1 pick last year?  Heck no.   I know you can't fix the lottery but it will be a bad look if the Jazz are rewarded for all the stuff they are doing this year.   After last year tanking too...which didn't work out.    I don't blame them either.   Add a top 3 pick and their future is bright.  A top 5-8 pick and then it is probably a nice team.    If Karma was real, they would not pick the inside the top 5.  Although if Karma is real, we would be without Cooper too.

[Scott41theMavs]

Did the Mavs deserve the #1 pick last year?  Heck no.   I know you can't fix the lottery but it will be a bad look if the Jazz are rewarded for all the stuff they are doing this year.   After last year tanking too...which didn't work out.    I don't blame them either.   Add a top 3 pick and their future is bright.  A top 5-8 pick and then it is probably a nice team.    If Karma was real, they would not pick the inside the top 5.  Although if Karma is real, we would be without Cooper too.

The FO didn't deserve crap, but yes, the fans absolutely deserved Flagg after what they were subjected to.

[DallasMaverick]

The odds don’t care who “deserves” what. It’s just math.

[Scott41theMavs]

The odds don’t care who “deserves” what. It’s just math.

Correct. How about the results?

[HoosierDaddyKid]

The odds don’t care who “deserves” what. It’s just math.

I think it's more than that. It's called "Karma" after what transpired with the Mavs last year.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://bsky.app/profile/tomorsborn.bsky...aad5sbxk24


Wemby says 50 wins are not enough.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://bsky.app/profile/nbastat.bsky.so...7zh22h2226


Jalen Johnson has the 2nd most T/Ds by a forward ever.

Atlanta might be a problem in the playoffs. They've won 10 straight.