AROUND the NBA: ATL Jumps from #10 to #1 in Lotto| Pistons Mull Firing GM

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

https://theathletic.com/5459826/2024/04/...-playoffs/


Youth and inexperience don't faze the Thunder.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

https://twitter.com/JaredWeissNBA/status...3635235283


Brad Stevens wins Executive of the Year.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

https://theathletic.com/5459935/2024/04/...-playoffs/


Derrick White is one of the most underrated players in the NBA.

[mvossman]

I suppose a better question (and one I was trying to raise), is does this team NEED Lebron? 

And would you even take him for relatively free, say THJ+Green+Hardy (and we draft Bronny)?

My gosh that would be a no brainer.  We would be title favorites.  You would have to, no matter how much you might not like Lebron.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1...0015886492



Mike Malone just gave Darvin Ham the kiss of death.

[mvossman]

My only thing with Lebron is that defensively he's a sieve now. He constantly lets back door cuts happen to him. Doesn't really move around on the perimeter. He's too old. Replacing DJJ with him seems like a mistake. 

Offensively he'd be 10x better there. But do we really need what Lebron brings when you have Luka? 

I guess one could make an argument that Lebron would be a 3rd option here and wouldn't be asked to do a lot at all. That'd give him more energy to work on defense. Hard to imagine taking not 1 but 2 steps back behind Luka and Kyrie and accept a role player role.

The defensive fit would not be ideal as he overlaps a lot with Luka, but the offensive fit would be insane.  He would be more like 1C than third option.  Hell, you could bring him off the bench to be the greatest 6th man of all time.  Regardless we wouldn't have to wear Luka into the ground both regular season and playoffs.  We also might see a friendlier whistle.  

It probably won't end up making sense due to fit, actual cost and timeline, but not much question adding a top 10/20 player into this roster wouldn't be a huge boost.

[Mavs2021]

You obviously have to take Lebron on a cheap asset deal, but I´ll be a total ass about this. I´d send an e-mail to the league and ask them whether the whistles follow him to Dallas or whether that is more of a Lakers thing.   I think the whistles alone would be enough to win us the title, even if he contributes nothing else.

I´m just worried that just like Dirk, the NBA really has had enough of the international stars dominating. You can see the media bandwagon getting overloaded on SGA (technically international) and Edwards. That´s the probably what the league wants, not Luka.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4004...layoff-run



Jalen Brunson and the "Old Man Game" driving the Knicks.

[Knutsen]

I suppose a better question (and one I was trying to raise), is does this team NEED Lebron? 

And would you even take him for relatively free, say THJ+Green+Hardy (and we draft Bronny)?

Who would be a better third option - or 1C as he was rightfully called - for our Kyrie-window of two, maybe three years? Especially since he‘s deadly from three all of a sudden. Plug LeBron in as a four and have always two of him, Kyrie and Luka in the game and we have the highest basketball IQ on the court for 48 minutes. 

Second point I already made in my last post is he wouldn’t only bring the whistles with him but 2 or 3 veterans who can really help us on cheap deals we‘d probably not be able to obtain without him.

[omahen]

Epic choke job by Embiid and Maxey. Embiid with 9 turnovers, at least 4 in the fourth quarter. Maxey did a lot of great things, but missed all three free throws in last quarter (until the last minute) and also lost a key ball.

Game not finished yet, though

[omahen]

And then of course Maxey scores 6 in the last minute to take the game to OT

[Mavs2021]

And then of course Maxey scores 6 in the last minute to take the game to OT

Seven. He did a Reggie Miller on the Knicks.

Josh Green better show up tomorrow.

EDIT: also 41 points on 16-26 shooting is not a bottle job, if he went 0-10 from the line. This is his team now. Embiid is just not that guy. Whistles die, so does his game.

[DallasMaverick]

And then of course Maxey scores 6 in the last minute to take the game to OT

Yeah. Maybe wasn’t an epic choke job, after all. 

Or maybe it WAS an epic choke job, but he redeemed himself.

If they win, it wasn’t an epic choke job, but if they lose, it was?

[omahen]

Embiid is obviously very injured, he can barely move. A shadow of a dominant force from regular season.

Embiid really had a bad stretch in the fourth with several almost consecutive turnovers which prompted me to start writing. But then Maxey also with a couple of bad plays, which made me include him as the game looked lost. But, I was wrong

Great game!

[Mavs2021]

Suggs laterally movement is just crazy. Did he break some records ate the combine, cause it feels he moves as fast sideways as some do running.

[dirkfansince1998]

They actually called a flagrant foul on Embiid. And it was probably one of his softer fouls in the series.

[dirkfansince1998]

Brunson playing all out hero ball with mixed results. Big time shot making. Missing crucial FTs. Maybe with the game losing turnover.

[omahen]

Brunson playing all out hero ball with mixed results. Big time shot making. Missing crucial FTs. Maybe with the game losing turnover.

Brunson scored first two Knicks baskets in OT but then missed 5 consecutive ones (and 1 FT) and lost two balls. Brunson had 7 shots in OT, all other Knicks combined had 2, one of them was McBride shot in the last second with Philly up by 6.

[DallasMaverick]

Brunson scored first two Knicks baskets in OT but then missed 5 consecutive ones (and 1 FT) and lost two balls. Brunson had 7 shots in OT, all other Knicks combined had 2, one of them was McBride shot in the last second with Philly up by 6.

I found myself just the teensiest bit happy that the Knicks lost.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Huge win by the Bucks. Pat Bev, Middleton, and Portis led the charge in a 115-92 spanking over the Pacers minus Giannis and Dame.