AROUND the NBA:

[CooPerFan]

That loss was on Victor. That turnover where he dribble the ball to his foot was critical. He’s also too inconsistent on offense. He might play great in game 2 and suck again in game 3.

[Mavs2021]

That loss was on Victor. That turnover  where he dribble the ball to his foot was critical. He’s also too inconsistent of offense. He might play great in game 2 and suck again in game 3.

He´s honestly "just" a Porzingis on offense. He´s just a stupid great difference maker on defense. Luckily for Wemby he landed in San Antonio, who immediately figured out that the regular season is meaningless, which kept him very healthy for his size so far. So he might have the time for his offense to catch up to his defense.

[CooPerFan]

He´s honestly "just" a Porzingis on offense. He´s just a stupid great difference maker on defense. Luckily for Wemby he landed in San Antonio, who immediately figured out that the regular season is meaningless, which kept him very healthy for his size so far. So he might have the time for his offense to catch up to his defense.

Also his BBIQ is low. He keeps camping and aski for the ball at the 3pt line. When he gets the ball at the 3pt line he sized up his opponent with his dribble show off  and ended up  only to pass the ball back to his teammate not knowing the shot clock is ticking.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

The Knicks window to win a title is now. Those two to three year windows that we thought was what it took, to get one, are closing faster as the NBA landscape is also changing. They may never get this opportunity again as fortunes change quickly. (See Thunder)

[cow]

Bad loss for the Spurs and I thought it showed their inexperience down the stretch.  The Knicks are just more consistent even if their offensive ceiling isn't as high as the Spurs if all things are clicking.  

The Wemby/KP comp is interesting as they both look equally ineffectual in the post.  Wemby looks to drive a bunch more, but KP might have done that in his Knicks days pre-injury as well.  It seems like Wemby is more of a basketball junkie than KP and win or lose this series, he, his camp, and the Spurs need to get him some sort of reliable game in the post (no matter if that looks like a traditional big or Dirk) as well as varying up his spin-move on drives which help defenders are waiting for and are turning into easy turnovers.  He's still young so I'm not worried about him yet.

And speaking of youth, Castle and Harper are the real deal.  I hate to say it, but they make me want to be a Spurs fan.   Even if it doesn't happen now, that trio is going to be a force.

[Knutsen]

Bad loss for the Spurs and I thought it showed the inexperience down the stretch.  The Knicks are just more consistent even if their offensive ceiling isn't compared to the Spurs if all things are clicking.  

The Wemby/KP comp is interesting as they both look equally ineffectual in the post.  Wemby looks to drive a bunch more, but KP might have done that in his Knicks days pre-injury as well.  It seems like Wemby is more of a basketball junkie than KP and win or lose this series, he, his camp, and the Spurs need to get him some sort of reliable game in the post (no matter if that looks like a traditional big or Dirk) as well as varying up his spin-move on drives which help defenders are waiting for and are turning into easy turnovers.  He's still young so I'm not worried about him yet.

And speaking of youth, Castle and Harper are the real deal.  I hate to say it, but they make me want to be a Spurs fan.   Even if it doesn't happen now, that trio is going to be a force.

I was writing this a couple of weeks ago - just imagine Wemby with his length operating like Dirk from the elbow. He wouldn’t even need to fade to be unblockable with his size. 

He should get him and Holger as successors to his shaolin monks this summer and the NBA would be over.

[cow]

I was writing this a couple of weeks ago - just imagine Wemby with his length operating like Dirk from the elbow. He wouldn’t even need to fade to be unblockable with his size. 

He should get him and Holger as successors to his shaolin monks this summer and the NBA would be over.

And Dirk would help.  And of course he could lean on The Admiral and Duncan.  Might as well call up Hakeem too to have a complete Texas big arsenal.

[CooPerFan]

The Knicks window to win a title is now. Those two to three year windows that we thought was what it took, to get one, are closing faster as the NBA landscape is also changing. They may never get this opportunity again as fortunes change quickly. (See Thunder)

Yeah you’re right. But wemby losing in the finals means he’ll never surpass jordan as the goat( there are talks already). Because jordan stans always cling to that 6-0 finals record.

[CooPerFan]

I was writing this a couple of weeks ago - just imagine Wemby with his length operating like Dirk from the elbow. He wouldn’t even need to fade to be unblockable with his size. 

He should get him and Holger as successors to his shaolin monks this summer and the NBA would be over.

This is what i always say. Wemby needs to play like dirk if he doesnt want to play in the low post/ traditional big man game.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Hall of Famer and former Celtics star Kevin McHale, for one, bristles whenever he hears a current player question whether Larry Bird would be a superstar in 2026. “These are the same dudes that can’t guard [Lakers star] Luka Doncic, and Luka Doncic is lighting them up,” McHale said with a sigh during a recent phone call. “And I’m thinking, ‘Larry is bigger, stronger, faster, and meaner than Luka Doncic. And if Luka is lighting these dudes up, it’d be a five-alarm fire what Larry would do.’ ”

Bird was a 12-time All-Star, three-time MVP, and three-time NBA champion with the Celtics from 1979-92, even while dealing with injuries throughout his career. McHale said that with sports science advances, Bird would have the tools and support to dominate today’s game, too. “I just laugh at these people today,” he said. “Larry would go by you a hell of a lot faster than Luka would go by you. He was a straight-line driver, and he was also just a horse.”

Boston Globe

[Knutsen]

And Dirk would help.  And of course he could lean on The Admiral and Duncan.  Might as well call up Hakeem too to have a complete Texas big arsenal.

Don’t forget Yao Ming!

Seriously, sure he can learn a thing or two from Duncan, Hakeem or Robinson - but I think he’ll never be a powerful post player on offense and shouldn’t be banging down there every night to stay fresh anyways. Therefore modeling his game after Dirk to dominate with finesse, smarts and skills makes all the sense to me - be a tall Dirk, not a thin Shaq!

For example Dirk never dribbled around just for the sake of dribbling - every one or two dribbles had the clear intent to get in position to score. That’s the way Wemby should develop, because a swarming defense with smaller defenders will always pick him off, that’s just physics.

[cow]

Don’t forget Yao Ming!

Seriously, sure he can learn a thing or two from Duncan, Hakeem or Robinson - but I think he’ll never be a powerful post player on offense and shouldn’t be banging down there every night to stay fresh anyways. Therefore modeling his game after Dirk to dominate with finesse, smarts and skills makes all the sense to me - be a tall Dirk, not a thin Shaq!

For example Dirk never dribbled around just for the sake of dribbling - every one or two dribbles had the clear intent to get in position to score. That’s the way Wemby should develop, because a swarming defense with smaller defenders will always pick him off, that’s just physics.

Good call on Yao.  I mostly agree with you, but he doesn't even need Dirk's leg kick/fade because of his size.  Duncan's window Js would do him wonders too.  Finesse is the way to go though. And of course, everyone could use Hakeem's footwork.

[michaeltex]

Don’t forget Yao Ming!

Seriously, sure he can learn a thing or two from Duncan, Hakeem or Robinson - but I think he’ll never be a powerful post player on offense and shouldn’t be banging down there every night to stay fresh anyways. Therefore modeling his game after Dirk to dominate with finesse, smarts and skills makes all the sense to me - be a tall Dirk, not a thin Shaq!

For example Dirk never dribbled around just for the sake of dribbling - every one or two dribbles had the clear intent to get in position to score. That’s the way Wemby should develop, because a swarming defense with smaller defenders will always pick him off, that’s just physics.

Dirk would drive on you, but a lot of his dribbles were to get you off balance for his turnaround fadeaway. He took the heart out of more defenders that way...and I miss seeing it still.

[DallasMaverick]

Dirk would drive on you, but a lot of his dribbles were to get you off balance for his turnaround fadeaway. He took the heart out of more defenders that way...and I miss seeing it still.

In his younger days, he would head fake and drive.  As he got older and slower, he'd head fake, and then shoot.

[meistermatze]

That loss was on Victor. That turnover  where he dribble the ball to his foot was critical. He’s also too inconsistent on offense. He might play great in game 2 and suck again in game 3.

Unfortunately, this has been pretty much his MO. It was the same thing against the Thunder. I just don't understand how you can look unstoppable for one game, when you pound them inside, and then, the next game, you camp at the three-point line and either shoot a long ball or try to make several spin moves — which is the equivalent of a truck trying to turn around in a regular driveway — until you lose the ball.

Get Wemby the ball in the post. This is on the coaching and his level of aggressiveness. One way works, the other does not. Simple as that.

Overall, after my initial post, I have to eat some crow, but to me, it felt like the Spurs and especially Wemby cannot possibly play any worse than this, so they should be fine. But IF it turns out that the Knicks have figured out a genius way to keep Wemby as passive as this and out of the paint, they seriously have a shot.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

[Turner] Austin Reaves is reportedly seeking a max contract worth up to 5 years, $239.25 million from the Lakers, and it’s uncertain whether he would be willing to take a hometown discount.

[FireNicoHarrison]

[Turner] Austin Reaves is reportedly seeking a max contract worth up to 5 years, $239.25 million from the Lakers, and it’s uncertain whether he would be willing to take a hometown discount.

I hope the Fakers will resign him and LeBron for the farewell tour so Doncic has to leave because they can't win.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

A lawsuit seeking over $3 million from Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball is moving closer to trial, court records show. The suit is tied to allegations that Ball injured a child's foot while leaving Spectrum Center following a scrimmage in 2023. The alleged incident happened following the "Purple and Teal Day at the Hive," a free activity event hosted by the team on Oct. 7, 2023. According to the suit, Ball drove off in a "grossly negligent and reckless manner" after fans swarmed his car at a traffic light near the arena. The plaintiff's son was hit by Ball's car.

WCNC.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Get-in pricing for Games 3, 4, and 6, if necessary, at MSG took another massive jump on multiple ticket resale marketplaces in the wake of the Knicks’ 105–95 road win over the Spurs in Game 1. As of Thursday afternoon, low-end tickets for Monday’s Game 3 started at about $8,200, nearly doubling the comparable figure of $4,200 from just three days ago, and more than tripling the market level from less than three weeks ago. Game 4 on June 10—which is now a potential clinching scenario should the Knicks complete another postseason sweep—has taken an even bigger leap. Pricing that began at $3,900 on Monday for that contest has now soared to around $8,500 per ticket across multiple markets. Game 6 on June 16, still a tentative contest based on the outcome of the series, has pricing beginning at about $9,000 per ticket, up from $5,300 at the start of this week.

Front Office Sports

Those prices are insane!

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Ian Begley: Jalen Brunson asked about Josh Hart’s energy/performance in Game 1: “His energy is just relentless - it doesn’t stop..he eats candy all the time,” Brunson said, comparing him to a kid with boundless energy. Hart had 15 rebs, 6 ast, 4 stl & 0 TOs in 27 min

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