AROUND the NBA:

[SkenfromLMF]

IF Dallas were to make a deal that rejuvenated the backcourt, I would hope they look strongly at Keyonte George. I know there were some rumblings of frustration in his camp that his deal took so long to get done, and the culture and environment in Utah is not the kind that smooths out hard feelings if winning is not the cure.

I am secretly keeping them on the watchlist because if Utah is does not turn around their fortunes, they will not like where they are salary wise next year...

[Chicagojk]

Regarding Luka, he is sort of take a surprised heel turn.   Most popular team in the league and they are good.  When you are that good, you can expect hate.  He seems to be welcoming it and even initiating it.    Supposedly he was calling Dyson Daniels a Bitch all game, he was talking stuff to the Hawks fans, the Yaxel stuff and it seems like there is something every game.  It is must watch television right now.   My only pause for concern is that is a heavy burden to carry over time.    Things tend to even out over time and if you are target #1 it can come back at you hard.  I think even a guy like Reggie Miller learned that over time.

[Jmaciscool]

@TheDunkCentral
The Bucks are facing a potential catastrophe over the Gary Trent Jr. investigation

"Everybody in the league expects a guilty finding"

"If they are found guilty, there are going to be draft picks stripped & people suspended indefinitely"

That's just a risk you have to take to sign a guy that can get you close to 4 points every game.

[michaeltex]

"Lauri Markkanen has sustained a nondisplaced fracture in his right hand and will miss at least one month, ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon reported Wednesday.

The news leaves Utah without another established frontcourt option as it tries to recover from a 1-10 start. Markkanen had already missed the previous two games while his injury was being described as a right wrist sprain. The reported timeline now stretches his absence well beyond those initial missed appearances."

They know tanking isn't a thing, right?

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

karma for tanking so long

[Mavs2021]

Regarding Luka, he is sort of take a surprised heel turn.   Most popular team in the league and they are good.  When you are that good, you can expect hate.  He seems to be welcoming it and even initiating it.    Supposedly he was calling Dyson Daniels a Bitch all game, he was talking stuff to the Hawks fans, the Yaxel stuff and it seems like there is something every game.  It is must watch television right now.   My only pause for concern is that is a heavy burden to carry over time.    Things tend to even out over time and if you are target #1 it can come back at you hard.  I think even a guy like Reggie Miller learned that over time.

I´m sorry you never got to see Luka play for the Mavs.

[Mavs2021]

karma for tanking so long

It is indeed ironic, that now that they want to win, they can´t. Really shows that when some players know they are not supposed to win, it can put their mind at ease and make them play better. I was bullish on the Jazz previous seasons, but not this year for that very reason.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Naz Reid on the move again?
Nov. 12, 2026
Jon Krawczynski: ‘The Hornets now are clearly in a period of transition, and they decided that LaMelo Ball was not going to be a part of the team that they believe can eventually get to real contender status. They made a decision that, with that core group, they were not good enough as constructed, and so they had to take a step back, amass some assets, and go forward. And what that also means is that A, the fans are going to be upset because they finally had a fun season last year and now it is going sideways again, but B, the possibilities of Naz Reid getting traded again are very high. This is a roster that I think is going to change over quite a bit over the next couple of years as the Hornets look for the right combination of people to really vault into what they hope is contention.’

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Kevin Durant on Yaxel. "He's a problem. A matchup problem. Being that tall and being that skilled, I'm excited to see his career unfold, and I'm grateful that I got to play against him tonight"

bsky.app

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Brian Windhorst: ‘In Cleveland now, the pressure is being applied to Kenny Atkinson. I understand why they're putting that pressure on him, because they are not really able to make a roster change. When that pressure is happening, it just naturally goes to the coach. The roster is thinner, way more expensive, and as you guys have talked about, the top end is not performing at a very high level. So, they’re five and six.’

[HoosierDaddyKid]

But an interesting, historical twist that could happen this year is that it could be the first time the Rookie of the Year winner is older than the regular-season MVP (as pointed out earlier this week on Reddit). That would only happen if Lendeborg wins Rookie of the Year and Wembanyama wins MVP, which is possible, even if Doncic is the early favorite for the latter honor. If Lendeborg and Wembanyama pull it off, that would make the Rookie of the Year 461 days older than the NBA MVP, an almost unfathomable outcome considering how young most elite first-year players tend to be. Just for reference, when Lendeborg's college career started in 2020-21, Wembanyama was still 16 years old.

HoopsHype

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Stephen Curry left Golden State’s 115-108 loss to the Rockets in Houston with what the team is terming an abdominal injury. About five minutes into the first quarter, he hoisted a 3-pointer, grabbed at his right side, let out a yell, and was removed from the game, never to return. The Warriors didn’t have many details to share immediately after the loss. Coach Steve Kerr said that Curry left the Toyota Center in the second half to get an MRI but was still anxiously awaiting the results. “We haven’t heard anything,” Kerr said. “Concern is high. But I have no idea the extent of the injury.”

New York Post


GS and Curry were rolling; this is not good if he misses extended time.

[F Gump]

IF Dallas were to make a deal that rejuvenated the backcourt, I would hope they look strongly at Keyonte George. I know there were some rumblings of frustration in his camp that his deal took so long to get done, and the culture and environment in Utah is not the kind that smooths out hard feelings if winning is not the cure.

I am secretly keeping them on the watchlist because if Utah is does not turn around their fortunes, they will not like where they are salary wise next year...

Does he play defense at all? I have thought about him as an upgrade at SG,  but wonder if he would add more than just taking shots (and taking them from Ky and Coop).

[mvossman]

Does he play defense at all? I have thought about him as an upgrade at SG,  but wonder if he would add more than just taking shots (and taking them from Ky and Coop).

I don't think he does.

[KillerLeft]

Man...Utah has lost TEN STRAIGHT, and might be the worst team in the league. That's something I absolutely did not see coming. I thought this would be the year they announced themselves as an up and coming team, but something is very wrong out there.

We complain a lot (maybe too much) about what we go through as Mavs fans, but...can you even imagine how terrible it must have been these past couple of DECADES, following Utah? Or, SAC, CHI, NO, CHA, for that matter? BRK?

We don't have it so bad here in Dallas, even in the worst of times.

[ballsrchr]

Man...Utah has lost TEN STRAIGHT, and might be the worst team in the league. That's something I absolutely did not see coming. I thought this would be the year they announced themselves as an up and coming team, but something is very wrong out there.

We complain a lot (maybe too much) about what we go through as Mavs fans, but...can you even imagine how terrible it must have been these past couple of DECADES, following Utah? Or, SAC, CHI, NO, CHA, for that matter? BRK?

We don't have it so bad here in Dallas, even in the worst of times.

Bite your tongue...

[Dahlsim]

Man...Utah has lost TEN STRAIGHT, and might be the worst team in the league. That's something I absolutely did not see coming. I thought this would be the year they announced themselves as an up and coming team, but something is very wrong out there.

We complain a lot (maybe too much) about what we go through as Mavs fans, but...can you even imagine how terrible it must have been these past couple of DECADES, following Utah? Or, SAC, CHI, NO, CHA, for that matter? BRK?

We don't have it so bad here in Dallas, even in the worst of times.

All true.  But, on the other hand. None of those teams traded Luka Doncic. 

[Chicagojk]

All true.  But, on the other hand. None of those teams traded Luka Doncic. 

True.   Maybe it was the first sign Ainge is no longer on his "A" game.  If you remember they were involved somehow in that trade getting a second or giving up a second without knowing Luka was involved.  Prime Ainge would have confused Nico in giving up that Lakers first.   

BTW, how strange is it that they had to find a team to get a pick in a Luka Doncic trade?   Nico was so in over his head.

[Chicagojk]

Stephen Curry left Golden State’s 115-108 loss to the Rockets in Houston with what the team is terming an abdominal injury. About five minutes into the first quarter, he hoisted a 3-pointer, grabbed at his right side, let out a yell, and was removed from the game, never to return. The Warriors didn’t have many details to share immediately after the loss. Coach Steve Kerr said that Curry left the Toyota Center in the second half to get an MRI but was still anxiously awaiting the results. “We haven’t heard anything,” Kerr said. “Concern is high. But I have no idea the extent of the injury.”

New York Post


GS and Curry were rolling; this is not good if he misses extended time.

I hope it is not serious.   Steph is so fun to watch and GS has been one of the fun stories this year.   I was doubtful their good play was sustainable because I just didn't think Steph would stay healthy.   Lets see if they can stay afloat with him out, but he is such a unique talent.  Tough to replace what he does.   Bummer.

[michaeltex]

All true.  But, on the other hand. None of those teams traded Luka Doncic. 

I put the "dark ages" as beginning with Luka's lack of readiness to start the 24-25 season. He was in and out for the early schedule, then was lost to a calf strain on 12/25/24. Then DLive went out with his foot fracture on 1/22/25. Then THE TRADE on 2/2/25 for a bag of beans and a recovering AD, who was promptly lost to injury (again) on 2/8/25. Then Kyrie tears his ACL on 3/3/25 and DAL goes into Tank Mode. Even the blessing of drafting Coop didn't do much to lighten the darkness as there was still no clear path to team improvement.

The Enlightenment began on 11/11/25 with the departure of Nico. The 2/5/26 AD trade continued to chase off the darkness, and provide hope that refreshed draft assets and improved cap space might provide hope for the future. although the lack of talent and effort around Coop was still a burden. The hiring of Masai Ujiri on 5/4/26 and associated staff changes (including the head coach) brought more light and hope heading into a critical offseason.

For the most part, this season started with less negatives, but with a lot of unknowns. Eleven games into the schedule I'd say there is a lot of excitement building around this team, the young talent, the rejuvenated veterans and the style of play. There are a few lingering dark spots, DLive in particular, but they are showing an ability to play competitively with the league's elite teams, and if that doesn't finally drive off the dark clouds, I don't know what will.