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

[The Jom]

Now you're sounding like sour grapes. 06 is ancient history. Move on. And like I said before, Luka gets calls, he just wants all of them. The refs are the refs. They blew a call calling Miles Turner for a moving screen with the game in the balance. DiVincenzo flopped and he sold it. But I get what you're saying. The NBA is better when the Knicks are relevant.

That was harsh.

[MaxiThreeba]

Now you're sounding like sour grapes. 06 is ancient history. Move on. And like I said before, Luka gets calls, he just wants all of them. The refs are the refs. They blew a call calling Miles Turner for a moving screen with the game in the balance. DiVincenzo flopped and he sold it. But I get what you're saying. The NBA is better when the Knicks are relevant.

Not exactly sure why Luka is the focus of your response or what exactly sounds like sour grapes.  But yeah sure, he wants all the calls….like they all do.  JB is getting whistles he wouldn’t get in Dallas.  That was legitimately my main point of original post (that and the Knicks are getting some suspiciously huge calls/non-calls in crunch time). He’s also a basketball savant and knows how to take full advantage of the favorable whistle he gets every game now.  

Moving on…Murray gonna get suspended in the name of player safety??

[The Jom]

I like Murray’s overreaction. He’s not going gentle into that good night. Dylan Thomas style.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Denver has emptied the bench. T-Wolves are the first team I've seen that has neutralized Jokic, and taken him out of his game. And they did it without Rudy. Jokic has 11 turnovers in his last 2 games. Combined with Murray's 3-18 and 0-5 from 3 is disaster for them. They held them to 80 pts. Denver's lowest point total this year.

[Luka77]

Great win by the T wolves. They are playing amazing. Crazy to think they may win an NBA championship this year.

[Knutsen]

Great win by the T wolves.  They are playing amazing.  Crazy to think they may win an NBA championship this year.

I wasn’t able to watch the game but was thinking hard about the timing and decision of Gobert not being available due to the birth of his first child when they would have a chance to get a commanding 2-0 lead away from home. 

Then they completely shut down Jokic and the Nuggets without the best defensive player in the league and he easily made the best decision ever not being at the game but with his wife.

[Chicagojk]

Wolves taking it to the Nuggets. Series is not done, but they are moving at a different speed. Really disappointing performance by the Nuggets. I actually didn't think the officiating was that bad. I saw some bad calls go against Denver but you can't let that take you off your game. I think their frustration and the awesome Timberwolves defense just got the Nuggets rattled and they couldn't recover. TKO.

Talent acquisition is a every day business. The Timberwolves hit a home run with the #1 pick and they also have a all star caliber player with another #1 pick. They traded for Conley who fit their team better than Russell and they traded most of their draft equity for an all defensive center. That doesn't mean you stop finding talent though. Naz Reid was undrafted a few years ago. Jaden McDaniels was a late second a few years ago. I have heard people talking about Alexander Walker but last night was the first time really watching him for me. He was a young player in New Orleans and sometimes when you are not ready you get caught in a numbers game. Some players never figure it out, but some guys just need time. He went to Utah and didn't stick there either, but found a spot in Minnesota as a athletic defender. I remember him as a rookie at New Orleans. He took some awful shots. He just wasn't ready yet. Minnesota has him this year and next at 4.5 per year. Great signing. Minny also has two long athletic freaks they drafted in the past two second rounds. Josh Miniot is a pogo stick who needs to develop basketball skills and Leonard Miller is a skilled 6'10 guy who just needs time. Not bad for the second round.

[Chicagojk]

Murray threw a towel too. He should be suspended. The issue is if he is, this will probably be a short series. Really tough call for the league. I haven't seen a meltdown like that in a while.

https://twitter.com/REichten/status/1787716084520382752

[Chicagojk]

Knicks acquired the Nova knicks for one first round pick. Josh Hart was acquired for a late first last year and guys like Cam Reddish. Dante Divincenzo is signed for the next 3 years after this and making around 12 million a year. We all know how they signed Jalen. Just an amazing use of resources and those guys play better together as well. Mikal would be the last piece. I just have trouble seeing how the Nets trade him to the Knicks.

[MFFL]

Murray threw a towel too.  He should be suspended.  The issue is if he is, this will probably be a short series.  Really tough call for the league.  I haven't seen a meltdown like that in a while. 

https://twitter.com/REichten/status/1787716084520382752

If it was ONE item the player could say it slipped, etc. TWO items is a pattern of disrespect.

But Westbrook wasn't suspended and he shoved a ref.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I remember everyone was saying Minnesota was crazy for giving up all that draft capital for Gobert. You can't play two bigs together. It took a while for them to mesh, but it's paying off big time now. They smoked the champs, and Gobert didn't even play. People forget GM Tim Connelly was the architect that built Denver. Now he's reinvented Minnesota in the same way.

[mvossman]

I remember everyone was saying Minnesota was crazy for giving up all that draft capital for Gobert. You can't play two bigs together. It took a while for them to mesh, but it's paying off big time now. They smoked the champs, and Gobert didn't even play. People forget GM Tim Connelly was the architect that built Denver. Now he's reinvented Minnesota in the same way.

I'm not sure the wolves having their best game of the season with Gobert not in the arena is the best argument for that trade.  I still think it was a bad trade and waste of resources, but they got a lot of other things right.

[Knutsen]

I remember everyone was saying Minnesota was crazy for giving up all that draft capital for Gobert. You can't play two bigs together. It took a while for them to mesh, but it's paying off big time now. They smoked the champs, and Gobert didn't even play. People forget GM Tim Connelly was the architect that built Denver. Now he's reinvented Minnesota in the same way.

And the same way we have been profiting from the more physical refereeing style since the allstar break it plays right into the cards of the Timberwolves with maybe the most physical roster in the league. They didn’t know this was coming when they traded for Gobert, but it helps them big time with their style of play. Will be interesting if the Celtics with Porzingis can hold up for example.

[KillerLeft]

I'm not sure the wolves having their best game of the season with Gobert not in the arena is the best argument for that trade.  I still think it was a bad trade and waste of resources, but they got a lot of other things right.

Yeah, I think what they got right is Anthony Edwards, although Gobert has improved the defensive culture. Something has to give during this off-season, however, even if they win the championship, because they can’t afford the luxury tax bill they’re about to have going forward.

[omahen]

 Jaden McDaniels was a late second a few years ago. 

Just a minor correction. McDaniels was a late first pick (28th). Still a great find. He was considered a great prospect but with big question marks to his game. Was sort of an offensive player with limitations and questiobable effort in college, if I remember correctly. It seems the concerns were legit about his offense. No one really saw he will become such a difference maker on defense.

[Chicagojk]

Just a minor correction. McDaniels was a late first pick (28th). Still a great find. He was considered a great prospect but with big question marks to his game. Was sort of an offensive player with limitations and questiobable effort in college, if I remember correctly. It seems the concerns were legit about his offense. No one really saw he will become such a difference maker on defense.

Yeah, my bad.  That was a typo on my part.

I hated McDaniels in that draft.  I watched a lot of highlights because I really liked Stewart on the same team.   McDaniels was a very high recruit and he was pretty bad as a freshman.   2020 was such a weird year to evaluate prospects though.   It just makes you realize you cannot make a final evaluation on such young prospects who are still trying to find their footing.

I wonder where McDaniels ranked in that draft for Bob V.  Seems to be the type of player he would have ranked hi.   Anyway, Bob V blew that draft big time....and I am still a Josh Green believer.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

https://theathletic.com/5476421/2024/05/...es-game-2/


Nuggets need to bring it in game 3.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

https://twitter.com/hoopshype/status/178...87?ref_src=


Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson are the top two players in the post season.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/05...n-wbd-nbc/


The NBA in-season and play-in tournaments are moving to Amazon Prime next season.

[F Gump]

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/05...n-wbd-nbc/


The NBA in-season and play-in tournaments are moving to Amazon Prime next season.

I have hated their broadcasts, from what I have watched of NFL. Very clunky to navigate. So I'm unlikely to watch ANY such games unless Mavs are playing, and perhaps not even then.