Board 8 > 2023-2024 NBA Topic 1

(+) Yeah! (+)

The Magic's over / under this season is 36.5 last I checked. Last season they got 34 wins despite being absolutely fucked by injuries the first half of the season

I would still take the over if it had been set at 41.5. They were a .500 team from the point that Fultz got healthy last season and have theoretically gotten better through rookie contract development and roster turnover since.

It's lol preseason so obviously a pinch of salt needed but they outplayed both the Cavs and Pelicans starters in the preseason games so far. And having watched both games, both teams were definitely trying and not just coasting / experimenting due to it being preseason.

Yeah to be clear I am not down on orlando (Even though I am one of those people skeptical of the guards), I just think the pistons are more complete. In a way they are complete opposites, orlando has the wings on lock and detroit has the guards/bigs (imo).

I think orlando is better equipped to win more games this year but long term, I see detroit winning more games than them starting next year.

I'm not convinced on Detriots' bigs.

I think Orlando bare minimum make the play in this year.

This year seems crazy though, especially in the west. Feels like a good team is gonna be left out of the playoff picture. Spurs, Rockets, and Blazers are the only ones who feel like they can't compete, maybe the Jazz if Markkanen regresses, also if Wemby does turn out to be a generational talent, that can change things for the Spurs too.

I'm expecting the Kings to regress, but still make the playoffs. Pels, and Thunder seem like very exciting teams.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38674600/then-alligators-got-memphis-grizzlies-star-ja-morant-18-month-downfall

Team sources said there were concerns about how frequently Morant, underage and often accompanied by his father, would go out drinking, and at some of Memphis' seedier establishments and strip clubs, including on nights before games.

"There was no discipline," another Grizzlies source said. "They felt like they could do anything they wanted. In my opinion, the enabling was out of control. Just constant. Definitely s--- was swept under the rug."

Five months later, Morant signed a five-year, $194 million deal, the biggest contract in franchise history.
Around that same time, some in Memphis noticed a change in Morant. "He went from being a nice guy to every time you look up, the kid was always into it with somebody," said one of the Memphis business owners whose establishments Morant had visited frequently. "A staff member, security, always wanting it his way. It's just so much. I can't say all of it. It just went bad, bro -- like the way he carried himself. First, he told me he was coming with his best friend. The next thing, he started coming with an entourage. The next thing, he's got a platinum grill in his mouth. The next thing, he's into it with parking lot security because they won't let him park somewhere."

The second Memphis business owner said they've hosted just about every big name NBA player one could imagine. Yet, he said, Morant and his entourage became so challenging that, for the first time, the staff "hated" to see Morant and his group walk through the door. That businessperson recalled witnessing a verbal altercation where Morant and his associates "had gotten very disrespectful to a man's wife. It got so bad that they actually started to threaten each other's lives."

Tee moved to Memphis a week after his son was drafted and enjoyed the spoils of his son's rise to superstardom, hosting VIP events and parties at nightclubs, with television cameras often panning toward him. Tee also confronted former NFL player Shannon Sharpe at a Jan. 20, 2023, game in Los Angeles, and he argued with Pacers players during a Grizzlies' Jan. 29 home game. Tee's presence, and the spate of incidents, dismayed some in the Grizzlies organization, team sources said.

"Tee has been a major driving force in all of this," one team source said. "He never made the NBA, but this was his chance to live like he's an NBA superstar. That's been a problem from the beginning."

Thoughts?

That whilst what Ja is doing is shitty, ESPN should instead be investing time in articles on the scumbag Miles Bridges who should have no place in the league.

Maybe they have but with the shit that has come out on Bridges I feel that's what they should really be driving home before giving Ja attention

What shattered said. The biggest thing for morant is it seems like everyone around him wants to use him, his own family included. I harken back to when his mom called for him to come get into it with like a shoe store manager or something on her behalf, that stuff is weak. But he also hasn't like...committed any crimes. That we know of.

Pat Bev is such a fucking moron

He went in on Franz Wagner and Banchero basically saying how can those guys be top 50 players (I think they were like 30/53 in the list) when the Magic aren't a playoff team. 2 top 50 players should get you to the playoffs.

For starters there's 30 teams and 20 get in so theoretically the 20th team in the league would be 20/50 in those rankings for their best 2 players. But it actually gets way worse for him.

Pat Bev was on 2 teams last season. The Lakers who are the only team in the league to have 2 players inside the top 10. They went 25-30 whilst Beverly was on the team.

He was also on the Bulls who have 2 players inside the top 50 and *gasp* missed the playoffs.

Fun fact about the Suns roster. Kevin Durant is now the 5th longest tenured player.

Tuesday cant come fast enough.

Andre Iguodala announced his retirement

makes sense, it was time. i just saw him on abbott elementary actually, was pretty surprising

Part 2 of Fumble Dimension

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TdzdoLzNYA

https://streamable.com/a3vfo3

ya go my wemby

The Spurs can't keep getting away with this

We can and we will

Hot takes before the season:

-Suns win 65+ games, Booker has a case for MVP, and Suns win the title
-(Maybe not so much any more with the news of Adams)-Grizz only make the play-in and miss the playoffs
-Knicks stumble into the conference finals(and lose) after the Bucks or Celtics fall in the second or first round.
-Magic not only make into the playoffs- but make it the second round of the playoffs.
-Pelicans finish with a better record than the Lakers.

Wemby plays less than 45 games
Bucks end up being a beatable 4 or 5 seed
Lakers /Celtics finals, Celtics win
Lebron retires

Giannis got a 3 year extension, bucks can breathe a little easier

Hot takes:

Lakers and Celtics both fail to make it out of the second round

Jokic gets frustrated by another long postseason run and retires to spend more time with his horses

Sorozone posted...

-Suns win 65+ games, Booker has a case for MVP, and Suns win the title

I don't see them having a strong regular season tbh

Beal is already out for the first game. KD is good for about 50 games a season. Book tends to get banged up too. They could win the title, but I don't see the first two happening

Leonhart4 posted...

Hot takes:

Lakers and Celtics both fail to make it out of the second round

Jokic gets frustrated by another long postseason run and retires to spend more time with his horses

I was thinking they come up with a fake injury for Jokic to have and he comes back New Years Day every year

Dbacks go to WS, Suns win with a dominate Booker. Good night.

Good night for AZ sports to help keep our minds off the Cardinals

really don't see the suns having the health to win 4 straight playoff series. think you can count on KD to fade physically

I mean that has been the concern since this team was assembled. Even Book has had periods where he missed a month due to an injury.

Not too concerned as long as its not a devastating season long injury. Book can take over if he needs to.

Their offense was all over the place last night and still won despite a billion turnovers. Being an injury prone team is always precarious but nothing you can do about unless it happens. So just hope it doesnt happen.

Also people need to start coming to the realization that Booker has surpassed KD, this team runs through him.

Suns losing a second round pick for tampering with Eubanks.

My prediction is a Nuggets repeat. I don't know that anyone has an answer for Jokic, and the Nugs have a lot of guys that can score around him. As a team they just feel very settled, though they aren't as deep as last year.

Bucks win the east, I just think having to deal with like 2-3 grueling 7 game series is going to prove too much.

Suns and Celtics will be awesome when everyone is healthy and the offenses are cooking.

I can't say I know where GSW will end up - I think they match up well against, say, Milwaukee but poorly against the other contenders.

Lakers I don't know I just hope it doesn't go well

Since weve fixed baseballs game length, maybe we can finally figure out how to start NBA games when they are listed to start

Suspect it's because this Celtics game has gone on three hours

gotta make sure all eyes are on Wemby

has a block, reb, and assist in the first minute and a half. love it

this devin vassell kid is so fast. spurs overall look quite fun

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/5/4/AADJ9vAAE-WS.jpg

Pistons drop the first game to the Heat 103-102

Healthy Cade is here dropping 30 points, 9 assists and 3 rebounds

Wemby playing like a rookie afraid of making mistakes, yet still making them so far tonight

The Bulls with the earliest players-only meeting in recorded history

It's Dame time in Milwaukee

Two games deep and we're already down Beal and Book

That said the rest of the team is keeping pace with a contender on the road, which looks good for our depth

MZero posted...

Two games deep and we're already down Beal and Book

That said the rest of the team is keeping pace with a contender on the road, which looks good for our depth

A contender? I thought they were playing the Lakers tonight.

The Beal, Booker and Durant show is gone be nuts.

It took two games for LeBron to decide a minutes restriction wasn't for him

Final Score

Pistons 111
Hornets 99

Despite Pistons having 24 turnovers and Cade having a bad game

Alec Burks was a +29 tonight though which is nuts

We are playing like playoff defense and it's October, people are going to hate us

ya go my Wemby

luka is something else

mvp year?

where would the Bulls be without Lavine he has like all their points so far this game

uh oh Cade rolled his ankle on Duren's foot

looks like he's okay

Final Score

Bulls 102
Pistonz 118

Zach Lavine with 51 points who cares

KAT is super off; I just don't foresee him not getting traded this year. It just isn't working out. Did enjoy the "Where is Jimmy" chants though. Apparently, he's not played against the Wolves since 2021 now.

KAT hasn't been the same since his mom died several years ago