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NBA
Jan 8, 2024 21:38:58 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Jan 8, 2024 21:38:58 GMT
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NBA
Jan 9, 2024 13:45:25 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 9, 2024 13:45:25 GMT
Ja Morant is out for the season! I had the same injury (from high school football), a torn labrum. I had surgery, had a pin inserted to "hold the shoulder in place". It's not a minor injury/surgery.
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NBA
Jan 9, 2024 14:07:56 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Jan 9, 2024 14:07:56 GMT
Ja Morant is out for the season! I had the same injury (from high school football), a torn labrum. I had surgery, had a pin inserted to "hold the shoulder in place". It's not a minor injury/surgery.
Wow, that is awful for Memphis. They have been 7-20 without him, 6-3 with him this season. In those 9 games he played, he averaged 25.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 8.1 apg, and just 3 TO/g (a very strong 2.7:1 A/TO ratio). I've been very critical of Morant's behavior over the past year in particular, and I stand behind that: I think he's acted like an absolute idiot, which is especially troubling considering his stellar reputation prior to then. (He truly does seem like someone whose sudden wealth and fame had a major, negative impact.) But you never want to see anyone get hurt, and I've been pulling for him generally, too. I want him to find his old, non-troublemaking self and have a great career. Memphis is going to be looking at the lottery now for sure.
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NBA
Jan 10, 2024 3:34:35 GMT
Post by B.E. on Jan 10, 2024 3:34:35 GMT
Kapitan, when was the last time the Wolves were #1 in the West this long? Or have they ever?
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NBA
Jan 10, 2024 11:50:10 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Jan 10, 2024 11:50:10 GMT
Kapitan , when was the last time the Wolves were #1 in the West this long? Or have they ever? While they've occasionally been on top of the West in the past in the early 00s, I'm pretty sure it's unprecedented for them to have been more or less #1 for half a season.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 15, 2024 13:28:15 GMT
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NBA
Jan 23, 2024 13:08:45 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Jan 23, 2024 13:08:45 GMT
Joel Embiid, my goodness! 70 pts, 18 rebounds, 5 assists in a win over San Antonio.
The beautiful part? He got it on the same night the longtime target of his online trolling, Karl Anthony Towns, scored a career-high 62 (in a loss to abysmal Charlotte). I don't think one was related to the other, but there is poetry in the timing.
That was the archetypal game for KAT: great stats, and a loss. He is just not a winning player.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 23, 2024 13:50:07 GMT
Joel Embiid, my goodness! 70 pts, 18 rebounds, 5 assists in a win over San Antonio. The beautiful part? He got it on the same night the longtime target of his online trolling, Karl Anthony Towns, scored a career-high 62 (in a loss to abysmal Charlotte). I don't think one was related to the other, but there is poetry in the timing. That was the archetypal game for KAT: great stats, and a loss. He is just not a winning player. I watched the game. A few observations. Embiid was simply unstoppable. Dunks. Bullying himself inside the lane for a layup. 20 foot jumpers. Turn around jumpers. Three-pointers. Free throws. He was even running the floor and getting fast break points. And he couldn't miss. Most of his shots were nothing but net. I have never seen a player of his size score so many different ways. Near the end of the game, I'm not saying San Antonio was letting him score, but their defense resembled an NBA All Star game. However, late in the 4th Quarter, Embiid made a nice pass/assist for a layup when he could've driven to the basket himself. Nick Nurse took Embiid out with about 1:30 left in the game. He might've scored a couple more points.
Embiid broke Wilt Chamberlain's franchise scoring record for one game. That stung a little; I'm a big Wilt fan. But, there's no way Wilt had as many offensive skills as Embiid. Wilt was not as multi-faceted.
After the game, Embiid was shown having a long conversation on the floor with Brett Brown. They were laughing, talking and embracing. That made me feel good.
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NBA
Jan 25, 2024 0:54:24 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 25, 2024 0:54:24 GMT
Doc Rivers is back! Good Luck, Milwaukee.
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NBA
Jan 27, 2024 13:35:40 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Jan 27, 2024 13:35:40 GMT
Luka Doncic had 73 points in a win last night.
Devin Booker had 62 in a loss.
Monday, of course, Joel Embiid had 70 points in a win, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 62 in a loss.
It's the first time in NBA history four players had at least 60 points in a five-day span. It's kind of funny, Anfernee Simons had 40 for Portland and it's not even remotely news! And Jalen Green's 36 for Houston? Zzzzzzzz.
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NBA
Feb 5, 2024 12:35:14 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Feb 5, 2024 12:35:14 GMT
I hate that this is happening again: Joel Embiid to miss significant time--maybe the rest of the season--with a meniscus injury. He has been so great this year, too. But as good as Tyrese Maxey is, and as competent as the rest of the team is, the season is over if Embiid can't play, at least as far as postseason is concerned.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 5, 2024 12:51:54 GMT
I hate that this is happening again: Joel Embiid to miss significant time--maybe the rest of the season--with a meniscus injury. He has been so great this year, too. But as good as Tyrese Maxey is, and as competent as the rest of the team is, the season is over if Embiid can't play, at least as far as postseason is concerned. After 8-9 years of Embiid, I'm becoming numb to all of this.
I'm listening to 94WIP radio in Philly right now and they're talking like Embiid will be back for the playoffs (if the Sixers even get there). In reality, nobody knows until the doctors take a look during surgery.
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NBA
Feb 6, 2024 16:25:57 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Feb 6, 2024 16:25:57 GMT
Roughly 48 hours until the NBA trade deadline hits. By the sound of things, it doesn't seem likely that we're going to see many, if any, really big names traded, but there could be a lot of activity in general as teams with high payrolls try to use the last of their flexibility before the new, stricter rules kick in this offseason for teams over the tax aprons.
(Those teams will no longer be allowed to aggregate salaries in trades, to send out cash in trades, to add any salary in trades, or to use any existing trade exceptions. I think those new rules all stink, frankly.)
From what I've heard, some of the bigger names who could be moved are people like Malcolm Brogdon and Jerami Grant of Portland; Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozen, and Alex Caruso of Chicago; Spencer Dinwiddie of Brooklyn; Bruce Brown of Toronto; Tyus Jones of Washington; Kyle Anderson of Minnesota; and maybe a few of the Utah "vets" like Kelly Olynyk or Collin Sexton. I'm sure I'm forgetting people, but the point is that as you can see, these aren't All-NBA types, and in fact are mostly not even occasional All-Star types.
The Wolves are reportedly going to be looking for backup playmaking, and specifically backup point guard help. (Mike Conley is our starter, but his contract is expiring and he's older than dirty. Our backups are not good.) It also seems possible, if not likely, that we could move valuable reserve PF/C Naz Reid.
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NBA
Feb 8, 2024 12:53:37 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Feb 8, 2024 12:53:37 GMT
It's deadline day! The Wolves made an expected trade for a backup PG yesterday. I am a little surprised they pulled the trigger a day before the deadline, as I'd have hoped they would have worked longer and harder on the better deal (which would have been for Apple Valley, MN, native Tyus Jones). They moved two backups--combo guard Shake Milton and wing Troy Brown Jr--and a 2nd round pick to Detroit for backup PG Monte Morris. Morris was a very good backup and spot-starter in Denver when Wolves boss Tim Connelly led that team, but has barely played this year in Detroit because of injuries. I'm not sure how I feel about the deal. Morris is a better backup than anyone else we have available, but Jones would have been better yet. I wish I knew the other options out there. Is Morris going to be "the guy" going forward? I'm not sure I see him as that. Of potential interest to Sheriff John Stone, I keep seeing (including from the omniscient Woj) that the 76ers "are the team to watch," and that they are dedicated to improving their team this season. Very curious to see what might happen.
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NBA
Feb 8, 2024 15:49:54 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Feb 8, 2024 15:49:54 GMT
Furkan Korkmaz finally gets his wish!
Philadelphia is acquiring SG Buddy Hield from Indiana for Korkmaz (who has long hoped for a trade out, as he's generally out of the 76ers' rotation), Marcus Morris, and three 2nd-round picks.
Hield, 31, is averaging his fewest ppg (12.6) since his rookie season, largely because his playing time is also down while Indiana undergoes a bit of a youth movement (their recent acquisition of Pascal Siakam notwithstanding). But he is a career 40% 3pt shooter who, for his career, has been a 19 ppg, 5 rpg, 3.2 apg player when he gets 30-39 mpg. He has usually produced 15-20 ppg over the past five years, and should take some pressure off Tyrese Maxey's dangerous drive and, when he returns, Joel Embiid. His contract is expiring after this season, so there is no long-term commitment (or long-term guarantee).
Indiana actually benefits financially from the trade, as both Morris's and Korkmaz's contracts also expire after this season, and they add up to a couple million more than Hield's. It will be interesting to see whether either will figure into the Pacers' rotations for this season. Morris was contributing off the bench in Philly, while Korkmaz mostly was not.
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