Official NBA 2022-2023 Thread

[surfergirl]

As a Lakers fan I'm concerned now. I felt very confident against The Grizzlies and fairly confident against the Warriors. Denver is 34-7 at home and 8-0 at home in the playoffs. I'm not sure the Lakers can steal a game in Denver, I hope they can. They'll need Schroder to step up, he's been MIA in a few games.

[KenElevenShadows]

15 hours ago, surfergirl said:

As a Lakers fan I'm concerned now. I felt very confident against The Grizzlies and fairly confident against the Warriors. Denver is 34-7 at home and 8-0 at home in the playoffs. I'm not sure the Lakers can steal a game in Denver, I hope they can. They'll need Schroder to step up, he's been MIA in a few games.

 

I thought Schröder played good defense and had some good moments on offense.

 

Regardless, this is going to be tough for the Lakers. I wasn't sure they'd get past the Warriors either.

 

So much of this is about AD. If he plays well and stays healthy, the Lakers have a decent chance of winning. Also, are we going to see some large bodies thrown at Jokic? Maybe Mo Bamba or Tristan Thompson?

[Dave Bryce]

I’m guessing we just saw Doc Rivers last game as the Sixers coach. 🤔

 

I’m hoping it’s the last game that James Harden is in a Sixers uniform. 🙄

 

Jayson Tatum - wow. 🤯

 

dB

[KenElevenShadows]

2 hours ago, Dave Bryce said:

I’m guessing we just saw Doc Rivers last game as the Sixers coach. 🤔

 

I’m hoping it’s the last game that James Harden is in a Sixers uniform. 🙄

 

Jayson Tatum - wow. 🤯

 

dB

 

Yeah, I don't think Doc Rivers is returning. 

 

I don't know that you can call Harden a truly elite player. He's a stat machine for sure, but I don't know that you can build a team around him. Of course, I'm not sure about Embiid either.

 

The Conference Finals should be a lot of fun regardless.

[Sean M. H.]

Wanted to see Philly and Denver in the finals, just for the novelty of having two elite centers (and the top two MVP candidates) go head to head for all the marbles.

 

I really think Denver will be tough for anyone to beat at this point though.  Don't think any of the other teams left can contend with Jokic or their depth.

[KenElevenShadows]

On 5/14/2023 at 9:36 PM, Sean M. H. said:

 

 

I really think Denver will be tough for anyone to beat at this point though.  Don't think any of the other teams left can contend with Jokic or their depth.

 

Denver has been on fire, and Jokic is simply amazing. They're also a very large team, taking away some of the Lakers' advantage. Still, I'd say the Lakers have a decent chance if they play healthy and AD plays consistently well. 

[Geoff Grace]

The Lakers made a good comeback in last night's game but fell short at the end. I hope the Lakers find a way to prevail in the series.

 

Lakers' 2nd-half adjustments put scare into Nuggets in G1 loss

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

In other NBA news:

Spurs win lottery, right to draft Wembanyama on 'incredible day'

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[surfergirl]

Hopefully the Lakers get more from their starting guards, 14 points won't get it done against a team as good as Denver.

This is the 3rd time the Spurs have had the #1 pick. They picked Robinson and Duncan with the other 2, not bad.

Go Lakers!!!!!!

[KenElevenShadows]

When Anthony Davis has a huge game with 40 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks and people are saying he got outplayed, that’s really an impressive opponent.

 

Getting Hachimura to guard Jokic sometimes seems to be something that worked. This freed up AD to help on defense, wander, and still get back to protect the paint instead of being glued to Jokic all the time. I'm surprised they didn't go to this sooner. And at some point, are the Lakers going to throw Mo Bamba or Tristan Thompson at him as well, or continue to keep a short rotation?

[Geoff Grace]

I know I’m jumping the gun a bit, but we have a real chance of another Lakers vs Celtics NBA Finals this year. That would be a nice blast of nostalgia, wouldn’t it?

 

Of course, both teams would have to overcome a 0-1 start to get there; but stranger things have happened. 

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[bill5]

Speaking of nostalgia, remember when sports journalists knew how to spell?

 

[Geoff Grace]

ESPN sure knows how to put the brrrrrr in bury!

 

Man, I thought the Lakers were going to take this one. Oh well...

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Meta]

Nice to see the Nuggets jumping to a two game lead. They've owned their home court this year. Hope they can keep it up for the rest of this series.

[KenElevenShadows]

13 hours ago, bill5 said:

Speaking of nostalgia, remember when sports journalists knew how to spell?

 

 

"Burry" is when journalists need that EXTRA emphasis!!

 

I've seen misspelled words in newspapers for as long as I've read newspapers. 

[KenElevenShadows]

12 hours ago, Geoff Grace said:

ESPN sure knows how to put the brrrrrr in bury!

 

Man, I thought the Lakers were going to take this one. Oh well...

 

Best,

 

Geoff

 

If they were going to win any one on Denver's home court, this one seemed the most likely.

 

I think Denver has a greater margin for error than the Lakers.

 

And obviously, Jokic is a basketball savant. He's playing GREAT ball, and the Porter, Murray et al look great as well. 

 

The Lakers went into this being the underdogs. And rightfully so. Denver's been consistently solid/great this whole season, including the playoffs, and being the #1 seed. And they have the best player remaining in the playoffs.

 

I thought the Lakers might have a puncher's chance in this series but overall, I think before game 1, most basketball fans probably felt that Denver had a much better chance of winning the series. But more games to be played regardless! May they be fun and entertaining.

[KenElevenShadows]

8 hours ago, Meta said:

Nice to see the Nuggets jumping to a two game lead. They've owned their home court this year. Hope they can keep it up for the rest of this series.

Jokic is otherworldly, and Porter and Murray in particular are playing fantastic ball. They've been very solid and consistent throughout this season, including the playoffs, so there's little reason to think it won't continue.

 

[Geoff Grace]

As a Suns fan, whose team has never won it all, I can understand Nuggets fans’ hunger. In fact, it’s been even tougher in Denver, because the team has yet to win a conference title. 
 

Denver was my home away from home, back when I was gigging on the road a lot; so I’ll be happy for the fans there if they win against the Lakers (which looks all but certain at this point). I just hope the Nuggets don’t sweep my second favorite team in the process.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Meta]

Great game! Nuggets stepped up and won decisively on Lakers' turf. Three in a row, very impressive. 

[timwat]

Odds suggest we're in for Denver and Miami. Lakers just do not have an answer, all credit to an overwhelming Denver team that did not get the attention they deserve until now despite topping the conference.

 

Not sure what is going on with Boston, I expected a far better showing no matter the results. At one level, one might suggest coaching is not doing their job (as he himself mea culpa'd after the last blowout), but at some level I expect professional athletes who have playoff experience to be able to handle their own emotional prep business. 

 

Quite possible the only thing that can offer a reprieve to LA or Boston is a key injury to the other team - not that we wish anything like that.

 

If Finals ends up Heat and Nuggets, my guess would be Denver in 6.

[Geoff Grace]

It’s finally official:

Carmelo Anthony announces retirement from NBA after 19 seasons

 

Best,

Geoff

[KenElevenShadows]

Denver looked great. All four of the games between them and the Lakers were competitive. But the entire time, Denver looked like it they were the better team.

 

Denver-Miami, most likely.

[octa]

Jokic, one of my faves, was MVP tonight. But, Murray might've deserved MVP for the series? (not to sow division, like they frequent the keyboard corner hehe)

 

Other than a close series, I'm not sure who to root for in the Finals, presuming the Heat get in. Both are great organizations with some really cool players. Slightly leaning towards Nugs but we'll see. .

[Geoff Grace]

So close...

 

I was really hoping the Lakers wouldn't get swept, and they were just a 3-point shot away from avoiding that fate tonight; but the Nuggets prevailed. Denver proved they were the best team in the West—both for the regular and post season. I believe they will prove they're the best team in the NBA in the Finals.

 

Congrats, Meta!

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[KenElevenShadows]

16 minutes ago, Geoff Grace said:

So close...

 

I was really hoping the Lakers wouldn't get swept, and they were just a 3-point shot away from avoiding that fate tonight; but the Nuggets prevailed. Denver proved they were the best team in the West—both for the regular and post season. I believe they will prove they're the best team in the NBA in the Finals.

 

Congrats, Meta!

 

Best,

 

Geoff

 

What's interesting is that all four of the games were competitive. 

 

But the entire time watching the games, I felt like Denver was the better team.

 

Most of the time, the best player on the floor was Jokic. And that guy is a basketball savant. What's frightening for the rest of the League is that he keeps getting better each year.

 

The only time someone was arguably better during the four games was Lebron in the first half of this last game, where he was insanely great and dominant, a throwback to the Lebron of yore. But you knew between the injury, Father Time, and how much the Lakers pushed to even get in the playoffs, there's no way he'd be able to keep that up.

 

Having the Lakers even make the playoffs this year was amazing, and I'm surprised they even had enough gas left in the tank to make it to the Western Conference Finals.

 

[KenElevenShadows]

I don't know who I am going to root for if it's Nuggets - Heat. It'd be cool if the Nuggets hoist their first trophy. But I do like Spoelstra, Rilely, and Butler. 

[Geoff Grace]

1 hour ago, KenElevenShadows said:

Most of the time, the best player on the floor was Jokic. And that guy is a basketball savant. What's frightening for the rest of the League is that he keeps getting better each year.

 

The only time someone was arguably better during the four games was Lebron in the first half of this last game, where he was insanely great and dominant, a throwback to the Lebron of yore.

Yeah, I actually thought that Lebron was going will the Lakers to win tonight. He looked a lot like his old self, but it's Jokic's time now. That guy's a natural.

 

1 hour ago, KenElevenShadows said:

I don't know who I am going to root for if it's Nuggets - Heat. It'd be cool if the Nuggets hoist their first trophy. But I do like Spoelstra, Rilely, and Butler. 

 

Jimmy Butler is a powerful force in the playoffs, and Miami's dominance rising from the eighth seed is admirable. Nonetheless, as you might expect, I'm rooting for Denver the rest of the way. The following excerpt from my post above gives my reasons:

 

On 5/21/2023 at 11:07 AM, Geoff Grace said:

As a Suns fan, whose team has never won it all, I can understand Nuggets fans’ hunger.

 

Denver was my home away from home, back when I was gigging on the road a lot; so I’ll be happy for the fans there if they win...

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[KenElevenShadows]

Makes sense. And they play basketball in a great way, sharing the ball, being unselfish, not being full of themselves.

[octa]

Heat vs Celtics just got a bit more interesting. Celtics finally figured the Heat out last night? Kind of hoping Celtics find a way to win 3 more, as it would be fun to watch a close series, and in the Finals they may offer more resistance against the excellent Nuggets. 

[KenElevenShadows]

I'm guessing the Nuggets would be favored agains either the Heat or the Celtics, but regardless, we shall find out. 

 

Generally speaking, I don't ever want the Celtics to get into the Finals. And if they do, I only want the Lakers to beat them.