2017-18 NBA Basketball

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/11/cleveland-cavaliers-lebron-james-new-york-subway-can-you-not-guy-viral-video

The Celtics vs the Warriors has been a great game. One more quarter and tied.

PkrBum wrote:http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/11/cleveland-cavaliers-lebron-james-new-york-subway-can-you-not-guy-viral-video

It's cool.

Celtics have proven that defense wins. Kyrie has to be celebrating to have teammates who actually work on defense. The Celtics are only going to get better. I got a kick out of Barkley saying Boston could not hold the warrirors to 95 points.....they held them to 88.

Their d was absolutely stellar... better than the warriors... which is really saying something.

I thght kyrie played terribly on o until the 4th quarter. But he really is great at closing out games.

I'm beginning to sour on curry. I know he hasn't been 100% but he just isn't in tune on either end of the floor.

Curry ate up Jimmy Butler on Defense. I was shocked. He keeps getting better each year. I think he is a generational player. I think KD is a generational player. To suddenly have two such players on one team, means that each must leave things on the table. Butler has lost five points a game with the Wolves taking a back seat to Wiggins and Townes. Great players adjust. Nobody can beat the warriors in seven games. We are watching generational basketball after fifteen years of a waste land of a low talent East as the NBA tried to sell that dud, but fans know. These kids can play.

Whelp... they have maybe two more years with this squad. They may lose klay earlier than that.

So really there can't be a hiccup... like draymond getting suspended in a series.

Draymond has really been the one to adjust imo. And tho gsw may be more potent offensively with Durant... they often look stagnant when klay or draymond sits. It's early tho so maybe the chemistry will grow.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.goldenstateofmind.com/platform/amp/2017/11/20/16678376/nba-2017-warriors-nets-klay-thompson-draymond-green-shaun-livingston-no-stephen-curry

2seaoat wrote:You have to have a two way player like Green to be NBA champs.  There have been exceptions, but defense wins championships.   That is what has been so impressive for me is the growing defensive prowess of Curry and Durant.  Klay and Green are both renowned for their defense, but when you get four starters playing at that level......there will be more rings.

While I agree that this formula will likely win the next two... I'm almost looking forward to it breaking up.

It's impossible to measure the parts because of the sum. I'd still pick green first if building a team.

Irving is golden. I have liked this kid from the beginning, and now to see him playing team ball is very satisfying in confirming my argument why James can never win. I also like his sense of humor. Trolling on the earth is flat.....sweet.

Kyrie is dynamite. He can actually play d too... which really highlights the issues surrounding LeBron.

Kyrie elevates his team mates game. So when he hurt his face last week they still played unselfish team ball.
There has never been such a thing in James career. It is the mailman running up his stats and leaving his team members to mumble like Bosh....."its hard"

2seaoat wrote:Kyrie elevates his team mates game.  So when he hurt his face last week they still played unselfish team ball.  
There has never been such a thing in James career.   It is the mailman running up his stats and leaving his team members to mumble like Bosh....."its hard"

When the Celts get Hayward back next year they are legit contenders.

PkrBum wrote:I'd say when he came back and won his fourth... simply confirmed by the fifth and then sixth.

2seaoat wrote:With me it was simple.  About the third time I saw him play live, but what sticks in my mind the most was when the Bulls played Utah in the playoffs.  What I saw him in person do on the basketball court I had NEVER seen in my life to that point.  I can also say that until probably last year with the new young players, I am finally seeing equivalent play.  I saw James play in his second year in the pros and all I saw was the mailman, which was impressive as hell, but it never was close to a OMG.  Jordan's persona and play was magical.

James like the mailman will have great stats and a rap that he could never win the big game.

Joanimaroni wrote:After watching him play!

And I have to agree with you all.  The key here is that you didn't need to see Jordan win more rings than anyone else.  You simply watched what was in front of you and said "That's the best basketball play I have seen."

I completely agree.  What I'm saying is that what LeBron has done for the last four years - particularly the last two - is head and shoulders better than anything any player has ever done in NBA history.  This is born out by the stats and the eye test.  Granted, his career long accomplishments aren't what Jordan's are; but then again, you didn't need to see Jordan's career long accomplishments eclipse other players before you cemented him the GOAT.  You still claim Jordan as the GOAT now even though he never won as many rings as others.  

I just wanted to make sure that you all concede that we don't need to see a player win six rings in order to be declared the GOAT.  We all clearly agree on that now.  So now we're only left to bargain over skill and eye test.  It's a fairly easy argument for me from this point forward.

The main gist is that bb isn't about the most talented player necessarily. There are so many that never won a title... dr j needed Moses Malone before he won an NBA title. So I give LeBron credit... 2 years ago cemented his legacy as a goat team member. But he's certainly not a starter. Jordan performed miracles before he ever won a title... but miracles don't win championships... teams do. LeBron has never found the balance. It's difficult to explain this to a person unless they played as a hs starter or 6th player at minimum. My hs team had a 7' center and 6'9" forwards... each got scholarships. Our point guard went to a d1 school in the old southwest conference. We were the preseason favorite in the Houston inner city school district (hisd). We were the best team on the floor every night... but we didn't have good coaching and it was hot dog city. He was old and retired after our season. There are just too many variables that go into the mix... with a team and with a player. Stats aren't going to tell the whole story (sry economist). It has always irritated me that economists like to create "laws" like it's a real science... well those don't apply to sports either. Particularly for bench warmers or team "managers".

Tisdale get fired as the coach of the grizzlies, and Wade and James want answers........what Hubris......what arrogance.   Two over the hill seniors thinking because of their tenure they deserve answers from other teams as to their personnel decisions.   I have the exact song for both of the most irrelevant players in the NBA. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/lebron-dwyane-wade-call-for-answers-after-memphis-fires-david-fizdale/ar-BBFQbKV

Curry is out but the Warrior dept is unbelievable.

Team play and defense wins.

I think that what James has done in the last four years is play in the East division which has six teams which would not have made the playoffs if the best teams were picked from both divisions. Almost 12 years of the weakest NBA play I have seen in my life. The last two years we are finally seeing some incredible basketball talent entering the league. James is the mailman, and the Cavs are Utah when the West was so weak compared to the East. The truth is simple. The train has left the station. James and his legacy will be his bridesmaid status.

Who needs curry? Not the gsw. They should trade him now while he's a hot (?) commodity.

He's a declining value imo.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-warriors-are-blocking-shots-at-a-staggering-rate/

I watched the rockets last night vs the spurs... maaan what an offence. I still have serious doubts that they win consecutive playoff series... but who knows. They have to scare any team... including gsw. Paul and Hardin have really bought into the game plan and they have other pieces that complement it.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2749480-chris-paul-off-to-historic-start-with-houston-rockets

If you had any doubt about who is the key to the success of Golden State, all you had to do was watch Denver beat the Warriors tonight. A once in a generation player.

Butler sat back for the first ten games and let Towns and Wiggins gun away getting their stats. His assists went up and his point total dropped like a rock. He gave, they lost.....he gave they lost.....finally Thibs said enough.....Jimmy is running the Timberwolves. What a pleasure to watch his game. I cannot wait to vote online for him as an all star. He has sacrificed his individual numbers which means he will be overlooked at All Star time, but the wolves are winning, and slowly starting to play defense.

Golden State is just too deep. The Cavs are going to have to integrate Thomas into their team, but unless that works......the Cavs still have the one big problem. One on one play and no defense.

Great NBA Christmas schedule. I will be watching most of the games.

2seaoat wrote:Golden State is just too deep.  The Cavs are going to have to integrate Thomas into their team, but unless that works......the Cavs still have the one big problem.  One on one play and no defense.

Great NBA Christmas schedule.  I will be watching most of the games.

Caught bits and pieces of the game...got to see most of the 4th quarter and all of the last 4 minutes.

The wolves game is pretty good.