2024-2025 NBA thread: who wants to buy a Duck Boat?!?!

[TahoeJ]

The only way Jokic wins another MVP is to make it absolutely undeniable… and so far he’s doing that. Long season however and I’ll be surprised if he can keep this up. It’s damn impressive tho.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

The Hawks? The Hawks??

[BobMc]

No-body expects the Pistons Inquisition! 3-0 in group play, bitches. Monty Williams straight up stole money from Detroit last year pretending to be an NBA coach.

[MarcusBrody]

The only way Jokic wins another MVP is to make it absolutely undeniable… and so far he’s doing that. Long season however and I’ll be surprised if he can keep this up. It’s damn impressive tho.

I think you have a push and pull going on here. On one hand, the relative weakness of the team (as long as Murray isn't playing well and especially when Gordon is out) makes it harder for the Nuggets to get the gaudy record that Boston/OKC should end up with. But on the other hand, if you watch Jokic, you will see that he really only goes all out (particularly in scoring) when he thinks he needs to to win.

The Jazz game the other night was a good example. The Nuggets come out cold and the Jazz jump out to an early lead (maxing it at 12). So Jokic becomes a scorer, shoots 10 times (making 8) for 19 points in the quarter and by the end of the quarter, the Nuggets are up 1. Then the Nuggets pretty much coast the rest of the way, so he only takes 9 shots the rest of the game (finishing with 30), including no shots in the fourth quarter as the game was already decided. He's basically an anti-stat padder in terms of scoring. So him building up gaudy scoring numbers is pretty dependent on the games staying close - which so far his teammates have been happy to help with (though I think they've been improving).

[BmillsSkier]

Nice to see the Cavs get that one back against the Celts.

Will be fun to watch these teams all season for sure.

[riser4]

Cavs and Boston: 1-1
Cavs and Hawks: 0-2
Boston and Hawks: 1-1

Hawks are underwater at 10-11 and in 7th place.

What is up with any of these teams???

[BmillsSkier]

Cavs and Boston: 1-1
Cavs and Hawks: 0-2
Boston and Hawks: 1-1

Hawks are underwater at 10-11 and in 7th place.

What is up with any of these teams???

Hawks want that Mid-Season Banner, that’s what’s up.

[brutah]

Cavs and Boston: 1-1
Cavs and Hawks: 0-2
Boston and Hawks: 1-1

Hawks are underwater at 10-11 and in 7th place.

What is up with any of these teams???

Welcome to the early season NBA! Players and teams don't care as much about regular season wins as they used to.....

[riser4]

Welcome to the early season NBA! Players and teams don't care as much about regular season wins as they used to.....

You're not wrong.

[riser4]

Nice to see the Cavs get that one back against the Celts.

Will be fun to watch these teams all season for sure.

No JB and no DW.

[MarcusBrody]

The Nuggets played back to back road games this weekend. Nikola Jokic scored a total of 104 points on 58/50/77 shooting, grabbed 30 boards, dished 18 assists... and the Nuggets managed to lose the first of those games to the Wizards.

[BmillsSkier]

They also lost to the Cavs on Thursday

[MarcusBrody]

They also lost to the Cavs on Thursday

Well that's respectable. But the WIZARDS?! Shame.

[MarcusBrody]

I just bought tickets for my son and me to the OKC-Houston Cup semifinal game tomorrow. Two tickets for not great but not terrible seats for $100 with fees. I suspect the NBA is not super excited about the matchups this year... I'm excited to go though. I've been a fan on and off for years, but never been to a game and I get to take my son. I think the OKC-Houston game has the potential to be a better game, but I would kind of liked to have seen Giannis in person. We had more plans for early in the day though, so the late game worked better.

[riser4]

I've soured a lot on Giannis. I didn't like his antics in the game against Boston. And watching him play lately it seems like his whole method in the paint is based on traveling and hoping they don't notice. It's the NBA and everyone travels. But he seems like he's at a whole other level of either sloppy or intentional traveling. The shine is fading in my book.

[MarcusBrody]

I've soured a lot on Giannis. I didn't like his antics in the game against Boston. And watching him play lately it seems like his whole method in the paint is based on traveling and hoping they don't notice. It's the NBA and everyone travels. But he seems like he's at a whole other level of either sloppy or intentional traveling. The shine is fading in my book.

He's not my favorite player, as I've never found his crash-style game aesthetically pleasing, but I'd like to say I saw him play someday.

[riser4]

He's not my favorite player, as I've never found his crash-style game aesthetically pleasing, but I'd like to say I saw him play someday.

I hear ya. And "crash" is a great way to put it. Not a fan.

I wanna see D White play in person. Love that guy. Fuck. I wanna see the entire Celtics team play in person.

[cinnepa]

Celts going after ben simmons??? if that fukk gets a chip i'm gonna lose it.

[MarcusBrody]

I hear ya. And "crash" is a great way to put it. Not a fan.

I wanna see D White play in person. Love that guy. Fuck. I wanna see the entire Celtics team play in person.

One of the reasons I wanted to see Giannis is that my son knows/likes him, partially because he has a pair of his shoes, which I bought him because they were the only full velcro models in his size at the Nike clearance outlet.

He may know SGA. We've watched one or two Thunder games this year. He knows the team. I don't think he knows anyone on Houston.

Jokic is the player I really want to see in person some day. If Denver had made the tournament, we'd have been going for sure and I'd have ponied up for better tickets.

[riser4]

Celts going after ben simmons??? if that fukk gets a chip i'm gonna lose it.

Isn't Simmons a toxic headache?

[cat in january]

Pretty sure the Celtics can’t sign Simmons under the new collective bargaining agreement if he is cut due to his salary. He would make for a nice center on the team though.

[riser4]

Pretty sure the Celtics can’t sign Simmons under the new collective bargaining agreement if he is cut due to his salary. He would make for a nice center on the team though.

Doesn't answer my question. Isn't he toxic? We already dealt with Kyrie. Besides, I like the current Celtics lineup alot.

[cinnepa]

^^^I don't know about toxic...he just can't play offense.
It was a toxic situation at the end of his philly run.
He is good if not great at stealing money.

[TahoeJ]

Celts going after ben simmons??? if that fukk gets a chip i'm gonna lose it.

Wait what? Where exactly would his salary fit?

[cat in january]

Doesn't answer my question. Isn't he toxic? We already dealt with Kyrie. Besides, I like the current Celtics lineup alot.

Agree I like the Celtics lineup a lot too, but I would not turn away a talent like that.

Toxic? I dunno, he sure crawled inside his own head in terms of shooting the ball. Embiid and Doc both threw him under the bus. Hard to want to come back to that. He certainly seems to have some serious back issues.