NBA 2020-21 reg season 1st half thread

HNY y’all!

HNY ILH! Thanks for sharing so much hoops knowledge and lolz! Can't believe I was on ilx for like 12 years before I started coming to this board, the best board.

happy new years all ♥️

happy new year, ilh. may the hoops continue without pause in 2021.

weird season for the Bucks already

Lose to an insane buzzer beater
Beat GSW by 40
Get demolished by the New York Knicks (??)
Beat Miami by nearly 50, setting an NBA record for 3s made
Lose to that same Miami team
Beat Chicago by 30

about five games into the season and there's not one undefeated team left in the league

i've probably watched at least half of 8 or 9 games and all of five; not one of them has been immune from extended periods of atrocious, sloppy play.

yeah it's messyball season

the celtics-pitons game tonight was what can only be described as truly vile

on a more upbeat not i dont want to get carried away here but lamelo has been good so far

i'm having trouble believing this season is real tbh

It’s been strange they really should have staggered the start more imo

Still feels like preseason games.

However, the suns might have something special brewing. Their defense looks legit so far.

Nuggets in last place in the west...

i take no joy in saying that the warriors are really bad, it sucks seeing steph waste years like this

They have a lot to figure out. So many new pieces. Would be nice if oubre (or anyone else) could start making some shots. Nice to get dray back but he looked really gassed in limited minutes and I’m worried that rona may have done a number on him.

Kerr’s unwillingness to simplify is gonna cost the dubs a lot of games.

Had the thought of "oh hey the Suns look good this season and fun to watch, I should go see a few games in person" and then 2 seconds later remembered the pandemic. I guess there's still a possibility later in the season of allowing fans?

i don't think they're gonna be able to have fans safely this season unless there's another delay

wonder if curry and dray will ask out

Wonder if Jokic will ask out

prob not but one never knows

i still like the idea of them offering murray for harden

if the sixers are really offering simmons its hard to see anyone beating them, tho i guess someone cld step up with an browesque mega package

https://i.imgur.com/IUZxowl.png

Campazzo isn’t working out :(

Gary Harris just gets worse every year, it really sucks.

Curry should retire and join the PGA while he's still young

otm

Wonder if Jokic will ask out

― Spottie, Saturday, January 2, 2021 12:00 PM (four hours ago)

oh stop don't be salty

campazzo being a bust was pretty easy to see given he's a short, old euro. I'm still optimistic about the nuggs' chances this year, the bench seems like a disaster but they can go 7-8 deep with just about any team which gets you most of the way in the playoffs. millsap has actually weirdly looked good.

the harden thing is a nonstarter for me, top-end talent is not their need. ride with the big three and figure out the depth

their big 3 lol. top end talent is absolutely their need just as it is the need of every team not in LA or milwaukee

athletic had a good piece this week about the process of the Warriors (slow) improvement
https://theathletic.com/2293220/2020/12/30/stephen-curry-kelly-oubre-jr-andrew-wiggins-adapting-offense

their big 3 lol. top end talent is absolutely their need just as it is the need of every team not in LA or milwaukee

― J0rdan S., Saturday, January 2, 2021 5:36 PM (seven minutes ago)

their three best players are 25 and under. I am fine not making a panic move and letting this core develop. mortgaging the future to add a guy like harden who will be gone in a year or two is not a serious move, sorry. denver is not even on his list! why would you trade for someone like that who doesn't even want to be there

better chance of winning a title, possibly the best chance they could over the next decade even if they keep their “big 3” intact. if they could actually get him for murray instead of porter i would do it in a heartbeat and put a huge extension in front of harden as early as possible.

I think it would make a lot more sense if the player were not specifically james harden, strip club-loving flake. and I simply think you're too pessimistic about that core's future

whatever team takes harden should do it on the condition that he shaves, yankee pinstripes style, just to make sure his spirit is truly broken

it’s not that i’m pessimistic but ppl look at young cores and assume there is great success in their linearly growing future but that’s not always the case. it’s entirely possible the nuggets would have a better shot at a title in the next 2 years with harden than they would in the 5 years after with murray/porter. it’s also possible the opposite is true but the nuggets should be weighing both options (as should many teams in the league)

getting a look at john wall and.... the wizards did not win that trade

campazzo being a bust was pretty easy to see given he's a short, old euro. I'm still optimistic about the nuggs' chances this year, the bench seems like a disaster but they can go 7-8 deep with just about any team which gets you most of the way in the playoffs. millsap has actually weirdly looked good.

the harden thing is a nonstarter for me, top-end talent is not their need. ride with the big three and figure out the depth

every team should be extremely cautious making big swings this year but someone's going to panic.

yeah i caught some wall and he looks basically as good as he did at his peak, happy for that guy

i watched a game and he played well but one of his legs was def not fully working

call all destroyer
Posted: January 2, 2021 at 7:24:10 PM
every team should be extremely cautious making big swings this year but someone's going to panic.

panicking is bad but james harden is also extremely good at basketball

this is a boring take but i'd feel a lot better about that if he had ever like really dominated in the playoffs when it mattered.

his playoff performance is def cause for concern, amongst other things, but still

relatedly its generally interesting that in an era where there are more guys who can handle the ball than ever there are a handful of superstars who succeed via completely dominating the ball AND its a suspect approach for the playoffs

i assume if any sort of contender trades for harden they will want him to play a little more dynamically, and who knows if hes willing

yeah pelicans need to play zion like giannis its a huge freaking no brainer

Sheeeeesh pic.twitter.com/NqBrK5BPpj

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 3, 2021

xp yeah it speaks to the widening gap between the season and the 'offs and the dangers with having a single source of offense when good teams are really locked in.

the biggest thing about a harden trade to me is your second post, like what does harden actually want?