2022/23 NBA REGULAR SEASON THREAD "TANKING FOR WEMBANYAMA"

https://kotaku.com/luka-doncic-overwatch-gm-twitch-zarya-nba-mavericks-1850213104
Ayton needs to step up his game.

lol

“You got any hobbies, Donatello?” he asks as they guard the first point on Numbani, referring to the Zarya player in question by his gamer tag. “Yeah I play basketball,” Donatello answers after hitting the emote that makes Zarya say “privyet.” “Okay, like you go to a gym or you play on a team?” the streamer asks.

Donatello’s answer is so simple and said with such an astonishing lack of emotion and the perfect Slovenian accent that we have no choice but to stan: “Dallas Mavericks.”

No way I ran into Luka Dončić by pure chance in a gm OW game😭

“I know, I’m him” - @luka7doncic 🐐 pic.twitter.com/AIXZlmIWG9

— moxy (@m0xyOW) March 9, 2023

I love this, the vets so pissed in unison lol

Gobert got so mad LMAOOO pic.twitter.com/U1zgTNpvoe

— َ (@FeelLikeDrew) March 11, 2023

haa

Is Jokic trying to hand the mvp to embiid? The last few games I’ve seen defensive lowlight comps like this

pic.twitter.com/AccqVRguAY

— Bango Burner 🦌 (@BangoBurner_) March 11, 2023

lets give it to him cmon itll be fun

JOEL EMBIID GAME WINNER. 🔥🔥🔥

pic.twitter.com/nXsmJ6flTd

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 11, 2023

omg at the Jokic video - like load management except he actually suited up and went in the game.

There’s three games in a row if him like that very weird

yeah he’s completely checked out, it’s infuriating as a fan... but that’s the luxury you have when you have their lead I guess

you'll be reconciled when the nuggets win the nba championship

they were outrebounded by the spurs 50-33 last night (jokic had 11 rebounds, no one else on the team had more than 6)

Not trying going into the playoffs usually ends up poorly

Marcus Smart and Trae still getting along great

grumpy guys

RIP Felton Spencer : (

the last few nuggets game do not count I called it

RIP Felton Spencer : (

ok bout to watch the second half of lakers knicks not sure how i got here

probably from lakersknicks.com

lakers have been kind of good since bron went down

They are a super solid team now imo

nets look solid now too

nets have a lot of guys but no the guy, weird sitch

mikal bridges has looked a little like that guy since the trade. always thought he had a little poor man’s kawhi in him

yeah hes def making a case for himself as a legit #2 at least

It grinds my gears that Philly didn't keep him.

theres a lot of tantalizing what ifs with the sixers lol

what if there was a process

1. draft five centers
2. ?
3. win the nba playoffs

Bridges seems like a Jerami Grant type (though he's better than grant) - he'll probably hold his own as the #1 guy on a bad/mediocre team, prove he can score 22 a game if he needs to, which will raise his stock and which he totally deserves. but then if he can slide back into a second or third guy after, that will be a better fit. but he's def a baller so might prove me wrong

i dont wanna overreact to bridges' 13 games in bk, but hes averaging 26 a game on 51/48/90 splits and theyve won 5 of their last 6 which includes wins over BOS and DEN. i'd wanna see it over the course of a whole year but he might be a #1 guy.

i still think they’re in a great position if they can shake loose a true no 1 scorer via trade to pair with bridges, johnson, DFS and claxton. i think they could reasonably be the third best team in the east really soon if they play their cards right. i saw them (and bridges) on a hot night vs miami before the break but they have crazy good spacing and defense on the wings plus a rim protector. they really just need a lillard, beal, KAT etc type to push to go there

Reporting with @ESPN_MacMahon: Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has entered a counseling program in Florida and there remains no timetable for his return to active play.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 13, 2023

he really did go to rehab for being a fucker

i think he comes back this season tho unless theres another shoe to drop i mean how long does it take to wean yrself off street life

yeah i think he's back by early april unless some more drama unfolds

my conspiracy theory is that two things happen

1. ja leaves the grizzlies for the rest of the season and playoffs for reasons of "mental health"
2. the NBA announces it can't make a determination on whether ja brought his own gun to denver and will not be handing out punishment

we see ja next season after he gives some major interview over the summer about what happened and how he's changed

a shadow suspension because they dont want to deal with the fallout of having to officially find that we was carrying on the team plane

my conspiracy theory is that two things happen

1. ja leaves the grizzlies for the rest of the season and playoffs for reasons of "mental health"
2. the NBA announces it can't make a determination on whether ja brought his own gun to denver and will not be handing out punishment

we see ja next season after he gives some major interview over the summer about what happened and how he's changed

― J0rdan S., Monday, March 13, 2023 8:26 PM (thirty-five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Ah, the Jordan/gambling approach.

while we're baselessly speculating "a counseling program in florida" sure sounds like alcohol rehab

could be any number of things but that does seem the most likely

oof

With news that Ja Morant has entered counseling in Florida, it's hard to imagine him making All-NBA, which I think would have been likely without these incidents. Not making All-NBA would cost him about $39 million, reducing his contract from a projected 5/$233m to 5/$194m

— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) March 14, 2023

expensive rehab

Have been speaking with Ja throughout this & it’s really great to see he’s working through being better in counseling. Last week he texted me this clip we did in 2021 and we talked about the need to take care of yourself.
Passing along that he sees the support and is thankful. https://t.co/tUp0zGnZjc

— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) March 14, 2023

good lord what are the Warriors doing to the Suns right now

bucks-kings is the far more interesting game tonight

yeah it's been an exciting one. they have a great crowd huh

I'm going to tell you guys when I'm just about to throw the Wolves in the dumpster and then you bet on them to win that night, you can't go wrong

conversely when I get the slightest bit of hope you can bet against them