2023/24 NBA REGULAR SEASON THREAD "THANKING FOR WEMBANYAMA"

they've had absolutely had a team for past few years who could make a playoff run out of the WC if things fell right

there are two types of "contention," one of which is largely accidental ("if things fell right") and not actually real. recent teams in this category would include the hawks team that made the ECF, the mavs team that made the WCF etc. these are teams that were ostensibly in "contention" but they weren't really. then there are the teams that people think are truly good enough to win the title ... we're prob talking about 2-3 teams per season max ... and i don't think memphis has ever been considered that

it's so inspiring that Adam Silver talked Draymond out of retiring from the stress that comes from kicking people in the balls and choking them

draymond was going to walk away from the game he loves until he was visited by the slender chief executive

good news

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks following the team’s West Coast trip after an MRI revealed a Grade 1 left hamstring strain sustained during Monday’s game against the Boston Celtics, league sources confirmed. ESPN was the first to report the news.

Nice

"Dejounte Murray is trade eligible starting today...One team that has a level of exploratory interest I'm told, is his former team, the San Antonio Spurs."@ShamsCharania on Dejounte Murray's current situation.

📺: https://t.co/wdT8I0ST8g pic.twitter.com/clX8AebJXn

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 9, 2024

this is...hilarious? and i dont hate it??

i thought they didnt get along with him

i think its fine, like anytime he's in town he and pop have a lot of warmth for each other. the trade was a "just business" kinda move and now that he's got a long term deal and the spurs have the hawks picks from 25-27 plus wemby (and a gaping void at pg), i think dj might be excited to come back. who would you rather be #2 to: a 20-year-old stretched-out french existentialist kareem, or a 6' guy who plays your position (on a team that is going nowhere fast)?

i mean i know what i would like, to be on the boston celtics baby! haha jk

they should send atlanta less then they got for him initially then get him playing really well and trade him again

wolves up 30 on orlando in orlando

thats one of the top 30 best places to be up 30 on orlando

pop could have an hgtv show about renovating and flipping guards xp

lol

An eight-year contract extension worth over $100 million for Erik Spoelstra, according to a source. https://t.co/fj24BH05KD

— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) January 10, 2024

hardly worth getting out of bed for

pop could have an hgtv show about renovating and flipping guards xp

― Clay, Tuesday, January 9, 2024 8:12 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

hehe

On February 10, 2022, White was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, a 2022 first-round pick (which turned into Blake Wesley) and the rights to swap 2028 first-round picks.

On June 30, 2022, Murray was traded, alongside Jock Landale, to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Danilo Gallinari and Atlanta’s 2025 and 2027 first round picks and a 2026 first round pick swap.

Worth Every Single Cent of that contract!!! Congrats Spo!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🫡 https://t.co/ETFBnAZGqA

— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 10, 2024

/arranging for a trade back to miami

#tradebron

Ja and JJJ-less Grizz smoked the mavs in Dallas, weird season

nba is good, lots of good players, how i break it down

Raps really did get jobbed in the 4th

Raptors HC Darko Rajakovic was heated in the postgame presser, unhappy with the Lakers 23 free throw attempts in the 4Q pic.twitter.com/1xvoXrUM6k

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 10, 2024

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39279968/kawhi-leonard-signs-contract-extension-la-clippers

3 years/$153 million

whats that per game $153m haha

i wonder how much of kawhi's participation this season has been driven by him knowing that this deal was on the table for him if he could even give the hint of being able to play a full normal season

Teams with the least amount of drives per game & their FTA rate:

28. LAL- 39.1 (8th)
29. DEN- 38.8 (28th)
30. GS- 38.1 (13th)

The Lakers and Warriors who both have 2 of the bottom 3 LEAST amount of drives per game in the NBA, are both in the top 15 in Free Throw Rate (free… pic.twitter.com/wDVp0UtK9e

— SportShorts (@den_shorts) January 10, 2024

the more one thinks about it the more one wonders how differently the lakers last few seasons would be viewed if they were officiated fairly

that being said it's nice to see him healthy, he put up a few vintage claw type defensive plays vs the suns the other night just forcibly taking the ball w/o effort or emotion and going the other way for a dunk. his arms and hands still look like somebody turned a slider up too far in 2K

i wonder how much of kawhi's participation this season has been driven by him knowing that this deal was on the table for him if he could even give the hint of being able to play a full normal season

― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, January 10, 2024 2:08 PM (nine minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

100%

resigning these dudes based on 1/3 of a season participation is insane to me. balmer should say gimme a deep playoff run and we'll talk.

damn the aprons full speed ahead

it does seem extremely reactive to do these now doesn’t it

but they were probably always going to get done

yeah theyre pot committed at this point and im sure dont want to be opening their new stadium in the first year of a rebuild

nice contract year performance by kawhi lol thats what you call managing expectations

i personally appreciate the spectacle of new owners learning the hard way, its a good nba theme

would be cool if balmer became the first $20 billion guy to spend all his money

losing a fortune paying nba luxury tax would be the most relatable thing a billionaire has ever done

i would respect it tbf

just need one more washed up all star lucks about to change

it's time....spurs vs pistons

the spurs are winning the loser bowl bc theyre winning (or the pistons are winning the loser bowl by losing, i cant tell)

Wolves Celtics is gonna be tight going down the stretch

Watching a bit of dubs vs pels. Dubs with zero defensive presence and totally scattered on offense. Just painful. Need to unplug the team wait a minute and plug them back in.

Wemby with a 20-yard bullet over the middle to his tight end, easy touchdown
pic.twitter.com/F0TxLWMf8R

— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 11, 2024

kid's got the juice

triple double in 20 minutes, too

omfg tatum so close

OT here we come

this one felt like a celtics loss most of the game but its a tie ballgame with five minutes to play