The 2018-2019 Around the NBA thread

[JCSunsfan]

That's a shock. Why now? Why not last year, or the year before or the year before or the year before or the year before or the year before or the year before or the year before? 10 years as one of the worst GMs ever.

Probably because Sarver wants to interview him.

 

[sunsfan88]

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[AzStevenCal]

Probably because Sarver wants to interview him.

Thanks for that but if I wanted to be depressed I'd just review my stock portfolio. And if I wanted a horror movie, I'd at least pick one where the girl doesn't get killed until after she showers with her best friends.

 

[Hoop Head]

Westbrook had one of the most dominant stat lines in NBA history in a 119-103 win over the Lakers. He had 20 points, 21 assists, and 20 rebounds. He also had 3 steals, shot 8-23 from the field, and only recorded 2 turnovers in 37 minutes of play. The only other player in NBA history to have a game where they scored 20 or more points, grabbed 20 rebounds or more, and had 20 or more assists was Wilt Chamberlain way back on February 2nd, 1968 when he had 22 points, 25 rebounds, and 21 assists.

That game also moved Westbrook up into a tie with Wilt for the most games with 15+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 15+ assists with 8 total. Oscar Robertson has the most games like that with 14 in his career, so Westbrook will need 6 more to tie him.

Here's a link to the game recap from ESPN.

I really hope we get to see an OKC vs Golden State playoff series this year. OKC is playing the best it's been since Durant left and the Warriors are actually struggling some. It could be a great series and I wouldn't be surprised to see Russ post a similar statline there. He'd probably wear himself out in that series alone so even if they did somehow beat the Warriors the Thunder would be a fairly easy matchup in the next round.

 

[95pro]

wow 20/20/20, I never thought i'd see that

 

[Mainstreet]

That's a shock. Why now? Why not last year, or the year before or the year before or the year before or the year before or the year before or the year before or the year before? 10 years as one of the worst GMs ever.

Because the Suns needed Oubre.

 

[slinslin]

wow 20/20/20, I never thought i'd see that

?
wasn't this the 2nd time Westbrook put up 20/20/20?

 

[itlnsunsfan]

?
wasn't this the 2nd time Westbrook put up 20/20/20?

No. This is only the second time it's been done, and not since Wilt like 50 years ago. It's rarer than a quadruple double.

 

[Finito]

One day we will all look back and just say wow at Westbrook

2/20/20

60s

 

[AzStevenCal]

Because the Suns needed Oubre.

Ha. Works for me.

 

[Mainstreet]

@AzStevenCal

Now I'm ready to add Tomas Satoransky in free agency for a modest amount.

 

[sunsfan88]

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Pretty crazy that he’s going to be making more $$ to talk about sports than perhaps most athletes actually playing it.

Lou Williams, for example, will be making less than Stephen A. Smith and Lou Williams is a veteran that’s the best player on a playoff team in the West. And likely 6MOY winner too.

Just crazy.

 

[Russ Smith]

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Pretty crazy that he’s going to be making more $$ to talk about sports than perhaps most athletes actually playing it.

Lou Williams, for example, will be making less than Stephen A. Smith and Lou Williams is a veteran that’s the best player on a playoff team in the West. And likely 6MOY winner too.

Just crazy.

What's crazy is he has no idea what he's talking about and he's going to get paid that much?

 

[Russ Smith]

Westbrook had one of the most dominant stat lines in NBA history in a 119-103 win over the Lakers. He had 20 points, 21 assists, and 20 rebounds. He also had 3 steals, shot 8-23 from the field, and only recorded 2 turnovers in 37 minutes of play. The only other player in NBA history to have a game where they scored 20 or more points, grabbed 20 rebounds or more, and had 20 or more assists was Wilt Chamberlain way back on February 2nd, 1968 when he had 22 points, 25 rebounds, and 21 assists.

That game also moved Westbrook up into a tie with Wilt for the most games with 15+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 15+ assists with 8 total. Oscar Robertson has the most games like that with 14 in his career, so Westbrook will need 6 more to tie him.

Here's a link to the game recap from ESPN.

I really hope we get to see an OKC vs Golden State playoff series this year. OKC is playing the best it's been since Durant left and the Warriors are actually struggling some. It could be a great series and I wouldn't be surprised to see Russ post a similar statline there. He'd probably wear himself out in that series alone so even if they did somehow beat the Warriors the Thunder would be a fairly easy matchup in the next round.

It could be interesting because the Warriors are struggling, but OKC has lost 7 of their last 10 games. They were playing quite well but seem to have hit the skids of late.

20/20/20 is just unreal.

 

[itlnsunsfan]

What's crazy is he has no idea what he's talking about and he's going to get paid that much?

It's not about expertise, it's about entertainment. His blowhard persona is ridiculous, but it gets clicks and viewers.

 

[Hoop Head]

What's crazy is he has no idea what he's talking about and he's going to get paid that much?

That perfectly encapsulates how I feel about that move.

 

[Russ Smith]

It's not about expertise, it's about entertainment. His blowhard persona is ridiculous, but it gets clicks and viewers.

True I guess that's a statement on the times we live in where people watch the Kardashians and real housewives etc and Stephen A Smith is an ESPN star and yet virtually nobody I know likes him.

 

[Hoop Head]

I like how this article starts...

A year ago at this time, LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers rumors were becoming too loud to ignore.

Too many insiders, too many writers, too many connections linking James, then a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, to the team he would eventually sign with in free agency.

It’s happening again, but this time we’re watching it play out with Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant and the Knicks.

Basically sums everything up that quick. Who knows if it will happen but after the Lebron to LA move last year I think reports like this carry a little more weight. I think a move like this would help the league some also as far as spreading out talent but the Warriors would still be the favorite if they can keep their core of Curry, Klay, and Draymond together.


https://www.nj.com/knicks/2019/04/nba-insider-warriors-kevin-durant-to-knicks-is-done-deal.html

 

[Russ Smith]

For those who wonder if NBA refs pay attention to what players and coaches say about them. After the Minnesota game where the Warriors players and Kerr said the refs stole the game from them, the Warriors have played 4 times. Opponents 91 FT attempts, Warriors 33, in 4 games!

 

[AzStevenCal]

For those who wonder if NBA refs pay attention to what players and coaches say about them. After the Minnesota game where the Warriors players and Kerr said the refs stole the game from them, the Warriors have played 4 times. Opponents 91 FT attempts, Warriors 33, in 4 games!

You piss the refs off, you pay. You really didn't need to tell us that, we're Phoenix Suns fans here. We all watched how they dealt with Amare once he started yelling AND ONE every time he scored. I just don't know how Tim Duncan kept getting every call once he started whining about everything, and I do mean everything.

If Curry and Kerr were smart, they'd make as public of an apology as they did the other way.

 

[Russ Smith]

You piss the refs off, you pay. You really didn't need to tell us that, we're Phoenix Suns fans here. We all watched how they dealt with Amare once he started yelling AND ONE every time he scored. I just don't know how Tim Duncan kept getting every call once he started whining about everything, and I do mean everything.

If Curry and Kerr were smart, they'd make as public of an apology as they did the other way.

To be fair 2 of the games were total blowouts so the other team had no reason to foul. Last night the Warriors had 6 FTA's well into the 4th quarter. There was I think 2 somewhat intentional fouls as the game got closer to pad the total. Yes they shoot a ton of 3's but it's pretty clear the comments from Curry, Durant and Kerr, which I agree went too far, pissed the refs off and they are showing it.

If it continues to the playoffs then you have a big story, right now it's just confirming what we knew, refs are human and hold grudges

 

[AzStevenCal]

To be fair 2 of the games were total blowouts so the other team had no reason to foul. Last night the Warriors had 6 FTA's well into the 4th quarter. There was I think 2 somewhat intentional fouls as the game got closer to pad the total. Yes they shoot a ton of 3's but it's pretty clear the comments from Curry, Durant and Kerr, which I agree went too far, pissed the refs off and they are showing it.

If it continues to the playoffs then you have a big story, right now it's just confirming what we knew, refs are human and hold grudges

Yeah, they are human they hold grudges and they are in control of the kind of sport where a ref could easily make a 100 calls or 10.

I remember a Suns game in Seattle where we were getting trounced in the first quarter. The refs were allowing felonious contact on Seattle's part and we were getting a bunch of in-the-vicinity foul calls. Midway though the 2nd quarter, Fortson or maybe Reggie Evans pulled one of their patented fake out the refs by grabbing, pushing and then pulling the defender down on him and the ref finally called it our way. Danny (or Reggie) erupted and started yapping at the refs until they'd had enough. For the next 2 quarters the refs continued to call a one-sided game but now the calls went all our way. We came storming back only to just eke out a 4th quarter win because the refs again flipped and went wild with the home court calls.

That game stood out to me so vividly because it was an obvious case of the refs injecting themselves into the contest. I don't remember who was calling the game with him but I never liked Joe DeRosa after that game.

 

[GatorAZ]

Hoping Giannis wins MVP for his 2-way dominance.

 

[Russ Smith]

Random comments from the Warriors and Clips

Gilgeous Alexander is so good and if he ever gets a jumpshot look out.

I still love Zubac, I can't believe the lakers let him go that easily. That said, he had a play tonight where he took 2 steps, didn't shoot, then dribbled, and then took 3 more steps and laid it in, all within 2 feet of the basket, with no walk called.

The FT disparity since the Minnesota game is now something like 142 to 65.

Final thought, The Warriors are much better with Bogut than with Boogie IMO, tonight is unfair Boogie's having the worst game of his GSW career 0-8 3 fouls 2 of them offensive 3 TO's 2 on the offensive fouls. But again they are -1 with Boogie in and plus 9 with bogut. Really interesting to see if Kerr gives Bogut more minutes in the playoffs, there was a stretch in the 2nd quarter where Boogie was so bad the Warrior crowd was booing him, and this is the last game ever at Oracle so for them to be booing is pretty amazing.

 

[Russ Smith]

Forgot to mention this interesting news from last week, at least to me. Steph Curry revealed last week that for years now he's been playing with blurred vision due to a condition called keratoconus which is a thinning that causes the cornea to turn more cone shaped and screws up your vision. If left untreated the thinning can eventually cause blindness. Curry now wears special contact lenses and says for the first time in many years he can see normally. He said he got concerned when he went through a for him prolonged shooting slump while feeling like his vision was deteriorating and after a series of tests he was diagnosed and given the corrective lenses.

Pretty remarkable he was playing at the level he was at with bad vision.