2024-25 NBA Thread

[pwaldo]

So um yeah can we put a fork in the 76ers winning a championship this year? Yikes

[WilyWestbrook0]

Cavs remain undefeated, but the Nuggets just ended the Thunder's streak...tough game that went down to the final shot, an intense ending. Denver was up a couple of points, Peyton Watson missed BOTH free throws, Jokic got the rebound, Alex Caruso stole the ball from him, SGA faced Westbrook one-on-one for the final shot, SGA got past him but Watson redeemed himself by blocking the shot with just enough graze to disrupt the trajectory of the ball. Crazy finish.

[pwaldo]

Cavs remain undefeated, but the Nuggets just ended the Thunder's streak...tough game that went down to the final shot, an intense ending. Denver was up a couple of points, Peyton Watson missed BOTH free throws, Jokic got the rebound, Alex Caruso stole the ball from him, SGA faced Westbrook one-on-one for the final shot, SGA got past him but Watson redeemed himself by blocking the shot with just enough graze to disrupt the trajectory of the ball. Crazy finish.

I think it is time to move the Cavs into legit contenders for at least making the NBA Finals at this point. One because of their play and two because the 76ers have fallen off a cliff with injuries. With the Bucks also a question mark outside of the Celtics I don't see much competition for the Cavs in the East at this point.

Out West that win by the Nuggets was huge because if they do end up making the playoffs and that might not even be a lock at this point I don't think anybody wants to have to play them and eliminate them. Could the Nuggets upset the Thunder in game 7 playoff game? Yeah because they are so much more battle tested in the playoffs than the Thunder and because of this win. They do well against the Lakers in the playoffs and they also were one of the few teams to look like they could beat the Celtics in the finals. The problem was they just couldn't make the Finals. The Wolves had the perfect team to beat them but now with that trade another team will have to knock them off by beating their thin bench or hoping they don't even make the playoffs. So many teams in the West that if they fall to one of the play in games they could get bounced from making it.

[WilyWestbrook0]

LOL the disparity between the East and West is laughable at this point. The Sacramento Kings are 5-4 out in the West, and they're not even in play-in contention; they're the 11th best team. In the East, they'd be the THIRD SEED.

I still don't understand the Knicks/Wolves trade. Both teams look like they've gotten worse, especially the Knicks. Why mess with things when both teams had improved so much and had become contenders in their respective conferences?

But I'm happy as can be. It's actually a LEGITIMATE possibility that my favorite teams could meet in the Finals. I just turned 40 today, and it would be so fun if I start this decade with my teams matching up for the title. The Thunder are still super young, and in the West no less, but their defense is BY FAR the best in the league at this point. Adding Caruso makes their perimeter defense even better than it was before, and Chet has another year under his belt patrolling the paint, with a little added muscle this season. It will be interesting to see how they look when Hartenstein comes back from injury. I'm still hopeful despite their age. Of course, as you said, the West is so deep that a low seed could knock off a higher seed because of the competition. But everyone thought OKC would be eliminated in the first round last year, and it wasn't so. I'm just really excited at what could transpire. I certainly didn't expect the Cavs to be THIS good THIS early (though I knew Atkinson was a MAJOR UPGRADE over JBB), so I'm not going to rule out a Finals matchup between my favorite clubs; things are looking great so far. What a dream come true that would be. :)

[pwaldo]

I still don't understand the Knicks/Wolves trade. Both teams look like they've gotten worse, especially the Knicks. Why mess with things when both teams had improved so much and had become contenders in their respective conferences?

I never did but I guess it was explained to me that the Wolves were doing it for monetary reasons as they figured they could still be competitive while being able to 100% be able to keep Ant and company if they won a championship. I don't know the financials of these NBA teams or cap issues but that's how it was explained to me.

The Knicks thought they upgraded though even though I didn't really see it. Whatever advantage they gained on paper they lost on team chemistry. That's really what had the Knicks rolling deep into the playoffs last year. A shame too since the East is shockingly thin now with all the injuries and under performing going on.

[WilyWestbrook0]

So Chet had a nasty fall and will be out a significant amount of the season again. This on top of Hartenstein being out for OKC.

Might be time to make some moves with the treasure chest of picks and get another big.

I will say that I've always been skeptical of Chet being able to last with his body type. Wemby is much stronger and more durable by comparison, so I'm not surprised he's lasted better than Chet already. I still think he could struggle with longevity due to his height, but I don't think he'll have as many injuries as Chet during his career.

At any rate, after a strong start, OKC will probably struggle this season the rest of the way and will need to consider what they want to do in the future with all their picks. This will be a test to see who will stay in the rotation and who is worth moving. But this is no longer a season for them to be in title contention, especially given they're out West.

[WilyWestbrook0]

Cavs win AGAIN! Eighth team in history to start 12-0 or better.

I just love what Kenny Atkinson is doing with this squad. They were struggling in the 3rd, and he brings in a small bench unit that came in with amazing energy and hit big shots. That also helped keep the starters fresh so they could perform well in the 4th quarter. He just coaches absolute circles over JB Bickerstaff from last season, who always ran guys into the ground a la Thibs.

[WilyWestbrook0]

Spurs informed the public that Coach Pop missed time due to a mild stroke. Time to retire...the man has given his all to the org, but there comes a time when it's time to move on due to age and health. He's been there since I was a girl, and I'm 40 now, so...yeah, let's hope he retires and can spend his last years doing something less stressful.

[pwaldo]

So Chet had a nasty fall and will be out a significant amount of the season again. This on top of Hartenstein being out for OKC.

Might be time to make some moves with the treasure chest of picks and get another big.

I will say that I've always been skeptical of Chet being able to last with his body type. Wemby is much stronger and more durable by comparison, so I'm not surprised he's lasted better than Chet already. I still think he could struggle with longevity due to his height, but I don't think he'll have as many injuries as Chet during his career.

At any rate, after a strong start, OKC will probably struggle this season the rest of the way and will need to consider what they want to do in the future with all their picks. This will be a test to see who will stay in the rotation and who is worth moving. But this is no longer a season for them to be in title contention, especially given they're out West.

I feel bad for not only Chet but the Thunder. I had high hopes for them this year and without Chet I can't see them winning an NBA championship. There are just too many good teams in the West that I wouldn't even pick them to make it out of that bloodbath. But those hip injuries are brutal especially for a guy his size. Hopefully he comes back 100% as he was just starting to unlock his potential.

[WilyWestbrook0]

The Cavs remain undefeated and are making a run at the cup with an impressive point score tonight over the Bulls.

I think they will defeat their next opponent, who is weak, and get the streak to 15 games, tied for second most all time after the legendary Warriors streak from their 73-9 season. But then I think the Celtics will defeat them in the 16th game.