2025-26 NBA Thread

[WilyWestbrook0]

Pelicans fire coach:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...mid-2-10-start

Makes sense. They are in the competitive West but should be better than 2-10.

[pwaldo]

I'm guessing you think this because the Nuggets almost beat them in the second round last playoffs after the Thunder swept the Grizzlies in the first round, and so you're standing by that and extrapolating a difficult second round series for the Thunder into the next playoffs. I think that second round Nuggets series was their toughest (besides the Pacers Finals, which also went seven) because the Nuggets have Jokic and a good supporting cast, and now this year they have a deep bench, so they could be scarier. I don't think it was a case of the Thunder being rusty after the first round sweep, I think it was tough because Jokic and the Nuggets match up great against them. Second round rust would apply more to teams with more of a flow based offense. The Thunder are primarily a defensive team, and defense is something that doesn't rust over like offense can. In fact the Thunder had a consistently subpar offense for ALL the postseason and still won, so again, I think the trick is how well other teams match up against them and how well they can handle the Thunder defense. The Lakers don't match up well with the Thunder and so I don't think they would pose the same kind of threat as the Nuggets did last year and will likely continue to this year; sure, they didn't have LeBron in the first season matchup where the Thunder just destroyed them, but LeBron is 41 and can't just run around fast young guys anymore either, which the Thunder have. The Rockets are another good matchup due to their size. The Thunder's defense is primarily perimeter swarming. They were able to eke by the Nuggets and Jokic because Caruso almost killed himself trying to guard Jokic, but he's still very undersized, and it would be hard for him to do that again, especially now that Jokic has even MORE weapons than before. The Rockets meanwhile have an excellent big in Sengun who no one in OKC can really match up with. Sengun is much stronger than Chet and more mobile than IHart and I could see him posing some major problems there.

So I just see it differently, I watch the West teams a lot, and the way to beat the Thunder is not hoping that they will be rusty after a first round sweep (their offense is ALWAYS worse in the postseason, whereas their defense never is because defense is not subject to rust like shooting touch is), it's by having a good matchup like the Nuggets and Rockets do regardless of round played.

No it is just a process of elimination. Barely a chance it happens but I think if it did it happens in the second round.

First round loss not happening and I really can't see them losing to a team in the Eastern Conference so that leaves the 2nd or 3rd round. I think they can't get caught off guard the longer the playoffs happen unless an injury occurs so that's why I think the very slim odds would be higher in the second round with the scenario I explained. I think the Nuggets and Rockets can be a challenge for them but that they will be kept away from them in the playoffs and face each other instead as 2 and 3 seeds. That's the advantage a #1 seed should have in the playoffs.

[WilyWestbrook0]

So the West is about as expected, but the East is wide open this season. Detroit has won 13 straight and is looking tough. To be fair, they have had a very easy schedule. They did beat the Rockets, but I'd love to see how they'd fare against the Nuggets and OKC. JBB has them playing hard, but I still doubt JBB's ability to lead a team deep into the playoffs.

The Raptors and Heat are also on a tear. The Raptors have already faced conference rival Cavs in three games and beat them all three times. I'm not too thrilled with the Cavs' start. I get they've had injuries (Garland and Strus being out has made their offense less dynamic), but Mobley looks to have regressed form his All-Star and DPOY form from last season. I also get that they don't want to burn out during the regular season like they did last season when they gave the whole 82 games so much effort that they were dead by the second round, but they just don't look that intimidating. It's still possible for them to take the East - they did hand the Pistons one of their 2 losses already - but it's not looking that obvious. New York also looks rather meh so far. I wonder how much the Pistons and Raptors starts are sustainable. It's just hard to make predictions in the East.

[pwaldo]

So the West is about as expected, but the East is wide open this season. Detroit has won 13 straight and is looking tough. To be fair, they have had a very easy schedule. They did beat the Rockets, but I'd love to see how they'd fare against the Nuggets and OKC. JBB has them playing hard, but I still doubt JBB's ability to lead a team deep into the playoffs.

The Raptors and Heat are also on a tear. The Raptors have already faced conference rival Cavs in three games and beat them all three times. I'm not too thrilled with the Cavs' start. I get they've had injuries (Garland and Strus being out has made their offense less dynamic), but Mobley looks to have regressed form his All-Star and DPOY form from last season. I also get that they don't want to burn out during the regular season like they did last season when they gave the whole 82 games so much effort that they were dead by the second round, but they just don't look that intimidating. It's still possible for them to take the East - they did hand the Pistons one of their 2 losses already - but it's not looking that obvious. New York also looks rather meh so far. I wonder how much the Pistons and Raptors starts are sustainable. It's just hard to make predictions in the East.

The Pistons were a pick to be good out in the east this year since they were decent last year and you remove the Celtics/Pacers and they move up the ladder a bit. But they have looked real good so far. The Cavs I won't even bother with until they do something in the post season. The Knicks and Bucks are both going nowhere with their coaching changes. Doc hasn't done anything with the Bucks for years and the shock move by the Knicks isn't showing dividends so far either. Never liked either move but I thought the Knicks could at least do something this year with pretty much no competition but they look like they took a major step back.

Don't really know how the Raptors or Heat will do but Herro hasn't even played yet for the Heat so in theory that should give them a boost. I also think the Hawks could be a dangerous play in the playoffs. I could see them going on a short tear and just beating teams until they flame out. They won't be an easy out if they keep that roster for the whole year.

[WilyWestbrook0]

The Pistons were a pick to be good out in the east this year since they were decent last year and you remove the Celtics/Pacers and they move up the ladder a bit. But they have looked real good so far. The Cavs I won't even bother with until they do something in the post season. The Knicks and Bucks are both going nowhere with their coaching changes. Doc hasn't done anything with the Bucks for years and the shock move by the Knicks isn't showing dividends so far either. Never liked either move but I thought the Knicks could at least do something this year with pretty much no competition but they look like they took a major step back.

Don't really know how the Raptors or Heat will do but Herro hasn't even played yet for the Heat so in theory that should give them a boost. I also think the Hawks could be a dangerous play in the playoffs. I could see them going on a short tear and just beating teams until they flame out. They won't be an easy out if they keep that roster for the whole year.

The Hawks and Bulls strike me as teams that you never know what they will bring one night to the next - they can look phenomenal and beat teams like the Lakers and Nuggets one night and then struggle with the Wizards the next game. In fact the Bulls looked really good the first 5-7 games and were 5-0 and 6-1 but then they stopped playing defense and lost a ton and are now 8th in the East. They really just have two good defenders in Dosunmu and a POA defender in Okoro, so that will keep them from being a top East team, but they can still upset a good team on any given night. The Hawks are better defensively but not sure what their identity is - they are better defensively without Trae Young but then they struggle offensively when he's not there. They have good size though which always helps. It will be interesting to see how their identity develops throughout the season and how they use Young when he gets back.

[pwaldo]

The Hawks and Bulls strike me as teams that you never know what they will bring one night to the next - they can look phenomenal and beat teams like the Lakers and Nuggets one night and then struggle with the Wizards the next game. In fact the Bulls looked really good the first 5-7 games and were 5-0 and 6-1 but then they stopped playing defense and lost a ton and are now 8th in the East. They really just have two good defenders in Dosunmu and a POA defender in Okoro, so that will keep them from being a top East team, but they can still upset a good team on any given night. The Hawks are better defensively but not sure what their identity is - they are better defensively without Trae Young but then they struggle offensively when he's not there. They have good size though which always helps. It will be interesting to see how their identity develops throughout the season and how they use Young when he gets back.

Yeah I could see them as spoiler teams against somebody in the playoffs. Heat maybe a little more than the Raptors since the Heat seem to have a pedigree with a winning system versus who is on the team. Raptors I don't know much about and the roster looks a little bit iffy to me but they are playing well right now and the East doesn't have much unless the trade deadline changes that.

[pwaldo]

Austin Reeves went undrafted?

[WilyWestbrook0]

Austin Reeves went undrafted?

Correct. Reaves wasn't picked in the 2021 draft.

[pwaldo]

Correct. Reaves wasn't picked in the 2021 draft.

No I knew that I just asked more in disbelief. Usually the scouts miss on foreign players and they have the excuse of not seeing them in person or knowing the competition but Reeves went to college. I see he somehow waved off being signed in the second round to get to pick to play for the Lakers but he's making the scouts and the teams who passed over him look bad.

[WilyWestbrook0]

There are a surprising number of good players who don't get drafted. A lot of not-traditionally-athletic guys in particular tend to get passed on. Lu Dort is another one. He looks like a linebacker more than a basketball player, but he had a great night tonight for OKC and is a key part of their unreal defense. They beat the Suns by almost 50 and are now only the second team ever to go 24-1. They are currently destroying the all-time point differential, which they set last season:

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/lar...am-in-a-season

And SGA is shooting over 44% from 3. It's just unfair, no wonder Grayson Allen just felt like shoving Chet (who will probably win DPOY).