New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season

[jadis]

The lights are all out in the fans area. Looks like another bubble league game.

 

[Zuman]

Caught part of the Bucks/Pacers game. Indiana looks a very sleek, young team. Haliburton VERY impressive complete game guard. The Pacers looked fresh at the end, the Bucks somewhat wilted.

Haliburton is the first player ever to hit 25+ points with 15+ assists and 0 turnovers three times in one season. And there's a lot of season left...

 

[steve williams]

We just literally landed in LA and I saw the Lakers are going to the final.against Indianapolis. Halliburton indeed is the real deal and likely the ROTY. it’s going to be a great game. I’m still not convinced as to the winner but it will be a great game. Go Lakers

 

[steve williams]

Looking at the stats I still maintain that LeBron so far is the MVP of this tournament. Scoring 44 points is really something. I’m not a fan. In fact I have always wanted the Lakers to trade him to pick up draft choices for the future of the team but I have to admit I’m still somewhat shocked that they are going to the finals and they suck so far in league play but are undefeated in this lame tournament

 

[steve williams]

Here's a morning stat that will have some people finally realizing that there is a changing of the guard in the NBA


To wit, Minnesota Wolves have the best record in the NBA and are 3 games ahead of OKC and Denver

 

[steve williams]

I think the In Season Tournament final game will be evenly but well contested as both teams have essentially the same won-loss record

Im thinking of flying in for the game

 

[Dimfer]

It was fun here last night.. a lot of people hang around the arena cheering Shaq and company while they were doing their broadcast.

arena was full, except for some empty single seats.

my wife is not a sports fan at all and hate big crowd but survived and enjoyed it.

looking forward to see the championship game.

btw, Zion looks huge in person

 

[GSOphile]

Watched part of Pelicans/Lakers game last night mostly to see Williamson. What a monumental disappointment! Way overweight (even for him), out of shape, zero effort (especially on defense - no wonder Lebron lit it up!), looked like he was there only to collect his paycheck. Not a competitive game. Turned it off before the half. But I am looking forward to the Lakers/Pacers.

 

[steve williams]

Watched part of Pelicans/Lakers game last night mostly to see Williamson. What a monumental disappointment! Way overweight (even for him), out of shape, zero effort (especially on defense - no wonder Lebron lit it up!), looked like he was there only to collect his paycheck. Not a competitive game. Turned it off before the half. But I am looking forward to the Lakers/Pacers.

Zion to me looks like a defensive middle line backer rater than an NBA star. If he doesn't prove himself this year I wouldn't be surprised to see the Pels shop him

 

[GSOphile]

Zion needs to be somewhere where someone he respects lights a fire under his big butt and makes winning really matter to him. Otherwise just a waste. I agree; if things don't improve significantly, the Pels would be stupid not to shop him.

 

[jadis]

Watched part of Pelicans/Lakers game last night mostly to see Williamson. What a monumental disappointment! Way overweight (even for him), out of shape, zero effort (especially on defense - no wonder Lebron lit it up!), looked like he was there only to collect his paycheck. Not a competitive game. Turned it off before the half. But I am looking forward to the Lakers/Pacers.

The bust is real now to me. He doesn't have the killer instinct to lead his team. Likes to stand around and watch. He's a guy who, to me, can score 35 points easily in a game. It's kind of boggling to see him under perform like that. I was truly wow'ed by his college 'hype' games, specially the one where he broke his shoe. So now I only remember his last few seconds windmill dunk, and his broken shoe. LOL

 

[steve williams]

To me the biggest disappointments this past year has been Zion and Ja Morant. Unfortunately a lot of the 23 yo kids are really, just kids where suddenly they’ve re multimillionaires If Zion doesn’t smarten up he’ll be too old to change and he’ll have an early exit from the game. The same fate might await Ja, but due to a far more serious set of circumstances.

 

[steve williams]

OKC in OT defeats GSW by 2 points and Orlando wins again and are 1.5 behind the Celts. The competition is so good that there just isn’t a bad game to watch. I didn’t see the Celts game but they win in a high scoring game as does Philadelphia

 

[jadis]

Lets not forget Lillard who IMO deserves a ring somewhere along the line

My reservation early on is that I haven't seen Lillard become a clutch man or a closer in games that matter, consistently. He missed a long shot in the closing minute which I thought would go in. To get his ring, he should be in tandem with the scoring of Giannis, and as it is, Middleton is still the go to guy down the stretch, from what I saw.

 

[jadis]

Looking at the stats I still maintain that LeBron so far is the MVP of this tournament. Scoring 44 points is really something. I’m not a fan. In fact I have always wanted the Lakers to trade him to pick up draft choices for the future of the team but I have to admit I’m still somewhat shocked that they are going to the finals and they suck so far in league play but are undefeated in this lame tournament

It will become at matchup of 2 undefeated teams after 6 games. The so called champion would have to win the seventh game, and stay undefeated and win a gold cup. Frankly, I do not know the essence or meaning of this hoopla in the tournament, a champion of 7 games ? Not sure what to make of it and I don't understand what it proves. This entertainment business of the NBA, magnified even more with Silver sitting beside the chief of Disney, has really gone overboard by making something as silly as a 7-game champion as part of the league. I would understand if it were a G-league thing, but the glory of the NBA title has been diminished by this 'dumb' and 'lame' tournament, as Steve would say.

 

[steve williams]

My reservation early on is that I haven't seen Lillard become a clutch man or a closer in games that matter, consistently. He missed a long shot in the closing minute which I thought would go in. To get his ring, he should be in tandem with the scoring of Giannis, and as it is, Middleton is still the go to guy down the stretch, from what I saw.

one missed shot doesn’t seal a career unless it’s game 7 of the final game with the game tied and a second on the clock and he misses the chance to win. But even that is something I see LeBron do i in just about every game. Plus I’ve seen Gianni’s miss shots that should have been made. Or let’s talk about his shots from the foul line. He often throws up bricks. There isn’t a player in the league who is perfect on every shot. Lillard yo me is a great player who never complains. He accepts his tandem role He reminds of Klay backing up Steph. Klay never once complained. Both are class act players in my book .

 

[steve williams]

It will become at matchup of 2 undefeated teams after 6 games. The so called champion would have to win the seventh game, and stay undefeated and win a gold cup. Frankly, I do not know the essence or meaning of this hoopla in the tournament, a champion of 7 games ? Not sure what to make of it and I don't understand what it proves. This entertainment business of the NBA, magnified even more with Silver sitting beside the chief of Disney, has really gone overboard by making something as silly as a 7-game champion as part of the league. I would understand if it were a G-league thing, but the glory of the NBA title has been diminished by this 'dumb' and 'lame' tournament, as Steve would say.

I agree Phil. It’s all about enriching the NBA money bag Yet having said this I’m surprised as to who rose to the two finalists. Completely unexpected and as Zuma states it gets smaller markets involved. Plus the Pacers have Halliburton who I’m betting will be Kia ROTY at the end of the season Whomever wins gets a gold cup and early bragging rights The ultimate bragging right however is winning the Larry O’Brian. Perhaps Silver should consider having a Platinum Adam Silver trophy for yet another chance and have a post season tournament where the in Season champ plays yet another 7 game series against the winner of the Finals. The winner gets a platinum trophy and ultimate bragging rights.
I wish I could cozy up to Adam Silver but to me he’s somewhat of a pussy cat when compared to David Stern who IMO made the NBA into what it is today. Pardon my saying but to me Silver is just too woke for me. Perhaps sitting beside the CEO of Disney Silver might learn how wokeness destroyed Disney.

 

[steve williams]

What I find interesting is how the In Season tournament affects the NBA season games. Same number of games but the tournament must affect later games in the season between the same two teams. So the In Season tournament has to affect later games between the Pacers and Lakers to finish an 82 game season

 

[steve williams]

So tonight all the "mishagoss" about this silly tournament ends and a champion will be crowned before the teams have even played 20 games this season

NBA Starting 5, Dec. 9: LeBron vs. Haliburton for NBA history, as Lakers and Pacers meet for In-Season Tournament championship | NBA.com

After dramatic In-Season Tournament runs, will the Lakers or Pacers become the 1st team to lift the NBA Cup in today's championship in Vegas?

www.nba.com

 

[steve williams]

I was always taught that statistics are for losers but here are the Vegas odds o tonight's game

NBA In-Season Tournament final odds, picks: Lakers favored against Pacers to win NBA Cup

Lakers favored against Pacers in NBA In-Season Tournament final

The Lakers and Pacers are in the final of the NBA's first In-Season Tournament. The Lakers are favored to lift the trophy.

theathletic.com

Indiana are also 6-0 in the tournament but have beaten the three best teams in the league to get to this game whereas the Lakers I felt had an easier time. I noticed that in league play not counting in the tournament the Pacers are 8-8 so they definitely have something to prove. Lakers win , LeBron is MVP. Pavcers win and Haliburton could easily be MVP depending on the game tonight. It should be a good game