Sports NBA Thread: 2022-2023 Season

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awyp

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It's crazy that this thread gets no love, I'll restart it up:

Who's everyone's early season favorite for MVP this year?

I'm going with my boy Luka Doncic (He's literally the most valuable to his team, nights he doesn't play they lose to the worst teams in the league), if Luka doesn't get it I think Giannis might.
 

Nasirr

Banned deucer.
It's crazy that this thread gets no love, I'll restart it up:

Who's everyone's early season favorite for MVP this year?

I'm going with my boy Luka Doncic (He's literally the most valuable to his team, nights he doesn't play they lose to the worst teams in the league), if Luka doesn't get it I think Giannis might.
yeah gianinis forsure
 

awyp

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Honorable mentions:

Jayson Tatum: Team is #1 in the east and he's a pretty big catalyst for them putting put consistent points and rebounding a solid amount for his position.

Nikola Jokic: Homie was +900 favorite for back to back to back MVP, which is a really good gamble. I can't lie if Nuggets end up being the first seed at the end of the season, there's a big consideration for it.

Kevin Durant: I think before KD got injured he was looking like the favorite in my eyes, but now that he's going to be out for at least a month I don't think it's going to happen.
 

Rabia

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MVP has rarely meant the actual "most valuable player" because if it did, LeBron and MJ would have 10+ in their careers. That reason alone has me a little lower on Luka's prospects compared to Jokic, but I do think Luka is my 2nd favorite as of now because he's playing out of his mind and his team is a top-4 seed in a loaded WC.

I think Joel Embiid is a sneaky candidate this year too. The 76ers are the 5(?) seed as of now because Harden and Maxey have missed a ton of time this season, but Embiid did well to keep this team afloat during that span. If the 76ers can climb a bit closer to the top 3 in their conference, I'd definitely have him in consideration.
 

phoopes

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I think Joel Embiid is a sneaky candidate this year too. The 76ers are the 5(?) seed as of now because Harden and Maxey have missed a ton of time this season, but Embiid did well to keep this team afloat during that span. If the 76ers can climb a bit closer to the top 3 in their conference, I'd definitely have him in consideration.
As a Sixers fan, as much as I want for this to be true, the last two years have shown that Embiid isn't going to win an MVP ever without something crazy happening. In my biased opinion, he and Jokic should've split the last two years but the fact that Jokic won both times makes me think that it's just not in the cards, especially when Luka is having the year he's having.

On another note, here's a crazy stat that Kevin O'Connor tweeted out today. The NBA record for most 20+ PPG scorers is 31. Currently this year, there are 55 players averaging 20+ PPG. Kind of nuts.
 
We are officially at the halfway point of the NBA season. Some trends I’ve noticed:

- Offense is king. We are seeing multiple teams run some of the most efficient offenses in league history. Pace is at an all-time high, and almost every team is running at every opportunity. Spacing has increased as well, and shooters have improved. We are possibly entering the next chapter of basketball pace-and-space set by Steph Curry almost a decade ago.

- The MVP race is currently between Jokic, Luka, and Tatum. It’s still open to the likes of Giannis. I must admit, I did not expect there to be potential for a 3rd MVP repeat, but I would not be opposed to Jokic winning again if Denver stays as the number 1 seed in the western conference.

- Western conference is going about as expected. Nobody can ever really say what’s going on with either Los Angeles team because they are simply all over the place. I bet Clippers to find a spot in the playoffs still, but they need a consistent rotation fast to make any real noise again. Oh, and Kawhi must play. Memphis, Denver, New Orleans, and Dallas have shown the consistency to stay even with limited rotations. Golden State had a bad road month but appear to still be in for the hunt; their issue is simply depth and the aging core of the team. Phoenix to me is done as a threat, but Booker could prove me wrong in the playoffs. Minnesota is still figuring things out.

- I was very wrong about Sacramento: their offense literally is carrying them to a playoff spot the first time in almost 20 years. Even with a bottom-half defense, Fox has improved in his shooting ability, and they have plentiful gunners from three. Sabonis is small but has great chemistry as a passer and finisher for this team being surrounded by shooters and speed. Don’t get it twisted; they’re not Bibby and Webber exactly, but it’s a start.

- Nothing surprising about the east as well. Philadelphia needs to get healthy, but they also don’t look as threatening as I expected. Brooklyn still will have defensive issues in the playoffs, but their offense is enough to climb in the east. Boston, Milwaukee, and Cleveland have all been solid teams this year and switching positions constantly. Who are the contenders from this conference? If all are healthy, I anticipate a Boston and Milwaukee conference final. Cleveland is still amazingly good enough to beat one of these teams, but their small forward position is still a big concern. It will be interesting to see how the twin towers fair in Spring.

- I didn’t quite bite on Indiana, but they slightly exceeded expectations as well. Playoffs will tell the full story, but once again, Indiana is a middling eastern conference team. Miami’s aging core just doesn’t have it more often than not. Trae Young seems to be losing the locker room as Atlanta’s offense has grinded itself into becoming your-turn-my-turn between Young and Murray. New York might have a second wind if Brunson and Randle don’t run out of steam. Still, I don’t foresee these teams climbing significantly above say Cleveland.
 

awyp

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We are officially at the halfway point of the NBA season. Some trends I’ve noticed:

- Offense is king. We are seeing multiple teams run some of the most efficient offenses in league history. Pace is at an all-time high, and almost every team is running at every opportunity. Spacing has increased as well, and shooters have improved. We are possibly entering the next chapter of basketball pace-and-space set by Steph Curry almost a decade ago.

- The MVP race is currently between Jokic, Luka, and Tatum. It’s still open to the likes of Giannis. I must admit, I did not expect there to be potential for a 3rd MVP repeat, but I would not be opposed to Jokic winning again if Denver stays as the number 1 seed in the western conference.

- Western conference is going about as expected. Nobody can ever really say what’s going on with either Los Angeles team because they are simply all over the place. I bet Clippers to find a spot in the playoffs still, but they need a consistent rotation fast to make any real noise again. Oh, and Kawhi must play. Memphis, Denver, New Orleans, and Dallas have shown the consistency to stay even with limited rotations. Golden State had a bad road month but appear to still be in for the hunt; their issue is simply depth and the aging core of the team. Phoenix to me is done as a threat, but Booker could prove me wrong in the playoffs. Minnesota is still figuring things out.

- I was very wrong about Sacramento: their offense literally is carrying them to a playoff spot the first time in almost 20 years. Even with a bottom-half defense, Fox has improved in his shooting ability, and they have plentiful gunners from three. Sabonis is small but has great chemistry as a passer and finisher for this team being surrounded by shooters and speed. Don’t get it twisted; they’re not Bibby and Webber exactly, but it’s a start.

- Nothing surprising about the east as well. Philadelphia needs to get healthy, but they also don’t look as threatening as I expected. Brooklyn still will have defensive issues in the playoffs, but their offense is enough to climb in the east. Boston, Milwaukee, and Cleveland have all been solid teams this year and switching positions constantly. Who are the contenders from this conference? If all are healthy, I anticipate a Boston and Milwaukee conference final. Cleveland is still amazingly good enough to beat one of these teams, but their small forward position is still a big concern. It will be interesting to see how the twin towers fair in Spring.

- I didn’t quite bite on Indiana, but they slightly exceeded expectations as well. Playoffs will tell the full story, but once again, Indiana is a middling eastern conference team. Miami’s aging core just doesn’t have it more often than not. Trae Young seems to be losing the locker room as Atlanta’s offense has grinded itself into becoming your-turn-my-turn between Young and Murray. New York might have a second wind if Brunson and Randle don’t run out of steam. Still, I don’t foresee these teams climbing significantly above say Cleveland.
I agree with almost everything you said except Brooklyn, Brooklyn are Top 10 in Team Defensive Efficiency. I don't think their defense is bad especially with both Claxton and Simmons on the floor.

edit: dont forget Royce O'Neal
 
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I agree with almost everything you said except Brooklyn, Brooklyn are Top 10 in Team Defensive Efficiency. I don't think their defense is bad especially with both Claxton and Simmons on the floor.

edit: dont forget Royce O'Neal
Efficiency wise they are fine... in the regular season.

But my gut feeling? Ben Simmons and Nick Claxton are not proven sole frontcourt playoff defenders in the paint; especially against the likes of the top East frontcourts who are HUGE.

It's a concern in certain matchups, but for most of the league they get by using speed.
 
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awyp

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Efficiency wise they are fine... in the regular season.

But my gut feeling? Ben Simmons and Nick Claxton are not proven sole frontcourt playoff defenders in the paint; especially against the likes of the top East frontcourts who is HUGE.

It's a concern in certain matchups, but for most of the league they get by using speed.
I personally need to see more from Simmons, I feel like he's been underachieving and I think for Claxton it's been the opposite he's going to try to get a big bag this summer. But I definitely know what you're getting at.
 
I'm more shocked by Claxton doing really well as a big man considering his bulk and experience, and I mean that as a compliment. However, when it comes to exploiting weaknesses of a team, he or Simmons are definitely my focus. They will be tested and we will see how well they hold up on rebounding and protecting the basket without fouling.
 

awyp

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Nothing against Westbrook had a pretty good game today, but boy I feel like Lebron just got PTSD like when JR Smith threw the game in the Finals.
 

awyp

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jk embiid fouled westbrook on the last play of the game when he was driving to the rim
1673890213210.png
 

bdt2002

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I've posted in this season's NFL thread a few times now, but I was thinking about getting into watching more of the other leagues starting next season, as this NBA season's already well underway and it feels kind of weird to just hop on the ride in the middle of it. In the NFL and to some extent the MLB, it was simple enough deciding what teams I wanted to watch. Some would go on to become my new favorite teams, while others I would have fun watching for a year or two and then move on once whatever made them fun to watch was no longer present, such as player trades, free agency, stuff like that.

The problem is that the NBA is one of the sports leagues I honestly know the least about, and as a result I'm finding it tricky to figure out where to start following the league again. It's not just that I'm one of those fans who doesn't necessarily support teams just because they're close to where I live (sometimes it's actually the opposite outcome), but I'm also not caught up on NBA rosters at all, nor how most teams have performed in recent memory or how some of the NBA organizations are run.

I think- I think what I'm trying to get at here is asking where a newcomer should start by looking at. I can definitely still watch the games and all that, but as far as knowing what teams and/or players or coaches to watch... I'm pretty much clueless. Going back to the NFL comparisons, I have reasons why my top four favorite teams are ranked as such, but that's just not the case with the NBA. What would you guys recommend I do?
 
You need to find a team or player to follow to motivate you. It's easier if you had other NBA fans to watch with you.

It's difficult to just watch random teams and feel engaged. There could be a couple of YouTube commentary channels or podcasts you could at least tune into for the biggest news and infer things. The only way I ever get into a sport though is through socialization.
 
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bdt2002

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You need to find a team or player to follow to motivate you. It's easier if you had other NBA fans to watch with you.

It's difficult to just watch random teams and feel engaged. There could be a couple of YouTube commentary channels or podcasts you could at least tune into fot the biggest news and infer things. The only way I ever get into a sport though is through socialization.
I'm not sure if this helps anything, but the ways I gained interest in teams in other leagues is usually through one of four means:

1. Loved ones live at or near the city where the team plays, and as such they started following the team (my go-to example for this is how our relatives down in Florida are big Jacksonville Jaguars fans; by comparison the closest NBA team to their location is probably the Miami Heat)

2. The team's program, higher-ups, et cetera supports some cause outside of the sport that I am very passionate about and respect the team for wanting to support

3. When I'm picking sports games for fun regardless of the sport, I tend to slightly gravitate towards teams who I can pick better for, whether it be I just like their players more or something else entirely

4. Provided this has only ever happened once for me... when I was little I mistakenly thought those kinds of youth sports leagues were ran by the actual leagues; childhood me didn't understand how a map worked apparently, one thing led to another and I became a Seattle Seahawks fan because of a flag football league that I strangely never heard from ever again after one season
 
I have not been able to follow the NBA lately due to problems in my country but I looked some matches and I could not believe my eyes.
:smogduck: Dallas won without Luka, Kyrie seems like adapted well.
 

phoopes

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How is it the hypest trade deadline ever and none of yall posted. Smh
because the Sixers didn't get any better

I guess it's fun to see what went down with the Nets though considering I'm still a Ben Simmons hater until the day I die. Honestly though I have to say I like the Nets' roster outside of Simmons though. Feels like they have a lot of good pieces that they could flip into a different star(s) should they choose to try and compete right away.
 
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