2019-2020 Season Daily Discussion

So far, the games have been entertaining....very impressed with the Raptors taking it to the Lakers.

Did I actually see the Rockets getting defensive stops last night?

It's an option the players were given, if they wanted to put those messages on their jerseys for the Restart. Not everyone chose to.

I figured that players who don't have messages have their names below the jersey numbers. I could be wrong, though.

The first games had either/or names/messages but now it looks like thry have names for everyone regardless of message.

Causes less confusion for some players where you have to think who the heck is that?

I think the messages are great but I get confused about who's who most of the time.

I'm hoping the Blazers hold onto the eighth seed. It'd be fun to finally see LeBron vs Melo in a Playoff series, 17 years into their career. It seems like only yesterday they were the rising stars making Cavs vs Nuggets games the marquee match-up of the week.

Yeah, I'm all in on a Blazers underdog run.

Why does this play-in game even exist? Was this initially planned to be the final game? How come all the teams have played a different number of total games from each other? I'm so confused.

This is something so rare and weird that I would love to watch it, but unfortunately can't as I'm in a wedding today. Barring Memphis doesn't win today, when else are you gonna see a play-in game on ABC in a frickin' bubble between two shitty teams (well, with all the star power it's hard to call Portland shitty)? I mean, obviously everyone would rather see Dame, CJ and Carmelo facing LBJ.

My cynical theory is that it's road-testing some ideas to change up the season and Playoffs format, because as I've said before, it seems like Adam Silver is determined to put his stamp on the league, to the point where he's considering a bunch of unnecessary changes just so his legacy can include all these examples of "I introduced that". Obviously this is a very unusual situation for the league and if it's just for sorting out seeding this year in the Bubble, I'm OK with it. It's not something they should do under normal circumstances though, at least in my opinion.

This is my new favorite player in that Diaw/Iguodala/Ingles build:

phpBB [video]

I know Ingles is known as more of a shooter, but his passing IQ is great.

Honestly, I wouldn't have minded seeing either of these teams play LA.

I thought Gary Trent Jr. was Patty Mills... apparently I'm not the only one.

Watching Boston/Philly now... feels like I'm watching a preseason game lmaooooooooo. The fans are so important.

Nice first round so far... lots of upsets. Would've been interesting to see how much fans and an actual homecourt advantage would've impacted things.

Like it's too bad Luka's first playoffs has to be in a bubble... would've liked to have seen if he could've risen to the occasion in a hostile environment.

The NBA is slowly making a way for the 2nd ad on uniforms. Not today, not next season, but someday the messages in upper back of jerseys will be gone. That spot might go to a 2nd sponsor.

It wouldn't surprise me.

Well yeah, I'm definitely not expecting the jersey messages to stick around.

Me neither, eventually they'll be removed someday, as the current agenda changes.

Billy Donovan is leaving OKC. His contract expired and they mutually decided not to renew it. He apparently didn't want to coach a rebuilding team. Woj said that there is interest in him from within the NBA.

I wouldn't be surprised if Chris Paul is traded this off-season. I've seen the 76ers and Bucks mentioned as possible destinations.

It's a shame to see CP3 start to bounce around the league a bit, but he could be a great asset to a contender, or a team that is a piece or two away from being one. The Bucks and 76ers could definitely benefit from both his leadership and what he can still do on the court.

It's a shame to see CP3 start to bounce around the league a bit, but he could be a great asset to a contender, or a team that is a piece or two away from being one. The Bucks and 76ers could definitely benefit from both his leadership and what he can still do on the court.

I was a big fan of his when he first came into the league. I tihnk if it weren't for basketball reasons, he'd still be a Laker today. If it weren't from the implosion due to Austin Rivers and that whole mess of a Clippers team, they would have done great things and stayed together

Injuries didn't help, but yeah, Doc mishandled that situation for sure.

Billy Donovan to the Bulls confirmed.

Couldn't be much worse than what they've had in recent memory.

Look at what he did with what little he had in Oklahoma City

Anything is better than Boylen. Well, Donovan is better than Boylen, at any rate. I wasn't impressed with that final play in the Thunder/Rockets series, but I'd like to keep an open mind. At the very least, from all accounts he won't be toxic like Boylen, and with the right assistants he'll hopefully do a good job.

Building and developing the roster is obviously key moving forward; you're not going to win without the right talent, after all. However, I do like that they're trying to make changes from the top down. If the front office is fostering a toxic culture while bumbling and stumbling incompetently, none of the other necessary moves are going to happen. They seem to be addressing that at long last.

Anything is better than Boylen. Well, Donovan is better than Boylen, at any rate. I wasn't impressed with that final play in the Thunder/Rockets series, but I'd like to keep an open mind. At the very least, from all accounts he won't be toxic like Boylen, and with the right assistants he'll hopefully do a good job.

Building and developing the roster is obviously key moving forward; you're not going to win without the right talent, after all. However, I do like that they're trying to make changes from the top down. If the front office is fostering a toxic culture while bumbling and stumbling incompetently, none of the other necessary moves are going to happen. They seem to be addressing that at long last.

Andrew, I've always said the difference between the Bulls and Knicks is I see talent on Chicago's roster...there are pieces a good coach can work with and develop. I'm like meh on Donovan, but like you said, he has to get the right assistants.

As much as I'd come to dislike GarPax and the moves they were making, and believe it was definitely time for them to go, I have to give them credit for making a good move here and there. They've had the Knicks beat there, at least.