2024/25 nba season

[Andrew]

I'm waiting for the real playoffs to start tomorrow. This play-in mess doesn't interest me at all, lol. Nothing but a silly gimmick.

Agreed. It made sense in 2020 when the season was delayed and shortened, and I like the idea of a winner-take-all if there's a tie for the 8th seed; that's more exciting than a mathematical tiebreaker. As it stands though, the 7th and 8th seeds are punished for not finishing better, while the 9th and 10th place teams are rewarded for finishing worse. It doesn't make a lot of sense, and looks really bad when the 7th and 8th seeds are well ahead of the 9th and 10th place teams, as was the case in the West this year.

[Jeffx]

East:
(1) Cavs vs (8) Heat
(2) Celtics vs (7) Magic
(3) Knicks vs (6) Pistons
(4) Pacers vs (5) Bucks

West:
(1) Thunder vs (8) Grizzlies
(2) Rockers vs (7) Warriors
(3) Lakers vs (6) T'Wolves
(4) Clippers vs (5) Nuggets

For me, the most intriguing match-up is the young Rockets against the battle-tested Warriors with Playoff Jimmy.

[mp3]

Yep, Isiah Thomas and Phil Jackson were two of the worst however I am greatful that IT brought in Jamal Crawford, he took alot of flack for that and yes I don't recall which pick ended up coming out for chicago. I know it was Tyrus Thomas or Aldridge but either way iam glad we got to watch Crawford (and Marbury!!)

[mp3]

This has got to be the worst answer you can give to trading away the franchise player in his prime and not expert to be fired (which he won't be)

phpBB [video]

[Andrew]

The trade was terrible, but somehow the attempts at PR/damage control have been just as bad.

[mp3]

There is no way he should hold the position on an nba team, he was a former Nike rep so I don't know how that translates to nba GM

[mp3]

It's crazy how bad nba refs are considering what level of basketball there in charge of but the knicks caught a break last night il give the Pistons that but the amount that is made online about how the Pistons were "robbed" is crazy when josh hart was clearly held on the rebound prior to the chase out on Hardaway jr but that wasn't called plus the nba even came out and said in game 2 late in the game josh hart was fouled on the dunk that should of been an and1 which would of tied the game but we were not shouting how we were robbed by the league when the fact is last night KAT made 2 amazing clutch shots and the knicks won.

[Andrew]

The Timberwolves are in the driver's seat, though as disrespectful as it feels to say, that 3-1 lead doesn't feel entirely safe. They've played great so far though, so while I won't say they're definitely moving on, I don't think a Lakers comeback should be considered a given either. Of course, I'd suggest it's what the NBA wants, and it's certainly the narrative the media are focusing on.

[mp3]

Laker and lebron fans want them to come back to win the series because coming back from 3-1 down in the 1st round of the playoffs is the type of stuff these modern day fans rank greatness on, honestly I think it's such a joke the "goat" debate is questioned between lebron and Jordan when LBJ has LOST more in the finals than he's won, how is 4 wins 6 LOSSES considered the greatest of all time?!?!?

[Andrew]

The goalposts are constantly moving on that one, and generations of players are disrespected. It's frustrating, but sadly the way of discourse these days.

With that being said though, the Wolves definitely can't let up now. The games have been too close and the Lakers have enough firepower to come storming back if they have the momentum.

[Jeffx]

The Timberwolves are in the driver's seat, though as disrespectful as it feels to say, that 3-1 lead doesn't feel entirely safe. They've played great so far though, so while I won't say they're definitely moving on, I don't think a Lakers comeback should be considered a given either. Of course, I'd suggest it's what the NBA wants, and it's certainly the narrative the media are focusing on.

I'm happy to see our former Knicks (Randle & Donte) doing well. If they keep playing like that, along with Naz Reid who was killing it, Lakers are cooked.

Bucks are cooked too, especially with Dame going down with that horrible injury. Indy ran an NBA 2k offensive clinic on Milwaukee.

I held my breath on Hardaway Jr.'s last shot. I thought the home team would get that call. Very happy with KAT's play the last two games. that's why he was brought here.

[Andrew]

Oh yeah, Dame's injury was horrible to see. Even with medical advances, Achilles injuries are no joke. Here's hoping he'll be able to bounce back, though we may be looking at an entire season lost.

[Jeffx]

The goalposts are constantly moving on that one, and generations of players are disrespected. It's frustrating, but sadly the way of discourse these days.

With that being said though, the Wolves definitely can't let up now. The games have been too close and the Lakers have enough firepower to come storming back if they have the momentum.

Andrew, as we've talked about before, we live in a "latest is greatest" society. To me, Kareem is the G.O.A.T., but he's rarely talked about.

I've heard so many times from younger fans that cats like Wilt, Russell, Oscar, West, Cousy, etc., weren't all that because they played against slow, white guys who were plumbers during the off-season. Or that Magic & Larry couldn't play in today's NBA. How do you respond to that?

[Andrew]

Andrew, as we've talked about before, we live in a "latest is greatest" society. To me, Kareem is the G.O.A.T., but he's rarely talked about.

I've heard so many times from younger fans that cats like Wilt, Russell, Oscar, West, Cousy, etc., weren't all that because they played against slow, white guys who were plumbers during the off-season. Or that Magic & Larry couldn't play in today's NBA. How do you respond to that?

Yeah, you can't even have a reasonable discussion once the "plumbers" rhetoric comes out. It doesn't help that the media - so many of the talking heads - push that narrative too. Like, I'm sure that there were some kids my age back in the 90s who weren't giving previous eras the appropriate due, though I'd like to think we were far more respectful than today's young fans. That's because the coverage we grew up with didn't push those disrespectful narratives. History was celebrated, not scorned. I've said it before, but the league's 75th Anniversary paled in comparison to the 50th Anniversary celebrations, thanks to several years of championing the idea that skill didn't exist until the last 15 years (or when LeBron entered the league, depending on who's making the argument).

As I've also said before, I'm just waiting for the 2000s to get trashed, essentially dismissing the first half of LeBron's career. The mental gymnastics are going to be gold medal worthy!

[mp3]

Well it didn't take long for someone to say something about lebron being the Goat, this time on twitter it was Dwight Howard saying that "if lebron comes back from 3-1 down to beat the twolves" he doesn't want to hear "who is the Goat" discussion anymore... smh

[Andrew]

At least when people make that argument about the 2016 NBA Finals, it was the Finals, against a 73-win team. Carries a little more weight than coming back in the first round against a 49-win team. Of course, if they do pull off the comeback, Luka is going to find out that like Kyrie, he won't get a shred of credit for his substantial contributions to it.

[mp3]

I absolutely agree mate, 2016 the cavs played amazing, Kyrie was clutch and that Cleveland team deserved the credit but like you said, a team lead by 2 HOF players shouldn't be even going down 3-1 in the first round to begin with, there fanbase had them as the guaranteed champions this year and now there talking about being the goat for getting out the first round lol

Yes lebron Is a great player, top 3 to ever play the game of basketball but to lose 6 finals and only win 4 tho?!?

I could understand the debate if lebron had won 6 and lost 4 but that's not the case

[Jeffx]

Refs admit mistake on the no-call in Game 4;

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/n ... 316569007/

Playoff Jimmy did it again. I was worried about Houston going into this series. Warriors are a battle-tested team, Rockets are still learning. It doesn't help that Jalen Green is struggling.

[Andrew]

I absolutely agree mate, 2016 the cavs played amazing, Kyrie was clutch and that Cleveland team deserved the credit but like you said, a team lead by 2 HOF players shouldn't be even going down 3-1 in the first round to begin with, there fanbase had them as the guaranteed champions this year and now there talking about being the goat for getting out the first round lol

Yes lebron Is a great player, top 3 to ever play the game of basketball but to lose 6 finals and only win 4 tho?!?

I could understand the debate if lebron had won 6 and lost 4 but that's not the case

It's also the way it dismisses other players. Magic Johnson has five rings in nine NBA Finals appearances; if 4/10 puts you in the conversation due to multiple rings and Finals appearances, then 5/9 shouldn't be ignored, especially when the five all came in the same decade. As Jeffx said, Kareem's resume should absolutely put him in the conversation, and I can't fault that pick even though mine is different. Larry Bird, Bill Russell...we shouldn't just be focusing on a couple of players to prop up a laughably performative debate that frequently cherry-picks criteria and definitely has a recency bias nowadays.

Indeed, all of the past greats need to be celebrated more, even if they aren't in that upper echelon, GOAT debate tier. Elvin Hayes is one of only four players in NBA history with over 27,000 points and 16,000 rebounds, and only missed nine games during his career. In an era where statistical trivia and "the only player(s) to ever achieve [insert statistical feat here]" seems to be everything, he should be talked about way more often.

[mp3]

Yeah your right mate, there are alot of players I don't think about in the goat discussion mainly because when started watching the nba at 9 years old in 1990 magic and Bird were winding up there careers and players like Kareem etc etc were before my time so I think I unfairly don't mention some of the greats like Wilt and Russell due to this.

For example my top 3 players I have are MJ-Lebron-Kobe in that order and although technically speaking Jordan and LeBron didn't play in the same era they were close enough to compare each other.

[Andrew]

That's the other thing that people often (deliberately I'm sure) overlook with all the talk of such-and-such era was weak, this era can't compare to that one, etc. There's more overlap than people realise or acknowledge. There are many greats whose careers intersected (if only briefly), and others whose careers were only separated for a year or two, meaning they faced the same competition even if they didn't actually compete against each other. But to know and understand that requires learning about NBA history and critical thinking; things that aren't prized by those who performatively debate.

[Jeffx]

Yeah your right mate, there are alot of players I don't think about in the goat discussion mainly because when started watching the nba at 9 years old in 1990 magic and Bird were winding up there careers and players like Kareem etc etc were before my time so I think I unfairly don't mention some of the greats like Wilt and Russell due to this.

For example my top 3 players I have are MJ-Lebron-Kobe in that order and although technically speaking Jordan and LeBron didn't play in the same era they were close enough to compare each other.

For me it's Kareem, Wilt & Jordan. I was 9 when I started watching the NBA too, but that was 1970, the Knicks first championship season. Bill Russell had already retired, but thanks to my father, I knew how great he was.

I try not to get too hung up on finals records. Sometimes, the other team is just better. Look at Jerry West - he went to the Finals nine times and only won once. Does that diminish his greatness? To me, he's stll one of the NBA 'immortals' (same with Oscar Robertson). Dr. J lost three finals until Philly finally got a big man who could battle Kareem in Moses Malone. The only finals I criticize LeBron over is in 2011 against the Mavs. They should not have lost that series - I guess they were still trying to "figure it out".

Great job by Andrew bringing up forgotten players like The Big "E". I'll give you another - Elgin Baylor, one of the greatest ever.