NBA 2019-2020 Season

[GaryH]

How I envy Raptors' fans. I am stuck with the Knicks who have been the worst team in the NBA for the last 20 years. There are no signs this will ever get better as long as Dolan owns the team. Fans being kicked out for chanting "Sell the team". Oh the misery!

Les Knickerbockers = Les Misérables : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s-XfFrgEOU

 

[sharkman]

Big game last night at Staples between the Lakers and the Bucs...The best in the West met the best in the East!...Perhaps a prelude of the NBA Finals matchup???

Lakers took care of the Bucs last night!...Showtime is back in L.A.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o9zOzmG6BY

 

[EagerBeaver]

The Lakers offseason moves last year have proven to be shrewd. They are basically a 2 superstar team surrounded by role players and interchangeable parts. What has been really surprising is what they have gotten out of Dwight Howard off the bench, and Javale McGee. They have an outstanding triumvirate of shotblocking bigs, which is their ace in the hole, along with the fact of having the biggest point guard in the league in LeBron. In recent games I have seen teams really struggling to defend LeBron and it will probably get worse for everyone in the playoffs. Although his FG shooting % numbers are down, possibly because he is shooting more 3s, but leading the league in assists by a lot which speaks for itself.

Giannis and LeBron 1-2 in MVP race right now.

 

[Doc Holliday]

How I envy Raptors' fans. I am stuck with the Knicks who have been the worst team in the NBA for the last 20 years. There are no signs this will ever get better as long as Dolan owns the team. Fans being kicked out for chanting "Sell the team". Oh the misery!

James Dolan is being called the 'Donald Trump of the NBA'. ETTD. Everything Trump Touches Dies. Now it's EDTD. Everything Dolan touches dies.

The Ottawa Senators fan base has the same problem with Eugene Melnyk. The team has lost nearly half its fan support at games and most of those departed fans are staying away because they won't support a team owned by Eugene Melnyk. And everyone knows this is true. The league also knows it and it can't do anything about it since Melnyk hasn't misbehaved.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19, which led to the NBA and other leagues postponing/cancelling their seasons. Just a few days earlier i watched the Raptors play the Jazz and midway in the 4th quarter Gobert got in a shoving match with OG Anunobi of the Raptors which led to Gobert & Anunobi's ejections.

A few days later Gobert tested positive & soon after his teamate Mitchell also tested positive. The Raptors got tested and all tested negative. Which got me thinking:

You know that at the end of all NBA games players from both teams meet on the court for handshakes & hugs. There is a lot of bodycontact being made during these exchanges. A lot!! But they always seem harmless & seen as a sign of good sportsmanship.

Now i'm wondering if the fact Gobert got kicked out of the game midway into the 4th quarter didn't save a lot of players from contracting the virus?? Had Gobert completed the game there's no doubt most of the Raptors team would have shook his hand and hugged him. Then those same players would have done the same to Jazz players, and so on. If i can make a calculated guess the rate of infection would likely have been extreme had Gobert not being kicked out of the game halfway into the 4th quarter!

 

[EagerBeaver]

During a typical NBA game, Gobert would be setting numerous picks/screens and every time he does so there would be contact. I would think the transmission could occur in the exchange of sweat that occurs when one player contacts another. There would have been plenty of contact between him and the opponents during the game, and not just on the guy covering Gobert on defense. The ball itself is covered with the sweat of players touching it and often has to be wiped by referees during games. Every time Gobert touched the ball, he likely left his residual sweat on the ball, to be transferred to the next player handling the ball. He may well have infected each and every player whom he played against, after he himself was infected.

NBA games are not played, nor are intended to be played, in a sterile hospital like environment. That is why they suspended games immediately after the Gobert positive test.

 

[EagerBeaver]

NBA returning July 31! 8 Regular season games for seeding purposes and then right into the playoffs!

 

[ShyMan]

The first LAC v. LAL game was nice to watch -- a nice distraction and gives us hope that things can return to a new normal. It's good to see LeBron James shoot the winning shot.

 

[No_Church_InThe_Wild]

I hope that all the leagues will be able to finish their respective seasons ... but somehow I’m not so sure that they won’t pull tge plug once they start getting athletes testing positive again ...
I know the athletes safety comes first but I also feel that we really need sports , I certainly do

Anyways nice to see the NBA back with these seeding games and looking forward to the playoffs

 

[EagerBeaver]

I missed the game, can anyone tell me if LeBron was covering Kawhi Leonard the whole game? I noticed LeBron's overall shooting stats were off, that could be due to rust and/or having to check Kawhi, who had 28 points.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Raptors' Nurse named NBA's Coach of the Year

Nick Nurse was named NBA Coach of the Year on Saturday after leading the Toronto Raptors to the league's third-best record despite the team's top five scorers missing at least 11 games each.

www.espn.com

Very deserving award by Nick Nurse. I must say I am very impressed by the job he did. I did not really believe the Raptors were a title contender once Kawhi left their team, but in my mind they are a very strong darkhorse pick behind the Lakers, Clippers and Bucks. I watched the Bucks the other night and I think they are beatable by Toronto, again. The only issue they have is who to cover Giannis. Kawhi checked him in the big moments last year. They may need to rotate bodies on him and play him physical which he clearly does not like.

I am not sure if you guys realize it, but it is UNHEARD OF in the NBA to start 2 guards that are around 6'0" or under and right now the Raptors are not only doing that but they are getting enormous production out of Lowry and VanVleet, because those two are tough little sons of bitches!!!!!!! You have to be tough to succeed in the NBA at that size. Usually that kind of backcourt size leads to major issues on defense, but Nurse has figured out how to play great defense with a tiny backcourt by today's NBA standards.

 

[No_Church_InThe_Wild]

Great analysis EB

Nick Nurse should have won coach of the year last season , if it wasn’t for he’s coaching the Bucks would have been crowned champions IMO

No mvp , injuries it doesn’t matter this guy will find a way to guide and challenge his players . He understands defence better than any coach in the league right now
When they let go someone that had previously won coach of the year I was scratching my head , but I guess management new that they had found a diamond in the rough ... anyways congratulations very deserving

 

[CaptRenault]

I was happy to learn that the players are on strike. I hope that they don't come back and I don't care whether they ever come back.

I'd rather watch Chinese pro badminton games than watch a bunch of overpaid, hypocritical, uncaring, sanctimonious, whining, spoiled rich guys play hoops in empty gyms.

The ratings for the boring, made-for-tv, glorified pick-up games that are being passed off as "playoffs" are already down 20% from last year. Let it go to 100%.

 

[SceneoftheCrash]

I'd rather watch Chinese pro badminton games than watch a bunch of overpaid, hypocritical, uncaring, sanctimonious, whining, spoiled rich guys.

Super Agree.

I'd rather watch the world series of blindfolded tiddlywinks than these dumbos.

Furthermore, going on strike is the wrong play. Now you're sitting around, as usual, doing nothing for the cause but being a whiny bitch. If you actually want to make a difference, play the game, and take the tens of thousands of dollars you're overpaid and put that money toward good causes. GOOD causes. NOT BLM. Things that help the neighborhoods where the crimes are happening that you';re complaining about.

 

[EagerBeaver]

In action tonight Dennis Schroeder ejected for punch-slapping the groin of the guy trying to set a screen on him (PJ Tucker) and then Tucker is ejected for a blind head butt on Schroeder. This is the first time I ever saw the guy being picked take out the screen setter with a groin punch. I did not actually see it until I watched the replay:

 

[gaby]

Not a good start for the RAPTORS .....CELTICS were dominant tant offensivement que défensivement.....won't b easy....they will need more from their best players.....we will see Tuesday.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Raptors in a 2-0 hole. A little surprising, although I think the Celtics are as well coached a team as the Raptors. What is a little galling is that Marcus Smart, who is a 31% career 3 point shooter and 37% career FG shooter and is not exactly known as a lethal shooter, buries 5 straight 4th quarter 3s to basically win the game. I watched the replays and except for the first one which was wide open (Van Vleet late getting back on D after his shot was blocked on other end), the shots were contested- they did not appear to be clear looks- but this is where the Raptors may suffer starting smaller guards who can be shot over on a contest. Watch as Smart shoots over Van Vleet on the next 2, then is taken off of Smart in favor of #24 (Norm Powell) who is also shot over. Observe the tape:

Smart splashes five straight triples - ESPN Video

Marcus Smart has the hot hand after draining five straight triples for the Celtics.

www.espn.com

Smart has played well since he was inserted into the starting lineup for the injured Gordon Hayward, although I think the Celtics are a much better team with Hayward starting and Smart coming off the bench. Smart is more of a "glue guy" who comes off the bench and injects enthusiasm and intangibles.

 

[gaby]

RAPTORS..wow...a big win 104-103....in the last second....oufffff ....BUT still a long long way to go.

 

[gaby]

RAPTORS....important win 100-93....the CHAMPS are back .

 

[gaby]

OH wow...RAPTORS 125-122 in double o/t......what a game .....LOWRY--LOWRY LOWRY....what a leader...can't wait for the 7th game tomorrow.