General NBA thread

[JayhawkCO]

Is any mainstream sport running an interesting all-star game anymore?  I haven't been impressed by what the NHL, NFL or MLB are offering either.

No.

[The Ghostbuster]

I watched the NBA All-Star Game, and while I found the to-40-points objective to be unusual, I didn't mind it. Maybe the NBA saw a need to change things up for the All-Star Game. After all, the 2024 All-Star Game was all scoring (211-186), and little defense. I was bummed that Lebron James was unable to play due to a sore ankle. I also wasn't surprised that Stephen Curry was named MVP, since he can hit 3-pointers like a knife through butter (butter is also commentator Mark Jones' catch phrase).

[Ted$8roadFan]

It's not the NBA, and wasn't an All-Star Game, but the 4 Nations Face Off finale last night between the USA and Canada was epic.

[JayhawkCO]

It's not the NBA, and wasn't an All-Star Game, but the 4 Nations Face Off finale last night between the USA and Canada was epic.

There is a hockey thread...

[Life in Paradise]

It's not the NBA, and wasn't an All-Star Game, but the 4 Nations Face Off finale last night between the USA and Canada was epic.

There is a hockey thread...

I think he responded since Max R compared the NHL, NFL, and MLB's All Star games.  To me it's a valid response from what I have heard, and was brought up in an NBA Radio discussion of the pros and cons to this year's All Star game, which a lot of people didn't mind the changes, just the interruptions.

[bing101]

LeBron James becomes first NBA player to score 50,000 total points - https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/lebron-james-becomes-first-nba-player-score-50000-total-points-2025-03-05/

If your a fan of the Lakers congrats with this one.

[Henry]

LeBron James becomes first NBA player to score 50,000 total points - https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/lebron-james-becomes-first-nba-player-score-50000-total-points-2025-03-05/

If your a fan of the Lakers congrats with this one.

My daughter is, and she's happy for LeBron reaching that milestone.

[jgb191]

For the first time since 2019, the Rockets have just made the playoffs, clinch the Southwest division, and win 50 games in the regular season with their victory over the Jazz tonight.  I really like this version of the Rockets far more than that 2018 & 2019 version with their emphasis on defensive intensity and teamwork, rather than the die-by-the-three back in the James Harden era.

As a fan of Houston sport, I'm really happy that the three-ring circus is finally over with and behind us: the James Harden fiasco in the right ring, the Astros scandal in the left ring, and the Deshaun Watson drama in the center-stage ring.

The Rockets and Texans have something in common:  both teams each received loads of draft picks in return for James Harden and Deshaun Watson, respectively (and both trades occurred in only about a year apart from one another).  The draft capital seems to be paying off so far as both teams climb out of the bottom and clawing their way closer to contention.  There is still a lot of work to do for both teams, but for now look to be headed in a better direction than a few years ago.

[ET21]

The Bulls have continued their tradition of being mediocre and clinching a play in spot

[NWI_Irish96]

The Bulls have continued their tradition of being mediocre and clinching a play in spot

At this point the play-in tournament should be named for them.

[JayhawkCO]

As if I didn't need another reason to hate the Kroenke family, both the GM, Calvin Booth (yay), and the head coach, Mike Malone (WTF?!?!) were fired by the Nuggets today.

[CoreySamson]

Lots of weird firings in the NBA recently. I'm also confused by the Grizzlies firing their coach recently.

[jgb191]

I could be wrong but I really believe that Mike Malone is a great coach....perhaps one of the best coaches in the NBA currently.  Although quite a shaky season, the Nuggets have done well considering how depleted the roster is compared to their title run a couple of years ago and that can't be on the coach.  Since Nikola Jokic is my favorite NBA player right now, this is shuddering news to me.  I really hope the new GM finds a way to rebuild that roster; I'd like to see "The Joker" win another Larry O'Brien trophy....hopefully multiple titles.  I'm cheering for him.

The 2023 Nuggets remind me of the 1994 Rockets where Hakeem was the only All-Star on a championship team.  I can't think of any other team where only one All-Star carried his team all the way to the title the way Hakeem did up until Jokic did it in 2023.

[Henry]

The 2023 Nuggets remind me of the 1994 Rockets where Hakeem was the only All-Star on a championship team.  I can't think of any other team where only one All-Star carried his team all the way to the title the way Hakeem did up until Jokic did it in 2023.

Out of all the non-Bulls championships, this one stood out to me the most because of how Jokic handled that team flawlessly. Plus, the Nuggets have made a fan out of Jeff now. Maybe this is their Paul Westhead moment, with the Lakers making a similar move in '82 and riding Pat Riley to a championship that year.

[SEWIGuy]

The 2023 Nuggets remind me of the 1994 Rockets where Hakeem was the only All-Star on a championship team.  I can't think of any other team where only one All-Star carried his team all the way to the title the way Hakeem did up until Jokic did it in 2023.

Giannis absolutely carried the Bucks to the 2021 title. And I would suggest that Jamal Murray was a better #2 than Khris Middleton.

[JayhawkCO]

The 2023 Nuggets remind me of the 1994 Rockets where Hakeem was the only All-Star on a championship team.  I can't think of any other team where only one All-Star carried his team all the way to the title the way Hakeem did up until Jokic did it in 2023.

Giannis absolutely carried the Bucks to the 2021 title. And I would suggest that Jamal Murray was a better #2 than Khris Middleton.

Despite me not being a huge fan, I'd put Kawhi with the Raptors at least in the conversation.

Middleton is woefully underrated. Murray is streaky as hell.

[SEWIGuy]

The 2023 Nuggets remind me of the 1994 Rockets where Hakeem was the only All-Star on a championship team.  I can't think of any other team where only one All-Star carried his team all the way to the title the way Hakeem did up until Jokic did it in 2023.

Giannis absolutely carried the Bucks to the 2021 title. And I would suggest that Jamal Murray was a better #2 than Khris Middleton.

Despite me not being a huge fan, I'd put Kawhi with the Raptors at least in the conversation.

Middleton is woefully underrated. Murray is streaky as hell.

Middleton WAS woefully underrated. Injuries have taken their toll.

[JayhawkCO]

The 2023 Nuggets remind me of the 1994 Rockets where Hakeem was the only All-Star on a championship team.  I can't think of any other team where only one All-Star carried his team all the way to the title the way Hakeem did up until Jokic did it in 2023.

Giannis absolutely carried the Bucks to the 2021 title. And I would suggest that Jamal Murray was a better #2 than Khris Middleton.

Despite me not being a huge fan, I'd put Kawhi with the Raptors at least in the conversation.

Middleton is woefully underrated. Murray is streaky as hell.

Middleton WAS woefully underrated. Injuries have taken their toll.

Sure. His overall career is underrated is more what I meant.

[SEWIGuy]

The 2023 Nuggets remind me of the 1994 Rockets where Hakeem was the only All-Star on a championship team.  I can't think of any other team where only one All-Star carried his team all the way to the title the way Hakeem did up until Jokic did it in 2023.

Giannis absolutely carried the Bucks to the 2021 title. And I would suggest that Jamal Murray was a better #2 than Khris Middleton.

Despite me not being a huge fan, I'd put Kawhi with the Raptors at least in the conversation.

Middleton is woefully underrated. Murray is streaky as hell.

Middleton WAS woefully underrated. Injuries have taken their toll.

Sure. His overall career is underrated is more what I meant.

Oh no doubt. In Bucks history, only Kareem and Giannis are clearly better. Middleton, Moncrief and Dandridge are on that next level down.

[JayhawkCO]

The 2023 Nuggets remind me of the 1994 Rockets where Hakeem was the only All-Star on a championship team.  I can't think of any other team where only one All-Star carried his team all the way to the title the way Hakeem did up until Jokic did it in 2023.

Giannis absolutely carried the Bucks to the 2021 title. And I would suggest that Jamal Murray was a better #2 than Khris Middleton.

Despite me not being a huge fan, I'd put Kawhi with the Raptors at least in the conversation.

Middleton is woefully underrated. Murray is streaky as hell.

Middleton WAS woefully underrated. Injuries have taken their toll.

Sure. His overall career is underrated is more what I meant.

Oh no doubt. In Bucks history, only Kareem and Giannis are clearly better. Middleton, Moncrief and Dandridge are on that next level down.

No Vin Baker or Sam Cassel love?

[SEWIGuy]

The 2023 Nuggets remind me of the 1994 Rockets where Hakeem was the only All-Star on a championship team.  I can't think of any other team where only one All-Star carried his team all the way to the title the way Hakeem did up until Jokic did it in 2023.

Giannis absolutely carried the Bucks to the 2021 title. And I would suggest that Jamal Murray was a better #2 than Khris Middleton.

Despite me not being a huge fan, I'd put Kawhi with the Raptors at least in the conversation.

Middleton is woefully underrated. Murray is streaky as hell.

Middleton WAS woefully underrated. Injuries have taken their toll.

Sure. His overall career is underrated is more what I meant.

Oh no doubt. In Bucks history, only Kareem and Giannis are clearly better. Middleton, Moncrief and Dandridge are on that next level down.

No Vin Baker or Sam Cassel love?

LOL, no. I probably should have Oscar Robertson up there as well, but he was at the end of his career and didn't play long for them.

[Max Rockatansky]

I could be remembering the chronology wrong but wasn't this Rockets team where Big Shot Rob began becoming a thing?

[SEWIGuy]

I could be remembering the chronology wrong but wasn't this Rockets team where Big Shot Rob began becoming a thing?

Yes he was on the '94 team. But it was the next year that he started hitting the Big Shots.

[jgb191]

Robert Horry was on both Rockets championship teams (plus the next year in 1996 before being traded to Phoenix for Sir Charles), but I never heard the famed nickname Big Shot Rob until his Lakers three-peat run.

Going back to Mike Malone, I pose this question:  As great a coach as he is, would he have been the Nuggets' all-time winningest coach and only championship all in franchise history if he didn't have The Joker?  I would have a really difficult time listing players in NBA history I would take over The Joker; I would take him over the big men like Patrick Ewing, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, and Alonzo Mourning.  Mike Malone is a spinoff from the Gregg Popovich tree and it makes sense for the Spurs to offer him a job in San Antonio; their respective cultures look to align quite well.

Something else to wonder:  In this century several coaches were fired only a year or two after winning a Championship:  Larry Brown, Tyrone Lue, Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel, Mike Budenholzer, and now Mike Malone.  So could it be reasonable to guess that Joe Mazzulla could be fired in the next year or two?

[ET21]

The Bulls have continued their tradition of being mediocre and clinching a play in spot

At this point the play-in tournament should be named for them.

Them and the Heat