General NBA thread

[TheCatalyst31]

And we're a year after the Luka Doncic trade with both the Mavs and the Lakers tied at zero championships since the trade.

Luka is putting up 30 PPG, and the Lakers are leading their division. Meanwhile, the Mavs are 12th in the conference and Anthony Davis keeps getting hurt. That trade still looks like as much of a disaster for them as everyone said it would be at the time.

...and right on cue, the Mavericks went and traded Anthony Davis to the Wizards for some late first-round picks and okay-ish players. It's not helping their case, that's for sure.

[Henry]

For All-Star Saturday, these are the participants for the 3-Point Shootout and Slam Dunk Contest:

3-POINT SHOOTOUT
Devin Booker
Kon Knueppel
Damian Lillard
Tyrese Maxey
Donovan Mitchell
Jamal Murray
Bobby Portis, Jr.
Norman Powell

SLAM DUNK CONTEST
Carter Bryant
Jaxson Hayes
Keshad Johnson
Jase Richardson

[jgb191]

It's looking more and more like Isaiah Stewart is turning into the next Draymond Green.  He's making himself look like an easy target for provocation and thusly getting himself suspended.  His fiery antics may end up costing his team in the playoffs if he can't control himself.

https://www.nba.com/news/nba-suspensions-pistons-hornets-game-altercation

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47898723/nba-suspends-stewart-duren-bridges-diabate-monday-brawl

[elsmere241]

The Celtics and Bruins share the TD Garden (Fleet Center, Boston Garden, etc.) mostly without incident for many years. It would be big news if there were any complications.

I remember this happening once there, as well.  They played the Celtics game with a slightly wet floor.

[The Ghostbuster]

Did anyone watch the 2026 NBA All-Star Game? I did, although I skipped the All-Star events that took place on Friday and Saturday.

[Scott5114]

And we're a year after the Luka Doncic trade with both the Mavs and the Lakers tied at zero championships since the trade.

Luka is putting up 30 PPG, and the Lakers are leading their division. Meanwhile, the Mavs are 12th in the conference and Anthony Davis keeps getting hurt. That trade still looks like as much of a disaster for them as everyone said it would be at the time.

...and right on cue, the Mavericks went and traded Anthony Davis to the Wizards for some late first-round picks and okay-ish players. It's not helping their case, that's for sure.

Wow, something run by Las Vegas Sands is a disaster? Who would have thought?

[Henry]

It looks like Seattle and Las Vegas are going to be the next two expansion teams, which will force the Grizzlies, Timberwolves or Pelicans to move to the East. Out of the three, I can see Minnesota making the biggest impact on its new conference, as it can be viewed as an instant contender.

[NWI_Irish96]

It looks like Seattle and Las Vegas are going to be the next two expansion teams, which will force the Grizzlies, Timberwolves or Pelicans to move to the East. Out of the three, I can see Minnesota making the biggest impact on its new conference, as it can be viewed as an instant contender.

Even though Minnesota is the furthest west of the three, it actually makes the most sense to move to the East with Milwaukee being a natural rival. New Orleans and Memphis are closest to each other and to Houston so splitting them up makes less sense.

[jgb191]

I'd say the Mississippi River should be the dividing line between the two conferences.  Since New Orleans, Memphis, and the Twin Cities are technically located east of the Mississippi River makes perfect sense for them to transfer conferences.

[Henry]

I'd say the Mississippi River should be the dividing line between the two conferences.  Since New Orleans, Memphis, and the Twin Cities are technically located east of the Mississippi River makes perfect sense for them to transfer conferences.

I wholeheartedly agree, although geographic anomalies have been prevalent in sports. For example, Dallas is very far away from New York, Philadelphia and Washington (all NFC East cities), yet the Cowboys have a longstanding rivalry with the Giants, Eagles and Commanders; in addition, St. Louis and Phoenix were in the NFC East too (via the Cardinals) until realignment placed the team in its rightful place, the NFC West. The older version of the NFC West had Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans playing against the 49ers and Rams (although the latter team was no longer in L.A. when the Panthers played their first game--having moved to St. Louis). Then there was the AFC East and the Indianapolis Colts, who remained in that division long after moving away from Baltimore and playing in a city west of Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Cincinnati, and even the current divisional placement is off, as the Colts play in the AFC South, and yet the Bengals play in the AFC North (owing to their rivalries with the Browns and Steelers); clearly, Indy is further north than Cincy (about 50 miles south of I-70). In the NHL, the Blackhawks and Predators are located east of the Mississippi, but play in the Western Conference, which should not make sense from your standpoint, but it works, as I-65 is the dividing line between the two conferences. I also remember when the Cubs and Cardinals used to play in the NL East, while the Braves and Reds were in the NL West, with the reason being that the former two teams had a longstanding rivalry with each other, and did not want to be split up, preferring to play teams like the Mets, Phillies and Pirates, as opposed to the Dodgers, Giants and Padres. It just goes to show how weird sports can get with team placement in the major leagues.

[The Ghostbuster]

LeBron James has surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most field goals made in NBA history. I'm thrilled!

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Miami's Bam Adebayo scores 83 points against the Wizards, third-most in NBA history and surpassing Kobe Bryant's famous 81-point game against the Raptors 20 years ago.

[jgb191]

Last year it was official:  Indiana Pacers won the 2025 Eastern Conference Champions.
This year it is official:  Indiana Pacers are the first Eastern Conference team to be eliminated from the playoffs.

What a difference a year makes....from one extreme to the other.  I've heard of the classic saying "worst to first" (within conference), but "first to worst"....how often has that ever happened?

[NWI_Irish96]

Last year it was official:  Indiana Pacers won the 2025 Eastern Conference Champions.
This year it is official:  Indiana Pacers are the first Eastern Conference team to be eliminated from the playoffs.

What a difference a year makes....from one extreme to the other.  I've heard of the classic saying "worst to first" (within conference), but "first to worst"....how often has that ever happened?

Probably about as often as your all-NBA player having an injury that puts him out for the entire season.

[jgb191]

Last year it was official:  Indiana Pacers won the 2025 Eastern Conference Champions.
This year it is official:  Indiana Pacers are the first Eastern Conference team to be eliminated from the playoffs.

What a difference a year makes....from one extreme to the other.  I've heard of the classic saying "worst to first" (within conference), but "first to worst"....how often has that ever happened?

Probably about as often as your all-NBA player having an injury that puts him out for the entire season.

Tyrese Haliburton might as well have been the MVP of the league (had he been healthy) if his absence make all the difference between NBA Finalists and high-lottery-probability.  Aaron Nesmith also being injured doesn't help either.

[Ted$8roadFan]

The NBA needs its star players playing more than any other league. Indiana is a perfect example as to why.

[Henry]

Last year it was official:  Indiana Pacers won the 2025 Eastern Conference Champions.
This year it is official:  Indiana Pacers are the first Eastern Conference team to be eliminated from the playoffs.

What a difference a year makes....from one extreme to the other.  I've heard of the classic saying "worst to first" (within conference), but "first to worst"....how often has that ever happened?

I still remember the lockout-shortened 1999 season, when the Bulls were coming off their second three-peat, only to follow that up with a 13-37 record, and miss the playoffs for six straight seasons. Jordan retired (again), Pippen was traded, Rodman was released, and Phil Jackson took a one-year break from coaching...and the team was never the same again.

[jgb191]

Last year it was official:  Indiana Pacers won the 2025 Eastern Conference Champions.
This year it is official:  Indiana Pacers are the first Eastern Conference team to be eliminated from the playoffs.

What a difference a year makes....from one extreme to the other.  I've heard of the classic saying "worst to first" (within conference), but "first to worst"....how often has that ever happened?

I still remember the lockout-shortened 1999 season, when the Bulls were coming off their second three-peat, only to follow that up with a 13-37 record, and miss the playoffs for six straight seasons. Jordan retired (again), Pippen was traded, Rodman was released, and Phil Jackson took a one-year break from coaching...and the team was never the same again.

13 wins in 1999 would have translated to about 22 wins in a standard 82-game season.  Although the Bulls weren't the worst team in 1999, the ping-pong balls called their name first (selected Elton Brand) that summer.  If I remember correctly the LA Clippers were the worst team in 1999 with only eight wins or so. 

Michael Jordan didn't really retire until 2003 (two months before LeBron got drafted), he just chose to walk away from the Bulls in 1999.

[74/171FAN]

Michael Jordan didn't really retire until 2003 (two months before LeBron got drafted), he just chose to walk away from the Bulls in 1999.

How many people actually remember Jordan being on the Wizards?

[jgb191]

Michael Jordan didn't really retire until 2003 (two months before LeBron got drafted), he just chose to walk away from the Bulls in 1999.

How many people actually remember Jordan being on the Wizards?

Well you and I are two among millions that do remember him playing for the Wizards; surely many Bulls fans, practically the entire Washington metro area, and sports fan in general also remember seeing him in a Wizards uniform.

I also remember him using the 2001 #1 pick in selecting Kwame Brown.

[74/171FAN]

Yeah I should be been more specific amongst the general public that is a casual NBA fan at best.

[Life in Paradise]

The NBA needs its star players playing more than any other league. Indiana is a perfect example as to why.

Just to note, I'm a Pacer fan and closely follow their games.  Haliburton is a very big part of their success, but they had a multitude of injuries in the first half of the season, and they likely still could have made the playoffs, but it was more important to focus on development of some younger players for next season.  To see some of this all you need to do is start looking at who is on the floor most of the games in the second half and in particular the fourth quarter.

[JayhawkCO]

I'd say the Mississippi River should be the dividing line between the two conferences.  Since New Orleans, Memphis, and the Twin Cities are technically located east of the Mississippi River makes perfect sense for them to transfer conferences.

It's not important, but the Target Center is definitely west of the Mississippi.

[Max Rockatansky]

The NBA needs its star players playing more than any other league. Indiana is a perfect example as to why.

Just to note, I'm a Pacer fan and closely follow their games.  Haliburton is a very big part of their success, but they had a multitude of injuries in the first half of the season, and they likely still could have made the playoffs, but it was more important to focus on development of some younger players for next season.  To see some of this all you need to do is start looking at who is on the floor most of the games in the second half and in particular the fourth quarter.

Now you have to wonder if Haliburton will even be the same player post injury. 

[Henry]

Next week, the league will vote on the next expansion phase, and this is the most-needed one ever (not because the last one took place in 2004, but because it would mean the return of the Seattle SuperSonics and the completion of Las Vegas' pro sports set (the Golden Knights and Raiders are already there, and the A's are coming). I hope it happens, because the Kraken could use someone to share their building with, and it hasn't looked that great in years!