The Official NBA Season Thread: I’m like Jayson Tatum in the Olympics I'm not playing

[storm2006]

if the Lakers made it with all the **** they went through there is no excuses for the Pelicans to not have made it.
Had 2 more chances this week and blew em against Wolves and OKC. That roster is underachieving

Well first off, LeBron (55) and AD (56) both played more games than either BI or Zion and played exactly 3X as many games together (36 vs. 12).

Furthermore, you are looking at two weeks and honing in on two games while I am looking at the season as a whole which was a major disaster so I think we are fundamentally viewing the situation in different ways. In my opinion, it is really incomparable to any other situation I can think of around the league. They pretty much landed where they should have based on the health of their two all-stars.

Kings wouldn’t be 3rd if Fox played 45 games and Sabonis played 29. Same with LeBron and AD, respectively, as it applies to the 7th seed. I could go on with teams and their two all-stars.

For some reason a weird standard is being applied here to a team led by CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Jonas Valancniuas, a ~1/2 time BI and a ~1/3 time Zion.

 

[freeze]

Beard won player sneakers this year. These fiya.

 

[dman14]

How long til cj joins espn playoff coverage? Isnt he signed already

 

[nelson999]

Kings wouldn’t be 3rd if Fox played 45 games and Sabonis played 29

Absolutely. But this is also talking about a team with a 32.5 win over/under going into the season not a team that was projected to be toward the top of the West so a bit different.
Regardless of how injured they were earlier in the season I'm just looking at the fact they were right there in the Playoff mix with a shot at a top 5 seed down the stretch of the season and failed, with a full strength roster minus Zion who theyve never really had consistently to begin with

 

[storm2006]

Absolutely. But this is also talking about a team with a 32.5 win over/under going into the season not a team that was projected to be toward the top of the West so a bit different.
Regardless of how injured they were earlier in the season I'm just looking at the fact they were right there in the Playoff mix with a shot at a top 5 seed down the stretch of the season and failed, with a full strength roster minus Zion who theyve never really had consistently to begin with

I mean sure, mathematically they had shot but after the calendar turned to February they were never higher than 7th which was only for only a handful of days with the most recent being April 1st. As you alluded to, they went 2-2 (18 point L vs SAC and 5 L @ MIN) which is how they ended up in the 9-seed.

But that shouldn’t really surprise anyone. Last season when Zion missed the entire year, BI played 55 games and they acquired CJ at the deadline (played 26 games) they had a 36-46 record. They were 29-26 when Ingram played.

Fast forward to this season - through the first 37 games their most important player, Zion, plays 29 (BI played 12 with him and 15 total) and they are 23-14 (3rd place - 1GB from first).

Zion goes down and they go 3-8 without both of them and fall to to 26-22 (4th place - 8GB from 1st place). Lose their next 5 with BI back and go to 26-27 (11th place).

Finish out the season 16-13 after that to end up 42-30 in the 9-seed.

All of that is to say it is beyond evident that this a ~.500 team when led by just BI with two seasons of evidence to prove it. Yes, they had a chance to finish higher in the last week and a half but every game is a tossup when you are a .500 ball club and funnily enough they went 2-2 down the stretch

Whether we like it or not that has to be the expectation unless Zion is healthy and back to form or they trade him for a piece/pieces that can add value and stay on the court throughout the season.

One of them needs moar help because they
10-7 with just Zion, 16-17 when just BI plays, 7-5 when both play and 9-11 when neither plays.

I think you see where this is going but best case scenario they were trending towards being a 48ish win team this season and they had the worst case which left them 6-wins shy. All things considered, they ended up where they should have.

 

[niketock88]

I can’t lie, Doris is unbearable.

“Paskwohl siahhkim”

 

[kdawg]

Another unusual anomaly from this year’s standings.

The y means that a team has clinched the division - so Miami have a y but aren’t in the playoffs unless they win the next game.

Don’t know if I’ve ever seen that before. It didn’t used to be able to happen because the division winners got seeded 123 but it’s been strictly on record for a while.

 

[had pants]

 

[allergic2broke]

If you win your division you should be in top 6. Otherwise just get rid of divisions.

Zion gonna be asking out of NO soon.

 

[king j]

If you win your division you should be in top 6. Otherwise just get rid of divisions.

Zion gonna be asking out of NO soon.

What is he asking out for?Pels have accommodated and protected him at every step.What he’s dealing w/is a Zion problem not an organization problem.

 

[rolaholic]

Beard won player sneakers this year. These fiya.

Definitely my favorite sig from this season, they've also looked pretty popular around the league

 

[pums]

Shoes with no swoosh or 3 stripes prominently placed on the shoe are my faves

 

[had pants]

 

[WASHED KING]

Hardens are a solid number #2 behind the Bron 20’s

 

[B Sox]

If you win your division you should be in top 6. Otherwise just get rid of divisions.

Zion gonna be asking out of NO soon.

So the Hawks deserve a higher seed because they had a .500 overall record playing in the worst division in basketball?

 

[allergic2broke]

So the Hawks deserve a higher seed because they had a .500 overall record playing in the worst division in basketball?

To me Winning a division should keep you out of the play in. Like i said not sure what the point of divisions is now.

 

[rolaholic]

Didn't see this last night



Hmm

 

[dacomeup]

No way tomorrow tops this tomfoolery

Nice reverse jinx here

Zion the next star to ask out after signing a bag

Ask out for what exactly?

 

[pmatic]

Seven years ago today.

 

[allergic2broke]

Nice reverse jinx here

Ask out for what exactly?

Go to a bigger market ? Let's not act like it's a foreign concept?

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

This got me lol

“Williamson, who missed his 46th straight game as he continues his recovery from a Jan. 2 right hamstring injury, took part in warmups and finished up with a windmill dunk.”

 

[ballinsam23]

Had high expectations for the Pelicans coming into the season. Team will continue going nowhere if Zion can’t give you 65 games a year minimum.

 

[rolaholic]

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

Lake Oswego stand up

Kevin saved a big part of the NBA and its history

 

[B Sox]

To me Winning a division should keep you out of the play in. Like i said not sure what the point of divisions is now.

I guess I just don’t really love rewarding mediocrity. Should just get rid of the divisions then.