NBA Regular Season & Playoffs 2017-18

ButtersSuki

Carcharodon wrote: »

Not sure if anyone has posted about Adam silvers comments about changing playoff format?

I think his idea was basically same amount of teams come out of each conference but the seeding will be 1-16 with least and west east combined so top two teams in west could potentially meet in finals.
On the face of it, I think it’s a great idea, it just makes sense to me, reward the best regular season teams and give the best teams the opportunity to meet in finals.
I am sure there would be backlash in regards to the historical aspect of it and but to hell with that, people need to stop trying to hold on to the nostalgia of the past.
I know these ideas have been thrown out before, a lot more drastic ones but I think this is a good starting point and compromise, a solid argument could be made for having the best 16 teams go to playoffs but the eastern teams would never go for that.
I think Silver has done well as commissioner and he probably feels the time to make these changes is soon.

stuchyg wrote: »

He must have been listening to the bs podcast lately.
A quick look at the conference standings has the clippers sitting at the 8 seed in the West. Id take 5 of the east over them and maybe the top 4 over the blazers. After that though you are realistically looking at maybe the top 4 eastern teams making the playoffs with perhaps 1 more sneaking in on any given year, not a chance the owners of the eastern conference teams will vote in favour of changing the playoffs format. Too much money at stake.

Carcharodon wrote: »

Well, his idea is to have to same amount of teams come out of each conference but the seedlings will be different. I can’t see too many arguments to that, maybe playoffs will be longer due to extra travel time ?

stuchyg wrote: »

Possibly, however I would imagine all teams have a private jet at this point so you would imagine they can manage an extra few hours here and there plus there are extra days off in the playoffs

2smiggy wrote: »

probably a good idea. sur swings and roundabouts , the western teams won't always be the strongest.

Meant to post on these last week but forgot. When you look at the geography of thee NBA as it stands today, it's daft:


The East/West split is nowhere near 50/50 with the West in particular is f'ed up geographically (there's reasons for this of course but when you look at the map it's bonkers).

I totally agree the Play Offs should be seeded 1-16 League-wide and not by Conf.; but I don't like this Play-In Tournament stuff.

The Lottery is screwed and I don't think they've done anywhere enough to fix that for next year (I know we went back and forth on this earlier this year so i won't rehash that). I posted a few weeks back on the bunching in the bottom of both conferences and the tanking that would likely ensue and here we are deep in it. There'll be some truly awful games between now and the end of the season as the last great race to the bottom is well and truly underway.

Osmosis Jones

Whenever the next expansion happens they should really add 2 teams to the West (Seattle and Vegas maybe) and move New Orleans into the East.

ButtersSuki

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

Whenever the next expansion happens they should really add 2 teams to the West (Seattle and Vegas maybe) and move New Orleans into the East.

I think Seattle is a lock, but they (the League) have issues with Vegas’s image and the gambling....I don’t think it’s a runner.

stuchyg

ButtersSuki wrote: »

I think Seattle is a lock, but they (the League) have issues with Vegas’s image and the gambling....I don’t think it’s a runner.

The NBA have been at the forefront of legalization of gambling on sports in the US, can't imagine Vegas being an issue for that reason

Osmosis Jones

Austin is another candidate, biggest city in the country without a professional sports team. Though 4 Texas teams may be overkill.

ButtersSuki

stuchyg wrote: »

The NBA have been at the forefront of legalization of gambling on sports in the US, can't imagine Vegas being an issue for that reason

Yeah but there’s a big difference between legalizing gambling and having a team there. There was an si.com article (from memory) on this exact thing within the last 12months, can’t link right now as on mobile but a quick google should find it.

stuchyg

I read another piece by a journalist at SI, might be the same lad. Another stumbling block is that the league wants 1% of all bets placed to be paid back as revenue, what a deal if they manage it

Meatyfubu

stuchyg wrote: »

I read another piece by a journalist at SI, might be the same lad. Another stumbling block is that the league wants 1% of all bets placed to be paid back as revenue, what a deal if they manage it

The players association are supposedly really pushing for it because it will drive the salary cap up

stuchyg

Meatyfubu wrote: »

The players association are supposedly really pushing for it because it will drive the salary cap up

Can you imagine what even 1 percent would be worth. Big game tonight with the Celtics @ Rockets. Nice time too

stuchyg

stuchyg wrote: »

Can you imagine what even 1 percent would be worth. Big game tonight with the Celtics @ Rockets. Nice time too

Just realised my sky TV guide has screwed me over and this isn't live, pile of balls.

Itssoeasy

Celtics lose to the rockets by three with a chance to tie it up on the last shot. Hit the front of the rim. A few things if they'd gone right for the Celtics. They were ahead most of the game but as I said the Celtics made a few errors.

The lakers came from behind to beat the spurs and the lakers are on a 5 game win streak.

K.O.Kiki

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Meant to post on these last week but forgot. When you look at the geography of thee NBA as it stands today, it's daft:


The East/West split is nowhere near 50/50 with the West in particular is f'ed up geographically (there's reasons for this of course but when you look at the map it's bonkers).

I totally agree the Play Offs should be seeded 1-16 League-wide and not by Conf.; but I don't like this Play-In Tournament stuff.

The Lottery is screwed and I don't think they've done anywhere enough to fix that for next year (I know we went back and forth on this earlier this year so i won't rehash that). I posted a few weeks back on the bunching in the bottom of both conferences and the tanking that would likely ensue and here we are deep in it. There'll be some truly awful games between now and the end of the season as the last great race to the bottom is well and truly underway.

Part of this is that the map of the USA is highly distorted.

ButtersSuki

Itssoeasy wrote: »

Celtics lose to the rockets by three with a chance to tie it up on the last shot. Hit the front of the rim. A few things if they'd gone right for the Celtics. They were ahead most of the game but as I said the Celtics made a few errors.

The lakers came from behind to beat the spurs and the lakers are on a 5 game win streak.

Celtics have played really well against GS and Houston this year in fairness; what's hurting them is losing to teams they should beat. What surprised me most on last night was they hang with them in the 120s with Houston when up to now the prevailing logic on Celtics beating those teams was to hold them under 100. Plus, you can't expect Morris and Monroe to go off like they did every night. They're still a year or two away from really challenging but the signs are good.

ButtersSuki

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

Part of this is that the map of the USA is highly distorted.

How so? Do you mean the locations of the states/cities/scale etc? Genuinely curious.

Itssoeasy

ButtersSuki wrote: »

How so? Do you mean the locations of the states/cities/scale etc? Genuinely curious.

I wouldn't say the map itself is the problem. It's old rivalries that continue even if teams move they still stay in the same division. It's the same in the NFL. The Dallas cowboys are in the NFC east but are nowhere near the eastern seaboard or the USA. The St. Louis Rams were still in the NFC west even after they left LA.

I mean the bulls used to be in the western conference and the thunder were the supersonics but only have a historical connection to that division not a georgraphical link.

It happened in the Irish game when they split it into the north and south. I don't know if that's still there as with Neptune not in the top division I don't pay attention.

Osmosis Jones

Blazers now up to the 3rd seed after a 6 win streak including wins against the Jazz, Warriors, Timberwolves, and OKC. 3-10 in the West is ridiculously tight.

Itssoeasy

The early game for us tonight is at 8:30pm and it's the Phoenix suns vs the hawks. It won't be a classic of a game but it's basketball.

Itssoeasy

15-11 Atlanta first quarter.

ButtersSuki

Itssoeasy wrote: »

15-11 Atlanta first quarter.

I'd watch any basketball, but even I'd struggle to watch that (based solely on the scoreline).

Hang on - I thought you meant that was the score at the end of the 1st Quarter, I just checked it to see it wasn't. I was going to start checking record books for lowest scores ever......:rolleyes:

ButtersSuki

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

Blazers now up to the 3rd seed after a 6 win streak including wins against the Jazz, Warriors, Timberwolves, and OKC. 3-10 in the West is ridiculously tight.

Don't want to go all nerdy on y'all but the tiebreakers are very interesting. As it stands, Blazers have none of the 7 possible teams they'd tie with (seriously)......so they need to win as many games as they can.

The teams with the two toughest end of season schedules v opponents win %:
1. San An (currently 6th, 36-27 and last 10 they're 2-8)
2. OKC (currently 7th, 37-28 and last 10 6-4)

Throw in so many West Teams tanking and it will be a very interesting end of season.

Meatyfubu

Meatyfubu wrote: »

Suns imo got a great deal on Payton, I'm still a fan, 23 continually improving, over 35% from range though FT % is still low. I think he fits well with Booker and a 2nd round pick for him was fine provided you don't overpay him.

It's still very early days and lots of games are of poor quality but I really think the Suns may have got the single best return on any asset in the trade deadline.

Payton 17-7.5-7.8 since he went to the Suns. I've always liked him and the Magic seems to be going nowhere in general so perhaps a change of scenery is all he needed.

Obviously someone may overvalue a small sample but I think in the right team he's a starting calibre PG. Once he's not asked to carry a big offensive load and continues to improve his shooting the Suns stole him for a 2nd round pick. I'd be interested to see a starting team of Payton, Booker, Jackson, Bender and whoever they get in this draft. Chriss seems pretty poor for now

Itssoeasy

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Itssoeasy wrote: »

15-11 Atlanta first quarter.

I'd watch any basketball, but even I'd struggle to watch that (based solely on the scoreline).

Hang on - I thought you meant that was the score at the end of the 1st Quarter, I just checked it to see it wasn't. I was going to start checking record books for lowest scores ever......:rolleyes:

If it was an end of quarter score I'd have said "after 1 etc" I didn't so surely it should be taken as an in game score which isn't a end of quarter or end of half score.

ButtersSuki

Itssoeasy wrote: »

If it was an end of quarter score I'd have said "after 1 etc" I didn't so surely it should be taken as an in game score which isn't a end of quarter or end of half score.

Ok....but pretty weird/meaningless thing to post considering it’s midway though the 1st quarter with no additional info./insight etc. included don’t you think? I mean you didn’t say 15-11 midway though the 1st Q either? So I had no context.

Or maybe it’s just me?

Carcharodon

62-64 Lakers 3rd quarter

Carcharodon

62-68 Lakers still the 3rd.....

Yes, Iam this immature

Osmosis Jones

Carcharodon wrote: »

62-68 Lakers still the 3rd.....

Yes, Iam this immature

v3ttel

Damian Lillard....wow, just wow. Just dropping three after three with insane range to totally take over the game in the 4th quarter when the Blazers were 11 points down. 39 points total, 19 in the 4th with the game on the line. 15 wins in a row now against the Lakers which is a mad stat.

K.O.Kiki

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/kevin-love-everyone-is-going-through-something/

Amazing article by Kevin Love.

Meatyfubu

LBJ with another unbelievable game. The roster change has really invigorated him. Overall it looks like a win-win as the Lakers and IT have been playing really well.

The Lakers won't make the playoffs obviously but if you offered me the position they're in after shedding some contracts and the young players they have I would certainly have taken it.

East looks set except for a bit of flipping between 6th-4th. The West is still up in the air. I'd like to see Utah make it as a testament to Snyder.
Obviously happy from the Lakers perspective to see OKC struggle. Davis looks like he's found a new gear for the Pelicans and may solidify Cousins departure.

Itssoeasy

I happened to catch some of the magic vs lakers game this morning live. That ending was very strange. I know the chances of the magic getting a basket and scoring with 0.06 on the clock was low. But still you take a punt sure. The ball is In bounded and before it gets to any player the backboard goes red and the horn sounds. Cue confusion on the floor. They show a reply and it shows the game clock running and going to 0:00.

My question is I always assumed the clock either game or shot clock only started once the ball had been touched in the court. They go the replay centre in New York and they decide it's a jump ball at centre court. Basically game over for the magic.