Too many 3's but the old days of watching Shaq/Kareem/ Wilt/Hakeem score from three feet was also boring.

Anarchistbear said:

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Too many 3's but the old days of watching Shaq/Kareem/ Wilt/Hakeem score from three feet was also boring.

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I would have to agree with this.

Probably won't ever happen, but maybe the NBA institutes a rule where only 12 three's can be attempted in a game.

Anarchistbear said:

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Too many 3's but the old days of watching Shaq/Kareem/ Wilt/Hakeem score from three feet was also boring.

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Yeah, I think people might be forgetting that in the late 90s we had the Bulls beating the Knicks 94-88.

The thing that annoys me is the drive and kick out. You beat a guy off the dribble and throw it backwards. Otherwise today's game opens the floor up better and there is a lot of chemistry- just watch OKC and Indiana play.

Anarchistbear said:

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The thing that annoys me is the drive and kick out. You beat a guy off the dribble and throw it backwards. Otherwise today's game opens the floor up better and there is a lot of chemistry- just watch OKC and Indiana play.

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Yeah, and then the guy misses the three-pointer badly but because it's a long range shot that clanks hard off the rim it's more likely to be an offensive rebound, and then another guy gets a wide-open three in the scramble. I'm like, ehh, did you really earn that?

There also might be a different argument that this more wide-open style of play is much harder on players' bodies and we're going to see more guys breaking down over the 82-game schedule, plus grueling playoff rounds. I can see that being true.

Anarchistbear said:

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Too many 3's but the old days of watching Shaq/Kareem/ Wilt/Hakeem score from three feet was also boring.

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Watching Jordan's Bulls and the championship Warriors teams were both fun.

sycasey said:

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Larry Bird learned basketball at a time when three-pointers weren't a thing. If they had been, you can bet he would have been working on them from an early age.

Though the same goes for guys like Magic and Kareem; if they'd lived in the modern era they would have tailored their games to that. I suspect both could have learned a decent three-point shot if they had to.

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Did you ever see Kareem's form on a jumper???
This one looks far better than my memory.



Meanwhile, Magic's was almost a push shot



It's funny how defense was played back then, far different!
Today, everyone can shoot so defenses have to get up on you, unless your name is Draymond Green. They dare him to shoot. Maybe the Jazz were daring Magic.

Some more fun retrospection.
Magic pushing the fast break was as fun as MJ's acrobatic drives, as a Curry Flurry.



But, I contend, he still had a poor outside J.

If, by chance, the Knicks pull this one out, the Pacers will be puking on their size 17 tennis shoes in MSG and the Knicks will be team # 14 to come back from 3-1.

Hey Spike, Ben and you, Timmy..it's all over now baby, blue

Anarchistbear said:

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Hey Spike, Ben and you, Timmy..it's all over now baby, blue

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Dead cover Dylan:

Someone who can sing

Raise

OKC in 6

Tv numbers are going to be horrific for the nba

Haven't really noticed, were the refs "favoring" the Knicks? It would be great for the NBA, sort of, to get them back in the Finals.

My kids were convinced that the fix was going to be in by the refs to send a Game 7 back to MSG because of the millions that would be generated by that game. That theory crashed and burned on the court in Indianapolis yesterday.

tequila4kapp said:

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Tv numbers are going to be horrific for the nba

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Population of Indiana: 6.7 million

Population of Oklahoma: 3.9 million

No bueno.

I was thinking that also. TV money will probably suck. Good riddance. I am more interested in Edmonton beating Floriduh.

Anarchistbear said:

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Big C said:

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Haven't really noticed, were the refs "favoring" the Knicks? It would be great for the NBA, sort of, to get them back in the Finals.

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Trump said he wanted an all "red state" final. The NBA caved quicker than an elite DC law firm

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That's okay.
Trumps days are numbered.

I was listening to a Prof G podcast with a guy who wrote a book on Apple and China, and he said that, basically, Apple's strategy is to simply wait out Trump.

One day, he will be dead!
And I will still be here!!
All will be fine. Glory glory hallelujah.

bearister said:

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My kids were convinced that the fix was going to be in by the refs to send a Game 7 back to MSG because of the millions that would be generated by that game. That theory crashed and burned on the court in Indianapolis yesterday.

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Definitely a rough series result for the NBA conspiracy theorists.

Soon, we will enter the dark period in the sports calendar.
No football, no basketball, no World Cup, no Olympics.

OKC has the largest point differential in NBA history

Holy s$it

That ending could end up being the equivalent of the Kirk Gibson HR vs the A's in the '88 WS. OKC just pulled defeat out of the jaws of victory.

BIG WOW!!

24 turnovers by Indy, 6 by OKC.,and they win

Regarding NBA MVP voting….

Jokic has entered the status of LeBron James, who could have been awarded MVP far more than his 4 times.

The last 5 years, Jokic has finished
1st
1st
2nd (Embiid)
1st
2nd (SGA)

This year, Jokic upped his:
minutes by 3 (career high 36.7),
scoring by 3 (career high 29.6, ranked 3rd),
assists by 1 (career high 10.2, ranked #2),
…rebounds were 12.7 (his 2nd most ever, ranked 3rd)
3FG% was 41.7%
FT% was 80.0%

He played 70 games, scored 2071 points.
So, he was 29 points (15 buckets) short of a 30 point triple double. Only 2 other players have had a triple double season average:
Oscar in 61/62 (Points: 30.8, Rebounds: 12.5,Assists: 11.4)
Westbrook in 16/17 (Points: 31.6, Rebounds: 10.7, Assists: 10.4). Westbrook also in 17/18 (25.4 ppg), 18/19 (22.9), and 20/21 (22.2)

In other words, it could be argued to be the 3rd greatest season ever.

Yet, there was an early and repeated narrative that SGA was the front runner. Say what? Why?

Reason #1:
Jokic is not a marketing machine. He flies back to Serbia as soon as the season ends.

Reason #2:

New stars. SGA is new blood, good for marketing. And willing to be marketed, unlike Jokic.

Reason #3:
Historical comparisons. A 4th would put him even with LeBron. Can't do that, according to some, just as they couldn't put LeBron on 5, even with MJ.

Reason #4
OKC had the best record in the league.


SGA's resume:
(76 Games)
Points: 32.7 (1st in NBA)
Rebounds: 5.0
Assists: 6.4
Steals: 1.7
Blocks: 1.0
Field Goal %: 51.9%
Three-Point %: 37.5%
Free Throw %: 89.8%
Minutes per Game: 34.2


It's debatable.
Anyone wanna debate it?

I just couldn't understand how Jokic put up best ever stats and doesn't get it.

LeBron has received MVP votes in 20 seasons, as follows:
Season
Team
MVP Finish

200304
Cleveland Cavaliers
9th

200405
Cleveland Cavaliers
6th

200506
Cleveland Cavaliers
2nd

200607
Cleveland Cavaliers
5th

200708
Cleveland Cavaliers
4th

200809
Cleveland Cavaliers
1st

200910
Cleveland Cavaliers
1st

201011
Miami Heat
3rd

201112
Miami Heat
1st

201213
Miami Heat
1st

201314
Miami Heat
2nd

201415
Cleveland Cavaliers
3rd

201516
Cleveland Cavaliers
3rd

201617
Cleveland Cavaliers
4th

201718
Cleveland Cavaliers
2nd

201819
Los Angeles Lakers
11th

201920
Los Angeles Lakers
2nd

202021
Los Angeles Lakers
13th

202122
Los Angeles Lakers
10th

202425
Los Angeles Lakers
6th

Kareem won 6 MVP's, and votes in 17 seasons.

Others:
Tim Duncan: 2MVP and votes in 16 seasons
Karl Malone: 2MVP and votes in 15 seasons
Shaquille O'Neal: 1MVP and votes in 14 seasons
Kobe Bryant: 1MVP and votes in 14 seasons
Jordan: 5 and votes in 13 seasons

Russell won 5,
Wilt won 4,
Bird, Magic, Moses 3

Player, Seasons with MVP Votes
Bill Russell 11
Wilt Chamberlain 10
Larry Bird 12
Magic Johnson 11
Moses Malone 13

SGA was leading scorer and best player on the team with the league's best record. It definitely isn't always perfectly fair.

Unlike the Knicks, not sure I can blame bad defense for allowing the Pacers to come back. OKC was pretty aggressive about defending the threes; Indiana just kept making them.