I'm trying hard to stay positive, but I have to say I find this Luka injury pretty depressing. Talk about the worst case scenario.
I have zero doubts about who was going to win this series before this injury stuff. Maybe it ends up not being so bad, but I'm sorry, it just sucks.
(04-11-2022, 04:11 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]I'm trying hard to stay positive, but I have to say I find this Luka injury pretty depressing. Talk about the worst case scenario.
I have zero doubts about who was going to win this series before this injury stuff. Maybe it ends up not being so bad, but I'm sorry, it just sucks.
When will we know? When is the MRI?
Very much so. Me too. I do believe in the wounded tiger theory and I believe in this team but I can’t get the Kevin Durant thing out of my mind. Our training staff will be forced to be very conservative as they always are and should be. But it is very depressing. We lost some years to Dirk injury too. Our best hope is that the MRI shows very minor damage.
No need to panic yet...as of now, it is still a calf strain and even if it's the worst case, yeah the timing is bad but not potentially career-altering. My biggest fear is that it may be possible for him to return, maybe after missing 1-2 games and then he ends up getting a worse injury like KD's achilles. And then that could be career-changing and the nightmare scenario.
Just knowing how Luka plays, he is always going to push it and take a lot of contact. If he drives inside, gets bumped, takes a bad step or two and then it could cause a major injury.
So now I'm hoping it is either very mild and will heal in a week's time or it is grade 3/whatever they are calling it and we can rule him out for the playoffs immediately. Anything in-between and it gets very risky
(04-11-2022, 04:02 PM)vfromlmf Wrote: [ -> ]So Luka gets a mysterious non contact injury in the last game of the year, 2 minutes before he was scheduled to sit out the rest of the night. Now the headlines read: "Mavs vs Jazz Game 1: Will Luka Play?"
Hmm.... sounds a little fishy, especially given what we know about Kidd's mind games. My conspiracy theory is there is no injury. Kidd is F'ing with Utah and Luka will be a "game time decision"
From The Ringer in their article last year "The Fire that Fueled Giannis":
Kidd was known for playing mind games.
His coaching style with the Nets, and then with the Bucks, was described as “psychological warfare” by one former player.
“Jedi mind tricks,” Oppenheimer says
“Mind fucks,” says one former teammate, a bit more bluntly.
What in the world would the advantage be by having Luka be a game time decision? The game plan to shut Luka down would be effective against any other of our guards since they'd be trying to replicate his performance through the system in the playoffs. Jazz are going to prepare as if Luka is there because there is no disadvantage in doing it.
If this is a Kidd mind game then he has a single digit IQ.
(04-11-2022, 05:35 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: [ -> ]What in the world would the advantage be by having Luka be a game time decision? The game plan to shut Luka down would be effective against any other of our guards since they'd be trying to replicate his performance through the system in the playoffs. Jazz are going to prepare as if Luka is there because there is no disadvantage in doing it.
If this is a Kidd mind game then he has a single digit IQ.
Not to mention that Vegas and sports gambling exists.
(04-11-2022, 05:35 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: [ -> ]What in the world would the advantage be by having Luka be a game time decision? The game plan to shut Luka down would be effective against any other of our guards since they'd be trying to replicate his performance through the system in the playoffs. Jazz are going to prepare as if Luka is there because there is no disadvantage in doing it.
If this is a Kidd mind game then he has a single digit IQ.
There is a significant advantage
The Jazz now have to prepare for Luka AND a game that would feature different starters and a much different rotation pattern. Those 36-40 minutes that Luka would normally get have to go to other players. And the Mavs would have different priorities about who is getting shots and when.
Even if the Jazz only waste a couple of hours on it, it is an advantage
https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1513667646524465154
(04-11-2022, 08:04 PM)MFFL Wrote: [ -> ]There is a significant advantage
The Jazz now have to prepare for Luka AND a game that would feature different starters and a much different rotation pattern. Those 36-40 minutes that Luka would normally get have to go to other players. And the Mavs would have different priorities about who is getting shots and when.
Even if the Jazz only waste a couple of hours on it, it is an advantage
Hey I'll never say never but if Kidd thinks that kind of game planning really has any sort of tangible advantage I just disagree. Especially if it means we're not playing with our superstar.
Still hoping for Luka to be ok.
Vegas lines are moving in Utah’s direction, and those folks don’t miss much. Could be a very anticlimactic end to the season. Next year should be about Luka getting serious, getting his body in top shape, and not overplaying. Luka is carrying too much weight for the NBA rigors.
(04-11-2022, 04:02 PM)vfromlmf Wrote: [ -> ]So Luka gets a mysterious non contact injury in the last game of the year, 2 minutes before he was scheduled to sit out the rest of the night. Now the headlines read: "Mavs vs Jazz Game 1: Will Luka Play?"
Hmm.... sounds a little fishy, especially given what we know about Kidd's mind games. My conspiracy theory is there is no injury. Kidd is F'ing with Utah and Luka will be a "game time decision"
From The Ringer in their article last year "The Fire that Fueled Giannis":
Kidd was known for playing mind games.
His coaching style with the Nets, and then with the Bucks, was described as “psychological warfare” by one former player.
“Jedi mind tricks,” Oppenheimer says
“Mind fucks,” says one former teammate, a bit more bluntly.
When you watch the video of Luka's ostensible injury (and its aftermath), does it appear to you that Luka is part of an elaborate conspiracy to scam the entire NBA-watching universe?
Do you really believe Luka is part of a conspiracy to fake an injury? Yes or no?
(04-11-2022, 08:04 PM)MFFL Wrote: [ -> ]There is a significant advantage
The Jazz now have to prepare for Luka AND a game that would feature different starters and a much different rotation pattern. Those 36-40 minutes that Luka would normally get have to go to other players. And the Mavs would have different priorities about who is getting shots and when.
Even if the Jazz only waste a couple of hours on it, it is an advantage
Here is how the Jazz spend their time preparing for this series without Luka.
![[Image: amazonas-ultra-light-travel-set-jungle-0...845362.jpg]](https://images.bike24.net/i/mb/1d/5b/c0/amazonas-ultra-light-travel-set-jungle-021796-4-845362.jpg)
or whatever it is they do in Utah.
(04-11-2022, 11:29 PM)ThisIStheYear Wrote: [ -> ]Vegas lines are moving in Utah’s direction, and those folks don’t miss much. Could be a very anticlimactic end to the season. Next year should be about Luka getting serious, getting his body in top shape, and not overplaying. Luka is carrying too much weight for the NBA rigors.
Just a bit annoying that both of Luka's injuries this year happened in a moment where we were all wondering "So why is Luka still in the game?"
Bad timing sure but something to think about more next year
![[Image: 2022-04-12_143514_1.jpg]](https://www.linkpicture.com/q/2022-04-12_143514_1.jpg)