AROUND the NBA:

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I'm sure Minnesota fans are cautiously excited right about now. Lakers fans, too, maybe. Other than those two teams, I'm not sure anyone has enough to challenge OKC or SA, even in those teams' worst case scenarios.

I don't know where they end up, but Minnesota is sure fun to watch. LaMelo has brought excitement and enthusiasm to that team. He's a bad shot-taker and maker who gets his teammates involved.

[omahen]

I'm sure Minnesota fans are cautiously excited right about now. Lakers fans, too, maybe. Other than those two teams, I'm not sure anyone has enough to challenge OKC or SA, even in those teams' worst case scenarios.

Houston? They look good with a real PG

[KillerLeft]

Houston? They look good with a real PG

For now...I have grown wary of anything Kevin Durant touches, personally. But, your insertion of them is fair for sure.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Shams Charania: Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs has been diagnosed with a mild bone bruise in his right knee and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, sources tell ESPN. Suggs avoided any other major structural damage.

x.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

ESPN PR: Last week's @ESPNNBA Opening Week delivered its largest audience since 2014! 2.3M avg. viewers, up 6% YoY. @cavs - @sixers had the largest Opening Thursday audience since 2018 (2.5M viewers)

x.com

[Chicagojk]

Wow

BREAKING: Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams has a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula; Cason Wallace has a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Both will undergo surgery and be sidelined for several months -- most, if not the entire season.

[Knutsen]

Wow

BREAKING: Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams has a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula; Cason Wallace has a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Both will undergo surgery and be sidelined for several months -- most, if not the entire season.

This is crazy. 

At least Wallace got his extension done a couple of days ago so they couldn’t lowball him.

[ThisIStheYear]

Wallace and Williams out for the season. Spurs are suffering a post finals loss hangover. The Wolves, Lakers, and Rockets are sharpening their knives. Anything can happen.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Wow, that is crazy bad luck for OKC.  I didn't even know Wallace got hurt also.

[windjc]

Wallace and Williams out for the season. Spurs are suffering a post finals loss hangover. The Wolves, Lakers, and Rockets are sharpening their knives. Anything can happen.

Would not be amazed if Mavs were contenders this year.

[Moviemavguy]

That Wallace contract was bad even before the injury. Brutal.

[DallasMaverick]

This is crazy. 

At least Wallace got his extension done a couple of days ago so they couldn’t lowball him.

I guess that’s one way to look at it.

The other way is: It really sucks for OKC that they paid a bunch of money for zero production.

[windjc]

I guess that’s one way to look at it.

The other way is: It really sucks for OKC that they paid a bunch of money for zero production.

I sucks for us that Cuban hired Nico. What’s your point?

[DallasMaverick]

I sucks for us that Cuban hired Nico. What’s your point?

Wallace’s contract is great for him, but bad for the team.

[Knutsen]

I guess that’s one way to look at it.

The other way is: It really sucks for OKC that they paid a bunch of money for zero production.

Definitely - but I personally like it very much. For Wallace getting paid - but especially for Presti getting some real challenges. 

He was toying with the rest of the league outsmarting everyone for years, so it’s perfectly fine for me that he’ll have his hands full now.

[Winter]

I'm not sure I understand Memphis. Clayton would seem to be a good fit over there, and they were wanting a first-round pick for him earlier in the summer. How do they just waive him?

They have a great roster, but I also noticed OMax was a DNP-Coach's decision. Eleven of their players had double-digit minutes and he didn't play. They would rather keep Omax even though they are stacked at that position. And they give up Clayton even though they are relatively thin at the PG position. I wonder why?

[Chicagojk]

I'm not sure I understand Memphis. Clayton would seem to be a good fit over there, and they were wanting a first-round pick for him earlier in the summer. How do they just waive him?

They have a great roster, but I also noticed OMax was a DNP-Coach's decision. Eleven of their players had double-digit minutes and he didn't play. They would rather keep Omax even though they are stacked at that position. And they give up Clayton even though they are relatively thin at the PG position. I wonder why?

Memphis is pretty good with talent evaluation.  They typically test out a lot of players.  I saw something, maybe here, that they really like their two way point guard.    One of the troubles of having a roster full of solid NBA players is that someone may be left out.     I also heard Clayton wasn't very good in camp.    


Memphis off to a good start.    On the flip side PHX and Utah look a little dicey.  Utah has a lot of talent and will probably figure things out.  Although, they have a roster full of guys who have been told not to win for a few years.    PHX looks like a regression team to me.    Most people had PHX and Utah in a different tier than Memphis and Dallas.  They may be much closer to each other than most thought.  We will see.

[cow]

Small sample sizes, but I do love the confidence WCj plays with. His presence might be like giving water to someone stranded in the desert, so I'm trying to temper my expectations.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Mark Cuban, who sold the Mavericks at a $3.5 billion valuation, has maintained that he had a handshake agreement to remain in charge of the Mavericks’ basketball decisions after the sale. That didn’t happen. Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont instead leaned on general manager and president of basketball operations Nico Harrison to run the Mavericks’ front office until he fired Harrison nearly a year ago. In May, Dumont hired Masai Ujiri as Dallas’ chief basketball decision-maker. Cuban has said he regrets selling control of the Mavericks to the Adelson and Dumont families, but he still regularly attends home games. He sat in his usual spot along the baseline for Saturday’s home opener.

New York Times

[cow]

Mark Cuban, who sold the Mavericks at a $3.5 billion valuation, has maintained that he had a handshake agreement to remain in charge of the Mavericks’ basketball decisions after the sale. That didn’t happen. Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont instead leaned on general manager and president of basketball operations Nico Harrison to run the Mavericks’ front office until he fired Harrison nearly a year ago. In May, Dumont hired Masai Ujiri as Dallas’ chief basketball decision-maker. Cuban has said he regrets selling control of the Mavericks to the Adelson and Dumont families, but he still regularly attends home games. He sat in his usual spot along the baseline for Saturday’s home opener.

New York Times

It will never happen for a lot of reasons, but secretly hope the Adelson's and Dumont revoke Cuban's courtside seats.