AROUND the NBA:

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6947629...cavaliers/


Pacers set a franchise record with their 13th straight loss.
Still leaving RC one win shy of 1,000 wins

[Chicagojk]

OKC almost lost to Utah in OKC.  OKC got a last second bucket to bring it to overtime where they won.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Detroit's still rolling. Beat the Bulls 108-93 behind Isaiah Stewart's career high 31 pts. Cade missed this one with a sprained wrist. Duren and Harris were also still out with ankle injuries.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4755...-christmas


NBA viewership is up across all platforms.

[Chicagojk]

Memphis beating OKC by 20 in the third quarter. OKC going thru some major lulls in the season after that scorching hot start.

Edit… looks like Shai and Chet are not playing.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Memphis beating OKC by 20 in the third quarter.  OKC going thru some major lulls in the season after that scorching hot start.

Edit… looks like Shai and Chet are not playing.

Thunder rallied to win 117-116 on a Kenrich Williams 3 pointer.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4756...oring-list


KD passes the Big Dipper for 7th on the all-time scoring list. He's 138 pts away from passing the great Dirk Nowitzki for 6th place.

[cow]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4756...oring-list


KD passes the Big Dipper for 7th on the all-time scoring list. He's 138 pts away from passing the great Dirk Nowitzki for 6th place.

I'm sure Dirk will be happy for KD.  They've always seemed to have a strong mutual respect for one another even with the battle scars.

[Chicagojk]

Well Utah is pissed that they beat Dallas. Currently down 66-26 to Charlotte with 4 minutes left in second quarter.

Clippers another win too.

[Mavs2021]

Well Utah is pissed that they beat Dallas.  Currently down 66-26 to Charlotte with 4 minutes left in second quarter.

Clippers another win too.

These Utah and Washington top 8 protections are a disaster for the Mavs. No chance they will finish above the Mavs, cause that means legit concerns to drop to 9th. There is no excuse for the Mavs to finish above the Grizzlies, Clippers or Hornets either. Realistically the Mavs should finish with the 7th placed odds, maybe 6th, if the Pelicans could get their crap together for a month during Tank season.

[F Gump]

Well Utah is pissed that they beat Dallas.  Currently down 66-26 to Charlotte with 4 minutes left in second quarter.

Clippers another win too.

UT is in serious tank mode. CHAR is 6 and they are 7 right now, pct points ahead of DAL who is 8, and the Jazz keep their pick if it's top 8 -- and don't give back anything later, if that happens. They have to shoot for something like lottery seed 5-6 to be sure. Same is true of WAS except the Wizards have kept the tank going pretty much all season and are in good shape. 

UT and DAL play twice in the next week. The Mavs next game vs BKN (currently 5th) is a "big game" too for tank purposes. This week can be a big swing for tank purposes. We might see some really ugly lineups and bad ball.

Mavs need a 10-game losing streak, in honor of AD's efforts to get them a good pick.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Schroeder suspended three games for trying to fight Luka after their game.

[WillE]

Schroeder suspended three games for trying to fight Luka after their game.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4757...oncic-game

"Forty minutes after the buzzer, Schroder went after Doncic, telling Doncic that he can't call him a "b----" on the court and pretend everything is fine off the court. The NBA concluded that Schroder attempted to strike Doncic."
 
I wonder if the NBA would have concluded the same if the roles were switched. 

Be that as it may, there are definitely some positive aspects to him no longer being here. His constant complaining was more than just annoying, and I'm really relieved that I no longer have to witness it on a regular basis with him gone.

[Mavs2021]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4757...oncic-game

"Forty minutes after the buzzer, Schroder went after Doncic, telling Doncic that he can't call him a "b----" on the court and pretend everything is fine off the court. The NBA concluded that Schroder attempted to strike Doncic."
 
I wonder if the NBA would have concluded the same if the roles were switched. 

Be that as it may, there are definitely some positive aspects to him no longer being here. His constant complaining was more than just annoying, and I'm really relieved that I no longer have to witness it on a regular basis with him gone.

Proper trash talk by Luka to bring up the contract. Yet I can´t believe Schroeder lost that one. He had all the FIBA amunition to shake Luka so hard he might have lost 10 pounds on the spot.

[Winter]

These Utah and Washington top 8 protections are a disaster for the Mavs. No chance they will finish above the Mavs, cause that means legit concerns to drop to 9th. There is no excuse for the Mavs to finish above the Grizzlies, Clippers or Hornets either. Realistically the Mavs should finish with the 7th placed odds, maybe 6th, if the Pelicans could get their crap together for a month during Tank season.

I would argue that the difference of ending up 6th or 9th is probably not worth complaining about. Consider where we were slotted last year in the lottery... and where we ended up. Also consider that the lottery picks after the first 5 seem like a real crapshoot in this draft. They are all pretty good, but nothing really stands out.

[Mavs2021]

I would argue that the difference of ending up 6th or 9th is probably not worth complaining about.

Then I sure hope you have nothing to do with the Mavs in any officially meaningul position. 

The 6th placed team has a 37.2% chance to move up in the lottery and a 75.5% chance to pick in the top 7 (in a perceived seven player draft). 
The 9th placed team has a 20.2% chance to move up in the lottery, but also a 20.2% chance to pick in the top 7. 

So this actually makes a HUGE difference.

[Winter]

Then I sure hope you have nothing to do with the Mavs in any officially meaningul position. 

The 6th placed team has a 37.2% chance to move up in the lottery and a 75.5% chance to pick in the top 7 (in a perceived seven player draft). 
The 9th placed team has a 20.2% chance to move up in the lottery, but also a 20.2% chance to pick in the top 7. 

So this actually makes a HUGE difference.

If the choice is between Nate Ament and Koi Peat, then really??? Are you so good at analysis that you know which will be better? Of course there's a percentage difference, but outside the top 5, I doubt there's a lot of certainty. I don't think any team will consider it a regular season fight to see who places 7th and 8th in the draft. This isn't Boozer or Peterson we're talking about.

It isn't even mid-season yet. Coaches aren't going to massage their lineups in the regular season to conspicuously lose in a fight for 7 or 8 unless maybe it's the last game of the season. Then Maybe. But you won't be entirely sure how teams will pick above you even then.

[Mavs2021]

If the choice is between Keaton Wagler and Koi Peat, then really??? Are you so good at analysis that you know which will be better? Of course there's a percentage difference, but outside the top 5, I doubt there's a lot certainty. I don't think any team will consider it a fight to see who places 7th and 8th in the draft. This isn't Boozer or Peterson we're talking about. Coaches aren't going to massage their lineups in the regular season to conspicuously lose in a fight for 7 or 8 unless maybe it's the last game of the season. Then Maybe. But you won't be entirely sure how teams will pick above you even then.

.
I already explained the huge difference in odds, so I´m not going to do that again.

I´ll address the bold part instead. Say I am that good. I know between Player A, B and C, who the right player is. It does not help me much, if that player is not there anymore, because somebody else already took him five spots before it was my turn.

Say I had the #1 odds in the 2017 draft and my board reads Tatum, Markkanen, Fox, DSJ, Ball, Mitchell, Fultz, Adebayo.

I´m a badass. I identified two elite players. I correctly evaluated that Ball and Fultz were overranked. I have done a pretty good job. Yet I was in the #9 slot and still end up with DSJ, cause I ranked him above Micthell and Adebayo. 

On the other hand, if I had tanked properly, like any reasonable owner not named Mark Cuban, I would have finished with the #1 odds. I would have picked Tatum. And in the worst case, dropping to 5th, I still end up with Markkanen. So yes that´s why every position matters. Cause you are not only playing against your own evaluation (no matter how good), but against that of others.

[Winter]

OK

We don't "tank properly". I love that one. Which team is the best tanker at mid-season? Should we hire a tank strategist?

I'm not sure making certain that games are lost is a great message to send to your players before mid-season, and I rather doubt anyone is doing that... but think what you want. Message boards are made for this stuff.

[Mavs2021]

OK

We don't "tank properly". I love that one. Which team is the best tanker at mid-season? Should we hire a tank strategist?

I'm not sure making certain that games are lost is a great message to send to your players before mid-season, and I rather doubt anyone is doing that... but think what you want. Message boards are made for this stuff.

You could have just said: I wasn´t aware the odds difference between #6 and #9 is so significant. 

Instead you keep digging and sarcasm is not getting you out of this hole. 

Furthermore you would think that a team that managed to turn two of the 10 best players in the league into Max Christie and a 1st round pick would not need any help to mess up, but sadly they do.