Around The League 2022-2023 Season

Well, for whatever reason(s), PHI has resigned itself to 3rd or even 4th if they're not careful with CLE now breathing down their necks within 2 games of them and us now 3 games up on PHI and two games back of MIL. With Embiid missing last night's highly anticipated Jokic matchup, the writing is all but on the wall along with Doc's job. Doc will be unceremoniously dump off the back of the PHI truck come PHI's last loss of the season somewhere in the 1st or second round. The Process is mercilessly about over and will officially be looked back upon as The Project when all is said and done and there is more said than there is done. Not his fault. Heck, he's going to be MVP this year. Clearly the Blame Train will soon come swooping in on a chandelier and cleaning out the front office. Vegas calls this a cod lock. The Trifecta for Brand (GM), Morey (Pres) and Doc. However, let's have the games play out. There is still hope. But get your shovels ready.

As for us, it really doesn't matter where we finish since we have the best road record in the league. Media thinks it's curtains if we would have to play a G7 in MIL. Please. Give me a break. But since MIL is now back in sight with 7 games left and taking hits, let's see what happens.

Again, very tenuous ground we are on for getting to 1st. One loss from here on out and it's 2nd place....as Charles says, "GUARANTEEEEEEEEED!!"

Let's start with our game tonight in WAS and see where this ball bounces.

db

As for our boy in DAL and his flashy owner, I'm going to hold my tongue until after their last loss of the season which will come very quickly.  

I have to say, though, so far, nothing has changed.  Second verse, third verse, fourth verse all same as the first with Kyrie.  Have to agree with Mad Dog.  He's poison everywhere he goes, on and off the court as far as the team is concerned.  A shame because with a different attitude and better focus, he could be someone we all want to watch.  I could care less right now.  But he's about to find out the hard way this off-season if DAL doesn't pony up and sign him to a death wish long term albatross BS-like contract he wants.  He's just not worth it.  The bad just far outweighs the good. That's really sad.  And that says a lot.  Some cellar dwelling team like CHA or DET will pick him up and that will about do it for the career of Kyrie Irving.

Let's see if Cuban can put something together over the extended break that's coming up for DAL because what we're seeing right now out of DAL ain't workin'.  Not even close.  Early line?  Expect Kyrie to bolt.  

db

Dboss….did you see who Danny signed to a ten day contract from our Maine Celtics??? The player I have written about several times. Glad to see the kid get a chance, but am getting a little tired of Danny trying to pick our pockets and take the easy way out. Is Austin working for us or him?? Just joking. But it is interesting that everytime you turn around, he is looking over the Celtics shoulder

It’s never ending with this dude. Punches teammates. Screams profanity at officials and goes deep in the gutter with his dirty brand off …. I won’t even say B****ball.

What are the authorities waiting for.
Send this War Criminal’s a$$ to Pelican Bay in
24 hr Lockdown!

Steve Kerr allows all this to happen, which tells me Steve Kerr is a first class douchebag and hypocrite. The league allows this to happen, Green should be suspended for the rest of the year.

Draymond is fortunate he plays in this era, because years ago opposing players would not tolerate his bush league antics for one second.

I actually have admired Kerr for his courage to speak out on gun violence and other social issues but it appears that he is shopping cart his causes.

He allows his War Criminal Power Forward to run Amuck and soft pedals it when asked in the media about it.
He’s quick to call out Jordan Poole and other younger players for their missteps but lets the War Criminal continue his season long crime spree with impunity.
His calls out Marcus Smart for allegedly leg whipping Curry but lets his Gangrene Power Forward run free.
Ive lost a ton of respect for Steve Kerr.

Just imagine if he pulled his garbage on Robert Parish??? He would put up with it for just so long, them BOOM. I cannot believe his fellow teammates go along with this kind of stuff, Kerr?? As long as he is in the race he will put up with it. And, I find him obnoxious on television, like he is some kind of a hero to be held up high. In the old days, someone would have knocked his lights out early. It would have been fun to watch shame on Adam Silver for letting him get away with it. I bet he is gone next year

Oh Lawd have mercy if Chief ever got a hold of that punk War Criminal. Laimbeer is wayyy bigger than Green and we all saw what Chief did to him.

I can think of at least 6-7 players on that 84 team that would have buried Draymond for doing something as simple as running his mouth. Can you say M L Carr? LOL

AND Red would have tore Kerr a new one while stuffing that rolled up program that he used to always carry down his throat.

Ohh. The good old days. Call me old school but I would love to see some of these modern day punks sitting in the ER.

https://sports.yahoo.com/mavs-owner-mark-cuban-wants-to-re-sign-kyrie-irving-despite-late-season-stumble-i-think-we-have-a-good-shot-230825444.html


Mavs owner Mark Cuban wants to re-sign Kyrie Irving despite late-season stumble: ‘I think we have a good shot’


Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić have not been great together since Irving landed in Dallas earlier this year


RYAN YOUNG
Wed, Apr 5, 2023, 5:08 PM MDT
3 min read


Kyrie Irving’s time in Dallas hasn’t gone how Mark Cuban would've hoped.

But Cuban, speaking ahead of the Dallas Mavericks’ game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, said re-signing Irving this summer is the team’s top priority.


“I want him to say,” he said, via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

Irving was traded to Dallas after a tumultuous and controversial stint with the Brooklyn Nets, which included his COVID-19 vaccine saga and eventual suspension after he promoted an antisemitic video on social media.

Dallas is 7-12 in the 19 games Irving has played this season. He has struggled to mesh with star Luka Dončić, though both he and Dončić have been battling minor injuries in the back half of the season. The Mavericks, who were once fourth in the Western Conference, sit 11th and outside the playoffs with just three games left in the regular season.

While it’s not fair to blame Irving alone for the Mavericks’ struggles, it’s easy to understand why fans start there.

Kyrie Irving
#2
2022-2023 SEASON

27.1 Pts
5.1 Reb
5.5 Ast
1.1 Stl
37:21 Min


Irving is in the final year of a four-year, $136 million deal signed with the Nets. He is eligible for a four-year, $220.6 million deal in free agency this summer, or he could re-sign with the Mavericks for up to $272 million over five years.

Irving hasn’t said whether he wants to stay in Dallas or move on, but he has said he wanted to wait until the season ended to talk about his future. Still, Cuban feels good about his chances of getting Irving on a new deal.

“I think we have a good shot,” he said, via Marc Stein.

As for not making the play-in tournament, Cuban isn’t giving up.

“I haven’t heard the fat lady sing yet,” Cuban said, via the Dallas Morning News’ Brad Townsend.


Cuban blames Jalen Brunson’s dad for his departure

Cuban still isn’t happy with how the team lost Jalen Brunson last offseason, and in his eyes, the blame falls squarely on Brunson’s dad, Rick.

Cuban said he had a great relationship with Brunson and his representatives when he was on the team. The problems started, he said, when Rick took over contract negotiations.

“Things went south when the parents got involved,” he said, via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

Brunson left Dallas in free agency last summer and signed a four-year, $104 million deal with the New York Knicks after spending his first four seasons in the league with the Mavericks.

Brunson was scheduled to meet with a handful of teams when the legal period began, but he ended up meeting with only the Knicks. The team didn’t allow media to attend his introductory news conference, either.

The league later opened an investigation into the deal. Rick is an assistant coach with the Knicks, and Knicks general manager Leon Rose negotiated Brunson’s rookie deal with the Mavericks.

The NBA said in December that the Knicks “violated league rules” in their deal to land Brunson, and the league took away a 2025 second-round draft pick as a result.

Cuban said he never spoke with the league about the investigation into Brunson’s departure. He also showed the Dallas Morning News’ Brad Townsend text messages that apparently “support his assertions about how Brunson’s departure went down.”

Cuban showed the DMN text messages from Brunson’s representatives to support his assertions about how Brunson’s departure went down.

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) April 5, 2023

Brunson, now in his fifth season, has averaged a career-high 24 points and 6.2 assists per game with the Knicks. He put up 16.3 points and 4.8 rebounds last season in Dallas and was instrumental in the team’s run to the Western Conference finals.


Bob
MY NOTE:  I suspect what Cuban said in the 3rd paragraph of the body of the article is that he wants Kyrie "to STAY".   As world-famous conman PT Barnum once said "there's a sucker born every minute" and today's Sucker-du-Jour is Mark Cuban.  

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Looks like the axes have started swinging already.  HOU Coach Silas as well as DET coach Casey done.  Unfortunately, kind of obvious when you look at the records.

The more intriguing fires are the coaches in the playoffs.  Soon to come.  

db  

https://sports.yahoo.com/rudy-gobert-sent-home-after-punching-timberwolves-teammate-kyle-anderson-jaden-mcdaniels-fractures-hand-punching-wall-205744882.html?.tsrc=364



Rudy Gobert sent home after punching Timberwolves teammate Kyle Anderson; Jaden McDaniels fractures hand punching wall


Callie Lawson-Freeman

Sun, Apr 9, 2023, 1:57 PM PDT
3 min read



The Minnesota Timberwolves' regular-season finale vs. the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday saw two separate displays of unbridled frustration. When all was said and done, the team found itself with two fewer players for the day.

Despite the struggles, Minnesota was able to secure the 113-108 win in a game with heavy playoff implications.


The drama appeared to begin when center Rudy Gobert and forward Kyle Anderson were seen engaging in an animated discussion during a timeout. Gobert punched Anderson and chaos broke loose on the Timberwolves bench. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports reports that Anderson told Gobert “Shut the f*** up, bitch” prior to the punch. This was after Anderson told Gobert to block some shots and Gobert responded by telling Anderson to grab a rebound, per the report.

According to multiple reports, the team sent Gobert home. Shortly after, Minnesota announced the French big man was "out for the remainder of the game." He left with 2 points and 3 rebounds.


The Wolves were down by 12 with 4:23 left in the second quarter when the series of events occurred. Gobert was subbed out of the game and Anderson took his place on the court.

You can watch the scuffle here:

https://twitter.com/YahooSports/status/1645165273765359621

Gobert's wasn't the only punch thrown by a Timberwolves player in the arena on Sunday. Broadcast cameras captured Forward Jaden McDaniels punching a wall in the tunnel and immediately grabbing his hand in pain. McDaniels only played nine minutes, recording one rebound and one steal.

The team went on to announce he was out for remainder of the game. After the final buzzer, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported McDaniels sustained a fractured hand.

https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1645170947337650177


There's no indication of what caused the initial huddle drama. Star Tribune reporter Chris Hine noted that while working on a story about Anderson's leadership, he got an interesting quote from Gobert about his teammate.

"Kyle (Anderson) wants to win and sometimes he's a little aggressive in the way he talks, but I don't take it personally," Gobert said. "I receive it in a positive way because it comes from a place of wanting me to be the best Rudy I can be and wanting us to win. I love his competitiveness, love the way he plays the game. The way he makes others around him better. He's been a huge part of this year."

Anderson left the game with 8 points, 4 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal.

Via Wojnarowski, Minnesota President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly confirmed reports of Gobert's whereabouts.

“We made the decision to send Rudy Gobert home after the incident in the second quarter," he said. "His behavior on the bench was unacceptable and we will continue handling the situation internally.”

Gobert apologized later on Twitter.


After the victory, highlighted by a 30-point performance from Karl Anthony-Towns, the Wolves have the No. 8 seed and are slated to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the play-in tournament.


Bob
MY NOTE:  If LeBron isn't the luckiest SOB on the planet I don't know who is.

Well, there's going to be a fire sale in Minnesota in couple of months and it isn't going to be at the Mall of America.

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Stephen Silas was fired as the Head Coach of the Houston Rockets and Dwayne Casey was fired as Head Coach of the Detroit Pistons.

In my opinion this is a bunch of crap.  It reminds me of Philly firing Brett Brown after Sam Hinkie handed Brown a fixed deck for years as Hinkie peddled shite impressively named "The Process" and then put him on a short leash when he finally had a team.  Years of misery and not much time to enjoy the rewards of that sacrifice.  Houston has nobody on their team, really.  Why'd they fire Silas, because he didn't tank well enough to get the inside position on the Wembanyama Sweepstakes?  Who's on the Rockets that would make you think they should have been a good team this year?  And Detroit?  The front office traded Saddiq Bey to Atlanta.  Cade Cunningham, the future of that franchise, only played 12 games this year.  James Wiseman?  He's new to the team (and we just need to look at Derrick White to see how important having more time in the system is) and still has a long, long way to prove he's not El Busto.

Can't fire the players, so...

The Celtics should hire Stephen Silas as an assistant coach, if he's willing.  I'd say offer a job to Casey, but I don't think he'd take an assistant's job.  Will Hardy left for Utah, Stoudemire left for Georgia Tech.  Adding a seasoned coach would be good. Nick Nurse had Kawhi. Casey coached a very competitive Raptor team, they sure owned us for years.  If hiring them right now is too disruptive then pick up the phone, Brad, and let them know you'll get back to them in a month or two.


Bob


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https://sports.yahoo.com/report-grizzlies-wont-re-sign-pending-free-agent-dillon-brooks-under-any-circumstances-162446492.html



Report: Grizzlies won't re-sign pending free agent Dillon Brooks 'under any circumstances'


Callie Lawson-Freeman
Contributing writer

Tue, May 2, 2023, 9:24 AM PDT·3 min read


Dillon Brooks may have played his last game for the Memphis Grizzlies after spending his entire professional career with the team.

The pending unrestricted free agent was informed that "he will not be brought back under any circumstances," The Athletic's Shams Charania reported on Tuesday.


Team officials broke the news to Brooks in exit meetings recently, where both parties reportedly agreed it was time for a fresh start.

Brooks’ showing in the Grizzlies' first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers was a "breaking point," according to the report. In addition to Brooks' multiple attempts to "poke the bear" in LeBron James, the forward saw decreased production in the postseason.

Through six games in the series loss, Brooks averaged just 10.5 points per game, shooting 31 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from 3.


He had a confrontation with James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, in Game 2. "I don't care. He's old," Brooks said after the Grizzlies won and evened the series. "I poke bears. I don't respect no one 'til they come and give me 40."

James and the Lakers responded with a Game 3 win, where Brooks got himself ejected with a flagrant two foul for hitting James in the groin. He finished the game with 7 points on 3-of-13 shooting in 19 minutes.

Brooks went on to blame the media and fans for his "villain" reputation. He also broke league rules as the series ended by refusing to speak with reporters after losses to the Lakers, earning a $25,000 fine.

The 27-year-old may have seen success with trash talk in the past, but it backfired in this case and placed a microscope on his lackluster performance.

The controversy surrounding Brooks is not limited to this postseason. He was the league leader for regular season technical fouls (18). He was suspended for instigating an on-court altercation with Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell by striking him in the groin area in February. He was fined $35,000 for shoving a camera person during a loss to the Miami Heat in March.

Last postseason, Brooks was suspended one game following his flagrant two foul on Warriors guard Gary Payton II in the Western Conference semifinals. Brooks swiped his arm across Payton's head on a transition layup. Payton, who took a hard fall, was diagnosed with a fractured left elbow.

He went to Memphis in 2017, as a second-round pick out of Oregon. Brooks found his place with the Grizzlies quickly, playing in 82 games during his rookie year.

In six seasons, he averaged 14.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 345 regular-season games.

Brooks just finished the final year of a three-year, $35 million deal. Now, it appears he will have to explore the market and search for a new basketball home.

While his recent postseason comments seem to be a large component in the splintered relationship with his longtime team, Brooks told reporters he has no regrets.


Bob
MY NOTE:  One of the final nails in his professional coffin might be him openly telling reporters he "has no regrets".  It's one thing to lose your mind during competition, between the lines, it's another to thumb your nose at a franchise's clear disapproval of his behavior.  There's probably nothing he could have said that would have redeemed him in Memphis but now there'll be 29 other GMs who will be wondering if an unrepentant loose cannon is worth the millions of dollars he'll be asking for.  "Now, it appears he will have to explore the market and search for a new basketball home." There's lots of good apps for learning Mandarin, Dillon. That may be a bit harsh, he has NBA talent and an NBA body, but the 4" muscle between his ears doesn't.

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(Un)fortunately, this is only the beginning of the stripping down process there.  Ja Morant now has plenty of time to get his head screwed on straight and get a new posse.  Need to see something positive there, top to bottom.

db

Dillion ran his jibs a little too much and then didn't have anything to say after the Grizz got their face cracked. Out of the playoffs and Dillon conveniently stifled himself.
With that being said, I also place a lot of blame on the Grizzlies organization.

They allowed reckless behavior from many of their players and now are using Dillion as a scape goat.
Sure put him on blast for his antics but take responsibility yourself for allowing all of this to go on and Dillon wasn't the only one.
The Grizzlies management and staff either encouraged this behavior or looked the other way. Either or. Its still on them.
Now, “under no circumstances will you be allowed back” in the building.
A burning building that was constructed by management and the coaching staff.

Dillon acted out and has to own it but had he been playing for a better organization some of his antics would not have been tolerated and nipped in the bud pronto.

The Lakers beat the Dubs in SF. They are playing like the grizzled veterans who know how to win Championships despite an awful regular season.

We need our guys to act like the team that was two games away from #18 last year. We need our guys to start looking at every game against every opponent the same way LeBron and AD are.


Bob

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Mike Budenholzer has been fired as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.


Bob


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Surprised Bud got the axe.

His roster is too aged.  Giannis missed 2 playoff games and when he got back he under performed.

The roster needs upgrades at the guard/wing position and more depth at both PG and Center.

They will probably give Nick Nurse the job.

Ceasing self-imposed Ax Alert. That sucks for the Bucks. (Rhyme every time!! Poet and don't know it!!)

Bud did look a little lost out there in the 1st Round. Welcome to the NBA Coaching Carousel, Bud. Enjoy the next year off. You'll be back. Just ask Ime.

db

dboss wrote:Surprised Bud got the axe.

His roster is too aged.  Giannis missed 2 playoff games and when he got back he under performed.

The roster needs upgrades at the guard/wing position and more depth at both PG and Center.

They will probably give Nick Nurse the job.

Milwaukee didn’t scare me this year, we beat them too easily this year. They have nobody to match up on J’s. Holiday is too little, Middleton is not the same player, Allen and Pat C are mincemeat for J’s.

dbrown4 wrote:Ceasing self-imposed Ax Alert.  That sucks for the Bucks.  (Rhyme every time!!  Poet and don't know it!!)

Bud did look a little lost out there in the 1st Round.  Welcome to the NBA Coaching Carousel, Bud.  Enjoy the next year off.  You'll be back.  Just ask Ime.    

db  

Here's Mike Budenholzer’s distraction:

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer’s brother died in car accident during Heat series

https://nypost.com/2023/04/30/mike-budenholzers-brother-died-in-car-accident-during-bucks-series/

Mike B was the youngest of seven and one of his older brothers died.  I'm three of nine, so I can relate.  Two gone, seven left for me.

I cannot imagine going to work and being on the top of my game after a loss of this magnitude.

Yes, he'll be back.  The NBA Coaching Carousel goes round and round.

Clearly not much understanding, sympathy or empathy from the Bucks organization.

db

Some Philly folks think Doc should be fired if they get bounced from the playoffs.

Winning the title is super hard to do and coaches usually get more than their share of blame.

I read that coach Bud is still owned $16 million.  He will be just fine financially.

Per Woj, Phoenix has fired HC Monte Williams.


Bob


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LeBron James Drops Retirement Shocker After Nuggets Sweep Lakers



Ron Dicker
Tue, May 23, 2023 at 3:53 AM PDT



LeBron James said Monday he has to decide whether he wants to play anymore after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the NBA’s Western Conference finals.

James, who scored 40 points for LA in its Game 4 loss, ended the press conference on a cryptic note: “Going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.”

But ESPN followed up with James afterward and received a bombshell.

“When you say you got to think about stuff, what thread should we be pulling on that?” the sports network asked.

“If I want to continue to play,” James replied.

“As in next year?”

“Yeah.”

“You would walk away?”

“I got to think about it.”


James, 38, battled a foot injury since late February but still led the Lakers on their charge to the playoffs and beyond after a 2-10 start to the season.

He has apparently eased up on his hope of playing in the NBA with his son LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., who recently committed to the University of Southern California for next season.

“I’ve done what I’ve had to do in this league, and my son is going to take his journey,” the elder James said earlier in the playoffs, per ABC.

James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer this season and has won four NBA titles with three different teams.

If he walked away it would still be a shocker.

Stay tuned.


Bob
MY NOTE:  Interesting, but I wouldn't put much weight on this at this time.  LeBron just got swept, I believe for the first time in his career, despite a 40/10/9 night from him.  He's upset and despondent, understandably so, and he's expressing that disappointment.  He's a competitor of the highest level and no true competitor sees 'moral victories' in losses.  So, yeah, 'stay tuned', because this isn't really over yet.  As much as this disappointment is hitting him now this might not be how he goes out, not to mention walking away from the $46.9M he's estimated to get paid next year when he's 39 and the $50.6M Player Option available to him in 2024-2025 when he's 40.  I know he's never going to have to worry about putting an extra potato on his family's plate but $97.5M is a lot of money to walk away just because you're frustrated today.


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