Around The League 2022-2023 Season

dbrown4 wrote:Yeah, cowens/oldschool, it's going to be a hard, almost impossible sell for the MVP to come out of a non-contenting, .500 ball club, no matter how good he is.  Until Cuban drops Shark Tank and focuses on his biggest asset and getting Luka some help for the love of God, he's not going to get it.  OK, that was a cheap shot!  Here comes Ktron to straighten      me out!!!

db  

They flip* up, should have kept both Porzingus and Brunson. Then all they had to do is add or draft another competent athletic wing type. Porzingus has been having some big games lately and can protect the rim. Are they better now without them? No way

A couple of eyebrows raised.

The rebuilding pacers are 5th in the EC.  However their -0.7 differential will not keep them there.  The Bulls are 9-13 and that has them sucking wind down in 12th place.  How do you lose 2 games to those bums.  The Heat won the East last season and although they can beat a team like Boston now and then, they are not as good as they where last season.  They are 3-8 on the road and have an overall  differential at -0.8

In the West the kings are a surprise in 5th place because they are scoring 120 PPG.  I doubt they will remain up there because their record vs. .500 or better teams is 6-8.  Maybe the biggest surprise is the defending champion GSW.  Their 2-10 road record speaks volumes  (they are 11-1 at home)  The other team that is underperforming is the Dallas Mavericks.  They also are struggling to win on the road 2-8.   I do not see how Luka can win the MVP award if his team cannot win consistently.

I dont think Dallas is underperforming. They are not that good. Certainly not as good as last year. Its all Luka all the time with a small dash of Dinwiddy. Thats it! I think they are where they’re supposed to be.

Yeah, Ask early, first 7 years LeBron where that gets you.

db

After last night's game, Stephen A. needs to reword his descriptor for Kyrie.  He likes calling him "Box Office".  He's more like Office Box.  I'm being honest now and not my usual critical self of him and his performance and antics.  He looks and plays totally disinterested.  He easily looks a couple steps slower than everyone else.  I'd like to see him at his best because even with my measly $200 I contribute to LP I deserve better than what he gave me last night.  But if last night's performance is going to be the norm, it's clearly better for BKN to waive him and stop the hemorrhaging that is now the BKN Income Statement and Balance Sheet.  They won't get anything for him at the end of the season.  Think of this as the end of the season for BKN.
If I were a huge BKN fan, I wouldn't pay for a ticket either, much less season tickets.  And if I had them, I'd sell them all to Celtic fans.    

Last night's crowd for BKN was pathetic.  That's the worst NBA crowd I have EVER seen at any game at least for a team that had just won 4 games in a row and has KD on it.  I'm positive KD longs for the old OKC crowd where they did love him and went absolutely nuts over him with even a far less superior product on the floor there than he has now in BKN.  

When the Celtic fans started their "takeover" like they do at every opposing arena at some point, my wife asked what the heck was going on!  That was the loudest I have ever heard our Celtic fans.  She thought Brooklyn had taken the lead.  

BTW, that is classic about our "visiting" fans.  They almost rival our home fans!!  It's hilarious.  No wonder everyone hates us!!  I'm ROTFLMAO!!  But hopefully all fans can take our fans as a lesson.  If you're going to be a fan, be a dang fan.  No one's a fan of a POS except maybe Knick fans post-1973.  I will give Knick fans their credit.  They may be the most loyal fans in any sport in the unrelenting, unchanging face of absolute crap over the years at least of my lifetime.  But they are still Knick fans.  

But being a fan starts with your product on the floor.  And that's your gift from your loving front office.  If there is nothing on the floor to cheer for, fans sell their POS tickets the FO sold to them and they go sell them to someone who really wants to see the game...in this case Celtic fans.  Dude, that %#($* is PRICELESS!!

When players say they love playing on the road more than being at home, they are FOS.  That's a total lie.  Actually, that may be true but not for the basketball reasons they tout about winning on the opposing team's floor.  More like there are extra slices of pie in every visiting city and they don't get caught.  But I digress.  Our players can honestly say that they like playing on the road more because it's truly like being at a home game all the time!

I seriously do not recall any other teams having this phenomenon.  Not even the Lakers fans you would think.  No one travels as well as Celtic fans.  Not even close unless someone has a counter.  

Ktron, has there been a story at all/ever on our Celtic "visiting" crowds?  And I mean some with a little research asking if there is a core of them that go around the country with the team or any in depth reporting following them around.  Maybe it's just a city by city thing but I can't find any fans besides myself down here in the Raleigh area.  

Case in point, I was going to buy my wife a Boston sweat shirt for Christmas online, but my boys and I were out at Triangle Town Center Mall looking for other stuff and there was an NBA-like store out there that had every professional basketball team and football team represented all on the walls and everywhere folded nicely on the showroom floor.  The Celtic "section" let's call it, was crammed and almost hidden in a stack of folded shirts about 1 foot high, maybe 10 shirts, jerseys and sweatshirts but only one style and one size for each.  Pathetic.  Fortunately, I found a sweatshirt for her.  It was the only size and type shirt they had for that sweatshirt.  Lots of Laker propaganda, though.    

Anyway, good win for us.  I like probably Ktron was worried we might blow this one and then ESPN would throw their remaining dirt on our graves and have a field day with Boston is done headlines.  JT off again in TO-ville.  But tonight, he will turn it around and give us 45/12/8 and 3 TO's.  Even my wife noticed his sophomoric play by him at times last night.

I'll speak more to last night's play on the floor in the regular post-game thread.  Honestly, we didn't need a whole lot to win that game surprisingly, even sans Marcus taking a night off.  I see what CJ is doing, rotating night's off for our guys.  Al will be off tonight obviously.  

Here we come TOR.  Let's see how many Celtic fans cross the border!!  

db

Dbrown just wanted to add love seeing all the green whenever I have went to any Celtic games not at the Garden. It has surprised me more than a few times, especially during the KG-Pierce run was always huge, all the green!!

This reply from Coach Joe won him a lot of admirers in middle America.

https://citizenfreepress.com/breaking/holy-comeback-celtics-coach-shuts-up-leftist-reporter/

Some of you may know that I've been searching for a sunken slaver from 1792 in the Gulf. That search has led me deep into the history of the slave trade which for several hundred years - until the early 1800's - was dominated by the British Crown, the direct ancestors of today's Royal Family. Understanding that history makes me respect Coach Joe and Jaylen Brown for not going gaga over Prince William and Princess Kate. I have nothing against those latter two, but their ancestors did make their fortune in the very very worst of all possible ways, something Coach Joe and Jaylen apparently understand. That their responses to questions about the Royals were so tactful and understated reflects especially well on them.

Very humble, focused dude is our coach. Ime is starting to fade into Bolivia...

I know exactly how he prays. He's not ringing his hands, throwing himself on the mercy of the Lord's court everyday asking for forgiveness and woe is me all the time. Forgiveness was granted a long ago for him. He says God, I need this, this and that today. That's it. I'm going to do my part but you need to complete what I can't and complete me, otherwise you are not going to come out looking as good as you should. I don't want that. Neither do you. It's hard enough getting your message out in today's world. Help me help you.
Amen.

I only know a handful of people like that and only know of CJ. But I can spot them a mile away without even meeting him. If you have maybe your own list of needs you take to God everyday and they aren't getting answered immediately or to your liking, talk to a CJ and ask him to pray for you. It will get done.

I actually talked to a customer who is the leader of a Biker Church down here in NC about this and told him that I didn't think he prays like everyone else based upon the fruit I saw in him and around him with his congregation. He said no I don't. And then I told him how I thought he prayed as above and he was said I was spot on, almost surprised like how did you know that?!! There are two others in my church like that. One of them is my mother-in-law, thank God. Humble, but don't short her that in her pray life. Judge her by her fruit. Don't mistake humbleness for not being confidence in asking God for whatever it is you need.

Until you feel comfortable praying like that, these folks, though few and far between, can help tremendously. They get things done. They get things done with ease where the rest of us maybe struggle and mistake it for God not listening to us. Maybe you know them but are afraid to ask them for help. It takes real guts to do that. But you will be rewarded.

There's CJ for you. Amen. Guess who's standing up in front of our players everyday? Coincidence? You tell me.

db

Amen.

dbrown4 wrote:After last night's game, Stephen A. needs to reword his descriptor for Kyrie.  He likes calling him "Box Office".  He's more like Office Box.  I'm being honest now and not my usual critical self of him and his performance and antics.  He looks and plays totally disinterested.  He easily looks a couple steps slower than everyone else.  I'd like to see him at his best because even with my measly $200 I contribute to LP I deserve better than what he gave me last night.  But if last night's performance is going to be the norm, it's clearly better for BKN to waive him and stop the hemorrhaging that is now the BKN Income Statement and Balance Sheet.  They won't get anything for him at the end of the season.  Think of this as the end of the season for BKN.
If I were a huge BKN fan, I wouldn't pay for a ticket either, much less season tickets.  And if I had them, I'd sell them all to Celtic fans.    

Last night's crowd for BKN was pathetic.  That's the worst NBA crowd I have EVER seen at any game at least for a team that had just won 4 games in a row and has KD on it.  I'm positive KD longs for the old OKC crowd where they did love him and went absolutely nuts over him with even a far less superior product on the floor there than he has now in BKN.  

When the Celtic fans started their "takeover" like they do at every opposing arena at some point, my wife asked what the heck was going on!  That was the loudest I have ever heard our Celtic fans.  She thought Brooklyn had taken the lead.  

BTW, that is classic about our "visiting" fans.  They almost rival our home fans!!  It's hilarious.  No wonder everyone hates us!!  I'm ROTFLMAO!!  But hopefully all fans can take our fans as a lesson.  If you're going to be a fan, be a dang fan.  No one's a fan of a POS except maybe Knick fans post-1973.  I will give Knick fans their credit.  They may be the most loyal fans in any sport in the unrelenting, unchanging face of absolute crap over the years at least of my lifetime.  But they are still Knick fans.  

But being a fan starts with your product on the floor.  And that's your gift from your loving front office.  If there is nothing on the floor to cheer for, fans sell their POS tickets the FO sold to them and they go sell them to someone who really wants to see the game...in this case Celtic fans.  Dude, that %#($* is PRICELESS!!

When players say they love playing on the road more than being at home, they are FOS.  That's a total lie.  Actually, that may be true but not for the basketball reasons they tout about winning on the opposing team's floor.  More like there are extra slices of pie in every visiting city and they don't get caught.  But I digress.  Our players can honestly say that they like playing on the road more because it's truly like being at a home game all the time!

I seriously do not recall any other teams having this phenomenon.  Not even the Lakers fans you would think.  No one travels as well as Celtic fans.  Not even close unless someone has a counter.  

Ktron, has there been a story at all/ever on our Celtic "visiting" crowds?  And I mean some with a little research asking if there is a core of them that go around the country with the team or any in depth reporting following them around.  Maybe it's just a city by city thing but I can't find any fans besides myself down here in the Raleigh area.  

Case in point, I was going to buy my wife a Boston sweat shirt for Christmas online, but my boys and I were out at Triangle Town Center Mall looking for other stuff and there was an NBA-like store out there that had every professional basketball team and football team represented all on the walls and everywhere folded nicely on the showroom floor.  The Celtic "section" let's call it, was crammed and almost hidden in a stack of folded shirts about 1 foot high, maybe 10 shirts, jerseys and sweatshirts but only one style and one size for each.  Pathetic.  Fortunately, I found a sweatshirt for her.  It was the only size and type shirt they had for that sweatshirt.  Lots of Laker propaganda, though.    

Anyway, good win for us.  I like probably Ktron was worried we might blow this one and then ESPN would throw their remaining dirt on our graves and have a field day with Boston is done headlines.  JT off again in TO-ville.  But tonight, he will turn it around and give us 45/12/8 and 3 TO's.  Even my wife noticed his sophomoric play by him at times last night.

I'll speak more to last night's play on the floor in the regular post-game thread.  Honestly, we didn't need a whole lot to win that game surprisingly, even sans Marcus taking a night off.  I see what CJ is doing, rotating night's off for our guys.  Al will be off tonight obviously.  

Here we come TOR.  Let's see how many Celtic fans cross the border!!  

db

DB,
My bro-in-law is from NY and has been a huge Knicks fan. I said “has” because after going back and forth with him for over 20 yrs about Celtics vs. Knicks games, who has the best franchises, players-sizzling red hot rivalries that at times got so heated that we almost came to blows in St. Thomas V.I. He is now a GS Warriors fan.
He has been since 2014.
I give him hell, refer to him as a carpetbagger, Lebron Jr, franchise Ihopper, everything you can think of I’ve called him.
He said he got tired of the Knicks management, coaches etc.
I pointed out how convenient it was for him to switch allegiances to GS AFTER they became relevant in 2014.
To this day I refer to him as “Knick Not”.
But you are right, there are very few Knick Fans who jump ship but I believe there are fewer Celtics fans that jump ship.
I have not seen any studies on which team is most popular on the road but I have read a study on social media popularity amongst NBA fans on facebook.
Out of 30 NBA teams, The C’s rank #6 with 8.65 million FB fans.
The top are
#1 Lakers at 21.6
#2 Bulls at 16.78
#3 Rockets at 15.83
#4 Heat 14.36
#5 Warriors at 11.68

Chicago and LA are the 2nd and 3rd largest markets so thats understandable. Surprising to me is Houston and Miami.

As for those Knicks, in market #1 their number is 5.51. Thats not very good. BUT, Brooklyn is even worse at 2.89.

Very interesting, Ktron! Yeah, I don't watch Knick games, especially with them on the road except at Boston and good luck with any Boston fan selling a ticket to any non-Celtic fan much less getting enough fans in there to even make a peep!

Knicks are an anomaly for sure. Even an enigma one might say. I don't get them. After the late 60's/early 70's, which were spectacular, there's not been much to be excited about. I was right on the cusp of basketball cognizance at that time. Little did I know what a couple of years later lay ahead for me here in Raleigh and NCSU.

db

Hawks, Sixers and Heat all lost last night.  Out west the Mavs beat the Suns and the Clippers won by 2 at Charlotte.  Kawhi finally played.  He hit the game winner.  Lastly, the Pacers took out GSW on the road.

There is only one team in the East that can compete with the Celtics.  That team is the Bucks who also won last night.

The Celtics are now 9-3 on the road.  That is the best road record in the NBA.  Other significant numbers includes our League leading record vs .500 or better teams (9-2)  and we are 11-3 against the BUMS.

Ktron wrote:I dont think Dallas is underperforming. They are not that good. Certainly not as good as last year.  Its all Luka all the time with a small dash of Dinwiddy. Thats it! I think they are where they’re supposed to be.

yes..relative to last year. I think they are missing Jalen Brunson. They recently signed Kemba because they need another PG. Luka's usage rate is too high!

Was all over the place last night watching NBA games.

The Suns remain in a funk while losing to NOLA.

Superstar Luka Doncic went 4-10 from the free throw line and his team went 10-24 (41.7%) They managed to snatch defeat our of the jaws of victory last night at home against the Bucks 106-105.

Sixers smoked the Lakers in OT 13-2 and won by double digits 133-122

The Kings took out Cleveland (no Donovan) 106-95. Cavs do not have enough depth to compete with the big boys.

The Hawks lost at Brooklyn 120-116. The Hawks played without 3 starters ( Murray, Collins and De'Andre Hunter)

So how do you watch multiple games...just keep flipping!

Record them all dboss and watch them later!!  Look up the final scores.  If it's a blow-out or the team you wanted to lose (in most cases) wins, erase it.  In close games, FF to the fourth quarter with about 6 minutes left.  If you like what you see, then watch the whole game.  

You know Sam would tell us that we should only be watching Celtic games and nothing else becuase nothing else matters!! Oh how we all have gone wayward since his departure!!  

db

AD played really well for LA. If he had made the last free throw during regulation they would have won, coming back from 18 down in the last three minutes! Russ Westbrook is playing really well for them.

How do you blow a 9 point lead with 34 seconds to go? What’s up Doc?

I watched Memphis (home) smoke the Bucks.

No Holiday and a 1 for 12 contribution from Middleton made them look anemic

It was a 41 point thrashing.

The Bucks have Carter and the ancient George Hill as BU point guards.  I'm just pointing that out for anyone who fears them.

Jeff Green yes that JG can still play. At 36 he still can make highflying plays, if he is your 4th or 5th option, he can help and is effective. He and Aaron Gordon are 2 very athletic forwards to play with Jokic.

Sources: Mat Ishbia finalizing Suns purchase for $4 billion

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35292815/sources-mat-ishbia-finalizing-suns-purchase-4-billion

Walter Brown must be turning over in his grave at these franchise prices.