NBA All Star Weekend 2020- Chicago

[Goo Punch 4275]

5 minutes ago, aggie08 said:

With team Giannis running pick and rolls for Kemba Walker, Siakam posting up, and Kyle Lowry taking wild ass fadeaways with the game on the line?

yeah, the novelty really started to fade down the end with Team Giannis' offensively challenged lineup playing the entire 4Q.

[Radical Larry 28643]

[ChickenSandwich 9843]

Best all star game I can remember. At least the 4th quarter. Other three were the same as the rest. 
 

Dunk stat said it all. First 4 quarters:40+ dunks. 4th quarter:1

and Harden was playing some stout D in the post at the end lol

great weekend overall for the NBA. 3 Pt contest at the buzzer. Amazing top 3 dunk contest of all time and a great fourth quarter in the game that was actually fucking watchable. Bravo. 

Edited February 17, 2020 by ChickenSandwich

[Rougarou 594]

4th quarter was amazing. Why aren't all games this format?

[gsoda3 3263]

That was thoroughly enjoyable

[satyanash 14529]

 

[Blotto 23559]

The rules were fucked up, but that was the best 4th qtr of an all star game in a long time. With those guys playing hard there was a lot of interesting shit going on watching who deferred to who. F'n Kyle Lowery took the alpha dog role on the east.... lulz. But if I'm a Raptors fan I love to see it.

Also this is like the 3rd year in a row I've made money live betting the game by taking the first team to go down by 6-8 pts on the ÷ moneyline, and then waiting for the inevitable run and taking  the other side on the ÷ moneyline. Its always been for small entertainment bets, but next year I'm gonna fairly large. The all star game never has one team lead wire to wire. It seems like an in game betting certainty you can get both sides on a + ML.

Edited February 17, 2020 by Blotto

[conVINCEd 21469]

48 minutes ago, threesheets said:

Well shit.  I totally forgot whitey wasn't allowed to play important minutes in all star games.  Dumb ass me.

 

Banana boat butt buddy had to play.

[aggie08 21505]

People have short memories. The 4th quarter two years ago was every bit as good (with LeBron and KD smothering Steph to not even allow him to get off a potential game-tying shot), and the overall game was considerably better.

But I like that they're willing to experiment. Some things can be tweaked, but it was a really good first step.

[satyanash 14529]

 

[Radical Larry 28643]

 

[Jive Turkey 12617]

First thing i thought of was the legendary Dream Team scrimmages during training camp for the 92 Olympics. Those were supposed to have been incredible. Arguably, the greatest basketball games ever played. Magic and his team v. Jordan and his team. 

Tonight felt like the most bad ass pickup game on the planet. 

[ATLLonghorn 857]

1 hour ago, Goo Punch said:

yeah, the novelty really started to fade down the end with Team Giannis' offensively challenged lineup playing the entire 4Q.

but they were playing defense! Never mind they got outscored 33-22 in the fourth quarter or only made two field goals over the final 40 minutes of real time! DEFENSE!

[Pato del Muerto 52526]

1 hour ago, Goo Punch said:

yeah, the novelty really started to fade down the end with Team Giannis' offensively challenged lineup playing the entire 4Q.

But the announcer said they’re both going with their best lineups!

[Goo Punch 4275]

if they just surrounded Giannis with shooters they would have coasted. instead they surrounded him with Joel Embiid and Pascal Siakam. 

[d2o 1602]

7 hours ago, aggie08 said:

People have short memories. The 4th quarter two years ago was every bit as good (with LeBron and KD smothering Steph to not even allow him to get off a potential game-tying shot), and the overall game was considerably better.

But I like that they're willing to experiment. Some things can be tweaked, but it was a really good first step.

Yeah, I think people confuse complaining about calls for "intensity".    They obviously played more defense in the 4th than in the other quarters but at a point it devolved into a wrestling match.  The 4Q format has promise but I don't want them doing too much with this as they may eventually try and do this in meaningful games if it becomes too successful.

[SilasCoade 2622]

10 hours ago, satyanash said:

This is the first time I've ever watched an ASG and felt like I'm legitimately watching the best basketball players in the world and Kyle Lowry play each other

Fify

[satyanash 14529]

8 hours ago, ATLLonghorn said:

but they were playing defense! Never mind they got outscored 33-22 in the fourth quarter or only made two field goals over the final 40 minutes of real time! DEFENSE!

I mean... yeah, he was. I'll take a low-scoring, defensively intense 4th quarter over the dunkfest that was the previous three quarters.

 

[Mitch Cumsteen 18550]

The basketball wasn't great in the fourth quarter, but it was at least actual, competitive as hell, basketball. The players actually gave a shit and tried their asses off. Compared to the unwatchable dogshit they have been trotting out for the past who knows how many years, it was unbelievable. I'm still stunned that I actually enjoyed watching the All-Star game for the first time since I was a kid.

That said, it was fucking bizarre for Team Giannis to not have a go to guy down the stretch in an All-Star game. Like, how does that happen? I didn't pay much attention to how they picked the teams, but Team Lebron was fucking stacked. Any one of those guys was capable of winning the game on his own - LBJ, Harden, Kawhi, CP3 and Davis. Meanwhile Pascal Siakam, Kemba Walker and Kyle Lowry were the best they could trot out there on the other side? I can't imagine how good that game would have been if they had KD and Steph Curry playing instead. That would have been amazing to watch.

[d2o 1602]

1 minute ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

The basketball wasn't great in the fourth quarter, but it was at least actual, competitive as hell, basketball. The players actually gave a shit and tried their asses off. Compared to the unwatchable dogshit they have been trotting out for the past who knows how many years, it was unbelievable. I'm still stunned that I actually enjoyed watching the All-Star game for the first time since I was a kid.

That said, it was fucking bizarre for Team Giannis to not have a go to guy down the stretch in an All-Star game. Like, how does that happen? I didn't pay much attention to how they picked the teams, but Team Lebron was fucking stacked. Any one of those guys was capable of winning the game on his own - LBJ, Harden, Kawhi, CP3 and Davis. Meanwhile Pascal Siakam, Kemba Walker and Kyle Lowry were the best they could trot out there on the other side? I can't imagine how good that game would have been if they had KD and Steph Curry playing instead. That would have been amazing to watch.

The starters were actually East v West but Giannis chose his team, that's how it happened.

 

 

 

[d2o 1602]

Anyone know why Harden didnt take this shot?

 

https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/status/1229463187658985472?s=20

[Surly Bevo 25053]

3 minutes ago, d2o said:

Anyone know why Harden didnt take this shot?

 

https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/status/1229463187658985472?s=20

Because for all the "competitiveness", it's still ultimately a jack off session for that guys and they were trying to feed Anthony Davis as the hometown guy the opportunity to win the game

[d2o 1602]

2 minutes ago, Surly Bevo said:

Because for all the "competitiveness", it's still ultimately a jack off session for that guys and they were trying to feed Anthony Davis as the hometown guy the opportunity to win the game

Ok, then I don't wanna hear about how much they wanna win.

[Mitch Cumsteen 18550]

6 minutes ago, d2o said:

Anyone know why Harden didnt take this shot?

 

https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/status/1229463187658985472?s=20

Three help defenders were coming to pack his shit back in his face?

He probably should have pulled up, but I think it is against the rules to take anything but a three or a layup in Houston. 

[d2o 1602]

Just now, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Three help defenders were coming to pack his shit back in his face?

He probably should have pulled up, but I think it is against the rules to take anything but a three or a layup in Houston. 

Right, he had a WIDE OPEN 15 ft shot on the catch.    I still think he at least gets fouled on a layup attempt though.  

[Mitch Cumsteen 18550]

 

Just now, d2o said:

I still think he at least gets fouled on a layup attempt though.  

Probably so, but it's also a terrible play for him to just stand there with his dick in his hand and wait for the ball. As soon as the defender leaves, go to the fucking basket. That's just common sense basketball when your defender leaves you all alone like that. If he even takes one step towards the basket he gets an uncontested layup.

[Drew 2494]

Yeah Harden should have taken that shot or went for that layup to win the game.

 

Still pissed that Luka didn't even sniff the floor in the 4th.  He was voted a fucking starter.

[goatsaag 279]

If Harden goes for the layup/dunk, that shit gets swatted by Embiid or Giannis. He could have taken a baseline 15 footer right after the catch or continued going to the basket for a baseline floater. When is the last time you've seen him take either of those shots in a game?

Kicking it to the corner was a significantly better decision that challenging those guys at the rim. And his pass to the corner worked out. Defense had to scramble and gets stuck with Lowry trying to guard AD in the post which wins the game.

Also, Bill Simmons dumbass trying to paint this as Harden choking or being scared to take a big shot is funny when Harden took and made what would have been the game winner before it was called off by a very late offensive foul call.

[immortal13 4059]

3 hours ago, Drew said:

 

Still pissed that Luka didn't even sniff the floor in the 4th.  He was voted a fucking starter.

Total bullshit 

[Goo Punch 4275]

 

 

[Goo Punch 4275]

4 hours ago, immortal13 said:

Total bullshit 

nah, no bullshit, just a young guy who isn't a member of the club yet. we all know that Luka is better than 4/5 guys that Team Giannis employed during the 4Q, but his ability had nothing to do with him not playing over guys like Harden and CP3. if Giannis has just taken him with his first pick then Team Giannis would have won the whole thing anyway. 

[immortal13 4059]

Just now, Goo Punch said:

nah, no bullshit, just a young guy who isn't a member of the club yet. we all know that Luka is better than 4/5 guys that Team Giannis employed during the 4Q, but his ability had nothing to do with him not playing over guys like Harden and CP3. if Giannis has just taken him with his first pick then Team Giannis would have won the whole thing anyway. 

Giannis needed somebody out there in the 4th that could score, like a Harden

[d2o 1602]

7 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

nah, no bullshit, just a young guy who isn't a member of the club yet. we all know that Luka is better than 4/5 guys that Team Giannis employed during the 4Q, but his ability had nothing to do with him not playing over guys like Harden and CP3. if Giannis has just taken him with his first pick then Team Giannis would have won the whole thing anyway. 

Yep, first time all-stars rarely get crunch time mins/shots.    Shit MJ was famously frozen out in his first ASG.    I am a little surprised that both teams played didn't or barely subbed during the 4Q though

[d2o 1602]

 

[Drew 2494]

15 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

nah, no bullshit, just a young guy who isn't a member of the club yet. we all know that Luka is better than 4/5 guys that Team Giannis employed during the 4Q, but his ability had nothing to do with him not playing over guys like Harden and CP3. if Giannis has just taken him with his first pick then Team Giannis would have won the whole thing anyway. 

Honestly I was thinking the same thing. They were missing a guy like Luka to play make for them, and a guy that could score a tough shot.  Luka was always on the wrong team IMO.

[gsoda3 3263]

7 hours ago, d2o said:

 

except didn't gordon do the exact same thing after he caught the pass off the side of the backboard?

[d2o 1602]

18 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

except didn't gordon do the exact same thing after he caught the pass off the side of the backboard?

Nah, not really.   Similar in the fact that they both did a 360 but Dwight kinda "paused" in the air in a Christ-like pose before turning and finishing.   If you just saw the pic, you would think he was grabbing a rebound rather than turning and dunking that.    He also turned in the opposite direction than AG.

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by d2o