NBA 2023-24

[Pam Cummings 9868]

Na fuck CP3 lol. He's just a little bitch.

 

This is actual visceral dislike between two teams, born out of true competitiveness. I really enjoy it. They play again on January 3rd and it is now appointment TV viewing for me.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Pam Cummings

[Kermit 3162]

Aggie, I’m sorry for what I’m about to say…

The best part of the Warriors struggles is seeing Chris Paul irrelevant once again. Enjoy your championship-less season, you colossal douche. Maybe next year!

[aggie08 21800]

Just now, Kermit said:

Aggie, I’m sorry for what I’m about to say…

The best part of the Warriors struggles is seeing Chris Paul irrelevant once again. Enjoy your championship-less season, you colossal douche. Maybe next year!

I'll allow it. Him winning his only championship riding the coattails of the true best point guard of this generation would have been satisfying, but, since that ain't happening, this is a suitable career path for Chris Paul.

[Chewbacca 7830]

So, Giannis shot 32 free throws last night, which is insane to me. You know how many FTs Jokic has shot in the month of December? 34 over 6 games.

['stache 22143]

I honestly don't disagree with this opinion. The mayor and city council should have pressed a lot harder for more buy-in from the owners. It's also absolutely true that they are living a pipe-dream if they think they can build a "world-class" facility for $900M, especially when they expect it to open in 2029 (so construction beginning in maybe 2027?). I think the owners could have agreed to cover all or a certain percentage of overruns, which I expect will be at least $500M. And it's absolutely true that they ran this on the basis of emotional attachment and the perception that comes with being a "big league city." My only disagreement is that I don't blame Clay Bennett entirely (I honestly know very little about him anyway). Any owner would use the city's low self-esteem to get them to cover all that cost. I think the mayor and city council should have negotiated harder and let them know that the city and the fans would appreciate it much more if they agreed to a larger buy-in and that the city provides the team with some benefits that should be considered. Ultimately, I'm glad it passed, the intangible benefits of a major league franchise are very real, but the economics still stink. Luckily, I won't have to pay for any of it, so good for OKC.

 

The Oklahoma City Thunder successfully extort its way to a new arena

The team will contribute a paltry 5 percent of an estimated $900 million for the new facility

The Oklahoma City Thunder are getting a new arena and the team’s ownership group is contributing $50 million of the $900 million tab. The reputation of owner Clay Bennett, who was responsible for killing the Seattle Supersonics, preceded him, and 71 percent of Oklahoma City voters didn’t want to call his bluff, so they approved a 1 percent sales tax.

In a world where the Los Angeles Dodgers paid Shohei Ohtani $700 million, and LIV golf shelled out nearly $600 million for Jon Rahm, Bennett and his cronies couldn’t contribute more than $50 million to a new arena? The franchise is paying Shia Gilgeous-Alexander and Davis Bertans that much combined this season.

Bennett’s group bought the Sonics for $325 million and recent estimates by Forbes now value the team at $3 billion. The people of Oklahoma City voted to keep their team and ensure the continued increase of the world’s income disparity. There’s also $70 million in MAPS 4 funds that could go to infrastructure, or other community initiatives, but instead, will be redirected toward a sports building. Yay!

In the memorandum for the deal, OKC mayor and city council claim, “The new arena will be designed and constructed as a first-class, state-of-the-art facility with at least 750,000 square feet.”

Forgive me, but I don’t think they know how far $900 million goes when it comes to hoops’ palaces.

The Warriors spent $1.6 billion on the Chase Center. Steve Ballmer sunk $2 billion into the Clippers’ new digs that aren’t even opened yet. “First-class” and “state-of-the-art” might be apt adjectives to describe those self-funded projects, but whatever gets built in Oklahoma City won’t be on par with arenas that are actually “first-class,” and you wonder when the cycle will refresh itself.

There were a litany of community benefits in the deal that were used to sweeten the pot, including an expected provision for a workforce intermediary, and a “living wage” of $15 per hour. So let me get this right: The quid pro quo with the community was agreeing to pay those who help build the arena $15 per hour?

The current minimum wage in Oklahoma is $7.25, but a recent initiative was proposed to raise it to . . . you guessed it: $15. (I’m also of the opinion that $15 is a gross minimum wage, but I’m not an economist, and have lived in high cost-of-living areas for over a decade.)

We all know no one is more easily swayed by economic buzzwords and promises of community benefits than local politicians, so this shouldn’t be a surprise. Nor should this gem from Nick Singer, spokesman for Oklahoma Progress Now, the advocacy group that ran the opposition campaign (via the Oklahoman).

“Mayor [David] Holt negotiated a terrible deal, and the Chamber and their allies ran a fear-based inferiority campaign about OKC — and it worked. They scared voters and voters supported a bad deal, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a bad deal. It’s a 95/5 deal, and that doesn’t change just because you claim it has all of these positives, but the mayor was willing to go along with it.”

To his point, Singer said the Build Your Own Arena spent less than $10,000 on its campaign, while recent documents show the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce dropped at least $478,000 on pro-arena TV ad expenditures since November. The group Keep OKC Big League speaks directly to the inferiority complex that pro-arena forces sought to exploit, and voters happily complied.

“We told the nation, we told the world, that Oklahoma City is and shall remain a Big League City,” Mayor Holt said of the decision.

Groaaaannnnnn.

The Thunder is the only pro sports game in the state and that can create an overprotective yet rabid fanbase (looking at you, Portland and Utah). People love to see their cities represented on the national and, I guess, world stages, so it takes a pretty repugnant person to repeatedly extort that attachment.

Just for record, Clay Bennett is that repugnant person.

https://deadspin.com/oklahoma-city-thunder-new-arena-nba-1851096627

Edited December 14, 2023 by 'stache

[Trey3216 15452]

5 hours ago, Pam Cummings said:

Proof that the in season tournament has worked and is a good thing. Pacers and Bucks have a budding rivalry now. That game was intense. We're caring about the NBA in December.

 

I call BS on giving the game ball to Tshiebwe for his first points, but it's weird/shocking how much that seemed to mean to Giannis. Either way, i enjoy the intensity from both sides.

I don't think this lends any credence/creedence(tapes) to the in season tournament.  It's dumb as shit, and the Euro/bushleague court they were playing on is proof of how much "throwing shit against the wall" doesn't matter about the in-season tourney.  Now, hopefully some of the other measures will get players playing in more games, but that "tournament" is beyond pathetic.  

[ztejas 44227]

5 minutes ago, Trey3216 said:

I don't think this lends any credence/creedence(tapes) to the in season tournament.

None of this would have happened if there wasn't an in-season tournament. 

[Pam Cummings 9868]

21 minutes ago, Trey3216 said:

I don't think this lends any credence/creedence(tapes) to the in season tournament.  It's dumb as shit, and the Euro/bushleague court they were playing on is proof of how much "throwing shit against the wall" doesn't matter about the in-season tourney.  Now, hopefully some of the other measures will get players playing in more games, but that "tournament" is beyond pathetic.  

Yeah we get it, you're too cool for the in season tournament, and only wanna talk about how dumb it is, even though it clearly worked.

[Pam Cummings 9868]

3 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

So, Giannis shot 32 free throws last night, which is insane to me. You know how many FTs Jokic has shot in the month of December? 34 over 6 games.

Are you ever not complaining about officiating?

[lilMAC25 4001]

I didn’t want a single game, but I like the idea of an in season tourney, but I like Futbol, so….

[shadow_operative 15932]

5 hours ago, Pam Cummings said:

I don't get fans. When the players show no passion we complain. But then when they get fired up over petty shit because they are the most competitive people on earth, we call them babies.

 

Figure out what you want.

this is all i’m thinking as i read this thread. i love that giannis is showing this kind of fire in december.

[Chewbacca 7830]

1 hour ago, Pam Cummings said:

Are you ever not complaining about officiating?

I've never seen a superstar get treated like Jokic gets treated by the refs.  Not only do they not call fouls on him, they run him from games when he calls them out on it.

[Vic Mackey 47960]

I've never seen a superstar get treated like Jokic gets treated by the refs.  Not only do they not call fouls on him, they run him from games when he calls them out on it.

I seem to remember Dirk in the first part of his career not getting that much respect from the refs.

[Chewbacca 7830]

1 minute ago, Vic Mackey said:

18 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

I've never seen a superstar get treated like Jokic gets treated by the refs.  Not only do they not call fouls on him, they run him from games when he calls them out on it.

I seem to remember Dirk in the first part of his career not getting that much respect from the refs.

Jok isn't in the first part of his career, though.  He's in his prime.  He's a 2x MVP, Finals MVP and NBA Champion.  He shouldn't have to beg for obvious fouls to be called.  18 players in the NBA shoot more free throws than he does.

[Vic Mackey 47960]

Jok isn't in the first part of his career, though.  He's in his prime.  He's a 2x MVP, Finals MVP and NBA Champion.  He shouldn't have to beg for obvious fouls to be called.  18 players in the NBA shoot more free throws than he does.

True true.

[shadow_operative 15932]

nobody should be run from the game for simply cussing at a ref. doing it to the best player in the world on serbian heritage night in chicago is something out of practical jokers.

”alright let him get hacked and don’t call it (background laughing). ok, ok, now eject jokic.” 

Edited December 15, 2023 by shadow_operative

[Underdog 29191]

Officials have feelings too, y'all. 

[LTtxfan 50005]

23 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

That motherfucker better miss at least 15 games.  But this 'must meet criteria' bullshit makes me think it will be a lot less.

Jan 27th when GSW plays lakers might make sense... that's more than 15 games missed by draymond

[shadow_operative 15932]

51 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

Jan 27th when GSW plays lakers, 2045 might make sense... that's more than 15 games missed by draymond

 

[Aqua Buddha 14806]

7 hours ago, 'stache said:

I honestly don't disagree with this opinion. The mayor and city council should have pressed a lot harder for more buy-in from the owners. It's also absolutely true that they are living a pipe-dream if they think they can build a "world-class" facility for $900M, especially when they expect it to open in 2029 (so construction beginning in maybe 2027?). I think the owners could have agreed to cover all or a certain percentage of overruns, which I expect will be at least $500M. And it's absolutely true that they ran this on the basis of emotional attachment and the perception that comes with being a "big league city." My only disagreement is that I don't blame Clay Bennett entirely (I honestly know very little about him anyway). Any owner would use the city's low self-esteem to get them to cover all that cost. I think the mayor and city council should have negotiated harder and let them know that the city and the fans would appreciate it much more if they agreed to a larger buy-in and that the city provides the team with some benefits that should be considered. Ultimately, I'm glad it passed, the intangible benefits of a major league franchise are very real, but the economics still stink. Luckily, I won't have to pay for any of it, so good for OKC.

 

The Oklahoma City Thunder successfully extort its way to a new arena

The team will contribute a paltry 5 percent of an estimated $900 million for the new facility

The Oklahoma City Thunder are getting a new arena and the team’s ownership group is contributing $50 million of the $900 million tab. The reputation of owner Clay Bennett, who was responsible for killing the Seattle Supersonics, preceded him, and 71 percent of Oklahoma City voters didn’t want to call his bluff, so they approved a 1 percent sales tax.

In a world where the Los Angeles Dodgers paid Shohei Ohtani $700 million, and LIV golf shelled out nearly $600 million for Jon Rahm, Bennett and his cronies couldn’t contribute more than $50 million to a new arena? The franchise is paying Shia Gilgeous-Alexander and Davis Bertans that much combined this season.

Bennett’s group bought the Sonics for $325 million and recent estimates by Forbes now value the team at $3 billion. The people of Oklahoma City voted to keep their team and ensure the continued increase of the world’s income disparity. There’s also $70 million in MAPS 4 funds that could go to infrastructure, or other community initiatives, but instead, will be redirected toward a sports building. Yay!

In the memorandum for the deal, OKC mayor and city council claim, “The new arena will be designed and constructed as a first-class, state-of-the-art facility with at least 750,000 square feet.”

Forgive me, but I don’t think they know how far $900 million goes when it comes to hoops’ palaces.

The Warriors spent $1.6 billion on the Chase Center. Steve Ballmer sunk $2 billion into the Clippers’ new digs that aren’t even opened yet. “First-class” and “state-of-the-art” might be apt adjectives to describe those self-funded projects, but whatever gets built in Oklahoma City won’t be on par with arenas that are actually “first-class,” and you wonder when the cycle will refresh itself.

There were a litany of community benefits in the deal that were used to sweeten the pot, including an expected provision for a workforce intermediary, and a “living wage” of $15 per hour. So let me get this right: The quid pro quo with the community was agreeing to pay those who help build the arena $15 per hour?

The current minimum wage in Oklahoma is $7.25, but a recent initiative was proposed to raise it to . . . you guessed it: $15. (I’m also of the opinion that $15 is a gross minimum wage, but I’m not an economist, and have lived in high cost-of-living areas for over a decade.)

We all know no one is more easily swayed by economic buzzwords and promises of community benefits than local politicians, so this shouldn’t be a surprise. Nor should this gem from Nick Singer, spokesman for Oklahoma Progress Now, the advocacy group that ran the opposition campaign (via the Oklahoman).

“Mayor [David] Holt negotiated a terrible deal, and the Chamber and their allies ran a fear-based inferiority campaign about OKC — and it worked. They scared voters and voters supported a bad deal, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a bad deal. It’s a 95/5 deal, and that doesn’t change just because you claim it has all of these positives, but the mayor was willing to go along with it.”

To his point, Singer said the Build Your Own Arena spent less than $10,000 on its campaign, while recent documents show the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce dropped at least $478,000 on pro-arena TV ad expenditures since November. The group Keep OKC Big League speaks directly to the inferiority complex that pro-arena forces sought to exploit, and voters happily complied.

“We told the nation, we told the world, that Oklahoma City is and shall remain a Big League City,” Mayor Holt said of the decision.

Groaaaannnnnn.

The Thunder is the only pro sports game in the state and that can create an overprotective yet rabid fanbase (looking at you, Portland and Utah). People love to see their cities represented on the national and, I guess, world stages, so it takes a pretty repugnant person to repeatedly extort that attachment.

Just for record, Clay Bennett is that repugnant person.

https://deadspin.com/oklahoma-city-thunder-new-arena-nba-1851096627

Three things:

1.  This arena ain't costing no $1.5B in no Okie City.  That's about what the Clippers and Golden State arenas cost.  The $900M figure even seems steep considering where it's at.

2.  I do agree that the owners and the mayor held the team hostage.  Holt was saying they could potentially sell or move the team if they didn't get the deal.  All of the ownership group are Okies to the point some of the original owners have sold and they sold to Okies.  However, to Holt's point, the group is VERY old and their heirs may not give a shit.  They bought the team for $350M and now it's worth at least $3.5B.  Even if all of them are Okies, money is money.  (There was some concern when Aubrey McClendon died.)  However, I do agree that the team wasn't moving regardless of what happened.

3.  The vote was 70/30.  That's about as lopsided as you can be in today's America.  If Biden said the sun rose in the East, 50% would disagree.  70% in agreement is remarkable.  It goes to show that the loud, vocal minority is just that.  A minority.

[shadow_operative 15932]

y’all heard jokic got tossed for saying “motherfucker”? are you kidding me? draymond says worse than that to all three officials 10x every game. that’s unreal.

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

👀

mate ghey better this year than they were last year? it’s definitely up for debate at this point. i welcome the jokic dynasty. 

Edited December 15, 2023 by shadow_operative

[lilMAC25 4001]

if only we could pinpoint why he keeps doing what he does. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

draymond green, a top 1% athlete known for his versatility, defense, and high IQ: “man i ain’t got no control over what my body does.”

adam silver, steve kerr, his teammates: “yeah that tracks. we support you draymond.”

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

11 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

So, Giannis shot 32 free throws last night, which is insane to me. You know how many FTs Jokic has shot in the month of December? 34 over 6 games.

harden has 9 FTA at half right now. 

[aggie08 21800]

58 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

draymond green, a top 1% athlete known for his versatility, defense, and high IQ: “man i ain’t got no control over what my body does.”

adam silver, steve kerr, his teammates: “yeah that tracks. we support you draymond.”

 

Even if anyone somehow bought his excuse that he was selling a foul and flailing--no one does--it would only make it worse. What would any non-psychopath do if they accidently hit someone in the head, resulting in them going directly to the ground? I don't know, maybe check on them or show some semblance of concern?

[Dutchrudder 11243]

Chris Paul being Chris Paul:

 

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

harden tonight: 6-12 fg, 11-12 ft, 28 pts, 15 ast, 7 reb, 4 blk, 1 stl. 👀 

[lilMAC25 4001]

3 hours ago, Dutchrudder said:

Chris Paul being Chris Paul:

 

 

Catches Theis with a beautiful shoulder to shoulder crack back block just as he leaves his feet.

 

 

announcers: He’s just blocking out.

 

 

 

lolk

[ztejas 44227]

3 hours ago, Dutchrudder said:

Chris Paul being Chris Paul:

 

 

He and Dray can be roommates at Quit Being a Dickhead camp.

[Chewbacca 7830]

10 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

harden has 9 FTA at half right now. 

Jok actually got 12 last night.  I think that is his season high.  We'll see if the decent whistle continues or if it goes away.  I don't think he played the 4th quarter because it was a blowout.

1 hour ago, ztejas said:

He and Dray can be roommates at Quit Being a Dickhead camp.

Old, frustrated men on the downsides of their careers acting out.  

[closetohumping 17818]

Barkley said he was picking fights at the end of his career because he couldn’t play anymore 

[closetohumping 17818]

Have to get rid of one:  Dray or taxes

[d2o 1603]

On 12/14/2023 at 10:09 AM, Pam Cummings said:

Proof that the in season tournament has worked and is a good thing. Pacers and Bucks have a budding rivalry now. That game was intense. We're caring about the NBA in December.

 

I call BS on giving the game ball to Tshiebwe for his first points, but it's weird/shocking how much that seemed to mean to Giannis. Either way, i enjoy the intensity from both sides.

100% this.   From the tip it was clear the Bucks were looking for get back from last week's tourney loss.   Game was intense and both teams were really getting after it.    Can't ask for more from a game a week before Christmas.

[Chewbacca 7830]

46 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

Have to get rid of one:  Dray or taxes

Taxes.  Dray will get rid of himself soon.

[Aqua Buddha 14806]

Interesting but not surprising.  He'd fit in perfectly at OKC and make them a contender, maybe this season.  They also have the assets to pulls this off.

 

[Mitch Cumsteen 18963]

29 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Interesting but not surprising.  He'd fit in perfectly at OKC and make them a contender, maybe this season.  They also have the assets to pulls this off.

 

I like Markkanen a lot, but I think they need more of a physical force up front instead of a 7 footer who doesn't want to venture into the paint. And even with as many assets as OKC owns, you know that Danny Ainge is going to want a ridiculous haul for a 26 year old all-star on a reasonable contract. Ainge is one of the worst GMs to try to make deals with and Presti isn't going to overpay. 

[Message Board User 12405]

Shot:

Chaser:

 

 

[ztejas 44227]

Oof. There goes your season. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

jesus christ. that’s brutal. like z said, season over. 

[Message Board User 12405]

2 hours ago, ztejas said:

Oof. There goes your season. 

At least it's happening this year (the last season where the Cavs hold their first round pick) and not in the next...what...5 years?

[ztejas 44227]

I mean they could stay in the mix for a play in spot but it's going to be an uphill battle and then you'd almost assuredly wind up playing someone really good in the 1st round.

[shadow_operative 15932]

KD just stepped off the bench in the 2Q and has dropped 14 straight points. four consecutive threes and then mixing randle up every which way before sinking a 15 footer. he’s still so unreal. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

jalen brunson with 44 pts, 9 ast, 5 reb, 5 stl with 3:50 left in the game. first knock with 40 pts, 5 ast, 5 stl since walt frazier in 1973.

and as im typing this he hits another three. 8/8 from downtown tonight, 16/22 overall. 

[Dutchrudder 11243]

7 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

jalen brunson with 44 pts, 9 ast, 5 reb, 5 stl with 3:50 left in the game. first knock with 40 pts, 5 ast, 5 stl since walt frazier in 1973.

and as im typing this he hits another three. 8/8 from downtown tonight, 16/22 overall. 

Too bad Dallas let him go and then traded for Kyrie instead.  What a fuck up that was. 

[Fastbreak 4049]

The Sixers played 15 guys against the pistons with 12 of them getting 10+ minutes. Even Mo Bamba got 9 minutes.

[Aqua Buddha 14806]

This wasn't supposed to be a tank season for the Pistons, either.  (That was last year.)  This is Cade's 3rd year with them.  What do they do with him at this point?  Does he even want to be there going forward?  If they want to blow it up (again), they could get a lot for him.

[Vic Mackey 47960]

Fuck him

[MNLonghornFUKM 8984]

Fuck him

Troy Murphy and Bob Sura were shit? Yea ok

[MNLonghornFUKM 8984]

Wow OKC beats Denver in Denver. Stole one, seemed like Denver was always in control

I believe it’s the first loss at home ever where MPJ/Murray/AG50 and joker all played.