2023-24 NBA (Playoffs!) Thread: Mavs - Boston it is (10 Viewers)

[CletiusMaximus]

Wemby is sitting out tonight. Not the first time I’ve bought tickets to see one player and got burned. I’m starting to think playing in Milwaukee is a popular load management night for opposing big men. Still looking forward to a night at the arena.

Same here. Was going to go to the game tonight. Passed after seeing Wemby was out.

Bummed out for y'all. That sucks.

We had a good time and the game was more interesting than maybe what it seemed from the box score. Giannis was sitting on 11-12-7 midway through the 3rd quarter when it became obvious he and the rest of the team were just playing to feed him assists to get the triple double. It didn't matter to the game because Dame and BobbyP were red hot and the Spurs never threatened. I've never seen Giannis play entirely pass-first and not even look to score. He finished with 11 points on 4 for 12 shooting from the field and 0-2 from 3. He may not have even taken a shot in the 4th qtr, - but ended up with 16 assists.

Spurs are dire of course, but the one thing I would say is that Collins looked better than I realized. Sochan brings nothing that I can see, especially for a lottery guy. It was good to see Mamukelashvili is still ballin - a former Buck, but I had no idea where he was playing these days.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Wemby is sitting out tonight. Not the first time I’ve bought tickets to see one player and got burned. I’m starting to think playing in Milwaukee is a popular load management night for opposing big men. Still looking forward to a night at the arena.

Same here. Was going to go to the game tonight. Passed after seeing Wemby was out.

Bummed out for y'all. That sucks.

We had a good time and the game was more interesting than maybe what it seemed from the box score. Giannis was sitting on 11-12-7 midway through the 3rd quarter when it became obvious he and the rest of the team were just playing to feed him assists to get the triple double. It didn't matter to the game because Dame and BobbyP were red hot and the Spurs never threatened. I've never seen Giannis play entirely pass-first and not even look to score. He finished with 11 points on 4 for 12 shooting from the field and 0-2 from 3. He may not have even taken a shot in the 4th qtr, - but ended up with 16 assists.

Spurs are dire of course, but the one thing I would say is that Collins looked better than I realized. Sochan brings nothing that I can see, especially for a lottery guy. It was good to see Mamukelashvili is still ballin - a former Buck, but I had no idea where he was playing these days.

Stat chasing? really?

 

[General Malaise]

Wemby is sitting out tonight. Not the first time I’ve bought tickets to see one player and got burned. I’m starting to think playing in Milwaukee is a popular load management night for opposing big men. Still looking forward to a night at the arena.

Same here. Was going to go to the game tonight. Passed after seeing Wemby was out.

Bummed out for y'all. That sucks.

We had a good time and the game was more interesting than maybe what it seemed from the box score. Giannis was sitting on 11-12-7 midway through the 3rd quarter when it became obvious he and the rest of the team were just playing to feed him assists to get the triple double. It didn't matter to the game because Dame and BobbyP were red hot and the Spurs never threatened. I've never seen Giannis play entirely pass-first and not even look to score. He finished with 11 points on 4 for 12 shooting from the field and 0-2 from 3. He may not have even taken a shot in the 4th qtr, - but ended up with 16 assists.

Spurs are dire of course, but the one thing I would say is that Collins looked better than I realized. Sochan brings nothing that I can see, especially for a lottery guy. It was good to see Mamukelashvili is still ballin - a former Buck, but I had no idea where he was playing these days.

Stat chasing? really?

In the NBA? In this economy?

 

[Eephus]

Sochan brings nothing that I can see, especially for a lottery guy.

I like the idea of Pop trying Sochan as a PG instead of a poor shooting wing. Don't know if it's going to work out though.

 

[Frostillicus]

The refs in this Wolves/76ers game have apparently decided that this game should be no fun to watch. They're calling everything (both sides).

 

[Frostillicus]

Embiid's ability to draw fouls is other-worldly It also sucks to watch and makes me extra unlikable, but he is extraordinary.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Embiid's ability to draw fouls is other-worldly It also sucks to watch and makes me extra unlikable, but he is extraordinary.

The wolves announcers are not too happy about it, especially since Ant doesn’t get the same calls

 

[Frostillicus]

Embiid's ability to draw fouls is other-worldly It also sucks to watch and makes me extra unlikable, but he is extraordinary.

The wolves announcers are not too happy about it, especially since Ant doesn’t get the same calls

They are not. And I do believe both Ant and KAT don't get a good whistle, but that's how it works.

That being said, Embiid is truly awesome. Free throws aside (and he's 16-16) he's 15-23 shooting and I don't know if he's had more than 1 or 2 dunks/layups. He's hitting all his mid-range jumpers with big guys in his face. He's pretty good.

 

[bushdocda]

Good win for the Sixers. Strange to put those words together in a sentence.

 

[jvdesigns2002]

Feels weird to say this—but it seems as though the Clippers may have figured things out with the addition of Harden. They lost their first 5 games with Harden and have went 14-3 since then.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Bulls were 5-14 before LaVine went out. 7-3 since including wins against the Bucks, Pelicans, Heat, 76ers and, now, Lakers. Schedule eases up now. If the Bulls can't trade LaVine, it's going to be awkward bringing him back to the lineup.

 

[Deamon]

It also sucks to watch and makes me extra unlikable

Don't be so hard on yourself. I think you're quite likable.

 

[Instinctive]

Tough loss for Dallas against LAC last night. Very winnable game they should have had, and I think with Lively they win it. Team is desperate for a second big. If Atlanta is still gonna move Capela, and his value has fallen as much as it seems, I'm ready to give up on Josh Green as a good fit in Dallas (though he's been out too).

This is yet another reason I hate the Kyrie Irving trade so much. Imagine if Dinwiddie and DFS had still been on the team this summer...would there have been a way to get in on Ayton? Dallas would absolutely, IMO, be in a better spot with trying to use Dinwiddie's salary plus the picks used for Kyrie to get a middle of the road big guy and still have DFS n the wing. I think every other move Nico has made since coming in post Brunson ****-up has been an awesome string of wins, but man i would not have made that trade (purely on the basketball - not even accounting for the future potential Kyrie implosion chance).

They've been lined to Stewart in DET (meh). Gafford. Claxton. Capela. Seems like the window has passed on Myles Turner's eternal availability. Poeltl in Toronto, Masai impossible to deal with.

 

[nysfl2]

Tough loss for Dallas against LAC last night. Very winnable game they should have had, and I think with Lively they win it. Team is desperate for a second big. If Atlanta is still gonna move Capela, and his value has fallen as much as it seems, I'm ready to give up on Josh Green as a good fit in Dallas (though he's been out too).

This is yet another reason I hate the Kyrie Irving trade so much. Imagine if Dinwiddie and DFS had still been on the team this summer...would there have been a way to get in on Ayton? Dallas would absolutely, IMO, be in a better spot with trying to use Dinwiddie's salary plus the picks used for Kyrie to get a middle of the road big guy and still have DFS n the wing. I think every other move Nico has made since coming in post Brunson ****-up has been an awesome string of wins, but man i would not have made that trade (purely on the basketball - not even accounting for the future potential Kyrie implosion chance).

They've been lined to Stewart in DET (meh). Gafford. Claxton. Capela. Seems like the window has passed on Myles Turner's eternal availability. Poeltl in Toronto, Masai impossible to deal with.

Can I interest you in some James Wiseman?

 

[Instinctive]

Tough loss for Dallas against LAC last night. Very winnable game they should have had, and I think with Lively they win it. Team is desperate for a second big. If Atlanta is still gonna move Capela, and his value has fallen as much as it seems, I'm ready to give up on Josh Green as a good fit in Dallas (though he's been out too).

This is yet another reason I hate the Kyrie Irving trade so much. Imagine if Dinwiddie and DFS had still been on the team this summer...would there have been a way to get in on Ayton? Dallas would absolutely, IMO, be in a better spot with trying to use Dinwiddie's salary plus the picks used for Kyrie to get a middle of the road big guy and still have DFS n the wing. I think every other move Nico has made since coming in post Brunson ****-up has been an awesome string of wins, but man i would not have made that trade (purely on the basketball - not even accounting for the future potential Kyrie implosion chance).

They've been lined to Stewart in DET (meh). Gafford. Claxton. Capela. Seems like the window has passed on Myles Turner's eternal availability. Poeltl in Toronto, Masai impossible to deal with.

Can I interest you in some James Wiseman?

I laugh but...at this point as a cheap flier, sure. He doesn't seem to have the discipline or motor to be a good bet though. Or to be good protecting the rim.

 

[Jayrod]

They've been lined to Stewart in DET (meh). Gafford. Claxton. Capela. Seems like the window has passed on Myles Turner's eternal availability. Poeltl in Toronto, Masai impossible to deal with.

I'm pretty high on Claxton. He is playing like prime Capela.

 

[massraider]

The final three years of Zion Williamson's deal are no longer guaranteed after he played in only 29 games last year, writes @MikeVorkunov.

Williamson signed a five-year, $197M extension last July, but the Pelicans negotiated hedges tied to his health and conditioning

https://twitter.com/TheAthletic/status/1737849656686924199?t=ksknAFr4GiXkNf_YbyeuiQ&s=19

 

[nysfl2]

Tough loss for Dallas against LAC last night. Very winnable game they should have had, and I think with Lively they win it. Team is desperate for a second big. If Atlanta is still gonna move Capela, and his value has fallen as much as it seems, I'm ready to give up on Josh Green as a good fit in Dallas (though he's been out too).

This is yet another reason I hate the Kyrie Irving trade so much. Imagine if Dinwiddie and DFS had still been on the team this summer...would there have been a way to get in on Ayton? Dallas would absolutely, IMO, be in a better spot with trying to use Dinwiddie's salary plus the picks used for Kyrie to get a middle of the road big guy and still have DFS n the wing. I think every other move Nico has made since coming in post Brunson ****-up has been an awesome string of wins, but man i would not have made that trade (purely on the basketball - not even accounting for the future potential Kyrie implosion chance).

They've been lined to Stewart in DET (meh). Gafford. Claxton. Capela. Seems like the window has passed on Myles Turner's eternal availability. Poeltl in Toronto, Masai impossible to deal with.

Can I interest you in some James Wiseman?

I laugh but...at this point as a cheap flier, sure. He doesn't seem to have the discipline or motor to be a good bet though. Or to be good protecting the rim.

Mostly true, although his attitude and motor are fine. He genuinely seems to be a good dude. He's just not all that good at basketball.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

The final three years of Zion Williamson's deal are no longer guaranteed after he played in only 29 games last year, writes @MikeVorkunov.

Williamson signed a five-year, $197M extension last July, but the Pelicans negotiated hedges tied to his health and conditioning

https://twitter.com/TheAthletic/status/1737849656686924199?t=ksknAFr4GiXkNf_YbyeuiQ&s=19

Complexities of the deal:

Beyond the shift for the final three years of the deal, Williamson is at risk of losing even more in guarantees if he doesn’t hit certain marks during regular checks of his weight and body fat. Under the contract, the sum of Williamson’s weight in pounds and his body fat percentage must be less than 295. He was listed as weighing 285 pounds last season, meaning his body fat could not be higher than 10 percent.

The Pelicans also have protected themselves in case Williamson has any further significant issues with the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. If he suffers a fracture or a stress injury to that bone or the healed callus, or has what the contract calls a “hardware failure” related to the previous injury there, then half of his base salary for 2024-25 would no longer be guaranteed if the team released him.

Four executives from other NBA teams, who spoke on condition of anonymity so they could discuss Williamson’s arrangement, said it was unlikely that the Pelicans would waive him unless the situation grew significantly worse. The contract terms give the team flexibility and a safety net, however, and could make it easier to trade Williamson because potential partners would have escape hatches that could lower the risk of adding his salary to their ledger.

There are also avenues for Williamson to have portions of, or even his entire salary, become guaranteed again. Twenty percent of his salary for the 2025-26 season will become guaranteed if he passes all six of his weigh-in checkpoints during the 2024-25 season, another 40 percent if he plays in at least 41 games in 2024-25 and an additional 20 percent if he plays in at least 51. The final 20 percent gets re-guaranteed if he plays in at least 61 games. He can re-guarantee portions of his salary for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons as well by hitting those same milestones in the seasons before.

There are also a number of vesting dates in the deal that tie the team and the player together.

Williamson’s contract for the 2024-25 season becomes completely guaranteed as long as the Pelicans don’t waive him on or before Jan. 7 of that season. His 2025-26 salary is 100 percent protected as long as he’s not waived on or before July 15, 2025. His 2026-27 compensation is 100 percent protected as long as he’s not waived on or before July 15, 2026. And the final season’s salary becomes 100 percent guaranteed as long as Williamson is not waived on or before July 15, 2027.

 

[Kev4029]

The final three years of Zion Williamson's deal are no longer guaranteed after he played in only 29 games last year, writes @MikeVorkunov.

Williamson signed a five-year, $197M extension last July, but the Pelicans negotiated hedges tied to his health and conditioning

https://twitter.com/TheAthletic/status/1737849656686924199?t=ksknAFr4GiXkNf_YbyeuiQ&s=19

Complexities of the deal:

Beyond the shift for the final three years of the deal, Williamson is at risk of losing even more in guarantees if he doesn’t hit certain marks during regular checks of his weight and body fat. Under the contract, the sum of Williamson’s weight in pounds and his body fat percentage must be less than 295. He was listed as weighing 285 pounds last season, meaning his body fat could not be higher than 10 percent.

The Pelicans also have protected themselves in case Williamson has any further significant issues with the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. If he suffers a fracture or a stress injury to that bone or the healed callus, or has what the contract calls a “hardware failure” related to the previous injury there, then half of his base salary for 2024-25 would no longer be guaranteed if the team released him.

Four executives from other NBA teams, who spoke on condition of anonymity so they could discuss Williamson’s arrangement, said it was unlikely that the Pelicans would waive him unless the situation grew significantly worse. The contract terms give the team flexibility and a safety net, however, and could make it easier to trade Williamson because potential partners would have escape hatches that could lower the risk of adding his salary to their ledger.

There are also avenues for Williamson to have portions of, or even his entire salary, become guaranteed again. Twenty percent of his salary for the 2025-26 season will become guaranteed if he passes all six of his weigh-in checkpoints during the 2024-25 season, another 40 percent if he plays in at least 41 games in 2024-25 and an additional 20 percent if he plays in at least 51. The final 20 percent gets re-guaranteed if he plays in at least 61 games. He can re-guarantee portions of his salary for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons as well by hitting those same milestones in the seasons before.

There are also a number of vesting dates in the deal that tie the team and the player together.

Williamson’s contract for the 2024-25 season becomes completely guaranteed as long as the Pelicans don’t waive him on or before Jan. 7 of that season. His 2025-26 salary is 100 percent protected as long as he’s not waived on or before July 15, 2025. His 2026-27 compensation is 100 percent protected as long as he’s not waived on or before July 15, 2026. And the final season’s salary becomes 100 percent guaranteed as long as Williamson is not waived on or before July 15, 2027.

They had way more protections on that deal than I would have thought possible. Good on them. I would still be surprised to see him not get all five seasons, but their ability to waive him that late and have it off their books every offseason is kind of nuts.

 

[jvdesigns2002]

Tough loss for Dallas against LAC last night. Very winnable game they should have had, and I think with Lively they win it. Team is desperate for a second big. If Atlanta is still gonna move Capela, and his value has fallen as much as it seems, I'm ready to give up on Josh Green as a good fit in Dallas (though he's been out too).

This is yet another reason I hate the Kyrie Irving trade so much. Imagine if Dinwiddie and DFS had still been on the team this summer...would there have been a way to get in on Ayton? Dallas would absolutely, IMO, be in a better spot with trying to use Dinwiddie's salary plus the picks used for Kyrie to get a middle of the road big guy and still have DFS n the wing. I think every other move Nico has made since coming in post Brunson ****-up has been an awesome string of wins, but man i would not have made that trade (purely on the basketball - not even accounting for the future potential Kyrie implosion chance).

They've been lined to Stewart in DET (meh). Gafford. Claxton. Capela. Seems like the window has passed on Myles Turner's eternal availability. Poeltl in Toronto, Masai impossible to deal with.

Why would have Clint Capela’s value dropped? He’s under 30 years old, averaging 13 and 11 on nearly 60% from the field in less than 26 minutes per game. Not only that- the Knicks losing Mitchell Robinson strengthens the sellers market for centers. Lastly- with Philly, Denver, the T-wolves all looking like contenders with solid big men- I dont think that the market for defensively capable big men has fallen as much as you think it has.

 

[Jayrod]

Tough loss for Dallas against LAC last night. Very winnable game they should have had, and I think with Lively they win it. Team is desperate for a second big. If Atlanta is still gonna move Capela, and his value has fallen as much as it seems, I'm ready to give up on Josh Green as a good fit in Dallas (though he's been out too).

Why would have Clint Capela’s value dropped? He’s under 30 years old, averaging 13 and 11 on nearly 60% from the field in less than 26 minutes per game.

I was curious as there was a time when I thought of him as a pretty good center, but not so much lately, so looked him up on basketball-reference.

He is actually in his 10th NBA season (started at age 20) and his minutes have been reduced every year since 2018-19. Of course his per game numbers have dropped as a result, but his per-36 numbers and advanced stats have been pretty consistent over that time.

That said, one trend that stood out is that his defensive ratings have been getting higher (low 101, currently 116). His offensive rating has stayed pretty strong though (currently 136).

 

[trader jake]

Embiid's ability to draw fouls is other-worldly It also sucks to watch and makes me extra unlikable, but he is extraordinary.

Constantly flopping gets old. Especially come playoff time. Just ask Hardin.

 

[Kev4029]

Embiid's ability to draw fouls is other-worldly It also sucks to watch and makes me extra unlikable, but he is extraordinary.

Constantly flopping gets old. Especially come playoff time. Just ask Hardin.

And that also seems to be how he gets hurt a lot of the time.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Tonight Detroit plays at home against Utah who is missing Clarkson, Markkanen, Keyonte George and Horton-Tucker.

Tonight's the night
Tonight's the night
Tonight's the night

 

[Jayrod]

I've never yelled at the TV as much in the last 10 years as when the Celtics play the Sixers and Embiid gets foul calls every 30 seconds.

He stumbles, bulldozes into defenders and flails and gets call after call after call. It is unwatchable drivel and he didn't deserve the MVP last season.

 

[nysfl2]

Tonight Detroit plays at home against Utah who is missing Clarkson, Markkanen, Keyonte George and Horton-Tucker.

Tonight's the night
Tonight's the night
Tonight's the night

Utah by 20

 

[Capella]

Tonight Detroit plays at home against Utah who is missing Clarkson, Markkanen, Keyonte George and Horton-Tucker.

Tonight's the night
Tonight's the night
Tonight's the night

Detroit favorited by 2.5. Thinking of taking Utah here lol.

 

[Spartans Rule]

Tonight Detroit plays at home against Utah who is missing Clarkson, Markkanen, Keyonte George and Horton-Tucker.

Tonight's the night
Tonight's the night
Tonight's the night

Detroit favorited by 2.5. Thinking of taking Utah here lol.

Just looked up the line thinking the Pistons would still be a small dog and a fun bet for tonight. No way I'm putting money on a 2-25 team as the favorite.

 

[Capella]

Tonight Detroit plays at home against Utah who is missing Clarkson, Markkanen, Keyonte George and Horton-Tucker.

Tonight's the night
Tonight's the night
Tonight's the night

Detroit favorited by 2.5. Thinking of taking Utah here lol.

Just looked up the line thinking the Pistons would still be a small dog and a fun bet for tonight. No way I'm putting money on a 2-25 team as the favorite.

Utah seems to suck though. All best players out. On a back to back too. If Detroit doesn’t win this one when will they ever?

 

[scoobus]

Stupid Utah, basically cheating.

 

[UncleZen]

Every time I see the thread title, I think "I didn't know Goose played basketball!"

 

[Anarchy99]

Every time I see the thread title, I think "I didn't know Goose played basketball!"

Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!!!

 

[Major]

Feels weird to say this—but it seems as though the Clippers may have figured things out with the addition of Harden. They lost their first 5 games with Harden and have went 14-3 since then.

Not too surprising with all the talent there. I'm just looking forward to the inevitable post season collapse with Harden and Playoff P joining forces

 

[whoknew]

Pistons looking good tonight. Win this one, break the streak. String a couple more together. They could be right back in the play-in hunt in no time!

#Ibelieve

 

[Juxtatarot]

Why doesn't Walker Kessler start?

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Why doesn't Walker Kessler start?

I was just trying to figure out if he was injured a few minutes ago. I assume that hardy just really prefers to juice the offense with olynyk

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I guess he starts about half the time. Against a team like Detroit with all these bigs, playing a 5 out to start is probably more effective

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Adam Silver might want to send some Colangelos into Detroit to fix the pistons

 

[Capella]

Maybe next time Pistons (probably not)

 

[scoobus]

Phew!

 

[Kev4029]

Soooo remember when Detroit was 2-1 and looked like they might be on the upswing. It makes no sense they are this bad. They have nearly a full roster of NBA talent.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Soooo remember when Detroit was 2-1 and looked like they might be on the upswing. It makes no sense they are this bad. They have nearly a full roster of NBA talent.

2 words: Stephen Silas

 

[Spartans Rule]

Soooo remember when Detroit was 2-1 and looked like they might be on the upswing. It makes no sense they are this bad. They have nearly a full roster of NBA talent.

They have prospects, not players. Top 5 Pistons in minutes played are all 22 or younger. Nobody in their prime on the roster.

You can look at a lot of their guys as assets and think man, he could be really good if he can improve his shot. But they have nobody who's actually good now and can shoot now.

 

[Bluesbomber]

Liking the energy of a semi mature Coby White...go Bulls...

 

[Anarchy99]

Bulls go into Miami and win.

Coby White's playing at an All Star level right now. Bulls so much more fun to watch w/o Zach Iso-vine. Ball movement and defense Big game for Ayo tonight

Bulls 5-2 since Lavine was erased from the lineup.

Suddenly Coby has the highest trade value on the team.

Yep. He's a bargain in what I believe is his first year of new deal. He's playing at an extremely high level right now. He likely won't be but he should be an All Star if they just keep Lavine TF out.

Nice win by the Bulls in Philly. They've had a tough schedule and nice wins since Lavine's been out.

No chance. There are at least 6 more deserving point guards

Haliburton, Dame, Mitchell, Maxey, Brunson, Derrick White, Trae

People can laugh at Derrick White as an All-Star candidate, but as of today, out of all the Eastern Conference guards, he ranks 2nd in net ranking, 3rd in Box +/-, 4th in VORP, and 4th in win shares. He leads the Celtics in all of those categories.

 

[modogg]

Embiid's ability to draw fouls is other-worldly It also sucks to watch and makes me extra unlikable, but he is extraordinary.

Constantly flopping gets old. Especially come playoff time. Just ask Hardin.

And that also seems to be how he gets hurt a lot of the time.

he isn't flopping. this started back in his second season, they had specialists come in and show him how best to land so that he wouldn't hurt himself. I don't feel like looking the articles up, but it has been documented a bit.

 

[the moops]

Embiid's ability to draw fouls is other-worldly It also sucks to watch and makes me extra unlikable, but he is extraordinary.

Constantly flopping gets old. Especially come playoff time. Just ask Hardin.

And that also seems to be how he gets hurt a lot of the time.

he isn't flopping. this started back in his second season, they had specialists come in and show him how best to land so that he wouldn't hurt himself. I don't feel like looking the articles up, but it has been documented a bit.

I mean he definitely flops. A lot of guys do. But I agree that many times (sometimes?) guys are falling in a way to avoid landing awkwardly on someones foot

 

[Jayrod]

Embiid's ability to draw fouls is other-worldly It also sucks to watch and makes me extra unlikable, but he is extraordinary.

Constantly flopping gets old. Especially come playoff time. Just ask Hardin.

And that also seems to be how he gets hurt a lot of the time.

he isn't flopping. this started back in his second season, they had specialists come in and show him how best to land so that he wouldn't hurt himself. I don't feel like looking the articles up, but it has been documented a bit.

I think it is both.

The throwing the arms out every time someone touches him on a shot is definitely flopping/flailing to get calls.

When he lands and goes down, that is an intentional thing to avoid injuries.

Still, he gets more phantom "what did the defender do wrong?" calls than anyone in the NBA and it isn't close.

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

Pretty much dominated the best team in the West last night. The difference? Zion wasn't playing like he was scared like he was against Lebron in the tourney semi. Watched back some of the gameplay of that tourney game and Zion was not playing the same style as he has the rest of the games this season. IDK if it was just the playoff moment too big for him, intimidated against Lebron, or what exactly, but it was clear he was playing timidly. Hopefully he learns from that for the next big moment game. And Stephen A. still saying Zion is fat apparently? I know all that won't go away until he plays a full season tho.

When do you think Nola gives up and finally decide to trade him? pretty sure the wheels are in motion behind the scenes so they can extract some value. So much potential but doesn't seem to care enough to improve his game and/or stay in shape.

I don't think it's a big coincidence news of the Pellies being able to get out of the deal coincides with his level of play/fitness.

He's definitely carrying extra weight that is impacting his explosiveness. He can still bully his way to the hoop when he wants but you can see the old explosion off the floor isn't there when trying to finish or rebound (which he's doing at a very low level currently)

Potentially great player that's been more of a good one this season. Just not the consistent difference maker on the rare occasions he's been healthy in the past.

Go watch Julius Randle right now and then watch Zion and you realize how much more of an impact an shape Randle is having on games compared to an overweight Zion. And I don't think it's going out on a limb saying that most view Zion as the superior talent. Maybe Zion works off the extra pounds as the year goes on. However no one will give him the benefit of the doubt at this point.

I like the Pellies roster on the whole. I even thought at one point they can/could be a contender in the West. Unless Zion cuts the weight, I don't see it at all. He's not rebounding and I think they'll struggle to keep both him and Jonas on the floor together at the same time come playoffs (assuming NO makes it) unless his fitness level improves. In a bigger basketball market, it'd be a bigger story.