2024-25 NBA Thread: “you’ll never let me down like the team does” sad Heat fan says to giant pile of cocaine (38 Viewers)

[Major]

Bronny is not going to be on the Olympic team folks. Settle down

It's funny to think about though. First G-Leaguer to make the US Olympic team!!!

 

[Anarchy99]

Hopefully it backfires and Boston just uses it as motivation to run roughshod through the league next season.

I have seen / read / heard reports from neutral parties that think this will motivate the Jays (and even White . . . who didn't see the court in the gold medal game) to go roughshod over the association again to go back-to-back. Motivation has nothing to do with health, but if BOS stays healthy, I think they have a legit shot at doubling up.

In other news, the in-season tournament apparently has a new name . . . The NBA Cup. The Celtics face ATL, CLE, WAS, and CHI in their group.

 

[Capella]

So my Olympic basketball hot take is this: Kerr & Spo had a secondary goal of messing with the Celtics chemistry and with how they chose to distribute the minutes and by keeping Brown off the team.

Hopefully it backfires and Boston just uses it as motivation to run roughshod through the league next season.

There is no real basketball explanation for Kerr not playing Tatum more.

I've never liked Kerr much and think he is kind of a dooshnogle anyway so maybe that + being a C's fan is clouding my judgement but how Tatum goes from a key piece in 2020 to barely getting minutes right AFTER winning a title as the best player on his team and earning a 3rd straight all-NBA is pretty baffling. He can play the 3 or 4 and even the 2, so having the "couldn't play him over LeBron or Durant" argument is ridiculous.

Getting 2 DNP's in the Olympics was straight BS. I really like Curry's game, but the combo of Draymond and Kerr has me smiling at the thought of the Warriors being irrelevant.

Boston fans finding out in real time that Tatum isn’t the player they think he is, and then having to cope with it is so funny.

 

[identikit]

The anti-Celtics strategy conspiracy is my new favorite



What is the motivator for fans is rarely motivation for the players, imo

 

[Instinctive]

Hopefully it backfires and Boston just uses it as motivation to run roughshod through the league next season.

I have seen / read / heard reports from neutral parties that think this will motivate the Jays (and even White . . . who didn't see the court in the gold medal game) to go roughshod over the association again to go back-to-back. Motivation has nothing to do with health, but if BOS stays healthy, I think they have a legit shot at doubling up.

In other news, the in-season tournament apparently has a new name . . . The NBA Cup. The Celtics face ATL, CLE, WAS, and CHI in their group.

I thought it was the Emirates NBA Cup

 

[Anarchy99]

Hopefully it backfires and Boston just uses it as motivation to run roughshod through the league next season.

I have seen / read / heard reports from neutral parties that think this will motivate the Jays (and even White . . . who didn't see the court in the gold medal game) to go roughshod over the association again to go back-to-back. Motivation has nothing to do with health, but if BOS stays healthy, I think they have a legit shot at doubling up.

In other news, the in-season tournament apparently has a new name . . . The NBA Cup. The Celtics face ATL, CLE, WAS, and CHI in their group.

I thought it was the Emirates NBA Cup

Yes, that's accurate. The email the Celtics emailed me didn't include the Emirates part.

 

[Gr00vus]

Booker's D was a revelation to me, dude busted *** out there.

I loved what Bam and Anthony Davis gave the team too. Didn't run any plays for them, they just did all the dirty work. It was great watching the other teams' guards come off their pick and roll with the ball, seeing their faces when they looked up and realized Bam or AD were there to smother them.

 

[Jayrod]

So my Olympic basketball hot take is this: Kerr & Spo had a secondary goal of messing with the Celtics chemistry and with how they chose to distribute the minutes and by keeping Brown off the team.

Hopefully it backfires and Boston just uses it as motivation to run roughshod through the league next season.

There is no real basketball explanation for Kerr not playing Tatum more.

I've never liked Kerr much and think he is kind of a dooshnogle anyway so maybe that + being a C's fan is clouding my judgement but how Tatum goes from a key piece in 2020 to barely getting minutes right AFTER winning a title as the best player on his team and earning a 3rd straight all-NBA is pretty baffling. He can play the 3 or 4 and even the 2, so having the "couldn't play him over LeBron or Durant" argument is ridiculous.

Getting 2 DNP's in the Olympics was straight BS. I really like Curry's game, but the combo of Draymond and Kerr has me smiling at the thought of the Warriors being irrelevant.

Boston fans finding out in real time that Tatum isn’t the player they think he is, and then having to cope with it is so funny.

Guy not being likeable is not the same as not being good at basketball.

If I'm ranking my favorite current Celtics he's like #9.

He's the best player on Boston, he's a top 10 player in the world, he's a been better all around player for the past 3 years than ANT, Bam, Jrue, Booker and DWhite and those aren't even debatable....but he's not good enough to play against the likes of Yabusele/Batum or Bogdan/Jovic?

Now, who's having to cope?

I can't wait until they win back to back now. Screw all the haters.

 

[Jayrod]

Booker's D was a revelation to me, dude busted *** out there.

Yet he can't win in the playoffs with KD?

 

[Gr00vus]

Booker's D was a revelation to me, dude busted *** out there.

Yet he can't win in the playoffs with KD?

Welcome to the NBA. 82 games + however many 7 game series with the Suns != a three week tourney of 40 minute games on a team full of all superstars and Derek White.

 

[Capella]

Guy not being likeable is not the same as not being good at basketball.

Nobody said he’s not good at basketball. He’s a top 10-15 player in the world. But that’s not not good enough to crack the US rotation.

better all around player for the past 3 years than ANT, Bam, Jrue, Booker and DWhite

He’s not better than Ant or Booker, a lot of us knew that and that was decided the last two weeks. He’s certainly not better than LBJ and KD and they absorbed a lot of those wing minutes.

He’s better than White but you could argue the Celtics didn’t really take off until they got Jrue. I’d still say Tatum is better than him but not for what team USA needed.

 

[Anarchy99]

Booker's D was a revelation to me, dude busted *** out there.

Yet he can't win in the playoffs with KD?

Welcome to the NBA. 82 games + however many 7 game series with the Suns != a three week tourney of 40 minute games on a team full of all superstars and Derek White.

Derrick has won every NBA championship since shaving his head, as well as earning a second team All Defense nod and a gold medal. Unless your first name is Jrue, no one else can make that claim this year,

 

[Anarchy99]

He’s better than White but you could argue the Celtics didn’t really take off until they got Jrue.

A different way of phrasing this is the Celtics didn't take off until they moved away from Smart. IMO, the Holiday / White pairing is probably the biggest thing that turned things around for them.

 

[Instinctive]

Guy not being likeable is not the same as not being good at basketball.

Nobody said he’s not good at basketball. He’s a top 10-15 player in the world. But that’s not not good enough to crack the US rotation.

better all around player for the past 3 years than ANT, Bam, Jrue, Booker and DWhite

He’s not better than Ant or Booker, a lot of us knew that and that was decided the last two weeks. He’s certainly not better than LBJ and KD and they absorbed a lot of those wing minutes.

He’s better than White but you could argue the Celtics didn’t really take off until they got Jrue. I’d still say Tatum is better than him but not for what team USA needed.

I actually totally disagree that he's not better than Ant or Booker. He's better than both. Were I starting an NBA team tomorrow, I'd take him over both.

But he's not a better shooter and he's not a better big man or wing fit for Team USA in crunch time than LeBron, Bam, AD, or Durant. He wasn't competing for playing time with White or Booker or Jrue or Ant when it mattered (he was somewhat in opening quarters/exhibitions and such I suppose). He was competing for playing time with LeBron and KD and Bam and AD. He's not as good a fit with LeBron as AD or Bam (or Embiid) and nobody thinks he's better in this format than KD.

At the end of the day, when it mattered, we went to LeBron/Steph/KD with one of AD/Bam/Embiid. If you think another PF/SF is the right 5th guy there, I guess you have a complaint. I would WAY rather have Booker, especially if he's gonna defend his butt off.

Personally, when KD sat, I think Tatum shoulda got in there. But subs for Steph or Booker rightfully needed to be some combos of Ant, Jrue, White. I think the LeBron subs made more sense often as those same guys, but I like Tatum there too if I'm quibbling.

 

[Jayrod]

He fit in better than a full blown DNP and everyone that says otherwise is lying or a hater.

If Kerr had just played him limited minutes every game there would be minimal noise, but 2 games with ZERO? Nah, that's just ignorant, petty and showed his hand to the world.

MJ, Duncan/Pop and now Steph have made him look greater than he is for decades now. Kerr is a fraud.

 

[Jayrod]

Guy not being likeable is not the same as not being good at basketball.

Nobody said he’s not good at basketball. He’s a top 10-15 player in the world. But that’s not not good enough to crack the US rotation.

better all around player for the past 3 years than ANT, Bam, Jrue, Booker and DWhite

He’s not better than Ant or Booker, a lot of us knew that and that was decided the last two weeks. He’s certainly not better than LBJ and KD and they absorbed a lot of those wing minutes.

He’s better than White but you could argue the Celtics didn’t really take off until they got Jrue. I’d still say Tatum is better than him but not for what team USA needed.

He is obviously statistically better than ANT and Booker in every advanced metric that exists in the NBA in both regular season and the playoffs. Both of those guys have had massive playoff joke jobs in the playoffs the last few years.

Celtics aren't NBA champs without Tatum. Dude finally has arrived and NOW he's not good enough to take the floor?

Oh, OK, no agenda there, Steve.

 

[Jayrod]

And before everyone is all "FIBA is different" or "he wasn't a good fit", ALL of the top players in the Olympics play in the NBA. All of them.

 

[scoobus]

Lol.

 

[Capella]

I actually totally disagree that he's not better than Ant or Booker. He's better than both. Were I starting an NBA team tomorrow, I'd take him over both.

Steve Kerr and Grant Hill just started a team and both of them decided they wouldn’t in fact take him over them.

 

[scoobus]

Tatum didn't make a single jump shot the entire tournament. Now that's impressive.

 

[identikit]

Tatum didn't make a single jump shot the entire tournament. Now that's impressive.

That's Ben Simmonsesque

 

[Moe.]

We’ve had some truly unhinged takes in these threads over the years, this one here is an all-timer. Well done

 

[Capella]

We’ve had some truly unhinged takes in these threads over the years, this one here is an all-timer. Well done

I’m sorry a coach with 9 nba rings and an Olympic medal or whatever they give the coaches agrees with me. He even called Booker the quiet mvp.

You think you put Booker on that Celtics team and take Tatum off and they’re worse? Tatum has had a lifetime of excellent teams.

 

[Moe.]

I’m talking about Jayrod thinking Tatum’s lack of playing time had something to do with the Celtics.

 

[Gr00vus]

I’m talking about Jayrod thinking Tatum’s lack of playing time had something to do with the Celtics.

Yeah, Cappy replied to the wrong OU supporter, he meant to get back to Instinctive I think.

 

[Instinctive]

I’m talking about Jayrod thinking Tatum’s lack of playing time had something to do with the Celtics.

Yeah, Cappy replied to the wrong OU supporter, he meant to get back to Instinctive I think.

Which still doesn't make sense because I also 90% agree with him - and 100% agree that Jayrod's take falls in the unhinged category.

But I do not for a moment think Booker is better than Tatum. Booker was a better fit for Team USA by a lot. But if you took away LeBron and KD, Tatum becomes absolutely vital.

I won't stand for anyone talking about Booker as a top 10 NBA player. That's about as unhinged as Jayrod's being about Tatum. Booker is a whiny ***** and a massive frontrunner who crumbles in the spotlight. He's an AMAZING role player, which is what he got to do surrounded by superior talent every single moment of Team USA.

 

[Instinctive]

I actually totally disagree that he's not better than Ant or Booker. He's better than both. Were I starting an NBA team tomorrow, I'd take him over both.

Steve Kerr and Grant Hill just started a team and both of them decided they wouldn’t in fact take him over them.

Did they though?

Sorry, shouldn't have stepped into a take battle with actual basketball analysis.

 

[Anarchy99]

Steph with a corner three.

‏‏٢٫٣ مليون‏ مشاهدة‏ · ‏‏٣١ ألف‏ تفاعل‏ | Nah! This right here is absolutely insane c'mon, Steph Curry is an alien. Dude is the best shooter in basketball history. Mastery at its best. 🏀🔥👏 💯🎯‼️ | By ‏‎Njiah Derrick ‎‏Facebook

Nah! This right here is absolutely insane c'mon, Steph Curry is an alien. Dude is the best shooter in basketball history. Mastery at its best. 🏀🔥👏 💯🎯‼️

www.facebook.com

 

[Jayrod]

.

You think you put Booker on that Celtics team and take Tatum off and they’re worse? Tatum has had a lifetime of excellent teams.

Absolutely they are worse with Booker. Did you watch any NBA games this year?

 

[Jayrod]

I’m talking about Jayrod thinking Tatum’s lack of playing time had something to do with the Celtics.

EXPLAIN IT THEN!!!!

Tatum didn't make a single jump shot the entire tournament. Now that's impressive.

What did he take 6 total? Like less than 2 per game in the 4 he actually played?

Peyton Pritchard missed his first like 15 shots in the Finals. Do you think he is a bad shooter? Guys getting pauper minutes struggle to score consistently. Shocking take.

 

[Jayrod]

I will die on the hill that Tatum is a better overall basketball player right now than Booker and ANT.

I'm being silly with the "Kerr did it it ruin the Celtics" conspiracy theory but I really do think Kerr has lived a charmed life basketball wise and if anyone's success is more about the team around him than his own abilities, it's Kerr.

 

[Instinctive]

I’m talking about Jayrod thinking Tatum’s lack of playing time had something to do with the Celtics.

EXPLAIN IT THEN!!!!

Tatum didn't make a single jump shot the entire tournament. Now that's impressive.

What did he take 6 total? Like less than 2 per game in the 4 he actually played?

Peyton Pritchard missed his first like 15 shots in the Finals. Do you think he is a bad shooter? Guys getting pauper minutes struggle to score consistently. Shocking take.

I explained it. Scroll up a third of the page.

 

[Jayrod]

I’m talking about Jayrod thinking Tatum’s lack of playing time had something to do with the Celtics.

EXPLAIN IT THEN!!!!

Tatum didn't make a single jump shot the entire tournament. Now that's impressive.

What did he take 6 total? Like less than 2 per game in the 4 he actually played?

Peyton Pritchard missed his first like 15 shots in the Finals. Do you think he is a bad shooter? Guys getting pauper minutes struggle to score consistently. Shocking take.

I explained it. Scroll up a third of the page.

So you agree with me then. Kerr had some ulterior motive because ZERO minutes makes no basketball sense.

 

[Instinctive]

I’m talking about Jayrod thinking Tatum’s lack of playing time had something to do with the Celtics.

EXPLAIN IT THEN!!!!

Tatum didn't make a single jump shot the entire tournament. Now that's impressive.

What did he take 6 total? Like less than 2 per game in the 4 he actually played?

Peyton Pritchard missed his first like 15 shots in the Finals. Do you think he is a bad shooter? Guys getting pauper minutes struggle to score consistently. Shocking take.

I explained it. Scroll up a third of the page.

So you agree with me then. Kerr had some ulterior motive because ZERO minutes makes no basketball sense.

Lol. Not at all what I said.

I don;t see any 7/8 man rotations that I think would be better by removing the 7 who played and replacing one with Tatum. And when we were still putting lots of people in, the other backups aren't good enough shooters to also have Tatum in there. If anything, Haliburton should have got more minutes.

 

[Capella]

.

You think you put Booker on that Celtics team and take Tatum off and they’re worse? Tatum has had a lifetime of excellent teams.

Absolutely they are worse with Booker. Did you watch any NBA games this year?

Buddy you're the one with the take that Steve Kerr used the Olympic team to tank the Celtics, while starting Jrue Holiday and playing Derrick White a lot.

 

[Jayrod]

How about Kerr's brilliance in almost losing to Serbia? If Curry doesn't bail their asses out, we are having much different takes on Tatum's DNP in that game. He should have played for his size on the perimeter, defense and rebounding.

 

[the moops]

And before everyone is all "FIBA is different" or "he wasn't a good fit", ALL of the top players in the Olympics play in the NBA. All of them.

This is the crux though. He wasn’t a better fit than KD or Lebron and while he is better than Booker, Booker just shot lights out.

 

[Ghost Rider]

How about Kerr's brilliance in almost losing to Serbia? If Curry doesn't bail their asses out, we are having much different takes on Tatum's DNP in that game. He should have played for his size on the perimeter, defense and rebounding.

They won. Not every game is gonna be a blowout. If Tatum should have been on the floor, he would have been.

 

[Jayrod]

And before everyone is all "FIBA is different" or "he wasn't a good fit", ALL of the top players in the Olympics play in the NBA. All of them.

This is the crux though. He wasn’t a better fit than KD or Lebron and while he is better than Booker, Booker just shot lights out.

How do we know this? He never had a chance to prove it and all signs (2020 Olympics & subsequent NBA seasons) point to him being great.

 

[Jayrod]

How about Kerr's brilliance in almost losing to Serbia? If Curry doesn't bail their asses out, we are having much different takes on Tatum's DNP in that game. He should have played for his size on the perimeter, defense and rebounding.

They won. Not every game is gonna be a blowout. If Tatum should have been on the floor, he would have been.

What does this even mean?

 

[Ghost Rider]

And before everyone is all "FIBA is different" or "he wasn't a good fit", ALL of the top players in the Olympics play in the NBA. All of them.

This is the crux though. He wasn’t a better fit than KD or Lebron and while he is better than Booker, Booker just shot lights out.

How do we know this? He never had a chance to prove it and all signs (2020 Olympics & subsequent NBA seasons) point to him being great.

The Olympics are about winning, not about giving a fragile superstar minutes so he can "prove" he belongs. Everyone on the team is obviously great - you don't make the team without being so - but it feels like some of you are missing the point. The point was to win. Getting hung up on who got minutes and who didn't is silliness.

 

[Jayrod]

And before everyone is all "FIBA is different" or "he wasn't a good fit", ALL of the top players in the Olympics play in the NBA. All of them.

This is the crux though. He wasn’t a better fit than KD or Lebron and while he is better than Booker, Booker just shot lights out.

How do we know this? He never had a chance to prove it and all signs (2020 Olympics & subsequent NBA seasons) point to him being great.

The Olympics are about winning, not about giving a fragile superstar minutes so he can "prove" he belongs. Everyone on the team is obviously great - you don't make the team without being so - but it feels like some of you are missing the point. The point was to win. Getting hung up on who got minutes and who didn't is silliness.

They were a 15 pt favorite and would have lost without Curry shooting incredibly well while Serbia fell apart. It was too close in a game against players who were far less talented.

Just "they won" isn't the bar when you have 12 All-NBA players and about 10 future HOFers on your team. Kerr did not do a good job of coaching them. The players just went out and won the games but little to no credit belongs with Kerr's rotations.

 

[the moops]

The players just went out and won the games but little to no credit belongs with Kerr's rotations.

I can get behind this. While I am a Celtic fan, and I found it to be a little odd, I didn't have too much issue with Tatum not playing. At the same time, I found Kerr to be subpar

 

[Mister CIA]

Go Spurs Go!

 

[Rustoleum]

This last batch of posts is just to make things look even for the year before you all go back to trashing Embiid, right?

Like when the first 7 fouls in a half go against the same team, but after the game is decided they flip the other way to make the box score look fair?

Game within the game stuff here. Keep up the good work!

 

[Tau837]

I'm being silly with the "Kerr did it it ruin the Celtics" conspiracy theory but I really do think Kerr has lived a charmed life basketball wise and if anyone's success is more about the team around him than his own abilities, it's Kerr.

You really are unhinged on the Tatum thing, but this is also unnecessary.

Kerr may not be the greatest coach ever, but that doesn't mean he isn't a good coach. How many coaches who won 4 NBA titles and a COY award were not good coaches? I can't think of any. The NBA named him one of the top 15 coaches in its history.

And, sure, he was a role player in his playing career... his playing career in which he averaged about 17 minutes per game in over 1000 games... and shot the highest 3 point percentage in NBA history... and played a useful role for 5 NBA champions.

This is a bizarre string of posts for you, given you are normally one of the most level-headed posters in these threads.

 

[Desert_Power]

I felt like the direct competitors to Tatum's playing time on this Olympic team were KD and Lebron. We really going to hold that against him?

 

[scoobus]

My link

Incredible balance for Team USA.

 

[scoobus]

I’m talking about Jayrod thinking Tatum’s lack of playing time had something to do with the Celtics.

EXPLAIN IT THEN!!!!

Tatum didn't make a single jump shot the entire tournament. Now that's impressive.

What did he take 6 total? Like less than 2 per game in the 4 he actually played?

Peyton Pritchard missed his first like 15 shots in the Finals. Do you think he is a bad shooter? Guys getting pauper minutes struggle to score consistently. Shocking take.

My link

Peyton Pritchard wouldn't have gotten any minutes on this team either.

 

[Deamon]

They were a 15 pt favorite and would have lost without Curry shooting incredibly well while Serbia fell apart. It was too close in a game against players who were far less talented.

Just "they won" isn't the bar when you have 12 All-NBA players and about 10 future HOFers on your team. Kerr did not do a good job of coaching them. The players just went out and won the games but little to no credit belongs with Kerr's rotations.

If Tatum played even 1 minute in those 2 games, Team USA doesn't even win a medal this year.