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Message Board User

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Everything posted by Message Board User

  1. Oh come on. I do understand the Laettner hate - Duke, pretty white boy, kind of dirty - but he was POY, 2x national champion, and perhaps most importantly was the centerpiece of Duke-Kentucky. For the young'ns on here, do yourself a favor and watch that game (it's on youtube) - 92 Duke-Kentucky was college basketball at its absolute pinnacle. Just an incredible spectacle - defending champion Duke vs Kentucky having risen from the ashes ("Kentucky's shame"). Coach K vs Pitino. And it delivered to the point where it's undoubtedly the greatest college bball game in history and it's in the running for greatest contest in any sport (along with perhaps USC-UT, Pats-Giants SB, Bosox-Yankees Game 7). One of the very few sporting events from that long ago that I distinctly remember where I was when watching it and I was transfixed - it was almost like time stopped for the game and the entirety of the county was watching. And in that contest, Laettner was otherworldly - I think he was 10-10 from the field and 10-10 from the line and of course hit the shot at the end (perhaps @Underdog can explain why Pitino didn't have someone covering the inbound pass, but I digress...). Unfortunately, those kinds of contests are a thing of the past, what with early entries to the draft, the specter of NIL, and transfer portals. These things are good for the player but if you are of a certain age you know that college basketball today is (right or wrong) just not the same and never will be the same again as it was prior to the mid-90s.
  2. Zero Final Fours for Duncan is disqualifying.
  3. Kareen (Alcindor) Laettner Oscar Carr Maravich If Villanova hadn't beaten Georgetown in 85 (in probably the greatest upset in title game history, maybe in any sport) Patrick Ewing would have an argument.
  4. Tyrese Haliburton with perhaps the shot of the year - just an insanely good play design by Carlisle.
  5. When Westbrook, Pickett, and Watson are a combined 9-12 from 3, it just might be your night.
  6. Hartenstein with more FGA than SGA .
  7. The one bench guy on Denver who gets consistent minutes...lol. And we all just know that there will be at least one playoff game (maybe two) that Westbrook will single-handedly lose. It's inevitable.
  8. I'll be very surprised if OKC is pushed to six games in any playoff series before the Finals. None of the other teams in the West have a prayer of winning a 7 game series.
  9. Damn - despite everything that transpired afterwards, I'll always have a soft spot in my heart because of The Shot.
  10. Can't wait to see what kind of fine Ty Jerome gets (even though he's right - in a league with so many bad refs, Natalie Sago is by far the absolute worst and was especially bad tonight).
  11. While never winning a title is bad, their current situation is hopeless. Had they just stayed the course, they could have at least been relevant and maybe get lucky one postseason run. Now? Old, bad, and expensive and this is what their future first round picks look like for the next 6-7 years: Where are the Phoenix Suns slated to pick in future drafts? Where are the Suns slated to pick in future drafts? 2025: Least favorable first-round pick between Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves (projected to be No. 29); least favorable second-round pick between Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers (projected to land at No. 54) 2026: Least favorable first-round pick between Phoenix, Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards; least favorable second-round pick between Golden State and Denver (via Charlotte) 2027: Least favorable first-round pick between Cleveland, Minnesota and Utah Jazz; no second-round pick 2028: Least favorable first-round pick between Phoenix, Washington, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers; second-round pick via Boston Celtics (if it lands between Nos. 46-60) 2029: Least favorable first-round pick between Cleveland, Minnesota and Utah; no second-round pick 2030: Least favorable first-round pick between Phoenix, Washington and Memphis; no second-round pick 2031: No first-round pick (traded to Utah Jazz for 2025, 2027, 2029 first-round picks); no second-round pick.
  12. Just a few years ago that team made the finals with a young core of Booker, Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Ayton. And now look at them. A lesson in patience...
  13. Should be an epic ECF (if both teams are fully healthy). Season series: Wins - Cavs 2 Celtics 2 Points - Cavs 460 Celtics 459 Points per possession - 1st half - Celtics 1.210; Cavs 1.033 2nd half - Cavs 1.352; Celtics 1.142
  14. Any argument for Payton Pritchard to be 6 man of the year should have ended tonight with his 6 point, -36 in 25 minute performance tonight. Give the award to Deandre Hunter or Ty Jerome.
  15. Jrue and Porzingis scared injured for tonight's game.
  16. https://www.wsj.com/sports/basketball/nba-playoffs-40-20-rule-9f2d9b30 The NBA playoffs are still almost two months away. When they tip off, 16 teams will do battle for the chance to be called the best basketball team in the world. According to one time-tested rule of thumb, though, most of them can forget about being crowned champions this season. In fact, the number of teams with a genuine chance to win the title is down to just three. The “40-20 rule,” attributed to legendary Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, is a formula for assessing a team’s championship bona fides before the postseason has even begun. The test is simple. To be considered a true contender, a team must win 40 games before it loses 20. In Jackson’s case, the rule never failed. All 11 championship teams he coached in Chicago and Los Angeles met the mark. (And the 2004 Lakers, who lost in the Finals in an upset against the Pistons, did not.) Even the 1970s Knicks, with whom Jackson won two titles as a player, passed the test in each case, going 40-11 in the 1969-70 season and 40-12 in 1972-73. This year, as the calendar approaches the 60-game point, only three teams meet the criteria. They are the defending-champion Boston Celtics, who have shaken off a midseason swoon to win 10 of their last 11 games; the Oklahoma City Thunder, with the NBA’s best defense; and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who overhauled their team with new head coach Kenny Atkinson’s turbocharged attack. Casual NBA fans often gripe that the regular season, with an 82-game slate that allows more than half the league’s teams into the playoffs, doesn’t matter anymore. But looked at through the lens of the “40-20” rule, history suggests something different: that regular-season dominance is the easiest way to forecast playoff success. Since the league expanded its playoffs to the current 16-team format, in the 1983-84 season, 40 teams have been crowned NBA champions, excluding the lockout-shortened 1998-99 year. In all, 36 of those—90%—met the “40-20” criteria. If you’re a fan of one of the other 27 teams, don’t write off the season just yet, though. Because like any good rule, this one has some exceptions. Among the teams that didn’t hit the mark in the regular season and still went on to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy in the summer are the 1995 Houston Rockets and 2004 Detroit Pistons. Both teams traded for a star player in the middle of the season. In Houston’s case, it was a deal for guard Clyde Drexler. In Detroit’s case, forward Rasheed Wallace rode to the rescue. If those scenarios sound a little familiar, it’s because there’s a team that sits at 35-21 this season and still harbors championship hopes. The Lakers are an altogether different team than the one started the season, having traded this month for superstar guard Luka Doncic. They have won 13 of their last 16 games. Now they just have one thing left to do: beat history.
  17. DETROIT. BASKETBALL.
  18. Orlando is at a bit of a crossroads - I just don't see how that team is going to be competitive unless their stars get much, much better from 3. Banchero, Wagner, and Suggs each shoot the 3 at about 30% - that's not going to get it done. Tonight Banchero & Wagner combined for 45 points. On a combined 43 shots.
  19. They're old, they're bad, and it'll be awhile before they control any of their first round picks. Couldn't happen to a nicer owner.
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