The Official NBA Season Thread: Happy Thanksgiving 🦃

[dmbrhs]

Top six protected. Goes to the Thunder (lol) if it falls out of the top six.

There's a very hilarious and real scenario where the Sixers have a bottom six record, and the Clippers do well enough to get, like, the 10th pick (unprotected and conveys to the Thunder). I, for one, am rooting for that. The Sixers pick is unprotected next year, though.

 

[dmbrhs]

Y'all still riding the Kings bandwagon or is that over?

I feel like the Warriors broke them in that playoff series.

 

[freeze]

I feel like the Warriors broke them in that playoff series.

curry went full psychological warfare. now he got fox wearing his shoes.

 

[dmbrhs]

If all the Thunder picks got top of the draft protections they won’t be getting Flagg

Clippers 2025 pick is unprotected and OKC can swap. But, it's looking more and more like that pick won't be anything worthwhile. Even if the Sixers put it together a bit and land outside the bottom six, there isn't anyone to be excited about.

OKC has both Philly and LAC's first rounders in 2026 that convey automatically. Congratulations on that, but it's another year burned waiting for them.

This is why I never bought into the hype of Presti stockpiling these picks. The NBA draft is a crapshoot. Having the picks doesn't mean anything.

 

[dmbrhs]

curry went full psychological warfare. now he got fox wearing his shoes.

Reminds me of the Sonics in 1995. The 1994 Nuggets series lingered and they fell apart against the Lakers in 1995 (the Nick Van Exel game lives rent free in my head). The fact they came back and got to the Finals in 1996 was really unexpected, even with their record. They still barely made it out of the first round, but once they did, they swept Hakeem's Rockets. That team could have folded and never even sniffed a conference finals again.

 

[a-friend]

And we thought Steph was to blame for the infusion of the 3ball from way back there…..15:35 Katt says different

 

[dmbrhs]

And we thought Steph was to blame for the infusion of the 3ball from way back there…..15:35 Katt says different

Hilarious. However, it does remind me of a dude who played high school ball in Washington back when I was in high school. This was in 2001. He would pull up from about 25-30 feet and just drain threes. His team won a state title, and he was player of the year (all classifications). His team also beat Brandon Roy's Garfield squad in the state tourney in one of the best state tourney games ever. But, that dude would just launch deep threes with no hesitation. It was wild to see at the time, but he won a state title doing it.

 

[Dark Brandon]

Reminds me of the Sonics in 1995. The 1994 Nuggets series lingered and they fell apart against the Lakers in 1995 (the Nick Van Exel game lives rent free in my head). The fact they came back and got to the Finals in 1996 was really unexpected, even with their record. They still barely made it out of the first round, but once they did, they swept Hakeem's Rockets. That team could have folded and never even sniffed a conference finals again.

If Mitch Richmond doesn’t get hurt that might’ve been a different series. Kings really had them in their crosshairs that season. Kinda crazy to think that 39 win Kings team could’ve made it to the WCF if they got past Seattle, the ‘96 Rockets were defending champs but they played some of the sloppiest and reckless basketball ever from a team with that much pedigree and experience.

 

[dmbrhs]

If Mitch Richmond doesn’t get hurt that might’ve been a different series. Kings really had them in their crosshairs that season. Kinda crazy to think that 39 win Kings team could’ve made it to the WCF if they got past Seattle, the ‘96 Rockets were defending champs but they played some of the sloppiest and reckless basketball ever from a team with that much pedigree and experience.

I don't recall a Mitch injury, but Mitch couldn't play his way out of a first round if his life depended on it, let alone make the playoffs. He played all four games, and got one, but he was below his season average scoring, and there was a prime GP (who was DPOY) and Nate McMillan off the bench, who was a defensive menace as well. He went to the Bullets in an all-time bad trade for C-Webb, and his numbers dropped. At the end of the day, Mitch was just never built for the playoffs, and just a good stats, bad team guy.

Also, Mitch making the Basketball HOF still drives me insane. If he's in, why isn't Shawn Kemp in? Same number of All-Star games, much better MVP voting finishes across multiple seasons, and even finished 6th in DPOY voting once, and outplayed MJ the 1996 Finals, getting three votes for MVP. Richmond made the playoffs once in Sacramento. He won nine playoff GAMES in his career. Eight of those came with the Warriors, but he was second fiddle to Chris Mullin. His two-minute cameo appearance with the Lakers in 2001 doesn't count. I just don't get it.

 

[iamjusayn]

Joel Oden hurt again huh!

 

[dmbrhs]

Joel Oden hurt again huh!

I know everyone wants to pile on him (and the Sixers), but it's sad. He played 39 games last season, and only four so far this season. I'm almost convinced he wanted to play on Team USA to get a gold medal and get some hardware. He played well in key moments. If that meant something, then good for him.

 

[ALNotSure]

SAC Bench scoring- 9, one person
NJ Bench scoring- 44, 5 different people

 

[pmatic]

Clippers 2025 pick is unprotected and OKC can swap. But, it's looking more and more like that pick won't be anything worthwhile. Even if the Sixers put it together a bit and land outside the bottom six, there isn't anyone to be excited about.

OKC has both Philly and LAC's first rounders in 2026 that convey automatically. Congratulations on that, but it's another year burned waiting for them.

This is why I never bought into the hype of Presti stockpiling these picks. The NBA draft is a crapshoot. Having the picks doesn't mean anything.

I don't think Presti minds the picks being pushed back a year. In a small market like OKC in this CBA and with how he operates, he's going to use the picks to build about SGA, JDub and Chet until the wheels fall off. They've done a pretty good with their picks besides Poku after seemingly losing their way in the mid to late 2010s.

 

[dmbrhs]

I don't think Presti minds the picks being pushed back a year. In a small market like OKC in this CBA and with how he operates, he's going to use the picks to build about SGA, JDub and Chet until the wheels fall off. They've done a pretty good with their picks besides Poku after seemingly losing their way in the mid to late 2010s.

Oh, I agree. It's not a terrible strategy because of their market, and his trades and recent drafts have worked out (mainly, SGA...Chet may just be one of those fragile dudes, so we'll see). But, at a certain point you realize those picks likely won't be anything better than the 8-12 range, and that is a giant crapshoot. I always assumed his end game was to dangle them in trades. But, any front office will see where those picks are likely to land. Presti came in hot as a GM, pulling off the best three-year run of lottery picks ever (Durant, Westbrook, Harden...and I'll toss in Ibaka as a non-lottery guy that hit big). But, his track record is spotty ever since, and ownership is so damn cheap that it doesn't help.

 

[IATT]

This is why I never bought into the hype of Presti stockpiling these picks. The NBA draft is a crapshoot. Having the picks doesn't mean anything.

What’s not to buy?

Team is already good.. and if the draft is a “crapshoot”, as you say, wouldn’t having a plethora of picks from multiple teams a good thing?

and drafting isn’t their only option with those pick

 

[pmatic]

Oh, I agree. It's not a terrible strategy because of their market, and his trades and recent drafts have worked out (mainly, SGA...Chet may just be one of those fragile dudes, so we'll see). But, at a certain point you realize those picks likely won't be anything better than the 8-12 range, and that is a giant crapshoot. I always assumed his end game was to dangle them in trades. But, any front office will see where those picks are likely to land. Presti came in hot as a GM, pulling off the best three-year run of lottery picks ever (Durant, Westbrook, Harden...and I'll toss in Ibaka as a non-lottery guy that hit big). But, his track record is spotty ever since, and ownership is so damn cheap that it doesn't help.

They've been much better since Troy Weaver left for the Pistons. They kept going for a certain type in the 2010s and it didn't pan out besides Steven Adams. I guess Sabonis too, but they misplayed him his rookie year before they traded him for Paul George.

 

[dmbrhs]

What’s not to buy?

Team is already good.. and if the draft is a “crapshoot”, as you say, wouldn’t having a plethora of picks from multiple teams a good thing?

and drafting isn’t their only option with those pick

Right. They can dangle the picks in a trade, but the immediate ones are all of a sudden looking less and less enticing.

Their real assets are all the unprotected picks in 2028-2029.

 

[nick.]

How is this sustainable?

 

[amitt5504]

Fire Morey and Nurse. Let Brand and Rico take over. #BlackExcellence

 

[finessence]

I know everyone wants to pile on him (and the Sixers), but it's sad. He played 39 games last season, and only four so far this season. I'm almost convinced he wanted to play on Team USA to get a gold medal and get some hardware. He played well in key moments. If that meant something, then good for him.

It’s “SAD” for Joel but, Kawhi gets bombarded with negativity when it comes to his injury history lol

 

[headdetective]

Sad?

Bro got guaranteed $200M’s and sad is what comes to mind?

 

[tay1]

Joel just need to save our time and request the trade.

 

[rbk93]

Joel just need to save our time and request the trade.

Request? For what?

 

[pmatic]

INFLUENCE

 

[amitt5504]

Joel just need to save our time and request the trade.

His contract doesn’t allow it lol