Ongoing pro/college basketball thread (2023-24)

[Ksyrup]

Sucks to see what happened to Tatum last night. I assume Achilles?

Regardless of sport, post-season injuries are especially cruel because, by definition, the best teams are still playing and an injury like that not only likely ends this season but significantly impacts the entire next season.

[miami_fan]

I know it sounds weird but I almost find it almost hopeful that it is something while serious is not an Achilles injury based solely Tatum's reaction. The more common reaction is the initial "felt like I got shot" injury tends to more shock than actually pain. Like wow, my Achilles just popped. Tatum looked like he was in severe pain last night. Like some other ligament tear or something more structural. I am just terrified basketball players and Achilles tears. That just feels like the one injury that is the closest to a career stopper for those players.

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'm your precise opposite.

Why would they rig it for the Mavs? Wouldn’t they rather than Flagg in someplace like Chicago if they believe he’s a generational talent?

[miami_fan]

Back to the games, I still would not be shocked if the Celtics beat the Knicks three more times this season. I still trust the likes of Brown, Holiday, White, and Porzingis at their best more than I do the Knicks besides Brunson. Unfortunately, I don't think we have seen the best of any of those players this year.

A NBA final four of Thunder/Nuggets vs T-Wolves and Knicks vs. Pacers? And then the winner of those matchups in the Finals? I'm here for it.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Why would they rig it for the Mavs? Wouldn’t they rather than Flagg in someplace like Chicago if they believe he’s a generational talent?

Sending a top 5 player entering his prime to their premier market for pennies on the dollar was an enormous gift to the NBA.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Why would they rig it for the Mavs? Wouldn’t they rather than Flagg in someplace like Chicago if they believe he’s a generational talent?

As noted below, this was simply payback for sending a premier player to one of the two most important markets.

[miami_fan]

Well damn

Celtics' Jayson Tatum undergoes surgery for torn Achilles - ESPN

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon, the team announced.

Tatum suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter of Monday night's loss to the New York Knicks.

Boston said there is no timetable currently available for his return but noted he is expected to make a full recovery.

[RainMaker]

Conspiracies aside, the funniest thing Nico could do is draft someone other than Cooper Flagg. Just go full on with the villain mode.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Conspiracies aside, the funniest thing Nico could do is draft someone other than Cooper Flagg. Just go full on with the villain mode.

Trade the pick to Atlanta ... I mean, it's only fair.

(though Atlanta would still have the woefully short end of the stick)

[GrantDawg]

I bought the WNBA League Pass today. What has happened to my life?

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[Sweed]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

I bought the WNBA League Pass today. What has happened to my life?

Sent from my SM-S938U using Tapatalk

Glad to see it start up again. Clark with 10 assists, would have been 18-20 except Indiana missed a ton of layups.

[Ksyrup]

I can't do women's basketball. Too much PTSD from watching Mack play. However, I'm closing in on close to watching 24 hours of the college softball regionals in the past 36 hours.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

I bought the WNBA League Pass today. What has happened to my life?

Sent from my SM-S938U using Tapatalk

It’s a bargain.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Kodos

It’s a bargain.

No kidding. I just wantd to make sure I had most of the games, and just peeked at the price. $34.99 a year? Yes, please. I wish more leagues had that kind of deal. They want $29.95 a MONTH just for Braves games. No, that is not happening. So that means I have almost completely stopped watching baseball. Want to know how to kill off fans? Make your games hard to watch.

[Kodos]

I thought they raise the price some this year, but was happy to see they hadn’t.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Kodos

It’s a bargain.

Depends on your perspective! It has increased over 57% since I first got my subscription!

Just kidding. Even going up from $19.99 when I first subscribed to the current price has not stopped it from being an automatic purchase for ten years running.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I can't do women's basketball. Too much PTSD from watching Mack play. However, I'm closing in on close to watching 24 hours of the college softball regionals in the past 36 hours.

I was this close to renewing ESPN+ for one month for the baseball and softball tournaments but I have been happy with the amounts of both that I have seen through YouTube TV.

[albionmoonlight]

The "Caitlin Clark is an innocent waif who must be protected from Angry Black Angel Reese" energy is strong on social media today.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

The "Caitlin Clark is an innocent waif who must be protected from Angry Black Angel Reese" energy is strong on social media today.

That crap is such a PIA. That rivalry could actually be fun, but instead we have to make it some white supremacist bullcrap. Clark's foul was clearly a blatant one. No big deal. Reese overreacted but that was pretty minor as well, and now the whole thing is overblown. Everybody got the fouls they deserved and no real damage done.

[Kodos]

I’m not a fan of Reese. Glad to see Caitlin kicking her ass on the court.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

TClark's foul was clearly a blatant one. No big deal. Reese overreacted but that was pretty minor as well, and now the whole thing is overblown. Everybody got the fouls they deserved and no real damage done.

Agreed.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

That crap is such a PIA. That rivalry could actually be fun, but instead we have to make it some white supremacist bullcrap. Clark's foul was clearly a blatant one. No big deal. Reese overreacted but that was pretty minor as well, and now the whole thing is overblown. Everybody got the fouls they deserved and no real damage done.

Uncomfortable question for all. Is this an actual rivalry without all of that talk?

I mean this is not Bird vs Magic. That was a basketball rivalry that began in the national championship game that was tinged with race talk throughout the pregame talk. It grew in the pros fueled mostly by the basketball rivalry between the teams that drafted them that also included plenty of race talk and similar talk before Magic and Bird got there. Chicago is not LA, Indianapolis is not Boston. The Sky and Fever are not the storied franchises of the WNBA. Reese is not the only WNBA player who does not worship at the altar of CC. There are plenty of guards of all races for Clark to have a rivalry with. Let Reese have a rivalry with Aliyah Boston if there is a need of a rivalry between a Sky player and a Fever player.

[dubb93]

Yes the foul was intentional to stop an easy basket. Happens a million times a season. Reese is the one that escalated this and it’s easy to see why if you look into things she has said and how she has behaved towards Clark in the past. That’s removing all the racial stuff from the occasion.

[GrantDawg]

So we can only have rivalries if they follow exactly the Magic vs. Bird blueprint? They both played huge college playoff games against each other (which ended 1-1), drafted in the same year with lots of attention, and now play on regional rival teams. That seems like a good recipe for a rivalry to me. And it definitely pulls eyeballs. No, I dont think we have bad guy/good guy, or make it all about race to be fun. They both have big egos, and they are always going to have extra juice when they play each other.
Honestly, I like them both. Bigger fan of Clark, but I hope Reese continues to develop and Chicago puts things together.

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[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Yes the foul was intentional to stop an easy basket. Happens a million times a season. Reese is the one that escalated this and it’s easy to see why if you look into things she has said and how she has behaved towards Clark in the past. That’s removing all the racial stuff from the occasion.

The escalation also happens a million times a season. In fact, it is not the first time such a foul and the ensuing escalation happened in that building this month between two teams that plain don't like each other.

- YouTube

Somehow, even with the dislike/hate between the Pacers and the Bucks, this incident occurred without the need for everyone to go into think piece mode because things like this happen a million time a season.

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

The escalation also happens a million times a season. In fact, it is not the first time such a foul and the ensuing escalation happened in that building this month between two teams that plain don't like each other.

- YouTube

Somehow, even with the dislike/hate between the Pacers and the Bucks, this incident occurred without the need for everyone to go into think piece mode because things like this happen a million time a season.

Yea, well Clark is different. What if that was LeBron there? There is a difference when things happens with lesser players and when it happens with generational players. You don’t have to like that Clark is that guy in the WNBA but it is what it is.

[Lathum]

Tyrese Haliburton invites heckled Pacers fan from New York City - ESPN

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

So we can only have rivalries if they follow exactly the Magic vs. Bird blueprint? They both played huge college playoff games against each other (which ended 1-1), drafted in the same year with lots of attention, and now play on regional rival teams. That seems like a good recipe for a rivalry to me. And it definitely pulls eyeballs. No, I dont think we have bad guy/good guy, or make it all about race to be fun. They both have big egos, and they are always going to have extra juice when they play each other.
Honestly, I like them both. Bigger fan of Clark, but I hope Reese continues to develop and Chicago puts things together.

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They also played in two regular season games and the Big Ten conference title game against each other which ended with Clark being on the losing end all three times. Does that count as part of the rivalry?

You can have whatever rivalry you want. It does not have to follow the Magic vs Bird blueprint. I just don't think Clark or Reese look at each other as rivals despite how much fans and the media would like to create one a la Magic and Bird. Do Reese and Clark like each other? Probably not even though they have said that that it is not the case But rivals? Nah. While I believe Reese is a very good player, she is not playing at the level that Caitlin Clark is playing at for anyone to consider them rivals at this point in both of their careers. Hate from the media and fans and their dislike of each other is not enough for me to call it a rivalry. I wouldn't say that there is a rivalry between Clark and

I would even go a step further and say even if Reese thinks Clark is her rival, I can see Clark privately being so arrogant about her standing in the game, that she would consider it insulting for anyone to think of Reese is a rival of hers.

Now the Liberty and the Aces and Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson specifically? That is a rivalry for me.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Yea, well Clark is different. What if that was LeBron there? There is a difference when things happens with lesser players and when it happens with generational players. You don’t have to like that Clark is that guy in the WNBA but it is what it is.

What if it was Lebron was in Clark's place committing the flagrant foul and the guy he committed the foul against took Reese's place and escalated things?

Don't take this as an endorsement of the behavior, just proof that it is not a rare occurrence. And with that, may I introduce you to Isaiah Stewart aka Beef Stew?

- YouTube

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

What if it was Lebron was in Clark's place committing the flagrant foul and the guy he committed the foul against took Reese's place and escalated things?

Don't take this as an endorsement of the behavior, just proof that it is not a rare occurrence. And with that, may I introduce you to Isaiah Stewart aka Beef Stew?

- YouTube

Yea I see where you are going but a big difference between a hard basketball foul and an elbow to the dome. As I said that very play happens every close basketball game. You don’t get up acting like that. She had her hand on the ball she didn’t headlock her and take her down or bulldog her from behind or punch or elbow her. She fouled her hard enough on the ball that she made sure the shot wasn’t made.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Yea I see where you are going but a big difference between a hard basketball foul and an elbow to the dome. As I said that very play happens every close basketball game. You don’t get up acting like that. She had her hand on the ball she didn’t headlock her and take her down or bulldog her from behind or punch or elbow her. She fouled her hard enough on the ball that she made sure the shot wasn’t made.

First, the difference was this reaction was directed to a generational talent and not some lesser talent. Now the difference is that this generational talent's hard foul was not as severe as that other generational talent's hard foul.

If you are of the opinion that no player who receive a hard foul should never ever react in the way Reese reacted, that's fine even though I vehemently disagree. Suggesting that Angel Reese shouldn't react that way or players that Caitlin Clark fouls shouldn't react that way is problematic to say the least.

[RainMaker]

Really tough to watch SGA.

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

First, the difference was this reaction was directed to a generational talent and not some lesser talent. Now the difference is that this generational talent's hard foul was not as severe as that other generational talent's hard foul.

If you are of the opinion that no player who receive a hard foul should never ever react in the way Reese reacted, that's fine even though I vehemently disagree. Suggesting that Angel Reese shouldn't react that way or players that Caitlin Clark fouls shouldn't react that way is problematic to say the least.

The reason people are talking about it is because it is a generational player. And I’m also 100% of the opinion that no one should react like that on a basketball play. Sorry if I wasn’t clear because we both seem to be drifting into different points. Also I think you should look at those two plays again and see if you can tell the difference between a hard foul on the ball and a loose ball elbow to the face. Drastically different offenses.

Where were you at last season when Chicago committed 4 flagrant fouls on Clark? Those are all OK because Clark didn’t try to start a fist fight with the person that fouled her?

[dubb93]

Unrelated but how do you watch the Fever in the Indianapolis market? They were on NBA Network but I was blacked out. They weren’t on any other channels.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by dubb93

The reason people are talking about it is because it is a generational player. And I’m also 100% of the opinion that no one should react like that on a basketball play. Sorry if I wasn’t clear because we both seem to be drifting into different points. Also I think you should look at those two plays again and see if you can tell the difference between a hard foul on the ball and a loose ball elbow to the face. Drastically different offenses.

Where were you at last season when Chicago committed 4 flagrant fouls on Clark? Those are all OK because Clark didn’t try to start a fist fight with the person that fouled her?

As I said, I disagree with that opinion. While intentional hard fouls are a part of the game, we can't act like they are not intentional and hard. It was not dirty, it was not malicious. It was not an elbow to the face. It also was not a touch foul. It was not a player wrapping their arms around a player's waist and holding them so they did not take a shot and did not fall to the ground. It was not just a foul. It was a HARD FOUL. It wasn't an accident. It was done forcefully with intent but again not with any malice. It is perfectly reasonable for a player to not take to kindly to someone hitting them beyond what we all know to be normal contact for basketball, doing so forcefully with intent even when it is without malice. I understand the reaction of the fouled player. I understood it when Siakam did it. I understood it when Stewart did it. I understood it when Reese did it. I will always understand that player's frustration. Will some take it too far like Stewart did? Sure. Reese's reaction was not that. And again, we don't need to make this more than it is by suggesting a fistfight when we have spent the better part of the last twenty years clowning basketball players because we all know none of them actually want to fight.

As far as where I was when Chicago was committing flagrant fouls against Clark last year? I was probably ripping her teammates for not knocking one of the Sky players on their ass to let them know that roughing up a Fever player would not be tolerated. Or ripping her coach for not tossing chairs a la Bobby Knight to show that she was not tolerating one of her players being roughed up. Maybe even ripping Clark for not standing up for herself if her teammates didn't and then ripping her teammates and her coach for not standing up for her.

[sovereignstar v2]

The NBA is a blast to watch nowadays. ____ for three! ____ for three!

SGA runs into the defender and he will go to the line for two!

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar v2

SGA runs into the defender and he will go to the line for two!

Hey now, half the time he just falls down without contact.

[sovereignstar v2]

[Cuckoo]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Really tough to watch SGA.

Not hard for me at all. Go Thunder!

[JPhillips]

What a great comeback by the Pacers.

[RainMaker]

That was a pretty damn good basketball game.

[Danny]

Pacers and Knicks likely to tire each other out i wouldn't be shocked if Thunder win their next 7 straight.

[GrantDawg]

Liberty is eating the Fever alive on the inside. Fever has to figure that out.

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[sovereignstar v2]

What a well refereed game of basketball

[Thomkal]

Pacers did it again! Man I don't think they lead the entire game, they sure seem like a team of destiny

[Ksyrup]

Mostly watched the softball game instead of this, and thanks to the weather in OKC, that game ended late - like, 22 seconds left in the basketball game late. Amazing ending.

[miami_fan]

Basketball is such a beautiful sport when all five players on a team decide they are bust their ass up and down the court. Not that I don't find beauty in the half court game offensively and/or defensively. It is just the transition from defense to offense that involves five people busting their ass down the court, a pass here, a pass there resulting in a uncontested simple layup....chef's kisses.

It is so beautiful and artsy it is enough to make some think basketball is not a contact sport.

[Swaggs]

I really, really wish SGA could go back in time and play against the 80's Pistons or 76ers. Watching him push off, arm hook, and head butt defenders and get foul calls is so infuriating to watch.

[RainMaker]

Its insane how hard both these teams play. Nesmith is relentless.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

I really, really wish SGA could go back in time and play against the 80's Pistons or 76ers. Watching him push off, arm hook, and head butt defenders and get foul calls is so infuriating to watch.

No disrespect but no you don't.

IMO, this was the one way the players were allowed to police themselves and place a cost on foul seeking. Unfortunately, we all clutch our pearls and removed it from the game because allowing the players to police themselves was not a good product to watch.

Sorry if that came off as too harsh. Funny enough, there is a sort of irony in me apologizing. I am particularly sensitive to the foul seeking/chasing conversation today. I was listening to a podcast where the commentators were suggesting the Pacers needed to "be more physical" with the Thunder and not allow them to run their offense so easily. Then, the commentators immediately covered their asses by saying they weren't saying the Pacers should try and hurt the Thunder and they should be more aggressive within the rules and much more verbal diarrhea after that in order to walk back the talk of being more physical. In other words, be more physical without touching them too hard.