NBA Off Topic Thread

[ggsimmonds]

Don't like the Knicks firing Thibs. He got you to the ECF. In my and most others eyes the team overachieved this season. I don't like firing a coach after the team overachieves.
By firing him are they saying they think this is a NBA Finals team?

[Majingir]

Don't like the Knicks firing Thibs. He got you to the ECF. In my and most others eyes the team overachieved this season. I don't like firing a coach after the team overachieves.
By firing him are they saying they think this is a NBA Finals team?

The Raptors fired Dwane Casey after:
Two 1st round appearances
Two 2nd round appearances
One ECF appearance
Coach of the year

They were more stuck than the Knicks are right now, but sometimes a change of coaches can impact things.

[ggsimmonds]

The Raptors fired Dwane Casey after:
Two 1st round appearances
Two 2nd round appearances
One ECF appearance
Coach of the year

They were more stuck than the Knicks are right now, but sometimes a change of coaches can impact things.

He had two more seasons after that ECF appearance. That was enough time for the FO to determine the team peaked under his leadership.
The comparison would fit better if they fired him immediately after that ECF appearance.

[Majingir]

He had two more seasons after that ECF appearance. That was enough time for the FO to determine the team peaked under his leadership.
The comparison would fit better if they fired him immediately after that ECF appearance.

Sure, but they did fire him after a franchise record 59 wins AND he won coach of the year (awkwardly doing his acceptance speech for COY with the Raptors AFTER being fired by them AND hired by the Pistons).

Raptors were easily the 2nd best team in the East during those final few years as coach, the issue was that LeBron existed.

[Majingir]

Silver says he expects the owners to push for expansion at the next board of governor's meeting.

[illwill10]

Silver says he expects the owners to push for expansion at the next board of governor's meeting.

I think the focus last season was getting the Celtics sold and setting the bar. Portland is expected to be sold, but Celtics were the priority. I do think the process of expansion(Vegas and Seattle) will be settled this offseason

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[ggsimmonds]

I think the focus last season was getting the Celtics sold and setting the bar. Portland is expected to be sold, but Celtics were the priority. I do think the process of expansion(Vegas and Seattle) will be settled this offseason

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Memphis and NO would likely move to the East?

[illwill10]

Memphis and NO would likely move to the East?

Minnesota does make sense just because they're close to the East Central teams and so far away from the West teams. Memphis and NO is most likely.

We're less than 3 weeks away from draft. So, i would expect trade rumors to ramp up once we get closer to the draft. I don't see any potential big trades happening after the draft

[Majingir]

I saw a (not legit) rumor that Lowry might retire.

Wouldn't blame him for walking away since he missed most of last season, was on the bench for most of the games he played, and averaged 4 points and 3 assists.

But perhaps someone signs him to basically be a player coach.

I could see next year being his final year. He turns 40 next season, and it would also be his 20th season. Fewer than 10 players all time have ever been in the "40-20 club".

Memphis and NO would likely move to the East?

Minnesota does make sense just because they're close to the East Central teams and so far away from the West teams. Memphis and NO is most likely.

We're less than 3 weeks away from draft. So, i would expect trade rumors to ramp up once we get closer to the draft. I don't see any potential big trades happening after the draft

Funny thing is how that might be the bigger mystery in the expansion talks. We all know Seattle and Vegas will be the 2 teams joining, the real question is how does the NBA realign with expansion.

Will we have two divisions of 8, or 4 divisions of 4? This season especially has proven that we probably shouldn't have MORE divisions winners, so maybe 2 divisions of 8 is the route to go. I wouldn't hate it like I hate it in the NHL.

Division winners guaranteed top 2 seeds.

Minnesota makes sense because of all the central/northeast teams in the East.

[illwill10]

I saw a (not legit) rumor that Lowry might retire.

Wouldn't blame him for walking away since he missed most of last season, was on the bench for most of the games he played, and averaged 4 points and 3 assists.

But perhaps someone signs him to basically be a player coach.

I could see next year being his final year. He turns 40 next season, and it would also be his 20th season. Fewer than 10 players all time have ever been in the "40-20 club".
Funny thing is how that might be the bigger mystery in the expansion talks. We all know Seattle and Vegas will be the 2 teams joining, the real question is how does the NBA realign with expansion.

Will we have two divisions of 8, or 4 divisions of 4? This season especially has proven that we probably shouldn't have MORE divisions winners, so maybe 2 divisions of 8 is the route to go. I wouldn't hate it like I hate it in the NHL.

Division winners guaranteed top 2 seeds.

Minnesota makes sense because of all the central/northeast teams in the East.

Selfishly, I hope Lowry retires lol. I don't want Nick Nurse's affinity for Lowry to take up a roster spot for another season. I'm cool if he wants to stay in Philly, but move into a Coach's assistant role.

Yeah, that's why I would say Minnesota and Memphis. Moving to the East, would save a ton of travel for both teams especially Minnesota. I wouldn't mind if the divisions get shrunken to 2. It's not like NFL or Baseball. It doesn't seem like divisions matter as much in NBA.

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[Majingir]

Selfishly, I hope Lowry retires lol. I don't want Nick Nurse's affinity for Lowry to take up a roster spot for another season. I'm cool if he wants to stay in Philly, but move into a Coach's assistant role.

Yeah, that's why I would say Minnesota and Memphis. Moving to the East, would save a ton of travel for both teams especially Minnesota. I wouldn't mind if the divisions get shrunken to 2. It's not like NFL or Baseball. It doesn't seem like divisions matter as much in NBA.

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Only 1 would need to move since the west would have 17 and east 15 before the move. Minnesota makes the most sense.

Divisions in the NBA matter less than any of the major leagues, so at most 2 divisions of 8 might make sense since those winners are guaranteed the top 2 seeds (even if we might have a scenario where 2nd in another division is better than the division winner, at least this makes divisions mean something).

As long as they don't copy the NHLs playoff format we'll be fine. That's the worst one in pro sports.

[J_Posse]

No reason to change the division format. Probably need to adjust some of the divisional alignments (move OKC to the SW), but overall it is fine how it is.

One division will just have 6 teams in each conference, while the other two will have 5.

No need to make them too crowded with 8 in each division and eliminating one in each.

Actually it would be a little more complicated then I initially realized, but here is how I'd realign things:

Eastern Conference

NE (6 Teams) : Toronto, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Washington (technically in the south but close enough)

Central: (5 Teams) : Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Indiana, Chicago

Southeast (5 Teams): Memphis, Orlando, Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte

Western Conference

Pacific (5 Teams) : Phoenix, Los Angeles (Lakers), Los Angeles (Clippers), Golden State, Sacramento

NW (5 Teams) : Seattle, Portland, Utah (sorry, Utah y'all stuck in the SW div), Denver, Minnesota

SW (6 Teams): Las Vegas (could be moved to the Pacific, but I like them here), Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, New Orleans (sorry, y'all stuck here for now), Oklahoma City



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[J_Posse]

Only 1 would need to move since the west would have 17 and east 15 before the move. Minnesota makes the most sense.

Divisions in the NBA matter less than any of the major leagues, so at most 2 divisions of 8 might make sense since those winners are guaranteed the top 2 seeds (even if we might have a scenario where 2nd in another division is better than the division winner, at least this makes divisions mean something).

As long as they don't copy the NHLs playoff format we'll be fine. That's the worst one in pro sports.

Also, what makes you say that divisions matter less in the NBA?

Most teams still raise up the division winner banner and still want to win it. Is this more a public perception angle, cause I think it does still matter.

Or do you mean because a team with a better record - that didn't win their division - can be a higher seed than a divisional winner? That is a small issue that didn't need to be 'fixed,' but that ship has already sailed.

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[Majingir]

Also, what makes you say that divisions matter less in the NBA?

Most teams still raise up the division winner banner and still want to win it. Is this more a public perception angle, cause I think it does still matter.

Or do you mean because a team with a better record - that didn't win their division - can be a higher seed than a divisional winner? That is a small issue that didn't need to be 'fixed,' but that ship has already sailed.

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It's more of the latter.

Division winners aren't even guaranteed a top seed, and we always have a division that sucks.

This year was as extreme as it gets, but a 41 win 7 seed division winner?

Last time we had the worst division winner in the East be a top 4 seed in a full season? 21/22. Last time before that, 16/17.

So there's really less need for divisions when way more times than not, there's at least 1 division winner who isn't even better than the 2nd best team in another division.

That's why 4 divisions of 8 might make it better because while the 2nd best in another division might still be better than a division winner, that division winner is almost for sure still going to be a top 3 seed in the conference.

Or no divisions at all, so you're just focusing on your own team and the conference as a whole. Who really cares about divisions when the playoffs are 1-8? The NHL went the opposite way where there's an extra emphasis on divisional playoffs and fans generally have hated it (imagine having a 2v3 match in round 1 while a 5v7 match also exists and that 5 seed gets home advantage).

Divisions are only useful for travel/game times and it's not like teams are playing that many more divisional games vs non divisional games within their conference.

[J_Posse]

It's more of the latter.

Division winners aren't even guaranteed a top seed, and we always have a division that sucks.

This year was as extreme as it gets, but a 41 win 7 seed division winner?

Last time we had the worst division winner in the East be a top 4 seed in a full season? 21/22. Last time before that, 16/17.

So there's really less need for divisions when way more times than not, there's at least 1 division winner who isn't even better than the 2nd best team in another division.

That's why 4 divisions of 8 might make it better because while the 2nd best in another division might still be better than a division winner, that division winner is almost for sure still going to be a top 3 seed in the conference.

Or no divisions at all, so you're just focusing on your own team and the conference as a whole. Who really cares about divisions when the playoffs are 1-8? The NHL went the opposite way where there's an extra emphasis on divisional playoffs and fans generally have hated it (imagine having a 2v3 match in round 1 while a 5v7 match also exists and that 5 seed gets home advantage).

Divisions are only useful for travel/game times and it's not like teams are playing that many more divisional games vs non divisional games within their conference.

Not offense Maj, but I think you are overthinking things.

Eliminating divisions or making a fourth division in both conferences is too much.

It's really a situation of "change for change's sake" which we've had too much of (under Adam Silver).





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