2024 NBA Season

[freedomgo]

You have a bookmaker skills mate, I guess that would be the line if the series will indeed go for the Mavericks vs Clippers.
Mavericks only needs to win 2 games to win the series, they just need to win both home court and you'll win your bet, go with it but don't go all in. 

I doubt sportsbooks will provide that kind of advantage for Dallas Mavericks if ever they will faced the Los Angeles Clippers in the playoffs. It's rare for me to see a +2 advantage of the series in the sportsbook especially if the teams involved are both dominant. But I'm not saying that isn't possible.

What I'm seeing here is, around @2 for Mavericks to take the series. And around @3 if Clippers were able to hold down Mavericks into 1-0 or 2-0 lead. Whatever the odds, expect me to bet on Mavericks series prior Game 1 then will put some extra bucks per game but still on series. That's what I always do especially during Cavaliers vs Warriors Finals (@3 Cavs to win the series prior to Game1 and @7 after Cavs 1-3*) and Raptors vs Warriors Finals (@3 Raptors prior Game 1 and... dam I already forgot*). Then several series match based on my interest.

*- if I recall correctly.

I think it's either +1.5 or +2.5... honestly, I don't want to bet on whole number point spread as I don't like "push" as a result of my bet, I would rather lose or win, that's it. +2.5 might attract a lot of bettors for the Mavericks due to the Luka hype but I think it's acceptable as although Mavericks are dominant but they are number 7 in the ranking while Clippers are in number 2, and they have Leonard who can plays extremely well during playoffs.

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[Reid]

Which team is good to bet on this series?
I think Clippers will certainly be the favorites here, but if there's a handicap, then I would probably take the Mavericks in the series.

A +2.5 handicap for the mavericks would be a good bet IMO.  what do you think?

There's a chance but it's slim.
Mavs ain't that weak to be given a handicap.
Still, I will be betting for Dallas here. Even if it is the other way around for giving handicaps which is impossible. 
Yeah, since Clippers will have the homecourt. I bet even PG13 not playing they will not input a "+".

I think it's either +1.5 or +2.5... honestly, I don't want to bet on whole number point spread as I don't like "push" as a result of my bet, I would rather lose or win, that's it. +2.5 might attract a lot of bettors for the Mavericks due to the Luka hype but I think it's acceptable as although Mavericks are dominant but they are number 7 in the ranking while Clippers are in number 2, and they have Leonard who can plays extremely well during playoffs.

I second the motion. 
I'd rather win or lose. I don't want a tie. I want to feel something. Sad or happy. Whatever it will be.

[andyBernard]

Am I the only one thinking LeBron's gonna come out firing when play resumes? He hasn't really had a considerable break in 17 years, the breaks probably done him the world of good.

[Reid]

Am I the only one thinking LeBron's gonna come out firing when play resumes? He hasn't really had a considerable break in 17 years, the breaks probably done him the world of good.

What do you mean by that?
I am sorry, I am kind of having a hard time to understand your statement.

George Floyd's death is getting a lot of support from our NBA players and different known athletes.
https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/patrick-mahomes-tiger-woods-michael-jordan-join-athletes-to-speak-out-after-george-floyds-death/
https://www.nba.com/article/2020/05/31/nba-teams-respond-tragic-death-george-floyd
https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-stephen-jackson-makes-big-promise-to-george-floyds-daughter/

Stephen Jackson is one of his friends.

“There’s a lot of stuff you said that he’s gonna miss — that I’m gonna be there for. I’m gonna walk her down the aisle. I’m gonna be there for her. I’m gonna be here to wipe your tears. I’m gonna be here for you and Gigi. Floyd might not be here, but I’m here for her, I’m here to get justice, and we’re gonna get justice for my brother.”

[andyBernard]

Am I the only one thinking LeBron's gonna come out firing when play resumes? He hasn't really had a considerable break in 17 years, the breaks probably done him the world of good.

What do you mean by that?
I am sorry, I am kind of having a hard time to understand your statement.

George Floyd's death is getting a lot of support from our NBA players and different known athletes.
https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/patrick-mahomes-tiger-woods-michael-jordan-join-athletes-to-speak-out-after-george-floyds-death/
https://www.nba.com/article/2020/05/31/nba-teams-respond-tragic-death-george-floyd
https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-stephen-jackson-makes-big-promise-to-george-floyds-daughter/

Stephen Jackson is one of his friends.

“There’s a lot of stuff you said that he’s gonna miss — that I’m gonna be there for. I’m gonna walk her down the aisle. I’m gonna be there for her. I’m gonna be here to wipe your tears. I’m gonna be here for you and Gigi. Floyd might not be here, but I’m here for her, I’m here to get justice, and we’re gonna get justice for my brother.”

I mean he's always played the whole regular season and playoffs for the past 17 seasons. That's a lot of wear and tear on his body. This break means he's gets a rest he doesn't usually enjoy and comes a really good time for him. He will be freshly energized for the playoffs.

[dwminer1]

Am I the only one thinking LeBron's gonna come out firing when play resumes? He hasn't really had a considerable break in 17 years, the breaks probably done him the world of good.

What do you mean by that?
I am sorry, I am kind of having a hard time to understand your statement.

George Floyd's death is getting a lot of support from our NBA players and different known athletes.
https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/patrick-mahomes-tiger-woods-michael-jordan-join-athletes-to-speak-out-after-george-floyds-death/
https://www.nba.com/article/2020/05/31/nba-teams-respond-tragic-death-george-floyd
https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-stephen-jackson-makes-big-promise-to-george-floyds-daughter/

Stephen Jackson is one of his friends.

“There’s a lot of stuff you said that he’s gonna miss — that I’m gonna be there for. I’m gonna walk her down the aisle. I’m gonna be there for her. I’m gonna be here to wipe your tears. I’m gonna be here for you and Gigi. Floyd might not be here, but I’m here for her, I’m here to get justice, and we’re gonna get justice for my brother.”

I mean he's always played the whole regular season and playoffs for the past 17 seasons. That's a lot of wear and tear on his body. This break means he's gets a rest he doesn't usually enjoy and comes a really good time for him. He will be freshly energized for the playoffs.

I don't think this break matters. LBJ is a physical phenomenon and has a whole staff of people who care about his body. And before the season he had the longest break in his carrer. In the current season, despite minor injuries, he didn't look like he needed a break. But i am sure that the break will not harm him. In addition to physical conditions, he is also a full professionals.

[Reid]

I mean he's always played the whole regular season and playoffs for the past 17 seasons. That's a lot of wear and tear on his body. This break means he's gets a rest he doesn't usually enjoy and comes a really good time for him. He will be freshly energized for the playoffs.

Oh you mean, he could be pumped-up by now?
Yeah, that is possible.
Or, he could also be out of his game because they cannot do much practice during the lockdown.
Most of them are, all they can do is a home workout.

We might witness plays that will not be successful since they will be practicing it in a short amount of time.

[boyptc]

Am I the only one thinking LeBron's gonna come out firing when play resumes? He hasn't really had a considerable break in 17 years, the breaks probably done him the world of good.

He definitely is.

This pandemic helped him to take some rest but as an athlete, he probably made a lot of workouts while staying at his home gym. It's not only him that's feeling like this but most of them.

[davinchi]

It is really too early to decide what is going to happen even if the league comes back, there could be a lot of changes between the seeds since they are not really all that far apart from each other except a few.

Teams will also have a chance to train for a while so that they could come back in form but even playing 5v5 on practice is nowhere near the level of playing a real game, you can say you will play like a real game but its still a practice and there is that chip on your mind that won't be activated unless you are actually in a game, plus we are talking about playoffs and talked about how much different it is from regular season, so that is another level to put on it. I still think in order to speak about what will happen on the playoffs, we first need to see how teams will come back and will they be good.

[FatFork]

"NBA set to resume action on 31 July in Orlando after Covid-19 hiatus"
source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jun/03/nba-return-date-basketball-teams-orlando-florida-basketball

Looks like the season isn't completely lost yet.

[chaser15]

Am I the only one thinking LeBron's gonna come out firing when play resumes? He hasn't really had a considerable break in 17 years, the breaks probably done him the world of good.

LeBron isn't carrying the Lakers on his own. He's not exhausted much this season compared to the previous seasons that he is always the main man. Once the league resume, we will see the usual LeBron. No need to pumped much as they already clinch the playoffs spot.

Not worried too for other players even the practice is minimal. They are professional players and if training and practice resume, they only need a few sessions and all those usual plays will be practice perfectly again.

And last month, May, several teams already opened up their practice facilities with Golden State Warriors the latest one.

[freedomgo]

Am I the only one thinking LeBron's gonna come out firing when play resumes? He hasn't really had a considerable break in 17 years, the breaks probably done him the world of good.

LeBron isn't carrying the Lakers on his own. He's not exhausted much this season compared to the previous seasons that he is always the main man. Once the league resume, we will see the usual LeBron. No need to pumped much as they already clinch the playoffs spot.

Not worried too for other players even the practice is minimal. They are professional players and if training and practice resume, they only need a few sessions and all those usual plays will be practice perfectly again.

And last month, May, several teams already opened up their practice facilities with Golden State Warriors the latest one.

The best line up of Lebron after Miami was I guess the Cavaliers with Irving and Kevin Love and of course Thompson, though we still see that most of the time he is the one who make points especially when they are in the playoffs, and in fact they won one championship that time.

He is with the Lakers now, things are different and Lebron has become a good passer, Kevin love vs Davis, I'll go for Davis as this guy is not soft, he can manage to compete in the inside and do better outside as well.

Let's just forget about Irving as he left his team.

[Oasisman]

Am I the only one thinking LeBron's gonna come out firing when play resumes? He hasn't really had a considerable break in 17 years, the breaks probably done him the world of good.

What do you mean by that?
I am sorry, I am kind of having a hard time to understand your statement.

Pretty sure he meant Lebron will still be on fire when the NBA resumes, base on his second sentence.
I also though about "firing" someone like coaches, staff, and back office  .

Anyway, Lebron will still be Lebron, still dedicated and passionate about basketball. As you see, some players didn't stop working out despite of the home quarantine. While, others enjoyed the break and gained fat that could potentially hinder their athleticism.

[Questat]

Am I the only one thinking LeBron's gonna come out firing when play resumes? He hasn't really had a considerable break in 17 years, the breaks probably done him the world of good.

What do you mean by that?
I am sorry, I am kind of having a hard time to understand your statement.

Pretty sure he meant Lebron will still be on fire when the NBA resumes, base on his second sentence.
I also though about "firing" someone like coaches, staff, and back office  .

Anyway, Lebron will still be Lebron, still dedicated and passionate about basketball. As you see, some players didn't stop working out despite of the home quarantine. While, others enjoyed the break and gained fat that could potentially hinder their athleticism.

We can't question Lebron, we know he maintain his body pretty well so at his age, he still look like he is on his prime, in fact he is smarter during the early days, his points is not that high but he is balancing it with other factors like the assists section, he is one of the leaders. In every debate, we can always use  his stats as the basis, so let's check his record.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jamesle01.html



His current stats is just pretty impressive, he average a double double this season.

[chaser15]

While, others enjoyed the break and gained fat that could potentially hinder their athleticism.

Just out of curiosity who are these players that gained weight during the pandemic? Do we have a list?

Those players really miss being out of the practice to the point that they truly embrace the feeling of being on their beloved home for a long period.

I hope not a star player is involved lol.

[freedomgo]

While, others enjoyed the break and gained fat that could potentially hinder their athleticism.

Just out of curiosity who are these players that gained weight during the pandemic? Do we have a list?

Those players really miss being out of the practice to the point that they truly embrace the feeling of being on their beloved home for a long period.

I hope not a star player is involved lol.

I don't think we will read it in the news, I check in google and have not see any article saying a certain NBA player has gained fats, instead, I read a news that an NBA player uses his free time during the pandemic to gain "MUSCLES".

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2893593-magics-mo-bamba-says-hes-gained-28-pounds-in-hiatus-a-lot-of-it-is-muscle

Magic's Mo Bamba Says He's Gained 28 Pounds in Hiatus: 'A Lot of It Is Muscle'

[Quidat]

While, others enjoyed the break and gained fat that could potentially hinder their athleticism.

Just out of curiosity who are these players that gained weight during the pandemic? Do we have a list?

Those players really miss being out of the practice to the point that they truly embrace the feeling of being on their beloved home for a long period.

I hope not a star player is involved lol.

I don't think we will read it in the news, I check in google and have not see any article saying a certain NBA player has gained fats, instead, I read a news that an NBA player uses his free time during the pandemic to gain "MUSCLES".

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2893593-magics-mo-bamba-says-hes-gained-28-pounds-in-hiatus-a-lot-of-it-is-muscle

Magic's Mo Bamba Says He's Gained 28 Pounds in Hiatus: 'A Lot of It Is Muscle'

Adding up that Giannis Antetokounmpo still keeping his body to shape and as he said:
" I don’t know, but now I just get my home workouts, [go] on the bike, treadmill, lift weights, stay sharp that way.""

Source: https://www.nba.com/article/2020/04/03/pandemic-forcing-nba-players-adjust-workouts

[Rosilito]

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Adding up that Giannis Antetokounmpo still keeping his body to shape and as he said:
" I don’t know, but now I just get my home workouts, [go] on the bike, treadmill, lift weights, stay sharp that way.""

Source: https://www.nba.com/article/2020/04/03/pandemic-forcing-nba-players-adjust-workouts

On the other hand, James Harden seems to lose a fair enough of weight.

Take a look at this photo:

Isn't it good

Well, of course, such sudden changes of James Harden draws out different side of judgments.

If James Harden was averaging 36 and cooking the whole league while looking like this... slim Harden is about to be the GOAT

I don't know that Harden losing weight is necessarily a good thing. One of the main reasons he is so lethal going to the basket is his size, and based on the minutes he's been able to handle in the past, I don't think stamina was an issue

IMHO, it is good. Though significant amount of weight helps him to force his way in to the basket but we couldn't deny as well that there were some slim players who can do what he does like Manu. And I think, his new shape might boost his agility, and balance.

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/heavy.com/sports/2020/05/houston-rockets-james-harden-weight-loss-training-look-see/amp/

[Reid]

We can't question Lebron, we know he maintain his body pretty well so at his age, he still look like he is on his prime, in fact he is smarter during the early days, his points is not that high but he is balancing it with other factors like the assists section, he is one of the leaders. In every debate, we can always use  his stats as the basis, so let's check his record.

Oooh, yes Sir.
He got wiser.
Preserving his energy in case there is a need to score wildly.
It does happen when you are on the road to becoming a veteran.  

It suits him though. His stats are still in a good position for a high salary while others at his same age are already having problems signing up to different teams.

IMHO, it is good. Though significant amount of weight helps him to force his way in to the basket but we couldn't deny as well that there were some slim players who can do what he does like Manu. And I think, his new shape might boost his agility, and balance.

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/heavy.com/sports/2020/05/houston-rockets-james-harden-weight-loss-training-look-see/amp/

That's new! Thanks!

[Bttzed03]

"NBA set to resume action on 31 July in Orlando after Covid-19 hiatus"
source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jun/03/nba-return-date-basketball-teams-orlando-florida-basketball

Looks like the season isn't completely lost yet.

Well, it looks like no one in this thread has picked up this news yet.

It's going to be eight top teams from east and the west (total of 16) plus 6 teams with the nesxt best record regardless if it's from East or West. As it stands, 13 teams from the west and 9 teams from the east will compete for 8 regular season games.

Orlando and Brooklyn could be kicked out by any of the four teams (Blazers, Pelicans, Kings, Spurs) from the West for that playoff spot.

^ The format is a bit complicated but I think it's fair to just let the top teams compete.
Not that I think it's going to happen but it would be interesting to see if two teams from the west would compete in the Finals.