2024 NBA Season

[dwminer1]

As the NBA continues to prepare for its return to the court next month in Orlando, it has determined that the order in the standings will be determined by winning percentage, league sources told ESPN. That decision could play a pivotal role in how the race to take part in potential play-in games for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference plays out - specifically between the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings.

It also has been decided ties will be broken via the league's typical tie-breaking procedures, sources said. Teams were informed of both decisions via a memo Friday night updating teams on the league's work toward returning to play at Walt Disney World.

Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29275326/sources-nba-use-winning-percentage-determine-standings

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[Rikafip]

Might be, yes. But isn't it the rest they have since March 11 not enough? Looking on the other side, I think the last 8 games they'll be having to conclude playoff spot, it'll be somehow a warm up game for them... you know, to set back their condition after the long break they have. Not to mention that no fans were allowed to watch, it'll feel entirely different for them. But yeah, whatever, playoffs is more important, and their top priority .

Good point I must admit, havne't thought about that aspect. After that big break, players might actually need those 8 games to get back in shape, so maybe they will take it seriosuly so we can see some competitive games from Lakers, Clippers, Bucks and rest that secured the spots already.
I only wish that they took this chance to experiment a bit when it comes to playoff, to introduce something new, as it was a perfect chance.

I still don't see bets posted in gambling websites despite the approval to return.
Maybe 1 week before?

Well, there is no official game schedule yet, and without that there can't any bets. I am sure that once official schedule is released with all needed info,  gambling website will react immediately and offer games for betting.

[Russlenat]

For the West, I think Spurs will make it, I trust coach Pop in crucial situation like this, then they will upset the Lakers. 

We can't deny that in terms of coaching, Gregg Popovich is really one of the best in the NBA, but this season I saw how the Spurs struggle and I think they will miss the playoffs this season, I'm going for the Pelicans as I trust Zion to give his best just to get his first playoffs appearance as a rookie.

I know the spurs have struggled this season so far but I just blindly bet on them as coach pop give help me wins a lot of times in the past so I owe him a lot, and soon this awesome coach will retire and he will be a respected coach for a the basketball fanatic like me.

There's no indication yet that he will retire but as long as he is still managing a team, I will always follow my heart, lol..
Last season, I bet on the Spurs to win against the Nuggets, it was a fun series for me although Spurs lose in 7 games IIRC.

Blindly betting, I think that's a good recipe for big loses, hehe..
Anyway, it's your money so it's up to you on how to manage it, but I think Spurs will not make it this time.

If we based the prediction below, we need some kind of miracle for the spurs to make it to the playoffs.

The San Antonio Spurs have a 2% chance of making the playoffs and a <1% chance of winning the NBA Finals

[Janation]

I still don't see bets posted in gambling websites despite the approval to return.
Maybe 1 week before?

Well, there is no official game schedule yet, and without that there can't any bets. I am sure that once official schedule is released with all needed info,  gambling website will react immediately and offer games for betting.

Can't wait for this.

It may be 2 months but it just went so fast. I've been checking some gambling sites and there are still no updates. Either way, are we going directly to playoffs? Or continue where we left off? Isn't it unfair if we jump immediately to playoffs in this continuation?

[dwminer1]

It may be 2 months but it just went so fast. I've been checking some gambling sites and there are still no updates. Either way, are we going directly to playoffs? Or continue where we left off? Isn't it unfair if we jump immediately to playoffs in this continuation?

See previous page...

[Sanitough]

If we based the prediction below, we need some kind of miracle for the spurs to make it to the playoffs.

The San Antonio Spurs have a 2% chance of making the playoffs and a <1% chance of winning the NBA Finals

I'll wait if there's a betting odds for the spurs that says "will spurs qualify to the playoffs?".

If based on the percentage, then we can assume that the odds will be very attractive, probably 10x or more?
But anyway, I agree that they struggle this season, but spurs are spurs, regardless of who plays as long as coach pop is their coach, they are still a dangerous team.

[Reid]

Yeah it won't be so interesting at the EAST as Nets and Magic almost qualified already. Good thing for Pelicans is that they have two games against Grizzlies, and if they beat those two, their chances ain't bad, and I will certainly  root for them as I would like to see Zion in the playoff.

One thing got me thinking though; since all games will be played at the same place, including the playoffs, that means top teams won't have any home advantage. Therefore, teams that already secured playoff might not push that hard in those 8 games, and might calculate a bit, resting the important players for the playoff. That also might affect race for playoff spot as it is not the same thing if you are playing vs Clippers that are resting Kawhi and PG.

Indeed, they might use different strategies. Like letting one team win for their own advantage.
Strengths and weaknesses will be seen or how many wins they made during the season against the team they will let to get the 8th spot.

Example: Lakers standing against Grizzlies is 3-1 in favor of Lakers.
Lakers vs Pelicans is 4-0 in favor of Lakers.
So they could make a strategy to let Pelicans win the 8th spot.
But this is just my assumption.  I don't think they need it. Just for other ranks maybe.

[Rosilito]

Might be, yes. But isn't it the rest they have since March 11 not enough? Looking on the other side, I think the last 8 games they'll be having to conclude playoff spot, it'll be somehow a warm up game for them... you know, to set back their condition after the long break they have. Not to mention that no fans were allowed to watch, it'll feel entirely different for them. But yeah, whatever, playoffs is more important, and their top priority .

Good point I must admit, havne't thought about that aspect. After that big break, players might actually need those 8 games to get back in shape, so maybe they will take it seriosuly so we can see some competitive games from Lakers, Clippers, Bucks and rest that secured the spots already.
I only wish that they took this chance to experiment a bit when it comes to playoff, to introduce something new, as it was a perfect chance.

If by chance they all pursue being competitive in their last couple of games, I feel sorry for teams down in 8-11 spot. An additional struggle they have to carry on .

But yeah, they all need to be serious either way.

-

Indeed, they might use different strategies. Like letting one team win for their own advantage.
Strengths and weaknesses will be seen or how many wins they made during the season against the team they will let to get the 8th spot.

Example: Lakers standing against Grizzlies is 3-1 in favor of Lakers.
Lakers vs Pelicans is 4-0 in favor of Lakers.
So they could make a strategy to let Pelicans win the 8th spot.
But this is just my assumption.   I don't think they need it. Just for other ranks maybe.

Possibly, they are going push traditional playoff format, right? 8 teams in each conferences.

Since this is just a mere rumors, they aren't going to push 1-16 seeding format 'cause if not then the idea of tanking stuff won't be effective or not a best choice to do so .

Read more: https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2020/05/poll-should-nba-use-1-16-seeding-for-2020-playoffs.html

[Oasisman]

What do you guys think, who will secure those playoff spots?

The Brooklyn Nets have a much easier opponents if they let Kyrie and DeAndre play, but I guess they'll secure the 7th spot anyway without their big 3.
And it seems that the Wizard will have a very slim chances to catch on the 8th seed behind 6 games from the Magic and Nets.
While the Western teams will surely have a tight competition on the 8th spot. Also, Pelicans going for the 8th seed is possible as they only have easier schedule compared to other teams on the bottom seed.

For the East, I'll go for the Magic to take the last spot.

For the West, I think Spurs will make it, I trust coach Pop in crucial situation like this, then they will upset the Lakers. 

I doubt the Spurs, their schedule ain't easy. They're playing against the top seeded teams in the West.
Looking at how the Spurs are performing this season, It doesn't seem like they are capable of betting the Lakers in a seven game series. Yes, Pop is an outstanding coach, but It's all about team play, coaches and players must always be in sync.

[Rikafip]

Indeed, they might use different strategies. Like letting one team win for their own advantage.
Strengths and weaknesses will be seen or how many wins they made during the season against the team they will let to get the 8th spot.

That's true, some teams simply fits you more than the others, due various reasons. It is kinda risky though, to try get the team you have good score against. Maybe weaker teams will try to do something like that, but not the top ones like Lakers, Clippers and Bucks.


By the way, on this day 27 years ago, Drazen Petrovic died in a tragic car accident. He was the first big Euro star in NBA and by many best Euro player ever. In his last season (1992-1993) he was averaging 22.3 pts, on 52/45/87 shooting, and I am sure that in the next season he would entered that prestigious 50/40/90 club. No Euro player before him had such numbers back in those days, when NBA generally considered players from Europe as 2nd rate players, not giving them any freedom. Younger NBA fans probably never heared about him, but this is what Reggie Miller had to say when they asked him about best shooters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7AhrUIc87o

Despite having some very talented players like Kukoc and Radja, our (Croatian) national basketball team never recovered from his death, as he was was our captain and leader. If there was ever European basketball player that could be compared to MJ based on his main traits (competitiveness, leadership and work ethic)   that would be Drazen.

[freedomgo]

Yes, Pop is an outstanding coach, but It's all about team play, coaches and players must always be in sync.

Spurs made a wrong decision.

San Antonio Spurs trade Kawhi Leonard to Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan, others

Leonard is a special player, while DeRozan is good but inconsistent, this is one of the big mistake the Spurs made in their franchise.
If they have traded Leonard to someone else, a star of course, Spurs might still has a good chance to be in the playoff spot now.

[Rikafip]

Spurs made a wrong decision.

Leonard is a special player, while DeRozan is good but inconsistent, this is one of the big mistake the Spurs made in their franchise.
If they have traded Leonard to someone else, a star of course, Spurs might still has a good chance to be in the playoff spot now.

Spurs didn't have much options, they simply took what they could for Kawhi, as he simply wanted to leave. Pop even went to his home trying to talk him into staying, offering him supermax contract of 221 million USD for 5 years, money that no other team could offer him, and yet he didn't want to stay. Just to show you how much money he passed, he is currently on 3/101 million USD contract, shit load less than what he could have made if he stayed.

The other important thing that was issue for Spurs is that he was entering his last year of contract, and those players have lower value, since you never know whether they will stay or not. So let's say you give your big star for Kawhi, it doesn't work out, and he leaves your team after 1 year. Toronto gambled, they won the title vs GSW that was gimped with injuries, and it paid off. And after that he left them. Imagine if Raptors  faced healthy GSW and probably lost the title, they would feel kinda stupid..

So, Spurs did what they could, but unfortunately, when player want's to leave, you can't do much. And you can't get the players that other team don't want to offer.

[Reid]

Possibly, they are going push traditional playoff format, right? 8 teams in each conferences.

Since this is just a mere rumors, they aren't going to push 1-16 seeding format 'cause if not then the idea of tanking stuff won't be effective or not a best choice to do so .

Read more: https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2020/05/poll-should-nba-use-1-16-seeding-for-2020-playoffs.html

Yes, they are.
Changing it will be difficult now.
Maybe next season, they will have a new format.

By the way, on this day 27 years ago, Drazen Petrovic died in a tragic car accident. He was the first big Euro star in NBA and by many best Euro player ever. In his last season (1992-1993) he was averaging 22.3 pts, on 52/45/87 shooting, and I am sure that in the next season he would entered that prestigious 50/40/90 club.

Here is something to commemorate him.
Just ignore the title and the description. We cannot deny that Jordan had been the face of NBA that year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfqsyb4M2h8
@11:31 He passed 5 players of the Bulls.  

[Rikafip]

Here is something to commemorate him.
Just ignore the title and the description. We cannot deny that Jordan had been the face of NBA that year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfqsyb4M2h8
@11:31 He passed 5 players of the Bulls.  

Yeah saw that video, and many others. That's what I usually do on this date, watch Drazen videos on YouTube.

Little piece of trivia:  Rudy Tomjanovich, who was then Houston Rockets coach, wanted to bring Drazen as he was becoming free agent. He knew that Drazen was one of the the best shooters in the NBA and wanted to pair him with Olajuwon, who as we know was the most dominant center of that time. That could have been a deadly combo, Drazen outside and Hakeem in the paint.
 But unfortunately, that never happened as Drazen decided to travel to Croatia from Poland via car and not airplane with rest of the Croatian national team, as he wanted to spend some time with his girlfriend..

[danherbias07]

Yes, Pop is an outstanding coach, but It's all about team play, coaches and players must always be in sync.

Spurs made a wrong decision.

San Antonio Spurs trade Kawhi Leonard to Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan, others

Leonard is a special player, while DeRozan is good but inconsistent, this is one of the big mistake the Spurs made in their franchise.
If they have traded Leonard to someone else, a star of course, Spurs might still has a good chance to be in the playoff spot now.

If my memory serves me right, it was Kawhi who want the trade to happen as soon as possible.
After that, the locker room news became viral which we don't know if is accurate or not.

DeRozan was a star back then but yes, he was inconsistent.
I think it was the lack of option for Spurs to where they could trade Kawhi which is why they ended up getting DeRozan.
But this is not the Spurs problem. They are hit hard when their stars got old and needs to retire.
Pops can still do it, but he lacks the right pieces to make it happen.

[tbterryboy]

Spurs has made playoff 20+ seasons in a row, there is really no other franchise that is as good as them at longevity, they are also 5 time winners in that 20 year period as well. So, I do like them and I trust their capabilities as well but right now it is just too late. If it was regular season and there was some more games left maybe they could have but unfortunately there isn't that much game left and all of them are against high level teams so it is not going to be possible for them I believe.

It is okay though, they are still young, from Murray to White to Walker they have great youngsters, Jakob has been playing very well too, so they actually have a great young core that could get better with time, so they can miss the playoffs as long as they keep on improving with the team they have.

[Finestream]

Spurs has made playoff 20+ seasons in a row, there is really no other franchise that is as good as them at longevity, they are also 5 time winners in that 20 year period as well. So, I do like them and I trust their capabilities as well but right now it is just too late.

There's still games to be played, and the team who will win will get the last spot in the West.
Very little possibility of the Spurs to be in the playoffs now, but we know that this team won't give up, they gets better if the situation really needs them to be.

If it was regular season and there was some more games left maybe they could have but unfortunately there isn't that much game left and all of them are against high level teams so it is not going to be possible for them I believe.

I think when NBA come back, we can still consider it as a regular season since the winners (east and west) will quality for the playoff spot, the last post to be exact.

It is okay though, they are still young, from Murray to White to Walker they have great youngsters, Jakob has been playing very well too, so they actually have a great young core that could get better with time, so they can miss the playoffs as long as they keep on improving with the team they have.

TBH, these young core of the Spurs now are nowhere near to the big 3 of the spurs before (Duncan, Parker, and Ginóbili). so I don't expect spurs will be successful if they will not get another star players that have already prove himself from a team he is playing with now.

[Reid]

Here is something to commemorate him.
Just ignore the title and the description. We cannot deny that Jordan had been the face of NBA that year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfqsyb4M2h8
@11:31 He passed 5 players of the Bulls.  

Yeah saw that video, and many others. That's what I usually do on this date, watch Drazen videos on YouTube.

Little piece of trivia:  Rudy Tomjanovich, who was then Houston Rockets coach, wanted to bring Drazen as he was becoming free agent. He knew that Drazen was one of the the best shooters in the NBA and wanted to pair him with Olajuwon, who as we know was the most dominant center of that time. That could have been a deadly combo, Drazen outside and Hakeem in the paint.
 But unfortunately, that never happened as Drazen decided to travel to Croatia from Poland via car and not airplane with rest of the Croatian national team, as he wanted to spend some time with his girlfriend..

That could have been unstoppable.
With Robert Horry in his prime. 

You just never know.
Even if its thru plane, when it's your time you cannot do anything about it.
Just like what happened with Kobe. Accident numbers in helicopters are not that high and yet...


https://qz.com/1791791/helicopter-crashes-like-kobe-bryants-have-become-more-common/

[Bttzed03]

~
By the way, on this day 27 years ago, Drazen Petrovic died in a tragic car accident. He was the first big Euro star in NBA and by many best Euro player ever. In his last season (1992-1993) he was averaging 22.3 pts, on 52/45/87 shooting, and I am sure that in the next season he would entered that prestigious 50/40/90 club. No Euro player before him had such numbers back in those days, when NBA generally considered players from Europe as 2nd rate players, not giving them any freedom. Younger NBA fans probably never heared about him, but this is what Reggie Miller had to say when they asked him about best shooters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7AhrUIc87o

Despite having some very talented players like Kukoc and Radja, our (Croatian) national basketball team never recovered from his death, as he was was our captain and leader. If there was ever European basketball player that could be compared to MJ based on his main traits (competitiveness, leadership and work ethic) that would be Drazen.

RIP to the legend. I first heard of Drazen in documentaries.

I don't know the complete details (and I don't wanna go there) but had Yugoslavia remained intact, they could have dominated the World basketball longer and their national team would have given the 1992 Dream team real problems or even defeat them. Who knows?

It is okay though, they are still young, from Murray to White to Walker they have great youngsters, Jakob has been playing very well too, so they actually have a great young core that could get better with time, so they can miss the playoffs as long as they keep on improving with the team they have.

Looks nice in theory but we gotta consider the fact that these young cores could be separated at anytime. Murray will probably stay and become the next face of the franchise but we couldn't say the same to the other youngster.

TBH, these young core of the Spurs now are nowhere near to the big 3 of the spurs before (Duncan, Parker, and Ginóbili). so I don't expect spurs will be successful if they will not get another star players that have already prove himself from a team he is playing with now.

Definitely not but they're performing quite well. In fact, these youngsters are outperforming some of their seniors. That's a good thing and bad thing at the same time. It would have been better if the likes of DeRozan would set an example for them.

[Maslate]

TBH, these young core of the Spurs now are nowhere near to the big 3 of the spurs before (Duncan, Parker, and Ginóbili). so I don't expect spurs will be successful if they will not get another star players that have already prove himself from a team he is playing with now.

I think we will never see this kind of line up of the spurs anymore, and coach pop time with the Basketball will be over soon, so we can't expect that the one who inherit the coaching job will be as good as him. I heard Timmy has a good chance of getting that spot, anyway, that's just a rumor, but I'll be very glad to see him as the coach of the spurs and let's see if he can be a great coach like a player he was.

https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Tim-Duncan-s-future-a-hot-topic-after-San-15105988.php