2024 NBA Season

[stadus]

I see a delightful game tonight: Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat. Heat are the leader of the Eastern Conference right now and Celtics are eight positions below them in the standings. Heat have six more wins than them right now. Heat are having an amazing time this season but Celtics seem to be a tough target for them. They played against each other once this season and Celtics defeated them by 95-78 away. Even this must be enough for Heat to be cautious. I expect to see a more competitive game this time but Heat should be able to win this.

The Heat is definitely the team to beat here.

Celtics are still a raw product in my opinion with a lot of the weight of the team landed on Jayson Tatum's hands. If he has a great game then they win, if he doesn't then they are in shambles.

Not sure what to make of them but wouldn't consider them to be a contender just yet.

Celtics are struggling this season, not anymore a top 3 team in the East, as of this writing, they are just ranked at the number 9 with a 26-25 record, while the Heat are sitting at the number 1 spot. However, since Butler is not going to play, I think the Celtics have a good advantage here and they can beat Butler less Heat.

No Butler and P.J. Tucker tonight, Lowly is also out I guess.
https://heatnation.com/game-news/report-jimmy-butler-p-j-tucker-both-out-for-miami-heat-vs-boston-celtics/

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[OgNasty]

I blame Frank Vogel. He used to be one of my favorite coaches before this year, but he’s absolutely terrible for the Lakers. A team with 5 hall of famers and Malik Monk is leading them… Dwight Howard playing at a top level and getting next to no minutes is downright disrespectful. If Frank Vogel is still the Lakers coach after the all star break then I’ll be shocked. He’s a great guy and like I said one of my favorite coaches, but he’s got to go if the Lakers want to have a chance of getting beyond the first round of the playoffs, and to be honest if he’s the coach I don’t see them getting past the play-in game.

I'm not sure why Vogel even deserved the credit for the Lakers winning.

But yeah, it's definitely time to swap him out for someone else with fresh ideas and a better leader in my opinion. It's not an easy job and definitely not for anyone so the Buss family needs to choose wisely.

But honestly, the championship chances with LeBron at the helm is slim - he is aging at the end of the day.

I really think so too that the management should let Vogel go and find another head coach who can truly help the roster as he's not really that effective anymore on the Lakers this season. That's their only option for now, it's a pity seeing them in that situation when infact they had the best all time players too especially LeBron who have so much burden on his shoulder despite of his age.

If this really continue with Vogel as their head coach, the chances to be in the playoffs to are indeed slim what more in the Finals. Just saying!

I think it's just a bad fit.  Vogel is a defense first coach, coaching a bunch of aging hall of famers who have "saved energy" by not playing defense most of their careers.  The defense first mentality just isn't going to work with them.  That's why you're seeing young guys like Malik Monk thrive in the system while everyone else is seemingly struggling.  They need to get a run and gun score 120+ per game coach in there and see what these hall of famers can do.  The only guy that comes to mind is Mike D'Antoni but I think his days of being a head coach are over.  I really believe that's the style of play they should be going with.  Let Dwight Howard handle the defensive responsibilities and let everyone else run and gun.  This small ball defense first system is not going to work with this roster and I can't be the only one who knows it.  I'm still expecting Vogel to say goodbye during the all star break.

[Yogee]

...

I think it's just a bad fit.  Vogel is a defense first coach, coaching a bunch of aging hall of famers who have "saved energy" by not playing defense most of their careers.  The defense first mentality just isn't going to work with them.  That's why you're seeing young guys like Malik Monk thrive in the system while everyone else is seemingly struggling.  They need to get a run and gun score 120+ per game coach in there and see what these hall of famers can do.  The only guy that comes to mind is Mike D'Antoni but I think his days of being a head coach are over.  I really believe that's the style of play they should be going with.  Let Dwight Howard handle the defensive responsibilities and let everyone else run and gun.  This small ball defense first system is not going to work with this roster and I can't be the only one who knows it.  I'm still expecting Vogel to say goodbye during the all star break.

This is probably the first time I've read you become critical of the Lakers since the start of the season or maybe I missed some of your comments. I'm glad that you brought up Vogel's coaching style, the aging players, and what's needed in the game today. I still doubt changing the coach and the style of play will result into something great with this current roster but I also want to see some changes.

[rhomelmabini]

Nikola Jokic in January:
425 PTS
211 REB
144 AST
Jokic is the first NBA player to record at least 400 points, 200 rebounds, and 100 assists in a calendar month since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in March 1976.

Looks like back to back MVP award for The Joker? I think it's not surprising that he's still at the number 1 spot right now but if Embiid continues his presence on the court I think that would be a good flip. Just amazing how Jokic really get these figures, pretty pretty impressive stats.

[harizen]

Blaming game because of Frank Vogel. Ok, let's say he was replaced, do guys really think it will lift the Lakers and solve all their current mess? What system are we talking about here? I also don't like the way Frank Vogel is coaching the Lakers squad but you guys have to look at the inner problem. Changing the coach might be one of the steps for the Lakers to be improved but for me, it's not just with the coach.

Even we put Phil Jackson as their head coach today and hired Steve Kerr as an assistant coach, if players are not consistent, nothing will change. They need to rebrand the whole thing starting from revamping the starters to their bench. They can start next season.

But even with that, we don't need to close the book already that Lakers is already done this season. There will be lots of "what if" while the season is ongoing.

[gagux123]

It's been a few days since I watched the NBA. I went after some information and found that the Lakers lost again, Trae Young played extremely well, LJ didn't play but AD returned and scored 27 points and Monk stood out with 33 points.

Lakers return to 9th place, will they can return and qualify to the playoffs? That's my question!

By the way... highlight to the Suns, with 81% of victory and 10 consecutive victories, these are expressive and interesting numbers!

Lakers have 24-27 record now. Which means they need to win 3 games in a row before they could even be 50%. That is just unacceptable, I know talking about how bad Lakers are right now is something people are sick of, we have been doing this all season but it just gets worse and worse each day.

While Suns managed to get to 40 wins before they had 10 losses, that is something insane to achieve. They are on pace for like a 67 win season, don't know if they will do that or not but they will most probably be 60-65 range at the very least. Rarely teams lose championships when they are at that level, I am not saying that they will win it, but to me they are the ones with the biggest chance right now.

Hmm, thanks for this data @sana54210, I hadn't performed these calculations.

This season's Lakers team is unrecognizable, the Warriors for example, already had a much better team than the current season, but even with the 21/22 roster they are one of the favorites to win the NBA ring.... and what's the reason? chemistry, Warriors players are playing together and the team has chemistry between themselves, I believe it's the same with Suns, Saric, Crowder, Ayton, Booker, CP3 and others, with all my respect, never that the roster of the Suns or Warriors is better than the Lakers this season (please, I'm not belittling these teams), but I'm just trying to show that, just the roster of an NBA team is not necessary to be champions!
I know the Lakers team has had several players injured, but this is no "excuse" for them not being able to qualify for the playoffs.

I see a delightful game tonight: Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat. Heat are the leader of the Eastern Conference right now and Celtics are eight positions below them in the standings. Heat have six more wins than them right now. Heat are having an amazing time this season but Celtics seem to be a tough target for them. They played against each other once this season and Celtics defeated them by 95-78 away. Even this must be enough for Heat to be cautious. I expect to see a more competitive game this time but Heat should be able to win this.

Well, I have no doubt that it will be an interesting game. Celtics need to win to increase their chances of making the playoffs, although the Miami Heat are doing well over past seasons.
The game will be at TD Garden, it could be an advantage for the Celtics, but even so, the Heat is a team to be cautious about.

[Yogee]

Blaming game because of Frank Vogel. Ok, let's say he was replaced, do guys really think it will lift the Lakers and solve all their current mess?

No just like what I said above.

What system are we talking about here?

The run and gun mentioned by OgNasty. It may or may not work for them but it is something I would also like to see them do. Teams could easily adapt to their "slow down" strategy but how about the Lakers? It should be nice to mix things up and stay unpredictable.

Even we put Phil Jackson as their head coach today and hired Steve Kerr as an assistant coach, if players are not consistent, nothing will change.

It won't change a lot but it could be more entertaining to see changes in style.
Phil is a master in both offense and defense.
I can't say the same with Steve but his coaching style is more on the offense unlike Frank.

[harizen]

The run and gun mentioned by OgNasty. It may or may not work for them but it is something I would also like to see them do. Teams could easily adapt to their "slow down" strategy but how about the Lakers? It should be nice to mix things up and stay unpredictable.

Any system changes won't work because the majority of the Lakers squad are not consistent. They already used different system/s I believed since the season started. But since chemistry is not working out well, the execution of that specific strategy is not effective at all.

They might putting up good numbers on a particular game but will have their worst again another day. And not just that, even they played at their best, sometimes still a loss. In that particular situation, there's no problem with the Lakers but the opponent team just did much better, and kudos on that team.

It won't change a lot but it could be more entertaining to see changes in style.
Phil is a master in both offense and defense.
I can't say the same with Steve but his coaching style is more on the offense unlike Frank.

Agree with you there. Point taken.

However, Phil's strategy will be more effective if the player is consistent in the assigned role which I can't see right now in the Lakers squad. As I pointed out, a revamp is needed from top to bottom and not just by replacing only the head coach. Lakers are nothing without Lebron and that's a big problem as they should actually beat most teams even LeBron is out. That's why I think changing the coach is just a band-aid solution. Look at other teams, I doubt most of us here know each team's head coach but they are doing great since the strategy is effective as their players are fulfilling it.

To finished my statement, Lakers fans might be worried right now but not until it's almost clear that they are out of the playoffs discussion. We can't conclude that Lakers is done now.

[goinmerry]

The game will be at TD Garden, it could be an advantage for the Celtics, but even so, the Heat is a team to be cautious about.

Somehow, Boston Celtics currently have a good winning average playing at Home while the Miami Heat is the other way around.

Even with the wide gap at the standing, the Celtics can surely handle the Miami Heat.

But on the betting side, I will probably skip betting on that game in terms of who will win.

[agustina2]

Because Miami Heat was mentioned, I have to check the standing and I was surprised they are on the 1st. It's been a while since I check the standing and I'm really surprised that some unexpected teams in the Eastern Conference are now competing at the top.

It's not an assurance that these teams will have the chip to win the ECF but good to see other teams in the competition compared to usual before.

[chaser15]

I think it's just a bad fit.  Vogel is a defense first coach, coaching a bunch of aging hall of famers who have "saved energy" by not playing defense most of their careers.  The defense first mentality just isn't going to work with them.  That's why you're seeing young guys like Malik Monk thrive in the system while everyone else is seemingly struggling.  They need to get a run and gun score 120+ per game coach in there and see what these hall of famers can do.  The only guy that comes to mind is Mike D'Antoni but I think his days of being a head coach are over.  I really believe that's the style of play they should be going with.  Let Dwight Howard handle the defensive responsibilities and let everyone else run and gun.  This small ball defense first system is not going to work with this roster and I can't be the only one who knows it.  I'm still expecting Vogel to say goodbye during the all star break.

I like your analysis about how Coach Vogel is doing his way. He should be fired or what. But seems the Lakers organization still trusts him because changing the coach in mid-way might not bring good but only worst.

They are now trusting the process that things will do better once the All-Star break is finished.

The Lakers are now in a tough spot again. They might be playing at the play-in like what happened last season.

[yazher]

What a game! 76ers beat the Memphis Grizzlies in OT successfully without Embiid and stopped Ja Morant from doing his thing and I think it was the best defensive play I've ever seen in the NBA. Though he managed to pass the ball to his teammate, the shot was not successful forced a turned over and the 76ers closed the game with 3 points lead and +2 points in a buzzer-beater.

[Harkorede]

What a game! 76ers beat the Memphis Grizzlies in OT successfully without Embiid and stopped Ja Morant from doing his thing and I think it was the best defensive play I've ever seen in the NBA. Though he managed to pass the ball to his teammate, the shot was not successful forced a turned over and the 76ers closed the game with 3 points lead and +2 points in a buzzer-beater.

Big credits to the 76ers, I must say that I'm one of those who wrote them off going into this game after I discover that Embiid wouldn't be playing, I thought it was going to be just another Ja Morant's show, it actually was but then, Maxey was explosive tonight, the kid is got game!

[danherbias07]

Blaming game because of Frank Vogel. Ok, let's say he was replaced, do guys really think it will lift the Lakers and solve all their current mess? What system are we talking about here? I also don't like the way Frank Vogel is coaching the Lakers squad but you guys have to look at the inner problem. Changing the coach might be one of the steps for the Lakers to be improved but for me, it's not just with the coach.

Even we put Phil Jackson as their head coach today and hired Steve Kerr as an assistant coach, if players are not consistent, nothing will change. They need to rebrand the whole thing starting from revamping the starters to their bench. They can start next season.

But even with that, we don't need to close the book already that Lakers is already done this season. There will be lots of "what if" while the season is ongoing.

Too many veterans and just like OgNasty said they are not the defensive type of guys. It doesn't reflect where Vogel is good at. Westbrook and Melo especially. I know he is a close friend of Lebron and he wants to help him get a ring but this may also cost them the playoffs before even reaching the championship. Worse, it may cost one good job in Frank Vogel.

Steph Curry ended the Rockets with 40 points. 7/14 behind the arc and he was hot the whole 4th quarter. Rockets did try to get close but it's not easy when you are playing against the number 2 defensive team of the league.

[TravelMug]

Blaming game because of Frank Vogel. Ok, let's say he was replaced, do guys really think it will lift the Lakers and solve all their current mess? What system are we talking about here? I also don't like the way Frank Vogel is coaching the Lakers squad but you guys have to look at the inner problem. Changing the coach might be one of the steps for the Lakers to be improved but for me, it's not just with the coach.

Even we put Phil Jackson as their head coach today and hired Steve Kerr as an assistant coach, if players are not consistent, nothing will change. They need to rebrand the whole thing starting from revamping the starters to their bench. They can start next season.

But even with that, we don't need to close the book already that Lakers is already done this season. There will be lots of "what if" while the season is ongoing.

Too many veterans and just like OgNasty said they are not the defensive type of guys. It doesn't reflect where Vogel is good at. Westbrook and Melo especially. I know he is a close friend of Lebron and he wants to help him get a ring but this may also cost them the playoffs before even reaching the championship. Worse, it may cost one good job in Frank Vogel.

Steph Curry ended the Rockets with 40 points. 7/14 behind the arc and he was hot the whole 4th quarter. Rockets did try to get close but it's not easy when you are playing against the number 2 defensive team of the league.

Just when you think that the Rockets have a good chance to win against the number 2 seed in the Western conference, Curry started to get hot in the fourth quarter, put up successive three's and never let the Houston close the score to four points.

As for the Lakers predicament, it's moot point already, Vogel is not a perfect fit for the kind of players they have right now.

[Yaunfitda]

What a game! 76ers beat the Memphis Grizzlies in OT successfully without Embiid and stopped Ja Morant from doing his thing and I think it was the best defensive play I've ever seen in the NBA. Though he managed to pass the ball to his teammate, the shot was not successful forced a turned over and the 76ers closed the game with 3 points lead and +2 points in a buzzer-beater.

I missed this game, Memphis has been one of the hottest teams right now with Ja Morant but Sixers pull it out even without Embid. Although it seems the Drummond has step up with a huge 23 rebounds and 16 points.

The Warriors also win on the road, it was a very difficult win for them as the Rockets didn't go away that easy. It took Steph Curry to score 19 points in the 4th quarter alone and score 40 points in this game to get the W.

[btc_angela]

What a game! 76ers beat the Memphis Grizzlies in OT successfully without Embiid and stopped Ja Morant from doing his thing and I think it was the best defensive play I've ever seen in the NBA. Though he managed to pass the ball to his teammate, the shot was not successful forced a turned over and the 76ers closed the game with 3 points lead and +2 points in a buzzer-beater.

Big credits to the 76ers, I must say that I'm one of those who wrote them off going into this game after I discover that Embiid wouldn't be playing, I thought it was going to be just another Ja Morant's show, it actually was but then, Maxey was explosive tonight, the kid is got game!

Tobias Harris also come in clutch in this game, perhaps they've know that Joel is out so they might as well play high level basketball. Ja Morant could have sealed the game if not for his missed FT. And then they take a good 4 point lead in the OT with 3 minutes left, but Maxey and the Sixers can't be denied in this game. Ja Morant though with some spectacular moves inside, but his weakness is his shooting though, 3, mid range shot and even crucial FT's.

[LogitechMouse]

Blaming game because of Frank Vogel. Ok, let's say he was replaced, do guys really think it will lift the Lakers and solve all their current mess? What system are we talking about here? I also don't like the way Frank Vogel is coaching the Lakers squad but you guys have to look at the inner problem. Changing the coach might be one of the steps for the Lakers to be improved but for me, it's not just with the coach.

Even we put Phil Jackson as their head coach today and hired Steve Kerr as an assistant coach, if players are not consistent, nothing will change. They need to rebrand the whole thing starting from revamping the starters to their bench. They can start next season.

But even with that, we don't need to close the book already that Lakers is already done this season. There will be lots of "what if" while the season is ongoing.

Too many veterans and just like OgNasty said they are not the defensive type of guys. It doesn't reflect where Vogel is good at. Westbrook and Melo especially. I know he is a close friend of Lebron and he wants to help him get a ring but this may also cost them the playoffs before even reaching the championship. Worse, it may cost one good job in Frank Vogel.

Steph Curry ended the Rockets with 40 points. 7/14 behind the arc and he was hot the whole 4th quarter. Rockets did try to get close but it's not easy when you are playing against the number 2 defensive team of the league.

The roster is a complete mess that is it.
A roster of all-star players yes but at their prime and they aren't at their prime anymore. Melo, Howard, even Jordan and even Westbrook aren't in their prime anymore. I think we are putting all of our blames to Vogel where in fact, its the roster that is the problem here. The roster is the problem that it created a domino effect and blamed the coach as well as the management themselves.

How can a team which consists of players mostly aged 30+ can win a championship? Now we are seeing how they are playing and they will play all throughout the whole season. As @harizen said, they need to change everything from players to maybe the management as well. Too much veterans will not increase their chances of getting a championship especially if we know that they aren't in their prime anymore.

Now with regards to the Rockets, its all close until Curry has hot hands coming into the 4th and took it over and got the win. They are still in the top 2 seeded behind the Suns who has a 10 game win streak again.

[Rufsilf]

Because Miami Heat was mentioned, I have to check the standing and I was surprised they are on the 1st. It's been a while since I check the standing and I'm really surprised that some unexpected teams in the Eastern Conference are now competing at the top.

It's not an assurance that these teams will have the chip to win the ECF but good to see other teams in the competition compared to usual before.

The Miami Heat was in the #1 spot in the East for a while now even though they lacked players but as of today, the Bulls took that spot again after the Celtics defeated the Heat today by a blowout with a 30 points difference. So, yes many unexpected teams are now competing in the top 3 spot just like the 76ers which was seated now on the #3 spot.

The NBA season now is really interesting because they're not just watching for injuries but also health & safety protocols too.

[Reid]

Now with regards to the Rockets, its all close until Curry has hot hands coming into the 4th and took it over and got the win. They are still in the top 2 seeded behind the Suns who has a 10 game win streak again.

It's Kevin Porter Jr.'s fault.  He talked too much to Steph Curry (I don't know if it's trash talk) and we all know that guy when he is being cornered, he will transform into a monster and be at his best performance.
But I saw them chatting at the end of the game, looks like it was all just a competitive spirit of the young player. He did great defending and answering all the shots thrown to them but that's Steph, I'd be proud of myself if I am the one doing the exhausting defense against him and endure it until the last minute of the game.