2024 NBA Season

[Yaunfitda]

Maybe it's time for that Westbrook "thing-y" to move on I guess?
I just want to ask a question regarding the Westbrook's previous team, the Lakers.

With only 23 games remaining, and with their better roster now compare to where it was before trade deadline, do you think that the Lakers will clinch the playoffs this regular season? What is the ceiling for this new Lakers roster this season?

I mean they have a chance. They are on the 13th seed right now, but the are only 5 games behind the 4th seeded Clippers. That's how tight the Western Conference right now. This is the tightest competition that I've ever seen in the Western Conference.  For me, I see them clinching to a play-in spot and the highest that they might probably get is the 8th seed.

The Lakers will probably have to win 15-16 games of their remaining 23 to get in the playoffs. That may not even be enough, it might only get them to the play in game. They have a chance and a lot still believe in Lebron. It's 50/50 IMO.

Yes, it might not be enough, but they earn a good win today against the defending champion in Warriors. And they play good basketball, it was Malik Beasley who lead the team with his outside shooting. But it was a team effort, a lot of them scored in this game.

Take note though that D'Lo scored just 2 points, Lebron James just 13 points.

But it was enough to take that big win.

[1714622073]

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[1714622073]

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[TravelMug]

Maybe it's time for that Westbrook "thing-y" to move on I guess?
I just want to ask a question regarding the Westbrook's previous team, the Lakers.

With only 23 games remaining, and with their better roster now compare to where it was before trade deadline, do you think that the Lakers will clinch the playoffs this regular season? What is the ceiling for this new Lakers roster this season?

I mean they have a chance. They are on the 13th seed right now, but the are only 5 games behind the 4th seeded Clippers. That's how tight the Western Conference right now. This is the tightest competition that I've ever seen in the Western Conference.  For me, I see them clinching to a play-in spot and the highest that they might probably get is the 8th seed.

The thing is that it's beyond their control, if ever the win their 23 games but other teams too win that much specially in the bunch of 8-11 spot then they will still be log jam.

So for now they shouldn't have that kind of mentality, I mean get as much wins as they can because that's the only factors they can control. And after that let's see where they at after the regular season. They started it already with a win against the GSW in their homecourt.

[Kelvinid]

Finally, the Dallas Mavericks have won a game. They shared the ball well, so the production was impressive. Luka scored 28 points and Irving had 23, making for a good combo, and the overall shooting of the team was also impressive, at 56%.

Although the spread was high, they still managed to cover it, so congratulations also to the bettors.

[Sanitough]

Finally, the Dallas Mavericks have won a game. They shared the ball well, so the production was impressive. Luka scored 28 points and Irving had 23, making for a good combo, and the overall shooting of the team was also impressive, at 56%.

Although the spread was high, they still managed to cover it, so congratulations also to the bettors.

That's why some of us thought that they would not be able to cover the spread, but they did. I hope this is the start of their great chemistry, and that one win might lead to continued success, making them a dominant team. The good thing is that it was not only Luka and Kyrie who scored over 20 points, but also Hardaway Jr. who contributed 22 points in this game.

[yazher]

That's why some of us thought that they would not be able to cover the spread, but they did. I hope this is the start of their great chemistry, and that one win might lead to continued success, making them a dominant team. The good thing is that it was not only Luka and Kyrie who scored over 20 points, but also Hardaway Jr. who contributed 22 points in this game.

They are just in need of time to play more games to get some chemistry with each other and help to increase their team's chance to get to the NBA playoffs after the All-Star weekend. Now that they found the right rhythms to play with each other, they will gonna hard to beat in their next upcoming games. Other teams are doing great too except for the Lakers, D'Angelo Russell was out of the game earlier because of a foot injury, hope it will not gonna be a reason for him to be out for long because they really need more wins after their win last night.

[Sanitough]

That's why some of us thought that they would not be able to cover the spread, but they did. I hope this is the start of their great chemistry, and that one win might lead to continued success, making them a dominant team. The good thing is that it was not only Luka and Kyrie who scored over 20 points, but also Hardaway Jr. who contributed 22 points in this game.

They are just in need of time to play more games to get some chemistry with each other and help to increase their team's chance to get to the NBA playoffs after the All-Star weekend. Now that they found the right rhythms to play with each other, they will gonna hard to beat in their next upcoming games. Other teams are doing great too except for the Lakers, D'Angelo Russell was out of the game earlier because of a foot injury, hope it will not gonna be a reason for him to be out for long because they really need more wins after their win last night.

But I'm still not convinced though. They beat a team that has the worst record in the NBA, so I think they need to prove themselves again by beating a team that is already above .500. Well, they will be up against the Lakers on the road for their next game. If they win that game, then I would say they are definitely ready.

By the way, we will witness Westbrook tomorrow on his debut with the Clippers.

https://www.si.com/nba/clippers/news/russell-westbrooks-debut-game-with-clippers-officially-revealed

[kro55]

How do you know that he will perform well in a new team? Just because he has played with Paul George means that he will blend with the whole Clippers team. And then we have the coach as well who will decide when he is going to play.

So we can't say that if he is going to do good with the Clippers just saying.

We have to look at how they are going to utilize him, as a point guard starting five or coming from the bench just like what he did at Lakers.

Well, that's the thing, we don't know if he will be able to perform well or not. I believe he is going to have a better chance if he does move to the Clippers instead of staying with the Lakers though. Because at this point Lakers do not even want him on the team. He is getting a lot of hate from the Lakers. So from the player's point of view, it will be better for him if he does make a move.

On the other hand, if we think about the point of view of the Clippers, I think it will be gambling. Because I don't think they are also sure that it will be better for them to get him on the team. So obviously it will be a gamble for them which might or might not work out.

[btc_angela]

That's why some of us thought that they would not be able to cover the spread, but they did. I hope this is the start of their great chemistry, and that one win might lead to continued success, making them a dominant team. The good thing is that it was not only Luka and Kyrie who scored over 20 points, but also Hardaway Jr. who contributed 22 points in this game.

They are just in need of time to play more games to get some chemistry with each other and help to increase their team's chance to get to the NBA playoffs after the All-Star weekend. Now that they found the right rhythms to play with each other, they will gonna hard to beat in their next upcoming games. Other teams are doing great too except for the Lakers, D'Angelo Russell was out of the game earlier because of a foot injury, hope it will not gonna be a reason for him to be out for long because they really need more wins after their win last night.

But I'm still not convinced though. They beat a team that has the worst record in the NBA, so I think they need to prove themselves again by beating a team that is already above .500. Well, they will be up against the Lakers on the road for their next game. If they win that game, then I would say they are definitely ready.

By the way, we will witness Westbrook tomorrow on his debut with the Clippers.

https://www.si.com/nba/clippers/news/russell-westbrooks-debut-game-with-clippers-officially-revealed

Probably just one of the most anticipated games tomorrow, hopefully he will suit up and will be able to play. But it's not going to be an easy game for them as they are facing the Sacramento Kings.

If Westbrook will have a good debut then that is good, at least this detractors are going to be quiet.

But it's one of his worst performance, then for sure they are going to feast on him on the social medias.

[carlisle1]

Finally, the Dallas Mavericks have won a game. They shared the ball well, so the production was impressive. Luka scored 28 points and Irving had 23, making for a good combo, and the overall shooting of the team was also impressive, at 56%.

Although the spread was high, they still managed to cover it, so congratulations also to the bettors.

That's why some of us thought that they would not be able to cover the spread, but they did. I hope this is the start of their great chemistry, and that one win might lead to continued success, making them a dominant team. The good thing is that it was not only Luka and Kyrie who scored over 20 points, but also Hardaway Jr. who contributed 22 points in this game.

With the way they rotate the ball and with that kind of trust from each other it's possible that they will get more wins, Luka needs
to own his designation as main Alpha of this team.

Respect to a good star is not bad, but he should not be affected in terms of pushing his limits in helping the team to win.

Kyrie is a scoring machine so do with Luka, if they can blend well and the support with everyone will continue to be like this,
we will see more exciting and entertaining game from the Mavs.

[LogitechMouse]

~

The thing is that it's beyond their control, if ever the win their 23 games but other teams too win that much specially in the bunch of 8-11 spot then they will still be log jam.

So for now they shouldn't have that kind of mentality, I mean get as much wins as they can because that's the only factors they can control. And after that let's see where they at after the regular season. They started it already with a win against the GSW in their homecourt.

Well, that's true. Like Lebron said, "It's 23 of the most important games of my career, for regular season."
Just getting wins must be their main priority and they did it already against the Warriors a while ago. Too unfortunate though that Russell got injured.

Finally, the Dallas Mavericks have won a game. They shared the ball well, so the production was impressive. Luka scored 28 points and Irving had 23, making for a good combo, and the overall shooting of the team was also impressive, at 56%.

Although the spread was high, they still managed to cover it, so congratulations also to the bettors.

They won against one of the worst team, but still a win is a win. On the other hand, it wasn't impressive at least for most because it wasn't against a top team.
Their next 5 games aren't that hard TBH. 2 of the 3 are against top teams in Philly and Phoenix while the other 3 is against the Lakers, Indiana and the Jazz. The offense of the Mavericks is distributed. 8 players in double digits.

By the way, we will witness Westbrook tomorrow on his debut with the Clippers.

https://www.si.com/nba/clippers/news/russell-westbrooks-debut-game-with-clippers-officially-revealed

It will be against the Kings on Crypto.com Arena.
For sure, many including me are waiting for how will Westbrook play now that he will be playing on another Los Angeles team now. I'm excited and so are the fans for sure. Though this is only 1 game, we might see a glimpse on how impactful he will be for the Clippers team. We can make some assumptions base on this game so let's watch.

[danherbias07]

Finally, the Dallas Mavericks have won a game. They shared the ball well, so the production was impressive. Luka scored 28 points and Irving had 23, making for a good combo, and the overall shooting of the team was also impressive, at 56%.

Although the spread was high, they still managed to cover it, so congratulations also to the bettors.

Yeah, finally.
The Spurs are in bad shape so I guess that's the reason for the high spreads offered by our online sports bookies. With Kyrie and Doncic playing -13.5 should just be sufficiently covered.
You are right, the ball rotation was somehow impressive which we didn't on their previous games.
Maybe they are now having better chemistry but, we may have to see them battle stronger teams to see if this kind of gameplay will continue. It's not that it won't happen but they may need to rush things if they want to be in a safer spot for the playoffs. Overall, a good reset for them.

[Japinat]

LOL! Do people really believe that the Clippers will not benefit from acquiring Westbrook, and instead will struggle?

The odds should increase, not decline, but from what we are seeing, it seems like the bettors do not appreciate the decision of the Clippers to acquire Westbrook. Well, it's too early to conclude just yet. Let him play first, and then we will decide. As for me, I have a feeling that Westbrook will not be criticized with the Clippers; the opposite may happen.

If he will be a good fit for the Clippers, and he will perform better than what he was when he's in the Lakers, that odds will change that's for sure.

After his awful performance with the Clippers, bettors sees Westbrook a burden more than a benefit for the team. Let his performance when he come back do the talking. I myself doesn't have any high expectation for him as well even though many are saying that there's a chemistry between him and PG13 back when they are in the Thunder. That's a different story, and now they are on a different team already.

As for me, I still want Westbrook to be in the league for a couple of years or even more, so this is his opportunity. His chance to get back after him being bombarded with criticisms and bashes back when he's still a Laker. Him as their starter is a good idea still. Russ, Mann, PG13, Kawhi and Zubac? Just looking at it, they're really a good starting 5 if you will ask me.

We will find out about that soon when Westbrook will make his debut wearing LA Clippers jersey. Although, I admit that also got the same sentiment as I still believe that he can still make a difference even if he's not the usual Westbrook that we've known, time has change, so does he. Besides, he himself definitely knew the situation that he's in right now and that alone will be a driving force to him to strive harder.

LA Clippers chose to believe in him for a reason and that is why they gambled for him, and made the riskiest trade right in the middle of the season.

[OgNasty]

How do you know that he will perform well in a new team? Just because he has played with Paul George means that he will blend with the whole Clippers team. And then we have the coach as well who will decide when he is going to play.

So we can't say that if he is going to do good with the Clippers just saying.

We have to look at how they are going to utilize him, as a point guard starting five or coming from the bench just like what he did at Lakers.

Well, that's the thing, we don't know if he will be able to perform well or not. I believe he is going to have a better chance if he does move to the Clippers instead of staying with the Lakers though. Because at this point Lakers do not even want him on the team. He is getting a lot of hate from the Lakers. So from the player's point of view, it will be better for him if he does make a move.

On the other hand, if we think about the point of view of the Clippers, I think it will be gambling. Because I don't think they are also sure that it will be better for them to get him on the team. So obviously it will be a gamble for them which might or might not work out.

The Lakers do seem to be glad to be rid of him.  Anthony Davis and LeBron James had a little conversation that was caught on TV yesterday where AD said something to LeBron about them having not been up by 24 this early in the game all year.  LeBron agreed.  This seemingly was a shot at Russ, but moreso I think happiness that they feel like they actually have a team now that can win games.  I think they're going to finish the season strong and try to do some damage in the playoffs.  I still think they'll struggle against younger more athletic teams like the Denver Nuggets though.

[danherbias07]

The Lakers do seem to be glad to be rid of him.  Anthony Davis and LeBron James had a little conversation that was caught on TV yesterday where AD said something to LeBron about them having not been up by 24 this early in the game all year.  LeBron agreed.  This seemingly was a shot at Russ, but moreso I think happiness that they feel like they actually have a team now that can win games.  I think they're going to finish the season strong and try to do some damage in the playoffs.  I still think they'll struggle against younger more athletic teams like the Denver Nuggets though.

Whatever those issues with Westbrook are, it's not that important anymore. What they have is a stronger team with a lot of roleplayers helping out to make it possible. Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt should always play side by side as their chemistry is stronger coming at LA from Utah Jazz.
But I saw dime with Lebron and other guards for them and it's all successful which means they feel comfortable with the team.
Also, I like how they trusted Beasley on making threes, 7 of 11. Not bad and this is what he does even in Utah.
Rui staying at the perimeters seems to suit him too and it's working like art now. If they can keep this up, they will shake the playoffs definitely.

[dwyane36]

Maybe it's time for that Westbrook "thing-y" to move on I guess?
I just want to ask a question regarding the Westbrook's previous team, the Lakers.

With only 23 games remaining, and with their better roster now compare to where it was before trade deadline, do you think that the Lakers will clinch the playoffs this regular season? What is the ceiling for this new Lakers roster this season?

I mean they have a chance. They are on the 13th seed right now, but the are only 5 games behind the 4th seeded Clippers. That's how tight the Western Conference right now. This is the tightest competition that I've ever seen in the Western Conference.  For me, I see them clinching to a play-in spot and the highest that they might probably get is the 8th seed.

I hope the Lakers can improve their place in the standings before the end of the regular season. At the least, they still have time to get into the play-in tournament because they have the same number of wins as the Thunder, who are currently in 11th place in the Western Conference standings. The only thing I'm worried about is Russell's injury. It will be a fiasco for the Lakers if he misses a lot of games due to injury.

[jakelyson]

Maybe it's time for that Westbrook "thing-y" to move on I guess?
I just want to ask a question regarding the Westbrook's previous team, the Lakers.

With only 23 games remaining, and with their better roster now compare to where it was before trade deadline, do you think that the Lakers will clinch the playoffs this regular season? What is the ceiling for this new Lakers roster this season?

I mean they have a chance. They are on the 13th seed right now, but the are only 5 games behind the 4th seeded Clippers. That's how tight the Western Conference right now. This is the tightest competition that I've ever seen in the Western Conference.  For me, I see them clinching to a play-in spot and the highest that they might probably get is the 8th seed.

They have a chance to make it to the playoffs, but it is very slim though. They are now 3 games behind the warriors who are sitting at number 10 in the west. I do not think the top 8 in the west are going to drop their game and move down the rank. But I am expecting the Jazz to drop from their current rank so maybe the Lakers can take that spot if they continue to win. I saw their game against the Warriors and the new roster looks good though it is against a depleted Warriors. Let's see if they stay the same against a more competitive and complete team. Maybe the Lakers can do it but that is only if they all stay healthy.

[freedomgo]

Plenty of reports that are saying we won’t see Durant on the floor for the Suns until at least Sunday, with a debut next Wednesday even a possibility. I want to see them in action, but with Booker just back in the lineup I can understand why they want to take it slow. I’m glad I’ll be able to see Durant play a lot more. Maybe even in person.

Yes, I also checked it out and indeed, Kevin Durant is reportedly set to make make Suns debut on March 1.. Fans are waiting patiently what would be the outcome of Durant's trade to the Valley of Suns and fortunately, we already have a date about it as he will likely make his debut on the road versus Charlotte Hornets.

Currently, the Suns is on the 5th seed of the West and just a game away from the 4th seed which is occupied by the LA Clippers. The next couple of weeks will be fun as the West is starting to get tighter because of the recent trade.

It's gonna be a wild wild west again this time. Everyone for sure have eyes on the Western conference. The Suns may never make a huge impact on Durant acquisition for the remainder of the season, but come playoffs, they will definitely be one of the hardest if not the hardest team to beat in the West.
Imo, they are not just really strong on papers, but they could make it work this time, most probably.

I do agree that the Suns chances to get themselves a spot in the playoffs has increased because of their recent acquisition of Durant and the same goes for their chances not to get choked in the 1st round of eliminations. We all know that Kevin Durant is a playmaker and in every team he lands on, it's expected that it will be a great team granting that he is now included in the equation. So hopefully, Kevin Durant will not get drag with CP3's problem as he tend be inconsistent once they get a series games.

[bitgolden]

It's gonna be a wild wild west again this time. Everyone for sure have eyes on the Western conference. The Suns may never make a huge impact on Durant acquisition for the remainder of the season, but come playoffs, they will definitely be one of the hardest if not the hardest team to beat in the West.
Imo, they are not just really strong on papers, but they could make it work this time, most probably.

I think having Durant, no doubt will boost their chances in the West, but still we wanted how they are going to fair with other strong teams in their division specially the Nuggets.

The match up will be great, Gordon could either work on Booker or Durant and then Murray against CP3.

Hopefully as this could be the last chance of CP3, things c an work this time.

CP3 definitely finally has a team that could win it all, they had that one season where it looked like everything clicked for a second but Giannis had different plans. But at the end of the day, they are a decent team and we all know what they are capable of and I do not think that CP3 ever had a team where it would be this good for him.

I am old enough to remember that there was a moment where CP3 was about to go to Lakers, and it would have been CP3, Kobe, Artest, Odom, Gasol on the floor at the same time which would have been insane to watch but NBA as an organization blocked that trade, ever since that day, this would be the best chance he could get.

[OgNasty]

I wonder if we'll see Russell Westbrook take the floor tonight for the Clippers.  A shame I won't be able to watch that game if he does play.  Should be a little bit of an event.  The Kings have been playing great as of late as well, so it won't be an easy win for the Clippers with or without Russell Westbrook.  I do hope we get to see some highlights of the Clippers new big 3.  Paul George reuniting with Westbrook and seeing how Kawhi and Russ fit together will be interesting.  I must say I'm curious how that pairing will go together, not just on the floor but socially off the court as Russ and Kawhi are a couple of interesting personalities.

[wheelz1200]

Plenty of reports that are saying we won’t see Durant on the floor for the Suns until at least Sunday, with a debut next Wednesday even a possibility. I want to see them in action, but with Booker just back in the lineup I can understand why they want to take it slow. I’m glad I’ll be able to see Durant play a lot more. Maybe even in person.

Yes, I also checked it out and indeed, Kevin Durant is reportedly set to make make Suns debut on March 1.. Fans are waiting patiently what would be the outcome of Durant's trade to the Valley of Suns and fortunately, we already have a date about it as he will likely make his debut on the road versus Charlotte Hornets.

Currently, the Suns is on the 5th seed of the West and just a game away from the 4th seed which is occupied by the LA Clippers. The next couple of weeks will be fun as the West is starting to get tighter because of the recent trade.

It's gonna be a wild wild west again this time. Everyone for sure have eyes on the Western conference. The Suns may never make a huge impact on Durant acquisition for the remainder of the season, but come playoffs, they will definitely be one of the hardest if not the hardest team to beat in the West.
Imo, they are not just really strong on papers, but they could make it work this time, most probably.

I do agree that the Suns chances to get themselves a spot in the playoffs has increased because of their recent acquisition of Durant and the same goes for their chances not to get choked in the 1st round of eliminations. We all know that Kevin Durant is a playmaker and in every team he lands on, it's expected that it will be a great team granting that he is now included in the equation. So hopefully, Kevin Durant will not get drag with CP3's problem as he tend be inconsistent once they get a series games.

Are you inferring that Chris Paul is the issue on the Suns in the past?  Dude is arguably the best pure point guard in the league still.  One of the smartest basketball players I've seen in a long time.  If the Suns get dropped it's not going to be because of theor point guard play.