2024 NBA Season

[Ziskinberg]

Nice to see Anthony Davis back on the floor for the Lakers. Granted the Spurs aren’t a good measuring stick, but a win is a win. The new guy Hachimura had a good game and AD put up 21 & 12. Only a couple more weeks until LeBron breaks Kareem’s scoring record. It looks like maybe the Lakers might be firing on all cylinders by then as they look to secure a playoff spot in the second half of the season.

21-12 for AD which is a pretty good stat after him being gone for weeks because of that injury again. Well, I'm not saying "I hope he will not get injured again" blah blah because after all, it will not change the fact that AD is an all-star caliber player, but he's very fragile and injury prone player. Nevertheless, it's good to see him back like you said.

12 points in 21 minutes for Hachimura and a near triple double for Lebron James. 158 points to go until he surpasses Kareem. Westbrook didn't play that good tonight, but it's my first time to see Beverley scoring for 18 this season. I mean we know him as a great defender and not a scorer, but he stepped up and got the victory.

Having Anthony Davis on the team is obviously great. Even in today's match, it was great for the Lakers. Anthony Davis gives the team a lot of depth that they need and his performance is obviously appreciated.

Remember the game before this in which LeBron James scored 46 points? He did not have any help from the team, to be honest.

So, even after he scored 46, the team was unable to win. But in this game with the help of Anthony Davis, the team has performed a lot better, as a team actually. And they got the win against Spurs. Westbrook and Beverley also cheap in with some important points.

They are unpredictable now and they have the advantage inside because Davis is a dominant big man, he can score inside and outside. Lebron can focus on distributing the ball to an open man, and he can also continue playing like what he did in the past few games if he wants, thing is, the pressure is not so big for him now that Davis has returned.

[danherbias07]

The return of Brandon Ingram is not enough to end the Pelicans' losing streak. Ingram seems lost and is still to find his rhythm after his long injury. The Pelicans tried to control the game but things changed when the Timberwolves gained momentum in the 3rd quarter and maintained it until the end. Another huge number came from Anthony Edwards with 37 points.

I took the bet for the Pelicans without knowing BI's return. He ain't really back yet, that's not the performance that I got used to watching him play. Perhaps, putting him back in his rhythm first is better than risking him out. Put him in when they have a lead but not on crucial minutes.

This is the 3rd straight 30+ points by Edwards. Hopefully, he can bring the same momentum when Ja Morant and the Grizzlies visit Minnesota in their next game. Also today, the Grizzlies lost a wild game against GSW. That's the 4th straight loss suffered by the Grizzlies yet they are still looking strong at top 2 in the west.  

Denver Nuggets going further away while the number 2 Memphis Grizzlies keep on losing their games.
Until they find what is missing in their plays, they should stay competitive on both ends of the floor. That game against the Warriors was a big opportunity to come back from a losing streak, 16 turnovers made by the Warriors and yet it is still a tie game. That's when you realize something is badly wrong.
Ja Morant's points per game don't reach 30+ anymore after Bane came back, they may be sharing the ball better but Morant being the focus of everything did work before.

[yazher]

They are unpredictable now and they have the advantage inside because Davis is a dominant big man, he can score inside and outside. Lebron can focus on distributing the ball to an open man, and he can also continue playing like what he did in the past few games if he wants, thing is, the pressure is not so big for him now that Davis has returned.

Their next game against Boston will be tough and this will determine how they will gonna be in the remaining games of this season because if they cannot get through against the Celtics, then they will gonna be struggling to get to the number 10th spot which will gonna play the play-in tournament. At least they need to try to get to that spot because if they are lucky, they can enter the NBA playoff this season. But as we can see, they're not really improving their rank and for the past 3 months, they can't seem to find the right rhythms to get out of number 12-13 spots.

[Sanitough]

The return of Brandon Ingram is not enough to end the Pelicans' losing streak. Ingram seems lost and is still to find his rhythm after his long injury. The Pelicans tried to control the game but things changed when the Timberwolves gained momentum in the 3rd quarter and maintained it until the end. Another huge number came from Anthony Edwards with 37 points.

This is the 3rd straight 30+ points by Edwards. Hopefully, he can bring the same momentum when Ja Morant and the Grizzlies visit Minnesota in their next game. Also today, the Grizzlies lost a wild game against GSW. That's the 4th straight loss suffered by the Grizzlies yet they are still looking strong at top 2 in the west.  

He did try though specially in the last 2 minutes of the game, but the Timberwolves have every answer on Ingram's score. Of course, it's really hard to come back and make an impact immediately.

And in the 3rd quarter, they really struggled a bit and so it's hard to make a come back when the other team is hitting their shots as well.

Lost my bet here, as I thought that the Pelicans will win big in their homecourt with Ingram.

He probably needs more time before he can get back to his usual game, but the most important now is that he is already healthy and he will be able to help his team to reach the playoffs as he did last season. Despite the losing streak, the good news is that they are still in the number 4 spot, so if they will star wining, then probably their ranking will improve s well, and it will guarantee them a playoff spot.

Although he scored double digits, but 4-18 shooting is very bad, has not made a shot on the 6 attempts in the 3 point area. Overall, he had a bad game but we can understand since he just returned from a long layoff due to injury. Maybe Zion would also come back soon, and this team will be healthy again, it's okay if they'll keep losing as they are still in the safe standing.

[Reid]

They are unpredictable now and they have the advantage inside because Davis is a dominant big man, he can score inside and outside. Lebron can focus on distributing the ball to an open man, and he can also continue playing like what he did in the past few games if he wants, thing is, the pressure is not so big for him now that Davis has returned.

Their next game against Boston will be tough and this will determine how they will gonna be in the remaining games of this season because if they cannot get through against the Celtics, then they will gonna be struggling to get to the number 10th spot which will gonna play the play-in tournament. At least they need to try to get to that spot because if they are lucky, they can enter the NBA playoff this season. But as we can see, they're not really improving their rank and for the past 3 months, they can't seem to find the right rhythms to get out of number 12-13 spots.

Boston Celtics as one of the consistent teams in the league will be difficult to defeat. If the Lakers will force it, they need to be better on both ends of the floor. They have Rui Hachimura now, but they may want to give him more minutes to find his rhythm. It's not easy to join a team and be welcomed in a sudden, he needs to build chemistry with the team as fast as they could as time is getting shorter especially when the All-Star break comes. Their run for the playoffs may not happen if they cannot fully use his skill and now that AD returned, they should be a stronger team.

[Pamadar]

They are unpredictable now and they have the advantage inside because Davis is a dominant big man, he can score inside and outside. Lebron can focus on distributing the ball to an open man, and he can also continue playing like what he did in the past few games if he wants, thing is, the pressure is not so big for him now that Davis has returned.

Their next game against Boston will be tough and this will determine how they will gonna be in the remaining games of this season because if they cannot get through against the Celtics, then they will gonna be struggling to get to the number 10th spot which will gonna play the play-in tournament. At least they need to try to get to that spot because if they are lucky, they can enter the NBA playoff this season. But as we can see, they're not really improving their rank and for the past 3 months, they can't seem to find the right rhythms to get out of number 12-13 spots.

Boston Celtics as one of the consistent teams in the league will be difficult to defeat. If the Lakers will force it, they need to be better on both ends of the floor. They have Rui Hachimura now, but they may want to give him more minutes to find his rhythm. It's not easy to join a team and be welcomed in a sudden, he needs to build chemistry with the team as fast as they could as time is getting shorter especially when the All-Star break comes. Their run for the playoffs may not happen if they cannot fully use his skill and now that AD returned, they should be a stronger team.

I believe that if Lakers can establish the chemistry in both areas, defense and offense is very important they've got strong
squad basing to how we are witnessing the adjustments.

Bryant can play alongside with AD inside, while Russ and LeBron need to maximize
Dennis, in distributing the ball, they've got Hachimura but I can agree that he needs
more minutes to develop and learn his role, they need all the wins that they can, a close
positioning, they need to make something to move to the next round.

[rhomelmabini]

I wonder why nobody is talking here about the Grizzlies-Warriors match-up where Poole put the game winning shot.

He is the reason why Curry got ejected because of his early shot with more than 10 seconds remaining, but on the other hand, he is also the reason why the Grizzlies are now on a 4 game losing streak. Dynasty?? Dynasty in their dreams.

Yeah, damn Jordan Poole will hear a lot of different curses if they lost that Warriors game.
I watched it live stream full game and I can say he is not moving like a champion in those last minutes of the game. Early shooting the ball while they have the lead, mistakes left and right, that pass he made to Klay Thompson was supposed to be a turnover, he got lucky the Grizzlies missed to steal it.
He saved himself by making that final shot but I doubt what he did will be forgotten. The reason Curry was ejected. What if it went overtime? They will absolutely lose and it's all his fault.
Funny thing. He didn't even know he was the reason for Curry's frustration until the interview. Innocence or numbness.  
JR Smith Dejavu.

Don't know what's wrong with Poole but likely he's trying to prove he is good or just showing off, too bad for Curry to be triggered like that. I think he should behave more old on his seniors because this isn't the first time he did this kind of attitude.

[boltz]

Grizzlies are 4 defeats in a row right now and it's kinda normal after the huge push they did to be in 2nd place Western and having a great advantage over 3rd and 4th place.

Jazz took another defeat last night and they are on the edge of losing play-offs spots and who would have thought 2 months ago that Jazz , being 1st place could miss playoffs 2 months later 

My favorites Bulls are playing tonight and I'm thinking to place a bet on 1st half on them against Hornets because as far as I know , Hornets are still a 2nd half team.

[yahoo62278]

Grizzlies are 4 defeats in a row right now and it's kinda normal after the huge push they did to be in 2nd place Western and having a great advantage over 3rd and 4th place.

Jazz took another defeat last night and they are on the edge of losing play-offs spots and who would have thought 2 months ago that Jazz , being 1st place could miss playoffs 2 months later 

My favorites Bulls are playing tonight and I'm thinking to place a bet on 1st half on them against Hornets because as far as I know , Hornets are still a 2nd half team.

I think the Grizzlies are really in need of another star. Ja morant is a workhorse and is the only star on the team IMO. He need some role players and help if they want to really be competitors.

[Japinat]

Nice to see Anthony Davis back on the floor for the Lakers. Granted the Spurs aren’t a good measuring stick, but a win is a win. The new guy Hachimura had a good game and AD put up 21 & 12. Only a couple more weeks until LeBron breaks Kareem’s scoring record. It looks like maybe the Lakers might be firing on all cylinders by then as they look to secure a playoff spot in the second half of the season.

I'm thinking that LeBron will time the schedule carefully when he will break and get past Kareem's record because that moment will be so special for him and the rest of the league, surely he will make it happen when they are playing at home somewhere maybe in the game versus the Bucks or Thunder as LeBron is only 158 points away from Kareem.

[carlisle1]

The return of Brandon Ingram is not enough to end the Pelicans' losing streak. Ingram seems lost and is still to find his rhythm after his long injury. The Pelicans tried to control the game but things changed when the Timberwolves gained momentum in the 3rd quarter and maintained it until the end. Another huge number came from Anthony Edwards with 37 points.

This is the 3rd straight 30+ points by Edwards. Hopefully, he can bring the same momentum when Ja Morant and the Grizzlies visit Minnesota in their next game. Also today, the Grizzlies lost a wild game against GSW. That's the 4th straight loss suffered by the Grizzlies yet they are still looking strong at top 2 in the west.  

He did try though specially in the last 2 minutes of the game, but the Timberwolves have every answer on Ingram's score. Of course, it's really hard to come back and make an impact immediately.

And in the 3rd quarter, they really struggled a bit and so it's hard to make a come back when the other team is hitting their shots as well.

Lost my bet here, as I thought that the Pelicans will win big in their homecourt with Ingram.

He probably needs more time before he can get back to his usual game, but the most important now is that he is already healthy and he will be able to help his team to reach the playoffs as he did last season. Despite the losing streak, the good news is that they are still in the number 4 spot, so if they will star wining, then probably their ranking will improve s well, and it will guarantee them a playoff spot.

Yeah right, he is back but unable to provide what the team and the fans are expecting from him. It's understandable since he was
away for quite some time, and he needed the right adjustment.

They are still in a good spot, but they need to start winning again to make sure that they've got a good spot in the second round.

Looking forward to see them in a complete squad, very competitive and have that chance to move forward in chasing the title.

[freedomgo]

Honestly, Rui is not a good enough player just for the three second round picks, let alone Nunn, and I agree that Nunn is not good neither, if it was a straight up trade then I would say they are good, but three second round picks? That has to be terrible man, that's really not a good trade. Lakers basically do not have any picks left, they are trusting this team to either work very well and get a title next year (can't get one this year lets be realistic) or they will just suck for another 5-6 years in a row, not even tanking because they have no picks, they will just suck and that's it, end of story, don't even have a plan to get better.

Did you really expect that the Los Angeles Lakers can just have it their way and expect a good trade from giving away their second rounders? I mean c'mon man, let's be reasonable because we all know in the first place that the Lakers can't give a good package to any given team in-exchange for a reliable shooter. Rui Hachimura is quite decent and young as well, he's been favored because he got some history with T. Bryant and R. Westbrook back in the Washington Wizards, moreover, you can't possibly get any good picks in the second rounders. I'd say it's a good trade after all, not what we expect because they don't have that much to offer.

And speaking of Wizards, Westbrook has 3 of his former Wizards players in Lakers now, Rui Hachimura, Troy Brown Jr. and Thomas Bryant. Well we can say that it's a good trade as it will benefit both parties in this trade.

But in the long run, we all know that this is like patches things for the Lakers, they might not survived another season with this kind of players surrounding Lebron just like what happen to them last season.

What I'm seeing is that the Lakers are slowly acquiring some new and young players that will be the face of the franchise soon when LeBron and others won't be around anymore. Whether they like or not and I knew that the management are expecting this already, the Lakers will be needing some renovation to construct a new roster. For Rui Hachimura, he might stay for a while and get a good contract if he will be show some guts on his exposure.

[dwyane36]

I'm thinking that LeBron will time the schedule carefully when he will break and get past Kareem's record because that moment will be so special for him and the rest of the league, surely he will make it happen when they are playing at home somewhere maybe in the game versus the Bucks or Thunder as LeBron is only 158 points away from Kareem.

If we take into account the fact that LeBron averages 29.9 points per game, he needs to play 5-6 more games to break Kareem's record and become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. So you're right that this milestone in his career will probably happen during the game versus the Thunder on February 7 at the Lakers' home arena. I wonder how much courtside tickets will cost for that game.

[OgNasty]

I'm thinking that LeBron will time the schedule carefully when he will break and get past Kareem's record because that moment will be so special for him and the rest of the league, surely he will make it happen when they are playing at home somewhere maybe in the game versus the Bucks or Thunder as LeBron is only 158 points away from Kareem.

If we take into account the fact that LeBron averages 29.9 points per game, he needs to play 5-6 more games to break Kareem's record and become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. So you're right that this milestone in his career will probably happen during the game versus the Thunder on February 7 at the Lakers' home arena. I wonder how much courtside tickets will cost for that game.

I don't know about that...  Sure, it would be nice to break the record at home and the Lakers have quite a few days off before that game, so if LeBron was looking to put on a show for the home crowd and put up 50 or 60 points, he'll have the rest to be able to make a strong effort and the Thunder are the perfect target.

HOWEVER, that game isn't currently listed as being nationally televised.  I find it hard to believe with the billions of dollars behind LeBron, that they would allow him to break a record of this magnitude without the entire nation watching.  That's why I believe he won't do it against the Thunder, but will do it the following game on Thursday, February 9th against the Bucks.  That game will be on TNT and doing it against Giannis in a win over the Bucks would also be special. 

[btc_angela]

Grizzlies are 4 defeats in a row right now and it's kinda normal after the huge push they did to be in 2nd place Western and having a great advantage over 3rd and 4th place.

Jazz took another defeat last night and they are on the edge of losing play-offs spots and who would have thought 2 months ago that Jazz , being 1st place could miss playoffs 2 months later  

My favorites Bulls are playing tonight and I'm thinking to place a bet on 1st half on them against Hornets because as far as I know , Hornets are still a 2nd half team.

Again, it's because that the Grizzlies are playing away from home, and with all the hype around them lately, those crowds are going to be hostile on them. And now they are being laugh by everyone whom they rub elbows, like their 'rival' Warriors who defeated them again. I haven't watch what Shannon Sharpe is going to say in Memphis lost again.

As for the Bulls, they've lost big the last time, blew a 21 point lead and now they are facing a desperate Hornets and playing in their home court.

[Jating]

Nice to see Anthony Davis back on the floor for the Lakers. Granted the Spurs aren’t a good measuring stick, but a win is a win. The new guy Hachimura had a good game and AD put up 21 & 12. Only a couple more weeks until LeBron breaks Kareem’s scoring record. It looks like maybe the Lakers might be firing on all cylinders by then as they look to secure a playoff spot in the second half of the season.

21-12 for AD which is a pretty good stat after him being gone for weeks because of that injury again. Well, I'm not saying "I hope he will not get injured again" blah blah because after all, it will not change the fact that AD is an all-star caliber player, but he's very fragile and injury prone player. Nevertheless, it's good to see him back like you said.

12 points in 21 minutes for Hachimura and a near triple double for Lebron James. 158 points to go until he surpasses Kareem. Westbrook didn't play that good tonight, but it's my first time to see Beverley scoring for 18 this season. I mean we know him as a great defender and not a scorer, but he stepped up and got the victory.

Having Anthony Davis on the team is obviously great. Even in today's match, it was great for the Lakers. Anthony Davis gives the team a lot of depth that they need and his performance is obviously appreciated.

Remember the game before this in which LeBron James scored 46 points? He did not have any help from the team, to be honest.

So, even after he scored 46, the team was unable to win. But in this game with the help of Anthony Davis, the team has performed a lot better, as a team actually. And they got the win against Spurs. Westbrook and Beverley also cheap in with some important points.

It's probably the quality of their opponents as well, that's why even if Lebron scored 46 points, they are still losing. But here, they are facing a low team like the Spurs, who still give them a good fight. But in the end, I believed that it was Davis presence that is the key in their victory here. Westbrook and Pat already settled in with the Lakers, they already know their role here.

I'm not sure what exciting match to watch for tonight, but I'm looking at the Mavs vs Suns. Mavs is on a losing streak and probably wanted to break into winning form against Phoenix.

[mirakal]

Lakers and Clippers game was interesting. Clippers played well in this game. The problem for the Lakers was only LeBron James the player who played exceptionally well and almost dropped a 50 bomb in this game. But it was a team effort from the Clippers. If LeBron James had a little help from his team, I think this game could have been a lot closer.

I bet he missed the old times when he is getting some help from Wade and others because they were unstoppable at that time and easily get to the NBA playoffs. Now they are having a hard time as if they are not gonna make it to the top 10. Whenever they win straight, they also lose some games in the future. Maybe it will gonna change when AD will play back and they really need to change their game if they want to be in the playoffs this season because their spot has not been changed at all since the start of the season.

Their situation will change for sure once Anthony Davis comes back from his injury and LeBron will be more positive because he knows that he will get some help in lifting the team towards the top 10 and sometimes, LeBron doesn't need to be much aggressive because AD is there already doing most of the work just like what he did before he got injured. But let's face the reality, Davis might good and all, but we know that he won't be playing that long because he is so prone to injury and if he will keep a safe distance to avoid injuries, that will also mean that they will be struggling.

Definitely, it might improved, but the thing is that the West are very deep as well and it's going to be very hard for the Lakers to survived in that division. Yes, they might be in the play-in, possible to go, but when they face a tougher team in their first one, they might exit.

So it's not assurance for this season once again, they had a few good runs and wins, but it might be too late.

And then they have to see how Rui will blend in their next game.

Well, seems Anthony Davis got back again and help the team grab another win in their favor, although the Spurs is not really a good team, but a win is still a win and we've witnessed how Rui tried his best to blend in and I guess it's not bad as he gave a double digit in his first day. I'm quite interested how will he play once he gets proper exposure because I'm sure coach Darvin already got a plan.

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

A couple of good games on ESPN tonight for the watching. First up you have the 76ers and the Nets. Without Durant, I think the 76ers should be to win easily, but we’ll see. After that, the second game of the doubleheader is between the Grizzlies and the Warriors. This game might be fun to watch. Steph Curry isn’t the most agile defender and Ja Morant is an insane athlete. This could lead to some highlight dunks that you can watch on Sportscenter if you miss the game…

Not an easy win though, the Sixers should take this easy, and they almost did, building a huge lead. But even without Durant, the Nets keep it close with Seth Curry hot in the outside and Claxton too had a good game, but the 76ers won by just 4 points.

The match between the Warriors and the Memphis live up to it's expectation, tied with 4 seconds to go if I'm not mistaken, and that sharp past to Jordan Poole is perfect by Donte giving them that 2 point win.

[EFS]

I thought Kyrie would use the ball more while Durant wasn't around, but Claxton and Curry stood out. I was sure Philly would win the game, but Brooklyn pushed until the last seconds. Embiid always plays to a certain standard, this time Maxey made an extra contribution and it was his performance that was decisive in the match. Both teams may play in conference semis, Philly looks more like a team so far.
Embiid vs. KD in Twitter was also fun.

[darewaller]

they are a dynasty that time, together with the Lakers in that era, with Kobe and Shaq and then Coach Pop has Duncan, Manu and Parker. And I guess that's why it take time for the Spurs to rebuild because it's hard to find that kind of talent in the NBA right now, better yet to have them in 1 team.

Anyone see the Memphis vs GSW, Steph thrown out of the game because he was frustrated with Jordan Poole not giving him the ball and then Poole just throw that long 3. But Jordan was able to make up for it when he score the go ahead basket with Donte DiVincenzo high basketball IQ pass. They really got their money's worth with the acquisition of DiVincenzo this year.

Spurs lost their scouting talent, that's the problem. Tim Duncan was a main reason why they won that many titles, and that's definitely an important thing to do, finding that one superstar. However, both parker and manu came from low draft rankings, and even Kawhi was 15th or something like that, which means that they are famous for finding players that they can develop into being a star player, they did this for many years.

Nowadays though, they end up drafting guards after guards after guards constantly and none of them are good enough to take them to top spot. Even if they manage to get first place this year and draft Wemby, which would be great for them, they still lack all other 4 positions without a doubt.