2024 NBA Season

[Yaunfitda]

The Suns have the liberty to give Durant more rest since they are in the top 4 in the Western Conference, which means their playoff spot is relatively secure at the moment. In fact, the Suns only struggled when Booker was injured and out for a while. Now that he is back, they will be able to continue on their winning path while Durant waits to deliver big-time come playoffs.

I think they were hoping to get a good flow going.  Everyone knows they were gonna male it in it was merely how fluid will the team be if Durant jumps in kid playoffs.  Durant just can't stay on the floor.  Generational talent but does no good being the best guy who can't suit up.  Shame was looking forward to seeing them all together.  Just got a.little taste and poof, gone.

Well, I absolutely agree. He is going to be a menace for any opponent if he does play in the playoffs. But of course, he will have to stay healthy first.

snip

I think that the Sun will do. They traded a lot of assets for him, so they have to make sure that he will recover fast and stay healthy for the playoffs. That is the time that he matters the most. The Suns can survive the regular season and maintain their rank. They still have Booker, Ayton and CP3 in the lineup. It should not be too hard to maintain a good rank with the caliber of the players they still have.

You absolutely nailed it. Even without Kevin Durant, the Suns are not a bad team. Yes, they will be missing out on some important power. Missing Kevin Durant is not ideal for any team. But I think the suns do have the power to handle that situation. And if they can handle the situation without Kevin Durant, they will be a lot more confident when Kevin Durant does come back from the injury.

Yeah, but some of the players they move is part of their roster that make their run and even reach the finals a couple of years ago. And since they are all gone because they chase Durant, it will be a very Suns now.

Ayton, CP3 and Booker is good, but not sure if they can carry the them.

West is very different now, Booker will have to double his effort.

[fuguebtc]

After being traded to Durant, the thing I feared most and always said was injury. Durant got injured after playing a few more matches, unfortunately he is old and I think that's why he can get injured more easily than other players. If he suffers such an injury during the playoffs, we won't see a good result for the Phoenix Suns.
The team needs Durant, I hope he recovers soon and doesn't get injured again

They need KD to enhance the chance of winning the title. It's a good trade indeed if KD did not suffer for another injury, but we really can't tell what the future will be for each player.
That accident will affect the chance but not necessarily can dictate or accurately tell that it will be
the outcome, the league is still far and there are still changes that may take place.

We know how KD perform and this is not good to Sun for having this unfortunate injury gotten by Durant since their rooster is really affected in terms of productivity in points and defense. They trade their valuable piece for him so for sure his absence might create a big impact which can affect their team performance especially they are aiming to win a championship this season.

And what's bad is that it's not even in a game that he is injured, he is just doing his routine before the start of the game and suddenly it happened. I guess moving forward, KD is really prone to this injuries, his body is not getting any young and with that kind of frame, its hard for him to carry that weight as he gets older.
We can only hope that it won't be a long layoff for him because we wanted to see him play more time with the Suns and help CP3 achieved his only dream of getting a championship ring.

Bringing a really good player does have some risks involved. A player can get injured.
When any team is spending money for any player, they always have to remember the risk versus reward.
Bringing in someone like Kevin Durant is of course going to be a high risk, high reward move.

And that's exactly what's happening. He is getting injured but when he is playing he is actually playing well.

[LogitechMouse]

Bringing a really good player does have some risks involved. A player can get injured.
When any team is spending money for any player, they always have to remember the risk versus reward.
Bringing in someone like Kevin Durant is of course going to be a high risk, high reward move.

And that's exactly what's happening. He is getting injured but when he is playing he is actually playing well.

Good player or not, it always have risks.
A team might have a developing player, choose to trade because of how long he took to develop himself and when he got traded, that's the time where his skill got unlocked and he became an all-star.

For this one, the Suns risked it all, traded Bridges, Johnson and some picks for KD because their door on winning a championship is slowly closing. CP3 is almost past on his prime already. If they will not win a title this season or next season, expect some huge changes with the team and that includes possible trading some of their core players like Booker, Ayton, and even Durant. Well, that's the risk that the Suns took. The only question now is, will the risk that they took be rewarded with a title.

The Suns for sure will clinch the playoffs, and we expect him to come back at the start of the playoffs at least, so we will see him playing his debut game on the home during the playoffs.

[Eternad]

Bringing a really good player does have some risks involved. A player can get injured.
When any team is spending money for any player, they always have to remember the risk versus reward.
Bringing in someone like Kevin Durant is of course going to be a high risk, high reward move.

And that's exactly what's happening. He is getting injured but when he is playing he is actually playing well.

This kind of risk is given and it’s a small price to pay compared to the amount of contribution that a player can give both performance and popularity to the team which usually drives the profit of a team since many fans of that star player will now support his new found team.

The chance of a player being injured is very low also the management can check the injury records on a player before they will acquire him.

[inthelongrun]

^Yes, what a turn of events for the Suns, as Durant seems to be injured again, and if he can't play throughout the rest of the season, then I doubt that they can make it to the finals again.

I guess this is what they have to pay now, giving up the 'twins', and for now the risk didn't pay, just saying.

So another adjustment has to be made, and Booker has to carry, but not sure if he can do it.

Today's latest update on the injury of Kevin Durant. It says that he will be out for 2 to 3 weeks since he needs to get into the rehabilitation process. A re-evaluation of his injury will be updated after 2 weeks. So here we go, Durant seems possible to play in the closing games of the regular season and worst case scenario, he can still play in the playoffs. The current active roster of the Suns is still good although we cannot deny how competitive the western conference is now. Even Utah Jazz and Portland are capable of entering the playoffs so if a string of bad performances by the Suns can eliminate or send them into a play-in.

Source: https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kevin-durant-injury-timetable-revealed-after-rolling-ankle-before-phoenix-home-debut

[Questat]

Bringing a really good player does have some risks involved. A player can get injured.
When any team is spending money for any player, they always have to remember the risk versus reward.
Bringing in someone like Kevin Durant is of course going to be a high risk, high reward move.

And that's exactly what's happening. He is getting injured but when he is playing he is actually playing well.

This kind of risk is given and it’s a small price to pay compared to the amount of contribution that a player can give both performance and popularity to the team which usually drives the profit of a team since many fans of that star player will now support his new found team.

The chance of a player being injured is very low also the management can check the injury records on a player before they will acquire him.

The Suns have benefited from the trade because Durant is a superstar and that will make their team more popular.

Every team wants to make the playoffs and have a chance to win a championship, and in the case of the Suns, they were embarrassed by the Mavericks in the last playoffs when they lost in game 7 by a blowout. This is their chance to improve their team. They took a risk by trading some of their role players, and it's just unfortunate that Durant got injured. Of course, no one can see the future, which is why we call it a 'risk'.

[carlisle1]

Bringing a really good player does have some risks involved. A player can get injured.
When any team is spending money for any player, they always have to remember the risk versus reward.
Bringing in someone like Kevin Durant is of course going to be a high risk, high reward move.

And that's exactly what's happening. He is getting injured but when he is playing he is actually playing well.

This kind of risk is given and it’s a small price to pay compared to the amount of contribution that a player can give both performance and popularity to the team which usually drives the profit of a team since many fans of that star player will now support his new found team.

The chance of a player being injured is very low also the management can check the injury records on a player before they will acquire him.

Yes, the management already done with assessment before acquiring or trading any players, they understand well if what contributions
and how the fans will embrace the new asset that they will acquire.

In regard to Durant, we all know how impacting this player for the team and how they will benefit when Durant is healthy.

The contributions and how good the player can help in chasing the world title.

[fuguebtc]

-.-

Good player or not, it always have risks.
A team might have a developing player, choose to trade because of how long he took to develop himself and when he got traded, that's the time where his skill got unlocked and he became an all-star.

For this one, the Suns risked it all, traded Bridges, Johnson and some picks for KD because their door on winning a championship is slowly closing. CP3 is almost past on his prime already. If they will not win a title this season or next season, expect some huge changes with the team and that includes possible trading some of their core players like Booker, Ayton, and even Durant. Well, that's the risk that the Suns took. The only question now is, will the risk that they took be rewarded with a title.

The Suns for sure will clinch the playoffs, and we expect him to come back at the start of the playoffs at least, so we will see him playing his debut game on the home during the playoffs.

Absolutely. There is always a chance of a player getting injured regardless of whether him being a really good one or not.
The point I am trying to make is when the player is a big one, a team generally tends to spend a lot of money or resources to get him in.

So, when any team tries to bring in a really good player the stakes are high.

I do have high hopes for the Suns. I believe they should be able to do it without Kevin Durant. At least they can get to the playoffs.

[dwyane36]

I can’t really say Shawn Kemp is relevant to today’s NBA but as a kid who used to watch him dunk over everyone back in the day I can say that I’m a little saddened by this news. It’s looking like he may be doing a decade or more in prison, as a result of the shooting, but the details are still somewhat unknown. However, having footage of him, pulling the trigger, isn’t going to do him any favors.

https://twitter.com/thenbacentral/status/1633801725105643522

Yeah, Shawn Kemp was a very athletic player in his prime. By the way, the article on the NBA site says he shot in self-defense because someone stole his stuff and shot at him. Also, it states that he has already been released from jail without charges. So even though the investigation is not over yet, I think Kemp can avoid serious consequences because of this shooting incident.

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

I can’t really say Shawn Kemp is relevant to today’s NBA but as a kid who used to watch him dunk over everyone back in the day I can say that I’m a little saddened by this news. It’s looking like he may be doing a decade or more in prison, as a result of the shooting, but the details are still somewhat unknown. However, having footage of him, pulling the trigger, isn’t going to do him any favors.

https://twitter.com/thenbacentral/status/1633801725105643522

Yeah, Shawn Kemp was a very athletic player in his prime. By the way, the article on the NBA site says he shot in self-defense because someone stole his stuff and shot at him. Also, it states that he has already been released from jail without charges. So even though the investigation is not over yet, I think Kemp can avoid serious consequences because of this shooting incident.

Yes, that is the good news, the it's self defense on his part as it was reported that he shot to retrieved what has been stolen from him, so he was released and no prison time.

Of course who will forget him as Supersonics, very athletic during his prime, unfortunately, just like the best players of the 90's him and Gary Payton will have to face Michael Jordan in that era and we all know that the GOAT is 6/6 in the finals.

[Jating]

-.-

Good player or not, it always have risks.
A team might have a developing player, choose to trade because of how long he took to develop himself and when he got traded, that's the time where his skill got unlocked and he became an all-star.

For this one, the Suns risked it all, traded Bridges, Johnson and some picks for KD because their door on winning a championship is slowly closing. CP3 is almost past on his prime already. If they will not win a title this season or next season, expect some huge changes with the team and that includes possible trading some of their core players like Booker, Ayton, and even Durant. Well, that's the risk that the Suns took. The only question now is, will the risk that they took be rewarded with a title.

The Suns for sure will clinch the playoffs, and we expect him to come back at the start of the playoffs at least, so we will see him playing his debut game on the home during the playoffs.

Absolutely. There is always a chance of a player getting injured regardless of whether him being a really good one or not.
The point I am trying to make is when the player is a big one, a team generally tends to spend a lot of money or resources to get him in.

So, when any team tries to bring in a really good player the stakes are high.

I do have high hopes for the Suns. I believe they should be able to do it without Kevin Durant. At least they can get to the playoffs.

They still have Booker and CP3 and Ayton, it's just the question if this trio is enough. They used to have Bridges playing point as well and then Cam as sort of their defensive specialist and in which they exchange to get KD. And to be fair, KD doesn't want to get injured again, not in this way.

But it's an accident, no one wanted to see it happen, it's a big blow to the Suns, but they have to accept it now and then move forward, re-assessed the team and make adjustments again.

[wheelz1200]

I can’t really say Shawn Kemp is relevant to today’s NBA but as a kid who used to watch him dunk over everyone back in the day I can say that I’m a little saddened by this news. It’s looking like he may be doing a decade or more in prison, as a result of the shooting, but the details are still somewhat unknown. However, having footage of him, pulling the trigger, isn’t going to do him any favors.

https://twitter.com/thenbacentral/status/1633801725105643522

Yeah, Shawn Kemp was a very athletic player in his prime. By the way, the article on the NBA site says he shot in self-defense because someone stole his stuff and shot at him. Also, it states that he has already been released from jail without charges. So even though the investigation is not over yet, I think Kemp can avoid serious consequences because of this shooting incident.

Yes, that is the good news, the it's self defense on his part as it was reported that he shot to retrieved what has been stolen from him, so he was released and no prison time.

Of course who will forget him as Supersonics, very athletic during his prime, unfortunately, just like the best players of the 90's him and Gary Payton will have to face Michael Jordan in that era and we all know that the GOAT is 6/6 in the finals.

As a young kid watching Kemp I won't ever forget him and the sonics.  Not to mention the countless amounts of Kemp rookies during the junk card era.  I haven't read too much into it but I hope it really was in self defense, too many people falling from the Graces after they leave the sport.  Just reminded me of Payton and how hard that team played.  Hated when the Knicks had to play them out west.

[harizen]

Kevin Durant won't likely sit out for months. He will surely return to the playoffs.

Playoffs will start on April 15th. The Suns do have 16 games remaining this season. Still over a month to go and more time for Durant's rehabilitation process. Even without Durant, the chances for them to avoid the play-in tournament are possible. It's not that it's a painful blow for the Suns already where in fact, we are not even in the playoffs.

Although, the question is if Durant will be in his 100% once able to play again. But knowing Durant, still explosive as always even after coming back from an injury. Don't worry about the Suns this remaining of the season as they can manage without KD. The real problem is if Durant will be out during playoffs.

[chaser15]

I do have high hopes for the Suns. I believe they should be able to do it without Kevin Durant. At least they can get to the playoffs.

If only reaching the playoffs, I'm sure they can do it without Kevin Durant.

It's already proven that Booker, Ayton, and CP3 can bring the Suns to the playoffs even before without the help of any big superstar. But in the playoffs, they need Kevin Durant here to boost their offensive phase. It's also always a known habit by Chris Paul to choke at the playoffs and to cover that usual behavior of him every playoff, that's the time Booker needs something as consistent as Durant.

[el kaka22]

Brooks acting as if he is a thug, Morant acting as if he is a thug, and then Adams missing so much of the season, probably all of it. It looks like Memphis will not be doing as well as people hoped that they would, I know that there is a situation where they are going to get some of them back if they are looking alright, but if punishments come quickly and they all get in trouble, that won't be easy.

Brooks may get away with it, it was nothing, but Adams is definitely gone, and I would be shocked if Morant gets anything other than sitting down this year. Warriors on the other hand could still end up winning if they play well in playoffs, they have the roster for it.

[wheelz1200]

I do have high hopes for the Suns. I believe they should be able to do it without Kevin Durant. At least they can get to the playoffs.

If only reaching the playoffs, I'm sure they can do it without Kevin Durant.

It's already proven that Booker, Ayton, and CP3 can bring the Suns to the playoffs even before without the help of any big superstar. But in the playoffs, they need Kevin Durant here to boost their offensive phase. It's also always a known habit by Chris Paul to choke at the playoffs and to cover that usual behavior of him every playoff, that's the time Booker needs something as consistent as Durant.

Chris Paul is not a known choker.  He has typically not been surrounded by players in his career that can go deep into the playoffs.  With the Suns it was much more than just him of why they haven't made it to the finals.  Just because someone never wins a championship doesn't mean they are a choker.

[Oasisman]

^Yes, what a turn of events for the Suns, as Durant seems to be injured again, and if he can't play throughout the rest of the season, then I doubt that they can make it to the finals again.

I guess this is what they have to pay now, giving up the 'twins', and for now the risk didn't pay, just saying.

So another adjustment has to be made, and Booker has to carry, but not sure if he can do it.

What an unfortunate turn of events for the Phoenix Suns. From becoming a heavy favorites to win the chip this year instantly after the Durant acquisition, down to being doubtful to make it to the finals after the Durant injury lol.
The most crazy part is that, Durant got injured to a pre-game warm up, and that actually looks like it hurts like hell. Though he managed to walk it off after he falls, but the was really something serious. If he misses the playoffs, I doubt the Suns would even make it to the finals, that's my thought as well.

[EFS]

Did watch the Warriors-Grizzlies game except for the final minutes of the game. Grizzlies won by 21 points.
I'm kind of disappointing not only because of how awful the defense of the Warriors are, but how they can't take the lead after having huge runs. Grizzlies got a 20 point lead at the 1st quarter then the Warriors made a run to put the deficit to single digits in the 2nd quarter. After than, Grizzlies will make another run again putting the lead to double digits, and then Warriors will come back again with their own. They didn't even took the lead the whole game I think.

Warriors had too many turnovers and simple mistakes in first half. Grizzlies made a lot of 3's and controlled the lead. Even without Morant, Grizzlies is a stacked team. Tyus Jones is playing like they don't need Morant at all. With Brooks, Jackson and Bane they are a complete team. They probably hold on to second or third place in the West. After the loss of Durant I believe Suns can't catch them.

[Slow death]

Philadelphia 76ers - Portland Trail Blazers

Philadelphia arrives for this game with 43 wins and 22 losses, this is a good campaign, and in the last 10 games they managed to get 7 wins and only 3 losses, they have 3 consecutive wins, they beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers . meanwhile their opponent the Blazers comes to this game with 35 losses and 31 wins, and in the last 10 games they had 4 wins and 6 losses, in their last game they lost against the Boston Celtics, honestly, in my opinion this will be a game in which Philadelphia has better conditions to win the game

Washington Wizards - Atlanta Hawks

Washington Wizards comes to this game with 35 losses and 31 wins, and in the last 10 games they managed to get 5 wins and 5 losses, they have been oscillating a lot, they are a very unstable team. on the other hand, their opponent has 33 wins and 33 losses, and in the last 10 games they also managed to get 5 wins and 5 losses. both teams have fluctuated a lot, but the Hawks managed to beat the Wizards with a very small difference in points, which shows that both teams are balanced, and it will be very difficult to predict who will win in this game

Miami Heat - Cleveland Cavaliers

Miami Heat comes to this game with 32 losses and 35 wins, and in the last 10 games they managed to get 7 losses and only 3 wins, they lost in their last game against the Cavaliers, The Heat are not performing well and will play against the Cleveland Cavaliers who are performing well. Cleveland Cavaliers comes into this game with 42 wins and 26 losses and in the last 10 games they managed to win in 6 games and lost in 4 games, they have a sequence of 3 wins, they managed to defeat teams like the Celtics, Pistons and Heat, well in the game against the heat the Cavaliers won a little tight, the difference in points was only 4 points, this shows that despite the Heat being a team with an unstable performance, they are a great danger for the Cavaliers and should not be underestimated

Minnesota Timberwolves - Brooklyn Nets

Wolves come into this game with 34 wins and 33 losses, and in the last 10 games they managed to get 5 wins and 5 losses, and to make their situation even worse, in their last game they lost against the Philadelphia 76ers, so that's not It's a good thing, Wolves' performance is not good and they have Jaylen Nowell and Karl-Anthony Towns missing. on the other hand, their opponent the Brooklyn Nets comes into this game with 37 wins and 29 losses, and in the last 10 games they managed to get 4 wins and 6 losses, they also lost in their last game, looking at the performance of these two teams i I see that this is a very difficult game to predict who will win

[Yaunfitda]

Did watch the Warriors-Grizzlies game except for the final minutes of the game. Grizzlies won by 21 points.
I'm kind of disappointing not only because of how awful the defense of the Warriors are, but how they can't take the lead after having huge runs. Grizzlies got a 20 point lead at the 1st quarter then the Warriors made a run to put the deficit to single digits in the 2nd quarter. After than, Grizzlies will make another run again putting the lead to double digits, and then Warriors will come back again with their own. They didn't even took the lead the whole game I think.

Warriors had too many turnovers and simple mistakes in first half. Grizzlies made a lot of 3's and controlled the lead. Even without Morant, Grizzlies is a stacked team. Tyus Jones is playing like they don't need Morant at all. With Brooks, Jackson and Bane they are a complete team. They probably hold on to second or third place in the West. After the loss of Durant I believe Suns can't catch them.

And probably it was a revenge time for the Memphis Grizzlies last night. They were treated with disrespect when they were beaten by the Warriors at home and there were some words after that.

So I believed that they really pushed themselves against the defending champ here.

Yes, with KD out, Grizzlies could be safe in 3rd place and make the playoffs for this year. But it's better if they will have Morant, but there's not time table for his return.