2025 NBA Season

[TravelMug]

Honestly, I don't expect Morant's return to impact the Grizzlies' performance and significantly improve their spot in the standings.
I'm wondering what the attitude of the Grizzlies management towards Morant is now after everything that happened. Do they still see him as the team leader, or would they prefer to get rid of him as soon as the opportunity arises?

Not in the first games, but I expect the Grizzlies to play way better when he's back than how they're playing right now.
His presence will boost the morale of the team, and they also got D. Rose who will mentor him along the way.

I just hope that this 25-game suspension of him will be the last suspension that he will face on his whole NBA career because it affected him, and his team by a lot. As for the team getting rid of him, I don't think that it will happen. How can you get rid of a very talented young player? They might do it though if he will do it again, or worse the whole NBA might ban him already after that. Do I still see him as a leader? Yes even though he went through that drama, I still see him as a good leader, but not as good as others out there.

Just don't expect too much on his comeback because like what other NBA players are, they will find their groove at the first games then from there, they will build their momentum that will help their team get some wins.

I do agree that he will be having just a little bit of adjustment period on first few games, this doesn't mean he won't be awesome at his very first game, he could come in and play with his heart out and score a lot and be awesome but then he will realize that there is a long season to be played and he can't be tired after just one game and he may end up being a little bit different, we may see him calm down a bit.

Yes, sometimes players being suspended or even after coming from a injury had their first game, usually it will be great because they want to show to everyone that they are back. Specially like Ja Morant, who is the leader of the Grizzlies team and look at how they are suffering right now. Last 2 seasons they are full of swagger and confident and remember that interview of Ja? So for him it's a mental game, he should really focus on the game itself and try to be a good role player outside. I know it's going to be very hard to change the people around you, but Ja should have known better who he will surround himself and not act like a gangster. Prioritized his game, bring back the Memphis team to what they supposedly be if he comeback and hopefully this is going to be his last drama outside of playing basketball.

[atamism]

Celtics might win in their next 5 games. Celtics have a lot of chance to get the 20 wins in this season and can even enter the playoffs again. They will dominate again the eastern conference this season and I hoping they enter again in Finals. I am a Celtics fan since 2007 and I am happy that they are still on the track to this day. I want them to be champion this season, but there's a lot of great team this season.

[btc_angela]

Celtics might win in their next 5 games. Celtics have a lot of chance to get the 20 wins in this season and can even enter the playoffs again. They will dominate again the eastern conference this season and I hoping they enter again in Finals. I am a Celtics fan since 2007 and I am happy that they are still on the track to this day. I want them to be champion this season, but there's a lot of great team this season.

They've just lost to Indiana Pacers right?

And in their next games it will be either Cavs and Magic, so this could be a very close game for them. Cavs, there are games that they look like a playoff team. And then the Magic is also playing good basketball.

Good that you are a Celtics fans as some of us here in the community, but they could be threading the needle in their next 5 games and win them all, just saying.

[owengtam09]

I'd like to see Celtics vs Nuggets in the Finals, sure this match up will gain a huge number of viewers, and I can already imagine a game 7 here since both teams are quite good and played with great teamwork.

That would be the best NBA finals this decade because both are dominating the league right now and if they can only make it even harder for their opponent in the NBA playoffs, they could easily get back to the finals once again and compete with each other and surely there would be a game 7 because of the intense play of these both teams. The Celtics have huge numbers of fans and it would be them the favorite team instead of Denver because of how they strive to take back the chance to win the championship.

Let's not forget that the Miami Heat was an 8 seed that ended up in the Play-offs at the Finals vs the Denver Nuggets on the NBA don't forget the Los Angeles Lakers both those teams came from lower seeds all ended up in the playoffs so for sure even though a team in the top seed can be beaten by an 8th seed team for sure history can repeat itself,

So teams in the very last seed can enter the playoffs for sure and this is basketball and for sure it is unpredictable,

Honestly, I don't expect Morant's return to impact the Grizzlies' performance and significantly improve their spot in the standings.
I'm wondering what the attitude of the Grizzlies management towards Morant is now after everything that happened. Do they still see him as the team leader, or would they prefer to get rid of him as soon as the opportunity arises?

I surely agree with you, for sure there is not much change even though Ja Morant returns and plays for the team, for sure the Grizzlies team and management have realized that already because the team is not doing well, but I guess this is a reminder for those players that they are not above the law, and for sure that they will get suspended for sure whoever they are,

I was a bit surprised to see the Pelicans beat the Kings last night. Brandon Ingram had himself a game though putting up 30 points. Zion was less impressive only getting 10 points but he did it on an efficient 5-8 from the field. Sabonis had a great night for the Kings, but Fox wasn’t shooting the ball well and I think his 10-25 gf performance was the difference.

The Sacramento Kings got the game in the 1st quarter but when the New Orleans Pelicans got the lead from the Kings it was at this moment that the Kings realized how well the New Orleans Pelicans can be especially since they can not make a comeback from them, as Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones have played exponentially great in this game

[Yogee]

Honestly, I don't expect Morant's return to impact the Grizzlies' performance and significantly improve their spot in the standings.
I'm wondering what the attitude of the Grizzlies management towards Morant is now after everything that happened. Do they still see him as the team leader, or would they prefer to get rid of him as soon as the opportunity arises?

I surely agree with you, for sure there is not much change even though Ja Morant returns and plays for the team, for sure the Grizzlies team and management have realized that already because the team is not doing well, but I guess this is a reminder for those players that they are not above the law, and for sure that they will get suspended for sure whoever they are,

I disagree on no improvement on the standings once he returns. He has issues off the court for sure but the guy has undeniable talent on the court. Was there any report of him not following the coach or having problems during practice? If there's none then I doubt they will trade him that easily.

[danherbias07]

Celtics @ Pacers was a nice game today!! SO many lead changes and ties, that's what we want to see. Haliburton went crazy again. I wonder how you can make so many 3s with this kind of shooting form sometimes.

And no trainer ever tried to change that shooting form and it's still working. Quick release and his feet don't need to be set. Unlike what they did with Markelle Fultz changing his form over and over and he got so confused with it, thankfully he can shoot now but it took some time.

There was news that somebody died at the Sacramento Kings versus New Orleans Pelicans game. Here is the report.
Fan dies at New Orleans Pelicans-Sacramento Kings game
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39045146/fan-dies-new-orleans-pelicans-sacramento-kings-game

"During the first quarter of the Kings vs. Pelicans game, a guest had a medical emergency," the statement said. "EMS immediately responded and administered CPR. Tragically, these efforts were unsuccessful and the guest passed away. The organization offers its deepest condolences to the guest's family and loved ones."

Same as the players I didn't notice that too unlike when there's an emergency at the sideline fans where the medical team will surely be seen by the cameras since they will enter through the dugout and use the basketball floor for their path.

Keegan Murray, a forward for the Kings, spoke to reporters after their 127-117 loss and said the team wasn't "aware" of the situation "at all."

I hope this will not happen again in the heat of the games later.
Several players are listed in the injury report of the LA Lakers. Be careful with your bets or go before game time bet if you are a Laker fan. Lebron and AD are part of those questionable to play the game.

[Yaunfitda]

Celtics @ Pacers was a nice game today!! SO many lead changes and ties, that's what we want to see. Haliburton went crazy again. I wonder how you can make so many 3s with this kind of shooting form sometimes.

And no trainer ever tried to change that shooting form and it's still working. Quick release and his feet don't need to be set. Unlike what they did with Markelle Fultz changing his form over and over and he got so confused with it, thankfully he can shoot now but it took some time.

Yeah, who wouldn't forget about Fultz? He has one of the worst shooting form but in college it was very effective to him. But when he goes to the NBA, the team try to change it and so he was lost and so his career.

So I don't think that they will make the same mistakes with Haliburton, he is already known to be a great player and even if his shooting form is a eye sore for the majority of us, we will have to contend with that as it is very effective for him and just like the last game against the Celtics, he proved how clutch he is.

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

I was a bit surprised to see the Pelicans beat the Kings last night. Brandon Ingram had himself a game though putting up 30 points. Zion was less impressive only getting 10 points but he did it on an efficient 5-8 from the field. Sabonis had a great night for the Kings, but Fox wasn’t shooting the ball well and I think his 10-25 gf performance was the difference.

Yes, Fox is their leading scorer, and if he shoots that ball badly, like that kind of percentage, they will have to suffer the consequences. But we have to give it to the Pels though, for putting a great effort to stop Fox.

And they have a lot of players who put good numbers like Herb Jones with 23 big points. At least it offset what Zion put as we expected him to put like 20 points and like 10 big rebounds. This is also a big upset as far as betting goes and hopefully someone get this one.

[Questat]

I was a bit surprised to see the Pelicans beat the Kings last night. Brandon Ingram had himself a game though putting up 30 points. Zion was less impressive only getting 10 points but he did it on an efficient 5-8 from the field. Sabonis had a great night for the Kings, but Fox wasn’t shooting the ball well and I think his 10-25 gf performance was the difference.

Yes, Fox is their leading scorer, and if he shoots that ball badly, like that kind of percentage, they will have to suffer the consequences. But we have to give it to the Pels though, for putting a great effort to stop Fox.

And they have a lot of players who put good numbers like Herb Jones with 23 big points. At least it offset what Zion put as we expected him to put like 20 points and like 10 big rebounds. This is also a big upset as far as betting goes and hopefully someone get this one.

Kings is kinda an overhype team, they haven't proven anything yet, although they are good in the regular season but there's a tougher challenge in the playoffs where they need to prove themselves. The in season tournament is like a serious competition, same with the playoffs, since they lose, I'd say their playoffs performance or chance could just be the same like last season.

[Oasisman]

So the stage for the In-Season tournament semi finals are all set after the Lakers just won against the Suns. We have Lakers vs. Pelicans and on the other end is the Bucks against the Pacers.
The Lakers displayed a spectacular defense during the first half of the game, but the Suns managed to come back early in the 3rd after being down 15 at some point of the game and then the score just went back and forth changing leads after the Suns took their first lead of the game.
There was just a bit of a controversy happened when the refs called time out on a loose ball which was a very vital play with the Suns down by just 2 with 11 secs time left on the game clock. The game could've been tied if the refs didn't called that time out. I am quite confused why it was allowed though and I think there was no official statement yet regarding that play.

[OgNasty]

I didn’t expect the Paces and Pelicans to be this far in the tournament but here we are. Another good win for LeBron over KD as the Lakers advanced passed the Suns. LeBron seems to have KD’s number these days with the sudden win streak after not facing each other for years. KD upped his efficiency this matchup, but it still wasn’t enough to secure a win.

[Yaunfitda]

I was a bit surprised to see the Pelicans beat the Kings last night. Brandon Ingram had himself a game though putting up 30 points. Zion was less impressive only getting 10 points but he did it on an efficient 5-8 from the field. Sabonis had a great night for the Kings, but Fox wasn’t shooting the ball well and I think his 10-25 gf performance was the difference.

Yes, Fox is their leading scorer, and if he shoots that ball badly, like that kind of percentage, they will have to suffer the consequences. But we have to give it to the Pels though, for putting a great effort to stop Fox.

And they have a lot of players who put good numbers like Herb Jones with 23 big points. At least it offset what Zion put as we expected him to put like 20 points and like 10 big rebounds. This is also a big upset as far as betting goes and hopefully someone get this one.

Kings is kinda an overhype team, they haven't proven anything yet, although they are good in the regular season but there's a tougher challenge in the playoffs where they need to prove themselves. The in season tournament is like a serious competition, same with the playoffs, since they lose, I'd say their playoffs performance or chance could just be the same like last season.

I wouldn't call them a hype team, I mean last year was just a start for them, and now they are trying to improved their positions after the needed experience from the Warriors lost last playoff and they are doing really good.

What a game between the Lakers and the Suns. It was the other way around, no more catching up from the Lakers as they build a huge lead. But the Suns was able to cut it and even take the lead. I thought that they are going to win, but Reaves went nuts in the 3rd quarter matching what has Durant is putting on. And he has a clutch 3 to make a good separate and Durant missing the 3 in the last seconds to at least send the game into OT.

[carlisle1]

I wouldn't call them a hype team, I mean last year was just a start for them, and now they are trying to improved their positions after the needed experience from the Warriors lost last playoff and they are doing really good.

Yeah, they are playing good ball, and they are working together so for sure what they are doing right now is the fruit of their hard work, everyone
are involve in developing their opportunities, they just need to keep working hard and keep adjusting in each competition they are in.

What a game between the Lakers and the Suns. It was the other way around, no more catching up from the Lakers as they build a huge lead. But the Suns was able to cut it and even take the lead. I thought that they are going to win, but Reaves went nuts in the 3rd quarter matching what has Durant is putting on. And he has a clutch 3 to make a good separate and Durant missing the 3 in the last seconds to at least send the game into OT.

I was thinking that Suns already turn the game into their favor after that rally but like what you said Reaves take care of the business
to help Lakers to escape from the rallying Suns.

Congrats to all those who takes the ML during that rally of Suns, not sure if how much is the odd but it's something sweet for Lakers backer.

[stadus]

I wouldn't call them a hype team, I mean last year was just a start for them, and now they are trying to improved their positions after the needed experience from the Warriors lost last playoff and they are doing really good.

Yeah, they are playing good ball, and they are working together so for sure what they are doing right now is the fruit of their hard work, everyone
are involve in developing their opportunities, they just need to keep working hard and keep adjusting in each competition they are in.

The problem with this in season tournamne is just it's a do or die game, win or go home type of game, so no more adjustment on the next game unlike the playoffs where it's a best of 7 series.

Kings are good, we can see on their numbers but playoffs are a different kind of competition, it's not automatic they'll do as good as they do in the regular season. Still big respect to this young team to be on their current situation now.

What a game between the Lakers and the Suns. It was the other way around, no more catching up from the Lakers as they build a huge lead. But the Suns was able to cut it and even take the lead. I thought that they are going to win, but Reaves went nuts in the 3rd quarter matching what has Durant is putting on. And he has a clutch 3 to make a good separate and Durant missing the 3 in the last seconds to at least send the game into OT.

I was thinking that Suns already turn the game into their favor after that rally but like what you said Reaves take care of the business
to help Lakers to escape from the rallying Suns.

Congrats to all those who takes the ML during that rally of Suns, not sure if how much is the odd but it's something sweet for Lakers backer.

Reaves shoot the ball and hit it but the Suns were already trailing. The Lakers have enjoyed their advantage on size as they are really dominating the rebounding department, in fact they had plenty of Offensive rebounds which turns into points, Suns could have avoided that if they go aggressive.

Also Nurkic wasn't a factor in this game, that's a big one.

[yazher]

I didn’t expect the Paces and Pelicans to be this far in the tournament but here we are. Another good win for LeBron over KD as the Lakers advanced passed the Suns. LeBron seems to have KD’s number these days with the sudden win streak after not facing each other for years. KD upped his efficiency this matchup, but it still wasn’t enough to secure a win.

As for me, I didn't expect the Lakers to win but when it comes to crucial games and they are all present playing without any injuries, this is the game we are expecting from them and we see that they easily handle it well against the Suns and managed to advance and will face the New Orleans tomorrow night. This won't be hard for them because they are more than capable of beating them this time since they are hyped from that win against the Suns and the Pelicans should not be that hard for them unless they will be choked and cannot win the game.

[Hypnosis00]

I didn’t expect the Paces and Pelicans to be this far in the tournament but here we are. Another good win for LeBron over KD as the Lakers advanced passed the Suns. LeBron seems to have KD’s number these days with the sudden win streak after not facing each other for years. KD upped his efficiency this matchup, but it still wasn’t enough to secure a win.

As for me, I didn't expect the Lakers to win but when it comes to crucial games and they are all present playing without any injuries, this is the game we are expecting from them and we see that they easily handle it well against the Suns and managed to advance and will face the New Orleans tomorrow night. This won't be hard for them because they are more than capable of beating them this time since they are hyped from that win against the Suns and the Pelicans should not be that hard for them unless they will be choked and cannot win the game.

I don't see it as easy, as the Suns are just around the corner. If the Lakers make a mistake, the Suns could capitalize on it. Booker has struggled with his shooting, and the defense is really focused on him. If Booker keeps going, the Suns could beat the home team. The Suns are a high-scoring team, but the Lakers were able to minimize their production with their great defense. Kudos to them, and LeBron still looks at his prime; when he attacks, he's almost unstoppable.

It's the outside shooting of the Suns versus the inside penetration of the Lakers, and the Lakers are winning the battle.

[dwyane36]

So the stage for the In-Season tournament semi finals are all set after the Lakers just won against the Suns. We have Lakers vs. Pelicans and on the other end is the Bucks against the Pacers.

I expect the Lakers will be able to beat the Pelicans, and the Bucks will likely beat the Pacers in the semifinals of the in-season tournament. So it's likely that the Bucks and Lakers will meet each other in the finals.
By the way, the Bucks clearly seem to be the favorites against both the Pacers and the Lakers at this point, although I don't rule out the possibility that these two teams could give the Bucks enough trouble and even beat them.

[Yogee]

Current ML odds have NOP @2.09 while Lakers @1.75 - not a bad deal for either team but I like the chances of the Pelicans winning over the Lakers to reach the in-season tournament Finals. It will be a good match up between Ingram and AD then you have Lebron and Zion. There is probably going to be a block party so watch out for those lines when it opens.

[Ziskinberg]

Current ML odds have NOP @2.09 while Lakers @1.75 - not a bad deal for either team but I like the chances of the Pelicans winning over the Lakers to reach the in-season tournament Finals. It will be a good match up between Ingram and AD then you have Lebron and Zion. There is probably going to be a block party so watch out for those lines when it opens.

This will still be played in LA, right?

Well, I guess it's an easy home team here. I think although Pelicans are good but they are quite inconsistent sometimes. AD vs Ingram, I'll go for AD on this match up although Ingram could score but in terms of basketball IQ, Lakers will have the upper hand, and no legit superstars on the Pelicans, they can't beat a healthy and experience LA Lakers, my 2 cents.

[danherbias07]

I was thinking that Suns already turn the game into their favor after that rally but like what you said Reaves take care of the business
to help Lakers to escape from the rallying Suns.

Congrats to all those who takes the ML during that rally of Suns, not sure if how much is the odd but it's something sweet for Lakers backer.

It was not that far, the Suns didn't make a good lead. I think the odds just played at 1.80 - 1.95 for the money line. They were just there following the Lakers and how many tie games was that? 20+ maybe? So, it's difficult to find a window where we could get a good profit betting for the Lakers.
I was waiting for a Lakers big lead so that I could get a +5 - +8 for the Suns but due to the exchange of shots, my live bet cannot go in.  

Anyway, there were so many questionable calls from our officials today. The last one was that timeout called by Lebron James even though Reaves did not have the ball completely on his hand. The other call was Reddish bashing the head of Booker, that happened twice and Booker's headband was misaligned which is already a sign that someone hit his head and yet no review was done.
Well, that's all over and the Lakers will be the team that will go to Vegas. I just wish the referees would officiate like it's the Finals or Playoffs because the game was heated up.
Even with all of those calls I love the high competitiveness of both teams, it felt like watching the playoffs without a doubt.

Do you guys also think that this In-Season tournament is a successful experiment done by the NBA? I think it is. It somehow gave life to the season.