2024 NBA Season

[Dave1]

Who would stop Jokic? That's a big question, if they had Howard maybe it's possible, but aside from Davis,there's no other bigs on the Lakers that could minimize (at least) the production of Jokic.

He doesn't need to be stop, as long as Davis and Jokic will have a good production on their respective teams, that would make it even. And we can't go back to the Howard conversation as no one in the NBA have the same defensive skills like Howard, and there's a reason why he wasn't in the NBA now.

We cannot make a quick judgement here, I'm sure the Lakers have prepared it hard to beat the Nuggets, so let's see what they can do as this is a game of adjustments, it's a best of 7 series, right ?

AD will be their prime defender on Jokic, they have the young Jaxson Hayes, or maybe a healthy CWood will do the trick. Of course, no one can guard Jokic 1:1, and I think it will be more on the Lakers double teaming on him.

In any case, the Lakers are going to fight it out here. Interesting to note though that the odds for the Nuggets to win here has a great and attractive odds at Stake,

[Fredomago]

Who would stop Jokic? That's a big question, if they had Howard maybe it's possible, but aside from Davis,there's no other bigs on the Lakers that could minimize (at least) the production of Jokic.

He doesn't need to be stop, as long as Davis and Jokic will have a good production on their respective teams, that would make it even. And we can't go back to the Howard conversation as no one in the NBA have the same defensive skills like Howard, and there's a reason why he wasn't in the NBA now.

We cannot make a quick judgement here, I'm sure the Lakers have prepared it hard to beat the Nuggets, so let's see what they can do as this is a game of adjustments, it's a best of 7 series, right ?

AD will be their prime defender on Jokic, they have the young Jaxson Hayes, or maybe a healthy CWood will do the trick. Of course, no one can guard Jokic 1:1, and I think it will be more on the Lakers double teaming on him.

In any case, the Lakers are going to fight it out here. Interesting to note though that the odds for the Nuggets to win here has a great and attractive odds at Stake,

I do see that match-up but maybe much better to let someone to defend Jokic and allow AD to focus with his offensive productions, as long as He and LeBron are healthy during the series winning still possible, it's more on how they will adjust and try to cover whatever the lapses they've got knowing that playing against the defending champ is really tough.

Familiarizations and good adjustments is what the Lakers needs as Denver still have that solid cores who can really bring the competition to a much higher level, they need to find good answers in each game executions that Denver will bring, both offense and defense are important if they aiming to move forward and try to regain another title.

[Jating]

Who would stop Jokic? That's a big question, if they had Howard maybe it's possible, but aside from Davis,there's no other bigs on the Lakers that could minimize (at least) the production of Jokic.

He doesn't need to be stop, as long as Davis and Jokic will have a good production on their respective teams, that would make it even. And we can't go back to the Howard conversation as no one in the NBA have the same defensive skills like Howard, and there's a reason why he wasn't in the NBA now.

We cannot make a quick judgement here, I'm sure the Lakers have prepared it hard to beat the Nuggets, so let's see what they can do as this is a game of adjustments, it's a best of 7 series, right ?

AD will be their prime defender on Jokic, they have the young Jaxson Hayes, or maybe a healthy CWood will do the trick. Of course, no one can guard Jokic 1:1, and I think it will be more on the Lakers double teaming on him.

In any case, the Lakers are going to fight it out here. Interesting to note though that the odds for the Nuggets to win here has a great and attractive odds at Stake,

I do see that match-up but maybe much better to let someone to defend Jokic and allow AD to focus with his offensive productions, as long as He and LeBron are healthy during the series winning still possible, it's more on how they will adjust and try to cover whatever the lapses they've got knowing that playing against the defending champ is really tough.

Familiarizations and good adjustments is what the Lakers needs as Denver still have that solid cores who can really bring the competition to a much higher level, they need to find good answers in each game executions that Denver will bring, both offense and defense are important if they aiming to move forward and try to regain another title.

I think AD will have to defend Jokic as some point in the game, and it could be a lot of players going to be thrown on Jokic here, even Rui for sure will have his time defending Jokic and then let AD do his thing.

AD is a good defender, but Jokic could outduel him and uses his basketball IQ to throw off Davis. That's why the Lakers will have fresh bodies on Jokic every quarter and yeah, double teaming him might be a good idea but they just shouldn't have one plan to contain Jokic.

[Natalim]

I think AD will have to defend Jokic as some point in the game, and it could be a lot of players going to be thrown on Jokic here, even Rui for sure will have his time defending Jokic and then let AD do his thing.

That's should be the plan, they can't make AD tired by defending Jokic and just forget the scoring.
Lebron and AD should score well for them to win, and I believe it's also not gonna be easy for Lebron as Gordon is a very good defender.
The problemf or the Lakers is who would contained Murray, this guy is so slick, he can shot at any where on the floor.

AD is a good defender, but Jokic could outduel him and uses his basketball IQ to throw off Davis. That's why the Lakers will have fresh bodies on Jokic every quarter and yeah, double teaming him might be a good idea but they just shouldn't have one plan to contain Jokic.

AD is in disadvantage in terms of weight, so Jokic could easily move him inside and if he gets double, Jokic will use his great ability in passing.

[stadus]

AD is in disadvantage in terms of weight, so Jokic could easily move him inside and if he gets double, Jokic will use his great ability in passing.

He will be tired if he keeps guarding Jokic one on one but they could not double him because Jokic is good in finding an open man and we know that this team are good 3 point shooters. It seems like they had already found the formula of winning with balance offense and defense. And honestly, despite of the hype of the Lakers which is expected since Lebron is popular, I have to look at the real performance of the team to know which one is the better team.

[btc_angela]

No, if you look at the odds, the Warriors are the betting favorite, and with that, it is unexpected. And if you go back few pages down, majority thinks that the Warriors are going to win, and the others says it unpredictable.

As we can see on the pre game betting spread, the Warriors are -3, a slight favorite on this game.  

And that's why happened in this game, the Kings started hot and the Warriors was not able to respond and then Klay Thompson went 0/10. And what others says, it's the end of the Warriors dynasty and I don't think the CP3 can end a ring in his career. So it's going to bite them in their ass to see Thompson for the last time as a Warrior as there could be changes for them next season and most likely he will be traded.

Nope, the kings started strong, were able to lead by 16 IIRC but the Warriors responded and the lead of the kings was only 4 points after the first half.
It was in the 2nd half where the Warriors were able to respond, kings both scored 37 points in 3rd and 4th, that's too much to give up, you can see that the defense didn't clicked for them.

Yes, that's basically what happen, Kings are strong and there's no way the Warriors can keep up with them. Now, they are going to face the Pelicans and without Zion, the Pels chances are slim. But as what we say, the ball is round so who knows. The Pels still have the home court advantage here.

But it seems the discussions is with the Lakers vs Nuggets, in terms of depth it looks like the Lakers has the advantage with their starter fight and players coming off from the bench. But they will have to face the defending champion and a former MVP and a high basketball IQ in Jokic.

[Sanitough]

Yes, that's basically what happen, Kings are strong and there's no way the Warriors can keep up with them.

Both teams are strong and are on the same level, the reason why both are in the play-in.
Maybe the Warriors just had a very bad game, but since it's a do or die game, their chance has now been over.

Now, they are going to face the Pelicans and without Zion, the Pels chances are slim. But as what we say, the ball is round so who knows. The Pels still have the home court advantage here.

I can't be too overconfident even if the Pelicans doesn't have Zion. Remember that the Kings doesn't have Monk and Huerter as well, so they are even. 
Zion has been great but everyone needs to step up as they need to protect their home court, a win here will give Zion more time to rest and who knows, he might be able to come back in the series against the OKC Thunder.

But it seems the discussions is with the Lakers vs Nuggets, in terms of depth it looks like the Lakers has the advantage with their starter fight and players coming off from the bench. But they will have to face the defending champion and a former MVP and a high basketball IQ in Jokic.

I don't see the having the advantage as in this season, they haven't won a single game.
Look at their history of games record ; https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/nba/matchup/298382

[Yaunfitda]

Yes, that's basically what happen, Kings are strong and there's no way the Warriors can keep up with them.

Both teams are strong and are on the same level, the reason why both are in the play-in.
Maybe the Warriors just had a very bad game, but since it's a do or die game, their chance has now been over.

Now, they are going to face the Pelicans and without Zion, the Pels chances are slim. But as what we say, the ball is round so who knows. The Pels still have the home court advantage here.

I can't be too overconfident even if the Pelicans doesn't have Zion. Remember that the Kings doesn't have Monk and Huerter as well, so they are even. 
Zion has been great but everyone needs to step up as they need to protect their home court, a win here will give Zion more time to rest and who knows, he might be able to come back in the series against the OKC Thunder.

But it seems the discussions is with the Lakers vs Nuggets, in terms of depth it looks like the Lakers has the advantage with their starter fight and players coming off from the bench. But they will have to face the defending champion and a former MVP and a high basketball IQ in Jokic.

I don't see the having the advantage as in this season, they haven't won a single game.
Look at their history of games record ; https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/nba/matchup/298382

Everyone needs to be healthy as this point, one superstar missing could be very big specially if Zion will not play. We can't compare Monk and Huerter missing, of course they are part of the bench, but it terms of impact, Zion could be a equivalent of Sabonis or Fox. Monk is their 6th man, so the bigger impact is that Zion missing the game. And it will be at the advantage of the Kings now. Sacramento is now the slight favorite as far as betting currently, at 1.8x against the Pels without Zion at 2.0x. Ingram is on limited minutes and CJ hasn't had that breakthrough game. Lakers is almost 3:1 underdog in game 1 against the Nuggets.

[ultrloa]

No, if you look at the odds, the Warriors are the betting favorite, and with that, it is unexpected. And if you go back few pages down, majority thinks that the Warriors are going to win, and the others says it unpredictable.

As we can see on the pre game betting spread, the Warriors are -3, a slight favorite on this game.  

And that's why happened in this game, the Kings started hot and the Warriors was not able to respond and then Klay Thompson went 0/10. And what others says, it's the end of the Warriors dynasty and I don't think the CP3 can end a ring in his career. So it's going to bite them in their ass to see Thompson for the last time as a Warrior as there could be changes for them next season and most likely he will be traded.

Nope, the kings started strong, were able to lead by 16 IIRC but the Warriors responded and the lead of the kings was only 4 points after the first half.
It was in the 2nd half where the Warriors were able to respond, kings both scored 37 points in 3rd and 4th, that's too much to give up, you can see that the defense didn't clicked for them.

Yes, that's basically what happen, Kings are strong and there's no way the Warriors can keep up with them. Now, they are going to face the Pelicans and without Zion, the Pels chances are slim. But as what we say, the ball is round so who knows. The Pels still have the home court advantage here.

But it seems the discussions is with the Lakers vs Nuggets, in terms of depth it looks like the Lakers has the advantage with their starter fight and players coming off from the bench. But they will have to face the defending champion and a former MVP and a high basketball IQ in Jokic.

They are strong and consistent with their performance compare with Warriors that they are really struggling and their players are all seasonal that's why it result to a bad run to them. Their system is bit outdated and they can't rely on their core anymore that's why I think they need a rebuild since current line up especially the small ball rotation is not really working anymore. Its exciting to watch on how far Kings could reach since if they can defeat Pelicans which I think its possible since they have an advantage since Zion is out  then provably we can see them advance on next round and provably might get a good fight on other strong teams to compete in playoffs.

Yeah Lakers vs Nuggets is hot topic now and I guess there's something related with it on what happen on their last meet up. Since now we can able to see if Lakers could get a good revenge on Nuggets or they continue to sweep Lakers and embarrassed them.

[Viscore]

Everyone needs to be healthy as this point, one superstar missing could be very big specially if Zion will not play. We can't compare Monk and Huerter missing, of course they are part of the bench, but it terms of impact, Zion could be a equivalent of Sabonis or Fox. Monk is their 6th man, so the bigger impact is that Zion missing the game. And it will be at the advantage of the Kings now. Sacramento is now the slight favorite as far as betting currently, at 1.8x against the Pels without Zion at 2.0x. Ingram is on limited minutes and CJ hasn't had that breakthrough game. Lakers is almost 3:1 underdog in game 1 against the Nuggets.

The problem with the Kings is they are not a good road team. We've seen them play so hard and well on their game against the Raptors but we can't expect the same scenario will happen versus the Pelicans. But honestly, it's really a huge loss for the Pelicans not having Zion, so I think the value goes to the Kings, take it early while the line hasn't move yet because I will.

[Eternad]

Everyone needs to be healthy as this point, one superstar missing could be very big specially if Zion will not play. We can't compare Monk and Huerter missing, of course they are part of the bench, but it terms of impact, Zion could be a equivalent of Sabonis or Fox. Monk is their 6th man, so the bigger impact is that Zion missing the game. And it will be at the advantage of the Kings now. Sacramento is now the slight favorite as far as betting currently, at 1.8x against the Pels without Zion at 2.0x. Ingram is on limited minutes and CJ hasn't had that breakthrough game. Lakers is almost 3:1 underdog in game 1 against the Nuggets.

The problem with the Kings is they are not a good road team. We've seen them play so hard and well on their game against the Raptors but we can't expect the same scenario will happen versus the Pelicans. But honestly, it's really a huge loss for the Pelicans not having Zion, so I think the value goes to the Kings, take it early while the line hasn't move yet because I will.

According to head to head stats between Zion and Sabonis this 2023-2024 regular season. Zion dominate Sabonis on all of their matches while Sabonis is now the one who carry Kings and do a lot of effort for the team unlike last year which is Fox is the one who is main player for the score.

Kings always have a terrible match up if their center is outmatched by the opponent center since Sabonis is now the pillar of Kings. They need to lockdown Zion or at least stay hot on their perimeter shots if they want to passed on Pelicans. They only manage to beat Warriors because they don’t have good center while Warriors perimeter shot is in terrible state that time.

[Baofeng]

Everyone needs to be healthy as this point, one superstar missing could be very big specially if Zion will not play. We can't compare Monk and Huerter missing, of course they are part of the bench, but it terms of impact, Zion could be a equivalent of Sabonis or Fox. Monk is their 6th man, so the bigger impact is that Zion missing the game. And it will be at the advantage of the Kings now. Sacramento is now the slight favorite as far as betting currently, at 1.8x against the Pels without Zion at 2.0x. Ingram is on limited minutes and CJ hasn't had that breakthrough game. Lakers is almost 3:1 underdog in game 1 against the Nuggets.

The problem with the Kings is they are not a good road team. We've seen them play so hard and well on their game against the Raptors but we can't expect the same scenario will happen versus the Pelicans. But honestly, it's really a huge loss for the Pelicans not having Zion, so I think the value goes to the Kings, take it early while the line hasn't move yet because I will.

Yeah, but then again, with a do or die game on the line, I would say that we should throw all this stats out of the window and just bet on the teams that likely will go on to win. And without Zion, who in their last games scored 40 or even 50 if he wasn't injured, it might be hard for a team to cover that huge gap in scoring.

It goes down again as this game is unpredictable, maybe there are Kings fans that are happy to see them have a great chance to win again even on the road against a very good team just because their main player is not going to play.

[danherbias07]

We can always consider that injury, but it could happen on either team. The Lakers are still the same team, I don't see them being a more superior than the Nuggets as even in the regular season, they can't beat the Nuggets on their home court. Maybe this will be no swept but I still see that the Nuggets will come out victorious in a 7 game series.

Who would stop Jokic? That's a big question, if they had Howard maybe it's possible, but aside from Davis,there's no other bigs on the Lakers that could minimize (at least) the production of Jokic.

I agree, but what about the non-Jokic minutes? This is what I worry most because that big guy will definitely need some rest at some point and looking at the statistics, the non-Jokic minutes are where they are always having trouble with. Let's say it's 8-10 minutes total, that's still a big amount to take the lead back for the Lakers.
I will bet for the Denver Nuggets here without a doubt but I am just pointing out the weaknesses of their team.
The Lakers on the other hand have Gabe Vincent back and he showed yesterday what he can do during playoffs. 9 points and they are all needed by the Lakers, especially a player who can shoot deep in the three-point line. That just made the bench of the Lakers grow deeper so let us see if the Nuggets bench can answer to that. It's going to be exciting and we might not see too many blowout games in the playoffs.

[Shinpako09]

Everyone needs to be healthy as this point, one superstar missing could be very big specially if Zion will not play. We can't compare Monk and Huerter missing, of course they are part of the bench, but it terms of impact, Zion could be a equivalent of Sabonis or Fox. Monk is their 6th man, so the bigger impact is that Zion missing the game. And it will be at the advantage of the Kings now. Sacramento is now the slight favorite as far as betting currently, at 1.8x against the Pels without Zion at 2.0x. Ingram is on limited minutes and CJ hasn't had that breakthrough game. Lakers is almost 3:1 underdog in game 1 against the Nuggets.

The problem with the Kings is they are not a good road team. We've seen them play so hard and well on their game against the Raptors but we can't expect the same scenario will happen versus the Pelicans. But honestly, it's really a huge loss for the Pelicans not having Zion, so I think the value goes to the Kings, take it early while the line hasn't move yet because I will.

Yeah, but then again, with a do or die game on the line, I would say that we should throw all this stats out of the window and just bet on the teams that likely will go on to win. And without Zion, who in their last games scored 40 or even 50 if he wasn't injured, it might be hard for a team to cover that huge gap in scoring.

It goes down again as this game is unpredictable, maybe there are Kings fans that are happy to see them have a great chance to win again even on the road against a very good team just because their main player is not going to play.

That is absolutely an advantage for the Kings. It increases their chances of winning. However, as you mentioned, games are unpredictable. There are games where teams with superstars less still manage to win against those with their superstars playing. I feel bad for Zion; he worked hard this season and made it to the 7th seed, but now his chances of playing in the playoffs have become slim again. Just when he is needed the most, here comes an injury.

[yazher]

That is absolutely an advantage for the Kings. It increases their chances of winning. However, as you mentioned, games are unpredictable. There are games where teams with superstars less still manage to win against those with their superstars playing. I feel bad for Zion; he worked hard this season and made it to the 7th seed, but now his chances of playing in the playoffs have become slim again. Just when he is needed the most, here comes an injury.

He doesn't need to worry about it because he is still young and has lots of improvement to have in the future, too bad that the expectations for him back when he was a rookie was too much and it affected him clearly because in every game at that time, he should do some crazy dunks and clutch because that's what he was in college when he was playing in Duke, he didn't take it slowly as Wemby does nowadays, so the risk was high and he took lots of damage because of that and need to undergo multiple sidelines due to his injuries. That's why people making fun of him to be the next Greg Oden because they have similarities in terms of their careers.

[xLays]

He doesn't need to worry about it because he is still young and has lots of improvement to have in the future, too bad that the expectations for him back when he was a rookie was too much and it affected him clearly because in every game at that time, he should do some crazy dunks and clutch because that's what he was in college when he was playing in Duke, he didn't take it slowly as Wemby does nowadays, so the risk was high and he took lots of damage because of that and need to undergo multiple sidelines due to his injuries. That's why people making fun of him to be the next Greg Oden because they have similarities in terms of their careers.

I dont think so. For me, whatever happens with Zion's performance should be given attention. We're already at the point where he can still improve, but if his career continues with him getting injured every season, his market value could decrease. As for their upcoming game against the Kings, I really think they have a good chance of winning if Zion will against the Kings, if not it's 50:50 for me. Even in their last game against the Lakers, they could have won if Zion hadn't been injured.

[Twentyonepaylots]

Everyone needs to be healthy as this point, one superstar missing could be very big specially if Zion will not play. We can't compare Monk and Huerter missing, of course they are part of the bench, but it terms of impact, Zion could be a equivalent of Sabonis or Fox. Monk is their 6th man, so the bigger impact is that Zion missing the game. And it will be at the advantage of the Kings now. Sacramento is now the slight favorite as far as betting currently, at 1.8x against the Pels without Zion at 2.0x. Ingram is on limited minutes and CJ hasn't had that breakthrough game. Lakers is almost 3:1 underdog in game 1 against the Nuggets.

The problem with the Kings is they are not a good road team. We've seen them play so hard and well on their game against the Raptors but we can't expect the same scenario will happen versus the Pelicans. But honestly, it's really a huge loss for the Pelicans not having Zion, so I think the value goes to the Kings, take it early while the line hasn't move yet because I will.

Yeah, but then again, with a do or die game on the line, I would say that we should throw all this stats out of the window and just bet on the teams that likely will go on to win. And without Zion, who in their last games scored 40 or even 50 if he wasn't injured, it might be hard for a team to cover that huge gap in scoring.

It goes down again as this game is unpredictable, maybe there are Kings fans that are happy to see them have a great chance to win again even on the road against a very good team just because their main player is not going to play.

That is absolutely an advantage for the Kings. It increases their chances of winning. However, as you mentioned, games are unpredictable. There are games where teams with superstars less still manage to win against those with their superstars playing. I feel bad for Zion; he worked hard this season and made it to the 7th seed, but now his chances of playing in the playoffs have become slim again. Just when he is needed the most, here comes an injury.

Yep, very tough luck for the pelican. Early in the season, I thought this was their time to rise in the NBA. They beat some great-caliber teams, and they are in the middle to top of the standings and doing very well. Zion is playing well and healthy, Brandon Ingram is balling out too, and with the lead of veteran guard CJ McCollum and some great supporting casts on the team, I really thought that they got rid of the curse, but seeing how they turned out this postseason, losing two straight against the Lakers, and the worst part is losing their best player through injury.

Without Zion, it will be very hard for the Pelicans to win this last play-in game, with Brandon Ingram struggling and McCollum too. Against the Kings, they can still win it if those players I've mentioned get out of their slump and have awakened. Another thing to add is that it will be the Pelicans home court, so this can be an advantage for them since the Kings are that great on the road.

[Twentyonepaylots]

The NBA has just announced a lifetime ban for player Jontay Porter from the Toronto Raptors for violating the league’s gaming rules. Jontay was apparently quite the gambler and while he claimed he never bet on his own games, the league still decided there was enough gambling to ban him forever. Tough break…

He really literally did the "bet on yourself" quote. It is sad for him as he faces a lifetime ban from the NBA. I wonder how he will manage this problem. First,  he is unemployed because he is banned from the NBA, and second, people might see him as an "addict," and his image might be ruined in public. If he ever tried to go pro in a different league, teams might won't sign him because of this scandal and judge him. Teams might think that he is manipulating his stats, so signing him is kind of a risk for them.

But realistically speaking, if I were him, I would abandon the gambling and focus on training and leveling up my game since getting into the NBA is not an easy road, so you should not be taking things lightly like you are just playing a game. I really don't see the reason why he would risk his career just to get some money from gambling. 

[ChiBitCTy]

I put a few satoshis down on the Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks game last night, and was pleasantly surprised at how well the Bulls played.  Now I don't think the Hawks are all the good, so it wasn't a huge win, but it was still impressive nonetheless, especially since the Bulls don't have their best player in Lavine playing.  Colby White went off last night!

However all this game did was give Bulls fans false hope, extend the season to make more money for an owner who doesn't truly care about putting a quality team on the floor.  I guess I'm kind of excited for their next game, but it's all just false hope.  I will not be betting on the Bulls going forward, but on their opponent.

[el kaka22]

Warriors are getting older and now there are talks about them not going for the whole season again with the same team. I mean Curry is a great player there is no doubt about that but he is no longer a guy who could take his team to title all by himself, he needs help. Normally Draymond Green and Klay Thompson would help him, but Klay Thompson had literally zero points all of the game, zero points!

When you are getting that bad, then it is time to reconsider the team and I believe that Warriors do need to consider it. They may not sign Klay back after such a horrible year, and they may just trade Draymond away as well. Then one thing is left, if Curry agrees to stay for many more years, rebuild around him, if not, then trade him away for picks and rebuild.