NBA 2024-2025: Celtic Pride

[Kingspoint]

The Bucks are 2-0 in games started by AJ Green.

He was -15 +/- in 21 minutes tonight scoring only 3 points, only 2 rebounds, an even worse 1 assist, zero steals and zero blocks.

Andre Jackson was +23 in 31 minutes off the bench.

Pat Connaughton was +24 in 24 minutes off the bench.

Gary Trent got the message that he's only going to play if he hustles and stays focused. He was +18 in 34 minutes off the bench.

Doc used only 3 players off the bench (since three were Starting).

Good game managed by Rivers tonight.

[Kingspoint]

Ralph Sampson
Hakeem Olajuwon
David Robinson
Alonzo Mourning
Tim Duncan
Victor Wembanyama
Donovan Clingan

The only Rookies in NBA history to have a game of 17+ PTS, 12+ RBDS, 8+ BLKS.

Donovan did it in the 2nd Start of his NBA career. His Grandmother was in the stands to see his first NBA game. He played 31 minutes. I don't think he played that many ever in a college game, or not too often, anyway. This was against a team with size in Gobert/Randle/Reid/Edwards/McDaniels/DiVincenzo and NAW penetrating and dishing.

MIN 98
POR 106

The key moment in the game was when Chauncey decided early in the 3rd Quarter to put in Kris Murray, the forgotten about Trailblazer. As Chauncey does, he was mixing and matching in the first half to see what combos were working. Rayan Rupert with 3 minutes. Jabari Walker with 2 minutes, Duop Reath with 8 minutes, out of necessity because of 2 quick fouls by Clingan to start the game. (Donovan managed to play the rest of the game and still get 8 blocks, 5 in the 4th, getting only 1 more foul). Kris Murray had 6 minutes and they were outstanding on both ends of the floor, especially Defensively. He has the same floor intelligence as his brother Keegan. He's going to be hard to protect when expansion comes. But, Murray not only played the rest of the 3rd Quarter, but he played deep into the 4th Quarter helping POR go on a 24-4 run where they just outhustled MIN on both ends of the floor. There weren't easy looks, resulting in a poor 3-pt shooting night (Edwards was 0-9, as it was obvious POR got into their heads, matching them with a toughness that MIN is used to winning over the course of a game). Donovan Clingan wouldn't let them score in the paint, but others were there to help when he had to leave his man. The result was that MIN failed to get to 100 points in a game that they should have had all of the momentum after losing last night convincingly.

Shaedon Sharpe scored a career-high 33 points (Grant's 8 Assists last night were a career high).

It really makes a huge difference with Simons not playing because it opens up a lot of minutes for Dalano Banton, who replaced Scoot midway through the 3rd and never left the game. Scoot wasn't bad, but there were better matchups against MIN with Grant/Banton/Shaedon/Murray/Clingan.

+/- leaders:


Dalano Banton +19
Kris Murray +17
Donovan Clingan +15
Deni Advija +15

The 2-game sweep doesn't change my opinion of MIN. They are still a Top team in the West and it's going to be difficult to keep them from getting back to the Western Conference Finals.

Anfernee Simons will return and the Blazers Defense and Offense will get worse and they'll lose more games than they win as they try to get another lottery pick in 2025.

At this point, I'd pick up Chauncey's option for next season and let him know that we'd like to have a conversation about an extension this off-season. Billups' coaching skills are starting to catch up with his knowledge of the game. It's always so difficult to transmit that to players and to get them to buy into effort (which is why the REDS went out and got Francona).

[Kingspoint]

Challenge: without looking, do you know the first names of any of three guys named Jones on the Kings' roster?

You had me. I didn't know they had anyone named Jones on their roster. Looking it up, I hadn't heard of any of them.

[Kingspoint]

Who will be the first to defeat the Cavs?

Next 3 games:

CHI Friday
CHA Sunday
@BOS TUE

I think the Bulls beat them on Friday. CHI played them twice in pre-season and beat them both times. CHI just played them Monday. It's difficult to beat the same team again after having just played them.

CHI 124
CLE 117

[M2]

Ralph Sampson
Hakeem Olajuwon
David Robinson
Alonzo Mourning
Tim Duncan
Victor Wembanyama
Donovan Clingan

The only Rookies in NBA history to have a game of 17+ PTS, 12+ RBDS, 8+ BLKS.

Donovan did it in the 2nd Start of his NBA career. His Grandmother was in the stands to see his first NBA game. He played 31 minutes. I don't think he played that many ever in a college game, or not too often, anyway. This was against a team with size in Gobert/Randle/Reid/Edwards/McDaniels/DiVincenzo and NAW penetrating and dishing.

MIN 98
POR 106

Clingan tonight and the Time Lord in their last game really are pushing the question of whether the Blazers should be looking to unload DeAndre Ayton.

The 2-game sweep doesn't change my opinion of MIN. They are still a Top team in the West and it's going to be difficult to keep them from getting back to the Western Conference Finals.

Are they a top team? I'm starting to wonder about that. By definition, there's only four top 4 teams in each conference. This team looks like it will need to fight just to stay in the top 6. It's a brutally tough conference. The Warriors, Rockets, Kings and Grizzlies are all better than they were last season. OKC and Denver seem poised to stay in the ranks of the elite. I don't trust the Suns or Lakers to remain consistent, but both are off to quality starts. Dallas is also looking to shake off an uneven start.

I'm not saying the Wolves are a bad team, but it's going to take something special for teams to set themselves apart in that conference. I'm not sure they've got that, even if Ant goes nuclear.

[Boston Red]

This way, he can stay with the Lakers and practice with them, and then just go and play the G-League games when they are at home. It's a more veteran environment for learning, but gets him some playing time.

It's because they don't want him to have to fly commercial. It's hilarious, honestly.

[Chip R]

He was -15 +/- in 21 minutes tonight scoring only 3 points, only 2 rebounds, an even worse 1 assist, zero steals and zero blocks.

Please don't take this the wrong way but I don't care. I'm excited that someone from my alma mater is not only playing in the NBA but has started the last two games. I'm not even a Bucks fan so I don't care how well they do, I just want him to do well.

[RichRed]

Challenge: without looking, do you know the first names of any of three guys named Jones on the Kings' roster?

Caldwell?

[Chip R]

This way, he can stay with the Lakers and practice with them, and then just go and play the G-League games when they are at home. It's a more veteran environment for learning, but gets him some playing time.

So why don't they do this with the rest of the G League players? It's ridiculous. I saw someone say that this almost looks like a Make A Wish thing.

[Boston Red]

Please don't take this the wrong way but I don't care. I'm excited that someone from my alma mater is not only playing in the NBA but has started the last two games. I'm not even a Bucks fan so I don't care how well they do, I just want him to do well.

Your alma mater is coming to my town tonight. Should be a fun reunion for the longtime former conference rivals.

[texasdave]

How much longer does Nikola Jokic have to perform at this level until he starts get mentioned in the ubiquitous GOAT conversations?

As of right now, his is the all-time leader in PER, in WS/48 minutes and in Box +/-.

It doesn't look as if he is slowing down with 3 MVPs in the last 4 seasons.

This year he is trotting out this line: 29.7/13.7/11.7.

That might sound blasphemous, but he's putting up the numbers to back it up.

[Chip R]

Your alma mater is coming to my town tonight. Should be a fun reunion for the longtime former conference rivals.

I know. Should be a good test for both teams.

[M2]

Caldwell?

Speaking of ex-76ers centers, yesterday was the 45th anniversary of Darryl Dawkins shattering a backboard (aka Chocolate Thunder Day).

[redsfan9988]

How much longer does Nikola Jokic have to perform at this level until he starts get mentioned in the ubiquitous GOAT conversations?

As of right now, his is the all-time leader in PER, in WS/48 minutes and in Box +/-.

It doesn't look as if he is slowing down with 3 MVPs in the last 4 seasons.

This year he is trotting out this line: 29.7/13.7/11.7.

That might sound blasphemous, but he's putting up the numbers to back it up.

Watching basketball is a visceral experience. It’s just more fun to watch MJ jump from the foul line and dunk on 3 dudes than it is to see Jokic draw a double team and make a heads up pass to an open shooter.

Jokic is like Votto. He’s fun to watch - especially if you know what you’re looking at… but there’s no substitute for hitting a bunch of clutch dingers.

If he wins a couple more titles, he’ll force his way in to the convo.

[Kingspoint]

Clingan tonight and the Time Lord in their last game really are pushing the question of whether the Blazers should be looking to unload DeAndre Ayton.

The last two games definitely put that on the table. The thinking was always that they'd look into it during the Summer, but these two games has any rational person thinking exactly what you said,...that the Blazers should aggressively pursue moving Ayton beginning right now. Ayton has been putting up double-doubles nightly since last February. He's healthy. And, I can no longer see a future for him with the Blazers. Nobody's ever been able to play two Centers on the floor at the same time. It just doesn't work, even if one of them is a league-leader at the mid-range level. It's the Defensive side of the ball that doesn't work. It's like trying to play 3 small Guards with two of them being sub-par Defenders. It just doesn't work.

I imagine Cronin is thinking what you're thinking. There's got to be at least one team that would want to and has the ability to trade for Ayton and his current salary. They would still have a year-and-a-half to discover if he works for them. He would then be off the books for them if it doesn't work out freeing up a lot of capital. Time Lord would be a better teacher for Clingan by leaps and bounds over Ayton. DeAndre still has that PlayStation mentality in him, much of which has been removed once he got away from his childhood friends in Arizona.

- - - Updated - - -

Please don't take this the wrong way but I don't care. I'm excited that someone from my alma mater is not only playing in the NBA but has started the last two games. I'm not even a Bucks fan so I don't care how well they do, I just want him to do well.

It was/is a great opportunity for him. The Bucks need these young bench guys to develop quickly. Many of them are in that 3rd season of NBA experience where learning takes its biggest jump.