I dunno what week we are even on, lol…just wanted to clean up our NBA situation a bit.
Vic and Chet both out tonight …😭😭😭

but i'm gonna watch that Cavs/Celtics FOR SURE.

Joel need to emulate dude work ethnic, nahmean?


https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/42486989/sources-tyrese-maxey-challenged-joel-embiid-76ers-meeting

Sources: Tyrese Maxey challenged Joel Embiid in 76ers meeting

Shams Charania, ESPN
Nov 19, 2024, 12:01 PM ET

Amid a 2-11 start that has them in last place in the Eastern Conference, and with their star trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey yet to play a game together, the Philadelphia 76ers held a team meeting following Monday night's 106-89 loss to the Miami Heat.

The loss was the team's fourth in a row, sparking veteran guard Kyle Lowry to call for the meeting -- a much-needed heart-to-heart and a call to action and urgency, sources told ESPN. Players and coaches held each other accountable and took fault in the start to the season.

Maxey challenged Embiid to be on time to team activities, calling out the 2022-23 league MVP about being late "for everything" and how it impacts the locker room, from other players to the coaching staff, sources briefed on the meeting told ESPN.

Maxey and Embiid have a close friendship and a history of holding each other accountable, according to those around the team.

"Tyrese loves Big Fella, but this is the elephant in the room," a person involved in the meeting told ESPN.

Players told 76ers coach Nick Nurse they want to be coached harder, and coaches in turn said they want players to practice with purpose and attention to detail.

Embiid accepted the messages sent in the meeting, sources said, but he stated that he is sometimes confused about what the 76ers are attempting to execute on the court.

Embiid, who was listed as doubtful most of Monday due to an illness, was not seen by most teammates and coaches throughout the day before appearing for warmups and playing in the game.

Maxey is highly regarded as a young leader by many in the organization and those around the team were not surprised that he spoke up Monday. He has been out since Nov. 7 with a strained right hamstring, but sources said he's expected to return this week, either Wednesday in Memphis or Friday at home against the Brooklyn Nets.

a three point fucking loss against Boston where:

- Cavs were missing 2 wing rotational players (so Sam Merrill starts and Georges Niang, who frankly has been playing well under Atkinson, is your only option once one of Mobley/Allen sits)
- DG has the one true ass game of the season
- backcourt playing hero ball instead of taking what the Celtics defense is giving (way too much FGAs from both of them)
- they go down as much as 21 due to the Celtics shooting 60% from 3

that's before you usually get to the rest of it.

DG has a normal day at the office and that's 16-0.

16-1 was still an unexpected start, but I hate losing to those motherfuckers on national TV.

and now the Pelicans on a back to back.

Adam Silver is going to the same sector of Hell Jake Paul is going to

last years cavs mightve folded in 3Q..seems theyve leveled up (and right, if okoro available perhaps different story..)

did Tatum do something to his shooting motion? feels more "money" to me leaving his hand

ROTY FRONT RUNNER

with Knecht a near second.

depends on what happens for McCain when Maxey comes back.

n/m

them joints was PURE, too. Mechanical form, every time. Also…Knecht 4 is a 🔥 nickname.

He has to live up to that.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/42498124/draymond-green-calls-taylor-jenkins-response-foul-emotional

As if Edey’s size has anything to do with this or any other coach in the league wouldn’t complain about this. What are you even talking about?

and Edie being a big man, aside…Draymind lecturing absolutely anyone in the league about emotions, is rich af.

for "man who has made more contact with another mans genitals *out of anger* than anyone in recorded history"

Also, if I’m a player who gets blatantly tripped, it’s not called a flagrant, and my coach DIDN’T say something about it… I’d be a little mad that he didn’t. I’d wonder if he had my back or I did something to piss him off. I’m not sitting there thinking “yeah, he’s teaching me a lesson about not being soft. Good thing too, cause I’m tall.”

let him have gotten straight up, deliberately tripped and Kerr not say anything…he’d be trying to fight HIS ass.

Also, if I’m a player who gets blatantly tripped, it’s not called a flagrant, and my coach DIDN’T say something about it… I’d be a little mad that he didn’t. I’d wonder if he had my back or I did something to piss him off. I’m not sitting there thinking “yeah, he’s teaching me a lesson about not being soft. Good thing too, cause I’m tall.”

.

..make a decent killing on sports betting?

(bouncer A dialing while watching jalen suggs and franz wagner stumble out hammered at 4am) "its me..whats lakers line? minus 5.5? put me down for $1K"

(bouncer A dialing while watching jalen suggs and franz wagner
>stumble out hammered at 4am) "its me..whats lakers line? minus
>5.5? put me down for $1K"

(concierge B at Ritz-Carlton DTLA "its me..aint even midnight and these nerds are already back from the clippers arena--and they just ordered coconut water and a 730am wake up call--give me orlando + points tmrw")

for the Sixers. He’s an absolute beast. I’ll be curious to see how he develops alongside Maxey.

https://x.com/thedunkcentral/status/1860141948675469578?s=46&t=kiFPQznpvfRS2C_e35-L0A

and eating copious amounts of pasta…body looking like a 60 year old couch potato.

Seems like he didn’t realize how much the guaranteed money was dependent on his health/weight until recently, and also he just assumed he’d be traded to the Knicks by now lol.

We are fun to watch, but we ain't winning with Thibs and DadCoach holding the clipboards.

Zach Lowe has active accounts on both Instagram and Blue Sky; I'm fairly certain the Instagram account was created after ESPN canned him.

to see someone play with such control and then routinely do extraordinary things at and above the rim is fantastic. If his off-court decision making has improved....skys the limit. He is facilitating, shooting when he needs to and seemingly toying with people in the paint. It is a joy to watch.

my predictions:

brogdon to orlando - i think theyre pretty much just a solid pg-away from making serious noise (once banchero back as well)

kuz to miami - we need a 4 bad

jonas... i have zero read on where he might end up..?

lots of news since the last post in this thread.


Cavs played Sixers (mind you, without McCain and Embiid) last night as the second night of a back-to-back. Tied after 1, led by 11 at half, and then it was just belt to ass from that point. Before that was the Bucks sans Dame. Cavs did an amazing job defending Giannis. So much that Giannis was getting frustrated that Evan Mobley wouldn't be bullied.

Boston is Boston.

Nuggets are struggling.

Lakers are winning again? Seen a lot of "LePEDs" discourse.

The Knicks are looking like they're figuring it out.

Orlando has lost Paolo, Franz... and now Mo. And they are still rolling.

Like Robert said above, I think that Brogdon would be a nice consolidation for them. But I like what I've seen out of guys who were usually riding the bench when Paolo and Franz are playing.

I dunno what's up with the Miami Heat. They were the Cavs 4th loss in a game missing Evan Mobley in the 2nd half (he missed some games following). But the Jimmy trade rumors, the general lethargic way they're going through games... IF they are going for the playoffs they need something. Herro is having one of his best seasons though.

Watch the Atlanta Hawks. the Dyson Daniels trade is a winner, the rook and Jalen Johnson complement the starting line up well, and now DeAndre Hunter and Bogdan can come off the bench and do damage. Trae Young hasn't had a better lineup IMO, not even the ECF team.

Mike Brown has time to shop in person for some great post-Christmas deals.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43185140/struggling-kings-fire-head-coach-mike-brown

Sources: Struggling Kings fire head coach Mike Brown

ESPN
Dec 27, 2024, 05:05 PM ET

The Sacramento Kings fired third-year head coach Mike Brown on Friday, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.

Doug Christie is expected to be the Kings' interim head coach, sources said. Christie has been an assistant with the Kings since 2021-22 and played in Sacramento for five of his 15 NBA seasons.

Brown's firing comes as the Kings are mired in a five-game losing streak -- their longest since January 2022 -- with all five loses coming at home. Sacramento is 13-18 on the season, entering Friday three games back of earning a berth in a play-in game.

Sacramento has struggled to close out games this season, losing five games after holding the lead entering the fourth quarter. Only the Toronto Raptors have more such losses with seven, according to ESPN Research.

Brown won Coach of the Year in his first season in Sacramento in 2022-23, leading the Kings to a No. 1 seed before losing in seven games to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. The Kings playoff appearance snapped a 16-season drought without a playoff berth for the Kings, the longest streak in NBA history.

Brown finishes his Kings tenure with a .549 win percentage, the fourth best by a head coach in franchise history.

Brown signed a three-year extension through 2027 with the Kings in June.

But they said essentially the timeline for an organization gets rapidly accelerated once a coach breaks thru.

It seems the owners and GMs get blinded by the sheen of the found money and mistakenly think their team's growth will be linear (like the '14-'19 Warriors) quickly take them into elite standing. Usually growth is clunky, random, and chaotic (virtually everyone else).

Since COTY goes to fledgling teams who are often emerging from years-long organization-wide dysfunction, it isn't surprising that talent or fresh approach jolts the team to quick success. But consistency is the hardest thing to manifest in sports and one year doesn't cancel out many, many years of bad decisions and poor (sports)cultural values.

half the time it's them that gets the coach fired. they got the power to stick up for these guys if they really want to

Surviving 135 points against Jokic and the Nuggets (with a BELT TO ASS type performance on offense).

the Warriors came out strong to start (despite another abysmal game from Steph, who IMO... can not operate without a Klay-type player eating up space). But as the half came to the end, and the 2nd half started... BELT TO ASS.

I knew Donovan Mitchell was gonna eventually wake up, but the team followed him after the belt came out. Really, the moment the bigs figured out TJD was actually ass in certain areas, it was over. Refs tried to job the bigs out of the game, so Kenny went with a no-big lineup with Dean Wade essentially playing the 5. Same thing that happened against the Jazz when they struggling.

It is surreal after years of getting these type of losses to the Warriors, the Cavs have finally turned the tables. 4-0 in the last two seasons.

But never mind the Warriors battles for the moment. This team is 28-4 to start the season. Yes, they have had injury luck and pretty much all of their losses is due to the opposite. But only 4 losses at this point, with the schedule packed the way it was to start? The way they have won has been a revelation.

The Cavs were shooting like ass to start the Warriors game. 6/23 from 3. But check it out. 23 threes in a half? Cavs weren't doing that under Bickerstaff. Evan Mobley wasn't even taking them like that then. IMO, the next project is to see if Jarrett Allen can chip in that way as well.


I expect them to struggle against Boston, (grumble) Atlanta, Orlando, Memphis, Phoenix, teams like that that they haven't faced yet.

Those games against OKC are about to be a movie.

.

It's crazy to think we live in a world where the Cleveland Cavaliers are 27-4. We've come a long way from the Richfield Coliseum.

the pettiness that I could indulge just because of how this has unfolded. merely changing the coach has turned this team into a buzzsaw.

no LeBron in sight.
didn't trade DG or JA.
this team looks like 2014 Spurs, 2015 Warriors, and is of their lineage thanks to Kenny.

still room to grow at 29-4.

season sweep of Warriors (team that has owned the Cavs for years) and Lakers (LeBron's Team) in games that the Cavs were playing rather sloppy to start... that means something to me.

Seeing DG take the contact from Bray-mond and shout "AND FUCKING ONE" before the ball goes in the hoop? After last year's BS????

Breh.

Let them fly under the radar of favoritism. This is a different type of vibe.

Keep Miller and get rid of everyone else


fucking loser ass mentality is strong in this locker room.

among Eastern conference guards for the 2025 All Star votes as of 01/01/2025 based on what I'm reading online.

Outside of all the guards in the East, the also has more votes than Luka, Steph, Kyrie, Antman, James Harden, and Devin Booker.

I'm guessing he has a ton of online traction among the youth?

cause they dont watch games they just view clips on tiktok and if thats how you consume the NBA you probably think he is Michael Jordan

but he doesn’t know how to win and I’m not sure he cares.

I agree, they have no idea how to win. But they have no veterans that can play either do they?

For example Detroit is much improved. Their young core has been together a few years now, and they added some veterans to the rotation, and they seem to be turning the corner.

Jimmy publicly says he wants to be traded...to anywhere
Riley publicly says "we are not trading Jimmy Butler"
Jimmy says publicly he'd like to get his joy back playing basketball and it won't be in Miami
Heat suspend Jimmy 7 games for conduct detrimental and are listening to trade talks.

LOL...when Jimmy is ready to go, he gets gone by any means.

…then he must really want a chance at a ring




>Jimmy publicly says he wants to be traded...to anywhere
>Riley publicly says "we are not trading Jimmy Butler"
>Jimmy says publicly he'd like to get his joy back playing
>basketball and it won't be in Miami
>Heat suspend Jimmy 7 games for conduct detrimental and are
>listening to trade talks.
>
>LOL...when Jimmy is ready to go, he gets gone by any means.

15 straight.

most difficult team to deal with since Boston IMO.

I still don't think the Cavs can outshoot Boston but the diversity of their offensive game was how they got out from under that stifling OKC defense.

The maturation of both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley saved them. Darius Garland was cooking. This team is like Boston in that everyone (except Allen) will shoot if they can. But they don't have to rely so much on the 3.

High level of assists between both teams. Damn near identical stats at the half.

Lu Dort damn near erased Donovan and the Cavs still put it out of reach at the end, with damn near a 130burger.

SGA and I-Hart have damn near unstoppable moves on offense. And if it fails, SGA can open the book of James Harden and get to the line.

I believe the playoff fight against Orlando is what prepared the Cavs for games like this. Will see them in Oklahoma next week.

prob best game ive seen this season? the strus starting to let loose.. love seeing my heat guys flourish elsewhere

props to cavs crowd: smart, they moan/jeer at the right time watching action.. avg miami fan has head up their ass half the time, if just not paying attention (SGA's heels were out there)

SGA firmly on that curry/mj level.. where road crowds cant hate anymore and just enjoy the artistry

stopped our streak. We gone be looking at Cleveland next week like Bolo Yeung in Bloodsport….’you break my record, now I break you’. I’m glad to see Darius back playing like he was a few seasons ago when CLE games became a must record/watc for me, because of him.

wish i could watch them play sometime...

13-19 FG (1-2 3pt)..in this new, load-managed "back-and-forth glorified 3pt contest with human pylons"-era of the NBA, just shouting out that (from a wing) stat line. not a fan of guys losing their starting spots while injured, but either way udoka has a decision to make?

The price for Jimmy Butler has gone down

link: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10152518-nba-rumors-heat-drop-jimmy-butlers-price-really-really-trying-to-make-trade

swipe:


NBA Rumors: Heat Drop Jimmy Butler's Price, 'Really, Really Trying' to Make Trade
Adam Wells
January 28, 2025



After suspending Jimmy Butler for the third time this month on Monday, the Miami Heat are ramping up their efforts to move on from the disgruntled start.

Appearing on the Tuesday morning episode of SportsCenter, ESPN's Brian Windhorst explained the Heat are "really, really trying" to get a trade done by dropping their asking price for Butler:

"The Heat are really, really trying to make this happen. And I know that you could have said that any time in the last four or five weeks, but in talking to people who are involved in these talks, I think the Heat's prices have come down. What they're willing to accept in trade has widened, and I think that's going to bring some more teams that we're previously sitting on the sideline to the table. Obviously, the Phoenix Suns have tried to get this done for weeks. They have tried three, four, five-team machinations. They have not been able to overcome the fact that what they've really got to trade is Bradley Beal, who has a no-trade clause and not a very big market. And so now I do believe this is going to bring in some other teams. We could see some surprising moves in this in this little battle in the next couple of days."

Per Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, the Heat are "determined not to take back sizable contracts that run past next season." If they were asked to take back a significant contract that runs beyond the 2025-26 season, they want to be "compensated with a draft pick or two."

According to Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor, the Golden State Warriors are among the teams reconsidering their pursuit of Butler:

Butler was suspended indefinitely and for no fewer than five games by the Heat on Monday. The six-time All-Star was due to return from a two-game suspension for their game against the Orlando Magic, but ESPN's Shams Charania reported he walked out of their morning shootaround after being told he was being replaced in the starting lineup by Haywood Highsmith.

A suspension of at least five games will keep Butler out of the Heat lineup through Feb. 5. They have an off day on Feb. 6, which is also the date of the NBA trade deadline.

The Suns have been cited as Butler's preferred destination, which likely means any deal would have to involved at least three teams because Phoenix doesn't have the draft capital or ability to do a one-for-one trade unless Bradley Beal waives his no-trade clause.

Given how toxic things appear to have gotten between Butler and the Heat, it's probably in the team's best interest to simply move on and take whatever they can get. They did overcome a 14-point deficit to defeat the Magic 125-119 in double-overtime on Monday.

The Heat have climbed up to sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 23-22 record. Butler has played just five games since Dec. 21. He's averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game in 25 starts.

Apparently, since Brody went into the starting lineup, the Nuggets have been lights out.

Here's a quick YouTube video mentioning the development -> https://youtu.be/mk57n7jTn6Y?si=pf-ShzxW82dPkMqz

JJ talking some mess about he's been good in the GLeague so we figured we'd give him some run and just threw him in for a third of a game. no team does that!

breh went from barely getting off the bench in garbage time to playing like 7th man minutes what are we doing???

In the fucking G-League.

There are dudes averaging like 30 over there. He has a stretch of 16/4/4 type games and they think, "Surely this will translate in the NBA, too!"

Clown ass franchise, man.

>

Shit is beyond corny, and on principle we should all be pissed that someone who is more deserving AND more in need of that opportunity was passed over.

Lebron going out sad. Nothing but stat padding and hooking family and friends up with jobs they should NOT have.

People, get your checkups at least annually.

------------------------

https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/3205049/d-wade-had-cancerous-tumor-removed-from-kidney

D-Wade had cancerous tumor removed from kidney

Chicco Nacion
2h ago


MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 28: Dwyane Wade is honored following his statue unveiling on October 27th, with a ceremony during a game between the Miami Heat and the Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center on October 28, 2024 in Miami, Florida.
Miami Heat icon Dwyane Wade had a cancerous tumor removed from his kidney in December 2023, he revealed Thursday on his podcast "The Why with Dwyane Wade."

Wade visited the doctor after he turned 40 to undergo a physical for the first time since his playing days. The Hall of Fame guard had been experiencing cramps and slow urination.

Wade underwent a full-body scan that showed a potential cyst/tumor on one of his kidneys.

"They were able to see something that was on ... my right kidney when I went in. I didn't go in for my kidneys," Wade said. "And so what I had on my kidney was a cyst, a tumor. But it was not nothing that could be biopsied. It was not nothing that they can test unless they went in and surgically removed it."

Wade consulted multiple doctors to confirm his cancer diagnosis before undergoing surgery, which required removing 40% of his right kidney.

"I had a personal decision to make. ... If this is cancerous, if this tumor, this cyst, is cancerous on your kidney, you're 41 years old. You probably need surgery because it's something that needs to be removed so it doesn't spread," Wade said. "I made the decision to have surgery. I had surgery on Dec. 18, 2023."

Wade added: "To find out - obviously at 41 years old, pretty healthy guy - that I did have cancer, thank God that I did do the surgery because the tumor was cancerous."

Wade played 15 of his 16 NBA seasons for the Heat, leading the franchise to three NBA championships. He was a 13-time All-Star and eight-time All-NBA selection.

Wade remains Miami's all-time leader in several categories, including points, assists, steals, and games played. The Heat retired Wade's No. 3 in 2020.

Glad they caught it in time and he’s good.

Ever since I turned 35, I get in every year for a checkup, and I come prepared with questions and concerns.

and I’m very fortunate to have a doctor who LISTENS. He doesn’t just take your blood pressure, say some shit then move on to the next appointment. Myself and my sons have been going to him for almost 10 years.

Might be our country’s savior in 2028

I have Udoka as my man of the year so far for weathering the storm and rising up.

Unfortunately for him, the majority of coaches that have won that award have been jobless within a season or two after winning the award.

Oddly enough, I think Thibs has been the last coach for a while that's won that award and hasn't been fired.

but the lakers suck though thats what the media tells me

5-6 games ago it looked like we were a coin flip away from going back to our usual .500 tendencies.

We’re at a point where it’s just now reasonable to think this team might have actual legs.

Two weeks ago, that was definitely iffy.

>but the lakers suck though thats what the media tells me

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/deaaron-fox-trade-spurs-land-all-star-zach-lavine-goes-from-bulls-to-kings-in-multi-team-deal-per-report/

Great move for the Spurs. This is going to be real interesting to watch.