Around the League: Week 6 12/1-12/7

[carey]

Nationally televised games this week.
Monday: No Games.
Tuesday: Toronto @ Sacramento 10:00 EST NBATv
Wednesday: Chicago @ Charlotte 7:00 EST NBATv
Thursday: Cleveland @ New York 8:00 TNT, New Orleans @ Golden State 10:30 EST TNT
Friday: Denver @ Washington 7:00 EST NBATv, Indiana @ Sacramento 10:00 NBATv
Saturday:Golden State @ Chicago 8:00 EST NBATv
Sunday: No games.

NBA News.
Kobe had a triple-double and the Lakers beat the Raptors: LI... ah who cares.
I'd also link to how Kobe is the first in history with both 30K points and 6K assists but... still don't care.
Kevin Garnett: "If I wanted to bite Noah, I would've. Shout out to Mike Tyson." LINK
Russell Westbrook was back on Friday: LINK
I personally don't think it's legal but if not you'd have to call travelling on LBJ on every play... proof the Greek Freak is indeed freaky: LINK
Did you know that Silver has the power to punish the Sixers for outright tanking? LINK

[carey]

Durant back tonight for OKC. I think they will be ahead of the Suns by Christmas.

[Mori Chu]

Durant back tonight for OKC. I think they will be ahead of the Suns by Christmas.

What?! I agree that they will be much better now, but there is no mathematical way that they will pass our record that quickly, if at all. This is the height of pessimism.

[carey]

Durant back tonight for OKC. I think they will be ahead of the Suns by Christmas.

What?! I agree that they will be much better now, but there is no mathematical way that they will pass our record that quickly, if at all. This is the height of pessimism.

They have 12 games before Christmas, we have 11. They are 5-13. We are 11-8. If they go 9-3 and we go 3-8 we would be tied.

Their upcoming schedule is a mix of good teams and bad teams. Sixers, Pistons, Bucks, Cavs, Wolves, Suns, Kings, Warriors, Lakers, Pelicans, Blazers, Spurs. Only 5 are gimmes so they would have to play pretty well.

The Suns on the other hand, Mavs twice, Rockets, Clippers, Heat, Pistons, OKC themselves, Bucks, Hornets, Knicks, and Wizards. Pretty brutal schedule actually. We better start playing to our potential.

Pessimistic? Sure. Out of the realm of possibility the way we've been playing? No.

[Ring_Wanted]

How are you feeling about LAL's pick? Lakers have won second game in a row and currently this is the lotto landscape:

1.- Philadelphia 0-17
2.- Detroit 3-15
3.- New york 4-15
4.- Charlotte 4-14
5.- Minnesota 4-12
6.- Boston 4-11
7.- Lakers 5-13
8.- Utah 5-13
9.- Oklahoma 5-13
10.- Orlando 7-13
11.- Indiana 7-11
12.- Denver 9-9
13.- New orleans 8-8
14.- Sacramento 9-9
+
15.- Brooklyn 7-9
16.- Milwaukee 10-9

[Ring_Wanted]

As long as Kobe and the veterans are able to play I think they are not throwing the season away so perhaps a 1-2 ratio the rest of the way could be enough to keep them #6 or worse, which means just 10-11% of making a top3 pick.

Maybe NY and Charlotte improve, but at least it's looking better for us than at the beginning of the season.

Among the rest, I think Utah and Denver are candidates to make some tinkering, but I believe Orlando and Indiana will try their best to get the #8 seed.

By the way, as of right now, Houston and Chicago would get one low lotto pick each. The pick Houston acquired for Asik from New Orleans is conveyed if #4-19, and SAC's pick goes to the Bulls if #11 or worse.

[carey]

New Orleans will improve greatly once they fire Monty Williams.

[Mori Chu]

I would love it if we could get that Laker pick. I assumed they'd be bottom-5 but maybe they're silly enough to break free of the pack of the league's worst teams. I just hope they don't go into tank mode down the stretch and drop into the bottom-5 just to screw us out of the pick.

[Indy]

Or "win" the lottery by moving up into the top 3 (or even 1).

[The Bobster]

Sixers win!

1-17, good for them!

[Ring_Wanted]

Refs seem to remain blind to traveling during crunch time. In the Dalas-Milwaukee, Monta Ellis was allowed to take three steps to get his game winning shot off. Can't understand how such moves are not a reflex call to the supposed trained eye.

http://streamable.com/04d

[Gladiator]

Refs seem to remain blind to traveling during crunch time. In the Dalas-Milwaukee, Monta Ellis was allowed to take three steps to get his game winning shot off. Can't understand how such moves are not a reflex call to the supposed trained eye.

http://streamable.com/04d

Yep that's not even a judgement call like charge/block. It's clear cut.

[Shabazz]

This is insane:
https://twitter.com/basketballtalk/status/540633065010106368

[Superbone]

This is insane:

Especially when many were predicting less wins for Western teams this year in preseason.

[Ring_Wanted]

This is insane:

And especially when many were predicting less wins for Western teams this year in preseason.

And above all with OKC at 5-13.

Check this out:

Those 7 teams have played 129 games. They have just 28 losses combined, good for an average of 78%.

Only 6 of those defeats have been against eastern teams (Toronto, Brooklyn, Indiana, Chicago, Milwaukee and Miami). And among the rest of the west, only Sacramento and Phoenix have done it more than once. The absolute majority of their losses happen when they play each other.



The Warriors don't care about injuries to allstar caliber players, and their defense anchored by Bogut is outstanding while having improved their offensive flow. Two losses, to SAS and the Suns.

Memphis defeated just by Milwaukee and Toronto.

Portland has lost only to Sacramento, Memphis, GSW and LAC.

Houston's system is running at crazy efficiency. Defeated only by GSW, MEM, LAL, LAC.

The Mavs are playing out of their minds offensively. Losses to SAS, POR, MIA, HOU and IND.

SAS lost to Suns, Rockets, Pelicans, Kings, Nets.

The Clippers have found some rhythm and despite not meeting expectations early have lost only five games, to Kings, Warriors, Spurs, Bulls and Memphis.

[Danimal]

Got to watch the warriors v Bulls game today. Never liked the sleeved jerseys but the Warriors black ones look pretty sweet. No one seems to comment enough about Kerr hiring. The fact the warriors went after someone who paid his dues basketball wise before going after a coaching gig. Still not a fan of straight to coaching hires lately. I jut think it just has a low chance of succeeding.

[Mori Chu]

Kerr has been spectacular so far as coach and the team loves him.

[Danimal]

Funny how we are talking about the guy who once hired Terry Porter. Turns out Kerr should have just moved himself courtside.

[carey]

Durant back tonight for OKC. I think they will be ahead of the Suns by Christmas.

What?! I agree that they will be much better now, but there is no mathematical way that they will pass our record that quickly, if at all. This is the height of pessimism.

OKC is currently 9-13 and the Suns are 12-11. They could pass us well before Christmas so yeah, I guess i was wrong.

[Indy]

Durant back tonight for OKC. I think they will be ahead of the Suns by Christmas.

What?! I agree that they will be much better now, but there is no mathematical way that they will pass our record that quickly, if at all. This is the height of pessimism.

OKC is currently 9-13 and the Suns are 12-11. They could pass us well before Christmas so yeah, I guess i was wrong.

Stop being the height of pessimism.