Random NBA Observations 2022 - 2023

Rigby.

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Not "siding" with Harden, who's going to absolve himself off rip. But I don't think Kyrie can ever get enough blame for how much of this all failing was due to him and his unflappable nature with matters of commitment. Harden can be a fat ass who parties too much, but he's that coworker that you know is gonna be there on Monday. I hope for his sake, he can finally move past that way of thinking in Dallas
 

<<TheStandard>>

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With Kyrie now on the team, Luka shouldn't be forcing step back 3s with the game on the line. It's so predictable.

I don't want to jump to conclusions but Kyrie is probably a rental for the Mavericks if Luka is just going to play "Luka ball" down the stretch of games. Jason Kidd has to do better than this.
 

VegetasHairline

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With Kyrie now on the team, Luka shouldn't be forcing step back 3s with the game on the line. It's so predictable.

I don't want to jump to conclusions but Kyrie is probably a rental for the Mavericks if Luka is just going to play "Luka ball" down the stretch of games. Jason Kidd has to do better than this.
I know he can make those step back 3s but it's still such an awful shot.
 

Po pimp

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Not "siding" with Harden, who's going to absolve himself off rip. But I don't think Kyrie can ever get enough blame for how much of this all failing was due to him and his unflappable nature with matters of commitment. Harden can be a fat ass who parties too much, but he's that coworker that you know is gonna be there on Monday. I hope for his sake, he can finally move past that way of thinking in Dallas
Wait a min :patrice:

Wasn‘t Harden already trying to force his way out of Houston? Is he admitting the reason he came into that season out of shape was specifically to play with KD and Kyrie?
 

Rigby.

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Wait a min :patrice:

Wasn‘t Harden already trying to force his way out of Houston? Is he admitting the reason he came into that season out of shape was specifically to play with KD and Kyrie?
From what I can tell, he started looking at how to get there the second it became a possibility conveyed to him by someone from Brooklyn. As I recall, I felt like he tried for the first handful of games in Houston that season, but I could be misrembering.

Harden's trying to do his high road, "it wasn't me it was them" thing, so I doubt we ever know the build up behind the scenes to fake Fat Harden unless KD tells it
 

Primetime

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Not "siding" with Harden, who's going to absolve himself off rip. But I don't think Kyrie can ever get enough blame for how much of this all failing was due to him and his unflappable nature with matters of commitment. Harden can be a fat ass who parties too much, but he's that coworker that you know is gonna be there on Monday. I hope for his sake, he can finally move past that way of thinking in Dallas

It's no coincidence that when it came down to it both HOU and BK sent Harden to his preferred destinations. His greatest asset was being a workhorse ironman that only Lebron had greater attendance than. Plus for all his off-court debauchery, no guns, drugs, abuse, assault, rape allegations, nothing.

Also, everyone knows the right decision was for HOU to trade Harden/blow it up after the bubble run. But ownership wasn't going to do that unless they could look like the unwilling victims "forced" to breakup a treadmill team for a plethora of future assets.

Harden's damning mistake tho was thinking he had to come in as a complete fat slob to get that trade. He cost himself/BK a title with that dumb shyt. Even then, the sudden trade request a year later seemed off. Sure KD got hurt again but they were the #2 seed and had just blown out the #1 (Chicago) by a billion points with all 3 playing.

In a normal setting, you stick with it and hope that in March/April, everything sorts itself out, seeding be damned. That he didn't want to do that and then KD demanding a trade in the offseason, just lets you know something wasn't right behind the scenes.
 

Primetime

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Yup. I noted this back in December:

Kinda depends on what other opportunities they passed up on. Bc the reality is that every top 10 player could use another top 10-15 player as a running mate... but there's only so many to go around.

Ironically, Porzingis is playing like a top 15 player this season.. higher PER so far than Booker, Beal, Jaylen, Kyrie, DeRozen, KAT, etc.
On pace to have a better season than, say, Khris Middleton ever had.


But when that pairing with Luka didn't work, that was tough bc it felt like they'd sold half the farm to get him.

Will be interesting how Luka-Ball works out with Kyrie, after what we've witnessed with Porzingis and Brunson.
 

Blackrogue

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Wizards low key been hooping. Only thing hold against them is the level of competition. But they shown they are better than those guys when healthy.

In the last 11 games they've won eight..including six in a row. And the three losses two of them they were leading by 20. I think they figured out rotations finally now that everyone's healthy.
 
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