2024-2025 Around the NBA Thread

[Yuma]

The All-Star events wouldn't have to stink. Basketball is a great product.

Let's get some foreign competition to spice it up, along with appropriate money for the winner and a trophy.

Also, perhaps the WNBA could coordinate their events with the NBA.

They used to have this:

McDonald's Championship - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[AzStevenCal]

Chris Paul cheating in this exhibition and nary a word lol. It’s always LeBron’s fault somehow.
KD has the right idea when he says name the All Stars and cancel the weekend because everyone is miserable anyway.

I don't know where you've been but a lot has been said about this. To me, it wasn't really cheating, it was gaming the system and according to Wemby it was all his idea. They made no attempt to hide what they were doing, they thought they'd found a loophole they could take advantage of. I'm glad the league called them out for it but it's just not that big of a deal.

As for poor Lebron, the guy has been treated like royalty since he entered the league by everyone including the referees. If he gets judged too harshly every now and then (and he does), I don't feel much sympathy for him. But I have no problem with him hanging onto his all star spot in the hopes that he might feel good enough to play.

And KD is right, it's time to put an end to the All Star festivities nonsense, just announce the selections and give everyone an extended mid-season break to heal up for the stretch and postseason.

 

[GatorAZ]

It won’t happen because of the importance to the host market every year but they need to scrap it. You can have all-stars without a game and it would also prevent injury replacement. The dunk contest should be the best dunkers from YouTube or something in a seperate setting.

 

[carrrnuttt]

Next year's ASG is supposed to be in LA.

Good luck getting any party to give up the festivities.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Mac McClung has won the NBA Dunk Contest three consecutive years.

Good for him, especially if other top NBA players aren't interested in competing.

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[AzStevenCal]

Next year's ASG is supposed to be in LA.

Good luck getting any party to give up the festivities.

Okay so have the festivities, just do away with the all star game itself. It all goes back to injury risks, we all want to see the best compete but come tell me how you feel when Wemby tears an ACL or Doncic gets hungry and eats the guy defending him.

 

[Hoop Head]

Okay so have the festivities, just do away with the all star game itself. It all goes back to injury risks, we all want to see the best compete but come tell me how you feel when Wemby tears an ACL or Doncic gets hungry and eats the guy defending him.

There's money in a pizza eating and beer drinking contest between Zion and Luka. I'd pay $19.99 to watch that event.

 

[Mainstreet]

They used to have this:

McDonald's Championship - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Maybe it's time to revisit a version of this.

 

[carrrnuttt]

Okay so have the festivities, just do away with the all star game itself. It all goes back to injury risks, we all want to see the best compete but come tell me how you feel when Wemby tears an ACL or Doncic gets hungry and eats the guy defending him.

I don't disagree. I'm just saying that no one, the NBA, Los Angeles, or the players will want to forego any event based in that city.

Either they'll continue this experiment, or find another asinine format. Either way, I guarantee some type of game will be played.

 

[Chaplin]

The NBA makes too much money on that weekend. It's not going away.

 

[95pro]

Just leave fan voting out of it, a lot of stans voting recklessly.

Then we will get players who actually deserve it, and who want to play and be prideful for the opportunity.

 

[BirdGangThing]

scrap the game altogether

do it vegas every year - keep it to true competitive contests that aren't "judged" so everyone can gamble their ass off

free throw competition for all players (wnba too) shooting over 89% - shoot till you miss

3pt competition - let players put the money balls on the racks wherever they want - let'em put all 5 on one rack if they want

have the gambling sites come up with insane prizes to incentivize the players

 

[Superbone]

3pt competition - let players put the money balls on the racks wherever they want - let'em put all 5 on one rack if they want

This is already a thing and has been for a while.

 

[Ronin]

Shams Charania

@ShamsCharania
·
3h


Lonnie Walker IV has agreed to a two-year, $3 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, his agent George S. Langberg of GSL Sports Group told ESPN. Walker has played for Zalgiris Kaunas in the Euroleague and had an NBA-out in his deal. He now enters his 7th NBA season.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Just leave fan voting out of it, a lot of stans voting recklessly.

Then we will get players who actually deserve it, and who want to play and be prideful for the opportunity.

I don't necessarily disagree, but they've already neutered the fan voting (or at least tempered it with Player/Media votes), and outside of a couple subjective exceptions every year, the people who 'deserve' to be there are generally there. The second half of your statement is probably more impactful though, those who deserve to be there may not want to be there (*ahem* Jokic). That's a tougher nut to crack.

 

[Suns_fan69]

It used to be that the best dunkers of the world were in the NBA and the dunk contest is the best way to highlight them. That's not true anymore, some of the dunk specialists put these guys to shame, and that is somewhat represented with Mac MacLung who isn't really an NBA talent. On the more extreme end, you see dunks like this from basically nobodies (at least in the NBA sense):

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[Phrazbit]

It used to be that the best dunkers of the world were in the NBA and the dunk contest is the best way to highlight them. That's not true anymore, some of the dunk specialists put these guys to shame, and that is somewhat represented with Mac MacLung who isn't really an NBA talent. On the more extreme end, you see dunks like this from basically nobodies (at least in the NBA sense):

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I think this has probably always been somewhat true. The "AND1" guys in the early 2000s were doing all kinds of crazy stuff that NBA players were not doing... but they were not in the dunk contest because they were not NBA players.

Mcclung probably falls into that camp. I know he has done well in the Gleague, but it is kinda silly that he's been in almost as many dunk contests as he has played in NBA games.

 

[Hoop Head]

I think a way to make the dunk contest appealing again to bigger names or at least legit rotation players/starters in the league is to partner with a shoe company like Nike, Adidas, Puma, etc and offer a signature shoe for the winner. There's probably a market for a Mac McClung shoe now, especially after 3 peating. If a semi-known player like a Jonathan Kuminga (just an example) won it, he could be catapulted to new heights and I'm sure people would buy his shoe.

That also gives a shoe company not named Nike to carve out part of the market and sell some shoes. Nike doesn't need a gimmick and a signature Nike shoe is something that doesn't come quick or easy. Booker is in his 10th season and just got one, for example. Although Nike might take a chance also.

 

[Ronin]

Shams Charania

@ShamsCharania
·
1h


Brooklyn Nets forward Bojan Bogdanovic will undergo season-ending foot surgery, sources tell ESPN. Bogdanovic last played on April 28, 2024 for the Knicks before having an initial surgery on his left foot.

 

[Ronin]

Shams Charania

@ShamsCharania
·
55m


The Brooklyn Nets are finalizing a 10-day contract with former No. 7 overall pick Killian Hayes, agent Yann Balikouzou tells ESPN. Hayes went to training camp in Brooklyn and has played for Nets' Long Island NBA G League, averaging 21 points and 8.3 assists.

 

[Mainstreet]

Could the Suns have used another big man?

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[95pro]

Could the Suns have used another big man?

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Only if he's 6-6 or smaller

 

[Ronin]

Evan Sidery

@esidery
·
1h

Mark Williams believes he passed his trade physical with the Lakers, per
@rodboone (https://charlotteobserver.com/sports/charlotte-hornets/article299577329.html…):"I didn't think I had failed my physical. That didn't even cross my mind. The night I got traded I played hella minutes. I didn't think in any world that was possible.”

 

[Phrazbit]

Those cheap "Baller Brand" shoes really show no mercy.

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[Hoop Head]

Those cheap "Baller Brand" shoes really show no mercy.

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I bet he still thinks he could take MJ in a game of 1 on 1.

Normally I don't take joy in other's misfortunes but considering how LaVar treated his wife after her stroke, I'll lose no sleep over seeing him be medically humbled.